"Oh... ummm... hmmm... You know, I don't truly know." Rowena's see-through cheeks took on a faint silvery tone as she thought it over. With a wave of her wand she cast a basic counting spell. A hollow voice answered a moment later. "14,892."
All of the heirs choked and the other three founders laughed.
"That is a very extensive library... You must be very proud." Harry commented as he looked at the title of the book he held. /Twenty-One Hundred Uses for Pine Nut Resin/ Who could come up with that many uses for pine nut resin?
"Oh... I am. And I offer their use to you in the hopes they will help in assist in putting Tom in his place." Rowena said as she straightened her robes and floated off with five or six books in her arms.
"So... where do we start?" Blaise asked as he sat out a couple of interesting Transfigurations books to read later.
"I would suggest finding books on soul spells, since that is the color Graham foresaw at the end of Voldemort." Severus said as he held up a couple of books and then put them to the side as being useless to their search.
"Soul spells? That's easy enough... Or it will be once these are all sorted out." Rowena said as she went on putting her books into place.
Harry stared at the pile of books that had any mention of charms or spells that dealt with the soul. "This is impossible. There's no way we can read all of these before Voldemort attacks again."
"I think it would be best to each just pick a book that looks promising and start reading." Draco said as he picked up a bright green book with the words 'Spells to Curse and Spells to Heal' on it. Opening it, he settled again Charlie to begin reading.
"Umm, Harry... we want to help to." A small voice from the doorway of the upper library had them turning and looking at the children who stood there. Morgaine and Bella were in the lead and the rest of the Slytherins were right behind them.
Severus looked worried for a moment before Harry spoke. "Okay... You'll be a big help. Just pick a book and read through it. If you find something with a soul spell or charm in it write it down on a parchment. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it. If you can sort through them with us it'll be a huge help."
All of the children came in and after picking up a book each, they settled into small circles reading and periodically writing things down on provided parchment.
"Is this a wise idea? There is a chance that they will miss something." Severus murmured into Harry's ear.
"True... But I think that if we have each of them read their book and then give it to someone else, who reads it and makes note of all of the proper spells we should be fine. And if at the end of searching we haven't found anything we can go back and re-read the books." Harry nodded to the children who were obviously very focused on their work. "And look at them... they're doing their best to help. That's all we can ask of them."
"Oh... Voldemort is so mean! I wish we could do to him what he did to us." Morgaine said as she sat beside Harry's chair in front of the fireplace of the main den of Oak Hope Manor. It was reading time for the children, something Severus had all of the children do for an hour before bed time. It didn't matter what they read, so long as they read for an hour.
Looking down, Harry smiled at her as all of the other children sat around nodding in agreement.
"Yeah. Make him scared."
"And hurt."
"And angry."
"Sad!"
"Make him feel like we do."
Severus felt his heart almost break for the little children sitting around his bondmate-to-be. If only it were that simple...
Harry, on the other hand, was busy thinking. "You know... that isn't a half bad idea." Standing, he walked out his mind obviously else where.
"Go on with your readings. I'll be back in a moment." Severus told them before standing and going after Harry.
Moving quickly, Harry went up to where the ghosts were all relaxing in the new upper library. "Lady Ravenclaw?"
"Please, how many times must I ask you to call me Rowena." the tall dark haired female ghost straightened her glasses and smiled at him.
"I was reading in one of the books we brought from your tower about how negative emotions are a drain on one's soul... Is there a way to put it all back?" Harry's mind was working at a feverish pace.
Rowena looked a bit puzzled for a moment before she drew out her wand and brought five large tomes down to the table in front of her. "If such a thing is possible, it will be in one of these books. I have heard of such a thing begin done as punishment in the day long before modern law systems... But I don't know if it would work on the scale of emotions we're talking about."
Harry settled and began to read, making notes on a scrap of paper he took out of his outer robes pocket.
Severus found him a short time later and after giving him a light kiss on his head left Harry to his research because he knew once Harry was in so deep he wouldn't be out for a while.
"I've got it..." Harry said as he rushed into the formal dining room where all of the children and adults were having breakfast.
Severus, stood and put his napkin onto the table. "Really?" he asked before turning to the children "Go on with your meal, Harry and I will return later." Sweeping past all of the sleepy children, Severus took Harry by the arm and lead him out of the room.
Once they were in the den, he put up a silencing spell. "So? What is it you think you've found?"
"Do you remember when Graham said that I had something inside of me that Voldemort didn't? He was right. I have forgiveness and peace of mind. If I had been like Voldemort I wouldn't even try this spell. I would just kill him and be done with it." Harry smiled at Severus before leaning up and giving him a kiss. "But you shouldn't worry about it now. When the time comes I'll cast this spell and put an end to Voldemort once and for all."
"You sound completely sure of this spell." Severus put his arms around Harry and held him. "I hope your trust isn't misplaced."
Harry simply shook his head. "For once, I know what I'm doing... And I know that what I'm doing is right."
Severus couldn't help but laugh. "I believe being in Slytherin had paid off for you... No more rushing headlong into things without serious thought."
"I believe you're right. Now we should get back to the children... Otherwise the older ones will be telling the younger ones that you're ravishing me over the arm of the chaise." Harry removed the silence spell and started back towards the dining room.
In the weeks to follow Voldemort stepped up his attack and whole families were disappearing. Some of the children were horribly upset when the morning papers came with it's reports of attacks and the lists of Deatheaters killed.
Harry, Neville, Blaise, and Draco spent most of their time trying to sooth the battered little souls that were becoming all too accustomed to each morning waking up to the news of another dead or captured relative.
"It's going to be soon." Graham's voice startled Harry where he sat with Aeryn Killion on his lap. The little boy's entire family had been killed in a raid the night before and now was sleeping off his tears while Harry held him.
"The final battle? Yes, I've been feeling it too... It's like things are hitting their peak." Harry said as he petted the small boy's pale gold curls.
Graham simply stared at him for a moment before disappearing off into the hallway he'd entered from.
The heirs had been summoned to the school by the movements of the dark army moving into an attack position. Each of the four had went to the place they'd agreed on while planning the final battle.
Harry stood on one of the hills that stood as a natural barrier between Hogwarts and the rest of the world. Around him, the ground was literally alive with snakes as Harry spoke to them, telling them of the false one who would try and hurt the true heir of their Lord Slytherin.
Neville sat with Blaise on top of the highest tree in the dark forest. In shrill tones, Neville sung to the plants, preparing them as Lady Helga had taught him. Singing to them the story of the greatness they would play in this, the final battle. Blaise, held his wand at the ready, waiting for those who would be able to get through plant's defenses.
Colin and Graham sat on the island with the entire mer and fish population of the lake partially beached listening to Colin as he explained about the evil people who were coming to poison the lake and kill all of the living beings around the lake's edge. In soft words he rallied the water-going beings to fight a war that had literally left them no choice but to take part in.
Finally, Fred and George were sitting on the roof of Rowena's tower birds of all shapes and species around them. The birds were bringing news of the forces that were waiting just a short distance away, ready to apparate in the moment the wards fell.
They were not the only people who stood ready to take part in the final battle. Molly and Arthur stood with Dumbledore and the rest of the teachers, at the foot of the school. The Weasley parents were proud to see their three sons standing proudly beside them. Bill Charlie and Percy, whom had apparated in with a shy smile for his parents before taking his place beside his brothers, were together with Draco and Cros. The blond twins both had similar grim expressions, but in their eyes was also a firm determination to see this through to the end.
Surprisingly, all of the Slytherin children under Harry and Severus' care had wanted to be there, but Harry hadn't allowed those under 16 to take part in the battle. The younger ones were protected in Oak Hope Manor, where Moilyn had instructions to protect them at all costs. To this the elf had simply nodded and began organizing the staff into a uniform army.
"Is there anyway this won't end in all out destruction?" Molly whispered her heart clinched with fear for the children who refused to back down from this battle.
"It will end with much death... but it will also end in the light of hope that tomorrow morning will dawn bright with promise." Frienze told her with a pat on the shoulder.
Molly nodded and smiled at him for a moment before turning back with a grim look that promised great pain for those who came against her.
A single dove flew down and alighted on Dumbledore's shoulder. It was the signal. "They're coming."