Week 9: Battling Mrs. Black
The next two weeks at Grimmauld Place flew by. As the day when he would return to Hogwarts drew nearer, Harry was growing increasingly frantic in his search for a way to remove Mrs. Black's portrait.
He absolutely refused to leave Sirius in this house with that foul woman still on his wall.
Fairly early in his search, Harry had come to the conclusion that no existing spell would work to remove the portrait. It had likely been an original spell that had been used to stick it to the wall in the first place. With that discovery in mind, Harry set about crafting his first original spell.
Before he'd known anything about Arithmancy or Spell-Crafting, Harry had foolishly assumed that creating an original spell was as simple as picking out some Latin words, creating a wand movement, and thinking really hard about what you wanted.
He couldn't have been more mistaken.
There was a reason most Witches and Wizards never attempted to create their own spells. The process was incredibly complex, tedious, and time-consuming. Most people felt that the reward simply wasn't worth the effort.
Harry, however, was not most people.
There was something about the process of starting from nothing and solving a problem that he found thrilling. He loved piecing together information in order to find a solution. It was why he had loved mathematics as a child. It was why he couldn't resist involving himself in the mysteries that popped up every year. He loved puzzles. The more tedious and difficult they were, the more he enjoyed them.
These traits gave Harry the ideal mindset for spell creation.
While most people would loathe the amount of arithmetic, trial-and-error, and uncertainty that went along with the process, Harry found himself enthralled with the challenge posed by creating a new spell.
Harry may have enjoyed the process of developing the new spell, but it certainly wasn't easy for him. Undoing a spell was even more difficult than just inventing an independent spell because you had to take into account the Magical Structure of both the old spell and the new.
Magical Structure was the key to Spell-Crafting. Every spell had a Magical Structure. The structures were representations of the way the magic flowed, the intent of the magic, and the way the spell was meant to interact with outside objects. The Magical Structure of a spell could be calculated through a series of equations that relied on the spell's incantation. Most thought that the incantation created the magic, but it was actually the other way around. The incantation was dependent on the Magical Structure. When someone created a spell, they would first design the magical structure, inputting very specific numbers to describe the intent, flow, and external interactions. Only after that was done could they create an incantation. The number of syllables, letters, and words in the incantation had to be arithmetically compatible with the spell's Magical Structure. That was why so much of the Latin in spells was incorrect. The Spell-Crafter would start from pure Latin but would be forced to alter the language to fit the spell's Magical Structure.
The incantation was essential to a spell's performance even for those using non-verbal magic because it helped channel the Magical Structure of the spell in the right way. Any stray thought in your head while attempting to cast non-verbally would likely be incompatible with the structure of the spell. That was why non-verbal spellcasters had to maintain all their focus on the spell's incantation in order to be successful. The wand movement and any emotions necessary for casting the spell (such as happiness for a Patronus or anger for a Cruciatus) also helped to properly channel the Magical Structure.
Crafting a spell that counter-acted another spell was even more difficult because you had to design a Magical Structure that perfectly counteracted the Magical Structure of the spell you had to undo. Then, you had to develop an incantation that was compatible with your new Magical Structure and that of the original spell.
If that wasn't difficult enough, Harry was at a distinct disadvantage because he didn't know the incantation of the spell Mrs. Black had used. When he had first discovered that he didn't know the incantation, Harry had almost given up the project as a lost cause. It was only after reading a passage from an obscure text on Magical Theory that Harry found the solution to his problem. The book had explained that in rare cases, those with above-average magical power could learn something called Spell Sensing. The book had explained that Spell Sensing was possible by focusing one's magic and extending it out into the physical plane. If the individual had enough power and openness, they would be able to experience the Magical Structure of any spell.
Harry didn't consider himself to be extremely powerful, but he hoped he might be powerful enough to attempt Spell Sensing. Early one morning, before anyone else was awake, Harry had crept down to the landing in front of Mrs. Black's portrait, trying to imagine the sensation he felt in his chest whenever he cast with his wand.
He felt nothing from the portrait, quickly growing frustration.
Just as he was about to give up completely, Harry felt it: his magic. It was a warm thrum throughout his body, almost like a second heartbeat. Harry focused on the feeling and imagined projecting the sensation out toward Mrs. Black's portrait.
Harry had expected the process of Spell Sensing to produce an image of the magic. He was wrong. Instead of seeing the Magical Structure of Mrs. Black's spell, Harry could hear it. It was like an orchestra, the different pieces of the spell layering atop one another to produce a cohesive whole that nevertheless had distinct parts.
Harry didn't know how long he stood there with his eyes closed, just listening. The spell may have had malicious intent behind it, but the music it produced was exhilarating. Harry didn't understand why, but as he listened to the music of the spell, he began to hear the incantation. It was like a ghostly choir had joined the orchestra. Their voices began distant and incoherent but slowly and surely they became clear:
Meta et Permanens Monitus
Meta et Permanens Monitus
Meta et Permanens Monitus
He had it! The spell loosely translated to "a permanent reminder." Harry could only guess that Mrs. Black had wanted to remind Sirius of her disappointment and loathing. What a foul woman.
With the spell successfully discovered, Harry now had all the pieces he needed to develop a spell to remove the portrait. He plugged the incantation into the proper equations and was able to get a mathematical representation of the Magical Structure. With that done, he developed a Magical Structure that perfectly de-activated Mrs. Black's. Harry thought the process was likely similar to the chemical equations he had seen Dudley struggling over for his summer Chemistry assignment. His goal was to design a structure that would render Mrs. Black's spell inert.
After he had managed to create a satisfactory Magical Structure, Harry began the task of developing an incantation. With the help of his Latin dictionary, Harry tried to come up with an incantation that would properly channel the Magical Structure he had designed. He felt very much like an idiot as he used his fingers to count the syllables of different combinations of increasingly incorrect Latin words. Finally, after many failed attempts, Harry had produced an incantation that, if he had done all his math properly, would remove the portrait: Delere Permanatum, Extermina Malum.
Unfortunately, because it was currently three in the morning, Harry would have to wait until the next day to test the spell. Also unfortunately, he couldn't perform the magic himself. The last thing he needed right now was to get another warning for underage magic.
Because he wanted to really surprise Sirius, there was only one person he trusted enough to help him do this without giving away the game: George.
The next morning after breakfast, Harry approached George as subtly as possible. "Hey, George," he whispered. "Can you help me with something?"
"Of course, Harry," George whispered back, a dangerous glint of mischief in his brown eyes. "Why all the secrecy?"
"I'm trying to surprise Sirius with something," Harry told him. "I made a spell that should get Mrs. Black's portrait off the wall, but I can't perform the magic myself."
"Hold on," George said, looking very surprised. "Are you telling me that you created a spell in the time we've been here?"
Harry was confused. Hadn't he just said that? "Yes?" he said, uncertainty clear in his tone.
George looked at him like he really was an idiot. "You really don't understand what you just did, do you?" he asked, shaking his head in fond exasperation. "If the spell you created really works, we're talking about really impressive magic. Beyond NEWT-level magic, even!"
"I didn't know that," Harry said blushing a bit. "I just wanted to help."
George shook his head again. "You never cease to amaze me, Harry," he said. "You do things the rest of us can't even dream of doing, and then you just blow it off like it's no big deal. If this works, you should be so proud! Heck, I'm already proud of you! Even if it doesn't work, it's huge to even attempt something like this!"
George's excitement was contagious, bringing a smile to Harry's face. He didn't think what he'd done was all that special, but he was glad he had made George proud.
"I'll be glad to do the spell, of course," George told him. "There's an Order meeting tonight. We should do it then."
Waiting until the Order meeting was torture. When it finally started, Harry and George made their excuses and left the others in the library.
Harry would have told Hermione, Ron, and Ginny if he thought they could keep it secret. Even Fred wasn't safe. He and George had a bad habit of giving each other mischievous looks when they were pranking. Sirius was no fool. If they didn't keep all the signs of excitement off their faces, he would see right through them. Pranking a Marauder was no easy feat.
Harry and George crept down to the landing that housed Mrs. Black's portrait. George drew his wand and cast a Silencing spell over the portrait. It wouldn't hold back Mrs. Black's screams for more than a few minutes, so they had to move fast. They opened the curtains, watching Mrs. Black's mouth move as she silently berated them. George ran his wand up and down the portrait as Harry had instructed.
"Delere Permanatum, Extermina Malum. Delere Permanatum, Extermina Malum. Delere Permanatum, Extermina Malum."
After the third pass of George's wand, the portrait fell from the wall. Harry leapt forward and caught it just before it hit the ground.
The spell had worked perfectly. Not only had it removed the portrait from the wall, but it had also deactivated the spells that kept Mrs. Black animated. She was now perfectly still. She could pass for a Muggle portrait. Harry had hoped for this result when he had written the spell. It translated as "Remove what is permanent. Erase what is evil." By targeting the malicious intent as well as the permanence of the painting, he had ended all the spells on Mrs. Black's portrait.
Harry and George carefully carried the painting up to Harry's room where they would prepare for phase two of the plan. Once they were safely hidden behind his door, Harry laid the painting on his bed and gathered up all the copies of the Daily Prophet he had been able to find around the house, many of which had pictures of his own face on them.
Together, using the newspapers and a copious amount of spellotape, Harry and George clumsily wrapped the portrait. They had even managed to find a ribbon which George tied around the parcel before charming it to run through the colors of the rainbow in rapid succession.
The final part of their plan relied heavily on Hedwig. Harry wasn't worried. He knew his owl was smart enough to complete her assignment. George cast a Feather-Light Charm on the package before Harry tied it to Hedwig's leg.
"This is for Sirius," Harry whispered to his beloved owl. "I know he's in the same house as us, but I need you to pretend that you're coming from somewhere else, ok?"
Hedwig bobbed her head up and down in agreement.
"We also need to change your color," Harry said, stroking her feathers. "Don't worry, it's only temporary."
George waved his wand over Hedwig, turning her feathers from bright white to a dull brown.
Harry had never seen a bird look so offended.
Harry took Hedwig to the window and released her into the crisp night air. Everything was ready.
Their plan went into effect after dinner.
Everyone had just finished eating when there was a tapping at the window. It was the disguised Hedwig. Mrs. Weasley opened the window, and Hedwig soared straight to Sirius. Looking confused, Sirius untied the parcel from her leg.
"Who's that from?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I've no idea," Sirius said, frowning. "It can't be anything dangerous though, or it never would have made it past the wards."
Harry and George exchanged a victorious glance. They had really wanted to send the portrait anonymously, but they hadn't wanted anyone to think it was a potential threat. They had assumed, and rightly so, that the wards would have redirected any dangerous mail. This meant that Sirius, despite not knowing who had sent the package, had no reason not to open it.
Sirius tore open the wrapping. His face twisted with confusion, then elation, then confusion again. "What the hell?" he exclaimed. "How is this possible?"
Sirius held up the portrait so the rest of the table could see. Everyone broke out in confused chattering. Almost as one, they rushed up the stairs to the closed curtains that had once concealed Mrs. Black's painting.
Sirius ripped the curtains aside to reveal a blank wall with a note taped to it. The note had only two words on it: "mischief managed."
"Sweet Merlin," Sirius whispered. "Who? How? What?"
Harry almost couldn't hold back his laughter as he watched Sirius try to figure out what the hell had happened.
Harry was glad when George finally interceded, likely saving his poor godfather from an aneurysm.
"Well, Sirius," George said playfully. "It turns out that your godson is rather skilled at Spell-Crafting."
Sirius turned toward Harry. "Is that true, Harry?" he asked. "Did you do this?"
Harry nodded, trying and failing not to blush as everyone's eyes turned toward him. Sirius practically flew toward Harry, engulfing him in the tightest hug Harry had ever experienced.
"I can't thank you enough for this Harry," Sirius whispered. "I don't know what I could've possibly done to deserve someone like you in my life."
Overcome with happiness, Harry smiled at George over Sirius' shoulder. They were both thinking the same thing: best prank ever.