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Kaiser was one of the most brilliant scientists in his world, making
breakthroughs that would shape the future of the humanity, until
someone decided he should be eliminated. But life had other plans for
him. He transmigrated to the Potterverse. How will the events of his
previous life shape his personality? And what changes will he bring to
the wizarding world?
A/N: I feel i need to write this here. This is Alternate Universe. You can
apply most of what you know about the Potterverse, but if the author
changes something, no need to start complaining. Assume it's correct, at
least in this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor the Potterverse.
Restricted
Third Year Part 1
A thirteen year old student was in a circular room, dodging spells being
sent at him. Crimson, short hair hangs over a round, cold face. Glinting
red eyes, watching each projectile coming straight at him, at difficult
angles, before his 1m65 body reacts, taking the closest path to escape.
He was a well-built, despite his young face, no doubt thanks to all the
hours he spent training his body. Beads of sweat could be seen dripping
from his small nose.
"Very good, Mr. Lunar. I see you haven't slacked off during the summer."
a diminutive professor said with a chuckle. He stood at 1m06, with a thin
frame, that would suggest he was defenseless. Alas, those who believed
so were in for a rude awakening. Filius Flitwick, a well respected dueling
champion, and the most liked Hogwarts teacher among its students, for
his easy going and cheerful attitude, not to mention his teaching skills.
"Thank you professor." Kaiser gave a small bow. "I have a question,
professor, if you don't mind me asking."
"Of course, of course. Ask away." Flitwick chuckled at his favorite
student.
"I was wondering if there were any tips to master wandless magic." Kaiser
said. "I'd like to be able to perform basic spells wandlessly, if possible."
Flitwick eyed him with surprise, which was a feeling he was getting used
to when Kaiser is involved. "Do you know what's the most difficult part
when it comes to wandless magic, Mr. Lunar?" When Kaiser shook his
head, he continued: "Moving your magic. A wand acts as a focus for our
magical energy. When you hold it in your hands, a small stream of
magical energy already connects to your magical core, which makes it
easier for a wizard to draw more, by holding onto that feeling." He
lectured.
'That's new.' Kaiser looked pensive at the information he didn't have
before.
"The most difficult part when performing wandless magic is getting a
reaction out of your magical energy, as we hardly have any control over
it. That is why it is rumored only powerful wizards succeed in the art."
Flitwick continued.
"Isn't there anyway to have better control, without relying on our wands,
professor?" Kaiser asked hopefully.
"I have encountered one during my travels." Flitwick chuckled at the
gleam in Kaiser's eyes. "Meditation techniques originated from Asia.
There is this technique where a person tries to feel his magic through
meditation, while a master in the art draws out their magical energy.
Unfortunately, those techniques are heavily guarded." Kaiser was
downcast at his words, but Flitwick's next words somehow cheered him
up. "But there is a conclusion we can draw from there, Mr. Lunar.
Meditation! I myself have been practicing for years, and I must admit,
while the results are not instantaneous, they are clearly noticeable in the
long term. But it requires dedication and a lot of patience and
perseverance."
"I understand, professor. Thank you. That was illuminating." Kaiser
thanked the professor, before making his way to the Ravenclaw showers.
He had another appointment with professor McGonagall, for his new
transfiguration practice. He asked her he would like to learn to change
shapes and basic properties, but was afraid of messing up with such
dangerous magic, and she agreed to help him practice when she had free
time.
------------------------------------------
Kaiser was practicing his spells to get used to his new wand. He had just
picked it up earlier that day from Ollivander, and discovered that he
lacked the control he had before over his magic. When he picked up the
wand from Ollivander, he performed a simple Lumos spell to test it, yet
he nearly blinded them.
The results of a whole year of casting spells relentlessly was showing. He
could now claim to be one of the most magically powerful students his
age, or even a year or two ahead. But he needed to have better controls
over his spells. What's the point in overpowering a Killing Curse, when
the bare minimum was enough to get the job done? A complete waste of
energy.
He also had a new type of meditation added to his schedule. Unlike its
predecessor, it had very clear instructions with a clear objective in mind:
'Clear your thoughts and Feel your magic.'. He had no idea what those
people that made meditation techniques smoked, but he didn't want to
find out. It had to be some very strong stuff.
Two new transfiguration spells he needed to master as soon as possible,
to be able to change an object's shape, transparency and color. Why, do
you ask? It had to do with his latest communication project, which he
would uncertain what to call. He wanted to copy Apple's naming style,
and replace the 'I' with a 'w' for Wizards, like wPhone, wMessage, wPad…
He admitted to himself that he didn't have the best naming abilities.
Unfortunately, he didn't know any spells to save sounds, to make a voice
messaging device, and the same goes for videos. Therefore, he had to
think of other ways to do so. And a very clever application of
transfiguration was his magical solution. Though the idea came from the
No-Maj world.
(A/N: Transparency and Color, any ideas what it might be :D?)
A week later, Karl contacted him to inform him that he found the perfect
candidates to help him, to organize a meeting with them later, and begin
their operation.
--------------------------------------------
Kazuma Yokuto was Japanese first-generation wizard, formerly working
as a curse breaker for Gringotts. With a sick mother waiting for him at
home, he had to work the best he could to pay for her expansive
medication. And being a curse breaker paid well, as long as you had good
contracts. He took high risk high reward jobs all the time, and nearly lost
his life several times.
He watched a few of his friends die in front of his eyes, some times in the
most cruel ways. People of old liked to protect their properties, and ten
times out of ten, they placed the most nasty curses on their beloved
possessions. And the curse breakers had to deal with what was left of
them. Kazuma didn't have a choice. It was either he risk his life to give
his dear mother more time with him, or watch her die helplessly. He
chose the former, alas at a great price. Not a day passed on the job when
he didn't nearly have a heart attack.
For Kazuma, the offer he got from Karl Greengrass was a heaven sent gift.
Not only did not hurt his interests, but offered great remuneration for his
trouble. And all he had to do, was sit at some lab and make watches,
following a runes scheme made by another. Not only that, he'd even get a
percentage of the business. He didn't think twice before accepting the
job.
Hakim Daref, a Arabic enchanter, whose brother pissed off a very
powerful organization by stealing one of their prized Artifacts. Hakim
was targeted by them, regardless of his innocence, just because he shared
the same blood as his traitorous brother, who didn't even bother giving
him a heads up.
Now, he found himself running around Europe, living each day in fear,
with no backing. He was also running very low on money. Soon, he'd
have to resort to theft just to survive. When Karl offered him protection
and a job with more benefits than he could dream of, he agreed
immediately.
Betty Shaw, an American 'half-blood' enchantress, working for the Comet
company. A higher up took notice to her beauty, and wanted to have
some fun with her. Unfortunately, she didn't share the sentiment, but he
was persistent.
Until one day, he decided that the gentle approach wasn't going to cut it,
and she ended up injuring him with a cutting curse that missed his throat
by a few inches. She had been on the run since then for attempted
murder, even though it was legitimate self-defense.
Her statue as a 'half-blood', along with her assailant's as a rich 'pure-
blood' didn't help her case, as there was no place for the truth in a world
that still believed in absurd notions such as Blood Purity. Karl Greengrass
ensured her freedom, as long as she agreed to work on the team, which
she did.
Luan Reid, an African immigrant who lived in England, was a self trained
and hard working enchanter. He came from a poor family, to whom he
sent any money he could. He took any jobs available, and learned
enchanting in his free time as it was his passion. He took several jobs as
an assistant enchanter. Karl had him take tests to prove his skills, and
prove his skills he did. He didn't think for long before accepting the job
either.
Kaiser met them just outside the Fidelius protected facility, and had them
swore the Unbreakable Vow, before letting them in the secret. He insisted
he became the secret keeper, since it was his life they were protecting,
and Karl agreed with him.
He introduced them to their workstations, before he called their
attention: "Before we begin, let me get the ugly talk out of the way. While
in this facility, I expect all of you to be on your best behavior, and to
follow the agreed upon protocol. Anything that happens outside of this
place, stays outside, but I suggest you keep a good relationship with each
other, considering how much time you'll be spending together. That
room" He pointed at a door. "Is my private quarters. Do not try to enter
it, unless you wish to die a most painful death. And don't worry, you
can't accidentally enter it. The door is very hard to break into, with an
alert ward on the outside, and the room is heavily warded. You have
been warned." Kaiser was eyeing them one by one, while they were
tensing at his speech. They did not expect those words from a thirteen
years old, and certainly not with such a cold face it sent shivers down
their spines.
"Next is: Occlumency. You" He pointed at Betty. "Your Occlumency shield
are ridiculous. How are you expected to protect my secrets if you can't
even protect your mind from a thirteen year old boy?" She looked down
in shame at his words. He was sending Legilimency probes whilst
speaking. "You will train your Occlumency to a decent level. The work
we'll be doing later on will require it anyway. Now, let us begin."
The watch's blueprints were drawn on a huge sheet of paper, pinned to a
board. Kaiser proceeded to explain each the watch's inner working from a
runic point of view. The watch's logic itself wasn't that hard to achieve.
The trickiest part was the display method: the modified Lumos spell.
They all took their own notes, which they were allowed to take outside
the facility according to the agreement, so it was safe. Either way, they
probably wouldn't be leaving the facility for the first week as they got
used to their new job.
He oversaw their etching process, giving pointer and correcting when
necessary. He even learned a thing or two himself from them. They gave
him the appropriate respect, and he reciprocated. If having a thirteen
year old boy as a boss was a difficult pill to swallow, his skills, along with
their generous salary solved the problem.
Kaiser was exhausted after everything they covered, and retreated to his
quarters. He had a large bed, along with a study in there. And an antique
cabinet, which was naturally no ordinary cabinet. He tasked Karl with
acquiring it from Borgin and Burkes after he informed him of his
possessing the brother-cabinet.
He entered the vanishing cabinet, and went back to his spacial trunk, and
closing the vanishing cabinet's access. He was very satisfied with what
they've accomplished so far to ensure his security. He proceeded to finish
his spell rotation, before going to sleep. He had a busy week ahead of
him.
Third Year Part 2
As Kaiser entered the defense class, he knew from the class's setup it was
the day he dreaded.
"Would anyone like to guess what is inside?" The professor was referring
to a closed cabinet sitting in the middle of the class.
"A Boggart, professor?" someone from the Ravenclaw house said.
"Very good. And can you tell me what a Boggart is?"
"A shapeshifter, it takes the form of whatever a person fears the most."
"Correct. Ten points to Ravenclaw." Professor Lupin said. "Now, while
most of you would think: 'If I already know that it's not real, I probably
wouldn't fear it as much', you couldn't be more wrong. A boggart doesn't
simply take the form of what you fear, but also amplifies your fear of it,
even if you know it was simply a boggart. Not to mention, if what you
fear the most is a magical creature, the boggart may take some of its
capabilities."
"So, if someone here fears a basilisk the most, it would just open its eyes
and kill us all?" Kaiser asked.
"Fortunately, it cannot. It would just give its target the feeling they are
dying, and they would just faint. The same rule applies if it's a dragon.
While it would breath Fire, it wouldn't be able to burn you, but only give
you the illusion you are burning, until you faint." Professor Lupin
explained.
"What if it's not a thing that terrifies you, but an event, professor?"
Daphne asked.
Professor Lupin was in deep thought at her question. "It would lead you
to believe said event happened, or is happening."
The students took turn facing the boggart one by one, and using the
'riddikulus' incantation to counter the boggart. Three students refused to
face it, however, and they were Daphne Greengrass, Susan Bones and
Kaiser Lunar. Kaiser could already guess what it was that Daphne
dreaded the most, with his knowledge from his previous life, and the two
years they'd spent together.
Tracey was terrified of dolls, and Michael's worst fear were clowns.
Kaiser could understand both, but the others found it hilarious to be
afraid of such "silly" things.
--------------------------------
Halloween was an iconic day in the wizarding world, but for Hogwarts,
especially when Harry Potter attended, it would always mean something
else. Nothing happened during the feast, but once it was over, it was
reported that several students were unable to enter the Gryffindor
common room, because the Fat Lady, the portrait that guarded it, was
absent, while its portrait was damaged with claw marks.
When they found her, she said that Sirius Black, the mass murderer
attempted to break into the Gryffindor's common room. The Gryffindors
slept in the Great Hall that day, while several Aurors made sure the castle
was safe.
This was hardly any of Kaiser's business. He wanted to help Sirius in the
beginning, but after much thought, he concluded it would be a fruitless
endeavor. Sirius was too unreliable as an ally, if what he heard about him
was correct, and unnecessary impulsive.
A week after Halloween, Kaiser could perform his targeted
transfiguration spells perfectly and silently, with as much details as
necessary, as long as he was concentrated enough, which made the stern
professor McGonagall shower him with praise, very rare sight to behold,
and allow him to practice it on his own.
He came back to his workshop the same day and began on his new
project. What he was trying to do was very simple: a wizarding version of
the LCD screen. He took a metal plate and etched a white Lumos spell all
over its surface. He then placed another plate on top of it, but changed its
color to black. Next, he divided the plate into a grid of equal squares he'd
call 'pixels'.
All he had to do now, was dissect the spell's runic sequence, and spot the
parts responsible for each pixel, convert them into a variable that can be
changed with external input.
---------------------------
"You're getting really good at this." Kaiser praised Hermione at their
Occlumency / Legilimency practice.
"Thank you. It's all thanks to your help." Hermione said, but a small blush
appeared on her face. She liked to be praised.
"By the way, I can't help but notice, you seem to be taking an absurd
amount of classes." Kaiser remarked non nonchalantly, but beads of sweat
could be seen forming in Hermione forehead. "There are even rumors
about you being in two places at the same time."
"W-w-what! That's absurd, how can someone be in two places at the same
time?" she desperately tried to reason. While Kaiser was indeed inside her
head, he didn't look at her memories, and only stuck to her thoughts. He
wouldn't violate her privacy when she helped him train so much in the
mind arts.
"Really? I thought you had a time machine or something." Kaiser joked,
but Hermione was now sweating buckets.
"H-h-h-hah-ahaha! That's even more absurd. There is no such thing as a
time machine." she said nervously.
"Nice necklace by the way."
* sweating intensifies *
"Nice time turner." He finally said, and Hermione looked at him with
shock and betrayal.
"YOU KNEW!" She snapped but he couldn't hold his laughter. "How did
you know, it's supposed to be top-secret or something!"
"Yeah, right. That's why they give it to students so they can take more
classes." Kaiser said sarcastically. "Professor McGonagall must have used
a lot of favors to get you one. They don't just hand them out to top
students, you know." He paused for a moment, before continuing. "You
shouldn't overload your body. A day is twenty four hours for a reason,
you must give yourself enough sleep, especially at our age. Besides, I've
heard you're even taking Divination and 'Muggle Studies'. Is it really
worth it?"
"Well, I wanted to see what divination was all about." Hermione said,
unsure if her decision was the correct one.
"What about 'Muggle Studies'. Do you honestly believe wizards would
know more about No-Majs than you, a first generation witch?"
"I thought it would be interesting to see it from The wizards." Hermione
defended herself.
"And you should realize by now that it's a complete waste of time." Kaiser
said.
--------------------------------
An old man with thin eyebrows and crooked nose sat cross-legged in a
wooden floor, somewhere in the world. He had a thin frame, with long
black hair, arranged in a ponytail. He was frowning, appearing in deep
thought. Footsteps could be heard approaching, and the old man slowly
opening his thin hazel eyes. His face showing no trace of emotions.
"Forgive me for interrupting you, master. But the prophet has spoken."
said a young man who looked no more than twenty, in a foreign
language. He had a thin short sword attached to his back.
"Continue." said the old man calmly.
"His words allude to a place of learning in western Europe. Our diviners
believe we will find what we are looking for if we search around their
area." the young man said reverently.
The old man appeared in deep thought for a few minutes before he gave
him orders to send scouts to all magical schools in that area. When the
old man was left alone, his emotionless face turned into an expression of
longing. A gleam in his eyes expressed the deep desire he felt toward
whatever it was he was looking for.
-------------------------------------------
Hogwarts' students were very excited for the approaching Hogsmeade
weekend, but they were divided into two categories: those that had
arrangements to go explore the village with their friends, and those that
wanted to ask a girl out on a date. Though, the third-years, as this is their
first time visiting the village, would only explore it with their friends for
now.
One particular student seemed to get a lot of invitations lately, and it
pissed her off to no end. She was a very sweet person, and couldn't bring
herself to say hurtful things to others, yet it was playing against her in
her case.
Susan Bones was a natural beauty. Her smooth skin was as white as jade,
along with her oval face, defined by thin lips, tiny nose, and deep blue
eyes, not to mention her silky auburn red hair. With her body now
maturing, she became even more beautiful than she already was.
Unfortunately, it also made her prey to lustful eyes, not only from her
year mates, but also from the upper years. (A/N: Sorry about that 'as
white as jade' description, I just had to do it xD)
She lost count of how many she rejected from the beginning of the year,
but they haven't taken a hint that she wasn't interested in them at all, and
tried their luck again. After all, she had a crush of her own, and people at
that age tended to have big dreams.
Her best friend, Hannah Abbot, noticed her distress, and had no small
amount of disgusts at those horny boys. Unfortunately, there was nothing
much she could do for her. This was something she had to deal with on
her own. That is, until she had an epiphany.
"Susan! I think I found a way to solve your problem!" Hannah exclaimed
excitedly.
"What is it?"
"If you're already dating someone, won't they stop bothering once word
spread out?" Hannah asked, but Susan gasped at the thought.
"Y-y-you want me to date one of t-t-t-those boys?" she asked uncertainly.
"Of course not!" Hannah said indignantly. "What I'm trying to say is, you
just have to pretend to date someone. Go out on one date publicly with
him, it should solve the problem."
"And who am I supposed to go out with? You know how all the boys that
asked me out are. They just keep starring at my chest!" Susan said with a
disgusted expression.
"Well, I know one boy who doesn't stare at your chest." Hannah teased.
"You also seem to have a big crush on him."
Susan's face turned bright red at the words she did not expect. "Y-y-you
know?"
"Of course I know!" Hannah exclaimed. "I'm your best friend! I've noticed
since the first year, even though you claim you don't like anyone."
"A-are you telling me to ask him out? I can't do that! What if he rejects
me! Then he'd look down on me! Then we won't be friends again! Then-
then…" Susan said frantically. She feared rejection, her dreams being
crushed before they even started.
"Calm down, Susan. You don't have to ask him out. He'll do it." Hannah
explained. "I'll tell him that this is a ploy to ward off the others. Then it
would be up to you to charm him." She said with a wink.
The next day, Hannah and Susan asked to speak to Kaiser in private, so
he followed them to an empty classroom.
"What's up?" he asked.
"We need your help." Hannah started. "Susan has been getting a lot of
advances lately, and she's… rather tired of it. They don't leave her alone
even in the library."
"What can I do?" Kaiser didn't know what was expected of him, so he
asked to see if they have a way to deal with the issue.
"Can you go on a date with Susan next Hogsmeade's visit?" She asked in
one breath, while Susan face turned bright red. She was doing her best to
avoid his gaze, but he was too shocked to look at her. Fortunately, her
next words cleared the misunderstanding. "As long as they believe you're
dating her, they won't bother her as much. Hopefully. And… you're the
only one who doesn't look at her like a piece of meat." She added.
"Oho. I'm honored you think so. It would be my pleasure to go on a date
with you, Susan." Kaiser offered an encouraging smile, while Susan hid
her face with her two hands.
Notes
Sorry for the late chapter! Don't forget to leave a comment with your
thoughts on the chapter, they are always appreciated :D Enjoy the
chapter!
Third Year Part 3
Blood Supremacy was a movement built around the belief that wizards
with magical ancestry on both parents side, have better potential as
wizards. This was a universal belief that wasn't exclusive to magical
England.
Discrimination against first generation wizards is wide-spread, but not for
the reasons people usually think. It was mostly due to their inability to
adapt to the Wizarding World. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
would be a most helpful advice for them should they choose to follow it.
Unfortunately, most of them completely forget the fact that the
Wizarding world was an independent world of its own, with its own
rules, customs and culture.
Taking the Dress Code, for example: there was a general consensus that
one should show as little skin as possible, out of respect for the others,
most importantly the opposing gender. However, it would be exceedingly
difficult to follow this rule if one was only clad in mundane clothes. Some
of the mundane clothes would be considered outrageous in the Wizarding
world, yet first generation wizards and witches never considered the
consequences of their dressing.
Before Kaiser's eyes stood a living example of wizarding dressing. Susan
approached him next the the castle's gates, clad in a casual blue and
white dress, that was bordering on formal. Her glinting hair was
beautifully cascading down her left shoulder. She seemed hesitant, but
Kaiser brushed it off as her shy behavior. (A/N: I'm very proud of my
description skills.)
She began the conversation by apologizing, but Kaiser merely shook his
head, saying he just got there.
While heading for Hogsmeade village, Kaiser tried to strike a
conversation, but Susan was hardly able to get sentences together,
sticking mostly to two words sentences. He noticed her discomfort, since
it wasn't the first time it happened. Whenever her friend Hannah wasn't
around, she always had trouble speaking with him.
Fortunately, the awkwardness didn't last long, as they reached the all-
wizarding Hogsmeade village. So, they diverted their attention to the
numerous well-lit shops, and the lively atmosphere. The shops also
seemed to give them something to talk about, which slowly made Susan
more comfortable.
Kaiser also found out that Susan had a sweet tooth, after taking her to
Honeydukes to try the different sweets there. He was impressed with
some sweet, seeing how they contained some magical properties, like
calming droughts, and pepper up components, without losing in flavor.
They even went to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, "the haunt of happy
couples", for the 'sole' purpose of being sighted there.
---------------------------------------------------
Word quickly spread about the 'new couple' in Hogwarts before they got
back from their 'date'. Unfortunately, Kaiser didn't have much time to
spare for this, as he had a project he needed to finish.
His LCD screen imitation was progressing nicely, but the problem
remained: making a framework to successfully print characters on the
screen. It was a repetitive task, one he had no intention of doing himself.
Therefore,his subordinates got the task of making a unit that would
translate a character to a set of signals to transmit to the screen, after
explaining to them how to do so.
His book-saving ability has evolved with his Occlumency training. Now,
he only had to look at the page, before saving it in his memory. Which
began a new routine, of looking at book pages without reading them, just
in case he lost access to the RoR. Life is quite unpredictable after all.
His wand-less training still gave no results, which eventually got on his
nerves no matter how much Occlumency he trained. It wasn't the only
thing he was training. He wished to achieve Thought Casting, a step even
more important than wand-less magic. It involved casting spells without
wand movements nor silent incantation. He only had to use his intent
and will to cast spells.
Fortunately for him, he had 2 years of continuously casting the same
spells under his belt. Therefore, he had a small success in thought
casting, albeit not satisfactory enough to make a difference.
The Lumos spell didn't require a wand movement, so he focused on it
first, seeing how it only required him to cast it without an incantation.
He closed his eyes, and focused on drawing his energy towards his wand.
Next, he focused clearly on the effect he wished to achieve. Now comes
the most difficult part: "Willing it into existence" still eluded him.
Nevertheless, he tried his best.
It was assumed that, even though magical processes could be explained
to a certain degree, there was still a "magical part" in there. Some
professors directly gives you the "it's magic" explanation when asked,
while others would point out that no one has ever discovered the reason
for said phenomenon. Casting spells was such an example.
Many have tried to explain the process, but never succeeded. Rowena
Ravenclaw herself tried, though if her book was to be believed, she had
some limited success. The problem with her book is the warning written
within. It says that, unless the person already succeeded with Thought
Casting, it would be in his best interest not to the read that book.
Kaiser didn't understand why the warning was necessary, but he wasn't
arrogant enough not to heed it. He would learn thought casting first,
before judging for himself if the warning was necessary or not.
-------------------------------------
Christmas, or 'Yule' as the wizards like to call it, is one of the most
celebrated holidays in both the magical and non-magical world. This
year's Yule proved to be exceptional as a large number of invitations
were sent overseas for a single Yule Ball.
The Yule Ball was a noble tradition among 'pure-bloods'. It was an
opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances. But this one was
highly unusual, as it was normally only among the wizards of the same
nationality.
Fleur Delacour was puzzled why they wouldn't be attending a boring
Yule Ball in France, but a probably boring Yule Ball in Britain. She had
asked her father what was the reason for that, but he only said that Karl
Greengrass sent invitations to numerous important figures in different
countries.
The Delacour family was very wealthy, and also held a lot of influence in
France. The head of the family, Antoine Delacour was the head of the
department of Law Enforcement in France, he was not retired and
focused only on expanding the family business. They held a famous
apothecary in France, along with few shops that sold magical items, book
shops… They also invested in the recent rising Firebolt company.
Fleur was obliged to attend these occasions, unlike her little sister
Gabrielle, since she was the heir to her family until a male heir was born.
She didn't enjoy those occasions, as the male attendees used this
opportunity to try to court her with lustful eyes, affected by her Allure.
Veela are a semi-human race, known by their silver-blond hair and violet
eyes, along with their exceptional beauty. However, they also had an
innate ability: their Allure. It was a mind attack that attracted the
opposite gender, sometimes even the same.
For young Veela, this 'curse' was uncontrollable as they mature. Once
they reach a certain age, the effect diminishes unless willingly increased.
And Fleur suffered from this curse, like most growing Veelas.
She obviously couldn't have any male friends, since they all reacted badly
to her Allure. Female friends were even more difficult to have: the
overflowing jealousy they felt for what they considered to be her 'gift'
stopped her from forming any strong bonds with her peers. She found
solace in studying magic, more specifically Warding.
She arrived to the party on time with her father, as a sign of respect for
their host, as did most of the guests. Every one present had the same
social standing, so it was only natural they wouldn't keep each other
waiting, only those with special circumstances arrived a bit later, but
apologized for the delay.
The party consisted of an open buffet, with high quality dishes spread
among the tables. Since the guests came from different regions in the
world, the dishes naturally had to be varied to suit different tastes.
Some small talk later, and then you could see old friends assembling
dividing the hall in some set 'factions', Fleur stayed put next to her father
visibly uninterested by all the commotion around her, her eyes
wandering around, until her father saw a blond haired man next to a
conspicuous kid with evil features standing calmly and greeting a few
guests.
"That must be Kaiser Lunar, the rising Rune Master. Let's introduce
ourselves." Antoine said to his daughter.
Kaiser wasn't very interested in this kind of events. He would rather
spend the day in his lab than be in this overly formal event. He still kept
a polite front and greeted everyone who was introduced to him. After all,
he was the main reason this gathering was held. Some of the guests had a
few guests, but nothing was confirmed yet.
Kaiser watched as Antoine Delacour approached them and greeted Karl
Greengrass, but he noticed the rather peculiar girl accompanying him.
Her violet eyes met his, though he saw no change in her expression. 'A
Veela, huh…' Kaiser thought.
The Legilimency probe he's been feeling for a while was coming from her,
though it was entirely different from Legilimency attacks he's used to.
Normally, when he was probed, he could feel that his memories were
being targeted. But this time, he had no idea what was the goal of the
attack. However, once you take into consideration it was the Allure, it
makes sense.
A lot of people tried to crack how Veelas worked, but none seemed to
succeed. It was exactly the same with the Basilisk. People knew it was a
Legilimency attack since it required eye contact, but they had no idea of
its inner workings.
"… Allow me to introduce you to Kaiser Lunar." said Karl Greengrass
gesturing to him.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Lunar." said Antoine with a barely
noticeable french accent, offering his hand for him to shake, which he
did.
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Delacour."
"This is my daughter, Fleur. She is a sixth year at Beauxbatons academy."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She said with a small lady-like
bow, which he returned. She had a thick french accent, contrary to her
father, clearly indicating that she was not as experienced as him with the
language.
They conversed for a while before Antoine remarked: "I must say, I'm
impressed with your self control. Most of the boys your age would be
drooling right now in the presence of a Veela, especially one as young as
my daughter."
While Veelas were considered 'half-breed' by a vast majority of people
and looked down upon, Antoine didn't consider them any less than
wizards and proudly used the technical term in public.
"Then I must apologize on behalf of my peers. They've made your
daughter's life more difficult than it should be."
Antoine and Fleur were surprised at the maturity he showed despite his
age, though by now, they weren't treating him like a child as he was
certainly not behaving like one.
"May I have your attention please." their conversation was interrupted by
the sound of a spoon clicking on a glass, coming from a man who stood
in an elevated platform reserved for magician. Unsurprisingly, the man
was none other than Karl Greengrass, the host of the party.
Notes
Sorry for the VERY late release, I’ll try uploading some more chapters
soon. Enjoy the chapter!
Third Year Part 4
"It is an honor to be gathered here on this fine evening, with our family
and friends from all over the world. A lot of you present here share bonds
of friendship through rough times, dangerous situations, growing
together, or even business." Karl Greengrass began.
"The non magical world has been advancing at an alarmingly fast pace
the recent two hundred years. The most glaring aspect of their
technological advancement is their communication means. In today's age,
muggles are capable of sending messages all over the world, regardless of
the distance. And yet, we wizards still rely on owls, even though we have
been blessed by magic. We, who can do feats the muggles would deem
impossible, have stagnated so much in this area for the last thousand
years." He said with passion, though the people there who were
experienced enough in the world knew he was faking it. He was a
businessman: he'd use any means to sell you anything.
As Karl let his words sink in, they waited patiently for him to get to the
crux of the matter. Their expectations were rising after his monologue.
They liked where this was going, the smell of potential money invading
their nostrils.
"However! Today, as I stand upon you tonight, I am relieved to say we
are witnessing the dawn of a new age." He said theatrically, earning
himself a few laughs from the audience, who knew he was enjoying this
more than he should. Kaiser was internally cringing at his proclamations.
Karl proceeded to present Kaiser's newest invention. Several prototypes
were presented to the audience in different shapes. Some consisted of a
screen where characters could be shown, along with a drawer keyboard,
making the whole device very small. Other examples of devices that
could send simple commands to show signals to the other device were
also included. Karl clearly explained to them the direction where the
project was headed, to entice them even more.
Karl explained them in details, including all there limits, which were not
much. The distance supported, for example, could be used as long as the
pairs were in the same continent. Furthermore, it was possible to increase
their range to work on the whole planet, as long as the correct materials
and technique was used.
The distance covered was actually proportional to the amount of Mana
fed to the transmission array, though he himself did not really
understand how it worked. He had absolutely no idea, if he was honest.
He considered it a cheat. He already checked, and it did not use
electromagnetic waves to send information to the other side. It was a
cheat.
Kaiser began introducing the term Mana to refer to "magical energy",
since it was a pain in the ass to say it every time. ( A/N : Kaiser didn't,
the author did <(￣︶￣)> )
Karl went into lengths to explain to them the difference between the new
invention and "muggle technology". For starter, it required no
connections whatsoever, the materials to make it was cheap, but the
process was 'very complex' and 'time consuming', as it was still in the
beginner stages and was still being researched. He also hinted at some
family secrets being used, which did not go unnoticed by the guests.
Basically, he was telling them that asking for the "blue prints" was out of
the question, though he was clearly inviting them to share the benefits of
this endeavor by investing in their new company: "Precision
Technologies".
He explained to them, that most of the researchers were bound by
contracts, and great lengths were taken to ensure their anonymity. He did
put an emphasis on how 'severe' the contract was, which clearly indicated
it was an Unbreakable Vow, and the people present here understood why
it was needed, though he would never admit to it.
Unbreakable Vows were considered a taboo in the Wizarding World. One
of the reasons is because it took a part of the concerned party's freedom,
but also because it was overpowered, since in some cases, it 'could'
override some terms in blood based contracts, which were the most used
across the world, especially when some even more taboo rituals enter the
fray.
One would think that Karl and Kaiser were generous people, to have
given the others the opportunity to participate in such large scale project.
The truth is: they didn't have a choice. It was the correct political move
to do, if they wanted their project to succeed.
An invention that could influence the world as such, was sure to be
highly coveted. Though the Wizarding world emphasized traditions, and
as such, were less likely to try stealing 'Family Secrets', ultimately they
were crafty creatures driven by greed.
The International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) was sure to
acknowledge the scale of the impact it could have on the world as whole,
and therefore, demand they hand over the runic scheme for it. And even
if Kaiser could even if Kaiser could keep 80% of the profit generated
through the patent, it would severely interfere with his plans for the
future.
Kaiser, after being granted another chance at life, especially one where
magic existed, became very ambitious, and yearned to realize a dream of
his. You would think he was interested in money? To him, it was nothing
more than a tool, and his ultimate goal was none other than what it was
in his previous life: seeking the truth.
( A/N: the ambition I am talking about isn't exactly 'seeking the truth',
but something along those lines. )
Most people present here had very high standing, in both their respective
countries and the ICW, including Karl Greengrass himself. Therefore,
having them benefit from their endeavors, especially something as
alluring as this one, cannot go wrong.
Historically speaking, there were plenty of examples of people or
governments demanding a certain family's secret, because the resulting
device derived from them was exceedingly alluring. The most common
one was the Pensieve itself. The family that made them were famous
Rune Masters of their time, who contributed to the world with a vast
array of artifacts.
At one moment, greed got the better of some wizards in power, and
started abducting them to steal their secrets. The result? Not a single
wizard of this time can make another Pensieve.
The lesson has been learned.
Kaiser calmly observed their reactions as they inspected and tested the
devices. A blind man could see how interested they were. This was not
your typical sheep wizard. Those were the wolves reigning over the
sheep. They were discussing the possibilities and probing each other, to
see who would become their business partners.
As he was musing, he was woken from his reverie by a passive
Legilimency probe, along with a silver-blond haired witch approaching.
"I must congratulate you, Mr. Lunar. This is certainly a major success on
your part." She offered with a smile.
"Ho?" Kaiser raised an eyebrow at her declaration. "Who said I was the
one behind this? You're giving me too much credit." He smiled back.
"Please, it is as clear as day."
His mere presence was proof enough, in reality. And it's not like they had
taken measure to ensure he wasn't known as the inventor. The fame he'd
receive would be very useful in the future.
Their conversation was cut off at the sight of the man approaching them,
and Kaiser visibly tensed at his sight.
The Krovius family was blessed with a deep history, as they dated back
from Hogwart's founders Era. They were a purely neutral family, one that
rarely participated in any conflicts. The reason isn't because they never
provoked anyone, but rather no one dared to stand on their way. They
held enormous influence in the Wizarding world, and their businesses
stretched across several continents.
In the previous Wizarding world war against Gellert Grindelwald, they
occupied the front lines, eradicating many families that joined his
banners. It was foolish thinking to believe Dumbledore was the reason
the war against Grindelwald was won. Grindelwald was but one man,
and so was Dumbledore.
The Krovius family, however, was an army of its own. It had many
branches in several Wizarding communities, an extensive amount of
knowledge accumulated over the years, along with enough funds to last
several lifetimes. The word 'Dangerous' wasn't enough to describe them.
The man approaching Kaiser was Erling Krovius, the current head of the
main family. You would be deceived by the ever present small smile on
his face, thinking he was quite the harmless person. His hazel eyes were
scanning every fiber of Kaiser's being, peering directly at his soul. He was
in his fifties, but his chestnut hair, along with his pale white skin devoid
of any wrinkles would lead you to believe otherwise.
Fleur said goodbye and dismissed herself from the scene. Whatever was
going to be said, she was certainly not concerned.
"Good evening." Erling greeted, and Kaiser reciprocated. In Wizarding
traditions, it wasn't customary to bow before anyone. In fact, only people
to whom you hold an immense amount of respect should be worthy of
your bow. Wizards were very proud folks. Kneeling was out of the
question, regardless of your status.
"Our family has been trying to achieve this feat for generations with no
success." Erling began, while eyeing his expression carefully. "Yet you, a
fourteen years old muggle-born, who had not even finished his education
was able to." Kaiser tensed even more at his words.
He had no idea what the man in front of him was thinking, but he could
guess. The truth is: it wasn't only because Kaiser was a 'genius' that he
achieve what he did. The Ravenclaw family's years of research, along
with Rowena's notes were what led to it. There is no way he would have
succeeded without knowledge to build upon, and anyone smart enough
could deduce this. In fact, he had been warned by Karl Greengrass
himself that this was bound to happen.
"I am very impressed." He said. "And also jealous Mr. Greengrass found
such a gem before I did."
"I am unworthy of such praise." Kaiser said, thankful he didn't continue
his first line of speech.
"Also very humble and clear headed, a rare sight in a young man these
days." He spoke, sizing him up.
"I'm not interrupting anything I hope?" Karl interrupted.
"Not at all, I was merely getting to know the rising star you hogged for
yourself." Erling said jokingly, but it was definitely no joke, and Karl
understood.
"You jest." He reassured. "Mr. Lunar is his own person. I am merely his
spokesperson." He smiled. The neighboring groups could feel the tension
in the air, as Erling's gears were running at full capacity.
After a few seconds of silence, he finally said: "I see. Then it appears we
would need to have another lengthy conversation."
---------------------------------------------------------
Kaiser came back to Hogwarts with professor Flitwick, his escort for the
evening. He seemed very tired from all the introductions and endless
conversations. It wasn't the first time he had to go to such social events.
In his previous life, he had to do the same to raise funds for his research
center.
"We part here, Mr. Lunar. I will need to report to the headmaster."
Flitwick stated, before excusing himself. Kaiser knew it was inevitable, he
only hoped his reaction would be within acceptable parameters.
Kaiser went back to his private quarters, thinking about the happenings
of that day. He was very worried how the world was going to react, as it
was a very risky move. They needed all the allies they could afford, and
preferably Erling's help, but it was clear that under the current situation,
it was less likely to happen. He was sure to ask for something more than
just shares, at least Karl warned him as much.
--- End of the Chapter ---
Author : Feel free to skip this part, as it's just me rambling about.
I want to share with you a few things about this fanfiction I've been
writing for a while now. Honeslty, i suck at writing, BUT I'm doing my
best to improve. Writing dialogues is the most difficult for me, as I need
to place myself in the speaker's position, think how he would, assert if his
reaction is logical or not, while guiding the dialogue where i want to it
go, but making it natural.
The magic system I have used is... overpowered. The way magic is
proportional to knowledge of the world's phenomenons means that
Kaiser, with his previous knowledge as a theoretical physicist will be able
to achieve things unheard of before, including spacial travel,
transmutation... the only thing that he still doesn't understand much is
how magic actually works, what are its limits, etc...
So, even for writing a plot, i would be very limited. Voldemort is already
stupid enough as a villain, if I'm going to add another one, I have to
make him smart enough, and POWERFUL enough, all while respecting
the "limits of magic". which means that as long as you give Kaiser a few
years, no one would be his match when he is in possession of the
Ravenclaw Library.
I will not drop this novel, at least not until I explicitly say so, but I'm
going to need to think about where is the story ultimately going.
Voldemort himself was only confined to England, and Kaiser has already
reached the international stage. Right now, it is in their best interest to
make sure he lives, so I don't see the "dark faction" in England being
stupid enough to attack him no matter what. Or maybe they are?
I have an idea how the Voldemort war is going to progress, what I am
still skeptical about is what happens after the war?
For the world itself, i had a background prepared for it as well, but I am
very sure a vast majority will not be impressed xd but hey? I'm a noob
writer (if that wasn't blindly obvious).
I will try to write multiple POV in the next few chapters, to change the
pace a little bit. Dumbledore seems like an interesting person, maybe
we'll get to know him a bit more?
Notes
Sorry for the late release and the excessive drama at the end of the
chapter xD Enjoy and leave a comment :D
Third Year Part 5
Dumbledore POV:
It is as I feared. Things are getting out of control. This feeling of
helplessness while things are getting chaotic… This isn't the first time I
felt it. Tom was exactly like this before it all began, a small child with big
ambitions and a lot of hate for the world. He too, showed exceptional
talent since young, especially after his third year, though the reason I am
unaware of.
He slowly evolved from a harmless student, to one of the most dangerous
dark wizards of all time. And If our intel is to be believed, he too began
when he was very young.
Kaiser Lunar… He reminds me a lot of both dark wizards I fought before.
He is perhaps more monstrously talented than Tom, and craves for
change… I can see it in his eyes. He isn't satisfied with his current
situation, and he doesn't strike me as someone doing this only for money.
He had other options if he only wanted wealth. It is clear as day that's
not his aim.
I have investigated everything I know about him. His birth is a mystery.
There are no records of who his parents are, neither through Wizarding
nor muggle means. He miraculously appeared in front of an orphanage
where he was taken in. His glowing eyes and hair, probably a result of an
enhancement ritual. Yet, Poppy detected no such thing. After all, the vast
majority of rituals leave traces behind.
His behavior… Always on the look out, always afraid of… dying? Would
he take the same road as Voldemort given the opportunity?
But what has me worried the most… is how he seems to disappear from
Hogwarts' detection wards. I am ashamed to say how clueless I am, about
how he achieved this seemingly impossible feat. I noticed during his
second year. While I know he goes to the seventh floor, we do not know
where exactly he spends his time.
I tried sending Snape tailing him, even tailed him myself, alas with no
results. Whenever we are following him, he appears to be puzzled and
unaware of where he is going, as he roams the empty corridors. I even
asked the House Elves that are directly connected to Hogwarts', yet it was
pointless.
The staff approves very much of him and his character, seeing how he
impressed even Severus. If so, why am I still worried? I myself fail to
answer such a question. You may call it a gut feeling?
If anything, my gut feeling hasn't failed me. The recent report is a clear
indication that I was right all along. He achieved a revolutionary feat
people researched for hundreds of years. If Filius' report is to be believed,
his device can be adjusted to communicate all over the world. Logically
speaking, if he is after money, he would just patent his creation and
submit it to the ICW, and reap all the benefits without lifting a finger.
Live in luxury for the rest of his life.
It is clear he has other plans for the device, plans I fail to predict. As of
right now, he and his partner, Karl Greengrass have gained enormous
influence all over the world. What does that mean? Allies, and certainly
enemies.
He fails to understand just how big an impact his actions have. Right
now, it is safe to assume the dark faction has gained even more power,
thanks to him. How, you ask?
His enemies would never dare to attack him directly, and incur the wrath
of everyone investing big money in him. After all, it isn't far fetched that
even governments are planning to procure such devices for themselves.
In the law enforcement department, the aid they would provide cannot
be ignored.
Instead of clear assassination attempts on him, they would attack him
under the guise of blood supremacy. Even join their faction, if necessary.
They are sponsored by other factions regardless of his presence. Some are
my enemies whom I acquired for various reason (probably my endeavors
in the ICW), some who believed in Grindelwald's cause, and blamed me
for his demise. And some believe dumbly in Blood Supremacy.
Now, we have to account people who wish for him to be part of the
collateral damage. After all, most neutral factions never interfere in this
kind of political struggles. Terrorism? Certainly not. At least, not before
the threat is too big to ignore."
I sat in my office alone in silence, musing about how I'm going to deal
with this… puzzle. But I wasn't really alone, the Sorting Hat occupied a
permanent spot in my office. The Sorting Hat… Now that I mention it,
didn't it all start the day he was sorted? He spent an abnormally long
time under that hat…. What were they speaking of?
"Old friend… I require your guidance." I awoke him from his slumber. He
never really sleeps, but likes to pretend he does.
"What is it, Albus? I was having some very nice dreams just now." He said
in annoyance. Did the founders really have to give him a temper?
"I am faced with a dilemma, and was hoping for your assistance."
"Haah! Let me guess, it's about Kaiser Lunar again, isn't it? Why won't
you leave the boy?" the hat derisively said.
"You know how young souls need our tender care. We cannot leave him
for himself. He is still at that age where they are easily corrupted?"
"Speaking from experience?" he mocked me, but I paid him no mind and
continued.
"I admit I have done my fair share of mistakes, but I am a changed old
man now. I merely wish the best for him."
"For him? Or for the 'Greater Good'? You may fool others, Albus, but you
can't fool me. I know exactly what kind of person you are. Do not sit
there and pretend you're a saint. What you've done to the Potter heir is
enough to kill you ten times over. If the Hogwarts' wasn't forbidden from
interfering, she would gladly give you a most gruesome death." The hat
looked at me with pure anger. How did he know about the Potter heir?
Or more importantly, what does he know exactly? Regardless, I have
more pressing questions right now.
"You do not understand. Kaiser Lunar found a way to escape Hogwarts'
wards. He strangely disappear from its detection." I argued, hoping he
would understand how dangerous that possibility is.
"He does no such thing. Hogwarts has always been keeping an eye on him
on its grounds."
"That is absurd! Unless I have gone blind, and trust me, these old eyes
still serve their purpose, he's been disappeared from the map since his
second year. At least, that's when I first noticed it. Who knows since
when this had been happening, and what he could do next."
Why does he refuse to see reason? He of all the people should understand
how serious this issue is. Am I missing something here?
"I still stand by what I said. Now stop pestering me and let me sleep." the
hat gruffed, before closing what should be his eyes.
Does he really not understand the magnitude of this issue? I don't think
so. Then what does that mean exactly? If Hogwarts is still able to 'see'
him, but I can't? The map is connected directly to Hogwarts… Don't tell
me… He is being purposely hidden from me?
------------------------------------------------
It has been a few weeks since Kaiser attended the Yule party, and things
has gone back to normal. His routine remained unchanged as he attended
Hogwarts.
He wakes up every morning after eight hours of sleep, tire himself
practicing spells and doing some physical activities. Shower then attend
class and read a few books he would collect from the room of
requirement. With his new ability, he doesn't need to spend any time in
the RoR, as long as he saves the book before hand.
His thought casting has improved vastly, and now he was capable of
casting a few spells with a thought. That does not mean casting them
instantly, as there was still a significant delay on the most relevant one.
The most important spells he focus on are the levitation spell for its
practicality in various situations, the disarming, stunning and shielding
spells for combat situations.
There is at least a 700 ms on each spell, and it appears more and more
difficult to go past it. Therefore, he preferred expanding his repertory of
spells, instead of focusing on a single one endlessly with little success.
He was very excited, because he will be able to advance in magical
theory. There was a set of books he shouldn't read yet, and he wished to
reach the level required to read them. The written warning was crystal
clear, and he wouldn't needless risk it.
Today, Gryffindor has a Quidditch game against Hufflepuff, and Kaiser
would attend with his friends, while pretending to be on a 'date' with
Susan. They had to maintain the image, after all. He also wanted to make
sure nothing bad happens to his friends.
"Hello~" said Tracey to the approaching 'couple'. "We saved seats for the
two lovebirds~" she said with a teasing tone that had all the desired
effects on the blushing Susan, and even Kaiser was embarrassed at the
ridiculousness of the situation.
Tracey kept eyeing them mischievously as they sat next to her, as she
obviously chose the seat next to Susan, planning on having all the fun she
could afford today at Susan's expense.
Michael and Hannah were also embarrassed by the situation, while
Daphne kept her usual face that weirdly fluctuated briefly before going
back to normal. No one knew what she was thinking of.
"So, what are you guys up to these days~ Any suggestions on good
broom closets to visit~~" Tracey said cheerfully. If Susan's face got any
redder, its color would leave the visible light spectrum.
"Alright alright stop, the girl might faint if you don't." Michael
interrupted her, while Kaiser sent him a grateful look.
"So, who do you think is going to win the game?" Hannah said to change
the subject.
"It's will be a tough game. Gryffindor has the best beaters, their keeper is
pretty good. While Hufflepuff has the better seeker and overall team."
Michael remarked.
Kaiser wasn't a big Quidditch fan, but he still watched the game while
conversing with his friends. He kept an eye on the seekers, since he knew
one of them was the source of trouble in Hogwarts, if he doesn't count
himself.
As the game progressed, Kaiser was on edge because he knew what
would happen shortly. His gripping his wand didn't go unnoticed by a
certain observant individual.
"Expecting trouble?" Daphne asked in hushed voice, while Kaiser took a
long look at her. She was trustworthy, through his alliance with Karl
Greengrass. They made sure of it.
"Yes." He answered her calmly, but he was far from calm. They were
about to face a catastrophe of unprecedented scale. If the original story is
to be believed, hundreds of Dementors are about to show up and attack
them, and realistically, that wasn't an ideal situation. He wasn't stupid
enough to believe nothing could go wrong.
Harry seemed to spot the Snitch and went on its tail, while Cedric raced
him to it. The Snitch suddenly changed direction and went upwards
towards the cloudy sky, and the two young seekers followed, unaware of
the changes around them. The sky was getting more cloudy and
lightening could be heard.
The temperature decreased drastically as they raced upwards, with Harry
in the lead. Once he closed in enough, a Dementor suddenly appeared at
his side and started sucking the life out of him. He persevered, trying to
overcome the Dementor's presence with his will, yet it was futile. He lost
consciousness, and dropped from his broom.
Once they reached reached the cloudy region in the sky, the spectators
couldn't see any of the seekers. Imagine their surprise when the next
thing they see is one Harry Potter dropping from the sky at alarming
speed.
Someone in the audience screamed, most likely Hermione Granger. While
everyone in proximity to Kaiser gasped. Kaiser knew that their worry
about his life was unnecessary: they were living in a world of magic,
where stopping someone's momentum can be done by most third year
students, yet no one seemed to realize it.
"Arresto Momentum." a loud incantation was heard from the Headmaster,
as he wandlessly decelerated Harry.
The real threat has yet to pass, as a hoard of Dementors sped up towards
the spectators.
Notes
Enjoy the chapter! Do you guys like the story from other people's
POV? should I do so from time to time? Maybe discover what's going
on inside Kaiser's brain? Don't forget to leave a comment :D
Third Year Part 6
What happens when people see dozens of Dementors approaching?
Chaos. Screams, people scrambling to leave the premises to save their
lives, but it was futile. A human cannot outrun a dementor. Their speed is
close to some of the brooms on the market, and they were not hampered
by physical obstacles.
"Don't run!" Kaiser screamed at his friends before they mindlessly acted.
Daphne was smart enough to stay close to him, and so did Susan, though
she did so more likely because she was paralyzed.
"Stay close, don't join in the chaos. You'll be an easier target that way."
The professors got to work, but they were severely out numbered, and
the area they had to cover was huge. The Dementors started attacking
students, while the professors, at least those who were both present and
could cast a Patronus. Unfortunately, Kaiser's group wasn't so fortunate.
No professor was in proximity, as they occupied the farthest seats.
More than thirty Dementors were closing in to their position.
"We're all gonna die!" Kaiser heard someone scream, and he couldn't
chuckling. Fortunately for him, it went unnoticed by his companions.
Kaiser raised his wand and closed his eyes, focusing very hard on the
spell he was about to cast. Intent and will were some times difficult to
call under stress, and Kaiser was not trained under such circumstances.
"What are you doing? Normal spells don-" Michael Corner began before
he was hit on the head by Daphne, who was glaring at him. "Shush."
After five seconds of clearing his mind, he needed to draw positive
emotions in order to cast his Patronus. It was the same as casting the
Killing Curse, they were two types of spells that relied heavily on
emotions.
"Expecto Patronum!" a silver thread of ethereal mist spread from the tip
of his wand, as he felt calmer than he was seconds before. It converged
into a single point, before it started slowly taking shape. It began with a
beak similar to the eagle's, then it formed into a bird's shape. It didn't
appear to have feathers, but rather a silver glow for feathers.
'Rebirth, huh…' was Kaiser's thought the first time he conjured it.
The beast hovered above them, chasing away any Dementor that
approached. Some dementors were pinning down students, sucking the
life out of them, but Kaiser came to the rescue with his Patronus,
'heroically' saving his fellow students lives, at least that's what the
newspaper would say afterwards.
Students began gathering around him in a circle, as Kaiser drove away
any Dementor that approached. Until the Aurors arrived on Brooms, and
started driving them off. They couldn't Apparate in the area, so they were
forced to use brooms. It was what they were using to follow the
Dementors, after all. Though they lost control of them when they reached
the vicinity of the Quidditch field for apparently no reason. Little did
they know that a nameless black dog was escaping, as they drove off the
Dementors.
Around ten students were in a coma, requiring a week or so to heal from
the exposure to Dementors, along with the lingering trauma they would
cause for them. If not for Kaiser's, a lot more would have been injured,
and some would have died.
This incident was far bigger than they expected. Magical Britain would
become a joke in the international stage, if they couldn't control their
assets properly, and nearly killed more than a hundred students at once.
Not to mention, Kaiser's presence there made the situation even more
hairy for them. For Kaiser, however, this was a huge opportunity, a secret
weapon he would use later for his own benefit.
--------------------------------------------------
"I didn't know you could cast a Patronus Charm! That's amazing! The
difficulty is beyond NEWT level spells!" Michael exclaimed in
amazement.
"What can I say, I'm a genius." Kaiser said smugly. He was joking, of
course, and the others knew he was not that conceited.
"What were the Dementors doing there in the first place?" Tracey asked,
before turning toward Susan.
"Don't look at me. My aunt opposed the decision to use Dementors and
withdrew from the case. This is outside her responsibility." Susan
explained.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Daphne suddenly asked Kaiser, before
dragging him to an empty classroom. After a few privacy spells cast by
both, she said: "Is there something I should know?"
Kaiser looked deeply into her eyes, before answering calmly. "Not
particularly."
"Do you know why the Dementors attacked us?" she pressed.
"There is only one reason why they would attack us with those numbers."
Kaiser hinted, and it was more than enough for the smart Daphne.
"You mean their target was among the spectators?" she said with wide
eyes. That was ridiculous. What kind of idiot would hide there among
students, with a horde of dementors after him. She knew he was innocent
of 'betraying the potters', so it didn't make much sense. Unless he was
that kind of idiot that would endanger hundreds of helpless students just
to see his 'godson' play Quidditch.
"Yes." He affirmed. "But this isn't all bad. In fact, this is a huge
opportunity for us."
"What do you mean?" she asked skeptically.
" 'A horde of Dementors just attacked me, I noticed they were gathering
in huge number around me, as if I was there target.' " He said
theatrically. "As far as I'm concerned, this was a personal attack on
myself. It is perfectly reasonable that we retaliate, isn't it?"
"It is, but what should we do? We can't start killing their people just
because of this incident, can we? Demanding compensation should be
more than enough." She reasoned.
"Of course. What kind of compensation would we ask for? Money? That
wouldn't be very useful to us at the moment, we need something else."
"What do you think should be appropriate then? I don't think there is
something of value they could give us."
"Hmm… How about the Black Family Library?" Kaiser said with a smile,
but Daphne couldn't believe what she was hearing. That was a ridiculous
idea, the Malfoys would never give that up.
"They won't have a choice. All we would have to do is free Sirius Black.
He would give us what we want in exchange for his freedom. I hear he
bears an unreasonable amount of hate for his family name. Disposing of
his family's library would certainly please him, (like the idiot he is. He
added internally) with a little persuasion."
---------------------------------------------
Every magical government has a net of wards around their countries, in
order to detect Apparition, Portkey use, and Accidental Magic. Some of
those wards are so ancient that people have no idea how to replicate
them nowadays. Magical England was such an example.
There were regions where the wards were more lax than others. In the
northern region of England, in a position where the wards were the most
lax, stood an innocent non magical facility.
Today, a few dozens of electronics specialists and programmers with
different degrees and skills, gathered here all for the same purpose of
passing an interview. And it was a life changing experience for them.
First, they discovered that the world wasn't as small as they thought it
was, and found out about hidden magical communities, even had live
magic performance. People that could teleport, levitate objects without
touching them, conjuring water out of nothing. Their mind could hardly
follow everything that happened.
Then, they were given the opportunity to be part of something bigger,
something revolutionary, that's unheard of even in the history of magic.
An alliance between non-magicals and magicals, all for the sake of
seeking knowledge. 'Transcendence', is what the group was called. And
now, they were part of it as well. The terms they proposed were
impossible to refuse. They basically made them one of their, with all of
the perks and no negatives whatsoever, as long as you take their hiding
'for now' out of the equation.
Transcendence was a faction that only concerns itself with seeking
knowledge and discovering the limits of the world, by combining both
science and magic, in numerous areas of study. For now, they were
sticking to electronics to get more funds. Though they didn't understand
why, but they were promised an explanation. After all, the 'magical
binding' contract, as they called it, meant that they couldn't fool them.
They were shown a set of rules they had to follow, but none of it was
unreasonable. If anything, it was for their own protection.
Now, they were all gathered in a very large room, large enough to hold
everyone present there. They spent some time conversing with each other
about how crazy the world they discovered is, and the infinite
possibilities teleportation and everything they heard of could open. They
could make water? Doesn't that mean the world would never need water
again? They could teleport? Wouldn't that mean they could go to other
planets? Discover the universe?
A teenager boy entered the room, escorted by a few men clad in unseen
before clothes. The teenager boy had dark crimson hair and eyes, and
they could've sworn they've seen them glowing from time to time.
"Hello everyone. I am Kaiser Lunar." Kaiser said with a smile, and waited
for their reaction. They were dumbfounded. Because they knew who he
was, it was written on the contract. He was the founder of
Transcendence, and also its leader. "Now, now, don't judge me by my
appearance. You'd be surprised how old I actually am. Let's get to the
important things first."
After they gathered their wits again, he continued: "Let me begin by
telling you, that there is no such thing as magic, as most of you are
already aware of, only unexplained science. Unfortunately, magic
appeared in a period of time where people only believe what they liked,
so they assumed they were special, blessed, but never sought to
understand the origins of their gifts.
For convenience sake, we will stick to the word magic for now. Magic
can be divided into different areas of studies, though they are all
ultimately linked to the same science. Runes. When a spell is executed
from a tip of a wizard's wand, it is more accurate to say that a set of
runes are manifested in the space at the tip of the caster's mind, with a
certain purpose.
Let's take conjuring water, as an example: the spell is, in fact a set of
runes, responsible of making water, through means we still fail to
understand to this day. Hopefully, we can understand how magic works
better in the future. The runes collapse once the caster stops providing
'Mana' to it. Mana is the term I use for magical energy."
There are spells that do not manifest in a caster's wand, however. The
levitation spell was such an example. For some reason, the spell manifests
itself directly at the target. You might think, if this was possible, why
can't wizards manifest a stunning spell at their target, or a killing curse,
and instantly win duels? A question that has been asked for ages, but the
exact answer is still unknown. There was only few spells that were
exception to this rule.
"While you cannot cast magic, an issue we are working on. Hopefully,
one day we find out what exactly makes us wizards, and perhaps be able
to give you and your families the same abilities as us. On the other hand,
you can freely use runes. You cannot directly etch them, you will need a
rune master to etch them for you.
There is a way to make a Runes Printer, we have all the necessary
components, except for one. That one component is what you will be
working on, and also the reason you were the first people to join
Transcendence."
The Ravenclaw family has been researching the origin of wizards for
generations. While they didn't find an answer to this question, they made
something of immeasurable value. An artificial spell casting device. One
of Rowena's masterpieces, the Room Of Requirement, made use of this,
along with Rowena's research on Mind Runes.
ufffdufffdWe need a programmable processing device, something that
would be the central unit of everything we'll make in the future. I have
already prepared all the components you need for this project, and along
with the various Runes master at your disposition, we are ready to make
any additional component you need, as long as we are giving an accurate
description of its job."
Notes
Note: I am not very good at giving names, so I apologize if some of
you were disappointed xD I haven’t explained what ‘Transcendence’ is
in detail, but it will come in future chapters. Let me guys know what
you think of where the story is going so far, Enjoy the chapter!
Third Year Part 7
"Magic is directly linked to a wizard's soul. A wizard and his <magic>
are both the same entity, therefore do not require you treat it as an
external tool. You are taught that the most important aspect of magic is
Intent and Will, and, assuming you heeded my warning, you have
discovered yourself how difficult it is to manipulate your 'Will'.
Unfortunately, wizards cannot reach such level at a very young age,
especially not without practicing any magic. The lack of results most
often destroy their motivation and their future potential, so a method
was devised to circumvent this issue.
Trick your subconscious mind that the 'magic' resided in the wand
movement and the loud incantation. This way, they do not need to exert
themselves as much, and have the enough results to have first hand
experience with magic. This method, however, does not work with every
spell. Even worse, you cannot make any new spell.
….."
Is what the book basically said. Kaiser finally reached the level in
thought casting where he could safely read the rest of the books on
Magical Theory, and he was glad he did so. It answered so many
questions he had before. It all made sense.
The books talked about various new subjects for him, including theories
about the limits of magic, magic and its connection to the soul, theorized
soul components. For examples, the mindscape was directly linked to the
soul, and while some think the place where memories are stored is in a
human's brain, some others believe that the soul was the true container
of memories. And that would explain to a degree how the Ressurection
Stone can bring back the dead with their memories intact, if that's what it
does, or if it simply projects what the user knows of the person.
'Speaking of the Ressurection Stone, I should get my hands on it. It's on
the Gaunt Ring isn't it? That's another horcrux I have to get rid off.' The
subject of horcruxes still worried Kaiser a lot. What if he destroyed all the
horcruxes, but Voldemort just kept making new ones? What were the
conditions to even make them? And how is he going to deal with the one
taking Harry as a host…
-------------------------------------
The Great Hall has always been a loud place, but today, it seemed even
louder for some reason. As Kaiser entered the hall, he saw where the
source of the noise was coming from, and immediately noticed it came
from the Gryffindor table. 'Typical…' he thought.
But on second glance, he noticed it came from the golden trio, and that
made him stop for a moment, he remembered something like this
happening in the story, and decided it was time to interfere.
As he approached, he could see a broom sitting quietly on the table,
probably the Firebolt, he thought to himself, not that he was
knowledgeable about broom types.
"… not be trusted! We have to take it to the professors!" He heard
Hermione say passionately, while Ron Weasley looked at her as if she
murdered his family.
"You just don't want him to have it, do you! What do you even know
about brooms! Besides, how is Harry supposed to play Quidditch if he
doesn't have a broom! He just lost his!" He argued, but Harry was
apprehensive about the whole thing. He didn't know what to think,
probably afraid he would offend one of his friends.
"What's going on?" Kaiser interrupted.
"Kai! Thank god you're here! You have to make them see reason! Harry
received a broom from an anonymous person, and they don't suspect
anything is wrong with that!" Hermione said frantically.
He turned to Harry to see what he has to say, but he remained silent.
Perhaps part of him still wanted to have the world's fastest broom?
"You know, if you submit it to the professors, once they find nothing is
wrong with it, you'll have it back." Kaiser reasoned. "There is no need to
take such an unnecessary risk. Best case scenario, you've got yourself a
new broom after a few weeks. Worse case scenario, you avoided dying an
idiot's death."
"What about Quidditch?! The matches are coming up! How is he
supposed to fly with no broom? Gryffindor will lose without a seeker!"
Ron said angrily.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just compare your friend's life to
Quidditch. ('though playing Quidditch isn't any different to be fair')"
Kaiser frowned at Ron's inability to use his head when the situation
called for it. You must have sinned several lifetimes if you ever get a
friend like him, but maybe that's a little harsh.
That seemed to convince them. Even though Kaiser knew the broom was
safe, he didn't want to set a precedent for them, where they relied blindly
on luck on everything. Even more, he didn't want to set a precedent
where Ron Weasley was right. That was a very dangerous idea.
---------------------------------------
Five weeks passed uneventfully, but Kaiser has been busy this whole
time. His meditation training especially seemed to finally have some
results. He had been trying for ages to 'feel' his magic, and he was finally
able to, though the connection seemed very faint. But the results were
clearly visible: he was now able to cast a Lumos spell wandless, albeit the
resulting light orb was so tiny, it could only be seen in total darkness, but
for Kaiser, it was cause for celebration. It meant his efforts were finally
paying off.
His Occlumency training was also progressing very well, as he was now
able to challenge more difficult levels in the RoR. That did not mean he
was on the level of a master, but he would be able to easily ward off
beginner Legilimens. Master Legilimens, however, he wasn't so confident
of facing them.
That night, he was practicing his Legilimency / Occlumency training with
Hermione, and she seemed upset and unfocused for some reason.
"You don't look well, Hermione, is something bothering you?"
"I'm sorry. It's just… the boys. They lack risk management skills."
Hermione sighed tiredly.
"Really? What did they do this time?"
"They seem to think it's a good idea to venture into the Dark Forest in
search for Harry's broom. It's not like there are Dementors roaming the
area, or a mass murderer out for Harry's blood." she said sarcastically.
Kaiser looked pensive for a minute. He was weighing down his options.
Kaiser had plans for Harry, and he was dead in none of them. Not to
mention, Harry and Hermione were his friends, so he couldn't let them
die, which they would.
Warding off hundreds of Dementors? Surviving against a Werewolf and a
Death Eater on sheer dumb luck? It was cool when he read about it in the
books, but this is real life now. And the chance of him surviving was
ridiculously low.
He finally decided on a course of action. "I'll come with you." he shocked
Hermione with his declaration.
"Really?!" she exclaimed in surprise. She did not expect him to say so, he
was usually very busy, and she's been meeting with him less and less.
"Of course. I'm not letting my friends die alone now, am I?" He said with
a smile, and Hermione almost teared up. She gave him a bear hug
muttering 'thank you' a billion times. Kaiser then asked when they were
going, and they agreed on a time and place to meet.
---------------------------------------------
Hogwart's library, one of the biggest gathering of books in Magical
England, though the books there weren't very rare by international
standards. There were some in the forbidden section, but accessing them
without permission was wishful thinking. That was one of the perks of
being professors, however, as they could freely read them.
A young girl spent the majority of her time in the library, always reading
and reading and reading again, even when she finishes her homework. It
was surprising that the books she picked were always related to healing.
Human body, different potions and how they affect the body, and
numerous healing spells….
She had long blonde hair, a pair of light blue eyes shining with
determination, hungrily devouring every tiny information she could get
her hands on. While her face boasted of such beautiful features, they
were clouded by the absence of a smile, and the cold look she excluded.
Though some thought it gave boosted her beauty to new levels, and
called her the "Ice Queen".
"Daphne, do you have a moment?" Kaiser asked politely. He knew why
she was studying healing, and he hoped he could help her some day.
Unfortunately, what she truly needed was not in Rowena's library, but he
was hopeful they'd find something in the Black Family Library.
She silently nodded and followed him outside. After the usual privacy
spells, Kaiser said: "I'm about to do something potentially dangerous, and
I'll need your help."
"Alright." she nodded, and Kaiser's mind stopped for a moment. 'Just like
that?' he expected her to ask for details at least, before making a
decision. She was the careful and calculating sort, after all. He didn't
understand why that's changed all of a sudden.
"This is unexpected. I thought you'd ask for the details before making a
decision."
"We are contracted. Remember?" she looked deeply into his eyes, and
Kaiser felt uncomfortable for a moment. "Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't
needless put my life in danger, and would do the same for me had I
asked." For her to think that highly of him, Kaiser felt warm for some
reason.
---------------------------------------
Hermione was anxious. She was about to break the rules, and she hated
breaking them. They were there for a reason, to protect them. And now,
they were about to venture in the woods of the forbidden forest in the
evening. And just from the sound coming from that forest, she could tell
no good would come from it. But those two idiots would get themselves
killed if she didn't go with them. 'Luckily, we won't be going there alone
this time…'
"Why is he so late?" Ron complained.
"Will you stop complaining, he's one minute late." Hermione said
exasperatedly. For some reason, Ron didn't like the idea of Kaiser coming
with them.
After three minutes, Kaiser could be seen from the distance approaching.
He was wearing a weird brown outfit, adorned with metal plates in
different regions. It looked more like armor than wizard's clothes. He also
had a poach attached to his waist. But what surprised the others more,
was the presence of another girl at his side, wearing a similar attire.
"Why is he dressed like that?" Harry asked. He was confused, he had
never seen such clothes before, and didn't understand why Kaiser chose
them of all the other options.
"Why is she with him?" Ron said with a frown. He didn't hold the best of
feelings for her, apparently.
"She's here to help. The more the merrier." Hermione said cheerfully. This
was looking good for them: more people meant their chance of meeting
mishaps decreased.
"Well I don't trust her. The Greengrass were all slimy snakes, my dad told
me."
"She's a Ravenclaw now, and she's Kai's friend. Or do you not trust him
either?" Hermione lectured him, but he still wasn't convinced. He wasn't
a believer in Logic and Reason.
"Hello, sorry for keeping you waiting." Kaiser said, while Daphne merely
nodded at them. He saw the looks Ron was giving her, and he was not
impressed.
"I asked my friend Daphne to come with us. I hope that won't be a
problem?" He looked coldly at Ron, who didn't look very happy.
"Not at all! Thank you for coming, Greengrass." Harry said, praying to all
the gods that Ron keeps his trap shut for this one, and the gods didn't fail
him. Ron apparently noticed, somehow, that she would be coming
regardless of what he said, and kept his opinion to himself.
"Well then, let's get going before the sun sets."
Notes
I am not a big fan of Ronald Weasley, but I’m going with him as
reckless and stupid for now. At least, that’s how I see him. Maybe he
would change in the future, with the right life experiences? Enjoy the
chapter!
An Adventure
Earlier that month, Fred and George told Kaiser they'd be giving the map
to Harry Potter, to protect him in case the mass murderer infiltrated the
school again. It was a shame, now he had to avoid going to the RoR, in
case someone was tailing him. But that also meant that all the pieces
were in place.
The group of five students were making their way, following the
direction the Harry's broom was believed to fall, while chitchatting on
the way.
"What's that outfit, by the way? I've never seen anything like it." Harry
suddenly asked.
"Dragon Hide protective clothes. It's spell resistant as well." Kaiser
explained.
"And why are you wearing that? We're just looking for a broom, we won't
be fighting Death Eaters." Ron snidely remarked, but Kaiser paid him no
mind. He wasn't going to argue with Ron Weasley of all the people.
"Doesn't hurt to be prepared." Kaiser calmly said, but the lack of a retort
seemed to fuel Ron's idiocy, making himself believe he won the
'argument'.
"Yeah, you're always on the lookout, aren't you? You also afraid of your
own sha-" before he was hit, hard on the shoulder by Hermione, who was
giving him death glares. "Hey, that was uncalled for." he whined.
"No, it was totally called for." Harry said this time, not very happy with
his friend's jabs at his other friend.
"Did you guys know you can learn basic healing magic from Madam
Pomfrey, as long as you ask nicely and help her every now and then?"
Kaiser diverted their attention.
"Really?" Hermione said with shinning eyes, while Daphne was also
interested. Kaiser brought that up for her, mostly.
"Yes. Though she would give you a few books to read beforehand."
Hermione's eyes shined even more, while Harry was also a bit interested
in the subject. An 'Urgh' was heard from Ron at the mention of 'reading'
and 'books'.
They were making their way through the outskirts of the forest, when
they heard a 'squeak'.
"Ouch!ufffdufffdufffd Ron said, dropping the rat he brought with him for
god knows what reason. "He bit me!"
The rat seemed restless and scared. It started running, and Ron following
its tail. "Scabbers!"
"Ron!" Harry and Hermione screamed, while Daphne was shaking her
head. "Idiot." she muttered.
They started running after him. And the forest was getting thicker and
thicker, and Kaiser's frown was getting heavier by the minute. 'This is not
the direction of the Shrieking Shack…' he thought.
They were running until they ran out of breath, but the rat suddenly
stopped, terrified for some reason. Ron jumped at the opportunity and
took the rat in his hands.
Kaiser was paying attention to his surroundings, when he noticed that
there was a house nearby, albeit camouflaged by the greenery that
surrounded it. A tree curled itself around the house, hiding it with its
branches.
He silently cast a detection spell, and sure enough, he could feel that
something was nearby. Ron, who was now facing them with a rat in his
hand, suddenly yelled: "Behind you! It's the grim!"
Daphne reacted instantly, pointing her wand at it, about to reduce it to
smithereens, but was stopped by Kaiser's whisper, puzzled. Yet she
trusted his judgment, and did as he told her.
The grim barked, enraged, while the rat squeaked weakly, before it
jumped at Ron. Harry and Hermione were petrified and could not
respond. And Daphne sent looks at Kaiser, who merely shook his head.
"Ron!" Harry and Hermione recovered their ability to talk when they
noticed the grim dragging Ron from his feet, towards a dark tunnel, but
not their ability to think. They ran towards him and jumped, hoping to
catch his hands, but it was pointless.
Daphne did not understand what Kaiser was trying to achieve, and sent
him questioning looks.
"The grim is Sirius Black." He said, and her eyes lit in understanding. But
she couldn't understand how he knew it. She didn't see him cast an
Animagus revealing spell.
They circled the abandoned house, looking for another entrance, but it
was difficult to make it out in the darkness, with all the branches
covering it. Eventually they found it, but Kaiser stopped and jerked his
head to the distance.
"There is someone else nearby. You guys go inside, Daphne and I will
monitor the area." Harry and Hermione immediately went through the
entrance in search for their friend, while Daphne was getting more
puzzled by the second.
"What are you playing at?" she asked, unable to understand what was
going through Kaiser's head.
"What? I'm not gonna interrupt a family reunion, am I?" he said
nonchalantly.
After a few minutes, Kaiser suddenly pointer his wand and incanted:
"Appare Vestigium." a yellow mist came out of the tip of his wand, while
he was waving it in a circle around him. He could see a silhouette of a
tall man through the mist.
"Hello Professor Lupin! Fancy seeing you here." Kaiser waved his hands,
while Remus canceled his disillusionment.
"What are you doing here?" Remus asked sternly, making use of his
authority in the situation. It was perfectly justified for a worried
professor to follow students about to break the rules, right?
"Guarding the area for hostiles." Kaiser said. "You may enter, professor.
Don't let me delay you. The reunion is about to begin." Remus was
dumbfounded at his words. 'Does he know?' but he had more pressing
matters to attend to.
"Don't wander around, the area is dangerous." he said, before going in. A
few seconds later, they could already hear screams coming from the
house.
Kaiser kept surveying his surroundings, and cast a detection spell every
now and then, until he could sense someone else. Whoever it was, he has
already seen his little trick, and couldn't use it again, as he would be
prepared. "Show yourself, I know you're here."
"I didn't take you for the adventurous type, Mr. Lunar. What are you
doing here?" he heard a voice far closer than he imagined, and jumped in
surprise. Fortunately, it was professor Snape, otherwise he'd be dead
meat by now. 'As expected of a spy, huh…' he thought.
"Just helping keeping a few irresponsible teenagers alive." Kaiser calmed
himself and said.
"Need I remind you there is a mass murderer on the run in the area? I
would expect such a behavior from a Gryffindor, but not from you."
Snape said with his slow Snape voice, a master piece, it was.
"Oh, you mean Sirius Black? The innocent man sent to Azkaban without a
trial, even though the Malfoy, Parkinson, and every Death Eater ten times
worse than him got away with the Imperious excuse? Don't worry, he's
harmless." Kaiser remarked sarcastically, and Snape was looking at him
without blinking for a moment. Though, no emotions could be read from
his face. Whatever level of Occlumency he reached, it must be
significantly high.
"Dumbledore testified he was the Secret Keeper, he was the one who cast
the Fidelius." Snape said calmly, but he was far from calm. What he was
hearing made him think a lot of things through, including how much he
could trust Dumbledore if what he was saying is true.
"Dumbledore's testimony was merely based on what he saw. That's not
how the magical world works. I can list at least two ways to change one's
appearance. You're a potion master, professor, I'm sure you would know
more." Kaiser responded. "Regardless, I have conclusive evidence that
Sirius Black is innocent."
"And what would that evidence be?" Snape raised an eye brow at his
declaration.
"Peter Pettigrew is still alive."
--------------------------------
Professor Snape, along with Kaiser and Daphne could see the group
making their way out of the house, and taking their sweet time talking.
Though there was another man with them, and a hint of a frown could be
seen on Snape's face.
"It appears you were correct, Mr. Lunar." Kaiser nodded.
Ron's leg was bleeding, and Harry was getting to know his godfather.
Professor Lupin was pointing his wand at the traitor, doing his best not to
AK him. But it all went downhills when Lupin suddenly froze. Peter did
not miss that opportunity, and immediately jumped and transformed into
the rat he is, running and cursing his mother for not giving him an extra
pair of legs to run faster. (A/N: Sorry, I always liked this expression xD)
Kaiser wasted no time, he ran towards him, surprising the others who
thought they were alone, and banished the transforming werewolf away.
"Get away! He'll be fine, we're the ones in danger!"
They took a second, but they reacted to his words, and all started
running, with Harry and Hermione helping the handicapped Ron, Snape,
Kaiser and Daphne leading them, and Sirius keeping the rear.
They were now far from Hogwarts, and they'd need some time to reach
the castle. The forbidden forest was making all kind of wrong movement,
chilling them to the bones. They could see several beasts in the distance
eyeing them like preys.
But things were only getting worse from that moment. Snape suddenly
waved his hand, gesturing at them to stop. "Reveal yourselves." he looked
around before saying.
Men in black pitch black clothing, wearing silver masks appeared around
them in the distance. Blood drained from Kaiser's face. This was not
looking good for them. He pressed something on a bracelet he had on his
hands. It was a distress signal, alarming both his body guards and
professor Flitwick. Kaiser cast a local privacy charm, to avoid his voice
traveling to the enemies before whispering.
"We should leave the Hogwarts' wards. We can portkey from there. It will
be faster." They all took covers behind trees. "Periculum!" Kaiser pointed
his wand at the sky, and a red beam jumped from his wand towards the
night sky, before bursting to red sparks.
The Death Eaters wasted no time, and spells started raining on them of
different colors. Fortunately for them, they were out of range for the
Unforgivables.
They started heading north, but the Death Eaters were closing in from the
flanks, and the frequency at which projectiles were coming at them
increased. They were surrounded, and they had no way out of it.
A Death Eater suddenly rushed at Kaiser's position, and pointed his wand:
"Avada Keda-" he was hit by a silent stunner, followed by a Piercing Spell
at his skull that exploded into a bloody mess. He underestimated his
enemy, believing him to be no more than a child, and he paid the price.
Harry, Ron and Hermione grimaced at the sight, and were ready to vomit
if the situation allowed for it, but they kept it in.
Snape and Sirius were fighting against eight Death Eaters to a standstill,
though they were on the defensive more than anything, while the others
exchanging blows with the remaining four, though Ron did not have his
wand.
Kaiser's face was looking grim. He was calculating their chances of
survival at the rate the situation was devolving, and the results did not
please him. He did not wish to die, not after being given a second chance,
not after discovering the wondrous world of magic. The agonizing scream
he heard did not make the situation any better. Hermione was hit on the
thigh with a Bone Breaker, taking their handicaps to new heights. Kaiser
steeled himself; he could not stay passive about the situation, he needed
to create an opportunity for them, otherwise they were bound to lose.
He dashed at one of the Death Eaters, even though he was twenty meters
away, boosting his momentum with his telekinesis abilities. His opponent
failed to react to this sudden development, and was hit by the
bombardment spell Kaiser cast with a thought. His body split in two
halves with the resulting explosion, and flew at his comrade, who easily
deflected the aftermath with a silent [Protego] (Shield). But he was
enraged.
This mission was originally about fourteen Death Eaters slaughtering a
bunch of children, but now they were the one taking casualties. They're
strategy was to surround them and slowly weaken their defenses until
spells started hitting, and they refused to take risks and sacrifice their
lives, which is the reason why the fight lasted for so long, otherwise it
would be done in a heartbeat. Yet now, the odds weren't looking well for
them, or at least he thought so. The truth is they were close to victory, as
Snape and Sirius could not last forever against eight Death Eaters.
He sent an over powered bombardment spell at Kaiser, but he, in turn
deflected it back at the caster, who waved it off again. Kaiser followed by
a piercing spell; it took the least time to cast from all his arsenal. Again,
the Death Eater waved it off, along with the series of spell that followed:
Stunning, Piercing and cutting spells, all were either canceled or
deflected. He grinned at Kaiser a show of superiority, and Kaiser changed
strategies.
Kaiser moved his fallen comrade's half body at throw it at his face, and
that riled up him up. As he waved off the projectile, he failed to notice
Kaiser whispering an incantation. A flash of blinding green light
assaulted his eyes, and he raised his hand to cover his eyes, but the light
itself wasn't the threat. It was the green beam coming to claim his life,
that was, but how could he knew that a thirteen years old boy could cast
a spell even experienced wizards struggled with?
Kaiser did not feel very good about killing, but it consoled him that they
were not human. As far as he was concerned, they forfeited their
humanity when they decided to kill their fellow wizards for no reason,
not to mention the absurd amount of atrocities they must have done as
Death Eaters.
Though, his opponent's reaction gave him a new idea. The last Death
Eater was exchanging blows with Harry and Hermione, but they only
sent disarming and petrifying hexes his way, while Daphne sent cutting
and piercing spells at him. He noticed his friends defeat and immediately
created space between him and the groups. The last thing he needed was
having to fight on two fronts. But that was unnecessary.
Kaiser cast an overpowered Lumos spell, with a few modifications. He
changed the propagation direction of the light, and made it converge at
his face, blinding him completely. He reacted by casting a shielding spell
around him, and screaming for help. Kaiser's shield breaker and Daphne's
piercing spells finished the job.
Their escape route was clear now. All they had to do was run for their
lives while giving assistance to the rear. The 'leader' of the Death Eater
noticed how the situation was changing, and decided to change their
strategy. He whispered something to his friends, and they started
retreating slowly.
The leader flew a few meters above the ground, pointed his wand
forward and cried: :"Pyronefas Infernalis!" A crimson flame came at of his
wand, and took the form of a serpent that hissed at them. The caster was
obviously not targeting Snape and Sirius: The serpent flew directly at the
group of teenagers.
"Fiendfyre! Use the general counter spell together! Don't use water!"
Kaiser cried at them, after regrouping with them. They all pointed their
wands at the giant serpent at the same time, bracing themselves for the
impact.
"Finite!" they incanted together, conjuring a wall of white light that
fought the snake to a standstill. They were about to be overrun, when a
silent 'Vipera Evanesca' from Snape hit the snake, reducing it to less
potent flames. It appeared that once the spell lost its 'spirit', the potency
decreased. They easily dispelled the rest of the flames. They were
fortunate the spell didn't have enough power, otherwise it would've been
a fool's dream to stop it that way.
On a side note, the trees caught fire. Not just any fire, but Fiendfyre. It
would cause a lot of damage before it calmed down.
Kaiser immediately lifted Hermione and started running, followed by the
others. With the handicaps they had, they couldn't run very fast, and
would ultimately run out of breath. Especially since they had to guard
from the Death Eaters on their tail.
Yet it seemed luck was on their side this time; they heard a Death Eater
scream. A wolf bit his leg, and a few others of his friends stopped to help
him, which decreased the load on Sirius and Snape's shoulders, albeit
momentarily.
But it was followed by more wolves jumping mindlessly at them, even
after they saw their fellow wolf decapitated. But that wasn't the end of it,
soon horned bears, Acromantulas and various magical beasts (attracted
by the fight/fire?) jumped at them with rage. They appeared enraged for
some reason, but they didn't have the time to think about it. This was
their life saving opportunity and they were not about to waste it.
They soon reached the end of Hogwarts' wards' influence, and a panting
Kaiser turned to professor Snape: "Can you Disapparate, professor?"
Snape nodded.
"Then we'll be leaving you. I'll bring them back to the castle."
They separated into two groups. One with Daphne, Hermione and Harry,
and the other with Sirius, Ron and Kaiser.
"Mother Base." Daphne and Kaiser said simultaneously, and a blue vortex
formed above each of their groups before it swallowed them with a
crack.
Notes
I thought it would probably be mean to leave the fight on a cliff
hanger, so here you go, 3k words xD What do you guys think of the
fighting scene? I think this was the first one I’ve written so far. Enjoy
the chapter!
Aftermath
Ten minutes. That was how long the fight took. It wasn't enough for
reinforcement to arrive, neither from school, or from Kaiser's private
forces. Though they arrived afterwards to help put down the Fiendfyre,
there was no sign of Death Eaters, unless you count the dead bodies left
behind reduced to mere ashes.
They arrived in a safe house, where they were administrated first-aids.
Kaiser turned around to see everyone's sick expressions. They have just
witnessed gory deaths, and experienced the most traumatizing experience
in their life so far, being so close to death. Sirius was consoling the trio;
he had participated in a war before, so such scenes were probably
nothing new to him, not to mention his career as an Auror.
They just had first hand experience on how cruel the world can be. They
were completely useless in a real fight, against full fledged wizards, with
real combat experience.
Hermione was crying both from her injury, and from everything she felt
through the fight, while Daphne stood in a corner, shivering from
exhaustion and from the earlier events. She was on the verge of crying as
well. Trembling of the cold weather, she stood there watching the ceiling
above her weak looking figure wondering about what has just happened.
Until suddenly, Kaiser approached her and stood next to her.
Silence filled the air around them but it spoke thousands of words. He
nervously curled his hands around her, guilt filling his heart for dragging
her into such a situation. She tried to stay strong but her tears failed her,
running down silently like an angry stream.
After they calmed down for a bit, Kaiser turned to everybody and said:
"We need to go back to Hogwarts. My friends here will Apparate us to
Hogsmeade village, then we'll make our way to Hogwarts from there." He
then turned to Sirius. "This place is under a Fidelius. It's the safest place
for you. My friends will also discuss with you a plan to get you out of this
situation. Is that alright with you?"
Sirius looked pensive for at that, weighing down his options. Should he
trust this stranger? He did save their lives, twice.
"You should stay, Sirius. I trust Kaiser would do nothing to harm you."
Harry encouraged. After moments of silence, Sirius agreed to his offer,
though he was a bit skeptical. Five masked individuals approached each
one of them, to Apparate them to Hogsmeade. The masks were necessary,
because right now, especially after their latest announcement, anyone
working under Karl and Kaiser were in danger of being targeted. They
weren't taking any risks.
---------------------------------------------
Once they arrived, they were greeted by a squadron of Aurors, and an
angry and worried professor McGonagall, who wanted to do nothing
more but yell at them if not for their injuries. They were carried
immediately to the infirmary for treatment.
They all showed signs of magical exhaustion (though the most severe was
Kaiser himself), with scratches and bruises all over their bodies. Ronald
Weasley had a fractured ankle, while Hermione suffered from a broken
thigh bone.
Madam Pomfrey never ceased to reprimand them for their recklessness
while treating them, venturing to the forbidden forest in the evening,
even though the name should be enough of a clue.
Kaiser an Daphne had acted as the front line for the group, thanks to
their protective gear. Their Dragon Hide clothes absorbed several spells,
and protective enchanted items activated their shields several times as
well. Though several enchantments broke down.
"What were you thinking! You could have died! A mass murderer is on
the run, and you decide to go to the forbidden forest of all the places!"
Madam Pomfrey lectured them angrily. "You'll stay here for a week until
I make sure nothing is wrong with you." she said with a tone of finality,
leaving no room for arguments. But that did not suit Kaiser very well.
There was no way in hell he'd be sleeping in such an unprotected
environment, where the headmaster himself was untrustworthy, but
Madam Pomfrey did not need to know that.
The mediwitch proceeded to kick the aurors out, telling them to come
back in the morning for questioning. The mediwitch was so protective of
her patient, if a god interfered with them, she'd most likely kick him too.
Kaiser could finally think about what happened that day. He originally
planned to deal with the transforming Remus, extract Sirius using a
portkey, and be done with it. But, for some reason, it all went south after
they dealt with the werewolf. The presence of Death Eaters was not
expected. They had no reason to be there.
Pettigrew disappeared the night Sirius was arrested, and stayed as a rat
with the Weasleys. He had no way to contact the other Death Eaters, not
that they would help him either way. He was useless as far as they were
concerned. Which means, Pettigrew was not the reason.
The Death Eater were perhaps searching for Sirius? Malfoy had every
reason to eliminate him, as it would instantly double his political and
economic power when he completely controls the Black Family. But,
again, he had no reason to guess he'd be there. Fiendfyre was used during
that fight. It was a very dark spell, only available to prominent dark
families. Which means a higher up among the Death Eaters was present,
someone in an important position in the Wizarding world. Which means,
that wasn't a search party. Someone of that standing would never
concern himself with searching endlessly a dark forest in the middle of
the night.
They could be there for another reason, and the fact that they met them
was merely a coincidence, but it was less likely. It was an organized
ambush. Which only leaves one reasonable possibility.
Kaiser turned to the trio after the medi-witch left them: "This is going to
seem insensible of me, but I have to know. Did you tell anyone about our
little adventure?"
"Of course not! Why would we tell anyone we were about to break the
rules?" Hermione answered without missing a beat.
"Yeah, she's right." Harry said. Ron kept silent.
"Who did you tell, Ron?" Kaiser already knew it had to be him.
"I-I-I didn't tell anyone." Ron said in the most untrustworthy way
possible, guilt seeping through his voice.
"I'm not blaming you, Ron. (It was my bad for not accounting the
possibility of you being an idiot. He added internally.) I just need to
know who did you speak to." Ron's eyes met Kaiser's, and a silent
Legilimency probe made its way to him.
Kaiser was seeing scenes of Ron boasting to someone about how they'd
venture in the forbidden forest, and Kaiser would be tagging alone. It
happened multiple times, in multiple locations. Gryffindor common
room, Great Hall, after class… Which reduced the people that might have
reported the information to… every fucking person in Hogwarts.
"I-I-I might have told Seamus…" he said hesitantly, but Kaiser didn't care
anymore, and concentrated on meditating. Ron was definitely the most
unreliable person he'd seen so far. He was a teenager, of course, and he
never had to be careful of what to say. But still, if not for Kaiser, Harry
Potter had more than enough enemies. Should the Death Eaters have a
clear opportunity to dispose of him, they wouldn't miss it, would they?
Ron doesn't realize that he started a war, merely by boasting to his
friends.
The Death Eaters would never directly attack Kaiser like that, but this
opportunity was too much for them to miss. Their original plan was: Get
in the forest stealthily, ambush Kaiser and his company, dispose of the
body, leave the premises. That way, the murder, if there were any traces
left, could never be traced back to them, and the Dark Faction wouldn't
acquire the ire of the Neutral faction.
Now, they created a Vendetta. They didn't even succeed in killing their
target, and lost three of their own instead. That wouldn't be enough
compensation for the Neutral Faction, that invested heavy money on
Kaiser. They could certainly claim that their target was Harry Potter, and
Kaiser being there was merely an unfortunate coincidence, but that still
wouldn't be enough compensation.
Kaiser wouldn't blame Ron, as he himself did not foresee this. He usually
took as little risks as possible, and if he foresaw this, he would've called
in a team of trained wizards to protect him. He was lucky that they
survived. That's right. It was nothing more than luck.
Why did the Magical beasts attack the Death Eaters? That was abnormal.
Magical beasts, unless they were territorial, would never attack a
dangerous individual, especially after he kills one of theirs. Wolves?
Acrumantulas? None of those were territorial beasts, and yet they jumped
crazily at the Death Eaters.
What would have made them change their behavior so much?
It was then that he remembered what Luna said in the beginning of the
year.
"Don't you feel the forbidden forest has changed?"
"I feel they're more agitated and aggressive than they should be."
'So that's the reason, huh…ufffdufffd Indeed. Something seems
fundamentally different about the forbidden forest. What prompted such
a change? He wasn't knowledgeable about magical creatures. In fact, he
rarely read anything about them, only when he had to interact with
them, like the case of Dementors. Maybe he'd have to ask an expert.
-------------------------------------
"… They portkeyed away, and Sirius disapparated." Snape was reporting
what happened to the Head of the DMLE: Amelia Bones, Head Auror:
Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic: Cornelius Fudge, the headmaster
and his deputy, and the head of the Ravenclaw House, Filius Flitwick.
"What were the Death Eaters doing there of all the places?" asked a
puzzled McGonagall. It didn't make any sense to meet Death Eaters in the
middle of nowhere.
"I believe I can answer that." the headmaster said with his trademark
grandfatherly attitude. "There have been… rumors spreading about a
group of five students venturing to the forbidden forest…" Seeing the
angry grimaces forming on their faces, he continued. "I myself have only
heard about this moments ago."
The headmaster was a smart man, and could connect the dots. He also
knew it made no sense for Death Eaters to be present there, so he asked
the ghosts, portraits and every source of information he had about the
only possibility. And sure enough, it came out positive.
"Then it would make sense." Amelia nodded.
"Forgive me for saying this, but your story is absurd. The Death Eaters
have been disbanded since the death of You-Know-Who. They are
probably a group of fanatics trying to make a name for themselves." the
minister, Fudge waved off the idea of death eaters. Death eater activity
was bad for the peace he's spent so much time cultivating. "I suspect it's
the work of Sirius Black. He's trying to have us drop our guard. It's
unmistakable he betrayed the Potters and killed Pettigrew. The man you
saw was probably an impostor, professor Snape. You're a potion master,
you must know that it's quite possible to change one's appearance easily."
Amelia, Rufus and Dumbledore said nothing; they knew it was pointless
anyway, and it was not in their interest to have him free: they couldn't do
anything for him as no one would support them in the Wizengamot in
such pointless endeavor. McGonagall and Flitwick, on the other hand,
were outraged. Snape couldn't mistake Pettigrew appearance, and it was
a pointless endeavor for Sirius to have them drop their guards. If he was
truly a death eater, he would've just killed Harry Potter, not made friends
with them.
Besides, they were severely outnumbered. Had he not helped them, they
would've certainly died. Reason pointed to him being innocent, yet for
some reason, this oaf was saying he was not. They felt blind for not
having seen this a long time ago. Sirius and James were like brothers,
weren't they? How could they have believed Sirius would betray them.
But they were smart enough to understand that, whatever they would say
wouldn't benefit anyone, and only create more problems. They were
disappointed to see the headmaster, the only man who could change the
situation, keep silent.
--- End of the chapter ---
A/N : time for the author rant again :D feel free to skip this.
I'll do my best to post 5 chapters a week, and keep those I write on the
weekends until I accumulate enough (9 chapters). Then I'll start releasing
7 per week. Just so that I keep a constant release rate.
It has come to my attention that a few people are either hoping for a
harem, or hoping this won't be a harem story. Let me begin by telling
how pitiful my skills at writing romance are. (The 'emotional' part in this
chapter was written by a friend of mine xD). So, don't have high
expections in that romance. There won't be smut scenes, and the story
won't be focused on that particular aspect of Kaiser's life. So, it's
irrelevant whether this is a Harem story.
Some people did not enjoy the little "Sci-fi" touch I added to the story.
I've read several approaches on the matter, Star Gate cross-overs mostly,
and the only Sci-fi fan-fiction I've enjoyed is : "Back to the beginning" and
its sequel: "Origins". It was a satisfying read, I recommend it (there wasn't
much challenges for the MC, if that's what you are hoping for.). I'm trying
to take a more realistic approach. Like you can't just wave your wand,
hope for a result, then suddenly be able to cross the multiverse. And it
certainly won't be done in a year or two. So, if the MC is ever able to
space-travel, we are at least a hundred chapters away, assuming the story
is THAT fast paced.
In the meanwhile, I'll focus on the challenges Kaiser has to face, his daily
/ school life…
Finally, remember: the greater the expectations, the greater the
disappointment. I myself am very new to this, not every idea I include
here is original, but most likely the accumulation of everything I've read
so far.
Notes
Enjoy the chapter! Have some idea about the story? Comment it and
let me know :D
Meetings
"Why did the headmaster call for me, professor?" Kaiser asked, but he
had a very bad feeling for this. Dumbledore paying attention to him isn't
good news.
"He wishes to... Inquire about your wellbeing. He wants to speak to you
himself." Professor Flitwick answered. The headmaster, under normal
circumstances, did not need to do the asking himself, as one of the
professors could do it in his stead.
'Great... Exactly what I needed...' Kaiser sighed. He needed to think of
how to deal with the old man. The last thing he needed was an enemy as
powerful as him. 'Let's try logic and see how it goes...'
---------------------
"Ah. Filius, Mr. Lunar. Please, take a seat." He gestured to the empty
seats.
"I owe you an apology, Mr. Lunar. because of my incompetence, you had
to go through ... Such an ordeal. You are far too young to see that cruel
side of the world." Dumbledore said with a sad expression.
"Please, don't blame yourself, headmaster. We were foolish to venture to
the forbidden forest. If someone is to blame, it should be us for betraying
your trust in us." Kaiser said passionately. He never met the headmaster's
eye. And since Kaiser rarely showed emotions in his presence, he had no
way to be sure if he was faking it, which he was.
"Professor Snape told me what happened. While I am very proud of your
magical prowess, I am worried at the effects it might have, especially on
a soul as young as yourself." Dumbledore said wisely. "Most people who
experience... Death first hand show numerous psychological effects. Guilt,
insomnia among others. Have you rested well since the incident?"
Kaiser sighed and had a weary look on his face. He looked distantly at
the sky through the window and said: "it is as you said, headmaster. I do
feel some... Changes."
"That's quite normal, my boy. Anyone who had to go through what you
did would." Dumbledore nodded in a grandfatherly manner.
"I tell myself, no matter how cruel a man is, he never deserves to die.
Everyone can change, and should therefore be given a second chance. Am
I right, headmaster?" Kaiser asked. Right now, he was merely a student
taking wisdom from the old headmaster, who has years of experience in
his belt.
"That is correct, my boy. It is never right to kill people. We are not gods,
but merely humans. We all have our flaws." Dumbledore nodded wisely;
he liked where this is going.
"I... Heard stories, headmaster." Kaiser took a deep breath. "About the
reign of terror during Valdy's time. How they would deal with those who
opposed them. One of those I could never forget." There was a red gleam
in Kaiser's eyes, and dumbledore frowned; he heard his fair share, and
whatever kaiser would say couldn't be good.
/!\ Warning: Mention of torture and rape. /!\
"There was this Auror, active during his time. He caught several Death
Eaters, and led the earliest resistances against him in the Auror corps.
The Aurors at the time were joining him in numbers, until the Death
Eaters caught him, waiting for him at his home. What followed was a
week of torture. Not through the Cruciatus curse alone, that would have
been merciful. They tortured his son in front of him, until he went
insane.
They then killed him slowly in front of both his parents. Then they took
turns raping his daughter. When they got tired of it, they used the
Cruciatus on her, until she died. She was no more than sixteen. His wife,
who already broke down followed through the same process. They never
laid a finger on the man whom they wished to hurt. They didn't have to...
They released him afterwards in the middle of Diagon Alley, along with
his family's lifeless bodies. He killed himself a week later in the hospital."
/!\ ----- End ----- /!\
Kaiser looked at the headmaster's frowning face with glowing crimson
eyes, and continued: "you're asking me how I can sleep at night, knowing
there is four less monsters in the world?"
A smirk slowly formed at the edge of Kaiser's lips. "Like a baby."
Dumbledore stared at him for a while, studying him closely. His
argument does make sense, but once we start deciding who to kill and
who to keep alive, we'll start a vicious cycle that would never end. He
prides himself in being an intellectual being, capable of rational thought.
Kaiser could understand this line of thought too, could he not?
"You are one of the smartest students we have at Hogwarts. It pains me to
see you treading such dangerous path." He said, but there were no
emotions visible on his face.
"What path are you speaking of, headmaster? You don't seriously believe
I'd start looking for people to kill, do you? I am a very busy person.
You're not comparing me to Tom Riddle, are you?"
"I can't divine the future, Mr. Lunar. But I can see the signs. Tom Riddle
was a brilliant young boy, and I failed to see the signs when they were in
front of my eyes. I won't repeat the same mistake again." the headmaster
said. There was a hint of warning in his voice.
"I'm sure you won't. Can I excuse myself?" at the headmaster's nod, Kaiser
got up. He took a look at the headmaster's wand, that was silently sitting
on his desk, before leaving. He had a very interesting idea. He certainly
made a mistake here, but he couldn't stand the headmaster's hypocrisy
anymore.
-----------------------------------
It's been a long time since Sirius was able to relax. He was first thrown
unjustly to Azkaban, though he believed he deserved it at the time. He
failed to protect the man he considered to be his brother, when he had
barely started a family. Had he been their Secret Keeper, he would've
taken their secrets to the grave. They were afraid he might be targeted,
since he is the obvious choice for them. If only he argued a bit better
back then perhaps they would've made him the Secret Keeper?
He took a long relaxing bath, cut his hair and shaved his dreadfully
untidy beard with the temporary wand that was arranged for him. One
has to know that owning an unregistered wand was very difficult since it
was a criminal offense, and no wand maker would risk it, which shows
the amount of power the Neutral Faction has.
On a side note, shaving is exceedingly easy in the Wizarding world, and
risk free. The shaving spell only targeted hair, and couldn't scratch your
skin, which was very convenient. Even more, it did so with a mind-
boggling precision. As long as you had a clear image of what you wanted
to achieve, you can achieve that exact result with practically no errors.
The same goes for cutting your hair, though people rarely do it on their
own, and rather pay a barber with more sense of fashion to do it for
them, along with other hair treatments.
The next day, he was to meet his host, Karl Greengrass, to discuss with
him how they would deal with his special circumstances. Karl was
already waiting for him, sitting in a circular sofa around a table.
"Mr. Black. A pleasure to meet you. Please take a seat." Karl greeted with
a smile.
"Likewise. Thank you for your assistance in those very hard times, I am
indebted to you." Sirius offered a small bow, but Karl waved his thanks
off.
"Don't thank me, thank Mr. Lunar. He was the one who arranged
everything for you." Karl needed him to be more indebted to Kaiser than
himself, as it would help things go smoothly later on.
"Uhm, I don't want to be rude, but who exactly is Mr. Lunar?" Sirius tilted
his head puzzled. He never heard of that last name before.
"Ah. He is the kid with the crimson hair and eyes."
"Oh yea, he is quite capable isn't he?" Sirius was very impressed by what
he saw that day, even though he didn't see the full fight.
"You don't know the half of it." Karl chuckled, and took out one of the
phone-like communication device and handed it to Sirius. "He also
arranged this for you."
"What is it?"
"It's a communication device. It will allow you to instantly communicate
with your godson. He was given one as well. Think of it as a portable
Floo Network, but only sends written messages." Karl then explained to
him how to use it.
"This is marvelous! I don't think there was such a device before, was
there?" Sirius marveled at its usefulness.
"Actually, it still isn't available in the market. This is only a prototype."
"How did he get his hands on it, then?" Sirius didn't understand.
"Why? Because he's the one who makes them, of course." Karl said
matter-of-factly, and waited for Sirius's eyes to widen. He needed to
create a positive image of Kaiser as much as possible.
"But enough chitchat. Let's deal with the important matters first. As you
know, this facility is heavily warded, and secrecy is its utmost concern."
He began, eyeing Sirius' reaction carefully. "I have heard that the Black
House Elf does not hold you in the highest regards." Sirius frowned at
this, unable to understand how was that relevant. "You see, House Elves,
if not loyal, can present a security risk. Therefore, I'd like to begin with
dealing with that first." Sirius' eyes lit in understanding.
"How should I deal with him? Do I have to release him?"
"Not at all. Call for him, and forbid him from communicating or taking
orders from anyone but yourself. Also, from Apparating people."
"Kreacher!" a pop was heard, and a House Elf with wrinkled face and
tattered clothes appeared.
"Did filthy blood traitor master call for Kreacher?" he said in the most
derisive way he could muster.
After Sirius gave him his orders, Kreacher bowed, but he was boiling
inside: "Yes, blood traitor master." House Elves could never betray their
master, because once they did, they would die instantly. Sirius could
order him to stop calling him 'blood traitor', but for some reason, he
never did.
"Now, we deal with our next problem. Ask him if his previous master,
Regulus Black, left him with any peculiar object, with instructions to
hide, perhaps?" Kreacher's eyes lit with hope, for some reason.
"Why?" Sirius frowned, he did not understand what Karl meant by that.
"Please." Karl raised a hand. "I will explain everything to you afterwards."
Before Sirius even finished his order, Kreacher jumped and said: "Yes!
Yes! Master Regulus left Kreacher an object, and asked him to destroy it.
Kreacher could not destroy it no matter what he tried."
Karl looked pensive for a moment and said: "Ask him to bring it here. We
know how to destroy it."
As Kreacher did what he was told, Sirius looked at Karl: "Are you going
to tell me what's going on?"
Karl sighed. "In your godson's first year, there was a professor who
attacked him, to steal a certain object from him."
"What?!" Sirius looked murderous, enraged someone dared to lay a hand
on his godson, and a professor no less. "It was Snivelus wasn't it?!"
"The professor in question is dead." Karl said before it got worse. "but
that's not the issue. He was possessed by the Spirit of the previous Dark
Lord. You can ask your godson about it later. After he died, the spirit left
his body and fled. The year afterwards, there was a series of petrifications
at school.
Mr. Potter and Mr. Lunar later found out it was a student behind them,
but here is the tricky part: said student was controlled by a dark artifact
holding the memory of the You-Know-Who when he was still a student.
The artifact was also impossible to destroy, and was nourishing itself
with the life force of its victim." After a few moments of silence, waiting
for Sirius to digest everything that was said so far, he continued:
"The artifact originated from the hands of Lucius Malfoy, one of the high-
ranking Death Eaters. We suspected You-Know-Who left several of such
Artifacts at the hands of his Death Eaters, and therefore the reason we
suspected Regulus Black was also one of them."
After pondering for a moment, Sirius asked: "What are they exactly?"
"We do not know. We only know one way of destroying them. Which
brings us to our next problem."
Third Year Part 8
"Do you have any idea why you have been imprisoned, Mr. Black?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Sirius asked. "It's because they thought I betrayed
James and Lily Potter, and killed twelve muggles, right?" But Karl shook
his head, puzzling Sirius even more.
"No. We initially thought so, but once the emergency state was lifted, and
Death Eaters were getting trials, it was clear to us that you were not the
traitor. Legally speaking, you should never have spent twelve years in
Azkaban." The frown on Sirius face increased gradually, and his head
started hurting. Wasn't he sent to Azkaban because everyone was thought
he was guilty?
"Tell me, Mr. Black, did you get a trial?" At Sirius' nod, Karl continued.
"There was no evidence whatsoever against you. The only crime they
could've sanctioned you for was the killing of twelve muggles, but even
for that, there was no evidence whatsoever. If anything, the evidence
pointed toward Pettigrew doing it and running away.
There was no dead body, only a finger, which doesn't make sense.
Pettigrew thought that by leaving his finger there, he might lead others
to believe he died there. But how could the only thing that remains of
him in the resulting explosion, a cleanly cut hand?" Karl reasoned.
"The evidence against you was circumstantial at best. Once your wand
was checked, it was crystal clear you were innocent. At least from killing
twelve muggles."
"What about Dumbledore? He was the one who cast the Fidelius, and
Peter was under the polyjuice potion. He must have thought I betrayed
James!"
"Yes, perhaps he thought so at the time. But it became moot once you
take the previous facts into consideration. Dumbledore is a smart man,
after all." Karl explained patiently, and Sirius was getting angrier by the
second. Did Dumbledore want him to stay in Azkaban? That doesn't make
any sense!
"I, too, fail to understand why Dumbledore wouldn't want you to be free.
In fact, I've recently read Professor Snape's report on the incident. And
his sighting of Peter Pettigrew, alive. But no actions were taken. It's safe
to assume that Dumbledore will not be offering you any help." Karl said.
"What about the others? Dumbledore isn't the only in the Wizengamot, is
he?" But Karl shook his head.
"Why would the light faction help the son of one of the dark families in
history? What would they stand to gain from it? Not only that, whoever
tries to free you will declare a war on the dark faction, since Malfoy has a
lot to gain from your imprisonment. You see, his son, Draco Malfoy, is
the legal heir to the Black assets."
"What about you?" Sirius finally asked the question that truly matters.
Dumb as he was, he could still see something as clear as this, especially
when Karl was doing his best guiding him to this conclusion.
"The neutral faction does not concern itself with political struggles. We
are only interested in the prosperity of the Wizarding world, though
economic means." Karl said, and Sirius' hopes were suddenly squashed,
but Karl's next words were the light at the end of the tunnel for him.
"However, Mr. Lunar is very good friends with your godson (As if that
would've truly mattered, he added internally.), and has pleaded your
case." Karl saw the color come back to Sirius' face, and smiled.
"Unfortunately, in order to convince everyone to invest in this endeavor,
we need to show them the value of doing so. Mr. Lunar found the perfect
way to do so." Sirius nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
"You see, the Black family was the foremost supporter of the previous
Dark Lord, and we suspect he owes a lot of his achievements to them.
Especially those cursed objects. There are no records of their nature, how
they are made or how to destroy them."
"And where do I come in? I don't know anything about those cursed
objects either." Sirius said, unable to understand his role in all of this.
"You may not know, but the Black Family library certainly does." Karl
offered a friendly smile.
It was time for Sirius to frown. Sirius knew that family libraries were
very valued in the Wizarding world, and no family would ever think of
giving their own. On the other hand, wouldn't his hateful mother turn in
her grave should he do that? That does sound like a good idea, he
thought.
But, if Voldemort used the knowledge in that library to do reach such
level in the dark arts, who is to say the neutral faction won't as well.
"We do not require you hand in your family library to us. The only one
who has to access it is Kaiser." Karl added. He knew about Kaiser's
monstrous memory, and his uncanny ability to conjure books. "However,
you would need to sign a binding contract on it, where we would ensure
your release from your current predicament. You don't have to answer us
now. Take your time, speak with your godson, and give us your answer
when you are ready. This is the contract we would like you to sign, give
it a read, and tell us if something is inconvenient to you."
----------------------------------------------
Kaiser sat quietly in the Great Hall with his friends. The rumors about
him venturing in the forbidden forest has spread among the whole
student body by now, and following his party's one week of absence, it
was obvious something happened to them there.
Some were gloating at their misfortune, and the golden trio got their fair
share of snide remarks. Kaiser neither confirmed nor denied, and outright
ignored anyone that brought that subject up.
Among the many rumors that were in Hogwarts, only one of them was
truly cause of concern. It's been seven months since their new DADA
professor joined the school staff, and a lot students enjoyed his lessons.
He is the best DADA professor they got since ages ago, said some of the
older students.
"By the way, guys. Have you heard about professor Lupin?" Tracey Davis
said with a hushed voice.
Michael: "Heard what?"
Tracey: "There are rumors he is a werewolf! And will be kicked out of the
school because of it."
"Really? Doesn't that mean he's highly dangerous? Why did they recruit
him at school if he is?! What are they thinking?!" a second-year student,
who was eavesdropping on them said in outrage. Their knowledge of
werewolves came mainly from stories told to scare off children, which
goes to show the amount of discrimination against them, if wizards are
taught to hate from that age.
"A werewolf is a human being infected by Lycanthropy. It's a condition, a
sickness like any other, except there is no known cure for it yet. And a
werewolf isn't as dangerous as you might think. They are exactly like us
wizards, except on the full moon, where they would transform to a
werewolf, a half-human half-wolf being. Which means as long as they
don't meet people during that period, they cannot hurt anyone." Kaiser
patiently explained to his ignorant junior.
"It is curious, how a sickness that's been around for more than three
thousand years to not have a cure yet." Michael said. "Unless you count
the recently developed Wolfsban Potion, that allows werewolf to keep
their mental faculties even in their transformed form."
"Werewolves are a mystery in the medical community. No one seems to
know where they came from. One undeniable fact is that they are not
natural. There has been no traces of a natural werewolf in all the
centuries they have been researched." Daphne said. She enjoyed
discussing intellectual subjects with her peers, as she learned a lot from
them most of the time. "A lot of conjectures has been made, from them
being cursed beings of mother nature, a result of a failed ritual etc…
Some people even claimed that their souls become tainted, which is the
reason why their Patronuses all change to a wolf form. It is still unknown
why the moon affects them, or why they can only get infected through
biting."
"The way the Wizarding world handles them is the most concerning."
Kaiser added. "Nobody is willing to hire them, or even interact with
them, and they are forbidden from working or living in the non-magical
world. It's almost like they are begging them to be criminals. It explains
why a lot of werewolves joined Valdy's cause. Nothing is more dangerous
than desperate people, with nothing to lose. In some countries, they are
even killed outright upon being found. Not to mention the suicide rate
among werewolves is abnormally high."
"Who is Valdy?" one of the younger years asked curiously. He never
heard of that name before.
"A noseless idiot with daddy issues, don't concern yourself with it." Kaiser
waved his hand dismissively. If the Slytherins hear about who it truly
was, they might start targeting them. And he was more worried about his
friends, who spent most of their time at school. Unlike him, who sneaked
out through his vanishing cabinet most of the time.
"Where are you at in your Occlumency training, by the way?" Kaiser
changed the subject. Kaiser couldn't offer his Legilimency skills because
of how busy he usually was. Apart from making expensive personalized
watches, he was also overseeing the development of the RPU (Runic
Processing Unit). Many of his hopes were centered around it.
Unfortunately, it requires a significant amount of time, though they now
have access to new technology replacing electricity, that significantly
reduces the limits imposed on them.
For instance, they did not have to worry about the device overheating,
they did not need to add a lot of security components. All the members of
his group were given access to Rune books, to understand the subject
better. They were slowly understanding how Runes work, though that is
an overstatement. Nobody truly understands how they work.
The basic RPU was estimated to be finished by October. But that still
wouldn't be the end of it. They would then need to work on the base
operating system, though work on it has already began, albeit they can't
test anything without the hardware being available.
-------------------------------------------------------
Kaiser went back to 'Mother base' through his Vanishing Cabinet after
dinner. Karl was already there waiting for him, sipping tea with some
cookies and reading the latest news.
"Hello Karl, how do you do?" they were on a first-name basis now, but
both had mutual respect for each other. While Kaiser was quite the
ingenious "boy", he still could not compare to Karl's knowledge when it
comes to magic. Karl was, in fact, a potion master, and it was one of the
most difficult practices there is, and required an immense amount of skill
and knowledge, where several areas of studies converged, including
Runic studies.
"Very well, actually. This was a very productive day. What about you?
How are you recovering?" he returned the greeting with a smile.
"Can't complain."
"How is Daphne recovering?" Kaiser's body tensed. He still felt guilty
about her, and hoped Karl didn't hold a grudge against him for it. It
would affect their relationship greatly otherwise, even though they were
bound by contract. "Don't blame yourself. No one could've predicted it.
The worse kind of enemy is one that disguise himself as your ally. I know
Daphne doesn't blame you either."
"Thank you." Kaiser said, relieved. Karl was his most prized ally, and his
first line of defense. Not to mention a most valuable asset. "How did the
'Sirius' matter go?"
"Perfectly, I'd say." Karl said with a grin. "We have secured the locket,
and I'm sure he will sign the contract in no time." He took an object from
his pocket and presented it to Kaiser. "It has already been checked by
several curse breakers, after the soul fragment was destroyed. All
obliviated after the fact, of course. The locket is completely safe now."
As Kaiser took Slytherin's locket in his hands, he grinned maniacally. This
is the master piece of Salazaar Slytherin, a priceless work of art. Kaiser
would make sure to use it very wisely.
Notes
Sorry for the late release. Enjoy the chapter, and leave a review /
comment :D
Third Year Part 9
Kaiser went down from the boy's dorm to the Ravenclaw common room,
after a very productive discussion with Karl. He liked the atmosphere in
Ravenclaw. Not too loud to be annoying, and not too quiet to feel
deserted.
He noticed Tracey and Michael sitting in one of the sofas by the fire
place, their talks bordering on flirting, while Daphne was next to them
with a book in her hands, rolling her eyes loudly. He wanted to say hello,
but maybe it wasn't the best time?
He made his way out, but was followed by Daphne who stopped him
once they were far enough.
"So, how did it go?" she asked. Karl trusted his daughter a great deal, and
kept her well informed. The meeting just took place, so she couldn't
know the details yet. She was too eager to know if it went well, since it
concerned something else, she had in mind.
"Very well." Kaiser reassured, knowing full well why she was interested.
"Your father believe he will sign the contract in no time. But we have
already gotten the most important thing."
Daphne nodded. She understood Kaiser knew very well the value of the
Black Library, but he somehow believed some other object she was
unaware of was more valuable. She was smart enough to understand why
she couldn't be told such sensitive information, and therefore didn't ask.
"Where are you going this late, by the way? Not that you have to tell me,
but you are clearly their target. It's dangerous to be alone in the corridors
at night." she quickly added, afraid she might step over her limits.
"I have practice with professor Flitwick. Don't worry, I won't do
something that stupid. But your concern is appreciated." he gave her a
polite smile. She was a good ally to have, if the latest of events was any
indication.
-------------------------------------
Kaiser entered the practice room, and found Flitwick already waiting for
him there.
"I'm sorry for being late, professor." he offered a respectful bow. Flitwick
spent a lot of his personal time teaching him, and he was very grateful
for that.
"It's quite alright, Mr. Lunar. I am certain you had a good reason." the
diminutive professor chuckled. "Today, I will teach you about a very
advanced feat of magic. I do not expect you to replicate any time soon,
but merely to be aware of the possibility. Stand there, Mr. Lunar, and do
not move."
Kaiser did as he was told. Flitwick pointed his wand at the wall in
Kaiser's side, and incanted: "Stupefy."
The spell could be seen moving slower than usual towards the wall, but
there was definitely something wrong with its movement, apart from its
unusual speed. As more time passed, barely a second, he could tell what:
the spell's trajectory was not a straight line, it was curved. The spell
never hit the wall, but continued curving until its motion vector was
parallel to the wall, meaning it would never hit it. It still continued
curving, now it was heading right next to Kaiser's position. But something
even more unexpected happened once it reached its location: it
disappeared.
Kaiser spent a long moment processing what just happened, and he was
clueless. He did not understand it one bit.
"Can you tell me what I exactly did, and how?" Flitwick chuckled at his
clueless face, and waited for him to speak.
"You changed the spell movement in space, along with its speed. As for
how… theoretically speaking, you could've modified the phenomenon's
propagation runes, but that's a ridiculous thought… to do so would
require years of research, not to mention the risks involved in modifying
spells…" Kaiser mused out-loud about the possibilities. Magic, at its
purest form, was in fact Runes. Spells were a runic construct that made
up a phenomenon, then propagated it to its target. Modifying a spell not
only is exceedingly difficult, but also very risky. Luna's mother died when
she was experimenting with a spell, and she's only one of the many many
examples.
'Wait a second… isn't professor Flitwick a Charm Master? Charms, by
definition is the area of Magic that "modifies behaviors". Could it be that
it's not limited to physical objects?'
"Professor, is it possible to modify a spell's behavior with charms?" he
asked after a minute of thinking.
"That is correct, Mr. Lunar. But that is a Master level technique, far
beyond NEWT levels. And not only limited to spells. It can be applied to
almost anything." Flitwick chuckled. "What I did was change the spell's
trajectory, as well as it's speed, but also its lifespan. The latter part can
also be achieved with a dueling technique we will be covering today. But
before that, let's explore other possibilities of charms, shall we."
The professor pointed his wand at the wall, but what came out this time
was not a sphere-like spell, but a blue arc. Blue was the color of the
stunning charm, which meant it was a stunning arc. That's not all, before
the Arc hit the wall, it abruptly changed direction. It didn't seem smooth,
but rather discontinuous. One moment it was heading for the wall, the
next for the ceiling.
"Also, throwing spells around isn't the only way to fight."
Flitwick conjured a ball of water, and threw it at the nearby table. Once
the water hit the table, it started corroding it, and it lost its structural
integrity, collapsing to the ground. The professor then vanished the water
and repaired the table.
Next, professor Flitwick conjured a blade. He moved it slowly towards
the table's leg. It passed through it like a knife through butter.
Kaiser was very impressed at what he was seeing. It appeared he still had
much to learn about the endless possibilities of magic, this was an eye
opener.
"Charms can be used in numerous ways, it only depends on the caster's
imagination. The same goes for Transfiguration or even Alchemy. Now,
let's get to the main course. In a duel, running out of energy is the same
as forfeiting. Therefore, it is important to manage your spells well. We
have already done this with the Shielding Charm. With a projectile spell,
it's different. You have to only charge the spell enough for it to reach its
target. It requires a great deal of concentration and repetition."
Then, Flitwick began guiding Kaiser to correctly apply the technique,
though he still had a long way before it was applicable in a real-life
situation. He would need to use it for months, and get used to it for each
offensive spell he uses.
----------------------------------------------
The next day, Kaiser was surprisingly approached by Harry and
Hermione, who wished to discuss something with him.
"We noticed that your… combat skills are better than ours, and we wish
to improve. With the number of problems, we run into every year, we
believe it's wise to do so. Not to mention how there is a mad psychopath
who's after Harry." Hermione said hesitantly.
"You can cast spell silently. I've asked the older years students, and they
told us the technique was too difficult. Do you know of some kind of
secret?" Harry asked curiously.
Kaiser looked pensive for a moment, thinking about the best way he can
help them out. He was glad Ron wasn't with them, he didn't wish to deal
with him anymore.
"I do know a few. For starters, if you wish to improve, you will have to
practice Occlumency first. It is a necessary step. Have you tried it
before?" Kaiser asked Harry.
"Well, I've spent a lot of time meditating, especially during the summer. I
can clear my mind now." Harry answered.
"Good. That should save us some time. I will try to get you guys a book
on Legilimency, that way Hermione can help you practice even more."
Kaiser promised. "Do you know of the different ways of casting magic?"
"There is Verbal Casting and Non-Verbal casting, right?" Harry answered,
though it was more of a question than an answer.
"I've also read about Thought Casting, but it said on the book it's
extremely advanced and ridiculously difficult." Hermione added.
"It is very difficult, but mainly because it requires a great deal of
concentration and repetition. With enough practice, you can master a few
spells with that method." Kaiser affirmed.
Hermione and Harry nodded in understand, but then Hermione froze.
'Wait a minute…' she just registered what he said.
"Y-you can thought-cast spells?" she asked hesitantly. She wasn't
expecting this at all, as she always believed only legendary wizards were
capable of it.
"Only a handful of spells. It's not that rare, actually. Almost all professors
at Hogwarts are capable of it."
"That's amazing! We can't even cast spells silently!" Harry exclaimed.
They saw him cast spells "silently" during the battle, but they didn't think
it was more impressive than that.
Kaiser proceeded to explain his "secret" to spell casting, though it was a
well-known fact. It's only that his regime is more intensive than usual,
and it required a lot of discipline and motivation to do it. He was certain
both of them had more than enough motivation, except Harry had a dead
weight pulling him down.
"Harry." Kaiser's face morphed to a serious expression, indicating that
what he was about to say should be paid attention to. "There are always
people that will pull you down in this life, even disguised as a friend, and
those that will help you rise up. Make sure you're only influenced by the
right kind." he left after he finished his monologue.
Harry was puzzled by those words. What exactly did he mean? But
Hermione obviously understood his meaning clearly.
"What was that for?" Harry asked.
"He's talking about Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly Harry, do
you ever pay attention?"
"Sorry for not being as smart as you." he pouted, though he was more
troubled than he appeared to be. Did Kaiser just suggest he shouldn't be
friends with Ron? He couldn't do that, Ron was his first and best friend.
As if reading his mind, Hermione reassured: "He is only saying you
shouldn't always be as lazy as him. It's common knowledge that Ron only
likes eating and sleeping."
They walked for a while before Hermione said: "You know… I thought he
was only good with Runes, spending the vast majority of his time on
them… I told myself, if he can do it, then we can too, right? But I
underestimated him. He takes his education more seriously than we do,
that's why he's better than us."
"You're right. With Valdy out there, we should prepare ourselves better
than this. Who knows what might happen in the future? We couldn't even
be a match for one of his Death Eaters, what would we do if he ever
showed up?" Harry said, determination seeping through his voice.
The story of a Self Refilling Bottle
The weekend was what Hermione and Susan were eagerly waiting for
this week: not because there was no classes, but because of what Kaiser
promised them. He'd let them make their first runic construct, using his
lab and the materials he'd provide. He would even get them a Rune
stone, which was very expensive. But the experience would be
invaluable.
Professor McGonagall had been kind enough to agree to chaperone them,
so they met at her office. Kaiser brought with him a large trunk he could
effortlessly lift, mainly because of the Featherweight charm applied to it.
Kaiser went inside the portable lab first, followed by the others. The
place was nice and tidy, composed of a large area where his Enchanting
Kit was kept, a few doors could be seen at each side. It was very
impressive overall. Professor McGonagall, who understood how valuable
what she was witnessing, marveled at the sight.
"This is amazing! So this is where you work most of the time!" Hermione
said with shinning eyes, and Susan echoed the sentiment. They started
inspecting the places, marveling at what each tool does. To be fair,
comparing the magic world to the non magical world in terms of
technological advancement is wrong, for different reasons. Mainly,
because while the non magical world focused more on what they could
perceive and feel, and use to their advantage, the same goes for the
magical world. Except that what they could see was a lot more than the
non magical world.
For starters, the non magical world has no way to perceive the soul, the
most important aspect of humanity. The magical world could, and
therefore spent a lot of time researching it. But the success they met was
almost negligible, compared to the hundreds of years of research they
spent on it.
What they were seeing right now was the best the Wizarding world has
to offer, in term of enchanting technology, and it combined the pinnacle
of several areas of magic, including transfiguration, charm, alchemy,
magical theory, Arithmancy and even partially the elusive Mind Arts. (
A/N: a few chapters back, I spoke about Transfiguration, and how
'permanent' transfiguration was possible through "advanced
Transfiguration". That was Alchemy, not transfiguration, that studies the
permanent changes of properties, through transfiguration etc… As for
Arithmancy, I haven't spoken much about it, I'll do so when the
opportunity arises. )
"Well, let us begin then. Today's objective is the following: Making a self
refiling water bottle. Have you made the necessary research?" Kaiser
asked.
"Yes!" Susan jumped at the opportunity, hoping to impress Kaiser. "In
order to make it, we would need three crucial parts. The first being the
energy source. I believe the predictions we made mean point to Ambient
Magical Energy being enough for the task, considering we would be using
a Rune Stone."
"The second one is the ability to conjure water." Hermione Granger
continued. "We have made certain that conjuring water is safe through
our research, and concluded that the basic [Aguamenti] spell can
perfectly fill the task."
"Finally, we need a way to figure out when the task of conjuring water
should begin. We have found two ways to do so. The first one is to bind it
to an action, for example a switch. The other is to detect the water
presence at the targeted level." Susan finished.
"Very good." Kaiser was glad the days he spent tutoring them didn't go to
waste, and McGonagall was listening curiously to everything. "Since the
Runic Structure responsible for both Water Conjuring and Detection have
long since been isolated, we don't have to analyze the spells. But we will
briefly do so, just so you can deepen your understanding of the process."
Professor McGonagall was the most qualified to cast the spell, since she
was a Transfiguration Master. She positioned herself on the testing area,
and took very special wand, with many engravings, crystals and colors. It
was a general type wand, focused most on precision, rather than ease of
use or anything else. If one didn't master the spell they wish to analyze,
they shouldn't bother.
The professor pointed the wand at a bowl that was already prepared, and
without movement nor incantation, water started appearing and filling
the bowl. Hermione, who had her hand on a crystal near the testing area,
was overwhelmed by the influx of information going through her head. A
new world of magic presented itself to her. It would be inaccurate to
describe what she was seeing or feeling through normal words, as words
fail to describe it. She was seeing a "picture" in the traditional four
dimensional sense, but with a lot more information thrown in them. It's
the same with the concept of time: we do not see it, but experience and
feel it.
Energy flow, energy change, or even the basic concept of energy, which
in itself was elusive enough, were now visible to her. Not that she could
make sense of all of it, but she understood the relevant parts to their
project. She could visualize how the spell was slowly feeding on the
professor's Mana, then through a complex process, converted that energy
to something else, before a phenomenon appeared at the center of the
bowl, one that made water literally out of "nothing" to the untrained eye.
Surprisingly, it was still obeying the laws of conservation of energy,
which meant that Magic still obeyed a clear set of laws. It was up to the
wizards to slowly discover what they were.
Susan was up next, eager to see for herself why Hermione had such an
expression in her face, as if she was blind her whole life and finally able
to see for the first time. And she was not disappointed.
"Now, compare what you saw, to the actual runic structure you
researched. You'll notice that a lot of extra elements are added in the
actual spell, simply because the contrary to the runes we'll carve on the
bottle, this one uses our magical core as a medium. However, the essence
of the spell never changes."
You might think of Runes as simple symbols written on paper that needs
to be carved to an object, to imbue magical properties to it, but that's
over simplifying things. They aren't drawing the runes like you would
draw words. The symbols seen on paper were merely a representation of
something far more complex to be visualized, and visualization is one of
the fundamental aspects of magic. Humans tend to understand what they
can visualize on a daily basis a lot easier. Images are the best way to
make them understand, mainly because it's what they rely on the most.
But that in itself is shackling them down, especially when it comes to
magic.
"Now, let's begin carving the runes. We will begin with the detection
charm first. What should we do before that?"
"We should figure out the correct order at which the Runes should be
engraved." Hermione answered. "We have already done the homework."
she gave him a stack of several papers, which he reviewed before
nodding.
"Good. Now, you will each begin engrave a part of the runes sequentially.
Remember, take your time. If you make a mistake, no one is going to
blame you for it. Erase it and do it again, until you get it right. We have
all the time in the world. Take a few moments to correct each other
before proceeding to the next step."
Wrongly engraved runes can sometimes be catastrophic. You never know
what the new sequence you made by mistake might do. For all you know,
it would summon demons from another world. Which is why they should
proceed with great caution, even though they were just fourteen years
old, and should therefore not do such a critical task. As the French
proverb goes: "It is by forging that one becomes a blacksmith." (FR: C'est
en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron.)
While Hogwarts had a Runes elective, it does not allow student to carve
Runes until they pass their OWLs. The Enchanter Kits available were very
sensitive to errors, not to mention expensive. The school could not afford
to sacrifice any of them for the sake of a beginner's mistake. Kaiser's,
however, was full of fail-safes, not to mention a lot easier to use.
Susan began first, taking triple checking each step, praying not to make
mistakes, while Kaiser was monitoring every detail. His Kit allowed for
multiple enchanters to work on the same thing, with one doing the
engraving, and three others monitoring each changes. It had an expensive
amount of tools for different purposes, all to make sure the enchanter's
work was of the best quality.
They took turns, each engraving a part of the detection spell, in the
agreed upon order. It took more than two hours, just for the first step.
Professor McGonagall came to check on them several times, and to see
their progress.
"I think we finished the first part." Hermione said, and turned to Kaiser
for confirmation.
"Yes." he nodded. They took a break, eating some lunch prepared
beforehand.
"Now that we made sure there is no problems with our engravings, we
need to test it to make sure it's giving the correct output." He pointed
towards one of the tools in the testing section. "We will power it through
the testing unit, by linking it to this Rune stone here. We will be able to
"experience" what the spell is giving out."
The 'linking' part was a lot easier, and only took a few minutes to do so.
When they finished, they both placed their hands on another pair of
crystals, while Kaiser placed his wand above the bottle.
"Ready?" at their nod, he incanted. "Aguamenti." and water started filling
the bottle. They both monitored the input of the spell, each time giving
them information according to how much water it could detect. It didn't
just sense the "presence" of water, but sensed the "amount" of water.
After making sure everything was in working order, they erased the links,
and started working on the water conjuring part.
-----------------------------
"Ready?" Kaiser asked. At their eager nod, he finally linked the whole
system to the independent power source. They could immediately sense
magical activity from the empty water bottle, and could clearly see water
gradually filling it, until it reached a certain level and stopped.
"YES!" Hermione and Susan jumped in joy. Their first ever creation was
in front of them, an achievement to be proud of at such a young age.
Professor McGonagall was very impressed by the final product, especially
considering how young they were. While a great part was thanks to the
equipment and Kaiser help, it was still something they did on their own.
They both gave Kaiser a bone crushing hug, thanking him over and over
again, though Susan might have enjoyed it more than she should have.
Kaiser couldn't be more grateful for his Occlumency training when Susan
hugged him.
Even McGonagall thanked him for taking time to tutor his fellow
students, and one of her favorite Gryffindors. She did like Hermione very
much, and it was obvious, seeing how she gave her a Time Turner.
Even though Kaiser had better ways to spend his weekend, this was an
investment for him. He was investing mainly in Hermione, but having
Susan tag along was a welcome addition. Hermione had huge potential
and thirst for knowledge, not to mention, she was a first generation
witch. With all the discrimination she would have to face in order to
succeed, Kaiser could easily draw her to his side, where she would shine
the most brilliantly.
Notes
Last chapter for the week. I won't be posting another for two or three
days at least. I hope you liked my approach to Runes: what they are,
how they work, what their use is... Enjoy the chapter!
Chamber of Secrets Part 1
Kaiser Lunar always believed he had a weird name. From the first time
he woke up, it was his name, not only in this new world of magic he
found himself in, but also in the previous one.
He never had parents, he only knew that he was left with a note in front
of an orphanage, in both lives, though a few days before that there was a
Lunar Eclipse. Perhaps that would explain why his last name as 'Lunar'.
The world has always fascinated him, and he wished to discover more
about it. he found that physics and Maths were his best companions, as
he could describe and experience another facet of our universe through
equations.
Blessed with a perfect memory, learning was never a problem for Kaiser.
He absorbed every piece of knowledge he got his hands on like a sponge
in water, finishing his education at 18. By the age of 20, he already had a
PhD.
It was the year 2047. Computer chips were getting smaller and smaller.
In fact, they have already reached their limits. We've reached the
pinnacle traditional computers had to offer, but it still wasn't enough.
There are simulations that would require a lot more processing power
than what the traditional computers have to offer, and therefore, the only
alternative we could think of was Quantum Computers.
He was working with a group of thirty researchers, pioneering the
development of the world's first fully functional Quantum Computer.
They had run a test on a certain algorithm that would require ten
thousand years on the world's fastest traditional super computer, and it
finished in less than five minutes.
Quantum Computers, unlike traditional ones, do not work with two
stated systems. "True" and "false". But instead, on a percentage of both,
meaning it can hold a nearly infinite number of states, among other pros.
Quantum Computer also had a massive advantage in term of Cybernetic
warfare. It can crack almost any traditional encryption system instantly,
which rendered them obsolete. That means that whichever country
developed it first would hold a massive advantage in that area, so much
that it could bring countries networks on its knees.
Unfortunately, the researchers were too optimistic in hoping the world
would understand how useful it would be for humanity as a whole, or
maybe they never thought of the consequences of their research. Petty
politicians could do nothing but think in terms of power. Not that it was
wrong for their own countries, but it was wrong for the rest of the world.
That one thing never seemed to change, no matter which world you are
in.
He was murdered, most likely among the many other researchers
working on the project. Yet it wasn't the end for him, as he somehow
woke up in a world similar to his own, albeit in a different era and with
different possibilities.
But most importantly, something existed there, that probably didn't exist
in his old world: Magic. And even more, this was a world he was too
familiar with. The world of Harry Potter, the one he always read about,
thought about, dreamed about, over and over again. This was a dream
came true.
When one hears about magic, he starts thinking of fairy tales and
everything that do not make sense in the "Real World". But the truth of
the matter is: phenomenon you experience makes sense. It is how you
interpret it that's definitely flawed. A lot of examples are present through
history, the most glaring one would be Gravity.
Isaac Newton's interpretation of gravity, along with his fundamental law
of dynamics, explained numerous facets of the phenomenon, but also
couldn't hold for very long once confronted by several celestial bodies'
movements. And while Einstein's general relativity introduced the
concept of space-time, that explained a lot more than Newton's model
did, it still broke down when confronted by Black Hole.
Kaiser thought at first that Magic made no sense whatsoever. He read
about this world in books, he knew what was going to happen, that in
itself should prove that this was some kind of simulation he was in. Or
was he also the product of someone's imagination? Wouldn't that mean
that each person's imagination makes a universe of its own? Kaiser had a
headache thinking about it.
But common sense still told him that magic shouldn't make any sense,
but this is as far as common sense would take him. As curious as he was,
he looked for answers, and thankfully found quite a few.
Magic IS a deterministic science. Repeat the same experiment, under the
same conditions, and you get the same results.
On a side note, Kaiser found out that Isaac Newton was a wizard in this
world, and also the first one to have made a broom. Was he a wizard in
both lives? Did magic actually exist in the previous world, and the statue
of secrecy was so evolved it was able to trick everyone even when they
were that technologically advanced?
Surprisingly, the existence of magic is able to explain some phenomenons
modern science was unable to, like 'Dark Energy'. But that is a subject for
another time.
Studying magic has been a wonderful experience for him, capable of
making him forget the demons of his past, at least temporarily. Every
time he learned something new, he can't help but think of the infinite
possibilities magic has to offer, and their various applications.
In both worlds he lived in so far, he noticed something disturbing.
'Science is always political'
The difference between the development of a given field and the dawning
of an entirely new field of scientific inquiry is all influenced by politics
and the interest that people in charge find in each application, a
government in 2047 could easily use legal and economic pressure to
influence the world of science breaking thousands of dreams and studies
that could easily reshape the whole world.
Kaiser's team didn't suffer from this type of limitation as their field of
research was being pursued internationally, only to suffer from high
expectations and his government shackles, along with bigger
responsibilities that ended leading him to his own demise.
Deep down he knew his invention won't be used to raise people's lives,
but he wasn't a humanist, he wasn't pursuing fame or money either, his
only interest was the pure n simple knowledge. He dreamed of a place
where knowledge was most prized, and Human life protected. This new
life could be his opportunity to change the world and get closer to his
ideals.
Alas, the magical world has its own faults as well. In the magical world,
knowledge was more precious than anything, another extreme, and
families treasured their knowledge the most, keeping it only among
themselves, and rarely sharing anything. Family magic, family secrets...
There is someone in this world that has already achieved immortality,
but Kaiser had no illusion the knowledge would ever be shared.
Fortunately for him, he was not the only one with these ideals. Salazar
Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw had the same dream as well.
Rowena was Salazar's first wife, both united by their hopes to reach a
new understanding in magic. He found out when he first entered the
Room of Requirement. Somehow, he was granted access to Rowena's
library, a great honor, though he does not know exactly why.
They both researched the Mind Arts, because they believe it was one of
the most important part of the soul, and therefore holds many secrets of
magic, as it is the common consensus that the Magical Core resides in the
soul.
While the Mind Arts are an obscure art, they are not as obscure when you
consider the soul as a whole, which was to this day one of the biggest
question marks of magic. Armed with the knowledge accumulated
through thousands of years by the Ravenclaw and Slytherin families, they
were able to achieve outstanding results.
Rowena researched where and how memories were stored, and was
ultimately able to make her master piece: Rowena's Diadem. It is a device
that converts short term memory into long term memories. In layman's
terms, it gives the wearer a perfect memory.
While they both ultimately researched the same subject, Salazar took a
different approach. It is known that Legilimency attacks aren't the only
mind attacks possible. Two examples come to mind: Veelas and ...
Basilisks.
The fact that it looks to the victim's eyes to kill them is a giveaway it uses
a mind attack. But clearly, it's not a regular Legilimency attack since
those were incapable of hurting you.
Salazar researched how Basilisks kill their prey, and tried to understand
the mind attack. While it can't be said he understood it perfectly, and was
able to replicate it, he was nevertheless able to stop it from affecting him.
It is one of the three functions of the locket. The second one was the
ability to speak the language of serpents: Parseltongue.
Another thing Salazar was fascinated by in the studies of the soul was
one very particular Ancient Spell: the Fidelius.
The [Fidelius] is a spell that can be cast on a location following certain
criteria and makes it disappears from existence. Literally.
For example, say a house is under a Fidelius. Someone who do not have
access will not be able to see it, even if he stood right in front of it. Even
more, if he was standing in front of its gate, and marched forward, he
would appear on the other side of the house. That region of space
becomes unavailable. Those who have access, however, will see
themselves enter the house.
Kaiser did not know the details of Salazar's research yet, but he know he
was able to make the locket 'a secret keeper'. Which means that anyone
who has the locket will be able to access the Fidelius-protected place.
The place he was looking for was in the Chamber of Secrets. It wasn't
called that for no reason. Speaking of which, Kaiser found out that all the
rumors about it were false. It never hid a "monster" to rid the school of
"muggle-borns". Salazar never discriminated against 'muggle-borns'. His
second wife, a scion of the Gaunt family, did. Kaiser guessed his
association with their house is the reason he is ill thought of.
The chamber held the school's protector, a Basilisk, that would attack
anyone trying to harm the school. The basilisk had clear orders. Not to
hurt any student. And to follow the orders of anyone who holds his
Locket, as he left it for his descendants. But clearly, he miscalculated. His
descendants were all failures, even his daughter, Helena Ravenclaw, who
betrayed her mother and stole her precious artifact.
Kaiser waited until the weekend to come here, mainly because the
corridors would be empty. He couldn't sneak out at night, as that would
alert the headmaster, who is keeping an eye on him. He was now
standing in front of the entrance to the chamber, in a certain abandoned
bathroom.
"Open." he hissed in the language of snake.
He descended the stairs that came out at his call, toward the infamous
Chamber of Secrets, and soon he found himself in front of Salazar's
statue. 'This was the moment of truth... I am placing my trust in the
locket's ability to protect me. If the Basilisks decides to attack me for
some reason, I will have no choice but to forfeit my life. Dumbledore
himself would not be able to fight him on his own….' He internally
thought.
"Open." it appeared that the doors responded to anything in Parseltongue.
There was no need to say things like "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of
the Hogwarts Four". A rumbling noise was heard, as the status suddenly
moved forward, then sideways, showing a strangely well-lit entrance.
"Who are you?" Kaiser heard a hissing sound, yet somehow I was able to
understand it.
"Greetings." 'What am I supposed to say? How do you greet a basilisk?' He
thought nervously. He couldn't see the basilisk yet because of the dark
tunnel hiding its presence.
"I wear the locket of Salazar Slytherin."
Notes
Sorry for being late. Enjoy the chapter!
Chamber of Secrets Part 2
Two meters was the diameter of the long snake-like beast that slithered
its way out of the dark tunnel. Covered in brown grey scales no spells
could penetrate, the basilisk was one of the most dangerous creatures
known to wizardkind.
Its eyelids were closed, and two wide nostrils at its very front were
twitching. It was smelling Kaiser and trying to remember his scent. It
halted when it was a meter away from him, trying to memorize every
detail about him. Then took several meters back.
"What happened to the previous owner?" It asked with closed eyes. The
Basilisks probably didn't need its eyes to sense its surroundings.
"You're talking about the crazy one?" Kaiser asked uncertainly.
"They were all mad." The basilisk chuckled with a hiss. It was the most
bizarre conversation Kaiser had ever had. Speaking to a snake feels just
surreal.
"He's alive somehow, even though he got hit by a killing curse." Kaiser
shrugged, but he got to experience how a frowning basilisk looks like.
"What an idiot." The basilisk shook its head. It was somehow funny to see
it behaving like a human would. "Master always warned about the
dangers of messing with your own soul."
"You know how he survived?" Kaiser asked with surprised. Did the
basilisk have extensive knowledge about magic? Could it use magical
abilities apart from its own innate ones?
"He used an ancient ritual to make a 'horcrux'. An object in which a part
of your soul is stored, to anchor your spirit to the mortal world. You can't
be killed this way, unless there are no more anchors, or your spirit is
attacked. But master told me there are no known spells to attack the
spirit." The basilisk explained. It did so mainly because he could access
the information on his own once he got past itself.
"We are lucky not everyone is aware of such a relatively easy way to
achieve pseudo-immortality." Kaiser sighed, but the Basilisk shook its
head.
"Only the truly desperate, or the brainless would use such a solution. You
will understand once you read about it." The basilisk said.
"I'm Kaiser Lunar. What should I call you?"
"My name is Amaru." The basilisk said, before turning towards the tunnel.
"Light." The basilisk hissed, and torch fire lit up the darkness. Kaiser
could now see how long it was.
There appeared to be a large chamber at the end. Kaiser spotted some
shedded basilisk skin, along with skeletons of dead preys.
A peculiar closed door on the side of the tunnel made it to Kaiser's vision,
and he could feel a 'summoning', as if something was drawing him there
through a string.
Kaiser slowly made his way towards the door, the weird design was
unsettling, many entwined snakes could be seen, and at the center some
etches were made. The door seemed to sense his presence, as the
inanimate snakes started retreating slowly, before opening.
What greeted him was an empty circular hall, with several arched doors,
filled with engravings and snake designs. The roof, surprisingly, worked
the same way as the Great Hall's; it was enchanted to look like the sky
outside.
"Living Quarters", "Potion Lab", "Library" … Each door had a caption
written in Ancient Latin, and led toward a different area.
"Salazar seemed like a neat person" Kaiser thought to himself, you could
peek inside each room just by getting closer, the snakes were squirming
and moving aside giving enough space to see and judge if the room was
dangerous or not.
Kaiser decided to start with the living quarters. He wanted to explore
first, because once he got to the library, he wouldn't be able to control his
curiosity. The room was poorly lit and as he came in the door abruptly
closed, looking around Kaiser did feel subjected to nervousness and
uneasiness, the countless portraits of unknown wizards were resting near
a fireplace, staring at him with cold eyes, behind layers of dust, a burnt
stench rushed and invaded Kaiser's throat, his whimpers echoed near the
fireplace and became howls.
The place seemed to react to his presence (or perhaps his desire to see
more clearly?), as the fire, along with the candles suddenly lit up, and
everything became crystal clear to him. He still didn't know how
everything worked in here yet, where the wards control center was.
Walking through the quarters, He noticed a large comfortable sofa, next
to a table where small antique accessories were neatly organized, nothing
he would touch for now.
Kaiser decided to inspect the fireplace, where the fire was steadily
dancing, to check if it had a Floo connection. Noticing his silly thought,
he chuckled. There was no Floo network at that time.
At the corner of his eye Kaiser noticed a small stack of books resting on
top of a rustic table in the room's corner they were poorly kept and the
years of dust destroyed their cover, some parchments along with what
used to be fresh looking bottle of ink, this seemed to be a study of some
sort, looking closely there was a weird black gem siting carefully behind
all the parchments.
Kaiser inspected further each element of the room using only his eyes,
and then decided to quit the room, he planned on getting a quick look at
all the chambers hoping to find something he might use or at least plan
on using.
In the library, the atmosphere was completely different from the last
room, the room was split in two parts each holding shelves of different
widths, holding numerous books, at the center of the room a table was
laid out holding few books, in opposite sides.
Kaiser also was shocked by the amount of flowers in this room, this
contrasted greatly with all he've seen so far. Kaiser decided to take a step
into the room and noticed the reason why the room was split, from each
side of the table rested a gigantic portrait of both Salazar and Rowena, it
was safe to say that this was a common place to the couple or at least has
books from both figures.
Salazar was a genius of his time putting all efforts in dark arts and
understanding the mind, not that Rowena was lesser than him in term of
merit or research of course. Kaiser decided to take a seat and inspect
some of the elements laid in front of him, when a voice interrupted him.
"It took you long enough. We have been waiting for more than a
thousand years, you know?" Kaiser froze. The last thing he expected was
to hear a voice here of all the places. He abruptly turned around his
wand grasped tightly only to see the portrait of a man and a woman in
their forties, staring at him from both sides with blinking eyes. He didn't
notice them blinking the first time he came in, and therefore couldn't
know they were living portraits. And a portrait of Salazar and Rowena,
no less!
One has to know that they did not leave behind anything at all. Nothing
that belonged to them was ever found, no portrait, wealth, artifacts or
anything of the sort. Either they didn't leave any, or those they left were
quickly taken and hidden. Portraits? That was unheard of.
"Greetings, Lord Slytherin and Lady Ravenclaw." he quickly gathered his
wits and offered a bow. For him, this would be the same as meeting
Einstein of his previous world. Their achievements, from what he read
about them, were unprecedented.
"There is no need for you to bow. We are merely portraits of our old
selves. We are happy to finally meet you, even under these
circumstances." Rowena said, smiling at their new companion.
They spent the next hours speaking, mostly asking Kaiser questions how
the world has evolved so far, both magical and non magical. They were a
lot more impressed with what the non magical world was able to
accomplish. Their surprise when they were told the non magical world
reached the moon was priceless.
How is it, that those who couldn't even wield magic, and therefore lacked
in their perception of the world, were able to achieve something they
deemed impossible, even in their era? The magical world was not able to
accomplish much in comparison. But Kaiser eased their minds by telling
them he knew how to accomplish the same thing, but it would require
years of research before he could devise a magical alternative to
"rockets". They ended up asking him more questions about its inner
workings, and he tried simplifying it, yet that somehow ended with more
questions of their part.
When it was lunch time, a house elf surprisingly popped in to inform him
that food was served in the dining room. He was guided there by the elf,
followed by Salazar and Rowena who moved to another portrait. The
place seemed to have been cleaned in the time he was speaking with the
founders. He was also reassured by them that no one can have access to
this place, and that the house elves are not a security risk by any means,
for their lack of ability to communicate that location through any means,
even Legilimency. Only the Hogwarts could give them temporary
permission to come here, since this was still part of the castle.
There is a difference between the portraits and a real living person.
Making a portrait was a complicated piece of magic, similar to making a
Horcrux, though this was not dangerous by any means. But it had a lot of
limitation. Making a portrait was similar to making a "snapshot" of
yourself. Your other self would never change, evolve or anything like
that. It has the ability to react like you would at that time, acquire new
information, but lack the ability to process it correctly.
A portrait cannot give advice. Rather, it would be a terrible idea to take
advice from a portrait, and they themselves are aware of it. They do not
feel "less" for being a portrait, because they are incapable of such
feelings. They know what their goal are, and simply follow it, even
though they seem alive. The truth is, they were still not alive, but can be
seen as a very advanced form of an 'Artificial Intelligence', albeit one that
isn't very intelligent.
However, they are capable of remembering everything the person knew
that the time it was made, so they were useful in that way. It also means
they have the same knowledge, which is most likely the reason no one
can find a portrait of any of the founders. If they existed at all, they'd be
taken to be disassembled in the hopes of stealing their memories, which
was very possible, unless additional security measures were taken.
Rowena and Salazar were good company, and while they weren't that
familiar yet, they invited him to be more at ease with them, since they
would be spending a lot of time together. Not to mention they were
portraits.
The living quarters were very accommodating. He found three bedrooms,
each connected to its own bathroom, a well-equipped kitchen, albeit with
outdated items. The house smelled surprisingly good, even though it
seemed closed off. He had no idea how the ventilation system worked
down here, but maybe he'd find out if he checked Salazar's notes.
Notes
And that's it for the Chamber of Secrets! I don't think it would be very
interesting to spend so much time describing what is what, instead, I'll
just mention anything relevant to the story along the way. For Kaiser's
past and origins, I couldn't give straightforward answers in the story,
mostly because it is a storyline of its own. More precisely, it is related
to how he even reincarnated, and in a magical world no less. Also, I
haven't talked about Transcendence in more details. For now, it only
has around 7 wizards, which are the members of his team, Karl,
Daphne and Kaiser. There won't be any big events yet. Most of the
action would begin in the fourth year. Also, Kaiser is in for a big
surprise for his space travel dreams. Turns out modern science doesn't
account for every aspect of the universe, especially when it comes to
living beings :3, so it will be easier said than done, and most likely in
the distant future. It's been a busy week, I apologize for the slow
release rate. I'll try to release two more chapters this weekend.
Third Year Part 10
Kaiser got out of the RoR when it was time for dinner. It was convenient
that the Chamber of Secrets was directly linked to the RoR, which means
that now, he could go in and out from the seventh floor, with no risk of
being seen in a girls' bathroom, opening a known entrance to the
Chamber of Secrets.
One thing to note, however: anyone who went through there and made it
far enough to meet the basilisk would die without a doubt, even if it was
Voldemort himself. As he no longer had the locket, and the basilisk never
liked him to begin with, but still had to listen to his orders, it would take
pleasure in disposing of him.
Kaiser also found a vanishing cabinet in the living quarters, but since he
didn't know where its sister cabinet was, he wasn't about to risk it. It may
have been Salazar's exit point at the time, but right now, he didn't know
where, if it was still the same place at all. The cabinet could be moved,
after all.
"Where have you been? We didn't see you during lunch at all." Michael
asked immediately after noticing him.
"Sorry. I was in my lab the whole time." Kaiser lied easily. He wouldn't
tell them he was in the Chamber of Secrets, would he?
"You're not skipping meals, are you?" Tracey lectured in a 'McGonagall'
kind of way. "That's not good for your health as a growing teenager." She
said wisely.
"I have a kitchen in there, don't worry." Kaiser chuckled at her antics.
"Kitchen? I'm so jealous!" She said dramatically. "Say, can you introduce
us some time, if it's possible?"
"Tracey! Don't give him requests you know he can't fulfill." Daphne
reprimanded her.
"Can't blame a girl for trying." Tracey raised her hands in surrender.
"Are you guys ready for the exams?" Michael changed the subject. "They
are scheduled in two weeks."
"I'm ready!" Tracey said cheerfully. "It's mostly thanks to Daphne
pestering me about my studies." she complained. "For which I am VERY
grateful." she added at her friend's glare. Daphne humphed and turned
her head away.
"What about you, Luna?" Kaiser asked his silent friend. She talked less
and less everyday, as she had trouble being accepted by her peers. She
was viewed as a weirdo for many reason, one of which was her hobby of
looking at books upside down. Whenever she was asked, she only said:
'You notice more things with a change of perspective.' and while that
would make sense in a different context, it probably wouldn't in this very
particular one, would it? Kaiser too found it a bit unusual, even with
magic, but still believed her to be different in some way.
He didn't think she was crazy at all. In fact, she was very smart. She
actually agrees that it's weird to read a book upside down, but she does it
nevertheless. Was there more to it, and she simply refused to say? Kaiser
was honestly tempted to check her mind for answers, but ultimately
decided against it. He had to set some limits for himself, otherwise who
knows what he might do next and justify it by saying things like: "It's for
the greater good". He didn't want to end up like that hypocrite old man.
Not that he hated him. In fact, he agreed with his views on certain things,
and accepted that it is a 'necessary evil'. But that is a subject for another
time.
Luna looked at Kaiser with shining pale silvery eyes, hiding behind them
wit no one could perceive. Little did Kaiser know how correct he was
when he guessed she must be different. As a matter of fact, she is very
different from other witches. She had the uncanny ability of seeing the
world differently, noticing details people failed to, and seeing a side of
the world that no one else can see.
"I think I should be fine, I've studied a lot for them." she answered with
her usual dreamy expression. She noticed his efforts to make her feel
included, and was very grateful for it.
------------------------------------------------------
Kaiser stayed late that night, thinking about the Chamber of Secrets,
practicing Wandless Magic and meditation. He could now cast a Lumos
spell, regrettably without enough power to call it a successful cast. It was
all a matter of drawing your Mana to the spell, something his wand did
automatically for him. Now, he had to do the whole process himself. It
also required more concentration than just imaging, but more 'feeling' the
spell coming to existence. Magic wasn't elusive for no reason after all.
He created a new exercise for himself, where he would draw his Mana to
the tip of his finger, before canceling the spell formation. He wanted to
manipulate pure Mana first, but that was easier said than done.
It was nearly midnight. Past curfew, no student was allowed to be outside
of their common rooms. Kaiser occasionally checked the Marauder's map,
hopeful he would stop any rape attempt before it happened. He did not
wish to see another victim like last year's, as it was still giving him
nightmares. He knew her life would never be the same again, especially
not if people become aware of what happened to her.
He noticed something that set off all the alarms in his head. Luna was
outside of the Ravenclaw Tower, wondering the empty corridors of the
sixth floor. He checked the map for any other person, and apart from
those on patrol duty, no one could be seen, which relieved him somehow.
He had no idea what Luna was doing there, but it couldn't be normal. She
wasn't the type to break the rules.
Kaiser left in a hurry, heading for the sixth floor, taking all shortcuts he
could. He found Luna Lovegood walking slowly, and looking around her
at the walls. Her dreamy expression intensifying by the second. She
halted when she his footsteps reached her ears. She turned around and
looked at him, or at least that's the illusion it gave. The white skin of her
eyelids covered her eyes, unblinking. Was she walking the entire time
with closed eyes?
"Oh, hello Kai." she said startling Kaiser that did not expect a word from
her in this peculiar trance of hers. But he was still very worried. Why was
she behaving like this? Why was she roaming the empty corridors alone
at this late hour.
"What are you doing here, Luna?" He asked with a stern expression.
"Nothing particular. I'm just looking around." she answered innocently.
"With your eyes closed?" Kaiser said with raised eyebrows, not that she
could notice it. Or could she?
"What do you mean, my eyes are closed?" she asked, tilting her head in
confusion. "My eyes have never been more open." Kaiser didn't
understand very well what she meant. "Don't worry. I am not under the
Imperius Curse."
'Wait... What?' Kaiser looked at her dumbfounded. Why would she say
that out of the blue? Was she reading his mind? That's preposterous, he
was training his Occlumency relentlessly. If someone that young could
read his mind, he might as well stop practicing magic. Not to mention,
they didn't make eye contact with her eyes closed, and therefore even if it
was a Legilimency probe, he would've certainly noticed. After all, not
even Dumbledore himself could probe his mind without eye contact and
stay unnoticed by him.
"That's what someone under the Imperius would say."
"That's also what someone not under the Imperius would say." Luna
argued, her dreamy smile never leaving her face. 'Maybe she is high on
pudding?' Kaiser chuckled internally.
"How did you find me, by the way? Was it thanks to that piece of
parchment you have?" Kaiser froze at her question. She had no way to
see the map, it was quietly hidden in his pocket.
"What parchment are you talking about, Luna?"
"The one in your pocket, silly." Kaiser studied her for a while. This is
definitely cheating. Did she have some kind of X-Ray eyes?
"Why do you think so, Luna?" he finally asked for a moment of musing.
"It is obviously connected to the castle. It makes sense you'd use that to
find me." she said nodded to herself. Kaiser could finally understand what
is going on. The parchment is indeed connected to the castle. He's been
studying how to make a communication device, and therefore had
already researched known methods of runic communication in the
Wizarding world. One of which is highly used in warding, where
different components of wards communicate between themselves. It was
the same for Hogwarts or any warded area. And the same principle
applied to his magical parchment. The only downside is its very limited
range, making it unsuitable for long range communication.
"Yes. It obviously is." Kaiser said with a chuckle. It was totally not
obvious, and Kaiser had no idea how she could sense that connection,
which only goes to prove that his initial judgment of her was not wrong.
She is undoubtedly a gifted witch. "But I'd prefer if you didn't tell
anyone."
"Of course."
"Let me escort you back. You shouldn't be here alone at this hour."
------------------------------------------------------------
Lucius Malfoy was not very happy at this moment. The Wizengamot
session he just left was the worst he had since he was put on trial. The
neutral faction seemed eager to release Sirius Black, something that did
not benefit them in anyway, and earned them a lot of enemies on the
dark faction. It made no sense at all.
Their case was ironclad, as Sirius' incarceration was against every law in
Magical Britain. And now that they pointed it out, it would start a
national scandal, especially since he didn't even receive a trial.
He was now negotiating with Karl Greengrass, but things were not
looking good. This was more of a last effort of his part, as his family
would lose the most if things proceeded smoothly. If they wanted
compensation, they would have asked for it before taking extreme
measures, or given ultimatums.
"Mr. Greengrass, I am sure we can reach an understanding. Freeing Sirius
Black benefits neither sides. Even the light faction is not happy with this
development." He was in a private room, trying to convince Karl
Greengrass that the neutral faction's recent endeavor is a game changer
for everyone.
"I do not see your point, Mr. Malfoy. A innocent man is thrown to
Azkaban for a crime he did not commit. As fellow wizards, we cannot
shut our eyes and let him rot there, can we?" Karl said wisely and
vehemently, pure righteousness burning in his eyes.
Lucius was puzzled about why Karl was playing dumb. He was sure he
understood the implication perfectly, otherwise he wouldn't have lasted
that long in the game. Frustration built up in his chest.
"Mr. Greengrass. The neutral faction has never concerned itself with such
matters. I don't understand why that would change now of all the times.
Even in the previous war, you have always kept a neutral stance."
"Change is inevitable, Mr. Malfoy. The neutral faction has judged it
unwise to let events unfold any longer. Especially when our interests are
at stake." Now he was talking. 'Interest', that was something Lucius could
understand. But what interest was he speaking of? They were basically
declaring war on the dark faction with this move.
"We have never harmed your interests, Mr. Greengrass. I fail to
understand your view."
"Really, now? Was your assassination attempt on one of our most
important asset not a direct attack on our interests?"
"Assassination attempt?" Lucius looked shocked. He was obviously acting,
and Karl knew it very well. "We would never allow such thing, Mr.
Greengrass. Whoever they were, none of the lords ordered such stupid
actions. We have always respected your interests, as you have ours."
"And clearly not enough, Mr. Malfoy." Karl was enjoying this, even
though he had a frown on his face. "Let me be honest with you, Mr.
Malfoy." He wasn't. "Their attack has angered some very… powerful
people who invested in Mr. Lunar's most recent project." He didn't need
to explain to him what he was talking about, as Lucius was informed
enough to know about it. "They demanded actions to be taken… Violent
action. But we managed to give them this harmless alternative, to ease
their anger." It was harmless for the other lords, perhaps, but definitely
not for Lucius. "If anything, you should be grateful to us."
Hogwarts Express Part 1
Chapter 34Riding the Hogwarts Express always brought mixed feelings
for the students. It signified the end of the school year, and the arrival of
the holidays, when they would get to see their families again after such a
long time. But it also meant they won't get to meet their friends again for
some time, or at least not at the same frequency.
Michael, Tracey, Daphne, Susan and Hannah were sharing a
compartment on the ride back, speaking about different subjects and
giving out promises about what they would do for the summer. Kaiser,
however, was lost in thought, hardly paying attention to whatever was
being said. He had a difficult choice to make.
Until this moment, he dealt with three Horcruxes: Tom's Diary, Rowena's
Diadem and Slytherin's locket. He had had three known Horcruxes left:
Hufflepuff's Cup, The Gaunt Ring and Harry Potter himself. The last one
puzzled him deeply. The first thing he did when he accessed Slytherin's
Library was reading about Horcruxes. And while he couldn't know
everything about them from what little time he had, he learned
something that should have been impossible: Once someone dies for the
first time, they lose the ability to make any more Horcruxes.
But that didn't make any sense. In the original story, Voldemort made the
seventh horcrux, his pet snake Nagini, with the murder of Bertha Jorkins
in Albania. Which led him to two theories: Either Voldemort had already
made the seventh Horcrux before going to Albania, and it could be
anything and not necessarily Nagini. Or Voldemort successfully upgraded
the Horcrux ritual, something that is already exceedingly complex, from
the little he read about it.
Neither was good news for him. He had no way to locate Horcruxes,
which means it would serve no purpose to kill Voldemort. And he didn't
know what ways he could use to come back. He had to think of other
ways to deal with this situation. But that was not the only thing on his
mind at that moment. He had more immediate problems: The Gaunt
Ring.
He discussed with Karl a good way to secure the Hufflepuff Cup, so he
wasn't overly worried about that. What he was worried about was how
are they going to get the Ring. Everyone knows where the Gaunt family
home was, but no one touched it. It was against Wizarding Law,
especially when it concerns an Ancient Family.
The Gaunt family had one last living member serving a life sentence in
Azkaban. Until he was dead, and no other Gaunt family member showed
himself for fifty years, no one was allowed to take over the Gaunt family
home, not even touch their possession. Though most of their prized
possessions would be in Gringotts by now. No one was stupid enough to
break such a taboo, when clearly there wasn't much to gain from it.
That means Kaiser couldn't legally take away the Gaunt family ring,
which he knew was hidden in their ancestral home. Meaning he couldn't
hire people to do it, as no one would do such a risky job. But the Gaunt
ring was something he absolutely needed to have. Why? Resurrection
Stone. Who is more qualified to have such a priceless treasure other than
himself since he already knew where it was?
"… Kai? Kai? Are you still with us?" Michael's callings brought him back
to the world of the living.
"Sorry, I spaced out. What were you saying?"
"Susan was speaking to you." Michael gestured to her.
"It's alright." Susan said. "I… just asked if you will come with us to the
World Cup?" she asked hesitantly.
"Sorry Susan, but I can't." Susan's heart sank. Did he not like hanging out
with them? Or worse, did he dislike her? She wanted to make advances,
but she was always too scared of being rejected because of how much she
idolized him. At least this way they were friends, right?
"It's not that I don't want to, I actually really do." Kaiser reassured her.
"But I am not allowed to."
They all frowned at that, with the exception of Daphne, who already
understood his situation better than them.
"What do you mean, you're not allowed to?" Tracey asked with a frown.
'Is he being detained against his will?' she was thinking along those lines.
"Because of my latest project, some people want me dead, and such an
event where you can't distinguish friend from foe is the perfect
opportunity to dispose of me." Kaiser explained. "Assassins have already
been hired."
They all gasped at that. One of their friends was actually a target for
assassination? Why would anyone want to kill a thirteen/fourteen years
old student?
"What is it you are working on that people would want to silence you for
it?" Hannah asked with a worried expression. She reacted the same way
anyone who has never been exposed to the dark side of the world would,
especially when one of their closest friends is concerned.
Kaiser looked at them one by one, studying their curious expression, and
sighed: "I can tell you, but don't tell anyone else outside of this room. You
promise?" At their nod, he explained to them what he was doing and why
some influential people did not like it very much.
"… Fortunately, we avoided clashing with Owl breeders and the Floo
Network, because the devices would be too expensive to replace them.
But we are working to reduce the price." the truth is, that's what he
wanted them to believe. Since his target from the beginning were
governments organizations who can afford it, along with rich nobles, he
made them think that both the materials and the manufacturing process
were too expensive.
"Surely, there are people helping you that can do the same, right? Even if
they successfully dispose of you, it won't guarantee no one else can make
it…" Hannah asked.
"Until the project leaves the development phase and starts production, it
is assumed I am the only one who can make it. And therefore, disposing
of me should also dispose of it. Or even better, they could just take the
knowledge out of my mind." Kaiser explained.
"On a bright note, an innocent man is now out of prison after thirteen
years of being wrongfully imprisoned!" Tracey said, trying to diffuse the
tension. The atmosphere was getting a bit heavy for her taste. "Can you
believe it? He was apparently plotted against to remain in Azkaban, some
would say."
"Yeah. And it's not only England's newspapers that talk about it. We are
officially the world's laughing stock." Michael added. "It's even worse,
because the person involved is supposedly someone from the Black
Family. Even worse, he's the lord of the family. The fact that someone in
that status could not escape the rotten system proves how vulnerable
common folk like us are."
Susan was uncomfortable about this subject. Her aunt explained to her
that in her latest letter that it isn't as simple as it appeared to be,
promising her more details when they met.
"It's apparently not as simple as it appears. A lord would never have gone
to Azkaban in such a manner, even if he was from the darkest family in
Magical Britain." Susan looked at Daphne, before continuing. "It's also
thanks to Daphne's father he was freed."
All eyes turned to Daphne, expecting an explanation. "What?" she asked.
"You don't happen to know a bit more about this, do you?" Tracey coaxed
with a smile.
"I do." Daphne said, widening the smile on Tracey's face.
"But she can't tell." Kaiser interrupted. Not that Daphne was going to
reveal anything. "Don't put her in that position."
"Well…" Tracey said slowly. "I heard an interesting rumor…"
At Kaiser and Daphne hard stare, she stopped her playful demeanor and
spilled the beans: "Word around is, Sirius Black stroke a deal with your
father, Daphne…"
"That much is obvious. What else did you hear?" Kaiser asked. He did not
like what he was hearing.
"That's all I heard, really…" Tracey answered.
"Who spread it?" Daphne asked this time.
"Lavender heard it from one of her house mates." Tracey shrugged.
'The rumor started from Gryffindor? That's abnormal…' Kaiser thought.
'There isn't any son or daughter of influential families in Gryffindor.
Definitely none that would start rumors, and one as accurate as this one.
It was the common consensus that Gryffindors are… not the greatest
intellectual beings, with the exceptions of Hermione Granger, perhaps,
but she should know exactly how Sirius is freed. Harry would've told
her… Wait…'
Kaiser had a very bad premonition… it was the same as the previous
incident, but if details of this ever got out, a new world of trouble would
fall upon both him and the Greengrass family. He was musing over the
possibilities, when a very dangerous thought suddenly made it to his
head.
'That bastard again…' a vein suddenly made itself known in Kaiser's
forehead, looking as if it would pop any second. Kaiser's eyes and hair
started glowing, the same seemed to happen every time he was angry.
Daphne did not look any better. She was enraged at the thought that
crossed her mind, but Kaiser's worse state somehow brought her out of
her thoughts. The others in the compartment were feeling uneasy now.
Kaiser abruptly stood, deciding on a course of action. "I'll be right back."
he said before leaving the compartment, followed by Daphne, who
stopped the others from coming, telling them to stay.
--------------------------------------------
Harry was in a good mood today. Sirius would soon be freed, and after
his rehabilitation, he would become his magical guardian, meaning he
would never have to go back to Durskaban again.
"Man, I'm hungry." Ron whined. "Maybe I should take something from the
trolley?"
"We just ate, Ron. What do you have for a stomach? A black hole?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Could he think about anything but his stomach
for a minute?
"Black hole? What's that? Something we'd study in the tenth year?" Ron
said.
"You wish." Hermione said. "It's muggle science. You wouldn't get it." she
waved her hands dismissively.
"What are your plans for the summer Hermione?" Harry asked, changing
the subject. God forbid they start bickering again.
"I don't know. My parents didn't tell me what they were planning. We
probably won't go out of England again, though. Maybe we could meet
this summer?" she asked hopefully.
"Well, we're definitely not traveling overseas. The Quidditch World Cup is
scheduled in England. There is no way in hell we'll miss it. You should
come with us too." Ron said.
"Sounds like a plan." Hermione said eagerly.
"Maybe Sirius can join us too." said an excited Harry. "He told me he used
to play Quidditch with my dad back in the days. He probably won't miss
it too."
"How is he doing, by the way?" Hermione asked.
"He's at St Mungo's receiving treatment for extended exposure to
Dementors and malnourishment. They said he'd be staying for a few
months." Harry said with a happy smile.
Whatever Hermione was about to say, she didn't have the time to because
of the compartment room opening loudly. They all turned at the same
time, surprised by the sight of an angry looking Kaiser, staring at Ronald
Weasley for some reason. He slowly approached him, followed by
Daphne, before the compartment door closed itself, and the door's
windows turned black. They all gulped at the sight. 'This can't be good.'
was their thought at that moment.
Notes
Sorry for the late release. I had to take some time to think about the
next adventure. Don't forget to leave a comment! Enjoy the chapter.
Dealing with Ron
Ronald eyed Kaiser warily. 'Why is he looking at me like I murdered his
family?' he thought fearfully. This was not looking very good for him. He
saw what Kaiser was capable of during the fight against Death Eaters,
and he did not fancy the idea of being target to his spells. "H-hello?" he
said weakly, but got no response from Kaiser, who merely stared at him
for a while, wand in hand.
Harry and Hermione were puzzled about this turn of events. 'What's
going on?' they turned at Daphne, who seemed equally angry, but she
gave no hints either.
"Ron. Did you speak to anyone about Sirius striking a deal with Daphne's
father?" He finally asked with a cold tone. Kaiser was not afraid of
anyone overhearing them. He already cast several privacy charms
silently. He merely observed Ron's reaction, while sending a Legilimency
probe towards him. Kaiser would never needlessly invade someone's
mind. He considered the action immoral, and would detest anyone doing
the same for him. However, this is one of those moments where nothing
is off limits. When his safety or the safety of the people he cared about is
at stake.
Ronald finally understood what this was about. 'Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit…' It
is as he feared. He royally screwed up, once again. He may have found
his way out of the situation if it was the first time, but this is the second
time his mouth and inability to process his own words have betrayed
him.
"W-whaaaaat?" he said in mock shock. "I would never do that. You're
joking right?" he said weakly. If the truth isn't going to solve, then
bluffing shall do.
"Do I look like a fucking joke to you?" Kaiser said angrily, pointing his
wand at Ron's head. Turns out the idiot did tell people. Ron's neck shrank
in fear. "What exactly did you say?"
"Kai… I don't think violence is the answer here…" Harry tried to reason
with him. Was that really necessary? He made a mistake, granted, but
was it such a big mistake he'd threaten him with his wand for it?
"Really? You're telling him he should not use violence against people
trying to get him and my family killed? What should we do, offer him
cookies instead?" Daphne answered sarcastically.
Harry and Hermione were dumbfounded at her response. They rarely
heard her speak, and to hear so many words from her at once is definitely
out of character for her. What did she mean, trying to get him and her
family killed? A few words certainly couldn't do much damage, can they?
"The last time you opened your stupid mouth, you nearly got all of us
killed. Not only that, you cost me an additional two thousand galleons.
Did you think the untraceable portkey we used to get your sorry ass out
was free? (Fortunately, Karl had a large enough network to be able to
make them without spending anything but the materials.) Not to mention
how you casually started a war between two political factions. All
because YOU. COULD. NOT. SHUT. UP. And now, you're telling the
whole world, that what would've been a simple retribution from the
neutral faction against the dark one, is something a lot more complicated
than just revenge." Kaiser said coldly, rage seeping through his voice. "I'll
ask you this one time. Did you, or did you not, at any point, mention the
Black Library?"
Ron started realizing to what extent he screwed up. He started a war?!
And he's making things even worse. Why did he have to play the
knowledgeable one in front of his house mates. This all could've been
avoided if he only shut his big stupid mouth. Luckily, things weren't that
desperate. He never mentioned the Black Library. Harry explained to him
it was related to Voldemort's secret to immortality. Even he wasn't stupid
enough to speak of that. Or did he? He didn't honestly remember.
"I did not!" Ron exclaimed, offended at the mere thought of it. He was
about to elaborate, but a stunner cut him off. As much as Kaiser wished
to end his miserable measly life, he could not. He could do other things,
however. Ignoring the shocked gasps, Kaiser pointed his wand and took
his sweet time rummaging through his memories. After five minutes of
browsing, he finally incanted 'Obliviate.' and turned towards the other
two in the room.
"I apologize for the unsightly display." he finally regained his composure
and said. "But this was necessary. From now on, don't ever tell him
anything related to either me or Daphne in anyway. You're free to give
him your innermost secrets, but I don't trust him with mine." Kaiser
warned them, before he left.
Neither Hermione nor Harry were happy with what just happened.
However, they understood what was at stake here. They initially thought
not much harm had been done, but turns out they were very wrong. They
couldn't help but be disappointed in Ron. How could he still run his
mouth after what he did to them the last time? Why did he even tell
people anything about Sirius? He doesn't gain anything from it, does he?
Their only consolation was that Ron was just that stupid.
"We should wake him up." Harry said. Hermione nodded and pointed her
wand at Ron's head.
"Rennervate." Ron sleepily opened his eyes to the sight of his friends
peeking at him from above.
"Hey, what's wrong? why are you staring at me?" He lazily asked.
"Nothing much. You slept well?"
"Yeah. What did you wake me up for?" Ron asked.
"We thought you were dead for a second there." Harry lied. He wasn't
comfortable in doing so, but he had no choice. "I could swear you
stopped breathing."
---------------------------
Remus Lupin was torn between being excited and being wary. On the one
hand, he received a letter from Karl Greengrass, someone from the 'High
Society' according to what he was told, stating he had a job opportunity
for him. On the other hand, it was done right after he was expelled from
his job as a professor at Hogwarts, due to his special condition. Meaning
the other party knew about him being a Werewolf.
You'd wonder why he wasn't just happy light finally appeared at the end
of the tunnel. To him, it was suspicious that anyone would want to hire
him, right after knowing he was a Werewolf. Werewolf were never
employed, unless the nature of the job was on the darker side of the
world.
But this 'Karl Greengrass' did not appear to be such a person. He was
from the Neutral faction, one that only cared about 'prosperity through
economic means' as he was told. It was safe to assume he was hired
because he was a Werewolf. But what kind of job would require someone
being a Werewolf? He had no idea, but he guessed it couldn't be anything
good.
He was meeting him today in private room at the Leaky Cauldron. He
was checked at the doors by a couple of guards, before being allowed
entry. The man he was supposed to meet, a lord no less, actually stood up
from his seated position, and offered his to shake.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lupin. Please have a seat." He gestured to
the empty seat across from him.
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Greengrass." He was dumbfounded at his easy-
going attitude, but managed to regain his wits in time. Maybe he was
trying to get him to lower his guard?
As he sat down, a teapot levitated and poured tea in a cup, which in turn
made its way to Remus Lupin for him to take: a basic display of Charms.
"My daughter told me a lot about you, Mr. Lupin. You are apparently the
best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Hogwarts had in years." Karl
began by praising.
"I am undeserving of such praise, Lord Greengrass. I was merely doing
my job." Remus answered humbly, though he was eager to get to the
main topic.
"I won't waste your time, Mr. Lupin. As I stated in my letter, I do have a
job for you." Noticing Remus tense expression, he continued. "And while
you might think it might be… somewhat dishonest due to your special
circumstances, I assure you it is nothing of the sort." Karl said in
understanding, which somehow alleviated Remus' worries. "However,
before we begin, I will need you to sign this." Karl presented a document,
along with a special red quill, which Remus recognized. He frowned at
this turn of events. What kind of job would require him to sign a contract
before even talking about said job?
Remus said nothing, and began reading the document. It basically stated
that Remus had the right to either accept the job or refuse, but in case he
refused, he would obliviate himself of their conversation's content, and
never speak of it again, even if he somehow got the memories back. It
also contained clauses in case Remus had already sworn an Unbreakable
Vow that would interfere with the contract, just in case.
"As I told you, Mr. Lupin, the job itself is nothing dishonest. But there is a
reason why Werewolves are not recruited by others, and some would
disagree with me doing so. It is merely for my own protection that I
require such promises." Karl carefully explained, sipping his tea calmly.
He was particularly worried about Remus refusing. This whole thing was
Kaiser's idea, and he was willing to give it a shot. It might be interesting
in the long run, but if Remus couldn't even agree to such simple
conditions, then he was unsuited for the job. Besides, he was sure Remus
was desperate enough to take the job. He didn't have the luxury not to.
After several minutes of pondering from Remus' part, with Karl waiting
patiently the whole time, he finally sighed and signed the contract,
earning nothing but a nod from Karl's part. What followed was an
explication of their newly founded organization: 'Transcendence', and its
goal. Lupin was very impressed at what he was hearing, excited in fact.
"… Now, this is where you come into play. We are recruiting talented
people who are proficient in Runes, either through enchanting, curse
breaking, or any practice that would give them such skills. It saddens us
to see such talents go to waste just because of a sickness the world fails to
deal with. And while we would be most pleased if we could help every
one of them, our abilities are very limited, and therefore they need to be
screened carefully, until such time arrives where we can recruit more."
Karl explained. He had no doubt, from the expression Remus was making
he would accept the job, which was a huge success for him.
Neither Karl nor Kaiser were saints. They were not going to go against
the world, defending Werewolves and providing sanctuary for them, if
they had nothing to win from it. Especially not when it was such a lost
cause. The Werewolf situation has lasted for several thousand years, and
a few mere years would do nothing to make it better.
Instead, since they need people to sign Unbreakable Vows of loyalty, they
needed desperate people. Those that would hop on the first opportunity
out of their misery for them. For the same reason they joined Voldemort
in the last war. It was a smart move of his part to entice them with things
such as freedom and money, and they did exactly the same. Except in
their case, they truly promised freedom and money, but also something
even better: Knowledge. Which is synonymous to power in this world.
Notes
I know a lot of you hoped he'd kill Ron, but that's unfortunately not
possible, for now xD Tell us what you think of the way Kaiser handled
things, what that might mean for his relationship with the Harry &
Hermione. yeah, i'm fishing for ideas :3 Enjoy the chapter!
A new roommate?
No matter how many years go by, the scene of parents welcoming their
children at the train station never change. They haven't seen each other
for months, so their excited state was normal. You could see children
presenting others to their parents, and parents of different children
getting to know each other. It was a heartwarming atmosphere.
Hermione was excitedly talking to her parents, praising how good of a
friend Harry was, while the latter's cheeks were hued red. Hermione
might not have noticed it, but her parents, along with Kaiser (from a
distance) were giving her a knowing smile.
Kaiser was speaking with Arthur and Molly Weasley, introduced by the
Weasley twins. His goal was not to make friends with them, that would
hardly benefit him. He wanted to leave a positive impression on them,
because it would be very useful for his plans.
Arthur and Molly were very nice and welcoming people, the kind you can
easily make friends with as long as they had a good impression of you.
And since Kaiser was friends with the Twins, saved their beloved
daughter and even recently saved their son's ass, even though he was the
one who got them in that position in the first place, they had a fairly
good impression of him. He also spoke with Michael and Tracey's
parents, who were big fans of his work.
"We meet again, Mr. Lunar." Amelia Bones, head of the Department of the
magical law enforcement was also among the people he met. "The
information you gave me was a huge help, and I've been wanting to
thank you for a while now."
"It is merely my duty as a citizen of Magical Britain, nothing to thank me
for." Kaiser answered. Amelia's perception of him changed the last year. It
started with his Runic watches, who were exceedingly popular, then to
his communication devices, though the latter were still under
development. She needed someone like him on her side, mainly because
he also represented the interests of the neutral faction, the richest faction
in Magical Britain. And Amelia was smart enough to understand that
money was power.
"I was also wishing to discuss a few things with you. We seem to have a
common enemy." Amelia stated. Obviously, she 'knew' he was not the
right person to speak to regarding such matter, but she still hinted at it,
so that he could vouch for her with Mr. Greengrass, to make her talks
with him smoother.
"I'm afraid you'll have to speak to Mr. Greengrass." Kaiser did not know
why Amelia would say such a question. She didn't think so highly of him
to believe he could make that kind of decision, did she? That doesn't
make any sense. Maybe her words had a different meaning?
Kaiser spent quite some time speaking to different people, making
different acquaintances. Slytherin students, whose parents were
associated with the dark faction avoided him like the plague. Some
clearly wished to talk to him, seeing how much potential he had, but it
was not a wise move at the moment.
"We'll be leaving now. Don't forget to keep contact with us during the
summer. I'll be sending you a lot of letters." Susan said hesitantly. She
froze for a moment, before she summoned enough courage, nudged by
her friend Hannah, and took Kaiser in a fierce hug she put more efforts
into than she initially wished for. Kaiser was flabbergasted for a second,
before he smiled and hugged her back. The hug could hardly be classified
as friendly, if one considered the amount of time they spent and the
excessive force one side was clearly using. It was more like lovers saying
goodbye. And it obviously elicited different reactions.
On the one hand, there was Hannah who was happy for her friend, and
the direction their relationship was heading. On the other hand, Amelia,
Susan's aunt, raised an eyebrow at this unexpected development. Was
there something going on with her niece and Kaiser? That got her
thinking about new possibilities. Susan would inevitably have to marry,
and her spouse would have to answer several criteria. One of which the
possibility to keep her family name: 'Bones', and also giving it to her
children. The son of another noble house would hardly accept those
terms, but Kaiser, being a muggle-born, wouldn't have any difficulties
with that.
One reaction Kaiser failed to notice, however, was Daphne's, who was
looking at them with a calculating look. Was there maybe a hint of
jealousy in her yes? No one could guess what was going through her
head. She was truly indecipherable, even for Kaiser whom she spent a
long time with. In fact, she was one of the people he had difficulty
dealing with to this day. He could not wrap his head around her.
--------------------------------------------
Kaiser slowly woke up in his luxurious bedroom at the Chamber of
Secrets. The headmaster had no idea Kaiser was actually living inside the
castle. In fact, he didn't know anything about his whereabouts. Under
normal circumstances, Kaiser would've gone back to the orphanage, since
he was still a minor. But a few weeks ago, he passed his O.W.Ls in
Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and fulfilled one of the
requirements to be emancipated.
A minor can request legal emancipation in several cases, one of which if
he was the last living heir of a noble house, and needed direct control
over his assets. Kaiser's case was a bit… special. They would never allow
him to be emancipated until he reached seventeen, but they made an
exception for him for obvious reasons. Now, as far as the law was
concerned, he was a responsible adult.
He took a shower and shaved his growing teenager mustache. Turns out a
crimson glowing mustache isn't that good looking after all. He wore
formal wizard clothes, to welcome his guest and also because he wouldn't
be staying him that day. He needed to check on the advancement of the
different teams.
Fortunately, the castle affected a house elf to him, his name was Cobby.
Kaiser always thanked him after each meal to make him feel appreciated,
and he always brightened at every compliment. They somehow loved to
be flattered.
After eating breakfast he went to welcome his guest at the exit of the
vanishing cabinet. Contrary to what one might think, traveling through
vanishing cabinets was not uncomfortable. It was quite spacious inside,
not to mention its size could be expanded or shrank. It was now in
expanded state, with stairs arranged at the exit.
Kaiser felt the familiar burst of magic from the cabinet, and knew the it
was time. The cabinet slowly opened to reveal a young lady clad in a
blue dress, that suspiciously got tighter once it reached her waist, as if to
accentuate her figure. Her long blonde hair braided beautifully behind
her head, along with a silver pendant hanging from her neck added even
more to the already perfect picture.
Daphne slowly descended the stairs, with a smile on her face on a
mission well accomplished. Kaiser froze for a moment at the sight of her,
losing his ability to think until she was close enough. She offered a
curtsy, which she did not have to, per wizarding customs, yet she did
regardless.
"Thank you for allowing me to stay here, Kai." Daphne was, in fact,
nervous herself. This was new to her too, but she has been training
Occlumency from an early age, and could therefore hide her feelings
behind a cold facade. Though her usual cold face was absent at the
moment; she was genuinely happy, for some reason. Maybe it was
because Kaiser allowed her to stay at his home, or maybe it is because of
the implications and possibilities the chamber had to offer.
"You're very welcome, Daph. Let me show you around." Kaiser said with a
smile, offering his arm for her to take. Her trunk followed her through
the cabinet, which was taken by the house elf to her room right after.
Kaiser showed Daphne around the house first, beginning with her room,
which was suspiciously right next to his own, for 'convenience' sake.
Then, he introduced her to the different facilities available, including the
library, where she would spend most of her time. She could not hide her
excitement at speaking to two of the greatest wizards who ever lived:
Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Salazar, especially, would be a
great source of information regarding what she was hoping to achieve.
"And finally, this is called the Room of Requirement. It provides you with
whatever you want as long as you picture it clearly. It's also accessible
from the seventh floor."
"So this is where you spent most of your time! This is amazing!" Daphne
exclaimed, something she rarely did, and the smile on Kaiser's face
widened in response. He never got to know this side of Daphne. She was
a person of few words, and was insanely driven toward something many
still did not know. Though Kaiser already knew.
The Greengrass family has been victim to a blood curse for generations. It
reduces their fertility, while increasing in potency with each generation.
One generation ago, it became deadly when it flares up. It usually just
weaken the victim more than usual, but it reduced the person's lifespan
to a mere sixty years, which was not a lot by Wizarding standards.
Her half-sister, Astoria Greengrass, was the latest victim of the curse. Her
health has been deteriorating since the curse manifested in her, and it
also put an end to Daphne's cheerful days. While Astoria was not her
sister from the same mother, they had the same father and she loved her
dearly. Astoria always looked up to her sister and showed a lot of
affection to her, which prompted Daphne to vow to never let her down.
Letting her die when curing her was possible qualified as letting her
down in Daphne's books.
Kaiser did not know, but the moment he made that offer to her father,
the way she viewed him changed. She is immensely grateful for the
opportunity he has provided her family, a chance to get rid of the curse
that would've seen the Greengrass family extinct.
They would never have agreed to assist him in his endeavors otherwise:
the risk was just too great, especially the "violating the statue of secrecy"
part, and Karl never ceased to remind him of it, and strongly disagreed
when he first proposed it. Daphne vowed to repay the kindness he has
shown her family, even disguised as his own interest at stake. To this
day, they did not know how he found out about the curse, but they were
grateful nevertheless.
"You are free to browse any and all books available either through the
library or the Room of Requirement." Kaiser said. "But, you are not
allowed to test or experiment with anything, especially ritualistic magic,
without my express permission and you father's."
"I won't betray your trust." Daphne offered a curtsy again. She understood
why this condition was necessary. In fact, the lack of self control is what
made several monsters in the past, including Voldemort. The knowledge
he read about was incomplete, and therefore, the rituals he performed on
himself only left an image of his former self, if any is still left. He could
not control his greed and desire for power that he broke several taboos of
magic, one of which was messing with your soul.
Soul magic, with the exception of very few cases, was a taboo in the
wizarding world to this day, mainly because no one has ever been able to
understand the implications of any change performed. There was no risk
free soul ritual to this day, and many ended in ways no one could've
predicted.
For instance, Dementors are thought to be the result of a failed soul
ritual. They were creatures that nourished on negative emotions they
induced on others. They were not affected by the physical world, and
were immortal; they could not be killed through any known means.
Humanity is lucky they have limited lifespan, and could be reasoned with
to some degree, otherwise they would surely be the end of the world.
Notes
I won't be releasing a lot of chapters in the next few weeks. I will be
passing exams in 16 subjects in three weeks, and I also have several
projects, some of which we got very recently to finish. Hell is officially
starting for me xD I'll be posting a few chapters regardless, whenever I
feel like writing, so you don't have to worry about this dying. Thank
you guys for taking the time to comment, review and share your
thoughts, I like the interactions :D Enjoy the chapter!
Demons
Kaiser was slowly opening his eyes, to find out he was in a dark room,
under some kind of red circle with different engravings, made by what
appeared to be blood. He looked around in confusion: what the hell was
going on?
He froze when he tried to move his arms, they were blocked? As he
glanced at his hands, he froze. Color drained from his face that turned
deathly pale, beads of sweat forming at his forehead. His heartbeat
accelerated; he was panicking. His hands were chained.
He tried to move his legs, but found he couldn't move them either. Even
worse, now that he glanced downwards, he noticed he had no clothes on.
He was panicking even more now. He tried to use his magic wandlessly,
but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't for the life of him summon
a once of it. In fact, he couldn't even feel it anymore. 'No no no no no no
no' he kept repeating in his head. This had to be the worst nightmare. It
couldn't get any worse.
"I see you have woken up, Mr. Lunar." Alas, it could indeed get worse.
'Stupid brain, why did you have to think that! Now you've messed up the
universe!" Did one's thought truly affect the events around him in
anyway? Logic would obviously disagree, but Magic says otherwise.
Magic was basically affecting the world around you through your
thought. Maybe it wasn't as simple as that, but the idea was there.
"W-w-who are you?" Kaiser asked fearfully. Yes. Fear. His life was
essentially under the other party's hands. He had no idea why he was
here, or even how, but being chained AND naked did not spell anything
good.
A hooded black figure slowly made its way in front of him. He stopped a
meter away from him and eyed him up to down. Kaiser could not
distinguish any facial expression from him. In fact, his whole face was
hazy, almost non-existent. The only thing Kaiser could make out was the
grin etched on his face, promising all sorts of evil would befall upon him.
"Hehehe… let's not ask useless question… who am I is unimportant. What
I am going to do to you, on the other hand…" the laughter that bordered
on a screech would make your ears bleed, while the ominous words
coming out of the wide grinning mouth would have you slap yourself,
hoping to wake up from whatever nightmare your life turned into. Kaiser
was shivering uncontrollably, fear paralyzing his whole body. What could
he do to get out of this situation?
"I hear you have a lot of secrets… I will enjoy slowly extracting them
until you break… hehehe" the figure took out several sharp tools, most
likely used to dissect corpses. Was he going to use THAT on me? Kaiser
was thinking with the very few brain cells still working. Not that it would
help him in anyway. As the figure slowly approached, he finally cracked.
"Stop… Please, stop… don't…" Kaiser was begging pathetically. Was this
how it was all going to end? In a nameless cave, with a nameless person
having his sweet time toying with him. Tears started flowing from
Kaiser's eyes. He did not want it to end like this. What about his hopes
and dreams? Was it going to end like his first life yet again…
A bright light suddenly blinded his eyes, before the world turned pitch
black.
-----------------------------------------
Daphne's day was very productive. She was introduced by Kaiser to the
infamous Chamber of Secrets, and it turns out it deserved the title. She
was warned about the Basilisk guarding it, which made it an even safer
place than it already was.
She spoke to two of Hogwarts founders, even though it was only an
image of their former selves. The knowledge and wisdom they
accumulated through the ages was still there. Their ancient vocabulary
was a bit difficult to deal with, but she got by. Tomorrow, she would
start learning under their guidance, so she was looking forward to it.
She laid down, after changing into a comfortable nightgown, enjoying
the softness of the bed that was most likely heavily enchanted to ensure
comfort, thinking about what she might learn during her stay, and even
some times her thoughts wandered to the person sleeping next door.
Unfortunately, her musing was interrupted by a sudden burst of magic,
too strong to be a mere practicing spell. Not that Kaiser would be
practicing spells in his room at night, knowing Daphne was sleeping next
door. She got up from her bed, took her wand in hand, and made her
way in haste towards the source.
Yet she was surprised to discover it actually came from Kaiser's room.
What was she supposed to do? Should she get in? What if he preferred
sleeping naked? Wouldn't that damage their relationship somehow?
Besides, why on earth is magic bursts coming from Kaiser's room at this
ungodly hour, and in such fearsome intensity?
She knocked on the door, asking 'Are you okay?' with a loud voice,
hoping Kaiser would hear it. But no response came back. She did it again
and again, gradually increasing the force behind her knocks until her
fears got the better of her. She opened the door, disregarding any
consequences her actions might entail.
What greeted her eyes was a sight she would not be forgetting any time
soon. Kaiser was lying in bed, uncovered, though he was wearing clothes
thankfully. The blanket that was supposed to cover him was stuck to the
ceiling, most likely due to the power burst coming from Kaiser's body.
Everything in the room, including the bed he was laying in, was shaking,
and slowly getting pushed away. Somehow, nothing that could be broken
was in the room. Perhaps Kaiser was expecting something like this to
happen? She did not have long to think about it mainly because of the
sight of a desperate Kaiser, twitching as if someone had cast the
Cruciatus Curse on him.
His face was heavily contorted, forming an expression of distress she had
never seen before. Even worse, she could clearly see some tears leaving
his eyes, hear sounds that resembled someone choking on his breath.
Daphne made her way hurriedly to his side, jerking his body begging him
to wake up. As a witch, she had a natural resistance to 'Accidental Magic',
so it wouldn't push her back. But his body moving, on the other hand, did
not make things easy. At one point she just hugged him, never stopping
to whisper for him to wake up.
It took a good two minutes before he finally stopped. Did he finally hear
her? Or was he just magically exhausted? She did not know which one
was it, but she was glad it was over.
Kaiser suddenly opened his eyes, to discover the scene he was
experiencing a few moments ago was nothing more than a nightmare. He
gasped for breath for a moment before he calmed down, helped by the
girl that was tightly hugging him.
"Are you alright?" They stayed like that for a while before Daphne asked.
"I am. It was just a nightmare." Kaiser reassured, but it was more to
himself than her. "I'm sorry for waking you up."
"Don't be." Daphne whispered. After a while, she asked worriedly: "Does
this happen often to you?" Daphne was not worried about sacrificing her
sleep, she could do at least that much for Kaiser. What she was worried
about was his mental state. What would happen to him if this went on
unattended? Would there be any permanent damage to him?
"Every once in a while." Kaiser did not need to lie. Even if he did, she
would eventually find out. She would be living with him for a long while,
after all. The nightmares had started from the first time he came to this
world, when he was eleven. At least, the first time he remembered what
happened to him in his previous life.
It wasn't this intense at the time, and it never had any magic with them,
just regular nightmares. But since the beginning of his third year, it got
worse. And the nightmares also have gotten more creative. They started
off as another version of his murder, with more agony and despair. Now,
the scenarios were diverse, but the theme never changed: Kaiser being
helpless in a hopeless situation, where all he could do was beg and cry.
Either because someone deemed his existence unnecessary, someone
wanted to know what he knew…
Kaiser used the Dreamless Sleep potion several times, but he did not wish
to develop a resistance to it by abusing it, or suffer from negative side
effects.
"Thank you." Kaiser finally said after a few moments of silence.
-------------------------------------------
"I am not sure this is such a good decision, Kai." Karl said pensively.
"Their family worships Dumbledore too much. If information about this
leaks, it would be even worse than us breaking the statute of secrecy."
"We are paying him good money and making him sign a contract before
we give further details. Not to mention, his family owes me big time for
saving their daughter." Kaiser reasoned. "And all the intel points towards
him as someone who would be grateful for such things."
"I'm not sure he would even agree to sign the contract. That's why I am
worried." Karl explained. Contrary to Lupin, who was desperate enough
to accept whatever terms were thrown his way, Bill Weasley was doing
pretty well for himself. He did not even need to accept this job, especially
when it came with such conditions.
"I believe the threat of Baldemort would compel him to accept
regardless." Kaiser said. "His parents were one of the most active
members of the Order of the Pheonix. I am not sure how good his
relationship is with them, but if he wanted to make them proud, isn't it
the best way to be the direct cause of Baldemort's downfall?"
A knocking sound interrupted their conversation. They gathered their
wits and prepared for the next step.
"Come in." Karl said, urging their guest, Bill Weasley to enter the room.
Bill was completely at ease, not affected that he was about to meet one of
the most influential figures in Magical Britain, nor one of the rising stars
of the enchanting world. He was a polished veteran curse breaker, an
occupation that required focus and calm, to deal with any unexpected
dangerous situations one might find himself in.
Bill was dressed in formal wizarding attire, clothes his supposedly poor
family could not afford. Though to be fair, it was only due to their
unreasonable number of children. He did not know why he was
contacted. Was it for consulting regarding protective measures? Or some
other special circumstances that required his skill set.
After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, they wasted no more time to
get to the core of the matter.
"We won't waste any more of your time, Mr. Weasley. We have a
situation that requires your specific curse breaking skills." Karl began.
"We have heard you have investigated several ancient Egyptian ruins,
and lived to tell the tale. That proves you are indeed a talented Curse
Breaker. However… Our situation does also require someone of integrity,
someone worthy of our trust."
"May I request what your situation is?" Bill asked. He was puzzled, why
couldn't they just ask anyone? Curse breakers are bound by contracts
when they take a job, therefore, they cannot do it half-heartily. Which
means that their concerns was unnecessary. Was there something more to
this case?
"Are you aware Voldemort is still alive?"
Notes
A friend of mine ( co-author ) wanted to add A LOT more details in the
first part, since it's apparently his thing. You're welcome. I have spared
you xD Don't forget to write your thoughts about the story in the
comments, new ideas are always welcomed as well. Enjoy the chapter!
The Dursleys
"We won't waste any more of your time, Mr. Weasley. We have a
situation that requires your specific curse breaking skills." Karl began.
"We have heard you have investigated several ancient Egyptian ruins,
and lived to tell the tale. That proves you are indeed a talented Curse
Breaker. However, … Our situation does also require someone of
integrity, someone worthy of our trust."
"May I request what your situation is?" Bill asked. He was puzzled, why
couldn't they just ask anyone? Curse breakers are bound by contracts
when they take a job, therefore, they cannot do it half-heartily. Which
means that their concerns were unnecessary. Was there something more
to this case?
"Are you aware Voldemort is still alive?"
Bill was taken aback by his response. What did this have anything to do
with Voldemort? Maybe he said that to pique his interest? Well, if that
was the case, he certainly succeeded.
"I am." Bill gave the expected reply. Naturally, since his parents knew, it
means he and his brothers knew as well. Besides, they wouldn't have
mentioned it if they didn't think he was already aware of it anyway.
"It came as a shock to every one of us. How is it that someone who has
been struck by the Killing Curse still alive, even though his body is no
longer of this world. It prompted us to do our own research on the
subject, and while we were unlucky to find anything, we do have a lead
to work with." Karl said.
"In your sister's first year, Lucius Malfoy slipped her a cursed book."
Kaiser was the one speaking this time. "The book somehow contained the
memory of one Tom Marvollo Riddle, the Dork Lord's real name. Unlike
anything we have heard of before, the memory was alive, and could
behave and experience life the same way we did. Not only that, the
human presence detection spell gave back a positive result, which should
never have happened."
Karl was monitoring every micro expression Bill's face made, to discern
whether he knew more about the subject. The lack of surprise from Bill's
face was a giveaway he did know more about it.
"You do know what the cursed object was, don't you?" Karl asked.
"I can neither confirm nor deny." Bill's response did not shock them that
much, but surprisingly, the statement itself told them everything they
needed to know.
"Because the information is protected by a contract. That seems
reasonable." Karl nodded. Knowledge was never freely given, it always
came at a price. They were naturally aware that wizards who joined
Gringotts' Curse Breaking division signed several contracts that prevented
them from leaking the Goblins' information and techniques.
"Regardless, we have deduced Riddle had somehow found a way to leave
a part of his soul into the book." Kaiser said. The more ignorant he
thought they were, the better. His family was one of Dumbledore's
supporters after all.
Bill nodded. That seemed like a reasonable assumption, as it was
common knowledge that the human presence detection spell reacted to
human souls. It was not a breach of his contract to nod at such a
reasonable statement.
"That brings us to the reason we have invited you here today." Karl
finally said. "We have a lead about another one of Riddle's cursed objects,
and need your skills as a curse breaker to access them."
Karl's latest declaration shocked Bill to the core. Did he just say:
"ANOTHER Horcrux"?! Did Voldemort make more than one? That
shouldn't be possible! One of the limitations of the Horcrux ritual is that
it can't produce more than one, without destroying the caster's soul
completely.
Unfortunately, Voldemort did succeed in making more than one. In fact,
it was crystal clear he modified the ritual completely, enabling him to
divide his soul up to seven times, which proves how much of a genius he
was.
Bill took a good five minutes processing what they just said, and waiting
for them to tell him more, yet it didn't seem like they were planning on
doing so. He quickly gathered his wits and answered after a long wait. It
was stupid to ask why he was chosen, he was smart enough to figure it
out for himself, instead, he needed to ask the truly important questions.
"I suppose there are conditions for me to work with you?" Bill asked
calmly. It made sense. They were obviously not going to reveal the
location to him, even if he was with the light side.
"Indeed." Karl presented him the contract he would have to sign. Bill gave
it a cursory read, and it seemed pretty straightforward. In fact, it was
quite similar to the traditional curse breaker contract. It stated that in
exchange for his services, he would be paid an agreed upon sum of
money, while everything that was taken from the site would belong to
them.
However, a normal curse breaking contract required him to be aware of
the target location. This particular one seemed to require absolute
secrecy, and they even added a clause, saying he can disagree to do the
job after signing the contract, as long as there is no information leak. It
seems they wanted to protect the place at all cost, he thought.
It made even more sense after he signed the contract, which he had no
reason to refuse. Even when it came to "protecting the information", he
couldn't acquire it if he didn't agree, so there was no reason he had to
worry about informing Dumbledore.
The location was surprisingly the manor of an Ancient and Noble House.
He already raided one of them in the past, albeit not in Magical Britain.
Except for this one, it was illegal. But there was no way in hell that
would stop him; too much was at stake for this case. Getting rid of the
Horcruxes is his duty, as a member of the Weasley family, one that
staunchly fought against Voldemort during his rise to power. Besides,
they were paying him good money on top of that.
====================================
Harry was definitely not having the best time in the world during his
summer holidays. The more he got to see the outside world, the more he
realized how much he was missing. When he was still younger and
friendless, he had nothing to compare himself to except his cousin
Dudley, which even he had to admit at the time was a very bad
reference. Now, he understood perfectly how mistreated he was, and to
what point Hogwarts was his sanctuary.
Fortunately for him, his aunt and uncle stopped beating him when he
turned eleven, and was given "Dudley's second bedroom". He was still the
Dursley's personal house elf nevertheless, given all the chores and barely
any food. He had to earn his keep, they said. He obviously knew better
than that. Even worse, he "knew" he had no way out of this.
He had to be patient, as Dumbledore had convinced him, even though
Dumbledore was not "convinced" his situation warranted any
intervention. There were blood wards in place, based off his mother's
sacrifice to keep him and his "family" safe. And how could he throw away
his mother's sacrifice? No, for her, at the very least, he had to soldier on.
A few weeks have already passed into the summer vacation, but calling it
a vacation would be completely wrong in his case. Being at Hogwarts
studying was a thousand times better than whatever this was. Cooking
meals, cleaning plates, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, and even
that never seemed enough for his "foster parents". They always seemed to
have more tasks for him to do. If only they could ask nicely, but no. They
had to make him feel like dirt every time a task was given.
"WAKE UP, BOY!" a loud voice was heard first thing in the morning,
along with a *thud* at his room's door. He was no longer surprised by his
morning alarm. He reluctantly put on his glasses and headed for the
kitchen to prepare breakfast.
He did not bother going to the toilet first, he'd have to hold it in,
otherwise his morning's difficulty would reach a new height should his
uncle Vernon be displeased. He proceeded to prepare toast, eggs and
bacon for eight people. Unsurprisingly, after the family of three would be
done with breakfast, barely anything would be left.
"What a beautiful Sunday morning this is." Vernon took a sip of his
coffee. "A shame it has to be tainted by freaks, otherwise it would've been
perfect." Dudley snickered at his daddy's hilarious joke. While Harry
merely frowned. He was, regrettably, not at a level in Occlumency where
he could completely hide his emotions.
"Is there a problem, BOY?" Vernon snarled at him, having obviously
noticed his reaction.
"None, uncle Vernon."
"I thought so. Turns out they do teach you some manners at that freaky
school of yours." Petunia sniffed at this. That 'freaky school' was a turning
point in what could've been a normal life. If only she had never found out
about it, maybe she wouldn't have turned out this bitter and petty.
The alarm bell chose this moment to ring, signaling the arrival of a guest.
"Are we expecting someone, Vernon dear?" Petunia asked. She certainly
wasn't expecting anyone.
"Not that I'm aware of. Is one of your friends coming over today,
Dudikins?" Dudley shook his head, while Petunia made her way to the
door.
In front of the door stood a tall boy, with peculiar features. She was
unsure if his crimson hair was natural, but his deep crimson eyes were
definitely not. He was unnerving with his cold look. He seemed
unpredictable, and definitely dangerous. Was he one of those dark freaks
she was warned about?
"Who are you?" she asked defensively, peeking through the door, and
ready to slam it shut should things get hairy.
"Kaiser Lunar, Ma'am. I am a friend of Harry's." Kaiser said, while Petunia
seemed shocked for a few seconds. "May I come in?" That snapped her
from her trance, and got her thinking how to deal with this situation. She
relaxed, now that he seemed "friendly". Opening the door, she made sure
no one was looking. She didn't need people associating her with freaks,
after all.
"Come in." she said distastefully, but Kaiser paid her no mind. He went
inside, hearing Petunia tutting behind him while she closed the door. He
took slow steady steps, only to suddenly stop in front of a cupboard, for
god knows what reason.
He looked closely at it, with a chilling expression, that bordered on
anger. His hair and eyes were slightly glowing, as he stood there for
several seconds. Petunia, who noticed this was annoyed at this stranger
who stopped midway, only to admire her mundane cupboard.
"What are you standi-" she paused when she noticed his expression
morphing. For a fraction of a second, her gears turned at full speed, using
her two tiny brain cells to understand why he did such a thing. But the
look he gave her afterwards was enough to plant the seed of doubt in her
mind. She knew more than anyone what that cupboard represented.
She was always against the idea of putting the child in the cupboard,
even though she did not take a strong stance against her husband.
Vernon had a deep grudge against both her sister and her husband for a
humiliation he suffered at their hands, and therefore took it out on
Harry. And now it seemed the secret was out. She obviously noticed how
his eyes were glowing, and she was confused what it meant exactly. Was
it some kind of magical skill to "see through things"?
Kaiser entered the living room to meet a gobsmacked Harry potter, and
confused Dudley and a suspicious Vernon. The reason the latter was
suspicious was obviously because of his phobia of anything remotely
abnormal.
"This is Kaiser Lunar. He's a… friend of Harry's from… Hogwarts."
Petunia introduced him, and Vernon's eyes widened in realization.
'He's one of the freaks, huh…'
Notes
Hello! It’s been a while, missed me :D ? No? Alright. It’s been a tough
month, and I apologize for not posting any chapters. I understand that
some people might be frustrated, as I myself get frustrated over the
stories I like. I’m resuming writing chapters, hopefully I can make up
for every chapter I missed. There won’t be any exciting events for a
few chapters, the story needs more human interactions and character
growth. Don’t forget to leave Reviews, and Comments! I LOVE
COMMENTS :D
The Durlseys 2
"Come join us for some tea." Petunia refused to appear anything but
perfect. Even though she convinced herself she wanted nothing to do
with the "freaks", she would still be a good host to her unexpected guest.
Even more so after his earlier display.
Vernon was puzzled over his wife's nervousness. Granted, the boy did
look peculiar, but even Dumbledore, someone who was supposedly the
most powerful wizard alive, or so he'd heard, did not faze her much. She
never failed to give him a piece of her mind in the very few times he
came over.
Kaiser took an empty seat next to Harry, who was sending him a
questioning look, but now was not the time to answer his questions. He
needed to deal with these unpleasant people first.
Petunia poured him some tea from the teapot. Kaiser decided some
intimidation was in order. He did not reach out for the sugar the "normal"
way they'd expect. Instead, he wandlessly levitated the container's lid,
before moving a piece of sugar to his cup, before charming the spoon to
stir slowly. All of this was done without movement from his part, which
left them flabbergasted, including Harry. Everyone assumed magic
required fancy movements, which was completely false. They were
perhaps more surprised he performed "magic" outside of Hogwarts, which
was supposedly forbidden.
"I thought they weren't supposed to do freaky stuff outside of their freaky
school." Dudley rudely told his father, and Harry tensed at this. Harry
knew of Kaiser, and he knew his temper very well. He had sent people to
the hospital wing several times for disrespecting him, especially
Slytherins who loved using the word: "Mudblood". And now, he was
unsure how he would react to his cousin.
"Freaky?" Kaiser frowned. "You mean "Magic", and "Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry." Kaiser nodded in understanding. "Underage
wizards aren't allowed to perform magic outside Hogwarts. But as I was
emancipated, I use as much magic as I wish."
A look of confusion flashed through Dudley's face, and Kaiser,
understanding his plea, explained: "It means I am no longer considered
underage."
"People usually send notices before coming over, young man." Vernon
said in displeased tone. "You never told us he was coming over." He
turned to Harry who was getting nervous.
"I don't have access to a telephone line. And… MUGGLES don't usually
respond very well to owls." Kaiser said, taking immense pleasure in using
a word he never used before, especially to these people who were
unworthy of Magic.
Vernon obviously did not like the word very much, if the vein that was
about to pop from his forehead was any indication. Petunia looked as if
she just swallowed a fly.
"Why are you here?" Vernon finally asked, running out of patience.
Kaiser observed his reaction so far, and thought what would be the best
approach to this situation. It was clear to him that they would refuse
allowing Harry to come with him. He quickly decided on a course of
action, having been prepared for various scenarios.
"I am here to take him to the Weasleys, to meet his godfather." Kaiser
told them with a fake smile.
"Godfather?" Petunia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. Sirius Black. You don't know him?" It was Kaiser's turn to raise his
eyebrows.
"Wasn't he the one who betrayed my sister and killed twelve people with
an explosion?" Petunia asked nervously, while Vernon had no idea what
they were talking about.
"I don't know for killing twelve people…" Kaiser began, Harry's eyes
widening at what he was hearing. "But he did not betray your sister. The
real culprit was found earlier this year, and Sirius was released from
Azkaban after serving a twelve years sentence."
Petunia looked pensive at the new information, and wondered if it would
be wise to keep Harry from going, but her husband chose this moment to
interrupt.
"He can't go with you. He hasn't finished his chores." Vernon said with an
evil grin, taking great joy in removing the hope that graced Harry's face.
"Well… this puts me in a difficult situation…" Kaiser said uncertainly,
earning himself a glare from Vernon for daring to contradict him. "You
see, his godfather insisted. He wanted to come here himself, but because
of his unstable personality… I volunteered to come."
This was all Petunia needed to hear to spring into action. She definitely
didn't need one of her sister's friend coming over to find out what they've
been doing to Harry, especially after Kaiser's initial display when he
came in. She now had strong suspicion that he "magically" knew they've
been keeping him in a cupboard, and having a psychopath out for
revenge did not fall into her category of normalcy.
"How long will he stay?" Petunia asked, earning a puzzled look from her
husband. She signaled him to let her handle it.
"He'll be back before sunset."
"Alright. He can go with you." she never asked Harry's opinion, as it was
unnecessary. She knew he'd jump at the opportunity. She turned to him
and said: "Go, get ready." And Harry wasted no time, as he came back in
less than three minutes. Kaiser said goodbye to the Dursleys, promising to
look after Harry, as if they would care.
They walked side by side in silence, and once they were at a reasonable
distance from the house, Kaiser broke the silence: "Sorry for coming over
unannounced."
"It's alright." Harry answered quietly, ashamed of what Kaiser had just
witnessed. He knew he was perceptive, and would figure it out in no
time. "Is it true we're meeting Sirius?"
"Of course not." Kaiser scoffed. "We are playing Quidditch though."
"With whom?" Harry asked curiously. He didn't know Kaiser played
Quidditch, and he truly didn't. This would be the first time he'd try the
sport.
"Ron, Fred, George, Lee, Cedric and Michael."
They continued walking in silence, until Harry asked again: "Why did you
tell them about Sirius?"
Kaiser stopped at this, and looked at Harry straight in the eyes. "Because
they wouldn't have let you come otherwise. They are rather…
unpleasant. No offense."
"None taken, believe me." Harry actually forced a chuckle at the idea.
"Thank you." He muttered shyly after a while.
"Hey, what are friends for." Kaiser elbowed him, earning a grateful smile.
"Where are we going, by the way?" Harry asked after some time, musing
why they were walking around with no clear destination.
"We'll go cloth shopping before joining the others." Kaiser noticed how
Harry tensed at his words. Nothing he wore matched him, and he was
fully aware of it. They belonged to his whale of a cousin, after all. Old
and tattered, even though he took great care of them, it was quite
obvious to the observant eye.
"I… don't much money with me." Harry said ashamed of himself. Kaiser
was a bit surprised why he would think that, but he could make an
educated guess. Harry had only been to his trust fund, and would
therefore think he needed to spend them sparingly. Even though his
seven years at Hogwarts were paid for, the amount of money required to
buy each year's books, potion ingredients, and other school necessities
was not certainly not small.
What he didn't know, was that once he reached his majority, he'd have
access to the real Potter fortune, and it was a known fact that the Potter
were wealthy. Certainly not as wealthy as the Malfoys, but wealthy
nevertheless. Kaiser was not going to point that out for now. The time
wasn't right.
"Don't worry about it." Kaiser told him. "We're friends, and friends help
each other. Besides, Remus would have my skin if I don't rectify this
situation."
Harry was about to protest when he heard the mention of 'Remus'.
"Remus? As in Remus Lupin?"
"Yep." Kaiser said, not paying attention to Harry's shock, who was
expecting more details than a "yes".
"Wait, What?!" Harry could no longer control himself and blurted out.
"Wot?" Kaiser asked innocently. "Oh… did I forget to mention Remus and
I are colleagues now?"
"Yes, you definitely forgot to mention that particular detail." Harry said
with an accusatory tone.
"Well, now you know. I can't tell you much more, I'm afraid. Though I
hope you keep this to yourself." Harry nodded.
================================
Their shopping didn't take much time, as they didn't buy much to begin
with. Just some simple clothes for everyday use, with a few spares. Kaiser
shrank them, before putting them in his expanded pouch.
After they found a deserted alley, Kaiser beckoned him to take his arm.
"We're going to Apparate to the Burrow." he explained.
Harry did not know what "Apparate" meant, but he understood it was
some kind of magical way to travel.
A loud * CRACK * was heard, before he felt himself being squeezed
through a tiny tube. He felt the world spinning, colors made way to his
eyes that made no sense, and his insides were twisting, bones felt about
to break. Fortunately for him, none of it was real.
Apparition was instantaneous. There is no delay between getting from
point A to B. Everything one experience during apparition was merely a
product of his own mind. It was still a big question in the magical world
why they experienced going through a tiny tube each time they
apparated. With more practice, wizards got used to this phenomenon
however.
Harry lost his balance upon arriving, hitting the ground with a thud. "I
hate magical travel." he groaned. Kaiser watched him regain his balance
with amusement. He too had struggled with Apparition's after effects
when he was still learning.
"What do we have here?" Harry heard Fred's voice (or George's?) behind
him, and turned to look at the twins eyeing him mischievously.
"It's little Harrikins!"
"The youngest seeker in the world!"
"He's in my team!"
"What are you saying, my less handsome twin. He's obviously going to
play with the big boys."
Kaiser shook his head at their antics. He went to meet up with the others.
The physic defying building, also known as the Burrow, a horrendous
piece of failed engineering, albeit with its own magical touch, stood in an
isolated piece of land, surrounded by greenery. An empty field of grass,
where stood six pillars, was their meeting place today, representing the
Quidditch pitch.
Cedric and Michael were already there, with their brooms in hand,
having a heated conversation about Quidditch teams and their
expectations for the upcoming world cup. Kaiser was honestly not
interested in the game that much, but it seemed like fun playing,
especially since it involved flying. Not that he needed a broom to fly
anyway, but he couldn't openly do that.
"Hello kids!" He said cheerfully, earning a glare from both Michael and
Cedric.
"Kids?" Cedric raised an eyebrow. "You're emancipated, we get it. But
you're still younger than me."
"And I'm definitely more mature than you, considering the way you
speak." Michael scoffed.
"Keep telling that to yourselves." Kaiser shot back with a grin.
Ron, Harry, the twins and Lee joined after a few moments, and they
decided who was on which team. They weren't going to play according to
the original rules, as they didn't have enough people on the teams.
Instead, they would only play with one Keeper and three chasers on each
team, using only the Quaffle to score goals. This was a good thing for
Kaiser since this would be his first time playing the game, it somehow
reduced the game's difficulty for him.
The chasers needed to pass the Quaffle around, and reach the teams'
opposing keeper, getting the ball through one of the three goal hoops,
while the Keeper needed to prevent it.
Kaiser was obviously not good at the game, and was tempted several
times to make use of his newfound wandless telekinesis abilities, but
prevented himself, as it would take the fun out of the game. Overall, they
enjoyed the game, and went at it for hours.
Notes
You did not forget about his modified levitation charm, did you :D?
Enjoy the chapter! Tell me in the comments how you thought Kaiser
handled the Dursleys. On second thought, he could've just Imperiused
them. Hmmm... Maybe next time :D
Awkward Situation
Chapter 40: Awkward Situation
Bill Weasley was taking his most recent task very seriously because of
what was at stake. A chance to bring down Voldemort once and for all,
and end the atrocities he would cause should he ever come back. True,
his name would probably not go down in history for this, but it would
definitely make his parents and ancestors proud of him.
Fortunately, he was not alone on the job. Kazuma, an ex-Curse Breaker,
working under Kaiser for almost a year now as an enchanter (not that he
was allowed to share that little bit of information with anyone), was
assisting him, and he was glad to have him. He knew his way around
wards, and was very knowledgeable about breaking them. He told him he
worked in Asian Ruins before, trying to take down ancient wards, and
amassed an enormous amount of experience.
He was not the only one assisting him on his endeavor. A friend of their
parents, and an ex-member of the Order of the Phoenix, and also the
most recent DADA professor at Hogwarts: Remus Lupin. He was surprised
to hear he found employment with one of the pioneers of the enchanting
world, despite his "furry" little problem. It might be an overstatement to
say Kaiser was a 'pioneer', though he most definitely was.
"Ancient British Wards really are a pain in the ass." Kazuma said,
annoyed at their progress. "The difficulty isn't the most frustrating part,
I've seen more dangerous things, it just requires an absurd amount of
time to get through."
"True." Bill chuckled. "A good thing we don't have a time limit, otherwise
I'd be paying Karl instead."
The Gaunt Manor was situated east from Cambridge, in a deserted piece
of land, and unless one was a wizard, it was futile to search for it. It had
some of the most powerful Notice-Me-Not wards around it. At this point,
it would be the same as putting it under a Fidelius, but having such a
large Manor under the Fidelius was not practical.
The wards, like almost all Ward-schemes, were divided into various
regions. The exterior wards' purpose was to delay and notify, in case of
an attack or intrusion. And that's what was frustrating them. They would
eventually break them, but it would take some time to do so.
There was a lot of overlapped wards, each anchored to the outer area's
space, and while centered around various Rune Stones spread around the
manor. They needed to break the link between the runes, or they might
risk increasing the difficulty of their task. The manor was already on full
lock-down. Alerting the wards right now wouldn't be wise. Especially
since they didn't know if it might alert someone who was tasked with
looking after it.
"Let's take a break, shall we?" Bill suddenly said. "It's lunch time."
"Alright." Nodded Kazuma.
"My mother packed enough lunch for an army. We can eat around here."
Bill suggested, earning a hungry nod from both Kazuma an to do harmd
Remus.
After taking the first bite of his sandwich, Remus exclaimed: "Delicious!
Your mother's cooking never ceases to amaze me."
"Me neither." Bill said with a chuckle of his own. He was glad he was
working in England, and could enjoy such delicacies. "So, tell me, I didn't
have the opportunity to get to know Mr. Lunar. What is he like?"
"Well, he's very mature for his age." Remus said. "Even when he was still
my student."
"So, I've heard." Bill Weasley. "My brothers tell me he's way ahead of his
year. They say he could take his NEWTs and it would still be a walk in
the park for him."
"He's certainly a genius." Kazuma said. "I've had ten years of experience
as a Curse Breaker, and learning new things from someone that young
was unthinkable for me. Yet he proved me wrong, and showed me just
how ignorant I was. He is a visionary." He praised.
Bill was surprised at his confession. One must know that knowledge
needs a long time to build up, and one can never expect a fourteen years
old teenager, a first-generation wizard at that, to know more about
anything, especially not in the same domain, as an experienced thirty
years old Curse Breaker. Which was saying a lot about him.
Remus did not have the opportunity to interact with him much. He was
currently in charge of the new werewolf recruits, while serving as Bill
and Kazuma's backup. He was not granted access to Salazar's library,
unlike Kazuma.
====================================
Daphne was not happy at the moment. She was making good progress
under Salazar and Rowena's tutelage, and was absorbing their knowledge
like a sponge. They were two revered characters in the Wizarding World
at large, even more so in Magical Britain, and she would know since she
was aspiring to be a Slytherin, if not for what she heard the first day on
the train. Fortunately, that turned out pretty well, since she's got to know
Kaiser.
She's been staying at the Chamber of Secrets with Kaiser, in separate
rooms of course. Not that she was the only one that lived there. Her
father came over almost daily to access the library, and the same goes for
the founding members of Transcendence. Only her had the privilege of
living there, however.
She woke up one morning, ready for a day of learning under her idols,
when out of the blue, Kaiser told her: "You've been spending an
unhealthy amount of time in the library. You should go out and have fun.
The weather is great, and there is no sunlight here."
Naturally, she wanted to protest, but Kaiser took a firm stance: "I'll hear
none of it. I won't have you burning yourself away, reducing your
productivity in the process and in the long run. Take a few days off."
She obviously could not refuse him. Not only because of their special
relationship, but also since she was contractually bound to obey him in
the matters that concern "Transcendence", and that includes their
extensive collection of books. She doubted he would use that against her,
but she won't be testing her luck with that any time soon, especially not
over something this trivial.
Daphne was very worried about her sister's curse, because of its
unpredictable nature, which gave her great motivation to pursue
ritualistic magic. The problem with that particular branch of magic, is
how it was based off several other areas. As a matter of fact, it used all
others areas of magic, especially Potion-Making.
Kaiser knew her sister would live, if the books were to be believed, until
she reached the age of thirty-seven, which gave Daphne more than
enough time to find a cure, and he believed she would. In fact, he valued
her very much for her potential if nothing else, and counted on her
becoming a pillar for their future developments.
Daphne was now sulking in the Greengrass manor, thinking about what
she would do with this unwelcome free time. Should she visit her family's
library? No, that was most likely a bad idea. If Kaiser got wind of it, he
might give her even more free time.
Tracey was not available, as she was traveling with her parents over
Europe. Maybe she should start working on the plan she devised a month
ago, while having fun in the process. Hmm, that didn't sound like a bad
idea.
She went down to the fire place to make a call. She threw in some Floo
powder, before enunciating "Abbot Manor". After a minute, the face of a
young woman took shape in the fire, but the woman was, in fact in her
forties. Wizards had long lifespans, reaching a hundred sixty in average,
and therefore aged slower than their non magical counterparts.
"Good morning, Mrs. Abbot. I am Daphne Greengrass, a friend of
Hannah." She was not that close to Hannah, but she supposed they were
friends by proxy of being friends with Kaiser.
"Hello dear." Mrs. Abbot had a sweet voice that spread warmth through
listeners. 'Typical Hufflepuff' Daphne thought internally. "Hannah is at
Susan's house, comforting her."
"Did something happen, Mrs. Abbot?" Daphne asked with a frown. If
something did indeed happen, she would've heard of it. This was
abnormal.
"I am not aware of the details, but Susan is having a very hard time right
now. You should check on her, she could use all the friends she can find
right now." Mrs. Abbot said with a sad smile.
"I will, thank you very much." She said before ending the call. Daphne
was pondering over her next course of action. She could hardly be
productive when you add emotional instability into the equation, which
Susan was at the moment. In fact, it made her apathetic personality
completely unsuitable for situation that requires "comforting people".
The truth is, she was not exactly an apathetic person. This was merely
the byproduct of her extended use of Occlumency. She was taught from
young age that being a slave to one's emotions was the mark of a bad
wizard, or witch in her case, and that she should always think over
matters objectively, and take hers and her family's interest into
consideration first and foremost. Losing the habit, however, was easier
said than done.
Occluding did not truly remove emotions, but reduced their output to a
phenomenal degree. Therefore, unless the emotions themselves were very
strong, they would never affect her in any way.
However, if she does succeed in "comforting" Susan, it might help their
relationship grow, which was one of the prerequisites of her master plan.
It was worth the risk, so she decided to take it.
Calling the Bones Manor this time, it did not take long for them to
respond. Surprisingly, it wasn't Susan who answered, but her friend
Hannah.
"Hello, Daphne, how are you doing?" She asked with a forced smile, but
Daphne could not notice through the fireplace.
"Hello, I heard from your mother about Susan, is she alright?" Daphne did
her best to let concern, something she rarely showed, to seep through her
voice.
"Don't worry, she will be." Hannah hastily answered, which did not go
unnoticed by Daphne this time. Something was very wrong about this
situation, her gut told her.
"Can I come over?" Daphne asked. If there was something wrong that
CONCERNED her, she needed to know.
Silence was the answer she got. Hannah stood there for a while, thinking
about how she should deal with her request. She eventually sighed and
said: "I don't think that's a very good idea, Daphne."
Having her suspicions confirmed, she frowned deeply. This was…
unexpected. She could not think how would this concern her, it hardly
made any sense. She spent the last month studying, and rarely had any
dealings with Susan and Hannah, except when they hang out with Kaiser
at Hogwarts. She received several invitations from them to go out, but as
she was very busy, she always told them she couldn't. Was this because
she made excuses, or was there more to this situation than she thought?
"Can I ask why?" Daphne asked as neutrally as possible.
Hannah seemed to struggle whether she should tell her or not. On the
one hand, if she told her, it might complicate matters even more. On the
other hand, if she didn't tell her, she might tell Kaiser, and he would
make things even worse. No, she could not bring him into this, and she
needed to convince Daphne that telling him now would do neither Kaiser
nor Susan any good.
"On second thought, do come over. We need to talk." Hannah finally
relented. Daphne nodded and obliged.
Once she reached the Bones Manor through the Floo Network, and was
properly seated, Hannah wasted no time to get to the core of the matter
at hand: "Susan knows about you and Kaiser." and Daphne's eyes visibly
widened at her declaration.
Notes
I wonder what it is Susan knows about Daphne and Kaiser :O Enjoy the
chapter :D
Talks
"Susan knows about you and Kaiser."
Daphne's eyes widened in realization. This was truly unexpected for her,
as it somehow destroyed a huge part of her little plan. She would have to
improvise after judging the situation.
"You mean to tell me she was not aware before?" Daphne asked,
frowning.
"Well, yes! Why didn't you tell us before?" Hannah asked accusingly.
Keeping that kind of secret from Susan while she had such an obvious
crush on Kaiser did not sit well with Hannah. She felt her friend's
emotions were being played with.
"I assumed she already knew. It's not a secret, you know…" Daphne shook
her head.
"Merlin, no! She didn't know, otherwise she wouldn't…" It suddenly hit
Hannah that Susan has been giving advances in front of her, no less. "You
must not think very highly after what she's done…" Hannah was
surveying Daphne's reaction, which made no sense in her eyes. Why was
she so calm about this situation? It was an absolute mess on so many
levels, and yet Daphne was treating it as if it was no big deal.
Daphne was doing the same, and thinking of how to handle this situation
efficiently. She decided to share a few things with Hannah. "You do know
that none of us had any say in the decision? That it will be merely a
marriage of convenience?"
It was Hannah's turn to widen her eyes at Daphne's words. Did she mean
there was no romantic feeling between Kaiser and Daphne? And what did
she mean by "none of us had any say in the decision"? She could
understand Daphne's case. As the daughter of the traditional Greengrass
family, she did not have the luxury of choosing who her partner would
be. But Kaiser? He had no such ties, as far as she knew. Or maybe the
lack thereof was the problem?
"So… Kaiser does not fancy you…?" she asked tentatively. Daphne's
expression was controlled thanks to years of practicing Occlumency,
allowing her to show the right expression whenever necessary. Her acting
classes were not for naught.
"No. We are not interested in each other that way." Daphne confirmed
Hannah's suspicions, but it did not relieve her worries. Whether her
words were true or not, no one knew, but Hannah had no reason to
suspect her.
"So, when Susan was getting closer to Kaiser, you actually approved…"
Hannah said quietly.
"Of course." Daphne said. "I would never stand in the way of their
happiness." Daphne meant "his", because if she was honest with herself,
she couldn't care less about Susan, especially not the way she was. Her
sweet and cheerful personality, and lack of any Slytherin traits, namely
cunning and ambition, were not doing her any favors in Daphne's books.
But she wondered, if that's what Kaiser found so attractive about her?
Hannah, unaware of the thoughts running through her head, had new
found respect for Daphne. Her selflessness and willingness to sacrifice her
own happiness for her best friend's sake touched her deeply.
Susan, unbeknownst to them, was eavesdropping on their conversation,
which was something Daphne has already suspected. They were in the
living room, at Susan's house, speaking not particularly quietly, without
using any anti-eavesdropping wards. She clasped her hand on her mouth,
tears silently streaming out of her already reddened eyes, a sigh that
she'd been crying for a long while now. She, too, was very touched by
Daphne's words.
Daphne herself was not very sure if this was a good decision,
nevertheless, she was quite bored at how easy they were to manipulate.
Besides, she could not understand why "liking" someone was that
important right now at their age. They had a lifetime to do so, shouldn't
they focus on more important things, like ambitions?
Her mother taught her quite a few things before, that whatever feelings
she may feel for "boys" right now would be nothing more than
infatuation, that she should never delude herself into believing she
"loved" someone. Love was a very strong emotions that only came with
time: There is no such thing as love at first sight. The most important
point of the lesson was: if she was going to fall in love, shouldn't she at
least do so with someone that would secure a better future for her, for
her family, and for the family she would build with them?
Daphne agreed with that way of thinking, and could not wrap her head
around how Susan was thinking. She never liked her cheerful personality,
as she herself had a very reserved one. She only ever opened up to
Tracey, her childhood friend, and Kaiser occasionally, outside of her
family.
Kaiser told her about her potential in Enchanting, seeing how she
devoted herself to it, but she wondered if that was only to impress him.
They shared a conversation about her and this very specific subject a
week ago.
====================================
* Flash back *
Kaiser got home after a very tiring day at work. The RPU prototype was
ready, and in the testing phase. The early tests results showed immense
potential. Its speed, even though they did not go all out, was
considerably slow, mainly because it would require years without the
Artificial Spell Caster to make.
He was spending his days at work, mainly reviewing his team daily
reports, and correcting any errors that might arise, which obviously were
a lot. The worst part is, he did not have any computer software to help
him, especially because of the sheer size of the project.
Even the RPU size was very large. It resembled a meter wide cube, but it
had a lot of complicated patterns etched on its surface, and if you bother
to cut it in half, you'd see a whole new level of complexity. A few
Transfiguration Masters, from the Werewolf division, put their all into
this piece of art.
After changing his clothes into something more comfortable, he joined
Daphne at the dinner table, where food was just getting served by the
very loyal house elf.
"How is the project advancing?" it was Daphne who initiated the
conversation.
"Very promising. All according to our expectations."
"What about that… OC, was it?"
"OS. Operating System. The developers are still fixing some compatibility
issues. Though I must admit, the idea to release a public Linux
Distribution was a stroke of genius. It will save us years of struggle, and
we get the users to do the work for us." Kaiser said with a grin.
"Especially since it will be going commercial in the magical world, I have
no doubt we'll have the best desktop environment in no time, which in
turn will bring even more users from the non magical world."
Daphne did her best to understand everything he said. She knew he was
referring to the "internet", but she did not understand what it was truly
about; she can't try it on her own after all. She wanted to ask something
else, but was hesitant.
Somehow, even with her Occlumency in place, he could still tell she
wanted to say something. Kaiser merely started noticing her reactions.
Whenever she had something to say, she would zone out, look at her
plate and eat very slowly.
"Something on your mind?" he asked.
Daphne, knowing that denying was useless, nodded: "Are you sleeping
well lately?"
Kaiser immediately tensed at her question. This was not something he
wanted to talk about. There was nothing she could do about it anyway.
"As best as I can." he shrugged it off.
"Maybe it would help if you talked about-"
"Daphne." she was interrupted from finishing her sentence. Kaiser was
looking at her straight in the eyes. "That is not something I'm willing to
share with anyone. Yet." and how could he tell anyone that he died
before, and there is nothing that scared him more than dying. Again.
She nodded. After the last incident when she witnessed the effects of the
nightmares, there wasn't anymore, but she knew better. He warded his
room, to prevent it from disturbing her. She can only hope he'd get
better.
"There is something else we should discuss." Daphne changed the subject.
"I'm all ears."
"Susan." Kaiser stopped at the mention of the name. She now had his
undivided attention. He did not know why she would bring her up, and
he was sure he would find out.
"What about her?" He asked with a frown.
"She has a crush on you."
"So I've noticed." Kaiser sighed.
"She is in love with you."
"Don't be absurd." Kaiser said with a raised eyebrow. "You are smarter
than that." She was infatuated with him, yes. In love? Definitely not.
"That's what she believes."
"Did she say that to you?"
"No. Tracey told me."
"We are fourteen. It will pass."
"It won't."
"And what can we do about it either way?" Kaiser said irritably.
Discussing that particular issue with Susan was not something he was
looking forward to.
"You should get together with her." Kaiser eyes widened at her bold
statement. Did she just suggest what he thought she suggested?
"You like her. Don't deny it." Kaiser's face hardened. He himself was quite
aware of it. He found it very difficult not to, the same as more than half
Hogwarts' population, albeit for a different reason.
"My feelings on the subject hardly matter."
"They do." Daphne said. "A union with the future head of the Bones
family will be extremely beneficial to you."
"It's still not possible for us to be together." Kaiser argued. "Let's not
mention if she's willing to "share" her partner with anyone, need I remind
you that I am already betrothed to you, and we both know that Erling
Krovius is most certainly planning on including me to his very large
family. It's unfair to you, and to her, whoever she might be. How can I
ask Susan, who still has her free will, to suffer such injustice?" He said,
frustrated with the whole situation.
He was betrothed to Daphne, because Karl wanted to secure his family's
interests, before joining Transcendence, and Kaiser truly needed him to.
It was either that, or wait years he did not wish to wait. Erling agreed to
help Kaiser keep his independence, otherwise he would have to hand
over his blueprints to the ICW, but it did not come without a price. He
wanted Kaiser to joined the family through marriage, so that said
technology would eventually fall into their hands.
Daphne said no more about the subject, but she knew it was far from
over.
Notes
I’m really hesitant about pairing Daphne with the MC. The way I see
her character, she’s not interested in that kind of relationship. Also,
don’t forget that whatever views are described here in the story, are
the characters’, not mine xD ( the part about Daphne’s mother ), just in
case you’re offended :P Tell me what you think of the chapter! It was
very difficult to write xD
Chapter 42: Traveling
The ministry of magic had different ways to access its headquarters.
There was an entrance through a phone booth in London, the most used
one. Access through the Floo Network could be used by high-ranking
officials, and members of the High Society. Finally, Apparition was only
reserved to those that stood at the top of the "food chain". And yet, the
ministry was far from organized, as British wizards somehow found
comfort in chaos.
Karl Greengrass walked through the fireplace, accompanied by Kaiser
and Remus Lupin. They were not there for ministry related business, but
rather to use the international 'Portkeys'. Their destination? Asia.
Portkeys could not cover such large distances, therefore they would have
to go through intermediate countries, before finally reaching their
destination. They estimated that the journey would take four hours at
most, not because the Portkeys took time to arrive, they were an
instantaneous form of teleportation, but 'International Portkeys' were
strictly regulated, activated only on a specific time schedule.
The whole place was hectic, with people going in and out at an alarming
rate, paper-airplanes and owls flying above their heads, making them
hope they wouldn't be victim to an owl treat, but also getting them on
alert. This was the perfect opportunity to attack someone as the situation
made it very difficult to react, and more so to retaliate without collateral
damage.
They were traveling light, only with their wands and expanded pouches,
because they already had people in place ahead of time, to provide
security and anything they may require.
Kaiser was growing restless at the disorder and also fearful; he was a
control freak and did not like the situations where things could go
horribly wrong one bit.
He was relieved when it was time for the 'portkey' to activate, and glad
the French ministry was a lot more organized than the British one.
"You really should relax for a bit. All this paranoia is going to make your
head gray before its time." Remus sighed, shaking his head.
"It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you." Kaiser pointed out.
Karl did not comment, but he noticed Kaiser's abnormal reaction and
wondered why he acted that way. He was usually calmer and more
collected. Maybe his recent confrontation with the death eaters had a
more profound impact on him than Karl originally thought.
His daughter told him about that nightly incident, and he could not help
but worry about him. Transcendence could not afford to lose him: He was
too important for their future and they all knew it.
Even though Karl was the manager of every aspect of their organization,
He was not the true head. As the Founder, Kaiser had the ultimate
authority, and could override any and all decisions. Thankfully, he was
smart enough to trust Karl's wisdom and experience, and recognize he
was better suited for the job.
Karl may need to convince him to see a mind healer, but somehow, he
doubted his success. Kaiser was a very reserved person when it came to
his feelings, if his daughter's analysis was to be believed.
They spent twenty minutes in France, before portkeying to the next
destination, the rest of the trip was uneventful as they spent most of the
time in the waiting zone.
They finally arrived at the all-wizarding village in China, north from
'Mianyang', and it was a world of its own. Compared to Hogsmeade, the
difference was akin to the Heavens and Earth.
Magical energy could be felt in abundance, generating a refreshing
atmosphere, for the soul. Every rodent was conducting themselves in the
appropriate manner, even the little kids, sticking strictly to the Chinese
etiquette of conduct.
Almost all the locals had a weapon on their person, especially the
teenagers, varying from swords on their waists, to spears on their backs.
While some hid theirs, in an enchanted container.
The shops were numerous, their products ranging from local food to
clothes and even trinkets. But they all had one thing in common: Hands
being woven in an impressive display of wandless magic, making
whatever would require manual labor. The only time they used their
arms was to hand over the merchandise to their clients.
It was considered shameful to rely on physical efforts and was interpreted
as a sign of weakness. Which made getting the most menial of jobs
difficult: one must be both a wizard and a proficient one at wandless
magic.
====================================
Most important figures in the wizarding world converged to China, for
the annual Youth Tournament, where Asian Wizards displayed their
respective schools or sect magic. It was mainly a display of power for all
to see, reminding them why Asia was the most powerful region in the
world. The very nature of their combat style made them invincible when
faced with western wizards.
Karl and Kaiser also had a meeting scheduled with Erling, one they were
not looking forward to, to discuss the future of their association, which
would definitely end with concessions on their part.
In the meantime, they would spend time discovering what magical China
had to offer, and relax in their expensive hotel.
Remus was currently in the practice room, with his wand pointed
forwards, his expression cold and emotionless, a sign of an occluded
mind. Suddenly, anger crept through his face, "Pyronefas Infernalis!". A
small wisp of crimson gold flame took shape out of the tip of his wand,
promising destruction to anything that stood in its way. A materialization
of Remus' anger, the very principles of Dark Magic.
Remus maintained it for about two minutes, before forcing his magic to
obey him despite its chaotic state, dispelling the deadly fire. He breathed
a sigh of relief, thinking of how much he progressed since he began
training, but his thoughts were interrupted by a slow approaching
applause. He looked around to see Kaiser approaching him with a smile.
"Impressive. I see you haven't been slacking off."
"You know how embarrassing it is to hear your ex-student praise you
because the roles have reversed?" Remus said, embarrassment seeping
through his voice.
"Yes." Kaiser rolled his eyes. "But I'm way better at this than you. I've
been practicing for longer, you see." He smirked. "Still, to think that you,
one of the four Marauders, the Gryffindor's Golden Boys, is practicing
Dark Magic." he chuckled at the thought. "Ironic, isn't it?" there was no
malice in his words, maybe a little jab at how stupid they were,
something Remus himself agreed on.
"We were teenagers." Remus sighed.
"I would hope so." A feeling of shame suddenly assaulted Remus, one that
was impossible to forget. Kaiser told him in no uncertain terms, how he
and his funny little friends spat on the founder's legacy, destroying what
should've been a sanctuary to young wizards full of hope, just because
they were "Slytherins", or "Slimy snakes" as they preferred to call them,
such much that they pushed most of them over to the supremacist who
accepted them with open arms.
He was very vocal, especially about the late "James Potter", for making
the wretched Marauders' Map. James had found some schemes about
Hogwarts' wards in the Potter Library, and admitted to them that his
family were descendants of Godric Gryffindor himself.
The way he had used the map, however, was a sin Kaiser would never
forgive. And somehow, Remus was certain that had Kaiser been alive
back then, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
Kaiser had a deep amount of reverence for the four Founders, for the
opportunities and trust they offered him unconditionally, albeit he did
not understand why. Yet he swore he would do everything in his power
to make sure their legacy would live on forever.
Remus understood that all the hope he was given, one that drove his life
forward, was thanks to the founders. He believed he had much to make
up for.
====================================
Karl had an appointment with members of his political party, old friends
and acquaintances, while Kaiser and Remus had the day to themselves.
They decided to go out for a bit and explore.
Fortunately for them, they did not require a translator, because for some
reason, Kaiser could speak Mandarin. When asked, Kaiser merely
shrugged, claiming he had some time to kill. The truth is, he had to learn
different languages in his past life, to be able to understand published
scientific papers, as not everyone was nice enough to translate their
research for others. The languages he had to learn included Russian,
Japanese and French, while he was still adding more to his collection.
The locals, even those that could speak English, never used it, sticking
strictly to their native language. Either to make job opportunities for
Translators, or simply because they refused to use a foreign language in
their homeland. "Why should I be the one to speak their language?"
Something along these lines, Kaiser thought.
The first place he wanted to visit was the dueling Arena. He heard a lot
about their fighting style, and he was dying to see it for himself.
As they walked through the busy streets, Kaiser could spot several people
flying on what appeared to be swords, and could not help but get excited
at the prospect. But Remus destroyed his hopes when he noticed his
reaction.
"It is forbidden to own one of those by non-Asian people, you know?"
"We can always smuggle one?" Kaiser asked hopefully. But he knew it
was a stupid risk to take, over such a small matter. Remus merely shook
his head.
He did not need to ask for directions to reach it, because nearly every kid
was headed there, talking excitedly about the fights they had witnessed
there some day. The Chinese were obsessed with fighting, and it was
clear said obsessions started from such a young age. Kids liked to spend
their time practicing against each other and showing off their superior
skills.
They arrived in front of a humongous circular building, very much like
the ancient Greek arena, with cracks all over its walls, hinting at how old
it was. The cracks would not cause the building to collapse, as there was
a magical fail safe in place, not to mention the people responsible for its
maintenance. They could easily mend them, but perhaps they preferred
leaving it that way for its historical significance.
Remus and Kaiser first arrived to what appeared to be a hall the lavish
ornaments and very expensive lifestyle that stemmed from the air itself
was sickening for Kaiser, they walked through the hall gaining some very
diverse eyeing from most of the crowd, they were wearing very formal
British clothes that absolutely clashed with the customs in place.
Kaiser went straight to the booth to get two tokens for a duel that will
start in 30 minutes, while Remus was eyeing back each and every one.
The team then had to their designed spots, they were seated in an outer
layer of the coliseum-like building, that was 3000 feats in radius, the
wide two doors from each side led to think that that's where the two
champions would emerge.
Kaiser wasn't the only one interested by the show, to his side he could see
wizards from Russia, France, and many more.
It was time, and the stone doors were gently taking off and floating in the
sky, the two figures then emerged from the darkness each clothed in a
distinctive color, representing their school or belief.
The first hero had a red gown that looked formal and plain, "I wonder if
this type of clothing is specific to fighting like a Kimono", in his left hand
rested a spear that looked as tall as a person, that pointed to its enemy.
The second hero had more European clothes, a fluttery blouse, and a
rapier in his waist, his features looked determined, and unfazed. Both
were merely 20 years old but they held so much might in front of each
other.
After each of them paying respect to the referee that was hovering above
the scene, but also to the crowd, that ran amok each one cheering
mindlessly to one of the two champions.
"Begin!" The referee's word started a new wave of excitement and
cheering.
====================================
A/N: I just want to point this out: if somehow my words are disrespectful
towards any culture, which believe me, is no intention of mine, then I
apologize, and hope you guys understand this is just a work of fiction,
and has nothing to do with the real world.
Also, for those who don't know who "Erling Krovius" is, in chapter 21,
there was a meeting organized by Karl to gather patrons for their new
project. Here is the text that introduced the Krovius Family:
The Krovius family was blessed with a deep history, as they dated back
from Hogwart's founders Era. They were a purely neutral family, one that
rarely participated in any conflicts. The reason isn't because they never
provoked anyone, but rather no one dared to stand on their way. They
held enormous influence in the Wizarding world, and their businesses
stretched across several continents.
In the previous Wizarding world war against Gellert Grindelwald, they
occupied the front lines, eradicating many families that joined his
banners. It was foolish thinking to believe Dumbledore was the reason
the war against Grindelwald was won. Grindelwald was but one man,
and so was Dumbledore.
The Krovius family, however, was an army of its own. It had many
branches in several Wizarding communities, an extensive amount of
knowledge accumulated over the years, along with enough funds to last
several lifetimes. The word 'Dangerous' wasn't enough to describe them.
The man approaching Kaiser was Erling Krovius, the current head of the
main family. You would be deceived by the ever present small smile on
his face, thinking he was quite the harmless person. His hazel eyes were
scanning every fiber of Kaiser's being, peering directly at his soul. He was
in his fifties, but his chestnut hair, along with his pale white skin devoid
of any wrinkles would lead you to believe otherwise.
Notes
Enjoy the chapter :D Comment and tell us what you think of the
chapter, we appreciate the feedback :D
The Fight
Kaiser was very interested when he noticed the names of the champions.
"Yun Canghai" (China) vs "Jean Krovius" (Belgium)
Kaiser did not understand why the Krovius family was so feared, why
they held so much weight in the wizarding world. He could understand
the 'advantage in number': their family had branches all over Europe, and
therefore could make an army of their own, not to mention everyone
working on their orders.
They certainly held many important positions over many countries, but
that was not the reason why they were "feared". Take Voldemort as an
example. The reason why he was feared, as a wizard, was undeniably his
power. Aurors tried taking him down on several occasions, and he always
came out on top, even when confronted by the assault of five fully
fledged wizards, injuring two of them in the process before retreating.
His knowledge on the Dark Arts was another factor. In a duel where Dark
Magic is used, using anything other than Dark Magic can only result in
loss. While the caster sacrificed a huge amount of control over his magic,
the increase in its potency and destructiveness is exponential.
But Voldemort was but one man. The Krovius family, on the other hand,
was a titan of the Wizarding World. Their repertory of spells was
extensive and versatile, as shown in the last world war. Though Kaiser
wasn't there to witness their prowess, and now he had the golden
opportunity to do so first hand.
Remus appeared equally excited at the prospect of witnessing such a
unique fight. He never considered it possible to fight with magic and
weapons at the same time. He heard Godric Gryffindor fought with the
famous Sword of Gryffindor instead of a wand, but he couldn't imagine
how it would be used in coordination with magic.
"Kai!" A voice interrupted their thoughts as they were about to claim
their seats, causing them to wonder who it might.
But the emitter did not let them much time to think, as an auburn headed
missile took Kaiser in a bear hug, leaving him stunned for a few seconds.
But once the scent of lavender and vanilla reached his nostrils, he knew it
was Susan.
A genuine smile graced his face, glad to have met one of his best friends
in such a foreign place. He hugged her back, albeit not as enthusiastically
as her.
"Hello, Suzie. Fancy seeing you here." she beamed at him, even though a
blush slowly crept through her face.
"I didn't expect to see you in China! What brings you here?" She asked
happily.
"Have an errand to run here. And I can't miss such a display of magic,
now can I?" Kaiser heard a wolfish whistle coming from her companions.
"Sorry. Should I leave you lovebirds alone? You should get a room." The
pink haired lady said with a grin.
"D-Dora!" Susan exclaimed, outraged at her insinuations. Maybe just a
little bit.
"Hello, Tonksie!" Kaiser liked the bubbly Metamorphmagus very much,
and they did speak on several occasions. He wouldn't call himself a close
friend of hers, but a friend nevertheless.
"Wotcher Kai."
"Professor Lupin?" Susan blurted out, wondering what their defense
teacher was doing here of all the places, and he seemed to be with Kaiser.
"Hello." He said awkwardly.
Kaiser just remembered that this was the first time Remus would meet
Tonks, and he wondered if they would become a couple in this world too.
He looked over at Tonks, and could see she was checking him out.
With a mischievous glint, he said: "Ah where are my manners. Tonks,
meet Remus Lupin, last year's DADA professor, the best Hogwarts had in
years if I might add, and currently a colleague of mine. Remus, this is
Nymphadora Tonks, Auror trainee. She doesn't like being called by her
first name."
Surprisingly, Tonks stepped forward, extended her hand for him to shake,
while he returned the gesture.
"A pleasure to meet you."
The match was about to start, so they each took their seats. Susan took
the one next to Kaiser, while Nymphadora boldly moved beside Remus.
"How is your summer so far?" Susan asked.
"Very productive. I've tried playing Quidditch, I admit I never truly
appreciated the game until I tried it."
"Was it the first time you ever played the game?" Susan asked curiously.
"Yep." Kaiser confirmed. Susan just remembered that he was muggle-
born, but one cannot blame her. Anyone would think he was pure-blood
based on his knowledge of magic. "What about you? Did anything fun
with Hannah?"
"Mm." she nodded eagerly, and began telling him about all the fun
activities they did so far. He was surprised when he heard Daphne was
also included in some of them, but in a good way. He hoped she'd spend
more time with her friends. In his previous life, he could not make
friends due to the age difference, since he was at college at the age of
fifteen.
Their conversation was interrupted by the beginning of the match.
On stage, two wizards whose age did not surpass 20, stood in front of
each other, their faces betraying no emotions, but an intense
concentration on whatever their next move would be could be felt
throughout the arena. Perhaps they were probing each other with
Legilimency attacks, but no one could tell.
The blue champion's grip hardened around his rapier, before suddenly
dashing towards his opponent, not giving him or the audience time to
react. An aura of magic could be felt surrounding his body, and the wind
seemed erratic at his movements, most likely the result of a
reinforcement spell cast on himself.
It was exceedingly difficult to follow him with an untrained eye, as his
rapier shone with a blinding silver color in front of his opponent's throat.
This was by no means a death match, but dying trying to avoid such
obvious attack would only be blamed on his opponent.
The red champion did not drop his calm demeanor in front of the sudden
assault, but slashed with a vertical motion toward the approaching sword
master, but the motion was far from ordinary, if the wind that pushed his
opponent back was any indication.
He was not done, however, as he sent a wandless piercing spell at his
opponent's face, that managed to graze him, despise his attempts at
dodging it. Anger crept into his face because of what he considered to be
a humiliation. Had the other targeted his body instead of his face, it
would've certainly done much more damage, yet he chose the latter.
Yet it was a calculated move nevertheless, as the Jean Krovius suddenly
seemed dazed with a blank look on his face, the result of a successful
invasive Legilimency attack, which was followed by the red champion's
aggressive assault. The blue champion's daze did not last too long, and
immediately had his guard up.
Their fighting style involved a lot of movement that was just confusing
for the static western wizards, along with the acrobatics that came with
each attack. It was an eye opener for Kaiser to have the weapon act as a
focus instead of a wand, and as an enchanter, he could definitely
understand the advantage.
First of all, the size of the magical artifact used meant the possibility of
adding more enchantment. While theoretically speaking, runes could be
compressed to be held within a single atom, it would take hundreds of
years to pull off for a single enchantment. It was the main reason why he
wanted to finish his Runic Printer and RPU so much.
Kaiser knew that wands did not only serve as a focus for magic, that's
what made their conception so difficult, requiring the Olivander family
more than three thousand years of accumulation of knowledge before
reaching their current level. Their enchantment varied from fail-safes in
case a spell went awry, to prophetic and predictive enchantment to help
the caster.
More importantly, the reason why wizards always had spells "come out"
of their wand. Theoretically speaking, a 'focus' does its job all over the
person's magic, meaning it does not bind it to come out of the tip of the
wand. Instead, having a wand in hand, an experienced wizard could
make the spell materialized in any location he wanted, as long as it was
within his own 'spherical' range.
'Local' casting is what made spells even easier. The theory is that the
medium has enchantment in place that made the spell sequence easier to
build close to it. Weapon wielders made full use of this, as they cast the
spells on their weapons instead.
The slash the red champion sent at the blue one in the beginning could
be blocked by a protego, but you'd have to put a lot more energy into it,
which was exceedingly wasteful. He proved not only to excel in magical
attacks, but also in strategy, as he could not afford being careless against
someone who clearly specialized in speed.
The fight dragged on without any victor for at least ten minutes, each of
which would make Kaiser experience a new level of art, getting
bewitched by such quick reflexes and flexibility. Their stamina seemed to
be running out, and each of their errors cost them a piece of their
clothing.
The spear wielding champion seemed to understand that a war of
attrition would not benefit him, and decided to take off the kids gloves. A
sudden look of determination graced his face, and his opponent
understood his intent. The spear starting rotating around the wizard in an
impressive display, which would make one think he was showing off, if
not for his intense expression.
Suddenly, an Arc of lighting took off from his spear, rushing madly
toward his opponent. Kaiser wondered how could lightning take such a
shape. It's not as if it was malleable. He understood even less how a
person could make "lightning" follow a certain direction to propagate. It
needed a difference of potential, and the only logical conclusion would
be for it to go for the ground, yet it did not. Which made him think that
perhaps this was not true lightning after all.
The blue champion did not waste time to get out of the way, but it was
far from over. Another arc of lighting made its way, right where he was
headed. And yet, he managed to dodge it in the last moment, conjuring a
Protego to slightly deflect it. The red champion seemed to be brewing
another one, but the sword master had enough.
The atmosphere suddenly shifted in the air, making the crowd grasp at
what was about to happen. They knew what this meant, as most of them
were experienced wizards themselves. Dark magic.
It was by no means forbidden, but lethal dark magic was. The referee
seemed ready to intervene at a moment's notice, and the flabbergasted
look on the spear master escaped no one's notice. He wondered what
spell he could possibly send that wouldn't violate the rules.
Surprisingly, it was a mere stunning spell. How he could use a dark
variant of the stunning spell at such a young age had everyone praise his
talent.
An overpowered Protego sprang to life in front of the spear master, wish
successfully deflected the spell, alas, he forgot the wizard who cast it was
no less of a threat, as he greeted him with a kick to the stomach that sent
him outside of the allocated space.
The referee proceeded to announce the victor, who was greeted by a
round of applause for an impressive display of magic.
Notes
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I wanted to add a new aspect of magic.
I’ve already seen fencing combined with wands before, but I wanted
something that relied exclusively on something other than wands. I’ve
thought about Scepters, Staffs, and then weapons that could be turned
into a focus. And as I explained, with the theory I put behind
enchanting, I think they would make a great deal of sense. I also
wanted to explore the world for a bit. It seems a bit of a waste to
explore only the aspects of Magical England, when the world is such a
large place. Even the main villain, Voldemort, isn’t that big a deal
world wide, he is a national terrorist. If you have any suggestions for
the story, don’t hesitate. Also, I’d like to apologize for the inconsistent
updates. This story is written by two students with very loaded
schedule, and therefore we can’t always release chapters. We write
them when we have some free time, or when we don’t particularly
care about what the professor is discussing ( Yeah, we get bored
sometimes). Also, the rude comments do not help us at all. If anything,
they dampen our motivation ( a little bit ). We welcome constructive
criticism (within the boundaries of respect), so feel free to criticize.
More Talks
"That was interesting." Susan commented, as they made their exit. "I
never thought magic could be used that way."
"Indeed. It got me wondering how a wand user would fare against a
proficient weapon user." Kaiser answered with a pensive expression. "I
am pretty certain he won't stand a chance."
"What makes you think that? I'm sure there are wand users that are just
as powerful." Susan argued, probably thinking of her auntie.
"Think of it this way. That weapon of theirs is just like a wand, but ten
times stronger. Especially in closed quarters. Ollivanders' wands do have
some advantages those weapons don't, especially the custom-made ones,
but I'm not sure if it's enough."
"Is your wand custom made?" Susan asked curiously. "Is that perhaps why
you had to change it in second year?"
"It is." Kaiser confirmed. "But it's still a general-purpose wand. I did not
ask for anything specific. Yet." he added. "What about yours?"
"It's too early for me to get a special wand." she shrugged.
Remus and Tonks let the teenagers talk among themselves, why they got
to know each other. Tonks seemed very curious about the ex-DADA
professor, finding the need to ask about every aspect of his life, while
Remus dodged any question almost skillfully. Almost.
At the sight of a sweets shop, Susan literally dragged the reluctant Kaiser
to try them, even though he did not like sweet things much. He
wondered if Susan wasn't afraid for her weight, as most of the girls
seemed to be, but then again, she was a witch. Such issues have been
solved centuries ago by potions masters and healers.
It was lunch time, and everyone was getting hungry. Remus had the
marvelous idea of trying some local spicy food, to which they all eagerly
agreed. Turns out it wasn't such a good idea.
Susan, by the end of the meal, had a tomato red face, which on top of her
already milky white skin was glaringly obvious, and also hilarious if
Kaiser's mad laughter wasn't any enough indication. He wasn't any better
himself, but maybe Susan got redder because of the embarrassment.
Nymphadora cheated her way out of it, forcing her appearance to change
when it happened. "The perks of being a metamorphmagus…" Remus
shook his head.
They finished their meal, and started wandering the busy streets again,
when Susan suddenly asked: "Kai, can we go somewhere private? I would
like to speak to you." to which he readily agreed, although he wondered
what she wanted to talk about, she seemed serious enough.
-----------------------------------------
Susan was beet red from embarrassment when she entered the private
room, they asked for in the café place. In her defense, it was most likely
due to Nymphadora's earlier comment to "enjoy themselves and not take
too long" which earned her a disapproving look from Remus.
He waited for her to start to give both of them enough time to recollect
themselves. After correcting her breathing, she began: "I would like to
thank you, on behalf of my house, for the information you provided us
before. You did not have to, and the Bones house owes you for that."
'So this is official business, huh…' Kaiser mused.
"I only did what was necessary. Don't feel like you owe me anything. We
are friends, remember?" Kaiser answered with a smile.
"Then I'm very lucky to be your friend." She smiled sweetly at him. "I do
hope you forgive my bluntness on the subject, but I need to ask. Where
do you stand in this war?"
Kaiser occluded his mind, his face gaining an air of neutrality, and the
shift was quite obvious to Susan. The gears of his mind started turning.
This was by no means an innocent question.
She was not exactly asking about his opinion on the "war", as it was clear
since he was willing to help them. This couldn't be that simple. What she
was doing was inquiring about the neutral family's stance, since they
were so closely tied together. Should he reveal anything to her?
If the dark faction got news of their real stance, the neutral faction would
lose the element of surprise. The question that remained is, was it worth
the risk to reveal anything to her?
He decided that he shouldn't waste the trust he'd already cultivated with
the current head of the DMLE, a very powerful witch and a huge
influence in the light faction, one that did not like headmaster
Dumbledore very much.
"Voldemort's existence is very bad for business, and ruins an important
part of our plans." Kaiser chose his words carefully.
"So, we have a common enemy. You want him gone just as much as we
do." Susan nodded. "It makes sense. The previous war gave us all enough
lessons." She wasn't referring to him, and he knew it.
"But the problem remains." Susan continued. "He seems to have gained
immortality."
Kaiser could probably bullshit his way out of this, claiming that there
was no proof he was ever killed to begin with, but since they have
already seen the memories of Harry's confrontation with him, this was no
longer possible.
"My aunt believes you know more than you let on." Susan gave him a
knowing smile.
"Everyone knows more than they let on. Only a fool would lay all his
cards on the table." he snorted, which earned him a chuckle from the
friendly Hufflepuff.
"But it is true nevertheless. And this is something that affects the United
Kingdom at large. If we have no way to dispose of him permanently, then
our efforts would be for naught."
"You're asking me whether I know more about his pseudo-immortality,
and whether we have a way to destroy him, correct?" Kaiser asked, to
which she nodded seriously.
They were reaching dangerous territory, Kaiser thought. This is not the
kind of information you reveal to anyone. He doubted Voldemort
revealed this to his most trusted 'servants'. And Kaiser was weighing in
the advantages of informing them. Or how much he should tell them.
But before making his decision, he asked her: "Do you mind if I test you?"
She titled her head in confusion, seeing the wand in his hand. She
wondered what he wanted to do, but knowing him, she knew he'd never
do anything to harm her. "Go ahead."
Kaiser fixated her deep blue orbs, and was lost in the moment for a
while, having reached some kind of trance. Emotions he hid deep in his
heart began resurfacing, overwhelming him for a fleeting second. Susan
appeared to be in the same state, a blush slowly forming on her cheeks.
Kaiser occluded again, breaking their 'connection' and gathering his wits
again. He looked at her, this time concentrating on the task at hand,
before sending a silent Legilimency probe. He was barely in, when he
found himself kicked out brutally, something he never experienced
during his training with Hermione. He frowned and tried again, only to
meet the same result.
Kaiser looked deeply at Susan, who was smiling innocently at him. But
she was beyond impressed by his ability. She never considered it possible
for someone their age to be able to master Legilimency, something her
Occlumency professor confirmed to her, yet Kaiser was the living
example that he was wrong. But maybe he was just that special. After all,
she had always considered him special.
"I must admit. I have underestimated you, Susan." Kaiser sighed. He had
new found respect for her, as she was clearly more proficient than him in
Occlumency. But he didn't know she had been trained in the art since she
was five.
"Whatever do you mean?" she batted her eyelashes at him innocently,
with the sweetest smile she could muster. Kaiser smiled at her antics, but
he felt something was off. Susan appeared to have matured a lot more
this past summer. While she could speak to him easily before, he was
certain she couldn't confront him without showing extreme emotional
reactions, which were clearly noticed.
She was a lot more controlled now, and also bolder. He was happy to see
her mature as such, and hoped she could improve for the better. She was
his dear friend, after all.
"I don't need to tell you that the only other person that can know of this
is your aunt." At her nod, he continued. "To answer your question. Yes,
we are aware of how he achieved his pseudo immortality, and yes, we
know how to dispose of him."
Noticing her sudden excitement, he added: "And before you ask, No, I am
not about to reveal the secrets of immortality to anyone."
"What?" She blurted out loud, seemingly outraged at his accusation. "I
was going to ask that." she said with a hint of annoyance. "I wanted to
ask how we can help in that endeavor."
"But it is the same thing, isn't it?" Susan conceded at his argument.
Revealing the tiniest information about that particular subject would
already be revealing too much. "Nevertheless, we will tell you if there is
anything you can do to help us."
"Since we seem to have the same goals, maybe an alliance between our
factions would be advised?" Susan asked hopefully. After all, their light
faction was the front line in this way since they were openly confronting
the dark one. Having the neutrals on their side would be a huge boon.
Eyeing her critically, he asked: "And what makes you think I have any
say in such matters?"
Indeed, what would make them think that a fourteen years old teenager
would have any say at all. He may be a "genius" enchanter, but that
didn't mean much, as he'd still be working under someone else who was
truly in control.
This whole conversation seemed pointless from the beginning, as such
serious matters shouldn't have been discussed with him, and yet, Susan
discussed them nevertheless. Granted, he did reveal enough for her to
understand that he was no ordinary teenager, and should be treated as an
equal, despite being the heiress to the Bones name. But she seemed under
that impression before the conversation even began.
Susan's smile widened at his question, but she shrugged. "A guess." she
added, an addition that Kaiser did not believe for a moment. Amelia
Bones was a very smart witch, and he did not doubt the fact that she
spent the last two years analyzing every aspect of his life, to have come
to this conclusion. Even if his involvement with Karl started last year.
"I must disappoint you." Kaiser shook his head. "Madam Bones will have
to speak to Lord Greengrass herself."
"A shame." Susan was anything but disappointed. In fact, she was
ecstatic. This conversation had been very successful, as it answered the
biggest questions marks over the looming war. Their prospects looked
brighter than before, having the neutral faction in their side. She knew
that it was only a matter of time before they agreed on an alliance, as it
served both parties.
Even more, now that she knew they were indeed on their side, they could
ask for a supply of their latest communication devices that would be
released in a few months, while also being sure that the dark faction
wouldn't be able to use said devices to their advantage. Who would be
stupid enough to arm their enemies against themselves?
"On a bright note, I have a few plans I would need your help with to
implement during the next school year. I'm sure you'll appreciate them
very much."
"Of course! You can count me in." She beamed at him, happy to be useful.
"We should rejoin our friends, before they start getting ideas we could do
without." he added with a chuckle, earning an eager nod from Susan. She
was still easily teased about the subject, not that Kaiser was any better
himself.
Notes
Enjoy the chapter :D
Chap45
Serana, like any young girl her age, had big dreams for the future. She
was never very bright at school, yet she never slacked off. Her theoretical
knowledge was at the top of her class, but practical magic was not her
forte. Had she been at Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang, she would've
been sorted into Hufflepuff.
Her father belonged to a minor branch of the Krovius family, therefore
they didn't have a high standing. The only way for them to ever "amount
for something" was through achievements, which was the reason why she
tried so hard at school.
Yet life played a cruel joke on her. She always knew she'd have to marry
one day, but she hoped it would come later on, when she's proven herself
valuable enough to have a modicum of control over such basic life
choices. But it was too late, she never had a chance.
The worst part is: there was no way out of it. Terrible things happened to
those that renounced their family names, or those that eloped. In fact,
assassination rings offered a special discount to hunt for such people, to
earn allies. But worse of all: if she decides to take the risk, her family
would be the one to suffer, as the Krovius family were known for many
things, mercy not being one of them.
She spent her nights crying herself to sleep, for all her shattered dreams.
All she could hope for right now was whoever she was going to marry
would be decent enough to respect her the tiniest bits. She was only
given a name: Kaiser Lunar, some rising enchanter. But even that was too
much to hope for; She would be forced to sign a traditional marriage
contract.
She will basically be a slave to her husband's wishes, no better than a
house elf. It was rarely used nowadays, only when a "gesture of good
will" was needed. That's right. That's all she was to that wretched family
of hers: a gesture of good will. She hated them, every last one of them.
Yet she could do nothing to change her fate.
She was taken to Asia to meet the patriarch, a man as scary as the rumors
said. She was not about to forget that meeting any time soon. He had the
gall to instruct her about the importance of family, and doing our "duty".
Ironic, he finished by telling her to "look pretty" for tomorrow's meeting.
Because that's all she was: a pretty face to be sold off to bear more
Krovius children, for the cycle to repeat itself over and over again.
Serana was everything but composed, strolling warily from right to left in
the little space she was put into, her usually straight and beautiful red
hair was in shambles, her face was a mess from her endless crying, she
cried so much you couldn't see a glint of hope in her eyes.
Today was the day she would meet the wizard she was promised to, or
would be promised to. She couldn't even hate the patriarch, too worried
about her future. But all she could do was cry and cry until her
existential crisis would stop.
Her 'educator' knocked on the door, to make sure she was prepared for
the occasion. Her personality was carefully modeled from a young age to
fit a specific role, her abilities as a witch were never important.
From the thumping sound at the door, she regained consciousness, and in
a split second she stopped shedding her tears, and proceeded to comb her
hair as fast as she could. Throwing her clothes on. Before she knew her
educator stormed in and took her by the arm.
Soon she was changed, her make up done, she looked like never before
and her demeanor changed as she shifted personalities, her mentor was
overseeing her process.
====================================
Kaiser was in the practice room, trying to take him mind off what
awaited him. He found solace in experimenting with new things. Magic
was a wonderful gift, and he always had fun whenever he practiced it.
Today, he was trying to apply a new theory of his. It all originated from a
simple observation, and a comparison between the muggle and the
magical world.
He was not new to the principle of "energy", having studied different
types extensively. Yet his observation started from the first law of
thermodynamics: The Conservation of Energy. "Energy cannot be created
or destroyed. Only transformed." this same principle was surprisingly still
applied even when magic was involved. Magical Energy, or Mana as he
liked to call it was converted to the appropriate type of energy.
In fact, for every branch of magic, an elementary study of the conversion
sequence was necessary before progressing further, whether it be
Transfiguration, Charms or the Dark Arts. Even among the same
category, spells of different nature would have a different sequence.
The Lumos spell converted Mana into electromagnetic radiation. But
here's something that Kaiser considered a cheat: the conversion was way
too easy. Conversion of magic was done in many forms in the non
magical world. To illustrate, to obtain "electricity", muggels convert
kinetic energy through a complex system, in order to obtain the desired
result: all while playing within a set of strict rules, finding ways to
exploit them.
For the Lumos spell, however, no "complex system" was needed. All the
wizard had to do was the correct imaging and intent, then will it into
existence. The question is: Could the same process be applied to any kind
of energy?
One could probably find the answer in already existent spells: The
Incindio Charm, the lightening spell, The Levitation Charm…
All those spells started from a basic form of energy: Mana, to reach a
different state, whether it be heat, electricity, light… What Kaiser wanted
to try was different: Invent a spell to convert a different type of existing
energy from one state to another.
The most interesting one he wanted to achieve was Heat to Kinetic
energy. Since magic was involved, if he ever succeeded in doing that, it
would be possible to reach the absolute zero, or get infinitely close
without all the hassle you'd need otherwise. Not to mention its offensive
potential.
He tried to reverse the process at first: converting Light to Mana, some
kind of reversed Lumos, but he didn't succeed after several weeks of trial
with different types of energy.
He needed to find the correct intent and imaging, but it requires a lot of
trial and errors. Success was never found on the first try.
His experimenting needed to come to an end, however, because of the
upcoming meeting. He went over their strategy with Karl who instructed
him on what to say. Erling did not know of their close relationship. As far
as he was concerned, Karl was a neutral party in this meeting.
====================================
Karl and Kaiser took a portkey, sent to them by Erling Krovius to join
him at their manor in China. The fact that he was allowed to use portkeys
in one of the most powerful countries proves how much influence the
Krovius family has. Portkeys were highly regulated, after all.
They were escorted to a well-furnished western styled room, with
portraits of imposing wizards drawn all along, with some of them being
alive. Swords, spears, halberds and different artifacts decorated the walls,
all leaking magical energy, accentuating the imposing feeling the whole
manor gave off.
It was probably deliberate of their host to make them go through all the
sights to intimidate them, but Karl was invulnerable to such tactics,
having used them himself before. Kaiser was warned, and could
understand the truth of Karl's words. Not that he ever doubted them.
They were served tea after being seated, leaving the main seat to their
host who was nowhere to be seen. Of course, a man of his status would
never wait for anyone, the others did the waiting for him.
They sipped their tea, quietly waiting for their host to show up, which he
did after fifteen minutes, not even bothering to offer an apology.
He had a different feeling to him, and he felt a lot more imposing than
when he talked to Kaiser at the party. Maybe this was his attitude before
striking a deal, to make sure he didn't get the short end of the stick? Not
that it would get him anywhere with Karl.
After offering his greetings, Erling looked at Kaiser with a stern look,
making him feel goosebumps all over his body. A feeling of dread starting
creeping up Kaiser's spine. He was in enemy territory. One wrong move,
and it would be his last. Maybe it was a bad idea to meet him after all?
Alas, what is done is done. All he could do was solder on for now.
"You understand that my help is not for free, Mr. Lunar?"
"Naturally." Kaiser looked at him right below his eyes, never meeting
them. You never know who might be a master Legilimens, and he would
never risk it unless he was confident enough in his Occlumency, which he
was not yet.
Needless to say, Erling was already getting plenty in return for helping
them. Precision Technology has already received a non exhaustive list of
orders from governments all over the world, a large part of the profit
would make its way to Erling's pockets. But it was never enough for those
in power. They always wanted more.
"We do not lack the means to shield you," Erling continued. "But your
status does not make it easy. People are demanding answers. 'How can a
muggle-born come up with a such thing', they say. And I do not blame
them. Your origins do you no good, Mr. Lunar." Erling could see that his
words had no effect on Kaiser, and he expected no less.
"Which is why I propose you join our family." Erling said with a smile,
that lacked any kindness. "No one would question your achievements
anymore. Our family takes care of their own."
"I would be honored." Kaiser gave the only answer he could give. Erling
was not making a request, and Kaiser already surrendered himself to this
fate. A minor setback in his road to greatness.
Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of a young girl, who came
in as if answering some kind of signal. Her natural elegance lit up the
room, as she strolled in confidently. Gone was the vulnerable girl crying
her heart out, replaced by an air of unmistakable haughtiness. Her light
make up did not hide her natural features, and further accentuated her
attractiveness.
She wore a simple Chinese gown that pinched her waist, making out the
outline of her slender body, with bell sleeves and leather high heel boots
giving her a tall and imposing stature. Few accessories rested on her wrist
and hair, boosting her femininity significantly. She also added a long coat
on top of her dress.
She offered a deep curtsy to her patriarch and his guests, a gesture a
proud witch would rarely grace anyone with. But her circumstances left
little choice to her in this matter.
Kaiser eyed the newcomer warily, gauging her attitude. From what she
displayed so far, he doubted they would meet eye to eye. Even worse, he
doubted she would play nice with Daphne, which was honestly a deal
breaker for him. Hopefully, he was wrong. Karl was doing exactly the
same thing as him.
"Ah, Serana. I was wondering when you would join us. Meet our guests,
Karl Greengrass and Kaiser Lunar from England." Erling said with his
usual cold smile.
Serana then, surprising everyone but her patriarch, turned to Kaiser, and
offered an equally deep curtsy, throwing them off guard. That was
completely unnecessary and out of character. Her entrance clearly
indicated that she was not the kind of person that would offer such
gesture of respect cheaply, yet she did so nevertheless.
"Enchanté."
Chapter 46
"A pleasure to meet you." Kaiser nodded, eyeing her warily. Karl, though
seemed to be a neutral party in this meeting, was analyzing every aspect
of it so far. He never heard of this particular Krovius, so she mustn't be
that important. Not that he expected her to, they'd never marry someone
of importance to a "muggle-born" after all.
"Take a seat." Erling ordered and she obeyed, taking the closest one to
her patriarch, right in front of Kaiser. She was studying him too,
wondering what kind of person he might be, and how to deal with him
best. First impressions are important, and so far she did just as she was
told. Her training was not in vain, after all.
"I'm sure you'll get time to get to know each other, but for now, let's get
down to business." Erling obviously did not believe that 'knowing each
other' was important at all from the way he said it, because he was
taught the same thing as well. Marriage is only a way to make new
connections and strike deals, as was his marriage. If he didn't like his
partner, he could always have mistresses, as long as the contract allows
it.
"This is a contract I had drafted for this occasion, do take a look at it." He
presented Kaiser with a document containing an extensive list of clauses
for all parties to follow, namely the patriarch representing the Krovius
family, Kaiser and Serana, the subject of the contract.
It was not possible for the patriarch to "sign off" Serana in a magical
contract, that's not the way it works. In fact, it was impossible even for
parents of the child to do so. A magical contract only applies to those
signing it, as it is your own magic that makes sure you follow it. Which is
why Serana's signature was mandatory.
Kaiser gave it a cursory read, to spot the clauses he could never agree to.
They would obviously not sign the contract right off, they were binding
for life. In fact, the contract would likely be modified to suit both parties,
but during this discussion, it was important for Kaiser to point out the
deal breakers for him, as he was instructed by Karl.
Karl predicted several ways the contract might be proposed. First, they
could take the aggressive route, and ask for total control over him and his
innovations, which would obviously not go very well for him. But if they
threatened him, there was very little he could do, or so they would think.
But there was one thing that would prevent them from doing so.
While they did believe he was muggle-born, as the Lunar name has never
existed for an ancient family, his origins are exceedingly mysterious. For
all they knew, he could have a different name, one he was hiding for
some reason. But that still was not enough to deter them.
The main deterrent is a very important piece of information: the fact that
Karl did not pressure him before they did, which he could obviously do.
That means he knew something they didn't. Not to mention that none of
the divination results predicted a good ending for him would they have
gone down that route.
The second option was to maximize their benefits, while reducing their
losses (which were already non existent). They needed to maintain a
friendly relationship with him, but still come out on top, and profit in the
long run. He was a gold mine, after all.
From the contract in Kaiser's hands, it was obvious that they took the
latter. The terms were quite straightforward and reasonable for their
advantageous position.
Kaiser took out his wand, and began waving it over the contract,
employing what his Transfiguraton lessons with Professor McGonagall
taught him, highlighting clauses with different colors, mainly in the
section pertaining to his agreement with Erling himself. Once he reached
the marriage contract, he was shocked to say the least. It was only thanks
to his Occlumency that he could hide the anger he felt at that moment.
This contract basically made her a slave to her husband, something he
could hardly accept, but he had no choice in the matter. All he could do
for her right now is not abuse the contract, and change it when he was
powerful enough. Although from a completely pragmatic point of view,
this was very advantageous to him.
Erling, who was perceptive enough, could clearly notice a slight glow at
Kaiser's eyes. He heard about his uncanny ability to show his emotional
instability through his glowing eyes and hair, something he was very
wary of. It was obvious that magic was at play somehow, yet the school
healer, a very qualified one at that, said that there was no trace of magic
whatsoever, meaning they were not a part of a ritual, which was clearly
impossible. Even now, with his sensitivity, honed by years of practice, he
could not pick up the tiniest trace of magic.
"I've highlighted the terms that need further discussion in yellow, though
that list is not final. As for those in red, they are beyond what I can
accept." Kaiser levitated the document back to Erling, who frowned at his
last sentence, wondering what he was talking about. There was one
particular clause he added to test him, but other than that, there
shouldn't be any issue.
Sure enough, the clause that stated that Kaiser would take the "Krovius
name" was highlighted in red, which confirmed his suspicions. There was
only two possibilities he could think: the first one being that he disliked
the name for some reason, but that's unlikely. It only came with benefits
for him and additional protection, unless he shared some history with the
family, which he seriously doubted. Given how thorough their
investigation was, they would've found out should that have been the
case.
The second one, is that he valued his name very much, for one of two
reasons: The name Lunar represented something special for him, which
was absurd given that apart from it being his birth name, as stated in a
note left there by whoever left him at the orphanage. Or, the name Lunar
was not his real name, and since the contract wouldn't let him
"eventually" take his original name back, he wouldn't agree to it. Erling
believed the second one was more likely to be the case, but he wasn't
going to argue with his choice. It was his loss, not theirs.
As for the second clause highlighted in red… a cold calculating look
graced Erling's face. If Kaiser thought he could just roll over them, he was
gravely mistaken.
"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Lunar?" Erling asked with an
emotionless monotone voice, which was far more effective than an angry
one. "Is asking for executive powers within a company we're investing so
heavily on asking too much for you?"
Kaiser, of course, was already prepared for his reaction. It was quite
unreasonable on his part, and he agreed with him. But there was no way
in hell he would allow the Krovius's family's clutches in a company that
held so many of his secrets.
"You might believe I am being unreasonable, Mr. Krovius, but my hands
are truly tied in this matter." Kaiser began. "While I understand why you
would want executive powers within Precision technologies, giving you
said powers would reveal information I do not wish to part with."
"There are ways to make sure information do not reach the wrong hands."
and it was true. All they had to do was add a clause that regulated how
the information could be used. But Kaiser shook his head.
"It isn't as simple as you might think. We could very much add some
terms to the contract, but I honestly can't imagine you agreeing to any of
them. This is for my safety, and the safety of my employees." Kaiser
argued, yet Erling did not look convinced at all. Kaiser would have to
change tactics.
"Excuse me if I don't take your word for it." Erling countered, eyeing
Kaiser intensely, hoping for the slightest eye contact, but it never came.
He was far too careful. "It appears to me you do not fully understand the
potential of your invention."
Kaiser wanted to laugh at the declaration of this fool. If only he knew the
plans he had made involving this very invention, armed with the
knowledge of a world far more advanced than this one who has barely
began the twenty first century. But he said nothing, and waited for him
to continue whatever tirade he had in store.
"The muggle world, as you may already know, already have this
technology for a dozen years now. It isn't only limited to communication
between two people anymore. Now, it's about bringing the whole world
in a "network" they call the "Internet". You can use this network to buy
books, groceries or any items you would like.
Even more, they have this thing called "Social Media", that allow people
to share pictures and texts. But in the background, it's far more
complicated than that. Governments use these "Social medias" to gather
information about everyone, and information in the most important
currency in the world. The way it can be exploited is limitless." Erling
explained, though it was clear to Kaiser that he had a rudimentary
understanding of what he was talking about at best.
While he was sure the Krovius family followed the happenings of the
muggle world, they hardly considered it a threat to truly pay attention to
every detail. A well placed Imperius curse can bring down an entire
government, after all.
"Achieving what you are referring to is certainly possible, Mr. Krovius.
However, it would take us dozen of years to reach that level." It wouldn't.
"I propose the following: I will do my best to listen to your suggestions
should they align with Precision Technologies' objective, and offer a
certain discount for any device your family orders. Also, we can agree on
a duration where the contract would be effective, to give you more
options for the future."
Erling looked pensive at this. A temporary contract would certainly be to
their advantage, if the terms didn't satisfy them in the long run. This
could be considered a trial, until they were completely satisfied with
their terms. Even more, it would give them time to observe what
Precision Technologies' impact is, and adapt accordingly. It didn't give
them the certainty they needed, but the one in a worse position would be
Kaiser. He needed to discuss this further with his advisors.
"We'll need to discuss this further." Erling answered. What followed was a
discussion over minor details, nothing too important, ending with
goodbyes and an offer for Kaiser to spend some time with his betrothed
to get to know each other, which he refused. He wasn't in the mood to
get to know anyone, and he hardly had any time. He had a lot of thinking
to do.
But before, he had a lot of "negative energy" he needed to release, and he
was sure to spend a few hours practicing dark magic to profit from this
situation. The angrier he was, the more potent dark magic that fed on
anger was, and the more difficult it was to control. He could benefit a lot
from from this session, as long as he doesn't go insane in the process.
Notes
Thank you for your kind comments/reviews, hope to see more xD.
We'll try to update more, if time permits. Enjoy the chapter!
Home Sweet Home Part 1
Kaiser left the meeting in a sour mood. He hated the fact that he needed
to be so cautious about everything, walking on eggs just so that he can
ensure his safety. Only the knowledge of what can be achieved through
magic kept him from giving up. Those fools had no idea how much
potential it held, choosing to waste their time on their perceived illusion
of power instead.
He will have to rectify this situation as quickly as possible. He already
had Hogwarts' as an unbreachable safe haven, so as long as he didn't
leave it, no one could harm him. But the problem is, he still needed the
wizarding world for his endeavors, so he had to compromise for now.
Kaiser spent the rest of the day in the practice room, trying to take his
mind off everything else, practicing his magic and trying to make
advancement in his new theory. He had a good feeling it might work.
Though progress seemed exceedingly slow, but he soldered on despite the
lack of results.
The tournament began the next day, driving the excitement in the village
to new heights. People flocked in thousands to Arena, which was
expanded to house all the newcomers. Hotels were already full, and
people started camping next to the village instead, creating a field of
tents as far as the eye could see. Even the air above it was full of flying
brooms, carpets, swords and god knows what else. Kaiser could swear he
saw someone riding a giant spoon. Wizards had the weirdest ideas
sometimes.
The tournament lasted four days, during which some gained a fortune
while others gambled theirs away. Some participants basked in glory,
while some returned home incomplete. Kaiser got the opportunity to
witness several ingenious ways to use offensive and defensive magic,
with the occasional genius displaying masterful non-lethal dark magic.
From those who fought with enchanted weapons to those who made
weapons out of their limbs, he saw all types of buffs and debuffs magic
being used from the occasional skin hardening to the more used speed
buffs.
================================
The trip back to Hogwarts was uneventful. Remus was checking some
souvenirs he bought on the way for his colleagues and friends, while
Kaiser was fangirling over enchanted weapons, annoying Remus and Karl
over which one he should learn to use. Karl was thinking what he would
have for dinner.
After portkeying to England, at last, and bidding each other goodbye,
Kaiser apparated back to the Chamber Of Secrets.
"Welcome back, Master." a hissing sound greeted him upon his arrival.
"It's been a while, Amaru. How you doin', sweetheart?" Kaiser answered
cheekily, earning himself the equivalent of a snake chuckle.
"I'm alright. Preys are plentiful this time of the year." She answered,
while Kaiser patted her nose gently.
"Do you still have the bad habit of toying with them?" He asked with a
knowing smile.
"Try sleeping for a whole year, we'll see if you don't get bored." She gave
a snake-shrug.
"Do have fun. I have to go now. I'll try to bring you some of your favorite
beef meat when I'm back." Kaiser made his way through the secret tunnel
to the "real chamber of secrets", his quarters.
"Welcome back." As soon as he entered, he was greeted with Daphne's
voice. She was sitting on the sofa, speaking to the portraits placed right
in the middle of the room, if he guessed correctly. The portraits were of
Salazar and Rowena, her tutors.
"I'm wounded, my dear Daphne." Kaiser said dramatically. "I've been
away for such a long time, traveling through a sea of fire and a mountain
of blades, yet I'm not greeted by any hugs nor shower of kisses…"
"Well, you're in a good mood." Daphne rolled her eyes at his antics,
though she did approach him and gave him a hug, which he returned,
albeit awkwardly.
"I think we should go no further, Daphne. I fear for my chastity." Daphne
burst out laughing at his outrageous words, though the portraits seemed
to enjoy the joke too.
"Greetings to you, my lord, my lady." Kaiser gave a bow to the portraits
as he usually did.
"No need to be so formal, child. At ease." Rowena looked at her favorite
disciple fondly. Salazar and Rowena considered Kaiser the child they
never had, and taught him everything they could. Kaiser also saw them
as a parental figure. He agreed with most of their teachings and values,
so one can say they were highly compatible.
"Your travels were fruitful, I hope?" Salazar inquired.
"Very. It did open my eyes to possibilities I never considered before."
Kaiser answered. "I also met with Mr. Krovius there. Not a pleasant
meeting."
"I can imagine." Salazar said thoughtfully. "You are bound to clash with
them, eventually. What is the Chinese idiom? … ah: 'One mountain
cannot contain two tigers'."
"Indeed." Kaiser said grimly, though he didn't consider himself or his
organization as a tiger just yet. "At least, we haven't drawn the Asian's
interest just yet."
"It's only a matter of time." Rowena said. "While they might act detached,
they follow everything closely. In fact, I have no doubt that their
information networks are the best in the world, not to mention their
divination abilities."
The problem with knowledge was that it needed to be accumulated over
a long period of time, something ancient Asian families had in spades.
The Asian stalemate has been ongoing for thousands of years, while the
rest of the world constantly fought against each other, leading to the
destruction of several noble bloodlines. People wondered why, for a
culture that held fighting in the highest regards, they were the most
peaceful out there.
"Oh yes. I know I just came back, but I would really appreciate your
assistance on a little project of mine." Kaiser asked hopefully.
"Ask away, we're all ears." Rowena said.
"Part of the communication device I've been working on includes the
ability to read and produce sounds. I've applied spell crafting theories to
the best of my ability, and didn't find much problem. Once you consider
sound as being a mechanical wave, and focus on creating a vibration,
then adapt the frequency, the spell came out naturally. But when trying
the same thing for another idea, I haven't found much success." Kaiser
explained, while Daphne listened attentively to every word.
"What is this spell you are trying to make?" Rowena asked curiously.
"I am trying to convert heat to kinetic energy." Kaiser explained. "The
idea is that while energy is categorized into different types, the main
concept remains the same. In fact, it's already a proven fact that energy,
no matter the type, can be converted to something else. For example, our
body converts chemical energy from the food we digest to mechanical
energy to be able to move. I am trying to bypass the process with a
magical sequence."
"That's a very interesting idea." Rowena mused loudly. "It does open
many possibilities." Even though she was merely a shadow of her past
self, she still retained her knowledge, albeit she couldn't develop it
further. "Natural spells are always tricky to handle. Dealing with runic
based spells are much more straightforward." she remarked.
There were two ways to learn a spell: the first one would be the natural
way, to just use intent, imagination and will. The second one was to
create the phenomenon from the runic sequence. The latter does not
require the caster to focus on anything but the spell's runes, except in the
case of dark magic where emotions are also necessary.
"How do you picture heat in your case?" She asked.
"I tried different ways actually. From thinking of something as warm, to
imaging the atoms' vibrations, which is what "temperature" truly
represents. But I didn't find much success in neither." Kaiser shrugged.
Rowena had a pensive look on her face. She was quite aware that, as a
portrait, the most she can do is guide him in the correct direction. She
could not give him the solution to his problem.
"Generally speaking, the inability to reproduce a phenomenon can either
be due to the wizard's flawed vision or comprehension, the theory behind
the spell itself, or simply the fact that what you are trying is beyond
human capabilities." She explained. "In order to eliminate all doubts
about the process itself, you should try making a Sensory spell first."
"Sensory spell?" Kaiser tilted his head in confusion. "I never heard of that
term before."
"Even though you already made one?"
"What do you mean?" Now he was even more confused, which earned a
chuckle from both Salazar and Rowena.
"Well, you said earlier that you made a spell to detect sounds, based on
the fact that sound is a mechanical wave. That's a Sensory or Perception
spell. It is advanced magical theory: Perception Magic. You should look it
up, it will help you greatly."
"I concur." Salazar added. "Perception Magic is crucial if you wish to go
very far in your studies."
"Thank you for your guidance. I'll begin right away."
================================
Kaiser doubted he'd be able to finish the Ravenclaw library before
finishing his Hogwarts education, let alone when it's combined with
Slytherin's. Therefore, he has to choose subjects to focus on: he
concentrated on enchanting and theory of magic, along with charms
guided by Professor Flitwick. Though, the latter needed more practical
application before learning more.
While he did read in his free time, he only read in subjects he had little
knowledge in, like rituals, potions and transfiguration. His serious studies
focused around what relates to his job. He was only one person; he
cannot do everything alone.
Daphne, on the other hand, focused mainly on ritualistic magic, but that
itself prompted her to learn other subjects, including Runes, basic
Enchanting, Alchemy and potion making, as most rituals required it.
Flitwick was making use of the library to further his knowledge on
charms, albeit he did not read about any other subject. Instead, he chose
something nobody would've expected: he started learning muggle
science. It all started when Kaiser explained to him how he modified the
Lumos spell, something no one ever succeeded in before, which was
weird according to Kaiser, since there were some books on the wizarding
world that talked about diffraction and light related concepts, meaning
that light was researched before. His desire to learn more was only
amplified when he was taught fly magic, courtesy of Kaiser. It proved
that "non magical science" had immense potential waiting to be
exploited.
Karl also did the same, though he focused on muggle chemistry and
potion making. He was otherwise engaged managing the "empire" they
were slowly building.
Right now, Kaiser and Daphne were sitting in the large sofa together,
researching Perception magic in a stack of books they brought. The
subject seemed very interesting to Daphne, as it would help her
determine what kind of curse her family was afflicted with before she
designed a ritual to dispose of it.
The reason they were doing it together is because they judged having two
brains was better than one, so that they could exchange notes and
findings, reducing their learning time exponentially. They also judged,
albeit silently, that this would be a good bonding experience for them.
"The world is ruled by laws so profound we mortal can only dream of
comprehending, yet it is mother magic's gift to its chosen ones to peer
upon the universe's mysteries. It is its way to favor us above the others,
by guiding us towards the right way…" Daphne read a paragraph from
her book. "It basically says that what we perceive through sensory magic
is absolute, holding no degree of error whatsoever. The only error
possible would be one that's artificially made by another… "chosen one",
as the author likes to call us. But it clearly disagrees with what your book
says, correct?"
"Indeed." Kaiser confirmed with a pensive look. "Nothing is absolute. That
vision leaves many loopholes, and even worse, it would halt a wizard's
progress in magic, something the author clearly didn't account for. Not to
mention he is based off a theory that magic is a sentient entity, and while
I am not qualified enough to judge, I am inclined to believe otherwise."
"Now that you mention it…" Daphne seemed to remember something
important. "I believe muggle science can already disprove it!" she
exclaimed.
"Elaborate."
"Well, I remember a conversation we had before." She said, doing her
best to remember the details. "You were complaining about the theory
that everything is composed of different elements, saying that such vision
has already been proved incorrect." she took a moment to catch her
breath. "Now, you know for a fact that it's not true because it's been
demonstrated that all matter is made of elementary particles… "Atoms",
right?"
Kaiser nodded, but he still did not see her point yet.
"What if there was a sensory spell that uses that same concept of
elements to perceive the world?" a blue gleam never left Daphne's eyes
during her passionate analysis, which earned a silent chuckle from the
portraits, something about being a true Ravenclaw.
"Then according to the first theory that sensory spell cannot be wrong,
matter would indeed be made out of elements…" he murmured, his brain
working beyond its normal capacity, thinking of the implications.
"but we already know it isn't!" Daphne exclaimed even louder. "yet if it
still gives results, it would mean it holds some degree of truth. You told
me that muggle science can only perceive the material world,
remember?"
Kaiser's eyes widened in surprise. He never considered that angle, always
dismissing that particular world's view as deprecated and primitive.
However, if the book he read is any indication, there is another way to
validate theories in the magical world, as their "experiments" are
basically spells. If a sensory spell can be made out of a set of principles,
then there has to be a degree of truth to them. Meaning that even though
modern science rejects that theory, it doesn't mean it is completely false.
"You might be into something there Daphne, though it needs further
research." Kaiser nodded. "But I have to say, I didn't know you were such
a Ravenclaw. I always believe you to be a Slytherin at heart." he smirked.
"Oh, shut up." Daphne rolled her eyes. "I've always been a Ravenclaw."
"Now, now… don't say that, you might break Lord Slytherin's heart."
They both turned to the portrait in question who merely chuckled,
shaking his head.
Notes
Sorry for taking so long. My friend and I spent the last weeks going
over what we did wrong in the novel, and how we could improve it.
The most glaring issue is the lack of immersion. I realize now it was a
mistake, that I rushed the three years like I did. Honestly, I wanted to
reach the fourth year because that’s where the action starts. It’s also
where I diverge completely from cannon. Enjoy the chapter, and leave
a comment/Review, they are always appreciated :D
Home Sweet Home Part 2
Time quickly passed by, while Kaiser busied himself with his ongoing
project, which already produced a working prototype. They were only
testing it for potential bugs and fixing any they came across. There was
also the issue of how they were going to mass produce the wizarding
equivalent of the "phone", but they already had the concept in hand.
They only needed more time.
Kaiser was in the room of requirement, that currently took the form of a
gym, working out.
He was alternating different series, from push-ups to squats to jumping
jacks, he tried to fit as much exercises in a short amount of time while
multiplying the series. Training was all about intensity will and the
ability to push yourself to the limits with a calm mind that can withstand
the amount of pain an efficient workout might have; it came out as no
surprise that with Kaiser's Occlumency training, he held longer than any
total beginner.
He engaged his whole body in all fields wishing to accomplish everything
at once, which only resulted in his body burning up, his lungs aching and
his muscles quivering from over exhaustion. It was time to call it quits.
"Why are you doing this again?" Daphne asked after he finished, handing
him a towel which he gratefully accepted.
"To increase my stamina, speed and to stay fit. And to kill some time." he
added. "Not to mention, studies have shown that fit people tend to last
longer… in a duel." he added the last part hastily. If he wasn't already red
from working out, his blush would have been glaringly obvious. 'That
was a completely clean sentence! Is that all my mind can think of?!
Stupid teenage hormones!' he raged inside.
"You hardly need it." Daphne denied, before her eyes widened in
realization. "I mean… with the rituals and the potion… Your magic is on
another level…" Kaiser quietly nodded, as they walked back to their
home.
"My father told me to inform you about an event Hogwarts will be
hosting this year." Daphne said after composing herself, observing his
reaction very closely. "The Triwizard tournament has been reinstated."
"I see." Kaiser nodded, though he seemed to be thinking about something
else.
"You don't seem surprised at all." Daphne remarked.
"Should I be?"
"Yes. Assuming this is the first time your heard about it." Kaiser stopped
and turned to his blond friend. He frowned at her word that made no
sense to him.
"What are you trying to say?" he believed they were past the point of
beating around the bush.
"You already knew about it." Daphne said matter-of-factually. Kaiser
didn't say anything.
"You're awfully sure of yourself." he said after a long silence.
"Maybe that's because this isn't the first time you know something you're
not supposed to." Kaiser was to retort, but Daphne beat him to it. "Don't
deny it. There many cases where you just happen to be conveniently
prepared for whatever is about to come. In your first year, you extracted
memories from Potter and sent it to the head of the DMLE, which means
you spent an uncanny amount of time learning Legilimency for someone
who just discovered the magical world.
"Second year you went to the Chamber Of Secrets where you found a
Horcrux that you conveniently could identify. I have no idea what you
were reading to stumble upon that knowledge, not to mention that you
spent the rest of it practicing the killing curse." she said leaving Kaiser in
a confused state. "Third year, you asked me to go with you to retrieve a
lost broom, but that was obviously not what you were expecting."
Kaiser had already hidden behind his Occlumency shields, thinking about
how to shake this accusation. His greatest secret …. nobody can know…
it was too dangerous…
He was about to say something but Daphne beat him to it: "You don't
have to say anything you know." Kaiser was once again shocked. Why did
she confront him if she wasn't expecting an answer? "We trust you. My
father believes that whatever it is, you must have a good reason not to
tell us." Karl and his daughter had already discussed the possibility of
him being a seer, but they dismissed it, simply because of his lack of
interest in the subject.
Daphne retreated to her room, leaving him behind in deep thought
rooted in place.
"You haven't told anyone yet, have you?" Rowena's voice interrupted his
musing.
"Tell her what exactly?" it seemed that everyone was determined to
confuse him today.
"That you are not from this world, of course." Kaiser's mouth hung open,
eyes nearly popping out from their sockets. 'What the hell was going on?'
he did not know how to process this anymore. There is only so much a
person's brain can handle. Was everyone reading him like an open book?
How could a portrait figure it out?
'Wait…' Kaiser raised his Occlumency shields, letting rationality take
over. 'This was a Hogwarts' portrait… they were linked directly to the
castle... And Hogwarts already knew his secret, at least the sorting hat,
Hogwarts' spokesperson, did.
"I thought the sorting hat kept its findings to itself." Kaiser asked with
narrowed eyes.
"Magical contracts are not absolute, child." Rowena said calmly, her
demeanor never betraying the lifetime she spent witnessing the wonders
of magic, proof that she wasn't called the wisest founder in vain. "There
are always ways around them."
"And there are ways to void them as well." Salazar added.
"How?" Kaiser prided himself in his intelligence, and given the subject of
magical contract was a quite straightforward one, he thought he already
had a firm grasp of it. Alas, he was only deluding himself in believing so.
"The answer is quite simple really." Rowena said, clearly enjoying Kaiser's
cluelessness and her own ingenuity. "If you were from this world, you
would never have gained access to this chamber."
Needless to say, Kaiser's questions only increased in number at her
supposedly simple answer. What exactly was that supposed to mean?
How could a chamber distinguish whether someone was a native of this
world or not? Unless it performed a Legilimency attack on him, which
couldn't have gone unnoticed. The only time a full Legilimency probe
was done was during the sorting ceremony, which means that they
somehow found a loophole around the silent contract, but what?
Finally taking pity on him, afraid his brain might fry, Rowena explained:
"The sorting hat is part of this castle. The castle merely allowed anyone
she knew wasn't of this world to this chamber, which isn't a violation of
the contract. The fact that we know this particular condition, and also
happen to have access is merely a happy coincidence." she finished with a
grin.
'Happy coincidence my ass!' this was obviously calculated. It seems that
this room was designed to allow only those that satisfied a set of
conditions, but here is the problem: To design such conditions, one needs
to know they would be satisfied someday. Otherwise, why would Rowena
waste so much of her time on a meaningless endeavor.
"So you were expecting me?" Kaiser only wanted to hear a confirmation,
and Rowena's nod was all he needed. "Let me guess… a prophecy?"
"You're very close to the answer." Rowena praised. "A prophecy is usually
met in the same century. The same millennia at worse. There are no
records of prophecies that lasted thousands of years. There are also
conditions for prophecies to be made." After explaining to him a few
theories about divination, a subject he never took seriously because of
how vague and absurd it was, she told him that a friend of hers who
owed her a favor, was a very prominent seer at the time, made the
prediction for her, though she refused to give him more details of the
contents as that might ruin her efforts.
Kaiser made his way to the shower, where he spent a suspiciously long
amount of time thinking about the coming year. This was the year where
the war would start again. The rise of Voldemort was imminent. He
needed to make sure it doesn't happen, at least not yet. He was not ready.
No one was.
The dark faction was definitely the deadliest one among the others, for
the simple fact that all families affiliated with it were renowned for their
practice of dark magic. Meaning that in terms of raw power, they were
the uncontested number one. Add in the fact that they are the second
richest after the neutral faction, and it becomes a deadly combination.
The blood supremacy war was inevitable in magical England. As long as
they did not eliminate the problem from its roots, it would always come
back to bite them in the ass. While musing over the options available for
him, he could only think of few.
To eliminate the risks of a new war, they could destroy the belief itself,
that pure-bloods are the superior race. But it was never as easy as a
simple belief. No, it was much more. They wanted to eliminate Muggle-
borns not only because of their blood status, but also because of the job
opportunities they take away from the pure-bloods. As for those in
position of power, they wanted to eliminate them because of their rising
numbers, and the shifting power balance. How can they maintain their
power, when Muggle-borns are now becoming Aurors, Hit-wizards and
ministry officials. In fact, several Wizengamot seats have been occupied
by muggle-borns in the past century.
The second option would be to make the prospects of war hopeless.
Dumbledore was currently the beacon of light, the man who defeated the
worst dark wizard who ever lived: Gellert Grindelwald. It was rumored
that Gellert once faced more than a hundred Aurors at once, killing more
than fifty single-handedly. The man who defeated him in a duel was
definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Yet even with all that power, he was weak. At least in their eyes he was.
Weak because of his inability to be ruthless. Weak because he preferred
mercy over violence. His 'no killing' policy was one of their favorites
during the previous war. Add Voldemort to the mix, an immortal who is
ready to face him should the need arise.
The third option would be to eliminate them. Every single one of them.
But that was easier said than done. Unless he could convince Dumbledore
that this was the only way, which was obviously impossible, there was no
way to pick this option.
Kaiser got out of the shower, feeling refreshed. He cast a drying charm all
over himself, eliminating any need for a towel. He did not like this spell
because of the feeling that comes with it. The drying spell is actually a
variant of the summoning spell. It calls out a percentage of the water
covering the skin (to avoid drying it completely), then the caster can
dispose of the water anyway he sees fit. He would've used a towel if it
wasn't for his sore muscles.
Kaiser laid down on his bed, thinking about his plans for this year over
and over again. Until this moment, his life could be described as smooth
sailing. His careful planning never failed him, armed with his knowledge
of the future. But he had a feeling things wouldn't go according to the
plan this time around. It didn't take long for him to drift to sleep.
Notes
I've noticed that people started losing interest the last two months. Is it
purely related to the release rate, or is it the story itself? Also, who do
you guys think I should pair Harry with? Should I got with Hermione,
or Ginny, or maybe someone else entirely? Though at this point in the
story, Hermione would be the most logical choice, but that doesn't
mean every relationship has to work out, or that I should pair them
right away, right? Comment/review/share/tell us what you think
about the previous points and what you believe can be improved.
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 49
"Susan… Susan!", said person groggily opened her eyes, bitterly leaving a
very beautiful dream involving a certain crimson eyed boy; she has
always been a heavy sleeper, and even though today she would join the
Hogwarts' express, it was no exception.
"Mmm…" she moaned unhappily, before her mind registered that her
favorite and only aunt was sitting on her bed, caressing her hair. "A-
aunty?" she almost jumped from her bed. She was rarely woken up this
way. In fact, the only time it happened was the day she'd board the
famous train, so she quickly understood the situation.
"Get up, we don't have much time left." Amelia scolded her niece, whom
she considered her daughter, but there was no anger in her features, only
tenderness and love for her only kin.
Susan immediately sprang to action, unwilling to disappoint her role
model in life. She quickly got showered and got dressed, heading towards
the breakfast table, humming all the way. Maybe the fact that she would
be seeing her friends and crush had something to do with her eagerness.
She sat down, buttered her toast and began munching while sipping her
hot tea.
"Looking forward to see your friends, Suzie?" Amelia asked with a smile
she never showed outside of her home. Her job and position did not
permit it.
"Mm!" Susan nodded enthusiastically.
"Any friend in particular?" Amelia continued with a teasing tone.
"Wouldn't happen to be Mr. Lunar now, would it?"
"Auntyyyyy…" Susan whined, a blush slowly creeping through her
cheeks.
"I see you haven't given up on him yet…" Amelia sighed. She was worried
for her niece, worried she was throwing away opportunities in pursuit of
a hopeless relationship.
"I won't give up on him!" Susan said passionately, almost offended. If it
wasn't her aunt saying those words, she would've reacted worse.
"I am just looking out for you, Suzie. He is already betrothed… to two
girls no less. And unlike those two poor girls, you are fortunate to have
the ability to choose. I… I do not wish to see you hurt yourself." Amelia
sighed.
She loved her 'daughter' to bits, and wanted nothing but the best for her,
but she did not think her pursuit of that man would do her any good. She
had nothing against him, in fact, she liked him a lot. But the fact that he
was already taken was an issue. She did not believe Susan would be
happy in such a complicated relationship. She wanted her niece to take
her decisions herself, but hoped she took the good ones.
Susan's eyes watered at her aunt's words. She could tell how much she
cared for her, and could understand her worries. But she made her mind
a long time ago. From their first year, she secretly had a crush on him,
and she believed he also secretly had a crush on her. At least, that's
something her best friend and her agreed on. She spent three years
dreaming about them being together, happily married. In fact, several of
her dreams involved them holding a young boy that could be mistaken
for Kaiser, if not for his sapphire blue eyes, Susan's eyes.
But her feelings for him developed during the last few years. At first, she
admired his maturity and his drive that would put a Hufflepuff to shame.
She understood perfectly why he was so talented at magic. In fact, she
was there when he performed his very first spell. It was pathetic at best.
He was beyond weak, his magical power would place him last at
Hogwarts'. He was painfully aware of it himself, but he never let it get to
his head.
He never slacked off in class, always researching ahead of time, and
practicing with all his might whenever he could. On top of that, he never
shied away from helping his fellow students, earning a lot of respect on
goodwill.
Then his ingenuity during the second year was something else entirely.
First, he modified a spell no one has succeeded on before, at the tender
age of twelve. Then she found out later that he confronted the darkest
wizard of all time with such calm and control it was almost frightening.
She saw the memory, and if that conversation was to be believed, he
went down there expecting to meet a Basilisk, the king of serpents, and
the deadliest magical creature ever recorded.
She fell in love with his courage and loyalty to his friend, along with his
cunning and resourcefulness. Then, during the third year, when all her
fellow year-mates could do was stare at her chest, he behaved like a
gentleman, his eyes never leaving hers, even when she wasn't looking
(Her friends confirmed), though she suspected because he liked her eyes,
which in hindsight he did.
Her feelings for him bordered obsession, and Daphne's support only
fueled her drive, especially when she confirmed he definitely liked her
too, but was too scared to confess it.
"I know aunty…" Susan said softly. "But Kaiser is the one for me… He did
not choose who to be betrothed to either, and only did so out of self-
preservation and you know it… He deserves to be happy…"
"You don't have to save anyone, Suzie. You are allowed to be selfish…
You should consider your happiness first…" Amelia tried to reason with
her, but it was pointless.
"He needs me, and I need him too… I can't imagine myself with anyone
else…" tears started flowed out of the redhead's eyes, before she covered
her face with her hands and started sobbing.
Amelia sighed and approached her niece, hugging her and stroking her
hair. "There, there…" it pained Amelia to see Susan heartbroken over
something she was certain she would come to regret. At first, she
dismissed this as a simple teenage crush, but it seemed the situation
wasn't so simple. This situation escalated quickly, she would note for the
future to tackle this issue more delicately.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWA
"Wake up Ron! And you too Harry! We're already late!" Hermione
smacked both of them on the shoulder, giving an extra hard one for Ron,
whose sleep was almost impossible to interrupt.
"Alright, no need to scream, jeez…" Ron yawned, ready to go back to
sleep again, before another smack greeted him on the shoulder. "Ouch!"
"And don't you dare go back to sleep again! Your mother says breakfast is
ready." Hermione scolded, and at the mention of breakfast, Ron's eyes
opened immediately, while his stomach growled in anticipation. Harry
didn't need to be told twice, as he was used to waking up early in the
morning.
"Poor Hermione." Ron said. "She honestly believes this family is going to
be at the station early. It's as if she doesn't know us." they both burst out
laughing. If there is one even that happened every year at the station, it
was the Weasley family arriving late and chaotically boarding the train.
People were so used to it that they reserved seat in the train near the
windows to watch the show.
They joined the rest at the breakfast table after getting dressed, enjoying
the Weasley matriarch extraordinary cooking. Though that was hardly
the case for Ron, who was stuffing his mouth and swallowing without
even tasting, something he got admonished for every time, but he forgets
after a minute or two. It appears that hunger shuts down all his mental
faculties.
Once breakfast was over, they all boarded the iconic Weasley Ford
Anglia, that had been expanded to fit the large Weasley family, namely
the Weasley twins Fred and George, Ginny, Ron, and their parents, along
with their guest Hermione and favorite son Harry.
"Haven't wizards achieved instantaneous travel, Hermione?" Harry asked
Hermione, their resident know it all. He was used to apparating with
Kaiser, though he did not like that very much. But he knew about portkey
travel too, having the opportunity to experience it before the world cup.
"Yes. Apparition is the most common, but you can apparate side-along
with one person at most, two if you're very experienced. As for portkey
travel, it is highly regulated by the ministry, and forbidden for civilian
use." Hermione explained to him.
"Kaiser didn't have a problem using portkeys…" Ron muttered, but loud
enough for everyone in the car to hear, and all ears perked at this.
"What's this we hear?" Fred and George said simultaneously.
"You're not implying-"
"That Kai of all the people-"
"is breaking the law-"
"are you?" they both chorused.
"No…" Ron said weakly, only now realizing what he just did.
"This is the third time, Ron…" Hermione and Harry both glared at him.
They were lucky they were among family.
"My bad my bad… but it's only the second time, and I didn't mean to…"
Ron raised his hand in surrender. He truly didn't mean it, but sometimes
his mouth speaks before his brain registers the consequences.
"Right… you don't remember…" Hermione muttered under her breath.
"Listen mate, we know you don't do it on purpose, but you have to be
careful… it's not right to thank the person who saved us by spreading his
secrets now, is it?" Harry explained carefully. Ron genuinely felt bad,
because the first time he did it, it nearly cost them their lives.
"What's this we hear, Ronnikins?"
"Do you need us to teach you a thing or two about loyalty?" The twins
smiled evilly at Ron whose face drained of all color. He knew that
"teaching" involved pranking mercilessly for a few days. Ginny couldn't
hold her laughter at her brother's face.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Kaiser apparated very early to platform 9 ¾ in King Cross station with a
loud crack, drawing enough attention from those already present there.
Considering the distance between Scotland where Hogwarts resided and
London. He did not spare any energy to the spell, not risking splinching
himself.
He came early because he wanted to avoid the headache that is talking to
people, especially those that had ulterior motives. He boarded the train
and took the first empty compartment he found, placing his trunk in its
reserved space. While his trunk was technically at Hogwarts before, he
had to maintain appearances. No one knew he lived at Hogwarts after all,
not even its current headmaster. He sat silently in his compartment,
thinking about the future events of this year again.
But his peace was short lived as the compartment door yanked open,
revealing a grinning black-haired girl. "Ojamashimasu!" she said before
taking a seat opposite to him. Michael followed right after, it appeared
they came at the same time.
"'Sup." Kaiser nodded, earning a raised eyebrow from both of them.
" 'Sup'?" Asked Michael.
"What? It's a common greeting." Kaiser shrugged. "I take it you enjoyed
your trip to Japan?" he asked Tracey.
"Yes!" Tracey said with a gleam in her eyes, eager to finally share
everything she bottled up until now. She really liked talking.
"Here we go again…" Michael rolled his eyes, earning a glare from
Tracey, but she quickly returned her attention to Kaiser, bombarding him
with everything that came through her mind. For the most part, he paid
attention because he was interested to know of Wizarding Japan. For
starters, it was interesting to notice that they had zero tolerance for Dark
Magic there. Anyone found practicing them is sentenced to death. But he
wondered if this was a tactic, they used to control their population to
remain in power, or they just abhorred the concept.
Soon they were joined by Daphne, that was now the new target of
Tracey's ramblings.
"Psst." Kaiser whispered in an overly dramatic way to Michael, who just
rolled his eyes again. "Tell me, did Tracey ask you out yet?"
"What?!" Michael asked outraged, which drew the attention of the others,
though he played it off as nothing, so they turned back to their
conversation. Once it was safe, he whispered back: "What the hell do you
mean?"
"You've been making googly eyes at each other for most of the third year,
don't think we haven't noticed." Kaiser shrugged.
"Well yea but…" Michael was lost for words before he looked outraged
again. "And why would she ask me out? Aren't I supposed to be the one
asking her out?"
Kaiser forced a muffled laughter. "Yes, sure. As if."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael narrowed his eyes at him.
"I'm saying that you're too shy for your own good, and someone else
might ask her out while you're considering it." Kaiser said sagely, patting
Michael in the shoulder, who eyes started twitching from annoyance.
"Just do it, and then, Que sera sera."
"Couldn't you find a better way to say it next time?" Michael appreciated
the advice nevertheless.
"And miss the opportunity to annoy you?" Kaiser said in mock shock.
"Never!"
Confrontation
The door opened again, this time it was a blond and redhead Hufflepuffs.
"Hello!" they both said in sync.
"Hey guys! It's been a while! Come join us!" Tracey said, almost jumping
from her seat in excitement. More people to talk to, sounds like fun is
probably what is was thinking.
"We would love to, but the others are waiting for us. We came to say hi.
Sorry." Hannah answered first while Susan pouted.
"It's alright, we'll get opportunities to catch up at Hogwarts." Michael said
smoothly.
"See you guys later!" Susan waved at them, though her eyes were fixated
on Kaiser, who smiled and waved back.
It didn't take long before the Weasley show began. Hectic running just as
the train was about to depart, accompanied with cries and useless orders
along the lines of "Get on the train", that only serve to create more stress
for them and amusement for the spectators. The Weasley matriarch was
giving them a shove to the train, just the right amount of propulsion
much needed. The most amazing part was when they all boarded the
train, applause rang across the station, and the train, with the Weasley
family feeling a bit awkward because they didn't feel it necessary to
applaud their successful endeavor. Little did they know that it was only
as thanks for the show.
Kaiser shook his head in amusement. He could not understand how could
a family come late to the same event for over twelve years in a row. The
odds were ridiculously low, yet it was happening in front of him. One
possibility would be that it's done on purpose, but he failed to see how
that would benefit anyone.
Hermione, Ginny, Harry and Ron made their way through the train,
looking for an empty compartment. Luckily, they didn't look for long as
they came across Kaiser's, and while it wasn't empty, a compartment can
house eight people, and right now, it only had three occupants.
"Hello, mind if we join you?" Hermione asked hopefully. She did not have
many friends, and Kaiser happened to be one of the very few she had.
"Of course, make yourselves comfortable." Kaiser gestured to them to
come in with a grin. He did like Harry and Hermione; they were very
pleasant people. And while he was not a big fan of Ron, he could still
tolerate him. Ginny was still shy around Harry and himself, but she was a
nice person nevertheless. She still hasn't gotten over her crush of the Boy-
Who-Lived, if the looks she gave him weren't clear that everyone, besides
the person of interest knew about it.
"How was your summer, guys?" Michael asked, opening the conversation.
"Brilliant actually. The greatest summer I ever had if I'm being honest."
Harry said cheerfully. Not only did he have a great summer, but now that
the school year has started, going back to the Dursleys wouldn't be a
possibility for a long while.
Kaiser offered a pained smile at that. He desperately wanted to take him
away from that place, and do unthinkable things to those scumbag
relatives of his. But as much as he wanted to do that, there was one
person that prevented him from doing so: Dumbledore.
Legally speaking, he had no right whatsoever to take him away without
Dumbledore, his legal guardian's permission. And while Sirius wanted to
take him away himself, he told him that it was hopeless for the time
being. He just got out of the highest security level from Azkaban, and as
far as the world was concerned, he was still mentally unstable. It was a
lost cause.
Not to mention, should he try to take him by force, he was hopelessly
outgunned against Dumbledore, 'the greatest wizard to walk the earth'.
And the last thing he needed right now was an angry powerful old man
on his ass. Kaiser planned on getting closer to Harry and actively help
him from the shadows, he was reaching the age where he showed his full
potential.
"Yeah! The Quidditch World Cup was amazing!" Ron said with a gleam in
his brown eyes only present when Quidditch was mentioned, but it
quickly dimmed when he remembered something. "A shame those Death
Eater wankers had to ruin it!" He spat with venom.
"Yeah, Death Eaters wannabes if the news is to be believed." Michael
added.
"Except it isn't." Hermione interrupted. "They are Death Eaters, and the
spell they used was a Death Eater exclusive one. You know, the symbol
on the sky?" Michael nodded. "Only Death Eaters can do that. It's what
they used in the previous war. Whenever they raided a place, they'd leave
the Dark Mark behind to inform the world of their presence."
"Why the World Cup of all the places? And why did they target Muggles
only? I heard they didn't injure a single wizard." Tracey asked.
"Injuring a Wizard would raise more flags than a Muggle." Ginny, to
everyone's surprise, was the one who said this. "Wizards pretend they
treat Muggles as equals, but they don't. A case where muggles were
injured among wizards won't draw as much attention and as much
repercussions in court."
"When did you get so wise?" Ron's hung open, while everyone in the
compartment was giving Ginny weird looks.
"I heard dad say it." she admitted, now feeling awkward. She was not
familiar with the others.
"It's clear that they are cooking something if they chose to be active
again." Harry said, diverting everyone's attention.
"Maybe he is coming back…" Hermione said uncertainly.
"Who?" Michael was alarmed. There was only one person she could be
referring to, and he did not like the idea at all. Michael and Tracey
turned to Kaiser for confirmation.
Daphne exchanged looks with him, an unspoken conversation went
through their eyes before she nodded. He did not want to burden them,
but his plans for fourth year would require him to do so anyway.
"Voldemort is alive."
"What?!" both Michael and Tracey jumped in surprise, but whatever they
were about to ask was interrupted with the sound of the compartment
door yanking open.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Draco, flanked by his two goons, made his way through the train,
terrorizing the students, reminding them who the boss was. He enjoyed
showing off his authority and the scared looks the students gave him. No
one, regardless of their house, can stand in face of his power, especially
not mud-bloods. Except a certain crimson haired bastard.
Draco did not understand how someone of such a low birth could rival
him in magic. Everyone knows that those of noble birth are gifted in
magic, and while muggle-borns argued otherwise, the overwhelming
evidence cannot be refuted.
He talked with his father about his concerns, and he found that he was
unsure himself. There are different theories around, some saying that he
was groomed by the Greengrass family, others saying that he was from
an ancient family himself, but hid it well. Draco refused to consider the
latter theory.
How could someone of noble birth ever claim to be otherwise? It was
absurd. He could understand if he got where he was through hard work,
as he could hardly be jealous if he didn't apply himself as much. He
understood why Hermione Granger was doing better at school because
she spent an absurd amount of time at the Library. But no matter how
much they both strived to be powerful, they'd never succeed simply
because of their lower birth.
In that department, Draco had the advantage. He spent the last summer
training diligently on his spells. He even underwent his family's rituals, so
in term of raw power, the difference between them is overwhelming, and
he was itching to put them back in place. He walked through the trains,
checking each compartment he passed, flanked by his goons, Crabbe and
Goyle.
He smiled in glee at finding his two preys sitting in the same
compartment. Contrary to what many thought, he did not even consider
Potter as his rival. He was unworthy. He was as Gryffindor as they come,
hardly showing any signs of wit. He enjoyed riling him up to pass the
time every now and then. He opened the door unceremoniously, staring
down at them with arrogance.
"What do we have here?" a voice filled with contempt came out of the
mouth of the blonde Malfoy heir. "Mud-bloods and blood traitors."
"Very original." Kaiser and Daphne shook their heads.
"Says the blonde ponce." Ron drawled and got up from his place. "Your
daddy isn't here to protect you, Malfoy." He warned, wand in hand.
"Protect me from an incompetent fool like you? Don't make me laugh."
Draco smirked, unafraid of Ron's threats. Ron was incompetent, and that
was a well-known fact in Hogwarts.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry scowled. He wanted to punch Draco
in that smug face of his, but he couldn't do it without getting in trouble.
"Came to check on you scar-head. Heard you fainted like a little girl in
the middle of nowhere during the World Cup." His goons started
snickering. 'Typical villain crap…' Kaiser shook his head.
"Alright. Your time is up. Leave." Kaiser suddenly said. He did not want
to listen to his crap for a second more than he had to.
"Why don't you make me?" Draco said arrogantly, pointing his wand at
him. His newfound confidence in his abilities alarmed Kaiser. He was
fairly sure he was warned not to engage him. Lucius Malfoy must know
about how he disposed of several Death Eaters. Permanently. So it was
safe to assume he warned his son against picking a fight with someone
who can perform a Killing Curse at the age of fourteen.
Yet Draco seemed convinced he was up to the challenge. Something is
wrong here. Kaiser wanted to probe his mind, but if there was one lesson
he learned from his previous encounter with Susan, it is to never probe a
noble family's heir's mind.
He could just send spells his way and be done with it, but he did not wish
to start any petty war with the Slytherin house. He only ever attacks
when attacked, and that's something everyone knew by now. Not to
mention, in case he deflected any of his spells, the others in this cramped
compartment would be the unlucky victims.
"Ron," Harry interrupted him from pointing his wand at him however
much he wanted to do it himself in a rare display of self-control from his
part. "don't bother. He's not worth it."
"I'm certainly worth more than a Weasley. Did you even eat properly
during the summer?" he sneered mockingly.
"Bastard!" Ron was positively enraged. The one thing he hated the most
was his family's poverty, and this asshole just had to bring it up. As he
was about to raise his wand, he found he couldn't lift his arm, an
invisible force preventing him.
"If you wish to fight, take it somewhere else." Kaiser interrupted them
again, giving a disappointed glance at Ron, before looking back at
Draco's smug face. "As for you, if you are itching so much to have your
arse handed to you, you're welcome to challenge me at Hogwarts. I'd be
happy to oblige."
"Count on it." Draco said before turning back, his robes fluttering for
dramatic effect. It would've intimidating if it didn't get stuck while he
was closing the door, so he sheepishly unstuck it and made his way out.
Notes
Sorry for the delay as always, I can't have a steady release rate just yet.
I'll try writing more whenever I have time. I have to admire
AdmiralAlcon dedication though. Thank you for all the powerstones
you sent our way when no ones else did. * wipes fake tear *
Arrival Part 1
Kaiser's POV:
One thing I noticed about Wizards' games. They did not have a single non
magical game. Every game had to involve magic, or their wands, in one
way or another. They liked to draw a distinct line between themselves
and the muggles, for whatever reason.
I was playing Exploding snap with everyone in the compartment, but I
must admit: having cards explode is both amusing and ingenious on their
part (the manufacturer). Why? Because the cards became a consumable,
obviously. And that means, each time you use a deck of exploding snap,
you had to buy another one. Which was why people bought several decks
instead of a single one, and given the popularity of the game, I have no
doubt the inventor is filthy rich by now, which he actually was (I asked).
But after a few rounds, I eventually got tired of it, and Daphne was too, if
her constant sighing is any indication.
"Want to play some chess, Daph?" She nodded too eagerly for my taste.
Did she hate the game that much? Though Ron's ears twitched at the
words 'chess', and immediately wanted to join, but he stopped himself
before he said anything. I guess he remembered that chess can only be
played two at a time. And to be honest with you, I'm glad he did.
I do not fancy the idea of playing chess with Ron. No, it's not because he
wiped the floor with me in the last game we played. None whatsoever!
Daphne was quite good at the game. There was no clear superior when it
came to our skills, as she had her fair share of wins while I had mine.
And more importantly, neither of us is that competitive when it came to
it. We play the game for fun, unlike a certain redhead.
After the blonde ponce left, no one disturbed our peace. I honestly don't
know what to think of him. I put myself in his place every time I want to
take action against him. I mean, imagine if you were told from birth that
you were superior to everyone. Muggles were nothing but dirt beneath
your shoes, while their spawn, aka muggle-born wizards, were unworthy
of magic. And it came from your parents, people you had no reason to
distrust. Even worse, it came from the person you idealized, aka Lucius
Malfoy, blonde ponce extraordinaire. He is slowly becoming a mini-
Lucius.
Can you imagine? Two of that abomination walking the earth? Urgh, the
idea sickens me. You should see how he looks at everyone who isn't as
rich as him or not as 'pure'.
What I'm trying to say is, it only makes sense for Draco to be the way he
is, and it isn't necessarily his fault. At least, for now. To him, it's probably
the same as dealing with animals. We hardly consider if they have
feelings, family or any thoughts whatsoever before we gut them either for
sports or to fill our bellies. Except the vegan angels out there, but I'm not
becoming one any time soon. The stuff is delicious.
And to be fair, except verbal abuse and the occasional bullying, which is
met by violent responses from my part whenever I catch him in the act
without the older years to defend him. What? I'm not a Gryffindor. I
wouldn't stand a chance against them, so I don't bother putting myself in
a disadvantageous situation. Though I have the decency of calling for
professors every time.
I am by no means an overpowered protagonist in some fiction. I have
limitations, and to be frank with you, in the grand scheme of things, I am
ridiculously weak. Certainly, if you compare me to my year-mates, I am
definitely more powerful. But experienced or older wizards? Nope, and
definitely not when they have the advantage of numbers.
An example would be Cedric Diggory. He placed twelfth in the European
Dueling Tournament, against wizards whose age vary from twelve to
seventeen, being sixteen himself. And believe me, they are nothing to be
scoffed at. They've invested a significant portion of their time honing
their dueling skills, and while I myself did the same, I focus a lot more on
enchanting because my situation. I'm fairly certain I'd lose in a duel
against him, where lethal spells are forbidden.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Draco Malfoy the school bully. He
never did anything excessive, as I have been telling you. He knows there
are consequences to his actions, that's why I'm still wearing the kids'
gloves when it comes to dealing with him. But should he ever decide to
start using unforgivable curses (not that he could anyway), or inflict
permanent damage? I'm definitely using my self-defense rights!
Speaking of which, wizards can be a bit dumb at times for using harmless
spells against their assailants. They were by no means ignorant about
how dangerous magic can be, and I'm speaking about offensive magic.
That's why there are laws in place that gives you the right to use any
means necessary to defend yourself, giving you access to a wide arsenal
of spells depending on the situation, even unforgivable ones. That's why I
could fire AKs at Death Eaters and not be a roommate to dementors.
"You're cheating!" a sudden shout interrupted my musing. Turning to the
offending voice, it obviously was Ron.
I have nothing against him, to be honest with you. He is an idiot, but
that's expected of him. He's a kid, and he hasn't faced situation that
forced him to mature. Except that one where lunatics were trying to kill
us, but somehow, he was the least shaken out of all of us.
That probably has to do with how he twisted his ankle before it all
began. He spent most of the time moaning while we were dragging him
with us. He never displayed any signs of disloyalty so far, and that's the
only thing I could hold against him. The fact that he can't keep his mouth
shut is just a side effect of him being an idiot.
"Seriously Ron, you think Hermione of all the people would 'cheat'?"
Harry joked, but it only earned him a glare from Hermione. Touché. He
was right, she'd never cheat at anything.
"Besides, it's only a game. No need to get all worked up mate." Michael
said with a grin. He was enjoying seeing him frustrated, that's probably
why he was teaming up against him each time they played. Ginny and
Tracy were giggling, having probably noticed the same thing.
Daphne did not pay attention to her surroundings, eyes fixated on the
board. Her face showed no emotion, a cold façade that ruined her
otherwise extremely beautiful features. If only she smiled more often, but
she rarely did. It was a habit she picked up.
You see, Occlumency can not only help you defend your mind by clearing
your thoughts and other techniques, but also keeping your emotions in
check, and controlling them to a certain degree. Daphne has been
practicing the art since a very young age, her father always taught her
that rationality should always trump emotions. And it served her right in
various situation.
But the side effect is that she became too reliant on it, and always
unconsciously blocked her emotions, which eventually earned her the
title of the Ice Queen. I hated it, and I confronted her about it several
times. She promised she'd do her best to tweak it, but there is no progress
so far. And honestly, I can't blame her. The way she's pushing herself for
her sister, I admit I admire her for it. For someone who rarely show any
emotions, she becomes an open book whenever Astoria is around. Her
relationship with her sister always reminds me of Itachi. Except that
Astoria in turn adored her, and Daphne would never kill her family. I
think?
"Whatcha thinking about, blondie?" I asked with a grin, but she merely
rolled her eyes at me, and I could notice a smile creep into her face.
"Blondie? Really? You want to go down that road?" she raised an
eyebrow at me, though now she was smiling. She was absolutely stunning
when she smiled, it's a good thing I am an Occlumens myself, or I'd be a
stuttering fool now.
"Touché." As you know, my peculiar features earned me my fair share of
nicknames. What do you expect from eleven-year-old kids?
"Is it true you can make your eyes and hair glow?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped at her.
"What? I don't mean it in a bad way, I'm genuinely curious." She
defended herself.
"Yup he can!" Tracey was too happy to answer for me. Traitor. "Though
it's not a pretty sight. He's really scary when he does it."
"It's not like I do it on purpose." I huffed. Though I secretly liked it. The
look on my victims' face when it happens is priceless. I always scare them
shitless. I still can't do it on purpose. It only happens when I'm angry or
any such negative emotions. Now that I've been practicing dark magic, I
can just channel my emotions and it happens. Which is both a good and
bad thing. In some situations, it's a give away to what I'm about to do.
Though, to be fair, there is no dark magic that can't be predicted.
Experienced wizards can detect the subtle change in your aura to know
your emotional state, or the kind of dark spell you're about to cast. For
example, if you're channeling killing intent, they immediately realize
you're about to AK them.
"oh, shut up. It's totally badass. You shouldn't be complaining." Michael
added. "Besides, I have it on good hands you like it." I was about to deny
it in outrage. "Don't deny it, I know you do."
"Fine. Maybe a little bit."
The rest of the trip was uneventful. We changed just before we arrived,
being in school uniform is mandatory. Though we had to expend some
effort to wake Ron up. I pity his mother; he must drive the poor woman
crazy.
"Firs' years ove' 'ere." Hagrid was calling out enthusiastically. For
someone who has been doing this his entire life, his excitement has never
diminished. I kind of like the giant. He's so simple minded, and finds joy
in the simplest things, like having someone to speak to. He doesn't seem
to have any ambition of his own, his greatest wish is having a collection
of the most dangerously misunderstood creatures. At least I think so.
Before we made our way towards the carriage, a ball of positive energy
latched into my arm.
"Hello!" Susan beamed at me; her sapphire blue eyes glowed with
positivity.
"Hello Sue, how are doing?" I asked her with a smile of my own. I'd be a
fool if I didn't notice her feelings for me, and I'd be an even bigger one if
I denied having such feelings for her myself. As for why… it's
complicated. But I know it's not possible between us. I just hope she finds
someone who can make her happy, and forget about this crush she seems
to have on me.
The others didn't find her behavior weird at all, they've probably grown
used to it by now. Ron, on the other hand, was giving me a jealous look.
Can't blame the guy, she's gorgeous.
"Great now that I get to see my friends again!" her eyes never left mine, a
smile plastered on her face. Her eyes communicating just how much she
missed her 'friends'. She probably wanted to hug me, and I wouldn't say
no to that. Her hugs felt amazing, making me melt inside every time, and
it has nothing to do with her chest!
"We need to say hello to our fellow Gryffindors, we'll see you guys later."
Hermione tactfully said, realizing that a chariot couldn't hold all of us,
now that Susan and Hannah were added to the equation, and Susan
didn't look like releasing me any time soon. She dragged Harry and Ron
with her, and Ginny naturally followed them.
Notes
I wanted to write some first person chapters for a while now, and I'll
probably be writing some more from now on. I'm now sure if the
chapter was any good, I hope you guys tell me what you thought of it.
As always, sorry for the late release, but i can't up my release rate any
time soon. Too much shit happening in my life right now. just kidding,
as If uni students have a life. Exams are approaching again.... Enjoy
the chapter, and leave your thoughts in the comments!
Arrival Part 2
"We haven't met since the tournament! It feels like an eternity, doesn't
it?" Susan asked cheerfully.
"Yes, it does-" As I was answering her, Tracey chimed in. "What
tournament?"
Right, I guess Daphne didn't tell her? She wasn't there with me, so she
had no reason to do so, and while I did keep contact with them during
the summer, I didn't tell them every little detail of my life.
"The annual Chinese youth tournament." I answered, though now she was
glaring at me? Did I say something wrong?
"Why didn't you tell me? I was there too, we could've met!" Tracey asked,
rather hurt for some reason. Probably because I never mentioned it in
any of the letters I sent her. Did she think I didn't consider her a friend?
"I didn't go there for fun." I said rather coldly, albeit it was unintentional.
It brought back some bad memories. Tracey's eyes widened at my words,
and she seemed even more hurt now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that
way." Damn, me and my stupid mouth. I never lashed out at any of my
friends, and even Tracey with her endless teasing, I never admonished
her for it once. I rather enjoyed her personality, honestly. It must have
come as shock to her, hearing me say such words.
"I-it's alright. I understand." She replied with a soft voice, uncharacteristic
of her. Daphne wanted to say something comforting, but Tracey stopped
in shock at the sight that greeted her eyes. "W-w-what the hell are those?"
Following her line of sight, I noticed the beasts that drew her attention:
The thestrals.
"So those are the thestrals?" Susan asked out loud. Since when can she see
them? Oh right, I forgot there were a few deaths during the tournament,
that explains it.
"Wait, those are real?" Tracey asked incredulously.
"Well yeah. We did kind of tell you about them, didn't we?" Daphne
asked, puzzled by her friend's reaction.
"I thought you were making fun of me!" We facepalmed. Really, what's so
difficult to believe about skeletal creatures that can only be seen by those
who have seen death? You'd think after witnessing the things magic can
do, it would influence her tolerance.
"Well, they are very real I assure you." Michael reassured. "Though I can't
see them, unfortunately."
"Fortunately." I corrected. Being able to see them implied having seen
death before, and that's not something I'd wish for him to experience any
time soon.
"Right."
"Can we pet them?" Susan asked, almost jumping from excitement.
"I suppose. They are harmless unless attacked." I offered. We all
approached the beasts, who were now eyeing us curiously. They
resembled a horse very much, except their skin hugged their bones so
much it was almost visible. Their wings could hardly be noticed when
folded. Even the sounds they made resembled a horse neigh, albeit lower
pitched.
Susan immediately went ahead, slowly petting a thestral's neck, before
hugging it. "So cute!" the thestral in question was obviously a young one,
judging by its size compared to the others. It also seemed to be female?
I'm not entirely sure, magical creatures were never my thing.
She then took Hannah's hands, guiding it through the beast's neck. Tracey
joined them too, soon followed by Michael. Daphne and I stayed behind,
watching them fussing over them sitting comfortably in the carriage.
Once they were done, they joined before it started moving.
"We should definitely do this again some time. Maybe we can could feed
them!" Hannah said happily, while Susan was nodding crazily. The others
shared the sentiment apparently.
"By the way, are you finally going to tell us what your big secret for this
year?" Michael asked with a raised eyebrow. The big secret he was
referring to was my plan for this year to counter the death eaters. It was
a long term one, but it would lay a solid base, especially since we won't
be able to destroy all the horcruxes soon.
Now I know what you'd say: I've already handled all the horcruxes,
except the Cup, Nagini and Harry himself, but no. It's not as simple as
that. My knowledge from the books and the movies isn't infallible, and
this is the real world where anything can happen. And did I mention that
the Gaunt ring has already been taken care of? No? Well, now you know.
I didn't even have to do anything to get it, it was child's play, especially
since no one was guarding the place. All one needed was enough time
and resources to break in, which we had more than enough.
Regrettably, we didn't get anything else of value from the house.
Definitely no books. Wizards guard their knowledge fiercely, and as soon
as someone tries to enter or tamper with the wards around their library,
it immediately destroys all books, which is why no one even tries. But I'm
sure there is a copy of the library at Gringotts, but that's not saying
much, since they'd be guarded even more, with more wards on top of
them.
"I was planning on telling you guys tomorrow." I informed them, turning
my attention to Hannah and Susan. "Can you guys ask Cedric to meet us
tomorrow after classes? I'll ask the twins, along with Harry, Ron and
Hermione to join us too."
"Definitely, count on us." They both nodded, making me smile.
"Come on, don't act all mysterious now. Tell us, what is it?" His inner
Ravenclaw is getting the better of him as he couldn't hold his curiosity.
Especially Tracey, but for her case, it was more her excessive curiosity
than just her Ravenclaw side. She even gave me the puppy eyes, voicing:
"Pwetty pwease?" Which would've worked, if not for my Occlumency.
"Sorry, it wouldn't be fair to the others. It's just one more day." I shook
my head with a sigh, she wouldn't drop this any time soon, would she?
"Come on, Susan, convince him. Use your charms, it's his weakness!" She
said with a smirk. A little vein made itself known in my forehead, while
Susan face was slowly gaining a red hue. Of course, Tracey of all the
people wouldn't drop it, should've known.
"Err…. I don't think we should pressure him to- "Susan didn't get the
chance to finish her sentence when she was interrupted by Tracey.
"You know, don't you?!" Tracey's eyes widened in realization. "Of course,
he'd tell you before everyone else. I should've known." She scoffed. Again,
another vein could be seen on my forehead. What the hell is she
implying? I told her out of necessity, not for any other reason.
The carriage slowly pulled over, signaling arrival to the castle. We were
the last group to arrive, so there was no one in sight. Every is most likely
at the Great Hall by now, eagerly awaiting the sorting and the feast. The
feast the most actually, famished people hardly pay any attention.
We made our way through the empty corridors, and I found myself
wondering if Hogwarts would ever need a makeover. The building was
more than two thousand years old, and everything about it was already
out of date, except its security.
The only thing Hogwarts lacked in terms of security was ears and eyes,
which I very much intend to give her in the next two years. If she did, no
one could get away with any excessive bullying or more severe crime like
that rape a couple years ago. Remembering that incident brought a
somber look to my face. I already feel like I failed Hogwarts by not
noticing it earlier. I had the map on my person after all. I should've paid
more attention. Though now that I have access to Slytherin and Rowena's
library, I was able to make my own version of it. I even added alarms for
when two people were in close proximity after curfew, which would alert
me immediately, or professor Flitwick, who now has a similar map. I
could probably do even better, but it would take too much time,
something I don't have at the moment.
"Kai? Are you alright?" Susan, who has apparently been paying attention
to my expression noticed the difference, her eyes filled with worry.
"I'm fine. I just remembered something unpleasant. Don't worry about it."
I waved off her concern, but she didn't look convinced. She frowned for a
second, before nodding weakly. Thankfully the others were engrossed in
their conversation and didn't notice.
Once we reached the Great Hall, we bid goodbyes, and made our way to
our respective houses. I could spot Fred and George waving at us with
exaggerated gestures from Gryffindor's table, and winking while a few of
their friends snickered for some reason. I just shook my head, and quietly
made my way to my place.
I made small talk with my year-mates, since I'd need their cooperation for
my plans. Though they were already friends with Michael, so I didn't
really need to, but it never hurt to have more friends. I never bothered
earning more "friends", and I'm not speaking about acquaintances. Those
I had a lot of. I meant genuine friends whom I could count on. For the
simple reason it would require a lot of time to build our relationship,
time I already give to my current friends. Time I'd rather spend
furthering my skills and preparing for the coming war.
The first years soon entered, guided by professor McGonagall. They were
all nervous wrecks, which was understandable. The Great Hall is
amazing, and a bit overwhelming. The surreal night sky, along with the
floating candles lighting the room, aided by the moon light was an
amazing sight to behold, especially for the first time. And honestly, it is
something I would never get tired of admiring.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see…"
The sorting song began, and I found myself grinning widely. It never
ceased to amuse me, watching A HAT singing, how its top would crinkle
to form its mouth and eyes, and even facial expressions. Even its voice
was a perfect match. If someone ever made me listen to this voice, even if
I didn't know Hogwarts was real, I'd definitely say it's a hat's voice, you
know what I mean? Meh, probably not. It's weird, I know, but it's real.
The song ended, with a clap from both old and new students. I for my
part clapped as hard as I can like a little child, which earned me an
elbow from Daphne, and her signature loud eyeroll. I just shrugged.
The sorting then began, and I hardly paid attention afterwards, until the
feast began. I ate in silence, my attention drifting to my unfinished
projects. Speaking of which, I developed two new spells. The first one
was a result of my research on sensory magic. When I apply it to an
object, I can clearly feel the atoms vibrating each to their own tune,
which gave me a new perception of temperature altogether. It's as if I
was blind my whole life, and suddenly I could see. But you know what
the problem with a spell like that is? Yeah, you guessed it.
If you didn't, here is a hint: even the tiniest object in the macroscopic
scale, is made of millions and millions of atoms. Which means that I'm
getting the feedback from every single atom, which quickly overloads my
senses, and makes me dizzy. I had to stop the spell several times,
otherwise I would've fainted. But the spell has limitations, and interesting
ones at that. The most important one, which actually is a good thing, is:
it doesn't work on conjured or transfigured objects. And not transfigured
objects that only had their shape changed, not I'm talking about objects
that had their "nature" changed.
You'd ask what that would be interesting? Well, you need to think of the
implications. That means that my set of theories and perception of
"temperature" when it comes to transfigured objects is wrong. I couldn't
even feel a single atom, which means there were none. Because, if there
were any atoms, it would've given me a feedback since it had a
temperature by definition, since it only refers to its vibration in time,
which was what I set as a basis for the spell. Meaning that transfigured
objects are something new entirely.
Notes
This chapter is quite long, around 6000 words i think. And if you've
noticed, I have considerably slowed down in terms of progression. I
want to try a few things, for starter create a feeling of immersion for
the reader, something I'm failing terribly at. Also, this POV thing is a
lot easier to write, and way more fun :3 I already have another chapter
prepared, I'll post it tomorrow. Tell me guys what you think in the
comments!
Arrival Part 3
As for my second spell, it was my objective all along. I was able to
convert "temperature" to Kinetic energy. I won't bore you with the detail,
but the results are impressive so far. The spell still needs a lot of work
before it can be used either in enchanting or for offense.
As for my Runic Processing Unit, it was already finished by now. A
problem remained though: its size. As it is right now, we can't use it in a
device you should be able to fit in your pocket. But it was still useful
nevertheless. I need to hook it up with the Ravenclaw Artificial Spell
Casting Unit, and program it to make copies of itself, albeit in a much
smaller variant.
You see, theoretically speaking, runes had a size they occupy in whatever
it is you applied them to. You can imagine them as a way to change the
universe's code for said object. But it's not exclusive to objects either, you
can bind them to liquids (a Pensieve would be a good example), air,
space (Wards), or even time (though this one was purely in theory, only a
single example exists and that would be the time turners, but to this day,
nobody knows how it actually works. Not that they'd ever make it known
if they did.)
Also, the runes you can apply to a cubic meter of matter, you could apply
the very same ones to a single atom. But in order to pull it off, you'd need
to be precise to a ridiculous degree, something that wizards are incapable
of. They can still apply runes to small objects, but the time necessary to
do so is so absurd it's not worth it. To oversimplify things, we need to
replace wizards in the carving process (note that carving here is
metaphorical. Runes aren't physical symbols as many would think.).
Right now, my team is familiarizing themselves with the artificial spell
caster's blueprints, before we start making it. I will have to drop school
for a month, since this was too important to fail. But I've still got some
time.
My musings were interrupted by the headmaster's booming voice.
"'Now that we are all fed and watered…" he began his annual speech,
warning us about all the items that have been blacklisted for the year by
the caretaker, then emphasizing just how forbidden the FORBIDDEN
forest is, as if the name was not enough. Actually, it totally wasn't. If
anything, it encouraged a few idiots from Gryffindor to do just what the
headmaster is warning them against, which generally ended badly for
them. '… May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,
Professor Moody.'
As soon as he said that, I discreetly took out my map, and checked his
name. if everything went the same as in the original story, he shouldn't
be the real Alastor Moody, but Barty Crouch Junior under Polyjuice. I
looked for the part of the map that showed the Great Hall, then for
Dumbledore's name as a reference. Once I checked the names of everyone
surrounding him, my face drained of all colors. 'No, no, no, no… This is
not supposed to happen.' To say that I was panicking would be an
understatement.
The name read "Alastor Moody". Meaning that it was in fact the real
Alastor. It was impossible to trick the castle about your name, as it used
Silent Contract on anyone who wished to enter the premises. If you
refused it somehow, it would attack you immediately, and trust me, there
was no man on earth that could survive an attack from Hogwarts. Why?
It's because the location it was built on was special. Mana was
concentrated at this specific location, underground the castle, to insane
levels, if the founders were to be believed. Which gives her a near
limitless supply of Mana.
Barty was not here at Hogwarts, which could mean a lot of things, and I
did not appreciate any of the possibilities. The most direct consequence
of this is that none of my knowledge of the future is useful any longer. I
was now on my own. I was not sure which of the events would still
happen, or how the Triwizard tournament would progress.
In the original story, Voldemort had Barty infiltrate Hogwarts without
anyone's knowledge, but the idea was not even funny. (Such feat was just
impossible, unless you had the Harry's invisibility cloak. As a Deathly
Hollow, it provided more perks than just making you invisible to the eye.
It hid your presence completely from the world. At least, the castle can't
sense him when he's using it. )
Then, Barty would play professor disguised as Alastor Moody, the most
paranoid man on earth and a close friend of Dumbledore without being
detected, for a whole year. And then, under everyone's noses, make a
portkey to take the winner back to the starting point. I can't begin to
understand why a Hogwarts' professor would be the one to make the
portkey. As far as I understand, that's the tournament's committee's job,
and they were made of British, French and Bulgarian wizards. Why
would they ask a Hogwarts' professor to make a simple portkey for them?
As for the reason why Voldemort wanted to lure Harry Potter to the
graveyard, where the portkey would take him, it's to use him in a ritual
that requires the blood of an enemy. And at the same time, kill him in
front of all of his followers to prove that the boy never vanquished him,
and that he is still the superior wizard. I'm not going to comment on the
battle that ensued because it's just ridiculous and unrealistic. If Harry
ever had the misfortune of facing Voldemort in a 1v1 situation, he'd be a
hundred and twenty percent dead. No "Power of Love" would save him,
not that such a thing existed in the first place. You should've seen the
look on Salazaar's face when I asked him. I never imagined I'd see him of
all the people laughing hysterically.
"… As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting
event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over
a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the TriWizard
Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year…" Dumbledore
gave a brief history of the Triwizard tournament, what it is, why it was
reinstated, and how it would proceed. "…The Heads of Beauxbatons and
Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October,
and the selection of the three champions will take place at Hallowe'en.
An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to
compete for the TriWizard Cup, the glory of their school and a thousand
Galleons personal prize money…" He then told us that only those of age
would be able to participate in the tournament, which earned him boos
from the students, especially Fred and George who were very vocal in
their discontent. "… Now off to bed, Chop Chop!"
Unsurprisingly, Quidditch was not cancelled this year. Not that it could
ever happen, the one thing you can never take away from young wizards
and witches is Quidditch. As the only sport available to them, it actually
became more of a religion than a sport. If Dumbledore as much as
insinuated that Quidditch would be cancelled, everyone would draw their
wands on him, including the professors. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a
little bit, but it's somewhat true.
As we made our way out of the Great Hall, I turned to my friends: "Go on
without me guys, I've got something to do first." They all nodded except
Daphne, who quickly added: "I'll go with you."
I raised an eyebrow at her, as if saying 'What are you doing?', but she just
shrugged: "I have the same thing." I just shook my head, as we both made
our way slowly towards the stairs. Luckily, there were no professor in our
way when we checked the map. I really wasn't in the mood to sneak
around. We did notice some couples however, who couldn't wait and
immediately claimed a few broom closets and empty classrooms to
themselves. A shame professor Flitwick would deal with all of them
shortly, I could already see him making his way there.
Notes
Note that this is all part of the same chapter, but i have to post is
seperately, since it makes 6850 words for a single chapter. so i'm
posting chunks of 2000 and 1400 words per chapters (to increase my
release rate). I'll post the final part tomorrow. If you prefer to read
whole chapters instead, the story is available on ff too, but I post here
first.
Arrival Part 4
We arrived to the seventh floor after a few minutes of climbing the stairs,
I was irritated and just flew with Daphne up there, since no one could see
us. We slowly walked through the empty dimly lit corridors, that gave an
ominous feeling to anyone walking them in this hour. Ironic, that the
safest place on the planet could project such feeling.
The outcome of tonight was unexpected for me, I wasn't naïve enough to
believe my existence wouldn't change much the story, but I had no plans
for it happening now, and this soon.
It was time that I seriously prepare myself.
I didn't need to walk three times in front of the entrance, as it
immediately opened upon my arrival. 'The perks of being Hogwarts'
master' I chuckled silently.
"So, why are you here?" I finally turned to my blonde friend. "I hope
you're not thinking of reading books at this time of the day." Because
that's not going to happen while I'm nearby.
"No." She shook her head. "I'm just here to practice before I get some
sleep. I still haven't adjusted to all the changes in my body." I nodded in
understanding, as I was suffering from the same thing.
"You brought your workout clothes with you? Or should I ask the room to
conjure some for you?"
"I didn't bring anything with me." She shook her head.
I gave her temporary access to the room. We avoid keeping two people in
control in case the room gets confused over which one to obey if we ask
different things.
She asked the room for a booth to change in, while I did the same. I
changed into my workout shirt and pants, along with some very
comfortable featherweight trainers. I had them with me in my expanded
pouch.
My mind stopped working for a second as I look at her new outfit. While
the pants were somewhat baggy, it still hugged her waist, displaying her
fit body's curves. My eyes slowly rose to her developing chest, before
noticing she was crossing her arms, then I met her eyes and noticed the
risen eyebrow.
"Ahem… Errr sorry, hormones…" I turned awkwardly, before she burst
into muffled laughter, which annoyed the hell out of me. Did she do it on
purpose?
'I am a rocc…' I slowly channeled my Occlumency as it started taking
effect, bringing me back in control.
"Ahem, let's get started then…" The scenery changed, displaying a road
sandwiched by trees and greenery on the sides. The scent also adapted to
the scene, filling us with energy. Lamps illuminated the road, as we
started jogging. I made a conscious effort not to look her way in my
vulnerable teenager self.
We ran for about ten minutes, followed by stretches and warmup
movements. I then started practicing sets of moves, while she took out
her wand to practice her control. Watching the tournament did give me a
lot of ideas, one of which would be to surprise my enemies with Close
quarter combat once they were in range, it would give me a trump card
they didn't have, especially once you add magic to the mix. So, I started
practicing Karate after finding an interesting dojo in London. I also
needed the physical exercises to get used to what felt like a new body to
me after the rituals I went through. They didn't give short term benefits,
but increased my overall body potential, and that included all the aspects
of it. I did have access to the Black and Greengrass libraries too, after all.
You can imagine the deadly combination all four major families
provided. (Slytherin and Ravenclaw too.)
Soon I began with Wandless magic, working on my telekinesis. My skills
in magic were still there, that means my control didn't just disappear
overnight. I just need to get it back, by practicing some more until I
adjusted to the changes. We predicted that by the start of the first task, I
would already have perfected my control. My physical strength and body
coordination also increased, but it wasn't noticeable yet.
I asked for a wooden cube, and started working on levitation. The
objective was to levitate it slowly, while controlling every movement. So,
I need to first give it just enough force to cancel gravity's effect, then
slowly increase the force to give it upwards acceleration.
I focused my magic, which used to feel like a warm fluid all over my
body in and out. However, now it felt like a lava in a volcano, ready to
erupt at a moment's notice. Once I began the spell, the cube immediately
shot upward, so I cancelled it, and asked the room to bring it back.
I deliberately chose an object with low weight to practice my control,
and avoid killing Daphne or myself in the process.
I tried again, this time using as little Mana as possible, while closing my
eyes and blocking all other thoughts to concentrate. This time it slowly
started levitating. There was a way I could easily control the spell, and
that's by limiting the force applied by modifying the spell structure itself,
which would be a lot easier right now, but it wasn't the point of the
exercise.
I slowly decreased the mana output, forcing my target to decelerate. Now
I focused on maintaining the current output, while the object slowly fell
to the ground. I exhaled a breath I had been holding, then began again. I
did it over and over again, until I could hold it still. It was still shaking, a
sign of lack of control on my part, but I'll take it as a win.
I didn't bother training with my wand, because I could still use all my
spells, except that they'd all be overpowered. Wandless magic took
precedence in my case, as it would train my Wanded skills at the same
time. I moved on to the Protego charm, doing the same thing. I tried to
decrease the shield's power, until it was at an optimal level, while
tinkering with its size. A perfect shield only protected the vulnerable
parts, and that mean where the spell would hit. Having a bigger Mana
pool certainly increased my proficiency with Wandless magic, as it was
the one thing I lacked.
Daphne was doing the same exercises as me, albeit more advanced and
with a Wand. She was having more success than me, obviously.
"That was fun." After 2 hours of endless casting, we were both exhausted.
"Yeah…" she said, panting from exhaustion.
"Mmm…" I heard a soft moan, and I immediately turned toward the
source, noticing Daphne stretching. It went for a minute, before she
stopped finally noticing my presence there.
"I'm going to shower, see you in a bit." I had to turn before she could
notice anything. I fucking hate puberty. I had to ask for cold water to
calm my nerves.
"WHY IS THE WATER SO COLD?" a shrill voice interrupted my shower, I
just realized I didn't specify cold water for mine only.
"Ehm, sorry about that." Dammit! Now she'll start getting ideas. Not that
they'd be wrong, but still!
We quickly showered (separately), and made our way back to the dorm,
bidding each other a good night. I opened my trunk, and went to my
private apartment. I never sleep in my dorm's room; you never know
when an old goat will ambush you. I quickly fell asleep, teenage dreams
making the night a lot more enjoyable.
On a more serious note, though, I really need to find a solution to this
distraction of mine. Occlumency isn't enough anymore, unless I become
some kind of living robot by blocking all emotions. Maybe I should look
into some potion to fix my horndog problem. At this point, I'm tempted
to just cut it and be done with it. Just kidding.
Fourth Year Part 1
Waking up at six in the morning is no easy feat, especially when you do it
every day. I used to wake at five to get more reading time, since I am on
a very tight schedule, with a war coming and all that. Now I don't need
to do much reading, just more practice with my magic. The most
important now is to get my control over magic back. It might not sound
like a big deal, but it is. In a fight, throwing overpowered spells can be
deadly, since the opponent can just throw them back at me, then I'd
overpower the shield too, which means I tire easily. Not to mention I
won't be able to use Dark Magic, whose main requirement is control. I am
not looking forward to trying Fiendfyre in this state.
I got up, dressed in my work out clothes and darted out of the Ravenclaw
tower towards the black lake. Even though the Room of Requirement can
provide better scenery, the feeling that none of it was real remains, and it
reduces the quality of the experience in my opinion.
It was cold in this part of the country, especially this early in the morning
but it didn't really matter. As long as you were proficient with magic, you
can be naked and be perfectly warm, provided you had your wand, or
were proficient with a wandless warming charm, which was the case for
me. Normally, it would be a problem given my lack of control, as I could
burn myself in the process, but I am no longer a beginner when it comes
to magic. I can just modify the spell to add a limiting parameter to it, so
no matter how much mana I feed it, it would do its job the way I intend
it to.
I ran around the lake, looking for a good spot to practice my magic
without being interrupted, and soon enough, I found a nice spot, I set up
a few basic warning wards in case of an ambush or unwanted visitor.
Better safe than sorry. And I began my routine.
First the stunning spell: "Stupefy". In the movies, the spell would knock
back anyone who came in contact with it, however it wasn't the purpose
of the spell. Once it hits you, you just lose consciousness. There is a
variant that's a mix between the banishing charm "Depulso" that also
pushes you back, but it's not necessary. I pointed my wand, and focused
on making the spell flow out, trying my best to limit the output. I just
send them towards the lake where they'd just dissipate when they run out
of energy. Once I felt it reached a decent level of control, I moved to the
next spell. That didn't mean I mastered the spell yet; for that, I'll need a
lot more practice.
The next spell would be the Shielding Charm: "Protego". This spell as its
name implies can stop physical and magical attacks. It can deflect
anything it makes contact with like a mirror, unless it can't be repelled
for various reasons. Unfortunately, there are spells it can't repel, so it's
not fool proof.
Fun fact: do you know why Wizards don't just use machine guns instead
of complicated and energy consuming spells? It's this particular charm.
The moment the bullets make contact with the Shield, the caster can just
send them back at your face, especially since he'll be ready for it. So, you
would have the opportunity to send one shot at him, maybe, before it hits
his shield since he's expecting you to do just that. (Guns aren't exactly
invisible, unless you make them so, which is just not very possible.)
Most believe that Grindelwald lost the war, that his ideals died with his
loss. The truth couldn't be farther from the truth. Grindelwald actually
won the war when it comes to ideals, because say whatever you want,
the man was right. All non-magical government are controlled by their
magical counter parts nowadays. They have finally admitted the danger
muggles represent, so they needed to keep a tight leash on them, in case
a madman decided to test nuclear weapons on neighboring countries.
That also includes keeping track of all their inventions, especially their
weaponry, and trying to find a way to counter it.
For guns' case, it's fairly simple. A modified shielding charm that
activates whenever a small metallic object flying at deadly speed is near
the target. Enchant a trinket with that effect, and you are bullet proof. It
can be a bracelet or a necklace you wear. That's the reason no one even
bothers with guns.
I followed it by the Shield Breaking charm, another reason why the
Protego spell isn't foolproof, then the Levitation charm, Banishing Charm
Depulso, Disarming Charm Expeliarmus, and concluded my session. I
saved the more lethal spells for another session, when I am not in the
open where anyone can see me; I wouldn't want to give people the idea
that I'm dangerous.
It was seven thirty by the time I was finished. I felt a bit tired, but it's
nothing breakfast won't fix. I ran back towards the dorm. I passed by
several students on the way who gave me weird looks, probably because
of my outfit, and the fact that I'm jogging, but I didn't mind. I expect
there will be all kind of rumors flying around, however I have Tracey on
my side, so long as I tell her the real reason (at least, my version of it),
they would disappear quickly enough.
I did notice on the way, a redhead who seemed to desperately want to go
back to sleep, but was being dragged by her blonde friend, Hannah.
Though upon noticing me, her eyes suddenly opened, no trace of sleep
left in them. She grinned widely, and waved at me. "Good morning!"
"Hello!" I stopped for a moment to greet them, it wouldn't do just run
past them, I'm sure they'd be offended.
"Where were you?" Hannah gave me a puzzled look. She knew I was
weird, but this was apparently a new level of weird for me. "And why are
you dressed like that?"
"Um, I was just practicing my spells. I need to go now; I'll see you guys
later." I said before darting towards the Ravenclaw tower. I quickly took
a shower and put on my school uniform. Coming down from the boys
dormitory, I noticed Daphne sitting on the common room, eyes glued on
a book.
"Hello Daph. Waiting for someone?"
"Yes, actually." Daphne closed her book and turned her attention to me. "I
was waiting for you."
"O-Okay…"
"I already got us our time tables from professor Flitwick." Daphne
presented me with said parchment. "We have potions with Snape first."
"Great. You want to partner again this year?" I grinned at her. We usually
outperformed everyone in potions, the most difficult subject taught at
Hogwarts.
"About that…" I frowned. Daphne wanted to say something but seemed
hesitant. I can only guess I won't like what she would say.
"You can tell me. What is it?"
"Hannah and Susan usually pair together for potions…" I did not like
where this was going. "And they didn't do that well last year. So, they
had a little request for us."
"Where are you going with this, Daphne?"
"They asked, since we are both doing so well, we could pair with them
instead. It would help them pick up their grades." Daphne did not sound
very confident relaying this particular request to me, which was really
unlike her. I guess she was uncomfortable with the suggestion too, or at
least with the part where she would have to relay it to me.
"And what did you tell them?"
"I said I'd speak with you first." Great, now I'll sound like a d-word if I say
no.
"Daph… You know how much focus is required when dealing with
potions…"
"Yes, and I did mention it when they asked. But she promised this has
nothing to do with her crush on you." Daphne answered truthfully.
"Hannah was the one who came up with the idea." She added.
"And you think this is a good idea?"
"Yes." She said without hesitation. "I have no reason to doubt their
sincerity. Besides, they wouldn't be stupid enough to mess with a
Ravenclaw's school work." She does have a point. Ravenclaws are not
forgiving for those who mess with their studies. I've seen hexes being
thrown at Gryffindors in the library because they couldn't keep their
mouths shut when the exams were close.
We walked together towards the Great Hall in silence, while I was
pondering over this situation. On the bright side, we get to help two
friends who really need it, but if she ends up being distracted most of the
time, or worse, distract me in the process… I guess I'll have to try it first,
worst case scenario, we'll just switch back.
"Alright, we can switch partners." Daphne nodded. We entered the Great
Hall, and as expected, I was already receiving those looks, along with
some hushed discussions. Regrettably, minding your own business was
not a skillset they taught here.
Notes
Sorry for the late release, had exams this week. I'll post another
chapter in about 12 hours if i finish it. Enjoy the chapter!
Fourth Year Part 2
Tracey and Michael were already at the table, breaking their fast. And by
the sound of it, having discussions about potions with our house mates.
"… It's apparently different this year. We won't be only processing
potions, but also casting spells on them- Oh hey guys!" Michael stopped
his lengthy explanation when he noticed us approaching.
"Good morning, sorry for being late." They saved us seats apparently.
"It's alright don't mention it." Michael waved it off.
"What's this you were saying about potions being different?" Terry Boot
asked him again, seemingly annoyed at my interruption.
"Right, well as I said, we'll be casting spells on potions to remove certain
runic sequences. Most advanced potions use this technique to isolate the
effects." Michael resumed.
"Don't tell me we have to cast spells only from a set of runes! Isn't that
super difficult to do?" Anthony Goldstein paled hearing the level of
difficulty. To be fair, out of all Hogwarts' subjects, potions were the most
difficult. And because of professor Snape's high standards, accepting only
Outstandings for his NEWT class, only a select few make it, generally
around ten students.
"No, that's NEWT level. We will be required to cast simpler spells with
incantations though, but it's not very easy either. And he usually assigns
the spell as homework." Tracey was also paying close attention to what
he was saying. She has apparently decided to pursue potions in the
future, hopefully becoming a potion mistress. The reason for this is very
simple: it's the highest paying job there is. Enchanter might sound cool,
but they are very common. Potion masters, on the other hand, are very
rare. The nature of their job is also very dangerous, since the smallest
mistakes can cost your life.
I sat down, and began buttering my toast. I took a bite, then a sip from
my chocolate milk, before I noticed the weird looks I was receiving,
again. What now?
"Wow. The world must be ending, or I must have gone blind." Terry
remarked, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing right.
"What?"
"You didn't cast your spells on your food." Anthony pointed out. Oh, so
that's what this is about.
"Really? I must have forgot." I continued munching on my toast, enjoying
the now suspicious glances.
"Who are you and what have you done to Kaiser!" Tracey and Michael
asked simultaneously, but I just smirked. Should I tell them that I
checked my food Wandlessly? Meh, let's see how long until they figure it
out. Professor Flitwick soon started distributing our schedules.
"Great, we have potions first." Anthony groaned in annoyance; Potions
was not his favorite subject. "Getting yelled at by Snape on the first day.
What a great way to start the year."
I swear I saw Professor Snape's eye shift to our direction briefly, before
he resumed his talks with Professor McGonagall. Was his hearing that
good? I should be careful what I say in the Great Hall then. Who am I
kidding? I never discuss anything important here anyway.
"Do your potions correctly, and you won't get yelled at." Terry shrugged.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Anthony just rolled his eyes at him. To be
fair, professor Snape doesn't "yell". He speaks in the calmest way possible,
so much that it chills you to the bones when you are the subject of his
ire.
"We should get moving and clean our equipment first." Tracey said, after
Daphne and I finished eating. There are two people professor Snape hates
the most: those who are late, and those who do not take potions
seriously. I understand why it would piss him off, the number of times he
had to vanish a potion about to go kaboom was astronomical, and that's
only for simple potions. It is an exceedingly dangerous and stressful for
him, watching everyone closely for any signs of errors, while he can't
afford to make any, because it would mean one of his students would lose
his life.
Hannah and Susan noticed us getting up, and did the same with the other
puffs. Daphne quickly whispered something to them, I guess she's
informing them of our change of pairings. I took a station at the back of
the class, and was shortly joined by Susan.
"Hello! Thank you for agreeing to this." She said to me with a smile,
which I returned.
"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for." She nodded, while her
smile widened. "Let's clean the cauldron first."
"Allow me." She took her wand out, pointing it at the cauldron.
"Aguamenti." A stream of water came out of it, and slowly filled half the
cauldron. She then dumped a cleaning potion into the water. It was used
to get rid of remnants of previous potions, and any other effects that
could still be on the cauldron. Next, she waved her wand over the mixt,
creating a vortex effect, covering every part of the cauldron.
"Evanesco." The water slowly disappeared leaving behind a silver interior
with few taints. "Scourgify." The spell left behind shiny silver with no
unwanted substances. It was a cleaning spell used to get rid of impurities,
but it's not foolproof either. Unless you had an amazing control over the
spell, it would leave behind some traces. After casting it a few times, she
conjured water again, making it spin all over the cauldron, and vanishing
it.
"Done." She pointed her wand, casting a few spells to verify the quality of
her cleaning, while I did the same. The results were impressive enough.
The cauldron was now ready for use.
"Impressive." I praised. Praises were free, and usually had a positive effect
on people. I don't see why we shouldn't abuse this fact.
"Thank you." She beamed, as always.
"You did some reading about today's potion?" I asked. It's a good thing we
already know the potion we would be making; professor Snape only gives
surprises for evaluations.
"I did." She nodded. "We will be making a variant of the Calming
Draught. I also researched the ingredients we will be using." She added.
Good to know she's taking this seriously. She asked me a few questions
about the ingredients, while I did the same. We discussed our findings,
filling the blanks for each other, until we heard the professor's voice.
"Take your stations everyone."
When I first came to Hogwarts, I expected Snape to be nothing but a
bitter man who takes joy in torturing his non-Slytherin students. One that
gives Harry the hardest time because of a grudge against his father since
his teenage years. I am glad I was proven wrong.
Professor Snape was a very strict teacher. He expects the best of his
students, but helps them all the way. Most are intimidated by his
demeanor, however. Professor Snape never smiles, always wearing the
same cold indifferent mask, his tone almost monotone. The very air
around him changes when dealing with problematic children, however,
chilling you to the bones, which is why he is the most feared professor at
Hogwarts.
I honestly respect him very much as a professor, because of how efficient
he is. The nature of his job is very demanding, and he deals with it his
own way, but it gives sufficient results. There hasn't been a single student
of his who passed his NEWT class that didn't get an O, and was accepted
shortly afterwards as an apprentice under a potion master. In fact, he
helped most of them get their apprenticeships, for those who wanted to
pursue potions at least.
He slowly walked through every station, examining the cauldrons with
his eyes, the first thing he does every time. I wondered how he could
judge the quality without using any spells but now, I have my answer.
The rituals have enhanced my sensitivity to magic significantly, and
whenever looked at a cauldron, I could feel a tiny wave of magic hit me.
He was using wandless magic!
"Today, you'll be brewing a more advanced version of the Calming
Draught. I want you to apply everything you have learned in my class so
far. Instructions are on the board. Begin."
And begin we did. The first step would be to choose the correct
ingredients. There are several criteria one has to follow when choosing,
mainly taking into account the previous ingredients' properties, since
they aren't all the same. A professional would use a few spells and
trinkets to make sure he has everything right, but since we are not at that
level, we use physical properties like size, color or patterns to choose the
correct ingredients. Professor Snape watches the choices of everyone,
making remarks whenever he thinks them necessary. I have no idea how
he can follow everything that's happening, remembering the choices of
everyone at the same time.
For my part, I let Susan choose every ingredient. She did a good job,
which means that Herbology at least wasn't a problem for her. So, it most
likely had to do with the brewing process, or maybe she was just
distracted talking with Hannah all the time.
Notes
Here's the second part. I'll post another one tomorrow, or after 12
hours, I'm not sure if I can get finish it before.
Fourth Year Part 3
The next step is preparing said ingredients. Some of them have to be
processed separately, while others are added raw into the cauldron.
Everything has to be done manually, however, since spells usually alter
their magical components, so we avoid it as much as possible to achieve
the highest quality. I took care of grinding what had to be, while Susan
cut off and weighted the parts we'll need. That's when I noticed her first
mistake. She was a perfectionist. She didn't want to waste any part of the
ingredients, and cut dangerously next to what would be considered
impurities within our potion. I pointed it out immediately, saying that
humans cannot operate with such precision, and that it was a waste of
time. Better play it safe. How much waste we left behind is also graded,
so it is relatively important as well. But it's all for naught if the resulting
potion is rubbish.
She nodded and did just what I told her. I noticed Snape look in our
direction briefly, before nodding and moving on to another group.
We proceeded next to preheating the cauldron. It was easy business, we
use spells to check the temperature, while the stove it was on could be
controlled with our wands. You just had to point to a specific section,
and pour some mana into it, then increase or decrease it slowly. Susan
did most of the work, as she wanted me to observe her errors, which I
gladly did. Her technique was alright, she followed the instructions to the
letter. We didn't have to make calculations beforehand, as professor
Snape prepared everything for us. All we had to do was follow simple
instructions on our books and on the board.
One of the mistakes she made was during her stirring. At some point,
there was an irregularity within her pace, probably because her arm felt
sore, which I could understand. We were lucky I was paying attention
enough to take over before she stopped midway. That's most likely the
reason why she did not get good grades in the subject. The instructions
also specified a speed at which we need to stir, along with direction. It
isn't always clockwise or counter clockwise, sometimes we stirred
alternatively in a straight line. It depends on several factors I won't bore
you with.
We finished the potion on time, handing two vials to the professor. He
examined them closely, taking out his wand and casting several spells
silently, before he nodded. "Good. I think you can try it on yourselves."
He divided the content into two vials, and handed them to us. "Drink."
Professor Snape had no reason to poison us… right? Besides, if there was
any harmful effect, I'm sure Susan's bracelet would detect it. She
somehow understood that fact, and gulped it before I did, before smiling
at my direction. I smiled back, appreciating her understanding of my
paranoia. I drank the potion too.
"What can you tell me about the taste?" Professor Snape asked.
"It was sweet, but also… bitter at the same time? I'm not sure." Susan
answered uncertainly.
"You are correct. The potion however is supposed to be a little sweet. The
bitterness you tasted was due to the unwanted components in it." He
nodded. "What about the effect? How long before you felt it?"
"It was almost instantaneous. I immediately felt the effect of the potion." I
answered this time.
"Indeed." He confirmed. "And while that would seem like a good thing, it
isn't in most cases. The human mind is a fragile thing, such abrupt
change isn't very good for it, especially when used repeatedly. Which is
the reason why this particular potion is never used outside of academic
purposes." He paused for a bit before continuing. "Under normal
circumstances, your potion would earn you an O (Outstanding) as fourth
years. But I expect a lot more from you, I believe you can do even better
than this. For next week, I want an essay on the various spells used in the
selection process, along with their uses. Focus on those you will be using
for the next potion. You are dismissed."
As we made our way out of the classroom, Susan couldn't stop herself
from cheering. Apparently, she never got anything above "Acceptable"
before.
"What do you have next?" Susan asked me.
"Transfiguration, you?"
"Charms."
"I guess I'll see you after classes then?"
"Definitely. We told Cedric about the meeting by the way, he said he'll be
there. Should we ask someone else?" Susan was very interested in what I
had in store for them.
"Do you have any suggestions?" I asked back. "It has to be someone
trustworthy, to whom people would listen."
"There are some seventh years who meet those conditions, but I never
spoke to them before. It's best if Cedric asks them after you speak to us."
"Alright." We talked for a while, before it was time for the next session. I
bid her goodbye and went to the transfiguration classroom.
"Good morning, professor." Professor McGonagall was sitting on her desk,
resting for the next class.
"Good morning to you, Mr. Lunar." Her lips curved into a smile that gave
off a different picture to her usually stern face. "You had a productive
summer, I hope?" She gave me a knowing smile. Hm? What's this about?
"Definitely, professor." I took a seat, and was shortly joined by Daphne.
She also got out early from Potions it seems.
Soon the rest of the class entered, though one of them, a blonde boy with
a punchable face that's hard to miss, gave me hateful glares for whatever
reason. If he thought it would affect me, he clearly miscalculated the
amount of fu- anyway.
Class started on time, as always. Professor McGonagall was unforgiving
to those who came late, saying it was unbecoming of wizards and witches
to show such disrespect for the others by being late. Everyone values
their precious time. Thankfully, that was hardly a problem with
Slytherins and Ravenclaws.
In today's lesson, we would be a piece of wood into an animal of our
choice and animate it. It is more difficult than it sounds, especially in my
case. My control was already horrible, so there was no way I will excel at
Transfiguration who relied most on it. Every time I tried the spell, it
would give inappropriate results. And even when it succeeded, it quickly
reversed back.
"Your spell is unstable, Mr. Lunar. You need to work more on your
control." Professor McGonagall instructed me.
"Yes, professor. I'll do my best." She nodded in understanding and moved
on to the others. She definitely knew I performed rituals, it was glaringly
obvious, especially to someone as observant as her.
A few of my classmates were looking at me suspiciously, especially one
Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson, wondering how I couldn't get the
spell right, even though I always did in the previous years. It wouldn't
take long for them to figure it out though. Most descendants of noble
families undergo rituals at this age to boost their magic, and some boost
their sensitivity as well. They will notice my huge reserves sooner or
later, it's only a matter of time.
I also noticed some shooting me looks of glee, namely Draco Malfoy, and
even my house mates: Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot. I guess
outperforming me once must be a huge accomplishment in their books.
Even better, since Daphne wasn't faring any better than me. We did
manage to get the spell right halfway through the session, then we did
the same control exercise as the previous day but with this particular
transfiguration spell in mind.
Once professor McGonagall was satisfied with everyone's progress, she
told us to practice the spell some more as an assignment; we were now
permitted to practice Transfiguration outside of class. She then began
lecturing us on the more theoretical aspect of transfiguration, moving on
to an elementary runic study of the field. I already knew this part by
heart, since it was needed for my "Screen" project. I did however pay
attention, answering questions and earning Ravenclaw a few points in the
process. Class ended fairly quickly, we hardly noticed by the time it was
over. It was an interesting subject after all.
"Mr. Lunar, Miss Greengrass, a word if you don't mind." Professor
McGonagall asked us aside.
"Certainly professor." She waited until everyone left before speaking to
us.
"I can't help but notice that your control over your magic degraded this
year." She began, studying our reactions while doing so. We were
practiced enough in Occlumency not to give anything away, not that it
mattered anyway. Even though rituals were forbidden by the ministry,
most ancient families practice them regardless. And rituals to boost one's
magic aren't uncommon, though the one we have undergone are vastly
superior of course. "I won't ask about how this happened, but I believe I
have a way to help you get it back quickly." That definitely got our
attention.
Fourth Year Part 4
Seeing how our eyes widened for a second, she smiled before saying:
"Wands' primary role, as you may know, is to focus our magic for us,
since it doesn't come easy naturally. However, it has a lot of different
features we hardly notice. One such feature has been invented to deal
with this particular issue you're suffering from: It's called a limiter. It sets
a maximum value of magical output that is permitted by the wand.
Whenever your magic exceeds said limit, you'd start feeling a resistance.
And the more you exceed it, the stronger the resistance." She took a
pause to let the words sink in, before adding: "this would act as a
warning, and therefore you'd try not to trigger it. Overtime, your magic is
reconditioned to have that particular output as a default, and instead of
struggling to decrease your output every time, it would have a smaller
default value you can increase or decrease instead."
Now that certainly seemed like the magical solution to our problem, I
guess I will have to speak with Mr. Olivanders as soon as possible.
"Thank you, professor."
"Thank you, professor. That was very helpful."
"You're very welcome, Mr. Lunar, Miss Greengrass." She smiled at our
words.
"Um, professor? Can we head over to Ollivanders' during lunch break?" I
noticed her frown, so I added. "I promise we'll be back before next
session, and I'll call Mr. Greengrass to collect us." She thought it over for
a minute, before nodding.
"That's alright, I suppose. You can floo call him from my office."
"That's not necessary professor, I have other means." I grinned, while she
tilted her head in confusion. Haha, time to show off! I brought out my
wizard phone (I'm calling it that for now, since we haven't decided on a
name yet), and clicked on Karl's name on my contact.
"Hello, Mr. Greengrass, sorry to bother you at this hour…."
"Professor McGonagall suggested a solution for our control problem. We
need to visit Ollivanders'…"
"Yes… can you collect us from Hogwarts'?"
"Great. Thank you."
Professor McGonagall was watching me with wide eyes, probably
questioning the reality of what she just saw. She got herself together, and
said: "Was that a phone, Mr. Lunar?"
Well, at least she knows what's going on in the muggle world, good to
know not all wizards are idiots. "Yes. Something similar, professor."
"Did you find a way to make electronics work here at Hogwarts?" while
her voice seemed perfectly collected, I noticed it was a bit louder than
usual.
"No, professor. This is an alternative we came up with. It will be released
to the market later in the year."
World POV:
Professor McGonagall was gobsmacked at the implications of what she
just heard. Needless to say, she was aware of the difficulty the wizarding
world had concerning communication. The most interesting invention the
world witnessed in this area would be the Floo network a few hundred
years back, which allowed people to communicate over long distances,
but its installation was ridiculously expensive, not to mention it was
stationary. What she just witnessed was a tiny device, which meant that
the runic scheme must be small enough, and therefore cheap enough to
market it at a low price. The materials could be expensive themselves,
but with the help of alchemy, that could be fixed by modifying cheaper
base materials.
She also felt pride for her student. She was certain he was the one to
come up with it, as it was the only explanation for this. The Greengrass
family were known businessmen, yes, but they didn't have the knowledge
nor the skills to pull off something like this. Karl Greengrass, the current
head of the family, was a potion master, and his daughters were still
studying at Hogwarts. Kaiser was the only one qualified to make them,
since he also made a Runic Watch the previous year.
Karl Floo-called to ask for permission to step through, which he did right
after. After exchanging a few words with the deputy headmistress, he
took his daughter and her fiancée to Diagon Alley. Kaiser himself didn't
need permission, since he was an adult as far as the law was concerned.
He only needed to inform the school. Daphne's case was different.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Harry's POV:
I sat at the Gryffindor table with my two best friends, Ron Weasley and
Hermione Granger. Ron, for all his faults, is very loyal, not to mention he
was my first friend. Don't judge him too hard, he certainly did mistakes
along the way, but the blame for all of those doesn't rest entirely on him.
Hermione was probably the smartest witch of our generation. (Note that I
said witch, not wizard)
"What do you guys have this afternoon?" I asked them, as we sat down.
"Runes." "Divination." Replied both of them.
"But you already know that mate, we have it together." Ron added
afterwards.
"About that…" I said uncertainly. I didn't know how Ron would take this.
"What?" Ron had a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean?"
"I won't be taking Divination this year."
"What?!" Ron cried out in shock, making almost everyone in the vicinity
turn their heads to us.
"Shush!" I gestured. I didn't like the attention; I had more than enough
being the Boy-Who-Breathed and what not. "Yeah, I'm not taking
divination this year. I don't have any gifts for it, and it's honestly a waste
of my time." Ron looked at me as I just grew two more heads.
"But it's free marks! Who cares about its usefulness!" He exclaimed. I
would've agreed with you, had I still been the same Harry I was in first
year.
"I need something to help me survive, Ron, not to waste my time
listening to the rambling of some lunatic hag who can barely believe her
own predictions." Seriously, the whole session was about her spouting
some BS and predicting how gruesome our deaths would be. "You know
what is to come, Ron. A certain bald bastard seems to have develop an
unhealthy interest in me, almost killing me each year. What guarantee do
I have he won't succeed next time?" I added after thinking for a moment.
"You do have a point." Ron said after thinking over it for a while, and is
that pride I can see in Hermione's eyes. "So, what did you pick instead?"
"Arithmancy." He spilled his drink all over the table, which was met by
smacks from everyone around. I just laughed my ass off at his misfortune.
Even the twins came all the from the other end of the table just to smack
him and go back to their place.
"Seriously mate, Arithmancy out of all the choices you had?! Have you
gone nuts?!"
"Language!" he was smacked again on the shoulder by an angry
Hermione. Hm, now that I think of it, she never said that to Kaiser
whenever he said the f-word. Well, to be fair, he only ever used it when
he was really angry, and I can't blame her for not saying anything when
he is. He's usually very friendly, but when he snaps, he's one scary dude.
Speaking of him, Daphne and him are unusually late for lunch, or maybe
they won't come. Did something happen? I should check with them later.
"Arithmancy will help me learn and optimize different defensive and
offensive spells."
"Wait, what?" Confused Ron was back in full force again. "Are you sure?
Isn't that elective just for nerds who like to play with numbers?" He was
smacked again in the shoulder. "Stop it, woman, you're killing me!" she
glared at him.
"No Ron. Arithmancy is the art of analyzing magical phenomena through
mathematical equations and properties." Hermione corrected him, but
she was still glaring daggers at him.
"Sounds boring." Ron shrugged and resumed eating. Change is a gradual
process, an even slower one when it comes to Ron. We'll need to work
more on this laziness of his.
"By the way, where is Kai?" I asked them. "I didn't see him in the Great
Hall." Hermione also turned and started looking with me, quite obviously
too. She drew a few looks her way, which made me a bit embarrassed.
"You're right." She affirmed. "I don't see Daphne anywhere either."
"Maybe they're snogging somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised." Ron said
with a grin.
"What?!" Hermione looked scandalized. "What are you even talking
about! He's dating Susan! He'd never do that to her!"
"Isn't it common to have more than one wife?" Ron asked innocently. I'm
sure he knew it wasn't THAT common, but he's just teasing Hermione.
"WHAT?!" She shrieked this time, and I had to cover my ears for
protection.
"Keep it down Hermione, you're drawing a lot of attention there." I
suggested, while she turned and noticed everyone looking at here.
"How can polygamy still be accepted?! That's barbaric!" she said in a
lower tone this time.
"Only men of culture can appreciate the beauty of it, and you obviously
cannot understand that." Ron said haughtily. I just burst into laughter
that absurdity of it all. They spent few minutes bickering until Lavender
decided to explain to her that it was a thing, but it wasn't very common.
It was still twenty minutes until the beginning of the next session, when
we noticed Kaiser and Daphne entering the Great Hall together. It was
hard not to when we heard Lavender the gossip queen squeal; all we had
to do was follow where her eyes were looking.
Notes
Sorry for the late release guys. End of the school year, exams
approaching, projects deadlines, new projects in between, life playing
tricks on me.... I have good news however. One of the main reason I
couldn't keep a constant release rate, is because I had to improvise
most of the time. As i mentionned before, so far I only had a few
checkpoints the story has to reach, but that's changing. I started using
Scrivener, and I'm preparing the plot seperately from the scenes, so
that I know what I have to write about. Also, this chapter hasn't been
proofread. So you might find some gramatical mistakes here and there.
As always, if you have any remarks, ideas or requests for the story,
don't hesitate in the comment section. I read all of them. And I feel I
should say this: Thank you AdmiralAlcon for the powerstones xD They
are a constant reminder that there are people out there willing to read
this story :P
51.1 First Meeting
Their meeting was scheduled at six in the evening, when all invited
parties would have finished their classes and rested a bit. They agreed to
meet in an abandoned classroom in the third floor, away from prying
eyes. Kaiser was the first to arrive with Daphne, to prepare for the
coming discussion. He asked for Daphne's help; she was thought the art
of persuasion from a very young age because of her upbringing, among
other skills.
It wouldn't be difficult to convince them of his idea, but to have them
invested to see its success? That's a different matter entirely. They were
still 'kids', and 'kids' hated any kind of responsibility. There was the
chance that, even if he showed them how severe the situation is, and how
much danger they were in, they'd still not take it seriously enough, like
he is. But he can't expect anyone to follow the same infernal training
schedule as him. His relentless drive is one of his best qualities.
Kaiser has always been planning ahead of time when it concerns the war
with Voldemort, even back at his first year. When he spread the rumors
about the "Slytherin Rape", the truth is he completely made that up, but
as far as he was concerned, it was for a 'good reason'. He wanted those
unaffiliated with blood bigots to stay as far away from that house as
possible, not because he hated the house, per se, but because it is the
house that hosts most of the Voldemort's followers. It was always a risk
for him that he wouldn't be able to destroy Voldemort's immortality, or
that he wouldn't be able to kill him at all. He needed to prepare for the
worst: Voldemort wins the war and takes over the ministry, or at least
temporarily does. Having innocents stay away from that house grouped
together would provide protection from them contrary to if they went
straight to the wolves' den.
In hindsight, it proved to be a good decision. Blood bigots did not place
Muggleborns and half-bloods in the same level of humanity as them,
believing them to hold the same position as house elves, which
coincidentally are animals as far as they were concerned. They were
taught from birth, that it is not wrong to harm them in anyway. Even the
slytherin seventh year who raped that Hufflepuff girl did not show any
remorse whatsoever. He truly did not believe he did anything wrong, that
he WAS the victim for being imprisoned. Just thinking about that
incident made Kaiser's blood boil; he regretted not killing him.
The idea he had was taken straight out of the fifth book: Dumbledore's
Army. Except this time, it would be called Defense Club. The Death
Eaters' number was pitiful when compared to Magical Britain's whole
population. The reason they had so much success in the previous war was
the lack of resistance. They rarely suffered any casualties, since their
victims spent more time crying bloody murder instead of taking out their
wands and defending themselves. While Death Eaters were indeed
trained killers, even they wouldn't be able to do much against a large
crowd of wizards.
Michael and Tracey came in not long after, the latter giving a silly giggle
at one of Michael's equally silly jokes, a detail that didn't escape either of
the room's occupants. Next arrived the 'Golden Trio', with Hermione and
Ron bickering about something, and Harry sighing each passing second.
'Those two were like fire and water.' He thought the whole way. Though
they seemed to stop when they noticed everyone there.
"So, why'd you call us here?" Ron asked impatiently.
'I didn't want to call you, you twat. I only did it because you are their
best friend for some ungodly reason.' Kaiser's eyebrow twitched at his
insolence.
"A bit rude of you to ask that when there are people missing in our
extraordinary meeting, don't you think?" Michael didn't appreciate his
tone either, so he interjected. Ron looked taken aback by his answer, and
seemed to realize his fault. He was about to apologize, when Hermione
added her own opinion.
"Ronald! Can't you be patient like everyone else? And you should pay
attention to the way you speak to others, that was insensitive of you!" she
admonished him, which made a vein pop in his forehead.
"So I can't even speak now, is it?!" He asked angrily. "It's always Ron do
this, Ron don't do that with you! Honestly woman, do you have to be
such a pain in the arse? Or is it that time of the month again?!" he
continued.
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "Not cool mate! You can't say that to her!"
"You too?" Ron asked incredulously. He then looked around the room,
and noticed the angry glares he was receiving from everyone. Even he
realized that he was in the wrong, but his pride prevented him from
admitting it after going this far. "You know what? Fine. I know not to
stay when I'm not wanted. Have fun." He promptly left afterward.
Hermione looked hurt at his words. She felt humiliated in front of her
friends, by one of her best friends no less. She was on the verge of crying,
but her Occlumency training proved more useful than she gave it credits
for. While the others looked positively angry, and didn't shy away from
showing it.
"What a prat!" Tracey stamped her foot. "Is he always as insufferable as
this? Why do you guys even bother with him?"
"He doesn't know what he's saying." Harry said defensively. He
understood that his friend wasn't always the best of people, but he was
his friend nevertheless. He should at least be given the chance to right his
wrongs. "I'll make him apologize, Hermione. He probably didn't mean it."
"Yeah…" She said weakly.
Daphne looked passively at the scene, but she was quite angry herself.
She was thinking of what would happen had he said that to her, musing
of all the ways she could make him suffer before he departs this world.
The atmosphere was gloomy in the classroom afterwards, thanks to Ron's
'valiant efforts'. They were saved from their thoughts by the arrival of
two new guests.
"Hello everyone!" Hannah said, smiling widely, only to release that not
everyone was in a smiling mood. Susan noticed the same thing, and her
smile faltered.
"What happned?" They asked.
"Ron happened, that's what!" Tracey was still frustrated at what her
friend had to endure. She understood how embarrassing it would feel.
Hermione couldn't help but feel happy that someone cared enough about
her to feel angry in her stead.
They both had enough tact not to ask right there about what, noticing
Hermione's state of mind, and the looks of 'pity'? everyone was sending
her way.
They were soon joined by George and Fred Weasley, along with the
Hufflepuff sixth year, Cedric Diggory. He was the person Kaiser was
counting on the most in this meeting, as he would be crucial for the
success of this 'study group'.
Kaiser got up from his seat, grabbing the attention from everyone.
"Thank you for attending on such short notice, but I believe everyone
second is precious in what is to come." 'The introduction did not sound
ominous at all.' Thought everyone in their heads.
"Before we begin, I hope you stay with me while I share some statistics
with you.
Arcane Solutions, owned mostly by The Malfoys and Mulcibers, have
recently recruited more than a hundred employees, both British and non
native, mainly as security for their facilities. Additionally to their yearly
imports, they seem to have added a significant amount of Crowbane and
Ptolemy.
Heart's Desire, a company that sells beautifying solutions, owned mostly
by the Averys and Goyles, have also for some reason welcomed a
significant amount of employees to their ranks, for security and other
menial jobs. They have also imported a large number of Runestones and
alchemical ingredients.
Other companies have also displayed similar behavior in the last few
months, either recruiting a lot of people, mainly from overseas, or buying
a new range of materials, under the guise of new products or new
business avenues.
For all imported goods, one pattern can be remarked: while they can be
used in relatively harmless potions, they are also main ingredients in
strengthening and healing potions. As for the other types, they hold great
potential for defensive capabilities, being usable in most common
shielding trinkets.
It is also interesting to note that a similar behavior has been observed
before the start of Voldemort's previous reign of terror."
He paused for a while, letting the words and implications sink in. Even
those who were already aware that Voldemort isn't dead were feeling
uneasy. Cedric was having the worst reaction as out of everything he
could've expected for this meeting, being informed that a war was in the
horizon wasn't one of them.
"You're not implying they are getting for another war, are you? You-
Know-Who is dead." He said with a frown.
Notes
I've already prepared the next one, I'll publish it tomorrow. What do
you guys wish to see in his fourth year? More action? Another
confrontation with Dumbledore, perhaps? New enemies? Highschool
drama? Tell me in the comments!
51.2 First Meeting
"You're not implying they are getting for another war, are you? You-
Know-Who is dead." He said with a frown.
"Then why are you afraid of saying his name?" Kaiser retorted. "You do
agree that even if he was dead, his movement isn't entirely. It's not that
hard to deduce is it?" Cedric nodded. He knew blood purity was still a
thing in Magical Britain. "Besides, I'm not implying it. I'm outright telling
you."
"You can't possibly know that!" He exclaimed almost instantaneously.
Then he looked around, and noticed that the others didn't seem to react
the same way he'd expect them to.
"That's not the only reason we're saying it, Cedric. Unfortunately, we
have irrefutable proof." Kaiser interrupted him before he could start.
Turning to Harry, he said: "Harry, do you mind sharing with us what
happened at the end of your first year here at Hogwarts?"
Harry narrated the events leading to his meeting with professor Quirell in
great detail, including the tale of the philosopher's stone, and how it was
hidden there at Hogwarts'. "…For some reason, he was weak to my touch,
so he was forced to leave his temporary body, killing the professor in the
process."
Kaiser knew how absurd the whole story was, but he didn't count entirely
on it to convince him. Cedric looked incredulous by the time he finished.
"Is that it?" He asked wide-eyed. "You're seriously basing your whole 'The
Dark Lord is Back' on a ghost and magic rock Harry here saw as a twelve
year?! No offense."
"The ghost could interact with the physical world more than he should be
able to, but to answer your question: No, we are not." Kaiser shook his
head. "We also had the misfortune to meet him in another form of his
during our second year. You remember the events of the Chamber of
Secrets, right?" At his nod, Kaiser turned to the twins, asking for
permission, it was their sister this was about after all.
"My little sister, Ginny, was controlled by a cursed book, and forced to
open the chamber of secrets." A gasp was heard in the room at his
admission. They obviously didn't know since it was kept under wraps,
even Susan was not privy of such information.
"The Chamber of Secrets can only be opened by someone who can speak
Parseltongue, and I am pretty sure Ginny isn't a Parselmouth." Kaiser
reasoned. "You might argue that the book was simply equiped by an
intricate curse, that for some reason gave the possessed that ability, along
with mind controlling them, but maybe what I'm about to tell you might
change your mind."
"When we got down to the chamber, we found Ginny lying motionless on
the ground, with said book held in year hands. Then we saw an
apparition of a seventh year Hogwarts' student by the name of Tom
Marvolo Riddle.
Riddle is the son of the pure-blood witch Merope Gaunt and the muggle
Tom Riddle Senior. He was involved in the previous incident where the
Chamber was opened in 1943, but Rebeus Hagrid was the one to take the
blame for the incident and was expelled. Tom Marvolo Riddle also
happen to be the source of the anagram "I am Lord Voldemort", as it was
graciously explained to us by said spirit. He could walk, talk and was
manifested in the physical world."
Cedric's mind was overwhelmed by now thanks to all the shocks he was
receiving at the same time. What Kaiser was telling him was very hard to
believe, but he knew he had no reason to lie. But believing his words and
believing that Voldemort was back are two entirely different matters. He
still needed a final push.
"And yet it was the only anomaly I discovered there." Kaiser continued.
"You see, I have been casting a Homenum Revelio (Human presence
revealing spell) the whole way, and when we finally reached Ginny, it
revealed four presences to me. So let's do a headcount, shall we?
Obviously, there was Harry and I. Then, Ginny on the floor. The fourth
presence was a mystery to me so far, probably a hostile, so I was getting
ready to fight it. My mind came to the only logical conclusion it could at
the time, that the apparition was indeed a real person, but spells could
pass right through it. It revealed to us that it was feeding off Ginny's life-
force in order to gain its body back. So that could only mean, that the
cursed book was the real enemy." He reasoned, while everyone's
attention was focused on every word he said. "Imagine my surprise when
I discovered that the book was unaffected by any spells I threw at it.
Then, my mind gave birth to an insane theory: What if the life sign was
coming from the book itself, that additionally to being absurdly resilient.
It would make perfect sense to everything that's happened so far,
wouldn't it?" There was a pause, where everyone was musing over his
words. This was unknown territory for all of them, and they knew that
would they have been in his position, they wouldn't know what to do.
"So, what did you do?" Cedric broke the silence, curious about Kaiser's
answer to this dilemma. Kaiser looked hesitant for a moment, before he
steeled himself and sighed.
"Do you know the theory behind the Killing Curse?" He asked, avoiding
eye contact with everyone. This was one piece of information he wished
he didn't have to tell them, but he deemed it necessary, or maybe he just
thought it was time he trusted his friends some more. Only the Golden
Trio and Daphne were aware he could cast one of the unforgivable
curses.
"Yes." Surprisingly, it was Michael who answered his question, and ever
the Ravenclaw, he provided an explanation. "The killing curse operates in
a different dimension than we usually experience, called the Soul
dimension, that is why no shielding spell can ever block it. It is a direct
attack to one's soul, severing its link to its container, the body, and
therefore killing its target." They were all wondering why he would bring
it up, until they were reminded, or in some cases, understood the
implication of that last sentence. Their eyes widened in shock, gears
turning at full speed, ascertaining whether their friend could truly cast
such a spell.
"You cast the killing curse at the book." It was not a question, as he
already knew the answer. Cedric narrowed his eyes, studying his
reaction, but he gave none, his mind channeling all those years of
Occlumency training.
"I did." Kaiser was sad to note that even Hannah looked uncertain of what
to think of it, but he when he noticed Susan did not seem at all bothered
by that particular fact, he was overjoyed. At least, she trusted him
enough to believe in him, that he didn't learn the spell for nefarious
purposes.
"And you just happened to know that spell?" he said accusingly, seeming
disappointed in him for it. You didn't just find that spell lying around in
books, waiting for you to pick it up to teach you how to do it.
"Yes. I learned that spell sometime around the second year." He shrugged.
"And why in Merlin's name would you do that?!" Cedric was very close to
drawing his wand on Kaiser, unable to accept why would a second year
even think about learning such foul spell. The spell did not have a good
reputation, especially after the previous wizarding war. A lot of families
were killed by that very same curse, including some of Cedric's relatives.
Kaiser's face hardened, he did not appreciate his tone at all, but could
understand nevertheless.
"This isn't fair, Cedric." Susan interrupted him, looking angrily at him.
"He was nice enough to trust you with probably one of his biggest secrets.
At least, you owe him the time to listen to his explanation before
judging!" Cedric was taken aback by her shift of demeanor. Was this the
shy and happy Susan everyone in Hufflepuff knew, the Susan that never
raised her voice on anyone no matter what? "Besides, if he is as bad as
you believe he is, he would never have confessed that to anyone. He
understood how bad it looks, so cut him some slack!" Silence followed
her outburst. Cedric looked down in shame at his own actions, as he
realized that he treated him too harshly.
Daphne, on the other hand, has been looking pensive for a while. She
already knew about all of this, of course, but she found herself thinking
back to the conversation they had the previous summer, when she
informed him about the Triwizard Tournament.
She knew Kaiser's official statement on the matter: He wanted to use the
Killing Curse to defend himself from the 'Slytherin Monster', but now she
realized something very important now that she had more information.
That excuse was unicorn shit! He knew! He knew that Voldemort was
alive, he knew where the Chamber of Secrets was, and he knew how to
deal with the Horcrux! Just how much more does he know? And where
on earth does he get his knowledge of the future?
Notes
Again, this chapter isn't proofread, so I apologize for any mistakes.
Enjoy the chapter, I'll post another one tomorrow.
51.3 Defense Club
"You need to see things from my perspective, Cedric. I was in danger.
There was a madman roaming the corridors petrifying the students,
trying to get them killed." Kaiser said in an even voice. "I was scared. I
started looking into spells that would give me the best chance against the
monster. That's when I thought of the Killing Curse. But now I realized
how silly that was. Monsters generally have high magic resistance, and
spells like that hardly work against them." They all seemed to buy that
explanation except Daphne, but her cold facade never wavered.
"I didn't look at it that way. I'm sorry for doubting you, Kai." Cedric
apologized, looking ashamed of himself.
"Don't let it bother you, I understand. I'd probably do the same thing if I
was you." Kaiser waved his hands off dismissively, telling him it wasn't
that big a deal, contrary to what he believed, and Cedric was grateful for
that.
"Let's go back to the subject at hand. Let me inform you, Cedric, that the
head of the DMLE has already received a legitimate copy of our
memories of the events, so she is aware that the 'Dark Lord' is alive."
Cedric nodded again, accepting his explanation.
"So, you have a plan to deal with him right?" Fred asked excitedly. "That's
why you called us here, isn't it!"
"Horay! I've always wanted to kick some a dark lord ass! Definitely
adding it to my resumé after the fact!" George supplied. They laughed at
their antics, happy to leave the previous mood behind.
"As much as I wish that was true, it isn't what I had in mind." Kaiser said.
"You see, I was thinking what made him so successful in his previous war
efforts, and after asking around, I came to a conclusion: the lack of
resistance is what made them so scary in the eyes of everyone. Whenever
there was a Death Eater attack, even in small numbers, people completely
forget they have a wand on them, choosing to run the muggle way when
the Anti-Apparition wards are up. Even when Diagon Alley was attacked,
very few chose to raise their wands at the death eaters, choosing to
escape instead, even when they had the advantage of numbers. Even
worse, the amount of wizards that cannot even cast a correct shielding
charm is embarrassing."
"So what do you propose?" Michael asked the most important question
everyone was itching to know the answer to.
"Assume the worst, hope for the best." Kaiser said, but that didn't do
anything to clear off their confusion, only deepened it. "If the war ever
comes again, we should prepare for the worst case scenario: Voldemort
wins against the ministry, or his reign of terror continues. But if that ever
happens, it would take years. So our best bet, is to prepare the current
generation for what would come, though I hope it doesn't come to that."
"You want to teach them how to fight?"
"No. I want to teach them how to defend themselves, and how to escape
hairy situations." Kaiser corrected. "I do not expect children to start
fighting off trained killers, just to escape with their lives intact, or buy
enough time for the Aurors to arrive on the premises. I propose we start a
defense club here at Hogwarts."
"That's an amazing idea!" Hermione squealed. "We should definitely do it!
It will be like the Dueling club we had in second year with professor
Flitwick!"
"We concur." The twins said in unison, and everyone was in agreement.
Though some still had doubts about the success of this endeavor, namely
Daphne and Cedric. They understood that it wasn't as simple as that,
convincing people to 'learn' wasn't as easy as it sounded.
"This is going to be very challenging, however, and will require a lot of
work from everyone." Kaiser said.
"Don't worry!" Hannah said. "We Hufflepuffs never shy away from hard
work!" Susan and Cedric both nodded at their house motto.
Each began voicing his own ideas in the matter, thinking about what they
should be taught, what would be useful and how their club should
operate. Several issues came up, including how blood supremacist at
school will not like this, and will try to sabotage the club. They agreed to
limit the members to trustworthy acquaintances for starters, until they
are up and running.
"Guys, we still have to decide who the president should be." She said. "In
the school rules, it says that any student club should have a president
from its members, along with a teacher that supervises its activities."
"I think professor Flitwick would be happy to mentor us." Michael chimed
in. "It also helps that he is a former dueling champion." They all nodded
in agreement, but there was still an issue of who the president should be.
Everyone turned to Kaiser, since he seemed like the obvious solution, but
Kaiser beat them to it.
"I think Cedric should be the president." He surprised everyone by his
declaration, especially Cedric, who didn't think Kaiser would suggest
something like that, even more so after their earlier confrontation.
"It's your idea." Cedric shook his head. "I think you should have the
honor."
"This isn't about me, Cedric." Kaiser said. "Besides, you're the best
candidate for the post."
"Right." Cedric snorted. "You've already passed three O.W.Ls at your age.
You have no idea how impressive that is. Not to mention how you're one
of the youngest enchanters, and already have inventions to your name.
And also fought You-Know-Who when you were thirteen a won."
"That still doesn't mean I would be good choice for a president." He shook
his head. "For starters, I don't believe any of the older years would be
willing to listen to instructions from me, so by choosing me, you'd
already be losing on a lot of possible members. I am not as popular, nor
do I have as much friends as you do. You've been here at Hogwarts
longer than I was. And, you placed tenth in the European Dueling
Championship."
"Besides," Kaiser continued. "I will be leaving Hogwarts' for a while very
soon, and the club will need its president during its early stage."
"Wait, you'll leave Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "Why?" Apparently, he wasn't
the only one who wanted to know the answer, as everybody was looking
at him curiously.
"A project of mine will be finished soon, and I need to make sure
everything is in order before its ready for production." He shrugged.
"Aw, we're gonna miss you." Michael said, opening his arms for a 'hug'.
"Come here."
Kaiser's eyes opened wide in 'horror', and darted behind Daphne: "Not
gonna happen." While the latter just gave her signature eye-roll at their
frivolity.
==================================
The rest of the week was spent re acclimating to school again, while
doing some research over the subjects they'd wish to focus on. They went
over their lesson plans for the first month, as well as their recruiting
strategy. They have even compiled a list of people they'd wish to
approach, after discussing whether they'd make good first additions or
not.
But before putting their plan into motion, they need the headmaster's
approval. Kaiser was adamant that they do not meet him right away, and
convinced them to meet him Friday, when they've prepared enough, to
which they agreed. Cedric and Kaiser would be meeting the headmaster
to ask for his permission.
It was Friday morning at breakfast, when professor Flitwick would relay
their request for a meeting to Dumbledore.
"Albus, two students of mine ask if it is possible to meet with you at six in
the evening, after their classes. They seem to have something to discuss
with you." Filius said. "Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff, and Kaiser Lunar
from Ravenclaw."
"Hm? May I ask what is it about?" Dumbledore asked calmly. "We do
have a meeting with the professors afterwards."
"I told them, but they promised me it wouldn't take long." Filius said with
a smile, expertly dodging the original question.
"I see. I will be waiting for them at my office then." Albus nodded with a
smile of his own. Though he was internally frowning, looking over the
two students in question. He did not like being caught unaware, which
was exactly what's happening here. While it may seem trivial, but that
would've been true if any other students were involved, not when it
concerned crimson eyed wizard.
He could use Legilimency to read their minds, even without eye contacts,
but that increases the odds of being caught exponentially, especially with
someone who already practiced Occlumency, which is why he never tried
it with Kaiser. He seemed aware of his mind reading abilities from day
one, and unless he left him no other choice, he shouldn't force it.
Especially now that he has an immense backing.
He wondered why they'd want to meet him in the first place, but could
only believe it was because they had a request of some kind, as Kaiser
made it clear he didn't want anything to do with the headmaster.
(To be continued)
Notes
And here you go, that's four chapters this week, 6000 words total. I
may or may not post another one tomorrow, but I'll definitely post on
Monday. Thanks for the powerstones, everyone, they are a great
motivation!
51.4 Defense Club
In the meanwhile, Kaiser was chatting merrily with his friends, but he
was quite aware of the stare in the back of his head. He knew this
wouldn't be as easy as the others believed it would be, thanks to his
history with the headmaster, but he honestly hoped the headmaster
wouldn't give them any difficulties.
And so, the hours passed, and it was time to meet the most dangerous old
man in the UK. He met Cedric in the Great Hall, before heading together
to the headmaster's office. He noticed that Cedric was trembling for a bit,
in contrast to his usual confident self.
"Having second thoughts?" Kaiser smirked.
"What?" Cedric turned to him with a frown. "No, I'm just nervous. You
know, we're about to meet Dumbledore… The Albus Dumbledore!"
"It's no big deal! Come on, where is your Gryffindor courage!" Kaiser said
cheerfully.
"I'm a Hufflepuff!" Cedric huffed.
"You mean a wimp?"
"Hey! That's not nice."
"Sorry just kidding. Relax, it's just Albus Dumbledore, the man who
singlehandedly defeated the worse dark lord of all the times, Gellert
Grindelwald, and the man child Tom Riddle. No big deal." Kaiser
shrugged, but he was internally laughing.
"Yeah, look how relaxed I am now." Cedric said, sarcasm seeping through
his voice. Kaiser couldn't stop himself and burst into laughter, but that
still seemed to calm the Hufflepuff for a bit.
They soon arrived in front of the stairwell gargoyle, where they were
expected to say the password to the headmaster's office. Before Cedric
could say anything, Kaiser beat him to it.
"Candy something!" He cried out. Surprisingly, it seemed to trigger the
mechanism, which prompted Cedric to look at him incredulously, as if he
grew two more heads, since he knew the password was 'Acid Pops'.
"wHoT?" Kaiser said unconvincingly. "He likes candy, so that's gotta be
the password." He shrugged, ignoring his friend's shock, who seemed to
gather his wits momentarily, archiving the question for later, which
Kaiser would never give an honest answer to, obviously.
Arriving in front of the headmaster's door, they knocked before they
heard: "Enter." Promting them to do so.
"Good evening, headmaster." They both echoed.
"Please, take a seat." He gestured for them, before they were properly
installed on the comfortable chairs. "How my I be of assistance?"
Dumbledore said in a approachable tone, as he seemed to understand
that Cedric was having difficulties with his presence.
"Professor Dumbledore," Cedric took the lead, as he should. "We wanted
to make a student's club, but according to the school rules, we need to
get the headmaster's approval."
"Oh." Albus nodded. "And have you found a teacher that would agree to
mentor you?"
"Professor Flitwick said he would as long as we could get your
permission." Cedric answered, but Dumbledore didn't really need to hear
him say it. He was already having his way with his mind, digging up
every answer as they came to make sure he didn't lie. Not that he
expected him to, but it doesn't hurt to make sure, he believed. It was a
habit he picked up along the way.
"Very well." Albus said with a smile. "I will require more information
about this club of yours, before I can agree, however." And as soon as
Cedric began to think of his answer, a particular memory of their first
meeting made its way to the front of his mind, which only decreased the
difficulty of reading it. Even though Cedric was an Occlumens, it was no
use before the old wizard, who spent more than a hundred years studying
magic. Cedric began telling him about the details of their club, their
goals, while keeping away the fact that it was to combat death eaters, as
he doubted the headmaster would appreciate that particular fact, but it
was no use. The headmaster was already aware of everything that had
been said in their meeting, so he knew their real goals.
Kaiser was obviously aware of the headmaster's actions, but he didn't say
anything, nor did he warn Cedric about it. He wanted the headmaster to
see, not only because it would raise suspicions if Cedric avoided eye-
contact, but also because he needed to display sincerity if he wanted a
chance with the old goat. Dumbledore waited until they were both done
with their presentation.
"That is very impressive, and thoughtful of you, to wish to help your
fellow students, and teach them the noble art of dueling." The
headmaster praised them with a smile. "Take fifty points to Hufflepuff
and Ravenclaw." Cedric's chest puffed up in pride, while Kaiser was
looking at the headmaster passively, a detail that did not escape the
latter.
"Alas…" the headmaster sighed heavily. "To be frank with you, I want
nothing but to give you my approval, but I am afraid it isn't as simple as
that."
"What do you mean professor?" Cedric asked hesitantly.
"You remember the Dueling Club we had two years ago, don't you, Mr.
Cedric?" at his nod, the headmaster said: "You see, the reason it was
disbanded was because the board of governor requested it. They argued
that kind of club took too much of the students' time, in addition to their
already heavily loaded schedules, which prevented them from spending
more time on themselves and enjoying their teenage years."
'Wow…' Kaiser was impressed by the headmaster's ability to bullshit, as
he knew for a fact that wasn't the real reason. Flitwick could not focus on
his research and the dueling club at the same time, so he had to choose
one of them. Needless to say, the headmaster made that lie on the spot.
"Therefore, even if I agree, it wouldn't take long for them to request its
disbandment again. Besides, groups that teach fighting and dueling must
always be headed by a teacher, otherwise the ministry might believe we
are building an army, especially in our times where tensions are high."
"I see…" Cedric said dejectedly. They both bid the headmaster goodbye,
before walking away in silence. Midway, Kaiser stopped and looked at his
friend: "Go ahead. I still need to have a chat with the headmaster."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't worry about it. Just go ahead, I'll catch up with you later." Kaiser
walked back to calmly to the headmaster's office, as he wasn't surprised
by the outcome. But he wouldn't give up so easily. He knocked on the
door again, before entering.
"What is the matter, Mr. Lunar?" the headmaster looked at him from
above his spectacles.
"I wish to know the real reason why you refused our request,
headmaster."
"I truly wish I could help, Mr. Lunar, but my hands are tied on this one.
The boa-"
"We both know that isn't true, professor." Kaiser interrupted him. "Please,
do not insult my intelligence." The headmaster studied Kaiser closely,
thinking about what to say to him.
"I do not know what you are expecting of this meeting, Mr. Lunar, but I
already gave you my verdict, and it was final." Albus said with steel in
his voice, leaving no rooms for arguments in the matter.
"If my membership disturbs you that much, professor, I don't mind
abstaining from joining."
"I am afraid to break it to you, Mr. Lunar, but the world doesn't revolve
around you."
"Clearly." Kaiser looked at the headmaster intently before saying. "You
distrust of me is unfounded, headmaster. We are both working towards
the same goal, it is merely our methods that differ."
"Unfounded, Mr. Lunar?" Albus looked at him, his calm facade never
dropping. "How do you expect me to trust someone who could perform
the killing curse as a second year? Someone who killed three men, yet
felt no remorse for it." Albus knew of his emancipation, and as such, was
now treating him as an adult. He would not sugarcoat his words for him.
Kaiser did not appreciate his last sentence. Why on earth would he feel
remorse for ridding the world of its scum, and in self-defense, no less! But
his occlumency proved the best tool in his arsenal.
"That's hardly fair, professor. I'm sure you've done worse when you were
around my age." Kaiser knew it was petty of him to bring back the
headmaster's greatest regret, but it still felt good to knock the man off his
high horse. But it seemed to be wrong thing to say to one of the most
powerful wizards alive, as he noticed the shift in the air immediately.
"If that is all you have to say, Mr. Lunar, you may leave now." Kaiser
looked at the headmaster's cold face one last time before turning around
and leaving. But as he opened the door to the exit, he met professor
McGonagall on her way to the headmaster's office.
"Hello professor." He greeted her.
"Good evening, Mr. Lunar." She smiled at one of her favorite students. "I
hope you success with this new club of yours, maybe I could come to one
of your meetings and teach you a trick or two."
"Err… professor…" Kaiser said 'hesitantly'. "It is regrettable that the
headmaster's hands seem to be tied on this matter, and could not give us
the green light."
"I see…" McGonagall frowned, as she was wondering what reason the
headmaster could have.
"Good day to you, professor." Kaiser said before leaving.
McGonagall approached the headmaster's desk calmly, but she was
anything but calm. In fact, she was seething inside, as she started to
understand what this was about.
"What is the meaning of this, Albus?"
51.5 Defense Club
"What is the meaning of this, Albus?"
"What are you refering to, Minerva?"
"You know exactly what I'm referring to, Albus!" she exclaimed. "Why on
earth would you deny them the opportunity to do good?! I thought you
of all the people would support their effort to help the students keep
themselves safe!"
"Minerva… it isn't as simple as it looks like. I am worried about the real
reason for this group of theirs, and until I can be sure-" whatever he was
about to say was cut off by the angry professor.
"What 'real reason'? They wish to give the students a fighting chance if
they're ever confronted with death eaters! How hard is that to
understand? And what could possibly be hidden behind it?"
"Wait… they told you?" Dumbledore asked in surprise. If they were going
to tell her, why did they try to hide it from him?
"Of course they'd tell me, why wouldn't they?"
"I see. Nevertheless, I cannot give them such powers over the young
generation, Minerva. They are the easiest to influence, and in these hard
time, they need someone trustworthy to guide them. It is too great a risk
that I cannot afford." Dumbledore said sagely.
"Are you implying that Mr. Lunar isn't trustworthy, Albus?" McGonagall
asked incredulously. "I don't understand what your problem with him is.
Yes, he used the unforgivable, but he had no choice, it was perfectly
justified in both cases, and I can testify about his character, and so can
Madam Bones apparently, and you know how hard she usually is on
people. You are judging him too harshly, Albus."
"But you cannot be sure, Minerva." Albus said calmly, trying to diffuse
the situation. "And as long as we do not have that certainly, we should
not risk it."
"What risk are there?! Seriously, do you think a fourteen year old child
has made a Hogwarts' club to prepare his army of minion to dominate the
world?! He isn't even the one in charge, for Merlin's sake!"
"And as much as you believe it yourself, you are not omniscient, Albus.
Like everyone else, you are prone to mistakes! As your deputy
headmistress, it is my duty to help and advise you when I deem it
necessary. And I am telling you, Albus, you're making a grave error,
going against the very oaths you swore to this school. Just give them a
chance, let them open this club of theirs for a while, and see for yourself
how things progress. If he does indeed have an ulterior motive, you will
eventually find out." The headmaster sighed. He knew she right, that he
was letting his past experience with Tom cloud his judgement, that the
fact that Kaiser, compared to a Riddle his age, is a monster, but it is
undeniable that their characters are fundamentally different. Besides, she
would never drop it, so might as well give up now.
The headmaster sent a patronus to Kaiser, calling him back. The latter
knocked at the door a few minutes later: "You called for me,
headmaster?" 'Confused' by the turn of events, he asked .
"Yes, Mr. Lunar." The headmaster nodded. "Professor McGonagall has
made me reconsider my decision. I will allow you to make this Defense
Club, on a few conditions."
"Yes, professor?"
"In addition to the rules all clubs need to adhere to, you will present me a
copy of your lesson plan for every session. Needless to say, any lethal or
potentially dangerous spells can only be taught with both mine or
professor McGonagall's permission, and with a professor's supervision."
There were obviously other implicit rules he'd have to follow, like not
"forcing" ideals upon students, or anything that might be detrimental to
them in the headmaster's eyes, but he could work with that.
"Of course. Thank you professor Dumbledore, professor McGonagall. I
will go inform the others." He said, bidding them farewell.
"Oh, and Mr. Lunar…" Just as he was leaving, the headmaster called for
him again. He turned, looking at him questioningly. "Well played."
"Whatever do you mean, professor?" Kaiser tilted his head 'innocently',
but he couldn't hold it, and smirked before turning and leaving.
"What was that about?" Minerva asked, puzzled about their latest words.
Dumbledore merely shook his head.
"Minerva, he told you about their club before coming here, and you just
happened to meet him just as he was leaving. You think that was a
coincidence?" Albus asked, amused by the situation.
"You mean to tell me he planned for this setup?" she asked in disbelief.
"Why of course he did." He affirmed. "Though it eludes me how he timed
it so well." It was pretty simple really, a combination between asking
professor Flitwick who has spent years at this castle about any patterns,
and a good use of his Hogwarts' map.
"I wonder why he wasn't sorted into Slytherin…" Minerva chuckled,
shaking her head.
"I did consider putting him there, you know…" a voice interrupted their
conversation. Looking at the source, they noticed it came from the top of
a stool, where the sorting hat was resting. "But in the end, he is, and will
always be a Ravenclaw."
"Indeed." McGonagall nodded. "Oh, that reminds me. He showed me the
most amazing trinket I've ever seen earlier this week." She said, before
she started telling the headmaster about that 'phone' of his. The
headmaster was impressed, though he was already aware of it. He didn't
know they had a prototype, as the last time he only provided a proof of
concept, but it seems Kaiser delivered as promised.
If he was being honest with himself, he regretted that Kaiser was not on
his side, but it was hardly his fault. The boy was wary of him from day
one, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why to this day.
Notes
I know the chapter is short. I posted this because I won't be writing for
a while. I have a week to prepare for the end of the year exams, and
two weeks to pass them, so... Wish me luck xD
51.6 Defense Club
Susan opened her eyes to a familiar world not so different from her own.
The presence of the towering castle was a dead giveaway. But the scenery
around wasn't. Dead bodies, missing limbs, burnt faces and a bloody soil
was all her eyes could see. Not a trace of blue could be seen in the sky,
instead, it was a pitch black color, as if all the happiness had disappeared
from the world, even though she could tell somehow it was morning.
Ice shards could be seen everywhere, yet it was clear it was unnatural;
even more, she could see someone standing in the distance, but when she
approached him, he was frozen solid. Susan noticed that all of the dead
bodies she saw so far wore black cloaks, their faces hidden behind a
silver mask.
She didn't notice a single trace of life, at least not until she heard a heart
wrenching scream, her head immediately turned to the source. She
thought the world around her couldn't get any worse, but it seems it was
set on proving her wrong.
There, sitting next a motionless body, was a blond girl she was too
familiar with. The only difference was that instead of her usual calm
countenance, her face was twisted in grief, eyes streaming a river of
tears. Susan herself started crying, her legs grew week. She couldn't bring
herself to see whom she was grieving over, but her body moved without
her permission.
She sat down next to the crimson haired boy, who was breathing so
weakly it was barely noticeable; what she assumed was no doubt his last
breath judging from the countless gashes he suffered. She found herself
sitting next to him on the ground, just as he suddenly opened his eyes
and offered her a weak smile. He took her hand in his with great
difficulty, his lips moved, but no words came out. His other hand went to
his own neck, to reveal a green locket with an S pattern, which he
clasped. It suddenly emitted a green glow that disappeared almost
instantly, before her whole world faded to black.
"-an.. Susan… SUSAN!" she was jolted awake by her roommate, who was
looking at her with worried eyes.
"Hannah…?"
"Are you alright?" Hannah asked her. "You've been crying for a while…
Wait, were you asleep?"
"Yeah…" She said softly, the images still fresh in her mind. "It was just a
bad dream…"
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hannah offered, but Susan noticed how
early it was and felt guilty about waking her friend up.
"It's silly, really. Don't worry about it." Hannah noticed Susan was
uncomfortable, so she just shrugged it off to not embarrass her any
further and went back to sleep. Susan, however, couldn't for the rest of
the night. She couldn't stop thinking about her most recent dream.
It was still five in the morning; not a single student could be seen in the
Hogwarts' corridors at that hour. The very few Ravenclaws that were up
were studying in the privacy of their rooms. Obviously, there was an
exception to this rule.
"Susan?" she was startled out of her thoughts by a familiar voice.
Kaiser did not expect to see her of all the people awake at this hour; he
knew how much she liked her sleep. He got worried when he saw her out
of the common room in his map, and decided to see what was up with
her.
"Hello!" She said 'cheerfully', but Kaiser knew her enough to notice the
difference. Susan, for her part, did her best not to think about her most
recent dream, years of Occlumency training seemed to pay off.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a nightmare, and couldn't sleep afterwards."
Kaiser could sympathize, having experienced the same thing countless
times already. "What's your excuse?"
"I usually get up at this hour." He shrugged.
"Seriously?" She asked incredulously. "Why?"
"It's just a habit I picked up. It also helps me get a few hours of practice
before lessons." Her eyes widened in realization. Of course he would get
up to practice. A war was brewing, and there were already numerous
attempts at his life. She felt ashamed of herself for taking it easy while he
suffered silently.
"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked softly.
"Sure, why not." He wouldn't be practicing any dark magic, so it shouldn't
pose a problem. Not that practicing dark magic was bad, mind you, but
he wouldn't feel comfortable performing any spells in front of her. At
least, not yet.
They walked together towards the lake, exchanging small talk.
"How do you practice exactly?" Susan asked curiously.
"I cast a set of spells every day, until I'm completely comfortable with
them, then I move on to the next." He explained.
"Well, if you've been doing this since your first year, which I have no
doubt you have…" she gave him a knowing look. "Then you must have
mastered dozens of spells already!"
"Um, yeah." He said awkwardly. "But my magical reserves have increased
a lot recently, and I've been trying to adjust my spells." She nodded,
purposely not questioning how his 'magical reserves' suddenly grew, as
she already knew the answer.
"Let's start with the stunning spell, shall we?" she nodded. Kaiser was
impressed to notice she could cast it nonverbally as well, but he could
clearly notice she still used wand movement, meaning she didn't reach
full mastery of the spell just yet, or was it a force of habit. He voiced her
thoughts to her, and suggested she starts reducing the movements little
by little, until she doesn't need them anymore.
She spent two hours, practicing the very same spell, making tremendous
progress. Kaiser was surprised by how talented she was: he knew first
hand how difficult it was to free oneself from the shackles of wand
movements and verbal incantation. Little did he know, the true reason
for her progress was a shift in her mindset. She wished to avoid the vivid
scene she experienced at all costs, and the only way to do so was to get
stronger.
====================================
The news about the club were kept secret, they've all agreed that only a
select few should be invited at first until they established themselves.
They had no doubt that blood supremacist students would try to sabotage
their progress once they got wind of it, and it's not like they could refuse
every Slytherin student. They did plan on accepting members from all the
houses, but not without any foundations.
The plan was for each one of them to reach out to their year-mates in the
same house, individually, and convince them not to spread the
information, promising that the need for secrecy would be explained
once they attend the first meeting.
The Ravenclaws were the easiest to deal with, as the idea of a club where
they get free help for practical spells was already alluring for them. As
soon as Michael asked them, they agreed immediately, to come to their
first gathering, at the very least.
The Hufflepuffs were a bit trickier. When they got approached by two
popular girls of their year ( namely Hannah and Susan ), it was very
difficult to refuse. However, they needed to be selective about whom
they should invite. While the majority of Hufflepuffs were "hard
working", it was only limited to their official courses, preferring to spend
the rest of their times on other fun activities instead of practicing boring
spells. Not to mention those who tended to gossip were scratched from
the list early on.
The Gryffindors, however, were the most challenging. It was no secret
that they were the laziest house at Hogwarts, and unless you invoked
how courageous a Gryffindor should be, you could hardly get anything
done with them. Not to mention, they weren't the most brilliant bunch,
as the previous years have clearly demonstrated, at least the whole
Chamber of Secrets incident. Therefore, they decided to ask the more
studious ones, like Dean Thomas, or the more loyal Gryffindors like
Neville Longbottom. The twins invited their partner in crime Lee Jordan
as well.
As for where they would practice, Kaiser thought about the Room of
Requirement at first, but eliminated it afterwards. Even though no one
but him could access it since he came to Hogwarts, he wanted to keep the
knowledge private for now. Also, accessing a room the headmaster had
no idea about wasn't very clever.
They settled for an abandoned classroom at the seventh floor, for now,
which they had cleaned with the house elves' help, and have equipped
with training dummies and everything else they'd need. It was very
spacious, and could easily hold fifty students comfortably, especially once
the extension charms were cast on it by professor Flitwick.
Notes
I realize how late I am in posting this chapter, but... life happened. I'll
try posting more as soon as I can. Also, what do you guys think about
"Susan's" little dream? I wonder what it means :O Oh no! Is the MC
gonna die?! Hehe
51.7 Defense Club
It was 6:30 PM, and Cedric was pacing nervously, mumbling something
to himself. He didn't notice Kaiser, who slowly crept behind him.
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" sending a stinging hex his way that missed
him by an inch, and consequently taking Cedric out of his miserable
state. He shot an annoyed look at him, as if asking "what was that for?".
"You looked lost." Kaiser shrugged before he could ask. Michael couldn't
stop himself from laughing, however.
"Why'd you come so early? There is still thirty minutes before the
meeting?" Cedric asked, not noticing the fact he was there thirty minutes
early as well.
"We wanted to get some extra practice before we begin."
"Hello!" Hannah and Susan arrived next. They weren't wearing Hogwarts'
uniform, instead settled for more comfortable clothes.
"So, who wants to go first?" Kaiser was wearing a simple black gym t-
shirt and pants, along with muggle trainers. He took out his wand and
held it in his hands, shooting a sinister grin at Michael.
Michael gulped, but got into position nevertheless. He pointed his wand
warily at Kaiser, thinking of which spell he should use in this situation.
He settled for a stunning charm, hoping it would at least distract him.
Kaiser, in contrast, was unconcerned, seemingly enjoying his
nervousness, which pissed Michael off to no end.
"On my signal." Susan said, checking if both of were ready. When she got
the confirmation, she announced: "Begin!"
"Stupe-"Michael didn't even get the chance to finish his incantation,
before his wand was yanked from his grasp, and floated towards Kaiser,
who did so slowly, until it reached his free hand. "Nice wand." He
smirked.
Everyone else was looking at him dumbfounded, except for Cedric was
impressed by his choice of actions. Michael, on the other hand, could not
understand what actually happened. He did feel the contact of foreign
magic right before he lost, but could only assume it was a spell he was
unaware of.
"What the hell was that" Michael asked, unable to wrap his head over the
existence of such a cheat.
"Oh that? Just the Levitation charm." Kaiser said nonchalantly. "You
know, 'Wingardium Leviosa'?" He swished and flicked his wand in
display.
"No, seriously, what spell was that?" Michael asked, annoyed even more
than before.
"He wasn't joking." Cedric supplied. "That was the levitation charm."
Michael, Susan and Hannah were looking at them, waiting for them to
burst into laughter, but when neither did, they were outraged.
"What?! How the hell was that the levitation charm?!" Michael asked.
"Well, the levitation charm, as its name implies, allows you to levitate
things and move them in 3-D sp-"
"I know what the levitation charm is!" Michael snapped. "Since when can
you disarm someone with the levitation charm!"
"Since forever?" Kaiser looked at him stoically. "The question you should
ask yourself is: why would you assume it wasn't possible?" Michael
paused at those words, and started seriously considering the question.
"If it was so easy, why do people still use the disarming hex then?" Susan
asked curiously.
"Because this technique only works on beginners." Kaiser explained. "It is
too wasteful to use against experienced wizards, since it's almost
guaranteed to fail."
"Really?" Susan frowned. "I can't even think of a way to counter that."
"A simple low energy finite is more than enough, especially when you
factor in the distance between the caster and your wand." Kaiser patiently
explained.
"How come when Susan asks, he explains everything enthusiastically, but
when it's me, he's such a jerk?" Michael asked Cedric, who smiled wryly.
"She is his cute girlfriend, and you are… yeah." Cedric supplied happily,
getting back at him for laughing previously. Susan's face almost reached
the crimson shade of her red hair from blushing, while Kaiser did look
uncomfortable. He stuck his tongue out childishly at the both of them.
"Want to try again?" Kaiser asked him. "I won't use the same trick." He
added when he noticed his hesitance, to which he nodded.
"Begin!"
"Stupefy!" Michael sent a stunner at him, and prepared to move out of the
way, when he noticed there was no spells coming from him. He was
aware Kaiser could cast silent spells with lightning speed, so he looked at
him suspiciously, until he noticed that his stunner disappeared once it
approached him. 'Counter Magic!' he thought immediately. It wasn't that
uncommon, they were taught about the subject in third year, learning a
few counter spells themselves. It didn't surprise him much that Kaiser
would know the stunner's counter curse.
It seemed that Kaiser was challenging him to get past his 'counter magic'
techniques since he chose not to retaliate. The best course of action, as he
knew, was to overwhelm the opponent, since one misstep means that one
of his spells would connect, either ending the duel or giving him a good
opportunity to do so.
Diversity was the key: if he only cast the same spell over and over again,
the outcome was as clear as day, especially since counter spells hardly
consumed any Mana compared to the original one. And so began
Michael's flurry of hexes, ranging from stunners, disarmers, stinging
hexes, to prank spells like tripping spells… Yet neither had any effect on
the defendant.
Kaiser was standing eight meters (26 feet) away from him, wand pointed
forward. He did not move since the beginning of the duel, as wand
movements became moot for him a long time ago. Whenever Michael
would cast a spell, Kaiser would analyze its runic sequence, determine
which parts should be negated for optimal performance, before casting
the counter spell he'd prepare. Months of practice with Flitwick weren't
for naught, after all. He doubted there was anyone at Hogwarts', apart
from the seventh years, who could give him a challenge.
Hannah and Susan, even Cedric, who had participated in an international
dueling tournament before, were looking at him with admiration. What
he was doing was no easy feat, and they knew it was something they
couldn't achieve.
After two minutes of casting, Michael decided to switch strategies. It was
clear he couldn't even force him to use a shielding charm, so he decided
to send spells he couldn't counter.
"Aguamenti!" a jet of water flew towards Kaiser who smiled at his
decision. The jet of water was hardly dangerous. At best it would distract
him or slow him down, but that was Michael's goal. Unfortunately for
him, Kaiser would always defeat his expectation.
Kaiser merely cast a movement bewitching fielding to deflect it, leaving
him in the very same position he started with. He decided it was time to
end the duel. A ball of water materialized in front of him, before it shot
with astonishing speed towards his opponent.
Michael had the good sense to erect a protego the moment he saw the
ball, saving him from getting knocked over, which the attack would've
achieved without a doubt.
Kaiser was not idle, however, as he sent a shield breaking charm at him
immediately, followed by a disarming spell consecutively.
Michael's wand made its way towards Kaiser again, ending the duel with
his victory.
Michael sighed at his incompetence as he took back his wand.
"Don't let it bother you too much." Kaiser offered.
"Well, you did wipe the floor with me, so..."
"You lost because I had more practice and experience than you." Kaiser
shrugged. "You can't expect to excel at something if you dont put in any
efforts." Kaiser offered mercilessly.
Kaiser wasn't showing off by defeating Michael in such manner, he was
merely showing him the most obvious ways someone who trained could
beat him with, and he hoped Michael got the message.
"I'm up next." Susan said, looking at Kaiser with determined eyes. She
knew the chances of her winning were very low, but hoped to give him a
challenge at least.
Kaiser knew he could definitely not use the same trick as the previous
duel. For starters, the finite spell did not require wand movements, and
he was certain the daughter of the Bones family would be able to cast it
silently. He was also unsure of what spells she knew, so she might
surprise him with some complex ones he'd be unable to parry. Though
the true reason is that he wished to experience the Bones family shield,
but he was unsure if it was classified as dark magic or not.
"Begin."
Susan quickly cast a stunner, while Kaiser sent an disarming charm at
her. He could obviously cast faster than her, but the distance between
them ensured that she had enough time to react in time. She followed her
spell with a silent Protego, as an ethereal shield sprang to life, deflecting
his spell and sending it back. Kaiser was already on the move the
moment he noticed the shield, therefore, he easily sidestepped out of its
way, but not before sending a tickling charm at her. While the latter was
harmless, Susan couldn't determine the nature of the spell immediately,
therefore she had to hold her shield for a couple more seconds, wasting
her Mana on the process.
Kaiser decided to up the difficulty for a bit. With a silent Aguamenti, a
two feet large ball of water was conjured, but unlike the previous time,
he didn't send it at his opponent. Instead, he manipulated it into a shield,
which he used to parry her next spells.
Susan assumed it was transfigured water instead, so she tried to destroy
the integrity of the transfiguration, which would make it reverse to its
original state, but was surprised to find out he was using real water
instead, meaning it should have taken a considerable chunk of his
stamina to do so.
She conjured a rock as well, a spell she had master a long time ago in
case she needed an obstacle for the 'unshieldable' spells, and put
everything in her power to send it at him. She didn't expect it to work,
but maybe it would force him to drop his spell.
Surprisingly, Kaiser didn't dispel his shield, he seemed to cast a few spells
silently, changing the water's structure somehow. When the rock hit it, it
didn't make a dent, instead it brought with it the surface of the water that
expanded inwardly, eating at its momentum, until it was canceled.
If Susan's eyes were as wide as saucers when she saw this, imagine her
reaction when the rock bounced back at her with greater speed. She
panicked, as she knew an ordinary shield wouldn't be able to save her.
However, it didn't last long, as she immediately collected herself. She
pointed her wand forward, and with an intense look, a blue shield was
erected just before it hit her. The projectile crumbled upon contact, but it
seemed Kaiser was craftier than that.
As it fell to the ground, it seemed to reform into the shape of a snake,
that lunged at her feet, wrapping itself around her. Just as she was about
to cast a vanishing spell, a disarming hex her, ending the duel.
Notes
The lack of Cliffhangers make me uncomfortable, hmmmmm, I should
remedy this situation xD Enjoy the chapter, and tell me what you guys
think of the duelling scenes!
51.8 Defense Club
As it fell to the ground, it seemed to reform into the shape of a snake,
that lunged at her feet, wrapping itself around her. Just as she was about
to cast a vanishing spell, a disarming hex her, ending the duel. He
dispelled the snake, before helping her up and returning her wand.
"Well played." Kaiser nodded, smiling 'wisely', and patted her head. Susan
didn't protest, but was blushing from his actions. Hannah and the rest
just rolled their eyes.
Susan challenged Michael afterwards, which obviously ended with his
defeat. It frustrated him to no end to lose to a 'girl', and Kaiser's merciless
teasing about it certainly didn't help. He was lucky Susan couldn't read
his thoughts, or she would've shown him what that 'girl' was capable of.
They were soon joined by Tracey and Daphne, accompanied by their
Ravenclaw year-mates, and unsurprisingly: Cho Chang. Cedric insisted
they invite her among the first, and no one seemed to understand why.
Well, at least, they pretended to.
Next came the Gryffindors quite loudly, and Kaiser swore that if he ever
had a secret project, he'd never invite them again. It's a good thing that
even if word got out, it wouldn't have much consequences for their
overall plans. It would certain up the difficulty, but it wouldn't be an
impossible situation. The Hufflepuffs came next.
"Right. Now that everyone is here, I believe it's time we give you guys
some answers." Cedric said. "For those of you who read the newspaper,
you'll find that in the recent weeks since the attack on the world cup, it
has done nothing but praise England's stable situation, and Cornelius
Fudge, the current minister of Magic, for his glorious efforts to keep the
peace we have enjoyed since the end of the previous war." Noticing that
he had their attention, he continued. "I believe everyone here is smart
enough to figure out that something fishy is going on, though to be fair,
maybe they are just trying to keep everyone fro panicking, but that
doesn't change the fact." He took a deep breath.
"The simple fact is: the previous war has never really ended. The Death
Eaters that had been imprisoned were the famous ones, while the rest
were released because, for some reason, they were under the Imperius
Curse. Let's not even get into how ridiculous that excuse is. As you all
know, thanks to professor Moody, the imperius curse isn't that hard to get
out of. In fact, for those skilled in the mind arts, getting out of one,
especially one that lasted for a while, isn't that hard. And it's common
knowledge that ancient families teach their children Occlumency the
moment they can speak. Regardless, the message of blood supremacy
itself has never died. Not to mention, the death eater attack on the world
cup wasn't the only one. Last year, there was another one, but it was
never made public knowledge."
"So, you're expecting a war might break out again?" Dean asked
uncertainly.
"Don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that a war is in the horizon. I
am saying that the future is uncertain, and it doesn't hurt to be prepared."
Cedric answered. "Which why we've decided to open this club, with
hopes to improve our offensive and defensive skills."
"So, you are raising an army to fight against death eaters?" one of the
Ravenclaws said, looking at him with suspicion, though it was obviously
the bad thing to do, as every Hufflepuff in the room glared at him, daring
him to say another word.
"No." Cedric answered. The others were waiting for him to elaborate, but
he didn't, and just kept looking at them. "Listen, we already made our
goal clear to you: we only wish to improve. If, at any point you feel
uncomfortable, you are free to say 'No', or to leave if you deem it
necessary."
"So, who is going to teach us?" Anthony Goldstein asked.
"Professor Flitwick promised to help us occasionally when he has the
time, otherwise, it would be volunteers. For the first session, Kaiser and
myself will be in charge of-"
He didn't get to finish that sentence, before one of the older Hufflepuffs
interrupted him. "Kaiser? As in the fourth year Kaiser Lunar?" he looked
at him incredulously.
"What's wrong with that?" Susan asked defensively.
"What's wrong is that he's barely a fourth year!"
"A fourth year who passed his OWLs in charms, Transfiguration, and
DADA the previous summer, and got all Os. What's your point?" she
glared at him.
"Dave, can you cast spells silently?" Cedric asked him.
"No. We've only started learning how in seventh year…" he answered
weakly.
"Kaiser could do it when he was in his second year. Right now, he doesn't
even use wand movements anymore, even when trying out new spells."
Michael argued. "Let's not even mention his other achievements. I think
he's more than qualified." Kaiser, on the other hand, didn't not seem
concerned. He knew this kind of thing was bound to happen, which is
why he protested against their suggestion, but they claimed there wasn't
anyone qualified who'd volunteer at first.
Kaiser's year-mates obviously didn't have a problem with him, as they
knew first hand how qualified he was. The rest whispered amongst
themselves for a while, but they didn't protest any further. It seems they
established they needed more information about him, so the best course
of action was to give him a chance, and judge him afterwards.
"For this session, we will start with Silent Casting." Cedric said, earning
frowns from everyone in the room. "I know what you're thinking. That's
it's a seventh year skill, and therefore too advanced for us to start with.
The truth is, you couldn't be more wrong. You see, the reason why it's
taught at the seventh year, is because it's not that important
academically, and usually takes a lot of time to master just a few spells
silently. Which is why they only teach it at seventh year, and usually
spend a few sessions on it at most."
"Our real objective, however, is thought casting." Kaiser continued. "It is
ultimately possible to cast spell without verbal incantation or wand
movement. This particular skill is the most difficult, simply because of
how much time it takes. But once you master the first few spells, the rest
becomes easy."
Next, Kaiser gave an introduction, mainly for the sake of those who had
no idea what silent casting means, explaining the advantages and
principles behind it. Kaiser also did a demonstration, asking one of the
students, a seventh year to cast the stunning hex, the stinging hex and the
banishing charm at a dummy, at the fastest speed he can muster. The
result ended being three and half seconds spent to prepare the spells.
Kaiser did the same, the difference being he only spent a second a few
hundred milliseconds on the spells, which was a huge difference. It
meant that in a real fight, your opponent would be able to throw nine
spells at him, while you could use three at most, all of which would have
to be shielding charms to stay safe.
They discussed afterwards the best ways to practice silent casting, with
Kaiser mainly offering few tips he learned from both Slytherin and
Ravenclaw's libraries. Needless to say, he didn't give out anything
sensitive.
They did not spend that session trying to cast silently, instead, Kaiser
proposed they try to reduce their volume when casting spells, until they
could whisper. While it wouldn't give be true silent casting, it would still
give them the tactical advantages silent spells gave. (your opponent not
knowing what spell you would cast. ) Not to mention, it would help at
the same time with their silent casting, since it would gradually free them
from the shackles of incantations.
Overall, their first meeting was a success, as some of their friends
actually succeeded in casting spells silently for the first time. They
practiced the shielding charm next, before calling it a day and dispersing,
but not before making plans for another meeting.
Notes
The last part of the chapter, finally! What are your thoughts on the
chapter and story so far? what do you think should happen in their
fourth year? If you have any ideas, don't hesitate :p
For the night is dark and full of
terrors
AN: This chapter is pretty dark: several mention of rape, unsavory
language... You have been warned.
"Come one, mate!" Ron whined. "We've been sitting here for two bloody
hours on a Saturday night! We've already finished all our homework, and
read some book about potions! If I spend one more minute here, I'm
gonna go nuts!"
Harry rolled his eyes for the thousandth time. He somehow succeeded in
convincing Ron to come with them to the library, but he failed
spectacularly at getting him to shut his mouth, though he'd still take it as
a win. He needed to deal with Ron's laziness one step at a time.
"Alright, fine." Harry finally conceded. "But we're coming back tomorrow,
and I won't take no for an answer." Ron pouted at that, but agreed
nevertheless.
"The boys are gathered in our room tonight." Ron said excitedly. "If we
hurry, we can still catch up for the last few games." Harry nodded.
As Harry roamed the dimly lit corridors, he wondered why on earth they
still used lanterns at Hogwarts', the world's supposedly best educational
institution. He knew for a fact there were better ways to do so, but then,
he remembered Wizards' fear of change, and their uncanny desire to live
in the stone age. It really gave off haunted castle vibes, especially since it
was in fact haunted by ghosts. He wondered why the British wizards
never thought to renovate this place. He'd have to ask Kaiser about it,
though Kaiser was unavailable at the moment.
Thanks to his penchant to ask questions, and the recent habit of reading
books he picked up from Hermione, he knew that wizards could build
structure muggles were incapable of making. The burrow was one such
example, though that house was more the result of bad engineering, or
absence thereof. He read about Beauxbatons and its marble floors, its
majestic gardens and the fountain that stood in the name of the world's
most famous alchemist, Nicolas Flamel and his wife Prenelle. Hogwarts
founders were obviously not inclined towards aesthetics, since some of
the classrooms were, in fact, in a dungeon.
"Come one mate, move it." Ron complained, interrupting him out of his
musing. It seems he was going too slow, so he picked up the pace.
Harry was suddenly struck with an unpleasant feeling of foreboding. He
had no idea why, he felt something was definitely wrong. His stomach
twisted around itself, and his head was hurting. Light seemed to be
fading out to black. He panicked. He tried to speak, but couldn't get a
single word out. He tried to turn, to check on Ron. That's when it hit him.
He couldn't move at all. The only thing he could move were his eyes, and
his could make the hazy silhouette of his friend at the edge of his vision.
Footsteps could be heard approaching, but to him, it was like the person
was stomping on his chest with every step. He could feel his strength
leaving him, but for some reason, he remained standing. The footsteps
were getting closer and closer; multiple people, unless his ears were
playing tricks on him.
"What do we have here…" the voice sounded like the most sinister thing
he'd ever heard. It reminded him of his nightmares for some reason, but
he knew this was no dream. "A blood traitor, and… the boy-who-lived."
He was now face to face with his assailant, and if his facial muscles could
move, shock would've been his defining feature. 'Malfoy!'
"A shame your mudblood whore isn't here with you." He smirked.
"Would've loved ruining her in front of you. Make sure she's as bushy
down there, if you know what I mean…." He would obviously would do
no such thing. The rape scandal from two years ago had alerted all kinds
of wrong people. As a matter of fact, the rapist student never made it to
Azkaban, but was found dead in his holding cell. Of course, it never
made it to the news, but everyone who mattered was informed of it. It
was a warning, obviously, but these two didn't need to know that, which
would make their words even more threatening to them.
Harry and Ron were enraged. Had they not been bound, they would've
launched their most deadly spells at his smug face. Alas, tonight they
were helplessly standing there, unable to lift a single finger.
"Don't let all those titles get to your head, mudblood." Draco said
venomously. "If it wasn't for your whore of a mother, using a sacrificial
ritual to save you, you'd both be dead right now." He then smiled. "Not
that it matters very much, the Dark Lord will be back after all. It is only a
matter of time."
"Now, what shall we do with you…"
The enmity between Ron and Malfoy began years ago. He was there in
half of the skirmishes with harry, and would just laugh with impunity.
Malfoy was an elitist by nature and Ron was the embodiment of
mediocrity, someone who was not even worth his time, yet he couldn't
help but get pissed off by his attitude and look.
"Get away from him" Harry cursed internally, Malfoy was seemingly in
thought and stood between the two friends.
*HIIIIIIIISS- thwak* Harry could only guess what was happening behind
him, his eyes getting bloodshot by the second. He could hear Ron's
whimpers yet was incapable of moving an inch.
Screaming inwardly, he couldn't believe what was happening right now,
Malfoy was silent occasionally cursing, he was seemingly enjoying this
more than ever. *THUD* Harry shuddered, he couldn't hear anything
anymore as Ron's whimpers died down, and the rest was left to his
imagination.
He felt a snake like entity squirming to find it's way around his neck
enveloping it. Soon it wasn't just around it but inside; Harry wanted to
scream yet nothing came out his breath itself got more ragged he soon
would choke from asphyxia.
Malfoy finally stepped in front of him his face revealing nothing but a
sinister grin.
"Phantasma"
Harry's mind was on edge and his helplessness soon felt his whole-body
sweating, he knew that Malfoy wouldn't kill him, not at Hogwarts, yet he
really felt a sense of deadly crisis filling his soul.
"All for the big star of Hogwarts. Your kind disgusts me, mudblood."
Harry's mind was filled with mist, yet he could hear Malfoy very
distinctively, the effects of the curse made him shudder and his body was
forced to kneel.
The snake was still making his way inside of Harry as it shrank in size,
yet it was big enough to move everything in its way. Harry's face was
shifting to different colors, while Malfoy only kept looking with a grin on
his face.
This was unlike him. Until this year the two fought countless times but
most of it was just childish pranks.
Harry was even suspecting that this was not the Draco Malfoy he knew,
the one in front of him was too ruthless filling Harry's mind with fear.
The charm was yet starting to take effect, n soon every muscle in Harry's
body was aching, in his eyes all he could see was mindless murder and
horrific scenes of torture and rape.
The worst part was that he wasn't the subject of said obscenities but the
perpetrator, what made it worst was that what he was seeing was
psychological no efforts in moving his eyes away could work and even
less closing them.
Malfoy assisted to the development of Harry's state, a hint of scorn long
ago replaced his grin.
The cries, the blood and the filth that was around Harry couldn't amount
to anything he has ever seen, his mind on the verge of breaking he could
pass out yet the snake in his chest was now tightening around his heart,
he could feel each individual cold scale digging slowly on his flesh.
Long ago he was shivering from the fact that his friend was being
attacked behind him, he was furious but helpless, yet now his mind was
under constant attack by all kinds of pain that his brain stopped thinking,
he forgot about Ron and it was then that his eyes focused again on his
surroundings.
Shaking slightly, he could feel that the bones of his left arm were
shattered. As more of the mist cleared out, Harry made out the shape of
none other than Ron holding his wand with complete contempt on his
face.
All the frustration and pain he accumulated suddenly flared up and he
was once again immersed in his visions.
Now he wasn't the perpetrator, but the subject he was being dragged in
the alleys of the school, the feeling of the rough earth was so vivid that it
made him gasp for air yet still nothing entered.
Soon he got to see who was dragging him and it was Dumbledore. Harry
knew what he was going to experience when they stop, if the visions
weren't perverse enough, he would never recover if these visions
happened.
"Shit, someone's coming!" He heard a panicked voice, most likely one of
Malfoy's goons. "Run!" his vision suddenly came back, and could see the
blond bastard running away. Whatever was holding him in place seemed
to dispel, as he suddenly got his control over his limbs back. He dropped
on the ground on his shoulder, whimpering in pain. He could hear
whispers, but knew not whom they came from. The colors seemed to be
fading, before unconsciousness claimed him.
Notes
My friend wrote the torture scene... the little bastard enjoyed it. You're
lucky I still kept him in check xD What do you guys think of the
chapter? what do you believe is gonna happen to them ? Harry, Ron,
Malfoy... ? Find out in the next chapter! :D
Malfoy in trouble
Professor Flitwick did not bother chasing them: he already knew who
they were, thanks to Kaiser's map. It had been reproduced and passed on
to both Daphne and the professor, along with their communication
device. He approached the unconscious students, and immediately cast a
Finite Incantatem to cancel any ongoing spells. He frowned when he
noticed there was still traces of magic. He cast several diagnosis spells,
before his expression darkened. He went through a series of counter
curses after carefully analysing the spells. Having mastered his craft years
ago, he had the time to learn new skills. The logical choice would be
areas very close to charms, and one of which was Curse Breaking. It
involved breaking curses cast upon people, or simply breaking through
wards, which wasn't that different in theory.
After making sure that no residual spells were left, he sent several
patronus messages with different targets: Madam Pomfrey, Albus
Dumbledore, Minerval McGonagall and Severus Snape. Albus
Dumbledore, being both Harry's guardian and the headmaster must
absolutely be made aware of this attack, to deal with it however he sees
fit, though they would make sure the aurors are called, obviously.
Dumbledore did not have the authority to just sweep this under the rugs.
McGonagall and Filius would make sure of that.
Madam Pomfrey, being the school nurse, should not be underestimated.
She may be a nurse in name, but she was more qualified than half the
healers at St Mungo's, therefore, Filius would trust her judgment of their
safety over his own. As for Severus Snape, he was the head of Slytherin's
school house, which means that in the absence of the students' parents,
he would be the one responsible for them.
Filius conjured two stretchers, and levitated the unconscious Gryffindors,
placing them gently on top of them. Then, he carefully made his way
towards the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey met him half way, and
immediately got to work. She first made sure no lingering curses were
cast on him, before they resumed their journey towards the infirmary.
There, stood in her nightgown, Minerva McGonagall, her face livid. She
did not notice her inappropriate clothes, being too concerned with the
students' safety. As a transfiguration master, a wave of her wand is all it
would take to fix her clothes, and she did so after the school nurse
informed her of their situation, and of her outfit.
Albus Dumbledore arrived at the same time as Severus Snape, with a
heavy frown on his face. He did not like this situation at all, and knew all
to well how much trouble it is going to be. Severus Snape, on the other
hand, wore an ice cold expression, as if he was unconcerned with the
situation, but his Slytherin's mind was overdriving, thinking of the
implications of this situation.
"Will they be alright?" Albus asked Pomfrey, who nodded in response.
"They seem to have been subjected to some kind of mental attack for an
extended amount of time." Pomfrey concluded. "They will need a week of
rest, at the very least. But you are the better Legilimens, maybe it would
be prudent to assess the situation yourself?" she suggested.
Dumbledore approached the unconscious Harry, and placed the tip of his
wand on his forehead, after which he delved into his mind. He spent
several seconds, before he pulled back, and repeated the same procedure
for Ronald.
"They will be fine." He confirmed.
"Who did this to them, Albus?" Minerva asked the headmaster. He would
obviously know the assailants, or at least who the victims thought were
the assailants, since he was just inside their mind reviewing their
memories, while making sure they were alright.
"Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle." Albus said, turning to Severus. "Severus,
please call them to my office, and make sure to confiscate their wands
beforehand. We do not want them to incriminate themselves any further."
Severus nodded, and got to work.
"Headmaster," Minerva said angrily. "Childish spells can be forgiven,
given the damage they inflict is temporary. But this? I will accept nothing
less than their expulsion from Hogwarts' ground." Albus knew that
arguing when emotions were running high was a bad move, especially
since he didn't have much to win from defending them. Not that he
intended to, but he understood that the assailants being from influential
families made the situation a lot more delicate than it should be.
"Perhaps it would be wise to call the aurors?" Filius interrupted. "It is our
duty to discipline mischievous students. It isn't our job, however, to deal
with criminals."
"I concur, headmaster." Madam Pomfrey added. "This goes beyond what
we are expected to deal with."
"Indeed." The headmaster nodded. "Filius, please contact the aurors and
inform them of the situation. I will be meeting the assailants in my
office."
==================================
Malfoy knew he screwed up big time the moment his head of the house
called for him. What he did was definitely going overboard, so he
expected heavy punishments. The headmaster would obviously try to
expel him from the school, as Gryffindor's head would insist, but the
board of governors would intervene, and force the headmaster to reduce
the punishment to something more acceptable (to them of course).
Severus Snape observed the three of them as they descended their dorms
stairs in trepidation, his emotionless face filling them with unprecedented
dread.
"Professor? You asked for us?" Draco asked. He knew Severus, his
godfather, was on their side, so there was no reason to fear him.
"I did, Mr. Malfoy." Severus nodded. "Your wands." He extended his hand
to them. Noticing their hesitation, he was about to use an even colder
tone, but Draco did not seem to be bothered, and handed his wand while
urging his companions.
"Follow me." They walked in silence, before they reached a secluded area
of the castle. Severus stopped, and turned towards his students, looking
them up and down.
"I never thought you were stupid enough to do something like that, and
yet you proved me wrong." Severus sneered.
"Flitwick caught us by surprise!" Draco defended. "We were going to-"
"Wrong answer, Mr. Malfoy." Severus glared at him, which left him and
his companions dumbfounded. "You deny." His eyes lit up. "Whatever it
is, as far as you are concerned, you were in your dorm preparing to sleep.
Deny everything, understood?" They nodded vigorously. Severus knew it
was pointless, but he had to maintain appearances. He guided them
towards the headmaster's office, before he said some silly candy name the
headmaster set as his password.
Malfoy was a lot more confident in his steps now that his godfather gave
him a way out, though his confidence faltered when he was met with the
icy glares of Minerva McGonagall, who seemed ready to curse them into
next century. There was, however, two new faces in the room they didn't
recognize.
"Are these the little criminals, Mr. Snape?" One of them whose beard was
as disheveled as his hair, asked lazily. "They don't look like much." He
sneered.
"You're not talking about us, are you?" Draco asked angrily. "I don't know
if you've been hit on the head before, old man, but how can you call us,
upstanding gentlemen of society, criminals?"
If anything, the auror was amused by his words. It was clear that the boy
did not understand how the world worked just yet. But he decided to
humor him.
"Do you deny assaulting Mr Potter and Mr Weasley, Mr Malfoy?" he asked
with raised eyebrows.
"Assaulting Mr Potter?" Draco asked with wide eyes. 'He can act the part,
I'll give him that.' The auror thought silently. "I did no such thing." 'But
still, he is a dumbass.' He added.
Malfoy's original plan had been to obliviate Harry of his identify right
after the attack, which means he got out of it scot-free. But there was tiny
detail, that made his plan fundamentally wrong. Hogwarts wasn't called
the 'safest place in the world' for nothing. While it did not have the
ability to prevent attacks made by the students themselves, it was
capable of determining the perpetrator.
Hogwarts didn't only have the ability to know where everyone on her
grounds were, it was also capable of logging that information to be used
later on by the headmaster, or to draw its own conclusion.
"He is guilty." A voice interrupted their conversation, prompting everyone
to turn their heads to the source, which was surprisingly: the sorting hat.
An awkward silence followed, before it was broken by the auror.
"Well, the hat has spoken. You're guilty." He shrugged, and prepared to
detain him. Malfoy just stood there, unable to react to whatever was
happening. He could not understand how the hat would speak now of all
the times. It was common knowledge that it only spoke during the
sorting ceremony, declaring only the house's name. And yet, now of all
the times, it chose to say he was guilty?!
"Are you seriously going to-" Whatever Goyle was about to say was
interrupted by a silencing spell and a glare by none other than Severus
Snape. Severus had the foresight to shut him up before he said something
that ended with his death.
He had asked the headmaster one, what prevented Voldemort from
barging into the school after blocking the Floo Network, and erecting
Anti Apparition and Anti Portkey wards, like he did to all his other
victims. The answer shocked him to the core.
As long as you were in Hogwarts' range, it did not matter how powerful a
wizard you were. Your life was literally in Hogwarts' metaphorical hands.
The moment it decided to off you, not even ten lives could save you.
Even Dumbledore, with his Death Stick, admitted to him that he would
be helpless faced with Hogwarts' full might. It wasn't for no reason it was
called an impregnable fortress. No intruder could ever come in without
the headmaster's permission. Hogwarts, regrettably, could not see what
was happening in its grounds. All it knew was everybody's positions.
Notes
Another one!
Harry wakes up
Harry opened his eyes groggily, to be greeted by a very familiar ceiling: it
was the one he saw every time he went on one of his adventures that
ended up with him fainting. He was unsurprisingly in the infirmary, for
whatever reason he didn't know. He tried to remember why he was here
in the first place, but couldn't.
The sun was setting, and looking ahead, he could see a few students
coming in in various colors, sometimes with several deformities. Few had
horns, some had nails taller than themselves, teeth that reached the
ground, with madam Pomfrey fussing about them, admonishing them in
the process. He couldn't, however, make out what was being said, as their
voices came in a very low volume. His limbs could barely move, and he
knew it was the effect of one of the nurse's potions, so he patiently
waited for the effects to wear off.
He observed as the nurse cast several spells, asking him to lie down,
turning around she tasked one of her aides to fetch her someone, which
surprisingly turned out to be Professor McGonagall. As the
transfiguration master, she knew better how to cancel whatever was cast
upon the poor kids, especially when the spells appeared too complex or
different from what the nurse was used to. After she finished fixing them
up, she glanced at Harry's bed, and noticed he was awake. Her eyes
widened momentarily, before she said something to the nurse.
"Are you awake, Potter?" she asked with her usual stern expression,
though there was clearly concern hidden behind her facade.
"Yes, professor…" He said, having regained some of his strength. Madam
Pomfrey, however, was unconvinced, and cast several spells over him.
"Why am I here?" he asked with confusion, which prompted the professor
to look at the school nurse.
"The memories will slowly come back to you, Mr. Potter, you've been…
Ahem, hit on the head you see…"
'Makes sense to me.' Harry shrugged, unaware of how obvious of a lie
that was. The real reason why he couldn't remember, however, was
thanks to Albus Dumbledore treatment. Being an accomplished
Legilimens, he has obviously spent an absurd amount of time learning
about the different ways the wizard mind worked, including how our
memories shaped them, how they were affected by memories, especially
traumatic ones…
He did not obliviate him, as the situation didn't warrant it. He did not
wish to lose Harry's trust, which could easily be done had he removed his
memories without his permission. Instead, he cast a spell on him that
would make him gradually remember what happened that night, while
detaching, or attenuating his emotions of the events. It was treatment
heavily used in the mental aisle in St Mungo's, for people who had to
deal with traumatic experiences, which was what Harry clearly went
through.
Harry had to spend the night in the infirmary. The memories of the event
started coming back to him around 9 PM, which made him angrier by the
second. He then remembered that Ron was with him too, and
immediately tried to get up to look for him, but was prevented from
doing so by the school nurse, who informed him that Ron wasn't at
Hogwarts at the moment. By midnight, he was forced to drink a
dreamless sleep potion at the nurse's insistence, which sent him into
slumber instantly.
The next day, he was unsurprisingly visited by Albus Dumbledore
himself, who was there to check if nothing was wrong with him, being
responsible for his treatment.
Harry proceeded to ask him about what happened after the incident, as
he remarked he was pretty sure what Malfoy did was not only against
school rules, but also against Wizarding Law. Dumbledore, for his part,
did not lie to him.
He explained that using any spell on a fellow wizard was strictly
forbidden, and was usually against the law in the majority of countries.
Needless to say, using offensive spells was a one-way ticket to Azkaban,
unless the spells weren't that harmful, and the situation was exceptional,
they would only be fined for the transgression. Draco has fallen into the
latter category.
Dumbledore explained that, had Malfoy been seventeen, he wouldn't
have been able to avoid going to Azkaban, but since he was a minor, his
parents had to put on a lot of money to appease the victim's family, who
was also a minor. He wouldn't have been sent to Azkaban anyway, so
why not accept the money, especially since Harry's so called family could
really use it?
Then came the matter of his expulsion. Dumbledore reasoned that, if he
kicked them out of the school, they would just find somewhere else to
study, and given their family's connections, it wouldn't be difficult to get
them enrolled into the notorious Durmstrang. Dumbledore wanted to
keep them here to keep an eye on them, as he suspected their families to
be supporters of Voldemort.
Obviously, that wasn't the whole story, as Dumbledore withheld a part he
deemed 'unnecessary knowledge' for him, like how he earned quite a few
favors in the process.
Even though Harry was livid Malfoy would still be in class, he seemed to
accept Dumbledore's judgement, reasoning that he was wiser than
himself, and probably wouldn't keep someone dangerous in the school
grounds. Boy was he wrong. Dumbledore would want to keep his enemies
closer, even though he knew such incidents were bound to happen again
as the Dark Lord's resurrection draws near. 'The unseen blade is the
deadliest.'
Albus knew that Malfoy wouldn't have gone to such length without being
instigated by someone, probably his father. That did give him a decent
amount of information: they were growing more confident, and trying to
earn Voldemort's favor by attacking the Boy-Who-Lived. Or maybe they
were acting on Voldemort's order, trying to weaken him. Either way, it
worked well for Albus' plans.
Harry was visited by all his friends the next day, which was surprisingly
not limited to the Gryffindors. Kaiser's circle of friends, including some of
the Hufflepuffs with whom he practiced in their Defense Club visited
him.
Speaking of which, their defense club was having monumental success.
The lesson plans Kaiser and Cedric helped them draft were exceedingly
effective, even though they were focused completely on the practical
side.
They've all learned by now silent casting on some basic spells, and some
of them started moving to more complex charms, like the Protego Charm
because of how crucial it was.
They were planning on expanding their numbers, but they would be
waiting for Kaiser to return before it happened, as he wasn't at Hogwarts
at the moment.
=============================
It was mid october when the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons delegations
arrived at Hogwarts. They wanted to go ahead of time to get everyone
acclimated to their new school of the rest of the year, including their
future champion. They did not wish to be at disadvantage just because
they would be operating on "foreign soil".
The Durmstrang delegation was not boys exclusive. Similarly, the
Beauxbatons delegation wasn't all female. In fact, their ratio was pretty
close to fifty-fifty, as to not favor one gender over the other. Neither boys
or girls had the advantage when it came to Magic, contrary to physical
activities, in which boys would excel, so it wouldn't make sense to not
include everyone evenly.
It was also around that time that Kaiser finally came out of 'seclusion'. It
was midday, and the second session had just passed. Students were
converging towards the Great Hall for lunch. He spotted Michael, Tracey
and Daphne sitting with some Ravenclaws, so that's where he headed.
Needless to say, thanks to their lack of internet and things to do, people
started whispering about his disappearance, causing all kinds of wild
rumors to start flying around, including one where he ran away with his
secret lover, but Kaiser paid them no mind.
"'Sup." He said before sitting next to Michael. For their part, they
repeated whatever he said as a greeting back.
"Enjoyed your vacation?" Michael smirked, which annoyed Kaiser since
he wasn't exactly having a vacation.
"Yeah, very much." He struck out his tongue childishly. "Did I miss
something?"
"Not much." Tracey shrugged. "There was this whole Gryffindor and
Slytherin drama going on, because Malfoy thought it would be a good
idea to use excessive force against Harry." She explained.
"It's not like it's over." Michael added. "You'll get to witness plenty of it.
Gryffindors have gotten more aggressive thanks to that incident. Beware
of stray spells."
"Noted." Kaiser nodded, with a slight frown that soon leaved his face. "I
see we have new additions to the school." He said, noticing the
Beauxbatons students sitting at the Ravenclaw table.
"Oh, right! Did you know there would be some kind of tournament this
year that's been abandoned for years because of its high death rate?"
Michael asked, still unable to believe the ministry would make such a
ridiculous decision.
"Meh… People die every day." Kaiser shrugged, earning weird looks from
his friends. "Death is but the beginning of the next great adventure." He
said sagely, causing them to facepalm. "No seriously, we aren't known for
having the smartest ministers around here, so don't bother thinking about
it."
"Besides, they must have some reason for reinstating the tournament."
Daphne added. "It's certainly not the students' safety, but something
beneficial to them."
"Hello Kai!" Susan said cheerfully, as she came over from her table.
"Oh Hi Suzie, Hannah, how are you guys doing?"
"We're doing fine, thank you. Where have you been?" Hannah asked,
wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery once and for all.
"In my lab?" Kaiser said. "I thought that would've been obvious."
"Errr… now that you say so…" Hannah said sheepishly. They both sat
with them to catch up. They were joined by Hermione, Harry and Ron
shortly afterwards, exchanging pleasantries the mood of the group was at
it's best, yet their reunion, was interrupted by another arrival.
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