Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no monies.
Notes: Here's another chapter for you wonderful readers! This flowed so smoothly that I ended up staying up waaayyyyy after my bedtime to write it. :) Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!
Chapter 7
Three particular students noticed that the Headmaster was unusually solemn during the Welcoming Feast speech; that his eyes didn't twinkle quite as much and he kept darting looks at Harry. Of course, no one else really paid that much attention, more interested in returning and the feast than anything else, but they had.
Harry and Hermione darted a quick look towards Draco who gave them an imperceptible nod in return. They had noticed and were trying not to smirk. It would seem Dumbledore was unsettled by the events over the Holidays and the secret trio couldn't help but wonder what "plans" they had thrown a monkey wrench into.
It was a month later when the next Hogsmeade weekend was scheduled and Harry used Draco's owl to send a message to Gringotts to find out when the ritual could happen. The response was for noon on the Hogmeade's Saturday and that it would take approximately two hours to complete. He was advised to bring one or two people with him due to being weak when the ritual was completed. Of course, Hermione and Draco volunteered to go with him and Harry was grateful for their support.
Over the next month leading up to the ritual, Harry noticed Dumbledore continually asking for meetings with him alone. However, Harry's new found freedom gave the brunette a boost of self-esteem; he no longer hung on every word the Headmaster told him. Instead, he took most with a grain of salt. Harry also had Hermione and Draco help him with his Occlumency; he didn't want anyone to know what was going on in his life anymore. It was during this time as well that Harry and Hermione started really helping Draco with the Vanishing Cabinet after he had told them about his "reminder" from Voldemort.
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The weekend finally came for the ritual to happen and Hermione, along with Draco, accompanied Harry to the Bank. Well, Hermione accompanied Harry while Draco was already there waiting in a shadowed corner "leaning" against a wall. Once they entered, Draco "wandered" over to them and, making sure no one was paying any attention, slipped with them into a long hallway.
Once inside the hallway, a goblin walked them quite a ways down before he showed them to a room with a long table in the middle and several chairs against the walls. Harry was given a form to sign that stated he was giving the goblins permission to perform the ritual and willing to pay the fee. Hermione and Draco were instructed to sit in a chair and to NOT, under any circumstances, cross the barrier that would be put up.
Harry was then led to the table and told to lie down before being magically stuck to it as several goblin healers surrounded him. He had handed his glasses and anything metallic to Hermione to hold. Apparently metal objects could cause a disturbance within the magic performed. The goblins also had Harry remove his shirt and socks. Once secured on the table, the goblin healers began to place various crystals upon Harry's body: on his scar they place a large piece of obsidian, in the middle of his forehead a piece of pyrite was laid, down the center of his chest were several different stones: lepidolite, bloodstone, jasper, malachite, citrine, turquoise, amethyst and ruby, in each hand clear quartz was placed, even the tops of his feet had smoky quartz laid upon them and finishing off the laying of crystals, the healers placed a large black tourmaline spire in each corner. After making sure everything was as it should be, the healers started their chanting.
At first, nothing really happened but then Harry's expression slowly started to change. He could feel everything; the weight of the stones, the magic holding him down, the cool surface of the table underneath him and even the goblin voices chanting had a presence. Half way through the procedure, Harry understood why he had been magically stuck to the table; the ritual was becoming increasingly painful and very contradictory. His skin felt as if it was crawling but he felt cocooned in warmth. His head felt like it was going to explode while clarity came to his thoughts. His limbs felt like lead but floating above him at the same time. Finally, close to the two hour mark, a black inky substance started coming out of Harry's scar, almost like it was being pulled out by invisible hands. Of course, this was the most painful of it all. Harry let out an ear piercing scream when the blackness appeared. The goblin healers chanting became louder and louder, as if they were making sure they could still be heard over the volume of his screams.
After about five minutes, that felt like a lifetime to Harry, the inky blackness stopped rising. Harry's pain diminished tenfold but his fear became tangible. The blackness formed into a face, an eerily familiar face; then it started spewing hateful and derogatory things to everyone present. However, when the inky blackness tried to return to Harry's scar, back to its avatar, it found it couldn't and let out a high pitched scream. The healers upped their chanting while holding smaller versions of the black tourmaline spires in each hand. When another five minutes passed, the inky blackness swirled around the table above Harry before exploding and disappearing completely, leaving the room in eerie silence.
Once the master healer verified that the soul shard had been destroyed, they carefully removed each crystal and placed them gently inside a cloth lined box. Then and only then was Harry released from the table. Of course, Harry just laid there with a dazed look on his face until Hermione approached him and touched his shoulder, causing her best friend to jump a bit.
"Sorry." She said sheepishly. "Are you alright, Harry?"
"I, I think so, yeah." Harry slowly responded.
"Can you stand?" Draco inquired.
"Um, give me a moment, yeah?" Harry answered as he slowly sat up and swayed a bit. "I might need some help, my head feels fuzzy and my body feels like jello."
Draco walked to the other side of Harry and placed his arm around the brunette's waist as Hermione wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Hermione helped Harry put his shirt back on and then handed him his glasses, which Harry immediately took off. His vision was clearer without them. At his puzzled look, the goblin which led the trio in explained that the ritual was a very powerful healing ritual and that, most likely, his eyes had been healed as well. Harry looked to Hermione with an almost panicked look, he couldn't show back up at Hogwarts without wearing his glasses, that would raise way too many questions they weren't prepared to answer just yet.
"Let me have them." Draco said as he took the proffered glasses. He waved his wand over them and handed them back to the Gryffindor. When Harry put them, he was surprised to see just fine out of them. Looking to Draco with a questioning look, Draco just smirked before answering.
"They're just clear lenses now, no prescription."
"Thanks Draco. I was worried how to handle not needing them anymore." Harry smiled genuinely at the blond.
"You're welcome." Draco responded, slowly getting used to being thanked for whatever gesture he did for the duo. It was still new but he was working on it.
As the trio were seeing to Harry, a goblin brought some food in for them to eat, especially Harry. After consuming the delicious meal, the three teenagers were led back out to the main bank lobby. Just before stepping out, Draco disillusioned them so no one would see where they had come from. Once outside the bank, the three of them found an ally to dispel the spell and went their separate ways, glad to see no one really took notice of their absence, which was what they were counting on.
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Harry couldn't get over how much lighter and happier he felt now that the Horcrux was gone from him. He and Hermione gladly helped Draco, discreetly of course, work some more on the Vanishing Cabinet. However, it would seem that their activities hadn't gone totally unnoticed by everyone.
It was a month later when Draco almost panicked when Professor Snape asked him to stay after class to discuss something; he just had a feeling, not really a bad one but one nonetheless. Once alone, Severus questioned Draco on what he was doing. When Draco tried to act as if he knew not what the Professor was asking, Severus had flown around his desk and towered over the wizard. Deciding to not push his luck, Draco hedged before closing his eyes to see what his instincts had to "say". When he opened his eyes, he was met with the penetrating gaze of his godfather.
"I am waiting, Draco." Severus prompted.
Saying a silent prayer, Draco answered, "I hadn't realized we had been spotted."
"I will only ask once more, Draco. What are you doing sneaking into the Room of Requirement with Potter and Ms. Granger?" Severus demanded as he crossed his arms.
Choosing to listen to his instincts, they had worked so far for him, Draco answered, "I'm working on the Vanishing Cabinet." He hastily continued when Severus' scowl became darker.
"Harry and Hermione are helping me. Will you report me to the dark lord?" Draco asked.
"That depends." Severus countered.
"On?" Draco pondered aloud.
"If you can keep me out or not! Legilimens!" Severus commanded.
Draco stumbled back a step when Severus entered his mind. He was able to keep his godfather out but just barely and only because Severus hadn't put his true ability behind the invasion. Pulling out of his mind, Severus eyed Draco critically.
"Very good, Draco." Severus praised his godson. It would seem the boy had been keeping up on his Occlumency.
Breathing deeply to regain his composure, Draco smirked at his godfather who returned it.
"Now, tell me what exactly is going on, Draco and do not lie to me, I will know." Severus asked.
Draco decided to trust his instincts, and hoped he wasn't making a mistake, told his Godfather what all had been going on. He told him about the train ride the year before that started it all. Of course, Draco didn't give any personal details he had learned from his witch and her best friend but he did share enough to show he had been talking with them regularly. He also shared what he had told Harry and what had transpired over the Holidays, including what Harry had told him about the Headmaster's visit to the Burrow. Severus listened intently to everything he was told with an impassive face. Once Draco was done, Severus walked back around his desk and sat in his chair.
"How do you know I will not take this information straight to the Dark Lord?" Severus asked pointedly.
"I don't, but I am trusting my instincts with you. I think…I think you're not as strong a supporter of the dark lord as you portray." Draco answered.
"What makes you think that?" Severus asked, curious of what brought his godson to this conclusion. Anyone else would have been obliterated by now but he was curious to what all Draco had picked up on. Was he slipping or had his godson picked up a few things from all the time they had spent together before the Dark Lord's return?
"Nothing concrete or really all that noticeable, little things here and there, really." Draco responded. When he only received a raised brow in return, he continued.
"I have known you all my life, Godfather and most of that was without a dark lord hanging over you. You have changed, of course, since he came back but not enough for me to not see how you have protected the "Golden Trio" when needed and don't give me any bullshite that it is your job as a professor. We both know that if you truly hated them, you would have let them fall or would have alerted another professor to take care of it." Draco said when he saw Severus about to interrupt. He continued when he was given a barely there nod.
"You're a good man, Sev. Whether you choose to believe it or not. You have done more than anyone knows or, I'm sure, will ever know. You continue to try to please two masters." At Severus' darkening gaze, Draco rushed on, "I don't know what Dumbledore has on you or over you but there is something. I have never known you to disobey him, not that I know everything you do or anything like that. It just seems that he's got you on some sort of a leash. A vow of some sort maybe. I don't know. What I do know is that old man can't be trusted as far as either of us can throw him!" Draco took a breath and was relieved when Severus leaned back into his chair. He had been afraid he had overstepped his boundaries and would get hexed by the man but again, Draco was only saying what he felt to be true.
Draco pushed his sleeve up and bared the dark mark before saying, "I didn't want this! I was forced by my father to take it. I knew before that it would be only a matter of time and I was right. It doesn't mean it's who I am. I am dating the Gryffindor Princess and couldn't be happier. I am friends with the Chosen One and have learned that he was nothing like I thought." Draco paused when Severus gave a snort. "It's true, Godfather. Harry is not what you think. His life hasn't been as easy as everyone thinks, quite the opposite actually." With this statement, Severus sat upright and stared darkly at Draco. "If you could see past his looks and see the wizard, I think you would find someone who isn't anything like their parents. He's the best of them, not the worst. His story is his to tell but know this, Godfather, Harry is a good person and has been nothing but…" Draco faded off, realizing what he was about to say.
"But…" Severus prompted impatiently.
"A true friend to me since last year." Draco finished.
"You want me to believe that Potter is this saint? That he's nothing like his father when all he does is get into trouble and is excused from it with only a slap on the wrist?" Severus spat.
"Yes. He is his own person…and a good person at that. Once we sat down in the ROR, he and I realized we aren't as different as we initially thought. He's had a shite life, Godfather and that's all I'll say about it. IF you want to know more then you'll have to ask him. However, it doesn't change the fact that he and Granger have been helping me with that blasted cabinet." Draco finished with exasperation.
"I see." Severus responded, not quite sure how to take the information he had been given. As he pondered what Draco had said, he sensed something about the Cabinet that wasn't being said.
"How is the Cabinet coming along?" he asked.
Draco inhaled deeply before answering, "Not well, so far. It took a lot of damage when it was dropped and the spell work is quite extensive, even Hermione is having problems figuring out what all was used on it."
"Well, shall we go see?" Severus asked as he rose.
"You want to help me?" Draco asked in disbelief.
"Of course, unless there's something you're not telling me." Severus cocked a brow at him.
"Um, yeah, there might be." Draco hedged then exhaled noisily before continuing. It was no use trying to keep it from his Godfather, he would get it out of him eventually and they could really use his help. Draco hadn't been lying exactly when he said they were having a difficult time but it wasn't the whole truth. The three of them had been trying to figure out a way for the Cabinet to "backfire" on the Dark Lord and his followers.
"We're trying to make the Cabinet work but not the way Voldemort wants." Draco elaborated.
"You wish to turn it into a trap?" Severus clarified.
"Yes." Draco answered.
"Very well, let us go see what we can do. Is there a way for you to communicate with the other two?" Severus inquired.
"There is. Should they meet us there?" Draco asked.
"They should. I would like to know what all has been attempted." Severus answered.
Draco took out his coin and sent the message. When Severus only nodded, Draco smirked. Leave it to his witch to make communicating undetectable. The protean charm was a wonderful thing.
Once up on the seventh floor, Draco walked back and forth in front of the door to make sure the right room appeared. After the door appeared, both wizards went in to wait for the other two. When Harry and Hermione walked in they were shocked and a bit apprehensive when they saw Professor Snape there too. Draco informed them that he had shared needed information with his Godfather and he was there to help them. The next two hours were spent with the three of them informing Severus what they had learned, tried and researched. After listening to them and trying a few spells of his own, Severus told them that he would give it some consideration to what needed to be done. He agreed that it would be ideal if the Cabinet could be turned to their advantage, especially since Voldemort himself was supposedly going to come through it. Before leaving the Room, Severus asked if Harry would meet with him after supper. When Harry cautiously agreed, they parted ways to go eat.
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"I wonder what Professor Snape wants to see you about, Harry." Hermione pondered quietly once they had sat at their table.
"I don't know but I'm not sure I have anything to say to him." Harry replied just as quietly.
"Oh, Harry, maybe you could clear the air a bit with him? Maybe you can show him that you're not the same person as you were just last year!" Hermione said.
"Maybe. How much do you think I should share with him?" Harry asked her, really wanting her input.
"Only as much as you're comfortable with. If he asks something you don't want to answer then don't Harry. But maybe, just maybe, you two can bury the hatchet a bit? It would be nice to at least not have him so hateful towards you. I know what you told me you saw during your Occlumency lessons with him and how it changed your view on your dad. Maybe you could let him see that you're nothing like that and possibly share a bit about what you have been through. You could even tell him about getting the Horcrux removed. He could help us with finding if there are any others. I just can't see Riddle stopping at just one, I would guess more along the lines of seven since that's the most magical of numbers. Gods! Can you imagine splitting your soul that many times? No wonder he looks the way he does and is insane!" Hermione told him.
"Maybe, 'Mione. I'll let you know when I return." Harry responded and they both went quiet as they dove into their food.
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Notes: In case anyone is interested in what the crystals I used in Harry's ritual are and their properties, here's the list and what I found:
Clear Quartz -This white crystal is considered a "master healer." It's said to amplify energy by absorbing, storing, releasing, and regulating it. It's also said to aid concentration and memory. Physically, clear crystals are claimed to help stimulate the immune system and balance out your entire body. This stone is often paired with others like rose quartz to aid and enhance their abilities.
Jasper - This smooth crystal is known as the "supreme nurturer." It's said to empower the spirit and support you through times of stress by preparing you to fully "show up." It's claimed to protect you from and absorb negative vibes while promoting courage, quick thinking, and confidence. These are traits that are extra helpful when tackling important issues — which is exactly what this stone may be good for.
Obsidian - An intensely protective stone, obsidian is said to help form a shield against physical and emotional negativity. It's also said to help get rid of emotional blockage and promote qualities of strength, clarity, and compassion to help find your true sense of self. For your physical body, it may aid in digestion and detoxification while potentially helping reduce pain and cramps.
Citrine - Bring joy, wonder, and enthusiasm to every part of your life with citrine. It's said to help you release negative traits from your life like fear, and in turn help encourage optimism, warmth, motivation, and clarity. It's also claimed to enhance mindful qualities, like creativity and concentration.
Turquoise - This blue crystal has powers that are said to help heal the mind, body, and soul. Generally speaking, it's seen as a good luck charm that can help balance your emotions while finding your spiritual groundings. When it comes to the body, it's said to benefit the respiratory, skeletal, and immune system.
Amethyst - This purple stone is said to be incredibly protective, healing, and purifying. It's claimed it can help rid the mind of negative thoughts and bring forth humility, sincerity, and spiritual wisdom. It's also said to help promote sobriety. Sleep is another claimed benefit of this stone, from supposedly aiding in insomnia relief to understanding dreams. Physically, it's said to boost hormone production, cleanse blood, and relieve pain and stress.
Bloodstone - This powerful healing stone lives up to its name. Bloodstone is claimed to help cleanse the blood by drawing off bad environmental energies and improving circulation. Mindfully speaking, it encourages selflessness, creativity, and idealism while helping you live within the current moment. It's also said it can also help you rid yourself of feelings of irritability, aggressiveness, and impatience. Ruby - A red standout, this stone helps restore vitality and energy levels. This can help improve things such as sensuality, sex, and intellect. It's also said to help bring self-awareness and the realization of truth to one's mind. Rubies were used in ancient times to help remove toxins from blood and improve the overall circulatory system.
Pryite - an all-purpose stone, bringing "protection on all levels." It's especially helpful in warding off "energy vampires," or people who drain you.
Black Tourmaline - This protective stone purportedly helps to block negative energy from entering your space or impacting your own personal energy. Place this crystal by your front door, on your desk, or in the four corners of a room to protect your environment.
Smoky Quartz is known for its ability to remove negative energy. Reach for this stone when you're stressed or your body tenses up. "Smoky quartz helps to transform dense energy while also creating a grounding and calming effect on the system," Lyons says. "It is a stone of letting go, surrendering to the unknown, and moving forward in life." This makes it a great companion during stressful transitions. You can also use it to facilitate a positive vibe in your home or in any shared communal setting.
Malachite - If you're going through something big, malachite can be an excellent crystal to have on hand for energetic support. It offers protection, deep healing, and cleansing on both physical and energetic levels. This stone helps to release old traumas, wounds, and patterns stored within the cellular structure of the body, and is a beautiful stone to work with in times of transition, heartbreak, and loss.
Lepidolite - a crystal chill pill that's said to have a calming effect on the mind and body. This stone soothes and relaxes frayed emotions, an overworked mind, and a tense physical body. It can calm the central nervous system and is a wonderful stone for when you feel anxious or overwhelmed, or if you're coping with panic disorder, insomnia, or PMS.
