THANK YOU TO "Oops?" WHO TOLD ME THAT THIS CHAPTER WAS MISSING! I OWN YOU ONE! ^__~ NEW CHAPTER WILL COME FASTER NOW!

Disclaimers and Notes: Harry Potter is not mine, nor are any of the characters or items used in this fanfiction (thus, the word/term "Fanfiction"). HP belongs to J. K. Rowling, and she's a wonderful author for it. I respect her. Her work is beautiful, to say the least.

All information that may regard werewolves, runes, demons, etc, do NOT belong to me. They are merely the information that I found after doing research on the subjects.

Now, on to the story!

READ and REVEIW, as always. ^__~

Thank you.

Geuna~

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Charmed Curses

By Lady Geuna

Rated: This chapter will be rated PG-13

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/.../ around a SENTENCE will mean a flashback or memory.

"..." speech

'....' thoughts

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The Storm

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"When a beast is cornered, it will make sure to hide itself to the point of being invisible. As if it had become a 'phantom', if you will. It won't put its life in danger if it's threatened, and it will wait until the right moment to reawaken or reveal itself under safer conditions..." He smirked faintly. "I am a beast, Sirius, I would know, wouldn't I?"

Remus Lupin ~ Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", Meetings, by Lady Geuna

"At this point James' anger is like a sleeping monster, and all this anger will do is wait for a chance to release itself.... .... Anger works like all other negative emotions. It seeks to destroy.... But... James' anger may be something more real than we could ever imagine..."

Remus Lupin ~ Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", Meetings, by Lady Geuna

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Above Hogwarts, thunder crashed. Lightning lit the sky. Rain would follow in a matter of minutes. Hogwarts had seen many storms lately.

Some thought the storms would never end...

Harry couldn't take this... It was ridiculous.... So he'd decided to do his charm project on "Wands". So what? He actually thought he'd be able to find something on the subject! It didn't help that he didn't sleep at all last night. What he would give for a chance to rest... But no, Hermione was insistent that working of their project would help get his mind off other things.

And it was working too well...

"I give up," Harry moaned, dropping his head to the table. "I can't find anything useful at all... I'm too exhausted to think straight..."

Ron looked over from his own work, trying to see the book that Harry had by looking over his shoulder. "What've you got so far?" Harry sat up slowly and held up his note sheet, which only had only three useless sentences written on it. Ron whistled, looking sympathetic.

Hermione was looking up from her own research as well. "What is that book you've been reading?"

Harry shrugged, flipping to the cover to flash the title "101 Trees of Britain", and then flipped it back so he could read. "Why on earth is a tree called 'devils-walkingstick'? That's a bloody weird name if you ask me..."

Hermione paused, then said, "I have no idea, but I'll know soon enough." She immediately went diving through the loads of books that took up her own desk space.

Harry looked at Hermione and then at Ron, finding that his redheaded companion had the exact same look on his face. "What do you mean, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled in that way that sometimes made Ron blush. "The problem with you two is that you don't know where to look. So I took the opportunity to do some looking for you. Harry, you need to look up the magical properties of wood as well as the wand cores." Hermione finally brought up a book, with was fairly large and about two inches thick. The title along the spine read "A Practical Guide to THE RUNES: Their Use in Divination and Magic". A number of page markers poked out from the top.

Ron gawked. "You've been doing research for him!? That's unfair!"

She gave Ron a look. "I looked up information for your project, too, Ron."

"Oh... Alright then." He couldn't help but grin a grin that said "less work for me!"

"Hermione," Harry said, frowning, "you really shouldn't have...." Though he could really use the help... He couldn't seem to think straight lately... Urgh, he had to get his act together for his O.W.L.s! The exams weren't that far away (as Hermione was good enough to remind him... every single day no less.).

"I shouldn't have, but I did," Hermione drawled, flipping the book open to one of the marked pages. "But I do admit it's really amazing! Listen to this!"

"'All parts of the tree are poisonous except the fleshy covering of the berry. Long associated with magic, death, rebirth and the runes, the yew may be the oldest-lived tree in the world. Ancient yews can be found in churchyards all over Britain. Since they're found all over in church yards, they are considered the "trees of death!"' Well, isn't that fascinating!?"

Ron grunted, while Harry was sitting up attentively.

'Voldemort's wand was "Yew",' Harry thought...

Hermione continued. "'Yew may be used to enhance magical and psychic abilities, and to induce visions.' My, actually this wood type seems quite dangerous, don't you think, Harry?"

'Yew like the cemetery by the grave of Lord Voldemort's father... Where Cedric...'

"Harry," Hermione repeated again, "are you listening?"

Harry gulped, nodding. "Er, yes. Quite dangerous..."

"Are you alright, Harry? You look dreadfully pale."

"Er—I'm fine! Read some more." He finally had the sense to take out a quill and begin writing this down.

"Alright... Oh! Your wand is made with Holly, correct?" She lifted up the book again, scanning over the pages. "'Holly is associated with the death and rebirth symbolism of winter in lore. In Arthurian legend, Gawain (representing the Oak King of summer) fought the Green Knight, who was armed with a holly club to represent winter.' ("My, that's just like you, Harry!") 'The holly indicates directed balance and vigor to fight if the cause is just. Holly may be used in spells having to do with sleep or rest, and to ease the passage of death.'"

Ron rolled his eyes. "I think you're putting far too much effort into these projects, Hermione..."

"Nonsense! I'm simply putting my energy to good use!"

"You're bloody well learning the whole Latin language!"

"I am not," Hermione cried defensively! "I am simply learning at few basics!"

Hermione's project was on the magical incantations, which were all based on Latin. She was fairly good with incantations already. After all, she had created that one spell, "Impervius", that repelled water. A week ago in the Great Hall during lunch, Ron said he wanted to try inventing his own spell, because from what he understood you could throw just any old Latin words together to make an incantation. Hermione insisted that it wasn't true, and the prove her point, she raised her wand in a random direction (the Slytherin table) and said "sternit fortem!"

Of course, there was a loud crash and a yell, and nearly everyone in the room looked to see that Crabbe had literally fallen to the floor, and he couldn't get up. An hour later Hermione had realized that "sternit fortem" meant loosely in Latin "the strong man is struck down"... Harry wished it meant "the weak man is struck down", then maybe Draco would've fallen flat on his face.

"What do you have on your subject, Ron," Harry asked.

Ron blushed. "Er.... here...." He reached into his bag and pulled something out, handing it to Harry. It looked like... computer paper?

"'Is Your Computer Possessed by a Entity?'," Harry read. "Ron... This is from a Muggle computer... About computers..."

"The 'internet'," he said excitedly. "Dad found it for me! I thought it would be really cool, you know? I didn't know ghosts and things would possess Muggle machines! I mean, I know they can possess people, I think..."

Hermione snatched the papers from Harry, reading it over herself before snorting indignantly. She read aloud, "'While the Computer Age has ushered in many advances, it has also opened a new door through which entities and other dark creatures may enter to corrupt your computer and your mind'--Ron, you can't possibly believe this nonsense. And if it's from a Muggle source ("and this most definitely is a Muggle source"), I don't think it's a liable piece of information..."

Suddenly Harry let out a very loud, very rude yawn, his hand barely coming up in time to cover his mouth. He blinked away the tears that moistened his eyes, mumbled a half stifled apology.

Ron gave him a look. "You really didn't get any sleep did you? Come on, Harry! You need to sleep once and a while!"

Hermione frowned. "You haven't been sleeping?"

"He just lays in bed all night. I haven't seen him fall asleep once for the past couple of days. I sometimes wonder if he ever sleeps at all."

Harry was about to open his mouth to protest when Hermione beat him to it. "Normally I wouldn't say this, but I will make an exception, just this once. Research can wait, you need to rest."

The thought of his nice, comfy, warm bed sounded really great... The thought of walking all the way back to the Gryffindor Tower was another thing... "But-"

"But nothing," Ron said. "Don't wear yourself thin, man. I'll come up and wake you before lunch, okay?"

Grudgingly, half asleep, Harry agreed, weakly nodding his head. "I guess you're right...

"Oh, and check out this book before you go." Hermione gestured to the book she had found for him. "You can use it for research in your free time."

Harry suppressed the urge to moan this time....

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With a grunt of effort, he hosted up the ridiculously massive book and began carrying it toward the check-out desk. Honestly, how could Hermione lug these things around all day long? Urgh, he was too tired for this....

Ron watched Harry leave and before turning back to Hermione. Actually, he liked being alone with her, sometimes. Now it seemed very important that they got some "alone time". And after what Mr. Potter had said the day before, Ron was feeling distressed.

Well, he was just starting to feel better about the whole Victor Krum thing from last year... Hermione had spend half her vacation last summer at his home, but it hadn't been anything beyond friendship (or so she said...). He tried not to be suspicious about the whole issue, but sometimes it was just too difficult!

Meanwhile, Hermione was opening another book she had found, which wasn't nearly as big as the one Harry had taken with him when he left.

"This is what you should know about entities," Hermione said pointedly, skimming through the book that distinctly said "The Shaman's Voice" on the cover. "'Four different types of entities have been encountered that adversely affect overall health: Two of these--darkness and entities--have similarities.

"The darkness has volition, is cunning, has its own consciousness and the intent to cause pain, anger, violence, fear and suffering that it feeds on ("Sounds almost Slytherin-like, doesn't it?").

"In contrast, entities are "human thought forms" that have no volition..... Entities, not to be confused with ghosts, are the residual energetic vibration of strong negative emotion and thought that are fed by the sympathetic emoting of those who come into contact with it. Entities have no consciousness and simply dissipate when not fed..."

From here she continued to read on while Ron continued pondering.

Ron wondered what Hermione would think of him is he told her... That she was... really.... pretty...

Urgh, Fred and George would never let him live that down....

When Ron finally drifted away from his thoughts, Hermione was still reading. "'The third type of entity results from people dying'.... Hmm...." She had trailed off on her own, then looked up. "Do you mind if I read this to myself for a moment?" Ron shook his head "no" and Hermione smiled and began reading right away. "You should be reading this yourself, you know."

"I know..." He sighed silently, watching Hermione....

Hm, Mr. Potter had thought she was Harry's girlfriend.... Harry's! Well, it wasn't really a horrifying idea or anything, but it sure felt like it... Why though...? So Ron didn't have a romantic bone in his body (as far as he was aware, anyway...), and maybe he wasn't all and handsome and heroic and famous like Harry, he could at least do his best... But after that whole Yule Ball fiasco last year... Maybe he hadn't been as nice as he could've been...

/"Hermione, Neville's right--you are a girl...."

"Oh well spotted," she said acidly./

/"Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"/

Sure, maybe he hadn't made much of an effort to change anything, but maybe he should've. Maybe he should right now.

"Hey, Hermione?"

"Hm?" She didn't look up from her book, but she was listening.

That was another wonderful thing about Hermione. Oh, of course Ron though she was a remarkable person! He often wondered how she could walk, talk, listen, and read all at the same time. That was no easy trick!

"Well," he continued, his voice steady while his hands were shaking a bit, "there's something I've been thinking a lot about, you see... A-And well, I wasn't really sure how to do this. Or whether I should or shouldn't-say anything, I mean, and I was wondering..."

"Is it anything illegal?" She looked up now with a rather stern look that would've made Professor McGonagall proud, her right eyebrow raised pointedly, her lips slightly pursed.

Ron gapped, blushing. "No! Of course not, I'm not my brothers—!"

"Good." She snapped her book shut suddenly and stood, both actions causing Ron to jump in his seat, startled.

"W-What!?" he exclaimed, baffled.

"Carpe diem, Ron. Carpe diem."

Ah, more Latin stuff.... "What's that??"

"Seize the day," Hermione said proudly, smiling. "No time like the present!" She took a second glance at her watch, made a clicking noise with her tongue, and started gathering her books into her arms. "Well, I need to run and find Professor Flitwich. Sorry Ron. I'll see you at dinner time then? And tell Harry the same when he comes back, okay? And you read that book!" She tapped her finger on the book she had read to him a minute ago. "Never trust the internet when it comes to these things!"

Ron, who had been struck dumb, didn't (and couldn't, it would seem) respond before she was gone. By the time he could get words out, he found himself babbling stupidly to no one... "B-But I.... I was... I-I really wanted to... tell you..." Of course there was no point anymore, she was long gone. He was alone. This fact only now fully dawned on him, and he felt himself turn as red as his hair with personal embarrassment.

He slumped into his chair, exhaling in one giant, defeated whoosh. "Bloody hell..."

His eyes wandered, and finally landed on one of the book Hermione had been looking at for her incantations project. Ron didn't think she needed it anymore, and had left it behind. He's noticed her reading it more times lately than "The Standard Book of Spell, Grade 5". It was some magic book about Latin...

Then an idea hit him.... A wonderful idea! Ron grinned, grabbing the huge, monstrous book and started reading like he'd never read before, totally forgetting about his own project. 'Ooooh Hermione, you just wait!'

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Hermione sighed, looking up and down the empty hallway as she left the library. It was still early morning, and on Sundays students would usually go outside, stay in the Great Hall, or go back to their respected common rooms. On a day like this (yet another cloudy, rainy day) she suspected that going outside was no longer an option for most.

Adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag, she turned left toward the Gryffindor Common Room. She hoped to grab a few loose books of hers and then meet with Professor Flitwick to discuss her project thus far. Surly he would be back from breakfast by now.

She had just turned a third corner, heading toward the most direct path to the Common Room through the moving staircases, when the faint sound of sobbing caught her attention....

Hermione paused, coming to a complete halt so she could listen, to see if she was hearing correctly. And she was. Someone was crying.... Her first thought went to Mourning Myrtle, but it couldn't be because that particular bathroom anywhere near there. This wasn't Myrtle... This wasn't even a girl. So, it was a boy? Who....? Worry overcame her for whomever it was...

Hermione began following the noise, which was apparently coming from a very nearby source. She discovered how close soon enough. Hermione was practically startled out of her wits, for when she turned the next corner she nearly tripped over something. She narrowly avoided hitting the thing, and dropping all her book on the ground, only to discover that the "thing" was a person.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry," she exclaimed, only stopping herself from continuing when she realized that no one should be sitting in a passageway like that; it was a danger for anyone turning the corner. Again, however, she stopped herself when she suddenly realized that this was the person she'd heard crying... Though it was a very faint sound now, how on earth could she hear it before...? The figure was curled up, his knees tucked tightly under his chin, his face buried in his arms. Not only that, but Hermione recognized this person.

"Harry?"

Harry stiffened when he heard her voice, looking up at her with oddly dry eyes and a blank face.

His eyes weren't green.

Hermione took a sharp intake of breath, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open. "M-Mr. Potter!? What's the matter!? I mean, what are you doing here!?"

James starred at her for a moment, his dull eyes showing practically no signs of life (which disturbed her), his head tilted a little to the side as though inspecting Hermione. Hermione herself had never seen this sort of behavior from a person, so she held very still, for she had no idea what to do otherwise. Finally, he spoke, his lips barely moving to pronounce the syllables, his voice almost too faint for her to hear. "Hermione."

It was more of a statement than a question; like a machine, almost. "Yes," she nodded, her eyebrow knitting with concern. "I'm Harry's friend... You remember me from yesterday?"

"Hermione," James continued with that same monotone, machine-like voice. "Hermione Granger. Hermione."

Unsure of what to do, she placed her bag and books on the floor and knelt beside the man, putting a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Potter--"

"Hermione. Harry." His eyes showed something now, flashing ever so slightly. "Harry. My little boy..."

Hermione swallowed. She was starting to feel very nervous about all this... "Please, Mr. Potter, you need to return to the hospital wing... How-Why did you come here, sir?" He was scaring her, terribly.

James' face changed again, this time his mouth turning into a small frown, his eyes narrowing. "The noise... It won't stop, no matter where I go, what I do. And they hurt so, so much. Screaming..."

She was definitely scared now, enough so to actually move away from the man. "Y-You need help," Hermione stated with a shaky voice. "I can get you Madame Pomfrey, or a professor--" She had barely moved her hand away a few inches before her wrist was caught in his tight grip. "Mr. Potter... Please, let go..."

"I can't stand it," he murmured, his voice coming out as almost a whimper. "Oh Merlin, it just hurts. Make it stop-you can make it stop. You can help."

"I-I can't," Hermione whimpered, "please, let go of my wrist. I can find Harry, someone who can help..." Oh, she willed for someone to come down the hall, someone who could help her. But no one would come.

"You can help," James stated, very disagreeably, then he let out a sharp, sudden bout of giggles, smiling sweetly. "You can, Hermione."

"Please—"

"Hermione," he giggled, "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione..."

"Let go!" She tried wrenching away, but his grip was becoming painfully tight. "Please!!" 'Stop, stop, stop!'

"From the screaming and the darkness will be nothingness. At last."

She didn't even have a chance to scream.

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Madame Pomfrey had been livid when she stormed off in search of Potter. Beforehand she screamed things like, "He simply left, just like that!?", and, "Professor, how could you let him leave like that!?" It made her even more angry when he showed total indifference toward the subject. If Potter ran off, he ran off. She would have no part of it beyond that.

The Infirmary was deadly quiet save for the sound of rain against the closed windows.

Not wanting to bedridden any longer than was completely necessary, Snape made it a habit to get up and walk around as much as he could when Madame Pomfrey wasn't watching. He needed to be ready if something were to happen in which he did to move quickly; whether Hogwarts comes under attack, or something equally perilous, such as a prank gift from Fred and George Weasley... He didn't doubt for a moment that those two hellraisers were off somewhere... plotting.... He knew a few other men quite similar to those two, and he wasn't very fond of them, either.

Snape was particularly on edge due to other matters, as well. Voldemort had called upon him several times during to past few days...

Snape's Dark Mark began to burn black at that very moment... searing heat flashed through his arm, causing him to curse and nearly double forward. Sometimes he wondered if his fellow Death Eaters left the same pain, or if somehow it was directed to him alone. The latter almost frightened him... For that would mean the Dark Lord was suspicious. Snape had gone too far with this to let that happen now... He had finally gained his Master's trust.

Stupid bloody Potter had to screw that up, of course...

He growled to himself, sitting down on a stool to wait as the pain slowly began to dull and fade away.

The door of the infirmary opened behind him, informing Snape that Pomfrey had finally returned. He didn't bother to turn to see if she had actually found Potter, and didn't ask, either. He could stay lost again for all he cared, as long as he didn't bring any more misfortune to Snape's life.

Then a voice spoke, "Well, well, well, look at what we have here?"

Snape blood froze in his veins. He knew that voice all too well... He quickly spun to meet a pair of cold, pale eyes.

"Malfoy..."

Indeed, Lucius Malfoy, not Madame Pomfrey, stood in the doorway or the infirmary.

His wand raised and pointed directly at Snape...

Within and outside of Hogwarts, a storm raged.

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To be continued...

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REVIEW if you can!

Geuna~