Harry Potter & the Price of Mercy

by: NecessaryEvil

Chapter Four: Dreams and Accessories, It's Like one of those Christmas Songs Only Without the Christmas

Disclaimer: Not mine, but if it were then Cedric Diggory would have disappeared after that very unfortunate Quidditch match in book 3 in which he beat Harry to the Snitch and he would most assuredly never have gotten to Cho first.

A/N: Thanks to my to my reviewers of whom I have none to respond to right now.

The Changs insisted that Harry spend the night with them, so when Ron left, Harry stayed behind, promising to at the very least meet his friend on the train. Mister and Misses Chang tried to give Harry their bed, but he insisted on taking the couch, saying that he wouldn't want to impose any further than he already was, all three Changs protested that he wasn't imposing, but he still insisted on taking the couch.

Before heading up to her own bed Cho came over to Harry and whispered in his ear, "You're too noble for your own good, Potter," before giving him a peck on the cheek and going to sleep. Most people in Harry's position would think that Cho had been talking about giving up the bed, but Harry knew better as images of what had caused his fight earlier that day flashed through his mind during the brief contact with Cho.

Harry closed his eyes, turning Cho's words over in his head, before drifting off into a restless sleep.

~~~

"Where are we?" Harry heard himself ask even though deep down he knew the answer. Cedric shook his head and got up before helping Harry to his feet.

"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?"

"Nope," Harry replied, the graveyard looked as it had before and the time before that and even when this had really happened, "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"

"I dunno. Wands out d'you reckon?"

"Yeah,"

Harry and Cedric walked side by side, every once in awhile switching places in Harry's re-creation of the horrible event. When the time came for Cedric to die once again Harry recalled when this had been the part of his dream when Cedric's murderer had shed his hood to reveal Harry staring down on the pair with cruel smile on his lips.

Harry had long since worked passed that, but it didn't stop him feeling helpless at the sight of Cedric Diggory dead again, but this time Harry noticed something new, out of the corner of his eye he could see a second robed figure leaning casually against a tombstone watching the horror scene without a hint of fear or revulsion, this figure was a little shorter than Harry himself, a voice whispered lightly in Harry's mind as he turned to look on the figure in a way so he could see its face clearly, "You can't always trust who you want to,"

Harry's eyes widened with recognition of the figure....

~~~

Harry sat bolt upright on the couch breathing heavily, for the first time in a month not remembering what horrible dream had woken him. Harry knew that whatever the dream was, he wouldn't be getting back to sleep, because of it. He stood and started to tour the shop. Within a couple of steps Harry tripped over a small bound book, which, upon closer inspection turned out to be an incomplete catalog for the Changs' shop. Harry carried the catalog back to the couch and began leafing through it, until he once again fell into sleep, this time a dreamless one.

~~~

When Harry woke the next morning he decided to ask the Changs to make one of the things that had caught his eye in the catalog. He found Mr. Chang in the kitchen and walked up to him, bringing out the catalog he pointed to a picture of a necklace with a silver Gryffindor Lion's head emblem and asked, "Could you make me one of these please?"

Mr. Chang looked at the picture, then started, "But don't you al....," then Mr. Chang gasped, "We never shipped those did we. Harry before....your father ordered, among other things, that item from us, but by the time we finished it...., and after all these years...come with me, I'll get them for you, they're already paid for,"

Mr. Chang led Harry into the storage room a very large, dust coated box labeled "J. Potter" he lifted the lid and handed the surprisingly light box to Harry. Inside there was a ring of plain silver, a necklace with an obsidian carved with a white flower shaped design, a necklace like the one that Harry had pointed out in the catalog, and a sword sheath with the flower carving shape, the lion head emblem, and a Ravenclaw Eagle diving engraved in the top.

"He had us put very special charms on some of the items, but after fifteen years, I can't for the life of me remember what they could be,"

"What's the sheathe for?"

"I can only assume that it is for a swords that your father had,"

Harry carefully tucked the items away in his trunk and turned once more to Mr. Chang.

"Thank you,"

"Don't mention it Harry. By right they are yours,"

"Thank you," Harry repeated with a bow. Harry then walked out dragging his trunk behind him and soon catching up with Cho, leaving Mr.Chang alone.

"Use them well Harry,"

A/N: No wonder so many people use these plot devices, this is fun.