Unofficial Portkey Archive

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Forgotten Magic

As classes moved into the end of January, they became increasingly difficult. Harry and Ron tried to keep up with the increasing workload, but realized they had to focus more on the Horcruxes and Voldemort. Hermione was at first reluctant to wane on her school work, but was eventually subdued by the other two.

`Hermione, you can't expect to do everything perfect this year in class. We have to work on the Chamber Pots' Ron maintained, while they were eating lunch. The Great Hall was a buzz that day, as the second meeting of The Guard was taking place that night.

`I know guys, I know. It's just hard for me to purposely not do homework' Hermione admitted. Ron stifled his laugh, knowing how easy it would be for him, and Harry spoke up.

`Don't worry Hermione. You'll still have time for homework, it's just we have to work on bigger things. We have The Guard tonight, and then we need to get moving on the Cup.' He lowered his voice in the last part, just in case. Hermione nodded, and she held Harry's hand under the table in thanks for the reassurance.

`Have you talked to Dobby yet?' Ron asked, jumping back into the conversation. Harry asked Dobby check everywhere in the school for Hufflepuff's Cup. He gave a good description of the cup, but Harry was worried about Dobby's enthusiasm to help. Knowing him, he might just knick every cup in the castle to show Harry.

`I haven't heard back yet. I'm sure he'll be done soon' Harry answered. They finished their lunch, and started their way up to the Charms classroom. They turn down a corridor, and were stopped in a deserted hallway by a small creature with tennis-ball sized green eyes, wearing a massive number of both socks, and hats; extending his small height by almost half a foot.

`Harry Potter sir! Dobby has been a good house elf, and found several cups that match his description' the house elf stated, bowing low, and looking up and Harry and the others.

`Where did you put them Dobby?' Harry asked.

`Dobby puts them in the Come and Go Room, hidden from others they are' Dobby explained, with a smile. Harry looked Ron's watch, knowing his only pointed to people's fates, and realized he did not have the time to check the Room of Requirement and go to Charms.

`I don't have the time to-` he started, but stopped himself. Harry already had to go to the Room of Requirement to prepare things, and tell the DA what he was planning. This meant he had to use the Time Turner. He neglected to use it so far, but he desperately wanted to see the Cups Dobby found.

`What are you thinking Harry?' Hermione questioned. Harry thought for one more moment, and decided.

`I need to see those Cups, and plan tonight's lesson. I can use the Time Turner to check them before the DA arrives tonight' he said eagerly. Hermione was the one who used the Time Turner before, so Harry waited for her reaction, since he was still new to the whole process. She thought for a moment, then began nodding.

`It sounds good Harry. All you need to do is tell Dobby to meet you outside the Room at a certain time. Since you'll be in the Room the whole time, you won't have to worry about you running into yourself' she justified. Harry told Dobby to wait outside the Room of Requirement one hour before supper.

When Harry arrived in the hallway outside the Room of Requirement just before supper, Ron and Hermione both stood at the ends, making sure no one would come down. They both nodded to Harry, and he put the Time Turner chain around his neck. He gave the silver hourglass one inversion, and he was transported back one hour. The sound and shadows of people walking by began slowing down, and when everything stopped, the hallway was empty.

`Dobby?' Harry called quietly. The house elf came out from behind the statue of Barnabas the Barmy, who was trying to teach Trolls ballet, and bowed in front of him.

`Harry Potter is always on time he is!' Dobby complimented. Harry smiled, and Dobby quickly scurried over to where the doorway would be, and he paced across the entrance five times, until a large wooden door appeared. Dobby opened the door, reaching up to push the door, and motioned Harry to follow.

Harry walked in, and found a room that was a mess of old bookshelves, tables, and various other pieces of furniture and knick knacks. Dobby was making his way through the small passageways, and stopped once he turned a corner. Harry came around, and his heart fell.

There, sitting on the floor, was a massive pile of cups. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of cups, of all different sizes and colours sat in a huge pile, which climbed to a height above Dobby's own head. Dobby looked up at Harry expectantly, a large smile on his face, and Harry sighed.

`Is Harry Potter upset with Dobby?' he asked, sounding already devastated. Not bothering for a response, the small creature began crying profusely, and right when Harry was about to comfort him, he began banging his head on a nearby desk top, yelling `Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!' Harry wrenched Dobby away from the desk, and held his head so he wouldn't be able to hurt himself anymore.

`I'm not upset Dobby, really. It's just a big pile, that's all' Harry said calmly, hoping to get Dobby more relaxed. Harry did bend the truth a little; it wasn't a big pile, it was a huge pile. Why Dobby would hide something so easily noticeable in a room like this, Harry didn't know.

Luckily, Dobby calmed down, and straightened his socks.

`I is sorry Harry Potter. I tries to do well in finding his cup. In times of need, Dobby wants to help Harry Potter.' Harry smiled at Dobby, moved over to the pile, and started going through them.

Constantly looking at a nearby clock, he had to go through the cups quickly. The only thing he was looking for was the gold cup, engraved with a golden badger. He had to trudge through many cups, of all different sizes, shapes, and colours. Dobby stood behind him, and caught the cups he threw away, knowing they weren't the one he was looking for.

As the pile began to fade, and the stone floor became visible once more, Harry's heart was feeling a mixture of failure and success. Checking the last tea cup-which was baby blue in colour with one handle, and a wide brim-he unceremoniously lobbed it in the air behind him, and Dobby caught it, placing it in another pile, which he had built. Harry then continued to sit on the stone floor, and sighed loudly.

`Did Harry Potter find his cup?' Dobby asked. Harry debated how to answer, not wanting Dobby to start banging his head again.

`No, but that's alright Dobby. I don't know where it is, and needed to check here first. Now, are you sure those are all the cups that you could find that came close to my description?' Harry asked.

`Yes sir. Dobby collected every cup from the castle that had gold on it, regardless of shape or placement. Dobby checked from lowest dungeon, and the Odd Rooms, to the highest tower, and brought them for Harry Potter here!' the house elf explained, not looking too happy. Harry thought he would start banging his head again, and stood up.

`You did a great job Dobby, really, you did. You helped out tremendously. It's almost five, so can you do something for me?'

`Anything for Harry Potter!' the house elf squeaked, moving forward and looking right up at Harry with his tennis ball sized eyes.

`Can you put back all these cups were you found them by six?' he asked. He needed to room clear by six for The Guard. Dobby luckily bowed, and looked back up at Harry.

`Of course, Dobby can have it cleared in half the time!' he expounded. Harry thanked him again, and went to the door that lead out into the corridor. He waited for the old and dusty grandfather clock to strike five, and then opened the door.

When he opened it, he found the hallway empty. Walking out, the door slammed behind him, and Ron and Hermione came from either ends of the hallway.

`So, did Dobby find it?' Ron asked, as he approached. Harry's stomach gave a rumble, as for him it was an extra hour of no food, and he started off towards the Great Hall before answering.

`He found about ten thousand cups, but not one was the one we need' Harry told his two friends, and they made their way down the stairwells towards the Great Hall.

`Are you sure he checked everywhere?' Hermione asked.

`Pretty sure. Dobby's pretty thorough with things, and I told him this was important.' Harry's stomach gave another rumble, and he continued on.

`Well, at least we don't have to worry about the cup being in Hogwarts then. That only leaves the other two places' Hermione said evenly, as the three entered the Great Hall. They all sat down, and just as they were getting their meals together, Hermione looked up at the head table, and nearly sprayed Ginny-who was sitting next to her-with pumpkin juice.

`What?' Ron asked. Hermione, still working on her juice, tilted her head towards the head table. Harry looked, and held him mouth from spitting out his food in laughter, and horror.

Dobby was moving along the head table, placing the cups he "acquired" back to where they belonged. Professor McGonagall, and most of the other Professors, gave a strange look at the house elf as he moved down the table. Once he got to the end, he scurried towards Harry. Harry's eyes grew wide as he noticed Professor McGonagall watching Dobby move down towards Harry. Harry gave Hermione a nervous glance, and Dobby halted next to Harry.

`Harry Potter sir, Dobby has returned all the cups!' he said happily. Harry quietly thanked the elf, and Dobby-with a snap of his fingers-vanished. Harry dared a glance to the head table, and found Professor McGonagall's eyes boring into him. He quickly looked back to his food, and for the rest of the meal, never looked up from the table.

Once he finished, he quickly got up and went to the Room of Requirement, again avoiding a look at the head table. So far, he had an easy time keeping the Horcruxes secret from Professor McGonagall, and he didn't feel breaking that streak. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville all joined him, and once they reached the seventh floor corridor, they found a few energetic Guard members waiting.

Harry performed his walk, and the doorway appeared. Opening the room, he found the same room as the week before. People started filing in, and Harry checked the old clock on the wall. They still had a few minutes until he would start, so in the mean time, he talked to his DA.

`Tonight we'll finish up with Disarming Charms. Next is the Shield Charm. I want people to know how to do at least these two before anything else' Harry explained to the small DA, which filtered in slowly.

Keeping an open door policy, Hermione suggested allowing new members in when they wanted. She and Ginny stayed at the heavy table with the scroll, signing up any new students. After a few minutes past, and the hall was getting full, Seamus closed the door with a thud, and returned to the front with the other DA members.

`Harry, at least fifty new students signed up. This is going great!' Hermione said cheerfully, giving Harry's arm a squeeze. He smiled brightly at her, and took a step onto the stage.

`Alright everyone, welcome to the second meeting of The Guard. To new members, welcome. Please tell your friends that they can come out if they'd like, but they'd be best to join now, before we get too far ahead.

`Tonight we'll be finishing with Disarming Spells, and moving onto the Shield Charm. I need everyone to pair up again, and we'll continue with Disarming for now. For those who already know, or want to try, the Shield Charm is "Protego."'

Harry was about to step off the stage, when a small second year Hufflepuff put up her hand and spoke.

`Are we going to learn how to do a Patronus?' she asked. A good number of students, mostly the younger ones, nodded their heads, and looked to Harry.

`Yeah, Professor Terrwynebas is going to teach us, but can we learn it here?' a young Slytherin asked. Harry's head stuck on him for a moment, realizing only now, that many more Slytherins were present in The Guard.

`We will be learning them, but not right now. We need to get the basics first' Harry answered. Many student moaned at this answer, and some even looked angry.

`Can you even cast a Patronus?' a pale faced, short haired Slytherin asked, who looked to be in his fourth or fifth year. Harry, meeting this question yet again, rolled his eyes, and didn't even bother answering. Instead he thought of he and Hermione's kiss on Christmas Eve, and raised his wand.

`Expecto Patronum' he articulated. The bright silver phoenix flew out of his wand, and soared over the heads of the students. Many of them ducked, a few shrieked, and many awed at the sight. The phoenix circled back, and dissolved just above Harry, and many of the students, still looking awed, burst into cheers. Harry blushed slightly, and motioned the DA to start their rounds. The group hesitated, all of them looking extremely confused at Harry, and slowly moved into the mass of students, who were eagerly trying their Disarming Spells, with a few Shield Charms popping up here and there.

As Harry stepped off the stage, Neville came over, his brow lowered in concern.

`What happened to your Patronus Harry? Didn't it use to be a stag?' he asked. He could understand the DA's odd looks now.

`It changed over the summer. Now it's a phoenix. If you could, can you tell the other DA members that, so I don't' have a dozen people asking me?' Harry asked. Neville nodded, and started his way through the students, helping a very short, first year Ravenclaw with his defenses.

Once the lesson was over, all the older students could perform the Disarming Spell well, as well as the Shield Charm. Luckily, most of the younger students got the Shield Charm easier than the Disarming, but it was looking promising. Many of the students talked to the DA members before leaving about other people joining.

`That went really well, considering the size of the group' Dean asserted, the other DA members agreeing. They all hung back, to talk to Harry and the others.

`Yeah Harry, The Guard will be the entire school by the end of the month!' Susan Bones boasted.

`Hopefully it will. If what the Sorting Hat said comes true, everyone will need to know how to defend themselves' Hermione insisted. The group went silent, and everyone looked at the floor for a moment, remembering the warning the Hat gave.

`Is You-Know-Who Slytherin's Heir?' Denis Creevey asked quietly. Everyone looked at him for a moment, then to Harry. Harry looked at everyone, then slowly nodded. He could see their faces growing immediately worried, and tried to reassure them.

`This is why we're making The Guard. There's probably more Aurors here than at the Ministry. The professor's are here as well. It's only a precaution that we're training the Guard.' Harry let the words sink in, and both Colin and Denis Creevey looked at each other, nodded, then looked at Harry.

`We're not scared Harry. Our uncle was killed two months ago by Death Eaters, and we know the risks' Colin stated. They both took a step forward and glanced at everyone, before returning to Harry.

`We'd fight for Hogwarts until the very end' Denis said proudly.

`We'd fight against him until the end' Colin added, sounding just as determined. Harry was moved by their statements, but didn't want to think of that yet.

`I know guys, but for now, let's not think about "the end". Invite any students that ask about our meeting to next week, and we should be working a little more the Shield Charm, then starting on the Stunning and Revival Spells. Any questions, just come see me, Hermione, or Ron. OK?' Harry asked the group. They all agreed, and left the room.

`Terrwynebas owes you good Harry. This club is going to be huge! Might be an idea to get some of the staff to help' Ron pitched in, once it was only him, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna. Harry thought of asking some of the staff, but for the moment, decided not to.

`If the club gets over half the school, then we'll ask. I just don't want the staff encroaching on my teaching' Harry admitted. He could see probably if Professor McGonagall had to follow his orders.

`They won't Harry. Oh, speaking of Topher, he wanted to see you after the meeting tonight' Luna stated.

`You call him Topher?' Harry asked. Luna nodded slowly, like one would if under water.

`He said I could call him Topher. He's a nice professor. He doesn't laugh at me like some of other ones' Luna responded with her usual oddness. Ginny looked at Ron with a smirk, and he retorted with a sarcastic grin. Luna noticed neither.

`Alright, I'll go see him then. I'll see you later in the common room' Harry mentioned to Hermione. She smiled at him sweetly, and he left for Topher's office.

He knocked on the door, and Topher opened it from his desk with his wand.

`Come in Harry. Sorry for the short notice, but I wanted to ask you something' he explained as Harry sat down in front of his desk, where he was marking some papers, which appeared to be on boggarts.

`Harry, why did you have that house elf checking every single cup in the castle?' he asked straightforwardly, still marking his papers and not looking up. Harry couldn't hide his surprise to the question, and Topher smiled, putting down his quill and looking up, showing he was not upset about it.

`Professor McGonagall asked me after supper if I knew why the elf took all the cups. I saw him talk to you afterwards, and thought to ask. She's waiting for me to get back to her, before she asks you; so if the reason is one you don't want her to know about, you'd be best to tell me' Topher suggested.

`It's about Voldemort. I can't say much about it, it's a secret' Harry admitted. Topher nodded, and leaned back in his chair to stretch, his dull grey robes stretching slightly.

`Is it about the Horcruxes?' Topher asked, as if asking if Harry wanted a cup of tea. Harry almost fell off his seat.

`What? I mean-How do you-?' Harry stuttered. Topher smiled again, and leaned forward.

`Dumbledore told me a little of your task. I don't know much, and frankly I don't need to. He said you would tell me if you needed help, but so far I'm guessing it's going alright. But is this cup searching about it?' Harry still couldn't believe what Topher knew. From the start, he knew about the Horcruxes, yet never mentioned it.

`Yes, it was about that' Harry finally uttered. Topher nodded in thought, then picked up his red-marked quill.

`Alright. I'll Professor McGonagall you were searching for a cup you lost, and the house elf got a little too excited in looking for a cup. Are you still planning on making it to our lesson on Saturday?' he asked, moving away from the topic of Horcruxes.

`Yeah-how did you know about Horcruxes all this time and not tell me?' Harry asked, his voice showing some of his discontent. Topher put his quill down again, and sighed.

`Dumbledore told me you'd come to me if you needed help. I still talk to his portrait, and he could have told me more, but he wanted you to tell me. Realize Harry, I do know a little about a Horcrux, but nothing about what you're doing, except that it has to do with Voldemort.

`Believe me, if you want my help with it, I'll give it. Of course you'd have to tell me about everything, but again, I leave that to you. I asked if you're coming on Saturday, because if you don't mind, I would like Hermione to come as well.' Harry decided to leave the issue of Horcruxes behind for now.

`Why do you want Hermione to come?' Harry asked. He wasn't upset about it, just curious.

`As I'm told, she's done very well in History of Magic, and Ancient Runes. I'm going to be telling you about the scrolls I've been deciphering, and she can more than likely help with the history' Topher said easily.

`So we're not working on any magic?' Harry questioned, sounding a little upset with a history lesson.

`You need to know the history of this magic, to know what I'm trying to find. Professor Dumbledore believed this was the only thing that could help you, so it's important to know.' Harry still was not too happy, and Topher must have noticed.

`Don't worry Harry, we'll be getting back to spells and Legilimency next week, I promise' he reassured.

`Alright, I'll ask Hermione' Harry said.

`Good, good. How is the dueling club going?' he asked.

`Really well actually. Almost half the school is in it.'

`That's great to hear, really. Well, I need to get back to grading these papers on boggarts. I'll see you on Saturday evening' Topher said. Harry left the office, and made his way to the East Tower. He asked Hermione about the lesson on Saturday, and she seemed very interested.

`Sure Harry, if you don't mind. I mean, I've read a lot of ancient magic in one of the books Professor Dumbledore gave to me, so hopefully it will help. Of course I don't know much of Egyptian hieroglyphs, but still, it will be interesting to learn' she exclaimed, sounding excited over the lesson. Within five minutes of Harry telling Hermione of the lesson, he found her sitting down reading books on hieroglyphs.

That Saturday night, they made their way to the defence classroom. They walked slowly along the cold hallways, while Hermione went on and on about Egyptian items she read of. Harry listened to it as they walked, but began wanting her to relax about it all.

`Then, when they finished burying him in his tomb, they placed these really old curses on the tomb, and enchanted guards to-` she was saying. Harry shook his head, and planted a kiss on her lips in mid-sentence.

She squeaked for a moment, then fell into the kiss easily; allowing her form to relax and move close to Harry. They kissed for a few moments, and Harry pulled away, looking at Hermione longingly. She was about to speak-probably to ask a question-when Harry placed his finger on her moist lips.

`Please, relax' he whispered closely. She gazed at him for a moment, and she smiled warmly. She nodded slightly, and draped her arms around Harry's neck, and they kissed again.

`It's just really fascinating. Sometimes I just get excited' she confessed, as they continued on towards the classroom. She blushed a little, and Harry chuckled as they reached the doorway.

'Now I know to hand you a book to get your excited' Harry noted, looking down and Hermione.

'Well, it's not the only thing that gets me excited' she replied, giggling again in that un-Hermione-like fashion. She reached up and gave Harry a quick kiss, they knocked on the door, and entered.

Topher was going through a number of old parchment scrolls, and arranging them in specific order. He looked up, seeing the two Heads, and beamed at the two of them.

`Ah, perfect. I hope you are both doing well. Come and sit down' he said, motioning to a set of chairs in front of his desk. They sat down, and Topher did the same, although the pile of scrolls hid him slightly.

`Thank you for coming Hermione' Topher started. `I wanted to hear your opinion of this, as well as any input you may have.'

`Of course Topher, I'll help as much as possible' Hermione reassured, giving Harry a glance and a smile.

`Good. Tonight, we're going to be talking about the ancient wizard Thoth, his book, and the tale of Setna. Do you know about any of these things, before I begin?' Topher asked the two of them. Harry shoook his head, and looked to Hermione. She bit her lip in thought, something Harry had to admit, he found cute, and she nodded.

`Thoth was an Egyptian God; of magic I believe. He was very powerful, and supposedly wrote all his secrets in an powerful book called the Book of Thoth, even though it was thought to actually be on a scroll' she explained. She waited for a response, but got none, and continued.

`It was believed that the scroll was buried with a Prince, and protected by spells and guardians. That's about all the information I could really find in the short time frame' she finished, sounding upset with her lack of knowledge on the subject. Topher leaned forward in his chair, and stood; beginning to pace behind the desk.

`That's all correct Hermione. Believe me, you know more than most people already, so don't be disheartened. It is forgotten magic, known to very few people' he maintained. She grinned at this, and Topher continued.

`Yes, it was believed buried with an Egyptian Prince. Most of the names are meaningless to us, but his name was Nefrekeptah, and he was the son of Amenhotep. He was considered the most powerful wizard of his time, and it was believed to be because of the Book. As I told Harry, the Book was believed to house magic the world had never seen. Very ancient and massive magic not meant for human eyes.' He stopped pacing for a moment, then turned and sat back down, this time on the side of this desk.

`The story of Setna is usually used as a warning for greed. You see, Setna was a scholar, and a very powerful wizard, but he was not satisfied with knowing that Nefre- . . . Nefrek- . . . well, the Prince-who lived centuries before Setna--was more powerful than him. He sought to find the Book of Thoth, and learn of its secrets.

`He and his brother went to the Prince's tomb, and confronted the guardians, which were called kas. They are mummified bodies that are forever guarding the tomb. Kas have caused many problems for wizards in Egypt, because they aren't Inferi, and they're not dead. They're something different. The only way to keep them from causing trouble, is to leave the tomb alone.' Harry was surprised to find himself actually interested in hearing about all this, and the old magic. He glanced at Hermione, and a wide smile wiped across his face, seeing how she was sitting on the edge of her seat, eating up every word Topher said.

`Setna and his brother however, wanted the Book. They were told the horrible story of the Prince's life, and how he lost everything in the pursuit of knowledge and power. His son and wife-which were the kas that guarded the tomb-were dead within hours of his reading the book. He had the power to restore them to life, but it would not work.

`Setna heard of this story, but was not swayed. The kas realized there was no chance of changing his mind, and they played an old game, similar to chess, for the book. Setna was loosing, and he used magic against the kas, stole the book, and left the tomb. The kas yelled to him he would come back, crawling and begging for forgiveness.' Topher took a breath from the long story, and shifted in his chair. Hermione was itching to hear more.

`So what happened?' she asked hurriedly.

`What was expected; Setna read the book. His father begged him to return it, but he didn't. One day, he fell in love with a beautiful woman. Of course he was married, with a child, and he loved both of them very much. The beautiful woman said he would have to murder them both to have her. He was so charmed by this woman, magically of course, that he did just that. He murdered his own wife and child, and returned to the woman. The woman turned into a corpse, and Setna woke up.'

`Woke up? Wait, it was a dream?!' Hermione almost shouted. Harry laughed at how much she was getting into the story. Topher smiled, and nodded.

`Yes, as the story goes, it was a dream. He went as fast as possible, and found his family alive. He told his father, and he conceded to return the Book, exactly as the kas said he would; crawling and begging. The kas accepted the return, but stated that their bodies were buried in different parts of Egypt. They said that if Setna returned the bodies, and reunited them with the Prince, the dream would then not come to pass. He did as they asked, and the Book of Thoth was believed to still be guarded in that tomb, waiting for the rise of the god Osiris.' He sighed after the long winded story, while Harry quirked his brow in confusion.

`Why is that story important? I mean, we don't even know if the Book exists' he voiced.

`True, but if it does exist, then the chance of this story being real is high, in which case, who ever uses the Book must be careful with their loved-ones. In the tale-the wizardsthat used the Book-all their loved and cherished ones died. If the power to destroy Voldemort is in this book, we have to be very careful with it.' Topher was looking very hard at the two heads. Harry still had questions though.

`What does this have to do with love though? Dumbledore always went on and on about how that was my power.' Topher nodded again.

`You see Harry, the Book of Thoth-as I just said-causes the loved ones of the wizard who uses it to die. The use of the Book is then driven by that love. If, say, Voldemot was to use the Book, it wouldn't work, because he has no one he loves. You on the other hand, have many you love, so the Book would be useful to you.

`What makes it especially driven for you, is the love that is implanted in you by your parents, and your devotion to those you love. You saw Setna, and the Prince: they let their loved ones die for power. You are not like that; you do not want power, you want the love. You would be able to use the Book, and would be driven to return it as Setna did, to keep your loved ones alive!'

Hermione's eyes were blazing in a mixture of hope and realization at Topher's explanation. This magic, though believed lost thousands of years ago, is exactly what he needed to defeat Voldemort. The problem of course, was that she was the one he loved the most. If he found the Book of Thoth, she might die in the process of him using it.

Harry was speechless. He thought when Dumbledore mentioned love being his power, that he would have a spell or something that would use love, or some projection of his love that would do something; something that did not sound too believable to Harry.

This magic however, sounded more believable. Granted they didn't know if it existed or not, but the idea of forcing Voldemort's own spells on himself, and all the while being driven by Harry's power to love others sounded perfect. It was a power Voldemort would never know, because he never loved anyone. Harry started smiling as the gears began to click in his head, and seemed to believe more and more about this theory.

`This sounds great!' Harry expounded, reaching over and holding Hermione's hand, which was shaking slightly. Harry's face fell when he looked, and she gave a placid smile. Topher seemed to understand.

`Don't worry Hermione. Remember, Setna keeps his family alive by repaying the kas. Worrying about curses on the Book should wait until we actually find it' Topher put forth. Hermione bit her lip again, and nodded.

`But Topher, you said this Book has a lot of magic; how sure are you that it will contain the magic Harry needs?' she asked seriously. Topher sorted through the parchment rolls, and brought out the one with the snake in a circle.

`I forgot to show this to you. This is an ancient scroll, explaining very ancient magic from Egypt. Now, I'm not sure of the runes, but this symbol is-`

`It's an Oroborus Circlet, I've seen it before!' she interrupted, reaching into her bag, and looking for a notebook. Topher gave a queer look at Harry, and he shrugged his shoulders.

`Hermione, where did you see it?' Harry asked. Hermione was still looking through, and finally pulled out the old notebook Dumbledore gave her.

`In here. This is the notebook by that unknown author. I remember seeing this image-the one of a snake eating its own tail.' She began flipping through the pages, and both Harry and Topher were waiting on their tip-toes. She finally stopped on a page, and pointed.

`Here' she stated, putting the book on the desk. Harry leaned in, and Topher came around so he could read it.

Believed an ancient symbol of magical foundations, the Oroborus Light is believed to be one of the most powerful incantations in magical theory.

This suggests that the spell casts the owner's past spells on themselves. It is debated what effect this could have, but no records exists of the spell being performed.

Topher looked at Hermione and Harry, and smiled-with both sides of his mouth.

`This is excellent, really excellent. Do you mind if I look at this for a moment?' Topher asked, referring to the book. Hermione passed it to him, and he began flipping through it, pacing around the room, while Harry and Hermione talked quietly.

`Harry, this is wonderful. I mean, I do hope nothing will happen to me or anyone else-`

`It won't, I promise' Harry reassured.

`I know, but think of this! This is exactly what you need to destroy Voldemort! And the best part is, you wouldn't be killing him!' she said happily, smiling.

`What do you mean, of course I'd have to kill him' Harry stated. Hermione smiled even more, her cheeks growing red, and she moved closer, and whispered to him.

`No Harry, you wouldn't. This says it uses the person's own spells against them. Voldemort's probably killed hundreds of people. His own Killing Curses would kill him!' She was overjoyed by this, and continued to smile immensely at Harry. Harry's brain slowly ingested the information, and sure enough, he found himself with a smile on his face so large, it actually hurt his cheeks.

He forgot about Topher in the room, and kissed Hermione passionately with the wonderful news, feeling totally overjoyed. They however heard someone clear their throat, and they separated immediately, both blushing intensely.

`Well, I'm glad you two are happy about my research, but I must ask: where did you get this book again?' he questioned. Harry and Hermione both laughed at his comment.

`Um, Dumbledore' Hermione answered, regaining some of her composure.

`I see, and he said he didn't know who the author was?'

`That's right' Hermione said, though looking at Topher oddly.

`Hmm' Topher replied, walking over to the blackboard, and writing down the author's name.

Walvane Worcrane

He stood back from the name for a moment, then turned to the Heads; who were both excited, but wondrous at the Professor's thoughts.

`You know' he said as he started walking around to the other side of the desk, `my father-when I was young-use to give me word puzzles to do. Simple ones of course at the start, but they got harder. There was only one kind I never liked. Any guesses?' Harry gave Hermione a weird look, and was not disappointed, as she gave one back, and she ventured a guess.

`Crosswords?'

`No. Anagrams' he admitted. He walked over to the board, and slowly began writing another name underneath. Once the first three letters were written, Hermione got up from her seat, and was shocked.

`How did I not see that?!' she almost shouted at herself, seeing the name. Topher stepped back, and smiled at the two, handing back the book.

`I think that's enough for tonight. We'll meet up again next week, alright Harry?' he said with all too much simplicity. Harry nodded and-still filled with happiness-came around and clapped Topher on the back, thanking him for the hope he was giving Harry. Topher smiled back, and Harry almost dragged Hermione out of the room, as she was still staring at the two names on the board.

Walvane Worcrane

Rowena Ravenclaw

A/N - For those interested in hearing the whole story of Setna and the Book of Thoth, my reference is from this site:

http://touregypt.net/godsofegypt/thebookofthoth.htm

You can also read a little bit of the Book of Thoth on that wonderful creation known as Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Thoth

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