Disclaimer: All of this is based upon the lovely J.K. Rowling's work. I own nothing except Salazar's wife, son, and various other original characters. This story is an AU of sixth year, but it will contain a few spoilers from Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. However, it will still seriously diverge from canon.


"blah": dialogue

'blah': thoughts

"blah" : Parseltongue

"blah": Legilimency/Telepathy

Italics: excerpt from a book /newspaper or any other written form

Bold: a word or phrase that is emphasized

Italics, Underlined, and Bold: location/date of a scene in the story


Chapter Twenty-Four: Once More around the Merry-Go

Unknown, The Throne Room: September 15th, 1996 (Early Morning)

Green eyes snapped open, glancing around swiftly. A stone throne, cowering followers, and a serpent abomination. Yes, Harry was once more in a vision.

The teenager growled to himself as he slowly took in everything, noting that Bellatrix was again present. He watched as Tom left his throne and walked amongst his followers, Nagini on his heels. Stretching out his magical senses, Harry noticed that Severus was not present, a circumstance that came as a great relief. He did not wish such horror on his friend, no matter his past crimes.

'I thought Occlumency was supposed to stop this,' the reborn Slytherin thought to himself as he casually looked around once more.

As usual, there were roughly two dozen wizards and witches kneeling on the floor in front of the towering Dark Lord. He, in turn, was walking between them, twirling his wand through his fingers. He occasionally sent Cruciatus curses at those he was displeased with, even as Nagini flicked her tongue and slithered over their bodies.

Harry sighed as he moved around, noting all those present and coming to stand behind Bellatrix. 'At least Tom is no longer aware when I'm watching. That's definitely a plus, but I should really learn how to control these blasted visions. Perhaps I should ask Severus. He is quite the master at this now, though I doubt he has ever been in this exact situation.'

The witch in front of him twitched faintly, as if she could feel his presence. Slowly, he waved his faintly transparent hand in front of her face, and her eyes focused on it as he wiggled his fingers. He carefully moved his hand to her shoulder, letting her know that he was once more visiting Lord Voldemort. And thankfully, Harry now had enough control over his visions that he could place his hand on her without it sliding through, though it did require some concentration.

She exhaled and tilted her head so that her hair fell forward to hide her mouth from view. "Hello, Potter," the witch murmured when the Dark Lord's attention was elsewhere. "He's just now learning of our progress on the Phoenix Gate," she reported softly as Tom began to discipline one of his followers on the opposite side of the room. "He's angry because we haven't discovered anything new." Her eyes stared straight in front of her, not wanting to glimpse the now thrashing Nott.

Harry squeezed her shoulder again, acknowledging her information. The tips of her lips twitched in response. But she instantly sobered as Voldemort once more began to move amongst his followers.

Tom snaked through the spaces between them, causally stepping on a stray edge of a robe or a hand every now and then. He ran his spidery fingers through Narcissa's hair and pulled out a few golden strands as he passed. He carelessly flicked off a hex at Rookwood, hitting the man square in his pock-marked face. Finally, he stopped in front of a burly wizard.

"Dolohov, how goes your little project?" a cold and serpentine voice asked.

The cowering Death Eater trembled even more. "P… perfect, my Lord," the man answered from his position on the floor. "We have exceeded expectations, Sire. Have many more specimens than we believed we would by this point. We'll have more than enough by your deadline."

Tom smiled.

And a shudder of revulsion went down Harry's spine.

"Excellent. I am most pleased with you, my servant." The serpentine man idly caressed his Death Eater and patted him on the head as one would a pet. The Dark Lord then sauntered on.

A look of pure relief crossed Dolohov's face when he didn't receive a curse for his efforts.

"Most excellent," Voldemort repeated as he drifted closer to Harry. "Bellatrix," he called softly.

Harry backed away just in case.

The witch instantly responded, keeping the bitterness out of her voice, "Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort approached her, resting his hand on the exact place Harry's had been mere seconds before. He leaned down, lips now next to her ear.

"Ah, my dark and wondrous Bellatrix. You and I have not had much time together as of late, and I find myself missing your entertaining company," he whispered in an undertone. So low that only Harry, who was just by her other side, could hear. "However, after Samhain, I hope to change that." He tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, hand lingering on her face. His pale fingers smoothed themselves over her skin, tracing her lips.

Bellatrix shivered.

With a strange smile, he finally pulled away. "Bellatrix, you shall lead the distraction against Dumbledore. Take Dolohov and your lovely sister with you, as well as the third division. They are not the best trained, but they are more than competent enough. Besides, with all the additions, you will have more than enough help." The Dark Lord gave her ear one last caress before he effortlessly stepped backwards. He turned to survey his minions, but within seconds, his attention flickered back.

"Kill, destroy, maim… I do not really care what else you do as long as you keep Dumbledore and all of his worthless lackeys there. Stay for as long as possible but do not get caught. Simply ignore Severus; he already has his instructions." Tom paused for a moment, something flitting across his face, but it was gone in an instant. "You are far too valuable to be lost to me again, and I will not be as forgiving of your absence the next time," he finished with an odd undercurrent, eyes going back to her for a moment.

Voldemort slowly returned to his throne. He steppled his fingers together in thought, looking a bit too much like Albus for the Harry's comfort.

"The Aurors will be distracted by the attack on Hogwarts. Only the dregs and the newest members will remain behind. They will not be too much of a threat, will not even notice our entrance into the Department of Mysteries. However, we still must ensure that they do not know of our true goal." His fingers unclasped, and one hand went to his chin, rubbing it. "Nott, you will lead the fourth division, team two. You are to guard the exits and prevent any from entering."

The man nervously glanced up. "Yes, Sire. I will make plans for it immediately."

From the side, Harry watched with interest, still hovering behind Bellatrix. But he instantly stiffened as he felt the tell-tale tingling in his extremities and the tugging motion on his body. The edges of his vision began to fall away, and everyone blurred.

Tom cocked a hairless brow. "See that you do. Take Edgecombe and our newest recruits with you. They can use the experience." He turned to his next follower. "Rookwood, you will lead team three. You are to serve as a decoy for our main group; any actual resistance will follow you in place of us."

The pock-marked man nodded in acquiescence and bowed lower. "It shall be done, my Lord."

Voldemort inclined his head. "You are also to pick up any artifacts you deem worthwhile. With your experience in the Department, it will be no trouble to determine their merit. It will obscure our true target, and by the time they catalogue all that has been lost, it will be far too late." He seemed rather pleased by the idea, caressing Nagini as she joined him on his throne.

Harry squeezed Bellatrix's shoulder as he once more felt himself being pulled away. Everyone was now little more than a colorful blur, save Tom himself, who was still quite clear. The teenager was forced to listen carefully to discern who was speaking.

"Yes, my Lord," Rookwood responded before hesitating. "Is there anything in particular we should search for, Master?"

The Dark Lord paused and gave the scholarly man a measuring look. "Yes, in fact. In one of the artifact rooms…"

The scene faded away, and Harry's eyes snapped open. Above him was the darkened red of his bed canopy. In the background and through his one-way Silencing charm, he could hear the muffled breathing of his roommates. He casually asked Hogwarts the time, learning that it was still hours before dawn. The castle embraced his mind, questioning him about his recent vision and shuddering as he whispered it to her. The attack that was to come weighed heavily on her. Yet, it was her children, the students and teachers within her, that she worried over. Not herself.

Wishing him goodnight, she withdrew. Harry simply stared at the canopy for long a time, his attention elsewhere. He closed his eyes and sealed the memory carefully in his mind so that he could repeat it in the morning to Luna.

His task complete, he rolled over and was once again lost in the world of dreams.


Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, The Sorting Hat's Secret Room: The Same Day

That afternoon, everyone was gathered in a loose semi-circle of chairs. Luna, Harry, and Dom were alternating with the explanation of what they had achieved thus far. Which basically extended to organizing the DA, returning the memories to the other Founders, and plotting against Tom. They also mentioned that Voldemort had plans to attack on Halloween. And that Bellatrix apparently wanted out of the Death Eaters, a statement that caused Severus' eyebrows to rise nearly to his hairline.

Thankfully, their group had the rest of the day to talk as there were no classes to teach, no Ministry workers to become suspicious, and no friends to study with. The DA meeting the day before had gone smoothly, the returning members and the new recruits updating Harry on their progress. Additionally, they had recommended a number of other people for the organization, a few of them actually Slytherins. These students were to become a second branch of the DA, not as trusted as the originals and not in on the grand plan, but still learning Defense and being included in the protection of the school.

Earlier in the day, the reborn Salazar had also attended the Quidditch meeting. He had actually wanted to forsake the game entirely; after all, he had much more important things to deal with. But Minerva had pointed out that such behavior would be incredibly suspicious. Plus, he needed an outlet, and it was wonderful physical training, far better than anything he would have been able to come up with on his own. Not surprisingly, Harry had been offered the position of Captain. The other players had looked at him rather oddly when he turned it down. However, his quick explanation that Katie Bell, a seventh-year and the person on the team the longest, would be better was met with approval. He had heaved an enormous sigh of relief when the other players agreed it was all for the best, ignoring Ron's strange and measuring looks.

Afterwards, Harry and Ginny had hurried up to the Sorting Hat's room, using the Invisibility Cloak to sneak away from Ron's watchful eyes. By the time they had arrived, everyone else was already there, including both Fawkes and the Sorting Hat itself. What ensued was a major retelling of the events up that point with a long brainstorm about the pre-existing defenses of the castle and the other ways they could protect the students.

"Well," Severus commented and tapped his fingertips together, "the suits of armor are still under the control of Hogwarts and have the geas to defend against intruders. They'll fight against anything the Dark Lord dare sends."

Minerva nodded, smoothing her hair. "Also, the portraits will act as a relay system for information. Some of the better enchanted ones can actually physically attack trespassers, or so Albus tells me. However, I have never seen it myself."

A brief spike of assurance from Hogwarts was all the validation she needed.

"And the ghosts?" Harry questioned. "I recall that the spirits inhabiting Slytherin Manor were duty bond to use any of their spectral powers in defense of the family. I assume the same is true of Hogwarts." His memories of Salazar did not serve him here. A number of the castle's defenders had been added after his death, including most of the portraits and the ghosts.

"Yes," Minerva responded, using her knowledge as deputy headmistress, "it's true for here as well. Peeves is included on the list." She seemed distinctly uneasy about the prospect. "I'm not sure what abilities the various ghosts have, but I know the powers for a few of the House ones and a number of others. I know that Nearly Headless Nick can summon a spirit sword, which is effective against live people. The Fat Friar can still uses his clerical gifts, banishings and the like. I am not sure about the Grey Lady or the Bloody Baron though." She turned to her companion. "Severus?"

Yet, he shook his head. "Even I am not sure. As far as I know, he has never told anyone – not even the Head of Slytherin House – what he can do."

The others contemplated the mystery for several minutes before continuing on to the other castle defenses. The topic drifted afterwards to warning the Ministry about the attacks scheduled for Halloween. Here, Severus surprised them by actually lobbying to tell Moody and ask his opinion. Something highly unusual since Mad-Eye was known for his severe dislike of Severus.

"I just believe that it would be for the best," the Potions master stated calmly, keeping his voice in check. "While we might remember our past lives, none of us were trained to fight Evil Lords. We have many skills, but I fear that this type of planning may be well out of our league. We ran a school, a center of learning, not battle." He gently messaged a temple, Minerva squeezing their intertwined hands. "There are only two of us that knowing about such things," he concluded and indicated Neville and Dominic.

They paused to consider his statement.

And Harry suddenly interrupted, "I agree. It makes sense both logically and tactically. Moody, knows more about this sort of thing than anyone else I've ever met. Plus, any knowledge of ours would be dated."

Neville inclined his head in agreement, thinking back to his own days opposing evil. "Besides, we don't have to mention the Phoenix Gate at all, and we were going to tell the headmaster about it regardless. He'll undoubtedly mention this to rest of the Order. He has to. He can't keep something like this to himself."

"Yes," Dom inserted, "the only difference is that we would tell Moody at the same time as Albus." He thought for a few heartbeats. "Perhaps we should tell others with them."

Luna considered his proposal. "So it's agreed that we will at least tell Albus and Alastor. Within the week at the latest." The group gave a positive consensus. "And who else are we to include?"

"Tonks and Kingsley would be best. Maybe Charlie, but he doesn't really know about battle," Bill added with his parents quickly agreeing. "We know and trust them. The others are still unknown quantities."

"And what exactly are we going to tell them?" Draco put in, and everyone's attention flickered to him. "I mean, who are we going to say knows of the attack? Where will we say we got the information?"

Luna idly twirled a lock of silvery, blonde hair. "The truth would be best. We just have to limit it."

Fawkes, who was sitting on her shoulder, fluttered his wings. "Right. Tell them that Harry has had visions, ones that only became clear recently." He ruffled his feathers in thought. "He, of course, would have told his closest friends, hoping that could help him figure out what it meant."

"Which would be Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Neville," Harry stated. He gave a cheeky grin.

Molly put in, "He wouldn't tell Ron because he's still recovering."

Harry nodded.

"Minerva would have learned of these visions somehow," Fawkes continued with a chirp.

"From me, of course," Hermione answered in a completely serious tone, which belied her smile. "I was worried, so I went to a professor. Then, she will tell Professor Snape because he knows about Occlumency. But that only happens just before the headmaster learns."

Ginny smirked and fought back a snort. "I'd tell Bill, who'd tell our parents."

"And Draco and I would just pretend that we had no idea what was going on," the Defense professor finished with an amused tone, belatedly noticing the scowl directed his way by the youngest Weasley.

"Precisely," Fawkes added. "We just need to work out the timeline of events."

They spent the next half-hour doing so. The group managed to iron out all the details, making sure their stories matched. After that somewhat interesting conversation, the topic again drifted, now landing on what they believed Voldemort would attack with. Suggestions varied from everything to Soul Reavers to Basilisks to Dementors. However, no matter how wild or bizarre the ideas, all were taken seriously. There was no telling what Tom had planned. What horrors he wanted to unleash. Or how many people would suffer for it.

"What if we're attacked by Inferi?" Hermione questioned after the suggestions became wilder and wilder. "It fits with what the Prophet has been reporting lately. All the disappearances," she continued, adding logical arguments behind her reasoning. She turned to Dom. "Do you know anything about them, Professor? If you don't, that could be really bad since most of us wouldn't have a clue, and…" she trailed off when Draco nudged her.

"Well," Dom began, "I have never really been into having my own personal army of the undead. Frankly, they are quite disgusting. And they smell horrible, putrid flesh and all that rot," he stated, thinking about his advanced sense of smell. "However, that is a distinct possibility. I was actually planning a lesson on them around Christmas, but I think that I will move it up. Give me a few days though to get everything ready."


Hogwarts, The Dungeons: The Same Day (Late Evening)

Draco Malfoy took a deep breath, clenching his hands to keep them from trembling. His grey eyes flickered around the assembled group and measured each of them. Daphne Greengrass not-to-subtly stared back at him, measuring him in turn and boldly meeting his eyes. Theodore Nott was smirking, eyes glinting with mischief. Millicent Bulstrode smiled genuinely as she spoke to a dark-skinned Ravenclaw in an aside and occasionally looking around. Blaise Zabini quietly read through a text book, though he did look up every now and then. Several other faces also gazed at Draco from around the table where they were gathered.

"So, Draco," began Dimitri Dolohov, a seventh-year Slytherin, "what exactly is this about?"

Blaise tapped his fingertips on the table after putting his book away. "I thought we were more cautious than this." He tilted his head to the side, studying his blond friend.

Draco refused to back down. "We are. But something important has come up, something very important."

"Yes," Theo drawled, smirk still tugging at his lips.

Draco breathed very slowly. "We're all aware of our situation," he said and shifted in his seat. "None of us want to serve the Dark Lord, regardless of what our families think."

The others all studied him, wondering where this was leading.

"We're the oldest of the Slytherins. And it is our responsibility to look after all those in our House, to protect them."

"Yes, we know all this," Blaise put in after a second.

The blond nodded. "But what you don't know is that we now have an ally, someone… several someones willing to help us." Draco smiled at their shock-filled reactions.

"Who?" Daphne whispered, already burning with hope.

The blond smirked. "The DA," he supplied.

And everyone looked stumped.

"What… you mean Potter's people? The ones we turned in to Umbridge last year?" Dimitri asked with dismay. "Why, by Salazar, would they ever help us?"

Several others also voiced this question.

However, Draco quickly silenced them. "They'll help because they know that was just a role, a mask we were forced to hide behind," he answered readily, projecting authority. "They know that we don't really want the future our families have picked out for us. They know we have no loyalty to the Dark Lord," the blond finished with great aplomb.

Blaise quiered, "How do they know all of this?"

Draco was interrupted before he could respond.

"What? No, you didn't, Draco," Daphne started with wide eyes. "Please tell me you didn't."

"You told them about us," Millicent accused, finishing for the other witch. She gazed at him without something very akin to desperation.

The Prefect shook his head. "No, they already knew. I didn't have to say anything. They came to me."

"They came to you?" Theo questioned and pinched the bridge of his nose with exasperation. "That still doesn't answer the question of how they knew."

Draco fought and conquered the urge to fidget. He couldn't answer that question, at least not truthfully, not yet. But he didn't want to lie to his Housemates either, make the situation less than it truly was.

Finally, he answered, "I am not really sure. My guess is that they've been watching us and rather closely at that. Most likely, this is a clandestine offer inspired by Dumbledore or perhaps McGonagall." He sighed then, even as his Housemates followed his every word. "Their hands are tied by their positions and the wizarding world's view of us as Slytherins. They can't openly help us, but Potter can."

The dark-skinned Ravenclaw spoke at last. "And his noble Gryffindor nature assures us that he will give assistance," Gavin Darklighter finished knowingly.

The others paused for a moment and thought it over. They exchanged looks and whispered words. Finally, one by one, they each nodded.

"Fine. We'll make overtures back to him and see what happens," Millicent answered for the group. She hesitated before carrying on, "It's the best of the available options. Besides, it's still better than all of the other offers. Personally, I don't want some insane serpent-freak lording over me, but that isn't why you summoned us all here to discuss, is it?" The heavy-set girl studied him shrewdly over her clasped hands.

Draco gave them a grim grin. "No, it's not." He looked at them each in turn and murmured, "There are rumors, talks of an attack on Halloween." He purposely left it obtuse.

"Here, you mean," Daphne put in coolly.

"Yes."

Blaise asked him, "What do we know about it? What can we do?"

A true smiled threatened to blossom on Draco's face, but he reined it in. This is exactly what he had planned, what he had hoped for. He desperately wanted his Housemates to join the fight against Voldemort. They were needed to win. Without them, he shuddered to think what would happen.

Draco completely sobered. "Well…"


Hogwarts, Defense Professor's Office: September 16th, 1996 (Afternoon)

Ginny shifted from foot to foot, willing to have the obvious showing of nerves since Dominic was not present. She truly did not want to be here, not with the vampire. Honestly, she didn't want anything to do with him at all.

Siobhan had been her daughter. Adopted though she might be, her daughter still. And Salazar as both her daughter's husband and as her son's friend had become a son to her as well.

But that bastard, that monster, had taken him from their family. The dagger and runes that had banished Sal were his work, his doing, even if Godric had commissioned them. The vampire had not needed to banish Salazar for over a thousand years; it was entirely unnecessary. Not only that, but the blasted Dark creature had not even confirmed Godric's story about Salazar. He had simply taken it all at face value, and her beloved son had suffered for it.

And for that, she could never forgive him. He didn't deserve it.

The redhead stiffened as she heard the door to the office open, the vampire undoubtedly slipping in, though she couldn't hear him. Nonetheless, she did feel the tingle of magic in the air. And the fact that it was directed at the door was the only reason she didn't whirl around and start hexing. She fingered her wand, which was even then in her hand.

"Hello, Miss Weasley," a pleasant voice called from behind her.

She gritted her teeth, a sneer on her face.

"Please have a seat. I apologize for the delay. Professor Flitwick had a matter he needed to discuss with me."

She heard the door close but not the vampire as he appeared in her field of vision and headed for his seat. Ginny stubbornly remained standing, inching away from the front of the vampire's desk. Dom, of course, noticed but made no comment as he sat in his chair smoothly.

"Now, you are probably wondering why I asked you to meet with me," he began, silvery eyes deliberately avoiding her wand. The man paused to collect his thoughts. "I noticed some tension directed towards myself yesterday during our little tête-à-tête. While I know what it stems from and I am deeply sorry over the occurrence, I hope that it will not affect our overall goal." The teacher absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him to the rhythm of some nameless but slow song.

Ginny could barely hold in the sneer that threatened to spread across her face. "Tension, eh?" she queried rhetorically, heat in her voice. "Yes, there was great deal of tension, but don't blame it on me, vampire. I'm not the cause of any dissention in our ranks."

Dom's fingers froze mid-beat. "Forgive me, but I believe you have mistaken my words. I did not mean to accuse you of anything. I merely… wished to ascertain if our disagreement will leak into our dealings with the others."

The redhead folded her arms across her front defensively and ground her foot into the floor, wand still in hand. "No, it will not," she stated coldly. "I won't allow us to fail simply because I loathe you."

"Loathe me, Miss Weasley? Do you not feel that too strong a word?" the professor asked with a hint of alarm.

Ginny stepped forward so that the soft words she spoke would not be lost. "Too strong? No, I don't feel they're strong enough to cover my feelings for you," she whispered so quietly that the teacher almost didn't hear, even with his advanced hearing. "You robbed my daughter of her husband, my grandson of his father, and me of my son. No, loathe doesn't quite cover it."

Dominic blinked, quite taken aback. He tried to speak, but the witch beat him to it.

"It was Godric who murdered him, but it was you that gave him the means to do it! It was you who prevented Siobhan from even finding him in death, from reuniting with him in the next life. She had to wait a thousand years," Ginny murmured in the same deathly cold voice, her hands now on the edge of the desk, nails biting into the wood. "You didn't see her after he died. You didn't have to live with his loss, watch as it nearly destroyed her and Tristan, too. You weren't there, Necromancer Dorée. You can't possibly fathom what you did, what you truly cost us." The redhead leaned forward then, face now inches from his. "Harry might have forgiven you and Luna as well, but I will not. I don't trust those who harm my children, and I certainly don't trust you!"

Ginny stepped back and strode toward the door, completely ignoring the fact that Dom was her professor and that he had yet to dismiss her. However, it wasn't like the vampire noticed either.

Just as her hand reached for the knob and her wand was about to dispel the Silencing charms, she turned. "As to your original question… No! No, I won't let this interfere with our goals. But don't get me wrong, vampire. I won't let our plans prevent me from harming you should you show your true nature again. Once an enemy, always an enemy, Necromancer. You would do well to remember."

And with that, she was gone. Leaving a wide-eyed and incredibly shaken Dom in her wake.


Hogwarts, Defense Classroom: September 18th, 1996

"Today, class, we are going to learn about two types of undead: Inferi and zombies," Professor Boyd said in his usual pleasant tone as he came striding up to his desk. Nevertheless, his words caused a small shudder to run through the class.

"When're we going to get to vampires?" Seamus threw in shamelessly from his seat in the back.

Dean and he still believed that the professor was either a vampire or a dark-haired Veela. Or a Death Eater in disguise. Or possessed by Voldemort. Or a deranged Ministry worker. Or possibly a hundred other things. Harry was just waiting for them to start a betting pool, and he knew exactly what he was putting his Galleons on.

The teacher gave him a toothy smile. "We will get to them eventually, Mr. Finnegan, but for now, we will focus on the undead. A wise thing considering the Dark Lord's past partiality for them." The grin slide off of the Defense teacher's face, and he sobered. "This is a very serious subject, class. A very serious subject indeed. It is not a pleasant thing to talk about, but it is deadly important."

Every student was now hanging on his every word. Like Professors Snape and McGonagall, Boyd also had the ability to enthrall his students, keeping them silent and on the edge of their seats. They were looking at him with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Hannah Abbott gaped at him with watery eyes, while her desk-mate Susan trembled in her seat. Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode exchanged a shuddered glance. Theo Nott was giving him a blank face with both Lisa Turpin and another nameless Slytherin girl avoiding his attention. Seamus and Dean were so close to the edge of their chairs that they might fall out at any moment. The rest of the class was in a similar situation. Only Harry, Neville, Draco, and Hermione seemed to be unaffected, though the latter two would occasionally twitch at their desks. Neville simply watched the proceedings with detached interest, while Harry calmly looked at the professor, Occlumency shields at full strength.

Professor Boyd finally continued, "Now, can anyone tell me the difference between a zombie and an Inferi?" He peered around, looking for a hand other than Hermione's. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy."

"While both are created using the bodies of the dead, zombies retain no intelligence at all. They can follow simple instructions, but they do so literally and have no penchant for subtlety," the blond responded in a slow drawl, open face belying the tension in him. "They are simple puppets, ones that just happen to be constructed out of the dead."

The Defense teacher inclined his head. "Good! And Inferi?"

The Slytherin gave him a bleak look. "Inferi, on the other hand, do retain something of their lives, some intelligence. They can think and reason, though nowhere near their original level most of the time. The more skilled the caster, however, the smarter they will be. And the more deadly."

"Exactly, Mr. Malfoy," the professor cut in, gesturing that everyone should write this down. "An average wizard could make an Inferi intelligent enough to open doors, instead of simply bashing into them as a zombie would. Yet, a powerful or skilled magic user can make them every bit as intelligent as humans, sometimes even giving back the ability of speech." He paused and let the information sink in. His tired eyes traveled around the room, noticing a shiver of fright pass through them.

"Just imagine the horror of it," the man said quietly, still managing to be heard in the absolutely silent classroom. "Not only are you facing the undead, the bodies of people you might have once known, but they might speak to you. They could murmur to you, whisper to you about whatever random memory is currently stored in their minds as they inch closer to you, bent on destroying both your family and you. They might speak to you, reminisce about happier times, even as they kill you." He paused and fought the urge to shiver at his own words.

His students gulped.

Professor Boyd exhaled. "This, class… this is why Inferi are truly dangerous. They can think. They can talk. They can seem as though they are still alive, still the person they resemble. However, they are not. They never can be," he informed them sadly. "Nothing can bring back the dead, not like that, not how most people would want." He deliberately did not look at Harry.

A moment passed in silence and then two. No one dared speak, terror still lingering in their faces. The teacher simply watched them all, dreading what was to come. Harry gazed pointedly just over Professor Boyd's shoulder, not even wanting to contemplate the horror of having to face a loved one like that. His chest felt incredibly tight, and his breathing was labored as an image of Inferi James and Lily Potter floated through his head.

"Now," the professor began again.

The entire class jumped at his voice.

"My apologies," he added after their hearts had started beating again. "Now, powerful casters don't always make them as thus. They can still enchant weaker Inferi, especially if they are unwilling to part with large amounts of magic or put much effort into it. However, it is still a possibility. One you should always be vigilant against."

Echoes of Mad-Eye Moody rang in his head, and the tightness in Harry's chest eased. The image shifted as Hermione laid her hand on his wrist and squeezed it tightly. His mind now supplied him with the visual of Inferi Hermione, Inferi Ron, Inferi Albus… Inferi Luna.

He trembled, but the warm and welcoming presence of Hogwarts quickly calmed his thoughts. The reborn Salazar sighed with relief and looked up, only to see the professor gazing at him with knowing eyes.

His look easily conveyed his message, "We will talk about this later."

The teenager barely nodded, but it was good enough for the vampire.

"There is one good thing to note about the creation of zombies and Inferi, however," the Defense professor inserted smoothly, as though he hadn't just been having a silent conversation. "There is a time limit on the viability of corpses for the process. Those who have been dead for longer than a month cannot be used. So after that time, at least you do not have that to worry over."

Hermione, of course, raised her hand. "Professor, how long does the enchantment last? I mean how long do they…" she trailed off as she searched for the right way to phrase her question.

"How long do the undead last?" the Defense professor questioned for her, and she nodded. "Once again, it depends on the skill of the caster and whether they regularly update the spells. Normally, without updates, they would exist for several weeks. Even with strengthening the spells, most only last a few years." He hesitated and considered whether he should actually tell them the next part. "Yet, there have been cases of Inferi that were sustained for years, decades on the strength of the original enchantment alone. Those are incredibly rare, thankfully, so I do not believe we will truly have to worry about that."

The class looked somewhat stumped. Parvati raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Patil."

"Why are there Inferi that can last so long?" the Indian girl asked.

"It goes back to the power involved. The strength of the magic put in to keep the bodies from completely deteriorating," the man responded, moving to sit on the edge of his desk. "You see, Miss Patil. When the undead are created, spells are laced throughout to prevent them from decomposing, breaking down. Most people can only delay the onset of it or slow down the process."

"Like with the Preserving charms used on flowers," Neville inserted, actually speaking for once. He noticed the others looking at him with interest, still not used to him answering sensibly.

Professor Boyd smiled. "Precisely, Mr. Longbottom, like Preserving charms. However, some people are strong enough to make the spells last much longer." He again hesitated, unsure if he really should voice the next part. "There are even rumors of those powerful enough to make them permanent, much like the Everlasting Iris in the legends of La Muerte and her mate."

"Powerful enough to last forever?" Seamus asked, rather bug-eyed. "Like You-Know-Who? Could he do that?"

A murmur of unease ran through the class.

The Defense teacher sighed. "I honestly do not know the answer to that, Mr. Finnegan. I honestly do not know." He spoke more to himself than to them. "Though, I sincerely hope never to find out."


Things to think about: Tristan Slytherin is lurking in the background, even if he doesn't yet remember the past. La Muerte is, too, though nobody ever seems to comment on her. More of her will be in the second story. Yes, she is important in the long run. There is a Merlin sub-plot, which will mention King Arthur and Morgana le Fey. It does have some important and relevance to this fic. There is also more to the Bellatrix not-so-sub sub-plot.

To everyone who reviewed: Thanks.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Healing and Hope


Ever Hopeful,

Azar

Updated and Edited:

06/25/08