:INTERLUDE 3:
Raven was having a pleasant conversation with Molly Weasley as the group waited for Harry to return from the medical assault that Andromeda was no doubt putting the boy through; not far away, Hermione, Ginny, Starfire, and Dora were cooing over Starfire's' pet silk-worm, adorably named 'Silky.'
Fred and George were talking to Cyborg about just what he was. They were wide-eyed as they listened to how the Titan became 'Cyborg,' as well as how he became a Titan and all the things he'd done alongside the other Titans since.
While that was happening, Beastboy and Jinx tried to teach Ron how to play the new Mortal Kombat game, each taking turns fighting the redhead. Ron had been curious, at first, to play a Muggle game, but the poor boy had gone slightly green after a few minutes of watching some of the gory things that his and his opponents' characters could do. Raven, however, was watching her green-skinned teammate with narrowed eyes as he played against Ron; Beastboy was a much better player than that, and it was almost as if the Titan were distracted by something.
As Raven continued watching through the corner of her eyes, she noticed that Beastboy's gaze seemed to continuously drift to the rat perched on Ron's shoulder, sleeping. Even Hedwig, sitting comfortably on Jinx's shoulder, seemed to be staring at the rat for some reason.
Before Raven could comment on this strange situation, however, Harry and Nightwing burst into the living room, her brother almost in tears, causing Raven to stiffen immediately; as her eyes narrowed, Raven saw that Harry was holding an overly-large top hat and she immediately recognized who it belonged to.
"Harry, why do you have Lunatic's top hat?" Raven asked, causing the others to turn and see what was going on; beside her, Molly looked confused at what Raven had said and looked at the boy for confirmation.
"Raven, you need to grab your Aunt's bag from her room and any 'Essence of Dittany' you have and meet Andromeda in the Infirmary," Nightwing said quickly as Harry held onto the hat like a lifeline.
"Looney's hurt bad," Harry said softly, "There was so much blood…"
"Oh no…" Jinx whispered as she rose to her feet, sending Hedwig flying away with an annoyed bark; it was no secret that Jinx was quite fond of the little madman and looked upon him like a kindred spirit of chaos.
"Who is this 'Lunatic'?" Molly finally asked as she saw the faces of the other Titans pale slightly at Nightwing's words.
"He's my friend," Harry said at once, causing the other Weasleys to look at him momentarily before Raven spoke sadly, bringing their attention back to her.
"Lunatic is an incredibly powerful little boy who has suffered greatly because of that power. Unfortunately, the things that were done to him drove him a bit mad, so he chose to throw away his old name and choose a new one: Lunatic."
"And he lives here too?" Molly asked, her face paling in horror, "Is he a Titan, too?"
"No," Cyborg sighed, "We've offered, but the kid doesn't like 'labels,' or so he says, anyway."
"So, who looks after him?" Molly asked, her horror rising at the implications she was receiving from the Titans, "Surely he isn't all alone at such a young age?"
"Looney can take care of himself," Harry stated firmly before his proud demeanor broke, and he once again looked like the scared boy he was, "At least he was always able to before this…"
"You mean to tell me that a child is allowed to wander wherever they want with no adult supervision to speak of!" Molly asked, her temper rising, "Who would allow such idiocy!"
"Believe me, ma'am," Cyborg said with a smirk, "No one can make Lunatic stay if he doesn't want to."
"Wicked!" The twins chorused as one, "Can we meet him!"
Molly leveled a glare of such magnitude upon the twins that it instantly cowed them as she turned back to Raven; Raven, however, had taken this time to kneel in front of Harry and place a calm hand on the boy's shoulder as she stared into his scared eyes.
"I will do everything I can. I give you my word," Raven promised in a voice that ensured that Harry knew she was telling the truth, causing the teary-eyed boy to nod gratefully at her; rising to her feet, Raven looked at Nightwing and said softly,
"Keep an eye on Harry for me."
"Of course," Nightwing replied with a nod, which Raven immediately returned before stepping past.
"I'm coming too," Molly said at once as she followed behind Raven, "I received a bit of medical training during the war. I may be of some assistance."
"And me," Jinx said as she jumped over the couch and followed. Raven turned to the pink-haired Titan and raised an eyebrow at her, causing Jinx to glare back, "You really want to try and stop me?"
The two stared at each other for only a heartbeat before Raven sighed and shook her head wearily as she turned to leave, causing Jinx to smirk for a moment. Molly watched the confrontation with confusion momentarily before warily following Raven out of the door, Jinx right behind her.
After the remaining Weasleys and Hermione guided the silent Harry to the couch, they immediately began to ask him questions, completely ignoring the watching Titans who had grouped together following Raven and Jinx's departure.
"So what happened?" Cyborg asked as he crossed his arms over his chest,
"Yeah, judging from Harry's reaction, it must have been bad," Beastboy added as Starfire nodded.
"Andromeda had just finished healing Harry when Lunatic appeared out of a hole in the ceiling, very badly wounded."
"What was the cause?" Cyborg asked with a grimace, "How bad?"
"Bad," Nightwing said softly, "And as to the cause…. We might have a situation incoming."
"What kind of situation?" Starfire asked,
"Before Lunatic passed out from his injuries, he told Harry that Lex Luthor put a bounty on his and Arcane's heads over that prank they pulled a while ago."
"You mean the video that's been blowing up all over the internet?" Beastboy asked in surprise, "That was them?"
"Looks like it…" Nightwing said with a frown as the other Titans grimaced.
"So, what do we do?" Cyborg asked, "Whoever attacked Lunatic won't be happy that the kid escaped. If they're not already on their way here, they soon will be."
"Indeed," Starfire added with a frown, Silky held firmly in her arms, "And if the reward is large enough, others may come as well. The city could very well be caught in the crossfire."
"Maybe we should think about sending Hermione and the Weasleys home," Beastboy said after a moment, "Dora and her mom too."
"Yeah," Dora scoffed from where she sat on the nearby countertop, "Good luck with that."
"This is not a game, Dora!" Beastboy snapped at once as he turned to her, "You all could be in danger!"
"So could you!" Dora retorted angrily, hopping off the countertop and storming over to her boyfriend.
"That's my job!" Beastboy growled back, "I signed up for it. That's the difference."
"I'm not leaving," Dora said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest, "And my mum will give the same answer if and when you ask. Harry and Raven are my cousins, by all rights, and there's no way that Mum or I will leave if our family is in danger."
"We're not leaving either!" A firm voice said from behind the group, causing the Titans to turn around in surprise; Hermione and the Weasleys were all standing around Harry with determined looks on their faces. They didn't know who this 'Lunatic' was, but they knew Harry and anyone who targeted their friend would have to go through them; seeing their determined stares, the Titans all shared a look before Cyborg shook his head wearily.
"The gesture is appreciated, Hermione," Starfire said at once, "But Beastboy is correct; this isn't your job. It's ours. And it will be far too dangerous for children, even brave ones like you and the others."
"All the same-" Fred said forcefully,
"-We're not leaving!" George finished.
"Whatever happens," Nightwing said after a tense moment, "It will be your mom's decision. She's the one responsible for your safety."
A choked sob caught everyone's attention, causing them to turn to see its source; Harry was sitting beside Ron and Hermione, clutching desperately to Lunatic's hat as he tried to keep himself from openly crying at the fate of his friend.
Nightwing couldn't help but grimace as he watched Hermione and Ron place an arm around the boy struggling to control himself; for all that he might try to pretend otherwise, Harry was still just a little kid who had just watched his first friend appear heavily wounded, perhaps even fatally. Realizing that Harry desperately needed a distraction to pull him back from going completely over the edge, Nightwing's mind began to race with something he could offer to help.
"Harry, go grab your guitar," Nightwing said as a sudden idea came to him, "Then meet us in the danger room."
"My guitar?" Harry asked in a small voice before coloring angrily, "You want me to play a song right now! While Looney's possibly dying!"
"Seriously, dude?" Beastboy asked with a raised brow, "You really think this is a good time?"
"Yes, I do," Nightwing said, glaring at Beastboy before turning back to Harry, who was now glaring angrily; closing his eyes for a moment, Nightwing took a deep breath before reopening his eyes and looking at Harry.
"Lunatic will need you, Harry," Nightwing said firmly, "Just as much as he will need Raven and the others."
"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded, "I can't do anything for him! I'm helpless while he's in there fighting for his life!"
"Wrong!" Nightwing snapped with such ferocity that it shocked Harry into silence, "There is something you can do, something that no one else can do but you!"
"What…?" Harry asked in a choked voice, begging Nightwing to tell him the answer.
"Harry, I'm not a very religious person," Nightwing sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, "But I do believe that there is a magic to the human spirit that nothing can beat. Just ask Cyborg to tell you about Brother Blood. So, go get your guitar and give Lunatic a reason to live. Play for him. Play loud and let him hear it."
As Nightwing's words slowly penetrated through the fog of fear that had clouded Harry's mind, a sudden look of understanding and then determination came across Harry's face; slowly, Harry rose to his feet and gently placed the top hat on the couch where he had just been sitting. Turning to face his surrogate older brother, Harry nodded once before striding past with a look in his eyes that made the Titans smirk slightly.
"I'll meet you there in five minutes," Harry growled as he strode past; once he was gone, Ron turned to the still-smirking Titans,
"What the bloody hell was that? Where is Harry going?"
"To get his guitar," Nightwing replied, facing the redhead, "And make an offering to whatever might be listening for his friend's life."
Turning to the doorway, Nightwing began to walk away, the rest of the Titans following behind; after sharing a confused look, the rest followed.
XXXX
Molly Weasley had seen many horrible things in her life; serving as a nurse during a war had all but guaranteed her a lifetime of nightmares, though those had thankfully lessened as the years went by. But as she stared down in horror at the small body of the shirtless child before her, Molly realized that a new nightmare would soon be visiting her dreams.
When she and her two companions walked into the infirmary, it was to the sight of Andromeda desperately pressing cloth to a severe wound in the child's right side that ran from his right shoulder to the center of his right bicep. As Molly continued to stare, unable to help herself, she saw how close Andromeda was to panicking; the woman had a crazed look in her eyes, and her hair swung wildly as she pulled the blood-drenched cloth away and immediately put on another.
"Oh, my god…" Jinx whispered in horror as she saw the state Lunatic was in; hearing her voice, Andromeda looked up sharply before a relieved look came across her face.
"Oh, thank Merlin! Raven, did you bring my bag!"
"Yes, Aunt Andi," Raven replied at once, striding across the room and taking her Aunt's place so that she could begin looking through her bag for medical supplies; as Andromeda quickly began to riffle through the bag, Raven and the others could hear her muttering curses and oaths.
"I need more gauze!" Raven said as the once pristine cloth in her hands soaked in blood,
"On it!" Jinx cried at once before running to the nearby cabinet.
"I don't know what in God's name attacked this poor boy, but it's proving more difficult to repair than I had anticipated!" Andromeda snapped as she continued looking.
"What do you mean?" Jinx demanded from where she was searching for more cloth and gauze, "Is he going to die? Answer me!"
"I can't bloody answer you!" Andromeda snarled back, "Because I don't know how to close the damn wound!"
"What do you mean, Andi?" Molly asked, finally shaken out of her shock, "You're a healer! Just use a quick stitching spell on the boy!"
"I've tried!" Andromeda growled in frustration, "I've tried every spell I know to stop the bleeding, but whatever attacked him left a strange energy behind, unlike anything I've ever seen! It's keeping his wound open, and nothing I'm doing is working!"
"Energy?" Jinx asked in shock as she quickly thumbed through her memory of all the possible villains that could do something like that, finally coming up with only four possible answers, "Step back, Raven. I need to see the wound."
"If I step back, Lunatic will die of blood loss," Raven replied, "Why do you need to see it?"
"If I can identify the energy in his wound,' Jinx replied quickly, "We can program Cyborg's new surgical laser to target only the areas where the energy is present. And once the energy is gone…"
"Aunt Andi will be able to close the wound and save him," Raven replied as she cast her eye to the opposite side of the room where said laser was currently sitting; turning back a quickly paling Jinx, Raven sighed and continued speaking, "But that still doesn't change the fact that you need time to see the wound, and if I take away my hands, he will die in a matter of minutes."
"What the bloody hell is a laser!" Molly demanded as she pointed her wand at the gauze in Jinx's hands, making its number triple instantly. Jinx nodded appreciatively at Molly before answering her earlier question.
"Put simply, a laser is a piece of muggle equipment used to cut through things, be it metal, wood, flesh, or bone."
"And you want to use this device on a child!" Molly asked in horror, "Are you mad!"
"Cyborg specifically designed and built this particular laser for surgeries like this," Raven replied quickly, "Where the victim has been attacked by something that regular medicine can't fix. But it still doesn't change the fact that if I remove my hands, Lunatic will bleed to death."
"No, he won't!" Andromeda shouted at last, causing the others to turn to her; she was sticking halfway out of her bag by this point, and were the situation not so serious, Raven would have laughed at the absurdity of it. When her Aunt finally managed to extricate herself from the confines of her bag, Andromeda turned around to face the others, and Raven's eyes widened in amazement and relief; Andromeda's arms were laden with Blood-Replenishing Potions, at least a dozen bottles of it.
"Where did you get all of those?" Jinx asked in surprise, "They must have cost a fortune!"
"They did!" Andromeda growled unhappily, "After what happened to you lot, I decided to be extra careful, so I went shopping a few days ago. I was planning on fully restocking the infirmary. Now I'm just glad I made the trip at all."
"I could kiss you right now!" Jinx said happily, causing Andromeda to chuckle; turning back to Raven, Jinx began to issue orders, "Okay! So, when you pull away, Lunatic will begin to bleed out. I'll try to identify it as quickly as I can, but you guys gotta give me all the time you can!"
"Understood," Raven nodded before turning to her Aunt and Molly, "While Jinx works, it will be our job to pour as much of the potion down the boy's throat as we can so he doesn't die of blood loss."
Stepping up next to Raven, Jinx nodded once, causing the girl to step back; the moment Raven's hands took away the gauze, the blood began to pour out; for a moment, Jinx stared in horror before she remembered what she had to do.
Summoning her own abilities, Jinx raised her arms as her eyes began to glow pink; an instant later, two tendrils of pink energy shot from Jinx's arms and into Lunatic's wound, causing the boy to spring off the bed so violently that Raven though his back might break. The boy cried out in pain a moment later, shocking Andromeda and Molly out of their staring and immediately into action.
"Hold him down!" Raven snapped out, taking Lunatic's left shoulder and pushing back onto the bed; a moment later, Andromeda joined her niece in trying to hold down the flailing and crying child. Turning back to Molly, Raven shouted out,
"Start bringing those potions! Now!"
One after another, Molly grabbed two or three at a time before ripping off the cork and pouring the contents down the boy's throat; once the bottle was empty, Molly immediately dropped it and ran for more. All the while, Jinx was standing stock-still, her eyes glowing pink and her arms raised in front of her as pink tendrils sought out their target.
"Jinx, hurry!" Raven snapped after watching Molly pour the sixth potion down the boy's throat; the bed by this time was soaked in blood, and a small pool was beginning to form on the floor as well, making the infirmary look more like a horror movie.
"I've…. Almost got it…." Jinx replied in a pained voice, "Almost…. There…. Got it!"
An instant later, the tendrils snapped out of the boy's wound and back into Jinx's arms, causing the boy to collapse in an unconscious heap on the bed and showering all the women with droplets of blood.
"Gauze!" Raven cried out immediately, causing Molly to spring into action and press a thick piece of cloth to the boy's wound. Lunatic groaned once at the pressure, but Molly didn't let up and simply stared.
Spinning on her heel, Jinx ran as fast as her legs could carry her toward Cyborg's newest creation; her right fist closed tight around something. Upon reaching it, Jinx immediately ripped open a compartment on the top and dumped what looked like a glowing pink stone into it before slamming the lid back down. As soon as the machine powered up, Jinx began to furiously type onto the keyboard, her eyes darting left and right as she looked for the one responsible for Lunatic's injury, while not far away, Raven and the other two women were desperately trying to stem the flow of blood.
"Well?" Raven demanded, "Have you found the one responsible or not?"
Before Jinx could offer an angry rebuttal, the machine beeped, and a prison photo appeared on the screen; as Jinx stared at the photo, she narrowed her eyes angrily and had to fight off the urge to blast the machine into oblivion.
"Star Saphire," Jinx growled, "The energy source is from Star Saphire."
"Can that damn muggle toy help us or not!" Andromeda screeched, for a moment looking like her mad sister, understandable as she, by this time, was soaked in blood.
"Yes!" Jinx retorted, "It just needs to warm, and then I have to put in the proper commands!"
"Then do so!" Andromeda spat back, "This boy is losing blood faster than we can replace it!"
When she heard that, Jinx couldn't help but look down at the boy, and her eyes widened as she saw how pale he was becoming; nodding quickly, Jinx began to type commands into the machine, causing a panel above Lunatic's bed to slide away as a large triangle-like machine with a small circular tip, descended.
Quickly reaching above her head, Raven grabbed the control arm and angled the laser at Lunatic's wound as Molly and Andromeda watched with confused faces.
"You sure this will work?" Molly asked softly as Raven finished placing the laser where it was needed.
"No," Raven replied as she turned to face the woman, "But it's our only hope now."
"It's done!" Jinx cried out happily, "I've programmed it to only target Star Saphire's energy source and to eradicate it!"
Just as she finished speaking, the circular tip on the laser began to glow bright red, as a humming noise sounded; an instant later, a red light shot into the boy's wound, making his eyes shoot open in shock and pain, his mouth stretched in a silent scream as his back arched.
"Hold him, goddammit!" Jinx snarled as she sprinted back across the room and all but dived on top of Lunatic's flailing body, "The machine needs him to be as still as possible, or it could do more harm than good!"
Hearing that, Molly and Andromeda sprang into action, each grabbing a separate shoulder and pressing the boy back down as Raven realigned the laser.
"Lunatic, you listen to me, good!" Raven growled as she turned the laser back on, and it began its work again, "You've never been anything but a pain in my neck from the moment you waltzed into Harry and I's life! But through all that, you've been there for Harry in ways I couldn't. So, if you die on me now and break my little brother's heart, I'll drag your insane ass back from wherever you end up just to kill you again, myself!"
For a moment, only a moment, Lunatic's eyes seemed to focus on Raven. She could have sworn that she saw the ghost of a smirk appear on his face. Still, an instant later, the boy was once again crying out in pain as the laser bore into him, a pink trail of energy slowly rising out of him and into the device as the three other women desperately tried to hold him down.
XXXX
By the time the Titans and the others had made their way to the observation deck of the danger room, Harry had already grabbed his guitar and amplifier and had a fierce look on his face as he finished tuning it. Ginny and Hermione both felt themselves blushing uncontrollably as they looked down at the boy whose sole concentration was on the cherry-red and black Gibson guitar in his hands. To the surprise of everyone but the Titans, somehow, Harry had managed to change from his Arcane outfit into an ordinary pair of torn blue jeans and a sleeveless black t-shirt, with red sneakers on his feet in the small amount of time that it had taken the others to reach the danger room. His loose hair, too, had been tamed, pulled back into a tight ponytail at the base of his skull.
Turning away from the observation window, Cyborg placed his hand on the nearby wall and pressed down gently, revealing a hidden switch; an instant later, a panel in the wall slid horizontally away, revealing a computer that Cyborg began to type commands quickly into.
Hermione was about to ask what Cyborg was doing when the sound of speakers activating went off over her head, making her look up; turning back to the waiting Nightwing, Cyborg nodded once before retaking his place at his teammate's side.
"Turning back to the window, Nightwing leaned down and pressed a button directly below the center of the observation window, which activated the speaker into the danger room.
"The speakers are live, Harry," Nightwing said softly, "Everyone in the Tower will be able to hear you. What are you going to play?"
A thousand songs flashed through Harry's head in an instant as he gripped his guitar tight; should he play a ballad? A dirge? Should it be hard and powerful? Soft and compassionate? But as his mind raced, he finally settled on the only song worth offering to anyone or anything that might be listening. The song that Lunatic would always beg Harry to play when the little madman would visit; Lunatic's favorite song.
"If anyone is listening," Harry thought desperately as he closed his eyes and bowed his head, "Please accept this offering and save my friend!"
"There's only one song that will do…" Harry said softly, yet his voice carried all the same to those listening above.
Eyes still closed, Harry raised his hand into the air and began to play a soft ballad that grew aggressive towards the end before returning to smooth and mellow. The Titans all seemed to grin or smirk as one as they each recognized which song Harry had chosen.
"Of course, he'd pick that one," Beastboy chuckled as Cyborg returned to the computer and began to input more commands; a moment later, Cyborg retook his spot as an invisible drummer started to play in the background as Harry made his fingers dance faster.
"Of course," Nightwing agreed, "It's Lunatic's favorite, for obvious reasons…"
Dora, Hermione, and the Weasleys could only watch in ignorance, not having heard this song before but knowing all the same, the skill it must take to play the way Harry was doing, with his eyes closed.
Harry's eyes snapped open as the tempo suddenly exploded, and he began to sing as he had never sung before.
XXXX
In a world of darkness that was neither here nor there, that both existed and didn't exist, a robed figure sat alone in a dark chamber on a throne of ebony so pitch-black that it almost seemed as though the figure was squatting in midair.
As sudden music began to play within its chamber, the figure stirred and raised its head to listen; hidden beneath its hood, the figure smiled as it recognized the tune's origin and the message behind it. It was an offering from the figure's chosen. And a fine offering it was, indeed.
XXXX
As the music began to blast through the speakers of the infirmary, the women all looked up in confusion before a smirk appeared on Jinx's face, while an exasperated one took over Raven's; Molly and Andromeda both were staring at the ceiling in open-mouthed confusion as the laser beeped and shut off, causing Lunatic to drop unconscious onto the bed.
"What the devil is that music?" Molly demanded, wiping a line of sweat from her brow, "Who's playing it?"
"It's Harry," Raven said softly, "He's playing Lunatic's favorite song for him…."
"You hear that, Lulu," Jinx whispered softly into the boy's ear, using the affectionate nickname she had given to him, "That's for you, so you better not go anywhere!"
A ghost of a smirk seemed to cross the boy's face, and Jinx felt hope swell in her chest; that hope was dashed a second later when the heart monitor attached to the boy's chest flatlined.
"Paddles!" Jinx screamed at once as the music built in intensity; instantly, Raven spurred into action and grabbed the AED from off the wall before quickly placing the pads on the boy's chest.
"What is that?" Molly asked in horror as Raven turned on the machine, "What are you doing?"
"Move your damn hands!" Raven shouted back, causing Andromeda and Molly to quickly jerk their hands away.
"Clear!" Raven cried as she pressed the button, instantly making the boy jump as the device delivered an electric shock.
"Again!" Jinx cried out when the heart monitor flatlined again,
"Clear!" Raven shouted again as the music built to a crescendo around them.
XXXX
"New blood joins this earth,
and quickly, he's subdued!
Through constant pain and disgrace,
the young boy learns their rules!
With time, the child draws in.
This whipping boy done wrong!
Deprived of all his thoughts,
the young boy struggles on and on, he's known.
A vow unto his own,
that never from this day,
his will they'll take away!
What I've felt, what I've known,
never shined through what I've shown.
Never be. Never see.
Won't see what might have been.
What I've felt, what I've known.
Never shined through what I've shown.
Never free, never me,
so I dub the Unforgiven."
Harry played as he had never played before, pouring every drop of fear, anger, passion, and hope that he had within himself into every note; this was his offering to whatever was listening for his friend's life, and by god, he would make sure that it was the best damn performance he had ever given!
"He's amazing…" Dora whispered softly, "How is he so good at so young an age…?"
"When Raven first brought Harry to the Tower, he was really messed up," Nightwing replied softly, "Therapy sessions with Black Canary helped a little bit, but it was Raven who found a true way to help Harry, through music."
"She and Harry would spend hours practicing," Beastboy said warmly as his eyes glazed over in remembrance, "And no matter how many tries it took, Harry would never stop practicing until he perfectly played whatever song Raven showed him, from start to finish."
"And he will only grow better with time," Starfire added with pride, "One day, the whole world will know his name."
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked with a blush as she watched Harry's hair break loose of its hair tie; not even slowing in his playing, Harry began to bang his head to the beat, his long hair swinging wildly.
"Harry's dream is to be a musician," Starfire said happily, to the surprise of all but the Titans.
"He does look like he belongs there…" Dora replied softly, "The way he plays… The way he moves… I've never seen anything like it…"
"He's bloody amazing!" Fred said,
"Outstanding!" George added.
The only Weasley who didn't speak was Ron, who was staring at his best mate with something akin to awe; all his life, Ron had felt like the odd man out in his family. He wasn't cool like Bill or Charlie, nor was he as intelligent as Percy or as funny as the twins, and he definitely wasn't the darling girl that his mother had always wanted and finally gotten with Ginny. That was one of the reasons why Ron didn't apply himself very much because, in his heart, he truly believed that no matter what he did, he would always stand in the shadow of his older siblings.
But as he watched Harry move hypnotically across the floor, his fingers dancing like magic, Ron, for the first time, thought that maybe, just maybe, he had found something that could be entirely his own if Harry would teach him how; as Ron continued to watch, he made a silent promise to ask Harry to teach him as soon as he could. As the intensity of the solo continued to grow, Ron could feel how much the boy in the infirmary meant to Harry. Yet, Ron didn't feel jealous but instead felt a wave of respect pass through him as he realized that if Ron was in the boy's place, Harry would be playing just as passionately for him. That was the kind of guy that Harry was, one who would always give everything he had for his friends as long as they were willing to do the same.
XXXX
"They dedicate their lives
to running all of his!
He tries to please them all,
this bitter man he is!
Throughout his life the same,
he's battled constantly!
This fight he cannot win;
a tired man they see, no longer cares!
The old man then prepares to die regretfully.
That old man there is me, yeah!
What I've felt, what I've known.
Never shined through what in what I've shown.
Never be, never see, won't see what might have been.
What I've felt, what I've known.
Never shined through in what I've shown.
Never free, never me.
So, I dub the Unforgiven."
As the music echoed around the empty chamber, the robed figure smiled under its hood, resting its head on a black-gloved fist while its elbow lay on the arm of its throne.
"Surely THAT is not the best you can do, my chosen…" The figure purred softly; its question was answered a moment later when a guitar solo began with such intensity that the figure could not help the grin that split her face in half.
"Good, my chosen," the figure sighed, "Good…"
XXXX
As the guitar solo began, Raven pressed the button on the AED again, causing Lunatic's body to jump from the jolt; a second later, the monitor registered a heart rate, and Jinx breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's not over yet!" Andromeda said a second later as she pulled out her wand again, "I'll start stitching his skin now that that strange energy preventing me from doing so is gone! While I'm doing that, I want Molly to pour more blood-replenishing potions down the boy's throat as fast as you can. Raven, you, and Jinx start getting that Essence of Dittany ready! The moment I tell you to, start applying it!"
As everyone moved to Andromeda's order, the guitar solo grew so intense and passionate that it froze everyone in place for a moment before they managed to shake themselves free of the music's enchantment.
XXXX
As the guitar solo reached its crescendo, Harry felt a sudden wetness on his hands; opening his eyes, he saw, to his shock, that his fingers were actually bleeding from the intensity of his performance. Feeling the pain as a part of him and yet not a part of him, Harry closed his eyes and continued to play with just as much intensity as before; if the music wasn't a good enough offering, then perhaps his blood would do.
XXXX
The robed figure smiled as a new offering was freely given alongside the music, an offering of blood freely given as payment for the life of another, perhaps the most sacred offering of all.
"I accept…" The figure said finally, lifting its gloved hand slowly before snapping its fingers; the explosive concussion completely drowned out the sound of the music as it spread beyond the chamber and into that which both existed and didn't simultaneously.
XXXX
As Harry finished the final note of the song, he felt his knees give way, and he dropped to the floor with an exhausted sigh, his arms hanging lifelessly at his side as blood dripped slowly to the ground. As Harry struggled to breathe through the pain in his chest, he closed his eyes and sat in the silence of the danger room, the only sound the plip-plop of his blood as it dropped off of his fingers and onto the floor. The pain in his fingers was making itself known now, and Harry winced against it, even as he tried to pretend it didn't bother him; he would have to ask for help. He couldn't find any more energy in him that might help him rise to his feet again.
The sudden activation of the speakers made Harry's head shoot up to the observation deck in sudden anxiety, only to see his sister standing there looking exhausted but relieved; as he took in the large volume of blood on Raven's robes, Harry's eyes widened in fear.
"Raven…?" Harry half asked/ half begged, "How's Looney…?"
"We almost lost him," Raven said softly, "But he pulled through in the end. Thanks to you, I think."
"He's going to be, okay?" Harry cried out happily, trying to rise to his feet before falling back to his knees in an exhaustive heap, "Can I see him!"
"No, you bloody well cannot, Harry Potter!" Andromeda's voice called out a moment before she, too, appeared on the observation deck, looking far more frazzled than Harry had ever seen her, "The boy needs his rest and is not to be disturbed until he wakes under his own power! And as for you!"
"Me?" Harry asked in shock, "What did I do?"
I JUST healed you after your stupid training exercise!" Andromeda screeched like a woman possessed, "And now, your fingers are cut open, and you're suffering from exhaustion, near as I can tell! What the devil do you think you were doing! Do you think I like seeing you twice in one day, on top of whatever madness that boy in the infirmary has gotten himself into!"
"It was an offering," Harry said at once, bringing Andromeda up short, "And thankfully, someone was listening, it seems."
Unable to come up with a response beyond wordless sputtering, Andromeda finally decided to settle on,
"Be that as it may! You still hurt yourself again, forcing me to heal you AGAIN! The infirmary. Now!"
"Yes, Aunt Andromeda!" Harry cried automatically before he remembered, "Only, um…."
"What!" Andromeda cried, slamming her hands down on the glass,
"I kinda can't move at the moment…" Harry replied sheepishly; momentarily, the observation deck was silent as the group slowly processed what Harry had just said. A heartbeat later, Beastboy led the charge by laughing at Harry's current predicament, which everyone else shared a moment later.
"Oh sure, laugh at the kid who just gave the greatest rock performance of his life and is now paralyzed as a result!" Harry shouted back in mock outrage, "Real mature, you jerks!"
"Just stay put," Beastboy called, making Harry scowl impotently, "We'll be right down."
As the observation deck slowly emptied, Harry couldn't help but smile as he shook his head wearily; left alone, Harry raised his eyes to the sky and whispered out an exhausted,
"Thank you."
For just a moment, Harry could have sworn that something wrapped him in a loving embrace, but before he could properly register it, the feeling was gone, and Harry was, once again, alone.
XXXX
Author's Note:
Longest chapter yet! I just couldn't stop; I only did because my fingers are killing me, lol. Unforgiven is the property of Metallica, and as such, I claim no ownership of it whatsoever; I am simply using it in my story. In case you're wondering why I picked this song to be Lunatic's favorite; remember how he's lived until now, then read the lyrics, again.
For those of you asking how Lunatic was beaten so badly and so easily, allow me to remind you that as powerful as Lunatic is, he's still twelve years old! And also, if you didn't notice, he's INCREDIBLY arrogant about his powers. And as nearly every story tells us, arrogance often leads to defeat; case in point here.
Until next time, that's all folks!