Chapter 2
Severus knows he has to be careful with the ritual he is creating; he knows he's not the first one to travel back in time, not the first who has seen the echoes in the pages of history books he's read, and has felt the imprints of those events in his own life.
He is not satisfied with something as simple as a time turner's paradox. If he wants to change the circumstances of Harry's childhood, he must unweave what was once woven by the Norns themselves. There is no simplicity in such a task, and while Wixen may have created the time turner, it is the Physicist in Severus that will need to create this Ritual, not only the wizard.
Severus will need to make a way to send not only his soul back in time but his magical core as well. It would not do well to go back to the insignificant control he had on himself at the age of twenty one, not if he wants to change not only Harry's childhood, but the circumstances that lead to his parents demise. for a single moment, he thinks about going back further; he is already unweaving the tapestry or hoping to, what would a few more years be? But no, the Potter's are dead, and dead they will stay. He doubts the norms would be willing to grant him that big a blessing were he to plead for it. It would do no good to raise Harry as a lamb for slaughter as he had once accused Albus of being guilty of. He must defect and change everything he's ever known for a chance at happiness, for both him and his godson.
Severus chooses the runes that will go on his wand specially for this ritual. The average wixen chooses their runes for a power boost in their spells and charms; while that's not exactly what Severus is doing, it would be wrong to say he is not using them to boost the ritual. His calculations, he knows, are correct, but this ritual requires much more than simple power; it would require a blessing from both Loki and the Norns. He is not going back in a way which is already done. He is treading through their territory, and it would be unbecoming of him to not ask for the favor.
In the end, he chooses the rune Eihwaz (ᛇ) which represents a yew tree, a symbol of balance, enlightenment, death and the world tree. Yggdrasil or more like Severus' own journey through the Yggdrasil. Berkana (ᛒ) which represents a birch tree, a symbol of femininity, fertility, healing, regeneration and birth, his rebirth in the new timeline, and finally, Algiz (ᛉ) which represents an elk; a symbol of protection, defense, instinct, group effort, and guardianship.
Algiz (ᛉ) is for Harry.
After having chosen and carved the runes on his wand, he turns to his most prominent skills to create a potion that will catapult his soul and core back in time. Lucky, that after the battle in the Department of Mysteries, Severus had time dust aplenty to use in his ritual potion.
Next, he decides on the elder runes that need to be carved into the stone slab he has chosen for his ritual. A slab he has placed in the forbidden forest, where no one will find him while he does this ritual.
The four elements in the four corners, it is a tedious task to carve each rune by hand but nothing less than every effort he has will do for a ritual this important. He carves a Kaunaz rune, a symbol that looks like a right angle (ᚲ) into the Southmost corner for Fire. A Jera rune, two right angles facing each other (ᛃ) into the Northmost corner for Earth. A Hagalaz rune, not unlike a capital H (ᚺ) in the Eastmost corner for the element of Air. Finally for the elements, a Laguz, the upside down L (ᛚ) in the West for Water.
In the gap between Kaunaz and Laguz, Severus feels it appropriate to carve the Birkana rune, a sharp capital B (ᛒ), the rune associated with Birth. In the opposite space between Jera and Hagalaz, he carves its opposite Eihwaz the rune of Death. Severus spends a long time staring at it once he's done, he knows the shape, more intimately than he'd like to believe, has seen it staring back almost daily for the past almost six years of his Hogwarts tenure on Harry's forehead. (ᛇ)
He had long suspected that Lily had used a ritual of some sort to save Harry. Staring down at the rune, it feels like a confirmation he never asked for. Severus shakes his head and gets back to work; he does not have time to fall into grief again. Between Jera and Laguz, he carves Isa, a singular vertical line, in hopes of cosmic coherence, a transcendence of self. Lastly he carves Thurisaz, a depiction of a thorn (ᚦ) between Hagalaz and Kaunaz, a symbol of protection but also one of chaos; As the last symbol he finds it fitting.
Overall, Severus is happy with his choice of placements for each Rune.
He is giving himself up for the taking, so he takes care to take off his clothing one piece at a time and leave them neatly folded to the side of the slab. If all goes well, no one will find his body, as the current reality will cease to exist. However, there is no guarantee that will happen, only his calculations and a whole lot of hope—along with his regular prayers to Loki and the Norns—will decide if he is able and willing to unweave the tapestry of time.
The night is cold, but Severus is ready to get this over with. Somewhere in the countryside, his bumbling godson is trying to find the Horcruxes that Voldemort deigned to create in his infinite wisdom.
Naked as the day he was born, Severus steps up the slab; today he has no offering but his own flesh and blood. He hopes it's enough for a blessing from his chosen, Loki. Chaos will always be a part of his the boy's life. It is inevitable; how fitting then that Severus has worshiped the very deity of Chaos for decades now.
For the last offering, Severus uses Sectumsempra on his own arm. He lets the blood flow as it falls into the divets of the carved runes, powering the ritual. He pushes his intention with his magick into the slab of stone and watches as the blood overflows from the slab running onto the ground that is prepped with potion. He wills his plea to be heard.
He pleads, he begs, and he hopes.
As he starts to lose consciousness, the last thing he feels is a caress upon his cheek. The last thing he hears is the combined melody of two threads of laughter intertwined floating by his ears, then five words, and Severus knows no more.
'of course, my little raven.'