A/N I'd just like to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has reviewed
so far!! You keep me going!! I have had a bit of difficulty writing this
chapter, I had loads of ideas just wasn't sure how to put them!! Please
don't waste your time and mine by flaming, but phrase your reviews with
constructive criticism . . . if something is wrong with my story I really
need to know. Anyway enough of me going on. . .here's my next chapter!!
Chapter Thirty Three ~ Real Courage
"Ok, so what do I have to do?" Harry asked, gritting his teeth. He could hardly standing being in the same room as Draco Malfoy, but having to talk to him, and listen carefully to his replies was almost torture.
Draco smirked. It was not his usual cold, calculating smirk, but one of rebellion. "It's simple really, any fool could do it. Then again you might have a bit of trouble."
Harry scowled. "We don't have time for this Malfoy!"
Draco shook his head. "Unless it failed your notice, let me reiterate the situation to you. Mudblood is in my father's hand and is currently without a soul, you want to help, and only I know how."
"You're loving this, aren't you?" Harry demanded.
"Every second." Draco replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~
"A soul swap is not a simple straight forward business, Weasley." Snape said, silkily.
Ron sniffed. "I know. But Harry feels he must help, and when Malfoy. . ."
"Malfoy?!" Snape snarled.
Ron nodded, glumly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~
"You see Potter, the souls are kept, stored if you like, in the Marinachi, the headquarters of the dementors. It was once controlled by the ministry, but over the years they have slowly lost any foothold they had there. Fudge was too scared to try and reclaim command. . ."
"Is this leading somewhere?" Harry demanded. The idea of Draco instructing him, was very trying on his shallow temper.
"Calm down." Malfoy sneered. "I'm just savouring my hour of control."
"Make the most of it."
"I intend to." Malfoy grinned. "So where was I? So that's where the souls are kept, guarded supposedly by the dementors, but there is the rumour that something else guards the dark hallways of Marinachi. Putting that aside, you have to remove your soul, and have someone take it to Marinachi and exchange it for Mudblood's."
"You'll take it?" Harry demanded.
Draco shook his head. "I doubt you'd trust, and besides only a fool would walk openly into Marinachi."
"You're scared." Harry said. "So I have to release my soul, and take it. . ."
"No, someone must take it for you, you won't be able to think without your soul. Don't suppose you'd know that, your mother being what she was. . ."
Harry glared but didn't raise to the bait. His mind was already on the dark, sinister halls way of Marinchi, and the spell he would have to perform. . .and there was the but. But who was going to exchange the souls?
"I suggest you read this." Malfoy tossed him a book.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~
"The Marinachi ~ the mystical, dangerous land of the dementors. Many years ago these foul, life sucking creatures were banished from our fair lands. They destroyed everything the wizarding world stood for, and it soon became evident that they could not be controlled. They left our cities, our world and formed their own city, a safe house for all banished creatures. The Marinachi, is a stone fortress, not dissimilar to Azkaban, it's forbidding turrets tower above the clouds, as the grey stone rots.
When Azkaban was first founded, the ministry got together to decide on a guard. Many different species were studied, and aurors were the first choice. But no one feared the aurors, many were attacked and killed, or badly hurt. So we needed a more powerful guard, one who inspired fear into the hearts of all wizards. The answer, the long forgotten dementors.
The ministry travelled to the Marinachi and made a deal with the soul sucking creatures. Many wizards campaigned against reintroducing these creatures to our world, but it was eventually decided that the good points out weighed the bad. Besides the dementors would be completely cut off from society on the floating fortress of Azkaban.
And so the dementors came under the servitude of the ministry. But it certainly is not in their nature to obey orders, and I cannot see how they will remain true to us. The Marinachi still stands, hidden away in distant lands, covered by thick smog and unplottable, unfinadable, even if one would dare venture there.
So what makes the dementors the choice for the guards? Their ability to take away someone's life force, someone's soul, would definitely put them as the number one dangerous creature. And yet the ministry has allowed them to walk openly through the lands of wizards. How long will it be until they turn against us? Before they attack? Who knows what they are up to in the Marinachi, hidden away from the rest of the world?
It is rumoured that once they have taken a soul, it is stored in the Marinachi, to be used when needed. No one is quite sure what the dementors use the souls for. Once a soul has been taken it cannot be retrieved. . .unless by a soul swap. There is no record of a soul swap ever being successful."
Harry read the page from the book. The clock chimed two, and he yawned loudly. The common room was deserted, but the fire still crackled in it's grate. The eerie silence, settled on Harry, almost as heavily as the enormous task that lay before him. Not only did he have to remove his own soul, but find someone willing to travel to almost certain death to The Marinachi.
He sighed in despair, beaten before he had begun. His sleepy eyes closed, and his mind gently shut off, as he fell into an uneasy slumber. His dream was of Hermione, as he knew it would be. She was calling for him, begging for his help. She was in pain, clutching at her knees, as a giant dementor towered over her beaten body.
Harry jumped up in alarm, and although the thought did not occur to him at the time, he certainly remembered it afterwards. Voldemort's amazing power to control what Harry saw and heard in his dreams.
Back in first year, he had been prepared to face the Dark Lord on his own, he would not have survived but for his two faithful friends. Second year had been similar, the image of Hermione lying on the hospital bed, petrified by the Basilisk, was too much for his memory. And he shook his mind back to present day.
It didn't matter that he was beaten before he had begun. It didn't matter that he had lost before he had even started. He was going to start anyway. That's what real courage is. Knowing you're licked before your try, but doing it anyway.
A/N Please review!! ^_^
Chapter Thirty Three ~ Real Courage
"Ok, so what do I have to do?" Harry asked, gritting his teeth. He could hardly standing being in the same room as Draco Malfoy, but having to talk to him, and listen carefully to his replies was almost torture.
Draco smirked. It was not his usual cold, calculating smirk, but one of rebellion. "It's simple really, any fool could do it. Then again you might have a bit of trouble."
Harry scowled. "We don't have time for this Malfoy!"
Draco shook his head. "Unless it failed your notice, let me reiterate the situation to you. Mudblood is in my father's hand and is currently without a soul, you want to help, and only I know how."
"You're loving this, aren't you?" Harry demanded.
"Every second." Draco replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~
"A soul swap is not a simple straight forward business, Weasley." Snape said, silkily.
Ron sniffed. "I know. But Harry feels he must help, and when Malfoy. . ."
"Malfoy?!" Snape snarled.
Ron nodded, glumly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~
"You see Potter, the souls are kept, stored if you like, in the Marinachi, the headquarters of the dementors. It was once controlled by the ministry, but over the years they have slowly lost any foothold they had there. Fudge was too scared to try and reclaim command. . ."
"Is this leading somewhere?" Harry demanded. The idea of Draco instructing him, was very trying on his shallow temper.
"Calm down." Malfoy sneered. "I'm just savouring my hour of control."
"Make the most of it."
"I intend to." Malfoy grinned. "So where was I? So that's where the souls are kept, guarded supposedly by the dementors, but there is the rumour that something else guards the dark hallways of Marinachi. Putting that aside, you have to remove your soul, and have someone take it to Marinachi and exchange it for Mudblood's."
"You'll take it?" Harry demanded.
Draco shook his head. "I doubt you'd trust, and besides only a fool would walk openly into Marinachi."
"You're scared." Harry said. "So I have to release my soul, and take it. . ."
"No, someone must take it for you, you won't be able to think without your soul. Don't suppose you'd know that, your mother being what she was. . ."
Harry glared but didn't raise to the bait. His mind was already on the dark, sinister halls way of Marinchi, and the spell he would have to perform. . .and there was the but. But who was going to exchange the souls?
"I suggest you read this." Malfoy tossed him a book.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~
"The Marinachi ~ the mystical, dangerous land of the dementors. Many years ago these foul, life sucking creatures were banished from our fair lands. They destroyed everything the wizarding world stood for, and it soon became evident that they could not be controlled. They left our cities, our world and formed their own city, a safe house for all banished creatures. The Marinachi, is a stone fortress, not dissimilar to Azkaban, it's forbidding turrets tower above the clouds, as the grey stone rots.
When Azkaban was first founded, the ministry got together to decide on a guard. Many different species were studied, and aurors were the first choice. But no one feared the aurors, many were attacked and killed, or badly hurt. So we needed a more powerful guard, one who inspired fear into the hearts of all wizards. The answer, the long forgotten dementors.
The ministry travelled to the Marinachi and made a deal with the soul sucking creatures. Many wizards campaigned against reintroducing these creatures to our world, but it was eventually decided that the good points out weighed the bad. Besides the dementors would be completely cut off from society on the floating fortress of Azkaban.
And so the dementors came under the servitude of the ministry. But it certainly is not in their nature to obey orders, and I cannot see how they will remain true to us. The Marinachi still stands, hidden away in distant lands, covered by thick smog and unplottable, unfinadable, even if one would dare venture there.
So what makes the dementors the choice for the guards? Their ability to take away someone's life force, someone's soul, would definitely put them as the number one dangerous creature. And yet the ministry has allowed them to walk openly through the lands of wizards. How long will it be until they turn against us? Before they attack? Who knows what they are up to in the Marinachi, hidden away from the rest of the world?
It is rumoured that once they have taken a soul, it is stored in the Marinachi, to be used when needed. No one is quite sure what the dementors use the souls for. Once a soul has been taken it cannot be retrieved. . .unless by a soul swap. There is no record of a soul swap ever being successful."
Harry read the page from the book. The clock chimed two, and he yawned loudly. The common room was deserted, but the fire still crackled in it's grate. The eerie silence, settled on Harry, almost as heavily as the enormous task that lay before him. Not only did he have to remove his own soul, but find someone willing to travel to almost certain death to The Marinachi.
He sighed in despair, beaten before he had begun. His sleepy eyes closed, and his mind gently shut off, as he fell into an uneasy slumber. His dream was of Hermione, as he knew it would be. She was calling for him, begging for his help. She was in pain, clutching at her knees, as a giant dementor towered over her beaten body.
Harry jumped up in alarm, and although the thought did not occur to him at the time, he certainly remembered it afterwards. Voldemort's amazing power to control what Harry saw and heard in his dreams.
Back in first year, he had been prepared to face the Dark Lord on his own, he would not have survived but for his two faithful friends. Second year had been similar, the image of Hermione lying on the hospital bed, petrified by the Basilisk, was too much for his memory. And he shook his mind back to present day.
It didn't matter that he was beaten before he had begun. It didn't matter that he had lost before he had even started. He was going to start anyway. That's what real courage is. Knowing you're licked before your try, but doing it anyway.
A/N Please review!! ^_^