The Last Sanguimagus

Disclaimer: JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Scholastic & Bloomsbury Books all own the Harry Potterverse. I make no money from this work of fiction.

Author's Note: I was very excited to write this chapter...it may answer a question or two!

Chapter Nineteen: A Sanguimagus Alone

---

It was so dark that by the time Ginny finally called an end to the Quidditch practice, no one could see the Quaffle anymore. As he walked off the field Harry had to admit that he was impressed with her ideas so far. They weren't as complicated as Wood's had been, but she certainly had enthusiasm. Better yet, she was excellent at coaching the new players. And she was unflappable. At one practice Malfoy and crew had shown up and predictably made fun of the Gryffindors, but she had ignored them and, except for a faint pinkness of the ears, continued to direct them as if nothing was happening.

Ron was grumbling about the defence plays again as they changed into their regular robes. "And did you see that sorry blocking manoeuvre? The Cannons would never allow a sloppy move like that..." Harry said nothing.

Hermione was waiting for them. "Bye Ginny!" she said, waving as Ginny and Dennis Creevey walked off towards the school. They waved back and kept walking, Dennis chatting away.

Hermione turned back towards Ron and Harry. "I've just talked to Luna," she said. "The Grey Lady told her that Professor Tanner was a Ravenclaw." She paused and looked at Harry. "She was in the same year as your father. And Professor Snape."

Harry was surprised. "I wonder if she knew them," he said. "Then again, maybe not...how many Ravenclaws do we know?"

"Still...she had to know of them, at the very least," said Hermione as they began to walk towards the doors. "After all, they were popular. And their pranks were fairly memorable."

"Everyone knew Fred and George," pointed out Ron.

"It would put her at the right age to become a Death Eater," said Hermione. "Maybe she was a Death Eater with Snape. Maybe that's why he gives her such odd looks."

"Odd looks?" said Ron, baffled. "How do you know that?"

"It's obvious," she said. Harry opened the door and they all walked through. "At the Sorting Ceremony he looked really upset for a moment when he was turned in her direction."

"Maybe he was looking at Professor Marten," offered Ron.

"And whenever she comes in late for breakfast, he watches her as she walks up to the head table," she added.

"Oh," said Ron.

"Shh!" said Harry suddenly. "Look!" There was someone in the corridor that led to the Talismans classroom.

"You don't happen to have the Invisibility Cloak in your pocket, do you?" whispered Hermione.

"No."

"Pity." She began to sneak around the side to the corridor's entrance. They peered around the edge.

It was Professor Tanner. She was engrossed in looking at one of the walls. Harry watched as she reached her arm out and laid her hand on the bare stone. She seemed to be deep in concentration. There was a strange, prickling feeling in the air, and when she drew her hand back, it was smeared with some kind of dark substance. She looked at it critically, and then extended her left arm and drew back her sleeve. He could just make out three black dots on her forearm.

"Let's get closer," hissed Hermione. "This may be our only chance."

"I don't think that's a good idea," began Harry, but it was too late. Professor Tanner suddenly turned her head to look at them.

"Follow me at once," she said curtly and began to walk towards her office.

Hermione was pale. Harry, too, felt weirdly frightened. They had been caught spying on a teacher. Not to mention that it was late at night, the halls were deserted, and no one knew where they were. What if she really was a Death Eater? He shook his head. No, Dumbledore had hired her, and he would have to trust Dumbledore. He started to follow her.

"Harry," said Hermione uncertainly.

"Maybe she just wants to talk about the DA," said Ron.

As soon as they entered her office, Professor Tanner closed the door behind them and muttered a few words. The door glowed for a moment. "Obviously your curiosity outstrips even Mrs. Norris," she said, walking stiffly to her desk. "Sit down."

They looked at each other and then hesitatingly seated themselves on her battered furniture.

She was still standing, and Harry could now make out that the substance on her hand was red. His stomach lurched as he realised that it was blood. Hermione looked even more frightened. He wondered if he should go for his wand. Tanner absently spelled off the blood, still staring thoughtfully at the three of them.

"I will explain things to you," she said quietly. "But in return you must swear not to reveal what I say unless you are in mortal peril."

Hermione looked afraid and curious at the same time. "Are you going to...cast some sort of magical contract?"

"I am asking you to swear to me that you will not divulge my secrets," she answered simply. "That is its own contract. Whether or not you hold to it is your own affair, and I'm certain that you have already seen the consequences of breaking your word at some point in your lives." Harry thought of Peter Pettigrew, and the Fidelius charm, and nodded. "Do you agree?"

"Yes," said Harry.

Ron looked at him for a moment, and then said yes.

Hermione bit her lip, but curiosity won out. "Yes," she said.

"I am telling you this because Dumbledore has mentioned that you are mature beyond your years, and that you have already faced more in your few years than many grown witches and wizards face in their entire lifetimes. And I am telling you this because I do not want you to pry further into my private business," said Tanner. "Your library research has already caused problems." Hermione blushed faintly. "And this baseless accusation that I am a follower of the Dark Lord is ridiculous. Don't worry," she added, seeing the look that passed between them, "I am not spying on you. I happened to overhear you outside the door after you left my class."

"We heard you were practicing the Dark Arts," said Harry quietly.

"Ah. Perhaps I shall begin my explanation...You know what an Animagus is, and you might know what a Metamorphmagus is," she continued. Harry thought of Tonks and nodded. "I am a Sanguimagus."

"Sanguimagus?" blurted out Hermione. "That means...blood witch. Then what you did with Harry's amulet...that was blood magic."

"Yes," said Tanner. "It is a very old magic. You are marked with it, Harry. Your mother cast a very ancient spell on you." She paused for a moment. "This is fairly complicated, so I will attempt to simplify it." She turned to the chair behind her desk and slowly began to sit down.

"It sounds like Dark Magic," said Hermione.

Tanner looked at her, pale eyes expressionless. "By its very nature it is Dark, but few things in life are clearly one thing or the other, and it is the same way with blood magic."

"Taking the blood of a unicorn curses the person who took it," said Harry suddenly.

"No, killing a unicorn curses the killer," she answered. "It is very rare for anyone to use it, but your Potions master could tell you of a few formulas today that require unicorn's blood." Hermione had a look of concentration on her face.

"But what do you do with...er...the blood?" asked Ron, looking squeamish.

She took a drink from a goblet on her desk. "Let me explain some of the history and you may understand better. Before wands were invented, you see, wizards and witches had no real control over their powers. They could make random things happen when they were angry or scared, of course, but for the most part magic was uncontrollable and useless. Then someone realised that blood could be used as a focus. It was the first magical tool, but it had limitations. All wizards and witches could use it, but only to a certain degree. Only some could use it...fully, and they became the Sanguimagi. They experimented with it, developed it further, and discovered a hierarchy of power within blood, because different sources mean different results. They quickly became powerful.

"Then wands were invented, and those witches and wizards who had not been able to use the full spectrum of blood magic were given a focus of their own. And this focus was incredible. Wands were the best answer to the control issue so far, far superior to blood. But the Sanguimagi were reluctant to leave their traditions behind, and there were some spells that required blood that could not be cast with a wand. Plus they had begun to marry each other and have children who inherited the gift. The schism between the two groups was growing wider.

"It all came down to a terrible conflict when Salazar Slytherin drew away most of his Sanguimagi students from Hogwarts and declared war. He led the Sanguimagi to strike out at wand magic--"

"That's mad!" interrupted Hermione. "I've never heard anything about it. That's not in Hogwarts: A History. Salazar Slytherin actually--"

"No, it isn't in any history book that survives," said Tanner calmly. "It was a dark time, and the wand wizards and witches who defeated Salazar and destroyed most of the Sanguimagi did not want to dwell on it. They were determined to annihilate blood magic. Many of the Sanguimagi had used sacrifices during the War...I needn't tell you who they sacrificed. The victors destroyed nearly every book that was written about blood magic, and they tracked down many of the old Sanguimagi families and killed them as well. I am not saying that either side was correct in this struggle, but the outcome was that blood magic nearly ceased to be. It was only practiced by the few that survived, in secret. Our ancient magical tradition was nearly utterly destroyed."

"But how did you find out about it? And if everyone passed away, how did you and Harry's mother become Sanguimagi?" asked Hermione.

Tanner closed her eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "I will not answer the first question," she said flatly. "As for who becomes a Sanguimagus now...it is a matter of bloodlines...but I can say without hesitation that I doubt there will ever be another Sanguimagus."

"Why not?" asked Hermione.

"Though anyone can cast blood magic...it takes more to become a full Sanguimagus. You must have a certain kind of blood. And even when the bloodlines seem to mesh there is a mercurial element at work that sometimes makes one a Sanguimagus and another not. Unfortunately there are not enough carriers of the old blood in enough quantity to pose the question anymore."

"But if you were to find someone with enough--"

"No, Hermione, it would not work. You see, I am not a pureblood...my grandfather was a Muggle. My parent had no idea that they were the union of the last two old blood families--"

"But you said Harry's mother--"

"Harry's mother could never have been a Sanguimagus, though she had a small measure of the ancient magic," said Tanner. "She was a powerful witch. What she did...was born of love and desperation. It's so strong it's almost tangible..." She trailed off for a moment, staring at Harry. She took another sip from her goblet.

"What were you doing...to the wall?" asked Ron timidly.

"The wall..." She looked at the smudges on her left sleeve. "This castle was partially built by Salazar Slytherin. I am certain that you are bright enough to figure out the logical conclusion."

Ron was bewildered. "The castle bleeds?"

"You used both your wand and blood for Harry's amulet," said Hermione, ignoring him. She seemed intent on asking as many questions as she could.

"They can work together," said Tanner. "They are not mutually exclusive."

"What sort of limitations--"

"No more," said Tanner evenly. "I have told you all I will tell you. Even this much would certainly spell my dismissal as a Hogwarts instructor if anyone else was to find out. I must remind you of your promise now. And Hermione, I must warn you that there are no books in the Hogwarts library about blood magic. Not even in the Restricted Section. If you go looking further you may jeopardise things and plans which you know nothing about. You could put lives in danger. I have come to you with an adult's bargain. I have satisfied some of your curiosity, and I ask you to leave it at that."

Hermione looked like she wanted to ask more. A lot more.

"Curfew is nearly upon you," she said simply. "You'll want to return to your dormitories." With a flick of her wand the door glowed once more and then opened. "Good evening."

"Good evening," said Harry as they left.

The walk back to Gryffindor Tower was awkward. Harry wanted desperately to talk about what they had learned, but there was still a possibility that someone could be nearby, listening. Eventually they reached the common room. The rest of the Quidditch team was talking animatedly about Krum and his latest performance of the Wronski Feint. Hermione looked a little pink at that, but said nothing.

"We should talk later," Harry whispered to her just before they joined Ginny and the team. "Myrtle?"

"Definitely," she answered quietly, sitting down and smiling as Crookshanks vaulted into her lap.

***