Madrigal-in-training: It's interesting that you brought up Jen's statements that she would pick herself over her family. Yes, she has said that, but there is a key difference between that and her scene with Luna: she hasn't been in the former situation. So far, it has been a purely intellectual exercise. If you had asked her what she would do should Luna find out about her kills before she was in it, she would have said that she would wipe Luna's mind without hesitation.

You'll have to see what she does if she ever really has to make a decision between herself and her family.

WillItWork: I don't think the ending will be a sad one, for whatever that's worth. The Buckleys' death, Jen's 'guilt' about it, and Luna finding out about Jen's kill count have all been planned since I named the Buckleys way back in Princess of the Blacks as a way to give Jen a push in terms of character development. It won't be pretty or gentle, and if she were real I'd be running for my life, but it is necessary, and I think she'll come out the other side stronger and with a clearer idea of just who she is. Luna finding out was meant to be a strain on their relationship rather than the breaking point as it is turning into, admittedly, but they've been limping along for most of this book, and that's due to me trying to keep the ship intact despite characterization. I like Jen, and I utterly adore Luna (which should not come as a surprise to anybody), and I think they're cute together. Unfortunately, they have very different personalities and goals, and over the course of the story they have fallen victim to the old adage "Opposites attract, but likes stay together". Might as well give them a clean break and see if I can manage to salvage their friendship.

As for the free rituals, she still has all three waiting for her. Evocation, immersion scrying, and blood magic are not truly black magic because they don't pull on Death's powers. That's magic any witch can use.

Shorter chapter than normal, but between vacation and moving into my new house, I just haven't had a lot of free time. Also, since I'm starting my residency on Monday, I cannot guarantee any regularity in my update schedule.

Chapter 21
The Measure of Evil

Two Ravenclaws and two Hufflepuffs were seated at a table in the back of the library, and Tracey pulled out a chair and joined them. "Does anyone have any clue what's going on with those two?"

Morag and Padma shook their heads, and the Indian witch replied, "We've tried hinting around the subject, but neither of them has admitted anything. They just keep saying that they need to figure some stuff out."

Tracey blew out a huff of frustration. Ordinarily, she would not get involved in someone else's romantic misadventures or relationship problems. She had told Luna that the less she knew about the details of the blonde's private time with Jen, the happier she would be. More to the point, having heard Luna's complaints about Jen's courting, she had doubts about just how long any relationship between such very different people could last. Under any other circumstances, she would stand back and let the couple sink or swim on their own. Far less trouble for her.

But Jen and Luna were just such miserable people to be around right now! It was obvious that something was wrong as soon as the new term started the previous week, and the evidence supporting that conclusion had only gotten stronger as the days passed. When they had to be in the same place, such as in all their classes, the brunette was distant and preoccupied and the blonde was frigid and standoffish, a strange reversal of their normal personalities. When they were separate, however, they were mopey and irritable. Or at least Jen was, she corrected herself, since between Jen and Luna, she much preferred spending time with the former and had done so now that the couple was on the outs.

Jen was her best friend. Luna – while nice enough as a person and, yes, a decent friend in her own right – Tracey still classified primarily as Jen's girlfriend.

"Do you think it has anything to do with Jen's courting?" Justin cautiously suggested. "I mean, that hasn't been done in the Muggle world for centuries, so I understand why Luna was so frustrated about it before we left."

"But that's to be expected for anyone of our status in society," Susan reminded him. "If Auntie were still the acting Head of House Bones, I'd be in the same situation. Tracey too."

Padma nodded in agreement, but Morag appeared conflicted. "I can see both sides of that. My grandda offered to arrange a marriage if I was interested in someone from a Noble House, and my parents have always encouraged me to aim for someone higher up the social ladder than we are, but that's all been if I was interested in it. I was never told that I had to do it, and I don't know how I'd deal with being in love with one person but being forced to marry someone else."

The redhead Badger fought to contain her smile. "I don't think it's as bad as all that. She didn't seem to mind being escorted by Viktor Krum to this year's Solstice Ball. It makes me wonder if the rumors floating around after the fourth task of the Triwizard Tournament about the two of them weren't based on some truth, after all."

"But that wouldn't explain why they're acting like this all on its own," Padma said. "Not unless…. Do you think Luna gave Jen an ultimatum? 'Stop courting, or we're through'?"

That made more sense than not, and Tracey found herself nodding in agreement. "Which one Jen would pick is obvious. She and Lord Black are the only ones who can continue the line, and he isn't in any hurry to find a wife. If she had to choose between Luna and House Black, she'd pick her family without hesitation."

"And since Luna would expect Jen to pick her, I can't see that ending well," muttered Justin.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

The lone Slytherin turned an incredulous stare onto the Scottish witch. "Why do you think we should do anything? This is their problem. If we interfere, you know Jen won't take it well."

"Even if it makes things easier between them?"

"Maybe if she felt guilty about choosing her House, but I'm sure she feels like she made the right choice. If I were in her shoes, I would have done the same thing." Tracey shook her head. "She's not going to apologize for that, and that's what it would take for them to get back together. And that assumes we're even right about Luna giving an ultimatum."

"It's the best guess we have," Padma countered, "and since neither one of them has said anything, guesses are all we have to work from. I don't think we need to get in the middle of their lovers' spat, either, but I do think Morag has a point about smoothing things over. You remember how easily everything went last year once they figured out they were expecting different things from their relationship, right? After she caught Jen 'cheating' on her with other witches?" Everyone at the table nodded in understanding. "Maybe we can do something similar to help them patch up their friendship if not their relationship. Remind them of why they liked each other to begin with, but this time with the knowledge that they have incompatible priorities for their future lives. Just because they broke up doesn't mean they can't still be friends."

The others frowned at the immensity of the task the Indian witch had proposed.

"…Right?"

"We could give it a try," Susan finally agreed. "I don't how much success we would have, but even if all we do is talk to them, we might be able to give them a little help in that area. We'd have to be delicate about it, though. Tracey's right about Jen not taking it well, and Luna would catch on, too. Neither of them is stupid. Tracey, you have the closest relationship with Jen; do you think you can talk to her about this?"

She was extraordinarily tempted to say no and stay out of the way, but after a long moment she sighed. "I'll try. She's made it clear that she doesn't want to, but I might be able to nudge her into dropping some hints about just what was said."

"That's a good start. I could talk with Luna since I'm in almost the same circumstances that Jen is, but it might be best if you talk to her first, Morag. You already said that you understand both sides of this."

"I can talk with Jen with Tracey," offered Justin. "Since it seems like Luna's perspective on this is a lot like the Muggle world's, I can best imagine how she feels."

Padma looked over the other four. "I'm not going to like what my part in all this, am I?"

"Well, it was your plan," said Susan with a sheepish smile. "They shouldn't need a go-between or anything, but maybe you could hop back and forth between both groups when it's necessary? You and Justin have the closest to outsider perspectives— Does India still do arranged marriages?"

"It depends on how traditional the family is. My father has a similar opinion to Morag's grandfather, it sounds like; he would rather see me married well, but if I fell in love with someone poorer than us, I don't think he'd actually refuse me. Try his best to talk me out of it, certainly, but eventually he would allow it. Parvati he planned to force into marriage whether she wanted it or not, but that had more to do with her than him, and it isn't on the table anymore, anyway."

Everyone at the table grimaced at that reminder of the other Patil's lycanthropy.

"You might want to spend more time with Luna, then," Tracey suggested, "especially if she forced Jen to make a choice. I talked with her about why Jen would go through with the marriage back in October, but I don't know how much she really paid attention to me. It might be that she only listened enough to put up with everything for a couple more months."

"The next Edinburgh weekend is in just a couple of weeks." They all looked at Justin in confusion at the non sequitur. "That might be a good goal to aim for. If we can't get them even to talk to each other by then, that might be the time to rethink our strategy."

That was as good a suggestion as any. Morag, Padma, and Susan focused on their plans for convincing Luna to open up, and Tracey turned to Justin with a sigh. Two weeks to weasel details of their confrontation from Jen. Because that was not going to be a herculean task at all.

"No."

"But you two were so close before we left for the winter hols, Luna. Surely you can spend just an hour with her."

"I said no."

Padma shared an exasperated look with Morag and Susan. They knew that convincing Luna to spend time with Jen would be difficult, but as the days went by, they were beginning to think they had still underestimated just how difficult it would be. It had taken most of a week just to get her to open up about anything more personal than classes and homework, and even then, any hint that they wanted to talk about Jen was met with stony silence and sharp stares.

"We know you're mad at her," Morag said, abandoning all pretense of subtlety, "and we understand why. If my boyfriend had—"

"That's what you think it's about?" Luna shook her head quickly, her hair nearly slapping her in the face. "I don't even care about that anymore. She can do whatever she wants. It just won't involve me."

The look the girls shared this time was confused. If it were relationship difficulties, that declaration of apathy would be a distressing sign, but that did not explain why the blonde would say Jen's hunt for a husband had nothing to do with her attitude. "What is it about, then?"

"It's not important."

"Clearly it is," Susan tried with newfound confidence. Not that Padma could blame her; sad as it was to consider, this was the most Luna had said about the nature of her frustration. "We can see this eating away at you. Maybe we can help, and even if we can't, you can't just bottle this all up inside."

Luna's resolve was visibly weakening under the assault of the girls' pleading expressions. She looked around at the few people scattered about inside Edinburgh Court's stationary shop, and almost to herself she whispered, "She… She isn't who I thought she was. Who any of us thought she was."

"What do you mean?" prompted the Badger just as quietly.

"Jen's k— She's hurt people. Attacked them."

That was not what they expected to hear. "When you say attacked," Morag began, "what exactly do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Attacked them. Assaulted them." Luna glanced around them again, but when she was sure no one was eavesdropping, she kept her eyes on the ground rather than meeting theirs. "Almost killed them."

Voice hardening as the niece of a DMLE director came out, Susan all but demanded, "When did she tell you this?"

"Christmas Eve."

"Did she say how many?"

"No." Luna laughed humorlessly. "She doesn't even know how many people she's hurt."

Padma really was not sure what to say to that. They had all assumed this was something comparatively minor, but if Luna were telling the truth, they were dealing with something far more serious. She could never imagine intentionally hurting another person; even when the Death Eaters attacked Hogsmeade, she had focused on reinforcing the building and repairing any damage that occurred rather than on attacking. Luna and Tracey and Susan had been on the roof, and they all used spells to incapacitate and capture.

But in that same fight, Jen was one of the few who used lethal spells, her and some of the older Slytherins. She had not seemed to care about that, and while Padma had not thought much of it at the time, it was more worrying now. If nothing else, it was evidence that Jen had no problems with hurting people. Had she killed those Death Eaters and werewolves not because she felt like she had no other choice but just because she liked it? That made her sound like a monster, like Bellatrix—

Oh. Ohhhh.

Padma kneaded her forehead. Of course. That explained things. It was still disturbing news, but now that the surprise was wearing off, it was no longer quite so unexpected. She had recognized Jen's capacity for violence before now, and she had even worried a time or ten about just what might set the other Ravenclaw off. But that was the thing; each time she half-expected Jen to lash out and savage somebody, it had always been in response to that other person's actions. "Did she say anything about why she attacked them?"

"She tried to justify it by saying that they were drug dealers and child abusers, but just because they were terrible people doesn't mean what she did was right!"

Yes, that made much more sense. Terrible people, dangerous people, and if there was anything that would rouse the viciousness and cruelty Jen had inherited from her evil mother, it was dealing with dangerous people. The werewolves who followed You-Know-Who had found that out firsthand.

"No, it doesn't. But even if it isn't right, how wrong is it?" The other girls stared at her in shock. "In two years, we've seen Jen get mean. To Potter and his friends, to McLaggen and the other people who ambushed her in the Shrieking Shack, to the Death Eaters. I've never seen her start those fights, though." She paused, unsure of just how to put her thoughts into words. "What if she hurt them because they hurt somebody else first? I mean, if they are the kind of people she said they were, that's almost to be expected. Or what if she hurt them to protect others, like she did last year when You-Know-Who attacked?"

"It's still wrong," Susan said. "Maybe excusable, but not right. Legally…." She sighed. "There it gets complicated. Attacking someone isn't justifiable unless they are an immediate threat to another's safety, and even then, she should have contacted somebody in law enforcement. The thing is, since we haven't heard about any of this until now, these people are probably Muggles. That means it isn't in the DMLE's jurisdiction unless she's obviously using magic. The Muggles wouldn't be able to catch her, though, and if she really does only go after criminals, I don't know how much effort they would put in to trying. I know there are Patrolmen who would focus on other crimes first and put only a token effort into looking for a vigilante, and I can only assume that there are Muggle Patrolmen who would feel the same way."

"Wait, so this is suddenly all okay?" demanded Morag.

"No, it's not okay, but it also isn't unexpected," Padma said. "We knew she was Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter. Having a Death Eater as a parent is going to leave a mark. She has no memories of her mother, but they still share blood, and she said last year that her mother was half-crazed when she was our age. Even with James Potter being her father and dulling the worst of Jen's darker traits, there will still be some. I'm almost less surprised that Jen attacked those people than that she didn't kill them."

Luna flinched at that.

The Scottish witch frowned. "So you're saying that this, Jen attacking people, is inevitable or something? That she didn't have a choice in the matter? I don't believe that."

"Before this summer, neither did I. Parvati was never a violent person; she couldn't even stand watching Grandfather kill a chicken for dinner. But now, even when she's a person and not a wolf, she's different. More aggressive, more confrontational. She went to go hunting with my uncle, which she's always refused before, and supposedly she volunteered to do all the butchering. Jen isn't a werewolf, but she is the child of a monster. Parv doesn't have choice in how she is now. Neither might Jen, and that would mean that what she's been doing is honestly the best she is capable of."

Looking at the doubtful faces before her, she sighed. "We know who she is, what she's like. She's kind and thoughtful and clever. She's also protective, violently so, and quick to retaliate. Is it more likely that she was secretly hiding an evil side of herself from us for almost three years or that this is just more of the same we already know about her?"

"If you ask something like 'how many evil acts must a good person do before they become an evil person', I'm going to hit you. You know how much I hate philosophy," Morag groused. If she was trying to lighten the mood, the Indian witch thought, she was failing abysmally.

Luna looked at her with wide eyes. "What are you saying? That we should let it go? That what she's done isn't important?"

"No, that's not it at all. Hearing what she's done is surprising, and it's something to think about. I'm just saying that while it sounds terrible, there might be extenuating circumstances. If all the people she's hurt first hurt some third party, especially someone she felt she was obligated to protect? Or even just that she felt they might hurt some of her people? I could see her removing that threat by whatever means she felt necessary. And…."

Looking over her friends, she sighed again. Thorny ethical dilemmas were not what she planned to tackle when she was getting ready for a trip outside the castle. "It's an uncomfortable revelation about her actions, but does it change who she is? This is something Jen has done for a while. We didn't know about it, but that was still part of what makes her Jen, just like everything I do makes me Padma even though you don't know every little detail. Obviously, this is bigger than some innocent little habit, but…. I don't know how much it will or should influence how we see and treat her. That's a decision we're all going to have to make for ourselves."

"So you're going to ignore it?" Luna almost demanded. "Even knowing that she won't stop on her own? Just turn your head and pretend it isn't happening?"

For all the blonde's aggression, Padma could hear a thread of doubt creeping into her voice. And why wouldn't it? Luna had heard Jen's confession and – understandably – leapt to the worst possible conclusion. Only now was she thinking about it a little deeper, and as they were talking, the waters were getting murkier. It still was not a good thing Jen was doing, but it maybe, just maybe, it wasn't exactly evil, either. Neither black nor white, but some undecided shade of grey.

"I don't know for sure yet, but…." She shook her head. "But I made the decision last year, after finding out who Jen's mother was and just how awful she was, that what mattered most to me was what kind of person I saw with my own eyes. What I saw, what I see, is someone who tries to do right by her friends and her family. Jen has her flaws: she's arrogant; she's impatient and short-tempered, especially recently; she's quick to dismiss people she doesn't know. But I have flaws, too, and I would hope my friends would focus more on my good qualities than my bad. This is different – I mean, what she's done is a crime – but if she was doing it for good reasons, or if it's the best of a bad set of options… I don't know that it will make me change my mind."

Luna now looked even less certain of her position, and Morag and Susan were both visibly conflicted. Not that Padma could blame them. "I guess," Susan said, "it's a decision we'll need to think about. I don't know what mine will be. I… I think I need to talk to Auntie about it first."

Padma grimaced; depending on how Susan's aunt responded to this news, that could make matters all the more complicated. Before she could say anything, however, Luna spoke up. "Don't. I shouldn't have told you this much. I told her I wouldn't say anything, and if she finds out…"

"Do you think she's going to hurt you?" Susan asked, voice heating once again.

"I… I don't know. She said she wouldn't, but…." Luna looked down. "After all this? I'll be honest: she scares me. Just knowing that she's capable of doing this, even if we aren't in danger…. I always thought anyone who got tangled up with those people had only themselves to blame, but now I know that one is… was…. I thought Jen was my best friend. But I didn't know her at all, really, did I?"

Morag slung an arm over the little blonde's shoulders.

The redhead sighed. "I wasn't going to name names. I don't know how much help it will be, but I remember that a couple of years ago, she had to deal with a Hit Wizard who started taking justice into his own hands. I just want to know what she thought of that situation."

"I don't know what I think about all this, either," admitted Morag, giving Luna a squeeze. "This isn't something I've ever given much thought."

The four girls who left the store were far quieter than those who had entered.

Danny peered through the window of the cozy cafe. There was Black, wandering into the sweets shop along with the Slytherin, Davis, as well as Finch-Fletchley. He did not see the rest of her retinue, which was unusual, but he supposed that could prove to be an advantage. His mum wanted him to let her know when Black was somewhere near a Floo so she could come and talk to his sister and—

And do what, exactly? They had all tried to reach out to Black multiple times, and each time they did, she threw their apologies and desires to bring her into the family back in their faces. She claimed that she did not want their apologies, that she did not want their support. She was, by all appearances, quite happy spending her time with Slytherins and blood purists and pretending she was a haughty Pureblood.

Well, fine. He could not help someone who did not want to be helped. If she wanted to wallow in the gutter, that was her decision. Maybe she would come to her senses one day and realize how far down the road to being a true Dark witch she had walked, but considering how arrogant and self-absorbed she was, it would take something truly awful happening to her to break through the walls she had wrapped around herself.

Something soft brushed against the back of his hand, but by the time he glanced down, the delicate fingers were already retreating. "Danny? Is everything all right?"

"It's fine, Ginny. Just thinking about something."

"I hope I'm not that boring."

"No, no." The girl smiled prettily, and he looked away before his cheeks could turn any redder. For most of his life, he had considered Ginny Ron's little sister, and that was just about it. Even asking her to the Yule Ball in his fourth year had been more so he could have a date and wouldn't be the only champion left on his own.

He had not realized just how much she had grown up. Her rich red hair fell in ringlets around her face, and the light streaming in through the window made her pink lipstick shimmer. The thin robes, earlier covered by a more season-appropriate overcoat, left much of her milky shoulders bare and teased at curves he had never paid much attention to until recently. Her pursuing him was not the normal way of things, but it was definitely proving to be better for him than his own ill-fated attempts to grab Cho Chang's attention. Chancing another look at her face, he smiled when he found her eyes. "You could never be boring."

Now it was her turn to blush, and after a moment she fluttered her eyelashes at him teasingly.

Black was no longer his problem. He had wasted Merlin knew how much time over the last two years trying to get close to his sister, but if she wanted to be off by herself instead of with people who cared about her, he was more than happy to oblige her. Why should he worry about her when he had his own life to live?

Ginny stretched out her hand again, and he reached out to brush his fingertips against hers. If he was going to spend all his time thinking about a girl, it would be one he actually wanted to spend time with.

Special thanks to Jack Inqu, The Sinful, and Wolfman217 for their suggestions regarding the second scene.

Silently Watches out.