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Ceremonies of Strife	By : Lomonaaeren Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 16218 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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Chapter Twenty-Seven�Complementary
Sacrifices

�� We haven�t
decided what information we should be looking to gather yet.�

�� Harry
sighed. He understood why Hermione was worried about this, but he really would
have liked to finish the essay he was working on. Auror Coronante didn�t
believe in holidays.

�� This is important.�

�� Harry laid
aside the parchment and the ink and gave his full attention to Hermione. �More
important than classwork?� He�d listen to her, but that didn�t mean he�d
refrain from teasing her. Sometimes he thought that he�d become less close to
his best friends because they couldn�t tease each other anymore. Everything
seemed so deadly serious.

�� Hermione,
who had a smudge of ink on her cheek that Harry wanted to point out, glared at
him. �Of course! They�re trying to teach us how to be Aurors, and in the
meantime, we�re living through it, and putting those skills into practice
before they can give us an exam. We have to know exactly what we�re doing.�

�� No wonder she cares so much about this, if
that�s the way she sees it, Harry thought, and stood up. �I�ll go get Ron
and Draco. And Ventus,� he added more doubtfully, since he had no idea where
she was at this time of the evening.

�� No.�
Hermione leaned forwards insistently. �I think this is something one or two
people should decide on first. I have an idea. I want you to tell me if it�s a
good one,� she rushed on, before Harry could state his objections.

�� Harry
hesitated, his hand on the door. On the one hand, Hermione was asking him to
make a decision without Draco being here, which Harry knew Draco wouldn�t like.
On the other, she didn�t have Ron here, either, which suggested her reason was
what she said it was.

�� But his
memory could burn, at the most inconvenient times, with the image of Draco�s
eyes when he�d discovered Harry practicing necromancy. Harry didn�t want to
destroy Draco�s trust in him just as it was reviving.

�� Let me go
get them,� he said temperately, and opened the door. �I promise it won�t take
long. I can send a Patronus to Ventus even if she�s not alone, since everyone
knows she�s been hanging about Draco anyway.�

�� Hermione
looked a bit resentful. �What if I just wanted to share something with my best
friend?� she asked.

�� But we
planned on sharing it with the others anyway,� Harry said, sliding out into the
corridor and hoping he hadn�t started another fight. He had a real talent for
doing that lately. �This is only going a bit faster than it would be
otherwise.�

�� Hermione
turned her back on him and didn�t respond. Luckily, that meant she saw the
smudge of ink on her cheek and went to clean it. Harry hurried off before he
could make the row worse.

*

�� We need to
know who Nihil is,� Granger said, bracing her hands on the table as if she
intended to lecture to a class and wanted to imitate the stance Ketchum used.
�That�s important, I agree. But it�s not as important as what I�ve decided on.�

�� Of course
you would think that,� Draco said, and ignored the way Harry�s elbow poked him
in the side. He and Granger had to have a certain amount of confrontations
before they could settle down to work amicably together. Draco thought their
working relationship might even proceed
by confrontations. They always understood each other better after them.

�� And it did
no harm that Draco usually won.

�� Granger
lifted her head like someone smelling a fire not far away. She ignored the
restraining hand Weasley put on her shoulder, which Draco was grateful for.
Weasley had acted unexpectedly graceful and restrained around him lately, which
left Draco unsure how to treat him. At least with Granger, he knew that she
still thought of him as a slimy Slytherin, and that made her movements
essentially predictable.

�� Consider
this,� Granger said flatly. �Why does it matter if we learn who Nihil is right
now, when he can apparently change his identity?�

�� Draco
narrowed his eyes, not wanting to admit that that hadn�t occurred to him. �We
suspect that Nemo can change his identity. We don�t know that about Nihil.�

�� Granger
shook her head, bushy hair bobbing so furiously that Draco was surprised it
didn�t clang or crash. �It makes sense, especially considering the other
evidence�or non-evidence�that we�ve accumulated. Nihil didn�t die in his duel
with Dearborn, we know that. Or maybe we should say that Nihil didn�t end>, any more than Nemo and Nusquam
did. They can�t be killed. They can�t die. They pass through death and become
someone and something else. I think we should learn how they do that, and what the transformation means, rather than
attempting to learn who Nihil was before he died for the first time. Even if
that would be useful information, I don�t think we could use it to predict his
current personality and inclinations�except the one for revenge.� She glanced
at Harry. �He�s bragged that he�s not human. And I don�t think that a single
personality would survive all the changes that he would have had to go through
very effectively.�

�� It might
tell us where he began,� Draco argued, but he didn�t need Granger�s triumphant,
eyelids-lowered glance to know that it was a weak statement. Granger was right.
They needed to know what happened when Nihil or one of his companions passed
through that change and came out on the other side.

�� It might even lead to a way to identify
them, Draco thought, his fingers curling into his knee as he thought about
it. And maybe a way to avenge Dearborn.

�� How will
we learn that?� Ventus was tracing her wand in an idle line over the table. Her
expression was bored. �It would be a very fine thing to have, but the battle
plan we�ve set up doesn�t permit us to learn it.�

�� That�s
where Harry and Malfoy come in.� Granger pulled out a thick book and slapped it
into the middle of the table as if it were the final argument. Draco peered at
it warily. It had no title, and that was always a sign that it was ancient.

�� If there
was a way to use compatible magic to fight Nihil, I think Lowell and Weston
would already have tried it,� Harry said.

�� Not
necessarily, for reasons that we�ve discussed before,� Hermione said, with a
warning glance that said they still weren�t mentioning their attempt to access
Nihil�s mind in front of Ventus. �And in this case, it�s not compatible magic
by itself I want to try. Legilimency, potions, and compatible magic combined
should give us the answer we need.�

�� Oh, I�m
glad it won�t need to be anything complicated,
Granger,� Draco said.

�� Shut up,
Malfoy,� Granger said, making Harry tense, but she was too self-satisfied to
put much malice behind it, and Draco patted Harry�s back to ease him. �I know
you can do this. I can brew the potions, and you�ll know how to use them. And
if you can�t use at least a bit of Legilimency, you�re not the Dark wizard I
thought you were.�

�� Her gaze
and Draco�s crossed like swords. Draco gave a small nod. When it came down to
it, Granger wasn�t as offensively self-righteous as he�d always been convinced
she was. She would break the rules on occasion; their attempt to penetrate
Nihil�s mind had shown that. She could keep secrets. She would bear insults and
come back without exploding all the time and all over the place, the way
Weasley would.

�� Draco could
see them becoming allies, which was better than he had ever expected to do with
Harry�s friends.

�� When will
this happen?� Ventus sat up and spoke alertly now, a small smile flitting over
her lips, as if she saw the battlefield that would be spread out in front of
her. �We�ll need to time it right, so that Nihil will be distracted with fear
and rage and less likely to defend his mind against an attempt to enter it.�

�� When his
fear is greatest,� Draco said, the answer coming to him before he had to think
about it. �When else would it be? That will mean that we�ll need to make sure
he sees the glamours, and that he�s there himself, not sending someone else to
investigate for him. I have to admit, I don�t know how we�re going to do that
part.�

�� He felt a
seizure of astonishment within himself as he spoke the words. It would have
been impossible for him to admit his incapacity in front of them a short while
ago, especially Weasley and Granger. What had changed?

�� We need the answer, he admitted to
himself as he sat back in his chair and watched Granger, whom he expected would
provide it. And I want that answer more
than I want to maintain my former rivalries.

�� I can do
that,� Harry said.

�� Even
Granger looked surprised, Draco noted. He didn�t much mind the way he looked
bad right now for not anticipating what Harry would say, as long as she looked
equally bad.

�� What do
you mean?� Granger demanded. �I know that you were used to handling Voldemort,
Harry, but this isn�t the same thing.�

�� It�s
simple,� Harry said. �If there are lots of walking dead in Wiltshire, then
Nihil will need to be nearby so that he can control them himself. I know that
much about necromancy. And I know a spell that can�find out a necromancer.�

�� Draco shot
his hand out under the table and squeezed harshly down on Harry�s wrist. He
tried to say with his eyes, What have I
told you? Enough of this. You will not use any more necromancy.

�� But that
was a complicated message to convey with one�s eyes, and he supposed he
couldn�t blame Harry entirely for
giving him one innocent look and then turning away to face Granger and Weasley.
They looked as skeptical as Draco did, thank Merlin. Ventus only looked
interested.

�� It�s not
anything Dark,� Harry said soothingly. �It doesn�t use blood. It only uses
an�impression of the enemy�s mind. And I think I know Nihil as well as anyone
does. I�ve been in close contact with him. I know that he calls himself not
human. I know the way he thinks. He�s not Voldemort, Hermione, but he is a
little like him, crazed by all the magic he�s used. I can find him and at least
make sure that we�re facing the real thing.�

�� That
sounds perfect to me,� Ventus said, complicating an already complicated
situation further without even noticing.

�� Draco could
feel his fingers turning white with strain where he held Harry�s wrist. Harry
must have a remarkably high pain threshold, because he didn�t wince or
otherwise act as if he minded. He turned to Weasley and Granger and waited for
their approval.

�� It was long
and slow in coming. They knew, like Draco did, where Harry must have learned
the spell, and what he meant by �an impression of the enemy�s mind.� The more
proper word would be affinity. Harry
thought he could draw Nihil in because both of them had used necromancy. But using
the spell, if it really was a spell and not a ritual�if this wasn�t another
excuse for Harry to use a kind of magic he was addicted to�would more than
likely reveal to Nihil the existence of that affinity.

�� Desperately,
Draco beat his mind about, trying to think of things he could do, plans he
could come up with, that would make sure the person behind the glamour who
might come to them was Nihil. He could think of nothing.

�� Granger,
her mouth pinched, said, �You�re sure this
isn�t a Dark spell, Harry?�

�� Sure.�
Harry smiled at her. �I�ll explain all about it to you if you like, give you
the name and everything, so you can look it up for yourself.�

�� Granger�s
face relaxed. She liked to be in control of the information they used, Draco
thought bitterly, and that meant this was all it would take to convince her.

�� Weasley ran
his fingers over the table as if stroking a reluctant virgin-flower into
releasing its secrets. �This spell won�t hurt you, mate?�

�� Harry shook
his head. �Ask Hermione if it will, when she�s looked it up and knows all about
it.�

�� Enough
flattery and reassurance for the Weasel as well as Granger in that sentence,
Draco thought bitterly. Weasley relaxed, too, and nodded his blessing.

�� Harry
turned to Draco for his. Part of Draco was relieved that his approval was at
least seen to be necessary; the rest of him was enraged that Harry had waited
until the end to ask the person his actions most affected. He stood up hard
enough that his chair toppled over backwards and said stonily, �Come with me,
will you, Harry?�

�� Harry rose
to his feet and followed him meekly from the room, but Draco wasn�t fooled.
When Harry had that particular set to his jaw, he meant to argue.

�� Well, it
wasn�t as if Draco was going to let him win this one.

*

�� Harry faced
Draco, trying to control his nervousness. Draco had shut the door and cast
privacy spells around this section of the corridor strong enough that Harry
felt as if he were hearing all the sounds around them through muffling walls.
And Draco�s eyes were on fire, and his chin thrust out as if he intended to
batter Harry unconscious.

�� Well, he
had a right to feel that way. And Harry didn�t know if he could convince Draco
that the spell he had found in the necromancy book was really harmless. It was
a spell to detect necromancers, one that only someone who had practiced the art
themselves could use. Harry suspected that was the reason Portillo Lopez and
her little group of assassins hadn�t used it before now to find and eliminate
people like him.

�� But this
was the only solution Harry could think of, and he wanted to do something. Ventus and Hermione and Ron
had planned most of what they�d thought of so far. Draco had given the orders.
Harry was the only one who drifted around and didn�t make a positive
contribution. Hermione might say that he was entitled to rest after the war
with Voldemort and let others fight the battles, but Harry didn�t think that
way. He had to help.

�� Draco
twisted his head to the side and said, �Explain why I should trust you with
necromancy for one minute.�

�� I�ll tell
you the name of the spell, too,� Harry said quietly. �It�s not necromancy. It�s
an affinity spell.� Draco�s face only tightened, and Harry shook his head.
�It�s not Dark magic, either. It�s harmless. What I did was stupid, but let
some good come out of it, yeah?�

�� I don�t
want you to do it,� Draco said.

�� Can you
come up with a better way to detect Nihil?� Harry made himself ask that
question in a calm voice. It was possible Draco had thought of a solution.
Harry would hate that in a way, because it would mean that he was, once again,
useless, but he had to ask.

�� That�s not
the point,� Draco said, glaring at
him.

�� Harry
blinked. �But of course it is. We wouldn�t be having this conversation at all
if not for that.�

�� Draco bit
his lip savagely enough that a little trickle of blood ran down his chin. �I
can never trust you again if you do this,� he said.

�� Harry
narrowed his eyes. �And why should I have trusted in your plan to write a
letter to Lucius? It�s actually mad, and there are other things we could have
thought of. You don�t know that he�ll
do as you ask. What if he sends you a letter with a trap in it? What if the
glamour vanishes if you break your word? There�s no way that you can know in
advance how that plan will work out, Draco. But you�re using it because you
think it�s likely to work, and the risk is less than we�ll have any other way.
I�m doing the same thing.�

�� Draco was
breathing fast and hard; Harry didn�t think he could remember him doing that
before, even after they�d been training together. �No necromancy,� he said.

�� This isn�t necromancy,� Harry said, and
wondered how many times he would need to repeat that before Draco understood.
He knew Draco wasn�t stupid, but he appeared to have decided that there was no
way Harry could use magic that he didn�t understand. �Like I said, you can
research the spell.�

�� What is it
called?� Draco�s breathing was a little calmer now, his face losing some of its
hectic flush. Harry relaxed. He had a chance to persuade Draco around to his
side, maybe.

�� The Mortal
Affinity Spell,� Harry said. �I think it was originally meant to let
necromancers find each other when they�d been separated in battle.� Draco
glared at him in a way that made Harry feel stabbed, and he decided to leave
out anything else he�d learned about the origins of the spell and hurry on. �Anyway,
the incantation is long but the wand movements are simple. I thought I could
use it near the start of the battle, when we don�t have much to do yet, and
make sure Nihil really is there before we risk ourselves.�

�� Draco was
silent. Harry watched him staring into the distance and wished he had more
nervous mannerisms, the way that Hermione would twist a curl of hair around her
finger or Ron would crack his knuckles. He had learned to read Draco fairly
well, but not that well, and he could
always use more practice.

�� I�ll
research it,� Draco said, voice heavy as a slap. �You�re not to use it until I
do.�

�� Why would
I want to?� Harry asked, practically dizzy in his relief. �There�s no reason
for me to use it here.� Unless I wanted
to find out whether there are any other necromancers among the trainees, he
thought a moment later, but he was smart enough not to voice that.

�� Draco
nodded, eyes still fastened on Harry as if he assumed he would run off and draw
a blood circle the instant his back was turned. Harry understood the distrust.
Draco really had no proof that he wouldn�t
do that, not yet.

�� But I don�t have proof that his plea to his
father will work out, Harry thought, as Draco dispelled the privacy ward
and opened the door that would take them back to their friends, and I trusted him anyway. At some point, as
long as I can prove that I don�t want to do anything stupid and actually refrain from doing it, he�ll need
to trust me again.

*

�

�� Draco
leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes. He had studied the book in front of
him for so long that shutting his eyes made no difference; the words were still
there for him to react to, brilliant as comets.

�� The Mortal Affinity spell is meant to help
locate practitioners of the Dark Arts, and used mostly by Dark wizards who have
turned to the side of the Ministry. It works best when the Dark Art practiced is
of the same type, and its use was controversial during the term of Minister Regulus
Smythe-Jones (1901-1906) because certain wizards who had cast the Unforgivables
were spared Azkaban to track down others of their kind. The incantation
involves several words, making it unusual among tracking spells, but the wand
motion is a simple cross tracing in the air at the level of the caster�s heart.

�� So far, so
good, Draco had to admit, if grudgingly. Harry had told the truth. This wasn�t
a necromantic spell, and it had no trace of a ritual about or behind it. No
blood required. And as long as Harry had gone through the Dark Arts, as stupid
as his behavior had been, they might as well make use of it.

�� But Draco
still didn�t like it. He didn�t want Harry to spend time thinking about what
he�d done or if any good could come out of it; it would be much better if he
could forget it completely and devote himself to Draco and their compatible
magic. Only the fact that Draco knew that was impossible let him consider this
dispassionately.

�� The spell will reveal to the caster, by
means of a black aura that only he or she can see, the presence of anyone
within a mile who has cast similar Dark magic. Note that the greater the
similarity, the greater the effect; casting a legal spell that merely resembles
the Imperius Curse will not make someone glow as brightly as those who have
actually used the Unforgivable. Likewise, habitual use makes them easier to
spot. Users of the Mortal Affinity have reported that those who cast the
Imperius Curse even three times only were up to ten times brighter than those
who had cast it only once.

�� Draco
snorted bitterly. There ought to be no problem with that. Harry had used
necromancy at least three times that he�d admitted, and for Nihil, it must be
considerably more. If he passed through death to get to the other side, the way
Granger had theorized and as seemed increasingly likely, even that might count
as necromancy.

�� The Mortal Affinity spell has its dangers,
but they relate mostly to the temporary blindness too bright an aura can
induce. There is also a theory that casting it too many times can lead to an
�exchange of souls and magic� between the caster and his subjects, but this is
vague language from an old book and has never been proven.

�� Of course
he chooses the most dangerous one,� Draco muttered, opening his eyes and
looking at the book again. He knew it was the same one Granger had used when
she did research on the spell, but he would bet he knew it better. �Of course.�

�� He sat
there for long moments, looking at the shelves, the table, and his own
hands�anything to keep from considering the book itself and the decision it,
and necessity, were driving him to.

�� They had to
make sure that Nihil was actually on the battlefield, something that was
impossible with the glamours, changes of face, and lightning-quick Apparitions
their enemies could use�unless they used something like the Mortal Affinity
spell. And Harry wanted to participate, and he was probably the member of their
group who was the closest to Nihil in terms of what magic they had performed.
Draco could use it, under the theory that he and Nihil had probably done
similar Dark magic at one time or another, but that wasn�t guaranteed to work.
Harry�s use of it was.

�� Draco still
didn�t like it.

�� He�s already made so many sacrifices.

�� This might be what could draw him back into
necromancy. If he starts thinking too much about the book he learned it from�

�� It�s one thing for me to take a risk, when
I�m certain my father won�t kill me whatever happens, and quite another for
Harry. Nihil could kill him. Necromancy could kill him. Losing me could kill
him.

�� Draco sat
still for so long that he heard every variation on those thoughts repeated two
or three times, and came no nearer a solution. Finally he shook his head in
utter irritation and stood up. He wasn�t getting anything accomplished sitting
here.

�� He strode
back to Weasley�s rooms and banged on the door. Harry opened it, blinking as if
awakened from a nap.

�� Yes,�
Draco snapped, �you can use it.�

�� Harry
nodded and gave him a small smile, seeming to understand that Draco couldn�t
appreciate loud enthusiasm right now, and then started to shut the door.

�� Draco held
it open with one hand on it. If he gave Harry something, his thoughts ran, he
should get something in return. �And move back in with me this instant,� he
said. �Having you here is ridiculous.�

�� This time, when Harry whooped and gave
him a sound kiss, Draco didn�t so much mind it.

*

�� Thrnbrooke:
Neither does Harry, but he�s resigned to letting Draco do this.

�� SP777:
Nothing wrong with fluff, we just don�t want to have too much of it in long
stories!

�� Politesse
and Flash are mentioned in the next chapter. They�ll be at the battle, but
there was little they could help with in the last few chapters, so they haven�t
been mentioned.
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Ceremonies of Strife