AN: Including this one, there are 3 more chapters in this story. I am posting them all at once so you can read them at one time, if you wish. I am not planning to write a sequel, but I hope you will read my next one, which is still in the planning stages. Thank you for reading, and special thanks to all who reviewed. Sincerely, MadScribbler

Chapter 28

The Ritual of Purification began with a 24 hour fast. Since none of them had eaten since the feast at the ball the night before, they would be able to perform the ritual that night. The participants were allowed to drink water, but no food or any other drink could be consumed until the ritual was completed. They spent the day in quiet meditation, gathering herbs in the forest and digging for crystals in a cave. They gathered sage leaves and cedar branches, and then took all that they had found to the Elders who would prepare them for the ritual.

At midnight, the three men entered the forest near the portal. A small dome-shaped tent had been built nearby. The skeleton was made of willow branches, which bent to form the shape of the tent. It was covered in skins. There was a small opening facing East that was so low to the ground that one would have to crawl through on hands and knees.

Harry was tending a fire, which flamed from a pit. Inside, lava rocks were being heated. Fire-Keeper was a very special duty during the ritual, and Harry was taking his job seriously.

There was an Elf sitting near the tent, holding a small drum on his lap. Two Elves with flutes sat near him. A group of children were also there, along with all of the Elders.

A staff had been stuck in the ground beside the opening of the tent. Beneath it was a mound of Earth with a flat top, shaped like a small table.

The three men stripped out of their clothes and laid them on the ground. Elder Sareth gave them the crystals and herbs they had gathered earlier. The crystals had been cleansed and the herbs tied with string.

Mithrael went to the opening of the tent and knelt. He placed the crystals and herbs on the mound and asked, "May I enter, Mother?"

From inside the tent came a female voice, which said, "Welcome, my son."

Mithrael crawled into the opening. The other two men followed his example, and the three of them found themselves in the dark tent.

The drum began to sound the rhythm of a soft heartbeat. The flutes began a slow, soft melody. Then the children began to sing:

Enter the womb of the Mother

Be healed and be born again

The Mother comforts the wounded

The Mother creates new life

Inside the tent, near the opening, a small pit had been dug. Harry entered carrying a hot rock on deer antlers and placed it in the pit.

"Welcome, Mother," the female Elder inside the tent said.

"Welcome, Mother," the participants repeated.

Harry left the tent and brought 6 more rocks, one at a time. When he had brought in the seventh, he took some sweet smelling resin from his pouch and sprinkled it over the rocks. Then he and the female Elder left the tent and closed the flap.

A bucket of water had been left inside. Mithrael reached into the bucket and poured water over the hot rocks, and steam began to rise. He took a sprig of sage leaves and began to sprinkle them over the hot rocks. The strong, pungent odor of myrrh and sage filled the tent.

Outside, the drum beat out the rhythm of their hearts; the flutes continued their sweet melody, and the children sang. Inside, the heat and steam rose and the men began to sweat. It became difficult to breathe, and after a while the participants lay down on the cool dirt floor of the tent, trying to breathe in cooler air.

It was impossible to tell how long they had been inside, but when the men thought they would pass out, the flap opened, allowing a cool breeze to pass over their hot skin.

"Come out, children," Elder Sareth said. "And wash away your impurities."

Mithrael crawled out of the tent on his hands and knees, followed by Lucius then Severus. Outside, the Elders took a bucket of sage water and poured it over the men.

"Now, you must face your darkness," Elder Sareth said. "Enter the Realm of El and through the River of Purification to the Island of Souls where you will be met by your mothers."

Elder Kasha opened the portal, and the three men entered the Realm of El. Despite their weakness, they walked down the hill into the valley below. Instead of crossing the footbridge onto the island, Mithrael waded into the river, and then began to swim across. Lucius and Severus followed his example.

In the middle of the river, they each confronted their own demons. It was a private battle waged between each individual and the darkness in their own hearts.

Mithrael dealt with the guilt he felt over being the only survivor of his family. His parents and sister had been killed when he was a small child, and although he was too young to fight the Death Eaters who had killed them, he remembered the helplessness he felt watching them die. He, too, had been left for dead, but the curse had missed him. Yet, he had fallen, pretending to be dead until they left. Then, he had left his family behind and made his way to the portal to get help from the Elves.

Severus battled his regret over having become a Death Eater and his jealousy of James Potter. He had loved Lily since he was a child, but she had chosen the man whom Severus had hated. He had even lost her friendship when he became a Death Eater. He regretted the torture and murders of innocent victims he had committed to keep his position as a spy for Dumbledore a secret. He had also killed his hated father after the man had murdered his mother, but he did not regret that act. To him, it was justice. He did, however, regret that his path to violence began at such a young age.

Lucius had to battle his hatred, for it consumed him. It was stronger than any other feeling, including love for his family. He hated his father, and he hated the Dark Lord for forcing him to crawl; for torturing him with the Cruciatus curse; for taking away his pride. He hated himself most of all for becoming a Death Eater for no other reason than to please the man who had killed his mother. Lucius also had to battle his lust for power. Power was the one thing that could make him forget that he had ever had to crawl before another—first his father, then the Dark Lord. Lucius's battle was the hardest fought, for he did not know how to let go of those feelings. Yet, he desired it with all his heart. He wanted to be a new man, one that his son and wife could respect.

At last, Mithrael waded out of the river onto the Island of Souls. His mother met him on the bank, wrapped him in a warm cloak, and led him down the path to the cove. They sat on a bench where she wrapped him in her arms as she had done when he was a child.

"You have done well, my son," she said. "You have cleansed your soul of darkness. It is good you had the encounter with the Dark Wizard's spirit, or you would not have come this path."

Mithrael nodded. "You are right," he said. "I have hidden my feelings deep inside. It was not until he entered my body that I remembered my own darkness."

"You are a good man; a good dakara," she said. "You have taught your son well, and you love both of your children."

"They are my heart," he said. "Elsbeth and my children are my life."

They looked up to see Severus enter the cove with his own mother. He was weeping openly. Mithrael turned his attention back to his mother so as not to embarrass the emotional man.

"When your son comes next to visit his first parents," his mother said. "Allow your family to visit you, my son. You have put away the guilt, now. Let us spend time together in happiness."

"I will, Methara. And I will bring my entire family, except for Coriel. She is still too young to enter the Realm of El."

It was quite some time before Lucius finally entered the cove with his mother. Mithrael was surprised by the change. The man no longer looked the same. His face had softened and there was no hint of the cruelness or haughtiness that had been there before.

"He has won his battle," his mother said. "All three of you have, my son. It is a good day. Your people will welcome you back with a feast."

"I look forward to the feast," he said. "It has been a while since I have eaten."

It was morning before the three men returned to the Elven Realm. As they stepped out of the portal, their families met them.

Narcissa was now dressed in the usual Elf fashion with doe skin trousers, tunic, and boots. Her long hair was braided down her back and she wore no make up. Lucius had never seen her look more beautiful.

Draco was still bruised, but he was standing and looking well. He, too, had donned his usual summer wear, looking happier than Lucius had seen him in the past year.

The three men dressed, and then were led by their families to the cove where a large breakfast was awaiting them. The entire village was there to share in the feast with those who had gone through the ritual. It was a festive affair with music and storytelling after the meal.

Severus and Lucius no longer wore the mark of the Dark Wizard. Their forearms were clean and held no sign that it had ever been there. Severus could not wait to return home to show Albus. He hoped the old man would be pleased. It would, however, prevent him from ever spying again should the Dark Lord return. But, for Severus, that was not a bad thing.

After breakfast, Harry attended lessons with his godfathers and then with the Elders. He was learning the rituals, and his grandmother hoped that they could be performed before he had to go back to Hogwarts. The Dark Lord was trying hard to find someone to help him perform the ritual to give him a body, and the Elves wanted him destroyed before he succeeded. Yet, it all came down to Harry. He was still a child, but he had reached the magical maturity of an adult. If he could learn the rituals and enough spells to defend himself against the Dark Lord, his task could be completed.

After his lessons with the Elders, his father worked with him on practicing with his sword. This was Harry's favorite part of the day, with the exception of hunting. He loved the time he spent alone with his father. To him, Mithrael was everything a man should be. He was strong, gentle, brave, wise, and loving. He was slow to anger but quick to laughter. He was a good leader and a good provider. Everyone liked Mithrael, and Harry wanted to be just like him.

"Seth, let's rest awhile," Mithrael said. "I am tired from my lack of sleep and the ritual."

Harry placed his sword in his scabbard, and then they lay side by side beside the lake, staring up at the clouds.

"I'm glad you weren't hurt yesterday, Daka. If the Dark Wizard had possessed you like he did Professor Quirrell, you might have died."

Mithrael put his arm around his son's shoulders and drew him near so Harry could rest his head on his chest. "Your blood protected me," he said. "The Dark Wizard could not stay in a body filled with so much love. It is in our blood, Seth. The love your first mother gave you; the love you have for me and your methara and sister; and the love we have for you."

"I do love you, Daka. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you."

"I know, my son. And I will do all that I can to make sure you do not lose me, and I want you to do all you can to make sure I do not lose you, because I could not stand it if something happened to you."

Harry looked up into his father's eyes. "I will stay safe for you, Daka. I promise."

His father smiled, and they spent the rest of the afternoon napping by the lake.

The summer passed quickly for Harry. He had not had the time to relax as he usually did, or hunt with his father. It had been a summer of learning, and he was ready for it to end. But there was one thing he had to do before he could return to school. He had to attempt to vanquish the Dark Wizard.

The Elven women spent the next three weeks feeding Remus protein and carbohydrates so he would be ready for his battle with the wolf. On the night of the new moon, Remus went through the Ritual of Purification. Mithrael waited for him on the Island of Souls, shrouded in invisibility, watching from the shadows. It was a difficult battle for Remus, but he came through the ritual whole, no longer a werewolf. For the first time since he was a child, he felt healthy and looked forward to the night of the full moon. Sirius said that Padfoot would miss Moony, but Remus said he reckoned the old dog would get over it.

After Remus's ritual, the village allowed themselves a full day of rest in preparation for the rituals that would come next. It would begin the next evening with the Gathering of Souls. There was a small piece of Voldemort's soul that resided in Harry, making him the only one who could call the soul pieces together. That piece of soul could not be extracted until the first ritual was over.

After the first ritual was completed, Harry would have to go through his own Purification Ritual to remove the soul piece residing in his body and trapping it with the others. For this purpose, the Elders were using a Soul Glass, which was a special mirror that would trap and hold souls until released. All the parts of Voldemort's soul would be collected and held in the Soul Glass, then joined with the one that was roaming the Human Realm.

And then the final and most difficult ritual would be performed. The Joining Ritual was the one in which he would rejoin all the pieces of Voldemort's soul, making him whole. And then Voldemort's soul would cross the River of Purification on his way to the Summerland, either of his own free will or by force.