HPNSA - BOOK ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CUSTODIS PORTA


TIMELINE: JANUARY 18, 1998


The night air brushed against his skin as he ran outside. Ron looked up at the skies searching for a black patch with white swirling clouds bordering around it. Tears relentlessly made their way down his neck and every now and then his feet faltered in their haste. Voices of the past kept screaming at him and his mind kept answering back:


“I am glad that when something right happened in my life it was you”


But it wasn’t right, Ron thought. How can it be right when he’s gone? Nothing will make sense anymore; everything is one blank passage after another without him.


“No Nymphrodite every got married, nor bear any children. They are capable though, but none have had that, none have had what we have…Harry is the first to experience love as a Nymphrodite.”


He loved him all right with all his heart and soul, and now to lose him this way was beyond his capacity to comprehend. He will never accept it. If all the Nymphrodites before died this way with no one to weep for them then he weeps for them now.


“The book is a history of Nymphrodites. What was done to them before was unthinkable.”


It was unforgivable – what he saw that night - the picture at the altar was beyond description. Those that took part must die, and they should all die with the same agony and pain. Ron swore that should he be given the chance he would do it without remorse...without mercy.


“But it will happen, Ron. It’s only a matter of time. But it will happen you and I can’t stop it, not unless we break the chain. This will break the cycle Ron. If we don’t do this I’ll just be another name in the long list of Nymphrodites that died without love, or family, or marriage”


Should he write him down? Must he endure the years recalling the few months they were together? Looking at a parchment with nothing to get him by but a name. The cycle must end tonight.


“Those are all the Nymphrodites that died within the last millennia. I don’t want to add my name to that list. I don’t want to end up like them. Don’t condemn me to their fate.”


“And you won’t be!” Ron screamed angrily.


“You’re ready, man. Believe me, I think you’re ready.”


“But I wasn’t enough!” He cried. Then he stumbled and fell on his knees. “I did everything they asked me to do…EVERYTHING!” He shook as he screamed with great fury. Then he stood once more and ran. “You will not be taken from me! If I have to die this night, THEN SO BE IT! BUT YOU WILL NOT BE TAKEN FROM ME!”

Then he found it – somewhere near the Forbidden Forest, just between the Quidditch Pitch a hole about three thousand feet in diameter with white swirling clouds around it was waiting for the next soul to cross the veil.

“Accio Gatekeeper!” Ron cried and soon a red book came flying towards his eager hands. He then took out the dagger that was kept at the end and turned to the page where on its heading the title read, “THE GATES OF DEATH”, then he ran underneath the black patch.


“It’s Dark Magic”


Yes it was, Ron thought. And if this was the only thing to get Harry back, he cared not if it ate his soul. He’d rather lose his soul than live without his heart. The warning on the page was written clearly and he has read the passage more than a hundred times.


“The keepers of the dead only speak to those who are dead and who are nearing the gates of the void. If they do not agree with your parley they will not send you back with the living. You shall remain with the dead or they will leave you as a tormented soul reliving the last days of your life until time renews itself.”


He had no intention of turning back – NOT WITHOUT HARRY. Even if they condemn him as a ghost, to relive the past over and over and over until he goes mad with it, then he would, If that be the only way he can be with Harry again, even with that horrid memory relentlessly tormenting him even beyond the grave it was better than a life without him. The vows he said the day they got married came not from his mind but from every single part of him – Harry was indeed everything. The risk he was taking now was greater than all the other risks he took before combined; Hermione warned him, Fred and George warned him, his parents warned him, and Rio warned him. Everyone with a sensible mind told him not to do this for it was dangerous…Except Dumbledore.


“I am saying that when the time comes, and you are given the choice, I will not stop you from doing what your heart tells you to do.”


He couldn’t even if he wanted to, Ron thought. Dumbledore fell destroying the tower that has been Harry’s prison for nearly a week and with him he consumed the anger that he felt against those that were evil enough to do the accursed ritual that has plagued the magical world for nearly six thousand years. He was luckier, Ron thought. For now Dumbledore was in peace, resting his heart from the grief of this world.

Ron was now directly underneath in the very center of the black hole. Then he opened the book and said the incantation at the bottom of the Pentagram, “CUSTODIS PORTA!” The pentagram lighted up and flew out of the book; it grew wider, and wider, until it matched the size of the hole in the sky, then it rested on the ground turning slowly clockwise, the five points that were outside the largest circle lighted up.

“RON! STOP! DON’T DO IT!” Hermione was running towards him. “THINK ABOUT YOUR SON! ROOOONNN!!”

Ron looked at her as she came and when she was a few feet away from the pentagram he drove the dagger right in his heart. The five points stood on end and the pentagram rotated counter-clockwise at incredible speed creating a pillar of impenetrable light straight towards the opening in the sky.

“ROOONNN!” Hermione cried falling to her knees, her cries filling the night. Then Arthur came with Molly and Ginny in tow. And when they saw what happened they all fell to their knees and wept.


***

Harry has been staring at what seemed to be Hogwarts’ crest. He wondered why it was broken and why no one was fixing it. All around he noticed that the Gryffindor banner was also torn in half. He shook his head and tried to remember what he was doing inside the great hall. He tried to see if it was because he needed something there or perhaps he was waiting for someone there. But he found he could not remember, not even how he got there in the first place.

“Harry,”

Harry turned around and saw Dumbledore coming towards him. “Professor Dumbledore,” Harry said and he smiled at the old wizard.

“Hello Harry,” Dumbledore said smiling.

“Sorry Professor, I know I’m not supposed to be here at this time, it’s just I can’t remember where I’m supposed to go now. But I think I should head off to our dormitory,” Harry said.

Dumbledore smiled at him and said, “Aren’t you hungry? It’s been days since you last ate.”

“Days?” Harry said bewildered. He knew their headmaster was odd sometimes and thought that perhaps his perception of time has been altered by his age somehow. He smiled back and felt his stomach. Then he shook his head. “Well, no, though I am a bit thirsty. But not that much.”

“Would you like to walk with me Harry?” Dumbledore said.

“Yes, Professor, of course.” Harry said. Then he and Dumbledore slowly walked together. Harry was wondering where they were off to and why they were walking ever so slowly. He suddenly became aware of something as they walked – there was no one around besides them. Not even ghosts and Hogwarts was full of ghosts that wander about. Then they both entered a door. Going through, Harry found that they were now inside the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic – he has been here the previous year and remembered what had happened here. He wondered now why Dumbledore brought him to this place. Then they both headed towards the Archway where he saw Sirius fall through and die. The veil was being blown by a soft wind and the light inside it though bright was peaceful. Harry was nearly tempted to walk through.

“Sirius!” Dumbledore said. And slowly the image of Sirius Black appeared on the other side of the veil. He was smiling at them no longer looking mad and tormented. Harry saw behind him a few faces and they smiled at him too waving happily though they remained in the distance.

“Sirius!” Harry said.

“Hello Harry.” Sirius said.

“Hold on,” Harry said stopping short of running for his godfather. “You’re dead.”

“Yes, Harry I am.”

“If I walk through this veil, I’ll die won’t I?” Harry said. Sirius did not answer instead he looked at Dumbledore and Harry knew there was something he wasn’t seeing here. Then he asked himself the question, was he already dead? But the question went out of his lips, “Am I dead?”

“Would you like to cross the veil Harry?” Dumbledore asked.

Harry thought for a while; on the other side was peace and rest. Then he remembered his parents, they too were on the other side. Perhaps it was them he saw in the distance. There were others with them though, and they all waved at him. It was so tempting to go in. There was nothing stopping him from going through, he took a step but stopped. He heard another voice within the veil. The voice did not belong to any of the faces there. He remembered that sound and Harry was forced to remember that night – He was in here before and he wasn’t alone but he could not remember who it was that went with him. They were looking for Sirius thinking the Dark Lord had taken him. He was standing there and he heard a voice, at first he thought it was Sirius but it wasn’t. Then he heard another voice and he called a different name.

“What is it Harry?” Sirius said.

“Something’s missing,” Harry said. He tried to remember then who it was that he called, and slowly the face came to him, and he cried out the name he had forgotten, “RON!”


***

Ron now stood in a dark place where no light could be seen save the one from the candle before him. The silence was thick but not eerie. It was just uncommonly quiet. Then a figure came nearer. It was a woman dressed in a white robe that glinted with specks of bright blue from the light of the candle. She had long golden hair that swept the floor and her eyes were kind.

“Are you the Gatekeeper?” Ron said. His voice fell flat as though absorbed by the empty space.

“I am Ji. You wish to make a parley?”

“Yes. I’ve come to ask for the soul of Harry Potter.”

Ji lowered her gaze. “The Nymphrodite will cross the veil.”

“I want to stop it.” Ron said. His eyes stung with tears.

Ji looked at him again. “To stop it, you will turn the curse we have placed on his kind.”

“You placed the curse on Nymphrodites?” Ron said.

“Yes, for without the curse there’ll be no rest for them. They begged for the curse.” Ji said.

“How can they ask for such a torment?” Ron said.

“The torture was not the curse, Defender. That was an invention of those who greedily want the Iranna.” Ji said. “The curse was to lessen their stay in a world obsessed with immortality.”

Ron realized then they had this all wrong. The curse of the Iranna was not the one they needed to fight against – it was the way the curse was consummated. Death was kinder it seems, for with the curse came the hope of leaving the world behind. No more suffering, no more pain, no more running away from hunters – for many hunted them. Then Ron asked the question that burned him since he learned of the curse, “Who gave the Iranna?”

“The Iranna was given by Nin. She is the keeper of magical beasts – creator of the Unicorns. She gave it to a man who wanted to buy his son from death, but had nothing to parley with.” Ji said.

“It was a gift then?” Ron said.

“Gift? Nin is a child, Defender. She is not aware of such kindness. To her it was game everything is a game. She gave the Iranna then sent her demons, the incubi to hunt for it. The man never saved his son.” Ji said.

“That is cruel,” Ron said.

“Nin enjoys the sight of torture. When she created the Unicorns we thought she had done something of great beauty, and praised her in doing so. But then she lured the people to hunt them, telling them the blood of the Unicorn adds life to those who drink it. She created other creatures though; some were beautiful others were not. But all were for her pleasure. I try to rectify her mistakes by cutting the chords of time for the creatures she sentenced to torment.” Ji said.

“Can’t you stop her?” Ron asked.

“We cannot hurt each other, Defender.” Ji said.

“Yet you provided a way for Nymphrodites to escape her cruelty.” Ron said.

“We do not find joy in such death, you’ve seen what they have done for the Iranna.” Ji said. “We try our best to make sure all those who pass through the veil do so with regret – not with joy. Death is not meant to be a gift.”

Then Ron found how he could convince Ji to let Harry go back. “The Dark Lord will condemn more to such a cruel death, Ji. Many will enter the gates happily to escape so much pain and agony.”

“If such is their fate,” Ji said.

“But a Prophecy will end that. And Harry is the answer to that Prophecy. We need Harry back.” Ron said.

Ji looked at him. “You are very wise, Defender. Wiser than those who came before you.”

“Not wise, Ji. Just Desperate.” Ron said.

Ji now looked straight into his eyes and Ron felt like she was searching him for something. “You have done many things for him, I see. Your love is great - I have seen very few that match it. I will ask for a price for his life, Defender, for the curse was given out of mercy. To turn it would be to torment the Nymphrodite to a life filled with torture and danger.”

“Not if those who love them will protect them from it. If Harry makes it to his next birthday, the Iranna will return to Nin. He will be free of it.” Ron stood quietly. He wondered what price Ji was about to ask of him. He was prepared to give it, or do anything for it. “I’ll do anything you ask.”

“I will tell you the way to turn the curse but you must agree to the price I will ask first.” Ji said.

Ron found it difficult to answer. What price would he not be able to pay for Harry’s life? Was there anything he could not afford to lose other than Harry? Nothing was more important than to have Harry back in his life again, so he nodded his head and said, “I agree.”

Ji smiled at him. “The deal has been sealed, Defender. You cannot turn back from it.”

“How do I buy him back?” Ron asked.

“To buy his soul from the Gates of Death and return the Iranna to Nin eleven souls are required of you: ten of those that defiled his body must die by your hands and by your hands alone. The eleventh soul is he who has taken the first Iranna and defied the Gates of Death. Give us the ten souls and you shall have the bearer back – intact, the way he was before they defiled him with their greed. Give us the eleventh and we will bestow upon you and upon the bearer great power to defeat your enemy and fulfill the Prophecy in your favor. You must do this before the sun rises on the last day of the seventh month.” Ji said.

Ron suddenly became nervous. Who was the eleventh soul she asked of him? “I do not…”

“It is for you to search them, Knight of the Bureau. I am now sending you back with the living. If you fail, we will acquire the soul of the bearer and the Gates of Death will be forever closed to you. You will wither and rot but your soul will not rest. Until time is renewed.” Ji said. Then she turned and walked away.

“Was that the price?” Ron said. But she did not turn back. “Ji? What was the price?” She was gone. Then above him an opening revealed bright skies and from it a finger of light streaked down and was burning his chest with the pentagram. Ron felt every symbol as it was etched upon his skin and he screamed for the pain was overwhelming. Then ever so slowly Ron felt the dagger come out of his chest. The he fell to the ground and his mind was engulfed by darkness.

***

“Ron!” Hermione cried as the pillar of light disappeared revealing Ron’s unconscious body. She ran to him and turned him over searching for the dagger that he thrust through his chest. But it wasn’t there. “Ron? Ron?”

Slowly Ron opened his eyes, “Did it work?”

“What? What worked?” Hermione said. Molly, Arthur and Ginny now joined them.

“Is Harry alive?” Ron said.

Arthur held his son. “Son. He is gone.”

Molly was sobbing terribly and she kissed Ron’s head. “You have to let him rest.”

“No! No, I parleyed with Ji, the keeper of the dead, she said Harry would return!” Ron said.

Ron sat up and looked at all of them that came to him. He was hoping someone, anyone would tell him that what he had done did something and Harry was back with them again but when they didn’t answer and gave him nothing but sorrowful silence, Ron felt like his world collapsed, “I want to see him,”

Slowly they made their way back to the castle and through its corridors then up the stairs to the hospital wing. The whole entrance was covered with members of the DA - wailing and grief-stricken, members of the Order, their heads bowed in sorrow their eyes filled with tears. The loss they felt was inundating the castle but it could hardly compare to the emptiness and pain that Ron felt.

As he slowly stepped inside the room he saw that they were now covering Harry with the blanket. Remus went to him and wrapped him with his arms. Ron went closer to the bed and uncovered the beloved face. The sobs returned and as his body trembled he wrapped his arms around Harry and let go of the dam that had been aching to burst.

“Harry! Harry! Come back! Come back! Please…please!”

“Ron…” Molly said.

“I did everything! Harry!” Ron said kissing Harry’s face. “You said, it would turn the curse!”

“Arthur!” Molly said.

Arthur went to Ron prying him from Harry’s lifeless body. “Son! Let him go!” But he would not let go.

“No! Harry!” Ron said shaking Harry as though waking him up. “Harry! Come back! Come back! HARRY! HARRY!”

Remus went to them and helped Arthur pull Ron away. Fred, and Kingsley had to join in for Ron was quite strong and he fought to stay where he was. At last they were able to pull him away and he went wild when they took him out of the room. Arthur held him in his arms tightly pinning him to the ground.

“Ron!” Arthur said his voice cracking. “My son!”

“DAD! Help me! Bring Harry back! Bring him back!” Ron said.

“Son! He’s at peace now! Let him go!” Arthur said.

Severus went to them carrying a vial of sleeping draught. He poured it in a glass with water and told Remus to give to Ron.

“Ron, here have some water.” Remus said.

“No! No! I want him back!” Ron cried.

“You need to drink some water,” Remus said.

“Yes, son, drink this.” Arthur said forcing Ron to take a swig. “That’s it son. Slowly…”

The draught took effect and Ron found rest.

***

It was already morning when Ron woke up. The sun was shining brightly through the windows and Hermione was sitting beside him looking at him with concern.

“What happened?” Ron said; the events of last night have not yet returned.

Hermione found it hard to answer without a tear running down her cheeks. “It’s morning, Ron.” Was all she could say.

The sadness in her eyes betrayed the silence of her lips. Ron remembered; last night, Harry died. The pains returned in full swing and though his eyes stung the tears have not found their way out yet. Ron sat up and stood and found that he was inside his room in the Gryffindor dormitory – where he and Harry spent many happy days together.

“Where have they placed him?” Ron said.

“There will be a memorial for him in four days before…” Hermione said sniveling a lot. “Before they bury him.”

Ron nodded his head. He went to the washroom, cleaned himself and found that his chest burned; there was a red mark where the dagger was supposed to have gone through. He closed his eyes and wondered why he even attempted to parley with Ji. It was obviously useless – Harry had crossed the veil.

When he got out he dressed himself in his Gryffindor uniform and wore the robes that was bought for him using Harry’s winnings – the same one he wore during their wedding. He took off the ring made of alloy that the Knights gave to him to cover the stitch in his left middle finger. Then he went to the Southern Tower and took the emblem made of gold – the symbol of their union - then headed for the Great Hall where Harry’s wake was being held.

The doors swung open and he saw the entire school congregated there. There were also Knights around them, Skyhawk and Rio stood beside the casket of glass. Inside was Harry – they’ve given him a white robe lined with gold to wear.

Ron slowly marched towards it. Every step he took seemed to echo in the deepening silence. They all know now what they were and what they meant to each other. All their eyes fell upon him with great pity. When he was finally before the casket his eyes gave in again and tears rained down. He placed the emblem on top of the casket and he slowly knelt before it and buried his face in his hands. Hermione ran to him and cradled him. Sorrow, it seems, has settled itself in Hogwarts.