12 Nov 2001
Andromeda Tonks stepped out of the fireplace into the living room of her friend and fellow healer, Aletha Freeman. She was immediately greeted by an enthusiastic 15-month-old and a frazzled twenty-three-year old.
"Good afternoon, Aletha. How is it going?" Andromeda questioned as she looked around the room. Boxes were piled high, some full and shrunken, others still half-empty.
"Busy," replied Aletha. "A certain little boy here was up at six in the morning, whining for a mangy mutt we know."
Andromeda nodded. Harry had only stopped asking for his parents every morning. Having Sirius disappear on him was too much for the young boy to understand. "Well, why don't we give this cute little boy a checkup, and then I can see about helping you pack up."
Aletha nodded, picking up Harry and placing him on her lap as she sat down on the couch. "Right, let's get started."
Andromeda began with a basic health check. The results showed Harry to be healthy, a little on the tall and thin side, but so was James. He also would need glasses, but again that was expected. If she remembered correctly, James was almost completely blind without his. She moved onto, casting a spell to detect lingering curse damage or dark magic. She really should have done this when he first arrived at her house, but it had been so hectic. As the results came up, she frowned. There appeared to be dark magic originating from the scar on his forehead. Casting a more targeted spell, she gasped.
"What?" cried Aletha frantically, "What is wrong?"
"There is another presence, a dark one, originating from Harry's scar. I am not sure as to what it is, but I have an idea. If I am correct…" she trailed off, unable to say what she was thinking. "I need to look something up. I will back shorty."
And with that, Andromeda departed in a hurry, leaving a confused and concerned Aletha sitting on the couch.
Andromeda stepped out of the floo and hurried into her office. Striding up to her bookshelf, she cast a spell, revealing another shelf of books. This shelf contained those she had pilfered from the Black library before she had been disowned. Pulling out Dark Rituals and Rites, she turned to a familiar page. A page Regulus Black had dog-eared over two years ago during a frantic visit. At the time, she had been confused, he had come in a hurry, spoken to her in vague riddles, rifled through her books, and left. Only after his death had she found the dog-eared page. Even then, she had read it and thought nothing of it. The ritual it describes was so dark and dangerous she had never imagined coming across evidence of it. The only reason she even had the book was because she hadn't wanted Bellatrix to read it.
Looking down at the page, she read the title: Horocruxes: Purpose and Process. Reaching the bottom of the page, she let a tear fall down her cheek. The book confirmed that what she had seen in her scan of Harry was indeed a part of Voldemort's soul. And the only way to destroy a soul fragment that the book mentioned involved destroying the vessel. Killing Harry. Sinking to the ground, she clutched the book in anguish. She couldn't do that. She couldn't kill Harry. Couldn't end an innocent life. Couldn't hurt Sirius, Alice, even Remus, Frank, and Aletha that way. No. She couldn't.
It was on the floor that Aletha found her, almost an hour later. She was clutching Harry in her arms, when she entered the study. "Andy?" Aletha asked. "Are you okay?"
"I can't do it. I can't kill him," Andy half muttered half sobbed.
Aletha paused. "What do you mean you can't kill him," responded Aletha, fear and concern evident in her voice.
Unable to explain in words, Andy merely handed the book to Aletha and sunk her head into her hands. After about five minutes, Aletha put the book down.
"We will find a way. We will NOT kill Harry. We will find a way," repeated, desperately trying to convince herself that what she said was true.
"Yes," responded Andy. "We will find a way. I will not stop searching until we find it."
12 Feb 2002
Andy made eye contract with Aletha about halfway through the party. She nodded, as if to say, "yes, I know. But I can't tell him either. I can't hurt him. Can you?" Looking away, he gaze fell on Sirius who was in the middle of the living room, Harry fast asleep in his arms. He looked happy, happier than he had since James and Lily had died. She knew he wasn't completely better, she could see the sadness in the corner of his eyes, the way he said things and almost seemed to wait for James's response sometimes. She wondered if he would ever be completely over it. But, looking at the young boy nestled in his arms; she knew that if he ever had a chance, it lay with Harry. If she told him, he would never get over it. No. She wouldn't tell him until after they had found a way to safely remove it.
She watched as Aletha walked over to Sirius and grabbed the sleeping boy from his arms. Sirius kissed her, and said something that made Aletha laugh. He then turned, and spotted her across the room. He flashed a trademark Sirius smile and wheeled himself across the room to Andy.
"Hello favorite cousin of mine. I feel like I have hardly seen you all evening. What's on your mind?" he asked.
Andy smiled; Sirius always was good at reading people. "I was just watching you with Harry. You seem so happy and complete with him."
"Yah," responded Sirius, "I've loved him like my own ever since Prongs brought him out of the hospital room and placed him into my arms. I only hope I can raise him well and do James and Lily proud." The sadness creeped back into Sirius's eyes as he mentioned his best friends.
"I am sure you will make a fine father, Sirius."
"I sure hope so. After all, I have another one on the way."
"Ah, yes. A little Sirius. Are you planning on marrying her?"
Sirius paled. "I bought a ring back in October. I was thinking about proposing but then…" Andy nodded in understanding. "Anyway, I wanted to make sure she still wanted me around after, you know," he gestured towards his legs.
"I am sure she will," reassured Andy. "Just don't wait too long, okay?"
"I won't," Sirius promised.
15 March 2002
"I found it!" shouted Aletha, her voice full of joy. "A ritual that cleanses the subject of all dark magic and purifies their heart."
"Let me see," Andy muttered as she grasped the book Aletha was reading. She couldn't get her hopes up yet, not until she had read the ritual. Not until she knew for sure. Reading through the ritual, Andy felt her heart beat up. It might work. It just might work. When she reached the bottom, she turned to Aletha. "We need to do this on the 21st of June. Midday. It is a magically powerful day. And we need two mother's devoted to the child."
Aletha nodded, "I was thinking you and me. By the 21st of June, I will be a mother by blood, so I will count there," she explained, placing her hand across her stomach. "And as for being devoted to the child, well, hopefully me raising him and you being related to his godfather should be enough. It is the best we can do."
Andy nodded in agreement. "The potion and runes needed are quite complicated. I can start obtaining ingredients and then brew the potion, but the runes will be difficult for me. Can you do them?"
"Yes, they shouldn't be to hard. Time consuming, yes. I will start on them right away, as it will give me time to make another attempt if I mess them up."
Andy nodded in agreement, a smile spreading across her face. "This just might work. We just might have a chance."
21 May 2002
A very pregnant Aletha was lying on the couch when Andy flooed in. Slowly, she sat up, hand over her stomach.
"Good morning Aletha, how is the baby?" Andy asked, pulling out her wand and casting a spell.
"The baby is doing quite well, and I suspect that they will come any day now. Although, you already know that, don't you?"
Andy laughed lightly, "Yes, I couldn't help myself. Is Sirius ready?" she asked.
"Ready? He is practically bouncing off the walls in excitement. I sent him to the store with Harry just to get a moment of peace and quiet. He has had a bag packed and ready to go for over a week," Aletha moaned good-naturedly.
"Hopefully he will remain that excited once he has another set of nappies to change. I remember Ted had an uncanny ability to disappear when Nymphodora needed a changing."
"Sirius does seem to be unavailable more often than he should be. Although I cannot complain too much, he did look after Harry while I was taking my nursing classes, and will look after Lyra too when I start working this fall. Part of me thinks he is bored."
Andy nodded, "He may well be, he was always off chasing bad guys during the war. He may love you, Harry, and the baby dearly, but he is not the type of guy to sit around doing nothing."
"I agree. But now, enough gossip. I know you must have started the ritual potion this morning. How is it going?" Aletha said, sobering up.
"It looks good. It now has to simmer for a month. It will be ready the morning of and will last for twelve hours. How are the runes?"
"They are almost done. I figured I would have far less time after the baby is born," Aletha responded. "As for Sirius and the baby, I have arranged a plan. I had Sirius schedule his next doctor's appointment for the 21st, in the morning. He will likely be gone until at least early afternoon. As for the baby, Remus has agreed to babysit, he thinks Harry has an appointment."
"Good," nodded Andy. "Since we haven't told Sirius yet, I don't want to tell him unless this fails."
"Agreed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pee again."
21 June 2002
Andy finished spreading the flower petals out into a circle as Aletha placed the rune-covered platform in the center. It was time to begin. Reaching into her bag, Andy pulled out a small vile of light blue potion and motioned for Aletha to bring Harry over. "Hey buddy," she asked, "can you drink this for me and your mummy?"
Harry nodded, and opened his mouth as Andy slowly poured the potion in. "Yucky," he said softly, his features screwed up in disgust.
"I'm sorry, Harry," responded Aletha, "after me and Aunt Andy do some magic with you we can go inside and have a cookie, alright?"
Harry nodded eagerly as the mention of cookies and happily followed the two witches to the center of the circle. "Harry, can you sit right here?" Andy asked, pointing to the center of the rune inscription. Harry nodded and sat down, looking in interest at the carved platform.
Drawing their wands, the two witches stood on opposite sides of Harry and began chanting:
With earth and air
Spirit, fire and sea
Through the elements
I now cleanse this child
Through their virtues which I extoll
Darkness I now remove from his soul
By earth and air
Spirit, fire and sea
For the good of all, blessed be
A bright, golden-white light spilled out of the tips of their wands, and formed a dome around Harry. Holding tightly to their wands, Aletha and Andy could feel the magic searching for their intentions. Pushing all of their love towards Harry into their wands, they suddenly felt the magic fly forward and attack Harry. For a moment, they grew concerned, until they saw the magic center itself around his scar.
After a few minutes, the magic began to struggle against them again, and they watched in horror as a black mist poured out of Harry's scar and fought against the golden magic. Again, they pushed all of their love and happiness into the spell and watched transfixed as the gold began beating the mist, until the mist finally disappeared. As soon as the black mist disappeared, the magic relaxed, and faded until it could no longer be seen.
Sensing the ritual was done, Aletha rushed forward to Harry, who was laying on the platform, unconscious. She quickly cast a diagnostic spell, and then relaxed. "He is just unconscious, not hurt," she reassured Andy.
"And the soul fragment?"
Aletha cast another spell, and then visibly relaxed as she read the results. "It's gone," she cried, hugging Harry tightly. "It's really, truly, gone."
A/N: I based the wording of the cleansing ritual on a wiccan one. If anyone has any suggestions on how to improve/change it, let me know.