Bane
A/N: I would like to remind everyone, that I tend to interchange Harry's name with Firefox. It just went with flow of the read. For those that asked, Umbridge's title was Fudge's secretary/assistant.
Please note: I took the scene with dealing with a raging heart-stone from when Vanyel had to in the Magic Promise trilogy.
Disclaimer: See chapter 1. Reviews are welcomed, flames are not.
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Chapter 19
Much to the Headmaster's dismay, Harry disappeared for the rest of the day. Albus had spent over an hour calming Cornelius down before he could even send someone to look for the teen.
The older wizard, as he walked the Minister and his escort to the gates, was worried. The Harry of last year would never have talked back or have been that confident. His talk with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley had yielded nothing. This would not do. He needed Harry to depend on him to do the right thing.
Looking down at his blackened arm, Albus knew his time was running out. He had hoped to teach Harry more about Riddle's life and how he should win the war. He was running out of time.
No, this Harry was very different than the one from last spring.
Another thing that worried him was that Hagrid had come to him after discovering the gryphon living in the forest the evening before after the meeting. The child-like half-giant was just giddy at the thought of capturing the 'beastie.' Gryphons were considered extinct and to find a beautiful and healthy one was a boon.
He hadn't thought anything about it until he saw Harry not only defending the animal but showed a powerful display of wandless magic.
However, this gryphon was an anomaly. It could speak and reason, and it was clear it was a friend of Harry's and not a pet. This would need more research.
Then there was that strange cat that reported to be roaming the castle. It was as larger than a kneazle and seems to be intelligent as well. Where did it come from? Had it come with Harry?
He didn't need all these problems at this time. Why can't Harry see that things had to be done his way?
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Harry wasn't really that hard to find. He was, in fact, in his bed, napping. He had plans for later that evening and needed all the energy he could muster. That evening, he was planning to look for the ward stone that Salazar had told him that they had created to protect the castle and the surrounding area.
However, Harry was more worried about the unstable node that was building under the castle. According to Salazar, that node has been left unchecked since the death of his grandson sometime in the tenth century. It had not been well-cared for since, and that worried the pair of them.
Artificial nodes, like the one under the castle, had to be carefully monitored and maintained, or they could go rogue and become very dangerous. The local ley-lines had been diverted to fill the node, which could cause problems in the localized area. If a node went rogue, it could take out all life miles around it. That was what happened in the Great Mage war.
That was why, when he had arrived back at Hogwarts, he tapped into one of the lines that fed the node, instead of the node itself. One reason was he had to be keyed into the ward stone first, and then the node to use it safely; and another, with this node being unstable, he could blow everyone and everything to the moon.
He didn't want another Plain of Dharisha or Lake Evendim. Thank you very much. Both had been created when two very powerful Mage Adepts' strongholds exploded, taking half of the lands with them.
'Thank the Star-eyed, according to Sal the seals and protective runes guarding the ward stone didn't require a blood sacrifice,' he thought as he drifted off. Blood path magic was a slippery slope into the abyss of madness, if one wasn't careful. He also sent another thank-you to the Sunlord for sending Salazar to guide them.
That was why he was napping, not to be disturbed for any reason. He would need all his wits to deal with the guarding runes, and later, the ward stone.
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Hermione Granger was a witch on a mission. She was, at the moment, tearing through the school's library looking for anything and everything on gryphons and centaurs.
She was also looking at how Harry was doing wandless magic. He had mentioned something about wild magic.
Wild magic was a myth, according to everything she could find. The last people to be able to use wild magic were Merlin and the founders, but even then it was more legend and hearsay than fact.
She was going to disprove Harry's use of "Wild" magic, because she was certain that he was going dark. This new Harry was too different to make her feel comfortable, and he frightened her.
She just wanted her old friend back.
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A slender blonde witch wearing Ravenclaw school robes skipped through the halls. Luna Lovegood was quietly humming to herself, as she, too, was on a mission.
Ever since she spied that cream and orange cat on the Gryffindor table, she was excited. She remembered her family's legends and stories. She was sure that the cat was a firecat, an avatar. She needed to write to daddy and ask him to research it for her.
This was more exciting that searching for the crumpled-horn snorkack.
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Salazaar led Harry deep within the dungeon of Hogwarts. If Harry had to guess, he was near the Chambers of Secrets and under the Great Hall. It made sense, as the Great Hall was the center of the ancient castle.
According to Sal and later affirmed by a friend of Firesong – An'desha, the people that fled the Great Catalyst to England, were a mix of Ma'ar's and a few deserters of Urtho's. The knowledge to create heartstones came from the Star-eyed herself, after the Great War when the Shin'a'in and the Tayledras split, thus unknown by Ma'ar's forces.
According to what Sal informed Firefox in a lesson, Hogwart's ward stone was more druidic magic that was native to these lands, with some help and knowledge from Ma'ar's mages.
Peering out at the darkened sky, he was glad he had rested and had a clear mind. Harry just knew that he wasn't going to like what he would discover.
And he was right.
In a small stone cavern was a pulsating rock jutting out of the stone floor. The blue stone-lined cavern had been meticulous carved with runes etched in the walls, ceiling, and floor around the rock. There was just about enough room to move comfortably around the ancient stone.
'Kieryn could fit in, but it would be tight,' he though with a sigh as he glanced over the carvings.
Runes were never his strong point in both worlds. So, he needed to walk very carefully here, thanking the Star-eyed or was it, Lord Vkandis once more for Salazar's aid. Whoever sent the avatar had his thanks nightly.
The rough, carved square stone wasn't a true heartstone, by Tayledras standards. It was a carved piece of welsh blue-stone. It was the same type of stone that Stonehenge was made from and towered just above his head and was heavily carved with runes. In fact, as Harry studied the cavern walls and rock, he would say it was a very poor imitation of a heartstone.
He noted that the stone monolith had not been shaped by wild magic but by men after it had been brought to the cavern.
Mage lights came on as he waved his hand over a couple of the runes he recognized, illuminating the small cavern in a soft blue glow.
He had no clue where to start, as he studied the runes and carvings. Many were in the Saxon druidic tongue, which predated the time of the founders, while others were from the time of the Great Mage War. It was clearly a mix of the two languages, melded into one.
Thankfully, for the last year, Sal had meticulously taught him how to read this ancient language. As he walked around the cavern he began to note that most were runes of protection and filtering, while the far wall was a list of instructions and warnings.
Lastly, was the one carving that he dreaded. It was a dead man switch.
'Thank the Star-eyed,' he let out a breath in relief. It has not been touched or damaged. That would be the first thing to disabled, if he was going to have any chance of repairing the stone.
:Be careful, child. Mryddin was adamant on that rune. He was afraid that outsiders would use this room for evil.: came Sal's voice as he came to stand beside him. :Even with all the other protective runes and carvings, this place has become very unstable. Do one misstep and that sequence will activate:
Harry sighed as he finally read all the warnings the runes and carvings gave. He didn't like what he had to do. He looked over at the square rock resting on the floor in the center of the room. It was too dangerous just standing this close to it. However, he didn't have a choice – he needed more information.
:I'm going to have to mind-touch it, Sal. I need to know what I am dealing with.:
Salazar sighed, after a moment, the firecat gave a slight nod. :I shall anchor you then.:
:As will I.: Kieryn's voice chimed in.
Harry took a deep breath as he stepped closer. The floor runes pulsed once, then faded as it recognized that Harry was a master-class mage. Other mage lights came on as Harry stepped closer. According to Sal's lessons, the runes were designed to test those of a certain level of power before allowing them to enter the cavern and come near the monolith.
The young mage could feel the stone's power reaching out, testing him, measuring his magic, and after what seem to be an eternity, accepted his presence.
Placing his hands on the stone as he felt both of his friends' magical tethers wrapping around him, Harry was immediately pulled into a seething maelstrom of energy, brighter than the sun but more deadly. The energy around him tested him, teasing him, calling to him. It was like dealing with an angry child hopped up on sugar.
This node was a powder keg ready to explode. The ley-lines leading into the node were fine; it was the conduits leading outwards that were clogged. An angry thread of power sparked dangerous amount of magic, shorting out and then tried to repair itself.
The node had no outlet to release the pressure. It was if someone had taken a fizzy drink, shook while the cap was still in place. . .
:Star-eyed! Merlin! Morgana! Vkandis! And any other god out there! Help me!: He sent up words of need as he surveyed the power that pulsed around him.
He suddenly found himself receiving a plethora of information dating back to the last time someone had accessed the node.
That was the line that was causing most of the problems. He was certain that was to the secondary ward stone, by the way it was acting.
Someone, and Firefox was certain it was one of the former headmasters, realizing that the ward stone couldn't be accessed any longer, had built another ward stone to layer over this one. Add in all of the ambient magic that the students, teachers and anyone else living in and around Hogwarts being funneled into the second stone . . .
The sparking this second ward stone was causing was blocking the natural outlets needed to release any build-up of pressure. Plus, it was far too close to the dead man switch.
But it would take several experienced Healer-Adepts, experienced in the ways of magic before the Mage Storm, to unravel this mess. It was too much for him to handle.
He swore violently under his breathe. He grew up as Firesong's son and apprentice. He knew he had no choice. Too many lives were at stake if he failed. Plus, he was too stubborn to quit!
Firefox calmly sent a pulse asking the unstable node to hold still for a moment. He would help, but it would take time.
Time he was certain he didn't have.
There was nothing to it. One thing at a time.
The energy within node seemed to heave a sigh of relief that someone finally took notice. It also sent out an urgent pulse as if knowing time was running out.
All the knowledge was there, waiting for the young mage. He needed to work out a plan and quickly, before Hogwarts became another hole in the ground, miles wide as well as miles deep.
Lastly, he discovered that the fabled wards of Hogwarts have been seriously compromised. They had been designed to pull the magic out of the node safely to protect the castle and its students. The wards were ready to fall in a very spectacular manner, taking the castle with it.
Just one more spark and boom. . . . .
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Dobby found the magically-deleted mage just outside the ward room. With the elf's help, the exhausted mage stumbled into the kitchen and over to a small chair and table.
Harry had only spent a few minutes within the ward chamber, but already, he felt as if he had spent hours. He was drained, physically, mentally, and magically. Thank the Star-eyed for Dobby's devotion.
The elves stopped what they were doing as Dobby snapped his fingers and food appeared in front of the drained mage. Before Harry could even wrap his mind around the thought of food, a glass of pumpkin juice was placed in his hands.
"Dobby did what Great Harry Potter requested. This has a nutrient potion in it," the house-elf explained. "We'se in the kitchen. Eat. Dobby will watch."
Harry gave a tired nod as he downed the drink and slowly began to eat. He wasn't certain how long he could stay awake, as he was that drained. He was too used to the well-cared-for heartstone of the Vale. He was still trying to sort through all the information he had gathered. Thankfully, Sal and Kieryn hadn't needed to pull him out of the stone.
One thing for certain, Hogwarts had no love for the current headmaster or the staff that lived and worked here. And it hadn't been happy for centuries! And IT had just let him know it!
For now, food was energy and he needed to replenish his body. This was one of the reasons you would never see a fat mage. Well, a true mage. Magic took a heavy toll on the body. It was one of the reasons why there was so much food appearing in the Great Hall during meal time. It was unfortunate that many of the students and staff didn't do the high levels of magic as it was once taught.
Slowly, Harry came back to himself as he ate.
"Dobby, I need paper and ink. I need to write some things out on what I found in the ward cavern. The first thing I need to do is disable that switch. It is about to activate, if I don't find a way to stop it."
Gasps and squeaks could be heard around him.
"Yes, great master Harry Potter, sir," Dobby answered as he snapped his fingers again.
Sal leaped upon the table next to him and a bowl of chopped meats and milk appeared in front of him.
"Sal, I will need to rework the ward schematics and cut the lines that are plugging the stone. Unfortunately, it will take careful planning and I don't think I have the time. That switch could trigger at any time. Once I start doing this, I'll have three factions after my throat. I don't trust any of them to not try something while I work."
He just knew he would have the Ministry and their brown-nosers, Riddle and his band of tossers, as well as Dumbledore and his 'I know everything and you don't ' mucking around while he trying to work.
:Agreed. I don't see any way around it. What do you have in mind?:
Harry and Sal sat in the Hogwarts' kitchen planning how to take apart the ward stone that has protected the castle and the lands around it since the time of the founders.
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The elves around the pair all stared in the fear as they listened. It was cleared to them was one of the Great Ones had returned to Hogwarts. The first one since the founders died.
The Pappy, the oldest living house-elf, stood next to the pair, wringing his hands. The elves have a collective memory going back to the days they were created by the Great Evil One himself.
Great Ma'ar wanted a servant that was only loyal to him and his mages. So he created the house-elves. They had no choice but to serve wizards. It was either serve or die.
They had all felt someone tapping in the lines of magic that ran through the ground around Hoggywarts. The elves knew that a Great One had returned. To serve a Great One was a great honor as it meant better magic to do their service.
The Pappy nodded to himself as he watched the Great One and his Great Cat work. Dobby and Winky were so lucky.
Maybe it was time. He hoped so. The elves were dying out. The wild magic was dying out. No new little ones have been born or created in such a long time.
He would have to wait and see.
Snapping his fingers, he sent out a message along the collective awareness to all the elves.
:Hoggywarts is in danger of going boom! A Great One has returned and needs help to fix. Be ready.:
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A/N: Wow! I wasn't expecting a huge chapter here but it just didn't want to stop.
Again, special thanks to Miriam1 for her help and talents. As I speak I just finished chapter 22. It still needs work, it just isn't going the way I want.
Until next time. GF