So this is Love

“Harry… Harry…HARRY”



Harry fell off the rock he was perched on. He looked up to glare at Rowena and Godric laughing. “You know if you wanted my attention you could have just tapped my shoulder.”



Rowena took his hand to help him up. “Well after training so much you should know better than to go off like that. Salazar said your training has gone well, he was gloating to everyone about your ability to strategize and your ability to figure a persons’ weakness so quickly.”



“Right up until you beat him in chess now he is pouting” Godric cut in. “So since your training is almost over with him your training with me will be pushed a little more. You handle the sword well but you need to put the skills learned from Sal into it.”



Harry looked to Godric knowing he would answer bluntly “How about the rest of my training how is that coming along? I feel like I’ve come along way but there is a lot more I need to know.”



Godric nodded, “Helga is very proud of your charms, transfigurations and herbology. She says that there isn’t much more she can teach you. Sal says your potions have come a long way and you can easily become a master if you so choose. Merlin is ecstatic about your wandless magic and dueling, said he almost lost to you the other day. He also thinks that you will soon surpass him in power. And Morgana is equally excited about Ancient Runes and your spell weaving. But Rowena, well we all know that she thinks that there is always something more to learn.”



Rowena scoffed at Godric. “History and Arithmancy have been coming along fairly well, but could still use a little work. Astronomy and wizarding etiquette have been a strong point for you, probably because you’re interested. I am very impressed with language, you seem to have a knack for it. Dinivation is fair but I don’t feel you have strong seer gene in you, so it’s probably as good as it gets. At least I got you to the point were you don’t predict your own death in everything you see.”



Godric and Harry snorted “I thought my prediction about drowning in a saucer of tea on the full moon after my twentieth birthday was very creative.”



Rowena scowled “Honestly, if that’s the kind of teachers now at the Hogwarts, I am worried.”



Harry looked back out to the clearing “Hey Rowena, I’ve been here for six months I know this is considered my coming of age and all. But I’m a little worried about when I wake up. Since I don’t need to sleep here, have I truly been asleep six months? Also my body has done a lot of changing I’ve gained muscle, agility, and flexibility with my training. Will my body remain the same as before or be what it is now?”



As he took a breath Rowena cut in “Let me explain…”



“Now look what you’ve done Harry, you’ve made her go into lecture mode.” Godric cut in.



Rowena scowled at him and continued. “You are actually going through what is called magical rebirth. Only the heir of one of the founders goes through it, including your father and Dumbledore. Most of the time people think it’s a weird dream like your parents did and don’t ask for help. They usually ask asinine questions or advice about their love life. In the last few generations only Dumbledore and Draco asked for practical advice and help. Unfortunately for Draco I couldn’t answer him. So we talked until he woke up a few hours later. Dumbledore asked Godric for help to beat Grindelwald. By the way, if he is still talking in riddles it’s due to Godric. While training him they spent the entire time coming up with riddles to see who could confuse the other person while still saying what needs to be said.”



Harry looked wide-eyed at Godric who looked sheepishly at the ground “Do you have any idea what kind of monster you created? That man does nothing but riddle and rhyme. It’s bloody annoying, it takes me three days to figure out what he said some days.”



Godric stifled a laugh “It was just a game, I’m sure your exaggerating.”



Harry snorted “Well if it’s true and he learned it from his rebirth, than it would be too hard to ask him to change now.”



Rowena nodded “Anyway, your physical body goes into a sort of coma, waiting for you to deem yourself done with training or what ever needs to be done. While it seems like a month in here it might actually only be a day or two. The difference in time differs from person to person. When your training is over your magic will finish its changing and change your body to match this one. That’s why it called a rebirth your magic and body change all at once.”



Harry listened “That makes sense. So all the training I’ve done and changes I’ve gone through won’t have been a waste of time, well that good news.” Harry hesitated “Rowena what did Draco ask that you couldn’t answer?”



Rowena looked at Harry then to Godric who nodded “He asked me how to get rid of the dark mark. I couldn’t answer because Salazar is the one who discovered the ritual and wrote it down. It also is in parseltounge. He was forced to take by his grandfather while his parents were at the ministry. He was distraught and I talked to him about trying to find ways to transfer the mark, but if he still has it then it looks like it hasn’t worked.”



“Could Salazar know how to get rid of it?” Harry looking into the clearing.



Godric took up the conversation “Yes it’s possible, but I suggest you ask him. Now let’s go I want to work on your shields.”



Harry got up ready to work, training with Godric was fun. But today he was going to but his all into it. ‘He’s gonna pay for getting Dumbledore hooked on those stupid riddles’



****HP/SS****



Later that evening Harry met Salazar in his lab in the chamber of secrets. Salazar stood watching Harry add a bezoar to an altered Polyjuice potion, this would hold change for eight hours instead of one. Salazar could tell something was bothering Harry and was waiting for him to speak up.



Harry watched the potion fizz and looked to Salazar “Sal can you tell me about the dark mark, or better yet how to get rid of it?”



Salazar looked to his heir and shook his head, this was going to take a while. “Your potion looks fine, come on.” He led them to his library a room filled with books on potions and dark arts.



Harry looked around his favorite room in the whole castle. There were no windows but the large fire place put more the enough light in the room. Two large green wingback chairs faced the fire place while a black rug lay underneath. A couch was pushed to the side of the room. The couch was green as well but silver studs could be seen on the sides. When Harry first saw this room it felt cozy and gave him a feeling of comfort. When he started reading the titles of the book he instantly thought that Snape would enjoy the room as well. Harry took a seat in his favorite chair and waited for Salazar to begin.



Salazar went to a shelf and picked up the book brought it towards Harry. “I found the ritual in a scroll at the Alexandria library in Egypt. I had copied it down in parseltounge to examine it. When Riddle found the chamber he found the book. He couldn’t find these rooms due to the fact he wasn’t my true heir but the book was in the chambers. I left it there because I often read while playing with Harpo, my baskalisk. I left charms on the books so they book couldn’t leave, but he was still able to read it. The mark dips into a person’s magic well and sucks their magic when needed. It ties a person’s soul with the ‘master’s’. To remove it’s actually not that difficult. You have to prove to your magic and theirs that the mark was forced and not wanted, or was taken under false circumstances. Then you must begin a ritual spoken in parseltounge talking to the mark. You must tell it to leave this body and abandon this soul for it was a forced enslavement or is no longer truthful. The ritual was first used to tie slaves to their masters. As slavery went out, this was ritual stopped being used. Since it combines souls and magic it was deemed dark. You can read on the ritual yourself. But since you know that you do have spies working against Riddle, you should know that when you kill him any one attached will perish too.” Salazar handed over the book and left Harry to read.



Several hours later Harry was looking into the fireplace a small smile dancing across his face. Godric came to get him for their lessons and noticed it. “What’s with the smile there little gryphon?”



Harry smiled at the nickname “Every now and then it feels like some one is caressing my face or kissing my forehead. I can also feel them holding my hand, but it feels like a comforting warmth. Why is that?”



Godric smiled “That would be your soul mate. Only you can feel them when you’re in this state. My guess is they are worried and want you to wake up soon.”



“My soul mate, but the only people at the castle were teachers and the Malfoys. Oh gods I hope it isn’t Draco, he just is way too pompous.” Harry scrunched his nose at the thought.



Godric laughed “Come on, let’s get back to training.” Godric pulled Harry out of the chair and off to great hall to train.



He left Godric with more than a few new injuries and made his way to Morgana. Godric won the duel so he had to great her in a way that he knew would make her more than a little perturbed, he was not looking forward to it “Hi Grammy Morgana.”



Morgana scoffed at him but knew by now that Godric put him up to it. “I am not that old. You do best to remember that, now I wanted to talk about Sirius. You said he fell through a black veil?” When Harry nodded she continued. “I created the veil along time ago to hold prisoners and spies. It puts the person in a stasis bubble so when he comes out he will no doubt think there I still a battle going on.” Harry nodded his head signaling her to go on. “Your training is almost done so I am going to teach you the ritual to get him out it actually isn’t that difficult but you must do everything in a precise order.”



Harry left Morgana feeling better than he had since the beginning of his sixth year. He knew how to save Sirius and Morgana had discovered a lead to a soul ritual for Tommy boy. He went to the great hall with a spring in his step. Now if only he could discover who his soul mate was.



He met his parents for tea and decided to ask “Mom, who is my soul mate? I know that the feeling of someone kissing me, holding my hand, and caressing my cheek is them. But I can’t figure out why I can feel it or who it is. So can you explain or tell me who is it at least?”



Lily looked to her son and noticed Godric looking at the floor. “Godric, you know that we decided not to tell him.” She huffed in annoyance “Fine, you can feel your mate touch and presence. Soul mates have a bond that is in existence from the moment that they come in contact with each other. Their souls recognize each other and when they find their equal try to keep together. With wizards and witches our souls as well as magic also seek out each other. If a soul bond had been beginning to form, your magic will try to strengthen the bond. When you complete the bond your magic will fuse with theirs combining your magic wells. Certain magical beings have help finding their mate through scent, such as veela and vampires. If one of the bond mates is, in fact, a magical being the other will have a little more responsibility. Veela mates must be sure to watch their mates and keep them calm. Vampire mates take over the vampires need for blood. A vampire’s mate body automatically produces more blood when they find their mates.”



Harry thought for a moment. “Ok you know who it is, but you’re not going to tell me. It looks like I’m a vampire’s mate, sorry mom subtly just isn’t your forte. And when we finish the bond our magic will be stronger.” He let out a chuckle he looked to Lily “You know there is a rumor that Snape is a ….” Harry’s eyes went wide and started to bang his head on the table.



Godric and James started laughing. Upon hearing him mumbling James leaned into listen. “My soul mate hates me, my dad hates him, and so does Siri.” After listening to Harry repeat this a couple of times he got bored with it so he slid his cake under Harry’s head, which Harry promptly crashed his head into. Harry looked up to glare at the laughing people around his table and scrape pink icing off his forehead.



James took a moment to collect himself. “First off I don’t hate him, I was horrible to him school, which I regret but I don’t hate him. He was one of your mother’s best friends and threatened me if I didn’t get along with him. Padfoot doesn’t hate him either. He doesn’t like Severus but doesn’t hate him. In school, Padfoot had a crush on Moony and thought that Moony liked Snape. So all the pranks he did was due to that. I won’t say that he will be happy about it but I know that as long as you’re happy he’ll be ok. As for Snape hating you, well that’s something you have to discuss with him.”



Harry looked at his father and sat roughly back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest, and pouted. “Nothing is every easy for me is it?”



Lily chuckled at her grown son pouting. “Harry, how do you feel about Severus?” Wanting to know she needed to know what stories he had been fed.



“I respect him. I’ve known he’s a spy for a while now. I have a great amount of admiration for him. Anyone who can fool Voldy like that deserves it. And…” Harry blushed.



Lily looked at her son and noticed the blush, “And what Harry?”



“And he’s really gorgeous and that voice. That voice could melt steel.” He blurted and promptly turned an even darker shade of red.



Lily chuckled, “I always thought his voice was his greatest attribute. But he has always been a little self conscious especially about his looks. Because he hasn’t drank blood from his mate he isn’t at full health. I’m sure he has donors for blood now.” Harry felt a little jealousy at the mention of Severus drinking from other people. He knew it was a sexual and intimate experience and didn’t want anyone but him to experience that with Severus.



Elizabeth saw the jealousy in his eye and chuckled but thought it best to interrupt his thoughts. “Harry, tell us about school.” Harry’s eyes instantly became full of joy, as he started telling them about his friends, teachers, and the latest gossip. When he got to the new rumor that Dumbledore and McGonagall were an item he stopped and looked at the floor with a mumbled apology.



“Harry, look at me.” When Harry looked her in the eye she smiled. “I’ve watched him for a while now. I know about Minerva, but he’s a stubborn old goat and won’t make a move on her for fear of disrespecting me. Minnie and I go way back and I knew she was in love with Albus. I knew my time was coming and told her so. She started crying and we talked for a long while. Later that day I told her that I would be happy if she got with Albus because the people I loved would have each other. I wrote him a letter telling him the same thing but the stubborn man still has it sitting in his drawer of his desk unopened.” She thought for a moment, then she looked at Harry her eyes full of determination. “Harry! You can make him read the letter. Promise me you will get him to read the letter. He deserves some happiness and maybe he will stop meddling.” At Harry disbelieving look she relented. “Ok maybe he won’t stop, but he’ll slow it down a bit.”



Harry looked at her. “Grandma, I would love to. I already think of Min like a grandmother so it would be great if she could be.” With that promise made they started talking more about training and Sal kept bring up ways to court a Potions Master.