FFOmega

Part I: Bitter-Sweet Dreams

Chapter 13

The school year was arriving quickly. After a trip to Diagon Alley in which Harry was incredibly glad he wasn't recognized by the masses of his school acquaintances, they all returned to the house to allow the summer to end. Harry spent some of that time running around the grounds, testing his speed. He was fast, faster than he had ever seen any one person run in his life, he could tell as Blaise had ran alongside him for all of a few seconds before she was many feet behind him. He could jump as well, and was loving the freedom he was granted when he leapt into the air and had the few seconds of feeling like he was literally flying on his own before he came back to the ground.

But even with all of the power, nothing good became of sparring with Blaise. She was not as fast or as strong as him, but she was in better control or herself. She was surer on her feet than he was, her compact form working to her advantage as she dodged his attacks. He lost every time they fought hand-to-hand, almost always by being driven off of his balance and effectively beating himself. But with weapons, he found something he felt he was very good at. Any time they sparred with any weapon that was over knife-length, he was able to beat her, partially from reach, and partially from have a lot more power than her. He learned as he trained with her, growing more confident in his skills with the weapons he used.

He had progressed well, but still seemed a bit weary about actually practicing with the Demon sword. He had placed it away from him and hadn't touched it for the rest of summer. But as the time for school came closer, he began to stare at it more and more. And the night of August 31st, he actually picked it up. And giving it a spin in his hand, he placed it in the steel case it had come in, and put it into his trunk. Gathering all of his things and placing them in the new trunk he had gotten, he placed them in on top of the sword, even the things he rarely if ever used. He would take the weapon, but didn't intend to go anywhere near it the whole year.

He looked over to Blaise, who was packing as well. She had packed a few of her blades, small ones that could be carried everywhere with no one being the wiser, and then had some laid out on the bed. Harry smiled and looked at them. She was stripped down to her bra and a pair of his boxers she had stolen before he even got a chance to wear them, the hem rolled up a few times and low on her hips, showing they were worn over her underwear. And she proceeded to show him where all the blades went. One was strapped to her calf, and one at her waist under her robes at all times. Another was strapped to her upper arm when she wasn't wearing short sleeves, and the final one was on the back, atop the clasp of her bra. When he asked her why she was showing him this, she told him she didn't intend to have him getting cut while they snogged.

He smiled and remembered the locations, before she tossed him two blades as well. The small knives she carried at almost all times when they left the house were weapons he wasn't as comfortable using as the longer ones, but he was at least efficient with them. Smaller weapons would always be her thing more than his, they required a sureness of one's self and a level of dexterity he had yet to develop, mainly because of how much he had grown in just the short summer since his change. He promised her he would carry them, and put them to the side for wear the next day to the station before walking over to her and kissing her.

"So, how are we going to work this house thing? I doubt the Slytherins will want Harry Potter in the common room, and I doubt the Gryffindors will want any Slytherins in their common room." Blaise asked him.

"For the beginning we might have to go elsewhere, but the house will warm up to it. And if anything, they'll have to deal with it. Ron and Hermione are on our side at the very least, and Dean and all my other year-mates know. Being 6th years, the only people we might have to deal with are the 7th years, and I doubt they will give too much resistance to it. If they do, we'll figure it out."

Nodding, he kissed her some more before she hopped on his back and he carried her down the stairs. And lounging around, Blaise began an activity Harry sorely hated. She began juggling three throwing knives. It was a nerve-racking sport for spectators, and he assumed she knew and that was why she did it so much.

It was the night time, and they had come down if anything to tire themselves out to ensure that they actually slept at all. Harry walked out of the door and began to run around the grounds. It was first just jogging, but soon he took off running, and was soon invigorated, and more awake than he had been. However, he sensed something. It was like a flashing light when your back is turned to it. It wasn't something he was immediately able to place, but he knew it was there.

"You're fast kid, but can you outrun a bullet? I sorely doubt it." Looking up as he stopped running, he looked to the form of who could only be Baretta in the distance. Walking toward the man warily, he stopped when the man raised one of his guns and pointed it at him. "Do not come close to me. I just wanted to see your change for myself. But come close to me right now, and I will shoot you. That is all."

Harry stared at the man as he pulled out a pencil and pad of paper and began to write things down. Every so often he would look up at Harry, before writing some more. And placing the pad into his coat, Baretta turned and opened another rip in space and time, stepped through and was gone.

Raising an eyebrow, Harry turned and headed back to the house. Entering, he found Blaise still juggling. With his mind so sped up by the adrenaline, it seemed as if everything was slow, and he was moving at fairly normal speed. Reaching out and grabbing the twirling knives, he snatched them from the air and placed them down on the table in front of Blaise. The world sped back up to his eyes, and Blaise's eyes widened as she looked at him in shock. Smiling brightly at her, he picked her up and carried her up the stairs.

-----

Baretta walked into the bar slowly. It was a state called "Texas" and he was there for little to no reason. It was the closest bar to the Mexican-United States border, and he wasn't loving the rustic feel to the place. The men glancing up at him as soon as he entered didn't unnerve him as much as irked him. They gave him sneers as if they themselves were imposing enough to make him want to leave.

Baretta laughed at that thought as he walked up to the front. The woman behind the bar had a definite Latin look and feel to herself, her spiraling black hair and hazel eyes were good looking, and her curvy body, which was clear even as he sat down on the barstool, was definitely a plus.

"What can I get for you?" She asked, as she continued to clean a glass out. He smiled at her softly and removed his glasses slowly.

"Whiskey, straight." She nodded and pulled out the bottle and poured him a shot and slid it over to him. He caught it and downed it and motioned for another as he spun around on the stool and glanced to the two men in the corner of the bar, talking in hushed tones. Both looked as out of place there as he did for some reason. Not because of dress, but it seemed almost like the dress was researched and too well put together. Like it wasn't what they normally wore, like a costume.

He had found them.

Turning back to the woman, he smiled and winked at her. She blushed slightly. She was always hit on, but it was almost always by men who were drunk and gave her the same old sex propositions. But this man was perfectly sober and subtle. "Do you know those two men over there?" He asked her. She shook her head. "Got a boyfriend?" She nodded. "He here?" She nodded and gestured to the back of the bar. "He hits you, doesn't he." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. She stared at him nervously, looking unsure of how he knew. He smiled simply.

And pulling out his guns, he said over his shoulder, "You are about to be closed for the rest of the day." And he shot both men in the corner in the head, smiling at the fact that the last other customers had left just before he had taken his first shot. The woman's boyfriend ran out with a shotgun, just to be slammed across the face with one of the handguns Baretta held, his teeth scattering across the floor as he went down and stayed there. Taking the shotgun, Baretta removed the shells and pocketed them, before he went and took the suitcase the two men had been sitting next to and then walked over to the woman.

He extended his hand to her, and she took it, and he walked her over to the pool table and she kicked her shoes off as he went over and put the shotgun through the curved door handles on the inside to keep the doors closed, and then he shrugged off his duster and walked over to her, kissing her hard and hiking up the sides of her skirt with his hands as he lifted her up and sat her on the corner of the pool table. He had been right, the bar would be closed for the rest of the day. And ended up opening later than normal the next afternoon, no bodies in sight, and not a glimpse of the long-sleeves the woman usually wore during the day to cover the bruises on her arms. Instead, she fully displayed the bruise that had formed on her neck and along her clavicle like a badge of honor.

-----

Kyoto groaned as he awoke. He had had a horrible night, and now someone was banging on the door. He had finally gotten to sleep, and someone was at his door banging like they were the police, at 4:10 in the morning.

Groaning as he rolled off of the futon onto the floor and crawled all the way to the front door, he pulled himself up using the door handle as leverage. Finally standing, he opened the door to see none other than,

The police.

"Can I help you, officer?"

"Don't play smart with me Mister…" the police officer looked down to the pad of paper he held. "What ever your name is. We have reports of someone matching your description participating in a gang disturbance at around 3 this morning. Where were you at that time?"

"Here. Sleep."

"Do you have someone who can co…cor…witness to this testimony."

"My pillow." Kyoto sighed, shaking his head. "The word you were looking for is 'corroborate' for your further information. I wasn't where you seem to be trying to place me, and for that matter, I think it would be a good idea if you left." And before the policeman could speak again, the door was slammed in his face. And as Kyoto had made it back to his bed and was in the process of removing his pink bunny slippers, the door was slammed off of the hinges, and the windows on the loft flat shattered as people came through from ropes on the roof. He crouched low, analyzing the scene while Shadow shouted to be let out, when a woman walking into the room like a model. She was more curvy than the thin models Kyoto had seen and partaken in several times, and even in the deep gray business suit, she was awakening his mind.

Well, more awake than having over 20 men armed to the teeth break into his house at 4 in the morning would awaken one's mind. She smiled sardonically and waved the men behind her down, and they lowered their automatic weapons from pointing at him as she walked closer to his still form.

"Rose Brown, Paranormal Division, Scotland Yard." She introduced herself. Kyoto since had seemed to calm greatly, and was even leaning against the wall in a clearly bored gesture.

"Yeah, hi. Nice weather we're having here, eh?"

"You seem very calm for someone who has this many weapons trained on him. Is there a reason for that Mister…"

"Nox. And not really any reason outside of me doubting any of you in this room would be able to kill me before I was able to get out. And getting out would take me less time than just killing everyone else in the room. Probably save me a lot of headache too, I might be able to get back to sleep then...Well, on second thought, I'd have to shower afterwards to get this troop's brain matter out of my hair, and that troop's retinal nerve endings out from under my fingernails, so probably more trouble than its worth. Unless of course you'd like to come and help me clean afterwards, I could use someone to wash my back. Among other things." There was a grin in his voice as he said this.

She looked unnerved for a moment before shaking it off and continuing mostly unperturbed, "Is there a reason for that, the ability to get out quickly thing? Like, perhaps the fact that you have some paranormal abilities?" Kyoto smirked, before reaching into a side pocket on his pants and pulling out his lighter. He walked away from her for a moment, grabbing the box of cigarettes from his bedside table and walking back to his previous position. He placed one on his lips and rose the lighter to light the cigarette. "I'd rather you not." Rose said.

"Do I care what you'd 'rather I not' do in my own place, which you illegally broke into?" He lifted the lighter to his face and flicked it, causing the flame to rise. And it was then that Rose was able to see his eyes.

"Is that for fashion or intimidation? I don't know of any vampires that have vision problems." Kyoto laughed before that turned into coughing, causing him to take the cigarette from his mouth and drop it. Looking at its loss on the ground, instead of getting out another one, he decided to just start flicking the lighter.

"Vampire? I'm insulted, but at the same time saddened that the supposed 'Paranormal Studies' department can't tell the difference between a vampire and anything else. Here, I'll give you a lesson." He lifted the lighter up to his face. "Lesson one, despite what the movies say, vampires can not retract and lengthen their fangs." He opened his mouth and used the flame to show her in the dark room his pearly white, but otherwise fairly unremarkable teeth."

"And that proves very little. We have accounts that people such as Lord Dracula could retract his teeth, and if anything, you could be using a disguise of some kind." Rose spoke condescendingly.

"Fine, lesson two. Vampires, the little shits that they are, are incredibly flammable. Put them near a flame, and they go up like a sheet of cotton soaked in lighter fluid." He took the lighter and ran the flame along his thumb, the skin burning and blistering for a few seconds before healing over.

"Then…then…what are you?" Rose stammered, knowing no vampire could fake what she had just seen.

"Me? I think I am done answering your questions, that's what I am. So…tell me why you are here," It wasn't a request.

"Well, we had accounts of someone with paranormal abilities in this general area. Last night someone matching your description was involved in a huge street fight with someone that we believe to have been a vampire, and defeated her, and she turned to dust. We were looking to see if you were a vampire, or a hunter like this other man we had a meeting with some time ago, Baretta…"

"First of all, she was not a vampire. If you make such a mistake as that in front of me again and liken her to those scum-licking Angelic wanna-be-Demonic posers, I will kill you and everyone else in this room, hot shower and hours of cleaning the blood off my done-by-hand stained cherrywood floors be damned." This was the first time he had shown emotion, and it was anger. Rose could see his face seeming to darken and get even more drawn and harsh, and his body tensing up, even in the darkness of the room. A cold swept over the room, and it seemed to get even darker there, and the woman made note to never slip up again. "And you met Baretta you say? That's interesting. I am not a hunter. That is his job…sorta. Whenever he feels like doing something, it's either hunting, or going to Disneyland and knocking the ice creams out of little kids' hands and then fucking their mothers in the nearest stall, or something else to that effect. Never quite understood his attraction toward that type and doing things like picking some random broad up off the street who's been mistreated, unloved or otherwise ignored, shagging her and then never talking to her again. Honestly seems worse, give them a bit of something better then leave...But I never claimed to understand 'The Winged Ones'. I'd perfer my 'Horns' anyday" The last part he mused to himself, chuckling at the thought, Rose chose to ignore this piece of information.

"So if you aren't a vampire, would that make you another of these…'Fallen'?"

"No, I am not a Fallen. I am someone who would have been what you would call an Ascended, but it didn't work too well. So, I am a Locked. The Cursed."

"I'm not familiar with these terms. Could you clarify maybe?" Rose was making note of these terms, but also seeing how antsy her men were getting standing there while she had a conversation with the man. They had intended to break in and find a very powerful vampire, in which case they would kill it, or an incredibly powerful vampire hunter, in which case they would hopefully speak to the hunter to get that person on their side and if the speaking wouldn't work, then they would apprehend him, find his secrets, and then either kill him or lock him away. They had not expected a conversation.

"Then how about a term you will understand. I am a Demon. A full Demon, not a Halfling, a part-breed or a mutt, just a Demon. My name is Kyoto Nox, but you will not find anything under that name anywhere, and I doubt you will learn too much about me under any other name I give you but one."

"And what name would that be?"

"You want to know about me? Look for the name Shadow in all of your paranormal research books and files I know litter your department. And when you find that, if you suddenly feel compelled to come after me, one word of advice."

Rose sat with bated breath as he lit another cigarette and took a long drag from it, closing his eyes as he took in the fumes, before blowing them out slowly.

"Don't." And he dropped the cigarette, and when it hit the floor, Rose looked to where he had been to find him gone. The wind whistled through fabric, which drew her eyes to the one window they did not enter, the one left closed. The curtains were blowing outwards and he was long gone.

-----

Harry awoke the morning of September the 1st before anyone else in the house. Lifting up his trunk, which wasn't incredibly heavy to him, a lot lighter than it had been before the last time he had tried to lift it, he took it down the stairs and set it by the stairs. He took down Blaise's before heading in and taking a shower. About halfway through, Blaise woke up, he had no idea why or how he knew, but he did. She came in the bathroom door a bit later, and he shouted for her to get out playfully and she rolled her eyes. "I have to pee, Potter, and this is my bathroom, don't go getting attitude with me." She was quiet for a bit, and Harry eventually went back to showering, cleaning as he hummed a song to himself.

The glass door to the shower was opened and closed, and when Harry turned around, Blaise was standing right beside him. She smiled at him and kissed him, before she grabbed the washcloth and began to wash herself. They kissed twice more in the process, before Harry headed out and dried off, and went and got dressed. Blaise came out some time later, drying her hair. She put on her undergarments and then started trying to comb her hair and get dressed at the same time. Harry sighed and went over to her, helping to comb through her hair while she dressed herself. Soon she was almost done, and Harry went back to finding what he intended to wear.

Pulling on a pair of jeans and a black shirt, he pulled on his boots and then grabbed the long coat Parvati and Padma had given him. He slipped that on as well, and dropped the hood from his head and looked over to Blaise. She smiled and gave him the thumbs-up while she placed her knives. Harry placed both in straps on his forearms, before he headed down the stairs. They would be taking the Knight Bus, and Harry was thankful for being able to finally get himself to the platform and not having to rely on everyone to get him there.

After eating on a small breakfast steak, Harry finding it odd that he made his own fairly rare, they both left after a nice heartfelt goodbye to Jamie. Jamie held Harry back for a moment. "Take care of my baby, Harry. She is strong, stronger than me at her age and even now if I'm being honest with myself. But she is still young, and still weak in so many ways. Guard her heart, and be there for her. Please. She will do right by you, she cares about you, I know, and I know you care about her. It might be the world against you two, will you stand by her?"

Harry nodded once, resolutely. "Yes, I will. It's almost always been the world against me, it'll be nice to have some company." He smiled at her, and she hugged him tightly, and kissed him on his cheek and he headed out of the house. After calling for the bus and Harry helping Stan place the trunks on, Blaise took his hand, and they heading onto the bus and sat down.

For most of the ride, they spoke to each other fairly silently, ignoring most people who got on the bus. They saw Lavender, who came and sat with them and they all smiled and spoke about the coming year as well, and a girl named Su Li came over and said hello as well, before she and another Ravenclaw who was sitting near them jumped into conversation. No one but the people who had gone to Harry or Blaise's birthday parties knew it was Harry at first glance, and when they got to the station that became even clearer. Blaise had gone over to speak to Daphne, and Harry was standing on the platform waiting for his friends to arrive.

A girl walked up to him. She smiled flirtatiously, eying him. She walked, no, attempted to saunter toward him, and smiled up at him. It was Pansy Parkinson.

"Hey there, are you new here? If so, I can be a great friend to have for you, I can show you the ropes, the ins and outs of this school and how she can surround you, how to make her hold you to her protective and loving bosom. The people to show if you like things public, the places to go if you like things more…private."

Harry stared in complete and utter horror at the small girl in front of him, making the most horribly and thinly veiled sexual come-on he had ever had the displeasure of hearing. He shook his head as if to clear it, and sighed in complete relief as he saw his friends had made it onto the train and Blaise was coming toward him. He shot her a look of panic over Pansy's head before he nodded a goodbye and almost ran over to Blaise. He walked by her, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the compartment he had caught Hermione's bushy hair disappear into.

Entering, he saw Ron and Daphne there, along with Hermione, Lavender, Parvati and Padma as well. He sat down and sighed loudly in exasperation before closing his eyes and lowering his forehead to the table.

"What happened, mate?" Ron asked in shock by the boy's reaction.

"Pansy…Parkinson…she, she, she came on to me. Horribly." He relayed what she had said to him, and everyone shivered at the disgusting thought that it was before they laughed, all but Blaise however, who had cracked her knuckles and asked where the girl had gone. Harry shook his head and kissed her and whispered something in her ear that made her sigh and snuggle up to him.

"Harry, did I ever tell you how damned good that thing looks on you?" Padma said, smiling as she indicated the coat they had gotten for him. She was wearing a Gryffindor scarf, and Parvati the Ravenclaw one, but he knew what they were trying to do.

"Thanks Padma."

"Harry, that's Parvati. See, she's wearing the Gryffindor scarf and everything." Hermione said.

"No, that's Padma. Parvati is wearing a Ravenclaw scarf at the moment." Harry said, smiling to himself. Padma nodded and tossed her sister the Gryffindor scarf before sticking her tongue out at Harry.

"How did you know? Half the time, our own father can't tell us apart unless we make it known which is which." Parvati asked.

"Ah, that's my secret." Harry said, before kissing Blaise lightly on the forehead and leaning in toward her.

"Harry, you might want to kind of, tone it down for the train ride. I have no issue with it, but Ginny didn't make Prefect this year, so she will be here for the ride, and you know how she gets concerning Blaise. It hasn't gotten any better. None of us have issues with it, but it might help everyone if it waits until school." Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's comment.

"Harry shouldn't have to limit the way he feels because your sister can't get over a crush. It's not his fault, and you are making it seem like he should have picked Ginny instead." Parvati said offhandedly and she filed on her nails.

"Its not that its just," he looked to the door as if expecting her to enter any second, before he dropped his voice, "she's gotten really…she's a bit off recently. Mum is furious, and is insisting Harry did something to lead her on before 'shacking up with some Slytherin bint' as she said. I don't believe a bit of it, and the twins don't, neither does Bill, but Charlie and Gin have always been close. And Percy is being a bastard and being all 'I told you so' and that bull. And now he has Mum being like that too.

"And no matter how much of an arse I think she is being, she is my sister. I'm just asking that, while Hermione and I are gone to the Prefect meeting, that you try and tone it down until we are back at the castle where there are more places to go that she isn't likely to wander up on you two. Please Harry?" Harry looked at his friend in a completely new light, the intelligence, planning and tact they had all known was there was shining clear there.

Harry smiled to his friend and took Blaise's hand and nodded. "I think I can handle a few hours of having my hands off of her, for your sake Ron. But if we are missing for dinner, don't go checking broom closets, eh? No sense getting caught and losing all House points before term even starts." Harry smiled and gave Blaise one last kiss, and they locked eyes for a second before they all sat and made little jokes.

Ron and Hermione left to the Prefect meeting, and Blaise moved to the other side of the compartment and stretched out. Her feet were placed in Harry's lap, and she nudged him with them, clearing her throat. After doing this 3 times, getting louder, he sighed. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. Foot massage." Were her only words. He rolled his eyes and pulled her shoes off and began to do just that. She smirked at him, but stopped when he started tickling her, to which she readily admitted her defeat under the ministrations of. He stopped soon into it and massaged her feet some more before she seemed to drift off. He placed her shoes back on and placed her feet on the ground before he stretched his back and turned to see the wistful looks on Lavender, Parvati and Padma's faces.

"What?"

"It's so sweet in a funny kind of way. The Gryffindor King and the Slytherin Queen together."

Blaise sat up and smiled at the girl before saying something about her having to go off to see Daphne again about a school assignment, as the girl had exited the compartment moments after Ron had. Blaise left the compartment, and Harry found himself being stared at by the three girls he was left in the compartment with.

"You really like her, don't you?" Lavender said this, but it wasn't exactly phrased as a question as much as her personal revelation. Harry smiled as he thought about it, and nodded.

"I had always thought it would either be Hermione of Parvati. Lavender we all figured would end up with Ron, and it was a toss up between Hermione and Parvati in the thoughts of the other houses. But then again, none of us were completely sure Hermione was straight either…" Her sister picked up before Harry could make a comment about what Padma has just said.

"But if it helps, none of us ever saw you actually getting together with Ginny, and after the way she hopped from guy to guy last year, I don't think it would have been a great thing for you to do, personally." And as Parvati finished talking, the compartment door opened. And in wandered Luna, and behind her walked Ginny. "Well, speak of the Scarlet Woman...I mean Devil..." Parvant mumbled.

Seeing Harry alone, Ginny almost pushed Luna out of the way and sat right next to Harry. The compartment was half empty, and there were other seats, but she sat right next to Harry, and close enough that he could count the freckles across her nose. "Hi Harry! How was the rest of your summer? I don't see what's-her-name here, so you must have broken up. Are you ok, did that bint hurt your heart? I'm here for you."

She spoke fast and all of her sentences blurred into one. And soon she was done and was going for Harry's hand when suddenly Luna seemed to jerk out of normal head-in-the-clouds self and shouted, "Ginny, shut up! He doesn't care about you like that, get your head out of your arse and bloody well realize it, you dumb girl!" and then she was right back to reading the Quibbler as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Ginny jumped and then stared at her friend, before looking around as Padma seemed to be trying to not laugh, and Parvati and Lavender were doing the same, but succeeding a lot less, and Harry for the most part was looking out of the window, feeling fairly bored. Getting up and leaving the compartment in a huff, Ginny slammed the door, and as soon as it slammed shut, Parvati, Padma and Lavender erupted in laughter. They looked at Harry, and saw that he was showing no outward signs of caring about the past display at all. All but one sentence. "Thanks Luna." Was all he said, still staring out of the window.

-----

Lulu had gone into the club looking for some type of alcohol, and hadn't been all that shocked to find it to be a strip club. She had gone up to the bar to order something, when a topless girl with a toned body and medium-sized breasts, a rarity in the club which seemed to showcase overly-large and quite fake breasts, walked over to her. She had started grinding behind the leather-clad woman, and it wasn't bothering Lulu as much as it could, or admittedly should, have. Lulu even went and sat down by the stage with the drink, and the girl began to grind on her again.

However, as Lulu started to get into it, some guy came by and grabbed the girl by her hair, saying something about wanting a dance, and dragged her toward the back. Lulu growled in her throat as she rose with her drink and headed to the back, after ordering another of the same drink, having downed the last 3 in short order. The large guard there tried to stop her by putting his hand out, and at the perfect place to allow his intended "apprehension" of her to allot him a free grope of her chest. Lulu caught his hand, twisted until she heard a crack, before pushing him out of her way.

Heading into the back, the girl was being held by her hair by the fairly young and expensively dressed bleached blond man as she attempted to give him a dance. The man seemed to have come with his own personal security, and as such, was surrounded by large men in black suits. And he was trying to get the girl to lose the last piece of her clothing as he fumbled around with his pants.

Walking over, she pulled the girl up, and gave her a pat on the behind and a kiss to the cheek, whispering as she pulled back, "Let me handle this" to the crying girl. Smiling at the blonde man, Lulu walked over, beginning to shake her hips slowly to the beat as she lost the denim jacket she wore, revealing the leather suit. She slid the zipper down to just under her navel, revealing traces of the black bikini top she wore, as well as her smooth skin. And suddenly from behind her, she pulled a bullwhip, which was looped along her waist. And as she cracked it on the ground, the man clapped his hands in glee. Turning to the security, Lulu spoke a command for them to leave.

They didn't until the man insisted that they do so, him anxious to get it going. They scampered from the room, leaving Lulu, the girl, and the blonde man. Smiling to herself, Lulu slashed the whip just to the side of the man, making him jump. And as she walked sexily over to him, his smile grew as his hands rose out. Standing so she was close to his seated form, he reached out and slid his hands along her hips. She pointed at the sign on the wall while she pushed his hands away.

"The sign says 'Do Not Touch the Dancers.' Can't you see it?" She asked as she stepped away.

"Come back over here." It wasn't a request, as he grabbed her roughly by her hips and placed his hands back on her hips before moving back and grabbing a hold of her leather clad behind, kneading it roughly. And with a fast movement, the man was laying on the ground.

"You stupid bitch!" The man yelled, before he caught Lulu's shoe in his privates. Leaning down next to him as the man lay on the floor in pain, Lulu got close enough to his ear so he could hear her speak as she wrapped the whip around his neck, putting an uncomfortable amount of pressure on his windpipe.

"Now look here asshole. I hate people like you. Don't use women. Because if I hear about it, I will make sure you have a very, very bad day." And she kicked him in the side of the head.

She pulled his wallet out from his pocket and looked in. She called the girl over as she peered at the bills on the side. She pulled out several of the very large bills and slid them into the girl's thong. Lulu turned to walk out when she was grabbed lightly by her long hair. As she was pulled around, she was kissed by the girl deeply before being pushed into the chair the now barely conscious man had been sitting in, and then the girl had begun to give her a dance.

Sitting back and taking another drink from her glass, she looked at the man laying there on the ground and threw the glass in her hand at him. The bottom of the glass hit him, making a thump sound but not breaking, but sending the man to the ground unconscious. She hated men like that. She enjoyed her dance, before tipping the girl all the rest of the money left in the man's wallet, which was a great deal, probably more than the girl made all year. This lead to the girl giving her yet another kiss, before they headed out of the room. Lulu gave the girl a pat on her behind again before she began heading out of the door. As she did, heard the woman running behind her.

"Wait!" Turning around, Lulu looked to the girl. She wasn't very voluptuous, but had a very nice beauty to her, and a strong, toned body. "I never got your name."

"Lulu."

"Well, I'm Alex. Alexandra really, but I hate being called that, seems too stuffy. I just wanted to give you this, just in case you ever need to talk, ever need another dance, ever need or want…anything else." The suggestiveness of the statement was only equaled by the nervousness on Alex's face.

Smiling, Lulu took the napkin that had the girl's name, number and address on it, and slid it into the cup of her bikini top, somewhere she knew it would be able to stay safe. And taking the girl's hand, she gave it one last squeeze before she walked out of the front door.

-----

Blaise and Harry spent most of the rest of the ride just sitting together in companionable silence. When they got to the school, they changed into their robes and headed out, holding each other's hands. And to the literal shock of everyone at the school who had yet to see them together, Blaise did something that was unheard of. She walked with Harry to the Gryffindor table, and sat there with him. And Daphne and Ron, seeing them, followed the example and sat across the table from them.

Everyone watching made faces or whispers and so on, but Dumbledore smiled to himself. Starting the feast with the sorting, the Sorting Hat seemed to warn them of turning on their own. Then the students came. One of the first sorted was Cleo Abbott. She looked as little like her sister as one could expect, as she had a defiant look on her face, as well as strawberry-blonde hair and big brown eyes. She further proved how little she was like her sister when she was sorted into Gryffindor. She came over and the table clapped, and the sorting progressed. There were only 5 kids that came into Gryffindor that year, with 3 of them being girls. And as the sorting was wrapping up, Dumbledore got a whisper in his ear from Filch, and he stood.

"This year we have a student who will be transferring into the school. Her name is Bella Black. She has been home-schooled until recently, when her family was murdered. Please make her feel at home. She has been acquainted with the castle, but might need a bit of help getting from class to class. She will be a 6th year student, and we shall now commence her sorting." And in walked Bella. She looked very pretty in the black robes she wore, which set well with her dark hair, making her eyes stand out in a sharp contrast.

She walked out regally and sat down on the stool, and they placed the hat on her head. It still fell over her face, and it was quiet for a long time. And in a shock that almost caused Harry to choke as he sipped some water, the sorting hat shouted out her assignment.

"Gryffindor!"

Harry looked at Blaise, who was looking at him. Bella walked over and sat down next to Blaise, Hermione on Harry's other side. As Bella was sitting down, Ginny raised an eyebrow when Bella ran her hand through Harry's hair before she sat. Ginny documented this away from her spot down the table from Harry, as that was as close as she could get to him.

The dinner continued on and when it was over, Ron and Hermione disappeared with the few first years. Before he could get out of the hall, Hannah walked up to him. "Harry, could you please watch after my sister? She is smart as all getup, but she is headstrong as hell and every bit as courageous as a Gryffindor should be. She reminds me a lot of you the more I get to know you, and I was hoping you could keep you eye on her? Please?"

"Like, you want me to make sure people don't give her trouble?"

"That, and make sure she doesn't give other people trouble." Hannah smiled at Harry, who nodded before grabbing Blaise's hand, Bella walking by Blaise as they headed out of the Hall.

Ginny scowled as she watched Harry kiss Blaise goodbye as she headed toward the Slytherin Common room, whispering something into her ear before Blaise left. And Bella grabbed Harry's hand, and they walked together, hand in hand, up to the Gryffindor Common room.

-----

"So…What's with the new house assignment, Miss Black?" Bella for the most part had been in a daze the whole night after the sorting, talking very little and seemed to be afraid of being left alone for an extended period of time. It was easy to see that she didn't trust anyone in that particular house, anyone but Harry.

"I'm not sure. What do you think?"

"I think…maybe it was your courage in the whole baby situation. You know, defying Voldemort isn't exactly the world's easiest thing to do." Bella smiled at him in thanks for making her feel better. She sat on the arm of the chair he was sitting in as a small, bouncy first year, who wasn't even supposed to be up, came walking up to him.

"So you're Harry Frickin' Potter, eh? Sure don't look like much. But then again, I can sense somethin' on ya. Ya ain't normal. That's good. I don't like normal people much." Harry stared at the small girl. Her brown eyes were locked on him, and she was wearing muggle dentistry devices called "braces" and when she spoke she would send flashes of pink and silver to whoever she spoke to. She was short for her age, but with her short-sleeved shirt she wore with the sleeves rolled up, she had a solid bit of muscle definition considering her age, and seemed to have an ease in her walk past her age.

"Hello. You must be Cleo. Yes, I am Harry, and this is my friend Bella." Cleo nodded to them.

"Well, I have heard stories about your exploits from people saying they are your friends all night, and I didn't feel like hearing the secondhand cock-and-bull shit anymore. Felt like I would just meet you myself, become your friend, go on this year's adventure myself, so I don't have to hear about it from some overly eccentric 5th year and his 3rd year brother who are the two biggest closet cases I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."

Harry was gaping at the girl by then. She had a lot of sassiness to her, as well as a tilt to her as of yet underdeveloped hips that seemed to give off a mixture of intelligence, crassness, and outright arrogance. Harry had no idea why, but he was finding the girl intriguing, and Bella was smiling to herself. She had found her understudy; she had found the first 11 year-old she had ever liked.

"Who are these 2 closet cases?" Bella asked, her smile just barely held down as she asked.

"Harry here should know, they are both in love with him. Some bloke named Colin and his younger brother Dennis. At least those are the names I was given, but I am damned sure I heard wrong and it was really Colleen and Denise, but hey, whatever. Who cares, bloody well not me."

Bella smiled at the girl, she couldn't help it. The girl had a fortitude she had seen in no one but herself at that age, and Harry guessed if he took the girl along on any adventure he went on, she would probably be the second person in the school's history to be awarded points based solely on "sheer nerve." And he doubted he would be able to do much of anything remotely adventurous without her finding out and forcing herself along.

"So Cleo, seeing as we are going to be friends, how about you hop up on the arm of the chair and tell Bella and me about you."

-----

Over 2 hours later, Harry had learned the girl's entire life story, including commentary, from the girl learning to fly a broom, something that she didn't care to elaborate on outside of saying she had fallen, to some embarrassing commentary on what happened to her sister as the girl had gone through puberty the same time that her accidental magic triggered, and she literally grew a cup size in several seconds. In only one breast.

Her favorite color was midnight blue, and she hated the color pink, but according to her, her parents always seemed to want to believe that she was a miniature version of Hannah, and she wasn't. She wasn't a girlie girl at all, and didn't own a skirt or dress at all, and was very anti-girly. This lead to her hating who roommates, who were looking to be the Parvati and Lavender of the next generation.

Harry shared that his favorite color was black, something that made Bella laugh, and they spoke about a lot of things. The girl had some interesting insight for a 1st year, but she explained that she had been raised by her Unspeakable older brother more than anyone else in the family. She knew some magic, and seemed very impressed that she was the only one in her year that had a yew wand, a type of wand that was going out of style once they found out that it was the kind of wood Voldemort himself used, while holly was all of a sudden the wand type because Harry had it. She had said that Ollivander hadn't told her, but her brother knew as they had similar wands, that the wand itself was suited for Dark Arts and everything related to them, which made Harry wary but smile at the same time that she seemed to excited about being thought of as evil.

"Hey, I see it like this. When it comes down to it, fear lasts forever, and I would rather be feared than loved. It's a dark mindset, but there isn't much I can do about that, because it's how I am. Dark Arts are only dark to those who see them like that. There are things in life that are dark but are still considered good." Harry nodded, knowing that if his Demon nature ever got out, then he would be viewed as just as evil as Voldemort himself by many people at the school. He was liking the girl more and more.

"Well little Cleo, since you seem to want to be hanging out with me, and Hannah asked me to take care of you, I will. You will be the new member of my group, ok?"

"Who all are in it?"

"Well, there's me, Bella, Blaise and you know the other two. Ron and Hermione."

"You mean the redhead and that girl who is still up in the room and won't stop bloody talking? She's the reason I came down here. I was gonna go to sleep or maybe pull out a Defense book and read up on this year's later course work and she wouldn't shut the hell up about 'Hogwarts: A History says this…' or 'Hogwarts: A Revised History says that…' and I personally couldn't care less about Hogwarts: A Bloody Fucking History if you gave me half the galleons in Gringott's."

"Miss Abbott! We do not speak like that in this common room, and it would do you well to remember that. Harry, you should set her straight, there is no reason for her to be speaking like that!" Hermione said as she was coming down the stairs.

"Ah Hermione, its okay, no point trying to change her at all, she'll just do it behind your back, might as well get used to it. If she loses us points, then she loses us points, its damn well worth listening to what she has to say." Harry said with a laugh. Lavender, Parvati and Ginny were all coming down the stairs behind Hermione, and Harry could hear his dormmates on the way down as well.

"Cleo, you had better run off to bed." Cleo shook her head. Harry sighed and shrugged, before he stuck his hand out, "It was nice to meet you, Cleo, and you will make a good friend. Care to shake on it?" Cleo made to shake it before he used it to pull her close in what she thought would be a hug, but he picked her up and carried her over to the stairs and put her down. She tried to run by him back down to the common room, but he picked her up, carried her up to her dorm and tossed her in before closing the door and casting a timed locking charm, so it would unlock on its own in an hour, no sooner. It wasn't strong in any sense, but he figured they knew little to no magic as of then so it should hold the first years inside.

Coming back down, he saw almost everyone looking at him incredulously. "What!" He almost shouted as he sat down in his chair, Bella looking just as confused as he felt.

"How did you get up the girl's stairs? Guys can't go up the female stairs, it's protected." Lavender asked. Hermione had figured it out, as did Harry. It couldn't pick him up because it was human males, and he wasn't really one completely anymore. It was the same reason he found out that he couldn't travel by Floo alone, as it confused the system.

Smiling to them conspiratorially, "Magic" was all he said. They all got over it and jumped into individual conversations, the room taken up solely by the 6th years, outside of Ginny, and Julie Everheart, a fellow 5th year with Ginny, who was sitting there speaking to Lavender about something. Bella made a joke, and Harry stuck his tongue out at her and hit her with a pillow before turning to talk to Hermione when Bella went from sitting on the chair's arm to sitting on his lap with a pillow in hand, hitting him in the head. When she stopped hitting him playfully, she just leaned back against the chair arm and stayed where she was.

"Hermione, what does it say in that accursed book of yours about allowed members of other Houses into the common room of another house?"

Hermione thought for a moment before replying, "If you have consent from 10 of your housemates, then that works as something akin to a permit. It would take another 10 to forfeit the ability, but outside of that, you can get something like a "license" if you have the consent of the House's head prefect, and like, 2 other prefects, or hold a house meeting." Hermione looked around, and saw that there were 10 people in the room at that moment outside of Harry, who couldn't vote as he wanted the pass. "Okay, so there are 10 of us here now, anyone objecting to Harry having a House permit?"

"Who's it for?" Dean asked.

"Blaise." Harry answered, and Dean shrugged.

"I don't see how you can say that while you have her sitting on your lap. Gave up one for the other? I saw her coming on to you in the hall when you two had just met, I don't see what she thinks she's doing. Who is she anyway?" Harry rolled his eyes as he looked down into his, or more, Bella's lap, as he didn't need Ginny's jealousy over what he was getting ready to say, it would be hard enough explaining.

"She's my friend, Ginny."

"Then what was that with Zabini?"

"Her name is Blaise, Ginny, and this is Bella. Bella, Blaise and I all met over the summer, and she was transferring here. Blaise wanted to get to know her, and in essence we all ended up dating each other. I love Blaise, Bella and me are exploring how things work. In the end, we are all "dating", or more likely courting, but at the moment, we, Bella and I, are basically really good friends."

There was silence for a while before Seamus broke into a huge grin. "So you mean to tell me that you not only have a hot Slytherin girlfriend, but you have a hot Gryffindor one, and they get hot…together? It's like what we all dreamt happened between Lavender and Parvati, only this is like…real!" The Irishman grinned, and Parvati threw a pillow at him, rolling her eyes.

"So…back to the pass thing." Bella said, seeing the tension looking to build again. "I say give it to him."

Everyone in the room nodded. All but one. Ginny. "I don't see how him dating her all of a sudden makes you all forget her from before. She's a Slytherin, and they have no business being here. One person dates outside of the House, and years of truths about the darkness of the snakes in that house goes out the window?"

"So you are saying no?" Parvati asked, her face showing she was clearly not impressed. When Ginny nodded, she continued. "Because she's a Slytherin? Yeah, I'm so sure, Ginerva. I have talked to Blaise, and she and Padma used to have some classes together. Hell, she went to Primary with Padma, Lavender and me, and she's a good person. Get over this crush, Ginny."

"It's not a crush! I love him! And he loves me too, and she has blinded him, I know she did, why can't you all see that! He risked his life to save me my first year, he has to be in love with me, he took me along last year, he only takes his best friends, he has to love me, don't you all see!"

Everyone stared at the girl in utter shock. "I vote Harry's girl can come, I wanna meet the broad anyways." Came a voice from the stairs. And looking, there was Cleo. Harry realized that she must have learned some magic from having an Unspeakable brother, and he sighed as he realized his mistake. But he smiled at the girl.

"There, that's 10, that's all he needs, its settled, he can bring Blaise in here whenever he wants. If she is proven untrustworthy, then we will do what we have to, but in the morning that can all be settled. I think tempers need to cool, so lets all head up to bed." Spoke, surprisingly, Ron. Everyone nodded and headed upstairs, Ginny scowling at Bella, who received a kiss to the forehead as she went up the stairs, as well as Cleo, who Harry picked up and hugged and spun around, the two laughing before he sent the girl up the stairs. Parvati and Lavender got hugs, as did Hermione, as Harry seemed positioned by the girl's stairs saying goodnight. Julie took one, and when Ginny went last to go up, he hugged her but it was a hug that included a few pats on the back.

It was not a loving hug. It was the hug of friends, not of lovers. He didn't love her. But she would be damned if she didn't change that.

-----

The Demon summoning was not going particularly wonderful, in truth. The self styled Dark Lord had an affinity for almost all other kinds of dark rituals, but summoning a Demon was proving more difficult than he was willing to admit to anyone else, even himself.

And that was why he sat there on his serpentine throne, flipping through a book of Demon Summoning. He had taken some of Severus' blood, and held it in a vile. Despite Vampires being classified as "dark," in essence, they were still relatively holy in essence. And that lead to a problem. Blood of such other-than-human power would seriously limit the amount of blood needed to summon the demon, however, the angelic blood in a vampire naturally counteracts with a demon and would, in essence, neutralize the blood and turn it, quite literally, more demonic than angelic.

Plain and simple, should Demon blood be introduced into a vampire at the exact dilution as the vampire itself is removed from the original angel, the vampire would become human. However, if a normal demon put any bit more of its blood into a vampire, said vampire would…die.

Meaning, any vampire blood used in summoning a demon would be turned into little more than red water in terms of the summoning, as well as serving to weaken the blood of all others used in said summoning. Voldemort needed Demon blood for his summoning. As a shame as it was, the Dark Lord hadn't the power to summon a Demon. Demon summoning had gone out of fashion around the times that wands came in, and it seemed that the longer wands came into the play, the further wizards moved from being able to summon strong Demons again.

Voldemort knew of only one Demon. One at all, and he had every intention of sending everything he had at it until blood was collected, or he found a way around his inability to summon more than an Imp or a stone or sand or air Demon, none of which had any actual blood. And because of his difficulty, he wasn't in a good mood. All of the Death Eaters knew this. And that was why the newest recruit into the Death Eater fold was looking for ways to help. And he realized the one thing to do that would help, the one person to go after.

Potter.

And he realized how much easier it would be for him that anyone else. He was, after all, in Hogwarts just as the other 16 year old was. And he intended to do everything in his power to make sure that Potter's life was hell.

"Maybe this will get me a promotion. And one of those kick ass new masks. And maybe, just maybe, he'll get that Vampire he captured to turn me so I can get some new power."

-----