"Hey guys! So I have your presents ready, but I need to borrow a bit of your blood first."
They'd met up in their usual hidden alcove in the library so that Luna could join the Gryffindors. Harry had immediately cast a multitude of silencing and repelling charms around the area, ones so powerful that even Hermione had not heard of them before. He had three amulets spread out on the table in front of them. Curious, Ron picked one up to examine. It consisted of a leather cord wrapped around a Galleon-sized piece of black stone. There was a rune carved into the front and a different one carved on the backside. Also on the table were three vials of dark red liquid. Ron chose to think about it in that vague manner because he was rather trying not to panic. It was totally not blood. Where did Harry get it from?
Ron did his best to be supportive of his friend's hobbies but seeing the blood in person raised an instinctual terror that was hard to keep down.
Beside him, Luna shrugged and held out her hand, the blonde as nonchalant as ever. Harry took a gentle hold of it and pulled a knife out of his pocket. He pricked the tip of her finger and pressed it to the rune. Releasing Luna, he picked up one of the vials of blood. Ripping out the stopper with his teeth, Harry let a drop fall onto the other rune. Harry gave them a reassuring grin and under his breath he whispered an incantation. It was too low for Ron to make out, but static trailed across his body as the temperature dropped. The blood-soaked runes glowed the same green as Harry's eyes. Ron's shuddered breath came out in a fog as he watched the blood seep into the stone and disappear. Harry handed it off to Luna.
"Thank you Harry!" She grinned, putting it on. Nothing terrifying happened as she touched it, and Hermione released the breath she'd been holding during the procedure. She did not volunteer to go next. Ron sighed. His dad had warned them to never ever hand over their blood. He'd warned them of all the ways someone could use it to control them, kill them, or worse. He held out his hand.
Harry performed the same ritual, and Ron didn't feel anything different when he put the spelled amulet on. There were no signs that it was the product of a highly illegal blood magic spell. In fact, he felt better. More alert, less tired.
"Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione had her hands tucked into her sides. She looked ready to cry. Ron wasn't sure how to reassure her for once.
"Will you please explain yourself first?!" She said in her bossy tone, edged high with hysterics. "Blood magic is illegal, Harry! Very, very illegal. You could be expelled! You could go to prison!"
Ron reached out to try to comfort her but Hermione shifted out of the way.
"They're protective amulets," Harry said. "That's all. If the Heir of Slytherin tries to hurt you, you'll heal. It will heal you from pretty much any injury or illness. I'm not exactly sure if it will work if you get petrified or suffer something fatal, but mama is confident it should hold up. It would only work once on a deadly injury though, then I'd have to make you another one."
Hermione thought it over a moment, the group waited in suffocating anticipation. Finally, she asked. "Who's blood is in those vials?" Ron held in a groan. That was the last question he wanted answered.
Harry looked sheepish. "I won't say."
"Harry James Potter! Who's blood is that?"
Harry shook his head. "It's fine, Hermione. I just needed a drop, I didn't kill anyone for it."
That was the wrong thing to say. Hermione stood up from the table sending the vials tumbling around. No, no, no! She refused to let him get out of explaining himself this time. They'd had nothing but concerns before - but this! Nothing so concrete, so twisted and purely Dark had crossed Hermione's mind. This sort of magic was not something found by accident in a book. This was proof, evidence of something terrible. There was Dark magic, and then there was whatever Harry was doing. It was wrong, every bone in her body insisted on it. The usual subconscious terror that followed Harry billowed to the surface and she was suddenly very, very frightened of her dear friend.
"Are you practicing Dark magic, yes or no?" She shouted.
Harry spluttered, his eyes flashing to Ron and Luna for help. But they both sat there, stunned at Hermione's outburst and not offering any help. Harry sighed and contemplated his answer for a moment.
"Yes, yes I am," he admitted.
"God, Harry! Why? Don't you know how dangerous that is? It's against the rules!" With a huff, Hermione stormed out of the library. Harry called after her, but she did not look back.
"I'm sorry," said Harry. He collapsed back into his chair. Ron stared at the last unfinished amulet Hermione had left behind. Dread filled in his gut.
"Hey," he reached over and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Look, Hermione was pretty chill about it before this. I think seeing it in action scared her a bit. You know she's a teacher's pet, a stickler for the rules. She's just worried you'll get in trouble."
"We trust you, Harry," Luna came over and pulled the two boys into a hug. "But Hermione is a muggleborn. They're a very moral group of people. She needs some time to think it over, but she'll come around."
"You don't want to know about the spell?" Harry asked, voice quiet and flat.
"I'll be honest, mate. Not sure I'd be thrilled about the details. I don't want to think about where you got that blood. It did kinda freak me out too. But like Luna said, we trust you. You're my first friend. I don't care how evil you are. Look, let's give Hermione space and we'll talk to her tomorrow. You know how girls are, she just needs a good cry. We should probably head up to the common room anyway."
Luna rolled her eyes at the girl comment but let it slide for once.
"I don't care if you're evil either, Harry. I've had years to get used to your magic, and Hermione hasn't had very long. Please give her time."
Harry let them reassure him, but inside, he was crushed. His mind spiraled through all sorts of scenarios of potential betrayal. What if she alerted the authorities?
But no, they were certain it would all work out. He had to trust that. Maybe he had sprung the blood magic on them too fast? Or maybe it was the human sacrifice she had an issue with? Tomorrow, Hary promised himself as he lay awake in his bed. They would talk about it tomorrow and everything would work out fine. He could lie to Hermione and not tell her the amulet was tied to a human? Or he could say it was someone who was already dead, that way she couldn't feel bad. Or maybe he should blame mama, tell them she got the blood and he wasn't sure how the spell worked or where it came from. He didn't need to explain how the ritual worked in too much detail. Or any detail at all. Yes, that would work. He could fix this.
But when Ron and Harry tumbled out of bed the next day, exhausted at the thought of returning to their classes and nervous over how Hermione would react, they were met instead with McGonagall's stern face greeting them at the bottom of the staircase.
....
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