Chapter Ten: Bloodlines 2

"Sev," Harry smiled, nodding to Ron that it was okay for him to leave. Ron cast a cool glance at the potions master and then quietly closed the door behind him as he left the room. "How nice of you to drop by."

"Ar e you insane, Potter? What on earth were you thinking..."

"Sev," Harry said, sitting down in the chair behind his desk. "I assure you, I have a very good reason for wanting that information. And no, I'm not insane. At least, I don't think so. Others, of course, may have a different opinion."

"Then just what," Severus said through gritted teeth, ignoring Harry's flip comment. "Were you thinking?"

Harry looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "Explain to me how you found out."

"Explain...?" If anything, Snape looked even more angry. "The last time I checked, Potter, the Order didn't keep secrets like this from each other!"

Harry snorted with laughter. "The Order not keep secrets from each other? Are you for real? May I remind you, Sev, that you and Dumbledore had secret-keeping down to a bloody art form?"

"That is besides the point..." the older man blustered.

"No, Severus, that is very much the point. Tell me, why did Albus keep things from me in the early years?"

"Because," Snape took a breath, speaking in a much calmer tone as he sat down in the leather armchair across from Harry's desk. "At times, it was necessary."

"Yes," Harry looked straight into the older man's eyes. "Sometimes it was necessary."

Snape was the first to look away.

"Now, I repeat, Sev, please explain to me how you found out."

"Nymphadora was doing some research at the school..."

"Ah. Nymph. I should have known." Harry picked up his cel phone and quickly dialled.

"Harry..."

Harry held up a hand to quiet the professor. After one ring, the phone at the other end was picked up.

"Tonks."

"Nymph, it's Harry."

"Oh, Harry..."

"Nymph... I need you to come to the house... now."

"Harry, I'm just in the middle..."

"Nymph, I don't care if you're up to your dainty little fingers in death eaters..." Harry said firmly, not allowing his anger to show, but obviously not about to accept a refusal. "I want you here. Now."

"Okay, Harry," she sounded rather frightened. "I'll be right there."

Harry hung up the phone, looking hard at the potions professor. "Now, what was said?"

"Harry..." Snape swallowed. "Nymphadora was merely asking me about my knowledge of the heritage of several of the more... prominent families related to her line. She gave nothing away, but her sudden interest and my knowledge of the situation from my position in the Order..."

"Sev," Harry gave the other man a steely look. "What was said, and in front of whom?"

Nymphadora Tonks arrived in the kitchen of Potter Manor by way of the floo, her arms full of papers and files. As she skidded to a halt six feet from the fireplace, papers flew everywhere.

"Tonks?" Ginny said, startled at the sudden appearance of the other witch. "What on earth...?"

Nymphadora looked up at her, and Ginny was shocked by the tears in her eyes.

"Tonks, what is it, love?" Molly rushed forward, taking the remaining papers from the blonde woman's arms as Ginny bent to pick up the papers that had flown as she made her rather ungainly entry.

"Oh," Tonks sniffed, her eyes watering more, until the tears fell. "I think I've messed up, and I know that Harry is angry with me..."

"Nymph, what on earth happened?" Ginny guided her to a chair, as Molly straightened the pile of papers and laid them on the table before heading for the tea pot.

"Harry just called me, told me to get here, and sounded really, really upset.... and there's this project I've been working on for him, and I think I might have said something to someone..."

"Tonks, relax," Ginny said, shifting to the side so that her mother could place a steaming cup of tea in front of her. "Harry isn't angry, I'm sure... we'll sort this out."

"But I said something at the school... in the library, and now..." she raised distraught eyes to Ginny, her voice lowering to barely a whisper. "And I'm not sure, but I think someone might have overheard, because Harry sounded so angry..."

"I'm not angry, Nymph," Harry said from the doorway. "I'm a little disappointed, but I'm not angry. No real damage has been done, but... you have to be more careful."

"Oh, Harry!" Tonks burst into tears. "I'm sorry! I didn't think, and..."

"I know. But I think we can do some damage control and dismiss it as a personal project you've been working on, just as we discussed."

"But..."

"Severus is going to take care of the situation at the school, Nymph, but I need to talk to you about what you found. Is that your research?" Harry indicated the pile of papers.

"I was in the school records section when you called..." Nymph glanced at the pile of papers and files. "I... I just grabbed everything and left. Minerva let me use her floo... and I really hate flooing, Harry..."

"I know," Harry smiled. "Now, can we take that lot into the den and review it? Can you tell me what you've learned?"

Tonks turned sad blue eyes up at the younger wizard. "I'm so very sorry, Harry."

"Enough, Nymph. It's over. Now, come on," Harry picked up her papers, and her tea, gesturing towards the hall door. "I need to know what you've found."

As Tonks preceded him out the door, Harry paused and looked back that the two women. "Molly, could you bring in a pot of tea? I have a feeling we're going to need it."

"Of course, love,"

"And Ginny?" Harry turned to her, her brown eyes concerned. "We'll talk after... but can you find Ron for me? I really need him in on this."

"Sure, Harry," Ginny stood, heading out of the room as well. "And Harry?"

"Hmmm?"

"Go easy on her, love, okay? She's had a really rough time of it."

"We all have, Gin. But security is so very important..."

"I know, but..." Ginny glanced down, then back up to him. Lowering her voice, she glanced at the study door, which was closed with Tonks safely on the other side of it. "She and Kingsley... well... it didn't really work out the way she was hoping it would, and... she's a bit emotional right now."

Harry didn't hide his surprise well, but nodded and smiled. "Relax, Gin. I'm not exactly the ogre I'm made out to be, you know?"

"No, I know," Ginny grinned as she headed up the stairs in search of her brother. "But you can be a bit blind sometimes, love."

Harry, shaking his head, turned and carried papers and Tonks' tea into his study.

"So, I wanted...." Ron swallowed uncomfortably. Standing so close to Hermione always made his mind wander to things not conducive to rational thought.

"Ron?" Hermione looked at him. "What?"

"I... Hermione... you know I want to spend the rest of my life with you..."

"And I with you, Ron."

"But... I know that you were raised in a muggle home, and perhaps you aren't familiar with the... well, the reality of what..."

"Ron, what on earth are you on about?"

"Hermione, if you marry me, it's for life." Ron stated bluntly.

"Of course it is, Ron. I wouldn't marry you otherwise."

"I mean..." Ron took a deep breath. "The reality of a wizarding marriage is... a binding of souls. We would never be able to part... there would be no separation, or divorce. Such things aren't... possible, afterwards."

"Ron?" Hermione looked at him, curiously.

"A wizarding marriage... well, you remember when Dad said those words over Harry and Ginny, and there was that bright white light?"

"Of course, Ron... I know..."

"Well, that was a spell, that bound their souls for life. The only way to break that bond is death."

Hermione was silent. She knew this, but apparently Ron didn't know she knew this.

"I've asked you to marry me, and I want that with you. But I want you to know exactly what it means. I want you to accept my proposal as a witch, not as a muggle."

"I'm not..."

"I know you're not a muggle, Mione... but I want you to think and feel like a witch... and understand what I'm asking you," Ron swallowed again, his cheeks going red. "Hermione, the night the twins were born, I asked you to marry me. You accepted, but I need to know that you accepted as a witch, knowing what marriage means in the wizarding world. I'm not just asking you to be my wife... I'm asking you to bind your soul to mine until we die."

Hermione smiled, tears in her eyes. "I've already done that, my love."

Ron looked at her, not really comprehending.

"Ron, I am fully aware of what my acceptance of your proposal means. I never thought of it in terms of something I'd like to try on for size. So far as I'm concerned, death be damned, you're stuck with me for eternity."

Ron smiled, the redness leaving his ears as he took in what she was saying.

"So, you'll marry me?"

"Of course! I've already said I would."

"No, I mean... you'll marry me... now?"

"Now?"

"Well," Ron pulled out the paper that Harry had given him earlier. "Soon? I talked to Harry, and he gave me the licence... apparently it's good for six weeks, but with Christmas next week, I thought, everyone will be here..."

"I'd marry you this minute, Ronald Weasley," she laughed, happy tears running down her cheeks. "But I think Molly would pitch a fit if we didn't give her some warning, so, yes. Christmas will be fine."

At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Damn!" Ron muttered, pulling away from his soon-to-be wife. "Who the hell is it?"

"Ron?" Ginny's voice came through the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt..."

Hermione thought she could hear a small giggle from Ron's sister.

"Then why are you?" Ron demanded, striding across to the door and throwing it open.

Ginny, looking surprised at his rather red and angry expression, backed away a step, then glanced into the room at Hermione, standing with tears on her cheeks and looking rather flushed. What on earth had she interrupted?

"I... I'm sorry," Ginny said, turning her gaze back to her brother. "Harry needs you in the den."

"Okay... sorry, Gin... I didn't mean..." Ron looked over at Hermione. "Okay?"

"Yes. Go on. Harry needs you," Hermione said in a quiet voice.

"Later?" he enquired.

"Of course," Hermione nodded, noticing that Ginny wasn't leaving.

As Ron ran down the stairs, Ginny turned curious and concerned brown eyes on Hermione.

"What has my idiot brother done to upset you now?"

"Nothing," Hermione grinned. "Well, something, but I'm not upset."

"Then why are you crying?" Ginny leaned against the door jamb, crossing her arms across her chest and making it quite clear that she was going nowhere.

"Well," Hermione sat on the side of the bed. "I think it's customary to get... emotional... when you set a date for your wedding."

Ginny's squeal brought the other Weasley women running. Within an hour, they had the last Weasley wedding planned.

"Harry?" Ron stuck his head around the door. "Gin said you needed me?"

"Come in, Ron," Harry didn't look up from the papers spread over the long table. Tonks stood beside him.

"What's all this, then?" Ron asked, looking down at the charts and pages of neat handwriting and printouts spread before him.

"I asked Nymph to find some information for me," Harry explained. "I thought, if we know that the attacks are based on bloodlines, and concentrated on families with children of school age... we might be able to predict who would be next on Malfoy's list if we knew the backgrounds of the different families..."

"So that's what Snape was on about, then?" Ron looked with interest at the papers.

"Yes," Harry glanced up at aTonks who smiled bravely, although her eyes were watering again.

"So, what have you found, then?" Ron asked, pulling up a chair.

"Well," Tonks began, a slight quaver in her voice. "I started with those that I knew. Members of the Order, teachers at Hogwarts, businesspeople from Diagon Alley. I thought it would be easier if I began to place people on a family tree chart from the beginning, so I didn't end up researching the lineage of two people in the same family..."

"Understood, Nymph," Harry said. "Go on."

"I knew most relationships, like the Weasleys and the Prewitts, even the Black family... I kept looking, and adding people in when I found a link. From that original list, by following the lineage, I think I've made connections between most of the pureblood lineages..."

"You said you began by researching the lineage of people you knew?" Ron asked, trying to grasp the volume of research that would have meant.

"Yes..." Tonks smiled. "I started with my family, of course, expanded that to the entire Black line... then when that fizzled, I started on members of the Order during the first rising..."

"Snape and McGonagall...?"

"Yes," Tonks nodded. "Both come from purportedly 'pureblood' families, but of course, there really isn't much 'pure' blood anymore... I also researched your father, of course, Harry, and Remus and Peter Pettigrew... all three are purebloods, as the term has come to be accepted, anyhow. I looked at their school files, too.," she grinned. "Do you know how close you came to being a Slytherin family, Harry?"

"What?"

"Your father's file. The profilers suggested that he would fit in Gryffindor or Slytherin. It was only when his parents insisted that he was put in Gryffindor. "

"Really?" Harry remembered that the suggestion had been made about him, as well.

"Don't panic..." Tonks grinned. "It's not that uncommon, actually. Pettigrew was suggested for Slytherin, as well. He probably should have gone there, actually, but his mother wrote a very strongly worded letter to the school insisting that he be kept with your dad. Apparently, your dad was the only one Peter knew before leaving for first year, and he'd said he'd only go if he was sorted with James."

Harry snorted with disgust. Ten years later the little rat had turned on that friendship.

"And Remus was suggested for Hufflepuff..." Tonks grinned again. "Ah... I might be able to use that."

"Tonks?" Harry gestured to the papers.

"Yes... okay," she said.

"A synopsis?"

"Basically, we have two types of families. Those who are 'pureblood' by today's accounting, meaning that the muggle blood is so far back or so well hidden that no one can prove anything, and those who are blatantly 'halfblood' or less."

"Muggleborns?" Ron asked.

"Yes. Very few of those, actually."

"Yes," Harry said. "How much further do you think you have to go?"

"Oh, I'm pretty much done."

Harry and Ron looked at her with surprise.

"Done?"

"Well, ninety percent."

"And how...?"

"School records, Harry. I simply accessed them over the net, hacked in, got all the names and school records for each, then built it from there."

Harry and Ron looked at each other, then turned back to Tonks.

"You're bloody amazing, Nymph," Ron said.

"Our schools are accessible on the net?" Harry was shocked.

"Of course, Harry. Of course, you need to know how to find them..." she looked strangely at him for a moment. "But after that, it's not that hard. The hacking thing... well... that's not that hard, either."

"Ron?" Harry turned to his friend. "Do you think you might find Bill for me?"

"Sure, Harry," Ron nodded, then disapparated with a pop.

"So..." Tonks turned to him, pulling out a diskette. "I've made up a database of every family, and family member within it. I've included everyone, even the so-called purebloods. I figured it might come in handy."

Harry took the disk from her, looking down on it absently.

"You can query it by bloodline, which I've divided into three main categories: pureblood, halfblood or muggleborn. You can pretty much query it by anything else you can think of, as well... house affiliation, relationships to other families, how many children..."

"Thank you, Tonks," Harry nodded. "I had no idea you were so far along."

"The information was all there, Harry, it just needed to be organized into something we could use. Remember, though, that version isn't complete. I have a few more families to add. I'll bring you a copy of the final version within the next few days, if that's okay?"

"Absolutely," Harry agreed. "I really thought we'd be waiting weeks for this information."

"It was a fun project, Harry."

At that moment, two pops announced the arrival of Harry and his eldest brother.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Bill said, his eyes worried.

"Bill, we need to talk about security of information on the internet," Harry said firmly. "I would suggest you discuss this with Nymph. She, apparently, had no problem accessing school records for every witch and wizard in Britian via it. And you can bet if we found it, so can Malfoy."

Okay, my lovely readers... I'm a bit tired today, too damned much partying last night. I'm getting too old for this... ah... sorry, naughty word. Anyhow, I went to the Annie Lennox/Sting concert last night in Calgary. Annie Lennox put on a brilliant show, and I love Sting, but the best that I can say about his half of the evening is that it was... loud. It's pretty sad when the best response they get is to the tunes that are 20 years old, and when they play their new stuff, everyone kind of... well... sits down.

On the other hand, he's still as sexy as he ever was. Shed his jacket and the place went nuts... but Annie Lennox was utterly brilliant. For a woman of 50, she can still belt them out, and her new stuff is as good if not better than the old stuff.

Overall, I'm tired, and I'm on my way to take my kid to the orthodontist (I think I'm about to put HIS kid through college!) so be kind, please.

CQ

Shotgunn: My darling Scott... I know MOST of you can think for yourself, but we're talking Harry and Ron here. Enough said? Good. As for Snape... well, more on him later.

LaGau: You need to read the story I wrote before this, Harry Potter and the Power of Truth. This is the sequel to that fic, and will make MUCH more sense after you read it. Otherwise, you're spot on. This fic is about the REAL HP world... the one JKR wrote about in her own way, but mildly different!

Elise: Immortal Harry? Hmmm... don't think so. We'll see. Remember, this fic is about how the HP characters are in the real world...

El Shabang: What doesn't Snape have to hide? More on him later...

Mistress Genari: I'm glad you're enjoying it. Some have reviewed with questions about the background of this story that is easily explained in the first one... for those of you who are "getting it" anyhow – cool!

Whimsical Firefly: Any review is a good review!

GiGiFanfic: I love James' story, too – but I have to check out this Bill Hagridson. And at 72, I am HONORED to have you reading my fic!

Larna Mandrea: You have to watch yourself around here making comments like that... might get you in trouble, you know? All I can say is that JKR had better have a new identity and secret hideaway ready if she plans to kill him off in the end.

Merlindamage: All will be revealed, my friend. Read on.

Pdlegirl: I'm glad you're enjoying it. Power of Truth was like childbirth... it just kind of happened and I came along for the ride – sometimes joyous but very, very painful at times, as well. This one is a lot easier and a lot harder in many ways. But I think of the two, this one just might end up being more satisfying to write!

Gorman99: I love writing the dialog interaction between Harry and Ron, and Bill as the straight-man, and I love writing the emotional reactions that Harry has to some things. He can be so clueless when it comes to emotions and feelings about others and how to handle them.

CrazyPsychoBananaHead (AKA Kaylee Smith!): Ron and Hermione are DESTINED!

James Milamber: You, my dear, have been missed. Don't go disappearing like that again! And I beg to disagree, but HPMM leaves my efforts in the dust. You are still king of the action scene! Get some sleep, then get on here, and review.

CQ