Disclaimer: Not ours, not ours, not ours.
Well, we promised. Here is more, and more, and more.
The whole Shack was brightly lit, almost dazzling after the passage. Dumbledore led them through the kitchen and into what should have been a pantry or root cellar. A door in the wall led to another long set of stairs.
"Carefully!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang up the stairs as Dumbledore reached the bottom. "There's enough room, but only just. I will guide you one at a time to your places. I take it that is Goyle?"
"Yes." Dumbledore said simply.
"I take it we will be able to revive him at the appropriate time?"
"Ennervate should do it." Dumbledore confirmed.
"Good. I'll place him first. Pass the stretcher to me." The lumpy shape entered passed the archway at the bottom of the stairs and was lost from view.
McGonagall reappeared at the foot of the stairs. "Pass these parchments up to Harry. He should start going over the changes right away." Hermione and Ron, below and above him on the stairs, looked to him as if for answers. Harry shook his head.
The blood drained out of Harry's face when he saw the parchments. "What? What is it?" Hissed Hermione.
Harry swallowed and then shook his head, unable to speak.
"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall's voice echoed up the stairs. "You've studied the runes, haven't you?" She rolled the r in runes spectacularly.
"Yes, ma'am." Hermione replied nervously.
"And would you say that you are able to pronounce them properly?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Hermione's eyes grew to owl- like proportions. "In." She squeaked, cleared her throat and continued. "In a classroom setting, yes. Under pressure…" Her voice trailed off. She closed her eyes and swallowed again. "Yes." She said after only a moment and clearly with more conviction than she felt.
"Good, and, Miss Granger, is there an element you feel most comfortable with?" Professor McGonagall asked.
If possible, Hermione's eyes grew wider than before. "Professor McGonagall, We're not…"
"No." Professor McGonagall cut in. "We are going to ask you to anchor one quarter of a large Working. You will read a set of runes to invoke it and another to banish it."
Hermione relaxed slightly. "Water, I think."
"Water?" Professor McGonagall said her brow creasing. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Hermione nodded, sounding small.
"Very well." Professor McGonagall said. "Albus, you first."
"Is everything ready, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes. Are you really sure this will work?" She asked.
"Yes." Dumbledore said with firm finality. "But it isn't too late to summon more people to take part. A secondary circle perhaps?"
Professor McGonagall shook her head. "The Working is already more complex than any I have drawn since I took my NEWT."
Dumbledore looked at the group above him on the stairs. "Before we go in, I think everyone is due a little explanation. You all must be wondering why we're here." Ron, Hermione and Severus nodded, Harry was afraid he already knew.
"This afternoon, Harry had a frightening experience. In a dream, or vision, if you prefer, he was able to pinpoint Voldemort's location. Based on his accurate information, I was able to capture him and destroy the body he had created for himself."
Dumbledore drew a small, stoppered bottle from his robes. It looked like it was made of reddish stone and was marked with strange symbols and letters. The adults – and Hermione – gasped. Professor McGonagall looked as if she might faint.
"This is a spirit bottle." Dumbledore said solemnly. "Imprisoned within is the shade of Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort."
"You brought that thing into the school?" Professor McGonagall demanded. "What if he had gotten away? Those things aren't…"
Dumbledore held up his hand and she fell silent.
"You might not all know that Harry was able to remove the Dark Mark from Severus' arm. I have reason to believe that Voldemort was greatly weakened. His most trusted servant took him away to the place where I found them. Peter Pettigrew died - rather bravely in fact. His body is in the hands of the Ministry. I have reason to believe Sirius will be cleared."
Dumbledore held up the spirit bottle again. "I have great hopes that tonight's work will be able to weaken Voldemort's shade enough that he will never again be able to take human form.
"First, Hermione, Minerva, Severus and I will charge the circle. Second, Harry will summon the people who still bear Voldemort's mark by triggering the one on Goyle's arm.
"Third, Remus will bind them in place. Fourth, we will bring the circle to full power, splitting our focus between supporting both Remus and Harry. Fifth, Harry will remove the Mark from each of the bound Death Eaters.
"Finally, Remus will invoke the second layer of the binding which will immobilize the Death Eaters until we can bring them before the Wizengamut. Are there any questions?"
"Um, yes actually." Ron said. "What exactly am I to do?"
"Minerva?" Dumbledore turned to her.
She sighed heavily. "The only one of us with no preparation whatsoever for his part in this night's business is you, Ronald Weasley. Nevertheless, your part is important. Whenever one of us says 'Engamut Eris Tellam' you are to say 'San Garit Ru.' Keep your eyes on me; I will nod each time to cue you." Professor McGonagall passed a piece of parchment up to him. "Do not bother to memorize it, just read it each time."
"Do you know what this means, Hermione?" Ron asked very quietly, his stomach tying itself into knots.
Hermione looked up at him, unblinking. "Yes, and, no I won't tell you." She seemed to flinch a little. "Just say it properly, will you?"
Professor McGonagall led them into the room one by one. Lupin was there already, drawing on the floor with the tip of his wand. He referred carefully to a chart in his hand as he went.
It was an enormous, circular room. The ceiling was so high that it disappeared in shadow. The walls and floors were covered in symbols, some drawn in chalk, some permanent inlays.
Harry read and reread the reworked spell until he understood the nuances of meaning. He scarcely noticed that Severus had finished double checking Lupin's line placement and everyone was in place.
Harry finally looked up to find everyone looking right at him.
"Harry?" Dumbledore said softly, "Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes." Harry said with more conviction than he felt.
Dumbledore met the eyes of each participant and they nodded.
A/N – Well, all that should go off without a hitch, shouldn't it? I mean…
Teh heh, said she and clapped the window shut.
(It's Chaucer, it's loosely translated, it's a quote, and your mama would be perturbed if she caught you reading its source.)
We have all learned to ignore Gusha by now, haven't we?
Well, we promised. Here is more, and more, and more.
The whole Shack was brightly lit, almost dazzling after the passage. Dumbledore led them through the kitchen and into what should have been a pantry or root cellar. A door in the wall led to another long set of stairs.
"Carefully!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang up the stairs as Dumbledore reached the bottom. "There's enough room, but only just. I will guide you one at a time to your places. I take it that is Goyle?"
"Yes." Dumbledore said simply.
"I take it we will be able to revive him at the appropriate time?"
"Ennervate should do it." Dumbledore confirmed.
"Good. I'll place him first. Pass the stretcher to me." The lumpy shape entered passed the archway at the bottom of the stairs and was lost from view.
McGonagall reappeared at the foot of the stairs. "Pass these parchments up to Harry. He should start going over the changes right away." Hermione and Ron, below and above him on the stairs, looked to him as if for answers. Harry shook his head.
The blood drained out of Harry's face when he saw the parchments. "What? What is it?" Hissed Hermione.
Harry swallowed and then shook his head, unable to speak.
"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall's voice echoed up the stairs. "You've studied the runes, haven't you?" She rolled the r in runes spectacularly.
"Yes, ma'am." Hermione replied nervously.
"And would you say that you are able to pronounce them properly?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Hermione's eyes grew to owl- like proportions. "In." She squeaked, cleared her throat and continued. "In a classroom setting, yes. Under pressure…" Her voice trailed off. She closed her eyes and swallowed again. "Yes." She said after only a moment and clearly with more conviction than she felt.
"Good, and, Miss Granger, is there an element you feel most comfortable with?" Professor McGonagall asked.
If possible, Hermione's eyes grew wider than before. "Professor McGonagall, We're not…"
"No." Professor McGonagall cut in. "We are going to ask you to anchor one quarter of a large Working. You will read a set of runes to invoke it and another to banish it."
Hermione relaxed slightly. "Water, I think."
"Water?" Professor McGonagall said her brow creasing. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Hermione nodded, sounding small.
"Very well." Professor McGonagall said. "Albus, you first."
"Is everything ready, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes. Are you really sure this will work?" She asked.
"Yes." Dumbledore said with firm finality. "But it isn't too late to summon more people to take part. A secondary circle perhaps?"
Professor McGonagall shook her head. "The Working is already more complex than any I have drawn since I took my NEWT."
Dumbledore looked at the group above him on the stairs. "Before we go in, I think everyone is due a little explanation. You all must be wondering why we're here." Ron, Hermione and Severus nodded, Harry was afraid he already knew.
"This afternoon, Harry had a frightening experience. In a dream, or vision, if you prefer, he was able to pinpoint Voldemort's location. Based on his accurate information, I was able to capture him and destroy the body he had created for himself."
Dumbledore drew a small, stoppered bottle from his robes. It looked like it was made of reddish stone and was marked with strange symbols and letters. The adults – and Hermione – gasped. Professor McGonagall looked as if she might faint.
"This is a spirit bottle." Dumbledore said solemnly. "Imprisoned within is the shade of Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort."
"You brought that thing into the school?" Professor McGonagall demanded. "What if he had gotten away? Those things aren't…"
Dumbledore held up his hand and she fell silent.
"You might not all know that Harry was able to remove the Dark Mark from Severus' arm. I have reason to believe that Voldemort was greatly weakened. His most trusted servant took him away to the place where I found them. Peter Pettigrew died - rather bravely in fact. His body is in the hands of the Ministry. I have reason to believe Sirius will be cleared."
Dumbledore held up the spirit bottle again. "I have great hopes that tonight's work will be able to weaken Voldemort's shade enough that he will never again be able to take human form.
"First, Hermione, Minerva, Severus and I will charge the circle. Second, Harry will summon the people who still bear Voldemort's mark by triggering the one on Goyle's arm.
"Third, Remus will bind them in place. Fourth, we will bring the circle to full power, splitting our focus between supporting both Remus and Harry. Fifth, Harry will remove the Mark from each of the bound Death Eaters.
"Finally, Remus will invoke the second layer of the binding which will immobilize the Death Eaters until we can bring them before the Wizengamut. Are there any questions?"
"Um, yes actually." Ron said. "What exactly am I to do?"
"Minerva?" Dumbledore turned to her.
She sighed heavily. "The only one of us with no preparation whatsoever for his part in this night's business is you, Ronald Weasley. Nevertheless, your part is important. Whenever one of us says 'Engamut Eris Tellam' you are to say 'San Garit Ru.' Keep your eyes on me; I will nod each time to cue you." Professor McGonagall passed a piece of parchment up to him. "Do not bother to memorize it, just read it each time."
"Do you know what this means, Hermione?" Ron asked very quietly, his stomach tying itself into knots.
Hermione looked up at him, unblinking. "Yes, and, no I won't tell you." She seemed to flinch a little. "Just say it properly, will you?"
Professor McGonagall led them into the room one by one. Lupin was there already, drawing on the floor with the tip of his wand. He referred carefully to a chart in his hand as he went.
It was an enormous, circular room. The ceiling was so high that it disappeared in shadow. The walls and floors were covered in symbols, some drawn in chalk, some permanent inlays.
Harry read and reread the reworked spell until he understood the nuances of meaning. He scarcely noticed that Severus had finished double checking Lupin's line placement and everyone was in place.
Harry finally looked up to find everyone looking right at him.
"Harry?" Dumbledore said softly, "Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes." Harry said with more conviction than he felt.
Dumbledore met the eyes of each participant and they nodded.
A/N – Well, all that should go off without a hitch, shouldn't it? I mean…
Teh heh, said she and clapped the window shut.
(It's Chaucer, it's loosely translated, it's a quote, and your mama would be perturbed if she caught you reading its source.)
We have all learned to ignore Gusha by now, haven't we?