Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

By Gemma

Rating R

Disclaimer- HP and co belong to JK Rowling, MCR belongs to MCR… :-D I'm only borrowing and not making any money at all, so please don't sue!!!!

AN: Welcome to my new story. For those of you who started reading POTO, I'm sorry I'm not able to work on that right now, I'm very blocked as how to work it out at the moment. I might pick it back up in a bit, with a full reworking, from the beginning. Until then, I hope you enjoy this story. I got the idea from listening to My Chemical Romance's CD- Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. There is a song on the CD entitled “Thanks for the Venom” and the first thing I thought of when I heard it was HP, and it will be a major song in this work, so the lyrics will be included and you will see what I mean. Until then, go buy the CD, it is teh awesomeness….. Okay…. Also, I'll be moving in about a month, but my internet access will not be interrupted because I can upload from work, and if all else fails, I'll bring my nifty wireless laptop (I love this thing, just got it today) to the Marshall Center at school and hook up to the WiFi.:-D Enjoy!!!! And rock on!!! ,\m/

AN2- For those of you who play guitar, if I get anything wrong, please don't yell at me. I've only been playing Acoustic for a little while, but I've been singing and playing keyboard for years, so I do have musical ability. I will consult my cousin on proper guitar terms as he is a guru.

Chapter One: Helena

The rain hadn't stopped for three weeks now. As long as Harry Potter had been back with his horrid relatives on Privet Drive it had rained. The weather seemed to mirror his emotions. Dark, gloomy, and full of despair. In the three weeks since he had arrived back at the Dursley's, he had not uttered one word. He knew his voice was now raspy with disuse, but he didn't care. His friends had written him constantly, but the only communication that came from Harry was addressed to one Remus Lupin with the obligatory “I'm fine” every three days to keep the Order from breaking down the door. Ever night he relived his godfather's death in his dreams, and recently, his nights had been ending with Hermione falling from Doholov's curse. It seemed to add insult to injury. His wounds from Sirius' passing were still fresh, not even beginning to heal, and he was subjected by his subconscious to the scene of Hermione's almost end. It caused him more pain than his scar ever could. Speaking of his scar, aside from the few twitches occasionally, little had been happening with Voldemort. His last battle with Dumbledore and the fact that the Wizarding World now acknowledges his return probably had a lot to do with his recent inactivity. Harry honestly didn't care. All he wanted to do was go straight into training, face Voldemort once and for all and get it over with. He was sick of the people he cared about being picked off one by one. First his parents, then nearly Ginny Weasley, Cedric Diggory, and now Sirius. And he had almost lost Hermione.

Why hadn't he listened to her? Why did he go running to the Department of Mysteries? And why did he endanger the lives of his friends? Ron, Luna, Neville, Ginny, and most of all Hermione. Oh Merlin, why? He hopped she was okay. Her letters had been quite vague about her own condition, only concerned with Harry's own well being, as usual. He expected nothing less of his best friend. Ron's letters were the exact opposite. Polite and friendly conversation attempts not going anywhere near what happened at the end of the year, not even mentioning his recovery from the brain attack. The only actual Ron-like parts of his letters were Quidditch news and the fact that he had been spending quite a lot of time recently with one Miss Luna Lovegood, who happened to live just down the street from The Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole. Ottery… yet another reminder of Hermione.

More and more lately his mind had been wandering to his bushy-haired best friend. Her smile, her laugh, the way she twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she concentrated over her runes. Her falling wide eyed to the floor as Doholov's purple-flamed curse hit her square in the chest. A silent tear escaped his eyes as he thought about the fact that he'd convinced her to go that night, even though she'd known it was a trap.

Harry was just about to curl into a ball and cry himself to sleep as he did every night when he heard a tap on the window. He looked up to see his snowy owl Hedwig sitting on the window ledge, soaked to the bone. He quickly jumped up and made his way to the window, throwing the sash open quickly and allowing the water-logged bird in. She had a small package attached to her leg, but it was surprisingly dry. Harry quickly noticed Hermione's neat cursive spelling out his name. He pulled out a tin of treats for Hedwig and fed her a few as she preened her wet feathers before bringing the package over with him to his bed.

He carefully opened the brown wrapping and found a plain box and a letter. He set the box beside him on the bed and pulled out the letter, unfolding it carefully, as if it would turn to dust if handled to roughly.

Dear Harry,

I know this is a little early for your birthday, but I felt like you could get some use out of this now. The package might seem deceptively small, but it contains quite a few large items. Dumbledore had the Restriction for Underage Wizardry lifted for all students 3^rd year and above, due to the uncertainty of attacks nowadays. I shrunk the package and place an Impervious charm on it, to keep it dry. I know you are hurting, and it pains me to know that. Thus the reason for this gift. I have always found that music helped me get through tough times (including all of Primary School), and I thought that it might help you. I've included instructions for a teaching spell so that you can play on your own. I don't want to give away too much information before you open your gift, so I'll include a not explaining in with it. I guess that's all for now. If you need to, call me, anytime. I'm here for you Harry, remember that.

Love,

Hermione

Harry sighed and placed her letter to the side. It would go in his trunk with all her other letters. He picked up the box and tapped his wand against it, muttering the charm to enlarge it back to its original size and almost fell backwards with the weight. He quickly cast a silencing charm around his room should the Dursley's hear his struggle and try to strangle him or something. He wouldn't put it past them.

The box took up nearly his entire twin bed. He carefully lifted the lid off and set it to the side. There was an oddly shaped hard case and a small electric device that Harry recognized to be an amplifier, only from the fact that Dudley had taken up bass guitar around the time he was 14 and quickly gave up not long after, realizing the strap would not fit around his massive girth. He picked the amp up and set it aside, turning his attention to the case. He carefully undid the clasps and raised the lid. Inside he found an emerald green electric guitar. Attached to the neck was another note from Hermione.

Harry-

I hope you enjoy and can get some use out of it. I've always enjoyed music, and one of the best stress relievers in the world is writing down your feelings and beating them out on a drum set, or in your case, plucking them out on guitar. If you are wondering, the guitar is a Fender Stratocaster I had made for you. It's the only one of its kind, being that unique color (your eyes) and specially adapted to work in a wizarding environment. You don't even have to plug the amp in; it has a special power charm that works off of the residual magical energy in the air. I've included a book that will help you learn, and includes a special charm to help you learn faster and retain the information on the first go through. Only works on musical instruments though, so don't think about using it for Potions, okay? Remember, I'm here for you if you need me, and enjoy your present!

Much Love,

Hermione

He picked up the gleaming guitar and examined the strap. It was adorned in all kinds of Quidditch equipment, the most prevalent being the Golden Snitch. It was well-worked leather, but charmed so that the snitches floated around, as if in flight. Harry shrugged the guitar over his shoulder and began to strum out a few notes. To his surprise, sound flowed through the amp without the aide of a cord. He realized that must have been one of the wizarding elements added to this particular guitar. He sat with the guitar on his knee and reached into the box for the book. To his surprise it was not a dusty tome as he had expected from Hermione, but a crisp new book, gold leaf lettering emblazoned “Muggle Guitar for the Beginning Wizard”.

Harry spent the next week as he had the past two, holed up in his room not speaking to anyone, only eating when necessary to keep him from passing out. But the one difference from the past two weeks was the fact that he was no longer wallowing in his grief, but pouring it out through the strings of the guitar. He'd spent day and night going over the book Hermione had given him, even going so far as to order a more advanced book through the owl post advertisement in the back. He'd been working through the new book for the past two days. The charm helped wonders with remembering cords and different techniques, but it was his hands that did most of the work, and his fingers were showing that, developing large calluses from the endless hours of playing. He'd gotten quite good in that short time, for as much as he knew of music. Most of the music he'd heard as a child was Petunia's classical and Dudley's rap. Vernon did not listen to music, as far as Harry knew.

He had realized a few days in that he definitely favored the rock genre of music over any other. It was a great stress reliever and the best to play for a budding guitarist. The book had included quite a few samples of music for the student to study, and Harry was trying his best to learn them all. It included wizarding and muggle favorites alike.

For the first time since the end of term, Harry's nights were not plagued with hellish nightmares. And he owed it all to his dear Hermione. Shortly after receiving her gift, he'd sent off the first conversational letter of the summer. He had thanked her profusely for his gift and let her know that he was studying hard. He also thanked her for her support over the last few years. He had inquired about her health, but he had a suspicion that he would not get anything out of her about it. She would always put him first.

A few days ago he'd sent a letter off to Ron, apologizing for his lack of communication. He still hadn't heard back from either of his best friends. The only recent letter he had received had been from Dumbledore, letting him know that there were plans to remove him from the Dursley's in the coming week, but no details.

Harry was interrupted from his playing around midday by Hedwig landing softly on his desk bearing two letters. He gingerly placed the guitar in the stand he had transfigured from an old coat hanger, and stroked the bird's gleaming feathers. She stuck her leg out and allowed him to remove the two letters, then hopped to her cage for a well deserved rest.

The first letter was from Ron. Harry slid his finger under the seal and pulled out a piece of parchment bearing Ron's nearly illegible scrawl.

Harry,

Hey mate! Great to hear that you are now doing better, and congrats on that awesome gift. I'm in a bit of a hurry right now, but I just wanted to let you know that I am going to be spending the rest of the summer with Charlie in Romania. He invited me over, and I figured it would be a good opportunity. I will meet you and Hermione at King's Cross September 1^st, but until then, keep writing and don't get down!

Ron

Harry was slightly down at the prospect of not seeing one of his best friends all summer, but that was quickly replaced with his happiness for Ron. He set his letter down and moved on to the next one, address to him in Hermione's neat cursive.

Dear Harry,

I expect that you have heard from Ron by now concerning his summer holiday plans. I talked to Dumbledore recently and he agreed with me that it would be most beneficial for your current state if you stayed with my family and I for the rest of the summer. I have charmed a section of this parchment to give me your immediate answer, and as soon as I get it we will be on our way to pick you up. Just tap your answer on the bottom of this sheet with your wand and I'll know. Bring all of your school supplies and my gift. I hope you have been practicing, I'd like someone to accompany for a change! I'll see you soon!

All My Love,

Hermione

So are you coming?

YES NO

@>--;--

I figured that would be a good place to end for this chapter. It was getting very long and I wanted to get it up for your all to enjoy!!! Remember Reviews are Appreciated, Flames are Mocked in my LJ, so be NICE!!!!!! I will be x-posting this in my LJ as well, and from now on, the chapters will go up a day before in my LJ before being posted on Portkey. Visit my livejournal at http://www.livejournal.com/users/lady_gemma

Alright, that's all for now, chapter two should be up within the next few days, depending on how hectic my schedule is going to be at Jacon this weekend.

-->