NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: The Search for Power
Hermione Granger stepped into Diagon Alley, the sun barely peeking over the rooftops. She had a task to complete that would be the bedrock for her future endeavours. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about the ritual she needed to perform: the Τέσσαρα ἔτη δοκιμασίας τῆς μαγείας, a trial of magic lasting four years. This ancient ritual, with its significant demands, promised to bolster her magical strength significantly, a weighty task she was ready to undertake.
Visiting the Horizant Library had come to her in a flash of inspiration. She was determined to find the perfect location for her ritual, and she knew that she would find the information she needed somewhere in its vast collection of books. The library was not commonly visited; it was tucked away past Quality Quidditch Supplies, making it an ideal location for those seeking rare information without drawing attention.
Walking briskly past the various shops, Hermione's eyes scanned the signs until she found what she was looking for. Horizant Alley was a narrow, almost hidden path, but she had obtained a map with the introduction Professor McGonagall had provided her on her initial visit. The entrance to the Horizant Library was unassuming, a simple wooden door with a small brass plaque. She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The air inside was cool and smelled faintly of old parchment. Shelves upon shelves of books towered around her, some so tall they needed ladders to reach the top. The silence was palpable, broken only by the occasional rustle of pages as a few dedicated scholars pored over their studies. There had to be expansion charms on the building as it was taller than it appeared on the outside.
Hermione approached the front desk, where an elderly witch with half-moon spectacles sat. "Excuse me," Hermione began, "I'm looking for information on magical heritage sites and ley lines."
The witch peered over her glasses. "Ley lines, you say? That would be in the Arcane Geographies section, aisle seven. As for magical heritage sites, try the History of Magic aisle, aisle three."
"Thank you," Hermione replied, heading towards the indicated aisles. She decided to start with the History of Magic section.
She perused the shelves and pulled out several hefty tomes detailing various magical sites worldwide. Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, and even Hogwarts were all mentioned as places of great magical significance. However, these seemed like they needed to be more right for the ritual she needed to perform. They were either too public or dangerous to carry out the ritual alone.
Hermione sighed, setting aside the last book and moving towards the Arcane Geographies section. She found a large, dusty volume titled "Ley Lines: The Veins of Magic" and began to read. Ley lines were fascinating, crisscrossing the earth like a web of magical energy. She knew that places where multiple ley lines converged were potent.
After nearly an hour of searching, Hermione found a map showing a convergence of five ley lines on the Isle of Moy, just east of Auchbain. The description noted its secluded nature and the significant magical potency due to the convergence. This seemed perfect for her needs. The only issue was that it was privately owned; she hoped it was muggle-owned and not warded, as the book should have mentioned it.
"Isle of Moy it is," she murmured to herself. She quickly copied down the details and returned the books to their places.
Exiting the library, Hermione felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. The next step was getting there, and she knew how to do it.
Back in her room at Crawley, Hermione packed her bag with everything she would need for the ritual. She carefully checked her list:
- Circle of enchanted candles (13 in total, representing the years of life)
- A vial of purified water from a magical spring
- A small clear crystal (symbolising clarity and potential)
- A piece of parchment and a quill
- A drop of her own blood (to bind the magic)
- A silver bowl
She also added a pack of matches to light the candles, as she couldn't use wand magic due to the Trace. Satisfied she had everything, she headed downstairs and spoke to her mother.
"Mom, I'm headed to Daphne's for that sleepover we talked about. She'll pick me up from the Leaky Cauldron. We're not on the floor network, so that's the easiest spot to meet up," Hermione said with a big smile, carefully concealing the real reason she was not going to be there at night, adding a layer of secrecy to her mission.
Emma turned to hug her daughter "Ok honey, are you sure you don't want us to come with you to the pub? It's not that long a drive."
"Thanks, mom, but that would take hours and I'll be late if we do that, you know the Knight Bus is fast it'll get me there in only a few minutes. Besides we're going on holiday soon to France so this will be my last chance to see my Friends before we leave and I'd um.. spend as much time as I can before then." Pretending to be embarrassed by that wasn't nearly as challenging as she expected.
Emma tightened the hug she held on her daughter "Ok Hermione, take care of yourself and behave, I look forward to hearing all about it tomorrow."
"Ok, Mom, I'd better get going. See you tomorrow!" she said as she walked or ran out the door, further evoking the excitement of an excited little girl going to visit her friends. As she left the house, she held out her wand as dusk settled in.
With a loud bang, the triple-decker bus appeared in front of her. She climbed aboard, greeted by the conductor, Stan Shunpike. "Where to, miss?" he asked his face a mixture of curiosity and boredom.
"The Isle of Moy, please," Hermione replied, handing over the fare.
Stan looked surprised but didn't comment; just gave a curt nod. "Take a seat, then."
The ride was as chaotic as Hermione remembered, but soon enough, they arrived at the remote Isle of Moy. She stepped off the bus, thanking Stan, and looked around. The place was eerily beautiful, with rolling hills and a thick forest in the distance. It was secluded, perfect for the ritual she needed to perform.
She made her way towards the convergence point marked on her map, her heart pounding with anticipation. Dusk was coming to an end, casting long shadows across the landscape. As she reached the site, she saw the five ley lines etched faintly into the ground, glowing with a soft, magical light. Luckily, the light wasn't visible to the muggles. She mused that it probably interacted like dementors did with the muggles and explained how the wizarding world had been hidden from them for so long. Something to look into more deeply later.
Hermione set to work, placing the enchanted candles in a circle and carefully measuring the thirteenth candle to match the amount of time into her thirteenth year. She placed the silver bowl in the circle's centre, poured the purified water, and set the clear crystal beside it. This was made considerably easier using muggle tools. A 12-inch Drawing Compass made drawing a perfect circle incredibly easy and marked the central point from which to draw the 13 lines.
As the full moon rose, bathing the clearing in its silvery light, Hermione lit the candles with the matches. She took a deep breath, feeling the power of the place thrumming around her. She pricked her finger with the silver dagger, letting a drop of blood fall into the bowl. The water shimmered and began to glow.
Taking the parchment and quill, she wrote the incantation from the ritual book, her hand steady despite the significance of what she was about to do. The incantation was written in ancient Greek runes, the language of the ritual:
ᚠᛟᚢᚱ ᛁᛖᚱᛊ ᛏᛟ ᛈᚱᛟᚢᛖ ᛗᛁ ᚹᛟᚱᚦ ᛁ ᛞᛖᛞᛁᚲᚨᛏᛖ ᛗᛁ ᛒᛚᛟᛟᛞ ᛁ ᚢᚾᚢᛖᛁᛚ ᛗᛁ ᛊᛟᚢᛚ ᛈᛟᚹᛖᚱ ᚨᚾᛞ ᛚᛁᚷᚺᛏ ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ᚦᛖ ᛞᛖᛈᚦᛊ ᛟᚠ ᚦᛖ ᛖᚱᚦ ᚨᚾᚲᛁᛖᚾᛏ ᛊᛏᚱᛖᛜᚦ, ᚺᛖᚱ ᛗᛁ ᛈᛚᛖ ᛗᛁ ᛗᚨᚷᛁᚲ ᚹᚨᚲᛊᛖᛊ ᚹᛁᚦ ᛗᛁ ᛖᚠᚠᛟᚱᛏ ᛗᛁ ᛈᛟᚹᛖᚱ ᚦᚱᛁᚢᛖᛊ ᚨᛊ ᛁ ᛏᛟᛁᛚ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛚᛁᚾᛖᛊ ᛟᚠ ᚦᛖ ᛖᚱᚦ ᚱᛖᛊᛟᚾᚨᛏᛖ ᚹᛁᚦ ᛗᛖ ᛊᛏᚨᚱᛊ ᚨᛒᛟᚢᛖ, ᚹᛁᛏᚾᛖᛊᛊ ᛗᛁ ᛏᚱᛟᚨᛚ ᛗᛁ ᚹᛁᛚᛚ ᛊᚺᚨᛈᛖᛊ ᛗᛁ ᛞᛖᛊᛏᛁᚾᛁ ᚨᚾᚲᛁᛖᚾᛏ ᚠᛟᚱᚲᛖᛊ, ᚨᚹᚨᚲᛖᚾ ᛁᚾ ᛗᛖ ᛏᚺᚱᛟᚢᚷᚺ ᛖᚠᚠᛟᚱᛏ, ᛗᛁ ᛗᚨᚷᛁᚲ ᚹᛁᛚᛚ ᛈᚱᛖᚢᚨᛁᛚ
The translation:
Four years to prove my worth
I dedicate my blood
I unveil my soul
Power and light from the depths of the earth
Ancient strength, hear my plea
My magic waxes with my effort
My power thrives as I toil
The lines of the earth resonate with me
Stars above, witness my trial
My will shapes my destiny
Ancient forces awaken in me
Through effort, my magic will prevail
As she finished writing, she placed the parchment into the bowl and watched it dissolve into the glowing red water.
Hermione began to chant the ancient words of the ritual, her voice clear and strong. The air around her seemed to pulse with energy, the ley lines humming in response. She felt the magic flowing through her, connecting her to the earth, the sky, and the essence of magic itself.
The candles flickered and flared, the light merging into a single, bright column that enveloped her. Hermione closed her eyes, focusing on the power surging within her. She felt the magic from the leylines and the earth searching her, judging her. Neither giving nor taking anything.
As the ritual reached its climax, the light intensified and slowly began to fade. The candles burned down, leaving only stubs, and the glowing ley lines dimmed. Hermione opened her eyes and felt nothing different; that was a good sign. Had she made a mistake with the ritual, she'd have felt the consequences, as even a slight mistake with these can mean death or worse.
Exhausted but exhilarated, Hermione sat down, taking a moment to catch her breath. She knew the next four years would be challenging, requiring daily dedication to her magical training. But she was ready. She didn't feel stronger; she felt more focused; having a tangible goal was always the best way to improve as it gave her something to work towards.
Gathering her things, Hermione returned to where the Knight bus had dropped her off. As she walked, she couldn't help but smile. This was just the beginning. She was prepared to face whatever lay ahead and face the challenges and triumphs of her new life. The road would be long and difficult, but she was Hermione Granger and would not be deterred.