Harry Potter and the Heir of Slytherin

Awakening Dream

"Blood Runes, also known as Blood Seals to some, are used to bind someone's soul to an inanimate object. The iron in the blood will interact with the metal it's drawn on, causing the metal and the Blood Rune to form a symbiosis, thereby ensuring that the soul is tied to the object rather than the body."

Nicolas Flamel paced back and forth in front of his student, as he lectured Harry on yet another aspect of Alchemy that the young Potter heir had never heard of before.

He had to admit, it was a fascinating subject. Sick, twisted and beyond depraved, but fascinating nonetheless.

"There are a few positive effects for those who have had their soul bound. A person whose soul is bound to an inanimate object feels no pain, hunger, or fatigue, thus enabling them to perform immense physical feats. Also, as the person has no body, he or she can sustain more damage than normal humans, placing the person in a state of nigh invulnerability."

Now that Harry understood the basics of alchemy and could create his own transmutation circles, Nicolas Flamel had decided it was time to give him more knowledge on the subject of alchemy. Advanced knowledge. Forbidden knowledge.

"Of course, there are also negative effects as well. He or she has a weak point, the rune itself. If the rune is damaged in some way, the person's soul will start to fade from the object. This makes the protection of the blood rune the most important task of the bound soul. Sometimes, the person inside the object can start to question his or her own existence. This can be very dangerous to the person's mental health."

Harry felt a shiver course down his spine. While this subject was beyond interesting, he would not deny that the idea of having his soul bound to an inanimate object was frightening. The idea of never feeling pain or hunger or fatigue, while pleasant, also came with an equal amount of negatives. He would not be able to feel, he would never be able to taste, he would never get to enjoy the act of sleeping for relaxations sake.

The worst part, Harry would admit, was that he would never be able to feel. The other two didn't sound as bad.

He would deny this to anyone who asked, but Harry liked Lisa's hugs. It was an unfortunate side effect of getting so many of them throughout the many years that they had known each other.

"There is also an even greater danger to those who have had their souls bound; if one's soul is bound to an inanimate object for too long, the soul and object will eventually start to repel each other. The person will start to experience moments of exhaustion, which causes that person's soul to disappear from the object. This can lead to the complete destruction of the soul as it slips away. This makes the blood rune only a temporarily effective technique."

Blood Runes. The act of binding a soul to an object, of enslaving a soul to an object. Harry could see the uses of it, though he didn't know if he would ever have the depravity to actually use this technique himself.

"The process is relatively simple. The practitioner must draw a rune in blood on an inanimate metal object, which will bind the iron in the blood. Typically speaking, these runes are often drawn on objects like armor."

As Flamel finally finished his lecture, Harry decided that it was time to give voice to his thoughts on what he had learned.

"It doesn't sound to me like the benefits of having your soul bound to an object outweigh the costs."

"Of course it doesn't," Flamel chuckled. "This method of binding was not used as any form of reprieve or reward. It was punishment dealt to people who had committed a capital offense. Back during the Founder's Era, and even during the time of ancient Greece, binding souls to objects was done for those who had committed the most heinous of crimes. These criminals would have their souls bound and a slave rune placed upon them to ensure that they would obey their master's every whim. They were normally used as guards for high profile peoples and places."