Hogwarts

That evening, after helping Ron and Neville with their presentation and explaining his need to spend the night in the castle's room of requirement to Ginny, without going into too much detail so that she would not fear for his safety but doing everything in his power to assure her of his fidelity, Harry made his way up to the seventh floor and approached the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and his dancing trolls. As he paced back an forth in front of the tapestry he thought of a safe and secure room where he could relax, work with his angels, potentially confront a number of demons and make contact with Ethrindell.

When the door appeared he walked over and opened it. The room behind the door was a small cube of a room, roughly four meters on a side, with no sharp corners and a single mattress lying in the center of the floor. Stepping into the room he noticed that the floor had some give to it. Walking around the room, feeling and testing the walls he came to the conclusion that the floor and all four walls, and possibly the ceiling as well, were all being protected by a series of cushioning charms.

Making his way over to the mattress Harry kicked off his shoes, which promptly vanished, and lay down. The soft lighting in the room faded to black. Moments later Harry felt himself being levitated into the air and away from the mattress. Before his mind could register any sense of panic a presence entered his mind, a presence he somehow knew to be the castle's soul, and reassured him that he was perfectly safe and that it would do everything in its power to protect him should he do battle with any demons.

He didn't know where in the room he was floating but assumed it was close to the center. After consciously relaxing every muscle in his body Harry let all of his cares and concerns drift away. In his mind he acknowledged each of his concerns, paying attention to their energy structures and the kinds and amounts of energy they were demanding and consuming to maintain their structure, and let them go, releasing them to the vacuums of space and time where they dissolved into nothingness.

Harry didn't know how long it took him to completely clear his mind that evening because in his inner world of thoughts, emotions and intellectual and emotional energies time meant nothing. And then there were those stressors that kept returning, trying to attach themselves to his spiritual energies. All he knew was that when he was finished his mind was clearer than it had been in months. It was so clear, in fact, that he could sense an alien presence that seemed to be clinging to life by attaching itself to his body's life-force energies.

Turning towards this presence he studied its structures and found that it was a shriveled and badly damaged soul-fragment that rightfully belonged to his adversary. As he began to study its history, as a fragment, he became aware of the pain of separation it felt when it was forcibly torn from its parent body and its relief at finding a source of life-energy to latch onto. While the soul fragment was a part of, and rightfully belonged to, Tom's soul, almost sixteen years of constant exposure to Harry's soul and the love his mother had gifted him through her sacrifice had taken a lot of the wind out of its sails. It still had an element of demonic possession and contamination within its basic structure but had, for the most part, been cleansed of these negative energies.

Following the soul fragment's history into his second year Harry now understood why he had felt a kinship with Tom's diary. The two soul fragments had recognized each other and tried to reach out to re-establish their connection. In the chamber of secrets it hadn't known what to do. It had known that it was a part of Tom but the monster that had risen from the diary was so evil, and its relationship with Harry's soul so strong, that it could not have chosen which path to follow. In the end it had chosen to let the two battle it out.

When the basilisk had bitten Harry's arm it did not know what to expect and was understandably terrified when it felt itself being torn apart due to the magical properties contained within the venom. Even though it was severely damage, it was happy when Fawks cried into the wound. Phoenix tears could heal physical wounds and stop the destruction of a horcrux but they could not repair the damage done on a spiritual level.

For the next several years it had clung to Harry's life-force energies as desperately as a drowning man would cling to a life preserver. Then, last year, when he had been attacked on Privet Drive, it had temporarily lost its grip, only recovering enough to once again attach itself to Harry's life-force energies when Harry had returned after his maturo auctus had reached its conclusion.

Harry almost felt sorry for this fragment of Tom's soul because it desperately wanted to survive but he knew that for Tom to be utterly and completely defeated … vanquished … this fragment would have to be destroyed as well.

Turning his attentions away from the fragment Harry released all of his personal cares and concerns about the fragment to the vacuums of space and time and turned his attention to the task at hand. Reaching out with his mind he projected a request to speak with his angels.

For a while, an indeterminate amount of time as time does not really exist in this realm, nothing happened. Then almost as if they were emerging from a shadow, Harry became aware of three angelic beings – beings of pure light, love and energy – came forward. The first radiated a sense of guidance, protection and divine justice. Somehow Harry knew that this angel's name was Michael and that he was his guardian angel. The second angel radiated strength, endurance and emotional support. This angel's name, as angelic names go, was Barry. The third angel radiated healing, compassion and brotherhood. His name was Raphael.

As they approached Harry was curious and somewhat dismayed that two of his angels were archangels. He was not disappointed or sorry about this but he was curious as to why two of his angels should be so highly placed. While they were still some distance away Harry began to feel an overwhelming sense of universal and unconditional love as well as the desire to be of service to an honored general. He didn't know how to respond to their descriptions of his status so humbly bowed his head and thanked them for coming.

"What can we do for you, beloved?" Michael asked.

Harry looked up and, taking in their surroundings, realized that they were standing in a lush field filled with tall, green grasses and a wide variety of blooming wild flowers. "I need your help," he said.

Barry nodded.

I have a mental link with a particularly dark wizard who likes to call himself Voldemort. The only way I am able to keep him out of my mind is by using occlumency…"

"Yes, we are aware of this," Raphael said.

Harry shuffled his feet for a moment, trying to think how he should proceed, then, forgoing all formalities, said, "The thing is … I need to make contact with Ethrindell, from the elven realm, and to do that I have got to let my occlumency shields down. I was just wondering if … if you could stand guard and protect my mind from him, as well as from any other intruders, while we are discussing this new development in the war."

Michael smiled. "All you need do is ask, my brother."

"Will you?" Harry asked in an explosion of hopeful energy.

All three of his angels nodded patiently. "Yes, we will."

Harry let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you!"

Not knowing how to proceed, Harry hesitated until Raphael gently said, "All you have to do, Harry is ask. We are on duty until you ask us to stand down."

Harry nodded. "Thanks," he said. "I'll be back in a bit."

With a mental sight of relief Harry slowly dropped his occlumency shields and relaxed while reaching out to make contact with Ethrindell.

Since he had never either tried or experienced this kind of communication before he didn't know what to expect so, with some trepidation, Harry reached tout to the energy signature of Ethrindell's soul in a manner similar to the technique he used when finding the dragon compound by latching onto Charlie's energy signatures the previous September.

At first he didn't think it had worked. But then he began to feel a familiar presence in his mind. He knew that it was Ethrindell, but at the same time it felt familiar in a way he could not describe. It was almost as if an old friend – a friend almost as old as Tom's soul fragment – was returning.

When Ethrindell had fully arrived Harry recognized him as the comforting presence from many of his early, childhood dreams. "Ethrindell?" he asked.

Ethrindell smiled and nodded as he stepped fully into Harry's mental world. "Hello, Harry. How are you doing?"

"But … You … How?"

Ethrindell smiled his understanding of Harry's confusion. "Like I said," he said, "I have been keeping an eye on you, Harry. You didn't think I would let you grow up with the Dursley's without some form of counseling did you?"

Harry looked at Ethrindell curiously.

"Let me put it this way, Harry," Ethrindell said as he began walking along a path that had suddenly appeared. "I was aware of the prophecy before Sybill Trelawney made her recitation. When Tom chose you I began taking an active interests in your case. When his soul fragment attached itself to you after Tom marked you as his equal I knew you were going to need some help because I did not want that fragment to become overly influential in your life. And when Albus placed you with the Dursleys I knew that there was only on way I could be of assistance without directly interfering in your life. I had to counsel you in your dreams, work with you on a subconscious level so that you would not become the next dark lord – a dark lord even more powerful and more dangerous that Tom Riddle ever thought of being."

Harry stumbled briefly as he followed Ethrindell along the path.

"You see, Harry," Ethrindell said after Harry had regained his composure, "the odds were stacked against you to begin with and Albus, in his dedication to the greater good, saddled you with a situation that could have gone terribly wrong had I not found some way to intervene.

"I'm not saying that you could not have come through and overcome the odds on your own but I didn't want to take any chances."

Harry grinned slightly. "Thanks," he said.

"You are most entirely welcome. Now, what can I do for you? Joseph said that you received some rather disturbing news upon your return but would not elaborate. He said that it was your tale to tell and that he did not want to contaminate this meeting by voicing any of his opinions beforehand."

Harry nodded his understanding and then, for the next fifteen minutes, outlined what he knew about Tom's use of the dark mark as an energy booster. Since he had done a little remote viewing the night before and gone back in time to discover the origins of this new twist he was able to tell Ethrindell that it was Tom's response to his defeat in Hogsmeade at the end of June. "What I would like to know," Harry said after he had completed his descriptions, "is, first, how am I supposed to fight that kind of power. I mean, if I am going to be letting one of his killing curses through to destroy his soul fragment, who's to say that it might not be powerful enough to kill me as well? The other thing I would like to know is if there is any way if there is any way to tie the purgatory charm to the dark mark so that when it is cast on Tom it will effect everyone who has taken the dark mark."

Ethrindell looked up in surprise. "That's a pretty tall order," he said several seconds later. "The power issue is relatively easy to resolve, he said, thinking out lout. "It does not, however come without a few risks."

Turning towards Harry he said, "You are able to tap into the castle's energy reserves, correct?"

Harry nodded. "Yes …"

"Then that shouldn't be a problem," Ethrindell said, returning to his musings. "The problem may lie in the fact that Hogwarts was built at the intersection of several major, as well as a few minor, ley lines, the planet's natural energy grid. So, whenever you tap into the castle's energy reserves you are also tapping into the planet's reservoirs; and I have no idea what the consequences could be if you channel more energy than your body, and training, can handle."

Harry quirked an eyebrow but held his peace.

"Most people don't know this, Harry," Ethrindell began anew, "indeed, I would be surprised if anyone but me knew about this little idiosyncrasy but each time this planet passes through the galactic plane the human race experiences a genetic upgrade. Each time your planet passes through the galactic plane several strands of formerly inactive DNA become active and the seeds are planted for the creation of a new generation, a generation that is sensitive to a number of forces and energies that previous generations could only observe and think about.

"A few children are born before each upgrade whose DNA has already been activated. Their purpose is to prepare the way for those who will follow in their footsteps, to ease them into it if you will. You are one of these children, Harry.

"You don't know how much I wanted to intervene, on your behalf, and teach you about these sensitivities and how to use them to the benefit of all mankind; but my charter would not allow it. And now, now that time is so short, I have been given permission to teach you everything I can so that you will not only be able to defeat Tom Riddle but prepare the way for those who will follow."

Harry could feel Ethrindell's frustration at not being allowed to intervene. At the same time, however, he could sense that a plan was brewing in his mind."

"Here's what we're going to do," Ethrindell said, a glint of determination in his eyes. "Starting tomorrow you will be taking yourself out of the afternoon activities. During the afternoons you will spend your time reviewing Tom's life, seeking out and destroying his horcruxes and preparing the purgatory charm to do what you want it to do. After dinner you will be working with the castle's energies and developing a working relationship with the castle. At night you will be asking your angels to protect your mind so that I can teach you what you need to know to defeat Tom. We are going to be using a brand of dimensional magic that will give us the equivalent of five years of study and practice time for every hour of sleep because I want to give you the kinds of time you will need to learn everything you will need to know. In the mornings, however, you will continue wit your running and drills. You are going to have to be in shape for this to work, Harry, and the best way to do get in shape is to exercise."

Harry moved to protest that he was already in shape but Ethrindell cut him off. "I know you think you are in shape, Harry, and physically you are in very good shape; but, with what you will be learning in our sessions, you will be experiencing whole new dimensions of physical conditioning that your friends cannot even begin to imagine."

Harry moved to say something but the look in Ethrindell's eyes brokered no argument so he closed his mouth and nodded his agreement to Ethrindell's terms.

"Now," Ethrindell said after a brief pause to let the energies clear so that he could safely change subjects, "as to using the dark mark against Tom to take out all of his death eaters with one fell swoop, that will take some tricky spell work. I am guessing that you do not want to hurt those who have had the dark mark forced upon them …"

"Unless they have since voluntarily joined in Tom's bid for world domination," Harry amended.

Ethrindell was silent for a time as he thought this over and then nodded his head. "Agreed," he said. "In that case you are going to have to study all of the forces and energies associated with the dark mark and how they are used. You are also going to have to study the hearts and minds of those who have taken the mark, both voluntarily and involuntarily, to determine which energy signatures the charm should be linked to." After a moment's hesitation he added, "And I must warn you, Harry. What you are planning is going to take an enormous amount of energy …" he hesitated. "And you may not survive."

Harry's eyes widened briefly and his thoughts momentarily turned to his children who were waiting to be born. But then he thought about something Ethrindell had said about Albus' dedication to the greater good. If it would take sacrificing his life to bring an end to Tom Marvolo Riddle and his followers then it was worth it. He only hoped Ginny, James and Lily would understand.

Succinctly nodding his head he said, All right. Anything else?"

Ethrindell seemed to be taken slightly aback by Harry's resolve for a moment but then smiled. "Just one more thing," he said. "You might want to make a return trip to the chamber of secrets to milk the basilisk's remains of its venom. You are going to need it to destroy the horcruxes."

Harry nodded. "Alright, then," he said.

Not wanting to seem rude, Harry tried to think of a polite way to end their conversation. Apparently his thoughts were not as private as he would have liked because Ethrindell provided him with the excuse he needed. "I think that is enough for tonight," Ethrindell said calmly. "I am, however, going to suggest that, once you have gotten yourself together, you go to Slytherin's chamber and milk that carcass."

Harry nodded and smiled, grateful for the change in subject and the lilt of humor in Ethrindell's voice.

After bidding Ethrindell good-bye and thanking his angels for guarding his mind (and informing them of Ethrindell's schedule) Harry found himself lying on the mattress the castle had conjured for his use in the Room of Requirement.

Harry yawned and stretched and opened his eyes. The room was dimly lit and slowly growing brighter. Sitting up, Harry found his shoes in a corner near the door. Reaching out with his mind he thanked the castle and was startled when he received a 'you're welcome' response in return.

As Harry began tying his shoes he wondered what time it was. Almost as soon as the thought had appeared a visual image of the clock in the Gryffindor Common Room appeared in his mind telling him that it was 23 minutes past midnight. He almost dropped the laces he was working with when this happened and fumbled to complete the bow. He kept his mind silent as he tied the other shoe and then, standing up, began slowly pacing around the room, wondering if he was losing his mind or if he was actually communicating with the castle.

After several minutes of pacing he decided to try an experiment. Reaching out with his mind he thought "Hogwarts?"

The response was both gentle and reassuring. "Hello, Harry," the castle responded in a gentle grandfatherly voice that Harry somehow knew only he could hear.

"Are … are you the castle?"

"I am, if you will, the soul of the castle you know as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the voice answered patiently.

"Are …" Harry hesitated, unsure as to how he should phrase this question. "Are you alive?" he asked.

The castle was silent for a moment, as if pondering the ramifications of its response, and then telepathically nodded its head. "Yes, in a sense I suppose I am alive. I am an intellectual, emotional and spiritual record of everything that has happened within the walls and upon the grounds of this school since the laying of the first stone unto the present day. And I will continue recording these events on into the future."

When Harry hesitated the castle explained, "Last year, when you started working with your crystal ball, you came into contact with a young, rudimentary soul that had only recently – recently as in it has only been in its current form a few years – become an independent entity. I am somewhat older, but nowhere near as old as the planet. And where spiritual age – the age of experience – is concerned nothing is anywhere near as old or experienced as Creation."

Does that mean," Harry asked hesitantly, "that you have a record of everything that has ever taken place has ever taken place at Hogwarts?"

Again it telepathically nodded. "Yes. I have a record of everything. I do not sleep and record everything."

Then you know about my conversation with Ethrindell?"

"Yes," the castle confirmed, "I do."

"So, what do you think?"

"About helping you defeat Tom Riddle?"

Harry subconsciously nodded.

"I remember Tom Riddle," the castle said. "He was very talented. He could have gone far; but he was brutally ambitious and something of a bully. He didn't openly bully anyone but I am not blind. If he wanted something he would manipulate people and circumstances until he got it. He could have had many friends but preferred power."

The castle hesitated for a moment then said, "Yes, I will help you defeat Tom Riddle."

Several minutes later, as Harry approached Moaning Myrtle's lavatory he said, "I have a question."

"Yes," the castle said.

I know the entrance to the chamber of secrets can only be opened using parseltongue but … can you open it?"

Harry could swear he felt the castle smile. "Actually, yes, I can," the castle said.

"Good," Harry said. I'm having a hard enough time speaking to living snakes and I honestly don't know if I will be able to open the passages."

The castle seemed to smile sympathetically.

When Harry reached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom he pushed the door open and walked in. Myrtle was hovering in the corner, above the stalls to his right, looking curiously down at the already opened passage. When she saw Harry she looked down at him and said, "Hello, Harry. I didn't see you there. Are you going back down there?"

Harry kindly smiled up at the ghost. "Hello, Myrtle. Yes, I'm afraid so. I've got to see how much venom is left in the carcass of that basilisk. I'm going to need it do defeat the boy responsible for your death.

Myrtle smiled and gleefully swooped around the perimeter of her room before coming to a stop in front of Harry. Smiling excitedly, Myrtle asked, "Do you really know who he was?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Do you remember a Slytherin Prefect named Tom Riddle?"

Myrtle's mouth fell open and she floated in front of Harry in silence for several seconds. "Remember him?" Myrtle asked softly, disbelief evident in her voice. "Of course I remember him!" she said. "How could I not? He was so dreamy," she said as she began to float airily around the remaining sinks. Then turning to look coquettishly over her shoulder at Harry she batter her eyelashes suggestively and said, "I had a crush on him you know."

Harry blushed slightly. "Yeah, well, I'm afraid Tom was, and still is, something of an evil git."

Myrtle floated to a stop and slowly turned around to face Harry. "No," she said softly, shaking he head in disbelief. "No. It couldn't have Tom. He was so handsome." She quickly swooped over to float in front of Harry, baring his progress towards the chamber of secrets. "No! It couldn't have been Tom! You're lying!"

Harry shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, Myrtle," he said. "It was Tom. It was Tom who summoned the basilisk and it was the basilisk's eyes that killed you."

Myrtle was stunned. She floated in silence for a few moments, her face study in shock, then suddenly screamed and swooped through Harry and up to the far corner where she began weeping and moaning more earnestly that Harry had ever thought possible.

When Harry stepped out of the chute, after jumping into and sliding down the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, his feet crunched on the collection of old bones and his nose turned up at the stench. Telepathically reaching out to the castle he said, "I don't suppose you could give me a little light down here?"

Hogwarts seemed to think for a moment then said, "I could, but I think the time has come for us to begin working together, as a team."

When Harry hesitated the castle continued, in a soft, leading voice, "I want you to reach out, Harry. Close your eyes and reach out with your mind. Ignore the physical world you are accustomed to dealing with and feel the energy."

It took some time to block out his physical senses, due to the overwhelming stench of rotting and decayed flesh, but in time he was able to do it. Then, as he dropped through the various layers of meditative awareness, he slowly became aware of the naturally occurring magical energies flowing around and through Hogwarts.

At first it was an overwhelming sense of awareness. It was almost as if the entire history of the castle was racing through his mind. Then he felt himself being guided and directed away from those memories towards a closer examination of the structural energies. Once there he began examining the qualities of those energies. When he had isolated the energies associated with light and temperature he found himself traveling through the castle's many passages to the Chamber of Secrets.

Focusing on the energies of light and heat he slowly and carefully directed them towards the creation of an environment that was both comfortably warm and well lit. When he was satisfied with what he had accomplished he felt himself being pulled back up through the many layers of awareness until he was at the cusp of being either asleep or awake. "Very good, Harry," the castle's voice said into his mind. "I can see that this is going to be an interesting working relationship. Your maturo auctus provided you with the basic information you needed to make it through your last year. This year you will be working with me and we will be exploring fields of magical endeavor that few have ever thought possible. But before we can begin exploring those possibilities we have got to get you ready for your confrontation with Tom."

When Harry opened his eyes the cavern was well lit and relatively warm. It didn't smell any better but at least he could see where he was going.

Looking around he said, "I wonder what this place would look like without all the bones and rot?"

"It actually looked quite spectacular when it was first finish," Hogwarts said. "But a thousand years of neglect does tend to take its toll."

"If I survive this confrontation with Tom," Harry thought, finally being honest with himself that he was not at all sure he would survive given the requirements of the spells involved, "I would like to spend some time cleaning this place up a bit."

The castle telepathically nodded. "I don't think you are going to have to wait that long, Harry," it said. "For what you will be learning over the next few weeks and months I think it might be a good idea if you were to separate yourself from the rest of the student population while you are training."

"Why?"

"You will be learning things that they, quite simply, will not understand. For example, their fifth law of transfiguration holds that you cannot conjure food. For what you will be learning these laws do not apply."

As they approached the cave-in the castle said, "You might want to use some of your wandless magic to transfigure a few of these stones. You will need something to contain the venom. Given that it is basilisk venom I am going to suggest that you line them with the basilisk's skin."

Several minutes later, after Harry had permanently transfigured several stones into sealable mason jars, lined them with basilisk skin and levitated them through the opening, he was approaching the entrance to the chamber proper when something occurred to him. "I have a question," he thought."

"Yes?'

"What is it that makes it possible for me to so many things I could not do before my maturo auctus?"

The castle chuckled. "Ah, Harry. I thought you would never ask.

"What is the difference between hope and faith?"

Again, when Harry hesitated, the castle continued. "If you are like most, faith, in your mind, is a religious concept."

Harry nodded.

For understanding's sake, however, I am going to ask you to take a slightly different approach to your interpretation of faith."

Harry nodded his assent.

"Hope is the uncertain expectation that your thoughts, words, actions, spells and incantations will have the desired impact upon the various elements within your chosen environment. Before your maturo auctus this was how you were approaching all of your schoolwork. There is nothing wrong with this – indeed, where people and free will are concerned hope is your only recourse. Since your maturo auctus, however, you have been working from a position of faith. In this case faith can be defined as the sure and certain knowledge that your thoughts, words. Actions, spells and incantations will have the desired impact upon the various elements within your chosen environment.

"This is the main difference, Harry, and that which has made you seem much more powerful that you were. In addition, during your maturo auctus you spent a lot of time studying and learning about a wide variety of things. It was this learning process that opened a number of magical doors to you. My job," and here the castle nodded its recognition of the risks Harry would be taking to bring an end to Tom's reign of terror, "is to help you explore the contents of the rooms so that you can truly live up to your full and true creative potential while helping to prepare the people for what is coming."

Over the course of the next several hours Harry and Hogwarts milked the basilisk's carcass of five gallons of venom and several hundred gallons of blood and bile that could be used in a variety of obscure potions and dissected the great snake, saving and preserving those portions that could be used and vanishing those that could not. During this gruesome task it was decided that Harry would use the Chamber of Secrets as his private study and training grounds to protect the rest of the student body from both the horcruxes and their destruction.

When he returned to his trunk it was deserted. Checking the clock in the kitchen he found that it was almost noon so, he climbed back out and made his way down to the Great Hall for lunch. He was understandably tired when he entered the dining hall but tried not to let it show. Walking about half the length of the Gryffindor table he tapped Ginny on the shoulder. When she looked up he wordlessly asked if he could sit down. He knew his fatigue was showing as he was just barely holding himself erect.

When Ginny saw this she jumped up from her seat and helped him sit down before he collapsed. Luna scooted over, which caused a chain reaction in one direction and Orville Burns, the Slytherin Quidditch Captain who was sitting on Ginny's other side and whose dueling partner was a fifth year Gryffindor girl, started a chain reaction in the other direction.

When Harry was safely seated between Ginny and Luna he leaned forward, almost collapsing onto the table.

"Where have you been, mate?" Ron asked earnestly.

Harry looked up and across the table at his friend and sighed listlessly. "I had a meeting with Ethrindell in the castle's room of requirement last night. Then I had a brief conversation with Moaning Myrtle. And then I've spent the last ten or so hours dissecting a basilisk, milking it of its venom, preserving its usable parts and vanishing the unusable parts."

Ginny paled. "You went back down into the chamber?"

Harry nodded. "Yea," he said tiredly. You know I need the venom." At Ginny's nod he said, "A friend guided me through the dissection because parts of the thing can be used in a variety of potions."

"A friend?" Ron asked.

Harry closed his eyes and let out an exhausted sigh. He had known that this question would be asked and was not looking forward to the reactions he would get when he gave them an honest answer. "Hogwarts."