Majo Kon-ki The Marriage of Tanya the Witch
(The marriage chronicles of a witch)
Arc 3 - Prisoner of Azkaban – part 5
November, AD1993, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"Err… come again?" Tanya asked, hoping she had heard wrong.
"I'll say it as many times as necessary: I love you! Please, go out with me!"
Everyone was frozen for a few seconds in disbelief.
"Hey fella! You can't just ask a princess out this way! If you want lady von Degurechaff, you have to kill a dragon as proof of your devotion!"
She thanked mentally George Weasley. Finally this story was going in her favor!
"No, really, anything to get rid of any new possible hindrance-"
"I will face a dragon daily if it means she will give me a single minute of her day."
"WHAT?!" And by the resolute look on his face, he was deadly serious!
"H-how did this happen? Boy, you don't even know me!"
"Weren't you informed, Diggory? Tanya I MY GIRLFRIEND!" Harry angrily reminded everyone of this unpleasant fact.
"Say it to him Tanya!"
Tanya was unable to utter a single word as Cedric took her hands and looked straight into her eyes.
"You have been in my mind and heart ever since the game two years ago."
"So I have heard-"
"I kept trying to convince myself you were too young and that I had bigger responsibilities."
"I agree. At your age you should focus in your studies-"
"I was a fool! Seeing you and Harry sleeping together in the great hall opened my eyes. I need to fight for you right now or risk losing you forever."
"I am not-"
"So, please. Give us a chance!"
Tanya wasn't expecting such an intense gaze, she unconsciously looked away blushing.
"I will take this as a 'yes'."
"I didn't-"
"Diggory… GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY GIRLFRIEND OR I SWEAR I AM GONNA HEX YOU!" To show how serious he was, Harry pointed his wand menacingly at Diggory.
This caused the older boy to let go of her.
"If this is how it has to be… we all know what you did to Flint last year Harry, but don't think I can't defend myself!"
"STOP!" Madam Hooch had to remember she was the only adult present and interrupted before they could start a fight.
"Gentleman, you are quidditch players! This means you don't resort to violence to decide your disputes! You do it in the pitch!"
"You mean the match this saturday? The one who wins, takes the girl?" Tanya saw Oliver Wood grinning. He probably figured this would be the right motivation for Harry.
"Hey! I don't agree-"
"Fine by me! If I win, we go on a date next visit to Hogsmeade." Diggory declared, already making plans.
"Wait a minute! For starters, I don't have a permission."
"Doesn't matter! I can think of lots of things we could do in the castle…"
"M-me too… and that is the problem!" She is reminded of broom closets…
"Better not to tire your handsome head in pointless thinking because I am going to DESTROY YOU!" Harry was so angry he didn't realize he had absolutely nothing to gain by agreeing…
"Can someone hear me out?"
"Ahhhh! The princess is taking all the fancy blokes…"
"Yeah! It's always the quiet ones."
"I want men fighting for me too!"
The three chasers were grumbling non stop all the while glaring at her in a clear display of envy.
"Why…why no one ever listen to me?!"
"I am so glad you came watch the game, Tanya! It's always more fun with lots of people!" Luna said, beaming at her friend.
"Well, it is appropriate for the FIRST PRIZE to see who is taking it home!"
"Huh?"
"Aff… nothing."
"Please, do us a favor and don't set anything on fire this time, okay?" Ron jokingly reminded her.
"Even if a teacher or an elf tries anything, fiendfyre would be hard to cast in the middle of this STORM!"
"She is sarcastic again. Good, this means she is getting better!" Actually, despite the rain and the strong winds, Hermione was pleased. The idea of distracting Tanya from the 'recent events' worked… even if not exactly how she wished.
These last few weeks have been awful for all of them. Not that Hermione believed she was in worse condition than Tanya, but she was devastated after learning the teacher she had a massive crush on had done unspeakable things to her friend.
She was a civilized person and a full believer of conceptions like forgiveness and second chances. This said, seeing the strong willed Tanya crying herself to sleep almost every night in Luna's arms, made Hermione hold gruesome thoughts without any remorse…
"I hope that scumbag died a slow and painful death!" Still, holding a grudge to the dead was bound to help no one.
No, Hermione would rather be useful, either by warming her friends with the hot air spell or charming Harry's glasses to repel water. Regrettably, she couldn't alleviate Tanya's tense mood.
"If you wish, we can leave." The older girl offered.
"I can't! Don't you know Harry? It's in times like this that trouble comes after him."
"Now that she mentioned…"
"I… want that at least ONCE, nothing happens…" Tanya kept looking at Harry's direction full of worry.
Hermione should've known… Tanya didn't like quidditch, she was withstanding all this bad weather entirely for the sake of making sure her boyfriend was safe.
"Please… if there is someone up there… let today end without any incident!" Hermione wished with all her heart.
Unfortunately, if there was anyone above, either they weren't watching or just didn't like Tanya…
"Something is wrong!" The little girl said suddenly.
"W-what?!"
"Harry… his mana signature is completely surrounded!"
"Surrounded? Diggory should be the only one close to him. Look, all the other players are-"
"HARRY!" Hermione heart almost stopped after Ginny's scream. In the midst of the black clouds she was able so see Harry in a free fall!
"ARGH! SEE WHAT I MEAN?!" Tanya let out this last comment before soaring like a comet.
It was by a hair's breadth, nonetheless Tanya caught Harry in the air… but, as if her wings were suddenly clipped, she fell along with him.
Hermione lost no more time, she ran to the pitch, her friends not far behind. On there, they found Tanya crying over a motionless Harry.
"H-he is not dead! HE CAN'T BE DEAD!"
"Oh, please! Let him just be unconscious!" Hermione was almost crying herself.
"You need to calm down miss Degurechaff. Allow us to look at him." Madam Hooch pleaded trying to approach the fallen boy.
"NO! DON'T TOUCH HIM! I-I can't protect him… I have no magic!"
Like in Halloween night, Tanya completely lost her mind, she wouldn't let anyone get closer to Harry.
Suddenly, a red light hit her and the hysterical girl fell over Harry.
Looking over, Hermione saw professor Snape with wand in hand and a guilty look on his face.
"P-professor?"
"… she is simply stunned." The potions master took the little girl in his arms to let madam Hooch check on Harry.
"He doesn't seem to have broken anything… he is merely unconscious."
Hermione let out a big breath of relief.
"Foremost, this shouldn't have occurred…!"
Hermione turned to the voice of the headmaster.
"!" She gasped, the usual calm and serene headmaster seemed LIVID!
"EXPECTO PATRONUM… MAXIMA!" By his shout, the entire field was engulfed in silver light. It was so bright that Hermione couldn't see the giant phoenix attacking the dementors.
"WHEN ARE THEY LEAVING?!" Albus Potter screamed in frustration.
"Shhh! I placed an imperturbable charm, but if you scream, they're gonna hear us!"
On the hospital wing at Hogwarts, the two time travelers were waiting for an opportunity to finish their mission.
"Eventually, they have to leave…" It was a matter of patience. Besides, Scorpius was curious about the odd interaction between Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory.
"You and Diggory have an agreement? What sort of agreement?" And looking as Mrs Weasley questioned her friend, his curiosity was shared by the room's other occupants.
"I-I lost… so Diggory can take her in a date…" Harry Potter said between gritted teeth. His face showing frustration not too different from his son's.
"No… I am the one who lost…" Diggory calmly said, while gazing tenderly at the sleeping Tanya.
"I wish I had tried it sooner… Degurechaff made her choice. She choose you Harry…" With a last sad look of goodbye to Tanya, he left looking utterly dejected.
"What was all that? Was Mrs Potter dating him?"
"No. Uncle Ron once told me that Cedric fancied Tanya, but he gave up after seeing how upset she was to see dad hurt."
"YOU ESSENTIALLY BET TANYA!" Hermione Granger's yell brought the boy's attention back to the present.
"Oh yeah! He also told me that aunt Hermione was pissed off with dad treating Tanya as a 'trophy' just at the delicate moment when she was emotionally unstable."
Then the future minister went into full sermon mode and for a long time berated Harry Potter under the amused observation of his friends and team mates. Finally, madam Pomfrey forced all visitors to leave, ending the show.
The time travelers still had to wait until Harry Potter fell slept before they could move from the range of the imperturbable charm.
"AHHH?! W-what is dad doing?!" Albus watched horrified as his dad got up and sneaked on Tanya's bed.
"Errr… sleeping with his wife?"
"They are not married yet! Ugh! Tanya was right! Dad is so lecherous!"
"Ho-oh… do I detect jealously? I was there when you were all 'I will marry Tanya when I graduate from Hogwarts'!"
This old memory made his friend go completely red.
"I-I-I didn't know what marriage was at the time! Tanya basically raised me! She was more of my mother than-"
"Tanya… love you so much…"
"!" The two boys tensed at Harry's affectionate murmurs.
"… you don't reckon they will start s-shagging…?"
Albus' answer was a shiver.
"I-it is possible… like I said, dad is lecherous! Forgot how I was born? He cheated on Tanya!"
"Yup! Dad told me it was a major scandal. Imagine, the famous Harry Potter cheated on his wife with a popular quidditch player…"
"Mum lost her job, but she said what's worse is that my grandparents and all my uncles disowned her."
"And Mrs Potter? Wasn't she angry at all?"
"Aunt Hermione always said Tanya's greatest weakness is her unconditional love for dad!"
"Grandpa told me something similar…"
"Cedric wasn't the only competitor dad had. Through the years, Tanya had many suitors. She turned they all down for dad… well… all except for one…"
Scorpius widened his eyes at this reveal.
"Mrs Potter had an affair?!"
"I-I don't know for sure… When I was very little, I heard dad and mum talking that Lily was Tanya's payback, you know, for ME!"
"Lily is not your dad's daughter?! Didn't you ask your parents or Mrs Potter?"
"… never had the guts to do it!"
Scorpius saw the youngest Potter once or twice. And he remembered the little girl was an exactly copy of her mother. At least, he couldn't remember if she had any of her father's features.
"Mr Potter kind of deserves… he already has a beautiful wife! And seeing them as kids already sharing a bed- Oh?"
"I think your dad is sleeping." Scorpius said noticing Harry Potter happily snoring while holding his future wife.
"…Tanya… love… you…" Harry Potter's whispered probably having a nice dream.
"Phew! Dad was jut mumbling in his sleep! Worst than seeing the two getting intimate would be if mum was in that bed too!"
Another comment which made Scorpius widen his eyes.
"From where this remark came from?! D-does this means… the three of them…?" The boy shook his head.
"Better not ask and end this long day already!"
"Let's… deliver our gift and leave!"
"Right! I will put the package in Tanya's bed and- wait!"
"Aff! What now?"
"I remembered dad will receive a new broom in the next month, but aunt Hermione will suspect of foul play. If we leave a present to Tanya in the same way, it will be too suspicious!"
"And how do you expect us to hand it?"
"I dunno…"
"Blimey! Didn't you plan this beforehand?!"
"The plan fell through when we arrived a day later! Argh! I… hummm. Ah! I have another idea! Let's go to tomorrow."
"… this is getting ridiculous." Scorpius Malfoy activate the time turner and both boys vanished.
"Shit! I threw another tantrum! What is fucking wrong with me?!"
Once more, Tanya had another mental breakdown caused by her fear of losing this world's future savior!
"I need to remind myself he can't die unless against Voldemort! For heavens sake!"
She was embarrassed with herself and also with Harry. He had been meek lately, but last night he seemingly regained his boldness!
"Heck! When I opened my eyes, we were sleeping in the same bed AGAIN!"
She immediately jumped from bed and ran as far as she could.
Arriving at the muddied quidditch pitch, she decided to take a time off. To clear her mind and reflect. Or at least stay away from any brat for a few minutes.
"I must resume my search for the wand… aff… evenfeeling so down…" This lack of motivation was a clear sign of depression.
"… and Harry… he has to- hum?"
She noticed two figures walking hurriedly towards her.
"Why are they wearing rain coats? It isn't raining anymore." Tanya felt a little apprehensive. Could they be using the hoods to conceal their faces…?
"Let's see if they aren't- CRAP!" It happened again. Her magic failed and she was unable to read their mana!
Suddenly, she felt very scared. It was the first time this distressed little girl was alone since the boggard incident. What if those two wished her harm? She was defenseless and all by herself!
"I-I may have made a grave mistake!"
In no time they reached her position…
"…"
… only to stare at her in silence.
"Are they nervous?" Tanya raised an eyebrow.
"Can I help you?" The two hooded figures jumped back with a startle. Apparently, they were even more afraid than she was…
"Y-yes! Y-you can- I mean, w-we want to give you a present!"
"A present to me? From who? Why?"
"W-we… err… work at the department of mysteries! This is why we look so mysterious!"
"… huh?"
"What my friend is trying to say is that we recently developed a prototype based on your ideas about operational orbs and we wanted you to have the first."
"WHAT? Someone already created a computation jewel?! Shit!" This was a major set back! If operational orbs were already discovered in this world, she wouldn't have her high paying job should she need later on!
"But why are they giving it to me? A consolation prize? Or maybe…"
"You completed it without my help. Does this means the job promised to me will be as a tester?"
The two looked at each other.
"NO! Hummm… our team had a… divine inspiration! That is it! It was pure luck, we will never made another! Not without your help!"
"Yeah! It was kind of like a miracle!"
Something was definitively off. They seemed too desperate. Mainly, Tanya didn't like their choice of words…
"Okay… may I see it?"
One of the supposed employees of the department of mysteries handed her a small black box.
"Miracle? Divine inspiration… if I didn't know any better- !"
Tanya dropped the box the moment she saw what was on it.
"No!" So much was her shock that she tripped and fell on the mud.
"No! No! No!"
All she could do was scream in denial while gazing at a familiar old nightmare… the small box contained an operational orb identical to the Elenium type 95!
"Is anything wrong Mrs Po- I mean, miss Tanya?"
"NOOOO!" Tanya braced herself. There in no way this is a coincidence! That cursed 'miracle' HE forced on her was back! Meaning that devil was plaguing her life all over again!
"This… this doesn't made sense! He always taunted me before any major act… Why isn't he possessing a person, a pigeon or even a toy to brag to me like always?"
"Did you hurt yourself?" Tanya ignored the words of concern. This problem demanded all her focus.
"Unless… maybe 'death' is from a 'rival branch'?! He can't be caught harassing other people's employees?!"
"Hmm… hello?"
"He was the one who send the wands! The misunderstand with Harry was his fault too!And is he behind the princess bullshit? Then what else he has done-"
'For days now, I keep having this same dream… You giving me children…' Lockhart's words from that abhorrent night come to her mind.
"Wait… for days he had the exactly same dream?! That is impossible!"
It finally dawned upon her that Lockhart had became Being X's newest apostle. Unlike the former times when he would use people beliefs in an open way, now he was using a more discreet approach. Apparently, to not let 'death' know about him.
"Err… Tanya?"
Hearing her name be called, reminded her she was in front of two ENEMIES!
"You two are… WORKING FOR THAT PIECE OF SHIT!"
If looks could kill, Tanya's devilish glare would have fulminated the two boys a hundred times already.
"EEEKKK! W-why is she so angry?!"
"I-I don't know! Hurry let's escape!"
"YOU TWO ARE GOING NOWHERE!"
Tanya let herself be dominated by pure hatred. After all, she had to deal fast with those two new 'apostles'!
As if on cue, she felt the reassuring touch of her mana. Losing no time, she channeled all her magic to cast her most powerful spell.
"WAAAAHHH!" The two screamed holding each other at the visage of the enormous dragon made of fiendfyre.
"W-W-WAIT JUST A MOMENT! LET US-"
"I AM WAITING FOR NOTHING!" Obeying her orders, the dragon opened his jaws and devoured the two 'mysterious' employees of the department of mysteries.
Looking at the big charred crater, not even ashes remained from them.
"I am so stupid! As I was playing victim, that phony's lackeys were gathering against me again!"
To make it all worse, he wasn't letting his presence be known. Those two fools probably died without realizing they were pawns!
"I have no more time for delays… To balance things out, I must prepare my own pawn to fulfill his life purpose…"
"… if the whopping willow was still there, your broom would be splinters by now."
"Yeah! It will need only little repair and- Oh! Hello Tanya."
Ron almost flinched. The little girl seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"You weren't in bed when I woke-"
"Come Harry. We are going to train." Tanya casually stated, as if Harry had no choice in the matter.
"Right now?! Can't we- GAH!"
This time Ron did flinch. Tanya pulled Harry away like he was a bag of rubbish she had to throw away!
"Hey! Where are you taking- !" Ron's voice died in his throat. He almost felt nostalgic with the way Tanya was glaring at him.
"… could you be working for HIM?!"
… from where he remembers Tanya looking like this? A vicious glint in her eyes… something that shouted danger…
"Never mind. If you are, you won't even know anyway. Just don't get in my way."
In those last weeks, Tanya had been acting either shy or depressed. And now…
"The little monster woke up andis hungry!" Not wishing to fear another scary beast after him, he prompt opened a way for her to pass while she dragged Harry out.
He spend the rest of the day dreading what fate befell his best friend. It was almost midnight when Harry would reappear to sleep in their dorm.
"I am beat!" He said before hitting bed.
"Phew! He is alive!"
"Mate! What were you doing the entire day? Madam Pomfrey didn't like- Harry?"
Harry was already soundly sleep.
Ron had to withstand his curiosity until the next day. He intended to ask his friend during breakfast but on their way down, they found Tanya apparently harassing Hermione.
"… you don't need muggle studies and divination is a waste of time!"
He didn't hear what it was about. Just that Hermione hesitantly handed over a necklace with a very long chain.
"Now I- Oh! There you are Harry."
"Good morning-"
"Come. It's time to train."
"Today too?! We have classes- GAH!"
Tanya didn't offer any other explanation. Again, she only dragged Harry away.
"Hey! What about breakfast?" Ron shouted at them.
"Don't worry, they will be in time. They have a time-turner." Hermione said, sighing hard.
"A time-what?"
"A time-turner. It allows the user to go back a few hours in time. This is how I was able to took so many classes."
"… I knew you were popping out of nowhere!"
"Professor McGonagall gave to me on our first day back. She said it is offered to the best students, but it turns out I was the second choice…"
"Let me guess: because Tanya was missing, you got it instead."
"Yeah… and this is how she knew I had it."
"Why she took it? She and Harry will take more classes?!"
"No. She needs extra time to coach Harry. Says he has to be ready to defend himself in case Black or even you-know-who comes after him."
"Can't they ask a teacher to help Harry learn some spells?"
"I believe Tanya is still scared and want someone to protect her."
"Or maybe she is angry because of that stuff with Diggory…"
Ron expected a repeat of yesterday, the two disappearing the whole day and turning up very late at night. However, as soon as he and Hermione arrived at the great hall, Harry and his girlfriend were having breakfast… or rather, Tanya was eating alone.
"F-food please…" Harry begged seemly exhausted.
"A maggot like you is not worth food!"
They watched in horror as Tanya took out the plate in front of him.
Hermione immediately went to her friend's defence.
"Tanya! You can't-"
"… don't you dare get in my way!" It was Hermione's time to feel Tanya's monster's glare.
"EEK!" It was so effective that she hid behind Ron.
"T-that face is the same she had when… when she tried to kill Dobby!"
"!" Now he remembers… Tanya also had the same glint in the eyes while she was taking moaning Myrtle apart!
Afterwards, they decided it was for the best to not incur in her wrath too. Harry had to attended the morning classes famished and would end his suffering at lunch, mainly due to the fact that Tanya always eats with Snape.
After finishing his fifth helping, he had strength enough to offer an explanation.
"I don't know why I am so surprised, I already knew Tanya is a severe teacher." Harry mentioned, probably recalling the time he learned how to slash ghosts.
"The first five hours were for spell casting. I had to hit dummies constantly."
"And where Tanya found dummies?"
"Apparently, the room is enchanted to create what we need. I heard that tall elf, Bigby, call it 'the room of requirement'."
"You didn't explain why she was punishing you earlier."
"Oh! As I said, I had to keep hitting the targets, but at the end, I got tired and missed one."
"It's no wonder! You were doing it for five whole hours!"
"No, it wasn't five hours…"
"It wasn't? Whew!"
"… it was ten."
""WHAT?!""
"This part was only my magic training. Tanya said I have to be more physically fit too. We went to the forbidden forest, used the time-turner and… well…" Harry shivered.
"Remember what I said about spiders? I don't like them anymore…"
"A-acromantulas were there?!"
"Tanya promised that if one caught me, they could eat me! So it was more five hours of me running like hell!"
"What about the treaty? Isn't this against the laws of the ministry?" To Hermione's question, Harry had the answer Ron had always suspected was the case.
"There wasn't any need for a treaty in the first place. They are all freaking scared of Tanya!"
"Ugh! In other words, all my suffering and Scabbers's was for nothing!"
"Ah! By the way, the acromantulas send you their regards, asked when you are going to visit."
"N-never in this life! And more important, get out of this mess! Say to her this is too much! Tell him, Hermione!"
"Hmm… Harry kind of deserves a lesson after treating Tanya like a trophy!"
"W-what?! You are still hang up on that?! Harry will end spider's food just like Lockhart!"
"Ron!" Hermione called him off. Reminding him that the perverted sod's final destiny was supposed to be a secret.
"… maybe… I deserve to end like this too."
"What you mean, Harry?"
"…" Harry didn't respond to Ron's question, he silently ate another mouthful.
Over the next weeks, Ron saw very little of his best friend and his wacky girlfriend.
They would train, use the time turner and repeat five hours, exercise and use it again to go to classes. Harry would came deadly tired and go straight to bed.
"At least she didn't forbid Harry from eating again."
Not even the weekends she would allow for him to rest, he would train ten hours and still go to his quidditch practice…
Many times, Ron pleaded for Hermione's help.
"Listen… Tanya probably has the acromantulas tamed. Even if they do catch Harry, she wouldn't let anything bad happens to him."
"Grrr… always defending her monster of a friend, exactly like with her monster of a cat!"
"Tanya just wants to feel safe. And it is working, she is sleeping better at night. I don't woke in the middle of night with her being consoled by Luna any more…"
"This is weird. You girls never mentioned she was having bad dreams while on the Burrow."
"And she wasn't. I guess she was trying hard to hid her anguish…"
Is it bad that Ron wished she could try to hid it a bit more? He was starting to miss Harry's company! They didn't had a single match of wizardly chess or gobstones in ages!
"They do say this always happens when your friends start dating… but I thought I would compete with snogging, not instantly created dummies and acromantulas!"
Ron was losing hope of expending some time with his best friend again when Tanya made a declaration exactly on the day of the last Hogsmeade visit of the year.
"I will be doing a little research on the patronus charm, try to train by yourself today."
The redheaded saw this as the perfect opportunity to let Harry have a break. The only problem was: how to leave the castle without a permit?
"I really didn't want to do it…" Ron sighed hard.
"Let's ask for THEIR help!"
THEIR, meaning his recently turned insufferable pair of older brothers…
"Of course we will help!"
"Everything for our dear little brother's friends!" They finished giving him a tight and affectionate hug!
It's been months since they changed the way they treated Ron… it was like he had a deadly sickness and they were trying to make his last days better!
"If this goes on, I will diebut of anxiety!"
Regardless, they helped by lending what they called 'the secret of their success'… And it was thanks to the marauder's map that an hour later Harry got to enjoy a day with his two friends!
"Sirius Black could be using one of the passages of the map! The teachers have to know!"
They still had an obstacle. Hermione tried to convince them to hand it to professor McGonagall…
Now this was too much! They finally got a time off for Harry and Hermione was trying to spoil it! Ron had no other choice except use a small dirty trick of his own…
"Hermione stop trying to give orders to us! It's too early for you to act like a prefect!" This made Hermione beam at him.
"Ron… do you reckon I will be prefect?!"
"Of course you will…"
"Ohhh! Really? Thank you-"
"… after Tanya becomes head girl, they will need a new prefect for our year."
"I-I see… sob!"
"Ron! Come on! This was cruel!"
It was also very effective in calming her down for the rest of the day. Ron would forget any guilty thoughts anyway, he was having so much fun!
No, really, it was the best afternoon he had in months, and so far, they had only visited Honeydukes!
"Tell you what, let's go for a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks!"
Thinking back, they should have gone to the post office, Zonko's or even the Shrieking Shack. Nevertheless, there was no way Ron could know what would happen there. He realized his mistake the moment professors McGonagall and Flitwick plus Hagrid and the minister walked in…
"Bloody hell! Sirius Black is Harry's godfather!" This thought would remain in his head all the way back to the castle. Where they had another revelation.
"I see… you found out about Sirius Black." Tanya nonchalant divulged her knowledge about it.
But what was truly chocking was her next question.
"So, what do you want to do? Get him?"
Which Harry, with hatred written all over his face, enthusiastically nodded his head.
"Then we are going after him… after you ready!"
Nothing Ron or Hermione said dissuaded them from this idea.
The next day, was the start of the holidays, and for the first time, Tanya didn't need to drag Harry away. He voluntarily woke up very early and wouldn't show up even for breakfast or lunch.
This pattern would remain for the duration of all holidays, even at christmas! Their presents remained wrapped! Everything had gotten more complicated…
"Why? Oh, why Harry couldn't have anormal girlfriend who would just snog him…"
"What… WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!" Hermione asked herself mortified.
After their last talk about Sirius Black, she didn't see her friends again. Worried that they could be planning something foolish, the older girl decided to check on them and what she finds?
Harry lay on the ground breathing hard, his body covered in cuts and bruises, his clothes dirty with BLOOD!
"Harry, I already taught you enough to hold yourself in a fight. Lamentably, I didn't learn the killing spell yet, so I can't teach you how to do it."
"'Yet'?! She plans to learn the unforgivable curses?!" As if possible, Hermione was even more horrified.
"Although, like I said before, simple spells like the cutting and exploding curses are good enough to kill your target. Just use them skillfully and accurately."
"W-what is this talk about KILLING?!" Tanya kept talking about killing like it was the most natural thing of the world.
"You are very talented and is learning pretty fast but… There is one thing missing: blood-lust. So, in the lesson of today, you will attack me with intention to kill."
"Huh? This I can't do! What if I hurt you?!"
"If you manage to hurt me, this means you are ready to have your revenge."
All this talk about killing, hurting and revenge was convincing Hermione that Tanya intended to turn Harry into a killer.
They still didn't give a single recognition of her presence. Meaning she ought to-
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Hermione was caught by surprise with the thundering shout.
At some point, while she was busy deciding what to do, the headmaster walked in.
Promptly he made his way to the couple, also fully ignoring the third Gryffindor…
"Harry, why are you in such state? Is that blood on your clothes?!"
"Err… I-I-" Harry looked like a child caught red-handed behaving badly, while Tanya… smiled?
"Hello headmaster Dumbledore. Nice to see you after so long."
If he was amused, Dumbledore didn't let it show.
"Very long indeed. You two didn't attend the Christmas' feast. Is this what you have been doing lately?"
"Yes. As you can see, we are doing… extracurricular activities." Tanya coolly declared.
"… with Harry full of bruises?!"
"You wouldn't believe how clumsy Harry can be sometimes!"
Dumbledore blinked in amazement at the audacity of her lie.
"Now if you excuse us, we need to continue."
"She wants to keep going?! While Harry bleeds all over the place?!"
"I believe it's very clear why I can't allow for this to go on." Unhesitatingly, the headmaster helped Harry to his feet.
"Now, if YOU excuse us, I am walking Harry to the hospital wing."
Far from being affronted, Tanya kept the same smile on her face.
"… is this what you wish to do, Harry?"
"M-maybe a quickly visit then I come back…?"
"… suit yourself." Tanya said, turning her back to him.
"It's just for a few minutes, I will come back before-"
"Don't bother. I won't be here anymore."
Harry frowned.
"Are we done for the day?"
"We are done forever… by tomorrow I won't be in Hogwarts anymore."
Harry blanched at her announcement.
"If you can't follow my instructions, I can't help you get strong. I shall go to a place where I can be safe by myself."
"NO! I am staying! Let's continue the training!" Harry broke free of Dumbledore's helping hand and panicking begged her.
"Training? Are you perhaps training Harry to be your bodyguard?!"
"I am training Harry to protect me and himself."
"My child, allow a professor to perform this task. I am sure Remus would-"
"You expect me to trust another dangerous teacher YOU hired?!" The tone of accusation wasn't lost to the listeners.
"I wonder what the WEREWOLF has in store for us. After all, Quirrell was hiding a murderer in his own body while Lockhart… w-was looking for a mother to his children!"
Instead of taking offense, Dumbledore was, apparently, too ashamed to talk back.
"F-forgive me… never would I imagine-"
"And what you thought that useless clown would do? Self expose what a big fraud he was?"
"Actually… yes."
"Wait! What?!" Hermione hardly believed what she just heard. Besides the fact he proved to be a sexual aggressor, Gilderoy Lockhart was an incompetent teacher and their headmaster knew it?
"I see. And what about Quirrell? Was he a test to see if Harry could defeat Voldemort?"
"How do you- !"
"EHHHHH?!" Hermione felt betrayed. Here she had the firm belief that their headmaster was concerned with their education and in truth, he was submitting the children under his guard to a killer, an inept pedophile and even a werewolf?!
"Is this true…?" Harry asked, no doubt having the same thoughts as Hermione.
"Harry, I will admit the idea occurred to me. As you saw, it's hard to capture or harm Voldemort as he is now. I waged your mother's protection would be enough to defeat him once and for all. However, it was a mistake and I deeply regret it!"
Dumbledore seemed sincere but how could anyone trust him after all that was reveled today? For all Hermione knew, he was merely trying to manipulate Harry again!
"Pfff! You already forgave him, didn't you?" Tanya asked noticing Harry's sadly look to the headmaster.
"Well…"
"Ahhhh… this is why you need blood lust! Your enemies won't be so merciful because you are 'sorry'!"
"Err… sorry…?"
"Okay! Let me show what an enemy would do while you are feeling sorry!"
Hermione watched in puzzlement as after these words, Tanya fired a fast spell…
"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"
… ripping off one of Harry's arms!
"HARRY?! MY GOODNESS!" This got the spectator into action. Together with Dumbledore, Hermione rushed to Harry's aid.
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!" Dumbledore seemed torn whether to yell at Tanya or tend to Harry's wounds.
"Why? You should be grateful. Now you have a good reason to take him to the hospital wing- Oh! And by saving his life, you will easily get his forgiveness!" Tanya finished with a mocking laugh.
Hermione panicked. She wondered if all the torment had driven Tanya insane.
"He is losing too much blood and too fast! Miss Granger! Help me with him! HURRY!"
"O-okay!" Still, Hermione hesitated to pick up his… severed arm.
"… this changes nothing. If you cross that door without my permission, we are done." Tanya threatened, sounding not the least concerned with her boyfriend's life.
Even so, the injured boy got up and pushed through his two helpers and unsteady moved towards her… leaving a trail of blood behind.
"My boy! Please! Can't you see she is completely deranged?! This is not love!"
With a startle, Harry stopped in his tracks.
"… and what do YOU know about love?" He asked without turning to look at the headmaster.
"Tanya is the one who taught me what love is… she became my first friend… she helped me… she protected me… she almost died for me!"
This time, Harry turned to look at old man wizard, eyes full of cold fury.
"And what have YOU done for me…?"
"Harry… I-"
"I don't care about Quirrell but… YOU LEFT ME WITH THE DURSLEYS!"
"That was for your own good! I have previously explained how the bond of blood charm needed a close relative of your-"
"Then why couldn't YOU take me? Why couldn't you… became my father…?"
To this question, Hermione saw the headmaster struggling to formulate an answer and it come empty.
"Despise all the troubles I bring to her, Tanya never pushed me away. No, instead, I was the one who failed her! I didn't do anything to protect her… I… am no better than Lockhart…"
Hermione understood at least. Harry had been suffering from guilt all this time and nobody saw it. No one to tell him it wasn't his fault…
"I wanna get strong… stronger than anybody else to have my revenge! But more than anything… I don't want to see Tanya crying ever again!"
It was a wonder how Harry didn't pass out from blood loss. Is it resolve that keeps him standing?
"No. Not resolve… Love!"
"TANYA! I am ready to continue our training! What should I do?"
"You already know! Try to KILL ME!" Tanya opened her arms as if inviting Harry to embrace her.
"I… I…! RIGHT!" Harry pointed his wand at Tanya and began to perform a move.
"The exploding charm?! Miss Granger! Stay close to me!" The professor barely had a time to conjure a shield over them.
"BOMBARDA!"
A bright flash of light blinded Hermione for a second. When her vision returned, she saw the entire room was destroyed and Tanya was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh Merlin! Was she blown away?"
A sound echoed and Tanya emerged from under some debris.
"Heavens! She doesn't appear to have a single scratch!"
Hermione let out a breath of relief. It was like Dumbledore said, the little girl seemed unharmed.
Slowly Tanya walked until she was in front of Harry.
"Nice work Harry… see?" Hermione and Dumbledore were wrong, Tanya had a nasty wound in her left arm!
"Sorry! Does it hurt?!" Harry asked noticing the tears beginning to roll from her eyes.
"I am so happy!" Tanya actually beamed at him. Far from pain, her tears were from joy.
"You can really protect me! Oh! I love you so much!"
"You love me? This is the first time I hear you say it!"
"You never were so serious before. I was starting to think our relationship was just a game for you. And after Diggory's bet, I thought you meant to push me away. That you were disgusted with me!"
"NO! I am so sorry about that! At the time, I was angry! I wanted to prove I was better than him! I would never push you away, you are the most important person in my whole life!"
The two embraced each other completely ignoring the total destruction around them, or the dumbfounded people watching.
"Will we be together forever…?"
"All I can say is right now, Harry Potter, you are the person I most want to be with in the entire universe!"
"Tanya! I swear never to let anyone hurt you again… I will be your knight!"
With all the commotion ending, Hermione was able to figure out what passed through her friend's head.
"I see… so this is what happened… sob." She let her tears flow freely. Besides relief, she felt awful for even considering that Tanya was crazy! And not once she perceived the heavy load Harry was carrying!
"What a pitiful excuse for a friend I am…"
"So if you could please clarify for me? I'm completely lost." The old professor asked at her side.
Hermione considered letting him stay in the dark. Especially after recalling he wittingly hired an incompetent pedophile! However, he was still their headmaster and if he misinterpreted, this would mean trouble for Tanya later.
"You are wrong before, professor. This is true love!"
"Miss Granger?"
"Despite all this poor girl's suffering, she was sensitive enough to realize guilty was eating her boyfriend away. All this 'spectacle' was to make him see he has the power to protect her."
"… you mean to say she wasn't just training him? She had to punish him to his limits or he wouldn't feel redeemed?!"
"I know it's extreme. But her love for Harry was always beyond intense."
"Sigh… I only wish they could talk it over!"
"Don't worry, Harry! I got your arm!"
"O-okay…"
"We have not a second to lose! Let's-"
The big doors slammed close and Tanya was left alone in the completely destroyed room of requirement.
"Hehehe…" Now, she let all the feelings of joy burst out of her.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A thunderous laughter erupted from inside her as she spun around with moves that would put a ballerina to shame.
As if to attend her wishes, the room of requirement began to repair itself and change into a dance hall.
"Are you seeing me being X? Harry Potter became my loyal pawn!"
The plan was a success! Tanya not merely gave him a purpose for his existence, SHE became his very purpose!
"He will do anything I, his 'most beloved', dictates! Kill anybody I decide to kill! If I throw him a stick, he will fetch to me in his mouth!"
The trick part was to push him without destroying his feelings for her. Ironically, it was the reveal of her worst moment which fueled his desire to protect her.
"I didn't want anybody finding about THAT… the humiliation was unbearable and their pitying stares…! It was my most crushing defeat! But now, this RAPE VICTIM is back on top!"
Another risk was turning Dumbledore into an enemy. She knew he was bond to interfere, WANTED him to interfere as it was imperative for Harry to prove his loyalty to HER and ONLY her!
"With Harry openly choosing my side, he won't be able to turn his back on me so easily."
All that is left to do is patiently raise him into the perfect soldier. One who will keep the world safe long after she is gone.
"I will find the wand! And I will go home! Everything is falling in place! My victory is almost assured!"
To turn humiliation and defeat into a chance of victory. This is the greatest power bestowed upon mankind…
"You never had a chance! You faker! You egocentric poltergeist!"
Still, he was a powerful enemy… and his followers were bound to reappear sooner or later. Turbulent times were approaching… making celebrating now all the more important. Yes! Today, she will allow herself to indulge in dancing… and singing!
'Don't let your prey go away… there is no place to hide!
Forget crying… instead, laugh in madness!
With your eyes full of blood-lust,
Indulge in your arousal for massacre! You need many more deaths to attain eternal joy!
With my sharpened fangs I will be devour them all!
This is not being a beast, merely the true carnivorous human being!
With greedy devotion, paint this world in red until everyone is dead…'
"… including HIM!HEHEHE… HAHAHAHA! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
If anyone could see this scene, they would think either, this was the happiest little girl in the world or… that she was completely insane.
AN: I know! I am late again! I am profoundly sorry for this…
As you guys can see, Tanya supposedly discover that Being X is behind all her troubles in this new life too, drove her even more over the edge.
For the people wondering what is Tanya's song, its a variation of the translation of the Youjo Senki opening. I changed the lyrics as much as possible because I heard that at FF dot net it is forbidden to put song's lyrics into fanfiction. So, think of the opening song should you reread that part.
Oh and Tanya dancing and singing while mad is a combination of the ending of the Youjo Senki movie and the last episode of the fourth season of Overlord. People who watched it will know which scenes I am referring…
Next chapter: Tanya and Harry's fist kiss…?!
Reviews:
setokayba2n: Unfortunately, therapy is not something Tanya will ever be able to do.
EricFreak: Thank you. As much as Snape wishes to adopt Tanya, this is a dream that will never come to be.
zanarkand wintercall: Thank you. And sorry, I did take too much time with this chapter.