There was an odd tension in the air and Ranma Saotome knew what it was. He was so out of place in England but it was never more apparent then after the incident in Hogsmead. Perhaps it was because he spent a good amount of time in a woman's body that he could relate to the issue. He'd endured only a mild version of it when his first kiss had been stolen, still if there was one thing that he did fear more than cats it would have been the fact that someone might have tried to take advantage of him while he was in his female form. It was because of that that he understood to a degree the reason behind Akane's pent up anger with the hentai horde and Kuno in particular.

"You are still seething about the weekend," Snape stated. That he had remarked at all signaled that he was slightly interested in the topic.

"I am," Ranma replied. Breakfast at the staff table provided the pair with ample opportunity to discuss the issue as none of the other professors seated by them actually had that meal in the great hall as those professors tended to take the meal in their offices as they prepared for their classes. Monday breakfasts though were usually only attended by the professors that actually resided in the castle.

"Is it because you are a woman half the time?"

"Yeah, I guess," he grumbled. "One of my" he fumbled for the right words to describe her "friends used to be so angry at guys. Well she still is, but she had reason to. One of the guys at the school she attended had said that only someone who could best her deserved to date her. Every morning when she came to school she'd have to fight her way through a horde of guys intent on 'winning' the right to take her out."

Snape raised a brow at that.

"She beat them all of course, every morning until she graduated." That was as close to the truth as he could make it.

"That sounds terrible," Severus admitted.

"I get that many of the boys here can't put themselves in my shoes much less the shoes of their female classmates, but there are some who are brothers to sisters, and of course sons to a mother. What if it were their sister or mother that had fallen victim to what had happened to Crabbe or Goyle?"

"Who is to say that that hadn't happened? There is a reason why many families force their children into a marriage. Some hope that sharing the responsibility in raising a child will bring them together, but most simply ignore the plight of the mother or father and focus on the fact that a bloodline is to be carried on."

Despite the injustice he felt, Ranma knew that his peer's words had a ring of truth to them. Society, both magical and non-magical, seemed to overlook those transgressions for a variety of reason.

"Most magical marriages are themselves a magical ritual that protects groom and bride from being further compelled, at least magically," Severus explained. "That is why married individuals are not affected by most love potions. The typical love potion is in fact relatively ineffective when first brewed, but over time they become more effective. Freshly brewed, a single dose tends to last only a few minutes but the same potion given even a day to ferment will be ten times as effective. For Crabbe and Goyle to have been that infatuated the brew would have to have been months old. That means that whomever slipped their victim's hair into it would have had to put that final ingredient in before the start of the term.

"Unfortunately we will likely never know who dosed them. Fudge seems more intent on dragging Dumbledore's name through the mud and most incidents involving love potions are overlooked. Unless it was Dumbledore and were it not for your intervention nothing would have been made of it. At most the aggrieved families might have demanded a high reverse dowry and set a strict prenuptial that favored their daughter, but that is it. If the girls were from low standing families or were Muggle-born then nothing might have come of it."

The reality of the situation did not sit well with Ranma. Love potions might seem to be funny and harmless, but in truth they weren't. Muggle baiting was supposed to be against the law, but there were actually few instances where such behavior was punished as most magi were smart enough to avoid being caught. It was only when another mage was the secondary victim that the Ministry took note, and even then it depended on the victim's family and how much influence they had within the Ministry.

Inspiration hit him as he watched several students departing the great hall. He had only a bit of time before his first class but there were things that he'd need to do before the lesson.

Few Hogwarts students looked forward to History of Magic. It was one of the simple truths. The idea that a ghost taught the class might appeal to some of the younger muggle-born students but it had long since vanished for Ginny. The only good thing about Monday mornings was that History of Magic was a single period before Defense. That class had easily become her favorite and not only because her sensei taught the subject, but because she felt a burning desire to learn all she could so as not to fall victim to another incident such as she had back in her first year. This single period of History of Magic was a chance for her to brush up on her Defense homework and prepare for that class.

Claiming one of the front desks she found herself seated beside Colin. The lanky boy was usually the one she found herself paired with as he was the fifth wheel in his dorm but had slowly gained the favor of his peers but was still the odd man out when it came to finding a seat in their classes.

"What's this?" the dirty blond remarked as he tried stuffing his camera under his seat.

Ginny glanced at foil wrapped chocolate. "Maybe we're going to learn to do the Patronus Charm." It was supposed to be advanced magic, but Harry had mastered the spell in his third year and she was now in her fourth year.

"Cool." Colin was easily impressed by virtually everything magical. As a muggle-born he had not been exposed to magic until he'd received his acceptance letter.

The other students began to file in, claiming their seats and remarking at the chocolate at their desks. Some didn't even bother to consider why it was there in the first place and began to unwrap the chocolates before quickly consuming them.

"Isn't it more effective after exposure to a dementor?" Colin asked before he began to follow everyone else's example.

"I think she looks really great in pink." She wasn't sure who had said it, but several boys were nodding their heads.

"I'm sure he'd look lovely in nice robes."

"I really do like a mature woman."

"Maybe he'll notice me if I buy him a nice broom."

"I hear she likes kittens."

"I'm going to buy an irresistible kitten so that she'll want to come by and check it out."

"No way – I'm going to charm a broom to do all the cleaning for him!"

"She's not going to like you if you're allergic to cats!"

There were so many conversations going on at once that she couldn't keep up with what half of the class was saying. Instinctively she knocked the chocolate out of Colin's hand.

"You're not going to be able to ask her out if I beat you to it!"

"Why would she like a repulsive git like you? You've got nothing going for you!"

"I'm going to get detention just so I can spend time with him – then he'll see how much I love him!"

"You're not going to get detention if you're in the hospital wing!"

"Screw class! I need to see her right now!"

"He'll notice me if I get dirt everywhere!"

"You're not going anywhere!"

"Which one of you did this?!"

"Why can't I get out of my seat? Which one of you did this?"

"When I get out of my seat you're gonna"

"Not if I beat you to it!"

"Shut up you cow!"

"Let me introduce you to my fist!"

"When I'm done with you no one's going to want to do anything with you!"

"When I get out of this seat"

"Shut up!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Uh… why do I feel so filthy?"

"Why do I feel like I want to throw up?"

"I, I can't believe I wanted to do that with her…."

"I can't believe I was willing to do that for her…"

"He's so repulsive… why did I even want to do that for him?"

"Wow, not even five minutes," Professor Saotome exclaimed from the front of the class. "I gotta say, love potions really aren't that fun."

"You dosed us with a love potion?" Colin asked, eyeing the chocolate that had been knocked out of his hand.

"Five points to Creevey, Ginny, and Price for not eating the chocolate." Professor Saotome continued to watch as the rest of the class regained their senses. "How did it feel to not be able to control yourselves? Davies?"

"I feel sick," the raven haired Slytherin stated. "How could I ever feel that way about him?"

"Who?" Collin asked aloud.

"Mr. Filch," Ginny answered. "You had the girls all fall in love with Mr. Filch."

"Five points for Gryffindor. Yes Mister Price?"

"You had the boys fall in love with the High Inquisitor, right?"

"Five points." Knowing him as she did, she knew why her sensei did not like to use her last name or say Slytherin as he tended to annunciate the L's as R's when he wasn't using a translation charm.

"You chose the most repulsive people because you wanted us to know how it felt to not be in control of our thoughts and actions," Price concluded.

The professor nodded.

Ginny couldn't help but wonder if their lesson today had anything to do with what had happened during the Hogsmead visit. It was not unusual for someone to try and slip a love potion into someone else's food or drink, but for it to get to the point where someone had actually tried to force themselves upon someone else though was not usual.

She'd often overheard her father speaking of how witches and wizards often dosed pretty/handsome muggles and ultimately how those incidents were brushed aside and the muggle victim had his or her memories altered. Yes, love potions were sold at joke shops like Zonko's, but the joke was often on the defenseless muggles or underaged witches/wizards.

For the remainder of their class the students took turns tasting the remaining chocolates, trying to see if they could actually fight the magical compulsion or identify the taste of the different low level love potions, and discussing how they could identify others who were under the influence of a love potion and what they could do to about it. They also discussed different love potions as the effects varied depending on the ingredients used. Infatuation and obsession were the most common effects, but others lowered the victim's inhibitions, others made the victims feel lustful rather than love, and then there were the effects of taking more than a single dose.

"I want a full page on how to protect yourself from a love potion for next class."

As the students began to pick up their things Ginny watched as Colin approached her sensei, "I think my brother's been dosed with a love potion."

"Why do you say that?" Ranma asked as he focused his attention on the students that were left in the classroom.

"He's been going on and on about Tracy Davies," Colin stated. "It started after the Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match"

"The chocolates that Goyle wanted to steal from Dennis," Ginny remarked.

Colin nodded, "She sent them to him. I didn't think anything of it at the time but since then he's been over the moon mad about her, though she seems to be pretty mad about him too. They went to Hogsmead together but then"

"Vincent and Gregory tried to attack Dennis," Ranma finished. "They wanted to get rid of the competition as it were, but then I intervened."

"I thought that they were just picking on him because, you know, Gryffindor and Slytherin, but if they ate the wrong chocolates they might have been under a love potion as well." Colin appeared to be overwhelmed by everything as he went from angry to defensive to protective to remorseful.

"There's nothing we can do about it other than keep an eye on them both." Both fourth years stared at him. "Well, you could try to find the antidote and brew it for them or keep them from eating those chocolates, or anything else that might have the love potion in it. As long as they're in Hogwarts they should have some protection from the love potion, but I'll have to speak with the Headmaster and Professor Snape about the protections that the school has and if love potions are covered."

Okay, that made a little more sense. Still, it did seem odd that he'd go from being anti-love potions to sort of brushing it under the rug.

"I hear Miss Lovegood brews a good love potion antidote," the professor added. "You might want to enlist her aid in this endeavor."

"The plan failed," Theodore stated.

"That's unfortunate," Draco shrugged, acting as though he were as interested in what was now old news as he was in the bit of history that Professor Bins was trying to impart on them. "It's a good thing you managed to get inside."

"We're going to need to cover our tracks," the taller boy stated. "They" he indicated Crabbe and Goyle "might be idiots but they opened a can of worms when they ate the sweets that they weren't supposed to."

"They're only here for muscle."

"Then keep them in line," there was an edge to his voice. He had expected them to fail, but he had not expected them to be busted by sensei. "We're going to need a passable patsy."

"You'll have to find one," Draco whispered. "Pansy's already got her hands full with the girls and she's running out of love potion. I doubt that the Headmaster or the High Inquisitor is going to let our mail go unchecked so we're running to be out of love potion soon."

"It'll be worse if someone brews an antidote."

Draco paled at the prospect. If the love potion's effects were simply allowed to wear off those dosed might feel slightly embarrassed at what they'd done, but if they were given the antidote they'd know that they had been under the influence of a love potion and they'd feel embarrassed about what they'd done. "How much did we give them?"

"You gave them each a box after the match so twelve doses."

"So the effects should be wearing off soon."

"Didn't you plan to give them another box each when they were in Hogsmead?"

"Crabbe and Goyle ate those. That's why they were so fixated on little Davies."

"It's good that I'm the one doing the real dirty work," Theodore finally muttered. "If it were left to you I daresay that your plan would have already failed."

The tolling of the clock tower bells told them that their class was over and that they would have but a few minutes to make it to their next class. History of Magic was the best opportunity for them to discuss the inner affairs of Slytherin. Few actually paid attention to the ghost, and as Slytherin was paired with Hufflepuff, there was little chance of students from either house interacting. As the children of ancient and noble pure blood houses, both Draco and Theodore knew of the past conflicts as their own houses were likely involved in some form.

Theodore knew that Draco feared that Nott was trying to subvert him. By putting himself out there as a spy for the Dark Lord he was risking much but also in position to be richly rewarded when things ultimately worked out in the Dark Lord's favor. Unfortunately Draco might also be a foil for Theodore while he played the dangerous role of double agent. That Draco was interested in Theodore's mission meant that the other boy was feeling threatened and looking to take advantage of things regardless of outcome.

Draco might be distracted with the upcoming Quidditch match against Gryffindor and the Halloween festivities, but those were only immediate rewards. Still, it was something that Theodore could use against him.

An air of excitement filled Hogwarts. Harry wasn't sure why, but Halloween was a really big deal in the Wizarding World. In truth few of the muggle-raised students understood the significance of the holiday, but they were all for enjoying a good party. The festivities though were lost on his sensei as the foreign born mage had instead opted to pull Harry out of his evening classes and left the other apprentices to train under Shampoo's watchful eyes.

"Sensei, where are we going?" he finally asked once the others were out of earshot.

"Godrick's Horrow," the raven haired man replied.

"Do you mean Godrick's Hollow?"

"You know what I mean."

Though his joke had lightened the mood, Harry could tell that there was a more somber tone to their trip. "Why are we going there?"

"There is a matter that needs to be handled," Ranma replied. "As your pack leader, I am recognized as your legal guardian, but I'm not the only one."

Harry stiffened.

"As your alpha there aren't many secrets you can keep from me, though honestly, it was Ginny that told me." Cool blue eyes locked with bright green ones. "The Headmaster would prefer that we not do this, but as your guardian there are things that must be done."

"Such as?"

"In the West you have a celebration for the dead, as do the Japanese. I may not be a man with many traditions, but I do believe in paying respects to the departed. As you are the only member of the pack whose parents are deceased, I felt that it was appropriate for us to visit their grave."

"How are we getting there?" Harry asked. His heart was racing. He'd never thought about visiting his parents' graves or about that fateful night when they'd died protecting him.

"We will be apparating," it was not his sensei who answered but Professor McGonagall.

Harry blinked, unsure what to make of this turn of events.

"I can't apparate," Ranma shrugged. "And the Headmaster thinks we may need to make a quick getaway to avoid drawing too much attention."

As Sensei was not using a translation charm, Harry was not sure if his sensei had used the right words or not.

Once the trio was clear of the school's protective wards Ranma and Harry intertwined an arm with Professor McGonagall as they stood on opposite sides of her. Something pulled at Harry's stomach, nearly making him retch. One moment he had been a few feet away from Hogwarts the next he found himself in the midst of a cemetery.

"There you are," a familiar voice greeted them.

"Sirius?" It took a moment for him to comprehend that he had reached to embrace the scruffy man that was his Godfather.

"Harry," it was a warm, heartfelt hug enveloped the youth.

"So you're the guy Dumbledore thought could replace Moody?" a second voice said addressed his sensei.

"And sought to replace me," Sirius added as he pulled away from Harry.

"The kid wanted to be my apprentice," Ranma shrugged. "You must be Serious Brack."

The other man chuckled.

"And Remus Rupin."

It was Sirius' turn to chuckle as his friend's expense.

"We should head further in," Professor McGonagall suggested.

She was right. Being seen with his Godfather would undo much of what they had accomplished with the study club that Ron and Padma had started. Though there were many people walking the streets there would likely be a few who would make their way into the cemetery once the sweets were no longer being passed about.

With Remus and Professor McGonagall leading the way the group quickly found his parents' headstone and graves. It was simple white marble but it felt as though Harry was being hit by a hefty bludger to the stomach. Through the tears he could make out the engraving of his parents' names, the date of their respective births and death along with a single phrase "The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

He was only slightly aware of the fact that his sensei had lit a curious lantern and hung close to the grave. The warm, dim light was not enough to illuminate the area or the faces of those present, but it did make it obvious to others in the graveyard that they were present.

"So, what do we do now?" Sirius asked.

"I believe that we are to make an offering to the spirits of the departed," Remus suggested.

Ranma shrugged, "First we wash the gravestone." Producing a bucket full of water and ladle he handed it to Harry. "Then we light some incense." They all took turns dousing the marble with water before taking a stick of incense to light and place before the gravestone. "Now we leave an offering."

Where he produced the basket of food and carved vegetables from Harry didn't know. What did nag at him though was the curious shape of the carved vegetables.

"They're supposed to represent horses for the departed to ride into the beyond," Ranma explained. Glancing around, he finally turned to Lupin. "Is there a river or lake nearby?"

Lupin nodded.

Taking the curiously shaped basket (and food) and the lantern, Ranma gestured for Remus to lead the way. Once at the water's edge, he handed the basket to Harry before placing the still lit lantern in it. "Place it on the water – it will guide them on."

They watched as the lantern and the hand-made basket/boat was carried past the bend before the five of them departed. He was too wrapped up in the little ceremony to listen to the adults as they hastily conversed in hushed tones. Before he knew it Sirius and Lupin were embracing him again before vanishing into the night. The trip back to Hogwarts was unsettling, but only because he did not like the way apparating made him feel. Still, it hadn't been as bad the second time around.

The feast had yet to start but the decorations were all in place as Harry returned to Hogwarts with his sensei and the head of his house. Upon seeing how the other apprentices were handling Shampoo's training he was almost glad that he'd missed it. The others were spent physically, he was spent emotionally.

He barely tasted the food, and as he had not endured the evening training he probably did not consume as much as he had recently become accustomed to. Even as the festivities continued in the common room, Harry retreated to his dorm. He barely registered that his roommates had followed after him.

"Long day?" it was Ron.

"Yeah." He was still trying to process everything.

"Wanna play some exploding snape?" That was Seamus.

"Here," Neville set five glasses on the nightstand beside Harry's bed before pulling out a bottle. Harry found himself sitting up.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean's voice held a bit of awe at the usually quiet and reserved member of their dorm.

"That can't be real," Ron exclaimed.

Pouring out equal measures into each glass, Neville grabbed a cup and quickly quaffed the contents. His face contorted as the liquid scorched his throat and he managed to not cough, though he did appear to be breathing fire as he exhaled. Shaking his head he poured himself another. "That's why it's called firewhisky."

The other boys eyed the glasses warily. They'd often spoken of how they'd brazenly acquire a bottle of the powerful liquor, but for one of them to have actually done so, well, that was unexpected at this juncture.

"Where'd you get that?" All five head turned to the entrance of their dorm room. It was not Hermione as they had initially feared, but Ginny could be just as intimidating.

"I bartered for it with Endeis," Neville stated as he brandished a pair of bottles. "This is centaur made (the one on his right hand) and this is the stuff that they serve at the Hog's Head."

"You lot best stick with the stuff they serve at the Head," Ginny advised as she conjured a glass for herself. "I'll have some of the centaur brew."

"You think we can't handle the good stuff?" Dean asked incredulously.

She eyed the tall Gryffindor, "Not if you want to make it to breakfast."

"Good point," Neville replied as he poured her a single measure. "We'll save the rest of the good stuff for when O.W.L.'s are over. We can work on developing our tolerance with the other bottle."

Taking up the glass, Harry waited for Neville as the pourer and provider to make a toast.

"This batch was made before we were born," Neville said as they all stood tall. "I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a good thing, but whatever. Still, I'd like to think that it was made during dark times in hopes of a bright future. Unfortunately we may be headed back towards dark times once again.

"I've been told that we're too young to remember when Halloween wasn't celebrated as it is now, but the reason why Witches and Wizards in England celebrate it as we do is because this night, fourteen years ago, Voldemort" Dean, Ron, and Seamus nearly dropped their glasses "snuck into the Potter's house but he didn't walk out triumphantly as he'd envisioned he would. Since then Halloween's been a night to celebrate Voldemort's defeat."

Neville turned to Harry, "This is for those who were lost during the last war."

The fire whisky was strong, but smooth. He did not taste is so much as feel it burn his throat. Something about the liquor as it hit his stomach made him want to belch. Instead a short burst of cool flame erupted from his mouth, from all their mouths.

"And that's why they call it 'fire whisky'," Ginny said as she grasped the handle of the second bottle. "I doubt this bottle will be as smooth as the centaur's." Like Neville, she poured them each a small measure before standing before them all.

"Halloween's a night for those who have passed. It's only fitting then that we remember those who were lost, even if it was before our time. Mum doesn't talk about them much, but she lost a pair of brothers during the last war. They were twins, just like our Fred and George – to Fabian and Gideon Prewett."

Ginny had been correct – the Hog's Head bottle was harsher than the other bottle but didn't have as strong an alcoholic kick. Still, the flames that erupted were larger and hotter than before. The others save for Neville and Ginny, had felt the kick of the second drink and were now seated on Ron's bed. Harry took the bottle from Ginny and repeated the process.

"What's going on here?" This time it was Hermione.

"What's it look like?" Ron replied as he stood up. "We're honoring the departed."

There was a look of indignant fury on the other Prefect's face as she drew her wand. Suddenly the door closed as she marched on them. The boys fumbled to keep their drink from spilling even as they tried to retreat from her advance. "You didn't invite me?!"

"Sorry," Neville mumbled as he conjured her a glass. Taking his original bottle, he poured some for Hermione before handing her the glass. "That one was for everyone who was lost in the first war with Voldemort."

Harry had expected the other boys to flinch but the liquid courage seemed to be kicking in as they held their ground this time.

Settling in between Harry and Neville, she steeled her resolve. Down the hatch went Hermione's drink and a burst of blue flames startled everyone as the usually bookish girl reacted to the liquor.

Ginny grabbed the bottle back from Harry and poured a second drink for Hermione, "That's for my mom's brothers – Fabian and Gideon Prewett."

Taking a breath to compose herself, Hermione took the second drink. This time green flames erupted.

"And this is the one I'm about to give," Harry added as he reclaimed the bottle from Hermione.

"Wait! Why aren't we drinking the one Neville's got?" Hermione interrupted.

"We're saving the rest of this for after O.W.L.'s." Neville said as he put the bottle on the dresser, "unless anyone else is going to join us."

"Fred and George must have slipped out to knick some more food and drinks," the bushy haired girl stated as she sat on Harry's bed.

Reclaiming his position before the others, Harry held his glass high prompting everyone to stand again. "This is for Cedric Diggory – the first casualty of this second war with Voldemort."

The already somber mood could not be undone by the fire whisky as the teens sat on Harry and Ron's beds.

Perhaps it was the liquor hitting her smaller frame, but Hermione took the bottle from Harry, reaching around him and handing it to Neville. "Shouldn't you toast your parents?"

Her words hit Neville with as much force as the blow he had landed to break Draco's jaw. It was as though her words had banished the alcohol that he recently imbibed. "They're not dead."

The usually clever girl was perplexed by his words. Harry could tell that the others were just as shocked at the revelation. "But you live with your grandmother."

It was more than just anger in Neville's usually timid eyes – it was hate, fury and a mix of other dark, powerful emotions that Harry could only guess at. "They're not dead." Hands trembling, he pushed the offered bottle back to Hermione. Instead he reached for the first bottle.

"I don't understand," Hermione whimpered. Her eyes were glued to Neville.

Dean and Seamus averted their eyes. Harry couldn't help but wonder if Neville had shared that information with them or if they had also figured it out. Even Ron, the least tactful of the group, did not say anything.

Pouring himself a large glass, Neville took a large gulp. Instead of exhaling flames though he forced air into his lungs before finally expelling a long blast of bright red flame. "My parents were attacked after Voldemort had been defeated. They were at home when Barty Couch Jr. came calling. They knew him from the Ministry and his father was a high ranking official with the Ministry at the time. Unfortunately they didn't know that he was a Death Eater. Most of those loyal to Voldemort had either sworn that they were compelled through the Imperious Curse or had already been captured, but there were still a few fanatics hiding in the shadows.

"Couch and the Lestranges attacked my parents because they thought my parents might know something about what happened to their master. They used the Cruciatus Curse on my parents."

Tears streamed down Neville's face though he refused to wipe them.

"When the Aurors arrived my parents were still alive, but they couldn't…." Neville took another gulp of the liquid courage. "Last year after our first Defense class, Pro- the man pretending to be Professor Moody – said that theirs was a fate worse than death. They were cursed into insanity."

Harry could feel his heart beating even as he fought back the tears. He'd known the truth for a few months and he thought he'd been emotionally drained from the trip to Godrick's Hollow, but the tears were proof that he was not drained, merely momentarily numbed.

None of the others in the room could say anything. Even the inebriated Hermione failed to find anything to say. Actions though spoke louder than words as Ginny took the bottle from Neville and poured some of the dark amber liquid into everyone but Neville's glass. Setting the bottle down she gave him a soothing hug before wiping the tears from his and her eyes. "This one's for the future – may we never feel the need to be so somber on Halloween again."

"May we be sober for Halloween next year," Hermione giggled.

Harry raised his glass, "To the future."