The Burning Pen

A Looping of the Scales by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 76

All recognizable characters belong to JKR. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 76 ~ On the Way to Boleskine House

Draco and Blaise sat in a separate compartment because all of them in one was a bit crowded. No one had a problem with that, although Blaise’s presence was a matter of concern.

”You should have told Blaise he couldn’t come, Severus,” Hermione said to him.

Snape stared out of the window at the passing scenery, ignoring her, which made her pinch him.

”Ow!” he hissed, looking at her reproachfully.

”I’m talking to you,” Hermione snapped.

”And pinching me,” Snape added, frowning at her.

”Why didn’t you tell Blaise to leave?”

”Because he may be of help, Hermione, that’s why.”

”But after what he did in the RoR—what he did to me—“

Snape sighed.

”I don’t like what he did, but we were in a dueling situation, Hermione. I hit him in the nose and Ginny removed his hair. You bested him in the end one on one. What more do you want?” Snape asked her.

Hermione blinked at him. It was true. She had bested Blaise.

”Look, Hermione, he’s here. I’ll keep a close eye on him, all right?” Snape told her.

”All right, but I don’t like it.”

”Duly noted.”

Ginny was seated next to Hermione and Snape, and Harry was seated next to Ron and Susan. They had listened to Snape and Hermione argue without comment, but now, Ron narrowed his eyes at his sister.

”Oi, Ginny. I just thought about something. How did you get to come on this trip? Mum had conniptions when I asked her. I didn’t hear anything about you—“

Ginny smirked at him.

”Well, I waited until you asked first, then when Mum was upset, I went to her and told her I’d go along to keep an eye on you, and she agreed,” Ginny said with a smile as Ron looked outraged.

”What? She sent my little sister along to keep an eye on me? Bollocks!”

Ginny shrugged.

”I guess I’m the sensible one,” she responded.

”Oh, that’s just—I can’t believe—what was Mum think—oh, the hell with it!” Ron spluttered as everyone grinned at him. Susan rested her hand on his arm sympathetically although she was smiling.

”Ron, Ginny just took advantage of the situation,” she said to him softly. “You have to admit it was pretty smart.”

”Pretty embarrassing,” Ron muttered.

Susan kissed him on the cheek, then reached into her pocket and drew out a pumpkin pasty and offered it to him. He took it sullenly, unwrapped it and took a bite, frowning as he chewed.

”Thanks,” he said around the pasty.

Hermione cleared her throat in that way she did when she had some knowledge to impart. Everyone looked at her as she reached into her knapsack and pulled out a large book. Ron groaned a little and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then opened the book.

”This book tells about Boleskine House and Aleister Crowley, the Muggle sorcerer who had purchased it.

“Is there really such a thing as a Muggle sorcerer?” Susan asked.

Hermione nodded solemnly.

”Yes, apparently there is. Becoming one is a very dangerous pursuit, because since Muggles don’t have magic of their own, they have to use the power of other things to do what they want. Some of them use the powers of nature. Air, Earth, Fire and Water. To do this, they have to bind elemental spirits to their wills and make them perform for them. It’s actually enslavement and that’s what makes it dangerous. Elementals don’t like being enslaved. There are some methods of Muggle magic where Muggles actually work with elementals, and this is far safer because there is choice involved. But mostly Wiccans do that. Sorcerers are a completely different story. They’re all about power.”

Everyone listened enthralled as Hermione continued.

”Sorcerers are different. They don’t just use nature. They often use other things, rituals that involve spilling blood, bodily secretions, body parts and taking lives.”

”Well, we use body parts in Potions,” Ron interjected.

”That’s completely different, Ron, believe me. We don’t sacrifice the creatures we use—“
”That’s a matter of opinion,” Snape said suddenly. “When fresh ingredients are used, we do kill creatures to harvest the parts needed.”

”But we don’t invoke anything,” Hermione argued. “We don’t do it to appease some spirit that loves the taking of a life. The difference is, in sorcery, Life is considered sacred and powerfully connected to—to faith. Religion. God and his—his Adversary. An area where men are not supposed to tread. That’s why the results can be so devastating and long-lasting.”

Ron, Ginny and Susan looked a bit lost, as they didn’t practice “religion” per se. But Harry and Snape knew what Hermione was talking about.

“But, they can connect with other religions, too. Very old ones, summoning very old gods and creatures once believed to be gods. If they can’t enslave them, they serve them in return for power, providing some kind of service or recompense. Many times, they give up their immortal souls. It isn’t always a choice either. Very sticky business.”

”So, are we dealing with demons or gods?” Harry asked Hermione, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

”We’re going to be dealing with forces. I can’t tell you what they are. They’re called demons but we can’t be sure about that, but they’re different than what exists in the magical world. Blaise was right about that. According to this book, Crowley was trying to make dark forces turn to the light at Boleskine House. He was trying to make them serve—uh—the Greater Good.”

Hermione used this analogy so Ron, Susan and Ginny could comprehend what the sorcerer was doing.

”I thought he was evil,” Ron said.

”Well, eventually he spiraled downward and did some terrible things in his search for power. He made his followers do them, too. Things too awful to talk about—“

”Like what?” Ginny asked curiously.

”Oh Ginny, I really don’t want to say the things he did. You can borrow the book if you want to know that,” Hermione said, going a little green.

”Sounds a lot like Voldemort,” Harry mused.

”Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Snape said softly, his black eyes reflected in the glass window as he watched the passing of the undulating moors.

”Yes,” Hermione agreed.

”So, if Crowley was trying to do something good, what happened?” Susan asked Hermione.

”He left without completing the ritual,” Hermione said, shaking her head. “His mentor got into some trouble and Crowley left Boleskine House to go help him. He left so quickly that he didn’t send the forces he summoned back. He just left them there, in limbo.”

”They couldn’t have been very happy about that,” Ron observed, finishing his pasty.

“No, I imagine not,” Hermione said. “And these were Dark forces, too, forced to appear to him and under his control. He lost that when he left them that way. Some people said they were the reason the rest of his life was so tormented and twisted. They influenced him.”

”Sure doesn’t sound like our demons,” Harry said. “They usually just attack you and be done with it. Either they kill you or carry you away.”

”I don’t think these work like that. I think they gain more power and delight in turning humans to evil. They influence thoughts and deeds. If they take a person, it’s usually when they die, so they can get every bit of use out of them that they can. So, it’s very possible we won’t actually see them if they’re there, but we could be influenced by them. I’m not sure. It definitely won’t be business as usual.”

Everyone was silent for a moment, then Susan asked, “Hermione, will our banishing magic work on them?”

Hermione shrugged.

”I don’t know, Susan. Maybe. If not, we’re going to have to try and recreate Muggle rituals to be rid of them. But on a brighter note, a family of Muggles lived at Boleskin House for years, and said they’d never been bothered by anything supernatural. So, Boleskine’s reputation could just be legend or myth.”

”That, or the demons were laying low for some reason,” Harry said. Snape’s eyes shifted toward him, then back to the window. But he was listening carefully to everything Hermione was saying.

“But, the family was bothered by other people. Followers of Crowley’s work, curiosity seekers and others who would sneak on the grounds and try and break into the house. It had to be very annoying.”

”I’ll ward the area,” Snape said. “That will keep any ‘sight-seers’ away.

”I think there’s a groundskeeper,” Hermione said. “He’s going to need access, Severus.”

”A Muggle?” Ron asked.

”Most likely,” Hermione replied.

Snape frowned slightly, thinking he was going to be using his Obliviate spell quite often. He’d have to look at his paperwork again. Hermione was a detail person and had looked the packet about Boleskin House over thoroughly, while Snape skimmed it. It was just information about the setup of the house and surrounding area. But, if she said there was a groundskeeper, more than likely there was. That would be a complication, but he couldn’t deny the man his livelihood, Muggle or not.

Maybe he could keep his mouth shut.

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”I got the distinct impression that I’m not wanted here,” Blaise said to Draco, who was leafing through his demon book. The blond wizard looked up at him.

”They didn’t know I was bringing you. I think they were shocked.”

Blaise smirked at this.

”Good. I like keeping Gryffindors on edge,” he said. “But I really am just here because of what I’ve heard about Boleskine House. Well—sort of.”

Draco closed his book. Whenever Blaise said “sort of” he definitely had ulterior motives.

”What do you mean, sort of?” Draco asked him.

Blaise gave him a bit of a lascivious smile.

”Just what I said. Sort of. That ‘sort of’ being Ginny Weasley,” he said. “She’s a hot little bit of fluff, don’t you think?”

Draco looked at him like he was crazy.

”Ginny? She’s Harry’s girlfriend, Blaise. You don’t stand a chance with her,” he told his housemate. “She’d never leave Harry for you.”

”Who says I want her to leave him? I don’t want the little Blood Traitor for a girlfriend. I just want to shag her once. Or maybe twice. Boleskine is a big place, with a carriage house and other little areas. Perfect for sneaking off.”

Draco frowned at him.

”Blaise, I distinctly remember you telling Pansy when she asked you if you thought Ginny was pretty, that you’d never touch her, pretty or not.”

Blaise shrugged.

”I changed my mind. Besides, she hit me with that spell and left me hairless for two weeks. Giving her a good reaming ought to make me feel better about that,” the Slytherin said, frowning.

Draco shook his head.

”You can’t do it, Blaise. It won’t work out.”

Blaise narrowed his brown eyes at him.

”Don’t tell me what I can’t do, Draco. I know witches. I know how to manipulate them, how to get under their skins and how to get under their robes. Ginny Weasley isn’t any different than any other witch. I just have to find out what buttons to push. She’s not as goody-two shoes as the rest of them, you know. She has a dark side, and I’m a Dark wizard. She might make due with Potter, but she could have a secret desire to tangle with someone a bit more—exciting. Someone who plays—dirty.”

”That someone being you.”

”Right in one, mate.”

Draco fell silent. Blaise was treading on dangerous ground setting his sights on Ginny Weasley. The witch was formidable by herself and no doubt Harry was quite territorial concerning her. And her brother, Weasley? He’d draw his wand on Blaise if he even looked at his sister cross-eyed.

Draco began to think he shouldn’t have brought Blaise with him. He had the potential to be even more troublesome than the demons.

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A/N: Another transitional chapter where I shared a little info on Crowley based on a documentary I watched. Actually, I watched two. One where he was documented as a monster, the other with him as a troubled soul. I went mid-ground, not really vilifying him or condoning him, which is always best in a story in my opinion. That way, you can decide. Oh, Blaise. You just have to put some **** in the game, don’t you? Lol. But Blaise’s hot. I felt I could show it a little this way. The motives of sorcerers is something I pretty much made up. It was a little uncomfortable to bring religion in, but there had to be a smattering of it. There won’t be any more, however. A little shout out to the Wiccans, too.

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