Ancient Spells of Old
"…And this, here is the section of the Ministry Library that belongs to Auror Headquarters." Tonks continued, after she muttered a few words and opened the ancient red mahogany doors, which appeared before her.
"Wow!" everyone exclaimed nearly at once. "This is gigantic!"
"This library must be gigantic if only one section is this big."
"I have never seen a library anywhere near this large!"
"Even en Spain, our library es much smaller than this one es. I am very Impressed"
Victor, who apparently had never before seen this many books at one place at once, during his entire life, wisely kept his mouth shut.
"Look at all those books!"
"To bad Hermione could not be here, right Ron? She would absolutely love it."
"Right." Ron said dully.
"What's wrong Ron?"
"I do wish that she was here right now. Maybe then she would agree to become an auror. I mean, with all these books… you could probably get lost, and just in this section alone! Maybe I could take her here sometime… I am sure that she would enjoy it here…and if she did not, then we could always…" Ron paused, searching for the right words.
"Ron, you could always do what? Let me guess…you could always snog yourselves senseless without anyone ever finding you? Is that what you meant by it? I am sure that Hermione would be… let me see… well either pleased that you thought about her, or disgusted that you would even think of doing it here, with millions of books as witness to that exciting event. Is this what you meant by that comment Ron?"
Ron flushed.
"Oh come on… Of course that was not what I had had in mind," he paused before continuing, "But I am sure that that would not be too much of a problem…"
Ron gulped. And it was for a very good reason. Tonks, Janté, Harry, and Victor were all staring strangely at him. Harry, of course had been joking, but Ron had taken the idea seriously to heart.
"Snog someone senseless en 'ere? You must surely be joking! It es so… so, dusty!"
After a moments silence, Tonks spoke up again. What she briskly said caused everyone to groan.
"All right everyone. For the next week, you will be getting acquainted with as many books in a given section as you can. You will then switch with someone else, until you have acquired a familiarity with each of our groups sections. Janté, as your specialty is potions, I would like you to come over here to this section here. And Victor, Harry, as both of your specialties are defense, I have decided that Victor will get defense this week, while Harry will get transfiguration. Ron, as you did quite well on your Charms NEWT, you will get that section. I will need a report from each of you by the end of the week. Thirty inches covering twenty new spells or ten potions that you have not dealt with before. You will write down what the incantation, wand motion, and the spell of charms' uses. While you, Janté with the potions, will write down the supplies that you would need as well as the effects of the ingredients, how long it takes to brew, and so on. Practical lessons will begin next week, and will take place in the mornings. You will work in here in the afternoons. Any questions? No? Well let us begin."
Thirty minutes later, Harry had just picked out his second book. It had been laying behind a section on the basic theory of Transfiguration, which did not seem to have been moved for generations.
Harry gingerly dusted the cover, hoping for some sort of identification. There was none.
When Harry looked closer, he realized that the reason he had been attracted to this book had been because of the cover. Yes, it intrigued him, but not because of what was embellished on it, but by what was missing… a title… or a name. The book was covered with a faded dark brown cover of a type of substance that was unknown to him. Embellished onto the cover was an emblem of two crossed wands… nothing more.
"I wonder what this book holds. It sure does not say anything about its contents from the outside." Harry mused out loud to himself. "Maybe if I opened it there will be something inside the cover…"
Harry opened the book, where much to his astonishment, there were only two words. A name.
Harry whistled softly.
Yes, it was only a single name, but in the letters that formed it, was shown a great power, a power of which only the person had every known to be his own. The person who had written the ancient book.
"Godric Gryffindor."