Disclaimer: Harry and his world belongs to J.K.R, the chant belongs to Monty Python, and everything else is mine.
Chapter Fourteen: Silence Lullaby
The next day found Harry standing in his Beginners Healing class. He and Ron had partnered up and were working together cataloging potion bottles in Madam Pomfrey's Medicine cabinet. They had to sort all of the bottles and separate the empty ones from the full. They were halfway done and they had gotten to talking as they usually did. "I still want to know where you went for all of that time you were mad at us," Ron said, placing a mark in the column labeled 'empty'.
"I bet you would," Harry smiled, "But I have to have a few secrets." He winked, causing his best friend to groan. "So how are you and Hermione doing? You asked her to Hogsmead this weekend yet?"
Ron cracked a grin at that, "I asked her last night while you were training. It's a date." He turned to Harry, who was holding up a bottle of 'Skele-grow'. He gagged, pointing at it earning a chuckle from Ron. "You gonna ask someone?"
"I've been thinking about it. I'm just trying to figure it out how to ask her without embarrassing myself." He picked up a pepper-up potion that had been misplaced and moved it to its proper position. "How did you ever get up enough courage to ask Hermione in the first place?" Harry asked, curious.
"It wasn't easy, let me tell you." Ron scratched a few numbers onto some spare parchment as he spoke, "Me mum had insisted that Hermione make regular visits to the Burrow, you know, to make sure she was still alive. She always stuck to Ginny like glue when she came over. Sure she would talk to me and – hold on – how many bottles of dreamless sleep potion were empty again?"
"Five," Harry answered.
"Thanks." he continued scratching away at his numbers and began talking again, "Like I was saying, she would talk to me when she visited but she spent most of her time with Ginny. It was driving me crazy." He paused again as he counted something off on his fingers he marked a few numbers on the official tally sheet and resumed. "I had even tried the twin's extend-able ears, but mum caught me and took them from me. All I could ever catch were a few snatches of their conversations. Things about 'Did you try this?' or 'Do you think this will work?' I couldn't stand it." The class ended and the two cleaned up while Ron continued.
"Then on the train here, we got into an argument about something stupid, I can't remember what. We were having one of our typical rows when we got back to the compartment. Ginny and Luna left in a hurry, I'm surprised that you and Neville slept through our fight. After a few minutes she finally said that I was blind and stupid just like always. I cracked and yelled something like 'Well it doesn't take a genius to see that I love you.' or something like that and the next thing I knew, we were kissing."
Harry was now shaking his head at Ron. "Only you two could have done it that way."
"At least I told her." Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, "Say, who won that bet anyway?"
"Seamus did." Harry told him.
"Dang," he snapped his fingers, "D'ya think I could get my two knuts back from him?"
"Not on you life Ron. He bragged for an hour strait, or so Dean tells me."
"Well I'm meeting Hermione for lunch, wanna come?" Ron waited for an answer.
"No thanks," Harry declined, "I'm meeting someone else. Sorry."
"No problem mate," Ron smiled, "Just don't be late for Apparation this afternoon alright?"
"See you then Ron." The redhead waved and moved off toward the Great Hall. Harry started down a small set of stairs leading to the lower levels. He was thoughtful as he moved towards the kitchens. He wondered what Cho wanted to talk about and how he was going to ask her to Hogsmead. He cleared his mind as he came to the painting of the fruit, the entrance to the kitchens.
He opened the door and stepped inside to see Cho sitting at one of the tables, a tray of food ready for them. He waved at Cho and she waved back rather nervously. Harry sat down and took a look at what she had ordered for them. Egg salad sandwiches and pumpkin juice; he smiled. He looked up at her and said, "I'm here. Now what did you want to talk about."
"Well," she hesitated, not sure of what to say, "I wanted to say that I'm sorry that I got you in trouble with your friends and thank you for returning my school bag and," she took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for kissing you." She closed her eyes, as if expecting him to explode on her or just leave.
He smiled, "I'm not."
She looked up, surprised at either that he was still there, or how calm he was, or both, he couldn't tell. "Not what?"
"Not sorry." She stared, as though not daring to hope she wasn't just hearing things. "About the kiss," he added to reassure her.
"Really?" she asked, seemingly shocked.
"Yes," Harry took a bit of his sandwich and a sip of his pumpkin juice before speaking again. He looked back at her and smiled, "I was kinda hoping that," he began with more confidence than he really felt, "maybe you'd like to go to Hogsmead with me this weekend, if your not too busy." He took another bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly to give her some time to clear her head and think clearly.
She gaped at him, as if not really comprehending what he had said. It took a few moments but understanding finally shown in her bright blue eyes. "She stammered for a few moments before finally shouting, "Yes, of course!" and hugging him. Harry lifted his hands, quite unsure of what to do with them. Should he place them around her, or just place them on her shoulders? He hovered in indecision for a moment before deciding on the small of her back as a nominally safe area and hugged her back. He didn't pull her deeper, for fear she would take it the wrong way.
"And this time," he whispered in her ear, "It's just you and me for the entire day." Cho pulled back, her eyes shining. He smiled his answer to her unasked question and she gave him another hug. It wasn't until he could feel her breath on the side of his neck that he realized just how close they really were and suddenly his heart went into overdrive. Now both his emotions and his hormones were flaring and he was struggling to keep hold of his gentlemanly manner.
Boy-who-lived or not, he was still a teenager, and male at that. His senses seemed to heighten. Harry thought her hair smelled faintly of vanilla, and her breath was sending waves of goosebumps down his spine. He felt her arms keenly across his back and was painfully aware of how close their bodies were. She pulled back once more looking deeply into his eyes. Harry noted that he hadn't ever seen them sparkle as much as they did now.
Suddenly they both pulled back, keenly aware of the situation. Harry began to stand and speak, to leave, but before he could even start his sentence he felt a hot breath on his own lips. He gulped. Cho had stood with him and they were now so close that he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. Yes, he thought, she would be uncertain, but, he noted, she also looks – hopeful.
Harry didn't know how long they had been standing there when the bell rang to signal the return to classes. Harry made to leave but found that ha hand had wound it's way into his own. He looked over at Cho, who smiled, "We're both going to Magical Tracking next aren't we?" He nodded, "Then why not walk together?" Harry nodded again and smiled. The two moved off, hand in hand.
Harry sat once again in his Chamber of Solitude. Two dopplegangers were sitting with him. There was a book opened to a page with strange symbols on it and several bowels of black paint and several bamboo and horsetail brushes laying close by. Harry had been doing research. He had found that his dopplegangers were always the same each time he created them, holding memories not only of his life but of the last time it had been summoned, and so he had named them. He had named the first James, the second, Sirius, and the third, Remus.
Harry had also learned that as he continued to create and renew his dopplegangers, they were able to remain for longer and longer periods of time. The more he practiced and preformed the spell, the less energy it took from him. And so he Harry had continually left one of his dopplegangers here in the chamber to research, study, and practice. Everything that the doppleganger learns, the original learns upon reincorporation, and so too do the rest. And so he learned.
Harry had also found that his dopplegangers had taken on specific personalities, somewhat a mix of himself and their namesakes. James was a bit of a joker but still as smart as Harry, his areas of expertise being quidditch, transfiguration, and defense. Sirius was very headstrong but excelled in most social situations and was versed in charms, potions, and had some smattering of the dark arts. Remus was quiet and studious, much like Moony himself, and he was very handy to have around when it came to herbology, magical creatures, and history of both wizarding and muggle variety.
Now, James and Sirius were carefully painting the strange symbols from the book onto Harry's body. Remus sat reading a temporary copy of the book, often checking the accuracy of the painting and flipping pages for more information. "Harry," he said, his voice soft and wise, "are we sure this is going to work?"
"Won't know unless we try, will we?" came the higher lilting voice of James.
"Yes we are sure Remus. Why do I have to keep telling us that? I thought I convinced us before I summoned us." Harry answered Remus' question properly.
"Remus is right to be cautious. Shaman magic came before wands or spells, when the magic was new and unstable. But we have done the work and used some stabilizing charms to keep the magic balanced. We are safe, and we are both many and one. We can handle ourselves." Sirius' gruff low voice cut in.
James and Sirius finished putting on the last of the symbols and stepped back, vanishing their materials. They had made sure that all of the symbols would be in places that would be covered most of the time. "Are the symbols correct?" Harry asked. Remus nodded. "Are we ready?" They all nodded as one. "Then let us begin."
They all moved into their positions inside a magic circle, which was shaped like a hexagon, six sides. The circle was divided into seven parts. There was a small circle in the center which was inscribed with a pentagram. Six lines reached out to each of the six corners of the hexagon creating six areas. Each of these areas had an elaborate design that included the symbols for six elements. Three protective, three destructive. Each of the elements would give him some kind of power, either protective or destructive. Each of the elements had opposites, the design placing them in opposing positions.
Earth opposite Air, Water opposite Fire, Light opposite Dark.
Earth: To create solid barriers that would shut out attacks or encase the skin in flexible armor.
Air: To use the wind and its forces to rebound projectiles and toss enemies or obstacles.
Water: For ease of movement and swiftness of thought.
Fire: For strength and burning power, increasing the force of physical and magical attacks.
Light: That brightens the night, protecting the mind and body from toxins, magical and mundane.
Dark: That shrouds it's secrets in the shadows, keeping all but those permitted away.
Harry stood directly in the center of the pentagram, his body lax and his eyes closed. The three others stood at equal points, forming a triangle. At some prearranged signal they began to chant in unison. It started low and became louder as time progressed. As the chanting reached it's pinnacle the chant was audible. Pieisu domines Donna ae es requiem. At first only the four boys raised their voices in unison, but then a low murmur could be heard. The murmur grew as the chant continued, soon it became part of the chant as fifty low voices spoke rhythmically with that of the four boys.
A wind swept through the chamber, though that should have been impossible, stirring the hair of the four. As the chant slowed and lowered the voices pealed away and James, Sirius, and Remus began turning to mist, gold, silver, and copper. Harry spoke the last words of the ritual as the mists began to swirl towards him. "Aredechk maramex teaunmus. Dreateg neouvey aqeth. Kommegraa eraneea!"
The mist were swirling violently in the winds now, the cyclone draining the lines from the chamber floor. One by one the elemental symbols flashed with multi-hued light as they vanished. As the winds licked at the edge of the small pentagram the mists began to turn a dull red color that almost looked like blood. A tendril of the mist detached from the swirling winds and struck Harry dead on his scar. Little by little the mists drained from the air around him into his body. As it did he could feel himself loosing consciousness. As the world blackened around him he thought of his four-poster in Gryffindor tower and found himself seemingly poured into the softness of his bed. And the world was lost to him.
A/N: Here is a little something to tide you over until I can get to Hogsmead weekend. I think I did well on the fluff, but if I didn't you guys will let me know, I'm sure. And no one will ever figure out how I would have pronounced the last words in the chant, so use your imagination.