Banished: Chapter 54
May. 27th, 2007 12:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zephyr_macabeeLadies and Gentlemen, please return your seats and trays to their full and upright position and check that your seatbelts are securely fastened. Here we go, into the final three chapters, I hope you have enjoyed the ride!
On through the night and all the next day, the chanting continued. Sam switched off with his nephew, Jim, to rest and eat. Drummers and chanters circulated in and out. Only Severus never left the ramada. With spells to take care of his personal needs, he was allowed sips of water and an occasional mouthful of cornmeal cake. Most of the time he lay on the cot, letting the chanting wash over him. Periodically he was helped to his feet and led around the powder image, singing his own chants. As time wore on, magical energy started to build and coalesce beneath the ramada’s roof.
When dawn broke on the 24th, participants found that they had to force their way through an invisible barrier to enter the ramada. Sam and Granny conferred.
“This is the day, Sam. I am sure of it. Voldemort will try to rise today. He will wait until dusk; magic such as his thrives in darkness. From all I have seen and heard he needs to use Harry Potter in some way, and since his magic is still relatively weak, the ritual must take place somewhere fairly near to Hogwarts. Sunset in Scotland is at 10:00 pm tonight; we need to bring the ceremony to its climax at 4:00 pm here.”
“Go and tell Margaret, Kai. Have her inform the chanters that the entire group is needed to sing starting at noon. I will rest now; the final hours will need all of my and Jim’s energies.”
At noon, all the available chanters assembled at the ramada. Row upon row, they filled the floor and extended out beyond the limits of the roof. Jorge and the other elves quickly erected sunshades to protect the outermost rows. The magical barrier expanded to encompass all the participants. It was later determined that 725 people had sung together that day.
Remus and Nat helped Severus to his feet for one last circuit of the powder image. The cot was removed and Severus lay down on the ground directly on the image, with his head facing east. Granny knelt beside him, taking his right hand in her left. Across from her knelt Remus, holding out Severus’ left arm to expose the Dark Mark. Margaret knelt at Severus’ head and Nat at his feet.
The drummers took up a faster beat; Sam and Jim together began the final cycle of chants. Starting softly, the chanting grew louder. Slowly, the magical forces started to circulate around the defined space. As the sun moved westward the vortex started to tighten at the center of the ramada, spinning faster as it grew more compact.
To Severus it felt as if the skin of his left arm was being melted from within by some entity trying to burst out. He could feel movement in the flesh, pulling towards the Mark. He moaned and writhed, desperate to claw at his arm, but Remus and Kai held him firmly. Margaret rested her hands on his head and gave him some of her energy.
The roar of the chants and the drums filled the air as the vortex contracted to a point directly above Severus’ left arm. It was 4:00 pm when the Dark Mark lifted away, coalescing into a ball of bilious green energy tethered to Severus by elongating strands.
Granny released Severus’ right arm. She shouted to him over the chant. “You must break the final links yourself, child. Free yourself!”
Gathering the last of his strength, Severus grasped the strands and pulled, while singing his final chant, a prayer to the Spirits to forgive him and grant him peace. One by one, the strands snapped and pulled up into the ball. But the final, most tenacious strand refused to break. Remus leaned in and whispered words of love and support. Severus closed his eyes, took a deep breath and wrenched at the stubborn string with everything within him. It hissed and fought, but it could not overcome his determination to be free, and finally it broke.
The vortex seized the ball of evil and swept it up, out through the smoke hole and up into the sky, until it disappeared from the view of even the sharpest eyes. The sky clouded over in an instant. Lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and rain began to fall. A burst of magical energy washed out over everyone.
The chanting and the drums ceased abruptly, and an eerie silence filled the ramada. Severus, Kai and Sam fell unconscious and the rest of the participants collapsed in exhaustion on the ground.
This had all been planned for; a group of mediwizards and witches had been held in reserve with some of the undergraduate students, and they rushed in to provide first aid to the chanters.
Dr. Todd attended to Kai, who frightened them all with a fluttering heart, but who responded quickly to the heart’s ease potion he gave her. Remus cradled Severus’ head as the mediwizard poured some Pepper-up potion into his mouth. Jim and Nat assisted Sam, who rallied quickly.
He instructed Remus to lay Severus back down on the powder image, and as the rain poured in through the smoke hole, he and Jim rubbed the colored pigments into Severus’ skin. As they finished the ritual destruction of the image, the rain began to wash Severus clean. On his left arm, the pigments washed away to reveal unmarred skin.
Seeing this, Margaret began a chant of thanksgiving which was picked up by the others. Severus awoke to the sounds of hundreds of jubilant singers. Remus helped him to sit up and held him as he stared in amazement at his unblemished arm. Tears of joy mixed with the rain on their faces.
As quickly as it had begun, the rain ceased and the sun came out to warm and dry them. The chanters exited the ramada and were directed to the dining hall, where a huge feast of celebration awaited.
http://zephyr-macabee.livejournal.com/20767.html
When dawn broke on the 24th, participants found that they had to force their way through an invisible barrier to enter the ramada. Sam and Granny conferred.
“This is the day, Sam. I am sure of it. Voldemort will try to rise today. He will wait until dusk; magic such as his thrives in darkness. From all I have seen and heard he needs to use Harry Potter in some way, and since his magic is still relatively weak, the ritual must take place somewhere fairly near to Hogwarts. Sunset in Scotland is at 10:00 pm tonight; we need to bring the ceremony to its climax at 4:00 pm here.”
“Go and tell Margaret, Kai. Have her inform the chanters that the entire group is needed to sing starting at noon. I will rest now; the final hours will need all of my and Jim’s energies.”
At noon, all the available chanters assembled at the ramada. Row upon row, they filled the floor and extended out beyond the limits of the roof. Jorge and the other elves quickly erected sunshades to protect the outermost rows. The magical barrier expanded to encompass all the participants. It was later determined that 725 people had sung together that day.
Remus and Nat helped Severus to his feet for one last circuit of the powder image. The cot was removed and Severus lay down on the ground directly on the image, with his head facing east. Granny knelt beside him, taking his right hand in her left. Across from her knelt Remus, holding out Severus’ left arm to expose the Dark Mark. Margaret knelt at Severus’ head and Nat at his feet.
The drummers took up a faster beat; Sam and Jim together began the final cycle of chants. Starting softly, the chanting grew louder. Slowly, the magical forces started to circulate around the defined space. As the sun moved westward the vortex started to tighten at the center of the ramada, spinning faster as it grew more compact.
To Severus it felt as if the skin of his left arm was being melted from within by some entity trying to burst out. He could feel movement in the flesh, pulling towards the Mark. He moaned and writhed, desperate to claw at his arm, but Remus and Kai held him firmly. Margaret rested her hands on his head and gave him some of her energy.
The roar of the chants and the drums filled the air as the vortex contracted to a point directly above Severus’ left arm. It was 4:00 pm when the Dark Mark lifted away, coalescing into a ball of bilious green energy tethered to Severus by elongating strands.
Granny released Severus’ right arm. She shouted to him over the chant. “You must break the final links yourself, child. Free yourself!”
Gathering the last of his strength, Severus grasped the strands and pulled, while singing his final chant, a prayer to the Spirits to forgive him and grant him peace. One by one, the strands snapped and pulled up into the ball. But the final, most tenacious strand refused to break. Remus leaned in and whispered words of love and support. Severus closed his eyes, took a deep breath and wrenched at the stubborn string with everything within him. It hissed and fought, but it could not overcome his determination to be free, and finally it broke.
The vortex seized the ball of evil and swept it up, out through the smoke hole and up into the sky, until it disappeared from the view of even the sharpest eyes. The sky clouded over in an instant. Lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and rain began to fall. A burst of magical energy washed out over everyone.
The chanting and the drums ceased abruptly, and an eerie silence filled the ramada. Severus, Kai and Sam fell unconscious and the rest of the participants collapsed in exhaustion on the ground.
This had all been planned for; a group of mediwizards and witches had been held in reserve with some of the undergraduate students, and they rushed in to provide first aid to the chanters.
Dr. Todd attended to Kai, who frightened them all with a fluttering heart, but who responded quickly to the heart’s ease potion he gave her. Remus cradled Severus’ head as the mediwizard poured some Pepper-up potion into his mouth. Jim and Nat assisted Sam, who rallied quickly.
He instructed Remus to lay Severus back down on the powder image, and as the rain poured in through the smoke hole, he and Jim rubbed the colored pigments into Severus’ skin. As they finished the ritual destruction of the image, the rain began to wash Severus clean. On his left arm, the pigments washed away to reveal unmarred skin.
Seeing this, Margaret began a chant of thanksgiving which was picked up by the others. Severus awoke to the sounds of hundreds of jubilant singers. Remus helped him to sit up and held him as he stared in amazement at his unblemished arm. Tears of joy mixed with the rain on their faces.
As quickly as it had begun, the rain ceased and the sun came out to warm and dry them. The chanters exited the ramada and were directed to the dining hall, where a huge feast of celebration awaited.
http://zephyr-macabee.livejournal.com/20767.html
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-05-27 08:22 pm (UTC)Will be back as soon as I catch up!
no subject
Date: 2007-05-27 08:34 pm (UTC)It was later determined that 725 people had sung together that day.
I'm tearing up at the emotion here!
Gathering the last of his strength, Severus grasped the strands and pulled, while singing his final chant, a prayer to the Spirits to forgive him and grant him peace. One by one, the strands snapped and pulled up into the ball. But the final, most tenacious strand refused to break. Remus leaned in and whispered words of love and support. Severus closed his eyes, took a deep breath and wrenched at the stubborn string with everything within him. It hissed and fought, but it could not overcome his determination to be free, and finally it broke.
Well...you can write tension and anxiety very well.
Oh, my!
no subject
Date: 2007-05-27 10:01 pm (UTC)These 2 chapters today are practically writing themselves.