Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N – Yes. I have been planning this rather vaguely from the beginning. It just sort of flowed onto the screen. This could be good or bad. I'll let you decide.
Once again, I am too impatient to wait for my beta. *Grin*
*****
Severus was waiting for Harry in the Transfiguration corridor. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his robes and he was scuffing the toe of his shoe on the floor.
"Are you all right after yesterday, Harry?" Sev asked as he pushed off from the wall.
"Yeah," Harry replied, "Not a bruise or a scratch." He shook his head. "I feel a bad, though. I mean, all of those people were hurt because Voldemort was looking for me…"
"Don't, Harry." Sev said softly. "It is not your fault that a madman has been trying to kill you since you were born."
Harry nodded. "What about you? How is the shoulder?"
"It's been better." Sev admitted wryly. "Come on, Professor MacGonagall is waiting for us." He led Harry through a classroom.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"Remember at Rosebriar, you made the Mark subside?" Sev said, touching his arm.
"Yeah. You started on about me being the key or something." Harry said.
"Right. I think you may be able to remove it. Minerva went ahead to set up." Sev opened the side door. "In here."
They entered a well lit workroom. Professor MacGonagall was there, making marks on the floor with a piece of chalk.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing, Minerva? We didn't use all that before, did we?" Sev looked around at the runes and symbols drawn on the floor.
"No, we didn't." Professor MacGonagall said sharply. "Maybe we should have. The allegiance spell is very old magic. I thought perhaps doing some protective spells in the old way might help."
Sev walked the perimeter of the spells drawn out on the floor. As he read them, his face grew more and more incredulous.
"Do these even work?" He finally said.
Professor MacGonagall scowled at him and placed her fists on her hips. "They most certainly do." She snapped. "The old ways worked for thousands of years before modern people came along and sped everything up. Now we just say a word and wave a stick."
Sev raised his eyebrows, but did not comment.
Professor MacGonagall seemed to see Harry for the first time. "Oh, Harry, good." She stepped over a complex shape on the floor and picked up a book. "Here, you and Severus can go over the process while I finish. The relevant pages begin at the place that ribbon is marking."
Harry opened the book while Professor MacGonagall began making marks on the walls.
'On Removing Allegiance Oath Marks
Should the Liege Lord chose to sever his ties with his servants, he should proceed in like manner…'
The language was archaic; it appeared to have been translated at least once. The translator had provided footnotes where he thought that explanation of word choice was necessary.
Harry read it through twice before looking up at Sev. "It seems rather straightforward… in the most convoluted way possible." He grimaced.
Sev nodded. "I thought so too. We tried it once, but as Minerva is not the 'Liege Lord' it did not work."
"Naturally." Harry said, looking over part of the spell again. Then he flipped to the proceeding spell. "Is this how it happened when you got the Mark?"
Sev nodded. "Just about, yeah."
"Then it should work, shouldn't it?" Harry said.
"It will work." Professor MacGonagall said firmly. She stood and dusted off her hands. "There. That should do it. Severus, you stand here. And Harry, right inside this pentagon. Now wait while I invoke the spells."
Both of them watched as Professor MacGonagall read the spells aloud. As she said each symbol it began to glow. The magical energies formed into visible shields around them. She invoked the ring of symbols on the wall and then took a deep breath.
"Go ahead, Harry. I'm done out here." She said.
Harry held the book open and followed the instructions carefully. As he said the words and made the gestures, he felt magical energy build up around him.
Finally he said. "Severus, I release you from the bonds that hold you tied." He touched his father's arm and felt the energy around him dissipate into the place where their skin met.
Nothing happened. The Mark stayed. The magical force Harry had felt had not done anything.
Harry looked down at the book. That was the last thing in the spell. He withdrew his hand.
Sev and Harry both turned to look at Professor MacGonagall.
"Well, did it work?" She asked impatiently.
"No." Sev said.
"Should I try again?" Harry asked. "Could there be something wrong with the translation?"
All of them gazed at the book for several long moments.
"Do it again, Harry." Sev said quietly.
Harry preformed the ritual again, trying to pull every degree of detail from the text. He felt the energy build again, and dissipate when he touched Sev.
Harry looked at the Mark that stubbornly remained on his father's arm. He withdrew his hand again and they both turned to Professor MacGonagall.
"Take down the circles, Minerva." Sev said. "It didn't work."
She bit her lip, but set to work banishing the magic she had conjured.
"It wasn't a total loss." Professor MacGonagall said when they were all seated at desks in the adjoining classroom. "At least neither of you needs the hospital."
Harry smiled weakly.
"What did we learn?" Sev asked. "Apparently Harry is not the Liege Lord either. However, neither of us passed out, so the spell did not completely fail either. I felt something each time. Harry?"
"Yes, the energy built up and then left again. It should have worked." Harry shook his head sadly. "What did I do wrong?"
"I don't think you did anything wrong, Harry." Professor MacGonagall said wearily. "I've studied that book. You did it exactly as the book said. The book must not have it right."
"No." Harry said slowly. "The book has it right for what it thinks we need. I felt it, it should have worked. Except that…" He paused and a smile crept over his face. "I have it. Let's do it one more time."
The adults exchanged a worried glance.
"Shall we go back in there, or do it here?" Harry said when no one seemed inclined to move.
"I can't put the protection back up so soon." Professor MacGonagall said slowly. "Once was quite tiring enough."
"Do we really need it?" Sev asked. "Nothing happened the last two times."
"If he is going to be changing things…" Professor MacGonagall began.
"Yes, I am." Harry agreed.
"Well, could I invoke your silly drawings?" Sev asked impatiently.
"I think it might be enough if I just put up the one in the center." Professor MacGonagall said. "Come on. Just once more."
They trooped back into the workroom, careful not to disturb the chalk markings.
Professor MacGonagall was done much sooner this time. "Go ahead, Harry."
Harry waded through the complexities of the ritual. He changed it only subtly to imply their actual relationship, adult to child, teacher to student, father to son. Also clarifying Harry's connection to Voldemort.
Harry ended with the words "Father, I release you from the bonds that hold you tied." He touched the Mark. There was a flash of magical light. Severus cried out.
The magical power subsided once more. Professor MacGonagall quickly took down her barrier.
Harry took his hand from Sev's arm and looked at the patch of bare skin where the mark had once been.
"It's gone." Professor MacGonagall breathed. "I need a nap." Severus caught her around the shoulders as she almost fell. He led her out of the workroom to the comfortable chair behind her desk. She settled into it and lowered her head onto her folded arms.
"Did it really work?" Harry asked, trying to shrug off his own fatigue.
"Yes." Sev said simply. He stared at his cleansed skin.
Professor MacGonagall looked up. "Help me to my office and then leave me. I just need rest."
Sev helped her stand again. "There are reasons the old ways were abandoned." He said.
"Severus?" She said sweetly.
"Yes?"
"Shut up." She growled.
"Support her other side, Harry." Sev said, his mouth twitching up slightly.
*****
A/N – Tell me, does this qualify as a cliffhanger?
A/N – Yes. I have been planning this rather vaguely from the beginning. It just sort of flowed onto the screen. This could be good or bad. I'll let you decide.
Once again, I am too impatient to wait for my beta. *Grin*
*****
Severus was waiting for Harry in the Transfiguration corridor. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his robes and he was scuffing the toe of his shoe on the floor.
"Are you all right after yesterday, Harry?" Sev asked as he pushed off from the wall.
"Yeah," Harry replied, "Not a bruise or a scratch." He shook his head. "I feel a bad, though. I mean, all of those people were hurt because Voldemort was looking for me…"
"Don't, Harry." Sev said softly. "It is not your fault that a madman has been trying to kill you since you were born."
Harry nodded. "What about you? How is the shoulder?"
"It's been better." Sev admitted wryly. "Come on, Professor MacGonagall is waiting for us." He led Harry through a classroom.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"Remember at Rosebriar, you made the Mark subside?" Sev said, touching his arm.
"Yeah. You started on about me being the key or something." Harry said.
"Right. I think you may be able to remove it. Minerva went ahead to set up." Sev opened the side door. "In here."
They entered a well lit workroom. Professor MacGonagall was there, making marks on the floor with a piece of chalk.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing, Minerva? We didn't use all that before, did we?" Sev looked around at the runes and symbols drawn on the floor.
"No, we didn't." Professor MacGonagall said sharply. "Maybe we should have. The allegiance spell is very old magic. I thought perhaps doing some protective spells in the old way might help."
Sev walked the perimeter of the spells drawn out on the floor. As he read them, his face grew more and more incredulous.
"Do these even work?" He finally said.
Professor MacGonagall scowled at him and placed her fists on her hips. "They most certainly do." She snapped. "The old ways worked for thousands of years before modern people came along and sped everything up. Now we just say a word and wave a stick."
Sev raised his eyebrows, but did not comment.
Professor MacGonagall seemed to see Harry for the first time. "Oh, Harry, good." She stepped over a complex shape on the floor and picked up a book. "Here, you and Severus can go over the process while I finish. The relevant pages begin at the place that ribbon is marking."
Harry opened the book while Professor MacGonagall began making marks on the walls.
'On Removing Allegiance Oath Marks
Should the Liege Lord chose to sever his ties with his servants, he should proceed in like manner…'
The language was archaic; it appeared to have been translated at least once. The translator had provided footnotes where he thought that explanation of word choice was necessary.
Harry read it through twice before looking up at Sev. "It seems rather straightforward… in the most convoluted way possible." He grimaced.
Sev nodded. "I thought so too. We tried it once, but as Minerva is not the 'Liege Lord' it did not work."
"Naturally." Harry said, looking over part of the spell again. Then he flipped to the proceeding spell. "Is this how it happened when you got the Mark?"
Sev nodded. "Just about, yeah."
"Then it should work, shouldn't it?" Harry said.
"It will work." Professor MacGonagall said firmly. She stood and dusted off her hands. "There. That should do it. Severus, you stand here. And Harry, right inside this pentagon. Now wait while I invoke the spells."
Both of them watched as Professor MacGonagall read the spells aloud. As she said each symbol it began to glow. The magical energies formed into visible shields around them. She invoked the ring of symbols on the wall and then took a deep breath.
"Go ahead, Harry. I'm done out here." She said.
Harry held the book open and followed the instructions carefully. As he said the words and made the gestures, he felt magical energy build up around him.
Finally he said. "Severus, I release you from the bonds that hold you tied." He touched his father's arm and felt the energy around him dissipate into the place where their skin met.
Nothing happened. The Mark stayed. The magical force Harry had felt had not done anything.
Harry looked down at the book. That was the last thing in the spell. He withdrew his hand.
Sev and Harry both turned to look at Professor MacGonagall.
"Well, did it work?" She asked impatiently.
"No." Sev said.
"Should I try again?" Harry asked. "Could there be something wrong with the translation?"
All of them gazed at the book for several long moments.
"Do it again, Harry." Sev said quietly.
Harry preformed the ritual again, trying to pull every degree of detail from the text. He felt the energy build again, and dissipate when he touched Sev.
Harry looked at the Mark that stubbornly remained on his father's arm. He withdrew his hand again and they both turned to Professor MacGonagall.
"Take down the circles, Minerva." Sev said. "It didn't work."
She bit her lip, but set to work banishing the magic she had conjured.
"It wasn't a total loss." Professor MacGonagall said when they were all seated at desks in the adjoining classroom. "At least neither of you needs the hospital."
Harry smiled weakly.
"What did we learn?" Sev asked. "Apparently Harry is not the Liege Lord either. However, neither of us passed out, so the spell did not completely fail either. I felt something each time. Harry?"
"Yes, the energy built up and then left again. It should have worked." Harry shook his head sadly. "What did I do wrong?"
"I don't think you did anything wrong, Harry." Professor MacGonagall said wearily. "I've studied that book. You did it exactly as the book said. The book must not have it right."
"No." Harry said slowly. "The book has it right for what it thinks we need. I felt it, it should have worked. Except that…" He paused and a smile crept over his face. "I have it. Let's do it one more time."
The adults exchanged a worried glance.
"Shall we go back in there, or do it here?" Harry said when no one seemed inclined to move.
"I can't put the protection back up so soon." Professor MacGonagall said slowly. "Once was quite tiring enough."
"Do we really need it?" Sev asked. "Nothing happened the last two times."
"If he is going to be changing things…" Professor MacGonagall began.
"Yes, I am." Harry agreed.
"Well, could I invoke your silly drawings?" Sev asked impatiently.
"I think it might be enough if I just put up the one in the center." Professor MacGonagall said. "Come on. Just once more."
They trooped back into the workroom, careful not to disturb the chalk markings.
Professor MacGonagall was done much sooner this time. "Go ahead, Harry."
Harry waded through the complexities of the ritual. He changed it only subtly to imply their actual relationship, adult to child, teacher to student, father to son. Also clarifying Harry's connection to Voldemort.
Harry ended with the words "Father, I release you from the bonds that hold you tied." He touched the Mark. There was a flash of magical light. Severus cried out.
The magical power subsided once more. Professor MacGonagall quickly took down her barrier.
Harry took his hand from Sev's arm and looked at the patch of bare skin where the mark had once been.
"It's gone." Professor MacGonagall breathed. "I need a nap." Severus caught her around the shoulders as she almost fell. He led her out of the workroom to the comfortable chair behind her desk. She settled into it and lowered her head onto her folded arms.
"Did it really work?" Harry asked, trying to shrug off his own fatigue.
"Yes." Sev said simply. He stared at his cleansed skin.
Professor MacGonagall looked up. "Help me to my office and then leave me. I just need rest."
Sev helped her stand again. "There are reasons the old ways were abandoned." He said.
"Severus?" She said sweetly.
"Yes?"
"Shut up." She growled.
"Support her other side, Harry." Sev said, his mouth twitching up slightly.
*****
A/N – Tell me, does this qualify as a cliffhanger?