Categories > Books > Harry Potter > The Ritual
The Ritual
Disclaimer: I do not own the Potterverse!
Author’s Note: This is fairly obviously A.U. so I’m letting you know I’ve altered the age kids leave for Hogwarts to thirteen. This makes Harry seventeen, almost eighteen at the start of the story and Ginny is sixteen, almost seventeen. This means that wizards are legal adults by the time they get their OWLs and getting NEWTs is optional but required for the more advanced positions. It also means they are both over the age of consent for their country of origin at the time of the story.
Chapter 4
Harry was confused upon awakening until he remembered where they were. He’d had a great night’s sleep with no nightmares marring it. He lay in bed for a bit savoring not having to get up for either chores or classes then got up and headed into the master bath. After he was finished there he noticed a door leading away from his room. Curious as to where it might lead, he opened it.
It lead to another bathroom that must be Ginny’s. At first he was worried she still in it and closed his eyes but the silence made him open them back up. The door on this side was disguised behind a rack of bath products. He wondered why it was only disguised from one direction. He went through the door opposite and saw that it lead directly to a bedroom with Ginny sitting under the window and reading the ritual book. Harry felt guilty but he took the opportunity to study her without her knowledge. The morning sun on her hair made it seem like she had a halo of fire around her head and the long quidditch jersey she slept in showed her legs up to the thigh. She’d evidently had a growth spurt sometime without him noticing as they were long and graceful limbs. Pale as only redheads seem to get where they weren’t freckled and tucked under her as she read. The arms holding the book were also pale but had more freckles. They were toned and shapely and she clearly had no trouble holding the heavy book for however long she’d been reading.
He must have made some sort of noise though as her head lifted from the book and she smiled at him, “Hello Harry, found the secret passage have you?”
“It wasn’t that secret,” he replied. “It seems our baths are connected by a door. I’m sorry for barging in. I can show you the door so you can spell it locked if you like.”
She shook her head, “No need Harry, just knock in the future now that you know where it goes.” She put the tome down on the table, “Now that we’re both awake how about we go back to that table overlooking the island and have breakfast?”
“Sure,” he said. “I, uh, can I ask you something Ginny?”
“Anything Harry,” she said stretching.
He gulped as the sleep-shirt rose on her thighs as she stretched and she grinned, “See something you like Mr. Potter?”
“I thought you were dating Dean this summer?” Harry asked dragging his eyes back to hers.
“Nah, I just said that to annoy Ron,” she replied. “Is that the question you wanted to ask?” She grinned, “Whether or not I’m single?”
He shook his head, “No, I was wondering why you’re taking all this so well. I mean that sylph was making all sorts of assumptions and you are stuck here on an island with me and no one else, not even a house elf. I just walked through a secret passage to your bedroom and caught you in your nightshirt. Don’t you have any problem with that? I kinda do and it was me doing it.”
“It’s not the first time you’ve caught me in my nightshirt Harry,” she said. “I was wearing only a thin white one when the group of you arrived at my house in the dead of night four years ago. Granted I didn’t have much to see back then but I was backlit by a roaring fire so whatever I had you saw, as the twins delighted in pointing out to me later. You have stayed over at my family’s house for half the summer every year for the past four years and have known me since we met five years ago when I was twelve and you were thirteen. I may have been shy around you at first but I’ve gotten comfortable around you now and I see no reason to go back to being timid around you just because we’re alone.” She took his arm and steered him to the door of the suite, “Let’s go eat and I’ll explain what I’ve read so far. Hermione must be laughing her bum off if she read it first. Either that or cackling with glee.”
Harry looked nervous, “She mentioned it might be a little n-naughty.” He stumbled over the word. “I was going to tell you before asking for your help but then you made that oath and I figured you’d be upset if I told you right after so I, well…”
“You decided to let me find out for myself by reading it?” she replied with a smile. “It’s okay Harry. I’m not upset. I can’t believe you don’t know how I feel about you after all these years and its not because you’re famous. I thought you were cute even before I knew your name. You saved my life at great risk to your own and were really nice to me back when all I could do around you was squeak and blush and stick my elbow in the butter dish. If you had told me beforehand I would still have made the oath. Now lets go eat!”
Harry smiled, “Okay, I know better than to get between you and a meal.”
She giggled and slapped his shoulder, “Prat! And after I waited for you too.”
He smiled, “Aw, you know I was just kidding.”
Over breakfast Ginny explained that it was the magical Hindus that had first discovered the ritual. “A holy man of some sort from the temple of some goddess found it accidentally. I think it said the temple of Kama but it was late and I was skimming through that part. It does indeed triple the power of your spells and protects your mind from all mental attacks no matter how strong or subtle. It also ejects any possessing entities or magical influences already in you but its too dangerous to do without preparation. The monk or whatever had spent years in pursuit of it. They refined the preparations into a series of actions they called Saili. It's similar to that Tai Chi thing Hermione told us about and the motions are recorded in the book. Most people in Europe have never heard of it because it has never been translated and of those who do know of it even fewer bother to attempt it because they would be required to spend months at least preparing their bodies for the ritual. Fortunately for us parseltongues can take a shortcut and do in days or weeks what would take others anything from six months up two years.” She grinned at him, “We can start today if you’re up for it.”
He had the feeling that his life was about to change more than he could imagine but he knew he needed an edge so he grabbed his Gryffindor courage and charged forward, figuratively speaking, “I’m in. What do we need to do?”
“I’ll show you the page where the images showing what to do start and you can drink your potion then read the descriptions and watch the images. The potion helps you remember them as well. While you are doing that I’ll shower and get ready. Once you’re finished we’ll get started with the first part.”
“Shouldn’t we read through the whole thing first?” Harry asked.
“I’m bound by oath to go through with it anyway so I want to get started as soon as possible,” she replied. “You don’t have to do it with me. I’ll learn it and protect you from the dark lord’s minions and spells while you fight him. Maybe we can even kill him together.”
He could tell she meant that. She wasn’t just trying to manipulate him; she really would do what she said if he asked. He sighed, that just made him feel like a jerk. She’d made an oath on her very blood and magic to help him and here he was dragging his feet. “No Ginny, I’ll do it with you no matter what is.” He pulled his wand, “I, Harry James Potter, swear on my blood and magic to join Ginevra Weasley in any rituals she does on this island. So Mote It Be!”
“Thank you Harry,” Ginny replied with a bright smile. “If you’re finished eating we can head back to my room for the book.”
Final Author’s Note: Obviously I am taking some liberties with Tantric yoga in order to explore how wizards could make use of it. I hope no one is offended by any alterations I may make and I do not believe that any abilities I may claim for it in the story are claimed by people practicing actual Tantric yoga in our real world.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Potterverse!
Author’s Note: This is fairly obviously A.U. so I’m letting you know I’ve altered the age kids leave for Hogwarts to thirteen. This makes Harry seventeen, almost eighteen at the start of the story and Ginny is sixteen, almost seventeen. This means that wizards are legal adults by the time they get their OWLs and getting NEWTs is optional but required for the more advanced positions. It also means they are both over the age of consent for their country of origin at the time of the story.
Chapter 4
Harry was confused upon awakening until he remembered where they were. He’d had a great night’s sleep with no nightmares marring it. He lay in bed for a bit savoring not having to get up for either chores or classes then got up and headed into the master bath. After he was finished there he noticed a door leading away from his room. Curious as to where it might lead, he opened it.
It lead to another bathroom that must be Ginny’s. At first he was worried she still in it and closed his eyes but the silence made him open them back up. The door on this side was disguised behind a rack of bath products. He wondered why it was only disguised from one direction. He went through the door opposite and saw that it lead directly to a bedroom with Ginny sitting under the window and reading the ritual book. Harry felt guilty but he took the opportunity to study her without her knowledge. The morning sun on her hair made it seem like she had a halo of fire around her head and the long quidditch jersey she slept in showed her legs up to the thigh. She’d evidently had a growth spurt sometime without him noticing as they were long and graceful limbs. Pale as only redheads seem to get where they weren’t freckled and tucked under her as she read. The arms holding the book were also pale but had more freckles. They were toned and shapely and she clearly had no trouble holding the heavy book for however long she’d been reading.
He must have made some sort of noise though as her head lifted from the book and she smiled at him, “Hello Harry, found the secret passage have you?”
“It wasn’t that secret,” he replied. “It seems our baths are connected by a door. I’m sorry for barging in. I can show you the door so you can spell it locked if you like.”
She shook her head, “No need Harry, just knock in the future now that you know where it goes.” She put the tome down on the table, “Now that we’re both awake how about we go back to that table overlooking the island and have breakfast?”
“Sure,” he said. “I, uh, can I ask you something Ginny?”
“Anything Harry,” she said stretching.
He gulped as the sleep-shirt rose on her thighs as she stretched and she grinned, “See something you like Mr. Potter?”
“I thought you were dating Dean this summer?” Harry asked dragging his eyes back to hers.
“Nah, I just said that to annoy Ron,” she replied. “Is that the question you wanted to ask?” She grinned, “Whether or not I’m single?”
He shook his head, “No, I was wondering why you’re taking all this so well. I mean that sylph was making all sorts of assumptions and you are stuck here on an island with me and no one else, not even a house elf. I just walked through a secret passage to your bedroom and caught you in your nightshirt. Don’t you have any problem with that? I kinda do and it was me doing it.”
“It’s not the first time you’ve caught me in my nightshirt Harry,” she said. “I was wearing only a thin white one when the group of you arrived at my house in the dead of night four years ago. Granted I didn’t have much to see back then but I was backlit by a roaring fire so whatever I had you saw, as the twins delighted in pointing out to me later. You have stayed over at my family’s house for half the summer every year for the past four years and have known me since we met five years ago when I was twelve and you were thirteen. I may have been shy around you at first but I’ve gotten comfortable around you now and I see no reason to go back to being timid around you just because we’re alone.” She took his arm and steered him to the door of the suite, “Let’s go eat and I’ll explain what I’ve read so far. Hermione must be laughing her bum off if she read it first. Either that or cackling with glee.”
Harry looked nervous, “She mentioned it might be a little n-naughty.” He stumbled over the word. “I was going to tell you before asking for your help but then you made that oath and I figured you’d be upset if I told you right after so I, well…”
“You decided to let me find out for myself by reading it?” she replied with a smile. “It’s okay Harry. I’m not upset. I can’t believe you don’t know how I feel about you after all these years and its not because you’re famous. I thought you were cute even before I knew your name. You saved my life at great risk to your own and were really nice to me back when all I could do around you was squeak and blush and stick my elbow in the butter dish. If you had told me beforehand I would still have made the oath. Now lets go eat!”
Harry smiled, “Okay, I know better than to get between you and a meal.”
She giggled and slapped his shoulder, “Prat! And after I waited for you too.”
He smiled, “Aw, you know I was just kidding.”
Over breakfast Ginny explained that it was the magical Hindus that had first discovered the ritual. “A holy man of some sort from the temple of some goddess found it accidentally. I think it said the temple of Kama but it was late and I was skimming through that part. It does indeed triple the power of your spells and protects your mind from all mental attacks no matter how strong or subtle. It also ejects any possessing entities or magical influences already in you but its too dangerous to do without preparation. The monk or whatever had spent years in pursuit of it. They refined the preparations into a series of actions they called Saili. It's similar to that Tai Chi thing Hermione told us about and the motions are recorded in the book. Most people in Europe have never heard of it because it has never been translated and of those who do know of it even fewer bother to attempt it because they would be required to spend months at least preparing their bodies for the ritual. Fortunately for us parseltongues can take a shortcut and do in days or weeks what would take others anything from six months up two years.” She grinned at him, “We can start today if you’re up for it.”
He had the feeling that his life was about to change more than he could imagine but he knew he needed an edge so he grabbed his Gryffindor courage and charged forward, figuratively speaking, “I’m in. What do we need to do?”
“I’ll show you the page where the images showing what to do start and you can drink your potion then read the descriptions and watch the images. The potion helps you remember them as well. While you are doing that I’ll shower and get ready. Once you’re finished we’ll get started with the first part.”
“Shouldn’t we read through the whole thing first?” Harry asked.
“I’m bound by oath to go through with it anyway so I want to get started as soon as possible,” she replied. “You don’t have to do it with me. I’ll learn it and protect you from the dark lord’s minions and spells while you fight him. Maybe we can even kill him together.”
He could tell she meant that. She wasn’t just trying to manipulate him; she really would do what she said if he asked. He sighed, that just made him feel like a jerk. She’d made an oath on her very blood and magic to help him and here he was dragging his feet. “No Ginny, I’ll do it with you no matter what is.” He pulled his wand, “I, Harry James Potter, swear on my blood and magic to join Ginevra Weasley in any rituals she does on this island. So Mote It Be!”
“Thank you Harry,” Ginny replied with a bright smile. “If you’re finished eating we can head back to my room for the book.”
Final Author’s Note: Obviously I am taking some liberties with Tantric yoga in order to explore how wizards could make use of it. I hope no one is offended by any alterations I may make and I do not believe that any abilities I may claim for it in the story are claimed by people practicing actual Tantric yoga in our real world.
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