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Harry Potter and the Ritual of Love's Memory | ||||||
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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: 169447; Chapter Total: 1393 Awards: View Trophy Room |
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Harry fidgeted outside of the headmaster's office impatiently, watching a draft from one of the nearby windows blow a strand of an abandoned spiderweb. He hadn't been surprised to learn from Sirius that what remained of their group would meet to discuss next steps after the diadem's destruction. With Voldemort down to a single horcrux presumably residing in his snake, the time seemed ripe to begin planning for whatever would occur to make Voldemort mortal and rid him from the world. But Dumbledore's request to only meet with McGonagall, Remus, and Sirius had been quite unexpected for Harry, who bristled at the thought of the headmaster going over important information just beyond the doors. Frustration bubbled up in his chest as he considered the unfairness of it all. Out of all of them, he'd been the one to figure out where the diadem horcrux was hidden. Not the two adults employed in the school where it had been stored for who knew how many years. Not the two marauders who'd mapped out so much of the school but had never discovered the Room of Hidden Things. It had been Harry, despite taking six NEWT classes, playing quidditch, helping run Defense Club, and studying spell creation with Professor Flamel. It was infuriating that he'd exhausted himself holding back the horcrux's protections and now wasn't even trusted with whatever secrets Dumbledore was withholding. He glared angrily at the doors that led to Dumbledore's office. To Harry, it felt like an interminable amount of time had elapsed since Remus and Sirius had left him outside the office to join McGonagall and Dumbledore, though it had probably been closer to a half hour. Part of him yearned to place his ear against the wood to listen to whatever important discussion they were having, but he grit his teeth and ignored the inclination. He was certain that Sirius would relay whatever was said, no matter what the headmaster might forbid, so he tried to otherwise occupy himself. With a glance back at the spider web, Harry drew his wand. He concentrated on the incantation for the Severing Charm and the correct wand movement, a short slash perpendicular to his target. Without uttering a sound, he sliced the air with his wand. A tingle in the tips of his fingers assured him that he'd done the spell correctly before the silk thread fluttered from the web, softly alighting on the stone floor. He still had a long way to go when it came to casting magic wordlessly, but he'd made steady progress in Defense class. He stared at another strand of the web and readied his wand. The click of the door unlatching broke Harry's concentration. Sirius stood in the doorway, looking uncharacteristically dismayed as he gestured for his godson to enter. His expression set off alarm bells in Harry's head, especially once he surveyed the others who were gathered around Dumbledore's desk. The mood was more befitting a funeral than a group who had just overcome the second-to-last of Voldemort's horcruxes. Sirius took the seat on the end of the semicircle, leaving an open chair for Harry between him and Remus. A stricken-looking McGonagall stood near a window, while Dumbledore stared at Harry with deep concern written on his face. Even Fawkes, who was perched near the headmaster's chair, looked exceptionally sorrowful. "I would like to apologize, Harry, for leaving you out of our discussion thus far," began Dumbledore, his voice quiet and heavy. "The reason for such discretion was neither meant to discount your contributions to our group nor to-" "Albus, we need not drag this out," interjected McGonagall. There was a resigned frustration in her voice that Harry couldn't place. "We should be certain that your conjecture is correct before burdening Mr. Potter unnecessarily." Dumbledore sighed but gave a slight nod. Professor McGonagall raised her wand aloft before enunciating, "Homenum Revelio!" Harry didn't understand why she had performed the spell, since there were only the five of them in the room and they knew the last horcrux was nowhere near. A glance at Remus' face assured him that whatever was happening, the others didn't have much hope that it was going to turn out well. All eyes were on McGonagall as she squeezed her eyes shut, grimacing as a single tear escaped down her cheek. "Five and a little more," she whispered. Remus buried his face in his hands as Sirius swore vehemently and stormed away from the desk. Harry's heart pounded in his ears as he tried to piece together what she had meant and why it would cause such a reaction, even as Dumbledore stared up at the ceiling as if beseeching an unhearing god. A guttural cry of anger from Sirius preceded him pounding his fist into the pane of a window. There was a crash and the tinkling of glass cascading to the hard floor sounded throughout the office. "Sirius, get a hold of yourself!" called Remus, wheeling around to face his friend. The man's chest was heaving as a trickle of blood ran down his wrist and dripped onto the floor. "We've got to explain it to him first. It's not fair to Harry if we go to pieces and leave him wondering what happened." Appreciation for Remus' empathy mingled with Harry's dread of learning whatever caused such a reaction from the adults. He glanced back at McGonagall, who had wiped away a stray tear and seemed to now be exuding resolve. With a wave of her wand, she restored the glass to the window before pulling Sirius back toward his seat. Her quiet healing spell knit together the cut skin, then she sat in the chair next to Remus. "What's going on?" asked Harry, his voice barely more than a whisper. Sirius heaved a sigh but met Harry's pleading gaze. "Dumbledore told us he thinks there could be another horcrux. One that Voldemort might have accidentally created the night he killed your parents. He'd already torn his soul to shreds, so murdering James and Lily on top of trying to do the same to you might have severed a piece of whatever soul he had left." Harry's jaw grew slack and he squinted slightly as he attempted to piece the clues together. "If that were the case, that sliver of soul could have latched onto anything after Voldemort's body was destroyed," continued McGonagall slowly. "Confining a piece of soul inside an object is an arduous and complex process, so we doubt it any stray sliver would have bound itself to any old item…" "But a severed piece of soul might have been drawn toward another living being as a suitable host," concluded Lupin quietly. With wide green eyes behind his glasses, Harry looked to each of the adults. Dawning comprehension arose within him as the truth set in. His hand instinctively rose to clutch his scar. "But what does that mean?" asked Harry, his voice almost a whimper. "Do I need to… If it means getting rid of Voldemort, it might be worth it to-" A chorus of disagreement flew at Harry from all sides. The angry voice of Sirius mingled with the pain in Remus' words, accompanied by McGonagall's strident dissent. Across the desk from Harry, Dumbledore looked deeply sad but resolute. A musical trill from Fawkes, bright and hopeful, brought the other voices to silence. Harry looked at the bird, whose fiery eyes seemed to pierce him to his very core. Two strong hands, one on either of Harry's shoulders, squeezed almost simultaneously. From the corner of his eye, Harry could see that Sirius looked deeply shaken but resolute. Remus' face, on the other hand, was painted with empathy and sadness. "Harry, I know my situation isn't the same as this, but I understand what it feels like to have something inside you that you hate." Remus' grip on Harry's shoulder was as tight as a vice, as if he could communicate better through pressure than with words. "You've got to believe that we can beat this thing. We're going to figure it out." Despite his desire to flee the room in horror, Harry felt slightly more steady with the support of the two men beside him. He gave a barely perceptible nod and returned his focus to the headmaster. "You asked what this means, Harry. In short, we must redouble our efforts," replied Dumbledore, his tone resolute. "Our goal is no longer the mere destruction of the remaining slivers of Voldemort's soul; we now endeavor to ascertain how to dislodge a horcrux from a living being without harm coming to its unwilling host." Nausea bubbled up within Harry and it took a great deal of restraint for him not to vomit as he grappled with the thought of a piece of Voldemort's soul attached to him. Even so, the feeling in his stomach was alleviated a bit by the soft notes of phoenix song that Fawkes sang out. "Despite the grave situation that we face, there are a number of factors that give us a fighting chance at successfully completing this task," continued the headmaster. "We have destroyed five of Voldemort's horcruxes thus far. If our assumptions prove true, the last intentional horcrux is the only other that resides within a living thing. Our new priority is to capture the serpent alive, ascertain whether it is indeed a horcrux, and determine how to safely remove whatever sliver of Voldemort's mangled soul resides within it." Harry's mind reeled at the implications of the new task set before them. Destroying the snake had been a daunting task before, but the idea of capturing it seemed almost impossible. He didn't know enough about the kinds of magical experimentation that would be required to examine the snake, but it all felt so far beyond what they'd already accomplished. "To that end," continued Dumbledore. "I believe it is time to consider expanding our circle once again." The swirling emotions inside Harry battled his curiosity at this declaration, but intrigue won out in the end. A bevy of potential candidates flashed through his mind. He first considered that a sliver of Voldemort's soul residing within Harry might be enough to draw Kingsley back into the group. Yet the auror's firm stance after the diadem was destroyed made it seem like a longshot. Other potential options fluttered into and out of his mind. Almost imperceptibly, some of the tension in Harry's chest began to release as he began focusing on the next step. The hands holding his shoulders had not yet released their grip and Harry felt steadied by their presence. Sirius looked unconvinced as he stared back at the headmaster, but didn't interrupt. Neither did Remus, whose pained expression had softened slightly. "I have purposefully kept the work of this group secret, even from several exceedingly trustworthy and exceptionally gifted individuals," continued Dumbledore, his tone serious and his cadence deliberate. "But with an endeavor so great and stakes this high, I believe it worthwhile for us all to reconsider the risks posed by bringing in new allies." The headmaster looked almost ready to continue before stopping himself. He pursed his lips and reached to pet Fawkes, who trilled in a way that made Harry think the phoenix was somehow pleased. Dumbledore bobbed his head slightly at the bird before his gaze returned to the others. "As I endeavor to learn from my past mistakes, I believe it reasonable to cede the floor to members of this group who are less prone to some of the errors in judgment to which I am most tempted." He drew in a long breath, almost as if he needed it in order to release his will to control the situation. "Perhaps it would be wise to answer the question of whether you see merit in including others in our work first. If the answer is yes, then we can consider possible additions." With that, he interlaced his fingers upon the desk and waited for the others to begin. Quiet pervaded the room as Harry wondered who would speak first. He had plenty of ideas bouncing around his head of potential allies to bring into the group, not the least of whom were Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, but he thought it best to let one of the adults break the silence. "I think we need the help," stated Sirius bluntly. His eyes darted from Harry to Remus before landing on McGonagall. "Capturing the snake is going to be a hell of a lot more complicated than just offing it. And even once we have it, I know I'm not going to be much help researching how to excise the damn thing." "Agreed," murmured McGonagall, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "It may be prudent to consider whether any of our other assumptions are incorrect. Our arithmancy indicated that the outer limits of horcrux creation limited Voldemort to six. If this is still the case, then the snake cannot contain a piece of soul." "Or if there was a mistake in the arithmancy, the snake might still be a horcrux," added Remus, rubbing his chin and scowling. "Not accounting for an accidental horcrux would certainly throw the calculations off. One way or the other, it'd help to know for sure whether the snake is one. That affects all our other plans…" "I concur with your observation about the serpent and would add another possibility to consider," interjected Dumbledore, looking as though he wasn't thrilled with himself for speaking. "If a sliver of Voldemort's soul is within both Harry and Nagini, I believe it worthwhile to consider whether more of his heinous acts have created other accidental horcruxes tethering himself to this world." This time, it was McGonagall who loosed an angry swear under her breath. "Which makes it all the more imperative that we seek out additional aid. Are we all in agreement?" Harry nodded resolutely with his godfather as Remus said he was onboard. From across the desk, Dumbledore gave them a small smile before speaking. "In such a case, whom do you each think would be most helpful to consider?" ~RLM~ Harry's head was spinning from the flurry of activity that had occurred over the past two hours. From the moment Remus immediately put forward Tonks' name as a possibility, Harry had begun to feel a measure of his anxiousness ease. Of course, his stomach still felt queasy whenever his thoughts returned to the sliver of Voldemort's soul attached to him like some sort of parasite, but he was already focusing more on the burgeoning group of allies who had been agreed upon. Sirius spoke quietly with Remus and McGonagall in the corner of the room as Harry stroked Fawkes' neck plumage. He glanced at a nearby clock, which indicated that Dumbledore had entered the Pensieve with the five new recruits more than a half hour ago. He knew there was a tremendous amount to show them, even if the headmaster had pledged to prioritize the main points while leaving most of the details for later meetings. Still, his excitement about the new members made him anticipate their return. "I get it, but it's so much to leave on his shoulders alone," replied Remus a little louder than they'd been speaking, bringing Harry's focus to their conversation. "You don't know what it was like for me before you all found out. Having family and supportive professors was a big deal, but nothing compared to having you, James, and Peter. Nothing." "As much as the idea of including underage students gives me pause, I must agree with your assessment," added McGonagall. "Based on the change in Remus' demeanor alone, I believe I could identify the very week that the three of you assured him that you knew of his condition and that it would not prevent your friendship in the slightest. Not to diminish the difficulty you faced, but I think it fair to say that the singular burden Mr. Potter carries is at least equal to that which you carry." Lupin shook his head ruefully as Harry slowly began to meander in their direction. "I'm not ashamed to admit that they're not even in the same league. Not only does he have it a lot worse than me, but his friends are a lot more mature than you lot were in our day." Sirius let out a bark of a laugh. "No arguments there. How're things coming along with Occlumency for them?" "Even more quickly than expected," noted McGonagall with pride. "The three of them began with a more detailed understanding of the magic due to Mr. Potter's experience and explanation of the ins and outs of protecting one's mind. Miss Granger utilizes a technique similar to my own, but Miss Weasley employs a method more like your godson's. Mr. Weasley has found a measure of success through a means different than any of the others. Quite impressive work, wouldn't you say, Mr. Potter?" "Absolutely," he replied with enthusiasm, closing the distance between himself and the other three. "Hermione has been imagining her mind like a library and storing stray thoughts on shelves like books, while Ron concentrates on a chessboard and any memory that pops into his head is a piece that he captures." "And Ginny's flying on a broom like you to leave memories in the dust?" supplied Remus with a knowing smile. Harry shrugged. "Go with what you know, I guess." "Well, I must say that their progress has been quite impressive," added McGonagall earnestly. "If you would have suggested sharing our work with them a year ago, even six months ago, I would have scoffed at the idea. But they are putting in the work to assuage my misgivings. It will probably be the three of them in the Pensieve before too long." A small smile spread across Harry's face. A day where there weren't any secrets between him and his closest friends was almost unimaginable after two years of keeping things quiet. Their conversation was interrupted by the sounds of six people emerging from the Pensieve in various states of disbelief and consternation. Harry heard more than half of the group loose strong language as most remained crowded around the basin, each still dripping with liquid from the bowl. Tonks was the sole member of the group who immediately whisked away from the Pensieve, quickly striding up to Harry and wrapping him in a tight embrace. "I knew that you must have been involved because of the prophecy, but to see everything laid out like that…" She gave him a final extra squeeze before pushing his shoulders back to look him dead in the eye. "Thanks again for looking out for me in the spring. I promise I'm going to find a way to return the favor." She turned from Harry to Remus and gave him an appraising look. "And you! Half a year together and I'm only just now learning how attractive you look while holding a sword?" She smiled playfully as she gave him a quick look up and down. Her eyes flashed to a deep green for a moment after locking her gaze with Remus. "We're going to have more to discuss about that after the meeting…" Harry heard Remus audibly gulp while Sirius began to laugh as the four of them moved to take their seats. McGonagall had arranged a circle of chairs in the middle of the room while Dumbledore and the others were in the Pensieve, and the headmaster had claimed the seat next to the open space where Professor Flamel had positioned her wheelchair. Bill walked to clap a hand on Harry's shoulder, even if the oldest Weasley sibling looked a little shell-shocked from the experience. Moody stumped over to a nearby seat, scowling as his magical eye remained fixed on Snape. The Potions professor remained standing to the side for longer than the others, eventually taking a seat between McGonagall and Dumbledore. "Thank you all for agreeing to swim through that veritable deluge of information," began Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling again from behind his half-moon spectacles. "Despite the width and breadth of collective knowledge imparted to you through the memories we viewed, I daresay some of you may still have pertinent questions well worth answering. Shall we begin?" |
| Reviews 259 |
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