Disclaimer: We all know how these work, I acknowledge that J.K. Rowlings, Warner Bros. and Scholastic own Harry Potter and all other characters and settings from cannon, and I get to write whatever I please and even add in characters of my own as long as I don't get any money. The no money sucks but there you go, at least I don't get lawyers knocking on my door. Addendum: If you recognize a name of a character from elsewhere it isn't mine.

Sirius' Savior

Chapter 39 The Ritual

Sirius had spent the days between his return from Arizona and the days of Harry's tests negotiating for use of a time turner, making arrangements to reverse aging on Harry that would occur because of the time turner, finding out information about teachers and people of various magical disciplines, and making arrangements for living for two months in each city near the specialists he had chosen to educate Harry.

Dr. Melanie Hoffesetter had been cooperative in every sense. Once Sirius had talked to her and they had negotiated her compensation and Sirius had signed the release from liability and had performed a magical oath that if things went badly she wouldn't be held accountable she relaxed and helped them deal with Stuart-Cavanaugh so Harry would be able to miss classes. She had examined the ritual and talked with Winry and her grandfather in a six hour conference call where the rewrite of the ritual was planned down to the minute for the benefit of Harry.

The Inexplicables had given Sirius a time turner that would allow two month long jumps. Walter and he brewed a large batch of anti-aging potion enough for a twelve month supply. They had just finished bottling it when Roy came in.

"Roy, what brings you here?"

"I've got to consult with you about security for you and Harry while you're doing this time jaunt. I know you were planning that it would just be you and Harry but you're part of the President's family now which means security."

"How much?"

" Minimum three men team, I would prefer five. You having a background in security and both of you knowing self defense helps."

"Hmm...Can I steal Rachel and could we get her to do the jumps with us, then we could get four regional people in each area we wind up going to."

"Why?"

"Ulterior motives. She knows us, we know her and she can keep Harry up on his martial arts."

"I'll ask, and see what she thinks. I know she thinks a lot of Harry."

By the time they went on vacation it was decided that Rachel was jumping with them, a replacement for the team had been found and joined the team. Harry, Sirius and Rachel would spend two months in six areas of the country with various Masters in various disciplines that were contracted to give Harry a grounding in their respective disciplines.

Harry had gone ahead and selected his classes for the next trimester and made arrangements to get the notes and do study group meeting via speaker phone so if he was late returning to school as he expected to be, so his education wouldn't be hurt. The school had waived a couple of the requirements for the trimester, and Harry took a light schedule: Humanities, Social science, composition, Latin, math, and science.

Harry, Sirius, Beth and the security team drove from Flagstaff towards Monument Valley. Almost everyone was a little uptight. Last week's vacation was great. It was sun, fun, and relaxation after the stress of Harry's finals and heart related tests, Beth's NATO meetings, and Sirius' planning.

Harry was happy with his grades. He had managed to get an A- in Humanities, Composition, and Latin, an A in Critical Thinking, Social Science, Physical Education, Cotillion, and Science, and an A+ in Math and Orchestra. Everyone had happily helped celebrate his achievement their first night at Disney. But as they drew closer to Monument Valley, Harry grew even more scared but determinedly hid it. He had made his decision; now he had to stick to it and trust his godfather. That was something he had learned from Sirius, you surround yourself with those you trust, you plan and make sure you have the best of everything possible and plan for as many contingencies as possible then you stop worrying and trust that things will work out as they are meant to because control is an illusion. He just wished he bloody well hell didn't have to do this.

He had started taking the blood thinners Dr. Hoffesetter had prescribed for his procedure as she called it. And the day after tomorrow was the day. The day he would finally get to start living as a wizard. Focus on the outcome he told himself. To distract himself he mentally started reviewing the Navajo customs he had researched so he would make a good impression on his healer.

Beth was quiet and worried, but was conscious of the fact she didn't want to make things harder for Sirius or Harry. Both of whom reminded her a a guitar string tuned to high; pluck it and it might break. She was also a little concerned because the plan afterwards involved Sirius and Harry being gone two months. It wasn't she didn't trust Sirius but she just would miss them. Her other concern was while her team knew about the whys of the ritual and the plans for afterward, Zoe Washburne the WIS agent replacement for Rachel didn't. As she wasn't participating it had been deemed she didn't need to know. But if she found out what was involved it could become a problem.. Roy had scheduled her so she would likely be sleeping when the ritual happened. All of them didn't want questions about what they were doing or why they were doing it. She quietly reached out for Harry's hand. When she took it into her own Harry gave her a tremulous smile that she suspected was supposed to reassure her, but the occasional quiver of fear from his hand belied the mostly confident smile.

Sirius on the other side of Beth tried to rest and appear completely confident so Harry wouldn't pickup on his fears. He felt more confident in this version of the ritual than he did in the original. The revisions that had been made, in his mind improved the ritual ten to twenty times making it safer for everyone involved. But they still were stopping Harry's heart effectively killing him and Melanie had been blunt anytime you stop a heart there's at least a twenty five percent chance of it not starting again and the longer it's stopped the higher that percentage goes, there would be dangers of arrhythmia, and stroke for at least a week following the procedure Harry would be on blood thinners for a week afterward and wouldn't be allowed his normal physical activities for three weeks although he would be encouraged for light to moderate activity at the end of the first week.

Sirius tried to focus on what his job in this ritual was because he wasn't able contribute to the medical side. Yiska was to do the portion that was borrowed from the horcrux ritual to separate the soul from Harry's. Sirius' job was to destroy the fragment. Fortunately or maybe unfortunately, Sirius wasn't quite sure which, the destruction portion required an emotional component of anger and hatred, emotions that fueled the darkest of arts. Sirius had been pleased that his research had shown righteous anger and a hatred of evil not to mention his hatred of Voldemort's previous actions would be adequate for the purpose.

Winry sat and mentally reviewed the spells she would be using on Harry the day after tomorrow. Ignoring the part of her that said to do those spells on a child was wrong. She went through the wand movements to the cooling spell that would take Harry's body to hypothermic temperatures in mere seconds. The spells effect would be like plunging him into glacier melt water. The next spell was the one she was the least comfortable using. Originally designed to stop blood flow in a nearly severed limb, she would be using it to stop blood flow to his heart while Melanie injected his heart with a potion mixed with a potassium solution to make it stop beating. The potion was so the second that Harry was free of the horcrux Winry could banish it and allow Harry's blood to refill his heart. At that point what happened next was mostly Melanie's work, but Winry would start warming Harry back up at two degrees every minute until his temperature was back to normal.

Walter carefully reviewed the warding glyphs and circles he had devised. He and Harry were probably going to spent two to three hours putting them on Harry's body. Walter had the ball point pens he would use to draw them onto Harry's body. They had already done it once in practice and knew there would be some areas that Walter would have to do with Harry in a petrificus totalis spell because Harry was too ticklish to hold still for their application otherwise. The moment the horcrux was gone he would activate them so the horcrux wouldn't be able to reattach itself. When they arrived at the Walker home he and Sirius planned to put up the strongest containment wards that they knew and they had already made pendants for everyone that would be in the room to protect them from the soul fragment as it left Harry's body.

George, Hawkeye, Roy, Rachel and Zoe rested quietly as Radar drove the fifteen passenger van. Such were the thoughts and actions of the people in the vehicle.

At the Walker home Jenny, Yiska, and Melanie made a meal not just for themselves but also for the eleven people that were coming soon. Melanie and her grandfather were curious about the boy that was going to be undergoing the ritual, Sirius Black said he was as committed to doing this but in their experience not many, if any, children would choose this.

An hour later a passenger van pulled into the yard. Sirius Black was the first person out of the van. He quickly moved over to them.

"Hi, um I suppose introductions are in order."

"It is not necessary. You said you were bringing eleven people with you, why so many?" Yiska was asking when he saw Beth step out of the van. "Oh. I see."

Beth came over. "I'm sorry that we have descended on you like a flock of ravens but we appreciate that you are willing to help us."

Harry was the next to exit the van. "Yes thank you sir." adding his thanks to Beth's

Melanie stepped forward. "Hello Harry."

"Dr. Hoffesetter."

"My patients call me Dr. Melanie. We have a half an hour before dinner, walk with me?"

Harry's emerald eyes flashed. It wasn't clear what emotion drove it, but his chin came up with a determined tilt. "Sure."

Walter and Sirius stepped towards Yiska. Sirius spoke, "We've got warding to do, show us where?"

Yiska led the way to the hogan.

Winry and Beth followed Jenny into the trailer, while the rest of them put up the magical tent that would house them for the duration.

Melanie spoke softly, "Harry I've read your record you're almost nine. How much of what's to happen in the next few days do you understand?"

"All of it."

"Are you sure?"

Harry looked at her. "I'm not stupid you know. I remember the night Voldemort attacked and killed my mum and put the horcrux in me trying to escape having his own AK backfire. I've got three reasons to do this. I was born a wizard and I want to live as a wizard the horcrux prevents that. I've noticed that in the last couple of months I've done lots more accidental magic Sirius doesn't know but I'm horribly sick afterwards and each time it gets worse, if I don't get rid of it I'm likely to die when I get my full magic anyway. Finally the horcrux ties him," it was said with an indisputable venom, "to life as long as it exists so does he. If for no other reason than the last I am willing to die to get rid of it. I'm not saying I want to die. I'm not crazy and to be completely honest I'm not far from being scared out of my wits, but there are things in this world worse than dying and being his horcrux is one of them."

Melanie fought back a grimace put it that context the boy...no the young man was right, they would be doing the ritual in two days.

The next day Beth dragged everyone except those involved in the ritual off to do sightseeing.

After reviewing the ritual and all its attendant parts Yiska insisted that they all undergo a cleansing ceremony. That night they all went to bed nervous about what the next day would bring.

Yiska awoke before dawn went to the hogan and began work on a sand painting. An hour later as the sun first peeped above the horizon Winry joined him and began a series of spells to sanitize the hogan for the medical procedures. Walter and a hungry, scared, and cranky Harry soon joined them and Walter began the warding glyphs and circles on Harry. An hour and a half later they were joined by Sirius and Melanie. Sirius' eyes were suspiciously red but a don't ask don't tell policy was adopted by the group. Melanie immediately went through and set up for her side of things. Finally everyone looked at each other then at Harry.

Harry looked at everyone else and read the reluctance on their faces. Grimacing he said the opening of the ritual. "Meus animus eximo, meus vita EGO tribuo."[My soul to free my life I give]

Yiska started his chant, as Winry cast the first of her spells. Four minutes later Harry passed out from cold and Winry cast the second of her spells. Melanie waited fifteen seconds then inserted the long needle of the giant syringe into Harry's heart and injected the cold solution to stop his heart, and the clock started. Thirty seconds later his heart already slowed from cold ceased to beat. Yiska's chant was gaining in strength and intensity a moment later everyone was surprised as the scar on Harry's forehead split open and a greenish black cloud poured out. Once the cloud was cleared it acted sentient attempt in to enter each of them in turn then trying to leave the building. Sirius and Yiska united in the effort to trap and destroy the entity, and a few moments later they had it trapped between them. Meanwhile Walter charged the wards on Harry Winry banished the solution in Harry's heart and released the arteries and veins she had been holding shut allowing blood to flow into his heart once more.

Melanie gave Harry a pre-cordial thump when that didn't start his heart she started CPR while directing Walter to assist her in getting the defibrillator charging for a shock transferring CPR to him while she intubated Harry. Melanie glanced at the clock as she finished intubating him, four minutes! "Winry have you started warming him."

"Working on it."

"Walter, I want you to take over and every five count I want you to squeeze this." She demonstrated by compressing the bag attached to the endotracheal tube. She verbal counted out the rhythm and each time he hit five he compressed the bag. She then got the paddles and checked the charge. "Winry, Walter when I say clear stop touching Harry. I'll shock him." Three seconds later she said clear. The first jolt didn't do the job. So she turned it up a notch. Waited for the charge and yelled clear again. Two seconds later she was rewarded with a wonderful sound a heartbeat."That's it Harry keep fighting." she encouraged. She smiled at Winry and Walter before glancing at what Grandfather and Mr. Black were doing. When she saw she blanched.

Sirius had found himself in the position of fighting off an incorporeal being as it tried to possess him. Only to feel relief that the amulets he and Walter had made in the last few months did what they were supposed to. Yiska had pulled the Horcrux free but despite being a mage didn't have enough power to trap it. He looked gray from strain and as if he was about to keel over. Sirius remembered an obscure spell he'd learned from a Buddhist monk in Bali that was used to trap evil spirits, so he rapidly cast it. "Kejahatan jiwa, jiwa untuk membersihkan, tidak lagi melayangkan, akan ke menyobek, menangkap." to his relief the smoke stopped attempting to escape the Hogan. So he began his own part of the ritual. "In odium quod ira ego eflectum is ut planto unus ago, ego attero vestri animus." He poured all his strength into the spell all his rage and anger at the losses Voldemort had caused. To his horror he felt as if it wasn't going to be enough. [{evil spirit, soul to cleanse, fly no more, soul to rend, caught.} In hatred and anger I obliterate this that makes one live, I destroy your soul.]

Yiska caught himself, never had he felt such an evil spirit. He had felt the spirit's desire to possess him as he pulled it from Harry's dead body. He wondered where a spirit that had lived in a magic poor environment had gained that much energy unless he had pulled it from the boy. He sensed that if he lost focus for even a second it would mean possession, his amulet helped but the spirit seemed to choose him as the strongest in the room and attempted to possess him a second time. He felt the protection of his amulet crack, he called on his guardian spirit that inhabited the hogan but felt that even with its help his age was working against him. Suddenly he heard a language he didn't know and added to what he was trying to do in was enough. The spirit was trapped he felt its rage and felt the malice as it seemingly swore vengeance on those that dared trap it. He folded to the floor of the hogan to catch his breath. Seconds later he looked up to see the strain on Sirius' face as he attempted to destroy it. He decided that the evil represented by the fragment represented the worst that mankind had to offer and despite the darkness of the soul destruction spell that Sirius had found it was the duty of all sentient creatures to hate such evil so he too collected the last of his strength to cast, "In odium quod ira ego eflectum is ut planto unus ego attero vestri animus." But still the spirit remained.

Melanie was surprised when the emerald eyes of her patient opened. He gestured towards the tube in his mouth she was reluctant to extubate him but it was clear that was his expectation. So she said, "on two cough. One, two." And pulled the tube from his mouth.

Harry hurt but in looking at his god father he sensed that the battle wasn't won yet. He knew the ritual and had as much anger as his godfather. Using the memory of the night of his mothers death he croaked the words "In odium quod ira ego eflectum is ut planto unus ego attero vestri animus." With a shriek that made all of them cringe and cover their ears the cloud whitened and disapated.

Harry, Sirius and Yiska's eyes rolled back in their heads and they passed out.

A/N: Thanks to all who have alerted this story all 100 of you! It will probably be a week until the next update, RL stuff. I hope to get lots of reviews because I finally got rid of Harry's horcrux.