Disclaimer: Smoking Kills

Chapter 7: Red Fury

Ginny woke up shivering. Her eyes still closed she extended her arm, looking for Dean's heat, but she only met coldness… Startled she sat up in a swift movement and looked around the room. Everything was as she left it before going to sleep, meaning he hadn't come home. The fourth time in a row she thought.

In her sleeping state she could hardly understand her lover. Truth be told, she never could, even perfectly awake. They had had this huge row a couple of weeks ago and now… Well it was just not the same anymore, before that, he often staid out at night only coming back in the early morning, smelling blood and sweat, and mumbling about Order business. But now it was different, he was out more often than not, he didn't even come back to sleep. She hardly saw him. She just knew he was still alive because in the end of her working days she found dirty dishes and clothes, like the man didn't know any cleaning spell, honestly! He was infuriating.

The worst part wasn't his absences or their non existent sex life, but more his lack of interest in her. When they had the chance to be together, they didn't speak any more but at the Order of the Phoenix's meetings, and even then it was in such a tone that various people had asked her if they were separated or what.

Sighing, Ginny reluctantly got up and went to the kitchen. She knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep without a cup of tea with a lump of honey. Settling the kettle on the fire she checked the clock wall. 6 a.m. No point in going to bed for an hour at most. Her assignment's owl was due around 7. She didn't know what she was going to do. She was banned from Death Eaters' tracking since she kind of lost control when she caught one of her fellow Gryffindor with the 'so glorious' white mask. Luckily the commission had been lenient and only gave her a warning and repositioned her. No more fights, just meaning-less missions, like the surveillance of Buckingham Palace… She hopped she wasn't going to be on guard duty at the zoo later that day. The auction was bound to bring some nasty pieces of the Wizarding world: vampires, goblins, hags, you name it, an auction will have it.

Unfortunately her hopes were crushed when she received her assignment. It's going to be a looong day, she thought. She had no idea how right she was.

..ooOoo..

"COME ON! WAKE UP!"

It was the only warning Harry had before he felt a sharp pain in his left calf and freezing cold water spilt on his head.

With a yelp, he sat bold right and bellowed "HEY! That's cold! What was that for?"

He was met with Griphook's amused face and D'Argo's muzzle still holding a bit of his pajamas. Both were seated and looking at him. Glancing at the window Harry added between his gritted teeth "Bloody hell! It's still night! What were you thinking?"

"What was that for?" Griphook replied, perfectly calm. "What was I thinking! Harry, I've been trying to wake you up for forty minutes! You've been sleeping for two days! For all I care, you can go back to it for the next century but I won't be the one held responsible for missing the Zoo Auction nor for being late. So pick your choice: big nap or auction?"

With that, the goblin got up and left the room. Harry heard him mutter "And Mister wants to be there an hour in advance, well he'd better start moving his lazy ass." As if it was an afterthought, Griphook added being his shoulder "Portkey leaves in fifteen minutes and your dog hasn't eaten yet."

Harry gave a glare at D'Argo just in time to see the dog bringing him his bowl. With a sight he got up, meeting the cold of his room, and went to kitchen.

Fourteen minutes later Harry was waiting with Griphook and D'Argo for the Portkey activation. At the time he was swearing against his long hair and trying to tie it the way he wanted.

"Why don't you cut it and be done with it like with your beard?" Griphook asked with bewilderment, "I mean it's not like you enjoy it or used to wear it that way, so what?"

"Griphook, I'm dead." Harry answered matter-of-factly as if it answered the question.

"Really? You look in good health to me. I hope my corpse will be like yours when I'll go meet my ancestors."

"No need to sneer and be ironical with me!" Harry snapped. In a rush he continued "We are going into London. There I'm supposed to have died and my scar is a dead give away. A wizard with a hood up is suspicious, don't even get me started on obscuring charms…"

"…whereas a long lock of hair falling in front on the face is not uncommon…" Harry calmly finished.

"Oh… But do you have to keep them at hip length?"

The answer was lost to Griphook as the Portkey activated and dropped them like stone in Gringotts' transportation room.

They were greeted by a rather ugly goblin sneering at them (then again Harry's criteria on goblin's beauty might not have been the most objective, especially as he was, with one knee on the floor, trying to keep his balance…)

"Ah! The return of Griphook the gambler… In company of a human, no less… Probably a penniless Muggleborn for no-one would spend time with a disgraced banker like you if it wasn't a necessity… Move out of the way you two! I'm supposed to escort prominent members of both the goblin and Wizarding society and they are due to arrive any time."

"Hey! Didn't your father teach you good manners!" Harry said a bit loud to the rude goblin as he got up. But Griphook took matters in his hand.

"If you would let me handle this, Sir"

"Sir? Griphook since when do you call…"

"This is my world Sir. I'll deal with it"

Harry just arched an eyebrow and gave a small nod. "Very well."

Griphook faced his colleague and barred his teeth as he flashed a brooch. "I'm in vacation. Therefore I don't feel the need to wear it all the time."

The goblin lost all composure when he saw the little piece of jewelry and paled (well at least Harry thought so, but it's difficult to know with goblins).

"Oh yes…" Griphook continued, purring with sadistic pleasure. "I'm certainly a gambler. I took a shot ten years ago and guess what? It paid off. Meaning my dear Cognish that compared to me you are nothing more than a very low employee. The kind I eat at breakfast I might ad. So… If you want to retain your job you'd better give us the portkey and tickets to the auction before I loose my nerves. Understood ήίηίση?"(1)

The goblin bowed very low (his nose nearly touched the floor), and handed three tickets. "Certainly, Sir."

Griphook nodded and pocket two of them. He turned to Harry and held the tird piece of paper which whisked them away once again, leaving a very shaken banker behind.

..ooOoo..

They landed in a park outside the zoo. Harry picked himself up and let go of D'Argo. He looked around as he brushed some dust away. There were dozens of chairs in rows with a big stage in front. A young man was coming toward them.

"So…" Harry interrogated. "What the hell was that?"

"What do you mean?" Griphook answered innocently.

"I mean at the bank!"

"Oh that… Well you see this brooch?" Griphook asked while producing the small piece of jewelry. Upon Harry's nod he continued. "We wear them on our left sleeve when working. As you can see there are there stones on them. They define our rank. The Black Diamond is the highest, followed by the ruby, the emerald, the sapphire, and finally amethyst. I have a Black Diamond and two rubies since your 'return from death'. Before I had two amethysts and one empty place. In short, I'm the fifth in command of my division of Accounts Managing. The director of Gringotts has four Black Diamonds, and Cognish as a sapphire, an empty spot and an amethyst… He is well bellow me but was used being higher and abusing his power on me... Well not anymore. That what it was about: putting a bully back in his place the second I had the power to do it. And don't tell me I was mean or anything. Any other goblin would have him fired before he could blink!"

"I supposed that your influence is mellowing me…" Griphook finished with a grin and a wink.

"And the 'I might ad' thing? Come to think about it, I never heard you use this kind of expression at your father's."

Griphook smiled mysteriously. "It's just my own phrasing when I'm in banker mode. That way people know if I working or not: No might ad? I'm in break."

"Oh, Ok then."

Harry shook his head and returned a smile as he ensured a lock of his hair was falling on his face, obscuring his right eye and the scar above it. Meanwhile the young man from the zoo had reached them.

"Gringotts' party?" he inquired.

"Errr… I guess so…"

"Yes, we are." Griphook replied forcefully after hearing Harry's eloquent answer. "Did you receive the package?"

"Yes. It's waiting for you at your seats, just in front of the platform." The young man turned toward Harry and said "If I may ask sir, why are you with a goblin? It's not that…"

"Goblins are better company that the majority of wizard!" Harry snapped.

"Furthermore, my client expects to spend a great deal of money of required. I'm here as an assurance of his ability to honor the bids." Griphook added.

"Oh! That's not necessary. We have a high number of brand new Blood Pins and…"

"Ever heard of privacy, young man?" Harry asked with a bit of irritation.

The young man had the decency to blush as he lead them to two chairs with a big 'G' on them.

"The auction starts in an hour and fifteen minutes. I hope you'll enjoy it and will find something to your liking. Good day sir."

He bowed stiffly and left as Harry sat down and D'Argo lied down at his feet.

"What's the package?" Harry inquired.

"Oh just the regular bank draft but secured, my promotion papers and my new contract with Gringotts. I've got a few things to check with the goblin in attendance for the sell. Will you be ok by yourself?" Griphook asked.

"Go ahead. I brought reading." Harry answered brandishing a small book with a leather cover.

"On what?"

"Rituals." Harry answered while opening the first page.

..ooOoo..

This book is great. I would never have believed such things were feasible. Harry thought as he finished the part about rituals involving Velas' sacrifices and went on the one about goblins.

All of a sudden he felt a Silencing Ward battling with his proximity Charm. He let it settle down making sure it encompassed his arm, thus letting him hear the conversation as if he was included in the ward.

"Honestly, why are we here again?" asked a male's voice.

A deep growl answered him. "Merciful Vlad! You've been told a dozen of times Angulus! We're here to buy Rodolph's bat!"

"But why didn't he come to do it himself? I hate the taste of this anti-sun potion! It leaves a bad taste to the blood for two days after that…"

"Angulus… How old are you?"

"What does it have to do with… Fine! I'm forty-three and I've been turned nine years ago."

"How old is Rodolph?"

"How am I supposed to know that?"

"Estimate."

"I'd say around four or five hundreds. Why?"

"In this amount of time, do you really think he has always abided to Ministries regulations?"

"Of course not! But…"

"Did you?"

"Well yes. I've no been turned for even a decade, and you know goddam well that you'll be my watch dog for twenty more years!" Angulus snarled.

"Do you really think that it's very smart for a wanted man to come and buy back his pet when he his wanted by half of the Wizarding world?"

"Oh… Ok. But still it's not my fault if he was dumb enough to let his bat at Garlith' place when we were suspecting him of being on those renegades."

"First, Rodolph's decisions are not of your concern. Second his bat has a mental link with him and could tell him what was happening. And finally watch your words when you're talking about my brother. He might have betrayed but he was still my blood kind."

"Jeez, Tiran! Drop it. I don't care about blood and brothers. My problem is that Rodolph got outsmarted by mortals and now we have to pay for it. Literally and metaphorically. I don't know about you but I only have fifty wizard galleons."

"Same here."

"Well, what if someone wants to buy the bat and spends more on it?"

"We'll just have to compromise." A silence. "I mean, kill the person, reach an agreement or threaten his or her family. It's not complicated. We've done it hundreds of time. Now cancel the ward and listen, they are about to start."

After hearing this conversation, Harry quickly flipped his book to rituals with vampires' sacrifices and, after a couple minutes of perusing, gave an evil smile. Griphook who was just coming back asked "They are ready to begin. What are you smiling at?"

"You'll see…"

An old wizard came up the stage and cast Sonorus at his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first ever Zoo Auction!" Polite applauses. "We have a selection of the most beautiful animals one can ever hope to find! Muggles and Magicals beast. Kneazles and cats, owls and snakes, everything to satisfy even the pickiest customers!" Applauses. "Some of our animals even lived with the most notorious criminals or heroes of our nation!" Applauses. "Without further ado, I declare the Zoo Auction open!"

"We will start with Magical animals. The first one is a cross between a…"

Harry turned the sound off and settled in his chair. The listing had only one bat (number fifty-seven) and one snowy owl (number thirty-two). He wasn't interested in the rest and was ready to wait forever if the owl was Hedwig. He just fine tuned the plan that formed in his mind after hearing the discussion of the two vampires. He'd have to play his cards right but it was feasible and had good odds of success. Yes it was going to go very smoothly.

"And now, number thirty-two." Harry perked up. Oh yes, that was Hedwig alright. "A female Snowy owl, age seventeen. She was named Hedwig and was Harry Potter's, the Boy-Who-Lived, pet. Our specialists are unable to find what is wrong with it. We believe she had a Bond with her former master as her symptoms of… Errr… 'depression' started two weeks ago with his passing away. We hope someone will find in his or her heart to give her a decent end of life. The starting bid is at twenty galleons."

Hell broke. Dozens of voices screamed at once trying to get the Boy-Who-Lived's pet. Harry leaned over Griphook. "I don't give a damn about the bloody price. She's my owl, I want her."

Griphook nodded and got up directly to solicitor in charge of the sell.

..ooOoo..

"…The starting bid is at twenty galleons."

Ginny gasped. Hedwig. Harry's owl. She had hoped to get her but only had sixty galleons with her. With an opening price as high she was sure to never be able to have the highest bid. She clenched her teeth. Who ever won the auction would have the hardest and most humiliating checking of the Wizarding world! She was never going to let such a wonderful owl in the hand of undeserving people!

..ooOoo..

"And the winner, for two thousand five hundred and thirty galleons is mister here!" the clerk announced pointing at Harry.

"I hope you really like this owl, because for this price it could be made of gold" Griphook whispered.

"Yes, I know, but she is mine and that is one of the things I will never compromise with. Number fifty-seven, same thing."

Griphook nodded and waited as Harry went back to his book.

The advantage of using vampires blood in rituals has always been discussed in great length. They are clearly defined as Dark Creatures, but as such have very close link to nature. Therefore it makes sense to take their life when one wishes to increases natural parts of their body or their connection to natural things. Of course, no rituals has ever been tempted with a High master's blood, but Masters and Lesser have been used. Lesser vampires being nothing more than killing machines are not very suited for anything but the two first kin of rituals proposed here. In any case, the blood of Master is strongly recommended. Here is a list of the benefits one can receive by the accomplishment of one of the following rituals.

Increase in Speed.

Increase in Strength.

Increase in Magical Awareness (Caution Read the appropriate safeties)

Increase in 'Nature' connection.

Strengthening of bonds.

Strengthening of Sun Tolerance.

Lessening of Blood needs.

Harry was taken away of his reading by a shake on his shoulder. "Hey? Are you ready? The auction is over. We need to pass through the tests to get the pets and pay."

"So, did you get the bat?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"Sure. Just one hundred and ten galleons." Griphook said ironically. "You have a flair for the most expensive animals."

"Yah well, there are worth it."

"If you say so. Now come one. They are two vampires behind you that are giving you the glare."

"I know." Harry turned with a wide smile of his face and looked at the two 'men'. "Angulus, Tiran! Funny seeing you there! What are you doing here? Oh, I know, Rodolph's order, right? You were to get his pet, no? Too bad, I have it. Now, I don't have anyone you can threaten and you won't manage to kill me. So… If you want to make sure Rodolph gets his bat back, you'll wait nicely for me at the exit and we'll discuss the arrangement we are going to make in order to make sure you stay alive. Savvy?"

"Who are you? Do we know you?" Angulus asked barring his teeth. A second later he was howling and holding his left leg while D'Argo swallowed the chunk of meat he had just torn away from the creature who threatened his master.

"Like I said, it's in your best interest to wait for me at the exit to discuss arrangements. Don't worry; I just want something you have in abundance. It's just hard for me to find and easy for you. It's good business for all of us. See you soon chaps."

With that, Harry turned toward the counter. Unknowingly, he had reminded everyone who he was: the man in dark from Diagon Alley. The man who kills Death Eaters in five seconds, the man that can escape when nobody can, the man who manages to curb two vampires in the blink of on eye. The man they all wanted to be but were too scared to act to become like him. Ironically Harry wanted nothing more than to be an anonymous face in the crowd.

It was a revered silence full of awe, admiration and fear that followed Harry's billowing robes as he was ushered in a tent to pick up his purchases.

..ooOoo..

Harry checked the room he was in. There was a small table with two cages on it. The bat was sleeping but Hedwig was looking at him like if she was trying to decipher if she knew him or not.

On the left there was another table with three empty chairs on one side and one on the other, occupied by non other than Ginny Weasley. Harry took a sharp intake of breath. Griphook nudge him in the ribs. "I've heard she specifically asked to do the interrogation of the one who bought this owl. I took the liberty of asking a solicitor to stand for us" He whisper in Harry's hear (well… toward his hear anyway).

Harry nodded and took a seat. Ginny smirked; she had understood the intake of breath was due to the man recognizing her but she believed he knew the 'Red Fury' – a nickname she got with her less-than-legal actions toward Death Eaters. She couldn't conceive of him not being afraid of her.

She extended a Blood Pin toward Harry and snarled "Pick your finger". He just starred at her for a full minute before slowly withdrawing his own pin and presenting to her. With an annoyed look, she glared at him and raised her wand at it, murmuring "Identificarem". One of the runes turned purple and blew some smoke which wrote 'Gringotts' Blacksmith: Klag - In circulation for: 9 days 21 hours' and created the bank's seal bellow. Satisfied she presented it to Harry who pressed his finger on the needle.

"Do you have the mean to pay for these animals?"

"Of course not, that's why I came with a rogue goblin: to unsettle you and pretend I do" Harry answered with irritation. The Blood Pin flashed red three times.

Ginny nodded and made a note on the piece of parchment in front of her. "You'd do well to avoid this kind of answers in the future. I'm not there to hear cheeky wizards have fun at me. Are you wanted by any Ministry, magical or not?"

"Of course! Don't you know? I'm a mass-murderer." The Blood Pin flashed red twice.

"I thought I was clear the first time. Shut up and answer the bloody question with honesty or you'll end up in a cell faster than you can say-"

"Hedwig" Harry answered, interrupting her. It shut her up.

"As I can see 'Red Fury' you are molesting a customer once again." A voice said. It was the solicitor, who had just entered the tent. "You really are Moody's Heiress. You only miss the eye. No, my client isn't a Death Eater. There are a lot of people between Order of the Phoenix members and You-Know-Who followers."

"Don't make the mistake of going all Fury again on my client. I'll wipe your ass if you do." The solicitor threatened; or promised, the answer would never be known as Ginny withdrew her wand and pointed at the solicitor. She was ready to curse him when she lost all sensation in her right arm. She looked at it. Her wand was on the floor. He arm hang on the side, like a big lump of flesh and she felt herself loose her balance. She stared at Harry.

"If looks could kill, I'll be like your friend" he snarled. "You want to get me in jail to stop me from buying this owl. Why? Because he was your friend's? Bullshit! He wasn't! After all when you think you once loved him you feel dirty, don't you?"

Tears started to fall from Ginny's eyes. "You might be the 'Red Fury' but remember that the 'Green Fury' might hit you. And when he does…"

"He's dead!"

"Yeah well that's unfortunate; but remember that The Quibbler is sometimes right. Anyhow, I answered the questions from the rooster, stopped you from attacking an upstanding citizen, gave you something to think about, and gave you the ability to feel a bit of the Monster's life by 'melting' your arm and forcing you to have thirty-three bones re-grown. Enjoy your night, Skele-Gro is a nightmare. Bye then"

Without a second glance, Harry picked up the cages and went to the goblin collecting the payments.

"Did you really have to be that violent toward her?" Griphook asked him.

"You know, one of the perks of being a Legilimen is that you know all you want to. The down side is that if you don't control yourself perfectly – something that I don't do - sometimes you learn things you would rather not." Harry replied slowly. "Ginny- Ms. Weasley didn't care that I bought the owl. She only acted on the delusion that she was my widow or something like that."

"Well, I was there at your Will's reading. You said you forgave them…"

"I did. But that was before ten years of Azkaban. Before I died. Now she and the others do not know me. I have the right to regain my own owl. And she doesn't have the right to stop someone she doesn't know to get his property back!

"Does it make sense to you?" Harry asked as Griphook filled the forms for the withdrawal.

"I guess so, but you didn't have to be that aggressive, did you?"

"No, you're right. But I was pissed off. Can't blame a man for being pissed, right?"

"Right." Griphook replied as Harry and him exited the tent and came face to face with the two vampires.

"So? What do you want with us?" snarled one of them. Probably Angulus Harry mused. Too jumpy.

"I'm thirsty. I think we should go to a bar. What about The Hog's Head in Hogsmead? It has private booths and you wouldn't stand out too much with the regular crowd" Harry replied. He picked D'Argo in one arm, secured the cages in the other and Apparated.

Entering the pub, he was shocked to see it totally full. He made his way to the counter and asked the bartender "What's going on?"

"The wizard in dark from Diagon Alley just bit the shit out of the 'Red Fury'! It is said that he cut her arm or something!"

"What? But it happened a minute ago. How do you know about that? And it was a Bone Melting Hex, not a Cutting one."

"Ever heard of Apparition lad? And how do you know it was a Bone Melt- Merlin! You did it!"

"Shhh. Keep it quiet. I just want a private booth… Make it a private room with the amount of customers you have, and two goblets filled of blood, one drink of whatever you give to goblins, and a bottle of FireWiskey with one clean glass. Can you make it?"

"Sure thing sir. The room on the right of the entrance. The drinks are coming" The man answered as he gave Harry a tiny rusty key.

Ten minutes later the deal was done. Harry surrendered the bat after making sure it would be confined in its unbreakable cage thanks to several well conceived runes. He would meet Rodolph himself two weeks later in a pub in Knockturn Alley were they would trade information (namely what Harry wanted and the opening rune). Consequently it was a very happy Harry who bought a hen (live one of course) at the market before leaving.

"Hum… Harry?" Griphook asked a bit put out by the purchase.

"Yes?"

"Why did you buy a hen? I mean, I could understand a rooster if you wanted to get up with the sun, but a hen?"

Harry smiled as he waved the small book he had been reading during the auction (well at least, he tried to wave it as he held D'Argo, Hedwig's and the hen's cage in one arm and reached for the portkey with the other). "That, my friend, is for me to know and for you to find."

"Whatever."

As they both disappeared, the rumor was spreading. The wizard in dark was seen. He was in company of goblins and vampires, against the Ministry and You-Know Who. He was the figure-head of those who didn't wish to take side, but most importantly he was slowly starting to become the hope of a world on the brink of destruction. A world menaced by blood purists on one side or fanatics of 'Light' on the other.

Once back on goblin territory, Harry didn't waste any time. He quickly dropped D'Argo and the hen on the floor and went in the small garden (privilege of a mated goblin). He settled Hedwig's cage on the ground and started drawing runes with his wand. When Griphook asked him what he was doing he vaguely indicated his book on rituals and said 'Page 32".

Griphook read it while Harry kept on waving his wand.

Some rituals aren't designed to gain new properties like strength or magical ability. The following one is a prime example of that. It was designed for victims of very dark curses whose aim was to destroy the mind. In the rare case where the wizard or witch survived and was coherent enough to remember what happened, they often noticed that the bonds they forged during their life were severed. Only the most primitive ones (like Familiar Bonds or Children Wards) were affected. The strongest (like the rare Love Bond or Debts) can't be affected by anything but death. This ritual's purpose is to re-establish those weakest links. The sacrifice doesn't need to be important, in fact in the majority of the cases in was discovered that birds or poultry like guinea-fowl, hen or chicken, are the best subjects as their mind is too primitive to 'think' in opposition to the majority of the animals affected by the Familiar Bond.

The benefit of this ritual is of course the return of the bonds but also the fact that they are no draw backs; if not bond was severed then nothing happen, it's as simple as that.

In order to achieve this ritual, one must…

Griphook raised his head when he heard the hen's shrieks. It didn't deter Harry who gutted it in swift movement. The second a drop of blood touched the floor a golden thread extended from Harry's brow. Another exited Hedwig beak. Both collided and turned red as the sound of a thunder was heard. Then the thread disappeared and everything was back to normal.

Harry crept to Hedwig's cage and opened it. The owl gently nipped his fingers and settled on his shoulder as if it was only yesterday they had seen each other for the last time.

Harry turned toward Griphook with a smile. The goblin was expecting a comment in the like of 'It's great' or 'I'm whole again', all he had was "I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap. Don't bother to wake me before dinner."

The (young) wizard and his owl went onto the terrace and Harry settled himself in a couch, the same as a couple days before. Closing his eyes he remembered the Sword Knowledge Course. I just don't fancy being Cruciated on command. Bah. Let's be done with it. Sure enough, once he had cleared his mind, Harry found himself in the 'departure' room, a trunk in front of him, ready for another excruciating lesson. As sure as midnight struck twelve, pain cursed his body the second the 'threads of knowledge' connected to his forehead.

Back into the stone room, his classroom, he was taught by an old man in amour. He was shown how to select metals, how to combine them, how to imbue magic while forging, how to shape and create all kind of swords, daggers and the like. In frenzy he learned about the different kind of pommels, the benefits and draw backs, which to select according to the blade, etc.

It was during a lecture on the variations of heat that two things occurred. Truth be told, Harry was bored: he didn't plan in becoming a blacksmith, maybe craft his own sword, but definitively not spend the rest of his life hitting an anvil. It is then without surprise that Harry felt the need to do something else. As he 'was' in his mind it was easy, he just imagined a pack of Lucky Strike and a silver Zippo in front of him. When they appeared he took a cigarette and lit it. Secondly, the teacher stopped speaking instantly.

"What are you doing?" he interrogated.

"I'm having a smoke." Harry answered (like the cigarette on his lips wasn't an indication anyway).

"Have you ever smoked before?" the old man in armor pried.

"No. So?"

"And yet you felt the need to smoke?"

"Yes" Harry replied a bit puzzled. "So what? And how come we are discussing, I thought you were just a memory."

"I am a memory but I regain knowledge and behavior of my former self to be able to teach you correctly before going into the After-Life whatever it is." His teacher said. "I remember that you took Battle Knowledge classes as well as Occlumency. Am I right in claiming that you already went through the first but not the second?"

"Err… No. I already did both of them. As a matter of fact, I even started with Occlumency. Why?"

The old man started to pace up and down in the classroom, his armor make strange sounds at each movement. Harry heard him mutter things like "I doesn't make any sense", "Occlumency should protect him", "Where were we wrong?"

"Hum… Excuse me but what is the problem?"

The teacher stopped his pacing and starred at Harry. "The problem young man is that the conscience and behavior of those whose life you experienced in Battle Knowledge are leaking out in your psyche, and I don't know why. For the moment it's only those who are close to you in behavior, ideals, experience and race, but soon it will be all of them. Right now you have the need to smoke and the desire to lit your cigarettes with a silver Zippo, a typical trait of Ziggarnoff a Russian wizard who was a master at Battle Curses and fought against Grindelwald in the 1940s before dying in a car crash because he didn't know how to Apparate. But soon it will be others. Some who have opposite behaviors. Don't you get it?"

Harry slowly turned his head. "Hmm… Errr… Well… No."

The old man through his hand in the air. "Think about it! You have the memories of vampires. For the most part they refuse to go out in the daylight. What will you do when it goes in conflict with the behavior of a man who is scared of them and never set a foot out of his home after sunset? Or when you'll be hungry and will want to have blood from the vampires, food from the wizards, raw meat from the werewolves and vegetables from the Elves? You'll be unable to live your life! Now think! Did you do something special since your first class on Occlumency?"

"Well I went to an Auction…"

"Something interesting."

"I cursed my ex-girlfriend and melted all the bones in her arm."

"Something else?"

"I did a ritual to re-establish my bond with my owl, but other than that…"

"Other than that!" the old man howled in a fury. "You idiot dwarf! You allowed a ritual to open your mind to other magical signatures similar to yours! And all of these memories were inside you! You mind is trying to assimilate them instead of flushing them away! Idiot! Moron!"

Harry's ears and cheeks were red with embarrassment at first then irritation (let's face it: nobody likes to be called a moron or an idiot.)

"Ok! Ok! I got the picture! I've been stupid. So now what do we do?"

"Right you are about being stupid" the old man snarled. "Well since you are an occlumen already you just have to maintain a constant high alert wall in your mind."

"But I can't do it for more than twenty minutes!"

"It's sufficient enough! Do it!"

When Harry nodded the old warrior resumed his rant "I'll use the little bit of magic strength I have left to accelerate the process and clean your mind. The problem for you will be the pain and the fact that you'll have to work on your own on the nine dances of the wands. Anyway you would have had to do it your own as your body isn't capable of executing these actions yet."

"What do you mean?"

"You really are a worthless brat! Did you think you were a god or something? You have knowledge, but that's it! If you think you are good enough that way, think again! You know Wards, but did you practice setting them up and down to be fast and flawless? Did you try to Slide in earnest once the self induced trance was over? Did you practice making potions to enable your body to be conditioned to react to the odors and sounds? Did you really think that you'd wake up, able to blast ten Hit Wizards cornering you? Insolent whelp! You have to work your body, hone your skills and get new ones!"

"You know what? I'm so pissed of with your attitude that I won't even dull the pain. Get ready greenhorn 'cause it's gonna be a shity ride for ya!"

When the pain coursed Harry's body, the last thing he thought before fainting was that he's choose the Cruciatus any time.

(1) ήίηίση - Minion

I'm sorry I've been so late to update. My computer crashed down and the guys took bloody long to fix it.

This is chapter 7, I had already started and I finished the fastest I could to upload. I doesn't go as fast (just a day) as I wanted to don't worry it will pick up soon.

Question to dictate the following chapters:

With which specy Harry shouldstricke an alliance?

A) Centaures

B) Vampires

C) Merpeople

D) An unknow breed I'll have to imagine totally

E) Something else: ...

Don't worry I won't EVER drop the story before its Complete (might take 25 to 30 more chapters for that, but we'll get through).