Disclaimer: We do not take credit in any part for the genius of J. K. Rowling, just the piles of wadded papers behind us.
Chapter Two
The Circle of Souls
Harry continually stared around him. This was not a normal dream for him, or anyone else for that matter. It was dark and misty around him, and all around him were wailing voices unceasing in pain. But a voice called his name through all of the steady darkness about him. "Harry," it called softly.
Harry turned sharply around. No one was there. But, there was a small marble table a few paces away from him. Harry almost dismissed it as nothing, but then he noticed a small piece of parchment on it. He moved to it and picked up the piece of parchment. On it was written glowing white letters. At first they made no sense, then they shifted and twisted before Harry's eyes. And soon, in plain text, Harry could read:
"To the possessor. The death of souls is not the end, it is only a release. From calling a name the soul will come, and you shall have your holy peace. Be it father, mother, friend, or child. Say only, 'Name', I call you from the distant wild."
Harry wondered about what it said. What could it possibly mean, "calling a name the soul will come" and "'Name' I call you from the distant wild." Harry thought for a minute. Why not give it a try?
"Hermione Granger, I call you from the distant wild," Harry tried. Nothing changed around him. Harry felt stupid. He looked back at the paper, but this time a different message read. "The distant wild holds only the souls of the dead, the living have no place. Call a departed soul, and speak with them face to face."
Harry thought about that, and suddenly everything in the first lines made sense. Harry reread them and felt stupid all over again. An almost seventh year student at Hogwarts couldn't put all the pieces of a simple limerick spell together to figure out how to work it.
Harry gasped. This was a means with communicating to the dead. He could talk to anybody from the dead, even people like Alexander the Great or Merlin the Powerful; anybody. Who would he talk to? Then it dawned on him. He knew who he needed to talk to. Gathering himself for grief, Harry began the incantation. "Sirius Black, I call you from the distant wild."
This time, the space in front of him began to glow in a soft blue light, and the voices around him started chanting softly. Suddenly, Sirius stepped out of the blue light, and walked toward Harry, stopping directly in front of the marble table. He was in perfect looking health, and was dressed in a pure white hooded robe.
"Hello Harry," he said softly. "I know you've missed me."
"That's the understatement of the universe," Harry joked. Sirius chuckled long and hard at that joke.
"You called me Harry; what's wrong?" Sirius asked.
"I don't even know how I got here? Speaking of which, where is here?" Harry asked looking around him.
"This is known as the Circle of Souls Harry. Only the souls of those who pass on know about it. You've been given a wonderful gift Harry."
"How did you know about Ron's dreamcatcher?" Harry asked.
"There is only one thing that I don't know about any more, and that's the future. You can hide nothing from the dead. It is they who must hide from the mortal world. And besides, I wasn't talking about that. You've been given the gift to converse with the dead."
"So this Circle of Souls, can I bring Ron and Hermione here to see you?" Harry asked.
"Unfortunately no. I would like them to see me, but the time must not be right. Only the Fates know when they will see me again, whenever that is. But, there might be a way. If you . . ." Sirius was cut off mid-sentence by an intense pain in him that caused him to collapse onto his knees and scream in agony. Harry moved around the marble table. Just as he tried to help him up, he instead was launched away from him with an intense force.
Sirius stood up slowly, using the table to prop himself. "Rule number one Harry, you cannot touch the dead. Your body couldn't handle two souls communing with it, and would collapse itself. I should have told you."
"And why did you fall down and scream in blood curdling agony?" Harry asked standing up.
"I wasn't supposed to tell you what I was about to I guess. The dead are forbidden to pass secrets to the living if the Fates don't wish it."
"How convenient," Harry fumed. "Wait. Are mom and dad beyond that wall of darkness?" Harry asked meekly.
"That wall of darkness is so you can't see the world beyond. But, yes, they are there Harry," Sirius said. His smile to Harry helped him calm down.
"Can I talk to them?" choked Harry, almost afraid of the answer.
"Yes, but you have to send me back first."
"You won't mind?"
"Of course not."
"Well, how do I do that?"
"The answer's on that piece of paper."
Harry picked up the piece of parchment again. Once again, another message was below the previous. "To allow a soul to depart again, the following line must be said, I release that which I have borrowed, return thou to the world of the dead."
Harry faced Sirius, and prepared himself to send Sirius back. Sirius saw the tears welling in Harry's eyes. He spoke, "Harry, it's okay. It's peaceful beyond the darkness of this death before you. You won't offend me."
At Sirius' comforting words and smile, Harry began. "I release that which I have borrowed. Return thou to the world of the dead." Sirius's body slowly floated back through the darkness, until his soul was gone. Harry readied himself again. "Lily Potter, I call you from the distant wild."
The same old magic happened, and Harry's mother, stepped gracefully forward.
"Mom?" he asked, almost unbelieving.
"Yes Harry. I'm here. Sirius, James, and I have been watching you for some time Harry. We can sometimes help you in times of need, but you must wear the dreamcatcher for us to help you."
"How can the dead help the living?"
"We can inspire you in what to do Harry. We have a lot of experience that we can pass to you, and we can only prompt you."
"Thank you Mom."
"We love you son, and were we alive we would embrace you everyday just because of that love. I'm sorry we can't truly be there for you honey."
"I know why you can't."
"Because we gave our lives so you might live."
"To that I have tried to never be undeserving."
"Of that we have no fear Harry. Now, you need to get some actual rest."
"You mean, I'm not really asleep."
"No. Let me leave, and then look at the paper again. It will tell you how to leave this place and really sleep."
"But then I'll never get to see any of you again."
"Harry, the Circle of Souls is only one way to see us. Recite the incantations when you need us, and we'll appear; but only if you wear that dreamcatcher."
"Oh. I release that which I have borrowed. Return thou to the world of the dead." Harry watched as his mom waved as she floated back to her calm repose, and then looked back at the paper.
"Possessor. The night is old, and dawn shall soon rise. Speak only, 'Return this being to mortality' and receive sleep to your eyes. But to return to the hallowed place, where the dead and mortals meet, Ask the Fates to 'Send me to the place where I cannot go with wings or feet'."
"Seems simple enough," Harry said. He closed his eyes. "Return this being to mortality." Harry opened his eyes, and he was back in the hotel room, with Ron sleeping soundly in the bed next to him.
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