By Reason Of Birth

Harry appeared on the top of a riverbank, looking over a line of old, rusty railings and across a crumbling, cobbled street to rows and rows of dilapidated brick houses. He wasted no time taking in the scenery, though, instead he started running towards his destination, knowing there was no time to lose.

He followed the maze of streets until he reached the last house on the street named Spinner's End; the only house in the row that had any lights on at all. Harry went up to the door and banged as loud as he could to be sure that the house's lone occupant would hear.

A moment later the door opened by a smidgen, and was then pulled open just enough for a backlit silhouette that could only be Severus Snape.

"To what do I owe the displeasure of your presence at my door, Potter?" Snape snarled at him.

"Malfoy cast the Sectumsempra on Hermione, she's bleeding really badly," Harry answered hurriedly as he pushed past Snape and into the tiny, dark sitting room. "Will you help her?" he pleaded with his hated professor, the worry that Snape would say 'no' plain in his eyes.

Snape had waited for this moment for decades; the moment when a Potter would beg before him, and it was a travesty that he could not savour the moment. If what the boy was saying was the truth, then Hermione Nott could very well be dead by now.

"Where?"

"Nott Cottage. Lammy is waiting for us at the Apparation point."

Snape didn't wait for Harry to say anything else, and he didn't say anything in return. Instead, he spun on the spot, disappearing with a loud 'crack.' As soon as Harry realised that he was alone in the Potions Master's house, he quickly exited the house and went back to the cobbled street and out of Snape's wards before Apparating away, no longer worried about being seen.

Harry arrived at the Nott's only seconds after Snape, and was met not by Lammy, who had taken Snape to Hermione the moment he had arrived, but by Glippy. The elf brought Harry back to the clearing, which was now rather crowded. Snape was leaning over Hermione, his wand tracing the wound as he said the song-like countercurse. Caoilinn was kneeling on one side of Hermione, her hands and robes soaked in blood, and Theo was on the other side of the prone figure in much the same state. Brisco was standing slightly back, a look of worry etched across his hard features, as well as upset that he was not the one who could help his duaghter. Draco was still seated exactly where he had been, covered by a blanket, his father's hand on his shoulder. Blaise was seated on the stone bench, his gaze shifting from fear and worry as he looked at Hermione, to loathing and murderous when he glanced at Draco. Huddling together in the shadows, waiting to be called upon, were the family's house-elves as they watched the scene play out.

It was a macabre scene, and in many ways it seemed far worse than the worst battle from the war because this time it was Hermione. This time there was not the excuse of war, of dark versus light, good versus evil; there was only the temper of a spoiled adolescent who had just reached his majority.

Harry wanted to go to her but she was already being overcrowded, so he sat next to Blaise on the stone bench, joining him with his death glares. The two watched intently as Snape wiped away the staunching blood and restarted his countercurse, the skin knitting back together underneath his wand.

The entire gathering watched with bated breath as Snape helped Hermione to sit up after his third time performing the countercurse. "If you don't want to bring her to the hospital, she needs to stay in bed, resting for at least three days, and she needs to walk there; she cannot be Apparated. As soon as she is inside and comfortable, put Dittany on the wounds to help with the scarring and make sure she takes two doses of Blood Replenishing Potion."

Caoilinn nodded her head as she and Theo helped Hermione to stand. Caoilinn, Theo, and Brisco seemed to have a conversation with only their eyes, and after a few moments, Caoilinn started moving out of the clearing and towards the cottage, supporting much of Hermione's weight while all four house-elves followed attentively, should either woman need them.

The seven men stood there staring at each other, their faces ranging from fury to blank. Eventually the silence was broken by Lucius. "If it is no trouble, Brisco, I would like to take Draco home and have him checked out by a Healer. Rest assured, he will be severely punished," he said, his fingers squeezing into Draco's shoulder. "I hope that we can settle the matter without having to call in the Aurors."

"I bet you do," Harry interjected, stepping towards the Malfoy patriarch before Theo and Blaise pulled him back, Blaise's hand covering his mouth to keep him from saying anything else.

"I will speak to Hermione in a few days and see how she wants to deal with the situation," Brisco answered with a coldness that had never been directed at his old friend before. "Let me walk you to the Apparation point."

With a nod, Lucius followed him out of the clearing and to the white path, Draco following him. Theo found it hard to tell if the other boy was still in a daze, or petrified at what his punishment would be. Snape followed them, intending to have a talk of his own with Draco.

Once they were out of hearing range, Blaise took his hand away from Harry's mouth. Harry rounded on Theo and Blaise. "What did you do that for? He can't just get away with almost killing Hermione!"

Theo and Blaise glanced at each other before Theo took a deep breath. "He won't," Theo responded as they started walking back to the cottage. "This is how it works in most pureblood households, Potter. If whatever indescretion that occurs doesn't happen in public, it is settled by the families, only calling in the Ministry if there is no other option."

Harry started to interrupt, but Theo cut him off, continuing with his explanation. "Why do you think the Malfoys and Weasleys hate each other so much? Yes, a part of it is because the Weasleys are considered blood traitors, but most of it is because of the past. Several generations back, Scipio Malfoy became so enraged that his intended, Anabelle Parkinson, chose Walter Weasley over him that he raped her and consequently impregnated her.

"Walter, of course, had the child drowned at birth. He could have kept to tradition, and decided upon a punishment for Scipio, but instead he turned him into the Ministry, who put him in Azkaban for a span of fifteen years. The dementors weren't at the prison at the time, but the guards were far harsher on the inmates than the dementors could dream of being. By the time he left Azkaban, Scipio was insane. He would have bouts of extreme violence, but between those occurrences he was practically comatose. In the end, his father had to kill him for everyone's safety.

"Since that time, the Weasleys have harboured hatred for what the Malfoys did to Annabelle, and the Malfoys have hated the Weasleys for what they were forced to go through with Scipio."

"That's terrible and all, but it must have happened at least eighty years ago. Why would they hold a grudge that long, either of them?" Harry asked, clearly disturbed.

"That's how it is, Harry. There are families who have hated each other far longer for far less."

"Okay, so if Hermione decides to have Draco taken in by the Ministry, it will start one of these feuds between your family and the Malfoys?"

"Yes," Theo responded. "Hermione's other, and more preferable, options start with challenging Draco to a duel. If she did this and either of them ended up dying, that would be the end of the matter. There would be no charges filed, and there wouldn't be a feud between the families. She can also come up with a punishment for Draco that is equal to the damage he caused her, or she can just let it go and let Mister Malfoy decide how to punish Draco."

"Those are shite options," Harry mumbled.

"You may think so, but it's how we live," Blaise replied. "Besides, the Ministry can be bought. Shacklebolt may be working on cleaning it up, but there's always someone willing to take a bribe, so there's the chance that Draco would get away with it scott free. This way, at least we know he's been punished properly."

"And you two intend on just letting it happen like this?" Harry asked, trying to understand.

"We'll talk about it later," Theo commented as they neared Brisco, who was walking back from the Apparation point. "I'm sure you'll be staying the night. I think you, Blaise, and I should start to get to know each other a little better. Once Hermione is asleep for the night, we'll go to my room." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Brisco joined them and the four solemnly made their way down to Hermione's room.
Chapter End Notes:

okay, so all of the descriptions of Spinner's End come directly from chapter 2 of HBP. I want to thank everyone who's kept up with reading this story, and those who have reviewed it, and to Lupie for her betaness.