'thoughts'
"Mind communication"
"Parsletongue"
Eyes are the windows to the soul
Chapter two
-Harry-
Lying in his hospital bed Harry Potter's thoughts were plagued by misery 'Hermione,' he despaired 'Hermione's gone. Ron has abandoned me. I have left all those I care about in misery. I'll probably be sent back to the Dursleys now that I'm blind. I have no hope, no future, and nothing to offer my friends. It would be better if I wasn't alive.'.
As he thought his he felt a coldness start to appear in his toes as it slowly crept upwards leaving everything feeling numb once it passed through it. As he mulled over this he heard Madame Pomphrey scream in fright.
-Poppy Pomphrey-
Sitting in her office Poppy Pomphrey was mulling over what was the best course of action regarding Harry Potter when the monitoring charms she had placed on him went off alerting her to a problem. Running out she cast a diagnostic charm and screamed out in fright at the results. Harry Potter's magical core was collapsing as he gave up his will to live. Desperately she began pouring her magic into his core trying to stabilize it as she heard some others running towards her most likely alerted form her scream.
"Poppy what's wrong?!" Minerva demanded as she and Albus ran in to the wing.
"Mr. Potter's core is collapsing!" she yelled back as she was feeling slightly drained from pouring in her magic.
Quickly Minerva and Albus began pouring in their magic alongside her. After a few minutes they stopped and Albus said "That is all we can do besides pray that he comes through." as the three sat and watched, keeping vigil over the blinded boy.
-Harry-
Once the cold feeling encompassed his entire body Harry Potter fully blacked out only to reawaken an a empty void devoid of any light or color, a void darker than even his blindness could produce. After a moment seven points of light appeared on the horizon that soon were close enough for him to recognize that they were spirits. After an hour or so the seven spirits were close enough that he could recognize two of them… he had seen every day in a mirror, for several sleepless nights as he gazed into the mirror of erased, and every time he looked at his photo album; they were the spirits of James and Lily Potter.
"Greetings Harry Potter." the eldest looking spirit said as he looked at him with pity "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances however.".
"I recognize my parents," he said looking at the seven warily "but who are the reset of you?".
"Harry where are your manners?" Lily Potter scolded making him blush having not experiences it before.
"I was never really taught any." he muttered blushing while he was sure he heard his father growl "Damn Dursley's" under his breath.
"Your concerns are quite understandable lad," the old spirit said kindly "to answer your question my name is Merlin Emrys. My companions are Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw.".
At this news he was sure his face was awed as his father started laughing hysterically at him only to get slapped upside the head from his mother. "Where are we exactly?" he asked nervously making the seven spirits look at him with pity.
"Harry this is the plane between life and death," his mother said sadly "you are here because you are on the verge of death.".
"But how…" he began before his father cut him off.
"When a witch or wizard gives up their will to live then their magical core destabilizes drastically causing their death." James Potter explained sadly "However as you were on the verge of death we were given the opportunity to come and visit you to talk to and try to save you.".
"But I'm blind," he said sadly "what good am I to anyone now.".
"Harry did you know that when I was young I too had my eyes taken from me?" Merlin asked making him look at him in shock. "I was fighting Morgana Le Fay and she used a curse to rip out my eyes. Luckily I knew of an ancient ritual that would give me new ones. The manuscript was lost shortly after I discovered it but it was simple in its instruction so I remembered it. I will tell you the ritual and aid you in its creation if you choose to live.".
"That is Merlin's purpose for visiting you," Godric Gryffindor said stepping forward "your parents came to have a reassuring presence and to see you even if it is only once. We however," he continued gesturing to him and his fellow founders "are here to ask you to remake our school. It has fallen from what we wished it to be and as we have the opportunity to meet you we ask that you restore it.".
"What do you mean restore it?" he asked confused.
"My house has become far too arrogant in their knowledge," Rowena Ravenclaw said "and they often bully any student who they see as different or who is better than them. They must learn humility, learn that knowledge does not make them superior and that just because they are Ravenclaws does not mean that they are more intelligent than everyone else. I wished for my pupils to be those who always knew the answer as they were devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, not to be arrogant and lost reveling in their own intelligence.".
"My House feels like they are the only ones who can show loyalty and that they are required to support their house mates no matter the cause simply for the colors they wear." Helga Hufflepuff said solemnly "They are looked down upon and belittled by the other houses and while they show support and loyalty to their own they are often quick to remove it if it is someone from another house. I wished for my students to be the people others always wanted by their side as they could be counted one.".
"Your fellow lions have far too much of a superior outlook on life," Godric Gryffindor said clearly upset "they believe that they are better than everyone else simply for wearing scarlet and gold. Your now ex-friend Ronald Weasley is a prime example of what often passes through my house. He is lazy, arrogant, and self-centered and he views Hufflepuffs as weak and useless, Ravenclaws as foolish book-worms only good for doing his work for him, and sees all Slytherins as evil. He believes that everything should be handed on a platter and that he is the most powerful light wizard alive for being in Gryffindor. I wanted my students to be brave yes but to show reason and compassion, to defend others and not look at any one group as inherently evil if they have done no action as such.".
Finally Salazar Slytherin stepped forward "The House of the Snakes has fallen far since my passing. They have twisted and changed my views around ever since my son took his Lordship and spread his views, he was the one who hated the muggleborns not I. I did and still do believe they posed a great threat to wizarding society but due to ignorance of our ways as they always try to change our traditions and practices without learning why they are in place. In some cases such as how other species are treated they are correct but in many others they are wrong. I wished they be taken aside early so they could learn our ways and why they are such. My son's best friend was killed in a muggle witch hunt and his hatred for them spawned from this. After my passing he spread the anti-muggle views and even tried to eradicate them but was killed by Godric's son but it was too late. My students had adopted his ways and my name was sullied by his choices. My pupils were supposed to be the best advisers and politicians using their cunning to find ways to get around every problem not those obsessed with murder and their own twisted values.".
Nodding he looked around at the seven spirits, "What about the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked.
"That was my personal laboratory and quarters," Salazar said sheepishly "I loved to experiment with different spells and potions. The creature guarding it was a basilisk that I hatched to protect the school but my son used a Dark Ritual to make it lust for blood and death and forget its purpose so you will have to kill it, as painful as that is to me.".
Nodding he looked and said firmly "I will go back." and with these words felled a pull in his got as warmth started spreading slowly through his body.
"I we will be traveling with you for a time young Harry," Merlin said placing a hand on his shoulder "speaking in your mind and aiding you in the ritual as well as giving you some advice. A word of warning though, your magic is severely bound and the backlash of your returning from this plane will shatter those blocks. Once you are free I would recommend that truly bond with that marvelous owl of yours Hedwig. The power of your binding should allow her to take a new form of a phoenix if my guess is correct. It should also heal your arm.".
Just as he finished these words Harry snapped back to reality as he sat up with a gasp while a shockwae of magic went out from him. Vaugely in the background he heard three voices but he ignored them in favor of the flapping of wings as Hedwig landed on his shoulder, he knew it was his owl because no other owl in the school was brave enough to try that after the last one had been beaten badly by his snowy owl. Folllowing his instinct, which might have been aided by one of the spirits, he placed a hand on her feathered chest and willed his magic to connect with hers and he felt comforting warmth as what he assumed were phoenix flames spread from the point of contact. In the background he could hear what he assumed was Dumbledore trying to do something only to get blasted by Madame Pomphrey.
Standing up he began walking towards the doors when he heard "Harry move your head to the left." from his mother, following her advice he did and heard a spell shoot past, followed by yells of pain as he assumed Dumbledore got cursed.
Continuing his path with Hedwig flying above him he heard Godric say "Tell her to bring you the sorting hat."which he did and she quickly had the tattered hat in his arms as Godric continued "Now reach it and grasp my sword, I will focus my signature into your hand so you can get it." and he quickly felt the cold steel of a sword hilt in his hand.
Following the directions of Salazar he entered what he was told was a bathroom and hissed out to a spot "Open!" shortly followed by the grinding of stone on stone. Walking to the new opening he again hissed "Stairs!" making stairs appear winding down the pipe. Walking he soon was met with a door which he again commanded to open as he walked in.
"I cannot believe how filthy my quarters are!" Salazar exclaimed in his mind "Why have no elves cleaned this area?" which made the other six spirits laugh.
Walking up to the statue he hissed "Speak to me Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four!" as Salazar told him to.
"Really Salazar?" Godric asked laughing "That was your choice of password?".
"My son set it not me!" the indignant snake speaker exclaimed while the others laughed at him again.
After moment a large thud shook the chamber as the basilisk appeared and said "Who are you? Where is my master?".
"I have spoken with the spirit of you first master Salazar Slytherin and bear a message for you." he hissed and he swore he heard he snake gasp in shock before leaning down next to him.
"What is the message? TELL ME!" it demanded.
"That you need to die!" he bellowed as he drove the sword through the serpent's mouth killing it before it could react.
"Now Harry you will need to do the ritual," Merlin said "Before any teachers arrive to try and stop you. Send Hedwig out to get you a vial of veritaserum, the eyes of a falcon, and the eyes of an owl while you carve out the basilisks eyes. We will use your magic to summon two small cauldrons and when Hedwig returns we will begin!" and he quickly did as told.
After a few minutes he had the eyes removed and in front of their respective cauldrons as Hedwig flames in with the last two eyes which she placed in front of the proper cauldrons. Lighting a fire under the cauldron he poured in seven drops of the veritaserum in each cauldron, added the proper eyes to each cauldron, all the rights with each other and same with the lefts, before he had Hedwig cry seven tears into each cauldron and add a drop of his blood to each.
As he did this he heard the liquid inside the cauldrons moving about furiously before it shot forward and into his empty eye sockets making him yell out in pain as the previously empty space was filled. After a few minutes, aided by Hedwig's Phoenix song, he was able to stand up and, blinking furiously, he was amazed that he could see again.
Suddenly the seven spirits appeared before him and smiled, "Goodbye Harry," his mother said hugging him "we love you but don't come back until you are old and grey with a bunch of grandkids!".
"And get yourself a girl!" his dad added smirking "Merlin knows you need one.".
"I resent that!" said wizard grumbled while the others chuckled and said their goodbyes.
Just as they were fading away five people ran into the chamber and gasped at what they saw.
