Based on the Harry Potter Series By J. K. Rowling
Chapter 38 “ What Everyone Can Now See
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This time Patty remained standing and didn’t fall into the soot, and that suited her fine. The shoes were another matter, but Alastor Moody’s office had a bristled door mat just outside of the fireplace for visitors to clean their feet. Almost forgetting to move out of the hearth after her arrival, Patty stepped to the mat just as Ron appeared in the green flames behind her.
“All right there, Patty?” Ron asked. “Looks like you’re getting the hang of this.”
Walking into Moody’s office, Patty was amazed by the odds-and-ends the man was collecting on his desk and the surrounding shelves. Besides his books, the largest collection of “junk” was wine and whiskey bottles. Some bottles held plastic flowers, others had half melted candles in their spouts and the sides were covered with many different colors of wax. Clearly, some of these candle holders had held many candles.
Although Hermione had arrived only seconds before her, she was already talking to the grizzled wizard. Moody’s eyes were bright and his head nodded as Hermione offered her ideas.
“Yes, Hermione, I agree that it’s likely, but I’m not sure this information is particularly relevant.” Moody was speaking about Merlin’s cave/chamber.
“Well, I think we should look into something else that’s happened here at Hogwarts. Oh, Ron, Patty, you’re here.” Ron and Patty had been standing behind Hermione for a minute but she hadn’t noticed them while explaining her theory about the Chamber of Secrets to Moody.
Ron, do you remember returning to school after Voldemort was killed? I commented to you about Filch and how he was in such a good mood.”
“Uh, yeah, I think so.” Ron clearly had not noticed anything about Filch.
“Ron! He was singing that annoying jingle for days, you have to remember that?”
“Oh, yeah, wasn’t it something about Peaves?”
“Oh, never mind, Ron.” Turning back to Moody, Hermione told him about Filch. “When we came back to school, Filch was celebrating Peaves’ disappearance. In fact, he and all the other ghosts that had been haunting Hogwarts for centuries were gone. Because Peaves was such a pain in the...um, such a pain, no one really cared why he had left.”
“Okay, I do remember hearing something about that. I thought they had just left because the school was closing.”
”I don’t believe so, I think it’s related to the Final Battle and the destruction of the Chamber. Remember how Peter told us about Merlin practicing magic in the chamber for years?”
“Hermione, one circumstantial example is not proof. Do you have any other instances?” By the look on her face Moody saw that Hermione did not. “Well, let’s set that aside for now, we may come back to it later if we find more evidence. Now you said you’ve finished translating the last ten pages of the story, eh? Ron, have you and this lady seen them yet?”
“No, Mad-Eye, we were too busy chasing Hermione around London.” Ron’s answer earned him a cool smile from his wife.
“Ok, let’s get everyone here. Ron, would you please Floo your family and the others, ask them to come here as soon as possible?”
Within fifteen minutes, the group from the previous night, except for Ginny who was at work, had gathered in Moody’s office, prepared to hear what Hermione and Patty had found. When everyone was seated, Hermione began.
“These pages were not written by Merlin, but by his son, Galen. He was the one who...”
Harry called out again, “Professor Snape.” And again there was no answer. Leaving the bedroom he had appeared in, Harry found himself in an old, but comfortable house of some sort. The style was faintly Romanesque, but otherwise could have passed for any medieval home; and it was large. Exploring, Harry found five bedroom chambers, a cooking area, a large central “family room,” and even a trough of running water that spilled into a small pool in the cooking area.
The windows were the first unusual thing Harry noticed. Out of one bedroom window was scenery of a desert, out of another was scenery of a dark forest. Clearly the “windows” were magical, perhaps showing a scene which the room’s occupant fancied. The other rooms had similar windows, all with different scenery. Walking to the main entrance, off of the “family room,” Harry opened the door expecting to see something other than a large wall of granite. As he exited and moved further away from the structure he could see the entire house resided in a cave. Circling around the edges of the cave, Harry noticed that there was something familiar about the surroundings. When he realized what it was he froze. Harry was back in the Chamber of Secrets.
“Hello, is anyone around? Someone has to be here.” Not really expecting an answer, Harry was shocked to hear footsteps approach. An old man came around the side of the house and walked towards Harry. Harry though it might be a younger Merlin, but the shape of his face was slightly different and he did not have the thick facial hair as did the dead wizard.
“Hello?” Harry said tentatively, but as happened in his experiences with Parseltongue, the words came out of Harry’s mouth in a different language. “Quod nomen tibi est?” What is your name?
“Mi nomen Galen est. Et tuus?” My name is Galen. And yours?
“Er, Harry Potter. Can you tell me where I am?”
“You are in my father’s house, I lived here, also, when I was young. What are you doing here?”
“I’m not sure. I was talking with another person, then I lay down and here I am. You’re Galen? Aren’t you Merlin’s son? Harry remembered the name now, and was looking for ways to ask for help.
“You must have asked for shelter.”
Harry thought back to the last thing he remembered before appearing here. “Yeah, I had just said something like ‘I wish I was home in bed.’”
“That’s all it takes here, just a wish.” Galen was slowly approaching Harry, he looked peaceful, but Harry’s guard was up.
“You say wishes come true?” Harry asked skeptically.
“Yes, wishes. Or if you like, your spoken desires. You also summoned me. My father created this world for his friends and followers. They were allowed anything they wished. But...” Galen’s voice trailed off.
“They didn’t want this, did they?”
Galen shook his head, then said, “You want to know the last part of the story, don’t you?”
Harry did, but there was something he had to do first. “Yes, but just a moment.” Being careful to word his “wish” correctly, Harry said, “I want Severus Snape to join me here immediately.” And he did.
A startled Snape appeared before Harry. “Did you do that?”
“Er”yeah, sorry; I thought I shouldn’t leave you back there, alone.” Harry proceeded to tell Snape his idea about being in the Chamber of Secrets. Looking around, Snape agreed and then asked Harry who the other person was.
“This is Galen. He’s one of Merlin’s sons.” The awkward introduction left the three standing, waiting for someone to speak. Then Galen repeated his last question.
“Would you like to hear the end of the story?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m sorry. Professor Snape, Galen’s going to tell us what’s in the last pages of the story.”
Snape nodded and sat in a chair that appeared as he was lowering his body. Harry realized that Snape had “wished” for the chair and following the example, Harry did the same thing. Then Galen started speaking.
“I thought I had killed my father, at first. I had only meant to stop his foolish attempts to force others into his world and into his faith. Scores were on the ground, and many of them my friends. There bodies remained suspended, neither dead nor alive, while their souls were locked into this reality. I knew my father’s powers were far greater than he had ever told me, and he would have to use those powers to keep this reality in existence. As his body died, he willed his soul into this place and lived here with the souls of the others who had joined him. There were about two hundred from the surrounding area and this small group soon realized, as did my father, that he could not deliver what he had promised. In spite of all his powers, the presence of so many other souls was draining him. I came to understand, much later, and after speaking with those who had tried to go with my father, that he had suffered a great disappointment by his repeated failures.”
“After my father disappeared into his own world, this world, I went to each of the bodies of the suspended town folk, I tried to bring their souls back and restore them to our world. I succeeded with most, but a few chose to remain and some died in my attempt. All those I had brought back showed a remarkable change. Like my sisters and brother and I, they could perform magic, though never at our level.”
“When finished, I returned the villagers and approached the town elders for advice about what we should do. They advised that we exile ourselves from the area. Their words were bitter to accept, but I had to agree with them. In a very short time, a great animosity between the town people and those I returned had developed. Some of it was jealousy and some was irrational fears; whatever the reasons, we were no longer welcome and we dispersed into the surrounding mountains and valleys.”
Harry and Snape found the story interesting, but neither saw anything in it that they could use to help the situation in world. And then to make matters worse, Galen disappeared and they were alone again.
“Harry, I think we have to face the possibility that our way of life will soon be over. I’d like you to return now, there’s nothing else you can do. I suspect that my existence will end soon, also.” Snape extended his hand to Harry, who took it, fighting the bizarre mixture of feelings he had for Snape. Not wanting to quit, just yet, Harry tried to reason with Snape but he wasn’t listening any longer.
Harry did have one other idea, though it seemed ludicrous. Calling for Snape to wait just a moment, Harry said, “I want to know how to stop the changes going on in our world.” If it worked bringing Galen, maybe...
Harry didn’t get quite the result he was hoping for. Standing before him was an exact double of himself, right down to his green eyes and scar.
“This isn’t very helpful.” Harry (the original) said to Snape. Snape’s expression seemed to echo Harry’s sentiment.
“Maybe I should try it and see if a copy of me appears.” Snape laughed. “Now we have two Potters to get out of here. Go on now, Harry.”
“Don’t you want to know the answer to your question?” Harry (the copy) said to Harry (the original).
Now Harry started laughing. Why would I ask the question if I already knew the answer? Snape continued to watch, also amused.
Harry (the copy) simply asked again, “Don’t you want to know the answer to your question?”
“Yes, certainly, by all means. What do I have to do?”
Harry (the copy) said to Harry (the original), “Return this world to its proper balance.”
“Right, and how do I do that?”
“You cannot.”
“Oh, that’s helpful, thank you so much...” Harry (the original) was about to start laughing again until he saw his double turning towards Snape.
“You cannot, but he can.” Harry (the copy) said, pointing at Snape.
Harry (the original) was no longer amused by the answers. Neither was Snape. Both approached Harry’s doppelganger, wondering if he would continue.
“He must have something else to tell us or he would have vanished like Galen,” Snape observed. “Ask more, Harry.”
“Er”what does Professor Snape have to do?”
This gave Snape the answer they needed, and Harry (the copy) vanished.
“Yes, Hermione, it is all very fascinating, but how does this help us?” Remus was losing his temper, something most of them have never seen happen.
“Remus, it proves that something can be done to bring Snape and Percy back. Percy has been there a long time and may have more information about any action we can take.”
Now Moody turned on Hermione. “Lass, you’ve been working too hard at this. Even if there was something left of Snape to return, where would he go?”
The reality of Moody’s statement stunned Hermione. Snape’s body had been cremated. Hermione hung her head, apologizing for her mistake.
“Don’t worry, dear, so far you’re just about the only one to find anything at all,” Molly reassured Hermione, who looked like she was going to cry. Everyone was drained and tired, even though it was only four o’clock in the afternoon.
Harry returned from Percy’s mind and nearly collapsed right there. Remember to do probes sitting or lying down. Harry had been in a rigid standing position for almost twenty-four hours and could barely walk. The Healer in the room, one Harry didn’t recognize, saw Harry’s distress and cast a muscle relaxing spell to ease his pain. Thanking the Healer, Harry headed for the first Floor fireplace ignoring the pleas of the Healer to stay. The moment was the 18th of January, 1999, four fifteen in the afternoon.
As the end of Ginny’s first day approached she remained apprehensive about the unspoken offer she had made to Mary Thompson. Mary had not returned to find Ginny and she was losing hope that the outcome would be positive.
At 4 o’clock, Shacklebolt entered Rebecca’s room and told Ginny to go to the first Floor parlor immediately. Ginny tried to read his look but his face was completely blank. Approaching the parlor, Ginny heard the Prime Minister yelling at someone about something; she assumed it concerned her brief career at 10 Downing Street.
Shacklebolt rapped on the parlor door and heard Thompson yell, “Come in!” Sticking his head inside the door, he announced Ginny’s presence.
“Come in, both of you. Please sit there for a moment.” Pointing to the nearby chairs, both sat, now looking at each other with curious expressions. Thompson finished some notes then looked up.
“I need to talk to that fellow, Skimmer, or whatever his name is. Can you arrange it, Kingsley?”
Kingsley and Ginny both understood who he meant, Scrimgeour; but why? “Sir, neither of us can simply walk into the Ministry of Magic and tell the Minister to come over here.”
“Well, you better do just that, the cat’s out of the bag.” Picking up a small pile of papers, Thompson handed them to Shacklebolt and watched his face transform.
“I’ll be back as soon as possible, sir.” And without any further words, Shacklebolt ran out of the office. Ginny noticed that he had not even taken his coat when he left.
“And you, young lady,” Thompson watched Ginny for the longest thirty seconds of her life. “You are most presumptuous. You’ve caused my wife a great deal of anxiety.” Thompson’s voice and face were completely unreadable, a poker-face, they call it. Ginny knew she was being sacked.
“I’m sorry, sir. You’re right, I was out of place. I just...”
“Ginny! Are you under the impression I’m angry with you?”
Ginny was near tears and had trouble getting her voice to work properly. “You’re n-n-not m-mad?”
“No! How could we be mad? Mary and I had a long talk, why don’t you go find her; I believe she has an answer for you.”
A few minutes later, still clutching her chest in relief, Ginny felt Mary Thompson walk up to her side and put an arm around her shoulder. Watching Rebecca play, Mary whispered the answer into Ginny’s ear. Ginny nodded her head in acceptance.
“What should we expect?” Mary asked, quietly.
Not knowing what to say, Ginny told the truth. “I honestly don’t know. D/S is a genetic defect, not just a simple cut being closed, and as far as I know, this has never been attempted. We’ll take it one day at a time.”
“Thank you, Ginny; even if it doesn’t work, thank you.” Mary kissed the top of Ginny’s head and walked down the hallway to her reading room.
This time Ginny knew that the tears she heard Mary crying were, indeed, tears of happiness.
At 4:19 pm, Kingsley Shacklebolt had finished his three block sprint from Downing Street, ending near the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Where’s the security...what happened to...? In nearly three decades of serving the Ministry, Kingsley saw today, for the first time, what the entrance to the Ministry Building looked like without any spells or wards protecting it from the eyes and cameras and video recorders of all Muggle London, and the entire world.