What's so funny," asked Daphne.
"We could have... should have... come here and just asked the room to provide us with answers, our last go around.
Leaving the diadem sitting on the floor, Daphne and Hermione - after first casting the multiplication spell, Gemino, on the booklet twice - each studied a copy of the booklet while Harry had a look around.
Bare stone walls and floor, magical torches in sconces on the walls, otherwise, barren.
When the girls were finished they looked up and at each other before they each lowered their 'instruction manuals'.
"That... looks complicated," said Daphne.
"Agreed," said Hermione.
"But, let's try it anyway," said Daphne.
Both girls smiled at each other, before they rose together from the floor.
"Anything I can do to help?" asked Harry.
"Yes, but not right now," said Daphne. "This is the Ancient Runes part of the ritual. The spell flinging, which you're going to be doing with us backing you up, will happen after we get ready and then start."
Harry watched as his two bondmates walked around the runic circle with a five-sided star in the middle with it's tips just touching the inner full ring of two, between which were the runes.
Hermione led, and she was going around and tapping on a rune, here or there. As she worked all the way around. He could see Daphne nodding behind her and saying, "Yes... that one... yes... good..."
As they moved around, Harry saw the five-pointed pentagram change shape into a six-pointed sexagram - also called a hexagram. They then compared their notes to what they saw; then checked the whole thing with every rune, again.
This time, Daphne levitated the diadem and placed it as close as possible to the intersecting hexagon of the sexagram.
"Alright," said Hermione. "I think we might be ready to power it up."
She then handed the last copy of the booklet to Harry and showed him the spell he needed to use. It was called a banishing soul charm that was handy on malicious spirits.
Moving to a spot around the other side of the circle a bit, Daphne called over, "Alright, Harry. Learn that. Once you've done that, you're to come and sit at this point, but about three feet outside the outer circle, alright?"
Harry saw where she indicated and nodded.
With his wand in his hand he began to practice the wand movements. Then, without pumping magic, uttered the incantation a couple of times. Finally, believing himself ready, he sat cross-legged at the spot Daphne had indicated. The spell described what he was to do, and when.
Once he was in place with his wand in hand and ready, he looked to see the girls sitting at their own points, equidistant from him. Both girls began the ritual and used their wands to pump magic into the rune circle at two specific runes.
As the entire rune circle lit up and began to glow, Daphne said, "Invócant in animam warda (Invoke the soul ward)"
An almost shimmering dome formed over the sexagram. It's edge was in perfect alignment with the six points of the star with the edge running along the gold circle of the inner edge of the rune circle.
Next, it was Hermione's turn. She incanted, "Libera animam ex obiecto (Free the soul from the object)"
There was a sound of a tortured scream coming from the diadem. Both Hermione and Harry recognised the sound. However, the soul fragment did not come free so easily. Hermione incanted again, more forcefully this time.
Again, the scream. Everyone could see the black mass starting to pull free, upwards from the diadem.
A third, even more forceful, incantation from Hermione and the fragment was pulled completely free.
Once it was clear it was free, Harry raised his wand and cast, "Relegant animae (Banish the soul!)" Once, twice, thrice. Each time the cast passed through the ward and struck the fragment. On the third and final time, it appeared to shred utterly the fragment into nothingness.
With a sigh, all three sat back and relaxed. The ritual, though short, was draining on all three.
"Good job," Hermione panted. "Good job, everyone."
A little tired, himself, Harry said, "Did you notice how this ritual was just perfect for three to perform; and that we're three?"
"Three is a powerful magical number, Harry," said Daphne. "So, no; I'm not surprised, at all."
Back in their apartment, Harry said, "Okay, that leaves the cup, which I'll talk to the goblins about; the locket, which Sirius will get for us; the ring, which Dumbledore must get; Nagini, which is Neville's responsibility or mine at the graveyard; and, finally, Voldemort.
"If it wasn't because John said I have to defeat old Moldyshorts in battle... which makes me, yet again, the hero of the wizarding world... I'd be quite happy to sic Madam Bones and her aurors onto Riddle Manor and let them take care of that problem for us.
"But, noooo... my destiny is to face Riddle in battle. Which will then lead to my demanding House Potter be elevated to noble status, and on to a revolution in magical Britain that will see no more Dork Lards for many, many years to come. I don't want to famous. I just want to be Harry."
"Oh, stop whining, Potter," snarked Daphne. "If not for that destiny we'd have all perished on 2nd May 1998."
"No, I don't know," disagreed Hermione. "If not for that destiny, there'd have been no prophecy, if not for the prophecy, Voldemort may well have not attacked the Potters, and Dumbledore would definitely not have interfered with Harry's life. They're interconnected."
"Riddle would still have been resurrected," argued Daphne. "And, he would have still attacked Hogwarts. The timing may have changed, but the attack would still have happened."
No one could argue with that.
"So, what next?" asked Harry.
"Organise for a solicitor for Sirius now?" asked Hermione. "Why wait until you see the goblins in November? Or, when Professor McGonagall can spare a staff member to escort us there?"
"How?" asked Harry.
"My father," said Daphne firmly. "Let me write to him with our 'suspicions' about your godfather not getting a trial and see what we can do from there. With Dumbledore still in Saint Mungo's the old fool cannot get in the way."
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