Chapter Six: Demons, Demons, Demons

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Harry woke up the next morning to find that Malfoy was no longer in the room. Ron was slowly sitting up in the bed, stretching, and scratching his red hair.

"Something doesn’t feel right," Harry commented.

Ron blinked and looked around. "No. you’re right. I feel weird. like. we’re. not awake."

"Wow. They said you guys were pretty quick. I’m impressed."

Their attention turned to the huge figure standing in the doorway. He was huge, with black and gray. scales? He had large horns over his head and a large chin ring. He almost looked like a cross between a human and a bull. Neither boy could identify the species. They only knew he. it. whatever, wasn’t human.

Ron’s eyes widened, and he scrambled out of bed to his feet. "Holy shit!"

"Hey! Boys your age shouldn’t be using language like that!"

Harry took three steps backwards. "What. what are you?"

"A demon."

"Holy shit."

"Hey, come on, Weasley, stop saying that. It’s just not polite."

"How do you know my name?" Ron asked, obviously confused.

The demon smirked. "Maybe you’re not as quick as they thought. You guys are new warriors for the PTB."

"What are they?" Harry asked. "And who are you, anyways?"

"Oh," the demon smiled. "I’m Skip. How ya doin?" He held out a hand.

Harry looked at it tentatively, obviously intimidated by the size and color.

"Harry, don’t, he could be dangerous!"

"Aw, heck no," Skip replied. "I’m not dangerous. Just intimidating."

"Got that right," Harry replied, shaking his hand. "So. the PTB?"

"Power That Be," Skip replied. "They want you to be a warrior for good. Harry Potter, right? Boy who lived?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Harry’s fine."

"The Powers want you to go out and fight evil for them."

Harry blinked, and looked back at Ron. "Don’t I already do that?"

"The big problem is. well. with your buddy. We were supposed to pick a non-human to take the visions, but. there was a mix-up. and we turn you into a half-demon or something like that except. you’re a minor. We can’t change without a permission slip signed by your legal guardians. And, unfortunately, the Powers really want you to be the seer, cause you and Harry are best buds. They’re not willing to give them to anyone else."

Ron blinked. "So. Unless I get a permission slip from my mum and dad, I’m stuck with head-splitting agony?"

"That’s the gist," Skip replied.

"My mum’d kill me if I asked to become even a half-demon."

"Ron, they said the visions could kill you," Harry replied.

"So could my mum."

"Ron!" Harry cried, "This is serious! You really need to consider what you do here!"

"Harry’s right," Skip nodded. "I’ll give you a month to ask your parents."

With that, there was a bright flash of light, and they were awake, Dumbledore, Hermione, Remus, Hagrid and all eight Weasleys were standing there.

When Ron’s eyes opened, Hermione threw her arms around him. "Thank Merlin! We thought you’d died or something!"

Harry got to his feet from the floor and looked around. "How do I get into these things?"

**

 

Harry, unlike Ron, was let out of the hospital wing an hour later, after Madam Pomfrey had checked him over.

Hermione came in-between classes to visit Ron about six different times. Sometimes, she brought him candy, other times, homework. Harry came with her a couple of times. Professor Morgan came once to check on him. George, Fred and Ginny came to visit often, and Charlie and Bill were in and out as well. Percy had to go to work. His parents came in as often as they could. They’d been talking to Dumbledore nearly all day.

The one person that didn’t leave all day was the woman who’d come with the green demon. The ones that had helped him.

He stared at her curiously. She was flipping through a magazine that read "Cosmo" on the front.

"What are you reading?" he asked her.

"Cosmo," she replied. "It’s kinda for girls. You wouldn’t like it."

They fell into more silence.

"I. thanks for helping me the other day," he said sheepishly. "That was really great of you and your friend and Professor Lupin."

The woman closed her magazine slowly and gave him a smile. "Don’t worry about it. Just doing our job."

"I’m Ron," he said. "Who’re you?"

"Cordelia," she replied. "You’re feeling better?"

Ron nodded. "For now, I guess."

"It’s not gonna be easy," Cordelia told him. "I might be able to help you if you need it. I have visions. but I’m a half-demon, so. it really doesn’t bother me too much."

Ron blinked. "I. Harry and I had a shared dream. about a big demon guy named. Skip?"

Cordelia stared at the redhead, and then got to her feet and sat on the bed next to him. "And what did Skip have to say for himself this time?"

 

Long, Stupid Stories.
****

It hit him in the middle of potions the next day. He dropped the ingredient he’d been holding and it shattered on the ground. He cried out in pain and wound up on the floor.

Harry must have jumped five feet in the air, and the whole class turned their attention from Snape to Ron.

Snape glared. "Weasley! That’s five points from Gryffindor for disrupting my class!"

A moment later, Ron pulled himself to his feet with Harry’s help.

"Two Muggles. slaughtered in Wales. death eaters," Ron told Harry. He lost his balance and landed on the ground again.

"Weasley!" Snape cried. "That’s another five points off! Now stop being mellow-dramatic and finish your potion."

Ron pulled himself up with out any help from Harry this time. His hands were bleeding from the broken glass on the floor.

Snape saw Hermione start to move toward him. "Miss Granger, stay where you are."

Hermione’s expression saddened and she obeyed.

Ron, however would have none of this. He slowly, shakily made his way to the door of the dungeon and left.

Draco Malfoy watched this, and for the first time, felt a pang of pity for Ron.

**


"You walked out on potions?"

Ron nodded. "What else was I supposed to do?" he asked.

Faith sighed. "Spit on him?"

Ron looked at her curiously as she watched Madam Pomfrey heel his hands. "What’s your problem with Snape, anyways? You’ve had it in for him since you got here."

Faith sighed. "Long, stupid story."

"I got time," Ron replied.

Faith smirked and put a hand through the boy’s hair. "Another time. Y’know, your parents are roaming around with your brothers. They’re gonna wanna see you."

Ron nodded, his face pensive. "Faith?"

"What?"

"Am I gonna die?"

She opened her mouth to something, but no sound came out.

**

 

"Professor Dumbledore?"

Albus Dumbledore looked up from the book on his desk. "Ah. Harry. Come in."

Harry complied and sat across from the old man.

"What brings you here? And during your lunch hour. Shouldn’t you be in Professor Wyndham-Pryce’s classroom, listening to stories?"

"Well. you’re usually there."

Dumbledore sighed. "I know all the stories, I thought I’d catch up on my reading."

Harry sighed. "What was she like?"

"Who?" Dumbledore asked.

"Emily. You’re daughter."

Dumbledore sighed and leaned back. "Good-natured. Silly. Smart. She loved Sirius very much."

Harry nodded. "A death eater killed her?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Everyone just assumed it was Sirius. And I thought so, too for a long time." Dumbledore sighed. "When I saw him before he went to Azkaban, I told him I never wanted him to say her name again. As far as I know, he’s complied. He won’t say her name. Not even now that I know he’s innocent."

"I wish I’d known all of them," Harry said. "I feel like parts of me are totally missing, because I never knew my parents, or Emily, or Remus’ wife."

Dumbledore smiled. "Sarah Marshall was practically Remus’ antithesis. She was very outgoing, a lot like Sirius, actually."

"Then how did she wind up with Remus?"

Dumbledore smiled wider. "Talk to Wesley about that."

"What about Remus?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore sighed, his smile fading. "It’s a painful subject."

Harry nodded.

**

 

"Uncle Wesley?"

Wesley didn’t look up from his books. "Yes, Hermione, what is it?" he asked, flipping a page.

Hermione sat across from him in his office. "What are you researching?"

"Visions."

"Oh," Hermione said softly. "Can. can I help?"

Wesley looked up. "I. I didn’t want to ask you. I thought you might get upset."

"I want to help him," Hermione replied. "I need to do something, otherwise I’m going to go crazy."

"Don’t you have schoolwork?" Wesley asked with a smirk.

"Finished."

"That-a girl," Wesley snickered. He took a book from the enormous pile on his desk, and put it in front of her. "Here. You can start here."

**

 

"Severus. Wonderful. Please sit."

Severus Snape sat across from Professor Dumbledore. Around him sat his fellow teachers, sans Wesley, and including Remus Lupin. Leaning against the wall was Faith Morgan. She gave him a harsh look.

"What is this about?"

"This is about Ron Weasley," Dumbledore replied. "I need all of you to make some exceptions for him. These visions are spontaneous. There’s no telling when they’ll. If he collapses in class, or looks ill, please send him to the hospital wing immediately."

"What if he fakes a vision?" Snape asked.

Faith glared. "The kid wouldn’t do that. oh, wait, yeah he would. For your class."

Snape snarled. "Shut your mouth, little girl. I was not addressing you."

"‘Little girl,’ huh?" Faith asked, standing upright.

Angel and Buffy rose at the same time. They both looked worried.

"Faith, stop," Angel said. His voice was solid and reasonable.

Dumbledore sighed, obviously annoyed by the interruption. "We are not here to discuss old grudges," he said. "We are here to discuss a child who may very well die before he leaves this school. Now take your seats."

They did. Snape and Faith still glaring at each other harshly.

As they walked into the halls of Hogwarts, Angel grabbed her arm.

Faith whirled around to look at him. "What’s with the grudge?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "Don’t worry about it."

"No, Faith. What happened?" Angel asked, letting go of her arm.

Faith sighed. "It was a long time ago."

Angel gave her a stare.

"Okay, so maybe you know a thing or two about long times ago."

Angel nodded.

"Severus Snape. he was. he was my mother’s brother," Faith explained. "He’s my goddamn uncle, and he’s the reason she’s dead."

Angel’s brow furrowed. "How?"

"He asked her to come to England to help with the Voldemort thing," Faith explained. "He sent this desperate owl for help. She didn’t know, though, the Uncle Sevvy was one of Voldemort’s at the time. So, y’know, my mom went. and when she got there, the death eaters were waiting. And they killed her. And my Dad had already run out by then, so, y’know, until I got a watcher, I had no one. I was tossed around in orphanages and foster homes. It sucked. And it was all his fault."

Angel looked down. "Faith. I’m. I’m so sorry."

Faith shook her head. "You wanted to know why I hate him. Now you do."

**

 

"Albus, this is ridiculous."

Ron nearly snarled. "I know what I saw! Those two Muggles were ripped apart by two men with dark marks on their arms!"

"Visions never lie."

"Who in Merlin’s name are you?"

She got to her feet and held a hand out. "Cordelia Chase. I get visions like him. Except they don’t hurt me anymore."

"Why is that?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because I was made a half-demon," Cordelia replied.

Albus sighed. "An idea this boy’s parents would not be thrilled with."

"Me mum’d kill me," Ron replied.

"Voldemort is gone," Cornelius Fudge snapped. "He’s long dead. Thirteen years!"

"Of waiting," Dumbledore finished. "He’s been waiting to come back. And now he can. He’s just taking this slow. He’s creeping right under your nose and you don’t see it."

Fudge glared at Dumbledore before walking out, leaving Cordelia, Ron and Dumbledore sitting in silence.

 

I’d Like to Teach The World To Sing
****

Tara had taped the flier to the front of her classroom door and smiled.

"What is this?"

Tara turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing. "Oh! Hello, Professor. This is the flier for my brainchild."

"Brainchild?"

"After school chorus group."

Dumbledore smiled. "What a wonderful idea. Before the war, we had one, but people seemed to lost interest with the rise of you-know-who."

Tara smiled. "Well, Professor Giles and I thought it would be fun."

At that moment, the hall filled with students, and Gryffindors and Slytherins began to pile into the levitation classroom, glancing and commenting at the flier as they walked in.

Tara saw Draco Malfoy smile brilliantly as he walked in, as well as other students, such as Neville Longbottom, and Millicent Bulstrode. Tara smiled widely. "I think this is going to be fun."

"There’s one thing that I order you to do with this group," Dumbledore said solemnly.

Tara became serious. "What?"

"Let me sit in?"

Tara smiled. "I wouldn’t have it any other way."

**

 

The first person to arrive into Giles’ classroom the next day after school was Neville Longbottom.

Giles smiled. "Hullo, Neville."

Neville smiled back. "Hello, Professor. This is the for the chorus meet?"

"That’s right," Tara replied. "You’re student number one. Be proud."

"Neville, do you know what part you sing?" Giles asked, taking up a pad of paper and a pen.

"Tenor one, sir."

Giles nodded and wrote it down. "Good, good. Hopefully all the boys won’t be the same."

"I can’t believe you talked me into this. I know nothing about singing."

"Yeah, but I hear you in the shower. You’re not bad. Tenor, I’d say."

"Oh? And what are you?"

"Bass one."

"I don’t want to be here."

"Come on, Harry, please? It’ll be fun, I promise."

Harry Potter rolled his green eyes and slumped down into a seat. Ron Weasley sat next to him and shrugged at Tara and Giles.

"Ron, you’re a bass?" Giles asked, writing again.

Ron nodded. "Yeah. I don’t know, but I think Harry’s a tenor."

Giles nodded. "Well, he’ll just have to do a few scales and then we’ll know."

"How come Hermione didn’t come?" Tara asked them.

Ron shrugged again. "She told us she had too much work to do, but she looked really nervous when she said it."

Tara and Giles glanced at each other and said "Stage fright," in unison.

"Who’s got stage fright?" Evelyn asked, walking in and sitting on the table Ron and Harry were sitting at.

"Hermione," Ron replied. "What if she just can’t sing?"

"It wouldn’t surprise me in the least," said a voice from the door.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and hopped off the table. "Malfoy. Get a personality, will you?"

Draco walked up to stand a few feet away from Evelyn. "Y’know what I think, Black?"

"No. And frankly, I don’t wanna know."

"I think you like me."

Evelyn smirked. "Oh, is that right? That’s what you think?"

"You wouldn’t pay any attention to me otherwise," he replied, stepping closer. She took a step back, and wound up against hitting the table. She glared into his gray eyes with her blue ones. "So, what, did you pick up the Idiot’s Guide to the Art of Seduction?"

Giles snickered softly. "All right. That’s enough sexual tension for one day. Sit down and stop bothering each other. Malfoy, what’s your voice part?"

"Tenor two."

"Evelyn?"

"Alto two."

"Good, you won’t be standing next to each other," Giles nodded. "Ah! Ginny! Come in, come in."

Ginny Weasley walked in quickly and sat behind her brother.

"What voice part are you, Ginny?"

"Soprano," she replied.

"She’s good," Ron told them. "You should hear her."

"Shut up, Ron," Ginny replied, turning slightly red.

Pansy Parkinson, who claimed to be an alto, and Millicent Bulstrode, also an alto walked in after Ginny and sat near Draco.

"Hello, Draco," Pansy said with a smile, obviously trying to get his attention.

He grunted in return, still glaring at Evelyn, who was glaring back, occasionally sticking her tongue out at him.

Torianna (who turned out to be a soprano) walked in with Katie Bell (another soprano) and Angelina Johnson (an alto) and sat down. After them, Fred and George Weasley (both basses), along with Seamus Finnegan (another bass) walked in, with Lee Jordan (a tenor to his dismay) and lastly Cho Chang (another soprano).

Harry smiled brightly at her, and she smiled back and waved.

Ron rolled his eyes and smacked himself in the head. "Oh, brother. Well, I did tell you you’d have fun."

Giles stepped up in front of the group and sighed. "Not a badly sized group." He counted softly to himself. "Sixteen, with four members in each section. That’s rather lucky. Now, this class is mostly singing, but we’ll be doing listening as well. And it is mostly Muggle music, as Professor Maclay nor I know anything about Wizard music. If you’d like to bring in some music to listen to, that’s fine as well. Now, how many of you play an instrument?"

Malfoy, Cho, Evelyn, Pansy and Seamus raised their hands.

"Ah, good," Giles smiled.

Tara snickered. "This is going to be fun."

Giles smirked back. "Now, I want everyone to get into your sections on the risers I’ve set up."

Everyone moved into position. Pansy and Millicent on one end of the alto section, Angelina and Evelyn on the other. Harry, Lee and Neville were as far away from Malfoy as possible, and while the sopranos stood together, Cho seemed left out. The only section in social harmony was the bass section. The Weasley brother and Seamus seemed to get along fine.

Tara blinked. "Mix up! One group representative on each row."

On the first row stood Harry, who was in the middle of Ginny and Cho. Next to Cho was Seamus. The second row consisted of Malfoy standing directly in-between Evelyn, who was flicking him in the ear, and Pansy, who glared, with Ron standing next to Pansy, but as far away as he could. The third row consisted of Fred, Angelina, Neville and Katie. The fourth row of George, Lee, Millicent and Torianna.

Tara sighed. "Why are there two altos in the second row, and two sopranos in the first row? Evelyn, switch places with Cho."

Evelyn shrugged, and Harry looked disheartened, but the two girls switched.

"The first step to becoming a good chorus is trusting each other," Giles explained. "You need to sound like four different boys, and not sixteen. Ron, please move closer to Pansy."

Ron took one step closer.

"Ron."

"She’s scary, alright?" Ron cried, motioning towards Pansy.

"No wonder Malfoy likes her," Evelyn muttered to Harry. He snickered.

"This is what Giles is talking about," Tara chimed in. "Just because you guys are in different houses, you hate each other?"

Giles sighed. "Houses often reflect social and financial status. Gryffindors are normally not very rich, but have brains and dignity, and most of all bravery."

"What about Longbottom?" Draco asked with a snicker.

Giles glared. "Slytherins depict rich socialites who are ambitious and often cruel. Many, many Slytherins wound up on the side of you-know-who during the war."

"Yeah," Torianna said. "So, take that."

"But," Tara said. "It doesn’t matter. If they’re going to do this, they have to be able to want to sing together."

"I suspect that houses are much like high school clicks," Giles said. "Even if there weren’t houses, the same groups would still form, with the same grudges and friendships."

"We need an override button," Tara sighed. "hmmm. let’s try this. Get back into your sections."

They did, in the same fashion as before.

"Draco, stand in-between Harry and Neville."

"No way," Draco replied.

"Do it," Tara replied.

Draco rolled his eyes, and pushed his way in-between the two Gryffindors.

"Cho, stand in-between. Torianna and Katie."

She did without complaint.

"Evelyn, stand in-between Pansy and Millicent."

Evelyn looked into the frightening face of Millicent. "Holy Merlin’s buttom, I don’t think so."

Angelina pushed her, and Evelyn sighed and stood in-between the two Slytherins.

"Umm. Ron. stand in-between your brothers."

"Yeah, come on, Ickle Ronniekins! We don’t bite!" Fred laughed.

"We’ll just annoy you to death," George said pleasantly.

Ron blinked. "I’m in hell."

"Okay," Tara went on. "Lee, Ginny, Angelina and Seamus, come sit down. I want to try out this group." She took out her wand and waved it, saying, "Pianisimo," and a baby grand piano replaced one of the student desks. She sat down on the bench, and played a scale. "Sing this." They did. The sound was in-tune, but quite tense. "Okay," Tara said. "Ginny, go stand in-between Cho and Katie. Seamus, go stand in-between Ron and Fred. Angelina, got protect Evelyn from Millicent. Lee, go stand in-between Draco and Neville."

"What about him?" Draco asked jerking a thumb at Harry. "I don’t want to stand next to Potty."

"And you think I’m enjoying this?" Harry asked. "You’re the biggest prat I’ve ever met!"

"Tough noogies," Tara replied. "You’re staying where you are. For now."

There was a knock on the large oak door, and everyone turned their attention to the middle-aged red-head in the doorway.

Molly Weasley grinned at the two teachers. "Could we borrow Fed, George, Ron and Ginny for a moment?"

Giles nodded with a smile. "Of course. Draco, please stop inching away from Harry."

The four siblings walked into the hall to be met by their parents, and three older brothers.

"What’s up?" Fred asked.

"We’re leaving," Arthur told them. "We’ve got to get back to the Burrow."

Bill sighed and scratched the back of his head. "It’s time I headed back to Egypt."

Percy nodded. "I really need to get back to the ministry. I’ve spent far too long away." He was promptly kicked by Charlie, who was looking bitterly at the wall. "What?"

Arthur gave a tentative hug to each of the children before Molly stepped up to the plate.

Molly gripped Ron in a tight hug. "Do stay out of trouble this year. Owl if you need anything. And if you want to come home-"

Ron smirked. "I’m not coming home, Mum. I’m staying here."

Molly sighed and let him go to hug her other children. "Be good to your brother."

"Okay, Mum," George replied. "Only the best dung bombs for ickle Ronniekins."

Molly seemed to pay no mind to him as she stepped back and looked at all seven of her children. "All right," she said with a sigh. "Be good. All of you."

They all walked off down the hall.

All but one.

Charlie Weasley stood with his younger siblings.

"What’re you still doing here?" Fred asked. "Don’t you dragons to tend to?"

Charlie smirked and ruffled Fred’s hair as if his younger brother were still five. "Lucky you. I’m staying."

Ginny’s eyes widened. "You mean it?"

"Yep," Charlie replied. "Dumbledore wanted one of us to stay, and since I have the most casual job out of all of us, and Mum’d drive everyone nuts, I volunteered. I’m going to be Hagrid’s teaching assistant for the rest of the year."

Fred and George slapped each other five, and Ginny jumped onto Charlie, who let out an "oof." Ron just sighed. He hated all the extra attention. They were all acting as if he’d drop dead at any moment.

The Weasley siblings walked back into Giles’ classroom, Ginny dragging Charlie in by the wrist. The chorus were either talking quietly, arguing or ignoring each other.

Giles looked miserable until he saw the new-comer. "Ah! A visitor!"

"Hello," Charlie said politely, sticking out a calloused hand. "I’m Charlie Weasley."

Tara smiled. If she didn’t like girls so much, she’d have a crush.

"I’m Professor Hagrid’s new teaching assistant."

"Wonderful," Giles replied, grasping the younger man’s hand "Rupert Giles. I teach Magical lore." Charlie looked over to Tara. She was very pretty. Long dirty-blond hair, and big beautiful eyes. "Hello," he said. "I’m Charlie Weasley."

Tara blinked and shoved her hand into his. "Tara Maclay. I’m one of the levitation teachers."

"Levitation," Charlie said with a smirk. "Didn’t have that while I was here. You’re American?"

Tara nodded. "Mostly Muggle-born. My mother was a witch."

"Ah."

"Will you all please take your places again?" Giles asked. They did. "I’d like to try this one more time. Do you sing, Professor Weasley?"

Draco snorted. "Professor Weasley," he snickered.

SLAM!

"BLOODY HELL!"

Ginny had picked up one of her school books and smashed Draco over the head with it. She was now glaring at him. "Don’t say mean things about my brother."

Evelyn snickered wildly.

Tara sighed. "Ten points from Slytherin for heckling a teacher. Fifteen points from Gryffindor for the retaliation."

Charlie sighed. "I used to sing, a bit. But I’m afraid I’m not so good anymore."

"That’s all right," Tara urged. "You should join a section."

Charlie sighed, and walked to stand with his brothers and Seamus in the bass section. He looked around at his brothers and blinked. "What have I gotten myself into?"


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