I'd like to start this chapter by saying rest in peace, Maggie Smith. I got word of her passing as I was writing this.
Dame Maggie Smith was a great actress and, by all accounts, a good person. She lived an amazing and long life, and I think the world is a bit less... well, it's a bit less without her.
No one could have brought our beloved Professor McGonagall to life quite as well as Maggie Smith.
"We teachers are rather good with magic, you know."
The Day after the ball was filled with fun. The entirety of Potter Manor was filled with kids and parents enjoying time together socializing. Three rooms had been converted into game rooms and as the entire grounds was deemed a safe zone the kids who came from muggle families could show off their magic in ways they normally couldn't so the games had muggle and magical ways to play. Like gently banishing a cue ball in billiards to strike the balls instead of using a stick or the muggles rolling the balls in summoner's court (who knew the Potter family had those!) instead of summoning the balls.
Harry's quidditch team, and indeed every quidditch fan there, drooled over Harry's firebolt when he unveiled it explaining the gifts' origins. And the girls including Daphne all cooed as Hermione explained Harry and her - excursion- (for Harry refused to call it a date) to the theatre. And Harry received many compliments from various parents on how well he kept his clothes. On explaining the functions of his tie clip many mothers seemed determined to get some for their own son or daughter.
But sadly, accustomed to tragedies as Harry was, he was aware of how good times never lasted forever. And so it was a week after the New Year's party that Harry was once again called upon by a very somber looking professor McGonagall.
"Lord Potter, you are needed at hogwarts. We have done all we can and prepared all we can. It is time to gamble." The headmistress said in her thick Scottish brogue.
Toppy popped in with Smara in his arms and the snake all but lept to Harry's shoulders, hissing "I shall come!"
'Well that raises some questions for later, doesn't it' thought Harry, staring at his snake and the elf as he popped away.
And that was it. Harry knew there was no arguing with her, so he didn't. Thus after a short trip through a very uncomfortable narrow tube, Harry found himself standing at the entrance way to Hogwarts.
"I thought you couldn't apparate or disapparate on-"
"You are with me, Harry, and I dare say being headmistress does have its perks. Now come, we'll be going directly to the chamber. The families are with the children and I've no wish to distress them further." So after a long walk down a long winding tunnel, Harry found himself in front of a door no one could open for the 4th time. Or was it the 5th?
"Right, you lot were coordinating this with 3 different ward teams. Our team, Team A is going to open the door with the known password and thereby start the siphoning ritual in the hospital wing. After it's begun we enter the room, find the ritual focus and dismantle it as fast and as safe as possible. Lord Potter, you're on standby for any parselmagic needed. In other words: if someone, anyone, calls out for you to say something don't wait, don't think, don't hesitate, say what they tell you verbatim. Got it?" asked the lead curse breaker.
At Harry's nod the man continued.
"Good, the other teams will be working at the same time to complete their goals. There will be house elves passing status reports between the three squads as well as mark the progress of the other two teams but mainly the team in the hospital wing. This is going to be difficult and dangerous. This will be one of the ultimate tests of your skills as curse breakers,— now that we all know our roles, get ready, we don't have time for questions."
"Wait, why did you all wait so long to get me?" asked Harry.
The lead curse breaker heaved a large sigh. "Be-because we had arranged for an adult parselmouth to come and assist us. But the person who made their portkey was criminally incompetent and made a horrible mistake with the landing location of the portkey. Poor chap got put halfway through the floor of the international portkey office. I heard it was
…. messy, but that holds no bearing here and now. We have a job to do and it starts in less than a minute by my watch." And true to his word a house elf bearing the crest of Hogwarts on its toga popped in and announced that it was time.
"Mr. Potter, if you could speak the phrase."
And so Harry did. To his ears the words sounded like twisted Arabic, like the language spoken wrongly or at least spoken to resemble Arabic.
"al-sahr yighzy nufseh butlek al-qarabi ouatani sabab raghbeti maktoube bahrovek!"
After a second of inactivity the snakes on the wall shifted. This time however, they slithered inward, each with a loud clang as a bolt was drawn in. After the six snakes had drawn in on themselves, poised to strike, a seventh snake slithered out and moved along the outer edge of the door. A loud grating and grinding sound filled the air for a few seconds before the snake slid into a hole on the opposite side of the great stone door, and then the door slid inward and opened.
At the same time an elf popped into the tunnel and announced that "it has started to hurry the ley lines will only trick the magic for so long."
"Right! Hurry you lot but be steady."
And to Harry's amazement — although the curse breakers stormed into action and moved forward — they did not rush or run, instead they scanned the air and ground on each and every step moving with slow urgent movement. Moving slowly but not wasting time. He was about to take off in front of them but was grabbed by McGonagall.
"No Harry, stay behind them, they are the professionals; rushing about is fast but it's easier to make mistakes — I believe it is the American muggle military that has the saying "slow is smooth, smooth is fast." Be patient, we set up a ritual to use the ley line intersection that the school rests on to trick the ritual into sucking up what is essentially useless energy for a time. However the ritual will realize it is lacking lifeforms and seek out a backup power source eventually. We don't know how long it will take, maybe one minute, maybe five but we have a moment to be cautious and careful."
Finally, they were able to enter the door. What awaited them was a long causeway made of quarried stone; a banister on each side kept the water that was on either side of the path from flooding it. Every teen feet or so the path was lined by large sculptures of serpent heads positioned as if they were rising from the water to greet their master even after a millennia of absence.
" How glorious!" said the headmistress.
A hiss filled the air coming from Smara.
"Yes! My father always favored theatrics. The path up to the centre of the chamber should be safe but it's good to be cautious nonetheless." Harry translated.
Snape strode beside them, silent but staring in all directions taking in this most sacred of places to any true Slytherin.
True enough, the group was halted as the curse breakers stuck their hands back to say stop, moving while they twirled their wands around in the air casting various spells. Up ahead Harry could see the feet of an enormous statue at the apex of a circular chamber and a swirling shimmer like a heat haze in the air in the centre of the room but that was about it.
'Pop' a house elf appeared in the tunnel.
"The ritual has started hurting the students! Please hurry, we is doing what we can to slow it!"
'Pop'
Just then a barrier of sorts splintered in the air and the curse breakers wasted no time entering the chamber and encircling a — what Harry saw to be — seven pointed star ritual circle; a confluence of magical energy was swirling around the circle and tendrils of magic in hues of red, green, blue and even a stream of purplish pink were flowing into a dark smokey mass at the centre of the circle from 5 of the smaller circles that decorated the tips of the star.
" There's a fifth victim?" asked McGonagall. But it seemed fate had chosen to answer her question as a blaring white weasel bounded into the room to announce with the voice of Arthur Weasley. "Ginny has collapsed into a fit, we're coming there."
"Oh no, that's not good." started the headmistress. "Severus, will he?"
"He will need to place her inside the ritual circle for the girl to have a chance at resistance or slowing the effect of the ritual. I will go, he will need medical attention and it's best Poppy focuses on the children." With that Snape stormed off but not before emptying several potions from his pockets and placing them on the ground.
"Wiggenweld! Just in case" he called as he stormed off.
"Headmistress, what are those brightly coloured streams of magic?" Asked Harry looking for anything to preoccupy his mind.
"That Mister Potter is the natural colour of the individual students' raw magical energy. Yours for instance is green. Have you never noticed that your Lumos has a slight green tint to it? Or that your friend Hermione Granger tends to produce yellow bolts when casting the magic bolt spell?
The dark mass suddenly screamed as the curse breakers started their interference. It was still growing. Instead of a small amorphic blob of thick black powdery smoke, it now resembled a thin pillar but with two faintly glowing red marks near the top. It seemed to lash out but the black tendrils bounced off the shimmering swirling magic acting as a barrier for the ritual.
The black mass let out a deathly, inhuman, blood chilling screech. And tried again, tendrils shooting out and this time making it through the barrier but it was truncated by the magic a few seconds later. Bill Weasley and the rest of the curse breakers were working frantically at this point as they were now forced to dodge the attacks that should not have been able to reach them and yet a female and male curse breaker were finally reached and dragged into the circle, kicking and screaming in terror. Unlike the students who were getting siphoned from a distance, as soon as the two curse breakers made contact with the circle they were thrown on, their bodies were drained and then they broke down into a dry brown dust that swirled around the black mass. This time when the thing screeched, Harry heard a voice.
"DAMN THIS WASTEFUL RITUAL" it called out a disembodied inhuman voice that slithered through his ears and into his mind. The black mass now looked more solid and was vaguely human shaped; it had distinguishable arms, legs and a head and the glowing marks were now definitely eyes. But it lost some cohesion when with a cry of success 3 ritual circles splintered and deactivated. The victory cry didn't last forever as a wave of dark energy shot out and flung the violators a clear fifty feet against the far chamber wall. Harry didn't think any of them were dead but definitely injured and out of the effort.
"YOU SHALL NOT STOP ME" came a voice this time clear and distinctive for all in the chamber. " 50 years I've stewed in that damned journal! I am the greatest of sorcerer's. Bow and accept me as the true ruler of this castle and I'll let you live!" This time a dark tendrils shot out and struck the lead cursebreaker dragged him through the ritual barrier which made the man scream like the other two, but McGonagall had covered his eyes to shield him from witnessing as he too went silent when his body landed on a circle.
"NOOOOOOO! NOT ARTY YOU BASTARD!" cried Bill Weasley and a few other curse breakers and with a ripping sound two empty ritual circles were shattered causing another rebound and blasting the wizards surrounding those circles and the black mass to be thrown through the air and land unmoving on the ground, the mass of smoke however shot to its feet, if it had feet that is. Some of the first group that had been thrown had got back on their feet and rushed over to help their colleagues who were dismantling the still functioning siphons.
"BOW BEFORE THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN AND I'LL LET THE ONES THAT SURVIVE MY REVIVAL LIVE! OR YOU CAN FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES AND BE HUNTED DOWN LIKE VERMIN!" shouted the dark mass, some of the curse breakers now running interference for the black tendrils of energy, fighting back the evil magic with their wands to protect their team members.
'Pop "Please hurry Missy Moon and Mr. Fletches is in deep deep trouble they has stopped shaking!" 'Pop'
"Hurry!" Called out Harry. But a large blast shot out from the smokey creature and knocked the curse breakers that had been working away. Smara had decided to cast aside all caution and she leapt off his shoulders growing to her immense 60 foot full size and hissing at the shadow.
"Liar! Oathbeaker! Murderer! DIE TOM RIDDLE!" the great Serpent shouted in parseltongue as Harry shouted to the curse breakers "hide your eyes!" Causing them all to duck and cover their eyes on the ground or atleast close them tightly while they tried to continue working on dismantling the protections on the ritual circles. And Smara for the first time since Harry met her unlidded her eyes, her great gaze swept over the black mist and while it didn't and most likely couldn't die, it did scream in pain and began to lose some of the cohesion and solidity that it had gained. The shadows of bones it had been displaying crumbled back into the dusty smoke that made up its body. And a great wave of black energy struck Smara with enough force that she flew through the air and sunk into a pool to the left of the great statue's feet. She did not rise out of it. Harry rushed forward to help his friend but McGonagall held him down."No! Harry! It is too dangerous! Smara would not want you risking yourself for her!"
"I don't care! Let me go, I have to help her. I can't let her-" 'crack' the last two ritual circles shattered. Causing all the energy of the entire ritual to escape at once in a massive explosion that rushed out in every direction throwing everyone against every wall and a massive boom sounded as the huge statue's ankle cracked from the force. Harry and McGonagall had been thrown back through the entryway where he lay stunned.
After an interminable amount of time Harry pushed himself unsteady to his feet the world spinning around him. Barely able to see and mainly functioning on instinct, Harry staggered back into the chamber. He must have been the first to recover; he tripped over McGonagall's prone form but he was focused on one thing. In the centre of the room the shadow — now with the shadows of bones and sinew and shadowy muscles under invisible skin, and a human face that was even somewhat handsome, if disfigured — had just thrown aside the desiccated remains of a curse breaker. The figure held out his hand and Bill Weasley was flung into the creature's palm, weakly kicking and clawing, trying to break the thing's grip. Harry quickened his approach as much as possible focusing on the creature,man,thing, shadow through his concussion and tunnel vision. As a blood red magical aura started to flow from the elder Weasley to the shadow being, Bill began to kick weaker and weaker and obviously fell unconscious. That was when Harry reacted. Without thought. Or worry. Or mercy.
"Difindo" Harry cast all but whispering the spell in a wide sweeping arc. It struck the shadows outstretched arm severing it and causing an unconscious Bill to fall limply to the floor. The spell also struck the shadows head just above the aetherial jawbone, the human features disappearing in a black mist. And the body of the shadow creature disappeared as well. disintegrating into nothingness.
Harry collapsed, his narrow vision allowing him to see as if from far away the visage of Salazar Slytherin in his full statuey glory. The boy's last thought before unconsciousness claimed him was that the man looked a bit like a monkey. Running, echoing footsteps approached.
When Harry first woke up he was quite confused, waking up in the hospital wing was nothing new for the boy thanks to quidditch. The only problem was that he couldn't remember playing quidditch recently. Nor were Hermione or Andromeda allowed to stay with him for something as simple as a quidditch injury.
The boy sat up rubbing his head. "Ow. My head." He muttered through his sleepy delirium. Looking around he saw a great number of people around the beds which confused his tired brain even more, which hurt his tired brain even more. Letting his muscles go he plopped back down onto his bed and clutching his head over his eyes groaning in pain. He couldn't speak, he couldn't think, he couldn't remember!
"It's OK Harry it's OK we're here" said a concerned voice close by. He couldn't remember who it was. It was soft and comforting. He still clutched his eyes against the pain behind them. "Drink this dear, drink this it'll help" another cooler but still friendly voice called out softly as a bottle was pressed to his lips and liquid rushed into his mouth, obediently drinking down the liquid. The taste was awful was his only thought before oblivion took him back into its unfathomable grasp.
It was morning when Harry woke up again. Through his bleary and uncorrected eyes he saw the familiar shape of Hermione beside him. Reading a book and talking quietly to his neighbor in the bed next to him. He couldn't tell who it was as they were blocked out by Hermione's frizzy hair, nor hear what they were speaking about.
"Her-mine-ee" Harry started trying to speak. He saw his friend jump at his voice and swing around very quickly.
"Harry! Here, drink this." She called louder than necessary while handing him a glass of cold water, well room temperature water. The hospital wing was always chilly. His best friend looked at him with concern. A flash of red passed her by in the background and coalesced into his other closest friend Ron Weasley.
"Hey mate, good to see you back in the land of the living" earning a smack to his arm and a "RONALD!" from Hermione. Laughing, the crass redhead spoke again "how you feeling mate? Anything Madam Pomfrey needs to know?"
Harry ignored this, concerned as he was for the others."Bill?" Said Harry and an image of Ron's older brother injured and unconscious flashed through his mind. Sitting up he tried to find his glasses.
"Bill's fine Harry, they all are, a few broken bones but nobody-"
"Yes they did, Ron." More images flashed into his mind of the fight? Battle? "I remember at least 3." His friends looked at each other and sighed.
"Harry there were five deaths, but by all accounts It could have been so much worse." supplied Hermione hugging him gently. "And I wouldn't bother looking for your glasses, they've been destroyed beyond repair. Bill said there was a blast. It looks like maybe your glasses caught a rock or maybe they were stepped on. Bill brought them and they were smashed to pieces when he went to look for them a few days ago."
"Days?" Asked Harry.
"Yea" replied Ron "it's been three days since that fight went on. McGonagall said they have to scan the school for anything dark again and test to see if the foundations will still support the school's weight after that explosion. And then they'll make a decision. "
"Yes." Said McGonagall behind him. "And we'll need you Mister Potter to come with us and let us in the door again. After the last of the injured had been removed Smara sealed the door with her behind it. Most likely to protect whatever artifacts are there from the ministry pilfering them while you recover. But for now there is no need to rush, you can recover at your own pace Harry."
"How is everyone?" asked Harry.
"Well enough, ninety percent of them had their bruises and bones mended the same night at Saint Mungos.
Bill Weasley is on a nutrient potion for the next 3 months. As well as all the students who had been siphoned
The students are all fine with nary a scar aside from the low nutrients. The worst one off was Miss Lovegood but she was rather willowy before and Mister Finch-Fletchley who will need a more stringent nutrient resupply course. They are lucky those marks were made by a wand and not an athame or they would have life long scars. I'm told Miss Weasley will be fine as well. Her skin has already regrown and she has started her nutrient program ." She nodded at the bed next to him.
"Arthur Weasley had to be sent to Saint Mungos to have his skin regrown. He's still there but will recover just fine as well, although he'll have to do daily stretches while his skin learns to bend and flex again. Same as Miss Weasley will have to do but I dare say joining Mister Wood's quidditch training will do wonders for that. That's the price you pay for passing through an active ritual circle. He's lucky it was able to be regrown, ritual sacrifices rarely are given back." She said, forestalling Harry's apology.
"Headmistress? Will you tell my aunt that I want to cover Mister Weasleys medical bills?" Asked Harry.
"There's no need" came the voice of Andromeda not far away. "I have already done so and I made it quite clear to Molly that the Potter family considers it an honor and will always assist those who sacrifice for their children." Explained his steward. "Shut her arguments right up, it was great. " Dora finished In a far more self satisfying and casual tone.
"That's g-g-good" Harry yawned "What now?"
"Now" interjected the matron. "You sleep, you've still got a level two concussion. It's amazing you're this cognizant. Drink this." And she gave him a measured cup of some violently purple liquid and he went once more into the void. Only this time he dreamt. And at some point his dreams Turned to nightmares of writhing wraiths of ash, of mountain trolls crushing little girls. Of Dumbledore's cold face as he leveled his ancient and chilling wand and started throwing lethal spells at a crowd of children. And of his most recent horror this battle with the dark spirit of Tom riddle. And finally a cruel laugh and flashes of green light. His nightmares were soon soothed however when a warm embrace came over his mind and somewhere far off in the depths of his subconscious a song was played soft and lovely and comforting, a song half remembered and half forgotten. Like a friend he had had when he was very little, but had lost.
The next few days were spent in bed, Harry waking up periodically to see more and more beds open. He had actually been awake when Colin Creevey was discharged and led away by his pale mother and diminutive brother. The still overly excited although thoroughly calmed first year came up to Harry to thank him for his part in his rescue.
"Thanks for saving me Harry!" Called Colin as he approached Harry's bed.
"No problem Colin I didn't do very much but open a door. But don't make a habit of it yea? I think Madame Pomfrey will stitch me to the bed next time I come in here." This caused the group, even Colins' still very weepy mother, to laugh.
"Yea lesson learned no more sneaking round at night. Although I was just trying to see where Ginny was going. Poor girl." Ginny had been discharged the day before.
Harry swore he was fine other than being tired, he was of the opinion that madam Pomfrey was punishing him rather than "being overly cautious." as the matron said every time he complained. After saying goodbye to Colin all that remained in the ward was Hermione who was napping in Ginny's old bed and Luna Lovegood, the girl had been silent everytime he was awake simply staring forward. But Harry's eyes were heavy again and no resistance could be found to keep him from his dreamscape.
The next morning after his exams by the matron and breakfast Harry decided to have a walk, so with Hermione's assistance he made it out of bed and over to Luna who did not react to his presence.
"Hello Luna!" he received no response from the first year. "Errrr, are you feeling ok?" Still no response. "I'm sorry for your troubles Luna if you want you can come and talk to me and Hermione whenever you're ready ok?" A slight nod came from the silver protuberant eyes of the girl. And Harry and Hermione made a few laps around the hospital wing before settling back in his bed. He was discharged the next morning.
When Harry arrived in his apartment in Diagon Alley, Nymphadora Tonks, who had moved into the apartment while she was in the auror academy and Harry was in school, was there sitting and eating breakfast. Hermione had gone home to spend time with her parents and fill them in on Harry's condition. "I bet they're so worried." she said as she all but dove out of the fireplace.
"Ahh looks like they finally made a decision for Hogwarts!" said Harry's metamorph cousin from across the table. That got Harry's attention.
"Really? So what's going on." In answer Tonks put on her best 1940s newsreel voice, grew a ridiculously thick mustache even uncle Vernon would have admired, and started to read.
"Trouble at hogwarts!
As our readers are aware of from prior articles there has been trouble of the highest order at Hogwarts school this year which according to sources from inside the school came to a head two Wednesdays past when a team of curse breakers assaulted the chamber of secrets and broke down a ritual that sought to take several students' lives. After many hours of debate, and scans and tests to redouble certainty that the school is safe, the board of governors has decided to reopen the millenia old institution. Term restarts on Monday, January, 18th, 1993. For full details see the article on page five." read Tonks.
"That's good," said Harry with a thousand yard stare.
"You ok kiddo?"
"Yea, It's just," but Harry hesitated unsure of how to put words to his thoughts.
"Your training to become an auror right, have you ever been in a real fight like life and death?" Asked Harry with scrunched eyebrows.
"Nope, can't say I have had lots of training yet though. Why?" Asked his cousin.
"I wasn't really in the fight, McGonagall she- she kept me away, but then, — I killed, Tonks. How can I go back to school after that? How can I be a regular kid? I made the choice to kill that thing that was attacking everyone. An explosion went off and I wasn't thinking and I saw an opening and I cast a diffindo at that thing. It had a human face and I sent a cutting curse right at it without hesitation. What- how could I do that so easily?" explained Harry getting more and more desperate, breathing harder with each word and falling into a panic attack .
"Oooooh Harry! No no no!" Tonks said getting up from her seat quickly and wrapping him in a comforting hug.
"You're ok Harry, I promise, ok? It was a really bad situation and you were injured. You have the instincts of a warrior Harry. You just said that you weren't thinking, you reacted to a threat, not just to yourself but everyone in the room with you. You are fine, it will be okay." Tonks spewed barely connected sentences in an effort to comfort Harry, but almost as soon as he felt Nymphadora wrap her arms around him Harry broke. He broke down into a million pieces and openly wept onto her shirt; he didn't know how long he clung to his cousin like a lifeline.
Vaguely Harry was aware of Tonks muttering something and a bright white light filled the room bringing with it a sense of unending joy and it tore through the despair Harry was feeling for a second before the blissful feeling left. She then muttered something again and Harry caught sight of a large white peacock as it rushed off through a solid wall.
"I've sent for mum, Harry. She can help you alot more than I can. But let me make one thing clear for you ok? You are not a monster. You're not evil. You're not even outright nasty. You're a sweet kid who's been through a lot. Your brain thinks for you and before you acknowledge its thought process it's already acting. It's called having good instincts. You saved Bill, right? Harry, you saved a friend and everyone else in the room. Maybe everyone in the country. You stopped the second rise of Voldemort with that attack. You're a hero!"
"Heroes don't kill." Harry tried to argue.
"One day soon I'm going to tell you the story of my grandpa Tonks who fought during the blitz. And that story alone will change your mind. Heroes, Harry, do what needs to be done when it needs to be done, how it needs to be done to make sure others, the innocent, can see another sunrise. And that's what you did that day. It will be hard Harry but don't let it bother you overly much and don't bottle this stuff up. If you have nightmares or flashbacks, speak to someone. Talking to someone is incredibly helpful. I'm a letter away at any time of day. They told me that in training. Always have someone you can talk to."
Just then Andromeda walked through the green fire that suddenly filled the floo and looked around, seeing Harry with obvious tear marks on his face and her daughter holding him. Noting the fast ragged breaths of her nephew, she nodded and strode forth.
"Are you alright Harry? Nym-dora said that she feared you wouldn't calm down."
"I'll be a-alright. I think it just hit me hard. I killed something. Not for the first time but I don't think Quirrell was really my fault, Smara bit him after my mother's protection started to burn him. Made it 10 times worse. Until." Harry couldn't finish his explanation. "But I'll be Fine i think. for now."
"No need for a calming drought?" She pulled a bottle out but stashed it at Harry shaking his head to indicate the negative.
"I need to get Smara, she's still down in the chamber. And I'm thoroughly sick of potions. They help but they taste like the 5 level of satan's ball sack" Harry said.
Andromeda and Dora shared a glance before his aunt said. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea Harry. It might put you back into a panic attack" choosing to ignore Harry's crass language.
" I need to get Smara today. I refuse to let my own bad thoughts stop me from going anywhere I want. If I have flashbacks then we'll deal with them there and carry on" Harry said with finality.
"That's a very adult outlook, Harry, even if I'm not thrilled. Fine we shall go at once since you're so adamant. Go get ready and I'll floo Minerva." said Andromeda.
"And I need to get going. I'm about to be late," said Dora, jumping from the table.
"OH NO! I'm so sorry Dora! I didn't me-" but Tonks hugged him and silenced his apology.
"It's alright Harry, you're just as important as my career." And she all but dived through the floo.
Harry and Hermione, who he had insisted on bringing with him, stood at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, the door once again sealed. There were 3 ministry employees being fed a dose of mandrake draught by a pipette. Obviously they, like his uncle all those months ago, had been petrified. And a larger group of ministry officials and professors including professor Snape and the minister milling around waiting. The minister was having a whispered conversation with an extraordinarily pale bald man with deep sunken eyes, not unlike the vampire from the old classic film nosferatu, Harry shivered at the sight of him, but the man and then the minister caught sight of Harry and hurried over.
"AHH! Mister Potter, wonderful, just the chap we need. We finally had word back from another parselmouth we at the ministry had been contacting and brought him in to further explore and clear out Slytherin's chamber. But I don't think we were expecting your familiar to be guarding it. She petrified people, Harry, including the parselmouth Mister Necalli Chamalli." The Minister gestured to a man that was on the ground and wearing the pelt of a jaguar. "He's an Aztec shaman from magical Mexico. That's not what it's actually called but I'll be a monkey's uncle before I'm able to pronounce the word they use, teotollican or some such nonsense. Poor fellow got petrified the moment we opened the door. This is the third time we've tried to open the door, your familiar is being most unreasonable."
"It's Smaragain ac-" Cutting off Harry the minister continued.
"Well anyway Harry. I know we disagree on who these artifacts belong to but an attack on a human by any familiar is a finable offense." The Minister looked at him severely.
"I understand the fine minister and I apologize greatly for Samara's overenthusiasm for defending her father's artifacts. And will of course pay all fines entailed, now I believe we can settle this dispute quite easily, according to my steward that is, but later, let's get the door open first shall we?" Harry said and walked up to the door and stood beside the group that was being unpetrified.
"Ay Dios mio!" Said the Aztec mage looking around he spoke several lines of very fast Spanish, as well as an even stranger sounding language. Before looking around at the confused faces around him and groaning in frustration.
"Que? Oh, Mi Maldini hechizo traductor dejaó de Funcionar Estûpidos coños británicos!" He said in a clearly exasperated voice before pulling out his wand, even in the dim light of the tunnel Harry could tell that the wood was royal purple with a black handle.
"That is an interesting wand!" Harry spoke in Parseltongue.
"A speaker? And a niño none the less! The fat man with the stupid hat spoke of you. We shall have to find time to speak together. No?" The man replied back in parseltongue looking very amused. Casting a quick charm over himself he spoke again.
"I am Senior Necalli Chamalli, it means battle shield. It's a pleasure to meet another speaker." Mister Chamalli was a man of short stature barely 5'6 with a square head and an almost red skin tone and although he projected an aura of youth, the hair flecked with grey and the obvious wrinkles put his age at around 50, if he were a muggle that is. His long nose, wide cheekbones and short broad chin gave the man a very chiseled look and he spoke with a deep soft voice. "My wand is very rare even in Mexico. Katalox wood, also known as Mexican ebony with a feather of a Quetzalcoatl that was gifted to me by one of the feathered serpents themselves as a core. It is my pride and joy niño" this time the man seemed to speak English but Harry realized that the charm the man used was most likely a universal translator of sorts.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. My name is Harry Potter, and that is a handy spell. So shall I or shall you." Harry said.
"You, niño, I don't look forward to meeting that snake's eyes again." He said back nervously.
"Very well, did anyone reset the password?"asked Harry.
"Yes." replied fudge " without the ritual blocking alterations it was quite easy for us to work it out.
"Open!" Harry called out and the door went through the overly complicated unlocking sequence that caused Harry to roll his eyes.
When the door opened he was met with the orange eyes of Smara that quickly unlidded her eyes to the sparkling cool emeralds he was used to. "Stop!" Harry called Out throwing his arms out and causing the ministry officials to stop in surprise. " I, Harry James Potter, claim these chambers and everything they contain as my rightful spoils as the person to defeat their previous master, Tom Riddle. And cousin by blood to their original owner." Magic swirled around him for a few seconds judging him and the veracity of his claim. His Lord's ring shone brightly in response.
When the magic settled and his ring stopped glowing everyone there understood. These rooms now belonged to Harry and not even the Wizengamot could change it. "Now I understand the ministry will want to check things out but I will not let unknown people run around unchecked in my property without cause. So, Minister, you can have three people with you and Mister Necalli Chamalli you may come as well, Smara never gets to talk to anyone and I'm sure she'd welcome a parselmouth who isn't 12 to speak to."
" Very well, very well." Fudge said through clenched teeth. "Croaker pull two of your researchers in won't you." Behind him the grotesque looking man gestured to two ambiguous researchers Harry couldn't tell if they were male or female. By the door Harry did a long sweeping gesture ending in a flamboyant bow to Hermione.
"Ladies first and since I can't tell if any of the ministry people are female that only leaves you and my aunt and the headmistress." This caused Hermione to giggle nervously and they walked into the main room and strode down the snake lined causeway to the main chamber beyond. Harry at her side with the ministry personnel following Necalli talking with Smara in complex hisses following and McGonagall and Andy taking up the rear.
Hermione had her head on a swivel and for once it seemed she couldn't think of a single question to ask. She simply examined everything
Everyone was in awe of the chamber they stood in the middle of. All signs of the fight that took place to end the ritual prematurely had been erased leaving a gleaming (if only because the walls were coated in slime) room. The centerpiece of the chamber was the massive statue of Salazar Slytherin. Although Harry could hear the distant shouts and yells of the curse breakers as they fought to destroy the black mass, he was able to shake his head and keep calm, this room and having Hermione there was enough to keep him grounded.
The statue looked to be modeled after an older Salazar Slytherin. His shoulders stooped with age, his head bald and chin covered by a rather severely angled beard that hung down to his naval; dressed in what were meant to be fine robes but it definitely did not translate well to stone. The chamber itself was almost perfectly circular with a horseshoe shaped mote of water around the circumference except a ten foot area to the left and right of the massive statue.
Harry looking around asked Smara " Where did you wake up, queen? Where were you kept for so long?"
"SPEAK TO ME FATHER GREATEST OF THE HOGWARTS FOUR!" Was what she called out in response filling the air with a loud bone chilling sequence of hisses that every person in the hall reacted to. Like terrified mice trapped in their burrow. The mouth of the great statue dropped open and revealed a pitch black chasm at its depths.
"There isn't anything there except for tunnel entrances to the school's original plumbing. Hardly worth exploring, however if you turn your gaze, there on either side of my father's feet open the hidden doors, young one. One to a library. The other door in a repository of artifacts Not even I know what they all do." Smara spoke, causing Harry and Necalli To look at the spaces she indicated.
"Well," spoke Harry, "one is a library and one is a repository. I don't see any point in you all trying to read snake language so we'll all check out the repository and I shall allow the ministry to take three artifacts for their assistance in dealing with the ritual." and so Harry opened the door that Smara indicated and Necalli, Hermione, and Harry with Smara now riding on his shoulders in her shrunken form walked first into the room.
What they saw amazed Harry. The room itself was just as large if not larger than a Quidditch pitch. With rows and shelves and columns all decorated with dust covered magical artifacts. It would take months if not years to catalog everything, but Harry saw a definite trail through the dust where a young Tom Riddle must have once tread and Harry followed the surprisingly purposeful trail like the young Voldemort knew where to go. And he stopped oddly enough at a large book. It was leather bound and Harry understood what must have drawn the young Slytherin to this point. The weathered dust covered book was bound in what Harry thought was human flesh. The book's cover detailed the tight grimace of a human looking face long since past. The pale man named Croaker strode up at once and plucked the book from the shelf at once without hesitation.
"I'm sorry, Mister Potter. I must claim this book. It is a black book. I must turn this over to the reliquary in the ICW central vault. All black books must be turned over once found they are an abomination unto nature and magic. I ask that this does not affect the amount of artifacts that the ministry can collect here."
"I understand and will not hold that book against you. I don't want to own it and would have destroyed it. It's disgusting." This got a laugh out of the horrible looking man.
"You can destroy this book no easier than you could destroy a god. These Books are bound in the flesh of the fey by Morgana herself. In fact it's not only bound but the vellum in which it is written on is also fey flesh fey children to be correct. Even the ink is made of the blood of the fey and in them are written the darkest secrets of magic known only to Morgana herself and whatever black spirits she learned them from. You can't destroy these books; they are essentially bound in the skin of gods."
The very idea of those books are repugnant thought Harry. "Please get that thing out of here then why it was left here of all places." Said Harry, staring at the book as the bald man dropped it into a bottomless bag.
"It's because it was left here that it has been hidden for a thousand years. Mister Potter, Salazar Slytherin was a mean, nasty and hateful wizard by all accounts, but he was not evil. This would explain Voldemort's black knowledge of magic."
With that Harry took in the room, in the center a large cut emerald floated above the ground with six smaller emeralds orbiting it. The large central emerald was more than ten feet tall and eight feet wide, while the smaller ranged from one to three feet in width. The minister had made his way over to it and was gesturing at it.
"We'll take this one Harry. It's magnificent. And the unspeakables say the only magic on it is what makes the emeralds float."
"I agree, minister, as long as you use it to replace the current fountain in the ministry atrium. That thing is horrible." Said Harry after looking at Andromeda who nodded.
Hermione a few rows away found several gleaming suits of Armour all emblazoned with the Slytherin coat of arms. "All or most of this stuff seems like decorations that didn't make it into the final version of Hogwarts? It's all very neat and everything but-" she stopped speaking unsure how to phrase her statement.
Harry spoke up, translating for Smara.
"Most of everything in this section is exactly that. The most dangerous and interesting things are in the back."
"It is there I need you to go master. There is something for you if Tom Riddle did not take it"
And Harry made his way back to the dangerous artifacts. The unspeakables must have dialed in on the magic around here as they were all congregated around and scanning the various artifacts, from a full scale iron maiden, to a strange cube that shifted and danced with in confines of its own outlines, and- "ahhh there they are" said Smara. On a weapons rack were three very odd weapons: two daggers and one spear.
The daggers matched perfectly, each one was acid green with a wavy spine and jagged blade but even at a distance Harry could tell they were beyond sharp. The spear or maybe it was a cleaver with a long handle matched the material of the daggers but this blade was wide and sweeping suited for slicing and chopping. Its handle was a mere meter in length. None of the weapons were made of metal in fact when Harry reached out and flicked the spine of the spear it sounded like porcelain.
"I wondered what my father did with those. They are ancient weapons made of materials no longer understood by magic or humanity. I believe my father called it orichalcum, but that is not what I want you to acquire, useful though they are. I'll tell you their known history later. Beside them on the table is a stone box, open it, slowly." And Harry reached out and slowly touched the seamless stone block. It popped open with a click, and Harry slowly opened it. The unspeakables had stopped their scanning because they too felt the strange energy that was released as soon as the seam opened. When he opened it he was met with a glittering gemstone that shone with a sickly inner light that shot off jets of yellow and green light around the confines of the gem.
"That is an artifact of Galapas, Merlin's master. Inherited by my father's family after the imeris disappeared. It Is a magical focus like a wand used by Merlin as a head for his staff as no Wand would accept his touch. If a regular wizard touches it, it will burn them at best. it takes an extremely gifted and powerful wizard to wield. My father was the only one of the founders who could and the only of his family who could. It also has many other uses, detailed in a book that is kept below it. But it will need translating. Take it to Black stone Manor, little one, and place it in the care of your ancestor. Tell no one what that stone is." Smara explained in a calm almost whispering voice.
Harry wordlessly closed the stone chest that sealed itself at once back into a seamless block of black quartz. "Aunt Andy? Could I put this box and those blades in your expanded bag?"
"As long as they have sheathes. Expanded or not, those things will cut my bag to shreds." Said Andy.
Harry quickly found the sheaths for the weapons and put them all in Andromeda's extended hand bag.
"I'll explore the rest of this later. Mist-errrr unspeakables? What else have you found? Anything you want to study?"
A modulated voice spoke up then. "Yes, aside from the- thing you took which I assume is off limits?"
"You assume correctly." The unspeakable nodded in return before continuing sounding sullen.
"We have decided to take this arithmetic constibulant. It is a very very rare tool whose method of construction was lost eons ago and the department of mysteries has never managed to acquire one. And we will also be taking that artifact against the far wall. It has…. familiar energy with another artifact in our care." It was a large black door whose view port you couldn't see through even though it was an open port with thick iron bars in the way.
Harry looked over to Smara and she nodded.
"Alright that sounds fair! Now I know my friend Hermione is drooling to get into that library and so is Mister Necalli it looks like." And Harry, Hermione and everyone else soon left with their spoils. Even Hermione had found a nice staff that when tapped thrice onto the ground the white quartz in the head would glow with a bright light, brighter than even twenty lumos spells.
"That is a Prefect's staff I believe. Or an early version of one. They fell out of fashion when the lumos spell was invented around the turn of the 19th century. I can think of no student I'd like to see wield it." explained the headmistress to the two students.
The jaguar warrior chose to open the door when the group reached it. With a lot of pomp and flare but with the look the man sent at the headmistress Harry assumed he was flirting. 'Was that a blush on McGonagall?' Harry thought as they entered the library. They quickly realized that it was not as grand as the artifacts rooms, only about fifteen feet wide and just as long with magical flameless lanterns on the walls that were entirely stuffed with book shelves from floor to ceiling except for a square protrusion on the far wall, another door. One of the unspeakables couldn't resist and plucked a book off the walls.
"Oh how fascinating!" They said,
"What!" called the other unspeakable."
"It's utter nonsense! Look, just hieroglyphic snakes." The unspeakable handed the book to Harry but Harry didn't see hieroglyphs at all.
" and through this the confluence of energy around the grounds and the ley lines on eastern Wales codec-what is this?" Harry read, quickly getting bewildered and thumbed back until he was at the start of the chapter. "How to converge lay energy to heat your morning tea. OH REALLY" said Harry shut the book and threw it only for the book to glide back to its resting place." What a waste of magic!" But that passage apparently had meaning to the headmistress.
"My word! So that's how that plate works?" With everyone silently looking at her she cleared her throat to demurely explain. "There is a plate fixed into the head's desk, it produces an orb of hot air just big enough for you to place a mug of tea on it with the handle sticking out. It keeps the tea at perfect temperature all year. Enchantments, even simple ones don't tend to last for 100 years let alone a thousand but I figured they'd found a way to feed it with energy from the ambient magic of the school. To find out it's fed through ley lines is simply outrageous."
Harry said hesitantly as he translated for Smara "Slytherin did it for an experiment on how to fuel the wards before the school was built, apparently when doing it with large amounts of energy like the wards need, you start getting cracks in the earth. It's how these caves were formed to begin with." He finished as he translated for Smara.
The minister chimed in then. "Harry, you must let us interview Smara; her historical insights are simply amazing. So much gets lost simply because people don't think it important enough to write down."
"I agree, Minister, but that's up to her. Well, shall we see what's through door number three?" With everyone's agreement Harry spoke "open!" to open the door but was brought up short when nothing happened causing hermione to laugh as she reached forward and pulled the door open by the handle. "Honestly Harry you're turning into such a wizar-" but she stopped speaking, and why became clear immediately. Sitting in a chair, at a desk, in a dusty but handsomely furnished office was a human skeleton, dressed in oddly familiar robes but Harry couldn't place where he'd seen them. It sat, its head resting against the back of the chair with its arms resting on the armrests, like whoever it was died after falling asleep after writing. In fact, that's what appeared to have happened as there was a carefullyyy discarded letter sitting in a less dusty portion of the writing desk. Tom Riddle had been here too it seems. Harry saw a wand covered in a millennia of dust beside the letter when he picked the parchment up as gently as he could. He began to speak aloud.
"Thou read the final words of Salazar Slytherin, greatest and last of "the hogwarts four." Back i came aye swore i ne'r-" But Harry stopped. "I can't read this, it's in old English I think… Or he was too far gone to write correctly." said Harry flippantly. The headmistress strode forth and gently took the page from him. She cleared her throat and began to read aloud thankfully translating.
"Here you read the last words of Salazar Slitherin, greatest and last of "the hogwarts four." I came back here after years and swearing I'd never return. I came back, old age and nostalgia got the best of me in the end. Godric would be weak in the knees seeing how feeble the security is at this school. It is pitifully inadequate. I got all the way here without even once being accosted by a staff member or prefect.
Smaragain is still sleeping blissfully ignorant of her betrayer being so close. I thought of waking her up to say my goodbyes but I doubt I'd be able to cast the spells to bind her into sleep again. For the last time in my life my limbs and magic betray my will.
The reasons I came back to this building no longer matter. I feel my heart slowing. If you have found this letter and my body then you are a parselmouth and I leave this all to you. I'm the last Slytherin and my family, the Gaunts, Blacks and Potters have never produced a parselmouth to my knowledge. I find myself wondering what will you do with it. What world did you grow up in? I hope it was a kinder one than I grew old in. Far too much death I've seen.
I ask that you release my serpent companion, my daughter from her slumber; she'll have been sealed for too long. By then she'll be a fast and strong companion in what travels you might have.
This is goodbye, from the last of the founders. I can feel the reaper on my shoulder.and I need to close my eyes a second.
SALAZAR S. SLYTHERIN 06,07,1168 AD."
"My word" said the minister achingly quiet. A sentiment felt by everyone in the room.
The pale man named Croaker spoke up. "Every report that has survived the era tells us that Slytherin disappears some one hundred years after the founding of Hogwarts but this letter is dated to almost two hundred years after the founding. Not unheard of for wizards, especially powerful ones. But even two hundred and twenty is stretching it; he must have been around two hundred and fifty when he passed."
"We will call for a state funeral for him, as a founder it's the least we can do. In fact one of you go and get the vultures… I mean the press from the gates. While the school is closed we shall hold Slytherin in state in the great hall for people to come and pay respects before entering him at the tomb of the founders. If that's alright by you, Lord Potter, as his closest living relative?"
"It sounds more than reasonable, Minister, thank you for honoring an ancestor of mine so thoroughly" Harry said with a bow causing Andromeda to bow and Hermione to mirror his aunt. After that McGonagall conjured a golden stretcher and an English flag with gold tassels around the edge that folded itself. While she did that the unspeakables placed sticking charms on the joints of the ancient founder so that his skeleton would remain intact when lifted and then they levitated Slytherin's remains onto the stretcher.
By the time they got out of the chamber a group of reporters and photographers had gathered at the gate and had taken photos. The Minister was smart in this as he had organized the group the stretcher was in the middle of two groups one group was lead by the minister followed by croaker and the two unspeakables that followed them inside. The other column was led by the headmistress, then Harry with Smara on his shoulders and then the Aztec Parselmouth Necalli Chamalli followed by Andromeda. The group walked with the English flag covering the stretcher and ignored the group of reporters, who silently followed the procession into the Great Hall.
'It seems everyone can tell this is a huge deal' thought Harry.
Without any pomp or circumstance the minister took to the golden owl podium at the center of the high table and started speaking.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, no, of the whole nation, today we have solved an ancient mystery. Multiple mysteries, in fact. With the help of jaguar mage Chamalli and Lord Potter who are both parselmouths, we unlocked the fabled Chamber of Secrets for the second time in living memory. Additionally, for the first time we were able to fully explore it without a deadly battle standing in the way. In this chamber we discovered many great treasures, claimed as inheritance by Lord Potter. But we also uncovered a scriptorium. A rather fancy word for the office that it was. And in this office rested the body of Salazar Slytherin himself. We have decided to hold a state funeral next week and he being the founder who reportedly went missing before his death will be laid in state here in the Great Hall of Hogwarts where he had been for so long before. Any and all who wish to pay respects to him may do so. - And on the first day of school when the students have returned, we shall lay him to rest with the help of the student body. We shall inter him with his three colleagues in the tomb of the founders. Questions?" What followed was a lot of hasty but well reasoned questions including things like
"What will be done with the chamber!" One reporter asked only for Harry to speak up at Andromeda's motion.
"After I move all of my ancestor's belongings to a secure location and the chamber is cleaned and fully safe I intend to let Hogwarts have full and unfettered access to the artifact room, the small library and of course Slytherin's scriptorium. However, I suspect it won't be ready within the year." Harry answered. And McGonagall stepped in as well.
"Yes, there is a large event in the planning stage for the year after next and I already hope to unveil it to the foreign guests."
And then another question "what artifacts were in the chamber?"
"Many magical tools and implements as well as personal effects only a parselmouth can utilize." Croaker spoke in his creepy fashion. The questions continued for a few minutes before they proceeded.
Suddenly with seemingly no one's direction the staff table split into two and was pushed back along the curved wall behind the high tables dias and from the ground a slab of grey stone fell in and slid to the side and from the hidden depths an altar of polished black quartz rose up in the exact centre of the dias. The stretcher containing the remains was sat upon the bier. As soon as the stretcher made contact with the stone every candle in the hall morphed into black tapering candles lit with a purple blue flame that Harry recognized from the death day party, and the tapestries that hung from the ceiling turned black with a great silver S in the centre. The large windows darkened and the ambiance followed.
The castle itself was mourning.
Harry found himself shunted about taking photos after photo, he felt incredibly awkward the entire time. Unlike his Aztec counterpart who seemed to thrive in the limelight. The press seemed to fixate on the wild and graceful older man with his jaguar skin robes. It was hours later that the man approached Harry as everyone was already beginning to leave.
"You niño have much to learn, yes?"
"I guess, I've never been comfortable with my fame."
"Aye, I've met the type before. My people's ruler has a son who grew up in the spotlight. He seems to like it as much as a deer likes ticks." the older man said.
Harry shrugged in response and noticed another detail of the man's strange wand. He got Hermione's attention and asked his question when she had made her way over to hear them. "Your wand. Why does it have rocks in it?" Harry asked, pointing at the man's wand that had a row of black shining stones running up both sides of the shaft.
"It is styled after a traditional "macuahuitl" an Aztec - sword I guess you could call it instead of a long fixed blade of metal. Since my People did not have metal working to that degree the macuahuitl had obsidian, which is glass made in a volcano, blades attached to the sides. Mine are more decoration and less functional but obsidian does channel magic very well."
"That's amazing!" said Harry and Hermione together. "Our wands are nowhere near as intricate" supplied Hermione further.
"Oh yes, you Brits of course swear by the Ollivander family and they are very good wand smiths but he is not the most creative." Necalli said. "One day soon niño, we shall have to sit and talk like true speakers." He ended before waving Farewell and walking away.
It was several hours later that Harry found himself deep below Blackstone Manor. He had just placed the stone container on an empty table next to a sphere of polished black rock. The insides sometimes flared with an inner orange light like fire trying to get out. It had no label so while dangerous it seemed his ancestors weren't sure of what the thing did or how to distribute it at least.
"And what exactly did you bring here My Lord, a bit young to start the collection aren't you?" Asked his ancestor's portrait. This prompted Harry to explain his life and a shortened tale of the events of this year to the painting.
"So that would be "no" then — you've most certainly inherited the Potter propensity for problems as well. This life would get boring without trouble to sort through, ey?"
"I've accepted that I'll probably not have a quiet life. I'll be bringing more of Slytherin's artifacts here soon. Can I expand this space?"
"It expands as needed when you fill it up. The next time you enter it will be larger once more. That orb you brought in, there is a ring in our family that matches its description, as well as origin. I would be interested to see how those two interact."
"Something for a different day, I'm knackered" said Harry yawning and went back up through the house. Harry was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
A/N: great odin's ghost. That one got away from me definitely a record length. But the plot has Definitely advanced.
I hope my American readers who have to deal with hurricane helene are recovering Nicely and didn't lose any loved ones or property.
It's been one hell of a week.
MelJ: Your last two reviews have been awesome. Thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad you enjoy my story so much.
Yes, I intentionally left Sirius for a little Christmas present for Harry, but funnily enough, I got a comment asking about him as I was typing this chapter out. It was quite coincidental.