Fall from Grace

The Voice of the Light

Chapter 8

The Voice of the Light

Sylvain slammed a tower of books in front of Harry, slapping the top as he looked down at the small wizard. "This is everything I have that'll prepare you for Samhain," he said. "Read them, learn them, love them, love me."

Harry stared at the books in shock before glancing up at a smiling Sylvain. "You're not serious, are you?" he asked.

"Nah, only the first and last ones," Sylvain smirked. "They're not even mine but my brother's." Harry hummed and took the first one, which turned out to be instructions on any and all types of rituals a wizard can do on Samhain. "Do you know what Riddle will have us do?" he asked.

"Talk to the dead, well he wants Death but that's impossible," Sylvain said easily. He gave Riddle a glance before moving to sit next to Harry in their usual spot in the common room.

Harry looked at Sylvain confused, "Why is it impossible?"

"Because nobody speaks to Death and lives," Charles Avery answered, the slightly chubby teen looking up from his homework. "Mostly we don't even try but talk with our departed loved ones."

"Wizards have not spoken to Death simply because they are too afraid," Riddle spoke up suddenly, glaring at both Avery and Sylvain before looking at Harry. "However, Peverell, you'll learn that I have no reason to fear death. It has become nothing but a minor nuisance now."

Harry frowned at this, "Minor nuisance?" he repeated but Riddle just smirked and revealed nothing else. The others just watched on awkwardly for a moment before slowly turning back to whatever they were doing. Sylvain glanced between Harry and Riddle before clearing his throat, "Anyway uh yeah that book I have has instructions for any ritual you might want to do if you want to read it through."

"Thank you," Harry said. He took the first book off of the pile and flipped through it casually. "So what will you be doing? Besides the ritual that Riddle will have us do."

"Miklan and I usually use the holiday to clear our heads, there's a meditation where we either just sit or lay down by a fire and just either stare into the flames or the night sky. It's actually really relaxing," Sylvain said.

"Impossible, you've actually spent three minutes not mentioning girls," Xavier said, looking at the Rosier boy, "there might be hope for you after all."

Sylvain just smirked at him and winked. Harry pushed his homework to the side in order to focus on the book, noting that in the back there are indeed instructions on a few meditations people can do on Samhain. The one for talking with the dead interested Harry and seemed to be the least involved. His thoughts went back to Sirius and his parents. To Cedric. If he knew this ritual when he was in first year, if he knew he could do this, Harry didn't know how it would affect him. The chance to actually talk with his parents, to pretend for just one night that he had a normal family, a normal childhood where he could tell them anything. What would he talk about? His classes maybe. Or perhaps his feelings for Cedric. Perhaps they would have helped him understand everything about him sooner. He would have had a chance with Cedric sooner, gotten his courage sooner to ask Cedric out instead of holding it inside him worrying. Doubting. Maybe Cedric would have taken him during Yule instead of Cho Chang. They could have worked together as boyfriends and in the end, Harry could have saved him.

"Stop it," Harry muttered to himself. There were too many "what ifs" for him to worry about. He had to focus on the situation he was in now. He's stuck in the past with Samhain coming up. Perhaps talking with his parents during the night would help clear his mind. At least he would be able to apologize to them.

He returned to reading the book, skimming through the rituals. His cheeks blushed deeply when he seemed to reach an entire chapter about sex rituals, one of them allowing the casters to enhance or grow certain parts of their body while another made them more fertile or stronger or whatever they want, in exchange for sex or a small bit of their magic.