So, I felt very inspired today. Lot's of new posts. However, I think I exhausted that spurt of inspiration, so I don't know when the next post will be up. It could be a few weeks, or it could be tomorrow. Never know. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 8: Lessons with Apophis

Harry's first weeks back to school went relatively smoothly. His classes were, oddly enough, getting easier. He wasn't sure exactly why this was, but he didn't exactly question it. As he was regularly the first student to grasp the work, he hardly had any homework at all.

This development, however, left him with quite a bit of extra time that he wasn't exactly sure what to do with. It was Luna who gave him the answer.

"Harry, I know you mentioned that the Dracolisk invited you to visit her, why don't you do so?"

After a moment's thought, Harry smiled. "That's a great idea, Luna. I think I will do that." As the next day was Saturday and he would be able to sleep in, Harry decided to visit Apophis that night.

When most of the students had gone to bed, Harry retrieved his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map from his trunk. He saw that the common room was empty and made his way out of the Slytherin dormitory. With the help of the map, he made it up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom without incident.

As he pulled off the cloak and stuffed it in his pocket, he called out to the ghost in Parseltongue. Myrtle, are you here?

She floated out and smiled at him. I am, Sacred One. It is a great pleasure to meet you. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would meet the Sacred One.

So you knew about me?

I had heard the legends, yes.

Interesting. Tell me, why have you never told anyone your story?

Dumbledore…bind..no speak The words were spoken with obvious difficulty.

You can't even tell my that you're not allowed to tell me?

Myrtle shook her head. Harry's eyes narrowed in anger at the Headmaster. The man was evil incarnate.

Don't worry, Myrtle, even though you can't tell your story, I can. And I'll find some way to free you of this curse. I'm going to guess the curse is also what ties you to this bathroom? Or is that a desire for retribution?

Harry noticed the evil glint in Myrtle's eyes and assumed it was the latter of the options.

"I'm going to go visit Apophis, but I'll see you later."

"Bye, Harry, and thanks."

Harry nodded, then ordered the entrance to let him in. Thinking clearly this time, he requested moving stairs and had a much easier, and cleaner, descent into the Chamber.

He hurried through the labyrinthine pipes to see his familiar. He'd missed her. As soon as he entered the main chamber, he called to her.

Apophis! I have come to visit you.

Apophis slithered out of her den quickly, eager to see her human. It had been several months, and, despite their short acquaintance, she missed him.

Harry, how nice of you to visit me. I heard the students return to school. Have you been busy?

I have not, but, to be honest, I did not think of visiting you at first. It was Luna's idea.

You have a very intelligent mate.

Harry struggled, and failed, to contain his blush. She's not my mate. She's a friend.

She is your mate, Harry, someday you will see that. Now, are you here purely for a social visit?

Well, I was hoping you could help me learn the Old Language and the Ancient Knowledge you mentioned to me last year.

Of course, Harry. That is a noble calling. However, I sense you have something else you wish to ask me.

Yes, actually, there is. Do you know of Dementors?

I do.

Is there any way to destroy them? Luna has a very strong reaction to their presence.

I know only of a way to repel them. It is a spell in the Old Language.

Can you teach it to me?

Indeed I can. It is not the best place to begin, as it is a rather difficult spell, but perhaps having a strong determination to learn it will help.

Harry nodded, taking in the information. Do I need my wand?

No, Parselmagic, and spells from the Old Language do not require wands. The magic is pulled from within yourself. Now, first I would like you to try simply speaking the incantation. Do not attempt to bring your magic forth.

Ok.

The incantation is chreathuss bephoth. Try it.

Harry repeated the incantation several times. As he did so, he noticed a stirring from deep within him. He asked Apophis what the feeling meant.

Your magic is trying to pull itself forth to create the magical protection for you.

How will this magical protection work? You said it doesn't destroy the Dementor.

No, it forces the Dementor to flee because the magical protection overloads it with life. Dementors feed off of happiness and positivity. These emotions are what truly give us life. Now, in the same way that a human cannot consume too much food without dying, a Dementor cannot consume too much of this life force without perishing. Therefore, in order to continue its existence, the Dementor must flee.

So, how exactly does this magical protection get created? And what is it called?

You must understand, Harry, that the magic I teach you will not always have a name. It WILL always serve a purpose, however. This is one of those spells. It has no name. It is a magical protection against Dementors. As to how the protection is created, I do not understand your meaning.

Well, where does the magical protection come from?

It comes from within you. When you speak the incantation, you must pull forth your magic and focus on whatever it is that makes your life worth living. In your case, I would suggest thinking of your family and your mate.

Harry blushed, but as he thought about it, he agreed that it was his family and Luna that made his life worth living.

Are you ready to try the spell with magic now, Harry?

I think so.

Very well. Speak the incantation and focus on the feeling of your magic pushing its way out. It will most likely take you a few tries.

Harry did as he was told. He spoke the incantation over and over, focusing on the stirring he felt deep within him. With each repetition, the feeling grew stronger. After about a minute, he felt as though he was going to explode. By instinct, he held the feeling back.

Do not hold back, Harry. You are feeling your magic trying to escape and protect you. Let it. And as you do, focus on your life force.

Harry stopped trying to resist and just let go. His magic burst from him in a wave. He saw a dark grey mist coalesce in front of him. As he focused harder on Luna and his family, he saw the mist start to get bigger. He thought of how proud Luna would be and noticed the mist collecting together.

Excellent, Harry. It is taking form.

This comment took Harry off guard and he stopped chanting. The mist disappeared, and Harry felt his magic snap back into place within him.

What do you mean, it's taking form?

The magical protection, when created correctly and at its strongest will take the form of a creature. This creature will be able to chase away the Dementors rather than just repel them from you. That was extraordinary for a first time. However, I imagine you are rather tired now.

Yes, definitely.

These magics will take some getting used to. Your magical core is not used to being exercised in such a way. However, like any muscle, it will strengthen with time and practice. Perhaps for now we should work on learning the basics of Parseltongue Magic and the Old Language.

Apophis directed Harry to a book on Parseltongue Magic and a short book detailing the Old Language written by Salazar Slytherin himself. Harry also found The Secrets of Magic, which supposedly explained the basics of magic that most witches and wizards never learned.

You had best return to the main castle, Harry, it is late. Take some time to read through those books and make sure to practice that spell every day. I hope to see you again soon.

You most certainly will. I'll come visit again as soon as I've mastered this spell. Thanks for all of your help, Apophis.

You are quite welcome, Harry.

By the time Harry made it back to his dormitory, it was nearly 2:00 AM. He decided to wait until the next day to review the books he had brought up.