As suggested by Rprime my beta reader and roommate. This is an idea he had but could never get to work so he has asked me to give a hand at it. Please though in the end send him your support over on A03 and without further adeu I hope you all enjoy The Ritual of Madness
In his life there are still only fleeting moments of clarity. Moments that truly allow his thoughts to become straight forward and he can truly recall how he got to where he is now…
It was about a week after that horrid goblet shot his name up. A week after his teachers decided that in their benefit to let the tournament go on and see if it would deliver the answers they seek. Harry, in fear , contacted the only person who could help him.
"Harry!" The hushed voice filled the common room late that night as Harry rushed himself over to the fireplace.
"Sirius?" Harry asked in relief and surprise. "Thank god."
"I got your letter pup! Now, I don't have long. I'm sure the muggles who own this place will return shortly." Sirius' head dipped back from the fire as if he had to check on something before returning back to him. "Now are there any clues to who put your name in?"
"You….You believe me?"
"Of course pup! Why? Aren't there others?" Harry shook his head adamantly at the question. "Fools the lot of them! Even the teachers. They should be knocking down this thought, not letting them be!"
"What can I do, Sirius?! I have to compete, Dumbledore said." Harry asked with desperateness filling his voice.
Sirius looked in thought for a moment then grimaced in what Harry could only define as defeat and realism.
"There ...are rituals ...of which the Black family used to do. To use the power that was invested in us. Sometimes this power…it goes to a point that achieved an infamous name."
"The Black Madness?" Sirius nodded.
"It is in truth the most powerful of all the "Black Family Magic" as The Madness, if focused upon, is thought to change the very rules of magic. Almost like a child with accidental magic itself. Look for my raven. With it you will receive a book. A ritual book passed down the Black Family. As my godson you will be able to read it."
"But Sirius isn't this the same thing Voldemort did…"
"No, his rituals corrupted the very soul of his being which corrupted his body. I will not lie to you pup. This will be the hardest thing you've ever faced doing, but to survive the trials of the tournament and whatever secrets that will be found from it you must do this." Sirius stated to him. "The safest place for you to do this would be in the Chamber of Secrets that you sent me letters about. The rumors of it state that it is not connected to Hogwarts wards the same as the school since it was meant to be a secret location for him. "
Harry nodded to his requests and heard noise. "Sirius, I gotta go!"
"Be safe and look for my raven!" As the fire went out. Harry turned and saw Hermione coming down the steps.
"Harry? What are you doing so late?" Hermione asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Nothing, I….I was just speaking to Sirius about everything.."
"Oh Harry…." She slowly walked over and wrapped her arms around him. At that moment Harry blushed slightly. The past two years his best friend had grown womanly and as dim witted as Harry was he was not blind enough to not notice. He hugged her close, feeling her close to him.
"Thanks Hermione." He smiled at her and after a moment they separated. She headed to the steps before stopping and looking at him.
"Harry…if you need anything I'm here for you." Harry simply nodded and smiled as he watched her continue before he looked back at the fire and watched the burning coals, his thoughts going to what would come.
The following day it seems that Sirius was going to waste no time at all as Harry was out in the fields of Hogwarts reading a book on past tournament challenges to prepare himself. Suddenly his concentration was broken by the sound of a high pitch bird cry. He looked up and instantly spotted the black feathers of a raven. He jumped up and ran following it.
Finally the bird flew down and landed behind Hagrid's hut where it was clear that it would not be noticed and or thought to be a crow due to its black feathers. Harry knelt down and reached to undo the bonds before the raven nipped his finger causing him to cuss as he pulled his hand back and looking down at it. It was then that Harry realized that perhaps this was the reason it bit him last time. The raven seemed to calm down instantly and flew away as Harry undid the packing and pulled out a book and a satchel. Luckily there was a note.
"Harry. Take these with you to the Chamber of Secrets as soon as you can and prepare to do the rituals. I've included the materials you are going to need for this first ritual. Any others you wish to do you will need to procure the resources yourself. Due to me having to show myself to get these I'm going to be leaving the country for now. Not forever, I just need to clear my trail and be where I am not under the sign of danger. Be safe, follow all the instructions, and most of all… survive."
That was it. Harry smiled and with a flick of his wand ignited the letter to get rid of the evidence before hiding the book in his bag and the satchel as well. He looked around and decided to head to the chamber. It was hard waiting for a good opportunity to slip into the defunct female restroom that hosted Myrtle mostly due to the addition of two other schools walking around. Once he was sure it was clear he slipped in and pointed his wand to the door.
"Colloportus!" Harry cast and locked the door after putting a sign that the restroom was fully out of order. Moving over he looked straight at the sink in the middle. It had been two years since he entered its chamber… Was the Basilisk still down there? He found himself wondering about it as he cleared his throat and closed his eyes remembering that day when a simple twelve year old entered it in hopes of saving the sister of his best friend. Now he entered for himself. "Ö̵͉̞̞̓̇̉̈́͜͜͝þ̸̡̹̻̘̻̃̈͘͝͝ê̵̗̳͇͎̪̂͂͊̒͠ṋ̸̡̣͕̗̃̓̏̐̐͒." His words instantly found affect as the top rolled free of the sink. The faucets moved outward before the one in front dropped into the grate. He approached and realized he had made a mistake in his second year. "S͓̳̎̉͜t̨̼͎̟̮̅̃a̢̹̭̖͈͆̑͝i̜̟͚̿r͙̲̠̋́̏̐͂ş͎̫̥̠̎͛̀̅͝." His words forced stone from the wall creating a spiral staircase all the way down. "L̬̖̖͊̋ͅi͖͔̞͓̘͒̉̃̀͌g͈̎ḣ͔͎̳̺́̇͛̈ṱ̃͜." He finished and torches appeared and came to life down the stairs.
He took a few steps down before glancing back up the top. "C̭̥̫͊̉̋̓l̬̜̤̰̿ǫ̓̕s̢̛̲͍̹̒̾͘ȩ̂͌̊̐̉." He ordered and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets began to reseal itself. He only had a quick time to cast at the door unlocking it before it fully sealed back up. Sighing peacefully he began his descent following the torches. His mind traveled as he did thinking about everything that had occurred so far this year. So much he felt had been taken from him by this damned tournament that he wondered even was allowed given the danger. Or much more why it was designated for schools! For students! He felt his blood boil and as it did it just bolstered his decision in doing the ritual.
He was so lost in thought he completely missed it when he almost stumbled over a few rocks. The "tunnel" as Ron had made to get Ginny and himself free was no bigger than it was then. Almost painfully clear that Ron did the bare minimum even to save his sister. He glared at it and lifted his wand, lifted the stones up off the ground and fitted them tightly into a new arch. To seal the arch so it didn't fall he casted incendio to sear the stone until it looked fully sealed. He nodded as he walked over and made sure it seemed sealed before walking through. Most likely he'd have to come down here again so it made the most sense to take care of it at that moment.
The small remnants of distance to the true entrance to the Chamber did not give him enough time to continue his previous thoughts though still he felt the fire in his veins. He didn't even remember ordering the doorway to open as it swung open and he continued casting drying charms as he walked to make sure no water was in the way. He had a momentary feeling of surprise as he gazed on the perfectly preserved body of the Basilisk of Salazar Slytherin. He gazed at the grand beast and softly wondered what truly did Tom Riddle do to torture this wonderous creature. But those thoughts would have to wait till later he admitted to himself as he opened his bag and took out the supplies and ritual book. He flipped a few pages until he found the ritual.
"The Ritual of Madness once completed allows one who is connected to the Black Family, by non blood ties, example being that of godchildren or marriage, to gain connection to the truest form of our magic. Referred to by the public as the Black Madness it in truth is the full capability that our magic has and affects each and every one of us differently. Once the ritual circle is drawn with the mixed ingredients listed one must kneel in the middle and recite the incantation associated with it. Be warned that once done this can not be reversed. If you are brave enough to prepare to venture upon this hallowed magic than may the ancestors protect you."
Harry, picking up his tools, began to mix together the ingredients that Sirius had sent him, realizing that Sirius had sent him exactly enough for this ritual. Kneeling on the cold stone Harry began to draw with the mixture with a raven feathered brush which was provided. For once he did it as meticulously as he could, unlike his normal messy handwriting. He stared down at the circle once complete and relooked at the book to make sure he wasn't missing anything else.
"Shed all possessions from oneself before doing this ritual as outside objects will harm the proceedings. This includes any and all clothing as well as eyewear, and your wand."
He nodded in understanding as he read it and mouthed the words to himself once more before sitting the book a bit away, not too far where he couldn't see it but enough where it wouldn't be near the circle. He stood and stripped his body of all clothing watching and placed his wand on top of it before he knelt into the circle and took a deep breath in. It was now….or never.
"O Hecaten benedicite. O benedic Dionyse. Benedicant mihi, tametsi non sum de familia. Cum sanitas iam non adiuvat, Furor me ducet."
All Harry remembered from that moment on was the swirling of magic and wind around him as a cloud of black smoke appeared and flowed directly into his eyes. This sensation continued for a few minutes before his body fell directly to the hard stone floor, his eyes shut.
Inside him something dark and twisted clinged to his magical core embracing it and feeding off it before sensing something. It began to try and pull itself free from the core, it's tendrils deeply rooted as it took notice of an empty blackness flowing through the area until it began to wrap itself around the core and the twisted object. It screamed for freedom but alas none would it gain as the Blackness wrapped itself, the twisted, and the core all together. Making them one.
