knew he would come for you eventually, so I planted a small charm which would cause any evil spell on you to, how shall I say, backfire."
Harry touched his forehead, "Then, you and my mother are the reason I'm still here. The reason I'm still alive."
"Yes, Harry. Your father knew what I had planned. I got the spell from Godric's spellbook, he had approved my decision. You see Harry, you were James and Lily's hope for the future. Each of these books are different. Gryffindor's books are for protection and defense, there is wisdom here as well. Ravenclaw, is mainly divination and conjuring, Slytherin's is very, very dark magic, dangerous magic, death magic, attack magic it destroys, it does not build. The last was Hufflepuff's right here," she pointed to the last book. "Hufflepuff's builds, it creates, there are many fine spells here, there is a nice banishment spell, which I have often thought I might use upon Peter Pettigrew, and the Turn to Stone spell I mentioned before at the Dursleys."
Harry looked at the other three books, she was right, they were Louisa Ravenclaws and Salazar Slytheran's and Helga Hufflepuff's spellbooks. He looked at his aunt incredulously. It was just too fantastic.
"It's all so hard to believe."
"I know it is, it was hard for James and I too. You cannot imagine everything we went through. You are much like your father and I. You love adventure, you aren't afraid of bending the rules to get what you want. In some it turns into ruthlessness, but not in us Harry because we have good hearts."
"I don't know, aunt Viviane, I just don't know if I want to be responsible for all this power."
"You haven't much of a choice Harry. You and your cousins will have to share in this. Don't think for a moment you will be alone in this. You will not be alone ever again, that I can promise you."
Harry looked over the Gryffindor spellbook.
"I want to teach you those spells too Harry. If you will let me, if you have the desire to learn, you too will be able to defend yourself from the likes of Lucius and Draco, Severus and Voldemorte, they will no longer have any power to affect your destiny. It is ultimately, your choice."
Harry stood there for a moment, caressing the book. Just touching it he could feel the power. He looked back at his aunt.
"Is there anyway we can bring back my parents?"
"No, Harry, though there is a spell here in Rowena Ravenclaw's book for speaking directly to those that are death, the Spiritus Oratus."
He looked down at the book then turned back to face his aunt.
"I am a bit overwhelmed and yet, I can't wait to start learning. What, what would happen if the Ministry of Magic were to find out about these books?"
"The Ministry of Magic? I do not fear the Ministry. The would want them, I am sure, but even they could not keep them safe. I know for a fact that there are supporters of Voldemorte within the Ministry."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the Ministry isn't made up of just good wizards Harry. I have told Arthur Weasley to watch his back. Lucius Malfoy isn't the only wizard he must keep on his guard about."
Harry pondered what she said for a moment.
"Do you know who the supporters of Voldemorte are?"
"I do, Harry, I do. I can do nothing about them yet, I must let them tip their hand as it was. Voldemorte will try again soon to return. He is nothing else if not determined to get his own way. We must not let him have it Harry. I think I know how to stop him, but it will take all of us Harry, even your two friends to pull this one off."
A few hours later, Hermione was in the library looking at a few very old books. She seemed genuinely interested in what she was reading.
Ron walked into the library and said to her, "Hermione, have you seen Harry?"
"Other than at breakfast, no I haven't. I've been in here reading, and its really quite fascinating."
"I've been playing chess with James, he's an excellent chess player, in the end it wound up being a stalemate. I've never had such a challenging game before."
"Really, Ron?" she said remembering the search for the Sorcerer's stone.
"Well other than that." he said.
Just then Harry opened the door.
"Ron, Hermione I was just looking for you. I've got so much to tell you but I'm not sure how. Really, I can hardly believe it."
"Well then, tell us Harry?" Hermione said.
"Not here, let's go to my room."
They all went up to Harry's room. Once they all entered Harry took out his wand and said, "Personus Silenco", as he waved his wand.
Hermione appeared stunned. Ron looked at him questioningly.
"What was that for?"
"It is a spell to stop anyone outside the room from hearing what is said." Hermione told Ron, "That's advanced magic."
"It is, my aunt taught me that one." He said to them, "Please, sit down, I've so much to share with you. What I say though must not leave this room, ever!"
"You know you can trust us Harry," Ron told him.
"Your lives, as well as ours depends upon secrecy," Harry told them.
"It's about the spellbooks isn't it?" asked Hermione.
Harry just shook his head, "I can never surprise you can I Hermione, you always seem to know what's going on."
"I guessed on the train Harry when you were talking about the very rare, ancient, obscure books she had."
"Okay, well tell ME!" Ron says to Harry.
He begins to tell his story...
"Those books hold dangerous knowledge."
"The Ministry of Magic will want them. If they find out that your aunt has them, they'll take them away." Ron told Harry.
"They must not find out about them. My aunt needs to teach me a few spells first after that we've something very important to do. It involves awakening the Eye of Merlin..."
"The Eye of Merlin!" Hermione blanched, "That's just legend! There is no proof that the Eye of Merlin ever existed! How can she possibly know about it!"
"Aunt Viviane said that she is descended through the female line from Merlin, who had a daughter by Nimiane, the Lady of the Lake..."
Hermione sat down stunned, "No, that is all just legendary..."
"It isn't. According to her only those with the blood of Merlin can use the Eye, however, because there is no one who is closer in lineage to Merlin it will take the combined power of twelve descendants of Merlin. One of these is your father, Ron."
"My father?"
"He is related to me through my great-great-great-great grandmother, so since the lineage from Merlin comes from the females, it means he too is a descendant. The Eye of Merlin is very powerful, it can be used for many purposes there is but one that my aunt wants to use it for. Banishing forever, or killing Voldemorte."
"She wants to banish him to the Ninth Gate," Hermione muttered, "No one has ever accomplished that."
"The Ninth Gate? What is the Ninth Gate?"
"The Ninth Gate lies within a realm far removed from reality. It is a place, so legend says of darkness, void, were magic does not exist. It is a type of magical null field. Once you enter the Ninth Gate, you can never leave. It is permenant and tantamount to a death sentence. Only the most evil of wizards, according to legend were sent there. It is said you can live a thousand years in this place, but in such torment that you wish for death. Death comes eventually, but very slowly. It's a terrible, terrible place."
Harry nodded. "That is what my Aunt Viviane said. She believes that Voldemorte qualifies as a truly evil wizard, and in order to purify our world we must send him there. His followers too unless they repent."
Hermione just shook her head, "To use the Eye of Merlin requires knowledge, power and experience. No one here has all of that! Not even your Aunt, Harry."
"You're wrong, Hermione. Merlin and Nimiane had a daughter Ninue. She is my direct ancestor through my paternal grandmother. The knowledge of how to awaken the Eye and how to control it, and knowledge of the various uses, have been passed down orally from mother to daughter. There is an ancient written text called the..."
"Arcanus Octus," Hermione finished, "Yes, I know. It's very ancient, said to contain the most ancient of knowledge, dated a good thousand years or so BEFORE Merlin to which Merlin himself added his own knowledge and spells. It is said to be a very large book with intricate writing on it. The Arcanus Octus is written in an ancient magical language that no one in this day and age can read or write."
"No one that is...except my aunt, my grandmother, and my cousins, Laetitia, Lily, and Lavinia, any and all of the females in the family have knowledge of it."
Hermione was dumbfounded, this was just too incredible to believe. "I cannot believe this! It is simply too fantastic! That would make your family the most POWERFUL family in the world! It simply cannot be!"
"Believe it! My Aunt Viviane says I only know of the few cousins I have here, which include, not only Laetitia, James, Lily, Jonathan and Lavinia, but also Laverna, Medea, and Lucanus Malphrus, the children of the younger brother of Ash Malphrus, Lucian. He married my father's second cousin, Arielle Prentiss. Aunt Viviane says I've many American cousins, my grandmother has two sisters, and a brother they all have children, and grandchildren. She said that the family in America is quite large and spread over several eastern states."
"It can't be...it just can't be," Hermione muttered.
"The time is now Hermione, something must be done and very soon. She said the others will be here in a few days."
Hermione looked at Harry and shook her head. "This isn't good Harry, it's the beginning of a great magical battle, this isn't good at all."
"We've no choice, Hermione, Voldemorte and his followers must be defeated once and for all. We cannot afford to let them gain greater, and greater strength."
"No," Ron agreed, "We cannot afford to let them gain strength. Who knows how much worse that would be."
Harry looked over at Ron, "Soon, very soon your parents will be in on this Ron, my Aunt intends to have a meeting with several wizards about this matter including Professor Dumbledore. In a way it's quite exciting, but also frightening."
"It should frighten you Harry," Hermione said, "I've read of the great Battus Magicus, it was a series of great battles fought over a period of two centuries between rival witching clans. The magical battles fought wrought horror, pain, and death on a large scale, and this ancient history, haven taken place more than a thousand years ago! It was Merlin's creation of the Eye that brought an end to it all."
"I'm sorry Hermione, but you must admit we cannot allow Voldemorte to get more and more powerful. If we stop him now, perhaps we can reduce greatly the casualties. The first time Voldemorte gained power there were many casualties, including Neville's parents as well as my own, also your uncles Ron, Gideon and Fabian Prewett."
Ron looked down, "My mother said she'd two brother's killed by Voldemorte."
Harry looked at Ron, then Hermione, they all looked at each other for long moments.
"We'll do what we have to do, Harry," Hermione said.
"Yeah, whatever has been done, count me in," Ron told him.
"I knew I could count on you both," Harry said with a smile.
Hogwart's seemed a very different place to Viviane. She smiled, remembering the time she spent here within it's walls with fondness. Of course, James was in Gryffindor, and she'd been in Ravenclaw. Also, James was five years ahead of her. He'd been a fifth year student when she arrived for her first year.
She stood looking out the window in the Headmaster room. She turned around as the door opened. Professor Dumbledore, MacGonaghil, and Snape walked into the room.
"I am sorry to have to disturb you, but I thought this was important." she stepped down and walked over to them. "I have decided to do something about Voldemorte, once and for all, for him there will be no coming back."
"How can you do this?" MacGonaghil asked.
She looked over at Severus Snape, "Severus knows...don't you?"
He frowned, "I believe she is thinking of using the Eye of Merlin."
Albus Dumbledore shook his head, "It isn't possible."
She turned to Professor Dumbledore, "I'm sorry, Albus, but it is possible."
"The Eye of Merlin, if I remember," Severus began, "Can only be used by a
descendant of Merlin. It is true that he is known to have had a daughter, Ninue, but little is known after that."
"I do know. I AM a descendant of Merlin.." she watched their reactions. Severus just frowned. "Severus, always so dark, do not worry so!"
"What you plan to do," he started, "Is very dangerous. Only Merlin himself had the power and skill to control the Eye. You are a powerful witch and it is true you have gained much knowledge over the past thirteen years, but I believe it is beyond even you, Viviane."
"Oh, Severus, my dear worrier," she said as she laid a hand upon his arm, "do not trouble your mind."
He looked at her hand on his arm, then looked into her eyes. For a brief moment he saw what she planned on doing and he shook his head, disbelief in his eyes. "It's a good thing you are on OUR side now..."
Professor MacGonaghil looked over at them, "What did you see Severus?"
"She is planning to call others of her family, she is a true descendant of Merlin, from mother to daughter for centuries, the knowledge has been passed down. There are many of them as equally powerful as she, twelve, it will take twelve to control the Eye. She intends to send Voldemorte through the Ninth Gate."
This brought a gasp from Professor MacGonaghil, "Using the Eye of Merlin is dangerous enough, but if your power and skill is insufficient, you and any with you may also be banished with Voldemorte to the Ninth Gate. Have you ever thought of that?"
Viviane nodded, "I do know that, it is why I have decided to not involve the children. It will be made up only of the most powerful adults in my family. Harry is now living with my family, so that even if anything SHOULD go wrong, I am assured he will be well cared for. At least, there will be no more Voldemorte to threaten anyone. As for the Deatheaters, whoever they may be," she looked at Severus, "they shall repent of their evil ways or find themselves with Voldemorte in the Ninth Gate."
Severus turned away at those words. He walked slowly over to the window and stood for long moments looking out of it. Another choice he had to make. He knew, he'd seen it in her eyes that she KNEW who the Deatheaters were. He'd been one, once, even he'd had thoughts of...Viviane had given him a warning as well. He