Heart of the Guardian

29. Sic Eligere

"This doesn't look familiar... other than this part," Potter said, late the next morning, pointing.

Snape pulled the book over in front of him, turning it so that they both could see the text, leaving the translation text at the boy's other elbow. The middle part read Manu mea est tuum... Manu tua meum est... Eligere. He'd refreshed his own memory of the rest when he pulled the book from the boy's lap the other night. "It's High Latin," he said. "Most of what we use for daily spells, charms and rituals is Latinate... occasionally Greek, Aramaic... even English."

"What's High Latin?"

Snape studied the boy a moment before responding. "High Latin is old Latin. The Latinate we use for everyday spells is subject to change as we change, as our knowledge changes. We make it up, to an extent, as we need it for new words, concepts, discoveries. High Latin is... static, unchanging. There is no 'slang', for example, in High Latin, no evolution of terms or street usage. In some ways, that makes its meaning very, very clear... provided one understands that it hearkens back to and calls upon very old, very ancient magic."

Potter was listening in apparent fascination. "So... that means... a ritual done in High Latin is..."

"More powerful, yes. Mithraic rituals are more powerful yet."

The boy gulped.

Snape tilted his head, watching the boy across the table. "I told you, we don't have to do this, Potter."

"Harry," the boy said absently.

Snape sighed. "A civil adoption... the inheritance bond..."

"No. I think we should do this," the boy interrupted quickly.

Snape reached across to put a finger under the boy's chin, lifting his face to meet his eyes. "It does not matter to me," he said softly.

"It matters to me."

"As you wish... but..."

"It'll be okay."

Snape shook his head dubiously, then looked back at the book.

"Can you read this?"

"I'm working it out."

"Do you want help?"

"No... I can do it."

"I know."

***

"Professor...?"

He looked up from his desk to where the boy lay before the fire, reading. "What is it?"

"Is this the only kind of ritual? Adoption ritual, I mean? Are there other ways to do it? Other rituals like it?"

He put down his quill and twined his hands, considering the boy's question. "No, it's not the only way to do it. There are others – of course. Every culture and people has its own adoption rituals, though not, perhaps, utilizing a bonding spell, per se. Native American wizards perform a bonding ritual that involves an exchange of blood. 'My blood is yours; your blood is mine.' That makes a certain intuitive sense to me, though perhaps some would find it primitive. Other rituals involve the sharing of food, or eating from each other's plate – 'What's mine is yours; what's yours is mine, even unto the things that give me life.' Why do you ask?"

"Can we design our own ritual?"

Snape looked at the boy curiously. "Of course. There is a certain form that must be honored, but beyond that, we may do as we wish... What did you have in mind?"

They worked it out together, each of them contributing, in consultation with Kingsley – who insisted on particular protocol to make absolutely sure there would be no questions, and Bartley – who assured the legality of the procedure. They should each have two unrelated witnesses; the ritual should be translated to English from the Latin, so that both formal and informal witnesses could attest to the vow. They should use Veritaserum to publicly demonstrate their honest intent, Snape thought. Kingsley and Bartley agreed, though Bartley again expressed concern about the strain on Snape's heart. Snape waved that off.