Severus Snape and Harry Potter

Chapter 38

Lena was curled up in a study carrel, flipping through pages of the Codex Magicka, trying to find any sort of reference to revenants or the Place Between Worlds. The book did not speak to her as it did to Harry, she suspected that was very rare and it only communicated that way with a chosen few. Finally she found the section on summoning revenants. The book clearly warned against doing so, and also mentioned that once summoned, could not guarantee control over the creature. The level of control over an undead depended solely upon the will of the magic wielder. The information on how to banish one was a few paragraphs only.

For those wishing to lay to rest such a tormented soul, you may employ runic circles or a banishment spell such as used upon demons and those from the Ninth Circle. However, such methods are temporary, and the revenant may still be called forth after a year and a day by another practitioner. In order to fully lay the soul to rest, you must Travel to the Place Between Worlds and there subdue it and bind it or destroy it utterly. And the stronger the spirit, the more struggle one will face, for it is not in the nature of vengeance and hatred to go quietly into the night. One must have the utmost determination, focus, and power. In the Place Between Worlds it is the will and innate magic that determines victory or defeat.

There were a few footnotes regarding mind disciplines and Lena skimmed them, for they were standard practices for mind mages, and she knew them all by heart. She also read the section on astral travel, and how to assist a fellow magus who was not born with that talent take the Path Between Worlds. Lena suspected that Skull could help Severus better than she could, as she had only traveled the spirit road a few times with Irma.

She began taking notes, wishing the book mentioned a bit more about the vulnerability of revenants. Of course, perhaps the reason there was so little on them was because they had few vulnerabilities. She felt a hard knot of fear and worry settle in the pit of her stomach. She had escaped the revenant once . . . but would she be able to do so a second time?

The next morning:

The students were carefully shepherded to and from their common rooms, allowed to eat breakfast and lunch in the hall before returning to their rooms to pack and whisper about what was lurking in the school. Some students had parents come and Floo them home, but others waited for the Hogwarts Express, which was being given an overhaul and painted with runes to prevent the revenant from being able to board it. Though it was unlikely the revenant would come out of the castle, especially during the day, when the sun was out, every precaution was being taken with the safety of the students.

Harry spoke with Ron during breakfast and lunch, telling him that Severus wanted Harry to go stay with the Weasleys until this whole thing with the revenant had been sorted out. Ron was very excited to have Harry over the Burrow and began planning all sorts of things to do while he was there. Normally, Harry would have been excited to sleep over at a friend's house, because he'd never done it before, but his premonitions and fears for Severus and Skull were clouding his enjoyment.

As he was walking back with Severus and Skull to Snape's quarters, he head a familiar voice in his head. Traveler child, come to me. I would speak with you.

He nearly tripped over his own feet upon hearing the Codex in his head.

"Careful, Harry!" Skull squawked.

Severus reached out a hand to steady him. "Watch where you walk, Harry."

"I was, Uncle Sev. It just startled me, is all."

"What did?"

"The Codex, it called for me. I heard it in my head. It wants me to come to it," he explained softly.