Disclaimer: Please note that I do not in any way own Harry Potter.
Chapter 3
Of Magic and Minds
By Untamed of Wildwind
There was a blinding flash of light. Then Harry was standing in the middle of a circle with burned edges, where the centre of the light had been.
Everyone was silent.
Harry cleared his voice.
"So what do we do now?"
Before anyone could answer, an owl flew in trough the, by the flash of power blasted open, window. The owl flew straight to Harry.
The old man, that seamed senior to the others, answered:
"I think we should start with you reading that letter, Unspeakable Potter."
There were a few whispers among the wizards, but Harry heard them. Most of them went like "It's really him" and "It's really Harry Potter".
He couldn't be that famous, right? He'd just run away… This was the first big thing he'd done. Wasn't it?
:Seems like you were famous already… Strange. I wonder why?: Lily commented.
"Right" Harry said, ignoring Lily. "I'll do that."
He then took the letter from the owl.
The address said:
Harry James Potter
Main street
Left apartment on the 2nd floor
The Bedroom
:Seems like the wizards still use the complete addresses: Padfoot commented. :I wonder how they do that…:
There was a seal with a four-part crest on the envelope. It had a badger, a raven, a gryphon and a snake on it.
Harry opened the letter. It read:
Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
The senior man walked over to Harry, and looked at Harry's letter. He blinked.
"That's right…" He said, like he was trying to figure something out.
"What?" Harry asked.
"It's your birthday today. You're eleven, so you get your Hogwarts letter."
"Oh." Harry said. :Should I go there?: He then asked his friends.
:You probably should. I have not heard of the school, but you might learn more about that pure magic of yours: Gryphon answered.
"I guess I should go there…" Harry said to the man, uncertain.
"Then you should. By the way, I'm Thomas Thundercloud." The man answered. "I'm the head Unspeakable."
"What branches?" Harry asked. He was thinking along the lines of fire and air, due to the name.
"Just the normal ones." Then he saw Harry's confusion. "That means wandless, or pure, and focused."
"Oh. Alright…" :What's focused?:
:No idea, Harry: Lily answered. :It might have to do with the sticks…:
Then Thomas realised that everybody was still there.
"Go back to the ministry everybody. We're pretty much done here… Try to cover it up." Then he thought of something. "And don't tell anyone who or what happened. This is a high-level security matter."
"Let me see if I go this right. The Unspeakables are now a department of the ministry of magic." Harry began.
"That's correct." Thomas confirmed.
"And Hogwarts is a school for wizards and witches. Since I'm going there, I need to go to Diagon Alley and buy a cauldron, a set of books and a wand, of all things."
"Right. Normally you'd have to get clothes too, but you're only short a wizard's hat, and you said you'll make one." Thomas paused. "I think you should also buy an owl, so to easier be able to send me, and the other Unspeakables rapports on important matters, if such arise."
"Alright. I'll need someone to show me the way to the alley, since I've never been there before."
"That will be arranged."
Harry was rather pleased with how this turned out. No one could send him back to the Dursleys now, since he, as an Unspeakable, was considered adult.
Moreover, he'd get to go to a magic school, so that he could finally learn more about that ever useful pure magic. Apparently it mainly taught wand-magic, which seemed to be related to pure magic, but it should be good to learn anyway.
He had a couple of weeks left before term started, and in the mean time, he would be taught in etiquette and proper conduct of an Unspeakable.
The Unspeakables were a little too busy with their different assignments, so when Harry went to Diagon Alley, it was with an Auror instead of an Unspeakable. That meant that he wouldn't be able to ask questions about things he didn't know or understand.
The Auror seemed rather annoyed.
"Come on now. I don't care who you are…"
Harry stepped out of the shadow he'd been standing in.
"Sir, I'm an Unspeakable. I suggest you keep your complains to yourself, so we can get this over with."
Now the man looked a bit intimidated. But that was understandable. After all, it wasn't everyday that you were going to show a kid around Diagon Alley and the kid turns out to be an Unspeakable, whose face you can't even see…
"Al… Alright. Name's Richard Brown." The Auror swallowed. "We'll use side-along apparition to get to Gringotts, and there you can pick up your money. Then you can buy whatever you need to. "
Harry nodded. That was a good, simple plan.
"Well, then. Take my hand." The man offered his hand.
Harry took it, and then the world swirled. The sensation was as unpleasant as last time. It felt much like being squeezed through a little hole.
Then the world cleared again. Harry and the Auror stood before a large building with a golden message in the front. They went in before Harry got a chance to read it though.
"And now we're here. Gringotts." the Auror said. "I'll wait here, by the entrance."
Harry looked around, and then he got to the staff. They definitely were not human.
:What are they?: Harry asked his voices.
:They're goblins, Harry. The have their own tongue… I advise you to weave the translation spell now. Use mostly dark, but some illusion with mainly light, too. That should give you the best result: Riddle answered.
:Thanks:
Harry quickly weaved the fairly simple translation spell, and keyed it to himself and the goblins, so he could speak their tongue briefly.
Harry walked over to the counter.
He cleared his throat. The goblin looked up from his paper.
"Good day, sir" Harry greeted the goblin. The sounds that left his mouth were odd, but understandable. The spell seemed to be working.
The goblin stared at him.
"Is something wrong?" Harry asked. This was definitely weird.
"No, nothing at all… Were did you learn our tongue?" the goblin asked.
"I didn't. I'm using a translation spell." Harry answered. This was odd; you were supposed to translate, if possible, when you talk to someone speaking a different language, right?
"Translation spell? I didn't know there was one for our language… Or could it possibly be…?" The goblin carefully studied Harry's appearance. Well, his clothes, at least. Nothing else could really be seen... Then the Goblin exclaimed: "You're a Darkspell mage!"
"Among other things, yes." Harry answered calmly.
The goblin stared at him. Then he called out:
"Seize him!"
Author's note:
Hope you like it. Sorry about the delay. Please review!
The following is an overview of the elemental mixing system.
fire and earth (stone): explosion
fire and light: energy
fire and darkness: melt
fire and air: thunder
air and light: ward (barrier)
air and darkness: disease (decay)
air and water: mist (fog)
water and light: illusion (mind)
water and darkness: ice (cold)
water and earth: nature (growth)
earth and light: fuse (bind)
earth and darkness: wither (corrosion)
Of course, the magic doesn't have to be mixed to be in a spell weave.