Harry Potter & the Price of Mercy

by: NecessaryEvil

Chapter Fifteen: The Safest Place There Is

Disclaimer: They aint mine, foo.

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers.

Now on with the show.

It was Padma Patil who found the body. She came into the Great Hall panting with a stricken look on her face and barely managed to say, "She's dead," before she fainted in the doorway. The statement caused quite a stir and several minutes later when Madame Pomfrey managed to revive her she led the teachers to the body.

Several minutes later Professor Flitwick returned and began walking up and down the Ravenclaw table and as he went he left a line of stricken faces in his wake. Harry looked over at Cho and she nodded sadly and then indicated Ron. Harry turned to Ron and then it struck him who it must have been. Harry felt sympathy for his friend and it must have shown in his face because when Ron saw his face he asked, "What?"

"I'm sorry," Harry's voice was barely a whisper.

"Sorry about what?" Ron asked, but then a look of realization crossed his face followed by a very depressed 'o' look.

Ron got up and calmly left the hall, supposedly returning to the Gryffindor tower. It was at this point that Malfoy passed the Gryffindor table and muttered, "Bit dramatic considering who her family were,"

Harry shot Malfoy a dirty look, but Malfoy didn't notice. He was watching the door Ron had disappeared through with the slightest bit of sympathy in his eyes. Harry suddenly realized what Cecily Diggory might see in Malfoy, he was hard, but not to the core like he had thought.

***

Harry didn't see Ron for the rest of the day and he spent the time comforting Cho and helping Cho comfort the still stunned and stricken Padma. He went to sleep that night with a chill feeling. Someone had died on Hogwarts grounds. Someone had died in the safest place there was. If Hogwarts wasn't safe then the rest of the world didn't stand a chance.

***

Ron wasn't in any of his classes on Monday, but the teachers seemed perfectly understanding of this. Harry picked up all of his assignment for him and silently handed them to him and picked up his box of charmed supplies that his father had had made before leaving Ron and setting off with Cho to his appointment.

***

Will was standing in a large field alongside the lake where Harry had first met him. When Harry and Cho arrived he eyed the bag that Harry was carrying and said, "Quite a bit of magic you've got there,"

"I'd like you to tell me what they do," Harry pulled out the items.

Will looked over the items one by one, fist the Obsidian necklace carved with a flower design, "This is a storage cell for magic, its charmed to absorb magic and transfer it to it's user," next he turned to the Gryffindor lion's head necklace, "Aside from being a show of House pride, this adds some extra physical strength to the user," finally he turned to the sheath, "I believe I know what this was made to hold and may be able to get it for you, the charm on it allows the owner to set two people who can draw whatever blade is put in it, himself and his most trusted friend supposedly,"

Harry looked at the three items and then thought for a moment, "There's one more item, but I think I've forgotten to bring it,"

Will nodded, "Bring it next time," he looked down at three items again, "I think I can get you the sword that goes with this sheath, but it will take a couple weeks,"

Harry nodded, "Thanks,"

"Now," Will said, "Let's get started shall we?"

***

The announcement came during breakfast the next morning. Sayuri's funeral would be held on Hogwarts grounds that afternoon and the students would have the day off to prepare themselves. Harry noticed around 10am that a few Asian men and women were arriving and walking down to the edge of the lake.

At noon the students began walking down to the edge of the lake where a coffin was being suspended above a six foot deep hole in the ground. People began huddling around and Harry saw Ron speaking sadly to a couple that he could only assume were Sayuri's parents, but looked away when the three of them burst into tears.

Dumbledore said a few words about how wonderful Sayuri had been followed by a few words from Flitwick and a few of the students that had known Sayuri best. Ron had gotten his mouth halfway open when he burst into tears and fled back to the castle. The coffin was lowered soon afterward and the students began slowly marching back to the castle, where nothing would ever be the same.

***

A/N: I'm tired and am glad to even have gotten this much of a chapter done tonight.