|
Harry Potter and the Ritual of Love's Memory | ||||||
|
Category: Post-HBP Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 259 Summary: After the horcrux hunt implodes leaving most of those Harry loves dead, he starts a new life with a few fellow survivors far away from wizarding Britain. But the discovery of an ancient ritual that promises to send a single memory back in time sparks hope that maybe things can change. Dark ending to DH followed by a tweaked retelling of GoF through DH. Harry/Ginny. Friday updates. Original Timeline Voldemort's Victory - Chapter 1-5 (Feel free to skip if you don't like major character deaths) Tenochtitlán - Chapter 6-9 New Timeline Harry's 4th Year - Chapter 10-28 Harry's 5th Year - Chapter 29-68 Harry's 6th Year - Chapter 69-Current Hitcount: Story Total: 169437; Chapter Total: 1589 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: Huge shout out to everyone who has read this story, especially those who take the time to comment. Y'all really brighten my week! RLM will be on a brief hiatus during January while I put in extra time and effort on planning out the upcoming Half-Blood Prince arc, but we will finish up the rest of Harry's 5th year before that break begins. Hope y'all enjoy! |
Previous Next |
|
||||
|
Harry opened his eyes groggily. A dark, narrow ceiling was moving above him and he felt the sensation of weightlessness. He tried to take in his surroundings as best he could, but he couldn't move his head. In fact, he couldn't move at all. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light. With a jolt of realization, he recognized the open door at the far end of the long corridor. A body lay motionless between him and the next room, while a figure wearing a dark cloak strode ahead. "You take him, Yaxley," drawled the figure disdainfully. "I can feel the Polyjuice wearing off." Harry felt a spell dissipate around him a moment before his body collapsed onto the floor, still stiff and unmoving. He saw stars before his eyes as he reeled from the impact of his head smacking the ground, his fall unbroken. He couldn't move his mouth to cry out but was again lifted into the air by a less careful and smooth levitation charm. The figure in front of him began to grow taller, groaning as the effects of the potion wore off. The face of Cornelius Fudge disfigured as Harry floated past him. Long blonde hair rapidly grew from what had just been the man's balding scalp. Harry was carried further down the corridor before the transformation concluded, but he identified Lucius Malfoy easily enough. While straining to catch a glimpse of the man he hadn't seen since the graveyard, Harry felt himself bump into something cold on the ground. His body scraped over the lumpy mass. He felt nausea rise into the back of his throat when he realized it was the body of whoever had been guarding the door to the Department of Mysteries. Harry hoped it wasn't Tonks or Kingsley. The figure levitating Harry, the one Malfoy had called Yaxley, moved beyond the doorway and into a room filled with doors that were barely visible out of the corners of Harry's vision. They waited a few moments until swift footsteps from behind caught up. "I absolutely loathe Polyjuice," spat Malfoy, running his hands through his blonde hair to ensure it fell just right. "It's so distasteful to inhabit someone else. Now, why isn't Rookwood here? He should be here with others by now!" Yaxley gave no immediate answer, apparently not knowing what was keeping the others. Harry tried to move his fingers, but the full body-bind refused to relinquish its hold on him. "I thought Crabbe and Goyle were going to be with you," growled the rough voice of Yaxley. "Where are they?" "I left them at the school to clean up Umbridge's mess. How hard is it to follow simple instructions? I explicitly ordered her to bring only Potter, but instead, she shows up with nearly a half dozen stragglers." He let out an exasperated scoff. Harry's eyes were wide as he listened for any hint of news about how his friends had fared. "I had to get Potter back quickly, but they will be bringing the rest along. If this one," The thud of a shoe colliding with Harry's ribs echoed through the room, though Harry couldn't move enough to cry out in pain. "Refuses to cooperate, he can be persuaded. You remember how compliant he became when his little foreign friend was writhing under the Cruciatus." The other man grunted in assent. A sharp pain in Harry's side gave him the impression that at least one of his ribs was broken, but he tried to focus on the news that his friends were still alive. A door's heavy hinges swung open to Harry's right and two figures clad in black stood on the other side. From the corner of his eye, Harry recognized the unmasked Death Eater from her photos splashed across the Daily Prophet and from his ill-advised foray into one of Dumbledore's memories the prior year. A sinister grin was painted across Bellatrix Lestrange's face as she leered at Harry's immobile body. "It's taking longer than Rookwood hoped," spat a raspy-voiced man whose face was hidden behind a mask. "There's a tricky ward to get around." "What kind of ward?" Malfoy sauntered forward to join the two of them, followed by Yaxley and the levitated Harry. "How quickly can we bring it down?" Bellatrix cackled with malevolent laughter. "When Avery tried to pass through it, his body began to freeze solid. It started with his arm, so it's likely preventing any of us who've received the Dark Lord's mark from entering." "Rookwood thinks Dumbledore may have cast it himself. If that's true, it could take hours to dismantle." The masked Death Eater coughed as they passed through another doorway. Yaxley did not mind that his prisoner collided with the various grandfather clocks and assorted tables covered with trinkets that Harry didn't recognize. "Maybe having a few extra hands working at it will speed things up." The four Death Eaters passed a threshold into a much larger room with a high, vaulted ceiling. From his vantage point, staring unblinkingly up into the air, Harry could see that the vast room was filled with a myriad of stacked shelves that stretched beyond his vision. Across them lay more small crystal orbs than he could hope to count. The group came to a halt just a few steps into the cavernous room. Harry was again incapable of bracing himself as Yaxley's levitation charm ceased to hold him in the air, and he felt the impact radiate pain through his stiff body. "What progress have you made?" Malfoy gazed straight ahead into the nothingness where Harry assumed the ward's magical protection stood. The telltale feeling in the back of his neck indicated that whatever stood between them and the prophecy was powerful enough to be felt despite the considerable ambient magic of the room. "It's been all I could do to keep it from triggering after that fool stepped into it," grumbled a balding wizard Harry didn't recognize, indicating with a nod a heap of robes that moaned softly but wasn't moving. The prone man was surrounded by several others in black robes, while more stood near the wizard who was speaking. "He'll be lucky to survive long enough for the Dark Lord to punish him for it. "I was able to pull him back in time to keep it from alerting its caster, but only barely. It's one of the most complex wards I've ever come across, and the whole thing is holding on by a thread. Unless we want it to let Dumbledore know we're in here, and I'm almost certain this is his work, we can't afford to set it off." "But you will be able to disable it?" asked Malfoy, impatience creeping into his voice. "The Dark Lord expects us to return swiftly, and I doubt he will appreciate being made to wait while you tinker." "If you think you can take apart one of Dumbledore's wards faster than me, be my guest!" snarled Rookwood venomously. "I'd rather go about it meticulously and get it right than lose an arm to the ward and then have to deal with Dumbledore and a swarm of Aurors." Harry wondered if the haughty look on Malfoy's face meant that he would take Rookwood up on the offer, but the wizard audibly scoffed and turned aside. "No, I think that is a task best left to you." "That's what I thought," muttered Rookwood. "We might have been able to bypass it if Travers hadn't killed the Auror who was guarding the way in, but now we don't have anyone without a mark to send through." The Death Eater who had been alongside Bellatrix coughed again. "He hit me with a nasty curse and might have taken you out if I hadn't done away with him. You're just complaining because the ward's more than you can handle!" "Enough!" spat Malfoy. "Travers, go with Yaxley to see if Crabbe and Goyle are back with our leverage. They're both dense enough to get lost between here and the Atrium." As they made their way back through the doorway, Harry wracked his brain for any insight as to how he might escape his predicament in time to aid his friends. His motionless hands couldn't reach his wand, and even if he had it in hand, he wasn't able to utter a sound. He had practiced some wordless casting in his Advanced Defense lessons during the term, but he doubted he could silently dispel a full body bind in the best of circumstances, much less without a wand in hand while frozen in place on the floor. With so many Death Eaters nearby, even freeing himself from the charm didn't seem likely to do much good. "I wonder if there might be another way past the ward…" Malfoy paced back and forth nearby as he spoke. "The Potter boy must be the one to remove the prophecy. Perhaps we could send him in to retrieve it?" Rookwood grunted to himself. "That was my thought when we first ran into the thing, but she shot it down. Take it up with her." "The Dark Lord would be most displeased if the boy slipped through our grasp." There was something exceptionally menacing in Bellatrix's reverential tone that was much more disquieting to Harry than the patronizing drawl of Malfoy or the gruffness of Rookwood. "Would you enjoy being the one to explain if Potter escaped?" Malfoy scoffed. "I consider myself more than capable of casting an Imperius, Bella. I'm simply suggesting that we save ourselves some trouble by having the boy expedite the process." "We have more than enough time for Rookwood to manage his task. The Aurors don't change their sentry for hours and the next one should be just as easy to overpower as the last." Minutes dragged on as Harry lay immobile. His hopes that he'd be released from his bonds long enough to beat a hasty retreat and help his friends escape went unfulfilled. Malfoy paced slowly back and forth, occasionally making a snide remark to Rookwood or talking with another of the Death Eaters, but never lingering in one spot for too long. For her part, Bellatrix watched Harry's eyes dart to and fro hungrily. Her idea of "playing" with their captive had been shot down for the moment, but Harry doubted that the delay was due to anything more than Voldemort's desire to inflict his revenge on an unspoiled enemy. A vehement curse echoed through the enormous room after yellow sparks burst forth from the area Harry assumed Rookwood was still kneeling. Malfoy glowered down at the man in anger. "Why am I not surprised that bringing down one simple ward is beyond your meager capacity?" spat Malfoy disdainfully. "It'll be your head when you collapse the whole thing on itself while we have means to retrieve the prophecy lying prostrate at my feet!" Harry heard an explosion from somewhere not so far away, but it didn't come from Rookwood's direction. Heavy footfalls preceded the sound of a door violently slamming shut. "We've been found out!" cried the hoarse voice of Yaxley, who was breathing heavily. "Crabbe and Goyle never showed, so we went to check the lifts. There were Hogwarts students in the corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries! When we went to capture them, one was able to stun Travers. They had me outnumbered, so I made to come tell you lot, but they're right behind me!" "Incompetent fools!" shrieked Bellatrix in a rage. "How many are there? Are there any adults with them?" "None that I saw, but I'm not sure. Lucius said he left Crabbe and Goyle at the school to deal with the stragglers, but I don't know if they made it back to the Ministry or not. The kids may have just come straight here after Potter." Harry's wide eyes were filled with hope as Bellatrix berated Lucius for leaving brainless brutes to perform a task she clearly believed them incapable of completing. Some of the color had drained from Malfoy's face as he withered under her verbal assault. "At this point, it doesn't matter why they failed to secure the prisoners," argued Malfoy, his voice lacking its accustomed haughtiness. "We do not know if they have alerted Dumbledore or others who might interrupt our work here, but we cannot rely on having hours at our disposal. Unless one of you has a better idea, I'm going to send Potter under the Imperius to retrieve what we're after." "And what if you can't hold him?" snapped Bellatrix venomously. Malfoy laughed derisively. "You just make sure none of those brats make it in here alive. I'll take care of Potter." It was quite clear to Harry that Bellatrix did not relish being ordered about, but the other Death Eaters quickly followed her back toward the doors from which Yaxley had come. Rookwood scowled at Lucius as he turned his back on the ward to follow Bellatrix. Malfoy towered over Harry's rigid body, his mouth curling into a sneer. "Alright, Potter. You will pass through this ward to bring me something for the Dark Lord. Should you attempt to resist your task, the punishment will fall first upon your friends. I assure you that you will witness their pain firsthand long before you experience it for yourself. Do we understand each other?" The fear flashing across Harry's face was all the answer Malfoy needed. He snarled, "Imperio!" and Harry's green eyes became glassy. The world around Harry blurred a fuzzy white as the body bind lifted. Retrieve the prophecy… It was a simple enough idea that flooded Harry's mind, rapidly dispelling all other thoughts that had been crowding his brain. He found that he was able to move sluggishly and rose slowly to his feet. Retrieve the prophecy… He stepped forward jerkily, not yet used to moving while Malfoy's spell controlled his body. Harry felt a pang of trepidation as he walked toward the spot where Rookwood had been working, but he didn't hesitate as he passed through the ward. It felt as though he'd been pushed through the static from Dudley's old, broken television. Despite the discomfort, there were no indications that any of his extremities were under threat of freezing solid like what happened to Avery. Retrieve the prophecy… A glance at the number on the side of the nearest shelf indicated he was at section 53. The orbs collected nearby seemed to be cataloged alphabetically, though Harry was unsure whose names were used to sort. Despite this uncertainty, he plodded ahead. Something pulled him inexorably toward the deeper reaches of the cavernous hall, and he didn't question the prompting. Retrieve the prophecy… Harry walked the length of two shelves with the voice urging him forward. Subtly, a quiet yet defiant voice bubbled up from somewhere in the back of his mind that tried to draw Harry's focus away from his task. Your friends are here in the Ministry with Death Eaters. You have to find a way to help them. The only way to aid your friends is by retrieving the prophecy. Hurry along and bring it back before a terrible fate befalls them. The argument in Harry's mind sharpened as he imagined Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Cedric, and Cho attempting to fend off a dozen Death Eaters. The voice in his mind urged him to act. They're outnumbered. You need to get help. You cannot save them unless you bring back the prophecy. You need the prophecy! Harry walked haltingly forward a few more steps as the voices in his mind became more fervent. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes tightly shut while the voices competed with each other. You have to alert Dumbledore. The Death Eaters feared that he would bring the Aurors. The only way the others will be called off is if the prophecy is secured! Retrieve the prophecy or else they perish! Ensure Dumbledore knows where you are. Then circle back to help your friends. No! I command you to retrieve the prophecy! The increasingly desperate voice cracked in Harry's head as he felt the growing certainty that it was something to be distrusted. To save your friends, you must control your thoughts. You can push beyond outside control. RETRIEVE THE PROPHECY OR DIE BY MY HAND, POTTER! It felt as though someone was using a Sonorus while screaming into his pounding ears, but Harry felt the grip of the Imperius slipping as Malfoy lost his control. He was no longer even trying to disguise his commands as Harry's own wishes. The man was simply trying to intimidate Harry into listening through force. With a rough shake of his head, Harry let out a cry of pain and frustration as he threw off the last vestiges of the curse. It took a few moments for Harry to fully recall where he was and the situation within which he found himself, but the strong sense that he needed to raise the alert to Dumbledore flashed in his mind. He patted his pockets, hoping that the Death Eaters had not thought to remove his wand, but he was disappointed to find it had been taken. The loss of his wand was definitely a setback, but Harry wasted no time in thinking through other options that could aid him. He felt within his pocket for his Invisibility Cloak and let out a small yelp of excitement when the soft fabric was in its familiar spot. In one fluid motion, he pulled it from under his clothes and covered himself as he darted behind one of the massive shelves. Without a wand, Harry knew that he couldn't properly defend himself, much less cast a patronus to contact Dumbledore. He hadn't spent much time preparing for such a situation, but Moody had insisted on talking through a myriad of battle scenarios, including being wandless. Harry attempted to remember Moody's admonitions during the session while he worked to slow his ragged breathing, which was louder than Harry would prefer after fighting off Malfoy's Imperius. Staying out of sight had been one of the main thrusts of Moody's lecture, along with finding any wand that could be used for defense. He wracked his brain for possibilities. If Malfoy hadn't retreated to join Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters, Harry thought there was a chance that he could sneak up behind the wizard and swipe his wand back from him. Then again, Harry wasn't sure that Malfoy had Harry's wand and possibly being found out while attempting to pickpocket a murderous Death Eater seemed like far too great a risk. Harry stealthily crept back toward the spot where he'd entered nonetheless as he thought through alternative options. Would he be able to wrest Malfoy's own wand away from him if he surprised the wizard? That seemed almost more likely to go horribly awry, though Harry considered the fact that he'd at least have more certainty of where the wand he was after would be. Yet the more direct approach could be enough to catch the man by surprise, especially since it was likely the last thing Malfoy would be expecting. Silently, Harry slunk past the shelves until he reached the edge of one that ended near where he had been lying a few short minutes ago. He peered around its end, catching sight of Malfoy angrily pacing back and forth near the door to the next room. He was angrily muttering to himself but kept his eyes sharply focused on the stacks. Harry took a long, slow breath before he began to quietly make his way back toward Malfoy and the doorway. His heart thumped wantonly within his chest, but he kept his breathing steady and his footfalls light as he began the approach. Malfoy's wand was at the ready in his hand, and Harry took that as a sign that he'd do better by physically disarming his enemy rather than attempting to stealthily regain his own wand. A feeble groan emanated from Harry's left as he invisibly faced Malfoy less than thirty feet away. He instinctively froze in place as the injured Death Eater shifted from his place lying in the fetal position on the ground. The idea sprang into Harry's mind unbidden, and his breath caught in his throat as the possibility materialized in his mind. As quietly as possible, Harry sidestepped away from Malfoy and toward the incapacitated Avery. As he approached, he reflexively winced at the bluish-purple hue of the Death Eater's injured arm, which crackled like an icy pond when he shifted somewhat. Harry's eyes scanned the man up and down quickly, catching on the wood stuck between his frozen fingers. Though it still seemed an exceptionally dangerous means of getting back into the fight, he could think of no safer way to procure a wand, and certainly no faster way to join his friends in battle. He stooped down carefully and gripped the end of the wand, pulling slowly. The man's grip was tight and the wand barely budged. Worse, the Death Eater's eyes flew open in confusion and terror. The man audibly gasped and tried to turn over onto his stomach, catching the end of Harry's cloak. Without time to consider better options, Harry planted one foot against the wizard's shoulder and pulled with all of his might. A sickening crackling sounded as the wood dislodged from the Death Eater's frozen hand. Harry slipped backward and out from underneath his cloak, which fluttered to the floor next to the Death Eater, who was howling in pain. Harry scrambled on all fours away from the man as a jet of sickly grey light shot past him. The startled voice of Lucius Malfoy cast two more spells in quick succession, but they both missed their mark as Harry sprang to his feet and began attempting to put distance between himself and the furious Death Eater. He made a dash for the cover of the shelves, sliding on his knees at the last moment to duck under an angry-looking orange curse that swept through the space his head would have been had he not dodged. "Get back here, Potter!" shouted Malfoy venomously. "You hide while your friends are captured and killed in your stead? What a pathetic excuse for a Gryffindor!" As much as he hated to credit Malfoy, Harry knew that he had a point. Every moment he spent in this chamber was another second his friends were in danger. With a quick breath through his nose, Harry concentrated on the memory of first kissing Ginny, the joy and electricity he'd felt, and the warmth in her smile afterward. "Expecto Patronum!" he cried as an ethereal silver stag burst from the light brown wand gripped in his hand. "Go tell Dumbledore that we're in the Department of Mysteries and we need help!" The stag bent its head slightly and leapt forward twice, but its glow diminished as it moved farther from him. Before it reached the far wall, the glow had completely disappeared as the stag dissipated completely into nothing. Harry let loose a swear before trying to conjure another patronus but an explosion cut him off before he could complete it. The shelf he was taking cover behind shattered into a shower of wooden pieces and splinters. Crystal balls rained down around him as he scurried further from the next volley of Malfoy's curses. He'd been told that using someone else's wand didn't usually provide the most powerful results, but being unable to send a patronus message threw a major wrench in Harry's plan. As a nearby shelf burst into flames, he desperately cast about for some other method of contacting the headmaster. Harry peeked around a shelf just enough to catch a glimpse of Malfoy casting another spell from close to the doorway. With a gasp, Harry realized how he could alert Dumbledore. He waited behind the shelf until two more curses struck nearby, gripped the stolen wand with all his might, and darted into the open in full view of his enemy. "Accio Lucius Malfoy!" Harry's arm tensed as his magic fought against the Death Eater's will. Before Malfoy could do anything to stop it, his feet began to scrape against the stone floor. He leaned back as the magic pulled him forward, but the simple spell dragged him inexorably toward Harry. The anger on the man's face didn't change into fear until he neared the ward Rookwood had been working on earlier. He cried out and flung himself to the ground, but his hands found no grip against the smooth stone. With dawning horror, Harry wondered if Dumbledore would really create a ward meant to kill enemies. It seemed far beyond what Harry had seen from the kindly old headmaster, but a twinge of doubt crept into his mind. He had meant for Malfoy to trigger the ward to alert Dumbledore of the imminent danger, but the possibility of causing the death of another human shook Harry, even if it was a Death Eater. A blood-curdling screech pierced Harry's ears as Malfoy crossed the invisible border of the ward. All of the man's attempts to hold onto the ground were lost as his remaining good hand gripped his other, which was already turning icy blue. The man's horrified cries echoed through the enormous room as he came to a stop ten feet within the ward as Harry's wand arm dropped to his side. Harry didn't decide to save Malfoy so much as he found himself running toward the man instinctively. While still a good way off, he aimed his wand at the writhing figure and shouted, "Repulso!" with as much power as he could muster. The body of Lucius Malfoy rocketed off the ground and back toward the wall, but he remained in the fetal position as he caromed across the floor and even after he came to a rest near the door. Harry worried that he would recover himself enough to fire retaliatory curses, but the man could do no more than moan once he came to a stop. With a push fueled by adrenaline, Harry sprinted to the spot where Malfoy lay moaning. As he approached, he fired a stunning spell that struck true and the Death Eater collapsed limp onto the floor. Harry quickly removed Malfoy's wand from his hand and stowed it within his own pocket before searching the man for the wand that had been taken from Harry while he was unconscious. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally gripped his holly wand again. With a mind to err on the side of overcommunication, Harry cast a much more solid patronus that glided off with a message for Dumbledore. He took two steps toward the door through which he'd been brought earlier before stopping short. Another use of the summoning charm returned his Invisibility Cloak to him, which he promptly covered himself with before making his way through the door. |
| Reviews 259 |
Previous Next
|
