It's All Just Temporary with a Bit of Necromancy

Chapter 17: Do Not Let Me Down

                                                                            Do Not Let Me Down

Harry wasn't sure if he was more terrified, anxious or eager but his heart raced just as fast as he stood before the solid white oak door of the Ritual Room. Marvolo stood just behind him.

It was nearing midnight on September 12, the night of the new moon. From his journals, it was advised that the first few meetings with Death were held on new moon nights. Harry himself wore only a thin, loose robe that felt like an oversized shirt that hit the back of his calves, and nothing else, keeping his feet bare. He didn't even have his wand on him, which was why Marvolo was there to properly ward the room from intruders. Harry had bathed in cleansed pomegranate scented water, scrubbing his skin raw. And had been on a strict diet of dry toast and bland tea all day, apparently the stabs of hunger shooting through him were supposed to help ground him while the ritual happened. Again, this was customary for the first meeting with Death, the Necromancers way of showing appropriate respect and honor towards their Master.

Apparently, after tonight the only time he'd need to pull out all the ritual stops was when acting as a liaison for family members and those deceased and then it was mainly the others who would need to do fasting and cleansing. Though it was advised to use pomegranate daily, something about the scent made it easier to connect with their Master. Harry wasn't sure he fully understood that yet but he enjoyed the smell and so would start using it daily just to be safe.

Marvolo remained silent behind him. Speaking in the Ritual Room was forbidden until Death arrived but it felt wrong to speak directly outside it as well. Harry could see the curiosity burning in those crimson eyes despite how well hidden it might be to others. Unable to form words to speak, Harry forced his dry throat to swallow and gave a short nod to the man behind him before opening the door and swiftly closing it behind himself.

The room itself was completely bare and white. Not a speck of dust anywhere the walls and floors and ceilings all blending together that Harry wasn't fully certain how big the room was. Earlier that day he had sketched out the modified Necromancers mark: the circle, triangle and the dividing line, in charcoal onto the floor where Marvolo had said the center of the room was. And at the three points of the triangle sat three candles.

Nervously Harry sat in the center of the mark, in the middle of the three candles and took a deep breath. Now, to begin. First he had to light the candles and without a wand, it would require intense concentration to perform the wandless magic. Harry had been practicing this very spell wandlessly and wordlessly as soon as he found out he had to do it, since wands and words weren't allowed. He had managed it wordlessly first, his training with Marvolo helping that. But the wandless had taken much longer. He had only managed it yesterday for the first time. The intense panic of needing to do it was reminiscent of his attempts with the summoning spell during his fourth year and accomplishing it just before the First Task.

Harry always did work best under pressure.

Breathing deeply, his legs folded uncomfortably and his bare ankles pressing into the hard, cold floor, Harry sought his magic. The green flame flared brighter, it seemed every day his magic was larger and brighter than the day before. He briefly wondered if it was his imagination or if it was because he was accessing it more often. Slowly he let out a small trickle to tease out to his fingertips which he then waved over the three candles. A small flame appearing on each wick.

The room seemed to darken once the candles were lit and Harry breathed deeply again. Closing his eyes, he felt the light touches of warmth from the candles as he looked even deeper into himself. Internally he knew midnight had struck and his grip on his magic tightened as he pushed it out, with it he put all of his focus on calling out to his Master, calling out to Death.