There are some AU elements so please don't expect everything to match cannon.
A/N: The Characters and the universe all belong to J.K Rowling. Nothing is mine.
It's been a week since I started working on the concept of Universal Radius. I have a solid game plan that can help us use this concept beautifully. I need to schedule a meeting of the SP before the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, since Daniel wants to hold some sort of meeting at Hogshead at that time. He just told me to be there. Hermione seems over excited about it, but wouldn't tell me otherwise. Rosy was also very secretive about it, but says I'm definitely going to like it.
Either way, I need to prepare for the SP meet. I'll inform Trevor and Hedwig to come on Thursday at the same place as before, considering today is Monday I should have ample time.
I'm with Hermione and Rosy again at the Library. I'm going over a text written in Japanese Kanji and Rune symbols that detail the ritual I want to modify for the Universal Radius concept.
"Harry, are you reading Japanese samurai stories again?" What Hermione is saying might have been true a year ago. At the beginning, my talent for Runes and languages was used up in reading up all the fiction and non-fiction stories that I could manage in the languages that I mastered. Runes is a study of ancient languages after all. Even now, I don't have some super old secret book of deadly secrets that will lead me to victory.
But, what I have that no one in this war possesses is the knowledge of every magical culture that has ever existed. The culture and ancient knowledge of the Chinese civilization may be common knowledge in the present magical community of China, but I'm pretty sure Tom Riddle wouldn't have a clue about the concept of 'chi'. I'm not saying that I can master 'chi' myself, as it takes decades of practice, but there are a lot of other accessible ideas lurking in these different cultures.
As for the ritual I'm reading, it is exactly what I need right now. Firstly it would be needed to be tweaked a little to spread its effective area of influence to the level of the 'Universal Radius'. That would be moderately challenging but not impossible. Most of the ingredients are also accessible, with some being a little challenging, but the only obstacle that is stopping me is the final Ingredient. The blood of the subject, that means the blood of Voldemort. I'm pretty sure Voldemort has never donated in a blood bank, so yeah. We have a sort of a dead end there.
"Harrryyy?" Oh yes, Hermione.
"Yes, Mione?" I raise my eyes ever so slightly from my book.
"What are you doing?"
"Something Important." I shouldn't have, but it's just so much fun.
"Oh Really?" She's killing the sarcasm, I'll give her that. "Mind shedding a little light on it, for us poor souls?"
Rosaline is giggling in her book in the corner. I'm sure a little louder and Madam Pince would ban us from the library for the term.
"Oh yes of course Miss Granger. You see, I was contemplating the importance of toads in the war against Voldemort."
Rosaline is shaking at this point and Hermione is both irritated and confused.
"Toads?" Hermione grits her teeth.
"Toads" I couldn't have said it more casually.
She looks like she wants to go on a rant, her face is going red and her nostrils are flaring, but then she exhales a loud breath and goes back to her work reluctantly.
I raise my hands to applaud her for showing restraint for the first time, but then my survival instincts ( and Rosy) kick in to make me also go back to my work.
I decide on preparing for the ritual, thinking of a way to bypass the final ingredient. I make my preparations for the next two days, informing Trevor and Hedwig to meet me behind the owlery after classes.
I order most of the ingredients via owl, draining my monthly allowances in an instant. It will kill me during the Hogsmeade weekend, but you've got to put world safety above candies. Wednesday evening finds me loitering in the kitchens after curfew. Dobby brings me a nice cup of coffee and some cookies to go along with it. Dobby is a nice guy, and I would have recruited him for SP were it not for his bond to Hogwarts.
I met Dobby in my first year at Hogwarts. Dobby was a house-elf belonging to the Malfoy family, who had taken it upon himself to stop Daniel attending the year at Hogwarts because of an imminent danger in the school.
It was quite nerve-wracking for me to witness those attacks on the muggle-born, but Hermione was terrified. Even then she put up the strongest face amongst the students and voiced her displeasure at the discrimination of the attacker. I was in awe of her, honestly.
No really, I mean it's not that she was the first person I saw put on a strong face during some crisis. But… but most of them know sub-consciously they are not alone. Even Daniel has a sense of security that there are a number of people behind him, but Hermione… she was different.
It sends a shiver down my spine just thinking about it.
She, an 11 year old tiny school girl enters a world she has known only for a year through the stories of her sister. She is targeted by second year bullies like Draco Malfoy, for her parentage and told she will always be beneath others. The only person who she can turn for guidance to is her older sister, who is barely a twelve year old herself and spends most of her time with the trio. Then in the same year, an attacker emerges who promises to eradicate people like herself, and starts petrifying people left and right. In face of all this she had the nerves and the stomach to stand up, raise her middle finger and shout a 'Fuck Off!' to everyone who dared to cross her path.
I think that was really, really cool.
When Hermione was petrified in May, I was scared and plain out depressed. I would sit by her bed and just try to talk to her about whatever came to my mind, no matter how lame. I think it was about 20 days after her petrification that I started to really feel helpless. It was just the day before that Ginny was taken in the chamber too.
"Come on 'Mione, I'm tired after hearing myself go on and on about how boring the classes are." I was so sure too, that she would jump out of bed to correct me on my tardiness regarding classes. "It's so distressing seeing you there emotionless and unmoving like a stone statue. Even my super-funny jokes don't work. Hmph, spoilsport." I was trying to sound tough, but I'm sure if Hermione could see it she would have seen through my lie in a second.
Tears were starting to form in eyes and my hands were clenched so tight that my nails were digging into my palm and bleeding. " A-All right… I have been working v-very h-h- hard on this one, s-so you better laugh; Okay?"
I looked her in the face for some kind of response; I knew it was hopeless but… but it was hard accepting it. My tears stung harder, my nails dug deeper.
"Say, How d-do you organize a s-space party?"
I looked at her face, still emotionless and unmoving. It was too much for me. It was the breaking point. I put my hands on my eyes and started crying, it was all too much. I was frustrated and angry and sad all at the same time. I started shouting in my desperation,
"You Planet! You planet dammit! Don't you bloody get it? Plan-et; Plan-it! Just Goddamn laugh already! I am hurting so much, just wake up…" My voice was more like a whine of a crying baby at the last, "…w-wake up please."
As I was crying I had been firmly holding on to Hermione's hand. It was then that I discovered the mystery of the basilisk which Hermione had brilliantly deduced in the library. I shared the new piece of information with Daniel. He was really thankful for the information and told me he would make sure to use the information properly, though I had no idea of how at that time. I came to know just the next day when Ginny was taken into the chamber, and the trio went in without informing anyone. Daniel never told me the full story of what happened down there but I know the relevant parts. It was also here that I tricked Lucius Malfoy into releasing Dobby from his hooks. Dobby was in awe of me after that. It felt flattering honestly, though Daniel would have used the term annoying. Hermione was un-petrified shortly after and no matter how much she insists up till today, I did not hug her when she was cured. It's so not manly. Hmph. She doesn't even consider what will happen to my macho reputation if word gets out. Though I'm sure Mom pretty much destroyed it in third year.
Coming back to the living, I get up after finishing with my coffee. Before leaving, I decide to ask some questions to dobby anyway.
"Um Dobby, this may sound strange, but are you entirely loyal towards Hogwarts and its officials?"
Dobby looked at me with big eyes and his ears immediately straightened.
"No sir Harry Potter sir."
"NO?" I did not expect that.
"No."
"Um… So who are you loyal to?"
"You, Mr. Harry Potter sir."
I looked around just for the heck of it.
I thought up on a number of questions, and finally settled on "How?"
"Is 'cause Dobby wanting to Mr. Harry Potter sir."
All I could do was finally sigh at this point. Since this was the case then it would be no harm to tell Dobby of my plan. You can never doubt a house elves' loyalty.
"Dobby, is there somewhere we can talk in private?"
"Dobby be knowing just the place Mr. Harry Potter sir. Please you be holding Dobby's hand and then Dobby be taking you."
I took hold of Dobby's Hand and he transported us into some empty looking corridor. There was a weird painting on one wall and the other was blank. The corridor was empty, I'll give that much to Dobby, but…
"Are you sure no one will be able to hear us Dobby, I mea-"
"No no no no Mr. Harry Potter Sir, you be walking three times back and forth in front of this wall and thinking of quiet room, then room coming."
"Ooookay" I was pretty doubtful about that but did it anyway, and…
…and lo and behold it was a door. I must say it was a surprise. Was this some kind of hidden classroom?
We entered the room to find a large room that possessed adequate furniture for sitting and talking.
"What is this room Dobby?"
"We House Elves calling it the 'come and go' room Mr. Harry Potter Sir. It is also being called 'The room of requirement'. You walking three time in front of this room and thinking of any thing you be needing, the room will be giving."
"You mean to say if I think of anything I need this room will provide."
"Yes Mr. Harry Potter Sir." My mind was swimming with possibilities, and things seemed to be falling in place a lot easier now. This would certainly make things interesting. I could almost feel the glee, flowing through my veins. If what Dobby said is true then Voldemort better watch his ass. My eyes lit up with a new found fire and I rubbed my hands vigorously.
I finally turned to Dobby and decided to seal the deal with him too.
"Now Dobby, I have a proposition for you."
Dobby was almost jumping with excitement.
"Anything, Harry Potter Sir."
I cackled inside, feeling the end of Moldywarts coming near.
A/N: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. IT WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED
