IV – Strength and Honor

IV – Strength and Honor

The day continued without too many other incidents. Hu Li discovered after Potions that she did indeed take Arithmancy, and she found Hoi Sin chicken for herself at dinner. The rest of the day progressed nicely until about eight at night.

Hu Li was sitting in the warm common room with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, attempting to do her homework. Suddenly she threw down her pencil and cried, "I'm spent! I'm going for a walk down to the kitchens to see if the house-elves have any more of that magnificent chicken."

She hurried out before anyone could ask to come with her. In fact she was not headed to the kitchens but to Albus Dumbledore's office.

It took her nearly twenty minutes to find the statue of the gargoyle that Ron and Harry had pointed out early that day, telling her the password was "Cockroach Clusters."

Hu Li quickly discovered this was an outdated password. She muttered to herself as she looked up and down the corridors, praying no teachers had the desire for a late-night snack.

"Okay," she said. "Sugar Quills. Peppermint Toads. Toffee Creams." None of these proved valid.

"Fizzing Whizbees," she tried, recalling more Honeydukes delights. Not the password.

"Acid Pops," she said next. The gargoyle didn't budge. She lost patience and delivered an angry kick to the stone statue.

"Licorice Wands! Drooble's Best Blowing Gum! Blood Suckers!" she bellowed.

The gargoyle sprang to the life at the last two words and opened. Hu Li blinked. "Blood Suckers?" Harry had told her those were the blood-flavored lollipops for vampires, located in the Unusual Tastes section.

Hu Li climbed carefully through the opening, thinking, Blood Suckers, how ironic.

She made her way down the dim hallway, wondering how she was supposed to know which door was his. It had been mere chance that Harry and Ron had pointed out the statue leading here. She hoped they hadn't been joking around.

She came to an open door that showed a round, pleasant, well-lit room with Dumbledore bent over a desk. Ah, she thought. Thank heavens.

Hu Li knocked on the open door. The old professor looked up and smiled. "Hu Li," he said. "I've been expecting you. Please come in."

Hu Li seated herself in the chair to which he pointed. "You wanted to see me?" Dumbledore asked, smiling.

"I did," she said hesitatingly. Unconsciously her hand stole into her pocket and fingered the medallion and the letter like a guilty secret. "I don't think I am quite the right person for the job," she said hurriedly, and bowed her head.

There was a short silence from Dumbldore. "Why?" he asked gently.

Hu Li looked up, startled. "Because – because I don't think I have the courage and the words to tell the emissaries what I feel," she confessed softly. "And here, please take this back." She placed the gold medallion on his desk. "I don't think I could ever deserve this."

Dumbledore looked at her intently. "You don't?"

Hu Li sighed and put her head in her hands. Suddenly she had an awful headache. "No. I have been worrying all summer that I will not be able to represent you and every other wizard in the world adequately, but I convinced myself that your faith was all I needed. Now, with the prospect of facing ten diplomats in less than a day and convincing them that we need to join hands to fight against Voldemort – well, I'm just afraid I won't do you justice. I wish you would go yourself."

Dumbledore said, "I told you before I wanted someone who was half-vampire and half-wizard so both parties would be equally present in the emissary. The vampires may also feel more comfortable with you, as they are familiar with your case and sympathize deeply with you." He looked at her calmly and said, "Why did you agree to take the assignment?"

"Because," she said softly, her head still in her hands, "because I think that it's high time that both wizards and vampires laid down their weapons, both physical and mental, and embraced each other as the brothers and sisters we are. Just because one race must take blood to survive, and just because one race uses magic to survive – neither are reasons for hate and war. The vampires have long considered themselves to be far superior to humans because of their longevity and strength and mental powers that they are so busy looking down at humans that they don't look at them, at who they are. And the wizards are so busy elevating themselves from other non-magical creatures and calling the vampires killers and monsters and freaks of nature that they don't realize that many of the non-magical creatures are powerful in their own way and that most vampires never kill anyone to feed. I want them all to know that there can be peace and friendship. I only hope it will be before we destroy each other and allow Voldemort to rise again." She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly dizzy.

Dumbledore spoke. "If you tell the ten diplomats what you just told me," he said, "they will be signing peace treaties before dessert."

Hu Li looked up at him. "You're still making me talk to them?"

"Yes," he said gently. "I do not need to have any faith in you, Hu Li, because I know with all my heart that you will do well."

Hu Li looked at him for a moment and then said offhandedly, "By the way, I don't believe I will be dining with the rest of the school in the Great Hall tomorrow night. I have an

appointment to keep at the Three Broomsticks."

Dumbledore smiled down at some papers on his desk, his blue eyes twinkling, as Hu Li turned to go. Then he said after her, "I believe you've forgotten something." He rose and, walking around his desk, placed Lamia's medallion in Hu Li's hand and closed her fingers around it. "Remember, Hu Li," the professor said softly, "you have the heart of a gladiator."

Hu Li nodded and whispered, "Thank you, Professor." She walked out of his office with Lamia's pendant around her neck.

When she returned to the common room, Ron looked up and said, "Good God, Hu Li, did you eat one chicken or the whole flock? You've been gone nearly an hour."

"It took me a while to find the kitchens," Hu Li replied. "And … there was someone I had to see."

"Well, who was it?" demanded Ron, looking irritable, although that may have been because he was slaving over several large books about Undetectable Poisons.

"Er – it was McGonagall," Hu Li lied, "about my papers to go into Hogsmeade. She's allowing me to go down to Hogsmeade tomorrow for dinner at the pub there with my father. She says it's because he had some business around here and it's only for a few hours anyway."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry looked immediately jealous at this. "You get to go to Hosmeade to see your father?" said Harry.

Hu Li nodded, feeling guilty. "I think it was the whole transfer-student-who-never-sees-her- father bit," she said unhappily. "It won't be much fun."

"Won't be much fun?" said Ron a little too loudly. "Eating in the Three Broomsticks – then going to Honeydukes and Zonko's Joke Shop and Dervish and Banges with your dad – I'd trade places with you any time!"

Hu Li sat down. "My dad will probably have a ten-minute dinner with me, then rush me back to the castle because he's got to work," she said, trying to make them feel better, although she knew her father would never do that to her – were she really having dinner with him tomorrow evening.

Hermione smiled. "So you should be back quickly?"

"Well," Hu Li said uneasily, because she knew it would take more than "quickly" to persuade some suspicious vampires into agreeing to get along with the wizards, "I don't know." She picked up one of Ron's books. "Oh, good, I was wondering where I'd ever find anything on – um – nightshade."

No one said anything else to her that evening about it, but Hu Li could sense the looks Ron and Harry exchanged – the ones that said, why do some people have all the luck?

Hu Li went to bed that night feeling very guilty.

***

Hu Li woke up at about six in the morning and lay in bed, feeling determined and nervous and slightly nauseous. She knew that if the vampires desired, they could kill her in five minutes. She knew, of course, that Old Niccolo or Keiko would not, or most of the others, but she had heard strange things about Luis Perone. He was said to have been utterly merciless back in his younger days – he was probably about a thousand by now – and reformed only within the last century, thanks to Old Niccolo. She had heard her father saying that even the Elder vampires did not like to get Luis angry. She wasn't sure if he had completely reformed, especially since some younger vampires were more and more and Old Niccolo was trusting him less and less. She also knew that there were several in the crowd tonight that were prepared to argue with her about her every point, because they firmly believed that vampires and humans could and should never

interact. Anita Crowe and Muntunge Kironyo, she knew, were very against human/vampire cooperation.

Hermione stirred. Hu Li stayed still, staring at the top of her canopy, while Hermione got out of bed and left the room after opening some of her dresser drawers. Gone to the bathroom to wash up and dress, Hu Li decided. She sighed and rolled out of bed as well.

Dressing in her Hogwarts robes, she stared into the mirror that the Gryffindor girls shared. She did not particularly enjoy what she saw. She did have her father's dark eyes, but she had Sou Mei's high cheekbones, straight, elegant nose, full mouth, and smoothly arched eyebrows. All she needed were blue eyes and a smirk.

The girl she saw looked too scared to be the vampire Sou Mei. She looked small and sad. Hu Li tried one of Sou Mei's classic sneers, a wicked smile and a lift of an eyebrow that said to a man: I'm going to kiss you and love you and then drain every drop of blood from your body. It was frightening how much like her mother she looked. Hu Li thought, I could pose as Sou Mei and no one would ever know the difference. The thought terrified her.

She fled down to the Great Hall and thought no more of her uncanny resemblance to a monster.

***

Hu Li swallowed as she waited outside Professor McGonagall's office. She had worried through several classes and lunch. Now it was six-thirty and nearly time to meet with the ten ambassadors.

"Come in," called McGonagall. Hu Li entered and stood before McGonagall's desk.

McGonagall squinted at her. "You don't look well, Zhang," she said. "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle this?"

Strength, she told herself. Remember Lamia. Make your father proud. "Yes," she managed.

"All right," said McGonagall doubtfully. "I'm going to give you a Port Key that should take you to right outside the Three Broomsticks. Wait in the little entrance hall. The delegates will travel by mind and should get there very soon. Oh, and Zhang," she said.

"Yes, Professor?" said Hu Li nervously as she put the hood on her traveling cloak up. It was bitter cold out tonight.

McGonagall looked at her with a curious pity in her eyes. "Good luck, and whatever you do, don't upset them – especially Luis."

Hu Li inhaled and nodded. Thanks for the encouragement, Professor Doomsday, she thought mentally.

McGonagall nodded to a tattered orange hat on her desk. "Pick up the hat, then" she said.

Hu Li obeyed, and she felt the familiar pulling sensation and a whooshing of cold wind. At least the stupid travel cloak is wool, she though as she gritted her teeth and held onto the hat.

She was tossed to the hard ground, still holding the hat. A tipsy old woman, standing over her, hiccupped and said, "That's not the best place to lie down, dearie," before she stumbled away.

Hu Li stood up, brushing off her cloak and wincing as her ass started to throb. Great, she thought. She looked up and saw a small wooden sign. The Three Broomsticks, it read. She went

inside.

There was no one in the entrance hall except one man, snoring peacefully in a corner. She took a seat on the hard, rickety little chairs and listened to the happy hullabaloo from inside the pub. She felt suddenly angry, thinking, while these people are enjoying a pint of mulled mead with the friends and neighbors and catching up on the village gossip, I'll be drinking from the cup of life and pleading with ten vampires for peace and cooperation. What a life.

There was suddenly a small whoosh of displaced air and a rustling of cloth, and Hu Li looked up at ten tall, cloaked apparitions. She stood.

"Well," she said calmly, "shall we?"

The figures glanced at each other and then, by some secret signal, pushed back their cloaks. Old Niccolo winked at her, Keiko smiled, Phillip nodded stiffly, and the rest of them inclined their heads slightly.

"Hello," she heard herself saying, and was amazed at how collected she sounded. God, she was an absolute wreck inside. "I'm Hu Li Zhang, representing Albus Dumbledore." She smiled at them. "Why don't we get a table and some drinks, and then we'll talk business?"

They followed Hu Li through the pub, and some people stopped talking to stare at them. Hu Li was aware of the strange picture they made – ten grave, cloaked figures from all four corners of the world, following a small but determined girl, cloaked as well. Hu Li saw a very large man with a huge beard staring at her intently with beetle-black eyes.

They seated themselves at a large circular table that was farther away from the others. The orders for drinks were delivered to Madam Rosmerta. Hu Li knew that vampires could, but did not have to, take human food, but she noticed that most of the orders were for a certain very fine wine. Vampires tended to be either the essence of culture – or the embodiment of depravity. Two sides of the same coin, she reminded herself, and not always just for vampires. Culture and depravity – just look at Jun Tao.

After the drinks were ordered, the vampires looked at her expectantly. She briefly touched Lamia's pendant and then said, "Well, if you could just go round the table and state your names." Hu Li nodded to the lovely dark-skinned girl next to her.

"Muntunge Kironyo," she said detachedly, and the rest of them quickly stated their names

when their turn had come too.

The last to speak, a tall, handsome young man with arrogant eyes and a sneer, stood up. "Luis Perone," he rumbled. "And no one told me that Dumbledore was sending a child to do an important job for him. Is that all we are worth – a student at his little school?" He stared at her keenly, a smile twitching the edges of his lips. "Aren't you scared of all us big bad vampires, little girl?"

Hu Li sucked in a breath and stared back at him, saying softly, "Don't you know who I am?"

Juliana Anantuya, who was from South America like Lui, said to him sharply, "Luis, this is the Phoenix's daughter - Sou Mei's daughter – the half-blood."

Luis sill stared at her, those cruel mocha eyes twinkling lecherously. "Oh, she is, is she?" he murmured. "I love Chinese ladies." He licked his lips.

Hu Li informed him coolly, "I believe you have been instructed not to feed from anyone in Hosmeade, Mr. Perone, and that includes the emissary. Now if we could begin?"

The others nodded and Luis fell silent, but still stared at Hu Li with his hungry eyes. P.

Hu Li waited until their drinks were set down with a smile by Madam Rosmerta and then began, "I was sent here to talk to you about the importance of good relations between humans and vampires. I assume you have all been informed of this?" She glanced at Luis, who nodded sulkily.

Hu Li went on, "But I am not just some crackerjack diplomat that Dumbledore sent purely for kicks or to insult you. I have a wholehearted interest in the vampire/human relations – for reasons that most of you know. My friends, I am trapped between two worlds – the wizard and the vampire. All my life I have bee shunned by members of both races and tossed back and forth between worlds like an unwanted doll. I have been beaten, spit upon, called names, excluded,

and even tortured because of what I am – because of something I have no control over. The humans won't have me because I am unnatural, because I am a 'freak,' and because they are afraid of me. The vampires won't have me because I am mortal, because I am 'tainted,' and because they are afraid of me, too. Society abhors the misfit, you know – every society. I am a misfit in every society." She bows her head. "That is why I want the human/ vampire relatiosn to change for the better. We are kindred, the wizards and the vampires. We are family in the truest sense of the word – in the sense that no one can choose their family, but they must simply learn to deal with and cooperate with them to achieve a balance. There is no reason that the Vampire Nations should not accept the olive branch that Albus Dumbledore is extending."

There was a pause. Then Phillip took off his glasses and said primly, "Why would we wish to condescend to making peace with humans? What have they to offer us?"

Hu Li answered, "I know that many of the vampires of the world belonged to the Death Eaters when the Dark Lord was in power. But the wizards can offer you that which Lord Voldemort can and will not ever, ever give you: freedom. Voldemort treated the vampires like the lowest types of slaves, forcing us to do his dirty work – killing when he couldn't be bothered and so forth. Talk about condescending! And in return for the meager lives you wiped out, he would give you blood from a Muggle that he had no use for." Hu Li looked around the table. "All of us at know that it is not in the nature of the vampire to take what we have not hunted ourselves. But still we allowed our senses to grow weak and dulled as Lord Voldemort fed us manufactured quarry. Vampires were not meant to grow fat on homegrown meats. We were meant to hunt for out prey. Voldemort took advantage of you! He manipulated you! He weakened your trust and sense of fellowship with each other! And yet, there are still those of us who are lying in wait for the day that he will rise again to power." Hu Li sat back. "We can not allow that day to come, my friends. We must join to together, as friends, and fight against the Dark Lord. Divided, we are powerless. But together, we are strong."

None of the vampires spoke. Some sipped their drinks. Phillip lit a French cigarette. Then Muntunge cried out, "What if she is lying to us? What is she is trying to trick us? What if they are attempting to enslave and dominate out race?"

Hu Li replied, "If Albus Dumbledore wished to dominate the vampires, I don't think he'd be asking me, a half-vampire myself, to help him - especially when my kindred and some of my closest friends were the ones being enslaved. Besides, no offense to the wizards," and she lowered her voice, "but I think if they wanted to dominate the vampire race, they'd need a hell of a lot more than a fifteen year old girl to do it."

Nirupam Singh smiled and asked, "Just a quick question, Hu Li. Why do you sometimes use the word 'us' when you talk of yourself and we vampires, but also use the word 'us' when he refer to yourself and the wizards?"

Hu Li replied sadly, "It is what I said before. I am stuck in limbo between two worlds. I do not know which side of me is more powerful – the human or the vampire. Always, I am both, or neither."

She glanced at them. "Remember that though in your hearts you may already have decided, nothing is set in stone tonight. This meeting is only to ask you to meet with the wizard emissaries."

"Will you be there, Miss Hu Li?" said Old Niccolo quietly as he sipped his wine.

"I suppose it could be arranged," she said, smiling at him. She went on, "I am only asking the Nations for their cooperation at this point. The only decision that must be made tonight is if you are willing to meet with the wizard ambassadors."

They looked at her. Hu Li went on, "I am going to allow you to confer with each other, but before I leave, are there any more questions?"

"Yeah," said a gruff voice behind her. "Who in blazes are yeh talkin' to?"

Hu Li turned and found herself staring at someone's enormous belt buckle. Slowly she raised her eyes into the hairy face of the man who had been staring at her earlier.

"Er," she stuttered, and then said to the vampires, "come and get me when you're through." Hu Li then allowed herself to be pulled across the pub to a small table where the large man had been sitting.

"Now, Hu Li," he said briskly, "Who're yeh talkin' to? Aren't yeh s'posed to be up a' school?"

She said politely, "Sorry, but do I know you?"

"No, but I know who yeh are," he said, sitting down and gesturing her to do the same. "I'm Hagrid, the gamekeeper a' Hogwarts. Dumbledore din't tell yeh 'bout me?"

"Oh!" she said. "Yes! I do know who you are!" She glanced around and lowered her voice. "These are the ten diplomats," she hissed. "I'm trying to convince them to meet with our emissaries."

"Arrh," he said knowingly. "Yeah, Dumbledore mentioned that to me. How's it going?"

"Not bad," she said nervously. "What are you doing down in Hogsmeade, anyway?"

Hagrid replied, "Yeh see, there's a Gryffindor lass whose auntie was jus' killed in a freak accident. She was allowed supper and the fun'ral with her family. I had to bring her down."

"Oh dear," said Hu Li. "Who was it?"

Just then, she felt a tap on her back and Anita Crowe said, "We have decided, Hu Li. Please return to our table."

Hu Li said quickly to Hagrid, "Well, it was lovely talking to you, Hagrid, and I'd love to do it again soon, but -"

"I know," he said wisely. "Duty calls."

"Yes," she said, and followed Anita back to the table.

When she had seated herself, Old Niccolo spoke. "Hu Li, it has been a difficult decision for some, and it has been an easy decision for others. However, we have decided as a group to agree to meet your ambassadors." Hu Li could not keep a smile and a sigh of relief from escaping. "But," Old Niccolo went on, and here he delivered a glare to Luis Perone especially, "we have made no other decisions."

"That's fine," she said happily. "If you'll all just sign this form, stating that you have agreed to meet," and she produced a piece of parchment and a quill from inside her cloak.

Luis was just rolling up the parchment and handing it back to her with a look of distaste when someone behind Hu Li exclaimed, "Well! What's all this?"

Hu Li whirled around and saw Cecelia Feathersnip standing behind her. Hu Li thought, this is going to get bad very quickly.

"But who are all these people?" Cecelia was saying loudly. "They can't be your family, Hu Li – no Chinese people here!"

Hu Li said softly, "These are not family of the blood, but family of the heart. You cannot choose your family, but family they are and family they stay." She touched two of her right fingers to her heart. Behind her, she felt a wave of surprise and mild pleasure from the vampires at acknowledging them as family.

Cecelia gushed, "Why, that's lovely! I'm here with my family too – my aunt was run down by a dragon," she confided, nodding. "I barely knew her, but it's all so sad." She dabbed at her eyes for a moment and then added, "But I do get to eat dinner down here, so everything worked out, didn't it?" Before Hu Li could say a word, Cecelia went on, "Well, I've got to be going to the funeral. Ta-ta!" She waved goodbye as she sailed out the door.

Hu Li put her head down on the table in utter misery. She knew that Cecelia would get back to Hogwarts and tell the other Gryffindor girls, Hermione included, that she had seen Hu Li Zhang with ten weird people, and then Hermione would know she was lying, and tell Ron and Harry, and everyone would hate her – just like always.

"You know her?" came the soft voice of Keiko.

"Most unfortunately," she moaned.

Luis said, sounding excited, "If you don't like that girl, then maybe I could–"

Hu Li raised her head and said evenly, "You will not harm her, Luis. And if you do, I will personally make sure that you are beheaded and burned to ashes – and you know that even you can not survive that."

Luis stared at her. There was silence at the table as he said softly, "Is it true that you were the one who murdered the Mad Minister of China – brutally murdered him?"

Hu Li said coldly, "That is my business and is no concern of yours."

Luis' eyes widened. He was surprised – and angry. "I didn't believe them when they told me," he hissed. "But they were right – you are truly the daughter of the Phoenix."

"You should never believe everything you hear," Hu Li replied. "You are wrong – they were wrong. I am nothing like Sou Mei and I never will be. I am no monster – I am merely a fallen angel." She stood up. "I must be going back to school now," she said. "Thank you all for coming here tonight. I hope that our meeting with the wizards works out for the best for all of us." She bowed and turned away from them.

She strode away to Hagrid's table where he was drinking deeply from a large mug and said to him, "What's the quickest way back to school?"

He squinted at her and put down his mead. "Well, I s'pose I can take yeh back up. The lass won't be back for 'bout an hour or two. Might as well come with me."

On the way back to school, she found she much preferred Hagrid's company to that of the ten vampires.