Enemies

by P.A.R

A look at the history of the Unspeakable Orion Black.

32. Chapter Twentyfour: Bo

Chapter Twenty-Four: Bo

A/N: First off, a 'Mom' update. My mother is doing very well. She just 'loves' her walker.

I mentioned to her she might as well get use to it, because one day she would have one permanently.

I believe I am now permanently out of the will.

Next, if this reads a little disjointed, folks, believe me, there's a reason for it. I realized I didn't post last week, and I really scrambled to get this together for posting. Sadly, it isn't as good as I would have liked. But you had your choice. Perfection, or posting.

I thought you would choose posting.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Though the story, plot, and characters therein are mine, the setting for this story is so plagiarized it isn't even funny. Everything that is related to the Harry Potter series is the express property of JK 'Now let me see....who does everybody REALLY like that I can kill off next?' Rowling and her 'There has to be a way to put a stop to these fanfiction sites' publishers.

Katlin stood staring out the window of the foyer , absently fingering her pendant as she watched a small squirrel run across the drive. But her mind was on anything but what she was seeing in front of her.

So much had changed in her life over the past few months she could hardly keep up with it. Which was not a very settling feeling for her. She usually had a firm grip on her life. Now she seemed to have anything but.

A few months ago, she had been Voldemort's top agent. Loyal, trusted, sure of herself.

In the space of a few months she had fallen in love, with an Auror no less, was living with him, was pregnant, and was very unsure of anything.

Tomorrow simply held no guarantees anymore.

But she was happy.

That was the truly strange part of it all for her. Despite everything, despite how crazy her life had become, despite how guilty she felt over hiding all of this from the one person she rarely hid anything from..., she was happy.

Katlin shook her head with a small smile. Turning around, she slowly looked about the foyer she was standing in.

Orion had already left for work that morning, leaving her with a small kiss on the cheek as she still lay in bed, apologizing for having to leave so early and promising to try and leave work early as well.

She had mumbled some sort of response stating she wouldn't wait up.

Katlin found living with Orion a good deal different than just being his occasional bed partner. For one, promises he would be home early were rarely kept. Second was that, now that she was there all the time, she had started to realize just how much he wasn't. While her 'job' was sporadic at best, his was even less of a steady nine to five routine. Most mornings she woke up to find him already gone. And more often than not with an overly eager Tets waiting patiently to see if there was anything he could get for her.

At night, he occasionally got home at five. But more often he would come home quite late, full of apologies and some interesting ways to make up for leaving her so long on her own.

But, of course, she had her share of early mornings and late nights. She just wished their's would coincide more often. Usually they seemed to be at complete opposite ends of the scales.

And then there was the fact that Orion seemed to simply love just showering her with gifts. Something that tended to make Katlin a bit uncomfortable. She had never had anyone in her life simply enjoy giving her things just for the sake of it, with the exception of presents she had gotten from time to time from Voldemort.

But with Orion it was more like a daily occurrence. He hardly ever came home that he didn't have something to give her. Soon she had scores of bracelets, earrings, and a closet full of dresses, his favorite present. Mostly because a dress was usually connected with going out somewhere to show it off. Or her, depending on how she looked at it. But every time they went somewhere, she couldn't help feeling just a bit like she was something that Orion dressed up and then displayed on his arm for the evening. But it seemed to make him happy, and so she let it go and tried her best to set aside her own feelings on public displays.

The only present she swore him off of was necklaces. Holding her pendent up to him, she firmly swore it was the only one she would ever wear, and buying her any others would, therefore, just be a waste of time and money and a good present.

But her biggest problem always seemed to focus back on what to do with herself during the hours of the day when Orion wasn't there and there were no assignments for her from Voldemort. So she had taken to exploring the house as a way to pass the time.

She soon found that just wandering about the rooms was a great way to kill a few hours. And when that became boring, she would settle herself in the library, or go for a walk about the grounds.

All in all, she was given full use of the house.

With exactly one exception.

For whatever his reasons, Orion had strictly forbidden her to go anywhere near the cellar of the house again. But one run in with Bo was all Katlin had needed for a very long time. She was none to eager to repeat the experience. And knowing what she did about the boggart now made her simply that much more uneasy around him. But since Orion had given her complete freedom in everything else, coupled with her own feelings on the matter, Katlin felt the one restriction he had placed on her wasn't that hard to follow.

Katlin had just started out of the foyer when a sudden knock at the door stopped her. There were rarely ever any visitors to the mansion, Orion had told her. And those that did come usually only came at night.

But this person, or persons, whoever they were, had come close to mid-day, so Katlin was a bit curious who it was.

Walking back across the foyer, Katlin opened the door, ready to greet whoever it was. But when she opened the door, she found herself facing an empty doorway.

Stepping out over the threshold, Katlin peered around the corner of the door.

As soon as she did, a hand reached out and seized hold of her pendent. A second hand reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder, shoving her backwards with a solid thrust.

"Traitor!" Katlin heard the word yelled at her before she had any chance to identify her attacker.

Katlin stumbled backwards, the hand still wrapped tightly around her pendant.

She was sure she was going to hit the floor on her back. But her attacker never relinquished his hold on the small silver chain that Orion had put a charm on to keep it from breaking. The original idea had been so she wouldn't lose it. But never did she imagine that the charm would serve such another vital purpose. It help her remain on her feet. Had she hit the floor she would have been at a severe disadvantage. But as she regained her balance she managed to wretch the small pendent out of the person's grip and pull back to face her attacker.

For a few seconds, Katlin stood in stunned silence. Facing her, looking angrier than Katlin had ever seen him, was Johnathan Treaks. Behind him stood three other Deatheaters, who had obviously help him force his way into the house, as that the shove had pushed her nearly halfway across the foyer. But Katlin quickly gathered her wits about her as she turned an equally angry, if not utterly stunned, look at the four men.

"What are you talking about!?" She demanded angrily. "You have no right to make such a pronouncement on me! Only our dark lord has the right to brand one of us so!"

"As he will." Johnathan shot back at her, his wand now drawn and pointed at her. "When I present him with the evidence against you."

"Evidence?" Katlin shouted. "What evidence? You have played this game before Johnathan, and it is getting tiresome."

Johnathan laughed at her. "Are you quite serious?" He asked. "Look at you. You've been seeing the Auror for months."

"And Lord Voldemort is well aware of the reasons why I am engaging in this action."

"Is he also aware that you are living with the Auror as well?"

Katlin opened her mouth, but quickly shut it. She wasn't sure if Voldemort knew or not. And if he did, she was prepared to answer with a very well constructed story. What she was not prepared for was Johnathan having found out.

"I thought not." Johnathan stated as a smile crept over his lips. "So tell me, Auror whore, what did the man offer you to make you turn your back on your own people?"

"I am no Auror's whore." Katlin fired back. "And I have not betrayed my people. Nothing would make me do that."

But Johnathan was looking about the surrounding of the foyer. "This is considerably different from what you're used to, isn't it? A large mansion to live in. Probably all the trappings that go with it." Johnathan turned back to her. "Tell me, does he treat you like something he bought?" He asked with a well pronounced sneer. "Or something he just picked up?"

Katlin hardened her stare as she fought to keep her emotions under control. "You have no idea what is going on here, Johnathan." She stated. "You are letting your emotions get the better of you, again, and in doing so you are jeopardizing months of my hard work. Know well that I will report your interference to Lord Volde....."

A hard slap knocked Katlin off her feet.

"You presume to threaten me, whore!?" Johnathan roared at her. "You have no place to speak here any further. The only words required of you are as you offer your explanation before Lord Voldemort, should he even deem you worthy of his time to hear such lies."

Katlin's sole thought was to get off the floor. To not be at the disadvantage. But the blow had disoriented her and before she could even pull herself to a sitting position she found herself yanked to her feet by two strong pairs of hands. A solid arm lock was wrapped about her arms, holding her still as she was turned back to face Johnathan.

"Or perhaps I should just save our dark lord the trouble of dealing with you and take care of the traitor myself." He said past a purely sadistic smile. "After all, that is the authority of the Elite, is it not, my Love? To deal with traitors?"

A cold fear seized hold of Katlin. What Johnathan had said was very true. Elite were allowed to deal with traitors among the lower ranks. But Voldemort had never said anything about their own.

"Lord Voldemort is the only one allowed to administer such a punishment among the Elite." She replied, trying to plot out a strategy that would keep her alive. "I very much doubt it will go well for you if you try taking such an action without his knowledge."

Johnathan walked over to her and wrapped his fingers tightly about her jaw as he turned her to face him. "Concern for me, my Sweet?" He laughed softly. "That is so touching. Far more affection than you have shown these last few months."

'So that was it?' Katlin questioned. 'He was jealous?' Well, that was something to work with.

"The least you could do is hear me out." Katlin said quietly. "Because you are about to make a horrible mistake, Johnathan."

"Really?"

"Lord Voldemort knows I am seeing the Auror. It is a mission. Surely you understand that?" Katlin gave him a small smile. "There is nothing between me and the Auror."

Johnathan sneered back at her. "How often?"

Katlin's expression froze at the comment. "I do what I have to to complete my mission."

"Including living with him?"

"It is the natural progression of a relationship, Johnathan. If I had refused he would have become suspicious."

"And then what? You marry him when he asks so he won't become suspicious?"

Katlin fixed her stare on the man before her. "Don't be a fool. I expect to be done with him long before the situation comes to that. But everything I have worked for you have now jeopardized. But if you leave now, I can likely still salvage something of the situation. He is likely going to be arriving soon, Johnathan. He has alarms set all about the estate. He'll know you are here."

Johnathan's eyes quickly scanned the area around them, then connected just as rapidly with each of the men with him. Without the slightest hint of any cue being given, Katlin felt the restrains on her arms released as the men backed quickly away from her and went to rejoin the others.

"Perhaps you're right..." Johnathan replied as he lowered his wand.

But something in what was happening caught Katlin's attention. The other two had moved away far too quickly.

It wasn't just releasing her.

It was getting out of the way.

Katlin looked back up just in time to see Johnathan raise his wand. The spell hit just under her chest, pouring a numbing pain through her body.

"...I have been a fool." He continued as she collapsed to the floor.

Katlin could hear the footsteps approach her. But through the haze of pain that wracked its way still through her brain, all she could see around her was a grey haze. Very slowly she fought to get a hand into her robes. She had to get her wand.

A strong, solid kick to the side forced her over and another hand quickly began rummaging through her robes. Katlin could almost feel the alien hand seize hold of her wand and take it away from her. It was like having a physical part of her torn away. But before she could even begin to think what to do next another shot of pain coursed through her body, nearly stealing consciousness from her. But that was the last thing she could let happen. If she did, it was the end. She didn't have her wand, but she could still talk.

"Johnathan!" She cried out as loudly as she could, but even to her it sound barely above a whisper. "What are you doing!? Voldemort will kill you for this!"

Katlin could hear the voice next to her ear as she tried to pull herself back up. "For what? That you were found dead in the house of an Auror? Why would he question me about such an unfortunate event?"

Katlin felt another wave of pain tear through her body.

This time she screamed.

As she collapsed back to the floor, Katlin suddenly hear a noise behind her. The sound was like someone throwing a door open forcefully enough to take it off its hinges. Not knowing what was going on around her, Katlin forced herself into action. turning herself about she headed as quickly as she could on her hands and knees to the wall behind her. She needed something to guard her back. Where she was was far too exposed. Putting the wall to her back gave her one less front of attack to worry about.

As soon as she reached the wall, Katlin put her back to it, using it to help her gain at least a sitting position.

But the sight that greeted her caused her to stop abruptly.

In the center of the foyer Johnathan still stood with the other three men. But directly in the middle of them a large, star shaped object had begun to emerge from the floor directly at their feet. All four of the men jumped back from the rising structure, which suddenly shot up to form four walls, all connected in the middle and successfully cutting each of the men off from the others.

Katlin stared at the structure in amazement.

The walls quickly extended so that they each reached to the walls of the foyer and stood no less then fifteen feet in height. If each of the chambers resembled the one Katlin was now facing, they each resembled a stone cell. From one of the cells she could hear someone frantically rattling a door handle, with little success, while another was pounding on a glass window with the same results. Apparently there was no possible way for the men to escape.

In the chamber before her stood Johnathan Treaks, looking as confused and frightened as she had ever seen him. But it was understandable to her as well. Nothing disoriented or frightened a Deatheater more than being cut off from the ones you had planned an attack with.

Treaks looked about the walled cell before turning back to face Katlin, his expression now a mask of anger and hatred.

"Traitor!" He screamed at her again. "You'll pay for this. You won't get...."

A new barrier suddenly shot up from the floor, cutting quickly between Johnathan and Katlin, and abruptly ending the man's statement.

Katlin stared at the newly erected wall in stunned silence. Orion had never mentioned anything like this to her. He had told her the house had a defense system. But she never imagined anything like this. The only thing he had ever mention to her about the house's defense's, in fact, had been.......

Katlin's eyes suddenly widened and her jaw dropped as she stared anew at the stone barrier.

Bo.

Katlin shook her head. Surely the boggart hadn't been able to accomplish such a thing.

But then, Orion had explained the boggart wasn't the 'run-of-the-mill'. And the acts so far could easily be attributed to those a boggart would make. He had systematically separated the Deatheaters from each other. And that alone would be their greatest fear under the circumstances. In an unfamiliar situation, to be completely alone.

Katlin nearly jumped as the first scream rented the air. It sounded as though it came from the far side of the foyer. From the cell that would be nearest the door. As Katlin listened, the scream died down enough that she could again hear someone struggling with the door handle again. Again the scream, and the sound this time of a body hitting a wall. Abruptly the sound of a door being thrown open with enough force to unhinge it tore through the foyer. After a few seconds the echoes of running feet were heard as they sped across the tile floor of the foyer.

Then silence.

But abruptly the eerie silence was broken by the sound of sliding stone. Something was happening behind the barrier that she couldn't see or even imagine. But it sounded as though one of the barrier's was moving somehow. Sliding slowly across the floor.

The next sound she heard was a angry growl, followed quickly by a soft, whining cry. Again the feet ran across the tile and again the eerie silence settled in.

And once more the silence was broken by the sound of the scrapping of stone across the tile floor.

The third cue to her something was happening wasn't a sound at all, but a feeling. The air in the foyer had suddenly grown very cold. From the opposite side of the foyer Katlin could barely hear the sound of a rattled, haggard breathing. Abruptly cries begging for help were heard and shortly the sound of someone running and then the door slamming shut.

Katlin listened to the sound of the stones moving again. By her count, this left only one Deatheater in the house.

She sat silently listening. But for a short while nothing seemed to happen. But as abruptly as the other sounds had started, Katlin heard the word 'Traitor' echo through the foyer. But the voice wasn't Johnathan's, or any of the others. But it was a voice she knew well enough, having heard it nearly every day since she was fifteen.

"Traitor." The voice shouted again.

Another voice quickly spoke up. And even though she knew this one as well, it sounded very unlike itself. It was Johnathan's voice. But it was pleading now, trying to explain something she couldn't quite make out as that the words were low and spoken in rapid succession. But abruptly they were cut off as a door opened and then slammed shut again.

As soon as the door slammed shut, the stone barriers almost immediately slid back down and disappeared into the floor much as they had appeared, simply in reverse.

In the end, all that remained in the middle of the foyer was the somehow tidy array of black robes, which stood facing her, but making no move towards her.

A small popping sound within the foyer nearly unhinged her nerves as Katlin jumped at the sound. But the first thing she registered immediately calmed her frazzled nerves.

"Bo!" Orion stated sharply, looking quickly about the foyer. "What's going on? Why have the alarms....." But his questions stopped abruptly as his gaze fell on Katlin, still huddled protectively against the far wall of the foyer.

"Katlin!?" He cried, rushing towards her.

Two comforting, strong arms quickly wrapped themselves about her as she buried herself as deeply in their security as she could. A flood of questions filled her ears, but she hardly registered one of them as she simply clung tightly to him, holding on for dear life as she let her body relax in Orion's embrace.

Katlin continued to ignore Orion's frantic questions as she cautiously peeked out from his arms, her gaze quickly settling on the mass of black robes still standing perfectly still in the middle of the foyer.

Orion turned his attention to follow her gaze.

Instantly Katlin felt the arms around her tighten slightly as Orion's attention focused on the boggart.

"Bo, what's going on here?" He asked the black robed figure. To Katlin the tone of his voice was just hinging on anger.

As Katlin watched, the creature suddenly erupted into a series of movements and gestures, all of which, although pointless to her, seemed to mean a great deal to Orion as she felt the hold on her loosen slightly.

"Deatheaters?!" He asked, his tone a good deal lower now. "What were Deatheaters doing in my house?!"

But before the creature could answer, Katlin found her voice again. "Johnathan." she said weakly. "It was Johnathan."

"Treaks?" Orion asked, turning abruptly back to the standing black robes. "Bo, where are these Deatheaters?"

The boggart stood for a moment, as though unsure of what to say, then slowly raised a black robed arm and pointed to the front door.

Even Katlin understood the gesture. "They're gone?" She asked.

The boggart paused again, this time slowly turning to face her, then slowly nodded. Katlin wasn't sure what she expected to see for the creature's face, but the hood of its robes hid any sign of it from sight.

A pleased smile suddenly lit Orion's face. "Bo? Did you scare them off?"

The boggart seemed to react immediately to his tone. Without hesitation this time, turning back to Orion, he quickly nodded.

"All of them?" Orion asked him.

Bo nodded more enthusiastically.

"Very good, Bo." Orion replied, hugging Katlin a little closer to him. "I'm very pleased. You did very well."

A soft thrilling came from under the robes. Like a cat purring as you stroked it.

Orion carefully turned Katlin back to him. "Are you all right?" He asked. "And the baby?"

"We're both fine." Katlin answered. "They didn't have much of a chance to do anything."

"How did Treaks even get into the house?" He asked her. "I have wards set up to prevent anyone from getting into this house uninvited but you and me and my family."

"It was my fault he got in." Katlin explained as Bo continued to stand before them, still thrilling under his robes. "He had been following me around lately. I thought I had....explain to him....that this was an assignment and that he was jeopardizing it. I thought he would leave us alone after that. But he....had come with others. And he....he got a hold of my pendent. Either by design or plain luck. The others helped him shove their way in, so they all must have been in contact with one another. Apparently, as long as one of them was touching the pendent, they could all get through the wards."

Bo was practically bouncing on the floor now.

Orion watched his boggart look like it was ready to explode from pride. Sighing to himself, he nodded to Bo.

"You did very well, Bo."

A soft vibrating thrill came from beneath the hood.

"All right then." Orion stated, waving towards the cellar door. "Off you go."

The boggart paused for a moment, then turned back to the door and quickly headed for it with a now noticeably bouncy gait.

Orion spent most of the rest of that evening after dinner setting up extra wards around the house.

All the while Bo patiently followed him around the house, never more than a few feet from his heels. But for the most part Orion hardly seemed to even acknowledge the boggart's presence except with the odd comment from time to time about his needing to guard some entrance with extra care.

Finally, as Katlin sat in the front room before a glowing fire with a cup of tea in her still shaking hands, Orion entered with a soft whisper of material behind him as Bo dutifully followed him into the room.

"All right." Orion sighed as he collapsed on the sofa next to her. "I'd like to see Voldemort himself get into this house now."

Instantly the black robes dissolved and a very good likeness of Voldemort stood before Orion, outlined eerily by the glow of the fire. The figure raised its arms in a threatening gesture, emitting a loud groan.

"Hysterical." Orion stated in a bored tone. "Now off you go."

The figure quickly produced a wand and waved it about, pointing it at Orion.

"Now you're just going to put someone's eye out with that thing." He chastised the figure.

The boggart paused, then the figure before them shifted and immediately a small, black-haired child appeared in its place. The boy quickly whipped the wand behind his back, presumably out of sight .

As if on cue, Orion suddenly let out a small, shrill cry and cowered back on the sofa.

"No! No!" He cried in mock fear. "It's horrible! Take it away! Take it away!"

The child grinned at him, then abruptly vanished.

Through the whole display, Katlin watched with wide-eyed interest. But when the boggart finally vanished, she turned her attention back to Orion.

"If you're afraid of children, I have bad news for you." She informed him, sipping at her tea.

Orion settled back into the sofa, wrapping her in his arms. "Not all children." He told her. "Just that one."

"That one?"

"That," Orion told her, indicating where the figure had been standing just moments before, "was a perfect impersonation of my brother when he was about six. Enough to scare any older brother, trust me."

"Oh honestly." Katlin chastised him. "He's your little brother."

"And a worse trouble-maker the world will never know." Orion sighed. "Always getting into something. He and that Potter friend of his. If those two couldn't find trouble, they just went out and made it."

"Oh!" Katlin stated skeptically. "And you and Charly Misser were angels?"

"Perfect ones if ever there were." Orion studied her for a second. "Are you sure you're all right?" He asked. "They didn't hurt you or the baby?"

"One of them got off a lucky hex, that's all." Katlin admitted with a slight touch of embarrassment. "That....that creature...."

"Bo." Orion corrected her.

"Bo......must have realized I was in danger then and.....I guess....came to my defense." Katlin finished slowly as realization dawned on her about what had really happened.

"Well, I'll have to think up some really good reward for him." Orion stated absentmindedly. "Maybe I'll let him go out on Halloween. He just loves that."

Katlin awoke with a sudden start. She had been dreaming about being in a large, white room, surrounded by black robed figures, all holding wands that were pointed at her.

Looking about quickly, Katlin suddenly realized she was in bed. Next to her Orion was peacefully sleeping.

The last thing she remembered was being on the sofa.

Shaking her head, Katlin pulled carefully out from under the comforter. She must have fallen asleep and Orion had put her to bed.

Getting to her feet, she quietly padded her way across floor and out into the hallway. A glass of nice warm milk was what she needed to help her get back to sleep.

At the base of the stairs, Katlin started to make her way across the foyer when a sudden idea struck her. Slowly she turned about until she was now facing the door to the cellar.

Katlin stood staring at the door for a very long time. She couldn't deny she was genuinely curious about the creature Orion kept in his cellar. It was almost unfathomable to her that something that was as powerful as Orion had alluded to, was locked in the body of such a simple, single-minded creature.

Did the creature even understand what it was? Was the childishness that it presented just some front that it presented? Did it understand it's actions that day? What it was really confronting? Or was it all just some game to it?

Katlin slowly made her way over to the cellar door and carefully wrapped her hand about it. With painful slowness she turned the handle, not sure of what to expect when she opened the door.

But when the door finally was opened, all that greeted her was a blanket of darkness. Only the first few steps of a flight of stairs could be seen from the dim moonlight filtering into the foyer.

Katlin slowly made her way down the stairs of the cellar. It was so dark, the only way she knew she had reached the bottom was that the stairs ended and she felt she was on level ground. Unsure what the set up of the cellar was, Katlin stayed at the base of the stairs, peering into the darkness, desperately trying to see something.

"Hello?" She finally called, feeling a bit stupid, but not knowing what else to do.

But as stupid as the inquiry seemed, it got results. Almost immediately a small light glowed in an area just a short distance in front of her. It slowly expanded, then suddenly erupted in a small flash of light. In the aftermath stood the now familiar cascade of black material.

"So...., you're Bo?" Katlin asked.

The figure didn't appear to so much as breath as it stood stone-still in front of her.

"Can you understand me?" She asked him. Maybe the boggart only understood Orion. Or would only speak to him.

But the boggart suddenly nodded.

Katlin smiled at her progress. The creature hardly seemed frightening to her at all, standing there talking to him. But even so, she still kept several yards distance between them.

"Do you remember the men you chased out of the house?" Katlin asked.

The boggart seemed to consider the question for a moment, then nodded.

"Bo..., do you know why they were here?" Katlin asked slowly. She wasn't sure if the creature understood 'Deatheaters', and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Nor was she sure if the creature understood the men's intentions or not. Or if he was just doing what he had been told to do. Someone was in the house who was not suppose to be there. His job was to get rid of them.

But the boggart suddenly raised his arms, making a gesture with his cloak covered hands that left no doubt that he understood the men's intentions all too well.

"They were going to kill me, Bo." Katlin confirmed. "And they would have, if you hadn't stopped them."

The boggart again stood stone-still in front of her.

Katlin gave the creature a small smile. "I wanted to tell you.......thank you. For saving my life. Do you understand that?"

The boggart suddenly emitted a small trilling noise from under its hood.

Katlin studied the creature for a few seconds as it stood before her. "What is that?" She asked it, peering a bit closer at it, listening to the sound.

"It means he's happy." A soft voice answered behind her.

Katlin nearly jumped straight into the air. Abruptly she spun about to face Orion.

"Don't do that!" She stated in a firm but breathless voice. "You nearly scared the life out of me!"

"You shouldn't even be down here." Orion stated. "Bo might have mistaken you as an intruder."

"Well, he seems relatively harmless now."

"And 'harmless' is a relative term." Orion informed her, holding his hand out to her. "Come with me, please."

Katlin paused for a moment, staring at the man before her. But she slowly turned back to the boggart behind her. The trilling hadn't stopped, which Orion had said meant the creature was happy. But Orion's actions to her were definitely cautious. All he wanted was to get her out of the cellar.

Slowly Katlin backed away from the creature. It belonged to Orion, and he knew it best. Perhaps the action was a way of making sure she would get out of the cellar safely. To make sure the boggart wouldn't attack her for some reason.

"Is he dangerous?" Katlin asked as soon as they got out of the cellar.

Orion turned back to her. "Who? Bo?"

"Who else?"

Orion shrugged at the question. "I suppose it would depend on your definition of the word 'dangerous'."

"I'm sure Johnathan and the others have a very clear definition of that word concerning your boggart."

"How so?"
"He out-rightly attacked them."

"Of course. That's what he does. That's his job. And one I assure you he takes very seriously."

"He hardly acts like much of a boggart." Katlin observed.

"You'd be surprised." Orion replied. "It's one of the reasons I've tried to warn you away from him. He's little more than a big, silly child sometimes....most of the time." He quickly amended with a second thought. "But if you're not use to him, he can get.....carried away."

"Like in the cellar the last time?" Katlin asked.

"Exactly like that." Orion told her. "But even there, he didn't mean any real harm. It was....a game to him." Orion gave her a small smile. "He just loves to play."

"But he's a boggart!" Katlin stated. "You...you talk about him like he's....a pet."

"More like a part of the family." Orion answered her. "And I told you, Bo isn't your ordinary boggart. In fact, he's so good at what he does, he's the main defense I employ for the house. I really don't feel I need much more than him."

"Will he ever hurt me?"

"Why should he?"

"Because......because of....what I am. What if he finds out that I'm......?"

"A Deatheater? It won't make a bit of difference to him."

Katlin turned to him in surprise. "Why not?"

"Because to Bo there are two kinds of people in the world. Those that belong in this house, and those that don't. He really doesn't distinguish much past that. Unless its those he likes and those he doesn't."

"And what happens if one day I end up on the 'doesn't' list?"

"Well, he likes you now, and he rarely makes changes, Love. Besides, I've never known Bo to maliciously hurt anyone. I honestly don't think he knows how."

"What about Johnathan and the others?"

"Did he hurt any of them? No. He chased them off. But he didn't hurt them."

"Then what was that routine in the cellar? You acted like you thought at any moment he was going to attack me."

Orion seemed to think over the question for a moment. "Oh!' He stated suddenly as though just remembering what she was talking about. "That. No, you misunderstood that, Love." Orion explained. "That was simply to show Bo that.....you're special to me. You're not a.......casual acquaintance I didn't care if he scared or not."

Katlin's expression shifted just the slightest bit. But the look was one of unmistakable annoyance. "I see." She said, a tinge of her expression in her tone. "And have some of the other 'casual acquaintances' gone into the cellar?"

"Very few that I ever knew of. And if they did, they became even more casual, as that they rarely came back."

Orion barely suppressed a small smile as Katlin walked off towards the kitchen. Nothing said 'I love you' quite like jealousy.

Q&A

Silverfox: I'm glad you like Bo, Dear. He's going to be a long standing character. But trust me, you haven't seen the half of Orion's enigmatic boggart.

Ummmm, why should the situation be easier for Katlin to explain off than Orion? I would think Orion can explain things to his boss a lot easier than Katlin can to her's. I mean, how many ways could Voldemort misinterpret 'I'm pregnant'?

Actually, just for your continued amusement, Orion's boss finding out about Katlin is a chapter, and it is written. Coming to a computer screen near you....sometime in the future.

Oddly, I think the LAST person to be left at the end of all this is Harry. Rowling is way to adamant there will only be seven books. Makes me a bit suspicious how this is all going to end.

I do not think Snape will bite it in the end for several reasons. The biggest being he is so obvious a target. And Rowling does not seem to aim at obvious targets.

So glad you like soft and fluffy.

The child of an Auror and a Deatheater could well have and cause problems. But past that, look at what its lineage would be. The child is not only the offspring of a powerful witch in her own right, but potentially would play host to the 'Power'. So back to what Charly said, yes, Voldemort would be extremely interested in such a child.

Klondike bar = Ice Cream sandwich (sort of). Actually, its a square of ice cream surrounded by a chocolate shell.

Charly is most definitely not expecting help from Treaks. Nor is he just randomly sharing information with the Deatheater. Treaks and Charly are working together on a 'project'. The main problem being they both want very different outcomes for it. Charly is in it to save his partner's life. The 'how and why too's' of which, though sketchy, are there. Treaks' reasons, though a bit vague as yet, have also been mentioned.

Yes, Treaks' reaction was a bit predictable. But that kind of lays out the difference of opinion in their end goals. Again, Charly is trying to save his partner's life. Treaks couldn't care less.

And don't underestimate old Charly. Not the brightest crayon in the box? Don't bet on it.

Oh dear. Who is Bo? There's a good question. And it's going to take more time than I have currently to answer that. Give me a week. I'll come back to it then. I just don't want to give you a half-baked answer on something that is really a large part of this story.

Orion isn't really suspicious of Charly. Nor is he anywhere near questioning him on anything. Charly is still his partner and his best friend, and Orion trusts him.

Semmel: Thank you for the good wishes, Dear.

Your grandpa. My father. Same difference. Dad would rather do an operation on himself than go see a doctor.

Yes, dear. It was a 'bear'.

And that was definitely no 'ordinary' dragon.

Only one other person knows about the 'Black family curse', but he has yet to enter the story. That person is the one time best friend of Orion's father, Talon Black. The man's name is Hershal Beckett.

Oh yes, Dear. Voldemort would be very keen on that baby.

You asked very good questions, Dear. Problem is I am getting a bit of a headache trying to think of the answers, since this is all a bit complicated. But I'll see what I can do.

Orion has been connected to the 'Power' ever since he worked the spell that allowed him to become its new host. However, the 'Power' never manifested itself in its host. The relationship was symbiotic at best. The 'Power' relied on the ambition of its host for its existence. If the host didn't use it, it didn't have much of a life. When Sirius was born, the 'Power' was forced to divided itself. That, in part, was what allowed Orion's father to forced the 'Power' into the boggart. Currently, the 'Power' does not reside in Orion, it resides in the boggart. But it relies on the intelligence of its host to be anything at all. So how can it be much of a danger when its trapped in basically the mind of a very simple creature?

How does Bo react to the tapping in? He enjoys it. The 'Power' likes to be used. That is how it 'feels' its existence. Never being used to it is the equivalence of being locked in a box.

Charly understands there are potential problems to allying himself with Treaks. But he didn't choose the relationship. The wizard in the north put the two together. A smart move on his part, since it gave him a member of the team from each of the two opposing camps.

And everyone's being so hard on poor Charly. Did we learn nothing from the 'Aaron Richards' incident? Honestly!

How likely is a Deatheater to keep his word? Kinda depends what's in it for him. For Treaks, it's what he loves most.

Sailor Sol: Yes, Mom's operation went very well. Her doctor said she was an excellent candidate for this surgery. When they got the joint out, they said there was no cartilage left at all. So it was a 'no option left' choice.

Charly has indeed planted a little seed in Orion's thought process. Whether or not it grows has yet to be seen. But his points are indeed very valid.

They gave you sugar AND let you go trick-or-treating? Silly people.

Holidays are not good for updating I have found. Although a slew of updates seem to hit right around Christmas.

I'm glad you like the bits between Orion and Sirius. Unfortunately, 'hintings' are all you see in this story. Sirius does not enter into it as a main character.

Dear, we are all getting older. *sigh.* Sad, but true.

Thanks for bearing with me, dear. I appreciate it.

Sweets: Thank you, Dear. Mom needs all the prayers she can get. Recovery is less fun than the operation.

I understand the compressed time issue, believe me.

You have yet to see Orion's temper.

Personally, I would like to think somewhere in the world the man has a portrait, but I'm almost sure Rowling would say his family destroyed all of them. I still hold out hope for the mirror. It wasn't inserted into the story by accident, I think. As that it got more than just a passing notation, it must surely be of some importance later on.

You will definitely be hearing more about the 'Power' in this story as well as in other story arcs. If Orion is in the story, Bo can't be far behind.

Skahducky: Actually, it's not a matter of preference.

But Dear, if I didn't keep bringing new things into the story, it would have stagnated ages ago.

Indeed, Charly and Treaks are on opposite sides, but working together. Though their ultimate goal seems a bit in question.

Oh, yes, this will all come together in the end.

Eva Phoenix Potter: Oh! You're one of.....those!

Pfffft. Who am I kidding? So am I.

All reviews are as of 11162003.

And remember;

A cheap thrill is still a thrill.