Chapter 13: Diem de Menti (Day of the mind)
The second day began with a 6:00 am arrival by Harry and Ron on a secluded hillside. They stood for a moment in the absolute quiet of that place. Pine trees were loosely scattered around them. The hill became steeper and rose up a few hundred feet more to a rocky peak that continued on as a high ridgeline. A valley to the west stretched out below them. Ron took out his wand and placing the tip lightly on Harry's forehead said, "diem de menti." Ron then set up security wards and disillusionment charms. Harry meanwhile set up a small wizard camping tent.
"All set then mate?" said Ron.
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Ok. Here's the book you need to use today. I'll be checking up on you every so often. See you later then."
Ron walked outside of the security wards and disapparated. Harry read the ritual booklet for the second day activities
while he ate a simple breakfast.
Day 2: Solitude, reflection and focusing of the mind.
Goal: To make peace with yourself and accept the person that you are as your beloved does.
Reflect on a selected question honestly and truthfully in writing. Then, meditate on your response. Take time. Select or use your own questions for reflection.
Meditation is being ...1. Who am I?
2. How do I appreciate the beauty within me?
3. What makes me smile?
4. What will I do for my beloved today?
5. If God whispered something in my ear, what would I like Him to say?
...
Hermione and Ginny similarly arrived at 6:00 am on the edge of a forested plateau. Only the birds broke the utter
silence of that place. From this place, the ground sloped gently downward toward the west and was blanketed in ash,
birch and elm trees. Ginny placed her wand on Hermione's forehead and said, "diem de menti." After
setting up a tent and security wards she helped Hermione get settled.
Ginny said, "I'll be checking up on you. You've got the DA coin if you need my urgent help."
"Thanks Ginny."
"This is the booklet you need to use today. See you later." Ginny walked off and disapparated.
Hermione ate breakfast while reading the ritual booklet. The activities were questions for personal reflection and hourly meditation exercises. The booklet contained extendable blank pages and a magical pencil for writing.
Meditation is being present to what is without judgment or expectation; to notice thoughts and become aware of their impact on one's life. Awareness reflects and permits self-introspection.
1. A word or phrase
2. Your breath or heartbeat
3. A flower, plant or tree
4. An imaginary place
...
It was mid-morning when Ron apparated in a short distance away and made his way to Harry in the tent. Ron saw Harry
writing as he quietly peeked into the tent. Harry looked up and smiled.
Ron said, "Ok Harry? Need anything?"
"Everything is fine Ron. Thanks."
Ron took a minute to check the wards and then disapparated.
Harry read another question, "What will I do for my beloved today?"
Harry leaned back and thought. He would not see or be with Hermione today, at least, not physically. He was not allowed to use direct magic or something like a muggle phone. Maybe somehow the meditation could be used, somehow project his thoughts or feelings to her. That is after all, one of the goals they were trying to achieve by using the ritual. He got up and went for a walk to think about it.
When Ginny made the mid-morning checkup on Hermione, she was sitting by a tree reading.
"Hi Hermione. Everything ok."
"Hi Ginny. Yes, everything is fine. It's such a nice morning."
"Do you need anything?" asked Ginny.
"Yes Ginny, I do. I'd like you to bring me a broom."
"A broom?" asked Ginny.
"Yes. The one I want is under Harry's bed at our flat. Can you bring it to me?"
"Sure but, I thought you weren't all that keen about them."
"It's something that will help me today," said Hermione.
"Ok. Be back in a few minutes."
A short while later, Ginny returned with the broom.
Hermione looked up from her writing and said, "Thank you Ginny."
"Need anything else?"
"No, nothing else."
"Ok. See you later then." She walked to just outside the wards and then disapparated.
Hermione completed writing in the ritual booklet. Then she laid the broom in front of her. She crossed her legs, sat up erect and closed her eyes. She sat motionless for a long while breathing deeply and regularly. Very relaxed, she opened her eyes, held out her hand out over the broom and said "up". The broom rose to her hand and her fingers wrapped around the handle. There were a few butterflies in her stomach as she stood and mounted the broom. Remembering how Harry had done it the day he proposed to her, she gently kicked off into a low hover. She cautiously began to practice turning, pivoting and easing the broom forward and backward. The movements were jerky and being unsure, she remained only a few feet off the ground. She continued to be aware of her breathing, working to keep herself relaxed, but it was difficult to concentrate on both at the same time.
Ron arrived mid-day. "Here's some lunch for you."
"Thanks Ron. There are a couple of things I need you to get for me from my room at the flat."
"What are they?" said Ron.
"In the top drawer of my nightstand is a music box. Under my bed is a broom. They will really help me today with the assignments."
"Ok. I'll be back in a bit then," said Ron.
Ron arrived at the Burrow with a flustered expression on his face.
"What's the matter Ron?" said Ginny with a concerned look. "Is everything ok with Harry?"
"Yeah. Harry is fine," said Ron somewhat exasperated. "But he asked me to bring him a broom from under his bed and it wasn't there. I looked around their flat but I couldn't find it."
Ginny said, "Hermione has it. She asked me to bring it to her earlier this morning."
Ron let out a sigh and said, "What should we do? I can't tell Harry she has the broom. And if I bring him one of ours, he'll know something is up."
Ginny thought for a moment and said, "Maybe not. Take my Nimbus broom to him."
"When Harry questions me, what should I say?"
"Tell him it's special to Ginny that he use my broom. Don't say anything else or answer any other questions about it."
"Ok, thanks Ginny."
"I've got to take lunch to Hermione now. Good luck."
Harry had been trying to complete what he felt would be a proper meditation since mid-morning. He tried deep breathing,
focusing on a single thought and trying to feel oneness with the surroundings. But it was difficult for him to let go
of himself and put aside distractions. The booklet said that this was normal and to just take breaks and keep trying.
Harry thought, "What would Hermione do; besides go find the answer in the library?" He answered his
question with, "She would think logically about it." But that seemed the opposite of meditation to
him.
He was finishing his lunch in the tent when Ron returned. Ron handed him the music box and leaned the broom against the side of the tent.
"Ron, that's Ginny's broom."
"I know mate. It's special to Ginny that you use her broom."
"Oh ... ok then," said Harry looking back at the resolve in Ron's face.
Ron said, "If that's all you need, I'll be going. See you later."
"Thanks Ron," he said as Ron quickly exited the tent. A moment later, Harry heard a crack in the distance as Ron disapparated.
Harry picked up the ritual booklet to do another meditation exercise but he stopped as his mind came back to an unsettled question. Why had Ron brought him Ginny's broom and left abruptly? Harry had put his broom under his bed. Ron got him the music box so he did go into Harry's room. That means that Ron couldn't find the broom. Only he and Hermione knew about it ...
"Hermione!" he said aloud.
He thought back to the question he was working on, 'What will I do for my beloved today?' She knew he loved flying on a broom. But it always made her nervous to do it. Harry's eyes got misty at the remainder of that thought.
Ginny arrived with lunch for Hermione and asked, "How are you doing with flying the broom?"
"Better but I'm still not very confident and it's not very smooth," said Hermione.
Ginny said, "Try not to think about the mechanics of control. Just think and feel where you want to go, sort of like riding a bicycle. You don't think about falling when you ride a bicycle. It's the same with a broom."
"Ok. I'll give that a try. Thanks Ginny."
"Need anything else?"
"No, I have what I need."
"See you later this afternoon then." Hermione began eating her lunch as Ginny departed.
In the tent, Harry put the music box on the table in front of him. He wrapped his hands around it and began thinking of
the song he wanted. He only knew a few of the words that he had seen, written by Hermione, in her wedding planner. He
concentrated on the words and repeated them a few times. Then, Harry opened the music box. His mother's voice began
to sing the song. Harry smiled. This was a meditation he knew he could accomplish.
Hermione sat on the broom hovering a few feet off the ground. Her left hand held the broom handle. Her right hand held
her wand resting in her lap in case an 'aresto momentum' spell was needed. She closed her eyes and began deep
rhythmic breathing concentrating on the release of tension each time she exhaled. As she became relaxed, she partially
opened her eyes and squinted at the distant horizon. Then, with each exhale of her breath, she quietly said,
"superior". Almost imperceptibly, she began to move vertically upwards. She watched only the horizon in front
of her. Her thoughts shifted to the day she flew with Harry to the family tree. They had gently turned left and right,
smoothly moved higher and lower. Her hand on the broom became an extension of her thought. Where she pointed the
handle, the broom followed. If her hand put forward pressure on the handle, the broom moved forward. She opened her
eyes fully and realized that she was now flying large figure eight's a hundred feet in the air. A few butterflies
tickled in her stomach but she remained focused in her determination to master the broom. Moving her hand cautiously
downward, she began to descend toward the ground. And putting backward pressure on the handle caused the broom to slow
and stop as her feet touched the ground.
She punched the air and yelled, "YES!!!" Taking the booklet, she began to write. Then, mounting the broom and kicking off, she practiced again and again.
Ron returned mid afternoon. Harry was sitting in the shade of a tree. He seemed relaxed and looked peaceful.
"Last call, need anything mate?" he said quietly.
Harry said, "No, I've got everything I need now. When you come at sunset, bring your broom with you. Join me if I'm flying when you get here."
"Ok. See you then."
Harry turned to the last meditation in the booklet and read.
You are an immortal being currently dwelling within a mortal body. Therefore, know that:
"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars ..." [Desiderata; Max Ehrmann]
"Last visit before sunset," said Ginny.
"I don't need anything," said Hermione. "Ginny, when you come at sunset, bring your broom with you."
Ginny smiled and said, "It's good to hear you say that. I will."
Hermione smiled and Ginny left.
Hermione looked up after reading the last meditation in the booklet and closed her eyes.
Harry spent most of the remaining afternoon slowly soaring across the ridge of the hill and skimming the treetops. A
feeling of peace and complete freedom filled him. He thought about the words in the booklet. He thought about his
friends and how they had helped shape his life, particularly Ron. He thought about Hermione and how much she meant to
him. That somehow, he knew her beyond friendship and beyond romantic love. How was it possible?
Toward the end of the afternoon, Hermione was confident in her skills to control the broom. She floated above and
sometimes between the treetops. She felt at ease moving faster and looking around as she flew. She could hover and
close her eyes knowing that the broom would only move where she wanted it to go. She thought about her parents, her
friends and especially Ginny. She thought about Harry and their friendship and love for each other. About how they
might become closer, if that was even possible.
Ron returned with his broom and a light dinner for the two of them. He caught sight of Harry floating peacefully in the
evening breeze rising off the mountain slope. Harry looked like an eagle soaring as he slowly circled just above the
ridgeline. The sun was very low on the horizon and about to set. Ron stowed dinner in the tent and then silently flew
up toward Harry on his broom. Ron took up a position behind and a few yards off on Harry's right side. Smoothly
locked into that position, Ron watched Harry in silence. Harry's eyes were closed and he slowly circled as if
scanning the horizon for something. Presently, he came to a stop and opened his eyes.
"She's in that direction," he said looking toward the horizon.
Ron smiled and remained silent. He knew where Hermione and Ginny were. Harry had indeed indicated the correct
direction. Ron was most surprised though, when Harry began to sing.
You fill up my senses
Like a night in a forest
...[Annie's Song; John Denver, 1974]
Hermione was at peace flying on the broom. Ginny was on a broom flying next to her. They both hovered nearly
motionless, like kites on a string, high above the trees. Hermione faced the setting sun with her eyes closed, the last
warming rays of the day reflecting off the contented expression on her face.
A faint suggestion of a song drifted into Hermione's mind. The words were familiar and she unconsciously pivoted her broom. Though she heard only a light wind in her ears, the words seemed to be coming from the direction she now faced.
Ginny watched in silence and smiled as Hermione began to quietly sing looking toward the distant horizon. Soon, there were happy tears in her eyes.
...
Come let me love you
Come love me again
Harry continued to gaze at the horizon for a minute and then turned on his broom to watch the remainder of the sun disappear below the horizon.
After a moment Ron said, "That was beautiful mate. Do you think she knows?"
"Yeah ... it felt like she was there."
After a short pause, Harry said, "Do you think you'll do this ritual with Katie one day?"
"I think so mate. We both meet the requirements so far," he said with a smile.
"Ron, have you ever thought about how unbelievably lucky it was that Hermione, you and me met up in our first year?"
"Quite a few times, I can't imagine how it would have been otherwise." Ron pointed up and smiled, "Someone up there was really looking out for us."
Harry said, "Do you mind if we stay a while longer and watch the stars come out?"
"No mate, not at all."
Hermione wiped her eyes. Ginny moved close beside her and said, "Are you ok?"
"Yes," said Hermione. She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I'm very happy right now. I think Harry just sang that song to me."
"Did you hear him?" ask Ginny with a concerned look on her face.
"No ... the words just came into my head so I sang along. It's called Annie's Song. I was considering it a few weeks ago for the reception. He must have seen it in my wedding planner."
"It was beautiful," said Ginny. "Appropriate considering what you and Harry are trying to achieve."
After a moment, Ginny said, "You seem to have mastered flying on a broom."
"Thanks to you," she said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to having Harry with me in the future. Sunsets are so wonderful to watch from up here." She gazed at the fading twilight.
"Ginny ... Is it ok with you if we stay and watch the stars for a while? I want to spend some time talking with my best girlfriend."
"That would be wonderful," said Ginny smiling.