A/N: I won't be re-writing Harry Potter (except the Ron/Hermione thing) but I would be dealing with snippets from different characters from the next chapter. Thank you very much for reading this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter even if it is a bit smaller in size than the previous ones.


Lau once had a sister, a loveable little toddler who was brutally murdered with the rest of his family. He had come to see Hermione as a little sister beyond her relationship with Bong, whom he'd long considered to be a brother. Bong probably did not know of it yet, but of the three of them, he is the one who will pay the highest price for the "protection charm" Bong plans on crafting. He would have refused, if his sleep weren't plagued by nightmares.

He used to be, like Bong, assigned to the heinous crimes division. The last case they worked together where Bong came home to Rachel's dead body had been one of the most prolific serial rapists Asia had ever seen. The rapist would torture his victims and while torturing them, he rapes them, using their bodies as painfully as he can. He gets off from their pain, which was why the bodies of those who died or even those who survived this serial rapist are often filled with wounds and torture marks. A good number of them have even had their nipples cut off.

His nightmares changed the faces of those victims to the girl Bong treasured most. His nightmares often have him coming across Bong holding on to Hermione's bloodied battered body and sobbing his heart out, before hanging himself to death.

The necessity of the charm craft, involves the love of two people and the deepest dark secret of the person the caster trusts the most. Bong trusts him above all, and they are brothers except in blood and he wouldn't fail them.


Bong explained to Hermione and Lau that this protection charm would only work if there is love between two people and an anchor of the deepest darkest secret of the person the caster trusts most. He shyly explained to Hermione that while their purpose is primarily for its being akin to a permanently cast protego charm, it is in all respect, almost a hand fast marriage minus the necessity of consummation. It also helps both parties to know where the other is at all times.

Being similar to the protego charm it can protect from most hexes and curses and alleviate or lessen the effects of major curses such as the one Dolohov cast against Hermione. It also prevents rape or forced intimacies on each party. It can only be broken by a mutual decision of both parties. A person can only receive this protection charm once, meaning if they've broken it up, Bong or Hermione can never have this same charm cast on them again.

What he didn't or couldn't tell Hermione was that it essential prevents both of them from having cheating with another person. They would have to break up with each other first, or this charm could easily turn into a curse and kill the other party. Hermione only accepted his explanation without much questions except for the technicalities of the casting before going to their room to study. But Lau understood what was not said.

"You couldn't cast this with Rachel because she's not a witch?" Lau asked. "No, if you've noticed, with you as an anchor, not all parties have to be a witch or a wizard. An uncle of mine has done this with his wife and both she and the anchor weren't magical." Bong explained. Lau only looked at him. "I haven't done this with Rachel because I wasn't sure of how I felt for her, even after 5 years."

Lau nodded, it was then that he knew that the price he's paying is worth it.


He married his wife, Susan, with the intentions of vengeance. He married her because she is the daughter of the man who had his entire family killed.

He was born in Macau before moving to Hong Kong to become a police officer.

He just came home from his friend's house when he came upon the sight that would haunt him for the rest of his life. It was mere self-preservation that rooted him in his hiding spot but he feels guilty and often blames himself for not doing anything, being unable to do anything.

His mother was being raped in front of his father. His father was bound to a chair, watching the abuse. His two other siblings were being beaten up, his sister was a mere toddler and his younger brother was just two years younger than him. His grandparents were also being beaten but his grandmother was already unconscious. As far as he knew his youngest sibling was already dead before they doused her, the rest of their family and their house with gasoline before lighting them up.

It was such a cruel punishment for their father's inability to pay his debts. This same said man would cover up this murder with ample bribes to the police. It was such an easy thing to do, given that there were no more relatives to try and rouse the force into investigating or to protest such inaction.

He ran away, found refuge in an orphanage.

He instinctively changed his name to Lau Ching-hei and sought a new life for himself even though he was still bent on revenge. But now, as he watched Hermione and Bong, he realized that maybe this hatred and ideas of vengeance wouldn't really make him happy. It certainly wouldn't bring back his family and he would lose the woman he fell in love with.


The two separate stones that Bong forged from his and Hermione's blood were both of different colors, manifestations of their individual magic and affinities but the moment Lau finished telling his story, the two stones fused and their colors merged and swirled as its reddish glow engulfed them. Hermione's eyes were filled with tears at Lau's story and as for Bong, while he felt his friend's pain, the feeling of gratitude for even revealing those things overcame him.

Bong and Hermione's held hands as they pronounced their vows which magically engraved into the stone. The glow slowly dissipated. They then kissed, not because it was a part of the charm crafting but because it felt right. They both looked at Lau who didn't say a word and walked to his room and shut the door.

Hermione went to their room and started crying for Lau's pain while Bong sat in the living room and looked at the their newly crafted engagement stone and realized that the one who paid the highest cost to forge this is the anchor.

He walked to Lau's room and stood in front of the man's door. "Thank you, Lau. You're like the brother I never had and I know you feel the same for me, otherwise, you wouldn't do this." He whispered before he walked away and joined Hermione in their room.


Hermione was bothered with the idea of Dumbledore going to that cave alone with just Harry as his back up. Hermione knew that Harry had improved greatly as a dueler because of this book he found, but there was a nagging feeling, a sense of foreboding of dark days to come.

She already knew of Dumbledore's plan to die. She just hoped that today isn't that day. Still, she fixed the things that Professor Dumbledore told her to prepare and like any good soldier, she waited for her orders.


Lau and Bong were arguing over what they would eat when Hermione burst in the apartment. She had just flooed in from Grimmauld and from the look on her face, they knew that Albus Dumbledore is dead and Severus Snape is in enemy hands.