I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Defiance of Fate

Chapter 9 – Emphatic Empathy

Hello Harry,

I must ask, what is the best way to placate Hedwig that doesn't involve bacon?

She's very cross with me at the moment. She was moody for some time, much like her owner, and was overeating. So I tried to cut back on her bacon allotment and she took offense to that. She's taken half of my left socks and half of my right socks of different pairs hostage as well as some of my knickers.

Should I ask you why she knows how to nick knickers?

Joke's on her mostly. I usually wear mismatched socks anyways by choice so she made that easier for me honestly. Not having knickers is rather bothersome though. Funny in a way. She looks at me smugly now, waiting for me to cave to her demands. I wonder where she put them. My flat isn't that big.

When you get back you will have to teach me how to mollify her without bacon. I've cuddled and scratched her and given her more to do and she seems grateful but she's still being moody about things.

I can relate.

I'm still incredibly upset over what the Minister did and plan on doing something about it. How could he have done that to you? He knows better than most what you've gone through. I used to think he was nice. No matter. He will regret his actions in more ways than one.

Also, I do not appreciate you hiding important information from us. You got hurt in action and didn't think we'd hear about it? I know you think you are being noble and not trying to worry us but it just makes us angrier. No whinging when you get back when we are going to be overbearing for some time.

And no it wasn't Blaise or Astoria or any of the others who went over with you. If you told me things, I'd tell you things.

I'm sorry. I'm being rude because I am also moody and acting out. I stand by my point however.

We're all doing well here. Hermione is getting bigger in a good way. Neville is doing well, loving teaching as we all know. I saw the twins the other day and they are flourishing in their work. They say Ron and Ginny are doing well. We all talk about you behind your very far back. Things we plan to do to you and with you when you return.

Oh, I see Hedwig moving behind a bookshelf. I imagine that's where she's hidden my things. I'm surprised she can get there. She's so clever.

I miss you.

Luna.

-0-

"I thought we said we really have to stop meeting like this," Sophie said with a teasing smile.

Harry smiled back. "At least we aren't on the battlefield this time." He cast a diagnostic charm and looked thoughtfully at the reading. "Hmm, looks like the opposition are leaning into the darker stuff now."

Leena growled. "There was a skirmish and they were throwing around some truly terrible spells. I should have been hit by this but Sophie pushed me out of the way."

"I am your sergeant and you are my responsibility," Sophie argued, wincing from the pain.

"As my sergeant, thank you. As my best friend, you are a bitch."

"A fine thing to say to your best friend that saved your life!"

Astoria smiled at Harry. "They remind you of anyone?"

"Plenty of people," Harry agreed. "Still, and I do hate to say this, but it's probably good that she took the hit for you Leena. She got hit by a withering curse, a really bad one."

"Why is it good that she got hit instead?" Leena cried.

"Because withering curses were designed against Purebloods or humans with strong magic. It makes their magic turn against them."

"How do you know that?" Astoria asked, eyes narrowed.

"Something I read once," Harry deflected lightly. "In any case, it's very fatal to humans-"

"And I am Veela," Sophie finished. "So I am somewhat resistant?" She blanched at Harry's nod. "I feel quite terrible and I have a resistance. It must be terrible if you do not."

Leena shuddered. "I guess it is fine this time then." She tried to smile. "I guess another benefit for being Veela. Not only do you have amazing hair and a fat-resistant figure, you are also resistant to certain dark curses."

"Truly, the best parts of being Veela," Sophie joked back. She looked at Harry. "I am curable, yes?"

"Yup. It'll take a little time though. We'll have to do some ritual casting for prolonged healing, but we can clear the taint and reverse the curse."

"Well that is good." Sophie breathed a sigh of relief that Leena echoed. "When can we start?"

"Now. Let's take you to a corner recovery bed since you'll be there for a while."

Astoria gasped. "You're taking her to bed?! Here?!"

"Monsieur Potter! I am a married woman!" Sophie winked at him. "Though my husband will not mind at all really."

Harry shook his head, cheeks flushed as the three witches laughed. "I walked right into that one, didn't I? Should've expected that from you two," he gestured at Astoria and Sophie, "given your relations."

Leena helped Sophie over and Sophie laid back on the bed with a groan. Her muscles burned and she now understood why her insides felt like they were churning and fighting itself. Despite the pain and discomfort, she watched with interest at Harry marking out a circle around the bed with chalk. Then he and Astoria and Leena began to write runes at specific spots, connecting them together.

"Don't we want water for healing and cleansing?" Astoria asked.

"No, Veela are fire leaning so we can use fire for cleansing instead," Harry said. "Water would cleanse too but since it's their opposite, it'll take longer. I think they use heat as a healing property too so it'll still work."

"Healing to a degree," Sophie offered. "But definitely feels more comfortable and it purifies."

"This should work better then," Harry nodded. As soon as they finished inscribing the runes, Harry incanted. He spoke slowly and smoothly, tapping the runes in sequence. When he finished, the circle flared brightly and the space was bathed in soft yellow light.

Sophie sighed with relief. As soon as the light touched her, she felt the pain recede, fading into a dull throb. Her insides seemed to relax, her muscles unknotting. "That feels much better," she said.

"Good. The spell will keep the taint at bay while your natural healing is aided by magic to combat it. This way your body will purge the dark magic and you'll feel much better."

"Will she have enough magic to fuel her healing?" Leena asked.

"She should but I'm providing most of the magic for the ritual," Harry said. "I'll be hanging around during sessions to let it draw from me so her magic can be used purely for healing and recovery."

"Oh, that is very generous of you," Sophie said softly.

"Happy to help, really. I have plenty to do around the main ICW medical tent and can bring work over. If I really need to get something I can ask Astoria to fetch it."

"See how he treats me?" Astoria mock sighed. "Like a glorified crup or hound."

"Or an owl," Leena snickered.

"If I was only that lucky." Astoria grinned. "He spoils his owl."

"I really can't say no to Hedwig normally," Harry chuckled.

"Well, I'll go report to Captain then," Leena said. "Tell him the good news. Same with the rest of the squad." She made her farewells and left the tent.

"How long will this take?" Sophie asked.

"As long as it takes to get rid of the taint and reverse the curse," Harry said bluntly. "It depends on the person and the severity of the spell. In this case, it might take longer because while you have a resistance to the curse, that same resistance will interfere with the ritual a little bit. Still, better you have it in this case."

"And ritual spells are needed here for prolonged healing," Astoria added. "They're more stable and stronger."

Sophie sighed. "I am not ungrateful but I also can be very how you say…jittery when I am sitting about."

"You can ask Astoria to get you something to do or read," Harry said with a smile as he began laying out ingredients and setting a cauldron up on a side table.

Astoria growled at him. "I'll bite you," she said.

"I like seeing you joke like this," Sophie smiled. "It's very different than how you are with Monsieur Zabini."

"Astoria is the little sister I never had," Harry said fondly. "Pesky and bothersome yet oddly lovable."

Astoria rolled her eyes. "Just be glad I treat you better than I do Daphne."

"I do," he said seriously.

Astoria snorted. "Why do you call Blaise, Monsieur Zabini?"

"Because it irritates him," Sophie said and they laughed. "He is very nice though, in his way. Bit of a flirt however."

"You don't have to sugarcoat him with us," Astoria snorted. "He's more than a bit of a flirt. Bit of a slag honestly."

Sophie laughed harder. "He is very amorous yes. He and Emily have been spending some time together if you know what I mean."

"War makes for strange bedfellows so I've heard," Harry said with mock sincerity.

"Have you caught Harry with any strange bedfellows?" Astoria asked Sophie in an overloud whisper.

"Sadly no and I can think of many that would enjoy a visit from an angelus in that regard," Sophie replied saucily.

"I'm going to cast a deafening charm on myself," Harry said as the witches chortled, "let me know when you're done with this topic."

"You might as well change the subject then," Astoria teased.

"Actually, I do have a point of contention with you." He looked away from prepping his ingredients, giving Sophie a narrow look. "Have you told Fleur things?"

"I tell her many things."

He sighed. "Have you told her a more unvarnished version of what I've done out here?"

"No, I have not." Sophie looked like butter would not melt in her mouth.

He sighed again. "Okay. Did you tell Mr. or Mrs. Delacour or Gabrielle who in turn might have told Fleur?"

"Yes, I did that." Sophie did not look contrite at all. "Are you saying you do not tell them truthful things?"

"Of course I do," he said. He shook his head and went back to cutting ingredients. "I just don't…tell them about things like injuries and what not."

"What not indeed. They care about you Harry, and would want to hear what is going on."

"He does this all the time," Astoria said flatly as she began arranging kits and preparing bandages. "Daphne's mad that she has to hear it from me."

"I don't tell her because I know you'll tell her," Harry retorted. "That way she'll only get mad once."

"Fleur has sent you angry words?" Sophie asked with a smile.

"I'm glad there is a policy about no Howlers in a warzone," Harry said wryly. "That being said, I can tell she was less than pleased with me."

"She is terribly fond of you," Sophie said. "Always has been."

"She has a good heart," Harry said softly. He looked thoughtful. "Huh, that's how Luna found out. She mentioned it in her last letter too. Fleur must be telling the others."

"Well you cannot blame me for that," Sophie laughed.

About an hour later, Sophie was bored once more. Much to her amusement and gratitude, Astoria had gone out to get her some paperwork she needed to do and she had completed it while healing. She finished a letter to her husband and was about to start one to Fleur before putting it aside. She looked at Harry and chewed her lip.

"What's on your mind?" he asked without turning to face her.

She looked surprised. "How could you tell I was looking at you?"

"Bit of a sixth sense," he said, "feeling someone's attention. Plus you've been quiet for a bit and your quill stopped moving."

"That sounds like a very useful sense."

"It is. Carefully developed over years."

She took a breath. "I'd like to ask you things but do tell me if I am overstepping."

"I will, go ahead."

She paused. "What was it like? Growing up and being an objector?" She felt like she had gone too deep with her first question, too personal. He had frozen and stood still. "I'm sorry," she said hurriedly.

"No it's okay. Actually, you might sort of understand." He moved slowly, continuing on working on potions. "I grew up without knowing anything about magic. My relations raised me and they are Muggles. Even when my magic lashed out to protect me, I had no idea that's what happened until when I started at Hogwarts and someone explained it to me. But growing up, I was treated like a…freak, a monster by my relations. I always felt different without knowing why."

He sighed deeply. "Then I found out that magic was real, that I was a wizard. I was overjoyed. I felt vindicated, knowing that there really was something more to me, something that explained more. I felt like I had found where I belonged."

His smile became bitter. "Then, when I found out about offensive spells and when I said I refused to cast them, people started treating me like a freak again. They said I lacked proper Wizarding pride. That I was a waste of talent and potential. Everyone thought I was the weird one amongst the weird. When I said why I didn't want to, they said that was no reason at all, and this was before Tom returned."

"You poor thing," Sophie said softly. "You thought you found a place to be who you are and even that was taken from you." She thought for a moment, wondering why Harry thought she would understand. Then it came to her. "You constantly had people talk about you, make assumptions, degrade you for what you are and want to be."

He turned and his smile was sad. "Yeah. It sounded a lot like what Fleur endured. I think that's why we got along really well."

Sophie nodded. "That does sound very similar to my experiences at school as well. But at least there has always been more than a few Veela students at Beauxbatons and elsewhere. Whereas there are not many who think like you."

"No. I wasn't completely alone though," Harry shrugged. "I made a few good friends. Blaise as you saw. Astoria's sister Daphne first, then Astoria. Ron and Hermione. Luna. A few other classmates. I eventually met the Tonks family and connected with friends of my parents like Captain Vance and Remus. I got reacquainted with my godfather."

"Did they accept you from the beginning?"

"Not really. Well, one did from when we first met. The others in different degrees." He smiled wryly. "Ron actually didn't like me much at all in the beginning, thought I was really weird for not wanting to cast spells like that and use magic. I didn't become friends with Blaise and Daphne until later, standing up to others for them and they returned the favor. As we got to be better friends, they and most others accepted me and never made a point of trying to change me like most people did, or still do."

"Was your godfather the one that immediately accepted you?"

Harry laughed without humor. "No, and that's still an issue between us. He still doesn't understand why I won't. Said it isn't right to act like that, kept comparing me to my dad." His expression softened. "Even Hermione used to pressure me in the beginning, saying that I was academically stunting myself or something like that." He grinned at Sophie's snort. "She's still dreadfully embarrassed every time I bring it up. She hates it.

"Luna, she was the one that accepted it from the beginning. She had a rough childhood too and we sort of bonded pretty fast when we met. People used to bully her because she saw things and believed in things that didn't make sense to them. Basically, the same as me really, bullying me for my beliefs."

Sophie smiled at his look. "You care very much for her."

He blushed lightly but nodded. "I do. Always have. I was really worried how she'd react with me volunteering and being here. She was on a trip when I left, following her father's last wishes."

"How are her letters worded?"

"She was mad at first, still is here and there. But she talks about how well things are going over all, to keep me from worrying. Tells me what things we'll do when I get back." He paused, his face wondering.

"What is wrong?"

"I just realized that she says 'when I get back' a lot. Not if. Not that the others don't say that too but the way she phrases things, how she expects me to come back, it's nice."

"She has a lot of faith in you."

He sighed. "Yeah, guess she does. I hope she's doing okay."

-0-

"I'm taking over," Dora said.

The security guard looked at her. "She's under arrest."

"My boss's boss, which is your boss's boss by about five times, isn't pressing charges and if you want to argue with her about it, I'll gladly take you to her. She's already royally pissed about everything; you really want to punish someone who did something incredible minor in the grand scheme of things?"

The guard gulped. He opened his mouth.

"Rhetorical question. Get out before I toss you in a cell of your own for interfering with things completely above your responsibilities." She sneered as he ran off. Shaking her head, she unlocked the door and threw it open. "You know, I never imagined I'd ever see you in here."

Luna looked up. "Oh hello Dora," she said pleasantly.

Dora grinned, impressed by her peaceful demeanor. "Hey Luna. How're you?"

"Pretty good." She raised her bound wrists. "A touch uncomfortable if I'm being completely honest."

Dora hissed angrily. "Who the fuck manacled you?!" She took her wand out and undid the enchantments, removing them.

Luna rubbed her wrists. "The person you were speaking to out there."

"He had no right doing that. You weren't resisting I bet. Don't worry, I'm going to blast him for this later. Come on, let's go."

"Really?"

"Really. No charges but a verbal warning that you might want to refrain from returning to the Ministry for a while unless you really have to and preferably with an escort." She handed Luna back her wand.

Luna took it and shrugged. "That's fine with me. I made my point." She followed Dora out and down the hall.

"Yeah you did," Dora said admiringly. "I took a peek at your work, amazing as usual."

That was an understatement. Luna had come to the grand foyer and atrium of the Ministry of Magic and before anyone could stop her, cast a spell over some objects she brought. The canvas had enlarged and a large painting appeared. It was of Harry, how he was during the War of Blood and how he was now, based on a picture taken recently for the Prophet. It shifted constantly, showing Harry shortly after him confronting Voldemort, pale and wasted and near death turning into him in uniform but still covered in bandages and injured. Along the edges of the painting the names of those that have fought and survived or died in both wars glinted and glittered, fading in and out of the work.

People had stopped and gawked at it, crying as the names of the lost came and went. They marveled at how Harry looked oddly the same injured despite being separated in years. Security guards tried to get rid of it and Luna had stood there without saying anything, staring flatly up where the Minister's office looked out over the atrium. She had carefully chosen her spot and Harry's eyes and the names could be seen clearly from the office. When she refused to move the painting or aid them in getting rid of it, she was arrested and taken away.

"Thank you." Luna looked pleased. "Did they figure out how to dispel it?"

Dora sniggered. "Nope. Do you mind telling me how? I swear I won't tell them."

"It's rather simple," Luna said. "The Minister must go up to the painting and apologize." She looked at Dora. "Sincerely."

Dora's smile was broad. "You're amazing."

Luna blushed prettily. "Thank you. I thought it appropriate."

"What happens if he isn't sincere?"

"Something interesting I imagine."

Dora took Luna out through the atrium. People continued to cluster at the painting, staring at it and talking. Ministry workers continued to try and remove it but it resisted their efforts. Luna stopped and stared up at the Minister's office. She stood and watched, seeing the curtains move but nothing more. She injected every feeling of disgust and anger into her glare, almost trying to will the curtains apart though her gaze alone.

Sadly they did not move again.

"Come on, before they try to get you back into a cell again," Dora said, tugging on the younger girl's arm.

"I don't care," she said flatly.

"Harry would. Plus he'd get mad at me if I didn't keep you out of detention."

Luna immediately let herself be pulled along by Dora. "I suppose that would be best then," she said unwillingly. They stepped through a Floo and came out in a private garden owned by the Ministry. It was one of the public entrances and exits in and out of the Ministry. Luna took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"So, how've you been?" Dora asked.

Luna shrugged. "I'm okay. I finished all of my commissions before I did this, in case I don't have anyone looking for my services in retaliation."

"If anything you might get busier. There's a lot of people mad at the Ministry right now and your art has always been incredible."

"That'd be nice," Luna said tonelessly, as if she did not care at all.

Dora pulled her into a hug and Luna rested her head against Dora's shoulder. "I want him back," she half-sobbed.

"Me too," Dora said, hugging Luna tighter.

"I miss him."

"Me too." Dora scrubbed her eyes. "Hey, come have dinner with me and Mum and Dad."

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

"No intrusion. Mum is going to be tickled pink when I tell her what you did, Dad too. Come on. It'll be fun and we can all complain about things and get mad at Harry for not being here."

Luna smiled a little. "That does sound nice."

"We can swap stories and make plans to really get back at him when he gets back."

Luna nodded. "When he gets back," she said wistfully.

"Say, Luna?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know you're wearing different socks?"

Luna smiled. "Yes. Hedwig is hiding some in a fit of pique."

"That owl's a bloody menace and I love her," Dora laughed.

-0-

"Ladies," Blaise greeted.

"Monsieur Zabini," Sophie said back and smiled at his huff.

"Blaise," Astoria said blandly, not looking up from the ritual circle. "Have another boo-boo that needs looking at?"

"Maybe. Kiss it to make it feel better?"

"I wouldn't kiss it with anyone else's lips," Astoria said. "Not without copious sterilization charms and cleansers, followed by a memory charm."

"I see cruelty is still strong in the Greengrass girls," he remarked as he sat on a stool.

"You two fight like siblings," Sophie smiled.

"We're close as," Blaise said. "Mothers were childhood friends and we saw each other a lot. Especially as time passed."

"Dealing with Blaise is a small price to pay to see Auntie Tina," Astoria said as she stood up, brushing chalk off her hands.

"Hey you've gotten better at coloring between the lines I see," Blaise said, looking down at the ritual circle.

Sophie laughed, watching the witch and wizard squabble. "How did you become friends with Harry if I may ask?"

"Bit of a weird situation. Normally, we wouldn't have really," Blaise said.

"Oh? Why not?"

"At Hogwarts, we're divided into Houses based on personality traits or characteristics. Sometimes goals or ideals. Our House," Astoria gestured at Blaise and herself, "don't usually get along with Harry's. Slytherins, that's us, typically had this giant rivalry with Gryffindors."

"I recall Fleur mentioning something about the Houses," Sophie mused.

"What made it worse in our case was that the children of a lot of Tom's supporters were in Slytherin. There were Death Eaters from every House but a bigger and more obvious concentration in ours. So they especially didn't like Harry and weren't shy in treating people friendly with him terribly," Astoria said, eyes dark.

"Harry never cared about the House thing. He stood up for anyone, anyone but himself really," Blaise sighed. "He took his lumps and bullying with little pushback to a point. But when people were being cruel to others, ganging up on them, he'd confront them."

"Even while refusing to cast spells back?" Sophie asked.

"Yup, the noble idiot." Blaise scratched his neck. "One day I was being set on by this particularly annoying arse in my year and his cronies. Harry comes in and starts goading them, drawing attention away. I got sick of it and started throwing spells and Harry already knew how to do a shield charm that early. We got out of it and well, I tolerated him ever since."

"He did the same for Daphne and me when I came a few years later," Astoria said. "I never minded throwing spells for him, I enjoy it in fact."

"That's because you're a savage," Blaise said. He chuckled at the rude gesture Astoria threw his way.

"Not everyone is a delicate flower like you Blaise," she retorted with a smile. She winked at Sophie. "One time I asked Auntie Tina if she ever wanted a daughter and she told me she already had one."

Blaise smiled sourly as the witches laughed. "Ha ha, you're so damn funny."

"Are we calling Blaise a girl again?" Harry asked as he walked in.

"How did you know?" Sophie asked as Astoria laughed harder and Blaise threw a roll of bandages at Harry.

Harry caught the roll neatly. "Astoria laughs a certain way and Blaise has the same look every time we use that joke." He inspected the circle. "Perfect," he praised Astoria. He spoke the ritual words and tapped the rune sequence again and the light grew. "I think we'll have the rest of it done after this."

"Thank you," Sophie said with a big smile. "I truly appreciate it."

"Just doing our jobs," Harry smiled back. "Plus you're almost family." He handed envelopes to everyone. "I took the liberty to grab post that just came in. Dylan gave me yours to bring yours Sophie."

They all sat and opened their letters excitedly, eager for a temporary escape and news from back home.

"Luna!" Harry shouted startling the others. "What did you do?!"

"What is wrong?" Sophie asked, concerned.

"What did Lovegood do?" Blaise asked, confused.

"She got arrested!"

"What in the hell did Lovegood do to deserve that?!"

Astoria was giggling as she continued to read her letter. "Oh my goodness. I wish I was there. It sounds amazing! Daphne's super impressed." She looked at Harry. "Did she confess to you?"

"No! This letter is from Dora!" Harry rifled through his other envelopes and opened Luna's. His eyes were a blur as he read. "She didn't even mention it in her letter!"

"How does it feel to not be told things by the perpetrator?" Sophie asked with a wide smile.

Blaise whistled. "Damn Lovegood, that takes some guts to do." He looked up from the letter from his mother. "Mother loves her now by the way and has already commissioned more work from her. She says she loves her art style and that's saying something."

"Because you're Italian," Astoria said wearily.

"Exactly," Blaise said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What did she do?" Sophie asked eagerly.

"She made a painting and threw it down in the middle of the Ministry atrium," Astoria said with impressed tones. "It's permanent and angled so the Minister has to see it if he looks out his window. It's a painting of Harry after our war and how he is in this war and she included all the names of people who fought and died in both. It's been days and they still haven't figured out how to get rid of it!"

"It's called: On Their Backs," Blaise whistled. "Damn, I'm starting to like her." He flinched at Harry's glare. "Platonically," he added.

"She sounds like a very good friend," Sophie said.

"She really is," Harry said. He sighed and looked glum.

"Is something the matter?" Sophie asked.

"This is how he gets when he tries to take responsibility for matters beyond his control," Blaise said, barely sparing a glance at Harry.

"He gets moody," Astoria confirmed.

Harry rolled his eyes at their snickering. "They're not wrong," he said weakly. "I feel bad, I guess. She's doing all this because of me, and getting into trouble."

"She's choosing to do this," Blaise said. "Not everything is about you, Potter." He popped the P and affected a very sneering tone.

"Don't do that," Astoria scolded. "Don't remind me of that tosser."

"Someone we used to know," Harry explained to a confused Sophie. "Back at Hogwarts."

Something told her that they were not thinking of someone they liked so Sophie did not continue to follow that line of questioning.

"Oh wow," Astoria breathed softly. She was looking at a photograph. "Daphne took a picture of it. Look." She passed it around.

"I'm going to have to commission something from her," Blaise said admiringly.

Sophie blinked as she looked at the picture. "If a photo of it looks like this, to see it in person must be even more impressive."

Harry sighed as he watched his image shift back and forth. "She's really talented."

"Do you have a picture of her?" Sophie asked.

After a moment's hesitation, Harry reached into his robes and removed a thin silver case from inside the chest pocket. He opened it with a touch and a word and flipped through the pictures secured within, pulling one out and showing Sophie.

Sophie smiled as she watched the photographic Luna hugging the photographic Harry, riding on his back and pressing her cheek to his. "She's very pretty," Sophie said, handing the picture back.

"She really is," Harry said softly, almost unheard. He gently tucked the case away, patting it softly through his robes.

Sophie's eyes sparkled. "Do not be so mean to her when you write her back."

He snorted. "I'll do my best."

-0-0-0-

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - In the words of Tommy and the Pikeys from the amazing movie Snatch, 'Proper Fucked'. Well, maybe not quite but he's never going to quite recover from this. Glad you still like it.

iamchaos98 - Hold onto that thought because if things play out how I think they will update wise, a rather fun cliffhanger will fall over a few days I think, depending on how cruel I am feeling. Glad you like it.

Hands Off MY Wolfie - No, I doubt anyone is truly happy with him. He deserved it though.

alix33 - Alliteration is fun.

Urgwaew - Hope things are going better for you. I didn't hint too much to Hermione and Neville save for the prior chapter I don't think. I had to make some changes to the Weasleys, especially with the connotations of how one of them might have been drafted. I finished a chapter today that explores more into that. It's difficult to not fall beack on the same tropes or depictions without changing enough to make it feel a little different. I think I have done that passably in this. I wanted the reveal of the truth to feel visceral and have lasting impact and I'm glad you liked how everyone reacted. My best to you.