Harry Potter and the Eye of Isis

Chapter 22 - Ritual of Life

Harry stopped reading the hieroglyphs and stared at Percy trying to figure out how he had become a Death Eater. Was it of his own accord or was he under the Imperius Curse? He knew his aunt had been placed under it because immediately after they got to Karnack she began telling him how powerful he'd become at Voldemort's side. She had been easy to snap from the influences of the curse once reminded that she despised Harry and hated everything magic. Of course that only demonstrated to Harry that she was indeed a witch. But Harry could only wonder about Percy. He didn't seem to have that distant look in his eyes that he had seen in his aunt, and Harry feared that the power Percy so desperately wanted was now being fed by Voldemort.

The shock of seeing Percy Weasley among the Death Eaters had long since worn off. Harry had known that one of the Weasleys was a Death Eater, and in all honesty, he was glad it turned out to be Percy because he respected and liked Bill and Charlie so much. When Harry stopped and thought about it, Percy made the most sense. He was big-headed and power hungry. Unfortunately, Harry also expected to see Cornelius Fudge shortly. Percy idolised the man, so to Harry it was a natural conclusion that the former Minister of Magic must also be a Death Eater, but somehow, that didn't surprise Harry either.

It had turned out to be Percy who had informed Voldemort about the ritual to restore the spirit to the body. Harry had learned in the past two days with Percy that it had been he who informed Voldemort about the ritual. He had bragged how he'd gotten on Voldemort's good graces with that information and was the youngest Death Eater in Voldemort's inner circle. He taken it upon himself to find a way to restore Crouch's soul and offer the information to Voldemort. That bragging let Harry know that Percy had been a Death Eater for at least a year, and had aspired to be one for probably much longer than that.

"What are you looking at, Potter?"

"You," Harry said firmly. "You don't scare me, Percy. This is daft. How did you come to this?"

"Back to your translation," Percy snapped. "You will find the book by night fall or I'll curse your aunt myself."

"Your threats mean nothing to me, Percy." Harry glared at Percy for a long moment, long enough to make Percy turn his gaze away. He wasn't scared of Percy Weasley, and he would not be intimidated by him.

"Then why did you come to Egypt?" Percy retorted. "Why did you take the bait if this meant nothing to you?"

"I said you mean nothing to me," he reiterated. "And you know perfectly well why I came...I love your mum, and I came to save her."

"Then you are a bigger fool than I ever anticipated," Percy spat bitterly, again turning his dark eyes towards Harry. "She means nothing. If her own son says so...it must be true."

"No," Harry lowered his head for a brief moment to calm the anger that was beginning to brew beyond a point of control. "You mean nothing. You're not her son, I am. I'll never know when you stopped caring, and I'll never understand why you've chosen this path."

"She's a blood traitor...they all are. They have no place among us." Loathing saturated Percy's voice. "She prefers Muggles and half bloods to her own kind, and that makes her no better than them."

"The only blood traitor around here is you."

Percy quickly wiped out his wand and cursed Harry. Unfortunately for him, it didn't work. The spell merely rebounded off of Harry's chest and slammed right back into Percy. He cluthched his own hands in pain as it did.

"Now what makes you think I'd let you curse me?" Harry asked with a snicker in his voice. "You're not better than me Percy."

"Aren't you awfully high and mighty?" Percy shook his hands one last time as he glared at Harry, "for someone who is going to die like a dog." Harry just smirked at him.

"Get back to work both of you!" Lestrange yelled. "I will not tolerate this conversation any longer!"

Harry shot Lestrange a dirty look from over his shoulder, and she returned it with an equally cold stare before stalking off to supervise Pettigrew and Snape. Harry watched her for a moment before pulling his eyes away and resuming his translation. As his fingers ran over the stone he couldn't help but think of Bellatrix Lestrange, and how very much he hated her. He knew that she would be difficult to get rid of...almost as difficult as her master, which meant that she would likely need to be killed. Capture didn't suit her.

Suddenly, death filled Harry's mind. His thoughts drifted from seeing the ones he loved die to watching his imagination play out the deaths of those he had come to truly hate: Voldemort, Lestrange, Pettigrew and Percy. He knew that he had to kill Voldemort in order to survive, but he was beginning to come to the conclusion that others would die before he ever laid a deadly hand on Voldemort. That thought sent a chill down Harry's spine. How many people must die? had always been a thought that roamed in his brain, but it was suddenly an expanded thought. No longer did he pose the question of, How many? but now, How many must I kill?

And in this haze of thought, Harry recalled the only Unforgivable he had cast, the Cruciatus on Voldemort, and how good it had made him feel. That disgust was still present in his mind, but now it was accompanied by another regret. Not only did he regret having drawn pleasure from casting that curse, but now he also berated himself for not using a different Unforgivable. He'd had the anger and the power, why didn't he just use the Killing Curse? Why hadn't the words Avada Kedavra come out of his mouth instead?

"I found it!" a shout came from across the temple. Wormtail excitedly waved everyone to him. "It's right here."

Harry, welcoming the distraction, rushed to the section of the wall that Wormtail was standing at and began reading the passage inscribed on the wall. He said nothing as he let the inscriptions soak into his brain, still completely unaware of how or why he was able to read and speak ancient Egyptian. It had occurred to him several times that he ought to be afraid, or at least concerned, as to where, when and why the ability had suddenly shown up during his last trip to Egypt. He couldn't assume that the lie he told to Hermione was true; he mostly certainly knew that the Eye of Osiris hadn't made it possible since he'd translated for Professor Snape before ever finding the Eye.

"What does it say?" Lestrange asked irritably, obviously thinking that Harry should have been translating aloud.

"It speaks of the chamber of the heavens," Percy said vaguely. "Something about it being a gateway, and the place where Isis performed the Ritual of Life on Osiris."

"I know all of this already," Harry turned slightly, looking at Pettigrew. "This passage says nothing of the Book of the Dead."

"You knew?" Lestrange questioned. "You knew where the ritual was to be performed and you did not share it with us? You did not assume that the book is also located in this chamber?"

"I did share it, Lestrange," malice laced Harry's voice. "I told Voldemort--"

"Don't speak his name!" Percy screeched.

Beyond rolling his eyes at Percy, Harry ignored the imbecile. "It hadn't occurred to me that the Book of the Dead, which was in use for three millennium, would be in the last place that Isis used it. But if you would like to search there, then by all means, let's go there." Harry turned his back on the crowd and began walking away. "Follow me."

Harry did not look back over his shoulder but he could hear the group following as instructed. They walked deeper and deeper into the bowels of the pyramid until each of them had their wands before them. The soft glow coming from the tips of the wands was creating just enough reflection off the walls to create a golden glow. This glow began to soak into Harry's demeanour, and calmed and encouraged him, so much so, that he felt nearly like he did when he heard Fawkes singing.

Finally, they arrived in a corridor and Harry simply stopped. He looked back at Lestrange with reluctance. "I don't know much about this chamber, but it is my assumption that a woman must open the door."

Her eyes narrowed in on him. "And how do I know that you aren't setting me up to trigger some sort of booby trap?" she leered.

"You don't, but as the room is called the Queen's Chamber, I'm going to assume it is as sensitive to entry as every other sacred room in this place."

Lestrange shifted her eyes to Percy, who seemed to be the trusted Egyptologist on this trip. He nodded his head quickly. "He's probably right. You have the best chance of opening the chamber."

"Very well," she stepped forward and stood right next to Harry. "What do I do?"

"Open your mind, and I will give you the words to declare your intentions."

Still reluctant, she nodded quickly and closed her eyes. Harry pointed his wand at her and entered her mind. While he knew it would be a great opportunity to have a look around, he knew he should not jeopardise the moment in that way.

Lestrange opened her eyes and looked upwards. "Wpi-i pam wat t-pum sab nt-pam pat."

The corridor was so quiet after Lestrange made her request that Harry could hear everyone breathing. His eyes darted from person to person as he observed their reactions to a soft light that began to glow to the right of Lestrange. They all instinctively turned and faced the light, now placing Lestrange at the front of the group, and they followed as the light began drifting back down the corridor. It turned a corner where no corner was previously and led them straight into a chamber covered in gold. Each wall shimmered in richness as the light perched itself on one of two torches on the eastern wall.

A slight smile pulled on Lestrange's lips, she was quite pleased with herself and was no doubt making plans to tell her master how she had found the chamber.

"Where would the book be?" she asked Harry without looking at him.

Harry took in the plain room for a moment. He wasn't sure if the light was growing brighter, and his mind was playing tricks with him, but the room seemed to be enlarging. Harry shook his head quickly so that he could focus on finding the book. There wasn't much in the chamber. Golden walls and floors, two golden torches hanging on the eastern wall, only one was lit though, and a golden altar table that was mere meters from the torches. It was the only conceivable place the book could be since the room appeared to have no other chambers, or hiding places. He walked over to the golden slab and ran his hands over it as he circled it. Once on the opposite side of it, Harry squatted down to read the single line of inscriptions carved into the bottom of the altar.

After reading the very brief sentence, Harry reached into his pocket for the Eye of Osiris. He pressed it into the palm of his left hand, wrapping it carefully with a spare piece cloth that he carried for such an occasion. The pain of the stone embedding itself into Harry's flesh was much more intense than he'd ever experience. He closed his eyes as the slicing feeling cut through him. Crawling from his hand to his arm, and then doing something it hadn't in the past, it sliced into his chest.

His eyes flashed open as his hands flew to his chest, grasping the area directly above his heart where the pain was the most intense. He let out a pained gasp as he fell to his knees. He couldn't pull his eyes away from looking at the blood that was beginning to seep through his shirt. The cut had become physical. Harry fought every instinct within him to bring his hands away from his chest. He turned his left hand over and ripped the cloth away revealing that his plan of simply letting the stone fall off was not going to work. The stone had embedded itself under his flesh this time, and the palm of his hand was glowing a soft, but vibrant green.

Harry held his hand out in front of him, and almost magnetically, was drawn towards the altar. His left hand slammed into the golden slab, and even though he had tried to stop it, once his hand was on the slab the pain began to dissipate. Realising this, Harry began to run both of his hands across the side of the altar. After doing this for several minutes, the pain disappeared completely and Harry sighed in relief. And the moment he became calm again, a small drawer popped open. Harry reached in and pulled out a book made of onyx.

"I found it," he said slowly as he looked at the beautiful black cover. He was about to say something else when he noticed something else glistening in the drawer. Harry pulled out a small object, but he knew immediately what the gold and onyx wings were: the mate to the Eye of Osiris, the Wings of Isis.

*

It felt almost ominous to Harry to be stalking through the sand, six across as his group approached Voldemort's camp. The Death Eaters that had taken him and Snape to Karnack were walking with pride because not only had they succeeded in their mission, they had succeeded in Lucius Malfoy's as well. Word had not come from the camp at all regarding Malfoy's search, but Harry knew it had been fruitless, and the object he had been sent to London for lay in the robes of Bellatrix Lestrange. She had insisted on carrying the Wings of Isis and the Book of the Dead herself, but the book could not be pried from Harry's grip. He couldn't release the book to her. Once she had realised that Harry truly had no control over the matter she resorted to carrying the Wings with pride.

The group was noticeable and most of the camp had stopped what they were doing and watched as the six returned to camp. They even made way when Harry and the others walked straight through the crowd towards Voldemort's tent. Upon entering it, Harry saw that Malfoy was receiving his wrath for having failed on his mission. But their abrupt entrance had stopped Malfoy's punishment.

"Forgive me," Lestrange bowed her head, "but I knew that you would be most pleased with our news, my lord."

Voldemort's eyes were already on the book in Harry's hand. "I knew that I could count on you to properly motivate your people and complete your mission." He walked away from Malfoy (who was still lying in the sand) and sat down in a chair that reminded Harry very much of a throne. "Well done."

"Thank you, Master." Lestrange wiped the smile from her face as she looked back up at Voldemort. "There is more, my lord." She approached him slowly. "I am aware that Lucius did not find the object he sought." She pulled the Wings from her pocket and revealed it to him. "I found that as well."

Harry had not seen such pleasure on Voldemort's face without having to torture to receive it. It was almost alarming to him to see a human side to Voldemort. He didn't want to view that monster as a man.

Seeming to sense that Harry was thinking about him, or at the very least, looking at him, Voldemort turned his attention to Harry. "When will you be ready to complete the ritual?"

"I must find it first," he answered. "I haven't even opened the book yet."

"Then I suggest that you find the ritual by nightfall," he snapped. "I tire of your procrastination, and my patience with you is beginning to wane. You will perform the ritual tomorrow at noon or the Weasley woman dies. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Harry answered with renewed anger.

*

Harry sat on his cot, legs folded underneath him and the Book of the Dead laying in front of him. A soft tickle ran from the tips of his fingers as he gently ran his fingers down the face of the book. The way the cool surface reacted with the warmth of his flesh seemed almost inviting to Harry. Hesitantly, he squeezed his eyes shut as he flipped open the cover, almost afraid of what might happen to him for daring to read such an ancient text.

"It's just a book," said Snape, breaking Harry's concentration.

Without opening his eyes Harry responded, "I would think that you of all people would realise that this is more than a book...that it is a weapon and it must be respected."

"Fair enough," he conceded.

When Harry could no longer hear his professor breathing (signifying that he had been left alone again), he slowly opened one eye, then the other and stared down at the first page. It was apparent that nothing bad was about to pop out at him and curse him into oblivion, so he turned the next page and began reading.

For hours Harry read. He read so long that his eyes became swollen and bloodshot. He refused the water Dobby had tried to bring him several times, and it was apparent when Professor Snape returned to the tent that Dobby was the one responsible for bringing him.

"Dobby is concerned that you are being engulfed by that book," Snape said as he laid his hands on the heavy manuscript. "I think he may be right."

"Don't touch it!" Harry shouted as he yanked out from underneath Snape's palms. "You can't touch it."

"Harry, may I remind you how powerful that book is, and that even you pointed out earlier that it is a weapon not to be trifled with? Hasn't it occurred to you that perhaps the book has sunk into you a little too much? Not letting you remove your eyes from it for the past six hours?"

"He will kill her," Harry said as he turned his eyes up at Professor Snape. Tears swelled in his blood-shot eyes. "I must find the ritual."

"Harry," Snape placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, "you cannot change what he intends to do to her or any of us. If he's going to kill her then her fate was sealed the moment he had her."

"Don't say that to me!" he screamed. "I'll find the ritual and then--"

"And then what, Harry?" Snape asked in a very accusing manner. "You'll bring Crouch back to life and we'll just escape? What do you think he intends to do to all of us?"

"He had no reason that we know of to keep you alive this long," the words ground out between Harry's clenched teeth. "Yet he has. This ritual is not his only plan."

"Yes," he agreed. "He wishes to turn you...can't you see that?" Harry said nothing, he just continued to stare at Snape. "And it's working. He's not asking you to be a Death Eater, he's showing you that you are one, Harry. He's proving to you that you belong with him not against him. Your anger consumes you."

"What do you know about it?" he rejected the suggestions that Snape was making. "I'm not--"

"Yes, you are!" he insisted. "And I know it because I've been there. Do you think I joined with him because I felt like killing and torturing people was fun?" Snape posed the rhetorical question. "I was angry, Harry, just like you are now. I wanted change so much so that I saw Voldemort as the only way to get it. That anger you feel is the root of evil, it is the beginning, and Voldemort knows it all too well. He's pushing you and if you continue this way...you and he--"

"No!" Harry covered his ears. "There is no he and I! There never will be! I'm meant to kill him!"

Snape pulled Harry's hands from his ears, slammed the book closed and looked at him so sternly that Harry thought for sure that Snape was going to kill him. "Then do it."

*

Harry laid the Book of the Dead on the altar in front of him and took in a very deep breath as he scanned those surrounding him. He hadn't wanted such an audience to perform the ritual in front of, but ten Death Eaters, his aunt, Mrs. Weasley, Voldemort and the body of Barty Crouch Jr. were in his plain view. He required an assistant since he couldn't deliver the body to himself, and though he had requested Mrs. Weasley, that had been quickly squashed. Snape had been allowed to conduct the ceremonial delivery, which Harry figured probably was the best since finding the correct ritual, and learning that Isis's sister held that position before. Male to male or female to female seemed that best way to completely the ritual.

Snape looked up at Harry standing behind the altar with resolve in his eyes. He bowed his head quickly as a gesture of respect for the power Harry was going to attempt to wield and to signify that there was no more time to spend. Harry nodded in return as Snape laid the Wings of Isis on the open book.

Harry picked up the wings with his left hand, hoping that the Eye of Osiris would be coaxed out of his body by doing so. His hopes were quickly realised as the stone finally expelled itself in order to be joined with the Wings of Isis. Harry secretly hoped he didn't wield the power to complete this ritual. If he brought Barty Crouch's soul back to his body it would not be the last he restored. It was his only hope of saving Mrs. Weasley and his aunt though, so he knew he must.

He appeared to glance down at his own legs but really he was looking at Dobby who was invisible to all others still. Dobby just batted his large eyes at his master and waited for the ritual to proceed.

Harry looked down at Barty Crouch lying on the altar as he joined the Eye of Osiris and the Wings of Isis together. His arms rose into the air. "Great Goddess Isis, I call upon thee. Great God Osiris, I call upon thee. Great God Anubis, I call upon thee. Return the spirit departed of this body! Return the spirit departed of this body!"

Utter stillness and silence filled the room. Nothing happened. Voldemort looked at Harry with angry eyes. "You've done it wrong on purpose!"

"No," Harry shook his head as he wondered what had been done wrong, though he knew the possibility for error was endless since he hadn't been given enough time to study the Book of the Dead before performing the ritual. He wasn't completely sure which spell should be used, but the one he had recited was recited to the best of his ability.

"Do it again," Voldemort ordered as he motioned his head at Percy. "Or he will kill her."

Percy marched to the side of his own mother and pointed his wand at her. His eyes did not waver from hers even as she pleaded with her own son not to take this action.

"Percy," Harry begged on her behalf. "That's your mother."

"The Dark Lord is all the family I need," Percy responded coldly. "Now do as he says or I'll kill her."

Harry's eyes lingered on Mrs. Weasley, he tried to tell her that he loved her with them, that even if Percy didn't any longer, he still did. She smiled back at him as if she understood.

His arms again went into the air. "Great Goddess Isis, I call upon thee. Great God Osiris, I call upon thee. Great God Anubis, I call upon thee. Return the spirit departed of this body! Return the spirit departed of this body! Return the spirit departed of this body!"

Quite minutes passed and still nothing. Percy didn't even have to be ordered, he just did it on his own. "Avada Kedavra!"

"NO!" Harry couldn't race away from the altar fast enough. Her limp body hit the ground and all he could do was scoop her into his arms. Tears burned in his eyes and an unuttered sobbed choked his throat. He knew the anger that Snape spoke of now. It wasn't his contempt towards Voldemort; it was raw and real and Harry couldn't control it.

His eyes flashed as he looked up at Percy. Percy looked amused and this fuelled Harry's anger further. His last bit of restraint failed as he clutched Mrs. Weasley tighter. "Hesek."

Percy grabbed his throat as it slit from ear to ear but his hands did nothing to stop the blood that was gushing out. Harry watched as he dropped to his knees and fell over dead.

"Yes, that's it," Voldemort laughed, amused at Harry doing murder. "You can do it, Harry. Now restore his soul or I'll kill the others!"

Harry released Mrs. Weasley's body and returned to the altar caring very little for his aunt's life. He returned because some power within him compelled him to. He knew he could do the ritual now.

He flipped the page of the book and then picked up the joined eye of Osiris and wings of Isis off of Crouch's body and raised it into the air with both hands. His aim was directly at the star Sirius. "Dwa Ast-k! Dwa Dhwty-k, imy m pay-k hw-t Asar! Di-I ntk pnty dmd pri pay-f ba r-bw m-st! Ntk gmi sw-hnr Irt-m-Asar, nty n-sp wah en m-t! Di-n pay-f ba wah ntsn nty wah-m Anu, nwy-f r-pa to m-st ba-s hnm sn-d-ta! Di-I hrt pay-f ba! Ir-st s-ab s-pr ba maa st-d-t! Ntk gmi Irt-m-Asar chc hr! Pay-f ba tp-st d-t, ba'a sdi ba'a hw-t hr d-t, hr-ba'a n-sp m-t hn hdi nhh-dt!"

A light shone brightly through the opening of the temple's ceiling. It connected to Harry through the joined symbol of Osiris and Isis. Harry felt that power within his hands first then it gradually travelled down to his chest. He lowered the symbol and pointed it directly at Crouch.

"Nwy pay-f ba r d-t!"

Without control, Harry's feet left the ground and he hovered in the air. His mouth suddenly opened and the same bright light that had entered him began pouring out of him and into Crouch. Crouch's head tipped back as his mouth opened. The light grew stronger and stronger until no one in the room could see any longer. A sudden thunderous boom knocked down all who weren't involved in the ritual. They lay on the floor unconscious as Harry's body fell from the air.

Even though he was twitching slightly, he opened his eyes and saw Snape look over the altar at him. In his hands he still grasped the Eye of Osiris and the Wings of Isis but they were now disassembled. Harry assumed this meant that the ritual had been completed properly. He was sure of this when he heard Barty Crouch roll to his side and began coughing.

"Harry, we must leave now," Snape said urgently. "Everyone is unconscious." With all of the others in the chamber unconscious it was the perfect opportunity to escape but it would have to be done quickly. There was no telling how long the unconsciousness would remain.

Working quickly, Snape dragged the bodies of Mrs. Weasley and Percy over to Harry. He then grabbed Petunia and placed her next to her nephew. When he did that he noticed the small body of Harry's loyal servant. Dobby must have been made visible again by the ritual and was unconscious as well. He pushed the little body in closer so it wouldn't be left behind.

Harry stood, thinking that he could help his professor but quickly collapsed into the arms of the man he had learned to trust over the past six months. "Professor--"

"Relax Harry," he instructed. "That took a great deal of magic."

Barty Crouch sat up at that moment straining his eyes. "What's going on?"

Snape looked back at him; it was obvious that he couldn't see yet by the way his was rubbing his eyes. Others were beginning to twitch so the window of opportunity was shortening considerably. He ran over to Voldemort's body and plucked the wand from his hands, and then dug into his pocket, thankfully finding his and Harry's wands. In a brief moment he considered ending it but knew he didn't have the strength. For some reason only Harry would be capable of killing Voldemort, and he certainly did not have the strength to attempt a Killing Curse at the moment. Snape couldn't afford to waste anymore time entertaining the notion. His priority was getting as many people out alive as possible.

He rushed back over to Harry's side and helped him sit up, slipping Harry's wand into his hand as he did this. "I've got his wand. We need to do a tandem spell to get back to Hogwarts. My office is not covered by the anti-transportation wards any longer." The bodies were all pulled in closer so that Harry and he could hold onto everyone. "Do you know which one?"

Harry nodded and extended his wand to meet the tip of Voldemort's. Together he and Snape chanted, "Volo stipatio."

Blue particles enveloped the six bodies and they all quickly dissolved from the Queens Chamber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: The spell Harry performed is a modified version of chapter 25 in the Book of the Dead (making a soul join with its body). The original in the Book of the Dead is a ritual designed to be performed during funeral preparations. It was performed by a priest so that the deceased's soul would return to its body, reuniting the Ba and the Ka after death.

Here is the transliteration of the spell that Harry cast: Hail, thou god Isis! Hail, thou god Thoth, who dwellest in thy hall, the Great God Osiris. Grant thou the power to bring forth his soul from any place wherein it may be. Thou findest him with the Eye of Osiris, who never lays down in death. Let not his soul lay down among those who lay in Anu, return him to the land wherein souls are joined to their bodies. Let me have possession of his soul. Even if it would tarry, cause the soul to see its body. Thou shall find the Eye of Osiris standing beside. May his soul gaze upon its earthly body, may it take up its abode and its body, may it neither perish nor be destroyed for ever and ever.

Pay attention to the last sentence, there'll be a quiz on this later!