A/N: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling and her associates. Please support the official release.
EDIT: FFnet is still suffering from some rather weird issues with chapter updates, resulting in prolonged wait times before a newly posted chapter actually appears on the website. I apologize for the inconvenience, but there is quite literally nothing I can do about it. Blame FFnet's service provider.
EDIT 2: These problems have now been resolved, and the site is back to working normally. I have deleted the update chapter I posted to address this.
Diagon Alley
The streets of Diagon Alley were all but devoid of life when he materialized in them, appearing from thin air as the apparition went through. He didn't have much time to celebrate this success, however, as the world was currently spinning in front of him, and he was forced to his knees in order to prevent himself from falling over. The urge to throw up came rushing over him, and despite fighting it as best he could, he eventually gave in to its siren call, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the dirty stone tiles.
Okay, I officially hate apparating, he thought to himself as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve before taking a quick look around him. The usually busy streets of Wizarding Britain's most visited shopping district were completely empty now, which made sense given the fact that all of the stores had closed hours ago. The only living beings to be seen around here now were the occasional wandering cat or dog, out on their respective nightly walks.
Getting up and pulling his Invisibility Cloak tighter around him, Harry made sure he was completely covered by its soft fabric before he started moving deeper into Diagon Alley, heading directly for the one place he normally avoided.
Don't want to be seen hanging around these parts this late in the evening, even if it would make for a great scoop. The tabloids would have a field day if they knew I was here now.
It didn't take him long to arrive at the entrance to Knockturn Alley, the crooked wooden sign greeting him with a silent warning. This was the point of no return. If he walked past this sign, he would officially be in the shady part of Diagon Alley, and no excuse would be good enough to explain his presence there. If Dumbledore ever found out, he would probably have a heart attack.
Well, I can't turn back now. I need those ingredients for the ritual. And there's no time like the present.
Walking into the dark alley with newfound determination, he started looking for a suitable shop that might sell what he desired. Unlike Diagon Alley, there were still customers hanging around here, even this late into the evening. Every time Harry encountered one, he would push himself up against a wall under the cover of the Cloak, allowing them to pass by undisturbed before continuing on his way. No point in revealing his presence to anyone, after all. He was here for one reason, and one reason only.
I need to find Unicorn's Blood.
Meandering about the poorly-lit streets of Knockturn Alley, he finally spotted a promising-looking shop that might have what he was searching for. It was called "Alastor's Eccentricities and Rarities" and looked pretty much exactly like one would imagine when imagining a shady business that dealt in illegal items. It was a small building, made entirely out of brick, with iron bars covering its windows. Drawn curtains prevented anyone from looking in, giving the place a rather "I-probably-shouldn't-go-in-there" type of vibe. But going in there was precisely what Harry was planning on doing.
Removing his cloak, he made sure to cast a quick charm to cover up the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead before opening the door and entering its shady interior.
The inside of the shop looked very… cluttered. Huge display-cases made of glass covered practically every inch of the walls and floor, all of them filled to the brim with all sorts of oddities and magical artifacts. Harry spotted shrunken heads, poisonous candles and what looked suspiciously like human fingernails among the items on display, and for a moment, he allowed his eyes to wander, taking in the sights and sounds of this new, unfamiliar world. Reality quickly caught up with him, however, as the scent of cigar-smoke hung thick in the air all around him, filling his nostrils and causing his eyes to water over.
"And who might you be?" a light, silky-smooth voice suddenly said somewhere to his right.
Turning around, Harry was surprised to see what looked like a male noble from the 19th century staring back at him from behind a gothic-looking counter, his eyes milky-white and clouded.
He's blind, Harry realized, taking a moment to inspect the unknown man in front of him. He appeared to be in his late fifties, with tufts of gray hair poking out from underneath a black top-hat. His attire was reminiscent of that of the stereotypical British gentleman from ye olden days, albeit looking a little more worn and tired than usual. It was obvious that the man had had this particular piece of clothing in his possession for a very long time. A pair of round glasses sat atop a pointed, wrinkled nose, and his blind eyes regarded Harry with an eery sense of clarity.
Due to his age and apparent disability though, he didn't look like he would pose too much of a threat should push come to shove.
"Uhm… Hello there. My name is… Dean, and I'm here to buy something," Harry started, choosing to borrow the name of the Gryffindor Dean Thomas in order to conceal his true identity.
"No it isn't," the old man Harry guessed was Alastor responded, a small grin appearing on his face as he saw the surprised reaction it evoked. "Passive Legilimency, my boy. Never underestimate it."
Damn, I didn't even feel him invading my mind.
"Well, no point in theatrics then, I guess," Harry answered whilst putting up his Occlumency barriers, eyeing the old gentleman with newfound curiosity. It would appear there was more to this old dog than what first met the eye.
"I'm afraid not. You should have been more wary when you noticed my age. Being an old shopkeeper in this part of town is a surefire sign of strength, especially when combined with blindness."
"Ahh… You are correct, it was stupid of me to assume you wouldn't be a threat," Harry answered, inwardly reprimanding himself for being so careless. Of course the old man was dangerous. You needed strength to survive here in Knockturn Alley, after all, and the fact that this man had seemingly managed to grow old here spoke volumes of his ability.
Harry would have to be more mindful of such things in the future.
"Now then; I assume you are here for a reason, Mr. Potter?" Alastor asked, his usage of Harry's name making him more than a little nervous. The old shopkeeper must have noticed his reaction because he immediately moved to dissuade him of his fears. "You do not have to fear being called out by me: your visit here is entirely your business, and I take my clients' privacy quite seriously."
"Oh… thank you," Harry replied, dipping his head in gratitude. It was good to know that he didn't have to fear being reported to the Ministry or anything. Then again, he supposed it only made sense for Alastor to keep his visit here a secret, seeing as he probably didn't want to attract any attention to himself either. He was hardly running a… legitimate business, after all.
"So, what are you looking for on this beautiful evening?"
"I'm… here to buy some Unicorn's Blood," Harry answered, his face contorting ever so slightly at the mention of the illegal item.
"Ahh… A quite popular, if somewhat controversial purchase. If anything, I wouldn't recommend drinking it," the old man nodded, seemingly unfazed by Harry's blatant confession. "Very pricey though, due to its status as a Non-Tradeable Item and the curse it places on those who gather it. Slaying a Unicorn for its blood is one of the worst crimes a man can commit, and anyone who does it will suffer a cursed life for the remainder of their days."
"I know. I've had a run-in with it before, a couple of years ago," Harry responded, thinking back to his First Year at Hogwarts and his showdown with his DADA teacher, Quirinus Quirrell. That man had been forced to drink Unicorn's Blood in order to sustain the body he shared with Lord Voldemort, and it hadn't looked pretty.
"Well then. How much of it do you require?" Alastor continued, his gaze landing on a box he kept beneath the counter as he spoke.
"Not much. Just enough to coat a dagger."
That, however, dragged his attention back to Harry again.
"Coat a dagger you say? … Planning to use the Unicorn's Blood in rituals, mayhaps?"
"T-That's not…" Harry started, only to be interrupted by the old man midway through his sentence.
"Those would have to be some Dark rituals… Very Dark indeed. Not that I really believe in such things. In my opinion, there is no such thing as "Light" or "Dark" magic, only power and the intent that guides it. Magic itself does not take sides."
Harry promptly closed his mouth at that, his mind mulling over what the old man had just said.
Only the intent that guides it, huh…
"Far be it from me to deny you anything, though. What kind of salesman would I be if I didn't even let my customers choose for themselves?"
"Thank you," Harry responded, not even really sure why he was thanking him. For some reason, the more he spoke with this man, the more respect he felt he ought to show him. This was clearly a wizard with a lot of knowledge about the world, and if there was one thing Harry respected, it was the power of knowledge.
"Pleasure's all mine. Well then, I suppose… this much… ought to be enough."
Dipping below the counter for just a moment, the old man returned with a single vial of Unicorn's Blood. The substance was silver in color and had a rather thick consistency.
"How much for that then?" Harry asked, preparing himself for the worst.
"For this… I'd say around 900 Galleons," the old man nodded, causing Harry to let out a small gasp of surprise. He had been expecting the price to be ridiculously high, but 900 Galleons?!
That's… that's almost 90 times as much as my most expensive textbook. The Bag of Unlimited Holding I got for Hermione last Christmas was only around 150…
"W-Well then… Do you take checks?" he asked, pulling out a barely-used checkbook that the goblins of Gringotts had given to him after he had opened his second, personal account all those years ago.
"Yes I do," Alastor answered, smiling politely as Harry wrote the number "900" on the check, followed by his signature. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the sole heir to the Potter family would have the means to pay for something so expensive."
"Yeah, well… if there's one thing I have a lot of, it's money," Harry responded sheepishly, handing the old man the check. "Not that I really need it."
"One should not spend one's life searching for materialistic things like wealth and money. True power lies in knowledge and influence."
Quite ironic coming from someone who spends his life selling things to people, Harry absentmindedly thought to himself as he accepted the vial of Unicorn's Blood from the now thoroughly satisfied shopkeeper.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Alastor nodded, folding his hands on the counter. "Please, do come again sometime. I'm quite intrigued by your existence, Boy-Who-Lived, and am looking forward to seeing what you'll make of your life."
"Thank you. Perhaps we shall see each other again someday," Harry answered with a timid smile, pocketing the vial and heading out of the shop into the cold night.
What a weird man…
Closing the door behind him with a thud, he took a moment to breathe in some of the clear air, the oxygen considerably more comfortable for his lungs than the cigar-heavy smoke that had permeated the shop.
He wasn't allowed to bask in the moment for long, however, as a deep, grizzly voice suddenly cut through the silence, causing Harry's heart to jump in his chest.
"Ay, what's this? A kid like you comin' out of old man Alastor's shop this late in the evenin'?"
Shit, I forgot to put on the Invisibility Cloak.
Turning to his left, Harry spotted the owner of the voice walking towards him at a brisk pace, his enormous body shrouded by a cloak easily twice as big as Harry's own. The hood had been pulled up over his head, obstructing his face from view. It was only when he came closer that Harry finally managed to get a good look at him.
A square head sat atop a hulking frame that measured well over 2 meters tall. Massive muscles bulged underneath his clothes, giving off a menacing aura as he regarded Harry with intense blue eyes. Short, brown hair peeked out from underneath the hood, its color vaguely reminiscent of Hermione's. Everything about him radiated power, and physical strength. Needless to say, Harry instinctively knew that fighting this person would not end favorably for him.
"I 'ave to say, you got real unlucky mate, bumping into me here," the brute continued, a bone-chilling smile appearing on his face as he spoke.
"... And why is that?" Harry asked, tightening his grip on the cloak he had in his hand.
"Because I'm gonna have to ask you real politely to hand over whatever it was you bought in there. Times are tough, you see. It ain't easy being a workin' man around these parts, especially not with the Ministry out searching for that wanted mass-murderer in full force. They spend a lot of time questioning people and such around here these days, making life... difficult... for me. So I'm afraid I need all the Galleons I can get!"
Cracking his knuckles loudly, the unknown assailant took yet another menacing step towards Harry, who held his ground. So, this meathead had decided to rob him, then, Well, no doubt he would be able to beat Harry in a physical fight. Despite his new workout routine, Harry knew he would be no match for a giant of this guy's size. His meager muscles amounted to little in a situation like this.
But, luckily enough for him, this was never going to evolve into a fistfight. Because Harry had a massive advantage that this guy had yet to find out about.
I still have the Invisibility Cloak.
Shooting the enormous man a sly grin, Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at the realization that he still had the upper hand, despite the difference in strength and experience.
"You know what? ... I don't think I will," he started, keeping his voice perfectly monotone as he spoke.
"What was that?!"
"I'm not going to be giving you much of anything at all, I'm afraid. So I'd recommend getting lost before you waste more of your time here. This isn't going to end how you expect it to."
His assailant seemed to take this quite personally, as a vein of anger appeared on his forehead, growing in tandem with his fury.
"You sure talk big game for someone so small," he responded, his mouth pulled upwards into a wicked grin.
"Well, I might be small, but I have the advantage."
"Oh yeah? And in what way would that be?"
"In this way," Harry retorted drily, wrapping his cloak around him and turning invisible in seconds.
"WHAT?!"
The sound of his assailant's confusion was like music to Harry's ears, and he couldn't stop a slight smile from forming on his face as he casually waltzed right past the giant man under the cover of his Invisibility Cloak.
"Where did you go, you little pipsqueak?! I won't let you get away!"
Of course you will. You can't see me, after all.
Walking away from the would-be robber, Harry slipped his wand into his hand as he strode, silently casting the Quietening charm that he and Hermione had practiced in the Room of Requirement.
And now... you can't hear me either.
His victory all but assured at this point, Harry allowed himself to relax.
"Homenum Revelio!"
The incantation rang out loud and clear into the night as the man behind him cast the charm.
Oh shit.
Turning around as fast as he could, Harry noticed his assailant staring right at him, his blue eyes shining with fury and hostility. Homenum Revelio, also known as the Human-Presence-Revealing Spell, allowed its caster to "sense" the presence of other humans in the immediate vicinity. Because of this, it was a natural counter to invisibility.
"Not good," Harry breathed as the hulking man suddenly broke out into a sprint, heading straight for him. "Guess I better disappear."
Seeing the world pull back around him, Harry apparated to the Room of Requirement just as the man was about to tackle him. The suddenness of the apparition caused Harry to trip and fall as soon as he arrived, his body flying straight into the bed that was currently occupied by Hermione, his unforeseen arrival causing her to let out a shriek of surprise.
"Harry!?"
"Ughh..."
Pushing himself up from the soft mattress, he just about managed to squeak out a reply, the nausea threatening to overwhelm him at any second. "I'm baaack..."
The look of complete and utter confusion she sent him was nothing short of priceless.
After allowing the initial wave of nausea to pass, Harry sat down with Hermione right there on the bed and told her absolutely everything he had kept from her. It took a long time, but he had promised her that once he returned from Knockturn Alley, he would tell her all of his secrets. And so he shared with her all of the details regarding the Obscurus, his meeting with his godfather and the Auror from the DMLE, his suspicions surrounding Dumbledore, the book on Dark rituals he was now intending to take use of and everything in-between. Hermione listened with an unreadable expression on her face, taking it all in without interrupting even once.
Despite his natural hesitance to trust other people, Harry had to admit that it felt indescribably good to finally get it all off his chest. To share all the things he had been worrying about with someone else, someone he cared about and wanted to protect.
He was tired of lying to Hermione. He was tired of keeping her in the dark. He wanted her to know everything there was to know, and now... she did.
Finishing his explanations, Harry waited in silence as Hermione processed everything he had just told her. He didn't really care how long he had to wait: she could take as much time as she needed. All he wanted to know now was what she thought about it. In truth, a small part of him was afraid that she would reject him. He wouldn't blame her if she did, of course; being friends with the Boy-Who-Lived was a health-and-safety hazard at the best of times. And being romantically involved with him... well, that was even worse. But he desperately hoped she wouldn't choose that option. He wanted Hermione in his life, as he believed he had made very clear to her earlier that same evening.
It took a while, but after an eternity of uncertainty and waiting, Hermione finally opened her mouth to speak.
"That was... a lot..." she started, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "To be honest... I still don't know what to think of it all yet. But I'm glad you've decided to be honest with me at least."
"..."
Harry remained silent. He had said everything he wanted to say: it was up to Hermione to decide now.
"I can see now that there has been more at play here than I realized. You've been dealing with things far beyond anything I imagined, and... as wrong as it was of you to keep it hidden... it must've been difficult for you."
She took a moment to look at him before she continued, her eyes locking onto his with surprising intensity.
"Sirius Black is apparently innocent, and was sent to Azkaban without a trial. Your Obscurus is still alive, and is influencing your thought process from the inside. Dumbledore appears to have a hidden agenda of his own, one that involves you and this idea of the Greater Good. You have received a book containing highly questionable rituals from an unknown individual, rituals which you now intend on undertaking."
Harry nodded slowly in response, running through the list in his head. That did sum up most of it, yes.
"... In some way... I can understand why you chose to keep most of this to yourself. If everything is as you say it is, then there is obviously a larger game afoot here. Something way beyond our comprehension, a game that may very well decide the future of the British wizarding world. And as the Boy-Who-Lived, you will be forced to participate."
Harry couldn't deny it. It was unfair, so unfair in fact that it caused the blood in his veins to boil with anger, but it was the truth. As Voldemort's opposite, he had been destined since birth to fight the Dark Lord. But he was determined to do it on his own terms.
"Now, despite my... behavior... these past few days, I did mean what I said this summer. I want to help you. I want to stand with you. But... in order for me to do that, I need you to do something for me in return."
He braced himself for the request he knew was coming.
"From this point on, there'll be no more lies, Harry. No more half-truths or convenient excuses. I want to hear it all. If something good happens, I want to know about it. If something bad happens, I want to know about it. If something so incredibly horrible you can barely think about it happens, I want to know about it. Because I can't stand with you if you aren't going to treat me as an equal."
Letting out a shaky breath, he nodded yet again to show her that he accepted her proposition. Hermione was his best friend, and his equal. It was about time he started treating her as such.
"If you can promise me that, then... I'll help you. I'll be on your side. Not Dumbledore's or the Ministry's side, your side. And I promise I won't react as unfairly or push you away like I did this time in the future. As long as you don't keep anything from me ever again."
Her expression had turned surprisingly soft now, her chocolate-colored eyes conveying the depths of her loyalty to him. The thought of trusting her one-hundred percent still scared him a little, but from now on... he was willing to try. She deserved as much from him.
"Regarding the Draco incident... you told me you have been summoned to the Wizengamot to stand trial for what you did. Now, I have mixed feelings about that... but I think you should accept whatever punishment they decide to give you. They need to think that you regret your actions... even if you really don't."
"... If that's what you think is best, then I'll do it," Harry answered, nodding in agreement. His upcoming trial in the Wizengamot really wasn't his biggest concern at the moment. It easily paled in comparison to the Obscurus and imminent threat of death in the form of Lord Voldemort. In addition, he doubted they would give him too harsh a punishment. He was the Boy-Who-Lived, after all, and Dumbledore was the Chief Warlock.
"Good. And, finally... when it comes to the... confession... you came with earlier..."
"Y-Yeah?"
A small blush crept its way up Hermione's neck as she prepared to give her reply.
"I... I want you to... know..." she started, the bravado and certainty from earlier all but gone from her voice.
"Know what...?" Harry asked, subconsciously leaning closer to her.
"I want you to know that... I feel... the same way."
"O-Oh..."
Both of them were blushing violently now, the atmosphere in the room shifting from serious to embarrassed in seconds. Harry didn't really know why it felt so embarrassing, but he suspected it had something to do with the fact that neither of them had ever confessed their feelings to someone before.
"A-And... if you're okay with it... then... I'd like for you to... k-kiss me," she finished, trying to sound resolute but failing dramatically. It was obvious she was feeling very uncomfortable, but... seeing her so vulnerable did strange things to Harry's heart. A strong desire to hold her welled up in his core, and he found himself shifting his body ever so closer to hers.
"I think... I'd quite like that," he responded, stopping just a couple of inches from her face. He could see the yearning in her eyes clearly now, and it took every last ounce of his willpower not to give in and abandon reason completely.
"Just know that... once you do this... there's no going back," she whispered, opening her mouth slightly to let out a shaky breath. "... Once you kiss me... you'll be mine. And I'll be yours."
"That... doesn't sound too bad to me."
There was a moment of silence as they regarded one another with fragile uncertainty. And then, his lips were on hers. It was not a rough or lust-driven kiss, like the one they had shared in Hermione's guest bedroom. This one was light, delicate and filled with raw emotion. A kiss of affection, one that invaded all of his senses and filled his mind with nothing but her. A kiss he would remember for the rest of his life.
In that moment, Harry realized that he loved Hermione Granger. And the thought of that caused his heart to well up with happiness.
Once they finally broke apart, a radiant smile had formed on Hermione's face.
"I don't think I've ever told you this, but... you're a great kisser."
Her comment caused him to chuckle slightly, his hands coming to rest on her hips.
"Why, thank you. You're not half-bad yourself."
Her smile widening, she leaned forwards to rest her head against his shoulder, her arms stretching around his back to pull him closer to her.
"Can we stay like this for a while?" she breathed, closing her tired eyes.
There was nothing Harry wanted more.
"... Yeah, we can."
That night, he slept better than he had in years.
A/N: It's finally official. The Harry/Hermione train has reached the station at last, and it only took about 110k words :)
I'm actually surprised at the amount of people who got angry at Hermione for reacting so strongly to Harry's violent outburst. Like, how do you think YOU would've reacted if you saw your significant other go all Mortal Kombat on someone else? If you saw them viciously and maliciously beating up a borderline unconscious person with glee? Most likely, you would be horribly shocked, and quite possibly furious. You definitely wouldn't just be like "oh yeah that's cool" and then go about your day.
And sure, Harry DID have a reason to do what he did, but you have to keep in mind that Hermione can't actually remember what Draco did to her, so in her eyes, Harry is the one who is being the most extreme (even if he is being influenced by the Obscurus).
But anyway! Our story is far from over! Harry's true adventure has barely begun. And I can't wait to share more of his journey with you guys in the coming months!
In a way, this chapter came at the perfect time, seeing as this story has just hit 100,000 views! That is a crazy number, and not one I ever expected to reach when I first started posting this story. Some might argue that 100k isn't THAT much in the grand scheme of things, but I still don't feel like I really deserve it.
Writing this stupid story for you guys has been extremely fun so far, and I'll hope you continue to stick with me as we move into the Crimson Ritual and Triwizard Tournament Arc. I've got a lot of crazy sh*t planned, so strap in boys and girls.
As always, if you enjoyed the read, please be sure to leave a review telling me what you thought! And I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
-Twisted