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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: 169525; Chapter Total: 685 Awards: View Trophy Room |
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Harry sprinted at breakneck pace out the doors of the castle, his stomach churning with frustration and shame. He glanced around as he ran, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that might point him in the right direction. Unfortunately, there was no sign of anyone outside on this chilly afternoon under grey skies. He swore under his breath as he hastily made his way toward Hagrid's hut, feeling worse with every step he took. The huge man was nowhere to be seen and the other members of his NEWT Care of Magical Creatures class were long gone, too. Not even Fang had remained back. As he approached the place where he was meant to meet Hagrid and the class an hour ago, Harry allowed his pace to slow and raked his hand angrily across his face. It was always challenging for Harry to conjure enough energy for Hagrid's Friday afternoon class. Each week had become so filled with NEWT courses, Defense Club meetings and planning, Quidditch practice, and attempts at spell creation that he usually wanted little more than to collapse by the arrival of the weekend. That feeling had struck a little early, leading Harry to forgo lunch after completing a helpful but exhausting Defense Against the Dark Arts class that morning. He dragged himself up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower and into his four-poster, determined to catch a little uninterrupted rest before traipsing down for Care of Magical Creatures. He collapsed onto his bed without even bothering to take off his shoes and was soon fast asleep on top of his blankets. When he finally awoke nearly two and a half hours later, his neck was sore and he sported a red mark on his nose where his glasses had dug into him as he slept. A glance at the clock alerted Harry that he had missed the first forty-five minutes of class, which Hagrid had been excitedly telling the students about for nearly a month. Part of Harry wanted to crash headlong into the Forbidden Forest in hopes of catching up with Hagrid and the rest of the class. Ideas rushed through his head about how to fix the situation, each more unlikely than the last. He withdrew his wand and nearly cast a patronus to deliver a message to Ron with hopes that he could follow his own stag into the forest, but instead slid it back into his pocket with a groan of frustration. He imagined the Welsh Green that Charlie had brought from the dragon sanctuary might not appreciate being startled by an ethereal deer and that easing his guilty conscience wasn't worth endangering Hagrid and the other NEWT students. In the end, he decided the best course of action was to attempt to wait patiently for Hagrid to return to apologize and begin thinking through how to make amends. Harry waited until the five students bid their goodbyes to Hagrid and began traipsing back to the castle before he sheepishly made his way toward his professor. The jovial look on the man's face fell slightly at the sight of his sixth student trudging forward, but Hagrid did his best to mask the look on his face as Harry approached. "'Lo there, Harry!" called Hagrid, not quite as loudly as usual. "We missed ya' today. Figured you must be under tha weather to miss class." Harry's shoulders sagged under the weight of his frustration and shame. "I'm so sorry, Hagrid! I've been looking forward to going over dragons with you for weeks, but Professor Flamel had me working on spell creation again last night and then I was trying to get prepared for Defense Club afterward. I didn't get much sleep at all, so I skipped lunch to rest so I'd be ready for our trek to see the Welsh Green, but I overslept and didn't make it down in time." Words spilled out of Harry quickly as the knot in his stomach grew tighter with each breath. He found that he could hardly meet Hagrid's eyes as he spoke. The man's dark eyes were awash in both hurt and empathy. "You've been telling us how much you wanted to get a dragon for us to examine for years and I know how deeply you care about them. I've just been sitting here remembering when Norbert hatched and the dragons from the Triwizard Tournament and how much you wanted us to see them the way you do and-" "Easy there! Calm down 'fore ya pass out," said Hagrid as a massive hand squeezed Harry's shoulder encouragingly. "No need to get all into a fuss. Yer not in any trouble. Goodness knows yeh've got more experience with dragons than just about anyone at this school." Harry winced away from the contact, grimacing even though he didn't fully pull away from Hagrid's grip on his shoulder. "But this class was important to you and I- I let you down…" He shuddered as he felt emotion welling up inside his chest. Even though he thought Hagrid would be the least likely adult to judge him for shedding tears, Harry still fought to maintain control of himself. "Sure, gettin' to show off a dragon to me class was a big deal fer me," acknowledged Hagrid quietly. "One of tha most fun classes I've ever taught, and that's sayin' somethin'. You woulda enjoyed it, especially when Miss Cerridwen tried to light Dean on fire." Despite himself, Harry's shoulders shook slightly with a laugh. "Ya may think I'm not quick to pick up on things, Harry, but I've seen how yeh've spread yerself thin this year. Hard not to notice that you an' Hermione switched your schedules after Ron brought back word that my NEWT class was on the smallish side." "Yeah, but we both did really want to be in your class," argued Harry, even though his heart wasn't all the way in the fight. "It just took Hermione a while to realize that Magical Creatures would be better for her plans than Ancient Runes and Professor Dumbledore had told me not to overload my schedule." "Professor Dumbledore called me an' Professor McGonagall into his office the second week of classes to talk about it all," admitted Hagrid with an easy smile. This was news to Harry, who hadn't spent much time considering how the change might have affected his professors. "He told us tha' both of yeh were probably biting off a good deal more than yeh could chew. He wasn't keen to keep yeh from trying to make it all work out, but he had a feeling that things would start fallin' through the cracks sooner or later. He warned me that he was going to heap more on yeh than was fair on account of the war." The man's great hand squeezed Harry's shoulder a little tighter. Hagrid pulled him to the side so that they were both facing the Forbidden Forest and gestured out to it with his free hand. "I get the feelin' that whatever yeh end up doin' after Hogwarts, it probably won't involve takin' care of magical creatures. An' that's just fine! "Yeh care about making the world a better place and don't harbor any ill will towards all the incredible animals yeh've met along the way." Harry nodded along as he attempted to not think about his encounter with Aragog or the Blast-Ended Skrewts as the smile on Hagrid's face widened. "It's not lost on me how much you an' yer friends helped me along when I was just startin' out as a professor." Harry let out a long, slow breath as he recalled Hagrid's early days as a professor and the tremendous strides he'd taken. In his first and second years in the post, the class had been fairly rocky due to his lack of confidence and dearth of teaching experience. But now, well into his fourth year as a professor, Harry earnestly believed Hagrid's class had become a genuinely good one. "I just didn't want you to think that I didn't pick up your class from the beginning because I didn't enjoy it or that I didn't think you were a good professor," explained Harry quietly. "And when I missed today, I was afraid it'd send the same message." The great man chuckled to himself before responding. "I understand, Harry. An' if yeh decide you need to drop the class, I'll understand that, too. With war on our doorstep, it makes sense that you'd need to put in extra work to prepare yerself. Professor Dumbledore even let me in on a little secret about all o' that which makes me more willin' to overlook all this…" Harry stiffened at the thought of Dumbledore sharing any of the many secrets of the war with the good-hearted but loose-lipped Hagrid. "He said that you were thinkin' of coming back to Hogwarts as a professor someday!" laughed Hagrid, slapping Harry's back in a way he thought was meant to be encouraging, but nearly toppled Harry to the ground. "Imagine us both bein' professors together! That'd be a sight to see!" A sigh of relief escaped Harry as he finally met Hagrid's eyes, which were twinkling with excitement. "That'd be pretty fantastic, Hagrid." ~RLM~ Even though Harry still thought Professor Flamel was overly strict, he couldn't help but admire her dedication to teaching through experience. Quirrell and Lockhart had both squandered almost every opportunity to actually do defensive magic, although the memory of rogue Cornish Pixies served as a reminder of why such methods were quickly abandoned. Remus had been adamant about bringing his students outside the classroom on occasion and Crouch-as-Moody focused on practical spellcasting a good deal, but neither left the classroom behind very often. Umbridge's reticence to do anything remotely resembling instruction meant that they had spent an entire school year without raising their wands once during class, let alone venturing out beyond their desks to gain experience. Professor Flamel had tossed such notions unceremoniously out the window, declaring that the NEWT Defense Against the Dark Arts class would meet twice weekly: once in the classroom to go over principles of defense and learn the basics of any spells they were studying, then again later in the week within the Defense Chamber to put what they'd learned into practice. The back and forth nature of the class kept Harry and the other students much more engaged. He found himself listening more closely and taking more detailed notes during their first class of the week, knowing that failure to absorb and retain the material could leave him outdueled during the practical class period. Much of the term focused on casting magic wordlessly. Between Professor Flamel's admonitions and Harry's experience duelling in Advanced Defense, the skill grew in importance in his mind. He still didn't like that casting silently meant a stark reduction in his spells' power, but the advantages of not giving away his attacks and remaining quiet often made the trade off worthwhile. With a twinge of pride, Harry watched Hermione and Daphne traipse back to the rest of the students after their silent duel. Professor Flamel had paired each student up with another that she thought was similar in skill. As the two rejoined the group, the professor's raspy voice sounded across the echoey room. "That was certainly a well-fought duel by both Miss Granger and Miss Greengrass. Who can elucidate some of the more effective spells they used?" Several hands darted into the air, assuring Harry that he could spend the few moments before his final duel considering options to use against his opponent. Despite growing by leaps and bounds, he refused to make the mistake of assuming an easy victory. "Daphne used a good Repulso to move the smoke back toward Hermione, which helped with visibility," offered Seamus. He was right, and Harry couldn't help a twinge of frustration that Hermione had used the same tactic he'd been considering. Obscuring her opponent's sight by using a weak spell had the benefit of not tiring her out, even though Daphne had been able to counter it. Hannah hesitantly brought up Hermione's use of Transfiguration as Harry considered options to use in the next duel. "Good catch, Miss Abbott," added Professor Flamel as she wheeled back to the side to clear the floor for the final bout. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Zabini, would you please take your positions? Remember: only nonverbal spells are allowed." A glance at Blaise's determined look assured Harry that their duel, friendly though it was, would be fierce. The Slytherin was obviously skilled, but he also loved the chance to prove himself equal to a challenge. The allure of besting Harry in a one-on-one duel gleamed in his eyes as Blaise gave a quick smirk. "Ready? Begin!" Professor Flamel's voice hadn't ceased echoing off the stone walls of the chamber before the first spells were in the air. A hastily-cast Shield Charm protected Harry from a quick Stunning Spell from Blaise. As the jet of light careened away, he couldn't help thinking that casting the stunner silently hadn't reduced the Slytherin's power by much. He didn't have long to consider how much Blaise had improved, as a neon yellow jinx necessitated a dodge to the left. The scuffle of their feet upon the large stones of the floor and the hushed chatter of the onlooking students made for an unnerving ambiance, as opposed to the usual shouted out spells. Harry fired off a silent Expelliarmus that managed to force Blaise back a few paces, but it wasn't enough to seriously threaten his opponent. Even though the disarming spell didn't win him many duels on its own, Harry could shoot them off quickly and without using much of his stamina. The fact that he occasionally put enough power behind one to break through a weak shield was enough to keep other students wary whenever his wand emitted the telltale red light. Dueling alongside and against Blaise more often in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Advanced Defense had given Harry a few insights into his tendencies. Blaise deployed a wider variety of spells than anyone else in their year, and possibly more than any of the Seventh Years. He wasn't as adept in settings with multiple combatants as he was in one-on-one settings, which Harry assumed was a product of the training he'd done outside of school with the tutor his mother had hired. When focused on a single opponent, he came out on top more often than not. Blaise sidestepped the stunner while firing several low-level jinxes that Harry didn't waste time attempting to identify. Whether the dark blue jinx that nearly nicked his ankle was a Jelly-Legs or a Knockback didn't matter as much as getting out of its way. Even while dodging the incoming spells, Harry silently began casting another shield with the knowledge that Blaise often led with minor hexes or jinxes before sending a more powerful spell as a follow up. Instead of an offensive spell, Blaise seized the opportunity of Harry casting a shield to point his wand at the ground beneath his opponent and flick his wrist upwards. A shield flickered into being in front of Harry just in time for the stone he was standing upon to rise swiftly fifteen feet into the air. The large piece of the floor wavered and wobbled precariously with Harry atop it as a few students exclaimed. A shocked Harry fired downward at Blaise, who deftly manuevered around the rain of spells as he approached the spot where the stone floated. The Slytherin sent a quick Immobilizing Jinx up at Harry's position, but his opponent and the stone both slipped a few feet down and out of the trajectory of the spell. Both keeping Harry aloft and sending a finishing blow appeared to be more than Blaise could manage at the same time. Still suspended a dozen feet in the air and boasting almost no cover, Harry's mind raced for an opportunity to turn the tables. A quick Finite Incantatem was the most obvious solution, but that would take decent concentration and would leave him vulnerable while plummeting back to the ground. It was also what Blaise was likely to expect, and Harry didn't want to fall right into his opponent's trap. A jet of purple light crashed against Harry shield, causing it to flicker as the stone beneath him dropped another few feet. There wasn't enough time to think through every option, so he decided to try a counterattack that he'd been keeping in his back pocket for just such an occasion. Harry ducked under another well-aimed jinx before leaping from the hovering stone. Blaise's eyes grew wide, but Harry's holly wand was aimed at the ground. He had never needed to perform a Cushioning Charm wordlessly, but managed to remember the wand motion well enough to prevent serious injury as he attempted to roll when colliding with the ground. In the frenzy of it all, he wrenched his elbow badly, which caused his wand to clatter to the ground partway between him and Blaise. Someone in the group of students gasped as Harry and his wand both came to a stop. With glasses askew, he clambered forward toward his wand. Though Harry was a little closer, Blaise was upright and uninjured. The Slytherin extended his wand and was clearly concentrating on a Summoning Spell. Wincing at the pain in his elbow, Harry pulled the backup wand Sirius and Remus had given him for his birthday from Kingsley's wrist holster. Despite being sprawled out on the floor, Harry mustered his concentration as he fired a Full Body Bind. Blaise Zabini froze completely immobilized, a look of triumph still etched on his face. His Summoning Spell was still active, causing Harry's holly wand to whistle through the air until it collided with Blaise's chest before clattering to the ground next to the boy's unmoving feet. A loud whoop from Ron pierced the quiet of the chamber as Harry flopped onto his back. His injured elbow lay limp on the cold stone floor as Professor Flamel and several students pressed forward to help to two combatants. A wave of Perenelle's wand freed Blaise, who stumbled slightly once his movement was unbound. Ron grabbed Harry's good arm and hoisted him to his feet. Padma and Parvati came alongside Neville as Hermione, Daphne, and Theo checked on Blaise. "What a move!" enthused Neville as Harry gingerly brushed the dust off himself. "I thought Blaise had you, for sure." "Never a doubt in my mind!" scoffed Ron. He shook Harry in a way meant to be encouraging, but really just jostled his injured elbow and caused a hiss of pain. "Ooh, your arm looks pretty bad," said Padma, grimacing slightly at the purple bruise already settling in around the swollen joint. Her sister let out a low whistle as she looked more closely. "You might need Madam Pomfrey to take a look at it," suggested Parvati. "Want me to charm it to hold off some of the swelling?" "Yeah, I'll swing by to see her after Defense," agreed Harry. Not that Harry enjoyed visiting the Hospital Wing, but the throbbing pain shooting up his arm made her suggestion seem quite reasonable. "If you could do something to help it out for now, I'd appreciate it." Parvati whipped out her wand and directed a minor cooling charm on the offending elbow. It tingled a bit, but Harry thought the dull ache was much more bearable than the pain had been previously. He thanked his impromptu healer as they rejoined the rest of the students. Professor Flamel wheeled to the front of the group before asking the class to break down the duel. Though her praise was less effusive than some of his other professors, Harry did appreciate the professor's positive notes about how he had performed. "All in all, I must say that I am pleased with the progress your class has exhibited. Casting wordlessly is a challenging endeavor, but each of you has grown significantly this term." Professor Flamel's usual stern countenance gave way to a look of near-amusement. "After witnessing each of you undertake Professor Flitwick's gauntlets and watching as you utilize your newly learned techniques in duels during class, I have noticed that competition often brings out some of your finest efforts. Even if some of you tend to become overzealous to the point of recklessness." Dean let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like Harry's name as several students stifled snickers. Instead of deducting points, the wisened professor allowed the slightest of smiles to tug at the corners of her mouth. "With that in mind, I would like to announce a newly-approved end-of-term activity. Hogwarts will be holding a Dueling Tournament." |
| Reviews 259 |
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