Chapter 9
"So we have to go?" Lily said sighing deeply.
"I am afraid so," Pandora said pushing her blond hair behind her ear. "The girl is possessed. I see no way she will survive if you do not intervene."
"What is possessing her?" Hermione asked.
Pandora shrugged. "All I know is that it comes from the infernal planes. It is very strong and is highly resistant to our magic." She looked pointedly at Harry. "Your power will be partially effective against it." She turned to Hermione. "It will be up to you to exorcise the demon from the girl's body while Lily and Harry keep it occupied."
Hermione nodded. "I've memorized the spell needed to banish the demon. I just don't know what will happen when it's gone." She looked at Harry. "Were you able to find a containment spell?"
Harry handed her a piece of paper with a circle of runes and sigils drawn on it. Hermione looked down at the text below the picture.
"It says here that the circle must be drawn in salt and blood. TO make a circle big enough to contain that thing, we're going to need a lot of blood." She glanced at Lily. "Is this dark magic?"
Lily shook her head. "It definitely falls in the grey area of magic, but it's not dark. She held out her hand. "Let me see that." Hermione passed her the paper and she looked at the text carefully.
"Harry, we could replace the circle of blood with a circle of braided iron and silver."
"Yes, but I was looking for something fast. Unless DOSA has a containment circle in their archives, we're going to need something fast and we don't have time to commission something like that."
"I may know someone who can get us a circle."
"You do?"
"I do."
"Who?"
"Nicholas does owe us for returning his stone."
**HPSM**
"Why?" Lily asked suspiciously. She glared at the goblet of water and the apple lying beside it.
"I told you," Nicholas said patiently. "I don't know. I just know you need to eat three of these and drink three cups of the water. It is necessary and will be a matter of life and death in the future."
"Whose life and whose death?"
"I don't know. I've told you all I can. Look, I have the circle you need. I even have the spell you need to bind the circle to the floor. All I'm asking is that you eat three of these apples and drink three cups of water."
Lily still hesitated. There was something about that water. Power seemed to waft off it like steam and the apple seemed to glow golden in the dim light of the study. She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all.
"Do you really want to kill a group of animals or people to gain the blood necessary to draw the circle?"
Scowling, Lily seized the cup of water and drained it in one long gulp. She drained the other two goblets of water on the desk before turning her attention to the apples. Once they were gone, she glared at Nicholas. "Are you happy now?"
In answer, Nicholas held out a large iron circle about six feet wide. Braids of silver were wrapped tightly around the iron and the entire construct was etched with binding runes and sigils.
Lily grabbed the circle. Thanks," she said standing to leave. As she left the study, Nicholas spoke up from behind her.
"Good luck, Lily you are going to need it."
"Thank you," Morrigan said stepping out of a shadowed corner.
"Why did you want her to have apples from Otherworld?" Nicholas snapped. "You know that is a key ingredient in the elixir."
"I told you I would get you more," Morrigan growled. "Stop whining. You are six hundred years old. Show some dignity for goddess sake."
"That water and those apples will change her."
"Yes, they will, but she is important to my son and I don't want any harm to come to her."
"Is that the only reason?"
"My reasons are my own," Morrigan said icily.
"I think Lily has a right to know what you are doing."
"And I think if you tell her, I'll destroy your precious stone. Yes, you could probably make another, but can you do it before the elixir runs out?"
Nicholas glared at her, but said nothing. He knew he stood no chance against the Morrigan.
Morrigan nodded to herself. "Our pact is complete. We have no reason to associate with one another." She turned back to the shadowed corner. "Until you tread the path." She stepped into shadows and vanished from view.
Nicholas stared at the corner without moving for a long time. It'd been centuries since Morrigan had walked the earth. He hoped helping her would not come back to bite him in the butt.
**HPSM**
As soon as he entered the room, he felt the chill. It was like stepping into a freezer. He could see his breath steaming on the air in front of him. Glancing over at Dumbledore, Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Why did you want to meet here? I thought for sure you'd want to talk about her before introducing us to the demon girl."
A high pitched voice spoke up from the depths of the room. "Demon girl? I like that, but I can be anything anyone wants. I'm not picky."
Drawing his wand, Dumbledore fired a ball of light into the air. The golden sphere of light hovered just above the ceiling, bringing everything in the room into clearer focus. Harry stared at the girl crouching on the four-poster bed.
She looked like a normal girl. Long red hair flowed down her back and her brown eyes gleamed with mischief.
There was something subtly wrong. It was nothing he could put his finger on, but the angles of her body were off. Her arms were slightly too long. Her legs seemed to curve in unnatural places and her brown eyes had a definite yellow glow to them. It was almost like the creature possessing her was trying to be a human girl, but couldn't get it exactly right.
"Are you sure this is possession? It looks like the demon has already made some modifications to her body. What happens if we remove it?"
"I like you," the girl said. "You ask the right questions. What will happen indeed? Can you risk it?" She giggled. "What happens if I'm removed and this poor innocent girl dies? Can you live with that on your conscience?"
Harry raised a hand, palm out. The girl skidded back across the bed a few feet.
"Nice try, the old power is strong with you. In a century or two, you might even be able to challenge me, but right now, you're just a snack."
Lily stepped up beside Harry, her wand raised. Her motions were quick and precise as she drew runes in the air. With each completed rune, there was a flash of light and the rune hovered in the air, composed of blinding white flames. She stopped moving suddenly, her wand falling to her side. "There," she said.
"What was that?" the girl asked. "I mean I appreciate the light show, but…" A chain of white fire wrapped around her, binding her arms and legs tightly. Snarling, the girl's jaws extended into snapping mandibles. Her voice dropped several octaves as she growled, "You will not stop me, mortals. You have no idea what power you are up against. I will rend the flesh from your bones."
"I think we need to talk," Dumbledore said slowly. "Will those chains hold her?"
"The chains aren't the problem," Lily said. "It's a demon alright and it's making changes to her physiology. If we don't get rid of it soon, she's going to be too far gone for us to help."
"We need to contact Ginny," Dumbledore said. "If she fights with us, we may have a better chance of expelling the demon."
"How do we do that?" Harry asked. "None of us are versed in soul magic and I really don't fancy someone trying to get into her head when a demons riding in the driver's seat."
Suddenly, Harry stiffened. "What?" he began before falling backwards to the floor.
"Harry!" Lily shrieked, kneeling beside him.
**HPSM**
Harry found himself in a graveyard. Looking around, he could see row upon row of tombstones stretching off into the distance. Walking over to the closest tombstone, Harry read the name carved into it.
Dagda, loving Father, noble warrior. He shall be missed.
"He was all of those things and so much more," a woman said from behind him.
Harry spun around and saw the same tall slender woman he'd seen a year ago perched on a stone bench a few feet away. She gestured to him. "Come, sit, we have much to discuss."
Harry hesitated. He really didn't know if he wanted to approach a complete stranger, but he sensed no ill intent from this woman. Quite the contrary, he felt nothing but love and a desire to get to know him. Harry slowly made his way over and sat down beside her.
"I wondered when I'd see you again," he said softly.
The woman's blue eyes sparkled. "Did you miss me?"
"You seemed to have answers," Harry said. "Answers that my Mum doesn't want me to know."
"She's afraid," the woman said, "Afraid that once you find out the truth you will think less of her. She loves you as I love you and neither of us wants to be thought of as a monster."
Harry blinked. "You love me? Why?"
The woman smiled, reaching out with a single finger to tap his nose. "Nice try, but Lily isn't the only one that wants to hold her secrets close for now."
Harry scowled. "I hate secrets."
The woman smiled back. "Only when they're being kept from you." She took both his hands. "Listen to me. You have to contact Ginny."
"How"
"I never thought he'd take things this far, but he has clearly lost his mind. Using a demon is madness."
"What are you talking about?"
"It doesn't matter," the woman said. "I can explain later, but the point is you have to touch her soul. You need to wake her up from whatever dream state this demons got her in."
"How? My power doesn't work with souls."
"You're my s," the woman stopped. "Yes, your power does work with souls, or at least, it can. You can't move souls from one place to another or torture souls, but you can make contact. If you don't, that girl is going to die."
"Then we're wasting time. How long has it been since you and I sat here chatting?"
"Time has no meaning here. Look, if you will allow me to work through you, I can help you contact her soul."
"You mean like possession?"
"No, more like channeling."
Harry didn't hesitate. "If we don't she'll die, right?"
The woman nodded.
"Then how do we do this?"
"I just need your permission."
"You have it," Harry said.
"Alright," the woman said. "Here we go."
Harry felt power surge through him. It felt as if doors previously locked had been blasted off their hinges. Knowledge came with the power. The knowledge of druidic magic, how to call upon the crow and wolf for aid, and more, so much more. Along with the knowledge, came a name.
"Morrigan," He whispered.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," the woman said. "Now, two things.
"First, I know you are going to research me. Don't believe everything you read."
"And the second?" Harry asked.
"Let's go kick some demon arse."
**HPSM**
Harry awoke to Lily shaking him. "Harry?" she said.
"I'm fine. Someone wanted to chat."
"That sounds ominous," the redhead said. "Who was it, one of my kind?"
Harry glanced at her. Shadows writhed around the girl. A large black wolf appeared and tackled her to the bed.
"What is this?" the demon snarled, her elongated jaws snapping closed on the wolf's muzzle.
"Distraction," Harry said appearing on the bed behind her. Threads of grey shadows flowed through the chains, strengthening them and binding her even tighter. Gripping her shoulder, he teleported her into the iron circle in the corner.
No sooner had they entered the circle, white light surrounded the pair, trapping them inside.
"You really think this will hold me?" the girl roared. "I am Naama. I seduced men before you were a thought, little boy. This pathetic circle is nothing to a thing like me."
"You're also a parasite that feeds off the living. This girl never asked you to enter her body now get out."
The redhead twisted in the chains. "I will feast on your heart," she spat. "You can't force me to do anything. You don't have the power or the spells. Go ahead, Do your worst."
Harry turned his head to look at Hermione. He could just make her out through the light of the circle. "Hermione, go for it."
Hermione straightened her spine. Her chocolate brown eyes began to glow. When she spoke, it was as if a quire of voices spoke through her. Her words hammered on the air full of power and authority.
"Regna terrae, cantata Deo, psallite Cernunnos,
Regna terrae, cantata Dea psallite Aradia.
Caeli Deus, Deus terrae,"
The demon screamed like a cat that had been run over by a truck. Golden light began shining from the redhead's eyes and mouth.
Hermione continued, her voice rising with each word. "Humiliter majestati gloriae tuae supplicamus
Ut ab omni infernalium spirituum potestate,
Laqueo, and deceptione nequitia,
Omnis fallaciae, libera nos, dominates."
The demon sank her razor sharp teeth into Harry's wrist. He grunted, pushing his wrist closer to her mouth to try and ease the pressure of the bite. He could feel blood flowing down his arm.
Hermione spoke faster. Her words seem to blend together into one impossibly long word. "Exorcizamus you omnis immundus spiritus
Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio,
Infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,
Omnis and congregatio secta diabolica.
Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, dominates,
Ut coven tuam secura tibi libertate servire facias,
Te rogamus, audi nos!
Ut inimicos sanctae circulae humiliare digneris,
Te rogamus, audi nos!"
The demon's struggles were growing visibly weaker. "I will be back," she hissed. "I will make you all suffer."
Harry's eyes blazed. Unbeknownst to him, they'd turned the blue of sapphires. "Go back to hell," he growled as Hermione continued her chant.
"Terribilis Deus Sanctuario suo,
Cernunnos ipse truderit virtutem plebi Suae,
Aradia ipse fortitudinem plebi Suae.
Benedictus Deus, Gloria Patri,
Benedictus Dea, Matri Gloria!"
At the last word, there was a silent explosion that shook the room. A column of black smoke spilled from the redhead's eyes and mouth and sank into the floor. The fiery chains binding her flickered out. The iron circle surrounding them melted into slag.
Harry drew his wrist out of the girl's mouth and saw, to his great surprise, there were no wounds. There wasn't even a mark where her teeth had been. A thud echoed in the room. Looking up, he saw Hermione lying on her back, her eyes closed. Lily was kneeling beside her.
"Is she alright?" Harry asked.
"She's just exhausted," Lily said straightening up. "She looked at him closely. "How do you feel?"
"I didn't do much, but I feel like I could sleep for a week."
"Why don't you stay here tonight," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure Ginny's parents will want to thank you for what you've done."
Lily hesitated. "I don't know."
Dumbledore held up a hand. "I have no motive besides wanting to see you well rested before you return home.
"I suppose that'll be alright," Lily said stretching.
"Excellent," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I shall go and prepare your rooms."
As he left the room, Lily turned to Harry. "We need to talk."
