CHAPTER ELEVEN: Revelations

The doors shut behind them. Harry almost exploded. "All right, Lanskey! You have some explaining to do! Who are you? What are you? How are you so old, yet look so young? How are we 'family?' What the hell do you want!"

Lanskey looked slightly irritated. "Please, Harry, call me Rowanda, or just Ro. Let me answer your questions one at a time. I am Rowanda Lanskey, though I was born simply Rowanda. I am a nymph, though I have used several spells and elixirs to appear more human."

Harry interrupted her. "A nymph! That would explain why Ron couldn't control himself around you! How do I know you're not a succubus, or something worse?"

Lanskey sighed. "Because, if I was a succubus, Ron would no longer have a soul. Now then, please let me continue. There is a creature called a Karkadann, which is essentially a Persian unicorn. They are extremely large, extremely powerful, and extremely rare. A few powerful Middle Eastern families use them to breed horses, for when a female animal enters into water with a male Karkadann, the female is impregnated with an exact duplicate of herself, hence brining about a very strong line of horses."

Harry took a step back. "Or in this case, Nymphs. So you're a clone, basically. And you could have continued to reproduce yourself this way for…"

She smiled knowingly. "Since about 973, or so. It wasn't just cloning, however. I had to pass along my memories into my new body, so that I could continue as I had in my previous body."

Harry looked quizzical. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because, you have a right to know. More importantly, I think you need to know, for the coming ordeal. But before that, I should finish my history. I left my own kind to mingle with humans, and learn their ways of magic. I fell in love with a very powerful wizard, and I became his wife." Smiling fondly, she said lovingly, "That man was Godric Gryffindor, and still do I love him. Just as I love you, as my only remaining descendant."

Harry was stunned. This… this thing was claiming to be one of his greatest ancestors! "How in the world can you possibly expect me to believe that!"

"Quite easily, Harry. There's a simple spell that someone invented designed to detect family. He was looking for long-lost relatives, and he stumbled onto it. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Harry nodded and pointed his wand at Lanskey. "Geneologis" A thin line of green light bounced from his wand to Lanskey, and then rebounded back to Harry. The line glowed brighter and brighter. Lanskey smiled genuinely, but Harry waved the spell away in frustration. "Is this the reason why I can resist your entrancements better than most?"

Lanskey shrugged. "Possibly, but they are not entrancements. They are unifiers! I only seek to unite the world against it's greatest peril that it has ever faced. Now, we come to your last question: what do I want?"

She gave a long sigh. "I want to unite the world to protect it from the Great Evil that Voldemort unleashed in his attempts to become immortal. There was once a prophecy I heard that told of this day coming to pass, and now that it has, the people of the Earth must be united in all ways!" Looking at Harry seriously, she asked, "Do you know what happens when you create a Horcrux, Harry?" He looked angry, but he shook his head. "The spell required creates an abomination of nature. The indelible sin of murder passes on into a new life. Usually, the product takes the form of a baby that died in childbirth, but Voldemort split his soul into seven pieces!"

She looked at Harry very sternly and seriously. "They say that Pride is what gives birth to all of the other Deadly Sins, and upon splitting his soul into seven, Voldemort became Pride Incarnate. He may have been defeated, but his 'offspring' will begin to surface shortly. Born to mothers who die giving birth, they will take on the form of the person murdered to create a Horcrux. They are soulless, evil beings, whose hatred for all living things cannot be matched. They will learn of each other, and they will join forces to annihilate all life on this Earth. I doubt even Voldemort knew what he had set into motion upon creating his last Horcrux."

Harry was stunned. Voldemort had indeed been terribly proud, to the point of such arrogance that he wanted to 'purify' the world of all those unworthy. Then again, he had seen himself as more worthy than all others, and if these Sins were anything like that… "Dear God!" Harry gasped out. He didn't want to believe this thing, but something told him he should.

Harry almost fell to the floor from the weakness in his knees, but Lanskey caught him in a motherly embrace. "It's all right, Harry. I'm here for you." Harry was so comfortable in her arms; it reminded him of Mrs. Weasley's hugs, but more familiar, in some alien sense. Slowly drawing himself away, Harry straightened himself out. "Is there any way to tell what these Sins are, or which ones they are, other than identifying someone who should be dead?"

Lanskey looked sorrowful. "I'm afraid not. But if you ever need help, just seek out the Great Healer wherever you may be, and one of me will find you."

Harry nodded blankly, still remembering the warmth of her embrace. Suddenly, it drained away. "What do you mean, 'one of you?'" he asked menacingly.

She smiled that knowing smile again. "I mean that unifying the world is too daunting a task to handle alone. I am but one of many Great Healers in existence right now, but all of them share this body and most of these memories. However, the Prophecy that told of your defeat of the 'Dark Lord,' and yes, I do know of it, as Sibyll Trelawney is now One with the All, had not been fulfilled, or so I believe. It is you who must defeat these Sins, a task which you have already begun. But I warn you, they will have inhuman powers; dark powers that will try to lure you away from your human self, until you are nothing but full of sin yourself. You have prevailed against Pride, but you must become stronger for the task ahead! It will probably take many years for the remaining six Sins to all appear, and the quest may claim the rest of your life."

Harry was very apprehensive about all this. "And how do you know all of this, Rowanda?" There was something vastly comforting about saying her name that was in deep contrast to his feelings of anger and distrust.

She smiled ruefully. "Godric had the gift of foresight. He knew this day would come, though he had no idea when it would be for sure. He did foresee that his bloodline would be the one that would carry out this purging of the world, so that if the task claims your life, your heir will carry on the quest. I have kept myself alive all these years, working against this day." Looking up suddenly, as if hearing something, she said, "Time grows short. You know now what to do, Harry. I trust you won't fail."

"How do I even know what you're saying is true!" Harry spat out.

Lanskey shrugged. "You can't, I suppose. You'll have to trust yourself on this one." She turned to walk back into the Great Hall."

"Rowanda! Wait!" She stopped and turned her head to face him. "If I'm to do this, I can't go it alone, and I don't mean joining your perverted form of unity. I'll need help from people I know and trust. If I'm to do this, you'll let Ron out of your hive and leave Hogwarts alone! If you can't do that, then I won't do this! I simply wouldn't be able to do a thing without the support of my friends, and your idea of support doesn't cut it for me!" He was breathing hard from his yelling.

Lanskey simply shrugged. "Very well. You will need all the help you can get, and you know yourself even better than I do, I wager, and that's saying something." She smirked, and Harry felt shivers of fear run through him. "Just know that the Great Healer is here to stay. You can have whatever resources I can provide you with, so long as you work towards our common goal. As long as you remain against the Sins, you have nothing to fear from me. But don't go against me, Harry. You may be of my flesh and blood, but I will do all that is necessary to make things right, and nothing will stand in my way." Her voice suddenly dropped very quiet. "Not even you." So saying, she waved her hand, and the doors of the Great Hall flung open. Nodding to her priests, they disapparated.

Ginny, Hermione, McGonagall, and the rest were all eyeing her with the utmost loathing. Harry was as well, but his mind was full of conflict, whether to trust this powerful being or not. He knew that if he did openly oppose her, she was powerful enough to crush him like an ant. But if she wanted these Sins to be defeated, Harry figured he was safe for now.

Lanskey looked them all over once more. "You have chosen to be separate from the Great Unity. So be it. Hogwarts will remain as it is, as long as we are allied in the cause of good. Harry will explain everything to you. I suspect you'll be wanting a new Potions professor soon, Minerva." Lanskey's use of McGonagall's given name definitely caused the older professor irritation. "You will remain apart… for now. Though I assure you, we will all meet again. Count on it." With a flash of white light, she was gone.