Harry Potter and the Ancient Shrine of Providence
The Rest of the Story of the Boy that Lived
Book 8 Chapter 3 'Equal to Death'
Chapter 3: 'Equal to Death'
In the dark, and quiet solitude of the Gryffindor Tower, and in an almost empty dorm room, laid Harry. He had been asleep for about thirty minutes, when a subtle cool current of air begin to blow across him. Within a minute, the draft had become quite cold, and the temperature in the room was showing an appreciable drop. A few short minutes later, the room's temperature was approaching a few degrees above freezing.
Harry was only covered with a sheet, and a light blanket, and for whatever reason it was, the cold or possibly something else; Harry awoke suddenly from his deep and dreamy sleep. He had been dreaming of the time when he had just turned seventeen, and he was in Ginny's bedroom. She had just finished whispering to him 'There's the silver lining I've been looking for.' And she had just began wrapping her arms around him, and as she was just touching her lips to his, something quite rudely, seemed to rip him from this dream.
As Harry lay there in his partial state of awareness, he was trying to remember why he had to leave his dream. When he first opened his eyes, the darkness of the room first confused him. After a short pause to rejoin his thoughts, it started to dawn on him just where he was. Then the realization that the room sure felt cold hit his senses.
He started to move around in his bed, and then a sudden shock of pain shot up his back, and that was enough to finally bring Harry back into reality. Suddenly a sense of real fear entered his mind, as it began to dawn on him, on why the room was so cold. As a thought of a Dementor filled his head, he quickly realized that this was not the case. He had none of the unhappy thoughts, and feelings that would be descending into his mind, if they had been around. But then why was the room so cold?
Suddenly another thought crossed Harry's mind. Then as he slowly looked down toward his feet, with him knowing of the realization that he could be dead, he prepared himself, for the possiblility that he might just in fact be a ghost. He was now expecting to see his dead body beneath him, and as his vision met the bottom of the blanket, he then attempted to move his feet. He felt his heart skip a beat when the blanket moved! Then as he started to relax, Harry soon realized that he had been holding his breath with all the apprehension that he had. And slowly... he brought his breathing back to normal.
Now with the advent of the knowledge that he was still alive, the feelings of being a ghost faded quickly from his mind.
Hoping that his glasses would be there, he reached over to the top of the table, and felt around for them. After a few passes with his hand, he found them, and slowly retrieved them with his fingers. After he had put them back on, Harry tried again to get out of bed. A sharp sting of pain enveloped his body as he moved, and it again gave him second thoughts about even trying to stand. He slowly worked his legs, and soon he was able to swing his feet from out from under the covers, and then he let them just fall to the floor. He slowly willed his body, and then slowly, he raised himself up, and finally, when he was sitting upon the bed, he decided that this was enough torture for now.
As he set there, still gathering in his senses, the room was rather quiet, and he could make out a glow around each of the windows that were covered. The room was about as dark as a two day moon would make it. He wasn't sure of the time, but figured he had not been asleep for more then an hour or so at best. The thought of just how he ended up in bed crossed his mind, but for now that seemed not to be an issue at hand. Harry felt being cautious was still the best form of action, and started to think where his wand was, and then remembered that it was probably still in his robe in the bathroom.
He again tried to stand up to get up out of bed, but as more pain ripped through his body, it quickly ended that ideal quickly. He then decided that sitting was a better place to be, until he at least figured out what was going on. He looked down and saw that he was in his pajama bottoms, but he didn't remember putting them on that night. The last thing he remembered was getting into the shower, and then Harry knew he didn't want to think about it anymore.
As his teeth begin to chatter, his attention came back to the cold, and why it was so damn cold. Even in the coldest winter's nights, the room had never been this cold, and this was the month of May. He started looking at every part of the room, and after that, he started looking at the ceiling, floor, and finally the parts of the room in shadows.
And in just a blink of an eye, Harry thought he saw some movement in a far dark distance corner of the room by Dean's former bed. He knew, if someone or something dangerous was in the room, that he had no chance of getting to his wand in time. So Harry just said, "I know you're in here. Who are you and what do you want?"
At first, nothing happened. Harry just continued to stare at the area he had seen movement in, and slowly he realized, that shadowy thing had a silhouette against the dark background. As he moved his head around, trying to see it better, he suddenly saw that it was beginning to drift slowly toward his bed. It reminded him of a broom with a hovering motion, and soon it had moved away from the total darkness of the shadows. Harry soon realized that this was not just a shadow, but also a full sized cloak. He could see nothing else besides the cloak and could see no contact to the floor. As it moved closer, he begin to feel a chill descending all the way through his body to his bones, but he was quite sure now that this was no Dementor.
As it finally stopped, about an arms length away, he could feel something about its cold stare penetrate his body, and then Harry knew who it was. Nothing was said for a short time, and it seem like it was waiting for Harry to say, or do something. Harry then decided to ask it first. "I know who you are. Please… what do you want?" It slowly started raising it arm, and as the dark sleeve slid down, and his hand was beginning to show, he saw that the hand was closed. But even in the darkness, he could make out what looked to be the bones of its fingers.
"Why have you come?" Harry asked. "Have you come for me?" There was again a moment of silence in the room, and then when he heard no answer, he continued. "Was I not meant to live again in this world? Did you feel I cheated you last night?" Suddenly Harry was sure that he heard what sounded like a low raspy laugh.
And then a low monotone voice that Harry could never describe to someone came forth, and then Harry suddenly realized, the voice was in his head.
"Harry… I have not arrived for you today, for you have never tried to deceive me," said the voice. "First, you have never needed to fear me, for it is not within your character to do so. Since even before you were born, I have watched you closely. Last night from a distance, I could tell that you were considering coming to me, and not returning to your world. Then you realized that you needed to return, because of your unfinished business, with the one that has shadowed you for all of your life. I respect a person that holds deeply to his most inward feelings. And now as I look at the boy, who has grown into a man in front of me, I am pleased. I know your soul far more deeply then you can realize Harry, and it has done you much justice my boy, and I am quite proud of you.
"But first, before we talk any further, I must return to you something that you seemed to have lost last night. In a short time young man, you will need to use this again, but not in the way you would expect." As the figure move his arm closer to him, Harry somehow knew to reached out with his open palm, and the bony hand dropped the Resurrection Stone ring into his hand.
"I have come to tell you first about several ancient prophecies, and one of them, has only been totally revealed to one that is in your world. It was foretold from so long ago, and only a given few from my dominion have even known about it. The other one, also talks about a boy, that when he turns into a man, he would return the ones to me that have tried to cheat me. It is so strange how you thought that you had cheated me last night, when all along, you have only succeeded in your foretold destiny." The figure stopped, and then waited for the unanswerable question that he knew that Harry was going to asked of him.
"Does that mean that it is finally over for me?" Asked Harry. "Can I finally have my own normal life?"
"Alas, you have given me a inquiry that I know that I cannot tell you, because the Fates would not be happy if I answered this question for you."
When Harry heard that, he suddenly had a feeling in his stomach, that his life wasn't going to be the easy road that he had thought it was going to be. There was a short pause and then Harry asked, "then why are you here tonight? I would think there would be more in your coming, then returning the stone and thanking me for doing this?"
"Young man, I felt that I also owed you the reasons, on why the Fates have sent your world these prophecies about a boy, that has control your life, since before you were born. The Fates once warned me, that two mortals would try to cheat me, and one thought he would be so clever, and try to never come my way. He thought by giving me six deaths, he would become my equal. He thought this would prevent me from ever collecting his entire soul.
As he finished, Harry could feel a strange feeling emanating from the cloaked figure in front of him. Strangely, it was as if he had given him a feeling of satisfaction, if that was what it really was.
Then the figure went on to tell him, "A long time ago, it was arranged for me to be able to collect three special gifts from another part of your world. They had been made in a time before much of your history had even been written. I blessed these gifts, as I was told to do, because in time they were all destined to become the property of a certain young man some day."
This surprised Harry and he spoke up and asked, "For me… they were always meant for me?" Harry just stared at the cloaked figure and then as his heart felt like someone was squeezing it, he then asked, "Why and just how long ago were they made?"
"It is wiser for now that I do not answer these questions for you, but in time when you are ready, you shall be told by one that is just like you and quite gifted. I have told you this, so you might understand better, and why you must keep them with you always, and not lose one of them, like you did last night.
"Close to nine hundred years ago, the Fates told me that it was time for me to surrender the gifts, because they were destined to find their way to this special boy. At around the time of him becoming a man, and when he would most need them, they would all find him on their own. They would help complete and protect the boy, and give him the power he needed, so he could do of what he was needed to do.
"The Fates then told me, that I was to give them to the Peverell brothers. They told me where I needed to be, so I would meet the three. I already new what they would want, so then I set up a simple test for them. They were all given what they wanted, and in time only one did pass the test.
"It has long been foretold by the Fates, that one day this boy would be born from the lineage of the one that passed this test. In time, the gifts would all find their way back to this boy. This boy would also have three mentors which would prepare him in his life. One of them would be quite special, and he would have the pure of heart and love, that was required to prepare the boy on how he lived his life. "Another would serve to train the boy and give him the knowledge on how to use the three gifts wisely. Only by this insight, the boy as he would became a man, would understand how to be able to use his powers and abilities, and stay uncorrupted by them.
"For all this to happen, it was arranged on the most Holy night, that he would be conceived. Two months later on the shortest day of your year, the Fates gave a Prophecy to a seer, that was with the one that became another of his mentors. Almost two years later, he would be marked with the sign of his destiny. This would happen on the same Hallowed night when the Dark Lord tried to kill him. With this selfless act on a innocent child, he gave the boy the ability to have the pure of heart and love that he would need. In time, it would prove to be much more then just a simple connection, for it held, and intertwined their lives together, as one.
"And so, I think you already know that you are this boy Harry. You have been given these very special gifts that also comes with great power and responsibilities that you must retain."
"But I already showed that I knew how to used them and I guess I survived." Harry then asked, "I have grown up, so why do I still need them? "
"Oh, you're no longer a boy, but there is so much that you don't know and understand yet in your life and future..." The shadow paused as if he was thinking and then told him, "Your next need for them is coming soon, and they will begin the path of true challenge for you."
"But why?" Asked Harry? Isn't he is gone... Didn't I return to you all his souls. Unless I am mistaken, he is in the past now and I did what I was prophesied to do."
There was a another pause and then the shadow told him, "You at times can be a challenge yourself Harry: even for me, but that is why you were able to do what you did. Let me first finish what I want to tell you and in time you will understand why."
Again he paused and then Harry realized that he was waiting for a answer and then replied, "I will listen."
"The two of you were joined in far more ways then you have ever guessed Harry. And when the Dark Lord came back to full life, the final piece to the puzzle was completed, that insured your conquest of him, and the start of your foretold destiny. He was far more powerful then you at the time, but you would be the one that would bring his downfall, because of what he was, and for what he had helped you to become.
"By his own actions, Tom Riddle sealed his own fate, and sealed your future. For in the end, only the one with love would be willing to give up his life first, and the other would only destroy his best protection from leaving this world. His soul was now so corrupted with only hate, and yours was now filled with hope and love, and being protected by another with love.
"Your hold to life was now in his body, as his was within yours, but by his own hand, he would destroyed his last best protection. This set up his own failure, for in the end they always do…
"Once he had released the part of his soul that was within you, he also had begun a new sequence of events and prophecies that are now set in motion about you, and the one that you love. The powers of the Hallows are now under your control, because of you, and the hideous acts of Tom Riddle. And Harry, with all that you have done, your soul is still whole and not corrupted, because you have never taken a life directly. You are now finally on your own, and free from the hate of Tom Riddle, but in time you will understand why this requirement has been so important for you.
"But beware Harry Potter, you're still a mortal man. One day I will welcome you as you come to me, and I hope you come on your own as your ancestor's have always done."
"You will not remember my visit after you sleep tonight, but at times, when you read the ancient text or need a memory to understand, you shall remember what you need to know. In time, you will remember what I have said, because it will help you understand when you, and the one that you love, will have to suffer in the way that you will have to."
"You mean Ginny?" asked Harry.
"It is due to certain events that must take place, and with the additional sacrifices that will be required of your family," he told Harry. "At this time, I know of no other way for you to succeed."
"Additional sacrifices!" Yelled Harry. "Just who do you mean?"
"It is something that I do not honestly know at this time. Your future is still unclear for everyone Harry. This is a true gift for you, because you have been given the chance to steer your own future. That is something that even I do not have the ability to grant. Because of this, no one knows if you will succeed, or fail with what you must do. Your own fate rests with only you."
Harry just stared back at the figure not knowing what to say.
The shadowed figure then told him, "I leave you with the only thought that you shall remember tomorrow. Remember that they have always been part of your life Harry Potter, and you have always been theirs. Protect them at all costs, for you hold the mark of of their master. They will help bring you knowledge, power, and along with what their other brothers will do when they find you. They will help, and guide you on your quest to your destiny that awaits you."
And as Harry wanted to ask him another question, he suddenly felt an overpowering urge to go to sleep. And as he tried to fight it, he knew he could not win. As his eyes closed, and he fell back into bed, he was in a deep sleep before his head even hit his pillow.
As he looked upon the sleeping youth, he hoped in the end that Harry would survive his succeeding tests. He had never got involved in mans mortal perils between themselves before, but now there was everything at stake. This boy was the hope for mankind, and he had to trust what the Fates knew and what they were doing. But the Fates had already warned him, that Harry's was a foggy future, and one that they could not accurately see for sure themselves. He raised his arm and Harry's blanket covered him up once again.
He knew that Ginny, the girl that had been predestined to fall in love with Harry, had no idea about their future. The young man she thought she loved, had always been the chosen one for her. Unknowingly for both of them, they were both now involved in a chronicle of historic significances, that started long before Britannia had a king. But this time, she would not be left behind for her protection. She would now help play a major role, and would help guide Harry on this journey. He also knew it would be a long and dangerous one for both of them. But the Fates had also destined Ginny to become a very remarkable, and powerful witch to help him. And later that year, the time would come for both of them to start finding out, how special she really was to Harry.
As he looked out into the castle, he could see the young girl running as fast as she could toward the one that she loved. As Death slowly floated back to the shadows of where he had come from, he wanted to wait to view the young girl that meant so much to Harry's heart. She in time be the one that would help play a pivotal roll in what he needed the young wizard to do for him.
As he slowly disappeared into the shadows, the young Girl was quickly making her way through the castle to Gryffindor Tower.
As Ginny was running up the final set of stairs to get to the entrance of the Gryffindor's common room, she for some reason felt a cold shutter go up her back. She just cast it aside as she started to think of what she would say to him. She was thinking, and wondering to herself, since Harry didn't come find her, if maybe, he didn't really feel the way he use to feel about her. She remembered the way Harry did not come to her defense in the room of requirement, but it also was possible, due to his lame ideas of him trying to protect her from harm. If that was the case, he really needed to grow up, because she was in this relationship for the long haul, and she was going to help him on everything for now on. If his attitude were going to be like Ron's at times, she would have to set him straight. She felt she loved Harry, and wanted to help make him as safe as she knew that he had wanted to make her.
Yes! As soon as Harry was ready for some deep discussion on their relationship, then she was going to make sure that solid ground rules, and fairness was in the foundation. She didn't blame Harry for why she had a living hell this last year at school. She did feel that he gave her no choice in the final decision on the break up on their relationship, and this was an issue needing a long overdue conversation.
No! Her Harry... her very noble Harry... did just what he had to do, and things that he neither asked for, nor wanted to do. Life had dealt him a loaded hand from the start, and he just had to get the job done when he never had wanted to be a hero. All she wanted was Harry to at least talk to her on his problems before he made such rash decisions.
As Ginny approached the Gryffindor entrance, she saw Neville and Luna sitting in a couch with their wands out.
Luna smiled at Ginny and said. "Are you here to aid your knight in shinning Armour Ginny?"
Neville mouth dropped open as he looked at Luna, and he just slowly shook his head, and then turned back to Ginny, and told her. "We needed something to do today, and so we asked McGonagall if we could help stand guard, so the three, and now it looks like the four of you, could get some sleep. And Ginny, you are the only student she said we could allow in today."
As Ginny looked at the entrance, she saw the picture was lying against the wall, but much of the canvas had been ripped, and torn from its frame, and much of it was rolled up against one side of the large frame. The door appeared to have been fixed from whatever had happened to it, and it looked to Ginny like it had been fastened tightly against the doorway. She didn't know, if who ever reattached the door, had made it where she would be even able to get in, or not.
"Neville, how do I get into the common room?" Asked Ginny.
"Oh they just fixed the door, but the Fat Lady needed someone that is a specialist on fixing the cut up parts," Neville replied. "They said it might be a week or so, until someone can repair it properly. All you need to do Ginny, is just say the password, and as long as the Fat Lady hears you, she will open it for you."
"But I don't know what it is, replied Ginny."
Neville then said, "Quidditch Snitch," and from inside the rolled up picture, Ginny heard a muffled voice say.
"You may pass," And then the door swung open.
She walked into the passageway, and then the door started to close, and then she proceeded into the common room. She saw her brother and Hermione holding each other and asleep on the couch. Two Auror's were standing guard at the top of the stairway, and were just outside of the door to where her Harry was. As she walked over by Ron and Hermione, she gave a quick kiss to the tops of both of their heads, and then proceeded toward the stairway.
As she got to the top of the stairs, the first Auror stopped her and told her. "This area has been closed by order of the Minister of Magic. You will need to leave this area immediately young lady."
She told the Auror, "I am Ginny Weasley and have permission from Minister Shacklebolt to be in the room with Harry."
The one standing guard by Harry's dorm room then told her, "You may go in Ginny, but don't wake him up, or we will all have hell to pay for." He moved over to let her pass.
Ginny slowly opened the door and glanced into the darkened room. As she started to proceed into the room, she could feel the cool air in her face. When she turned around to shut the door, she felt the chilling effect of the cold air, and thought this was strange. As she shut the door, she knew something must be causing the abnormally cold in the room.
Since the room was very dark, she pulled out her wand and said "Lumos". The wand cast a steady light on which she could see Harry's bed. She knew it was his for she still remembered over five years ago, when she went through his stuff, looking for Tom Riddle's diary. And as she walked over to the bed, she saw her Harry.
For a long moment she froze, and she could feel her heart pumping in her chest. As she stared at Harry, she could see the thinness in his face, and could tell he had aged quite a bit in nine months. She saw the bruising and the cuts on his face, and when she noticed the bruises just below his neck, she pulled his blanket down to see them better. When she saw the terrible bruises that covered his chest, her own legs grew faint, and then she set down in the chair that was next to the bed. She started to cry, and she felt terrible about all that he had gone through.
And as she reached out with her hand to his arm, and made contact, she felt something entered her body from his. It tickled and stung at the same time, and she knew it was some sort of magic that had come from Harry. As Ginny felt this physical contact, her mind suddenly was feeling quite relieved, and most of the pain and sadness, and all the anger she had kept bottled up toward Harry was gone. She knew for sure somehow, that he at least loved her, and more then anything, he had needed to know that she was safe last night. And as she looked at her one true love, she knew that Harry had somehow told her this morning, that he needed her love, and was so glad to be back to her.
She pulled the covers back up over Harry and then realized that he was wearing his glasses, and thought that was strange. She removed them and put them up on the table next to his bed. She then got up and went to Neville's bed, and pulled the only blanket she saw in the room off his mattress. She then wrapped it around her, and then she set back down in the chair that Ron had put by the bed. She reached out and laid her hand over Harry's, and said, "nox," and as her wand went dark, she closed her eyes, and relaxed. She could feel something best described as a calm rush spreading outward from his hand into her body, and she knew now in her heart that the boy who lived had always been hers.
Ginny also knew in her heart that she was his, and hopefully he could now stop gerrymandering all over the place, and maybe now her life long dream would finally happen. Just touching Harry this morning had given her a new sense of awareness about him, and the strange and lasting calm was still continuing to spread over Ginny. She lay back in the chair with a distance look in her face. As she slowly slipped into a calming sleep, she felt soon she would feel his arms around her, and his lips on hers. She thought it might be possible that they would just pick up where they had rudely ended their relationship last year. Ginny said in a very low voice before she slept, "Harry I missed you so much and I know I love you."
As she fell asleep, a slight movement was made in the shadows, and then nothing else was seen. Slowly over the next few hours the room's temperature returned to normal.
Around two o'clock in the afternoon, Hermione woke up and went up to check on Harry. The Auror by the doorway was sitting in a chair and said to her, "Ginny is in the room and we felt that we should not interfere with anything about the four of you today."
Hermione smiled at him and went into the 7th-year dorm. As she walked into the room, she pulled out her wand, and suddenly the room was aglow in light. She saw Ginny sleeping with a small smile on her face. She was setting next to a sleeping Harry, and Hermione knew that all was probably well in their relationship. As she walked up closer, a large smile spread quickly over Hermione's face in seeing Ginny's hand touching Harry's arm. She had a good feeling that she was seeing the happiness that the two of them had in being back together.
As she thought how Harry and Ginny's relationship over the years, would make a good teen witch novel, because of how the two of them finally got together in the end. Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her lower back, and then she felt herself spun around to be met by Ron's lips against hers.
Ron pulled away and said "good afternoon Mione, how did you sleep… WHAT THE!" He had just noticed that Ginny was sitting next to Harry, and Ron for several seconds, started telling her in several choice words, on what he thought about seeing the two of them together like this. He was quite vocal about not leaving without taking Ginny with him.
Hermione just rounded on him and said, " Ron be quiet and really… they are just like us. They belong together, and if you keep it up, you are going to have my wrath, but remember nothing can compare to your sister's, if you don't cool it!" Ron just looked at Hermione with his mouth moving, but with no words coming out. "Let's go Ron," she told him, as she grabbed his hand, and then needing to slightly pressure Ron along, she pulled him with her, until they were both outside, and then she quickly shut the door to the room.
Italicized text is taken from 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by J. K. Rowling 2007 without permission.
Next Chapter: 'Malfoy's Reversal'
7-3-09 WBW-FB 'Pottercomplete'
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