Chapter Twenty Six: The Battle Plans:
Harry stood calmly before his mother as she yelled at him and cried and shook him for his letter. His father looked at him calmly but there was pain in his eyes too. Both James and Lily knew this day would come, ever since Lily had her visions that had helped find the Horcruxes they knew it was a matter of time before their son had to face Voldemort. Yet it did not make what Harry was going to do any easier, he was not even finished with school or his OWLS and he was going to fight Voldemort! He was too young for this but there was not much of a choice, he was the only one who could take Voldemort down and destroy him fully.
"Mum I know you worry for me." Harry said once his mother had calmed down enough for him to speak, "but I am the only one for whatever reason can kill Voldemort. I know the headmaster can't, well he cannot kill anyway due to a promise he made years ago."
"How did you find out about that?" James asked, "I never told you."
"He told me, he has been very open with me and has not kept secrets from me. He even told me he was looking for the deathly Hollows."
"The ring the cloak and the wand, oh he doesn't, he can't!" Lily said realizing just what Dumbledore's wand was, "James you are related to the Pervell line, your cloak."
"Yes and the cloak has been handed down for generations, the hallows are still myth even if two of the items exist, I studied the ring and tried to call up my father, it didn't work. Not that I was expecting it to."
"But the elder wand and cloak do work and are real, maybe the stone is still out there." Lily said, "I mean the Gaunt ring just had the Hallows symbol on it."
This of course was not fully true, Lily knew what the stone in the ring was and had found great evil in it. It called up man's greatest desire not just the dead but it was only an illusion. Of all the so called hallows only the cloak had ever brought any since of joy and in fact it was a Potter heirloom. She had managed to convince the headmaster the Gaunt ring was not the stone he sot and so he had stopped looking in that direction. Knowing that Dumbledore had the elder wand offered some comfort as he was strong enough to avoid the temptations it held. If he knew that the Gaunt ring was what he had sot for years the temptation would be too great for him.
"Harry is just trying to change the subject." Rose said glaring at her brother.
"I agree," Violet said, "he challenged Voldemort!"
"I had to, if you know of something to help me now is the time to help me." Harry said, "otherwise…"
"Harry you be nice to your sisters!" James warned him.
"Well there is the myth of the four lockets." Rose said thoughtfully.
"What is that?" Harry asked.
"I have heard of it, the four lockets of the founders when brought together by the heads of houses at Hogwarts will bring forth a weapon only the pure of heart can use." Lily replied.
"There is no record of the lockets surviving." Violet said.
"I know where two are." Lily said, "Salazar's and Gryffindor's but as for the others…"
"Luna has the Ravenclaw one, her family has been the keeper of it for generations." Rose said, "but that leaves one unaccounted for."
"There are rumors it is still at Hogwarts." Harry said, "I remember someone speaking of a locket of Hufflepuff, never really thought anything of it until now."
"Well if we can get these together then maybe we have a chance for you Harry." James said, "if not then you need only shoot him."
"That is unsporting and would not be recognized as a proper duel." Harry said, "I called him out to a traditional duel, no magic but might and if I use a gun then I will be dishonest in my dealings with him."
"You wax poetic dear brother." Violet said teasingly.
Despite Violet's teasing she was as worried as everyone else. This was a long shot, there was no proof this would work and the failure of the holy water was still heavy on everyone's mind. Still this was as good a chance as any for a way to get rid of Voldemort permanently. Harry was right in the fact he could not shoot Voldemort, he had to rely on sword and shield as it were or proof false. He had given the challenge and offered swords for the duel and swords it had to be.
"Well good thing we are at Hogwarts right now." James said, "we can get the heads of houses and see if this works."
"I can speak to Luna." Violet said turning to leave.
"I will speak to Severus." Lily said following her daughter.
"Don't go and marry the sod." James called after her.
"That would be like incest as he is my blood brother you git!" Lily shot back.
Harry grinned and tried to hide it when his father glared at him then grinned ruffling his son's already very messy hair. Sirius came in grinning at this act and let James know that several death eaters had been captured, one of them Lucius Malfoy. Of course it was all a cover for Lucius as he was now spying for the ministry against Voldemort. He had some very good reasons to do so, Voldemort risked exposing the Wizarding world the rate he was going and Lucius did not want that. In fact he never fully had to want to join him but with his grandfather and father pressuring him he never had much of a choice.
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It was later that day the heads of houses were gathered together in the headmaster's office. Each one had their house founder's pendent in their hands and were in a circle with a small silver plate floating in the center. Four circles had been drawn around them, earth, water, wood for fire and feathers for air circled them neatly. Harry stood with his parents hoping that this would work not sure exactly what would happen. At a nod from the headmaster the ceremony started with Sprout stepping forward to place her locket on the plate.
"With power of lady Helga and of earth I put this locket forth for uniting." She stepped back and the locket actually started to glow a light yellow.
"With the power of lady Rowena and of air I put this locket forth for uniting." Flitwick said stepping up and putting his locket across from the Hufflepuff one, the locket glowing a light blue.
"With power of lord Salazar and of water I put this locket forth for uniting." Severus said adding his locket to the plate the locket glowing a light green.
"With power of lord Gryffindor and of fire I put this locket forth for uniting." McGonagall said stepping forward to add her locket to the plate.
"With power of the houses of Hogwarts unite and bring forth the stone!" The four heads said.
There was a flash and the four circles around the heads vanished and the lockets rose from the plate now joined at their ends slowly rotating. The lockets sped up and soon they were a blur, in a flash they broke apart and each head of house reached up and caught their locket. On the silver plate was a small white stone. Harry looked at it entranced and he stepped forward slowly and reached out to pick up the stone. The heads of houses stepped back and let him somehow know this would be alright. Harry picked up the stone and held it in his right hand and closed his eyes. The stone glowed brightly and began to grow, in a short time where there had been only a white stone was a gleaming sword.
"From the depth of time the sword has come to save England once more!" Harry said his eyes glowing, "Excalibur has returned and now will hunt down the dark evil and destroy it once more! From the great lady given once more!"
Is our son king Arthur?" Lily asked James as Harry stood trance-like before them.
"I-I don't know." James replied.
"I am not king Arthur," Harry said coming out of his trance, "just one allowed to use Excalibur, it is an honor to be allowed to."
"So that is what we called up?" Severus said in awe, "I wonder if it will ever work again."
"In time, but for now I have a dark lord to kill." Harry said a glint in his eyes.
This did not make his parents happy at all, oh they wanted Voldemort dead but they did not want to lose their so because of it. Yet they knew Harry was the only one who could kill him and with the way things were going he had to do so soon. In the aftermath of the battle at Hogsmeade Voldemort was still sending out his forces to attack and kill. Magical Briton was not taking this without a fight and Voldemort now had to deal with a people that could and would fight back. This did not mean that the side of good did not suffer, there were many casualties and such and the trauma ward at St. Mungos and daily there was a call for Voldemort's head and Harry would give it to them.
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Later on that evening Harry was seated in the Gryffindor common room with his friends going over what had happened that day. Fred and George were here, Fred with a new eye to replace the one he had lost. It looked exactly like his other eye, the only thing to show he had an injury was the long scar that ran from the top of his forehead down his face to his chin. Neville was doing his exercises with his new arm, he was casting spells with his new wand and was finding it worked very well. He looked up as Harry came in with his sword in its scabbard.
"So you are still alive and unharmed." George said.
"Yes how did it go?" Fred asked.
"I have Excalibur." Harry said going over what had happened that day, "I guess I get to keep him for the time being."
"This is amazing, are you king Arthur then?" Neville asked.
"No, not me, I am the steward of Excalibur nothing more." Harry said, "I find this an honor."
"Ol' Voldy will not know what hit him." Neville said grinning, "I will be your second if you like."
"I would you deserve the honor." Harry said, "I just need armor."
The friends sat and talked going over what they would do while James and Lily retired to their rooms in the castle. Lily stood by the window looking over the castle grounds tears falling down her face. James came behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He felt the pain his wife was in but he knew Harry would get through this, he had to. So much hope on such young shoulders and it was not fair but life was not always fair. James held his wife and let her cry until she was unable to any more. The he carried her to bed and tucked her in getting into bed next to her snuggling up to her knowing that whatever the future brought it could wait until the morning.
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So the secret stone can summon the sword of Excalibur though the four founder's lockets. Now Harry still has the battle to fight but he will go into it with the tools he needs. As stated he is not king Arthur but he is pure enough to use Excalibur.
As for Lily of course she is upset, what mother would not be? She has a hard decision that many mothers have had to over the ages, sending her son off to war. She knows he has to fight but it does not make it any easier for her at all.
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