Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Three: Hope Springs Eternal

They appeared back in the kitchen, startling Hermione and Ginny as they were trying to clean up. Harry staggered a little, as he was carrying the body of Mrs. Patil. He quickly righted himself and motioned for Hermione to help him get the bodies into the room off of the kitchen. Harry had already unofficially dubbed it the 'Black Family Morgue'. He went through his routine, doing everything that he could to pay respect to the two individuals who had given the ultimate sacrifice, just as his parents had.

Before they exited the morgue, Hermione gave Harry's hand a quick squeeze, just to let him know that she was there for him. It wasn't a lot, but it meant the world to Harry. He had witnessed so much sadness this night. He didn't really know just how much more he could take. He supposed that he would just have to take whatever was thrown at him.

They stepped out and Harry gave his best friend a small smile. While for Hermione it was the right thing to do, for Harry, it had disastrous consequences. There was a smoldering shriek, and as he turned around it was to be greeted by the flat of Parvati's hand. He staggered back from the onslaught, momentarily stunned.

"This is all your fault, Harry Potter!" she screamed at him. "Our parents are dead! If it hadn't been for you they'd still be alive! I wish it was you in there, instead of them!" Upon seeing the shocked look on Harry's face, she made as if to spit on him. She never got there. Hermione stepped in front of Harry, her wand out, daring Parvati to keep on with her intended action.

"Sister!" hissed Padma, placing her hand on Parvati's shoulder and spinning her around. "Do not do this! You forget your place, sister!" She nodded in Harry's direction. "That young man just avenged our parents," she added in a slightly calmer tone.

"Parvati…" she started, but her throat caught, the emotion thick. "Parvati… I miss Mummi and Pappaa too… but we cannot bring them back." She looked back at Harry, and then turned her attention back to her sister. "Think for a moment, Parvati. I know you're not as dumb as you like to project. Think… did Harry or did he not give us ample warning? Didn't we plead with Mummi and Pappaa to flee?

"Yes, Harry got there too late, but there are a lot of other people that had to be helped too. He came, sister… He cares about us… Do not push away the one person who still cares about us…" She dropped her voice to a whisper that only Parvati could hear. "I beg you, sister."

Parvati stared at her sister for a long moment. She seemed to be taking her time digesting what had been said. She supposed that it had always been thus with the two of them. Always Padma was the voice of reason, while she carried the burden of passion. Polar twins in many ways, the two of them balanced each other well.

Finally, Parvati backed down. She turned a glare in Harry's direction, to tell him the she wasn't sure that it was actually over between the two of them, but she was willing to back down for the time being. She allowed herself to be escorted into another room by Ginny, who had mutely watched everything that had happened.

Once Parvati had gone Padma turned to Harry and Hermione. She gracefully knelt down to the floor in a posture of supplication. "Avenger of my flesh, savior of my beloved's honor," She reached out and touched Harry's feet, and then folded her hands back into her lap. "kai mugidu beeDikoLtiini nanna tappaayitu." She looked up at Harry, and translated: "With folded hands I ask you to forgive me. I failed to keep my sister's place, and have dishonored you thereby." She laid her head at Harry's feet.

"Padma, please," Harry pleaded in a choked voice. "I have nothing to forgive. Your sister was right. If I had been faster, if I had gotten to you sooner, then your parents would be alive and you wouldn't have to be orphans, like me…"

"No, Harry, you do not give yourself enough credit. You are fifteen, and burdened beyond all that any other at our age might be required to carry. You have already done so much for so many, and you still think of saving my sister's feelings. You have already avenged my parents. While my sister and I might be orphans, there are always options where there is life, is that not so?" She gazed up at him, taking in the sorrow in the emerald green pools that were his eyes.

"Please Padma, get up," he said as he reached down to give her a hand up. She graciously accepted his help. He couldn't help noticing how nice her hand felt in his. He blushed slightly as he realized how he was feeling. "Padma, you and Parvati are my equals or better, please remember that."

Padma looked at Hermione for a moment, her eyebrow raised. "Is he always like this?" Hermione just smirked and nodded to her classmate and sometimes rival.

"Harry, I am not your equal, but because you inspire me to do so, I shall endeavor to be so if I…"

She was cut off, as the diminutive elf, Dobby, popped in with Lee Jordan in his small arms. The young man that Harry had so enjoyed listening to as he played Quidditch was obviously dead. His head was lolled off at an angle that was impossible for anyone who could still draw a breath. He was covered in soot, and his clothes were in tatters.

Harry took one look at Lee and then saw the tears in Dobby's eyes. He dropped to his knees in front of his small friend.

"Dobby tried Mr. Harry Potter, sir, but he was too late and too small to be any good to Master Jordan. Dobby is so sorry, Harry Potter, sir!" He let Lee's body slide from his hands and jumped over to the fireplace, and before he could be stopped he had leapt into the flames.

Thankfully Hermione was faster than Harry this time. She already had her wand out from the confrontation with Parvati. "Accio Dobby!" she yelled and Dobby flew from the flames.

Harry grabbed him from the air and clutched him to his chest. "Dobby! Never punish yourself for failing when you tried your best! Do you understand me? You saved many lives tonight! You did great Dobby!" He let the elf go, and Dobby quickly vanished into the night, probably from sheer embarrassment.

Harry sat back and looked at Lee again. Never again would the young black man make people smile with his commentary. Never again would he bring a laugh to someone in this dark time. Never again would the world be graced with his familiar presence. Harry had reached his breaking point. It was too much for him to handle. His world was starting to crumble once more.

He started to shake while sitting there on the floor. The trembling started in his hands and quickly spread to other parts of his body until he couldn't even remain upright. He sank to a prone position on the floor, and then curled up into a fetal position. It was then that the tears finally came.

Hermione rushed to his side, but she didn't know quite what to do. She held him for a moment, and then looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. She was shaking almost as bad. It was then that she felt a small hand on her shoulder.

Padma was there, and she gently pulled Hermione away from Harry. She knelt down next to him and began a soft song in Sinhalese. The song was soft and lilting, flowing and uplifting, filled with sweetness and caring and hope. It was a song that was sung to those whose souls were over burdened, whispering that things would be alright; telling them that they could endure even this.

She had conjured a damp cloth and used it to wipe his brow. She continued with soft caresses to his cheeks and neck, all the while singing to him in that wonderful crooning voice that lulled the hurt and tension from his body. As the worst of the tremors left his body, she enveloped him in a hug that would have done Hermione proud.

As he finally passed out from stress and shock, she let him down gently. She smoothed out his hair and straightened his clothes. She then got up and levitated him, leading him through the door and into the rest of the house as Hermione led her through the chaos, her look of thanks for her friend evident upon her face.

*0*0*

Harry woke the next morning to find himself surrounded by women. He was lying in bed, with Hermione asleep sitting in a chair next to him, his hand in her lap. On the other side was Padma, holding his other hand. Behind her was Parvati, snuggled up against her sister. Curled up at his feet were Ginny and Luna. He craned his neck and noticed Katie Bell and Cho Chang asleep on a couch that had obviously been conjured and placed there during the night.

While he was quite bemused by this show, he was also rather confused as to just why it was happening. He knew that he most certainly did not deserve any such treatment! He looked from girl to girl and found that they were all still asleep except one. Padma was gazing at him with those knowing brown eyes of hers.

He smiled at her, still feeling rather confused. She raised her finger to her lips to keep him quiet. He nodded that he understood. He raised an eyebrow at the spectacle before him. She shook in silent laughter. As he tried not to bark out in response, he noticed that there was a pressure building in the general vicinity of his bladder. He would have to extricate himself from this predicament, and soon.

She seemed to understand the look that had crossed his face. She removed herself from her sister's embrace and quietly padded around the bed. She whispered something in Hermione's ear. The brunette witch nodded softly and released Harry's hand.

As Harry got up out of bed Padma came over and whispered to him. "Go, relieve yourself and take a shower. I'll see to it that we vacate the room to give you some privacy to change. Then come downstairs and get some breakfast. I think that the D.A. has much to discuss." Harry nodded his thanks as he turned to do just that.

*0*0*

After a rather enjoyable breakfast surrounded by friends, Harry and everyone that was able made their way to a makeshift infirmary that Madame Pomfrey had set up in one of the sitting rooms. Harry sat down and looked around. Padma had placed herself to one side of him, and Hermione was on the other. Parvati sat near her sister. The others filled in wherever possible.

"I'm glad to see all of you here," he started. "Ron was sitting up in bed, though he looked rather pale. Fred was awake, and George was sitting on the edge of his bed, joking with his twin. Neville was still unconscious, but he had much of his color back and seemed to be on the road to recovery.

"First off, I'm sorry that this had to happen to all of you, and I regret terribly all the pain and suffering that you went through. If I could go back in time and change any of it I would. I can't do that though, so I suppose that we shall have to do something about things." He looked around at everyone.

"From this point on, if you are up for it, we get serious. We have to be able to fight back. No longer is it enough to be able to defend yourself. We saw last night where that got us. No, from now on we strike back, hard. Are you with me?" A chorus of yeses answered him.

"Good. We've been called an army. It's about time that we acted like one. I'm going to start us training in teams. Each team shall have a leader and that leader shall recruit his or her team. Lavender, you and Parvati are both deep into divination and both of you have a strong background in the gathering and dissemination of information. I would like the two of you to head up our intelligence division." The two girls looked at each other and smiled. This was something that they would be good at.

He turned to Hermione. "Hermione, you are exceptionally skilled at transfiguration and arithmancy. I would like you to start researching ways to utilize transfiguration in combat, and to find ways to make it more powerful, more devastating."

"Padma, if I remember correctly, you are top in the class in ancient runes. You also, if memory serves have a talent for charms. I need you to head up a team that shall have two purposes. First, wards and protections, secondly I want you to research how to enchant objects. We need weapons of power if we are going to strike back at the Death Eaters.

"Ron, I need you to be my second in command. You are great at overall strategy and I need you to teach me, and to help me to run this war. Help me to come up with a strategy to win this thing.

"Katie, I want you, Ginny and Neville to lead our primary strike teams. When we decide to hit targets it will be up to you and yours to get it done. I know that I can depend on you.

"Gred and Forge, I need you two to work on overall magical items for the war effort. Put your devious minds to work and come up with things to keep our teams safe. Pull from whoever and whatever you need to accomplish this. I am devoting Sirius's fortune to this, so if you need it, just let me know.

"Luna, I want you to work on our magical creature division. I think that you can help us to come up with magical creatures to aid in our efforts. Your task will be to support all the rest of the divisions. In your spare time I want you to work on a side project. I want you to work on illusions. If anyone in this group understands the workings of the mind, it's you." He sighed. "I need the team leaders to get together and hash out who you want on your team. We will probably have to recruit this year to fill things out. Let me know who and what you need." He motioned to the rest of the assembled group. "If you weren't placed as a leader, you will shortly be placed in a group. If any of you have an idea that you think merits my approval, please bring it to my attention."

Harry waved for the group to disband. "Hermione, Padma and Parvati, could you please wait a moment?" As the rest of the group filtered out, the three witches stayed behind. Harry screwed up his courage and plunged on.

"First off, Hermione and Padma, I have a side project for the two of you. I would like you to work with me on figuring out what it is that has anchored Voldemort here. Something has been done to make him virtually immortal. If it can be done than it can be undone. I'm counting on you two to help me find out what it is. He needs to die, and I have to do it. Therefore, I'm asking for your help."

"Of course, Harry," said both girls.

"Good, now that that's out of the way, I have something that I want to do. Hermione, I want you to witness this and to act as the binder." He turned to the twins. "Padma, Parvati, please take my hands." As both girls did so, albeit a little confusedly, he let out the breath he had been holding.

He nodded to Hermione, who drew her wand. She looked nervous, but was determined to support Harry. "I, Harry Potter do hereby declare a blood feud between the House of Potter and the House of Riddle. I pledge the support of my house to the House of Patil from now until the end of time, and my undying devotion to their cause and the causes of their children; upon my magic and my life, so mote it be."

A brilliant white light burst from Hermione's wand, enveloping the three of them. Parvati looked stunned by what Harry had done. This was not the actions that she would have expected from him. Her sister on the other hand, seemed strangely unsurprised.

She let go of his hand and nodded to her sister. She looked back to Harry and bowed her head. "eeno nimma daye, nimma aaSirvaada, cennaagiddiini, cennaagiddiivi."

Her sister translated: "By your kindness, by your blessings, I am alright, we are alright." She continued after a moment's pause. "Harry, I want to apologize. I had no right to say what I did…"

"You had every right, Parvati. You had just become an orphan, and I couldn't stop that. I of everyone understand what that means. I can only attempt to make things right between us. I am forever at your service."

"Thank you Harry," she whispered. She came up and gave him a hug. Padma echoed her sister's words, but when she slid back from the hug that she imparted upon him, she kissed him gently on the cheek. Both of them blushed, and Harry placed his hand on his cheek as she walked out of the room, while Hermione just smirked at him.

Author's Note: I hope that you're enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it. I have tried to make Harry believable in his new role, and to make Padma a well balanced and rounded character. The words spoken by Padma are a translation from Sinhalese ritualistic greetings. The terms of endearment are from the Sinhalese nicknames for mother and father.

One of the reviewers () stated a desire to see how Harry's relationships with the various girls would play out. I'm kind of intrigued by that now myself. Time will tell…