FREEING THE SOUL
LADY SHINIGAMI
DISCLAIMER: I OWN THE PLOT AND THE CHARACTER 'EXILE'.
CHAPTER 4
As Exile softly touched Harry's scar, his vision blacked out completely, drowning out the image of his dream companion. When his vision cleared, he instantly recognized the living room of the Dursley home at 4 Privet Drive. His breath caught in his throat as a young boy, maybe six years old stepped into the doorway of the living room, wearing baggy old clothes, entirely too large for him. Harry recognized his six year old self.
"You know, you make a cute six year old." Exile said, completely off topic, and Harry gave him a strange look.
"That completely ruined the seriousness of this dream."
"I know. Anyway, back to your memory."
By now, little Harry was starting to clean the already spotless living room, all under the watchful eye of his aunt. Little Harry made no sound, but Petunia kept snapping at him, berating him, and threatening him with future punishment. After several minutes, the front door slammed shut, signaling the arrival of Uncle Vernon. Little Harry cringed, but kept on cleaning.
As Vernon Dursley came into the room, Harry tried to clean his way to the hall, away from his uncle, but before he could get far, he was grabbed from behind. Little Harry jerked at the contact and for his efforts, received a slap from Vernon.
"Don't move when I punish you, boy! My company's just lost several clients! Your freakishness caused it, I know it! Punishment is in order!" Harry was slammed into the wall, his glasses breaking into several pieces. He cried out with surprise, resulting in another shove from his uncle, slamming him into another wall.
"No! please, I haven't done anything wrong! Please, no!" Little Harry cried and Vernon slapped him brutally.
"You know the rules! No back talking when I'm punishing you, boy! Now shut up!" Vernon kept beating little Harry until the six year old collapsed in a heap on the floor. Sneering, Vernon dragged the little boy and tossed him into the cupboard beneath the stairs. Then the memory faded and Exile reappeared, a sad smile on his face.
"I don't remember that. I must have repressed it or something." Harry said and Exile nodded.
"Yes, but this helps. You have the understanding of what Tom went through in his life, and you can save him because of that understanding and your genuine care of people. I now have access to all your memories, and I won't need you reliving them while I review them. Time is growing short, Harry." Exile said and Harry sighed with frustration.
"I know that! We have until Christmas, at the very latest, and Snape is trying to research something. He is helping me, and I have a feeling I will save Tom in time."
Exile frowned. "How can you be so certain?"
Harry smiled. "One of my best friends is a True Seer. He's seen me fighting the demon. He saw me with wings. I have a feeling I will save Tom."
Exile appeared worried. "Well, be careful. It will still be a long and difficult journey to save Tom. Good bye, Harry." The dreamscape vanished abruptly this time, jolting Harry awake. Putting on his glasses, he looked around, recognizing the Room of Requirement, but he nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw Ron sitting in a corner.
"Ron! What are you doing here?"
"Harry... who's Exile? You called out his name a few times. And for your information, I had another Vision after I went to bed. Again, it was about you and the boy. Something big is going on, Harry, and I think you should know better than to keep things from me." Ron said as he lit the fire, casting light and shadows across Harry's face. "I knew where you would be if you weren't in the dorm. I'm also guessing that you knew that."
Harry looked away. "Kinda."
"Why?"
"Its kind of complicated, Ron, and I'm not sure if I can trust anyone yet. I trust only one person with this right now, and he says to use the utmost discretion. I can't even trust Dumbledore with this, Ron, so... I'm kind of reluctant to say anything to anyone." Harry said, watching for Ron's reaction, but the redhead didn't say anything; he didn't even twitch.
"Must be big if you can't trust the Headmaster. So, do you want to know about my vision?"
Harry nodded, despite the tense atmosphere. He really wanted Ron to know about Exile, and Tom Riddle the boy, his Soul Mate, about everything. He just didn't know if Ron could keep a secret this big.
"Well, it was the same as last time, you know, with the flashes of images and the blackness. I saw you again, with your white wings, fighting this monstrous demon. Damn, what an ugly looking bastard! Anyway, this demon, he had the boy from my other vision shackled and chained up in his grasp. You called the demon Voldemort, but the boy you called 'Exile'. There was another flash, with this Exile touching your scar, going into your mind. He said you had the best possible chance of..." Ron trailed and Harry knew what his best friend had seen.
"I have the best possible chance of saving Tom Riddle because he is my Soul Mate. Don't know how, and I don't know why, but I believe Exile. I can't trust Dumbledore, because he is part of the problem. I really want to tell you everything, but I don't know if I can. I'm sorry, Ron." Harry said and Ron heaved a sigh, looking away.
"I know. I'll keep quiet. I won't pretend to understand, cuz I probably won't, but if you're going to do your Hero thing, then I can't stop you, so I might as well support you. You really should get help for that saving people thing of yours, you know that, right?" Ron asked with a grin and Harry laughed, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, I know. I'll do something about it after the war is over and done with completely. Until then, I can only save as many people as I can and hope that those I can't save find a quick, merciful death, and move on. Thank you, though. I really appreciate this."
Ron shrugged at Harry's words. He came over to the couch Harry was sitting on and sat down beside the raven-haired teen. "Ah, well. No biggie. I just want to help you out."
Harry smiled. "Yeah, I know that too. Thanks. Ron, I will tell you everything, but not now. When I do, I may not have much time left. It might be before I battle the demon. I dunno."
"That's fine."
They sat in silence for some time, just mulling over their own individual thoughts. Ron's were troubled, thinking on all the secrets that Harry was keeping, although, he kind of understood why his best mate was hiding things; things that seemed really dangerous. Everything was just starting to spin out of control.
Harry's thoughts lingered on the one thing that had been plaguing him for the past few days. Exile, and Tom Riddle. The demon Voldemort. His Soul Mate, and the war inside Tom's mind. He knew he couldn't save Tom alone, and even with Snape helping him, it wasn't very likely that he would be able to do what was necessary before it was too late. But maybe that's where Ron came in, and his new visions. Harry still didn't know what to think about these True Seer visions, but he knew instinctively that they were connected with what was going on now with Exile and Tom. Maybe Ron would help him, like he wanted to. That would be nice.
Without a word to one another, Ron and Harry left the Room of Requirement to go back to their dorm. Outside of every window they passed, the night sky was fading into predawn gray.
For two months, Harry dreamed, and Snape revealed his plan within the safety of his private Potions lab. He was in the process of creating a potion that would strengthen Harry within the dreamscape, much to the point of inhuman strength, something Snape was positive Harry would need in the battle for Tom's soul and freedom. Ron continued having Seer visions, but he kept as good as his word, telling no one of Harry's secret, not even in anger. In fact, it was almost as if the visions were having a calming effect on the redhead. It was very well appreciated in Harry's case.
In mid-December, Snape informed Harry that the potion was finished. Well, Harry had figured that the Potions Master had made progress, due to his abnormal behavior in class, but he hadn't expected to hear the potion was actually completed!
"Really? It's done?"
"Yes, Potter! That's what I've been saying! It's still untested, granted, but I'm positive that it will work. How are the dreams?" Snape asked as he and Harry lounged around in his office. Harry shrugged.
"I still don't know how I'm going to destroy the demon, and Exile doesn't have a clue, he's mostly been helping me to get to know Tom, but I suspect that when I get my wings, things will just happen. I seriously have no clue." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Ron continues to have his visions, and now he seeing my previous excursions into the dreamscape. He says that he can't hear anything in his visions, so I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what's going on."
"Then that's a good thing. Keep him in the dark. He does have a nasty tendency to run off at the mouth when it comes to important and dangerous issues." Snape said. Harry shrugged.
"I dunno. Maybe he can help me. I mean, it's because of him that I know I'll get my wings. He's never had a vision before this whole episode, so what if he's supposed to help me? It's a thought I consider worth thinking about at the very least."
"You may have a point, Potter. I leave it up to your discretion, then. I do know, however, that the Headmaster has no clue of what's going on right now, and I have been making contingency plans for after your battle with the demon, should you succeed." Harry rolled his eyes at the professor's words.
"Nice to know you're optimistic about my success, sir." He said rather sarcastically. The Potions Master just smirked, looking very smug.
"You'd best be going, Potter. Dinner starts in a few minutes, and it wouldn't be wise to be seen coming up from the dungeons."
Harry grinned. "That's why I have my cloak. It's dead useful for occasions such as this!" the he was gone, under his father's cloak. Snape rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Gryffindors..." Harry's soft laughter filtered through the room, letting the Potions Master know that the teen had heard him.
Harry met up with Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall, just a few minutes after dinner started, his cloak tucked away. He took his customary seat beside Ron and smiled when Hermione continued on with her dialogue on the latest book she was reading, but soon she stopped and just looked at Harry.
"What's up, Hermione? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Are you ok, Harry? You seem pale. Are you getting enough sleep?"
He shrugged. "I guess. I'm just preoccupied a little. Its nothing to worry about, Hermione."
"Are you having any visions or anything?" she asked, not planning on giving up. Ron laughed.
"He's fine! Leave him alone, 'Mione; he's a big boy and can take care of himself. If there's something wrong, he'll tell us. Won't you, Harry?"
"Of course! I'm just not that tired lately." It was true, though. His visions into the dreamscape seemed to have a restorative factor, making Harry feel refreshed and less stressed each time they occurred. He was also becoming more involved with his dreams as well, actively healing Exile when he was hurt, as was occurring more and more often.
After dinner, Harry left for the Tower, intending on getting his broom from the dorm. His two friends followed, arguing over Ron's lack of responsibility as a Prefect. Harry tuned them out early into the argument. In the common room, Harry turned to Ron and grinned. "Hey, Ron, want to come with me out to the Pitch? I would like to fly for a bit."
Ron grinned. "Of course, I'll join ya! I'm always up for a good flight, just let me get my broom."
Harry laughed a little. "No problem, I need to get my cloak anyway."
A few minutes later, the two of them were down at the Pitch, flying through the air, enjoying it before they would have to go inside. But as they landed, getting ready to go back before curfew, Harry revealed to Ron the real reason for coming out to the relative privacy of the Pitch.
"Ron. It's going to happen soon."
The redhead caught on immediately. "How soon?"
"Within the next few days. Snape finished the potion that will allow me to be more than just an astral projection in Exile's dreamscape. And once in the dreamscape, I will be stronger than I am now. The battle's going to be very soon, and I've decided that I want you to come with me into the dreamscape. I know you're going to help me, and I need you. Your Visions prove that you play an important role in this. I just don't know what." He sighed as the night settled in, and snow began to fall. Ron just looked at him, his expression undefinable.
"I'll be there for you. This Visions of mine... have shown me that you are truly an amazing person, and if anyone can save Tom Riddle, it's you. But what really gets me is that if I'm able to help you in any way, then I can feel good about whatever happens after you do your hero thing." He smiled at that, as did Harry. "It's your thing to save people, to do good things, Harry."
Harry laughed, embaresed. "Now you're making me blush!"
Ron burst out in laughter and he clapped his best friend on the shoulder before turning back to the castle. "Anytime, Harry! Let's go back; I want some food and hot chocolate from the kitchens!"
Harry rolled his eyes at the redhead, but he grinned and followed after him. Maybe everything would turn out all right, but only with the help of his best friend. He would tell the lanky redhead everything that had happened later that night.
It was less than twenty four hours later that Ron nearly collapsed in class, his eyes completely unfocused, but locked on Harry. The images rattled his mind and he knew that the time had come; Harry needed to save Riddle before the boy could die. As the lessons came to a pause, and his fellow Gryffindors backed away in fear, Ron stumbled towards his friend, and Harry caught him before he fell. This was actually the first time that Harry had seen Ron in the throes of his Visions, but it looked terrifying.
"Harry... you need your wings..." Ron's voice shook and was deathly quiet, but in the sudden silence of the Transfiguration classroom, his words were heard by all those currently present. McGonagal stared, struck speechless for once, completely unsure as to how to proceed.
Without a word, Harry dragged Ron from the class and headed for the dungeons, ignoring everything as he fought to lead his friend to Snape. Snape would know what to do.
"Just stay with me, Ron. I'll get you to Snape, and he'll help us. Just don't lose it, alright?" Ron nodded weakly as scenes of a vicious battle flashed through his mind, images of what could only be Harry in all of his power; winged, eyes glowing with green light, with such a powerful aura of strength. He saw Tom Riddle, too, face concealed by shadows, dying... there was very little time, and he concentrated on his staggering steps as the two of them descended into the dungeons.
Minutes later, Harry pounded on the door of the Potions classroom, not caring that he was disturbing the class inside. The door opened violently and Snape stood there, imperious and intimidating, but the older wizard froze as he noticed just who was standing outside of his lab. Weasley was shaking quite violently, his blue eyes rolling as the Vision ran its course. Potter staring at him, panting slightly as he regarded the Potions Master with a pleading determination.
Snape beckoned them into the class and into his private office, ignoring his class for this more important matter. He helped to settle Ron into a chair and silently pulled forth two vials of an opaque potion. Harry didn't have to guess as to what was in the vials.
"I figured that Weasley would be with you. Drink this, and the rest is up to the two of you." Snape said quietly, handing the vials to Harry. He nodded and poured the slightly thick potion down Ron's throat, helping his to swallow by rubbing his throat. He then swallowed his potion, and a moment later, collapsed. Snape came closer, examining the two Gryffindors. Both were deep into sleep, deep in a dream that they would share. The Potions Master sighed and made the boys comfortable before sealing off his office, ignoring the startled activities outside his door, ignoring Dumbledore when the old man came down, and he patiently waited for the two boys to wake up, hopefully bringing another young wizard back with them.
He sighed. This was going to take a while.
AN: FINALLY! THE FOURTH CHAPTER IS UP! I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LOOOONG WAIT, BUT THERE WERE THINGS... AND YEAH... BUT THE FIFTH CHAPTER WILL BE VERY SOON! I PROMISE!