𝐉𝐈𝐆𝐒𝐀𝐖

Chapter 18

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Chapter Eighteen:

The Yule Bell Rings

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Apparently, Harry wasn't the only one with the idea to buy Lupin clothes for Christmas. Hermione, Contessa, and Morpheus had all bought him clothes, too. Hermione had bought him a Muggle pair of trousers and a nice jumper, but Contessa and Morpheus had bought him wizard's robes. He had been astounded.

Lupin was wearing the blue and white robes Harry had bought him, standing around the boiling cauldron with the Clone Concoction in it, along with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Contessa, and Snape. Godric had been left back at the Three Broomsticks, since he said it was too cold to go outside unless he was hunting. Hagrid and Morpheus had left the party before the rest left to work on the potion. Hagrid had been sloshed enough that he sang a bawdy song about dragons on the way back to his hut and Morpheus kept giving them all suspicious looks before leaving. Kaw sat on Contessa's shoulders, watching the cauldron and pausing to preen every now and then.

Snape was stirring at the cauldron, peering into it neutrally. Harry was definitely peering into it anxiously, but unable to see anything other than vaguely glowing grayish-green goop.

"I think I see him," Draco said, peering into the cauldron as well. "Was he a blond? I thought he had black hair."

"Don't be an idiot. It's not ready yet. We can't pull the body out until midnight. We still have another minute or two. It's still shifting."

"Body?" Harry asked. Contessa was standing by the mirror now, staring at it thoughtfully.

"Yes, Potter. It's a Clone Concoction to make him a body. What did you think we were going to pull out?" Snape sneered.

Harry glared at him, but didn't retort, mostly in interest of making sure the potion turned out all right. It just seemed odd to think that they were just going to pull a body out of a cauldron. He jumped a little when a grandfather clock in the corner began to intone the midnight hour.

"Yule! Bell! Ringing!" Kaw cried, buzzing about the room excitedly.

"Now," Snape told Draco, plunging his arms into the boiling green and gray goop. Draco followed suit. Harry moved forward as they pulled out a human body, which promptly slid from their slick grasps and fell to the floor with a thud. Harry moved over to the body, kneeling beside it, just as did Lupin. It was hard to make out any details as the whole body was covered in greenish-gray goop. Harry and Lupin wiped the slime off the body's face.

And there lay Sirius Black, his eyes closed and his chest not rising. He was like a flesh statue: an image of Sirius without the years of Dementors leeching his good looks; an image of Sirius whole and healthy, even if not alive. Harry felt his heart burst.

"Why isn't he breathing?" Harry asked anxiously.

"He has no soul to give his body the energy to live. That's what we have to do now," Contessa said. "The potion was the easy part, Harry."

Behind her, the gray smoky substance of the Netherworld roiled and swirled like never before. "How--how do we do this?" Harry asked, standing up and staring at her.

"You and Snape must take my hands. I will lead your spirits into the Netherworld. I must remain at the gate. Once there, use his knowledge and familiarity to find Sirius's soul and spirit and then come back. I can't tell you what will happen because no one has ever done anything like this before," Contessa said, her voice trembling a bit. Kaw fluttered over to perch on top of the mirror. He was watching everyone quite shrewdly.