Standard disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR. Thank you JKR for letting us play with your toys.
I will continue to use the occasional song lyric in the story and will give credit at the time when needed.
This is the fifth book in my Slytherin Harry series.
Book 1: Harry Potter and the Muggle's Daughter
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor's Daughter
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
If you haven't read books 1-4 you won't know what's going on. But the bonus is you've got four completed books before you even get to this one!
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
CHAPTER III
Lemonade
Lily focused on the six members of the youth brigade as she had dubbed them. She, Remus and Bill had just informed them of something called the Triwizard Tournament to be hosted at Hogwarts this year. "Do I need to tell you what will happen if I find any of you has tried to enter this?" she asked.
"You just said you had to be seventeen," Harry said. Mum glared at him. "Right, sorry. I swear I won't try to enter a tournament I'm too young to enter."
"I'm serious, Harry," she warned. "People die competing in this. There's a reason it hasn't been held in over a hundred years."
"Then why are they holding it this year?" Hermione asked.
"Because Minister Fudge was looking for a distraction," Daphne said.
"Exactly," Remus said.
"A tournament that routinely sees children killed as a distraction," Luna said. "He really should have eaten more beat salad."
The others turned to her. "The Borneo Borer?" Hermione asked.
"Precisely," Luna answered.
"Why don't they just cancel it?" Neville asked.
"Amelia tried," Bill said. "The delegations from Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and the governments supporting them weren't receptive."
"So?" Harry asked. "Let them have it. They can call it the, Child Gladiators, don't worry, no one's died in over a hundred years only because we haven't held it for a hundred years, Tournament.
"Look," Mum said, ignoring him. "The tournament is going to be held. There is nothing that can be done about it. You six are to stay as far away from anything to do with it as possible."
"Even the ball?" Hermione asked.
Mum sighed. "Yes, of course, you can go to the ball."
"Brilliant." Hermione turned to Luna. "Luna, would you do me the honor of attending the Yule Ball with me?"
Luna beamed at her. "I'd love to." She leaned over and pecked Hermione on the nose.
"Barf," Harry muttered. Both girls kicked him. "Oww! I was kidding."
HPHPHP
Eliminated Before They Even Get to Bulgaria!
In typical fashion, what just months ago was thought to be England's best hope for a return to World Cup glory since the Flying Lions won it all in 1886, England have flamed out and not even qualified for the finals later this month in Bulgaria.
Of course things went wrong for the Lions months ago with the attack at the Harpies vs Falcons match during the League playoffs when their star keeper, Marcus Flint, was killed by unknown assailants.
The IQF took a very dim view of those events and, with the mark of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named barely faded from the Welsh skies, yanked the hosting rights of the World Cup tournament from England and awarded it to Bulgaria.
Fans of the Lions should have known things were doomed even before Wales' Gwenog Jones launched a bludger into the skull of England slasher phenom Charlie Weasley in the opening ten minutes of yesterday's match. Down two of their expected starters, Wales ensured England's run of World Cup futility will continue till at least 1998 with a 780-500 win.
"Charlie?" Ginny asked.
"What?" he demanded from his bed.
Ginny edged into his room; pulling the plate she'd hidden behind her back into view. "I made you some biscuits." He stared at the plate of freshly baked shortbread. She gave him a tentative smile. He sagged for a second before tossing the paper on the floor.
"Milk too?" he asked hopefully.
Ginny grinned. "Bet your arse." She pulled her other hand from behind her back, revealing a large jug of milk.
He patted the bed. "Get over here." She quickly joined him.
"Mmm," he sighed. "You always made the best biscuits." He grabbed the jug and chugged right from. Ginny smiled around her mouthful. Five minutes and twice as many biscuits later Charlie sighed happily and leaned back against the headboard. "Thanks, Sprite."
"They'd have won if you hadn't got hit," she said. He focused on her. "Really."
Charlie reached over and pulled her into his lap. "Thanks, Sprite."
Ginny snuggled into him. "I love you, Charlie."
He kissed her crown. "You too, Sprite."
HPHPHP
"You're not joking, are you?"
Recently elected Minister of Magic Amelia Bones smiled humorously. "I wish I could say I was, Rufus." Rufus Scrimgeour, also newly elected to the position of Director of the DMLE slowly sat back in his chair. Amelia filled a tumbler from the decanter on the cabinet and offered it to him. Credit where it was due, his hand didn't shake as he accepted it. She sat down across from him. "You can understand why I didn't want to have this meeting in my office," she said.
Rufus eyed Lords Black and Greengrass carefully. "And how much am I not being told?"
"Only our most closely guarded secrets," Anders said.
"We're the public face of our group," Sirius said. "Also the financial backers."
"There is one other entity," Amelia said. "But I think we'll leave that for our next meeting."
"Haven't you told me rather more than you should if you don't trust me?"
"Most probably," Amelia conceded.
"Next time?"
"I will present your case," Amelia said.
Rufus leaned forward slightly. "Forgive me, Minister, but you sound as if you might be compromised."
She smiled tightly. "There will be a contingent of twenty aurors arriving from the United States the day after tomorrow. A further seven from Canada and five from Germany will join them. They will bolster our ranks till we can bring our own corps back up to sufficient levels."
Rufus cocked a brow. "That's awful neighborly of them."
"Not so neighborly as you might think," Sirius said. "We're paying their wages plus a premium to their Ministries. We're also funding their auror academies for however long we keep them."
"By we," Amelia said, "Lord Black means our unnamed backer."
"I see," Rufus said.
"Tomorrow I'll introduce legislation to immediately bolster our own Auror Corps by inducting a new class of ten cadets. A second class of ten will be added and begin training as soon as you can fill it. Lord Black and Lord Greengrass will pledge the funding to pay for it."
Rufus stared at her incredulously. "Where the hell am I going to find twenty qualified recruits, transfigure them from toads?"
"If we need to suspend the potion N.E.W.T. requirement and train them remedially, we'll do it." She tossed a file on the table. "As of right now, those are your uncompromised aurors. The rest may be clean, or they may not." She tossed another file on the table. "I've uncovered five Unspeakables who were active Death Eaters and another dozen who were at least sympathizers. Evidence indicates Director Croaker may be acting under the Imperious."
"Merlin's balls," Rufus gasped.
Amelia tossed three more files on the table. "Those are the investigations into the escape of Peter Pettigrew, the abduction of Astoria Greengrass and Harry Potter last Christmas; as well as the attack at the Falcon/Harpy match. I want every accused Death Eater who got off investigated. I want every remaining auror investigated. I want to know who took Harry and Astoria. I want to know who ordered that attack, and I want to know which son-of-a-bitch broke Pettigrew out of Azkaban." Obviously shaken, Rufus stared at the files. She tossed a last file on the table. "Also, Berth Jorkins out of International Magical Cooperation seems to have gone missing. Find out what happened to her.
"Missing?" he asked.
"I hope you like your office, Director," Amelia said. "You're going to be spending a lot of time there."
HPHPHP
Bill edged his way up the overgrown path. Wild hedgerows pressed in on both sides, forming a canopy of overhanging branches. It had been so long since anyone had been down the path he was forced to duck and maneuver past many branches to avoid getting scratched up.
"Tell me again why we're not using magic?" Sirius muttered.
Bill ignored him, the reason for not using magic was well discussed already. They wanted to leave as few traces behind for someone to find as possible. The track soon opened to a small clearing surrounded by a copse of gnarled old trees. Their branches spread overhead leaving only a very small circle in the middle to allow a shaft of bright light to filter down on a dilapidated old shack. The whole thing was covered in velvety green moss and was missing good sections of at least one wall. There was even a slender ash tree pushing through a hole in the roof. Frankly, it looked like a good sneeze would topple the whole mess. Bill stopped a step outside the clearing.
Sirius stepped next to Bill. "I think I'll skip contacting my agent." He moved to go past.
Bill stuck his arm in front of him. "I told you to stay behind me."
"Sorry," Sirius said.
"Stay here and don't move," Bill said.
"Like, for real don't move, or just stay in this general vicinity?"
"Don't go in the clearing and don't go more than ten feet back up the path."
Sirius shifted uncomfortably. "Are you havin' a laugh?"
"Nope." Bill popped the 'P' loudly.
"What?" Sirius yelped. "Are you seriously telling me we found something?" Bill was edging his way around the shack, being careful to stay just outside the actual clearing.
"Yep." He popped the 'P' again.
"What?"
"No idea."
"Then how do you know we found something?" Bill had disappeared behind the shack by now.
"Because we crossed a barrier of Repelling, Confundus and Misdirection spells about a hundred yards back."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sirius demanded. "Why the hell didn't you say something?"
Bill reappeared on the opposite side of the shack. "Cause we're not in any danger yet and I like fucking with your head." He made his way back to Sirius where he stood beside him with his arms crossed while contemplating the shack.
Sirius glowered at him. "I hope Harry is shaggin' your sister."
Bill snorted. "Lily would kill him." The two stood in silence for a few moments.
"What are you thinking?"
"Trying to decide if we can enter the clearing without getting killed or if it's just when we enter the shack we have to worry." He shrugged. "Nothing for it." He stepped forward. "Arrrgghhh!" he screamed. He dropped to the ground where he convulsed a couple of times before falling still.
"Bloody Hell!" Sirius cried. "Bill!" He took a half step forward before stopping himself. He drew his wand and traced an intricate pattern in the air that left a web of glowing lines resembling a dream-catcher. He then gently blew on the dream-catcher. It floated past the edge of the clearing and kept going.
Bill sat up and waved his wand at the drifting web of magic. It vanished and he turned to Sirius. "You've just passed curse-breaking 101; not getting yourself killed by blindly running in after the poor sod who just got himself killed."
Sirius stared at Bill for a second before sagging to the ground. "I'm going to kill you."
Bill chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm not joking, Mate. That was good. You're officially now a Curse-Breaker level two." Sirius glowered at him. "For real, Mate." Bill crossed his heart. "Every Curse-Breaker's first field foray is a set up. You just passed."
Sirius flopped to his back. "I quit."
Bill climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. "Being completely serious – and that isn't a pun – stay behind me from now on." He made his way to the shack where he drew another magical dream-catcher in the air. He blew on it and it floated forward to land on the door. The design flamed out, turned to dust and floated away on the still air. Bill tried two more versions of the detection web before the strands of magic twisted and bent into a series of runes. Bill pulled a notebook from his pocket, opened it and then touched the first rune with his wand. He dragged the rune to the notebook where it burned itself onto the page. He repeated the process for the rest of the runes.
Sirius had moved to stand beside him. "Well?" he asked.
Bill redrew the detection web and sent it at the door again. Once more it formed the series of runes that floated in the air. "You tell me," Bill said.
Sirius studied the Rune Tale for a few minutes. "The Blasting Hex first?" he asked.
Bill nodded. "Go ahead." Sirius used his wand to trace the Runic Negation to a Blasting Hex in the air. He banished it at the door and quickly cast a Shield Charm just in case. "Keep going," Bill said. It took another five minutes for Sirius to unravel the Runes and negate the spells on the door. Once finished, Bill drew the detection web again and set it on the door. For a third time the strands bent and twisted into a series of runes. "Well?" he asked.
Sirius examined the Runes. "We're clear, yeah?"
"Yes," Bill said. He pointed his wand at the door. "One – Two…" He cast a gentle Banishing Charm a split second before Sirius cast another Shield Charm. The instant Bill's spell left his wand he stepped to the side. It was a needless gesture because there was nothing on the door they'd missed.
"That was easy," Sirius observed.
"Too easy," Bill agreed. He edged his way into the shack. "Step exactly where I step."
"You really think we he hid one here?"
"Someone hid something here. Who hid it, or what it is, remains to be seen." They edged their way into what appeared to be the main room of the shack. A rotted old couch was set in the middle of the floor while a kitchen lined the wall with the hearth. Three doorways led off the back wall. Bill moved to the door on the left and peered in before moving to the middle door and then the door on the right.
"What do you think?" Sirius hissed.
"I think this room belonged to Merope," he answered.
Sirius peered over his shoulder. "The dressing table?"
"Yep." Bill drew another detection web and sent it floating onto the doorframe. It immediately twisted into another series of runes. Bill pulled out his notebook and quickly set them onto the parchment. He drew the detection web once more and set it in place. Slowly he shook his head. "Too easy." It took him about two minutes to negate the spells on the doorframe. Once finished, he tested the floor but detected nothing. He stood in the door for another few moments before conjuring a large rubber ball. He set it on the floor and gently rolled it into the room. The ball rolled across the floor where it bounced off the bed and ricocheted away. Bill straightened. He tapped his wand against his thigh impatiently. "Too easy," he muttered.
"Seems difficult enough to me," Sirius said.
"Ginny could have unraveled this."
"She could?"
"She might not be able to perform the actual spells yet, but she'd at least know the correct Negations." Bill drew another detection web, pushed it into the room and then sent a little jet of pale blue light at it. The web expanded in size, filling the whole of the room. When the web settled on the dressing table it twisted into yet another set of runes that hung in the air. "Shields on," Bill said. Sirius tapped his wand to the large diamond amulet he was wearing on a chain around his neck. Bill started forward but Sirius grabbed his arm.
"I'll go first."
Bill eyed him. "You sure?"
"If stepping in there sets something off the chances of me getting you out are slim and none."
Bill shrugged and stepped aside. "After you then."
Sirius moved to the edge of the doorway, took a breath and stepped in the room. "Clear," he said quietly.
Bill stepped past him and moved to the dressing table. "I know." It took him only about five minutes to negate the spells on the dressing table.
"Let me guess," Sirius said, when Bill just stood there, "too easy?"
"Don't get me wrong," Bill said. "There's been some nasty stuff in here. And anyone but a curse-breaker would be dead by now. But this isn't even Ptolemaic dynasty."
"I'm not even sure what that means, but I take it you aren't impressed?"
"No. This was designed to be taken apart. It's practically linear in arrangement. I wasn't kidding when I said Ginny could unravel this."
"Then why are you hesitating?"
"Cause the moment you think something's too easy is the moment you end up dead." He pointed his wand at the drawer. "Get the bag ready." Sirius pulled what appeared to be a simple leather sack from his pocket and held it open. "Here goes," Bill said. He used his wand to slide the drawer out. Inside was a tarnished old ring.
Sirius almost reached for it, but as quickly as he thought to Bill had levitated the ring and dropped it in the bag. He grabbed the bag from Sirius and pulled the ties tight. Sirius blinked. "Compulsion Charm?" he asked.
"Probably to put it on," Bill said. "Typical for jewelry type items." Bill dropped a yellowed bit of parchment in the drawer and slid it closed.
"What was that?" Sirius asked.
Bill smirked. "A bit of misdirection."
"Misdirection?" Sirius asked.
"Just a little note from an unnamed Death Eater who discovered old Moldy's secret." Sirius stared at him before pulling the drawer open and leaned over to read the note.
One piece of Tom Marvolo Riddle's soul:
1926–1994
Good luck finding me.
An Unfaithful Servant.
"Nothing like a purge in the ranks," Bill said.
Sirius' eyes widened. "Now that is genius."
"Yeah, well, I'd like to take credit but Lily might kill me."
Sirius shuddered. "Brilliant… A bit scary, but brilliant."
Bill chuckled and started reconstructing the protections and wards. "What's that they say about getting between a mother and her offspring?"
"Don't," Sirius said.
Harry, along with his friends was already up in the loft when the Senile Section, as he had dubbed them, began trickling into the barn. He was far too comfortable; in his favorite spot with a leg hanging out the door, Ginny's hand in his, to even think about moving before he had to. Not a lot had been said over the last few hours. Everyone knew Bill and Sirius had gone to examine the home of Moldyshort's mother, but after three weeks of them combing through the abandoned manor house of his father, they weren't getting their hopes up.
Suddenly Bill and Sirius came out the back door of the house. "They're here," he said. The group climbed to their feet and made their way to the ladder. Harry went last, jumping down about half way. He turned just as Bill and Sirius walked in. Everyone in the Order had gathered for the meeting tonight and they all turned when the last two came in.
"Well?" Mum asked.
Bill grinned and held up the pouch. "We found one." Everyone stared at him in shock. They had been chasing after this moment for over four years. In the case of his Mum and Remus it had been over a decade and they could hardly believe they'd actually taken a tangible step forward in ending Tom Riddle permanently. "I think we may want to do this in our holding cell," Bill said.
"Let's go," Mum said. She marched out of the barn to one of the three little cottages hidden behind the Fidelius Charm and down to the basement that housed the oubliette. Mum handed Harry a large phial of thick black liquid. Harry couldn't help but shudder. He did not have fond memories of his last encounter with basilisk venom.
Bill moved to stand over the opening in the floor. "I'm going to open the bag. You pour the venom in. I'll close it and drop the bag in the oubliette. Sirius, you set the wards the second it hits the floor. No mucking about. You pour when I say pour, got it?"
"Got it," Harry said.
"Right," Sirius agreed. He drew his wand and moved into position.
"Everyone should prepare themselves," Bill warned. "He used a ring to make this thing. It's got a nasty Compulsion Charm that will hit whatever Occlumency shields you have hard. I don't actually know what it will do, but I promise, you do not want to put this thing on." But for Harry, the others backed as far away as they could. "You're up, Mate," Bill said.
Harry hesitated for a second before turning to Ginny and offering her the phial. Her brow furrowed. "I think you've earned the right to as much retribution as possible."
"Harry," Mum said, "we've discussed this before."
"If it mattered, it's too late," he answered. "Besides, Astoria told me it's just the primary fragment that has to be me."
"You're just telling us this now?" Mum demanded. "If it didn't matter why were you acting like it did two seconds ago?"
"Because I was being selfish." He focused on Ginny again. "If you don't want to, that's fine."
She snatched the phial from him. "Give me that."
Harry turned to Daphne. "Next one is yours."
She nodded. "Thank you."
"Let's get on with it, shall we?" Bill said pointedly.
Ginny quickly stepped into position. Bill held the bag over the opening. "Ready?" Ginny tipped the phial so the venom was just on the edge of spilling. "Now." Bill opened the bag and she tipped the contents of the phial in. Ginny experienced one of those moments where the whole world seemed to slow around her. The basilisk venom was very thick and during the few seconds it took to actually drip into the bag she was hit by the desire to reach in the bag and pull the ring out. She flinched, but then the surface tension of the venom broke and it poured from the phial into the pouch. The venom was still spilling into the pouch when an unearthly scream filled the basement. Bill pulled the strings of the pouch closed and dropped it. Sirius quickly activated the wards and the three of them leaned over the opening. They all dove away when an explosion rippled back up at them. The wards were strong enough to contain it though and nothing more than solid thumping of earth was to be felt by those present.
Bill picked himself up and dusted himself off. "Maybe I'll do some work reinforcing those," he said. He leaned over and peered in the oubliette. A tap of his wand took the wards down again. A strange haze of greenish mist and the smell of brimstone wafted up from the opening. Bill waved his wand and banished the offensive haze. "Accio, ring," he said quietly. It flew into his hand. He examined it for a second before flipping it to Ginny. She snagged it out of the air. "And that's two," Bill said.
"How do you know?"
"Because you could never simply summon a Horcrux."
"And you're absolutely certain it was one?" Minister Bones asked.
"Positive… Two sevenths down, five to go."
Ginny turned the ring over to examine it. The metal was rather soft and she suspected it was gold but couldn't be sure. There was also a black stone embedded in it. Ginny frowned. She rubbed the stone with her thumb. There appeared to be something engraved or etched on the surface. She spit on the stone and rubbed it again.
"You could use a scouring charm you know," Hermione said.
Ginny shot her a look before examining the stone again. "There's something on this," she said.
"Probably the Slytherin coat or arms," Bill said. He held his hand out. "We suspected he might have used Slytherin's ring so that makes sense." Ginny handed the ring over.
Bill squinted as he examined it. "Hmm," he said.
"Not Slytherin's?" Remus asked.
Bill tossed it to him. "Nope."
Remus caught the ring and examined it carefully. He sighed dejectedly. "Well, I guess I'll get to work figuring out just whom this belonged to."
"I will take that," a quiet voice spoke. Everyone spun around. Over a dozen wands leveled on the intruder.
"How did you…" Bill started, but trailed off when Ginny, the rest of the youth brigade, and Lily dropped to their knees. The woman before them merely stood there.
"Kneel," Daphne hissed, tugging at her mother and father.
Bill lowered his wand and sank to his knees "Forgive me," he said.
"Done," the newcomer answered.
Hermione tugged her mother and father down. "It's the goddess," she said quietly.
Bill's actions, along with Hermione's words, galvanized everyone else to quickly kneel.
Nimue held her hand out. Remus didn't move. "It is not necessary to be in possession of it to determine whom it belonged to or what it is," the goddess said. Remus glanced at Lily. She nodded. He slowly reached out and placed it in her hand. She held it for a second before quietly saying, "Cousin." A howling wind rose in the room, bringing deathly cold with it. Tendrils of black twisted and formed skeletal fingers that plucked the ring from her palm. As fast as the wind came it was gone. Warmth came when the goddess spoke again. "You please me," she said. "All of you."
"Can you stay?" Luna asked.
The goddess smiled and moved to Luna, reaching to cup her chin. "I'm sorry, I cannot."
"Please? Lily makes the most lovely lemonade."
The goddess bent and kissed her crown. "Such a lovely child," she sighed. And then she was gone.
A tear slid down Luna's cheek. "She never stays anymore."
Ginny moved to her. "It doesn't mean she doesn't love you anymore." She hugged her tightly.
Luna sniffed. "I just miss her."
"I know. I miss her too." Harry, Hermione, Daphne and Neville joined Ginny around Luna.
"Come on, Luna," Harry said.
"Let's go somewhere nice and just sit," Hermione said.
"Can we still have lemonade?"
"Of course you can," Lily said. She wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulder and pulled her along. The seven of them exited the basement, leaving the others, shell-shocked and still on their knees behind.
"I think I need a drink," Sirius said. Though he didn't move.
"I'll get the bottle," Remus said. He didn't move either.
"She invited her to have lemonade," Amelia muttered. The others focused on her. "Lemonade!" Amelia exclaimed. "She invited a goddess to have lemonade."
"I'll get two bottles," Remus said.
Harry and his friends had moved to the back porch after the destruction of the Horcrux and the formal meeting to follow. "It all seems a bit anticlimactic, doesn't it?" Hermione asked. The others all gave her incredulous looks. "Well, aside from the goddess appearing," she added.
"How do you mean?" Neville asked.
"Just… we destroyed a bit of someone's soul tonight," Hermione said. She struggled to find appropriate words. "And until She showed up it all felt rather…"
"Dull," Luna offered.
"I don't know if I'd say that," Hermione said. "I just kind of expected… more."
Harry tipped his head. "Well," Neville said, "considering the last one nearly killed five of us, I'm not going to complain about it being boring."
"Me either," Harry said. He squeezed Ginny's hand. She smiled weakly.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Hermione said. "One can't even begin to measure how much better this was. I just… Well, I don't know what I'm trying to say."
"You're trying to say it can't possibly be this easy, Hermione," Daphne said.
"I should hardly think years of work to identify and find the Horcrux qualifies as easy," Hermione said.
Daphne rolled her eyes, or rather her remaining eye. She had recently exchanged her patch for a glass implant that at least matched the colouring of her good eye, but it was only glass and didn't move in tandem, actually it didn't move at all. Harry knew she hoped to eventually have a magical eye created to replace it, but she wasn't willing to have just a normal one and it was going to take close to a year to create a replacement that looked natural. "You know what I meant Hermione. You all do. Your concern lies in the knowledge that we cannot possibly think we'll destroy the Horcruxes and send the Dark Lord on his way without suffering more death and destruction. Enjoy this while you can, because this time next year at least one of us is likely to be dead… With luck it will be me," she said bitterly before abruptly climbing to her feet and walking away into the night.
"Daphne," Hermione called after her, but the other girl ignored her.
Ginny squeezed Harry's hand. "I've got her." She hurried after Daphne.
"I didn't mean anything," Hermione whispered.
"We know you didn't," Luna said. She leaned over and kissed Hermione's cheek.
Ginny caught up to Daphne in the barn. She walked up to the other girl and wrapped her arms around her from behind. Daphne shuddered and sagged to her knees. Ginny went down with her, holding her protectively. "I know," she soothed.
"It just hurts so much," Daphne gasped.
"I know," Ginny said again.
"I just… I understand, but I don't… Why her?" She gave a sob. "Aren't there thousands of people who actually deserve to die? Why do they get to live when Astoria doesn't?"
Ginny simply held her. She had no answers; no insight her father had given her. The world was often an ugly place. Even getting rid of Tom wouldn't change that. Maybe, things would be a tiny bit better, but there would still be bad people. They would still do horrible things. Good people would be hurt. They would fight and make progress, but Daphne's lament was the same as had been asked from the beginning of time and Ginny had no faith it wouldn't be asked till the end. It just was.
"It just miss her."
"I know, Daphne," Ginny soothed. "I know." They hadn't been there overly long when the others came in and sat around them.
Hermione reached for Daphne's shoulder. "I didn't mean anything, Daphne," she said.
Daphne sat up and reached for Hermione. She pulled her into a tight hug. "I know you didn't, Hermione."
Surprised by the show of affection, Hermione cautiously returned Daphne's hug. "I'm sorry I upset you."
"You didn't, Hermione." She let Hermione go. "I'm just being overly emotional. I'm sorry to have run out on all of you."
Neville reached for Daphne's shoulder and turned her to him. "How many times do I have to tell you, you don't have to pretend in front of us."
"We're your friends, Daphne," Luna said. She took Daphne's hand and raised it to her lips.
Harry reached out and brushed the tears from her cheeks. "Remember what I said at her funeral? If you have to put on a face with everyone else, fine. But we want your rage, Daphne."
Ginny turned Daphne's face to her. "You've taken my rage for the last year. I will never turn my back on you for giving me yours." Daphne shuddered and they all moved in, enveloping her in a protective cocoon.
Harry kissed her crown. "We've got you, Posh," he said softly. She gave a strangled half laugh, half sob and found his hand, squeezing it with a death grip. "We've got you."
HPHPHP
Author's notes:
Well, one of the things I wanted to look at with this story is what difference even one truly responsible adult might make. Because, let's face it, JKR's adult wizards really don't have all that much on the ball. Anyway, I think this chapter is showing some of those differences. The problem it's creating is what amounts to a lack of tension or danger. At least that's how I'm feeling. Guess I'm going to have to start making the bad guys a bit smarter as well.