Purgation Ⅵ

Seeing as she was going to have detention anyway, Rowan decided to stay a bit longer in the Chamber of Secrets while she was still inspired. She walked back to the bookshelf and scanned over it. The genealogy book and reminded her of something she had read in passing in one of Salazar Slytherin's journals. It was a lullaby that she had originally paid no attention to until now.

Rowan's gaze halted upon the journal and carefully removed the ancient parchment journal before returning to her seat. She carefully turned the pages so as to not rip the delicate yellowed pages. She faintly recalled overhearing Regulus conversing with his two friends, Florinda and Flortentia Champlain debating pureblood lullabies. They had discussed that some children's tales and songs were so ancient that they had been recorded in ancient runes. Furthermore, there were tales and songs that were so pervasive that they existed in one version or another in all wizarding cultures throughout the world.

The yellow parchment crinkled softly, and Rowan's hand stilled. There scrawled in fading ink are the ancient lyrics of a song. Having meant Salazar Slytherin, she knew that he held no gentleness. He would not be one to be moved by weaker emotions, but rather a sense and purpose. Salazar Slytherin never acted without reason and for him to have recorded the children's song parseltongue, it must have served some ulterior purpose.

With care, Rowan began to quietly read out loud the lyrics in parseltongue.

Never hunger,

Never seek,

Lest wishes spring

And awaken the Beast.

In days of yore,

The Beast awoke

To an empty heart

That is numb with cold.

Insatiable hunger,

Greed-

The Beast devours,

Friends and Foes.

Adversaries,

Life and Death embrace,

The Hourglass overturns,

Fate and Destiny reversed,

The Tapestry unravels,

The Stars descend,

Heaven and Earth clash,

The Beast slayed.

Triumphant anguish,

Latent seeds,

The Hourglass flows,

Fate and Destiny returns.

Never hunger,

Never seek,

Lest wishes spring

And return the Beast.

Rowan furrowed her brow in thought. She already knew for a fact that the mythical creature, Hydra had physically once walked the earth. There were rare and far in between, but remnants still existed of ancient rune scripts that showed that man and wizard united to destroy the foul beast.

Turning towards the yellowed parchment, Rowan's midnight indigo-colored eyes focus on the second stanza. "In days of yore, the Beast awoke, to an empty heart." Perchance, Hydra was much more than a beast, but something so foul and dark that no records are kept.

Logically speaking, there should be far more ancient rune scripts in existence recounting the unification of man and wizard against such a powerful beast. And yet, there are almost none. It is as if all records were purposely erased.

Now, there are two explanations for that. One is that the second apprentice (Hydra_ literally erased them, but considering the limitations that Marcellus revealed about Hydra that is unlikely the case. Not to mention civilizations across the sea or island nations would not be affected. And that the ancient runescripts predate even Herpo, the Foul by thousands of years.

With the ancient runescripts predating Herpo, the Foul, the mythical creature of Hydra cannot possibly be the second apprentice of Herpo, the Foul. Furthermore, there exists a very strong oral tradition that proves the existence of the mythical creature of Hydra. Yet if an oral tradition exists, then there should exist far more runescripts than the partials in existence.

Occam's razor states that if all the possibilities are ignored then the first deduction is obviously correct. It was a deliberate action on the part of mankind, both magical and non-magical to leave no trace behind. That very action suggested that there was much more to the tale of the mythical creature, an existence so terrible that it would not be recorded in the analects of history.

Rowan's eyes flickered in thought. Among humans whether magical or non-magical, there have always been those that have thirsted for power and more importantly immortality. It is said by some that is how vampires came into existence. A pact was made with an ancient spirit to prolong the life of a wizard and those that followed them. It certainly made sense as male vampires could procreate with a witch and have offspring such as Lorcan. However, such cases are rare while most fledging vampires are commonly created via the drinking of their blood sire.

The alternative explanation is that it was a failed attempt by a wizard to create immortality. There is also the possibility of a curse. However, who would curse their foe to live a long life? It is rather unlikely, but the improbability cannot be completely discounted.

Returning to the song, Rowan repeats the lyrics to herself, "Insatiable hunger, Greed-. The Beast devours, Friends and Foes." She paused and pursed her lips for that is exactly what the current Hydra or rather the Horcrux collective appeared like. Something that entirely possessed both friend and foe.

A startling realization caused a deep furrow to appear on Rowan's brow. In Professor Salah's class, they had discussed the creation of the Book of the Dead by the ancient Egyptian Wizard, Apep, a parselmouth known by the name of Anubis. Apep created an army of inferni that required man and wizard to unite to halt his evil army. Apep was eventually slain by a wizard by the name of Atum, who was named after the sun spirit, Ra. Yet it was said that Apep had found a way around death.

Fearing that Apep would one day return, man and wizard tore the corpse of Apep into four pieces. A body part was taken into each cardinal direction by a warrior never to unite again. And as for the Book of the Dead, it was torn into thirty pieces destroyed, and hidden away by the bravest of witches and wizards taken far away into foreign lands.

However, time has proven that not all of the records were destroyed. Herpo, the Foul must have come into contact with a portion of the book and recreated the Horcruxes from scratch. It was only possible for Herpo to recreate the book because he was a parselmouth just like Apep and could finally understand the ancient text. And if so, was it possible that the Book of the Dead that Apep possessed was far more ancient than even himself? Was it possible that it had recorded an impossible ancient era that detailed the existence of the prehistoric existence called Hydra?

The final chorus rings in Rowan's head as if in confirmation. "Never hunger, Never seek, Lest wishes spring, And return the beast." Greed has always been the downfall of mankind. Even now. And will always continue to be for those seeking greater power.

"Life and Death embrace, the Hourglass overturns, Fate and Destiny reversed," Rowan mutters quietly out loud. Herpo, the Foul was not the first to create a Horcrux nor the last. Each time, a Horcrux is created it is an abomination against Life and Death itself. And so, each time Life and Death seek to right the transgression, (such as the birth of Potter to destroy Voldemort).