Last Time: We have a QA session between the two Horsemen, Harry and Hannah, Death and Pestilence respectively. Harry also acts as the Ward Master for Hogwarts as Heir Slytherin, charging the Death Wards with the sacrifice of a chicken.

Book 2: Pestilence

Chapter 8

Harry breathed heavily as he faced off against the diminutive Charms Professor. His chest burned, desperately needing oxygen to send to the rest of his body. He could hear the blood pounding in his skull, and it was difficult to think. His body was moving on instinct. His legs and arms burned and ached. Sweat drenched the black tank top, clinging it to his young frame.

His legs tensed as he saw Flitwick's wand come up and begin to go through its swift routine. Auguamenti followed up with a Glacius and finished with a Bombarda. Flitwick wasn't pulling his punches against the young Potter. And Harry knew that three part chain was only the beginning, that Flitwick would follow up with another chain of six or higher.

He had seen the former Duelist Champion chain sixteen spells together in thirty seconds.

Harry flung himself out of the way of the water spell, not wanting to get hit directly by it. He forced himself to stop at the edge of the large circle, Flitwick's newest training method. He grit his teeth and charged magic to his right hand before spinning and back handing the Ice spell back at Flitwick before dodging the Blasting Hex.

It was a good chain, a dangerous chain really. But Harry could handle it. As long as he kept his area from being iced over with the Glacius then he would be just fine. He couldn't control his footing as well on someone else's ice.

Harry exhaled deeply and took in a deep breath of fresh air. He centered his magic back to his core and held himself in a guarded stance. With the Water coming from where the Augumenti spell slammed into the wall behind him, Harry raised his hands up and held his fingers out at his Professor. Ten lances of Ice formed up around him.

Harry smirked slightly, he remembered a time just a year ago where a single lance would have hurt him to make. Now he could make ten with a slight flex of his power. Flitwick had taken his wand, forcing him to rely on Wandless Magic, but for Harry that was just fine. It just meant he needed to try a little harder.

Harry thrust his hand forward, commanding the lances to launch at the small Charms Professor. With ten spread out over a wide spread area, even Flitwick would have a difficult time dodging them all.

Instead Flickwick chained his sixteen spells together, some Harry could identify, but since the Charms Professor didn't speak during these sessions until they were over, Harry wasn't able to identify all of them. Ten spells came at Harry, the smallness of the circle demanding he bring up some sort of defense to handle it. His movement was being trained to be a last resort, that he was to exert the least bit of movement possible.

And without his wand, traditional magical shields were out of the question. They would blow through the ice walls he could summon as well.

Harry grit his teeth again, knowing what he was about to pull would undoubtedly get him yelled at once they were through. He was still working out the kinks of it and it was always a pain to pull it off. He flexed his magic into the air around him and forced it to spin around bringing it up to powerful speeds in the matter of moments.

A slice laid his bicep open, drawing blood down along his arm. Spells slammed into his barrier of wind and they whipped around him, slamming into the walls all around him. More slices lacerated his skin, cutting him open. One on his forehead caused blood to seep down into his eye, forcing him to close it.

Flitwick stalked up, his wand lowered. "What in the world were you thinking Harry?" He asked in a stern and even voice. "You're all cut up and I have half a mind to not give you any medical attention."

Harry panted as he collapsed back onto the ground. The cuts stung, the salty sweat getting into them. He hissed a bit as he forced himself to sit back up. "Something I've been working on, but… as you can tell…" He showed his bloodied arm, though his chest and legs had their own cuts on them, ripping his clothes. "It's a slow progress."

"You're lucky you didn't slit your own throat!" Flitwick yelled, actually getting angry with him.

Harry looked to Flitwick's hard eyes. The older wizard had trimmed his beard and the hair on his head, making him look more like a formidable champion than a Charm's Professor. He didn't say that even the deepest of cuts he had received out have severed an artery. Not even the one on his bicep which was deepest needed stitches. "I apologize Professor." He said.

"You're still going to attempt to create it, aren't you?" Flitwick asked accusingly.

Harry nodded his head once, his features getting stony. "The Wind is a dangerous tool to have, and I plan to have it." He said softly. He stood up and went to his bag, grabbing the essence of dittany that he had taken to carrying with him. Slowly, he began to rub it into the cuts, wiping his forehead of the blood so he could see. "I can't rely on my Ice to continue carrying me." He said.

He turned to look at Flitwick and he held out both hands. In his right he made an orb of ice and in the left he made a small twister. He then looked to the powers swirling in his hands. "I want to be the strongest Wizard I can be." He said honestly, looking to Flitwick. "I have no real ambition past that. And I know there is more to being the strongest than just magical strength." He allowed the powers to dissipate.

"I want a family someday Professor." Harry admitted. "People I can call a brother or sister, children of my own, a wife." Harry looked to both his hands. "So for them, I need to be the strongest that I can be. Only when I have given my all for them will I be able to say that there was nothing more I could do." He looked again to Flitwick. "So I need to become a strong politician, to change the world to a better place for them. I need to become a strong business man, so that my family wants for nothing. I need to be magically strong so that I can protect my family. I will have enemies Professor. Whether it's from the Duelist Circuit that I'm going into, my political practices, my business practices, or just who I am as Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived. Do you think another Dark Lord won't show up? Do you think they won't see me as a threat? Do you think in my pursuit of learning all I can in magic that I won't make enemies?"

And then there were the enemies that Harry had as the Pale Rider. Harry had to be the very best that he could if he hoped to survive long enough. He had to be beyond the normal Witch or Wizard. He had to find his limitations and then break past them until he could no longer do so. He couldn't sit on his laurels and hope everything would turn out for the best. He couldn't rely on luck to help him through the world. He wouldn't have an answer for everything, but that was fine.

Flitwick looked to Harry and sighed softly. He gently shook his head and took Harry's wand from his pocket, passing it back handle first. "I don't necessarily agree with your paranoia Harry, but I can your point being made. It is a delight helping you along the way, even if some of the things you say or do make me frown." Flitwick looked back up to Harry and his spine straightened. "Remember you goals Harry. Remember who you are doing all of this for. I can tell you genuinely mean to make the best you can for your family."

Harry nodded softly. "I know to look away from the Abyss from time to time Professor, least I become what is inside of it."

Flitwick nodded and inhaled softly. "I already had to put one student down Harry, please don't make me do another." Flitwick left it at that before he turned to leave, his wand flicking out to undo the charm work on the classroom, reverting it to normal.

Harry was left to ponder Flitwick's parting words before he gathered his things and turned to leave, walking with his hands in his pockets.

-Scene Break-

If there was a word that could describe Hannah Abbot, it was obstinate. Even before loyalty and hardworking, she was obstinate. When she set her eyes on a goal, she would work at it until she had that goal in hand. And she had already set her sights on a goal, and it worked well with her feeling of loyalty.

Now it was just a matter of getting it to pan out.

Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle in her path was just as obstinate as she was and a great deal more cunning. Getting Harry Potter himself to budge on something would be an exercise in something close to futility. But she was sure she could manage. She just had to make him see that she had a fair point after all.

But at the same time, she might be breaking the loyalty of a friend and that was… it was conflicting. She paced in the halls a bit, taking a bit of private time to herself. She gave a long drawn out groan. How did Harry stay so composed? Surely he had thoughts like this where he wasn't sure what to do, yet he always stayed as cool as a cucumber.

She paused and lightly thumped her head against the brick wall. "Think Hannah." She said softly.

"Well hello Ms. Abbot!" A jovial voice called out and Hannah turned to see the Fat Friar, her House's ghost floating down the hallway. "So splendid to see you." He said, pausing before her.

"It's good to see you as well Friar." She said politely.

"You look troubled, is there something I could perhaps help with?" He asked, floating a little closer.

Hannah ran her hands over her blonde hair and pulled lightly at the pigtails she usually kept her hair in. "I'm conflicted." She said. "On one hand, a friend of mine wants to keep something secret from another friend of mine and I don't want to keep secrets from them. On the other hand, I know the other friend has a secret that they have, whether they know about it or not, and I know the first friend can help and I just don't know how to get them together so that I don't have to keep secrets from my friends and so that my friend can get help with something." As vague as it was, she had to vent slightly.

The Friar looked surprised a moment. "Secrets aren't good among friends Ms. Abbot." He said. "If Friend A wants to keep something from Friend B, there must be a good reason why. If there isn't, I don't see the reason to keep such a secret. But telling Friend B might hurt the trust of Friend A, so I can see why your Hufflepuff mind is in confliction." He placed his hand on his chin. "But if Friend A can help Friend B with something that Friend B might not know about, then surely Friend A can forgive you for breaking their trust. But if Friend B is aware, and has an inkling that you may be aware of their secret, then Friend B might feel as though you are breaking their trust by telling someone else. Quite the quandary you have Ms. Abbot." He said.

"On one hand, I'm breaking the trust of one, possibly two friends, on the other I'm keeping secrets from my friends." Hannah said. Either way, it felt like a fist was grabbing her stomach. "And the first friend doesn't forgive easily." She added. She had been brought up to speed with what was happening between Harry and Sirius Black.

"Quite the quandary indeed." The Friar said and stroked his chin more. He felt obligated to help one of his charges, even if it was just to offer some advice. But if he gave bad advice, he would never forgive himself either. "And how do these friends feel about you?'

"Well, one I've known just about forever." She said honestly.

"Ms. Bones then." The Friar said and stroked his chin. "I think, she would at the very least forgive you for telling her secret, if she's aware of it, especially if you are trying to get her help in regards to the secret. But the other friend, if they don't forgive easily, they may not agree with your sentiment that you wanted to share a secret with your best friend. This could, of course, cause confliction."

"I'd rather not lose them as a friend." Hannah said quickly. Harry was helping her with the whole Pestilence thing. If he no longer trusted her or considered her a friend, she was forced into a situation where it was sink or swim and she'd likely sink fast. At least with Harry, it was like she had a floatation device to help keep her afloat, or to grab ahold of if she was feeling like she was sinking.

The Friar inhaled softly, even if he no longer needed to breathe. "Well, I can offer only one solution, and I don't quite like it myself. You let Ms. Bones in on the secret, and you explain to Friend A that you think they can help her." He said. "If they are truly your friend, they will understand."

That was why Hannah liked the Friar. He was honest to a fault, and he was always willing to help out. Sir Nicholas, now often called Headless Nick after his Ghostly head was severed from his shoulders, was friendly enough and honest, but the Friar was more down to earth than Nick.

"Thanks Friar." Hannah said and offered a brilliant smile before turning on her heel and taking off at a brief run, she had something important to do.

Getting Susan to go to the Room of Requirements would be a simple task. All she had to do was sound excited about showing Susan something and the redhead would likely be willing to come with just to see it, or shut Hannah up. But getting Harry to listen would be difficult. All she could do was hope he would listen to her, to give her a chance to explain.

She quickly entered the Common Room, looking for Susan. She found her friend sitting on a sofa, writing in the journal she had for the past few weeks. Looked like she was doing homework and using the journal as a way to draft the work first. "Sue!" Hannah said, moving over to her friend. "I got something you need to see!" she said, bouncing on her heels a little bit.

She knew she was flushed from the brief run, and she couldn't help but radiate with a bit of happiness. She could have the best of both worlds, she just knew it. She could have Harry's guidance for her work as Pestilence and she could still have her best friend.

Susan looked up to Hannah and the blonde could see a bit of annoyance in the redhead's eyes. Still, Susan offered a smile and tucked their essay assignment into the center of her journal and tucked it into her bag. "Alright Han." She said pleasantly.

"It can wait if you need to." Hannah said, not wanting to upset her friend. They had been through a lot together.

Susan shook her head. "It's okay, I was just on a roll with the Essay for Professor Lupin. He's a good replacement, especially better than Binns. His work is just challenging."

Hannah nodded as she led the way out of the Common Room. "Yeah, I've seen him looking towards Harry at meal times though, like he wants to approach him or something. You think they might know each other?"

"Maybe." Susan said with a slightly shrug. "We could ask your mom or Auntie if they know anything about Professor Lupin, but they might be younger than him."

"He does look rather rough, doesn't he?" Hannah asked. "Think it might have something to do with why he was absent those days?"

"It could." The redhead said. "But he could have just went down to Hogsmeade for the day or something, I heard from some upper years that he didn't have classes those days at all. Maybe he needed a break."

"Ooh, maybe he's got a girlfriend out of the school." Hannah said with a slight grin.

Susan rolled her eyes and lightly popped her friend on the back of the head with her hand. "So where are we going?" she asked.

"Seventh Floor." Hannah said confidently. She headed to the Grand Staircase and began to lead the way up, pausing when the staircases felt like moving and just generally making sure they could get up to the seventh floor as quickly as possible.

"I really hate these stairs." Susan said as they cleared the landing for the Seventh floor. "Can you believe there's rumors that Harry runs these daily?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Hannah said. "Did you hear how he climbed the castle last year? Even ignored the Headmaster and JUMPED from the top." She said

Susan rolled her eyes. "Of course I heard Han. You'd have to be deaf to not hear the rumors going around on that one for weeks. I'd have to not know you." She said playfully.

It was Hannah's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." She said. "I like the gossip and rumor mill. I can't help if it's exciting. Think Harry will do it again?"

"Doubtful, I don't even think he meant to show off with that one. It's like he will do what he wants, whether he's in the spotlight or in the background." Susan said thoughtfully. "I heard Harry hasn't gone to a single one of Lockhart's classes."

"Or the detentions that Lockhart gives him." Hannah said grinning. "I'm willing to bet Lockhart will try something soon."

Susan shook her head. "No bet. That pompous idiot is going to get himself hurt again if he tries to mess with Harry. You remember what happened in Flourish and Blott's."

Hannah nodded and soon found the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. Across from it was the door to the Room of Requirement, indicating someone was likely inside and hadn't sealed in behind them. Inhaling softly, she headed to the door. She just had to hope that Harry wasn't in Death regalia inside.

She inhaled a bit and exhaled slowly. She could do this. She would handle it if Harry was in Death Regalia. Then she could try again, maybe explaining to Harry why she brought Susan. But she needed Susan there, Harry could probably sense it better than she could explain it.

She was nervous. More nervous than she had been in a long time, and no doubt Susan could tell. If there was anyone that knew her tells, it would be Susan. Still, she took the knob of the door and turned it, pushing the door open.

Inside, sitting in a comfortable looking arm chair with a book was Harry. His eyes flicked up over his glasses as he heard the door open and he paused a moment. He looked up fully, seeing Susan looking around with a bit of wonder and Hannah noticed the way his eyes sharpened as he looked to Hannah's blue eyes. "Hannah…" He said with a slight tightness to his tone.

Hannah felt her heart thumping heavily in her chest. He was angry. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew he was angry. That single word conveyed all he felt towards her at the moment. She felt like a fat brown rabbit caught in the gaze of hungry wolf. The slightest little twitch and it was done.

She backed up into the door, closing it. She could see the frost seeping away from Harry. "Let me explain!" she cried out, scared. She didn't know if she was looking at Harry Potter or at the Pale Rider of the Apocalypse, but she desperately didn't want to be caught in that gaze again. She wasn't a brave Gryffindor. She was a loyal Hufflepuff

Harry set his book to the side on a little side table beside the arm chair. He leaned back in his seat and Hannah felt as though she was looking at some Lord of a House. Her father never did this, but her grandfather had. It still sent shivers down Hannah's spine. The way his posture seemed to exude an all-encompassing presence.

"Look, I think Susan can benefit from your help like me." Hannah said, catching the attention of her friend and Harry. "She's got abilities like yours, I've seen her do it in her sleep. I don't think she even knows she's doing it Harry, I just don't want her to be hurt."

"Hannah?" Susan asked. "What are you talking about?" She stepped forward, curious as to what her friend was going on about. Harry's attention seemed piqued by what the blonde was saying.

Hannah breathed a little easier as Harry didn't seem to be weighing her anymore. Sweet merciful Merlin and Morgana, it had been just hard to breathe and speak with Harry looking at her like that. How did he do it? "I've… I've seen her bring things to her in her sleep, summon things even. Mostly just small animals, rodents and birds." Hannah swallowed a moment. "Sometimes they look like a living, breathing animal, sometimes they look all skeletal." Hannah noticed her friend's eyes widen in fear.

Harry however, his eyes were calculating.

Harry rose up from his seat and walked towards Susan. "Susan…" Harry said cupping her cheeks with both hands. "I need you to look at me, look into my eyes." Harry said as he shifted his thumbs to be against the bone of her eye sockets. "Relax, this won't hurt Susan. Just look at me." He said.

There, just beyond those blue eyes was a well of familiar power. It was… it was empowering, exhilarating, massive. "Dust... How did we miss this?" Harry asked his familiar crow. The crow gave a loud caw, throwing out its wings. "Yes, you're likely right… It's been dormant. We felt glimpses, but because it was dormant, not getting a proper outlet…"

Harry smiled as he shifted away to his arm chair. He sat back down once more and had the Room summon chairs under the girls so they were sitting down. The door then vanished. He needed to have a serious conversation with both Hufflepuffs. "Hannah, I could kiss you right now." He leaned in, still looking directly at Susan. "You found my necromancer."

Susan bolted to her feet. "What?!" she demanded loudly, panicky really.

"Susan, sit down." Harry said evenly, wanting to try and get through to the Hufflepuff, to try and get through this logically.

"I can't be a Necromancer! I don't feel evil, I don't raise the dead, and I don't do anything illegal!" she said, grabbing her red hair and pulling slightly. "You're both barmy." She said, moving towards where the door was.

"Sit down Susan." Harry said, standing up slowly.

"Open the room Harry." Susan said, turning to face the dark haired boy. "I'm leaving, you two need obviously thought it would be a real funny joke, but I'm not laughing."

"sit down!" Harry barked out, flaring his power up and pointing to the chair. The redhead, frightened, move to sit back down, shaking slightly as she pulled her legs up to her chest.

Harry sat back down himself and leaned in slightly. "Now then Susan, let's talk this through rationally, logically." He said. "We're not going to be frantic, and we're not going to be emotional. I'm going to respect your decision if you make it with logic." Harry said.

"What decision is there to be had?" Susan asked.

Harry sighed softly. This likely wasn't going to go very well, but he had to at least try after all. "Whether you like it or not, fact of the matter is you are a Necromancer. Yes, I can tell. I'm rather attuned to Death Magic myself." He said.

"I'm not evil!" Susan said, curling up tighter.

"No, you're not. Which makes you all the more valuable." Harry said bluntly. "Necromancy and Death Magic have both obtained an evil reputation due to the likes of Grindelwald and Voldemort. But Necromancy, in and of itself, is not Evil. No magic is." Harry said watching Susan as she stared at him, tears threatening to fall from the crystal blue eyes.

"When you're raising small animals, like rodents and probably birds, that's not evil." Harry said. "That's your power seeking an outlet and taking it. And it will get worse if you don't block it, or train it."

"Block it then." Susan said almost immediately.

"Stop thinking with your emotions." Harry said. "Blocks are never permanent, they are only there until you gain control or until they break irreparably." He said. Whether magical or emotional, blocks weren't intended for a long time. Five or ten years tops. Just long enough for enough training and growth to get it under control.

"On one hand, I can block it." He said. With the help of Dust, it wouldn't be impossible after all. "You can go about being a normal girl for the next five, maybe ten years. Likely five or less given how powerful you are and will become. You might make it to seventh year, maybe even through it. Blocks are… tricky.

"On the other hand, I can help you harness it and train your powers. As it is Susan, you're only growing stronger by subconsciously holding your Necromancy back. It keeps searching for an escape, over and over. And like a dam breaking and water surging forth, it keeps finding it. You likely wake up with dead animals in your bed, have for a while and have been pushing these powers even further down, hoping and praying they would go away, that you'd no longer find the animals in your bed. You rebuild the dam, only for the Necromancy to get stronger and break it once more." Harry watched the redhead. He needed to help her, he needed her on his side of things.

"But it's illegal to practice-"

"Which is why we won't practice it here in Great Britain." Harry said. "We'll study it, study the rituals and spells associated with Necromancy and go to France or Germany for a week or two during the Summer Holidays and practice it there. France just requires you to register as a Necromancer of the Magistrate. Germany not even that. And we will talk to your Aunt about this." He added. "You both must understand, this isn't something that will go away. Not in five years, not in ten years, not in twenty or thirty. And while we may be toeing the line of the law, we won't be purposely breaking it."

"Not breaking it?!" Susan asked, standing up again. "You're talking about studying magic where we have to kill someone!"

Harry stood up once more. "Sit down!" he barked out. He may lose both Hannah and Susan as a friend, but her statement made him angry. "You ignorant, foolish bigoted little girl!" She had struck a nerve, despite Dust cawing for him to calm himself. "Death Magic is a lot more than what you claim. With a cut on my hand, I could bring down the Wards of Hogwarts itself. With a cut on my hand, I could rip apart the Ministry of Magic's wards.

"I could raise a two hundred year old corpse with a chicken, a four hundred year old corpse with a goat." Harry said, pinning Susan with a glare. "I would be able to learn about people, events, that have taken place hundreds of years ago that there is no record of. It is the likes of Grindelwald and Voldemort making Inferi, a hideous and disgusting pale copy of an actual necromantic spell, that gives Necromancy a disgusting name. You are just like the sheep of this country that run it. I say Necromancy, and you immediately associate it with Human Sacrifice. You have no fathomable idea of what Necromancy is, and being a Necromancer is rare.

"Voldemort could only wish he was a Necromancer with your powers. He dabbled in the Death Arts, but would never attain true understanding and Mastery of them like you stand to be capable of." Harry heard Dust's caw, felt the ice creeping up along his pants leg, but he was still going. "Even I, as attuned to Death Magic as I am," A statement only he and possible Hannah would fully understand. "I cannot compare to your strength as a Necromancer. There will be things you can do that will leave the common masses in awe. You could probably raise a thousand year old corpse with a goat.

"But because of the actions of two men that have left this country quivering in fear, you are bigoted towards a school of Magic that has no feelings one way or the other. Imagine the lack of criminals we might have if Death Magic is legal in this country, to be monitored as it is in France. Imagine how many people with an Inheritance that they stand to lose on the whims of some Ministry fool and then imagine those problems disappearing as the corpse can be raised with its personality and memories intact. The Dead do not lie Ms. Bones. And I plan to revolutionize the laws regarding Death Magic, among many more in this country that are outdated."

Harry waved his hand at the wall, a door appearing. "Leave if you want, go back to your ignorance and naiveté." He then turned away and went to a bookshelf, breaking the ice away from his feet. He grabbed a book on Death Magic and sat down to read and study. He desperately wanted someone at his side to study with, someone to keep him from straying from a very narrow path.

But he would not have such ignorance as the Necromancer he needed at his side, to help him help the Shades.

He didn't bother to look up as he noticed Susan stand up. He did however look up, his emerald green eyes staring coolly at the girl when she stepped closer to him.

Susan watched Harry, staring into the emerald eyes. It sent a shiver down her spine. Perhaps she had reacted badly, not understanding what Harry was talking about. "Okay." She whispered softly. "Where do we begin?"

"There is no going back if you decide to go down this path." Harry said. "Once the blinders have been ripped off, you will not be able to not see the things you have seen."

Susan inhaled, gathering the courage she could gather in the face of the icy fortress that was Harry Potter. "Where do we begin?" she asked a little more confidently and evenly.

Harry smiled just slightly.

-End Chapter-