Chapter 23- Lily's Protection
A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers for the past chapter! And once again, thanks to my sister for relentlessly editing this chapter. If it were not for her, there would be some serious grammar/spelling errors (apparently, I spelled Hermione's name wrong multiple times).
Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own zero percent of Harry Potter.
"Are you reading that essay again?"
Natalie glanced at Harry annoyingly. "It's a letter from Kalissa."
Harry yawned. "I know. But it still looks like an essay."
Hermione shook her head at him, the smallest cracks of a smirk on her face.
Natalie gestured to the thick and very morbid looking book in Hermione's hand that she had obtained from the Restricted section. "Found anything yet?" The three of them had devoted most of the Saturday evening to finding any clues about a Horcrux. Now at half past nine, all of them were becoming increasingly frustrated at the utter lack of information; Hermione had merely found one book that warned a Horcrux to be a very dark object not to be mentioned.
"You know the answer," said Hermione, her brow furrowing as she read through the book.
"The letter's still bothering you?" muttered Harry, rubbing his eyes tiredly, but gently placing his hand on Natalie's leg.
Natalie nodded, frowning at Kalissa's letter. "It's not different than her other ones. Telling me that everything's going well, asking about school and you guys and telling me to be careful but to enjoy myself –"
"But something's bothering you," noted Hermione, still scanning the textbook.
Natalie clicked her tongue. "Yes. It's just the way the last part's written – almost seems like she's slightly frantic and overwhelmed."
Harry looked at her seriously. "I know she's safer, but her situation still is pretty dangerous."
Natalie waved off his comment. "No, no, no Harry – you don't know Kalissa. The fact that Voldemort desperately wants her dead does not bother her in the slightest – it probably energizes her a bit. Her letters and just her usual way of talking and communicating are laden with small, excitable anecdotes, jokes and generally very casual laid back observations. This letter contained no such information – for heaven's sake, she spent four paragraphs talking about overcooked roast beef. And Kalissa is not domestic at all."
Harry frowned. "So you're thinking that she's discovered something that's bothering her."
Natalie nodded at him. "Precisely."
"I thought you said Bellatrix had been relocated by Voldemort," whispered Hermione anxiously.
Natalie sighed. "That's the problem. Quite frankly, there is relatively very little for her to worry about. Bellatrix has temporarily been suppressed and Dumbledore has managed to hide Kalissa in a place Voldemort cannot detect."
"Maybe you're worrying too much," suggested Harry.
Natalie shook her head. "I know her. She is undoubtedly flustered – it cannot be something that concerns her safety. I'm guessing that she's learned something about Voldemort or just generally about the 'Dark' side that is troubling her."
Harry's attention was aroused. "Do you think she knows about Horcruxes?"
Natalie had already contemplated this possibility thoroughly. "I'm guessing she knows a small bit about whatever he was trying to do with Horcruxes from school with him. But she won't tell me, likely because Dumbledore has sworn to her secrecy. Even though I'm almost like her daughter, she also trusts Dumbledore with her life and will never disobey him. Anyway, Horcruxes seems to be a subject that Dumbledore has mostly come upon by himself as he's tried to profile Voldemort."
"I agree," concurred Hermione. "I think Horcruxes constitute an extremely secretive part of Voldemort's life of which Dumbledore is the only one to fully realize. Slughorn may have a general idea about it, but he clearly is too scared to look into or even contemplate it more carefully."
Seeing the frustrated frown on Harry's face, Natalie added, "But when I see her next week, I'll try to find out as much as I possibly can."
Harry smiled. "And you can also see how she's doing."
Natalie recognized the compassionate tone in his face. Smiling at him in gratitude, she softly pecked him on the cheek, causing his cheek to turn bright red.
"Bloody hell! I can already see the two of you snogging in the corner," whistled Ron as he dropped his bag on their table.
Natalie quickly glanced at Madam Pince. Fortunately, she was too busy chastising a group of first year Ravenclaws about an Exploding snap game they had clandestinely been conducting.
"How was Lavender?" asked Harry, smirking at his friend. Hermione's head perked up slightly in alarm.
"Bloody annoying. Honestly, she is like the giant squid – when I try to even hint that I'm not that keen on her, she holds on tighter. Practically had to say that I was becoming worried about my grades and needed the night 'to catch up'."
This time, surprisingly, Hermione let out a small chuckle. "Very unbecoming of you Ron. Finally taking after me."
"After six years finally. Though you never had poor grades," acknowledged Ron, causing Hermione to turn a faint pink.
"Honestly," muttered Harry under his breath, shaking his head at the two of them.
Ron glanced at the vast assortment of books spread across the table. "I gather that this is not a Saturday night study party, but a –"
"Horcrux-looking party," finished Hermione quietly.
Ron shook his head in bewilderment. "I thought the two of you agreed that Harry would have to 'be himself' in order to get Slughorn to talk and not look at books."
"We never said to not look at books," exclaimed Hermione.
"We still believe what you said Ron, but it can't hurt at least having a general idea about Horcruxes," said Natalie.
"Especially when Dumbledore sprung up this subject with no background information whatsoever," grumbled Harry.
"Looking at the exhausted expressions on your faces, I gather that this search has been quite unsuccessful," remarked Ron airily.
"Go snog the giant squid," muttered Harry disgruntedly.
Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Seems like if You-Know-Who has Horcruxes, it's probably too dark to be contained in this library."
"Very insightful, Ron," said Natalie sarcastically.
Hermione, however, smiled at Ron thoughtfully. "You know maybe he's right. Maybe we can infer something about Horcruxes by just going through what Dumbledore has told Harry about Voldemort."
Ron's chest seemed to expand slightly with Hermione's praise.
Natalie nodded. "Might as well try. Okay we know that this Horcrux thing is a part of Voldemort that he believes to be uniquely attached to him."
"Yes, and it may be an attempt for him to overcome some barrier that, as a tyrant, he regards as dangerous," noted Hermione.
Quickly, three pairs of eyes darted towards Harry who sighed. "Okay, so wait, you think Horcruxes are a way for him to kill me?"
Natalie frowned. "No because Voldemort seems to have associated himself with them before you were born and it seems to be something more affiliated with him."
Harry mockingly let out a huge breath. "Wow, I'm relieved. Finally, something about Voldemort that does not end in my death."
"Yeah, mate, nothing to worry about," said Ron, clapping him on the back.
"Let's get back to our minor list of Horcruxes," said Hermione, suddenly quite engaged in their conversation.
"Didn't you say he liked to collect objects documenting his bullying as a child?" asked Natalie, looking at Harry.
Harry contemplated her suggestion. "Okay so the Horcruxes may be represented by a set of very wealthy and illustrious magical objects that Voldemort probably stole for himself."
"Oh let's not forget, boys and girls, that this is You-Know-Who we're talking about, so I'm making a highly insightful conclusion that he did something horrible to get or make these Horcruxes," commented Ron jokingly.
Natalie rolled her eyes. "You could take this a bit more seriously."
Hermione closed her eyes in concentration. "So we're looking for something terribly dark and nasty, so important and unique that Voldemort would regard it as a treasured secret, an object or concept that gives him greater dominance in the Wizarding World by overcoming some well known barrier and finally, something that he uses items to represent."
All of them sat in silence, considering Hermione's statement. Natalie perceived that each of them had an eerily vague sense of Voldemort's purpose for Horcruxes, but were not able to specify and crystallize his real intentions.
Ron snapped his fingers abruptly, looking at the rest of them in surprise.
"What?" asked Natalie impatiently, annoyed at him for distracting her thoughts.
"None of you see it?" asked Ron, gazing at them in astonishment.
"Honestly Ron, see what?" snapped Hermione.
"This is a first," whistled Ron, looking at all of them with an extremely smug expression.
"Ron, get to the point," said Harry irritably.
"Well, couldn't You-Know-Who need Horcruxes to make him immortal? Is death not 'the greatest enemy of the human mind'?" said Ron intently.
Natalie and Hermione gasped. "Oh Ron, you're right. You're brilliant!" screamed Hermione, throwing her arms around his neck. Ron's face turned a bright read, a pleased smile spreading across his face.
Natalie grinned at him. "Yes, that was a brilliant insight, Mr. Weasley." Of course, the greatest fear of a magical tyrant would be death, the one inevitable barrier to unlimited magical power.
Harry laid his hands on the back of the window, looking out the window in numb surprise.
Natalie frowned at him. "What's wrong, Harry?"
Harry slowly shook his head. "How could I have not seen it?" He turned towards Ron and Hermione grimly. "Remember when I was in the graveyard with him and all the Death Eaters?"
"In your fourth year," said Natalie, remembering his recount of Voldemort's return.
"Yes," said Harry, his eyes darkening. "When I was there, he specifically said that his goal was 'to conquer death' and that he had tried various experiments. How did I forget that?"
Ron smiled mischievously at the three of them. "What bothers me is that none of you three managed to make such a simple conclusion."
"But the superbly intelligent Ron Weasley did," muttered Natalie sarcastically.
Ron waved his finger in her face. "Oh, don't put me down. Without me, you'd still be scratching your head about the Horcruxes."
"Ron, we never said you weren't clever," remarked Hermione, amused at Ron's animated behavior.
Suddenly, Madam Pince appeared at their table, glaring at Hermione. "Miss Granger, I do not know what caused you to create such a commotion, but please be considerate of others." She looked at the rest of them. "This table is an utter mess. It is already quite late and I do not want to be explaining to Argus Filch as to why in the early hours of the morning, my library is still occupied with students."
Natalie sighed. "I suppose we should go."
Madam Pince narrowed her eyes into an alarmingly accurate representation of a hawk. "Do not suppose that you should go, Miss Malkae, but that you must leave the library."
Hermione nodded absently, running her hand through her hair in embarrassment. "Er, sorry about the screaming and yeah, we'll clean up this, er, mess and leave soon."
Madam Pince nodded approvingly before silently gliding away.
"Bloody hawk," muttered Ron under his breath.
Hermione scowled at him. "Okay, Natalie, I think we should take all the books that are not from the Restricted Section, that talk about the Killing curse and any magical interpretations of death. See if we can learn anything about the Killing Curse and how it could be overcome."
Natalie nodded, waving her wand to arrange the books into a pile and then expanding her bag to allow for the extra weight. "I just want to keep some of the books you found about ancient magic – we might be able to learn something about the Killing Curse."
Harry still stared at the window, enraptured with the memories of the graveyard.
As they stood up, Ron slapped Harry across the back. "Come on mate. I know you didn't see it, but not everybody has my deductive skills," said Ron jovially.
Harry awoke from his trance, grinning at Ron. "Clearly, your mum didn't teach you about humility."
They returned to Gryffindor tower. The common room, still crowded with students on a Saturday evening, did not appear to be the most ideal place to discuss Horcruxes.
"Looks like Lavender has gone to sleep," commented Natalie dryly, noticing the absence of the blonde haired girl hurtling herself onto Ron.
"Thank God," breathed Ron.
The four of them settled into the armchairs by the fireplace. Hermione turned to the rest of them. "Listen, let's just look through the books. Once there are less people around, we'll start talking about what we think. Obviously, our little group thinking session worked in the library."
The other three agreed. All of them, including Ron, approached the new search for the meaning of Horcruxes with a rejuvenated resolve and alertness.
After about an hour and a half of poring over books about ancient magic, the Killing Curse and magical views of the afterlife, Natalie's mind had become drenched with new information. Surges of excitement pulsed through her at all of the novel and harrowing insights into the magical systems and laws concerning death and most importantly the ancient magic associated with the protection that Harry's mother cast upon him. Yet, her frustration mounted with her inability to connect any of these descriptions to Horcruxes. The other three looked equally as exhausted and dazed; Harry had taken to staring out of the common window, Ron had started to fiddle with his chess pieces and Hermione continued to scan through the books, pausing to take dramatically frustrated breaths.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Obviously, we've all reached a dead end of some sort. It's getting pretty late and it looks the common room has pretty much emptied so why don't we compare information?"
Harry left his reverie to return to them. "The books are a bunch of waffle. They all talk about immortality, but are too scared to even talk about how to do it. It's as if the book itself is aware of Voldemort."
"I agree with Harry. Like I said before, Horcruxes are too dark to be contained in this school," concurred Ron, stretching his arms tiredly.
"There's got to be something," retorted Hermione determinedly, not letting herself believe so easily in the impracticability of books. "From the books I went through, there's a very thorough history and description of several major curses associated with the Dark Arts as the possible countercurse to these curses. So obviously, there must be at least something that deals with overcoming the Killing Curse."
Natalie sighed. "I actually learned quite a bit about the Killing curse and Ancient magic. But I can't seem to deduct anything about Horcruxes."
"Well, let's just hear what you found out. At the very least, we might learn something new," said Hermione.
Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, the Killing Curse – it's overall magical structure – is quite unique and ingenious, but considering how the curse works, it's still remarkable that your mom's love managed to protect you, Harry."
Natalie's statement produced the desired effect. Harry's head suddenly perked up, alert and stimulated. Even Ron's eyes flickered towards Natalie in interest.
"So how does the curse work?" questioned Harry, intently.
Natalie smiled. "Well, since neither you two, Harry and Ron, are in Arithmancy, you wouldn't know that most of the curses we employ draw their energy from the magical interactions of the extremely tiny particles that make up our world. It merely takes proper concentration on the wizard and witch's part, as well as a correct incantation and wand movement to shape and twist those tiny particle magical interactions into the desired combination to drive the spell. There are complex mathematical formulas and equations that actually describe how the magical forces arrange themselves for a particular spell." She gestured to the two boys. "Both of you understand? It's really an extension of Muggle physics at the most elemental level."
Ron groaned. "And I thought you were going to actually say something interesting. We didn't want a lecture about Arithmancy."
"You need to understand that, Ron, or you won't be even able to comprehend the specific structure of any spell," snapped Hermione.
Ron raised his hands to appease Hermione. "Okay, okay, I see. Arithmancy is absolutely wonderful." He gave a thumbs up to Harry. "Understand, mate?"
Harry nodded, grinning at Ron and at the highly irritated expressions on the faces of the two girls.
Natalie shook her head in exasperation. "Returning back to some educated conversation, there are, however, certain spells that do not draw their power from physical magic, but rather from human emotion. These spells, which include all of the Unforgivable curses and most Dark Arts curses, can be extremely powerful given the intensity of one's emotional state. Well – the Killing curse – it obviously operates on the worst of human vices – in other words, the ruthlessly cruel and heartless desire for the death of another person."
"That's why Voldemort's so good at the Killing curse. He has no heart," said Harry savagely, an angry glint in his eye.
Natalie nodded sadly, remembering the savage cruelty she had seen in Bellatrix's eyes. "However, the Killing Curse is more rooted in Ancient magic because even though it relies on human emotion, it actually originates and springs out of an alternate universe –"
"A what?" spluttered Harry.
"You alright, Natalie?" asked Ron, narrowing his eyebrows at her.
"Of course I am," retorted Natalie sharply.
Hermione sighed. "Both of you never listened when I told you to take Arithmancy. There are such things as magical alternate universes – they're simply governed by slightly different magical systems and laws – unlike our universe, they're usually not inhabited by people. Using an alternate universe through emotions is extremely old magic – as old as Hogwarts."
Harry still looked at Natalie skeptically while Ron shook his head in bewilderment.
"Do both of you understand? Because this is really important in order to understand how the Killing Curse works," said Natalie testily.
"Yes, though the idea's still kind of odd. Sounds like a science fiction movie," said Harry.
Natalie continued, ignoring Ron's inevitable question about science fiction. "Okay, upon uttering the famous incantation of the Killing Curse, those emotions of cruel hatred are transferred momentarily to an alternate universe in which they gain energy, change and coalesce and then almost always immediately return to our world to take the soul of the person the curse is aimed towards."
"Why can't the Killing Curse stay in this universe?" asked Ron blankly.
Natalie smiled at him. "That's actually a pretty important question. It took centuries of research to determine the answer. I read a really generalized and slightly ambiguous version of the answer, but essentially, the alternate universe – nobody knows its true physical structure or they would be dead – has a different structure that allows the killer's emotions to fuse and combine in the most, er, effective and powerful manner to strip a person of its soul in this world."
Harry gave a burdensome shudder, closing his eyes. The other three looked at him worriedly.
"Harry?" asked Hermione edgily.
Harry breathed heavily. "No, nothing. When I've seen that curse used, it's, well, just hard to take in."
A wave of empathy for Harry coursed through Natalie. She squeezed his arm gently, smiling into his eyes. He returned the smile, wrapping his arm her shoulder and holding him closely to her while Ron gagged.
"Natalie, how could the Killing Curse be overcome then?" pressed Hermione, still frowning in concern at Harry.
Natalie nodded, letting herself drop comfortably into Harry's arms. His face had regained its alert look, sensing that the subject of his mother would be mentioned.
"Remember how I said the curse is rooted in Ancient magic, Hermione?"
Hermione's face dawned in realization. "And didn't Dumbledore say that the protection Harry was given from his mother is Ancient magic? So Harry, your mother's love somehow –"
"Blocked the mixing and fusing of the Killing Curse's emotions in the alternate universe and directed those emotions back at Voldemort," said Natalie, exchanging a tired smile with Hermione. "But there's slightly more to the spell than I mentioned. The way it is formed in this alternate world essentially designs a magical contract for our world which stipulates that either one of the two people involved in the Killing Curse has to die – and as you know, magical contracts are eternally binding. But this –"
"Only makes it stranger that both Voldemort and I survived," noted Harry.
Natalie nodded. "Also, the consequence of this magical contract is that the mental or physical residue of the Killing Curse only exists for that moment in time – the time period of the contract essentially compromises the time of the interaction between the murderer and the victim. As a result, the energy of the curse is concentrated purely for that moment and cannot sustain itself for any longer. According to these principles, there should be no connection between you and Voldemort – either physical or mental. So clearly for the two of you, the Killing Curse lost its authenticity."
Hermione bit her lip thoughtfully, her eyes screwed in concentration. "Natalie, could the love of Harry's mother been powerful enough to change the structure of the curse?"
"That seems like the only possibility," concurred Harry intently, his eyes fixated upon Natalie.
Natalie considered Hermione's suggestion. "It seems very possible. From one of the books on Ancient magic, what I've gathered is that Ancient magical protection operates solely by interfering with whatever it is opposing in the alternate universe. Any Ancient magical attempt to guard against the Killing Curse would hinder the organization of the curse's energy and emotions within this other universe and therefore could alter the contract created by the Killing Curse in our world. However, all the books said that the Killing Curse is known to come from the most powerful and darkest form of magic."
"That's what I read," agreed Harry. Hermione nodded as well.
Natalie smiled at them. "And, therefore, Ancient magical protection would have to more strength and force behind it than the Killing Curse in order for it to change its structure."
"So, you think that the protection cast upon Harry is not purely Ancient magic," stated Hermione, fiddling with a strand of hair.
"Which kind of means that we are going round in circles," announced Ron airily.
Natalie raised her eyebrows at him. "I don't think we need the sarcasm, Ron. I think that this is some type of progress."
Harry snapped his fingers. "Wait!" He exclaimed in realization.
"What?" asked Natalie and Hermione in concern while Ron just stared at Harry in bewilderment.
"I think we're overcomplicating everything. In the graveyard, Voldemort put some of my blood into that potion that he used to revive himself," said Harry.
"And you think that explains the connection because your blood contained your mother's protection," finished Natalie. Harry's explanation made far more sense that the one she had been formulating in her mind; she could not help but feel miffed. That all her reading and analyzing had been useless.
Harry nodded. "Dumbledore said that was why last year I could see into his mind."
Hermione, who had her eyes closed in concentration, slapped her hand on the table. She shook her head. "That can't be the entire reason for the connection. Remember in the summer before fourth year when you had that dream about Voldemort and Wormtail plotting something and that was what they were actually doing."
Harry breathed in shock. "I completely forgot about that. So then the –"
"connection had already been made when Voldemort injected some of your blood into his body," said Natalie excitedly. Her ideas could have some merit after all.
This time, Ron cleared his throat. "And also Harry, it doesn't explain about your scar hurting every time he was close."
Natalie nodded enthusiastically. "That's probably the most important information about the connection."
Harry inhaled deeply, his eyes flickering over the other three. "Okay, so let's go back to what Natalie was saying. Without trying to decipher the specific mechanism, my mum's love was able to disrupt the formation of the Killing Curse and send it rebounding back to Voldemort in that other universe while, simultaneously, in our world, rejecting the conditions set by the contract of the Killing Curse."
"That's about it. Quite a special woman your mum was," said Natalie, rubbing Harry's arm gently. She realized that their highly thorough and intense discussion, surrounding Harry's mum, may have tuned into his sensitivity about her.
"I know," replied Harry sadly.
Ron raised his finger slowly to the two of them. "Something doesn't make sense," said the red haired boy, his eyes unusually glazed over in determination.
"What?" asked Hermione, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
Ron turned towards Harry. "Don't take this the wrong way, Harry or you, Hermione," he started tentatively. Seeing the curious looks on their face, he inhaled before saying, "Harry, your mum was a Muggleborn. And for her to be able to change the Killing Curse, there must be some very powerful magic associated with her and wouldn't, er, somebody with some magical background be more likely to have that power?"
Hermione snapped her fingers furiously. "Ron, just because we have no magical family, it does not mean that we do not have the magical capabilities to be part of advanced magic," stated Hermione fiercely.
"No, no, no Hermione. I never meant it that way. After seeing you for six years, how could I honestly think such a thing?" added Ron urgently, retreating from Hermione's narrowed eyes.
Natalie's eyes widened in comprehension. "Wow, Ron, that may be your most brilliant insight."
Ron smiled at her in relief. "You get what I mean?"
"What?" asked Harry confusedly.
Natalie looked at Harry and Hermione. "What's he saying, in a less crude way, is that your mum, Harry, was able to do something unheard of – modify the Killing Curse. Therefore, there must be something special about her or the circumstances around her death, but Ron and I, as well, find it difficult to grasp as to why she should be the person to do this."
Ron gave Natalie a thumbs up, mouthing, "Thanks" to her.
The fiery glare in Hermione's eyes dissipated. She stared at Ron in an unusual combination of admiration and satisfaction.
"What?" asked Ron, seeing the pleased expression on Hermione's face.
Hermione clasped her hands on the desk, gazing at the other three excitedly. "When I was looking at the history of some extremely dangerous Dark Arts curses and the ways in which others have been overpowered, there were a few cases very similar to Harry and his mum – in which one person was given a choice to, er, not be exposed to the curse, but chose to instead sacrifice often their sanity so as to protect the other one. And –"
"Wait, Voldemort gave your mum a choice, right, Harry?" blurted Natalie, remembering with a sharp pang of surprise Dumbledore's description about Lily Potter's death. "Oh sorry, Hermione," said Natalie, glancing apologetically at an indignant Hermione.
"According to Dumbledore, but I have absolutely no clue as to why Voldemort would want to let my mum live," answered Harry quietly.
"How would Dumbledore know what Voldemort said to your mum?" asked Natalie in bewilderment.
"One of his well educated guesses that usually turn out correct," said Harry, his brow furrowing in frustration.
"But isn't it odd?" posed Natalie to the other three. "I mean this man has been so ruthless and wicked for his entire life and, yet he decides to give a woman who is a member of the Order, not to mention that she is a Muggleborn, a chance to live."
Harry frowned at her. "Listen Natalie, it's strange and I sort of ignored that question for a while. It bothers me a lot though – why she would be given a choice makes absolutely no sense. But I think there's obviously something behind it and I feel if we can just figure out how my mum was able to guard me from the Killing Curse, then I think much more things will be explained."
"It is quite remarkable, Harry," acknowledged Hermione. "But getting back – I think this will interest you Harry – all of those cases in which one person's sacrifice saved another person never involved the Killing Curse or even some curse that would lead to death. And I'm pretty certain that if innocent victims were given a choice with some dark curses, then there would be also cases in which a person was given the option to live when confronted with the Killing Curse."
"So there is no basis for what Harry's mum did," stated Natalie slowly.
"No," agreed Hermione. "And even further, all of the books I looked at specifically reiterated that the type of Ancient magical protection they described, which looks quite similar to the protection cast upon Harry, is not prolonged."
"But Dumbledore labeled my mum's protection as Ancient magic, then if he knows about it, there must be some record of someone being protected like I was," said Harry, scratching his head.
Hermione shook her head. "I believe Dumbledore was making a very well educated guess. Remember he wasn't there when Voldemort killed your parents so he has no direct evidence to support his theory. This time, I think he may have been wrong."
"Ooh, we've just proved Dumbledore wrong!" exclaimed Ron dramatically.
Natalie stared at him in exasperated disbelief. "Honestly, how can you make such a pigheaded comment after some of those other pretty intelligent questions?"
"It's called humor, my dear Natalie," responded Ron cuttingly.
Before Natalie could offer her harsh interpretation of Ron's humor, Harry said, "Ok, if Dumbledore is wrong, then what type of magic protected me and why was my mum the only person to be able to change the Killing Curse?"
Natalie considered both of Harry's questions before formulating her most logical and plausible answer. "Well, the books I read contained a lot of information about Ancient magic and your mum's protection definitely does not match the description of ancient magic. Then I see either two possibilities – one, that her protection is a mutated, unique and novel, but obviously exceptionally powerful brand of magic or the second, a special set of circumstances surrounding your parents' deaths changed the Ancient magic associated with your mother's type of sacrifice and protection, providing it with the capabilities to overcome and modify the Killing Curse for a sustained period of time."
"The second possibility seems far more likely," noted Hermione pensively. "I mean there are only three types of magic – Ancient, Dark and Modern magic. The chances of developing a brand of magic, even in a strange situation like your parents' death, are extremely low."
"So Dumbledore wasn't wrong," stated Ron flatly.
"No, just not giving the complete truth. What else is new?" said Harry darkly. The other three glanced anxiously at Harry.
Natalie continued, not taking her concerned eyes off Harry. "Alright, so then we can conclude that there must have been a special set of circumstances surrounding your mum's death that caused the development of this completely unheard of and novel connection and that's probably what Dumbledore thinks."
Harry then frowned again. "But why 'circumstances'?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Arithmancy."
Ron let out an annoyed sigh. "As if I cannot get enough of that subject –"
"But what Natalie's saying makes complete sense," cried Hermione, looking at the other two in disbelief. "One of the fundamental principles of Arithmancy is that all magic is affected to varying degrees by the people who performed the spells and to extend that further, by the context that held these people."
"How were we supposed to know that, Hermione?" asked Ron in amazement. Hermione glared at him in annoyance.
Natalie waved off Ron's exclamation, not wanting to ignite a tedious row. "It doesn't matter, but we've narrowed Harry's protection down to a context rather than just magic."
"So let's just list what is unique about Harry's mother's death," said Hermione, taking out a quill and parchment.
Harry placed his hand over his mouth in silent shock. "The prophecy."
"Yes?" asked Natalie, unsure as to why the prophecy had caused sudden understanding to break upon his face.
"That's the special set of circumstances," said Hermione, her eyes also widening.
"You don't believe us, Natalie?" asked Harry curiously, taking in the skeptical expression on her face.
"How much do you three know about Divination?" posed Natalie, already knowing of Hermione's absolute disdain for the subject.
"A true waste of time," said Hermione scornfully. Both Harry and Ron shrugged their shoulders.
Natalie sighed. "I took it at Durmstrang – I think that course at Durmstrang is much more interesting than the one here. At Durmstrang, they said that prophecies are made all the time and that it's not uncommon for a prophecy to preview a particular relationship between two people – like the one that says you will be the one to vanquish Voldemort, Harry."
"So you're saying that the prophecy does not entirely mean that Harry's situation is that unique," commented Hermione.
"Yes," said Natalie. "See, the prophecy obviously makes the context of the death of Harry's mother different, but there must be other aspects contributing to this uniqueness."
Ron rubbed his eyes tiredly. "You-Know-Who would also make the situation different. I mean he is the most powerful dark wizard in a long while."
Hermione smiled at Ron, causing his ears to tinge a bright red. "Alright, anything else unusual about the circumstances surrounding the night of your parents' death?"
"The fact that Harry's mother is Muggleborn and possibly the reason she was given the chance to live?" offered Natalie.
Hermione nodded. "That reason would certainly be very important."
Natalie continued. "And of course, we must take in all the emotions, relationships, interactions and dynamics of the people involved, this would be principally your mum and Voldemort since I don't think your view of the world was very complex at the age of one, Harry."
Harry slapped his hand viciously on the table. "It then, would be impossible to find out exactly what allowed my mum to protect me," announced Harry sourly. "Because the people who knew her very well are mostly dead or severely impaired," spat Harry.
The dreary and defeated expression that gripped Harry's face unsettled Natalie; she was instantly reminded of her self deprecating state of pure hopelessness after seeing the murderous glint in Bellatrix's eyes. Hermione gazed at Harry worriedly and Ron's eyebrows were raised in surprise.
Natalie held his hand, looking into the green depths that still caused her fingers to tremble slightly. "Listen Harry, there are a lot of "if's" when it comes to your mum's protection. What I'm saying are just guesses – we don't even know whether the special set of circumstances made your mother's protection so strong. But if something like that did operate, there are plenty of people that you probably do not know about that could provide you with information – look at how Dumbledore was able to find out so much about Voldemort."
His lips twitched into a small smile, but to Natalie's displeasure, the hollow and melancholic blankness did not leave his eyes. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's so frustrating to know so little about how my parents died and why Voldemort and I are so connected," said Harry, still in detached, grim manner.
"Can't say I can empathize with you," remarked Ron, his lips curling. For once, Natalie was grateful for his lame attempt to inject humour into the situation.
Harry looked at his friend in astonishment. "Nobody can since I am the Chosen One," replied Harry acidly, smiling sneakily at the other three. Natalie could see that the joke was merely a half hearted attempt to mask his sudden somberness during the evening.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "So, just to note, we have made absolutely no ground on Horcruxes other than what Ron said. Though I have to say that what we've found about your mum's protection is extremely intriguing and is likely quite important. "
Natalie suddenly smiled in realization. "But, ah Hermione, we have come far, haven't we? Was not Voldemort highly involved in the death of Harry's mother? So then would not the fact that he used these Horcruxes and possibly was trying to make himself immortal add to the uniqueness of the context?"
Hermione snapped her fingers. "Of course, the Horcruxes!"
Natalie shook her head grimly. "But like you said Hermione, there's nothing about Horcruxes in this school. So the only way we are going to find out what they are, is if Harry is able persuade Slughorn to give him that memory."
Harry let his head sink into his hands. "How am I going to do that though? It seems like he has suddenly decided to avoid me at all costs."
"Just use the special Potter charm," said Natalie coyly. "You know, the shy smile, the subtle modesty –"
"In other words mate, she's trying to say: whatever you did to get her, do it to convince him," said Ron.
Natalie slapped his arm. "Can you just be serious for one moment? But Harry, just be yourself – you'll find a way."
Ron lifted himself from his chair. "I, for one, am thoroughly sick of Horcruxes. I think we all need at least some sort of sleep after all these books."
Hermione nodded. "We deserve a rest, but we should just take all these books to our dormitories."
Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I think I'll stay and just go over the books I read to see if I missed anything. Don't worry Hermione, I'll clean up."
Natalie, noticing Harry's rapidly despairing state, exchanged a worried glance with Hermione. "I'll help Harry out. You two, go to sleep."
Ron muttered "Good night," casting a funny glance at Harry before walking up the stairs. Hermione scrutinized Harry carefully with a sad look in her eyes, smiled at Natalie and then exited to the girl's dormitories.
Natalie let her body slide closer to Harry. She saw with a frown that even though he had opened one of the textbooks about the Killing Curse, his eyes remained fixated on one page. Clearly, the Killing curse was not at the forefront of his attention.
She squeezed his arm, causing his eyes to look up towards her in mild surprise. "Listen, Harry," whispered Natalie gently. "I can read you pretty well now and, trust me, I do not think you meant at all to go over the books. I know our discussion about your mother is bothering you."
Harry shook his head. "It's not something I can talk about. It's like you with Bellatrix. Whenever I think about either of my parents, I just cannot control my emotions," said Harry. His voice quivered on the last few words.
Natalie's heart lurched at seeing him in such a vulnerable position. "I see Harry, but I found with Bellatrix that it's better to talk about those types of things than just to bottle all those emotions and let everything simmer and get worse."
Harry let out a small laugh. "Good help talking about Bellatrix was for you – you finally found out what a prat I could be."
Natalie sighed. "I'm serious, Harry. You'll find that a huge burden is released from your shoulders."
Harry glanced wistfully into space. "I don't think that burden will ever be lifted. I mean it's not like my parents will come back from the dead."
"And do you think Bellatrix will stop being my blood mother?" asked Natalie sharply.
Harry looked slightly taken aback at her comment. "No, I didn't mean it that way, Natalie," mumbled Harry apologetically.
"Then what exactly did you mean, Harry?" asked Natalie in a more demanding tone.
Harry closed his eyes. "Well it's just you cannot change things like the fact that my parents are dead and that your mother is Bellatrix Lestrange. You're always living in –"
"The shadows of those events," completed Natalie, beginning to understand what was troubling Harry.
Harry's eyes brightened though he still bore an expression of grim disappointment. "So you do see Natalie? It's like we have no control over our lives."
"Like some fatal aura of inevitability has just trapped us," described Natalie. She was both surprised and almost pleased that her and Harry perceived the same emotional fear and barrier.
"Yeah," said Harry, smiling weakly at her.
But over the past week, Natalie had slowly begun to realize that she and Harry were both wrong. She and Harry's reconciliation as well as Ron and Hermione's renewed friendship had made it increasingly clear to her that a person's interpretation of their circumstances, not the actual situation, shaped despair, loneliness and self deprecation. They could remove that veil of inevitably, carve out a new path and find a level of stability and calmness.
Natalie shook her head at Harry. "But Harry we're wrong."
He glanced at her in puzzlement. "But you just agreed with me?"
Natalie considered him before choosing her words carefully. "I still have that morbid view, but I think I'm starting to see that there is no aura of inevitability. It's very hard to describe, but think about it this way: there's nothing stopping us from just giving up."
"What do you mean 'just giving up'?" asked Harry confusedly.
"Could we just not leave all our problems? You could stop wanting to defeat Voldemort and let him kill you. I could let the same happen to me with Bellatrix. Or on a less dramatic note, after Hermione saw Lavender with Ron, couldn't she have easily decided that she couldn't take any of his pigheadedness any longer and decide to put an end to all her romantic aspirations for him?"
Harry's face tightened in determination. "Yeah, but I'd never turn myself into Voldemort and I know you would never let Bellatrix take you away from Kalissa."
Natalie smiled at him in satisfaction. "Precisely. We don't give up because we do have some control over our lives. How do you think you killed that basilisk in your second year or escaped from Voldemort in that graveyard?"
Harry's eyes widened. To Natalie's pleasure, the helpless look in his eyes dissipated. "I think I get what you're saying. But I still have to accept that my parents and Sirius are all dead."
Natalie nodded grimly. "As do I have to accept that my mother is Bellatrix Lestrange. But –"
"They're not exactly memories or events you can shrug off," said Harry pointedly.
"Well yes," said Natalie, wondering as how she could expose her point of view for Harry.
"So then, what do you mean, I'm wrong? I can't forget about my parents or Sirius," asked Harry.
Suddenly, Natalie realized the ambiguity that seemed the root of Harry's somber and dark attitude tonight. "Harry, do you honestly want to have the memories of your parents' and Sirius' deaths to be completely erased from your mind?"
"Absolutely not," answered an unnerved Harry. "I can't, it would be terrible," breathed Harry. Natalie's heart ached in guilt at realizing the penetrating horror of her question for him. She gently lifted his chin so that she held his gaze.
"Why?" asked Natalie softly.
"Because well, those memories and all of their agony and destruction are a part of who I am," said Harry in realization.
Natalie smiled, hoping with all her strength that he was beginning to escape the morbid mindset that had suffocated her for most of her life. "So you see, Harry, you can't live without knowing about Sirius and your parents."
"Because Voldemort must be punished for what he has done," said Harry fiercely.
Natalie nodded, not letting a big grin break out against her face. "You've subconsciously chosen to keep those memories and let them motivate you."
"Like how you cannot keep Bellatrix out of your mind because you need to make sure she gets all that she deserves for everything she's done to you, your father and Kalissa."
A wave of shock struck Natalie. She stared at Harry in a mixture of bewilderment and wonder. He had inadvertently brought the uncertainty and confusion that had plagued her complete interpretation of Bellatrix into a vision of alarming clarity.
"Natalie, are you all right? Did I say something wrong?" asked Harry, glancing at her worriedly.
Natalie's face broke out in a huge grin. "No, Harry, you just made me realize something very important – actually life changing – about myself. All my life, I've been thinking like how you were tonight – that my mother has placed a permanent curse on me – but all of this dread and worry is really a weak attempt by me to exert some control over her role in my life. Only I've let her humiliate, anger, isolate and terrorize me while not realizing that what I really want is for me to dictate how I see her."
Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "Not quite sure I'm following you there, Natalie."
Natalie thought carefully so she could better phrase her sudden state of realization. "Voldemort's caused all this grief and pain Harry, but that's not how you see him, is it? Because if you did, you would have let him kill you every time he came at you. I'm basically learning what you're already known since your first year. To put it simply, why do you not let Voldemort kill you after all of the hurt he's cause you?"
"I have to deal with it because succumbing to the pressure is never the answer," said Harry, nodding slowly. The somber grimace on his face had lightened into an almost relieved smile.
Natalie nodded in agreement. Harry continued, the relieved smile growing. "That's how you feel about Bellatrix, isn't it? You never let yourself believe that Bellatrix is going to take you from Kalissa and well, er, I'm never going to let Voldemort destroy all the friends and everything that I have."
Natalie's face broke out into her biggest grin. She could not believe that she could communicate so intricately with another person. She felt overcome by a sensation of completely inspired fulfillment. She threw her arms around Harry's neck kissing him on the cheek.
Harry appeared slightly alarmed at her sudden affection, but he quickly smiled at her. "What have I done now?"
"You are an absolute nutcase Harry Potter!" muttered Natalie into his hair.
"I suppose I should take that as a comment," said Harry jokingly.
"Er, Natalie?" posed Harry, holding her at arms length.
Natalie nodded for him to continue.
"Sorry, I've been so, well, depressed. I think whatever magic my mum used is extremely important and thanks for finding out about it – I really appreciate it," said Harry, wrapping his hands around her and kissing her on the lips. Detecting the pure gratification in Harry's voice caused Natalie's face to flush in pleasure.
"So have you 'cured' my mental problems?" asked Harry, looking at her mischievously. "Or will another course of action be required?"
Natalie returned the cheeky grin. "I think I rather like that other course. By the way, you cured my mental problems as well." She then pressed her lips on his before he could ask her a question, determined to revel in the moment of absolute bliss.
A/N: How did you like the explanation for Lily's protection? I was not entirely comfortable with the description in canon so I decided to make the change.