Dark Harmony

Chapter 5: Nonna Zabini

Blaise Zabini's relationship with his sister was difficult, to say the least. They were rivals by nature, and though she was two years his junior, from the day Gabriella had been born she had challenged every aspect of his life; his thoughts, his beliefs, his talents, right down to his very actions. There was no enmity between them, however, but rather a deep sense of respect and loyalty that was further developed by their constant need to prove themselves. Which was why Blaise couldn't understand what Gabriella was up to, or what could possibly be her motive. This was more then just another test; there would be no point in that, no advantage. This was something more, something much more, and as much as he hated himself for it, he was worried.

The Zabini's were one of the oldest and purest wizarding families still around, with more traceable ancestry then even the Malfoy's could boast, and ancient family customs were an important part of their daily life. As a result, Blaise and Gabriella had grown up in two totally different worlds.

Blaise knew his history well, it having been pounded into his head from the time he was old enough to speak. The Zabini's had always been a family of power and influence for as far back as anyone had bothered to record, though they kept mostly to themselves, preferring to immerse themselves in their own ancient form of magic and bothering little with the affairs of the rest of the wizarding community. They were scholars and intellectuals, but above all, they were musicians.

For the Zabini's, music was more then a form of self-expression. It was more then art. It was a part of them embedded so deeply that their very souls pulsed to some profound rhythm. It was the very core of their magic and the very heart of their existence. As years went on, some was lost, and though all Zabini's still shared a deep passion for music, it was the female generation through which the ancestry was passed on. As the men of the Zabini clan studied ancient linguistics and spells, preferring to update themselves with the rest of wizard kind, the women spent hours upon hours studying music and the magic that rode hand in hand with it, adding a bit of themselves to the ancient ways.

Things had changed some since then, of course, with both genders of the family having equal opportunities to study whatever they wished, but the women continued to have a deep bond and greater understanding of the music that shaped their lives. Personally, Blaise had always rathered it that way. When his sister had locked herself in her room for hours on end, allowing no one with the exception of their great-grandmother-

Blaise Zabini jerked upright from the book he had been studying, swearing fiercely as realization hit him solidly in his stomach. Jumping up, he raced towards his dormitory where he had hidden Gabriella's mysterious volume, all the while mentally berating himself. How could he have over looked Nonna Zabini?

Blaise and Gabriella's great-grandmother, or Nonna as was her Italian title, was a formidable lady. Despite her age, she was a handsome woman, her hair still black as night, her eyes the same shade of blue as her grandsons, her features strong and serene. Despite inheriting one of his most distinguishing features from her, however, Blaise had never been particularly close with the woman; in fact, he had the distinct feeling that Nonna Zabini didn't like him in the least. It was the same feeling that was telling him that it was she who was behind this whole mess. But what on earth could Nonna Zabini want with Muggleborn Hermione Granger?

^^^^^^^

Gabriella scanned the letter she had just received for the second time before wetting her quill with ink and smoothing a clean piece of parchment.

Dear Nonna,

I am well, as always. I received your letter just moments ago and am writing immediately to inform you of the state of affairs you mentioned. Everything is going according to plan. I am right this time; I can feel it as you said I would, and Blaise has all but confirmed my belief. He suspects, of course, but he is nowhere near guessing the truth. It will be long over before he ever does. He has chosen well, and though the girl is but of common blood, there is a fierce magic about her and her life force burns bright. She will do well for us all. The girl's name, though not important, is Hermione Granger of house Gryffindor. There is something about her that I cannot quite place... something different. Something important. I will write within the week and inform you of my progress. For now, all is well. Give my best to mother and father.

Gabriella

Examining the letter before tying it carefully to the leg of her great eagle owl, she allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. She could hear her grandmother's reply already. Everything hangs by a slender thread, and you, Bella, are the seamstress. Patience, and do not get overconfident. I will not accept failure. Despite all of Nonna Zabini's warnings, Gabriella knew she had everything under control. Failure was not an option. After Saturday, she would have to keep tight reign on the situation, but she was ready. Had she not been trained for this? After all, she was Zabini to the core, and although she respected her Nonna greatly for all that she had taught her, she couldn't help feeling just a bit smug that she had something her great-grandmother never would. She had been born Gabriella Caterina Zabini, immediate heir to all that title granted. Alexandrie Lafrenière, on the other hand, had married into the family at the age of sixteen, shedding her French identity for the Zabini's Italian ways. She had brought some of her heritage with her, however, and Blaise now bore the mark of those long forgotten roots. But no matter how deeply her French ancestry was buried, or the fact that she had been a Zabini for more then a century longer then she had a Lafrenière, Nonna Zabini would never be what Gabriella was.

Reflecting on that slightly, Gabriella felt her smugness fade as she realized exactly what it was her title bestowed. Bitterness bubbled slowly to the surface before her eyes grew cold and she calmly pushed away the unwanted emotion. She was what she was; proud, beautiful, musical, and purely Zabini. Nothing else mattered but that, and the task that she now had in front of her. Her grandmother had trained her well, but it was her will and pride that would get her through this ordeal and she would do what she had to do, regardless. And she would, of course, have fun while doing it. No matter how grave or dark the circumstances, her own perverse humor always saw her through it emotionally unscathed. Except, perhaps, this time. Her eyes darkened as a shiver ran through her, the only sign on her otherwise composed features that something was wrong. She sighed. She didn't have much time. Shrugging away the dark thought, she brought her owl to the window next to her bed.

"Fly quickly," she told it, her bold stare meeting the birds fierce, unblinking one.

It gave a shriek before taking off, and she watched it wing it's way from the castle for a moment before closing the window and heading back to her desk, already contemplating her next move.

^^^^^^

The book was gone. Blaise stared in disbelief at the empty space that just twenty-four hours ago had been occupied by the most important thing in his possession. Someone had stolen it, obviously, but who? His sister would never stoop as low as a common thief, blackmail and fear being her weapons of choice when getting what she wanted. But who else would go through the trouble of breaking into his private quarters just to take the old relic unless they knew of its importance? And, as far as he knew, only he, Gabriella, and... he paused. No, that was absurd. She couldn't have... could she?

^^^^^^

Hermione grinned at Ginny as the two girls quickly made their way back to Gryffindor tower, the heavy volume pressed possessively to her chest.

"That book better be worth all this trouble," Ginny threatened, though she was grinning too. "I'm going to be indebt to Draco for like five years for getting that password."

"Then I'll be in your debt for five years, too," Hermione told her, and Ginny laughed

"I don't suppose you're going to let me read whatever it is you needed that book for, are you?"

Hermione paused, mirth fading from her face.

"I'd like to, Gin, I really would, but..."

"You feel like it's for your eyes alone? Don't worry about it, Hermione, I understand. I'm here if you need me though, ok? Together I'm sure we're more then a match for Ms. Slytherin."

Hermione smiled at her, glad to know that her friend was so completely on her side.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, both lost in their own personal thoughts. Hermione gave the password (fiddlesticks) and entered the common room alone as Ginny continued on to the library, calling over her shoulder for Hermione to come get her if she needed anything at all. She smiled at her friends concern before her thoughts turned suddenly dark as she realized it wasn't in the least unfounded. Shaking her head she headed towards the stairs, comforting herself with the thought that in a few moments she'd be one step ahead in this ridiculous game. And just in time, too. Tomorrow was Saturday.

Ancient Blood Lines

Few of these bloodlines remain in Europe today, most of them becoming impure through marriage, while others have been completely annihilated during dark periods of our history. There are less then twenty traceable pure lines in the world to date, with only five to six residing on this continent*. Those that do remain have a deep source-tied magic running through their veins, bonding each member inseparably to their heritage and each other. Sources vary with each line, ranging from common, elemental magic*, to the more complex magic, including ancient rituals, objects and harmonics, as explained below.

* Names withheld by law. For complete listing contact your local Magical Historic Department, subdivision D.

* Magic tied to the four elements; air, water, fire and earth, see pg. 150

Hermione scanned the headings below the opening paragraph, not bothering to read any until finally one caught her eye.

Harmonics: There are several pure wizarding families who use music as the source of their blood magic. This is an unexperimened and highly dangerous branch of magic, with no real experts in the field save for the families themselves. The myths surrounding such families, however, are legendary. It is said that in one case in ancient Rome, a woman demolished an entire temple using only her voice, while blocking all counter spells thrown her way. Another tells of a woman walking the waterways of Venice as if it were solid ground while all the while playing a strange tune on her flute. While these legends may have become exaggerated with time, one common factor seems to tie them together. All stories feature women or young girls, and rarely have reference to males of the linage. This, in itself, distinguishes this magic source from all others, and has proved a source of conflict for researchers for years. Women cannot carry on the bloodline, they argue, but all evidence seems to contradict their statements. As for the families, they guard their secrets well.

Hermione stared at the article, not quite sure exactly how it was supposed to help her. Her mind drifted to the comment Gabriella had made on the morning of their first meeting.

"The key to a Zabini is through the music. It's our weakness."

Could she possible be implying that her family was one of these ancient, pureblooded lines? She scanned the opening paragraph again. Previously, when she had heard the term 'pureblood', she immediately thought of pompous, "better then thou" attituded families like the Malfoys. Apparently, however, there was a whole other idea of what 'pureblood' actually meant. Sighing, she rubbed her temples. If she was right in her assumption, then she was tangled in a more dangerous and complicated game then she had thought. Was this supposed to serve as a warning? She dismissed the idea immediately. That made no sense, she thought, collapsing back onto her bed. She was more frustrated then before, desperately wanting to know what it all meant and where it was leading. It was obviously no longer simply about her infatuation with Blaise Zabini. Whatever Gabriella was dragging her into was deeper then that, and as she realized this a sudden thought struck her. Blaise hadn't wanted her to read this article, and at the time she had automatically assumed that he was in cahoots with his sister. Now that she thought about it, though, Gabriella Zabini wasn't one to change her mind or make mistakes. She had wanted Hermione to have the book. So then, was Blaise working against her, or merely curious? This 'game' that they were playing entangled all three of them, and along with not knowing the rules, she suddenly realized that she didn't know the teams either. What was Gabriella's motive? Blaise's? Come to think of it, what was her own? She could just as easily ignore the Zabini siblings, go back to her silent worship and pretend that none of this had ever happened, but she knew even as she thought it that that would never happen. She was a sucker for mystery and excitement. And, she hated to lose at any game.

Sitting up suddenly, she grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from her bedside table and quickly penned a note.

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Hermione Granger and I am currently a 7^th year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am doing an extra credit history assignment on ancient wizardry in Europe, and was wondering if your department could be of help. I am writing to request a copy of your listings of the remaining ancient pureblooded families in the world, specifically those using Harmonics and Music as blood magic sources, and any information on them that you have.

Thank you so much for your time,

Hermione Granger

She read it over once before getting up, tucking the letter in her robes, and heading to the owlery. This mystery was going to be solved with hard work and research, and Hermione smiled at the prospect. This was what she did best. In the meantime, however, she was going to have to talk to some people. Gabriella was first on her list, and Hermione allowed herself a small shiver of excitement as she thought of their meeting tomorrow morning. It was about time she got into this, and she was determined that the younger girl would intimidate her no longer.

She would talk to Ginny because she was positive that her friend was hiding something from her, and she needed all the help she could get. And along with having her finger on the pulse of the Slytherin house, per say, Ginny was friends with both Zabini's. She was determined to glean what information she could out of her friend, and possibly even have a chat with Draco Malfoy. Hermione grimaced slightly at the thought before quickly changing her mind, resolving that she would leave all dealings with that Slytherin prat to Ginny.

Blaise Zabini. She would have to talk to him, of course. She had to find out where he stood in all this; was he with her, against her, or merely laughing wildly at her from the sidelines. She sighed. There was no way possible that she would ever be able to get up that much courage. She froze whenever she saw him, never mind carrying on a decent conversation with him. She groaned at her weakness. Ginny would help her, but there was only so much her friend could do. This was Hermione's battle, and she knew that in the end it would be her against Gabriella.

A small smile sprang to her lips. Bring it on.