Chapter 11
Harry remained unconscious through the next days. Next day Ginny found out, rushed in and stayed by the bedside all day long. She shouted to Ron for not telling. "You know if we called you Mum would know. You know how she is" Ron answered. Kingsley instructed them not to talk to anyone and they agreed.
So Susan and Anthony will take shifts. Ginny will stay the day time with some help. Hermione would manage the night with Luna.
The next day DA members came in randomly. In the evening before the dinner time Prof Snape visited. Hermione gave Luna that slot and took over in the night. In the second night Harry stirred and she called Anthony who said that Harry was having bad dreams it seems. 3rd day morning found Harry shouting in his dream and when he opened his eyes they were red. Neville and Ginny who were there at the time found small scar behind his ear has opened up and started bleeding. Anthony came as Ginny shout but could not close it. Hearing Ginny shout Luna came in. Then she shouted for Hermione and Neville ran to bring her. When Hermione came she heard Luna shouting in very shrill voice, "Come out of it Harry, Haaryyy…"
Looking at Hermione she said "Again! I can't stop it". Hermione reached for Luna with one hand and in other grabbed Harry's hand while Luna in other hand grabbed Harry's right hand. Harry was thrashing so Neville and Anthony hold him back. Hermione chanted something under her breath. After some time Harry pacified and slept off. Anthony forced him a calming draught.
Andromeda standing at the door watching said "We should call the Order meeting". Ginny was not willing. But Andromeda went to floo the Minister and the Headmistress.
Upon discursion they decided to call only the people who know the whole incident. A normal dinner at Harry's places nothing out of ordinary, to celebrate the return of Hermione and Luna. Neville stayed back and informed all. Then he went down to talk to Prof Snape. After some time they came up and talked to Luna and Anthony while Hermione excused herself to help Andromeda in kitchen.
Luna came in the kitchen and said "The professor checked Harry's wound. His face went white. As we thought last time, Hermione, the wound is not a normal one. This time it took more magic and energy to bring him back."
"What last time?" Neville asked from behind, "Luna! I could say you two are not telling something."
"What is it?" Andromeda asked.
"You tell then," Hermione said to Luna and Luna started "You know they went to bring me back from Salem. There Harry had a small episode like this. The same way bleeding. You saw us holding him. We were channeling our magic to him. Last time it took five minutes but this time…"
Andromeda became grim and told Neville to inform Prof Snape as she went to talk to others.
There was a very uneasy silence in the upper floors of the house.
At sundown all started to arrive. Mr. Weasley came with Percy from the Ministry and said the Minister will be coming soon. The Headmistress came in. Bill and Fleur left their children to Molly and came. Molly was not informed. Ron came in and went to talk Neville. Augusta Longbottom came in too, much to Neville's surprise. Then the Minister came and Neville stood to brief them as Luna went down to call Prof. Snape.
Suddenly Ginny shouted "Harry" and ran to the other side of the door where a red eyed Harry stood. Harry came in shoving back Ginny hard. Ginny again tried to hold his hand when Harry gave a bone chilling laugh and said, "Silly little girl".
Ginny staggered back to the door and bumped to Malfoy and said "Tom?" Harry laughed again and from the stairs Luna shouted, "Harry come back". Luna came in fast dogging Prof. Snape and then Malfoy holding on Ginny and pushed Harry in the middle of the room where Hermione meet her. They again hold hands and chanted. But Harry was struggling and laughing uncontrollable. Arthur joined the circle as Neville and Dean held onto Harry.
Everyone was stunned. Prof. Snape casted a full body bind and Harry went rigid. After almost half an hour Harry started dosing off. Anthony checked and Harry's eyes were back to normal. Prof Snape told Anthony to administer a large dose of dreamless sleep.
They transfigure a chair into a cot and let Harry on it then forced him the medicine.
Every one took the nearest place; some on chair some on the ground and sat.
"Someone please explain" said Prof. McGonagall in a strained voice. No one said a single thing.
Malfoy was still holding onto Ginny and strangely she was holding his hand tightly back and sniffing. After a while Ginny said "Tom is back in Harry".
Everyone started to talk at once. "What do you mean back?" "In Harry? IN HARRY!" "We destroyed all the Horcrux didn't we?" "This is insane." "How in Harry?"
Kingsley used his most authoritative voice and shouted "Silence", then, "Ginevra Are. You. Sure?" Ginny nodded and said, "Ask Hermione." All eyes turned towards her.
"Miss Granger?"
"Harry is a not as such a Horcrux, I think", she took a deep breath and started. "Tom Riddle experimented with soul magic and knew to anchor his soul fragments in objects. At the end when Harry killed him a fragment might have anchored Harry. Harry was a known place to Tom's Soul and I have learned that at the time of death the soul gets fragmented and tries to anchor to the nearest known objects."
"And where did you learn this?" asked Prof Snape.
"During my travel", she answered.
"So now what?" voiced the Minister. "Severus?"
Prof Snape shook his head in no.
"Minerva? Arthur?" No response.
Augusta Longbotton opened her mouth for the first time "Soul magic is not a common thing in Britain, we might need external experts."
So the Minister went to his office to connect his counterparts in different countries. They had tea and started talking in whisper. Ginny sat on a couch and went on sniffing. Draco sat near in the floor with Blaise. Parvati and Lavender consoled Ginny. Padma talked to Bill and Theo and three of them started casting on Harry for traces of any unknown curse but found none. So McGonagall urged Snape. When Snape started casting everyone stared in amazement as colorful jets of light came out of his wand. He was meticulous but Harry's body didn't respond. Then Snape thought of something and casted again and a dark red light started glowing from the open scar behind Harry's ear. The boys grouped together and talked. The seniors discussed in another group where Snape joined.
Minister came back in an hour and said "There is no known Soul magic practicing wizard in western part of north hemisphere. South Americans are connecting the only one expert they got."
"Atiyniyuq kay Pachacuti!" Exclaimed Luna as Hermione nodded in negative and said "I have already discussed this to him. He can't help."
At this Snape looked at Hermione hard and in a stilly menacing asked "How long did you know this Miss Granger?"
"The day after the war Luna and I took him to Madam Pomfrey for this wound I had a suspicion. But madam said nothing so I let it go. Then after the first encounter with Pettigrew, Harry came to me in US. I again become suspicious and contacted Mr. Pachacuti. He said the only solution is to…." Hermione couldn't finish.
"Kill Potter?" Snape raised an eye brow. Hermione looked at the floor as Ron moved and stood by her.
"There must be a way. There always is", said Luna and Neville together. The Minister then said, "Zin Al Maasai was also contacted, expert in vodun. Don't make face Severus." Snape glared. "We send news in Asia. Let us see."
So the seniors took dinner and dispersed. Then after a round of talk others went out too. Only Neville, Ron, Dean, Anthony remained with Hermione and Luna. Ginny was taken home by her father and Percy.
The boys decided to give the girls rest from the night shift and Luna and Hermione went to sleep.
"I know, I know, we will call you when he is up. Don't fret Hermione" said Neville while Anthony and Dean nodded. The girls talked late in the night trying to sleep.
Next morning Winky called them down. They dressed and rushed down to see Kingsley, McGonagall, Flitwick, in the kitchen with Neville and Dean. Andromeda signaled them to sit down. Next come Ron and Mr. Weasley, and last Snape.
"Al Maasai can't come. His country is at civil war", Minister said without any preamble.
No one said a word. They sipped their tea.
Harry sleeps through the day as they enlarge his room for meeting.
Evening they gathered again. DA members look scared. Ron comes up and says "Ginny is not eating. She is scared."
"We are all scared mate", says Seamus stepping out of the fire place who comes in with Erni.
Andromeda comes in, "Minister is coming, Neville call Severus, Luna floo the Headmistress. Ron can you call your fathers and brothers? Let's go and wait in Harry's room. Hermione, please go to the kitchen for some refreshment. Tell elves we would have dinner again today just like yesterday and handle the menu please".
"Andromeda is not doing well as much as she shows", thought Hermione as she goes.
Luna comes to call Hermione and they go to Harry's room. Minister is yet to come. Professors McGonagall and Filtwick have come and so have the Weasleys; Andromeda started the tea. "Prof. McGonagall had grown few more lines around her eyes" observes Hermione. "So have all of them. They are fighting it far long than us, very tiring, this war," says Neville and Hermione realizes she is talking out loud.
Suddenly Ron shouts, "Ginny where is Snape?" "Coming", as Ginni answers they saw Ginny coming with Malfoy. Ron has already lost his temper and shouts out loud, "Who has called him?"
The 'him' flinched and steps back towards the door. Ginny grabs him by the coat and stops his movement and he stops! Hermione astonishingly look as a pair of gray eyes meets Ron's steadily. Percy calls out Ron as Neville walks in between the line of site of the duo and says "Malfoy settle down". Ron goes on glaring and there is a tension in the room as Malfoy takes the seat by Ginny's chair; on the ground! Dean was sitting nearby and passes the tea which in turn Malfoy passes to Ginny, then takes his own. "Just like a theater", Lavender murmurs in Hermione's ears as Padma elbows Parvati. "Did you know this, whatever is this?" She asked back to Lavender to which got an answers in Trelawney's grim voice, "had a feeling."
Prof. Snape crosses the door when the floo goes up and the Minister has arrived. Minister let everyone to take a seat and started, "No one in Polynesia….. But", took a sip of tea and cleared the throat.
"What is it Kingsley?" asked McGonagall.
"There is a news from Asia, from your mentor Hermione, here the letter", and gave it to her. While she opened and read it Kingsley continued that "there is a way, he writes to me."
"He? Who?"
"Rinpoche could be connected through Chaudri via senior Patil." He pointed towards Patil twins who looked astonished. "He doesn't know the actual reason and YOU TWO will not tell." They nodded in agreement.
"Minerva, do tell your prodigy to enlighten us without wasting time," said Snape.
"The process is very complicated and rarely used", said Hermione.
"And your mentor said you have done it before", supplied the Minister.
"Never alone, in a group of experts."
"What is needed to be done Miss Granger? What is the procedure?" asked the Headmistress and it was all over classroom again.
"We need to break the soul and separate the aberration from it." She says.
"Ah! And how do you propose to do that?" Snape drawls at propose.
Hermione stairs at him and says "we need someone to cast unforgivable".
Snape raises his single eyebrow in mocking. McGonagall intervenes, "Tell us" she says.
"There is a procedure to cleanse the soul and remove intrusion but needs the soul to in the verge of coming out of the body and hold their. The alien Soul has to be placed inside an object before it takes hold of any other host. The object has to be destroyed then." She stops to breath.
Minister stands up and stops her and said "beyond this, anyone needs to know, must be under Fidelius Charm. Any one do not wishes, please come forward and I would obliviate and let them go". No one steps forward and Minister signals Hermione to cast the Fidelius over.
After that she continues, "We need a group. Who could hold a safety case in which this is to be performed and I would break the sole." Then she stairs directly to Snape and says, "And one who can cast a Cruciatus and an Imperius simultaneously AND modulate the power of the both curses to hold the Soul at a fixed place."
The temperature of the room drops significantly and many shivers. Hermione then looks onto Kingsley and says, "This soul breaking is not the way done by the dark lord. It is not essentially breaking the soul but more like purifying it. To cast we need very strong magical sole."
Arthur asks, "How do you determine the power of a core?" Hermione looks at Luna so did every one.
"Oh! That is my PhD work," Luna says. "I have a machine which can estimate the strength of magical core. I call it rainbow device. It is a kind of spectroscope you see." Most faces went blank.
"How would you obtain the spectrum Miss Lovegood?" asks Snape.
"Oh that's very easy you see, clash Fidelius with Imperius" She says airily and every one stares at her.
"If you hadn't got a PhD Luna dear …." says Prof. Filtwick.
"Oh you see Professor I have it with me, we can do it now," Luna says in excitement, "I got an US patent too."
"No not now, let's first decide the candidates." Kingsley intervenes.
"I think we need to do a physical examination first" Andromeda says.
Next day from morning there would be the tests.
Next morning they started around ten. Professors were present to observe and so was Andromeda. Bill volunteered to cast the Imperius as he has got a permission as curse breaker.
Luna brought in the box, opened and fixed the apparatus. They used a projector to project the aura of the soul on a screen Luna made them hang on a free wall. "Who first?" was answered by Neville and Luna let him sit on the chair, and casted a Fidelius. Then Bill cast and asked and Neville struggled after a few seconds the screen becomes very bright green. Lavender sitting with a parchment writes down as Luna tells the score of saturation.
Ron golden orange with small hair line cracks, Dean sky blue, and so it went off. Once they finishes the professors come in. Prof. McGonagall had a blackish red; Prof. Filtwick had a watery blue. Then came Prof Snape and his was a very bright electric blue with black crack lines in them. Andromeda had a forest green with shades of black.
Luna said that she needs to analyze and would give a report later.
That evening Luna requested to call another meeting. All were very very tired and Ginny went on protesting about soul magic.
Luna laid out the plan. "Prof Snape had the highest saturation and a huge knowledge in the dark art field as well as about Riddle. Sir if you would agree to cast the unforgivable curses it would be most helpful." The Professor gave a cart nod of consent so Luna went on, "I would hold the object and Hermione would cleanse. Dean, Blaise, Theo and Ron would create the magical barer which Neville should bind together. We need some more to take care of us during and after the procedure. So may be Daphne, Fleur, Parvati would be helpful with Anthony and Susan. Percy and Padma with Prof. Flitewak should go on checking the magical leakage and monitor the temperature. Hermione says it is going to be burning hot."
Then she looked at Lavender and said, "Lavender, Bill please, do not come into the circle. Werewolf damage is susceptible to larger crack in soul. Stay outside the circle. Is that all right?"
Prof. McGonagall started to talk when Anthony chimed in, "Madam your blood pressure is not stable. As a fully qualified healer I forbid your participation." The Madam grumbled under breath.
Kingsley said, "There is a legal problem. Legally we need permission from Harry or his next to kin to perform this procedure."
Ginny cried, "There is no next to kin, I am the fiancé and I forbid it."
Her whole family started to talk to her. Neville and others looked in warring eye, but she wouldn't listen.
"But Ginny, Harry recently got a next to kin," rang out Luna's voice. Everyone whipped their face, "WHO?"
"Why, Hermione." Luna smiled.
"WHAT?" shouted Ron and Ginny together.
"It's not what you're thinking Ron. My parents adopted Harry in muggle world. We are brother and sisters."
"Oh!"
"Would it hold in magic world too, Minister?" asked Luna and got the answer in a nod of approve.
"We need to get a special permission for the professor to cast unforgivable to," Luna went on and Snape nodded in yes.
Ginny said "I want to participate too."
"Ginny you are emotionally not stable when it comes to Harry as well as Tom and you know it. Don't you?" said Luna. Without waiting for answer she told Andromeda, "Draco should also not come near. He might have a magical leakage."
"Well where do you want to perform this?" asked Headmistress. "An open clean place near the sea would be good," says Hermione.
"Vel, you could wuse Shell Cottage. Ez et not Bill?" Said Fleur, "Vare you buried Doby?"
"Good. Hermione?" Hermione answered yes to Luna.
"So it is settled, you fix the date Hermione", went on Luna.
"Err Lunaaa?" reminded Hermione.
"Oh yes! Professor we first need to cleanse your core", Luna blurted out to Snape.
"What? NO."
