Harry Potter and the Litany of Blood

Ch 14

By Phoenixgod2000

Casting:

Hermione Granger…Emma Watson Lavender Brown…Piper Perabo

Blaise Zabini…Kiera Knightly Susan Bones…Jessica Simpson Terry Boot…Anthony Federov (wannabe Clay Aiken from current American Idol) Cho Chang…Zhang Ziyi Draco Malfoy…Tom Felton

Ron Weasley & Neville Longbottom…To be cast

Casting Changes:

Harry Potter…Orlando Bloom (Circa Pirates of Caribbean)

Fleur Delacour…Gisele Bundchen

Author's notes: Well, another chapter complete. I would like to thank my two new betas for their great insights and keen eyes. The story is certainly much better after I left it to them. This chapter is a mostly lighter chapter dealing with the interpersonal relationships of the students. The Ron/Susan talk was inspired by BTVS speech between Xander and Dawn in the seventh season episode potential. I am trying to represent the students of Hogwarts as real teenagers. Not the sanitized ones of the JK world and not the overly sexed ones of television and movies. I wanted it to be like my friends and I back in my high school days. Let me know if it worked.

Oh, and if anyone knows of a pair of cool young actors who could play Ron and Neville, speak up. I don't want to use the guys from the movies because I'm going for a slighter older than their character OC/90210 style of actor.

The first Hogsmeade weekend was a beautiful day. The sun cast its morning light onto the grounds of Hogwarts as dozens of students milled about, eagerly waiting to be dismissed for the day by Professor McGonagall.

The third years bounced excitedly, impatient to leave on their first official Hogsmeade weekend; permission slips gripped tightly in their hands.

The older students were more outwardly sedate, but the air was charged with excitement as the students waited on the appointed time to depart the castle.

All except for Ginny Weasley.

The young redhead sat by the window in her dorm room, watching the students with angry eyes. Her gaze finally settled on Harry Potter, standing with her brother and Hermione, along with their dates Susan Bones and Terry Boot, respectively. Waiting with the group was Neville Longbottom, alongside the beautiful Lavender Brown, his surprising girlfriend of three months. Ginny watched Harry smile and run his fingers through his hair while he laughed and joked with the others. She noticed that now that he didn't have to wear glasses, his eyes seemed even more brilliant than they had before. In short, he was looking better than ever. Harry had always been a handsome boy, she mused, but rather small and not at all well built. But this summer Harry had hit a growth spurt, packing on height and much-needed weight, while his face and body matured into someone who could easily pass for older than his fifteen years. Ginny knew that last bit for a fact, because she used one of the twin's extendable eyes to spy on him in the Quiddich locker room and watched him change several times.

He seemed so relaxed! Ginny thought to herself. And he did. He looked happy, as if for one day the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Why couldn't he be that way around her? Why couldn't he understand that they were meant to be together? He had come for her in the chamber of secrets. He was a hero out of faerie tales. Why wouldn't he just play his part and fall in love with her?

She had gotten so close! Ginny knew that a few scant days earlier he had been on the verge of asking her to go to Hogsmeade with him… until that bloody scar of his had begun to act up and he fled from her presence. Later, she worried that he would realize something was wrong - either with her or the necklace; but apparently the vision he received from his scar distracted him from thinking too much about previous events. After working up her nerve to talk with him a second time about Hogsmeade, Ginny was dismayed to learn that as he was without a date, Harry had agreed to show Fleur around Hogsmeade. Apparently she hadn't gotten a chance to see it the previous year.

Fleur!

Ginny had smiled in understanding and left gracefully when she heard his answer, but inwardly she was seething. It had taken all she had not to ambush the flaxen-haired veela and push her down one of the many staircases of Hogwarts. Really, only the certain knowledge that she would get caught had stayed her hand.

Ginny shook her head. Fleur was certainly lying about having never been to Hogsmeade. She just wanted Harry for herself. All the girls did. She'd lost count of the times she had spent in a quiet rage while her dorm mates talked about his dreamy eyes or washboard pecs. Listening to them prattle on about his bravery was even worse. What did they know about his bravery! Had he killed a basilisk for them? She didn't think so. They didn't understand him. Not like she did. She could make him happy. She would make him happy. Happier than any other girl and especially happier than that Veela could ever make him.

Ginny glanced at her small trunk. She could practically feel the dark book of Love Magic's lurking within. She had been forced to plead illness with her friends so she'd have the time to study it. Her necklace wasn't working fast enough, not nearly fast enough.

So she was just going to have to come up with something stronger.

"How 'ees your face?" Fleur asked. A porcelain finger traced his lip where it had been bit and bleeding only a few days earlier.

She had gotten quite a shock when Harry, accompanied by a young Slytherin girl, had appeared at her door late in the evening a few prior. Harry had looked like hell as he leaned exhaustedly on the raven-haired girl. Blood dripped from the corner of his swollen mouth and his right hand was a bruised, mangled mess.

The pretty young Slytherin, Blaise, explained about Voldemort's visitation and how Harry had used pain to drive him off. Fleur recalled that Blaise hadn't mentioned how it was that she had come to walk Harry to her doorstep, or if Harry had the vision alone. Fleur didn't have a chance to ask, as Blaise left quite soon after bringing Harry to the infirmary. The veela healer remembered the cold blue stare of the Slytherin and how that stare softened ever so imperceptibly when she looked at Harry. Something about her caused Fleur's womanly hackles to rise, watching Blaise's gaze linger slightly too long over Harry; even her cold Slytherin mask couldn't disguise genuine worry.

"I'm glad you're a healer." Harry answered ruefully. "That cream you had cleared up the bruises overnight. Good thing too, because I think trying to mask bruises might be a little hard for a novice metamorphmagus like me."

"I was 'appy to help." Fleur smiled at Harry. She had been surprised when Harry revealed to her that he was a metamorphmagi—although as of yet he had not been trained. The body shifting talent was incredibly rare, especially in non-purebloods; only a handful of wizards or witches with any level of the talent existed on the entire mainland of Europe. In Fleur's mind, it was yet another piece of evidence that Harry was just as special a wizard as he was a person.

The pair walked side by side down the main street of Hogsmeade, not holding hands like the other couples walking down the street, since they still had to play at being just friends. Still, Fleur was amused by the sheer number of women shooting her hateful looks. Being an attractive woman, she was quite used to hatred from other females, but several of the students were looking positively venomous, and she knew it was because she was with Harry and they were not. Fleur had instinctively known that Harry had no experience with girls before her, but the physical changes over the summer (combined with a subconscious boost from his metamorphmagus abilities) along with his wealth and fame, had shot his desirability through the roof. Fleur recognized it even while Harry remained adorably oblivious. Still, she cared deeply for Harry and was certainly confident enough to pit herself against any girl at Hogwart's who might want to vie for his affections.

"Zat 'ees ze candystore, oui?"

"Yeah, Honeydukes." Harry arched his eyebrow. "Wanna check it out?"

"Bien sûr."

"Do you really like the chudley Cannons?"

Ron looked up from where he was examining the selkie skin keeper gauntlets. "You don't like the Cannons, Susan?"

Susan Bones smiled at him. She held up a jersey with the Holyhead Harpy insignia emblazoned on the back and measured it against her body. "They're alright, I guess. But they aren't the Harpies. Gloria Whiteshadow is the greatest!" She gushed.

"Whiteshadow?" Ron whined. "She's a terrible keeper. Did you see how she missed that goal against the Archers? Even I could've caught that one."

Susan slapped him in the shoulder. "I was at that game. The quaffle would've spun past you while you were blinking." With a laugh she ran out of the store.

Ron chased his girlfriend and caught up with her easily, thanks to his long strides. He grabbed the slight girl and spun her around as Susan shrieked in mock terror—but clung to him with a deathgrip.

"No badmouthing the Cannons allowed." Ron playfully ordered. Spinning her around again, the tall redhead returned the smaller blonde girl to her feet. "Just for that, you have to get me tickets to this summers Cannon exhibition match."

Susan flipped her long braid over her shoulder. "No making fun of the Cannons, hmmm. So if I said that Brad Thorpe was fat slowpoke four decades past his prime what exactly would you do?"

Ron grinned. "More of this." He snatched her back up and kissed her mouth. After a moment he pulled away, flushed, grinning at an equally flushed Susan Bones. "So, have you learned your lesson?"

"Oh yes, wonderful Cannon supporting boyfriend of mine. You have surely taught me a lesson." Susan's blue eyes danced as she spoke in mocking sugary voice. "Do you really want tickets to the Cannons summer program?" Susan asked, becoming more serious. "My aunt can get you the tickets easily. She knows some people in the department of games."

Ron stiffened. "You could do that? You would do that for me?"

Susan shrugged. "Sure. You're my boyfriend. It's done if you really want them."

Desire and pride warred within Ron. His pride told him that he couldn't take a handout from somebody. Especially a girl he was dating. No Weasley ever took something they didn't earn. After all, they weren't one of those Slytherin families who acted with what passed for Slytherin honor, manipulating everybody around them. The Weasley's took only what was theirs and nothing more. They worked hard and gave back to society rather than living off its fat. That was Weasley honor.

On the other hand, it was the Cannons.

Ron broke into a smile. "Susan, you are the greatest girlfriend ever."

The blond plaited girl laughed and deposited a quick peck on the tip of his nose. "Tell me something I don't know."

"This is quality Gillyweed extract."

Hermione looked at the phial Terry Boot was holding. The clear liquid was unclouded, and the lack of fibers or other detritus on the bottom testified to thorough processing. (Too much extraneous material would reduce the efficacy of any potions made with it). He was right; it was very high quality extract.

Terry and Hermione were in Drakov's Potente Potion Supplies. Terry said that he needed some more supplies for class, and Hermione agreed to accompany him because she had never been in the shop before; Harry and Ron had always been far more interested in sweets and Quiddich than the more scholastically oriented shops.

The store itself turned out to be a fascinating place. Row after row of dusty shelving sagged beneath the heavy weight of bottles, jars, and boxes of alchemical ingredients. Hundreds of books on the subject, in a variety of languages, decorated one entire corridor. The shop was also quite dimly lit, owing to the photosensitive nature many of the ingredients. Overall, the ambiance of the establishment was remarkably sinister, seemingly more suited to the narrow lanes of Knockturn Alley than the bright streets of Hogsmeade.

"Do you think that Red Poppy extract is a good buy?" Hermione asked, holding up a flask of clear red liquid.

Terry pursed his lips. "I've heard that Professor Snape likes to teach the Volumus Potion fifth year and that takes quite a bit of Red Poppy." He leaned over to examine the liquid. "Appears to be well strained and clean. I say get it."

Hermione nodded and fished out the coins to pay for her purchase, sneaking a sideways glance at her date. Terry was a nice guy, she mused, and quite attractive as well. He had slender, almost feminine features, and a pair of large blues eyes which were currently perched behind round glasses, topped off by a thick head of straw blond hair. All in all, Hermione admitted, he was quite fit. But he was just so boring! He was nearly as centered on school as she was, and while he was interesting to talk with, so far the date had been like talking with a lab partner. All he wanted to do was talk about Potions and Ancient Runes. This was fine, to a point, since he actually had some interesting ideas and was far better versed on the literature of the subjects than either Ron or Harry, but Hermione wanted more than that. Merlin save her, she might even welcome a discussion of Quiddich at this point! No one could dispute that she liked school, but sometimes even Hermione Granger needed to forget about classes and OWLs and just be a girl on a date. Was that really too much to ask?

She sighed. Obviously, it was going to be up to her to salvage this date.

"Terry, we are going to get a butterbeer. Now!"

Blaise Zabini wandered down the hallway, a little lost and more than a little bored. Hogwarts was always empty on Hogsmeade weekends, since every student allowed to leave the castle left for the small town. The ancient castle seemed much larger with only the youngest students left behind.

Blaise had decided not to go on the school trip because the brilliant autumn day was far too bright for the half vampire to endure. While she might not burst into flames, her ancestry insured that her fair skin was especially sensitive to naked sunlight and she had no intention of dealing with sunburns. At least, that was the reason she told herself and the few Slytherins who cared enough to ask.

The real reason was that Blaise didn't want to see Harry with her.

She wasn't supposed to feel like this! It should be enough that she liked the boy. That was all that was required. A lot of Wizard marriages had lasted with a weaker base than genuine like, and dare she even think it, respect. She was supposed to just marry him so she could get out of some marriage to a vampire with bad breath that was four hundred years older than her.

She wasn't supposed to be falling in love with Great-Bloody-Boy-Who-Lived!

That stupid nobility of his! Why did he have to be so damn decent? Why did he have to be so damn unprejudiced? More importantly, why did she even like his decentness and stupid nobility? She was a strong, independent, Slytherin woman. Nobility was something that got stupid people killed. Why then did Harry's nobility make her heart skip a beat? Why did she actually feel better when she was around him? Why did he make her think that a marriage of convenience could be so much more than simple convenience?

Why couldn't he be a prick like Malfoy or one of the ubiquitous Weasley's? She knew that she could coldly open her legs to them and do her wifely duty in the bedroom, and live her own life outside of it. But she couldn't do that with Harry… didn't want to do that with Harry.

For Lilith's sake, she actually caught herself imagining what their children would look like! He was turning her into a bloody moon-eyed Hufflepuff! She was Blaise Zabini, descendant of kings. She simply didn't go calf-eyed over boys in the middle of the night, damn it.

Except that she had.

Without even trying, Harry had pierced the shell around her heart and broken past the mask she carefully nurtured for the outside world. The thought of him with that blonde tart made her want to rip out her throat and drink her sweet, coconut flavored (according to her father) veela blood.

In an explosion of movement that sent a few first years scurrying, Blaise slammed her fist into the closest wall. A spider web of cracks formed around the point of impact, and Blaise retracted her fist, which was already beginning to sting with healing energy.

Feeling better, at least momentarily, Blaise continued down the halls of Hogwarts, profoundly lost.

"I'm sorry 'Arry." Fleur began softly.

"What?" Harry responded in a confused tone.

He and Fleur wandered in companionable silence down the main street of Hogsmeade, eating chilled ice cream from a local parlor and taking in the sights.

Fleur took a nibble of her airy confection (pineapple and butterscotch) before answering. "I am sorry." She repeated again. "I was short with you zee oz'er day and I was rude as well." She tugged on her silver braid with her hand nervously.

Harry stopped in the street. "I'm the one who should apologize. You're going to school too, and I was bugging you."

Fleur nodded. "Zer iz zat. Healing iz more… deefeecult zen I believed it would be. School has always been zo easy for me… but zis is very different. Much 'arder. But zat is not the only reason." The pretty blond veela was quiet for a moment. "I got a letter from my sister zee other day. One of her girlfriends 'as left her over jealousy and she was deevestated." Fleur's accent thickened as she got more emotional. "She eez beginning veela puberty and her charms eez starting to flare up. Zee boys are starting to notice her. I am scared for her." She ended softly.

"Why?"

"It can be deefeecult for a young veela. It was very 'ard for me. Girls can be cruel when zee zink you are prettier or want zere boyfriend or husband. I 'ad many problems when I was Gabrielle's age. Zere were girls who were cruel to me. More zan zat, boys become dangerous. Flares of her charm can cause zem to act fou. Crazy. It iz not zere fault, but it is not my sisters fault eizer. Zey can even become violent."

Fleur shuddered and looked away from Harry. He put comforting had on her shoulder. Fleur smiled at him and continued to speak. "My time at Beaxbatons was not always joyful. I wanted more for her. I wanted zings to be easier for her." Fleur shrugged, "but I suppose we must take zee good with zee bad. And zer are many good zings about being a veela."

Harry nodded silently. He could feel the concern for Gabrielle in Fleur's voice. And he supposed that it probably was hard for a veela or a girl with Veela blood to do simple things like date. Or bond with other girls. Jealously was more than a small problem for Fleur and her sister, it could be an actual physical danger.

"Harry, is zat why you like me? Because I am pretty?" Fleur asked seriously.

Harry stopped in shock. "Is that what you think?" he whispered in horror. "That I just like you because of your looks? Come with me." He ordered.

Harry dragged Fleur down a different street, one that was less trafficked by students. Backtracking, he took her to the side of a decrepit old house. Pulling up one of the rear windows, Harry crawled inside. Turning, he beckoned Fleur to follow him. Taking one look at the grime covered windowsill, Fleur disappeared with a pop and reappeared next to Harry.

"Why did you drag me 'ere?" Fleur asked distastefully, as she took in the filthy room.

"This is the Shrieking Shack," Harry began distractedly. "Everyone thinks it's haunted, but its not. A werewolf used to stay here during the full moon. I wanted a place where we could talk seriously without too many eyes watching."

"I am listeening."

"Look, Fleur. I would be lying if I said that I don't like the way you look. Because I do, very much. You are so breathtakingly beautiful that sometimes I can't believe that you even like me. It's too much like a dream, and I think that I'm going to wake up one day and you'll be gone."

Harry reached out, took her hand, and stared deeply into her eyes. "But that's just extra. I don't like you because of your beauty. I like you because you're smart and well traveled. I like the fact that you could easily be a trophy wife to a rich man and live out your life in luxury, but you don't. Instead, you're trying to become a healer. You aren't afraid to get potion ingredients on you or push up your sleeves and do something gross. I like your little quirks, like the way you fold your hands when you sit and the disgusting way you eat pastries. I like that you're an absolute snob when it comes to the superiority of French food."

Fleur reached out and covered Harry's hands with her own. "I believe you, 'arry." She whispered softly. "You don't have to"

"Let me finish Fleur, if I don't, I may never finish." Harry interrupted. "I love that you gave a voice to my mother. I love that you took a chance on me, on us, even though I didn't have any experience with a girlfriend. You've changed me, brought out something in me I didn't even know I had. Last year I couldn't even talk with a girl that I liked. Every time I got near her I would freeze up, second guess myself. With you it's different. You make me feel comfortable. You make me feel good about me. I've gotten very little love in my life and the fact that you honor me with yours makes me feel good every single day. If you hadn't helped me open up, I could never have told all this to you, because I wouldn't have known how. So I guess what I'm saying, in a whole lot of words, is I love you for a lot of reasons and not a single one of them is because you are pretty."

Fleur watched as the torrent of words left Harry. But the only words she heard were I love you.

"You love me?" she whispered in an awed tone, her voice thick.

Harry stopped and realized what she had just said. And then realized what he had just said. His eyes widened in shock. "Yeah," he answered slowly, "I think I do. No, I know I do."

No sooner than he finished speaking than Fleur descended upon him. No more words were exchanged for quite a while.

"What's it like to be roommates with Harry Potter?"

Ron's head snapped upwards. "Huhh…what do you mean?"

Susan shrugged her shoulders. The pair was leaving Honeydukes when she had sprung the question on him. "I just mean, what's he really like? I've read the Prophet, had Herbology with him and all, but it's different with you. I mean, you really know. You've been on adventures with him, lived with him, all of it. Harry Potter. The Harry Potter. My Auntie has been telling me the story of Harry Potter since I was a baby. Everyone's parents tell their kids the story of the Boy Who Lived. And you really know him, it must be wild."

You don't know the half of it! Ron thought. Susan didn't know anything about the crazy things that had happened to the three of them. And he couldn't even really tell her, because they weren't his secrets to tell. Part of him longed to tell her about how he helped to confront the crazed killer Sirius Black or helped Harry to save the Sorcerers Stone from Voldemort. He wanted to see the look of admiration on her face when he told her the story of the giant chessboard or the Chamber of Salazar Slytherin. They were certainly things that his brothers never did, but they weren't his deeds either. He was just the sidekick. Ron could understand where she was coming from, though. If he didn't know Harry he would have wanted to hear about him from someone who did. He hesitated for a second while he thought of what to say, then began to speak.

"It was weird at first, you know, to realize you were the best friend of Harry Potter." Ron said slowly. "I heard all the same stories, my brothers and my sister too. Then when I met him I thought he was going to be…I don't know. Different. My sister couldn't even be around him without turning purple." Ron smiled slightly. "He's an amazing guy. Special. But normal too. He likes girls and sports, hates to study. Just like everyone else. He's so normal that it's easy to forget sometimes how amazing he is. The things he can do. And sometimes, I get jealous. I do. It's easy to just see all the great perks he has. The Quiddich talent, the magical ability, the money, and totally forget the little things." Ron snorted. "You know. The little things like his dead parents. Or the evil wizard who's life's mission seems to be Harry's personal destruction. But still, it can be hard to be the forgotten one. The one who isn't seen." Ron sounded peaceful, not bitter, like one might expect.

"I see." Susan threaded her fingers into Ron's and smiled at him. "And I like what I see."

Hermione was frustrated.

No. She was more than that. She was angry.

Terry was the worst date ever. The boy was just so…so…BORING! All he did over their butterbeers was prattle on about his potion ingredients or the latest Triple-enchantment proof from Arithmancy. Hermione liked those things, and even talked with him about those things earlier in the date, but she had hoped he would stop talking about them eventually. ESPECIALLY after she ceased responding to his ramblings.

A not insignificant part of her wished she was with Ron instead. She would have gladly put up with the incessant Quidditch or dragon talk because it was at least something different than what she talked about every day.

But nooo… Ron had to go with that blond haired, perfect in every way, Nazi poster girl Susan Bones. Hermione couldn't help but feel a little inadequate when she compared her slightly boyish body and thick, bushy mane of hair to the model slender, big perfect breasted, and silken haired Susan.

She glanced at Terry, still talking about something. What, she couldn't say, since she had tuned out a while back. She resolved to tell him that while the date was nice, she didn't think they would work out long term.

Of course she wasn't going to add the part where the reason they wouldn't work out was because she thought he had the personality of a cardboard box.

"Look," a nasally voice called out from behind them, "Mudbloods about to breed. There ought to be a law."

Hermione dropped the hand she was holding and spun around. Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and the oarfish pair of Crabbe and Goyle stood behind her and Terry. Her date slowly followed suit, blinking in slight confusion.

"What do you want?" Terry asked hesitantly.

"Hmmm, what do I want?" Draco asked mockingly. "Maybe I want to show the little mudblood how a pureblood does things." He ran his pink tongue over his lips seductively. "What do you think Pansy," he asked his pugish girlfriend. "Should I show Granger what I can do?"

The unattractive Slytherin girl tittered. "Would she survive such a large showing, Dracy?"

"I doubt large is the word I would use." Hermione retorted.

"Mudblood!" Draco whipped out his wand. Hermione had hers out a moment later.

Terry stepped forward and held out his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Draco, this is stupid. You could lose your Perfect badge over this." He began reasonably.

Draco made a swift motion and Crabbe grabbed the slender Ravenclaw male. The thin Slytherin laughed. "Maybe I don't care about my badge, Boot. Maybe I just want to sample some bush…y hair." He smirked at Hermione. "Who knows, I could even have a revelation about their place in the world." He started forward. "Their place, of course, underneath us," he leered.

Hermione raised her wand. "Don't even think about it. I know some painful curses." Her voice was steady, but her hand quivered, an indication of just how scared she really was. Hermione thought that she could take Malfoy fairly easily one-on-one, but she was outnumbered and her date had been neutralized.

"She really does, Malfoy. Trust me; her books have all sorts of nasty spells." A deep voice echoed from behind her.

Ron. Hermione spared a quick glance behind her and saw one of her two best friends sauntering up behind her. He didn't even have his wand out, but his large hands were coiled into fists. It suddenly struck her just how big and how much muscle her friend had now. He towered over everyone else present, except for Goyle. She barely registered the two other people behind him with their wands drawn.

"Weasley, Longbottom, and Brown." Draco spat. "How fortuitous, a gaggle of purebloods coming to a mudblood's rescue. However have your families stayed pure?"

Ron laughed. "Simple. We just never married into the Malfoy's." Hermione choked off a snort that was equal parts amusement and relief.

The ferret faced Slytherin purpled. "There are still more of us than you, Weasley. I would shut up if I were you."

"You shut up!" Lavender shouted. Her hands were remarkably steady. "Harry's been teaching me and Neville how to duel. We can beat you."

"Who do you have?" Hermione added. "Crabbe and Goyle?" she added derisively.

"I don't need them." Draco spat. He straightened himself up to his full, quite unimpressive height.

"Susan's looking for a teacher." Ron added. "One should be along soon. Wanna make a bet about how soon? And what do you think'll happen if they catch you dueling…Prefect." Ron folded his arms confidently and smirked at the Slytherin.

"You're smarter than you used to be, Weasley. See you around." Draco muttered in a dark tone while the rest of his gang melted back into the more common areas of Hogsmead. He swiftly joined them.

Hermione faced her savior. "Thanks Ron. You too Neville. Lavender." She acknowledged each one gratefully. "I don't know what I would have done without you three." Terry Boot blushed.

Ron shrugged away the compliment. "Probably used a spell none of them could pronounce or even heard of to rot off Malfoy's unmentionables." He smiled down at his best female friend. "I don't suppose you actually know a spell like that," he added hopefully. "Because if you do, then I swear I'll give back any points you lose casting it on Malfoy."

The bushy haired girl giggled. "Sorry I don't." Looking around, Hermione asked, "So where is Susan? Did you really send her after a teacher?"

Ron snorted. "Of course I did! Miss up a chance to get Malfoy in trouble? I don't think so."

Hermione glanced at Neville and Lavender. "Has Harry really been giving you two lessons? Because I've never seen him"

Lavender interrupted Hermione with a giggle. "No. He's going to, but he hasn't started yet. Probably in a few days. Draco didn't know that, though." She glanced lovingly at Neville. "Nev was the one to see Draco following you and he went and got Ron." She grabbed the chubby boy's hand. "See you later, Hermione." Lavender left quickly, dragging a barely struggling Neville with her. Leaving Hermione alone with her date.

And Ron.

Hermione shifted her weight and avoided her friends gaze. "So, Uhhh…how was your date with Susan?"

This time Ron was the one unable to meet his Hermione's brown eyed stare. "Good. I like her, 'Mione. I like her a lot. How was Terry?" he returned hesitantly.

"Fine. He was a good date." Hermione glanced quickly at Terry, who still seemed shocked that someone would actually attack him while on a date. "That's…good, Ron. I'm glad you like her."

The pair stood in awkward silence for a long time.

The sun was setting and dark red light filled the sky as Harry and Fleur finally left Hogsmeade. Fleur was on top of the world. She had been nervous about the date, because of their slight fight and the distance that had grown between them of late. But they were better than ever. Harry had told her that he loved her and the young veela could not be happier, so when a soft voice called out, "Harry", Fleur was caught off guard. She and Harry both turned to find Cho Chang and a pair of her friends.

The slight Chinese girl stood between Anthony Goldstein and Marietta Edgecombe, her two best friends in Ravenclaw. Her face was thin and hollow, and she seemed to have physically shrunk with her grief.

"Harry." She whispered. Her voice was thick with—something Fleur couldn't really place.

"Cho."

Fleur felt out of place. Something crackled between Harry and Cho that she couldn't touch. Her veela senses could feel the emotion coming off both of them. And they weren't good emotions.

"You've been looking for me, Harry." Cho said, in the same soft voice. "Why?"

Harry sucked in breath. "I wanted to tell you that I was sorry… for Cedric. He… He was a really great guy. And if you ever need anything you can ask me." Harry winced at how trite he sounded, but it was what he had been waiting to say.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah," Harry answered nervously, "That's all."

"Why would I ever want anything from you?" Cho said flatly. She stepped closer towards Harry. "Your apology and your offer to help just doesn't matter."

Harry flinched as if struck. "Cho… I don't know what else to say," he whispered.

"There is nothing to say, Potter. It's your fault he's dead." Cho hissed. "He would never… never… have been killed, except he was with you. You're dangerous. Everyone around you is in danger."

"Shut up, Cho." Fleur hissed. "You don't know what you're talking about." The veela grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged the unresisting teenage boy away.

"You'll see," Cho called out. "He's a menace to everyone around him. Just you see."

"Check."

Ron smirked at his friend. The pair was alone in the Gryffindor common room playing chess. It was late at night, but neither Ron nor Harry could find sleep so they decided to play a few games to kill time. The room was silent and dark save for the crackle of the fireplace.

Harry sighed and ordered his king to move. "You are entirely too good at this game," he mumbled distractedly.

Ron frowned at the board. "So," he asked while staring at the game pieces, "How are you doing. I heard what happened between you and Cho. Lavender told me that she overheard everything. She says to tell you that if you want, she and Parvati will destroy her reputation around the school."

Harry smiled bitterly. "Don't you think I've done enough to her?"

"You didn't do anything to her, Harry. Nothing that happened to Cedric was your fault." Ron told Harry in a serious tone. He ordered his knight to follow the king, once again placing Harry in check.

Harry frowned at the board. "I don't want to talk about it anymore," he muttered. Changing the subject, Harry asked, "So I heard you had to rescue Hermione?"

Ron snorted. "Bloody Dumbledore didn't even give Malfoy a detention. After what he said to 'Mione? I should have beaten him to within an inch of his little ferrety life." The red haired Gryffindor shook his head. "And Terry was useless. Hermione told me that he tried to reason with Malfoy. Reason with that little…Slytherin." Ron spat in disgust.

Harry shrugged. "I dunno. Something seems kinda off. Draco's a coward, a little ferret. Threatening Hermione? I didn't think he'd ever have the stones."

"You can't put anything past a bloody Malfoy." Ron argued.

"Maybe." Harry smiled. "But what I really want to know is how Hermione thanked you." Harry smiled at his best male friend and batted his eyes at him in mock seduction. "Did she give you a kiss?" He asked with a smile.

"Shut up." A deep scarlet blush flooded Ron's cheeks. "We aren't like that."

"But you wouldn't mind?"

"It wouldn't be terrible." Ron agreed. "But I don't know. Before I met Susan, I would've killed to be noticed like that by Hermione. She's smart, pretty, and I like arguing with her. It's fun" He added. "But I really like Susan. She doesn't nag and she sees me." Ron stared at Harry. "You know what I mean? She's special and I like her. Besides, if I date Hermione, it'll be like Biggs and Thorne."

"Who and who?"

Ron smiled. "You haven't read The Cannons, A History yet, have you?"

"Well, I have been sort of busy with being driven by crazy by the energy I sucked away from the Dark Lord who killed my parents." Harry answered dryly. For once, it felt good to drive away his fears and specters with a joke, instead of dwelling on them. And there was no one better to do that with than Ron Weasley.

"Excuses, excuses." Ron joked. "Biggs and Throne were on the Cannons in the eighteen fifties. Amanda Biggs was a Beater and Andrew Thorne was the Seeker. They worked well together. Really well. Led the team to the European Championships. But that wasn't all. They were dating pretty seriously." Ron smiled. "They were magic, mate. Only undefeated season in Cannon history. They knew how to protect each other, back each other up. Biggs kept Thorne alive in every game long enough to grab the snitch. So they make it to the championship and what happens? Amanda Biggs catches Andrew in the locker room with a veela cheerleader. He'd been sleeping with her for months. Amanda was in a rage so when they get out onto the field and she spends half the game aiming the bludger at him instead of guarding him. He ends up brained instead of Quiddich Champ."

Harry made confused noises. "I don't understand."

"Me and Hermione. We're Biggs and Thorne. You need us, Harry, to be your friend more than we need to go out. What happens if we break up? What happens if we get so caught up with each other and you need us? I like her but I'm not sure if we would all stay friends if we went out."

"You didn't come up with this on your own." Harry accused. "Who'd you talk to? Bill?"

Ron laughed. "Percy actually. Bloke isn't so bad, now that Tonks has pulled the wand out of his ass." The redhead directed a bishop to steal a pawn. "Checkmate." After winning he stretched and let out a yawn. "I think beating you did its job mate, because I am dead sleepy."

Harry nodded and silently watched as Ron got up and started to head up to the dormitories. He still wasn't tired, the cursed downside of a necromancer's unnatural vitality and strength.

"Ron."

"Yeah, mate?"

"Don't use me as an excuse to date Hermione. If you like her, take her out."

Ron paused at the bottom of the staircase. "I'm not… really," he added at the glimpse of Harry's skeptical face. "I like Susan a lot, so I'm going to stay with her for a while, but who knows," Ron shrugged, "What'll happen later. I'm only fifteen. I have dozens of girls to date before I settle down." He added with a smile.

Harry snorted. "Don't let your mum hear you say that."

Ron shuddered and started up the stairs. Harry watched him silently before shifting his gaze to the still blazing fireplace. Ron had changed, he realized. For the first time, Harry really got that. Over the summer the youngest male Weasley had found himself, and through that, a measure of peace. Harry was happy for him.

He was also more than a little envious.

Harry didn't have any peace. The black power, coiled like a poisonous snake in the center of his magic, had robbed him of whatever peace he had. It was a constant struggle to fight the power's intoxicating influence. Influence he didn't even possess any real control over. When he confronted Cho, a bit of his legimency triggered and he had felt the emotion behind her words. It wasn't anger or hatred. It was pain, a pain on a level more profound than Harry could comprehend. It was crippling her, and she was lashing out at him because all she wanted to do was make other people hurt as much as she did. It was ugly, vindictive, and mean, but Harry couldn't find it in his heart to be angry at her. Because he would have done the same thing had someone he loved so much been murdered.

Instead he was scared for her. For an instant, just an instant, he could feel how to shatter her mind with his powers. He could sense the spot where her grief emanated and he realized it would be so simple to just reach out and stimulate that spot. Trap her in an eternal loop of grief and memories. It would be so easy. Laughably easy. But then Fleur had dragged him away. Her touch was like light. It drove away the shadows and burned away his unwholesome desires. She saved him. Because she loved him

Harry stared into the flicking fireplace and prayed that it would be enough.

I've been meaning to do this for a while. A FAQ answer list. I get a lot of the same questions, and I wanted to take the time to answer them. Because you guys deserve a few answers for being such awesome reviewers (hint, hint)

What's the deal with Ron? He's less of a giant ass than in most fics. That's a very good question. I write Ron that way because I like the character. I find it easy to empathize with the regular Joe of the HP story. I created his summer abroad and love for Dragons as a shorthand way to mature him up a littleI'm also focusing a little more on his relationship and advice from his older brothers, particularly Bill, Charlie, and Percy, something I don't think JK does well. There is now way Ron would be as socially inept as he is portrayed in the books with that many older brothers. Especially one as cool as Bill or Charlie.

Why don't you write a threesome fic? Have Harry hook up with both Honies. I want this story to be about Harry's choices. And if Harry doesn't have to make any meaningful choices then the only conflict is external. I want him to agonize over his choice of woman and make both of them appealing in the same way. The inspiration for both of Harry's women is really idealized versions of what I like in women. Fleur is the good girl. The sweet one. The one you can take home to mom and show off with at church. Wholesome. Blaise is my idealization of the bad girl. The girl you meet sitting in a bar with a deep, raspy, sexy voice. The type of girl who seems like she doesn't have a care in the world and wants nothing more than a roll in the hay, but really has a heart and soul much better than you'd think at first. The type of girl who is all passion and sucks you into their world. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Fleur, for all of her beauty and goodness, is ultimately slightly boring. Blaise on the other hand, is never boring, but by the same token isn't likely to want to settle down, something that almost all people want to do. No one can party forever.

What will the characters Animagus form be? I can't say. Harry and Ron will have magical beast forms and Hermione will have a standard animal form. I know what they will all be so please don't inundate me with options. Harry's form in particular is going to be a creature I'm going to make up.

Can the ritual Voldemort used to destroy the wards around the vampire temple bring down the wards of Hogwarts. In theory yes, although the vampire temple did not have anyone as versed in the arts of magic as Albus Dumbledore. He insures that Voldemort will have a much more difficult with Hogwarts. Plus finding thirteen pureblooded virgins who are willing to sacrifice themselves is a bitch to do.

First years don't have Care of Magical Creatures. So how can Ron teach them about Dragons? That's…err…A good point. So here is the deal. Dumbledore has instituted a new policy to ease the younger years into the higher disciplines. So first and second years get half periods of elective classes to give them a taste of everything. That's my story and I'm going to stick to it.

Do you hate the character of Ginny? Is that why you made her evil? Yes.

Why Percy/Tonks? Because I find their pairing amusing. And I think Percy is going be revealed as a deep cover spy in the next book.

Will Slash or redeemed Draco become part of this story or any outgrowths therein? The short answer is probably not. But the longer answer is maybe. I'm toying with a few ideas that involve femslash or regular slash. There are gay people in the Wizarding world and a few might pop up now and then in order to give the world a little more depth and dimension. To try and show that it is a real, grown up place. Regardless, even if I include a little, it won't ever be a major part of the story. Redeemed Draco will only happen if it makes sense and his younger sister can somehow reach a part of him that he thinks is gone. Even if he is slightly redeemed there are vast differences between Death Eater and good guy. Dark Grey and still racist is definitely a possibility. It all just depends on how the story goes.

Thanks for reading this far. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of Litany of Blood. Please read and leave a review. Your messages keep me going when I don't feel like writing. As always tell me what you think, what you'd like to see, and where you think the story is going. I value all of your insights.