Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Harry Potter: Shadow Sorcerer
Chapter 15: The Ancient Wards of Hogwarts
Harry James Potter left the transfiguration classroom with a smile on his face. The class went absolutely well and learned a lot of things he missed from the books he read, and successfully crafted a new wand for Neville which promised a steady improvement in the boy's confidence with each successful spell.
Casting a quick tempus, Harry saw that he was already late for his Herbology class which saddened him a bit since he somewhat liked Professor Sprout and her motherly aura. Thankfully, his record with the professor remained clean since Professor McGonagall saw fit to inform her of his absence.
He winced at being possibly asked during their next session as to WHY he didn't attend her class but sighed since he would have to tell her the truth or find out from McGonagall.
Seeing that he had an hour and half to spend on his own, Harry decided to take advantage of the situation to check the books available in the library. Might as well do a little bit of research on the treatises of Transfiguration to add to his notes.
Neville Longbottom was on his way to his dorm in Gryffindor Tower to retrieve a book for his next class.
As he strolled through the halls of Hogwarts, his mind was currently digesting what happened back in Transfiguration. He couldn't believe that THE Harry Potter crafted a wand just for him. Not just any wand, but a wand that was 100% attuned to his magic. He could still remember the feeling of power flowing through his body from the wand and the power he felt made him giddy and excited. Even now, he could feel the hum of the wand tucked safely inside his pocket. His hand snaked down to another pocket to feel a small needle - his first sign of success.
He felt elation at knowing that he wasn't a squib at all.
Neville was worried before he came to Hogwarts that he was a squib. His only feat of accidental magic was when he bounced all the way to the lake after his Uncle Algie dropped him from a second-story window when he was ten years old. That was when he got Trevor the toad as his pet, awarded to him by his uncle after discovering that he wasn't a squib after all.
Due the lack of magic in his life, Neville found solace in the Longbottom Greenhouse. Ever since he was young, plants called to him. He loved them and they in turn loved him. He found it easy to take care of the plants inside the greenhouse, and unknown to his grandmother, they flourished under his care.
His thoughts went back to Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Apprentice of Hogwarts. He knew that he didn't owe Harry when the boy simply turned down any favors owed for a powerful wand. Harry even told him that he didn't need the money which Neville knew was quite true considering the status of the Potter in Wizarding Britain.
If anything else, the infamous Potter went out of his way to craft him a new wand to aid him in his schooling...for free.
He knew that his family had a standing alliance with the Potter family and couldn't help but think that this was Harry's way of reigniting the bond between them - considering that they were the only males left in their respective families.
With this single act of kindness, Neville decided there and then to stand beside Harry Potter and uphold the family tradition of always being there to watch a Potter's back.
Minerva McGonagall was currently sipping a particularly strong brew of scotch after the revelation that Harry James Potter, Sorcerer and Apprentice of Hogwarts crafted…CRAFTED a very powerful wand on his own. She couldn't question Harry as to who taught him how to do so and it was outside her jurisdiction to question the lad regarding his personal life.
She didn't need to reprimand the boy of being reckless since the wand he crafted was more than perfect. Heck, the magic in the room when Neville bonded with the wand was almost visible.
Judging from the boy's face upon remembering the person who taught the boy Wand Crafting, he could see that the lad respected his master, or even loved him. From the sad smile marring the young Potter's face, it would be safe to assume that his teacher in Wand Crafting was no longer around.
Sighing, McGonagall finished her drink and went over to the fireplace. She took some floo powder from a vase on the mantle and threw it down to the fire.
"Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts." she called out after the fire turned green, successful establishing the connection.
"Minerva, what can I do for you?" came Albus' voice from the fire.
"Albus, we need to talk." was all Minerva said before getting an invitation from the Headmaster to step through the fire to his office.
For Harry, the Hogwarts Library was a sight to behold. The young Lord Potter read in Hogwarts: A History that the Hogwarts Library holds many rare tomes in the known world.
After a short greeting with Madam Pince, the Librarian and Keeper of Hogwarts Library, he was pointed to one of the corridors that held many Transfiguration texts in the Wizarding World. From the looks of it, the whole corridor, though it looked more like a hallway than anything else, held only Transfiguration books which was astounding considering how many books were in it for everyone to see and read.
He was able to get his hands on a book that discussed the various rules concerning Transfiguration before going to a table in the open hall in the middle of the Library. He took out a few parchments, quill, and his ink bottle before starting to read the book and take down notes for his study session later back in his dorm.
Harry was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't notice a bushy-haired girl walk up to him to see what he was doing. The girl going by the name of Hermione Granger frowned when he saw the advance text that the Apprentice of Hogwarts was reading despite the fact that he was still a first year like her. Mustering up her courage, she spoke.
"May I join you?"
Harry looked up from his reading to see Ms. Granger standing beside him. He gave a smile and nodded to the seat across the table.
"Be my guest, Ms. Granger." was all he said before going back to his reading.
Hermione Granger sat on the chair indicated and brought out her own book on Transfiguration. She didn't read immediately but content on simply staring at Harry, trying to puzzle him out with a frown on her face.
Harry knew that he was being observed so he ignored it at first. But after five minutes of the girl staring at him, he looked up from his book and looked at the girl straight in the eye with a frown on his face.
"Can I help you with anything, Ms. Granger? You've been staring at me for five minutes now and it is starting to get annoying." Harry said calmly though the annoyance he felt was clearly evident in his tone.
Hermione blushed at being caught. However, she drew up whatever courage to confront the object of her ire.
"I can't seem to figure you out."
This question caught Harry off guard. What in the world was this girl talking about?
"What do you mean that you can't figure me out, Ms. Granger?" Harry asked, wanting to get this over and done with since he just found something informative in the book he was reading.
"I read all the books written about you ever since we met in Diagon Alley." said Hermione in a rush though she managed to control herself before continuing on. "I know all about you from the Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Famous Wizards and Witches of the 20th Century."
"And your point?" said Harry with a raised eyebrow. The girl was eating away his patience and he didn't like it.
"How are you so smart?" she finally blurted out with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "You disappeared from the magical world after the defeat of You-Know Who and the author who wrote Famous Wizards and Witches of the 20th Century indicated in his book that you were hidden from the Wizarding World to ensure your safety. You're the same age as me but you're showing up your peers because of your actions?"
Harry simply raised an eyebrow and waved his hand over his head effectively casting a silencing charm to make sure that they aren't heard by anyone in the library while keeping the peace of the place.
"First of all, Ms. Granger, we're in the library so if you would lower your voice then it would be much appreciated." Harry said in a cold tone, face devoid of emotion. Granger flinched at the tone and thought that maybe she had overstepped her bounds. She didn't know that she already did.
"Secondly, Ms. Granger, you don't have any right to accuse me of making my peers feel inferior. I did no such thing and if showing the world what I know is a problem then it's their problem to worry about not mine. Besides I know what it feels like to be inferior so I'm not in the mood to force inferiority over them if I don't have to."
"If you listened closely to my explanation during Transfiguration, I instructed the class on HOW to perform the spell successfully by using my own experience as an example. I taught the class everything I know on the subject and you're telling me that I'm putting people down?" Harry growled this time, the instinct of the wolf surfacing in his mind.
"I know, Ms. Granger, that you are one of the few who listened and followed my instructions. You and some others were the first to complete the assignment. So don't tell me that I'm bringing my peers down when you took advantage of my instructions to earn 10 points for Gryffindor."
Harry took a deep breath and realized something about the girl in front of him.
"You think you know me, Ms. Granger? I think you don't because you don't know my life. All you had are the books from authors that didn't know where I was placed or how I grew up, much less conduct an interview with me regarding my life for the whole world to read about." Harry spat the last part as if he ate something rotten.
"You, Ms. Granger, are jealous. I may not know you but I know people LIKE you. You don't like people better than you. You try to be the best and help those you think are lower than you. But when someone shows more knowledge than you, you try your best to keep them down so they won't reach your level. You DISGUST me, Ms. Granger. I may be knowledgeable as compared to my peers but I try my best to help them get over their problems during lessons. From now on, I would appreciate it if you no longer come near me or talk to me. Have a happy life, Ms. Granger."
Harry stood up and walked away from the table after magically packing all his supplies and translocating the book back to its proper place with a thought. But before he could reach exit, he looked over his shoulder and projected his thought out to the crying girl.
"You have much potential but you need to learn that not everything can be learned in books, Ms. Granger, and an ego the size that you have will only turn away people with the potential of being your friend in the future."
What Harry didn't know was that his anger caused his magic to surround him, making him glow a menacing blue as if he erected a shield protecting him from harm. Everyone in the library was staring at him, while some cringe in fear at the angry look on his face.
Everyone who knew Harry for a short while, mostly the the first years who had the chance to enjoy his lesson in Transfiguration, wondered what made the happy Apprentice show a face filled with rage. They followed his path until they found a crying Gryffindor girl on the table where the Boy-Who-Lived was reading in peace.
Harry's mood rose from its bout of anger when he entered the Charms classroom. He didn't know why but there was something about the bubbly Charms Professor that could make anyone happy.
Harry could safely say that Professor Flitwick was a great teacher and mentor. In fact, everyone in the class – Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff – was enjoying the lessons thoroughly. Despite the lack of spells, the diminutive professor was able to impart his knowledge of wand movement and control of magic in a fun way that made it easier to learn and use.
Harry took plenty of notes since he never bothered to learn the rudiments of wand movements thanks to his control over wandless magic. He learned that wand movements were necessary to direct one's magical power to conform to the completion of a spell. Each wave, flick, slash, and jab allowed the witch or wizard to guide their magic to produce specific results.
Harry theorized that the reasons behind wand movement may be utilized with his staff. He just needed to experiment to see if he was correct or not.
The class ended without any fuss but Harry was quite excited when Flitwick handed him a book on Dueling Arts to read to prepare for one-on-one lessons in the future.
September 4, 1991 (Thursday)
For Harry, History of Magic with Professor Binns was a waste of his time. The young Potter Lord had a sneaky suspicion that the Ghost Professor did the same thing when he was still alive – droning a monologue as the ghost read the book to the rest of the class.
Harry realized that with Professor Binns as a teacher, History of Magic was more of a book reading session than a class. He looked around and saw that most of the Gryffindors and Slytherins were already sleeping.
His eyes strayed over to Hermione Granger who was taking down notes but her red puffy eyes were an indication that the girl was crying since their meeting and altercation in the library yesterday. Harry didn't feel any remorse with what he said towards the bushy-haired girl. People didn't have any right to dictate his life and they never will. If she doesn't change then she would just end up alienating herself from the student body. This would only result in her having seven lonely years in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
He only hoped that the girl took his words to heart, if not, then it wasn't his loss.
Sighing, Harry decided to spend the rest of the time being productive. He took out the book Professor Flitwick gave him and started to read.
Harry's gut feeling kicked in when he entered the threshold of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He didn't know why but he followed his instinct so he stretched out his mage sense around the room.
What he got confused him.
The first echo was from the room itself. There seems to be some kind of curse on the room that latched on to Professor Quirrell who was another source of his confusion since the professor was also releasing the same kind of curse, but this time, he seems to be holding the other at bay.
Both had similar magical signatures that confused him some more since he didn't know the nature of the curse. He could sense it easily but purpose eluded him.
He ran the discovery over in his mind as he listened to the professor stutter about the significance of DADA in the Wizarding World, as well as explaining to one student how he got the turban as a gift when he saved a Rajah from a particularly violent vampire.
Harry doubted if the professor really did do as he claimed though he assumed that the stuttering professor stuttered the vampire to death.
He almost snickered out loud when that thought crossed his mind.
The class ended without any mention of spells or the professor calling in on Harry regarding his apprenticeship under the man, which was quite confusing since it happened with the rest of his professors, well maybe except for Binns.
He decided right there and then that there was something wrong with Hogwarts.
First, the Headmaster telling the student body about the mysterious third floor corridor.
Second, the weird curse that was emanating from the DADA classroom.
And third, similar curse being released by Professor Quirrell himself.
Harry thought it was time to act before something bad happened to the school and its residents.
It was around midnight when Harry shadow traveled to the Great Hall.
Harry walked out of the the large gilded doors of the large hall in the heart of Hogwarts. He looked around the room and couldn't help but admire the peace and tranquility the place exuded when they were no students around.
He walked towards the Headmaster's chair and his target – a large shield with the symbol of the Founders on its face.
According to Hogwarts: A History, the shield was created using the combined powers of the Four Founders. It was made from a very magical metal that can only be found deep down in the bowels of Dwarven Mines. It was well-nigh indestructible and had been used by Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin in defense of the school during the middle ages when muggles and Dark Wizards invaded the school.
Facing the symbolic shield of the Founders, Harry raised his hand causing Aria to appear in his grip. He tapped the corresponding animals as Godric instructed him before tapping the image of the dragon ten times. The shield shimmered before disappearing entirely revealing a stairwell going down into the catacombs beneath the castle.
Creating a ball of light to illuminate the way down, Harry traversed the stairwell until he found himself in a bare large circular room with a single door. Not seeing any choice in the matter, Harry walked towards the door and opened it revealing a rectangular chamber.
There, opposite of the door, was the Hogwarts Ward Stone.
The large square stone was an impressive 7-feet tall and 7-feet wide. It was filled to the brim with runes that Harry couldn't recognize considering his lack of education in the subject. There was a depression in the middle of the stone resembling a hand. Gripping Aria tightly, Harry walked over to the stone and took a deep breath before using a small cutting hex to slash his palm. He squeezed it a bit to force the blood to come out before putting his bloodied palm on the depression.
The Hogwarts Ward Stone pulsed, reacting to his blood causing the Ancient Wards to activate all over the castle. Harry could easily feel his magic being transferred over to the stone but he could also feel a gentle nudge on his Occlumency shields. Tracing the source of the mental push, Harry realized that it was coming from the Ward Stone itself.
Deciding to follow his instinct, Harry closed his eyes and dived into his mindscape to discover what or who was knocking on his shield.
Harry found himself in his mind library when he noticed another presence in the room.
"Who are you?" asked Harry, though he already had an inkling as to who the mysterious woman was.
"Greetings, my Lord." greeted the figure. "I have waited a long time for your coming."
"Who are you and why do you call me 'Lord'?" asked Harry again.
The stately woman smirked before answering him.
"Can't you guess, my Lord? Methinks that you already know who I am."
"Hogwarts." Harry whispered in awe.
"You are correct, my Lord." said Hogwarts with a nod. "And to answer your question, I addressed you as Lord because in your blood flows the blood of two of the four who created me."
"Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw." said Harry in a low voice, processing the fact that Hogwarts was sentient.
"Indeed." agreed the manifestation of the school. "While you are currently powering the Ancient Wards of the Founders, I am following the command of Lady Ravenclaw when she had a hand in creating me."
This information confused Harry a bit. He knew from Godric's essence in Potter Manor that he and Rowena Ravenclaw had a hand in creating the wards of the castle but the Founder of the Lion House didn't tell him about Rowena adding more function to the wards.
"What command is that, Lady Hogwarts?" asked Harry curiously while deciding to be respectful to the entity of the castle.
"The command is to bond with her or any Founder's line when they activate the Ancient Wards of the castle. To whisper to them the instructions on how to command the wards and take control of the castle as a whole."
"Wait…what? What do you mean take control of the wards and castle? Isn't that supposed to be the Headmaster's job?" asked Harry in surprise. This little tidbit wasn't in Hogwarts : A History that's for sure.
"Yes, my Lord. The Four Founders created Hogwarts as a means to allow magicals to have a place to safely learn their birthright. However, the initial reason of this institution is to make sure that the Heirs of the Founders are safe within its walls to guide the school and its inhabitants to its original purpose."
This peaked Harry's curiosity.
"What was Hogwarts' original purpose? I thought the castle was just a school though it stands to reason that they made this their home considering they made it in the first place."
Hogwarts nodded in agreement to Harry's assessment.
"Hogwarts was originally created to become a bastion to house magical beings and to serve as a place of learning where all magical share knowledge for the good and evolution of the Magical World. However, the Four Founders weren't able to achieve this dream thus this enchantment was created by Ravenclaw to make sure that the next Heir who activates the wards after it expires are tasked to continue their legacy until such time that it is no longer needed."
"Alright, I understand that part since that SHOULD be what a school is all about. But what do you mean about me taking control of the wards? And what do you mean about me taking control the castle?" asked Harry in confusion.
"You may have noticed by now, my Lord, that Hogwarts itself is sentient with me as its manifestation. The personalities of the Four Founders embedded into me along with the collective consciousness and magic of those who lived in these walls had made it possible. As to your question, the blood of two of the Four Founders running through your veins give you the right to control me and the castle, more so than the Headmaster who only holds a temporary position in this school until such a time an heir claims the title."
"Wait a minute. Does this mean that I'm the Headmaster?" asked Harry incredulously.
"No, my Lord." Lady Hogwarts shook her head in negative. "The position is not yours to acquire as of now but will remain when you deem it necessary to take. It might be necessary, however, to assume control of the castle and its running IF the current Headmaster deviates from his task."
"I see. So that's good. I don't think I'm ready for that right now since I'm focused on learning as much as I can during my time here. But in regards to controlling the wards, how do I do that?"
"The original enchantment built into the Ancient Wards allows the heir to 'see' everything in the castle and control its working by pressing your hand into the depression on the stone. With your blood, you have bonded with the school which will allow the both of us to communicate if there is need. Keep in mind, however, that you ONLY control the Ancient Wards and the castle, and not the additional wards placed by the Headmasters and Headmistresses who led this institution in the past."
"I see. That is good since I don't have the time to manipulate the wards that's already active though Godric gave me the task to make sure that the Ancient Wards of the castle is up and running to ensure the safety of the students and myself. What do I need to do now?"
"You need to exit your mind and connect with the castle to continue activating the wards. While you are transferring your magic into the stone to power the depleted reservoir, I ask you to scour the castle for any Dark Influence and purge it."
"Purge it? How am I supposed to do that?" asked an incredulous Harry. He might know the basics of wards but not that much to manipulate it to the degree that Hogwarts suggested.
"It is easy, my Lord, all you need to do is to scan the castle and command ME to do it for you. I have the collective knowledge of the Four Founders and past Headmasters and Headmistresses at my disposal so I can easily make use of their knowledge to purge anything in this school as long as it is within my power. However…" Hogwarts hesitated a bit before continuing on. "The process of purging anything Dark in this school will require YOUR magic, my Lord, since using the castle's reservoir will surely drain it to the last drop, which will require you to recharge it until it is full."
"Wait a minute, isn't the school standing on two major Magical Ley Lines to power the wards?"
"Yes it does but it is not a good idea to simply grab all the magic from the lines directly into the castle without filtering it. In most cases, recharging using the Ley Lines will be slow. At current capacity, it will take at least two months for the reservoir to fill from the filtered energies of the nexus beneath the school."
"I understand that part. So that means that once the Ancient Wards is fully activated, I supply the initial energy of its running then the Ward Stone will just take the required energy from the Ley Lines to keep it up. Correct?"
"You are correct, my Lord."
"Great. So how I do I communicate with you?"
"I don't have an active voice in the castle but I can communicate with you if you are to touch any surface of the castle with your bare skin."
"I see, thank you Lady Hogwarts." Harry said with a bow. "I think it's time I return to the real world and scan the castle. I have a few ideas where to start. Just make sure that you guide me on what to do to avoid any mistakes, alright?"
"I will, my Lord, and again, I thank you for returning to the castle. Till we meet again."
With that, Hogwarts disappeared before Harry returned to the waking world to start scanning the castle.
Edited by Corruptmonk
May 27, 2012