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Chapter seven:
"Lovely, Dark and Deep."
Harry looked out across the forest one last time before boarding the awaiting boat with Maddy. No matter how many times he left this place it was always like leaving home and it made him very uncomfortable how attached to Avalon he had gotten. It was of no consequence at the moment though and there were more important things to attend to.
This year had been the busiest yet, between Occlumency, potions, Morgan, building alliances and all his side projects he had very little time to unwind. Alucard visited every so often during the year and Harry had gotten to know the Ancient somewhat. Alucard was very intriguing, he always had something more to him and their game of wits often exhilarated him as previously only Tom had.
Now with summer Harry found himself with a lot of time on his hands to finish up a few of his side projects while finalizing the adoption in America with Madeline. She had already taken the liberty of changing his name from Harry Potter to Tristen Winter and he felt more secure knowing that soon he would be out of his 'parents' reach forever.
They'd spend the first month in America after the adoption was put to rest and would be touring the country while they were there. Then after 'seeing the sights' that the US had to offer they would move onto Europe starting in France and working there way around the last two months. Maddy had even said should they find a suitable place they'd buy their first house but until then they would use their magical tents.
Harry had gotten his journeyman in potions three months ago and expected he would get his masters in it by the end of summer should all go well. The boat took them just outside Avalon's boundaries before Madeline pulled him into her arms and activated the portkey that would take them to the U.S.
They arrived in Washington a moment later and four hours back due to the time change. They had left when it was five p.m. at Avalon and here it was now just barely noon, it was slightly unsettling to Harry who had been looking forward to the night. Not that it mattered much anyway as they would need the extra time to prepare.
Madeline lead Harry to a good camping ground about three hours out of the city and hidden from Muggles through various charms. They set up their tents deciding against sharing one for privacy's sake, even though they were wizarding tents both loved solitude enough to want their own tent.
While Madeline went to the courthouse to get everything finalized, Harry went off to pick up one last thing to help him with his research. The city was big and bustling when he arrived, no one paid anyone else any mind and it was a prefect hunting ground.
During the year Harry could suppress the urges fairly well by repeatedly telling himself that he was surrounded by Magic and these wielders didn't deserve his punishments. However, now that he was out amongst the muggles he let go of his restrains to finally give in to that heady darkness within him.
His victims had to be right though, not just anyone could curve that particular appetite and so he search looking for the one that needed it the most. The dark magic swirled within him, excited, at the thought of bloodshed. But it needed to be prefect, not just anyone would do as he very well knew and so the hunt was on.
There were so many faces, so many horrible muggles he just didn't know where to start and so he just let his bloodlust guide him to where it needed to be. Eventually he arrived in a suburbia filled with neat little houses, grass perfectly cut and everything had it's own perfectly neat place. Every house looked the same, down to the car in the driveway and the silly little mailboxes.
Everything had its place but him; he hated it instantly, it reminded him of his prison, his house of torment…and it was the perfect hunting ground. Harry decided he needed more then one this time, after all, he didn't knew when he'd get another chance to hunt. He stalked the street, no one paying him much mind as he was focused solely on not being seen.
There was nothing for the first hour, just foolish little kids, dotty old people and nosy house wives, he almost moved on in his hunt. Then the car pulled up in front of him and a man stepped out to greet his family, who had been playing in the front yard. He was prefect, just what Harry needed, and this one would sate him for a little while at least.
He was a pudgy man, blonde, with watery blue eyes and a squashed nose that made his round face so pig-like Harry have expected him to squeal any moment. He reminded Harry of another pig-man, enough so that he hated him, that he felt his blood boil and magic reach out to hurt. He reeled himself in at the last moment, not the time to lose one's head after all, not when there was killing to be done.
Disgusting muggles, no one would miss them, they were like roaches, multiplying and filling the world with their revolting trash. That was why he hated them, hated their narrow minds and simple ways, he hated their very existence. Pushing that all away from him right then he waited for them to go into the house before following them inside.
The wife went into the kitchen, the kid plopped down in front of the TV and the man went upstairs with Harry following at his heels. One silent Imperio later and the man was saying he had forgotten something at work, climbing into his car and driving to the end of the block to wait for Harry. He had a hunt to finish, he couldn't leave this half done and he needed more test subjects, so his search went on.
Another man came home; he was tall, brunet, with a square jaw and sparkling brown eyes. He greeted his wife warmly (a bleach blonde) they looked like a young couple and Harry very much doubted they even had children quite yet. He was also prefect, and just as easy to ensnare. This one he sent on a jog after he'd been Imperioed and into the waiting man's car.
And yet, Harry still wasn't satisfied, there was someone missing and he needed just one more he was sure so he could get to bloodshed done properly. Ah, there, just the one he'd been looking for and right on time too, how courteous of him. This man was single; he had strawberry blond hair, a smart suit on, a handsome face ruined by a crooked nose and bloodshot hazel eyes.
His one he sent to the car also and he felt satisfied, finally, with his catches, as he was sure they would provide him with plenty of research materials. Once he had gotten them all settled in the car staring blankly ahead, and taken his seat in the back, he sent to first one off driving to his campsite.
Madeline wasn't back yet when he finally got back, which was a great thing as he was sure he would have a hard time explaining banishing a car and bringing home three muggles. As it was he didn't have to as she was tided up filling out the seemingly endless forms concerned with adopting a child and gaining duel citizenships.
He directed the muggles to follow him into his tent and into one of the secret rooms in the back that was protected by layers and layers of wards/silencing charms. They each got their own room, of course, he wouldn't want to be rude and they would probably take comfort in not being alone, he couldn't have that now could he?
Each of their rooms had various enchantments that would keep them in and everyone else out (except him of course). They were then strapped to the metal exam tables he had stolen from a medical school last year (and modified to keep live specimens on). No one would ever be able to hear them in here, no one would hear them scream but him, and it was really invigorating.
Once he had them squared away and strapped down he canceled the Imperio so that they would know fear before the day was done. The pudgy man was first, he decided, so he vanished all the man's clothes (except his boxers) and waited for the guy's eyes to clear before he began.
The man blinked around dazedly for a moment, not really understanding but when he did, that was when the screaming started. Music to Harry's ears really, but soon it got annoying so he cast a silencing spell before starting to prepare this experiment.
He got his notebook ready, with his own invented thought-taking quill (it wrote what he thought down so he didn't have to talk) and his various medical supplies. A cursory glance over the subject and one diagnostic spell later found that he hadn't been exposed to any magic before then. It was like fate had handed him the perfect specimen on a platter, sighing wistfully he got to work.
"Cruico!" he cast the spell quickly, reveling in it's dark power and enjoying the look on the man's face. He held him under it for an hour and then stopped to study the results. His eyes were blank, drool pooled down the side of his mouth, and he was completely unresponsive to any stimuli.
Working quickly Harry skinned the man's arms and placed a stasis spell on it so he wouldn't bleed to death. Harry studied the nerve damage the spell had wrought, all the while taking precise notes in the floating notebook. He took out his first vial of his preliminary potion and poured a few drops on the shriveled fried nerves.
At first nothing happened, then the arm pulsed and every nerve that had been exposed to the potion came back to life. He watched the man's face, he was screaming in silent agony, and then the pieces of nerve melted. It seemed he had gotten the nerves to revamp but the potion was too powerful resulting in an overheating the receivers on the nerves ending with this molten mess.
Intriguing discovery, the potion was almost useable, he quickly jotted down the ingredients in that one to track, which had brought about the partial success. Then he moved on to his next testing vial, pouring this one over the man skinned hand, instead of the arm, to insure to potions didn't mix.
The entire hand twitched, he could see the shriveled nerves jerking and the electrical pulses firing. However, they did not repair themselves as the last batch had and as a result the nerves snapped, peeling off the remains of the hand. This potion got the nerves firing, making them continue the message relay but the damaged tissue was to worn to hold up.
Again he listed this one's ingredients and moved onto the next in the line of potions. If he managed to find the right combination, Harry could indeed cure the effects of the Cruico had on the body. This would be his mastery if he could get the ingredients just right.
Not that he intended to make his discoveries public, this was just one of many ventures in his quest to do the impossible. If he could find a permeate way to beat the Unforgivables he would never be vulnerable to their attacks. Something that had interested him since he learned he had supposedly survived the one unbeatable killing curse; which should have spelled his death.
He continued his experiment on the man for another two hours before calling it a day on that experiment and going in search of Madeline. She was inside her tent taking notes from a rather large tome on Alchemy when he found her and it didn't really surprise him.
"How did the adoption go, smoothly?"
"We hit a snag when it was discovered I don't have a stable residence as of now. However, I am acquainted with the social services director's daughter and her father helped the process along. So as of now you are officially my son." She said all this not once glancing up from her note taking.
"So what now?"
"I go back tomorrow to finish up the paperwork on our duel citizenships and then we leave to tour the world." She said this with an amused note. "Oh, and I wanted to let you know that my Master in Alchemy is willing to take you on should you wish to pursue it. I'm almost done with my mastery, after all, and I told him you were a decent student. Not another fucking retard that thinks Alchemy equals easy money."
Harry blinked not really knowing what to say. Maddy didn't give out compliments often and a decent student in her books was what most would call prodigies, so that was a fairly flattering review. However… "I don't think I will go into Alchemy right after my potion mastery, I was thinking of Apprenticing under one of the school's Spell-creation masters."
That was one thing Harry very much admired about Noctiluca it always had a few Masters of each craft on staff to tutor students if they showed enough skill. It was very hard to gain a Master's attention but once you had it you were mostly guaranteed at least a journeyman, if you committed.
It also was very convent that being an apprentice meant you didn't need O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s to become a Master (a loophole he was very interested in). Harry had enough of a reputation of being a highly gifted student in an already gifted school so gaining the Masters attentions was somewhat easier then most.
Madeline was an Oddity among the Masters as she wasn't even a graduate and she had never taken an apprentice before him. It made Harry wonder whom she was studying Alchemy under, as she had never said whom her Master was. "Who is your Master anyway?"
"Huh, oh, Nicolas Flamel, the craziest old man you'll ever meet! Just the other year he was telling me how he tricked Dumbledore into thinking he had given the old coot Headmaster his Philosopher Stone. Flamel is one of Noctiluca's most famous students…though everyone thinks he went to Hogwarts. How anyone could think such a brilliant man came from such a backwater school is a wonder to me! It's really unbelievable!"
"Yes, Hogwarts is a bit lacking when it comes to education; though you can't really expect everyone to have the intelligence and power to attend a school like ours."
"Very true, though that's not to say we don't have our own blundering idiots they're just a little more intelligent then them. Besides if you can't make it at Noctiluca they can always drop out and be extraordinary at one of those mediocre schools. Our drop outs need somewhere to go after all." She said coyly with not just a little disdain.
Harry never told her anything specific about what had been done to him by those filthy muggles but she did know whom to blame. That dim-witted family of his that had abandoned him to the muggles' cruelty had come from Hogwarts and it was a wonder her esteem for that whole lot hadn't fallen below scum level.
She wasn't blind she knew that what had happened to Harry had scarred him in more ways then one and she could see it in his eyes. Even now in their coy banter his eyes remained just as cold and dead as the first time she had laid eyes on them. Madeline assumed that Harry thought he had her fooled as the rest of his band of followers but she knew what lay beyond that calm mask of his.
There was a rage in him, a brokenness that frightened her on an almost primal level. So she turned a blind eye to Harry's experiments, and didn't say a word when she could smell the blood on him even when she couldn't see it. Harry was her child now, and no matter what came her way she would protect him like she had wished someone had protected her.
Harry hated to admit it but Madeline knew he needed her, needed her to hug him when everyone else was too cautious to do so. All the people Harry surrounded himself with never touched him as they did not wish to upset him and wanted nothing more then to please him. But Harry was starved for touch, just as she had been, starved for positive touch.
Madeline did not want Harry to fall into the same traps as she did when he eventually sought out the company of another. She had been blinded by her need for it when she had been younger and it had made Kade's job all that easier. She would not let that happen to him and she had taken the steps to see that it never would.
She got up from her work then and embraced him, just as before he was stiff for the first few minute before she started to feel him relax. Simon had been an option for a companion but he had pushed too much to early killing any chance he could have had with her baby. Harry needed someone patient and utterly devoted to him to help heal his pain, even just a little bit.
Madeline had looked through all the possible candidates in his little group and had only found one with enough promise to work. Leon was the only one she could ever see helping her baby get through whatever fear he had of being close to anyone. He was kind, fiercely loyal, loving (in his own gruff way) and had already laid the groundwork for a good relationship.
She could also see Leon cared a great deal for Harry not just for he saved his life, but because Harry had shown a weakness to Leon in order to do so. Leon would care for her baby just the way he needed to move on a little bit with his life and let go of a little bit of that pain.
Madeline just prayed this whole thing did not backfire on her because her baby needed help with this and she couldn't do it on her own.
The next few days past quickly, Madeline got the paperwork finish on the adoption/duel citizenship finished relatively quickly and they had made their way out onto the world. The traveled from the east to west, visiting landmarks, wizarding towns, magical forests (to gather potion ingredients of course), and many other place on their way across America.
Harry was working diligently the entire time, mastering Occlumency, doing his research, and studying Mermish under Madeline after discovering she knew the language. He had always been a linguist enthusiast and learning a magical language appealed a great deal to him (and reminded him to ask Simon to teach him elvish).
Between it all Harry hadn't found the time to write his 'friends' so it cam as a surprise when he got a letter from Leon only two weeks after the end of term. Harry usually kept up correspondence with his entire group but he usually waited until three weeks in to begin writing. Even then his letters usually went the way his conversation where everything was about them and nothing of importance was mentioned about himself.
Madeline was pleased that Leon had taken her hints to heart and had started to write her son now, this way he'd get a jump on the others. It also established that he wanted to be around Harry more then the others and in doing so Harry would give him the attention he wanted accordingly. It was one of the things she had begun to love about Harry; he was such a selfless child, whatever his friends wanted Harry went out of his way to achieve.
It was this that worried her though, because she also saw that it was a tactic used to distance himself from them on even a most base level. Harry needed companionship, real companionship, he hid it well but she could still see how lonely her baby was…and how sad. He could hide this from everyone but her simply because she knew that look in his eyes when she held him. Her hugging sessions were one of the only times that Madeline ever saw Harry vulnerable enough to let emotion flicker in his eyes.
Since she had also felt that gnawing loneliness and consuming sadness Madeline had no trouble seeing through Harry's guarded looks. Madeline was probably the only one who knew on some level just how desperate Harry was for true companionship without ever having been told. It scared her to no end, she knew where that loneliness could lead and never wanted something like that to happen to Harry.
Madeline had been shunned at the muggle orphanage growing up; she was a weirdo, an outcast, and the punching bag. No one really cared what happened to her then as she had no friends and no one wanted to be around her long enough to develop feeling for her. So in the absence of friends she had turned to books, more accurately fairy tales and in that had laid her salvation.
It had been in a flight of fancy she had tried to do a spell that had been performed in one of her books and lead to her discovery of witchcraft. Madeline had always been smarter then average so it hadn't taken her long to begin to teach herself how to control her gift. Fire had come the easiest to her; even now with a snap of her fingers she could create a flame in the palm of her hand.
Not that she had anywhere near the level of a fire elemental but she did have an affinity for it which came in very handy during long potion making sessions. It wasn't that much of a surprise when Professor Flamel came to invite her to Noctiluca and in doing so ended her torture among the muggles.
They had not been kind to her, beatings having been the least of her worries with the looks she had gotten from her 'caretaker' luckily her ability with fire had saved her from that fate. She too had been starved for touch but as she had no developed social skills it was hard for her to make friends.
So she had found comfort in her books, in her studies and became the youngest Potion mistress in seven hundred years. It was no wonder that when she caught Kade's eye she had no defense against him and could not see through his lies. They had begun to date her fifth year and he had been so perfectly charming she could not deny him anything. Kade had become her world, her first friend, her first boyfriend and her first lover…she could not see past him.
She was blind to any of his faults and he had been perfection in her eyes. It wasn't surprising to find that she had fallen in love with him, hard and fast. About a year in it all went sour, he was domineering and controlled every aspect of her life. She hadn't wanted to have sex until she felt she was ready, Kade expected differently and eventually she had given in.
Kade was a few years older then her and two years her senior in classes, he was perfectly handsome, stunning really and could charm the pants off a nun. He was really playful at times, playing pranks (mean-spirited ones, that, she found out later), and always the center of attention at a party.
He was the prefect man (at least he lead the girls to believe that) and so he needed the prefect girlfriend for his arm. Madeline had been pretty enough that she could be with him without drawing attention away from his devilishly good looks, smart enough to help him with his school work and gullible enough to listen to his every word.
He told her how to dress, how much she was allowed to eat, how much she was allowed to excel and how to act the exact way he wanted her to behave. It had been a subtle process and he had put a lot of effort into manipulating her that Madeline had never suspected a thing. He had been so gentle, said all the right things, held her so close and romanced her to the point that she was blinded by her love for him.
She had listened to his lies, lived as he directed and done everything he asked of her. She became the perfect puppet and along the way of gaining the love she had always craved she had lost herself to him. Kade had seen how lonely she had been, seen how much she had desired love and like a hawk circling its dying prey he had struck swift and true. She hadn't stood a snowball's chance in hell.
Madeline had lost herself to him that first year giving her heart, her soul and even her virginity to a man that just wished to use her. Even after he had started to verbally abuse her, she could not be swayed from her love from him and even the occasional slap didn't open her eyes. Madeline had fallen in love; it had taken over her so completely she couldn't turn away from it no matter what Kade did to her.
It wasn't like she knew any better to begin with as she had always been treated poorly and so couldn't see how unhealthy it really was. Some part of her had believed she deserved it the part that had been stamped by years of abuse and emotional hell. It wasn't like she knew any better then accept it at face value after all how was she to know that this wasn't the normal way relationships went.
It had been by chance that she had stumbled upon him during one of his many liaisons with a girl and it had shattered her world, broke her heart and set her free. It was the anger springing from witnessing his betrayal that had snapped something inside of her. Madeline had been strong once and he had all but beaten that out of her in those three years. It was in seeing that betrayal that had given her the strength to get herself back, to finally stand up for herself and put Kade in his place.
It had shattered her heart, she had cried for days after, but she still she had, somehow, managed to slap him and break up with him dry eyed (at the time). Kade still refused to let her be, always lurking in the shadows somewhere but she was just glad it had been his last year.
And so after breaking it off with him at the beginning of eighth year she had set out to find herself, to discover the girl she had lost to him. Her journeyman in alchemy came, her blooming of strong friendships with others, and then her Tristen (or Harry) came along. It is a scary thing love, and she had lost herself to it so fully once it had broken every part of her, all, for that loneliness.
She refused to let Tristen fall into that trap and lose himself in the quest for that love, which was buried deep in every orphan no matter how cold they might seem. Harry was almost at that age she had been when she had given herself up for the lies a boy had been all to willing to spin. That was why she needed to protect him even if it meant pushing Leon on him she would do so to keep him from hurt.
That had been part of the reason she had been so protective of him when they had first met and had kept that Simon boy away from him. Madeline could see so much of herself in Harry that she tried so very hard to keep him from going down the same path.
Kade had done a lot of damage, in breaking her to be the perfect puppet, in breaking her heart by betraying her to sleep with another and in spinning those lies on how worthless she was, he had damaged Madeline. Maybe that was why she was so quick to protect Harry; maybe that was why she felt so much love for him. Whatever it was that drove her Madeline knew she never wanted to see Harry go through what she had.
Harry for the most part was just surprised that Leon had taken the intuitive to contact him first and responded in kind writing him a letter immediately. It wasn't anything in depth, just some non-sequential questions and responds mainly just feeling each other's mood out. As with most of his writing Harry had to read between the lines to get the real meaning behind Leon's words.
It appeared Leon was very lonely without his brother, still missing him terribly along with the rest of his family. However, the oppressive mourning had gotten to him and he wished for someplace to go to escape it. Having no place to live as of the moment Harry couldn't offer him refuge yet but he did extend his invite to camp with him at a later date.
He did get the feeling that Leon would be contacting him more frequently this summer then the last, not that he really was bother by it as Leon was the most agreeable in his group. Leon was more quiet and content to just stand by him, not like the others who needed his constant attention.
Harry really did like his company, especially on nights when his nightmares drove him to the common room and the silence of the night became oppressing. Leon had somehow always knew when to find him there, and thought it caused his paranoia to go haywire at times Harry did appreciate the company.
The summer flew by they visited most of America before heading to explore Europe and its wonders. Harry had managed to pick up seven good test subjects along the way and his studies were going very nicely. The potion counter to the Cruico had yet to be found but he did make some impressive healing droughts that were very potent.
The problem lay not in the physical damage of the spell, he had solved that part already, no the trouble came with the psychiatric damages the torture spell had on the brain's impulses. Harry could fix the nerve endings fairly well (at least they weren't melting anymore) but in finding a way to correct the misfiring of the brain cells he had yet obtain.
In fact he had gone through five different men just to find out where he went wrong in the potion that had caused their brains to melt down while fixing the nerve endings. On his other side projects he was doing very well, he had gotten most of his mark completed now all that was left was to find a way to bind all its attributes together. On Occlumency he was just a hair's breath away from mastery mostly because he had already had an unknowingly good grasp on it for years.
Mermish had been surprisingly easy to master but Harry attributed that to his already knowing several languages as an accomplished linguist (i.e. Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, Egyptian, German, Parseltongue and now Mermish). He wanted to speak to Simon and Ophelia about learning Elvish when he returned to school the coming year.
He was doing very well on his multiple little side projects and he hoped to make a break through on his biggest project soon even if it was unlikely. After speaking to Madeline he had managed to get enrolled in an independent muggle study program in hopes of making more strides in his medical knowledge. He would be doing to work through the mail and had managed to swallow his disgust of the muggles long enough to charm the receptionist into signing off the form so he could gain access to higher level books.
This summer had by far been the most productive for him and had the added bonus of Madeline for company. Harry suspected she knew of his experiments but as she showed no signs of stopping him he had taken it as a signal to go ahead. He was secretly very pleased that they were heading for Europe soon as most of his group was spread about that continent.
Alex lived in Rome with his Clan, Simon lived in France somewhere (it was unplottable apparently), Gabriel lived on the borders of France, Logan lived with his pride in Italy, Leon lived in Spain, Cleo lived in Russia and Ophelia lived in Romania. The twins lived in Egypt and they'd be going there next summer if they didn't go this summer.
The last two thirds of the summer holidays were spent exploring Europe and continuing experiments. He did manage to visit each of the members of his little group for a day when they were in that part of the world. Leon managed to draw out his time for a week, simply because he had expressed the need for Harry's presence so Harry complied.
Harry still had that quirk where he did everything in his means to make sure the people under him were happy and they loved him for it. Cleo was convinced that she was only beautiful thanks to Harry's extensive spa treatments, Ophelia held his opinion above even her own and wasn't satisfied unless Harry commented on whatever she was doing.
The Twins were convinced no one else would ever be able to see them as their own person besides Harry and treated him as a precious treasure. Gabriel loved him for his 'kindness' and never went against him in anything. Alex had become obsessed with pleasing him in any way he could, a possible side effect from allowing him to feed off of him.
Logan was never as calm in his wolf form as when Harry was around and had confessed to Harry that it was probably because his inner beast saw him as his Alpha. (Something that had embarrassed him to no end as Harry was very small but had an undeniable aura of authority.) Simon was still pinning after him even with his arranged marriage hanging over his head and did everything in his power to see Harry give that hint of a smile again (as he hadn't since he had mentioned emancipation).
Leon was most likely his closest follower and was fiercely protective of him. Leon even went out of his way to make sure that he was there whenever Harry needed someone (which is why he had put a detection ward on the common room). In all when Harry had set out to make himself a close-knit group of loyal allies he accomplished his goal spectacularly. Any one of them would gladly lay down their lives for him and would do anything if only to see him smile.
Each of them knew something had happened to their leader at some point in his life, something that had turned him so very cold to others and still they loved him all the more for his 'kindness'. They all had gladly acknowledged long ago that they were willing to follow wherever Harry choose to lead…even to the very pits of hell.
Harry had been careful in his manipulating their views on the muggle existence, careful to plant just the right seeds at the right times but he would have never suspected that they would follow him even if they had their doubts. Harry's own little hints at his true objective, 'cleansing humanity', had given them enough to know whatever had twisted him could be laid at the feet of Muggles. The anger and hate that had come as each uncovered these clues on their own surprised them.
None in the group ever voiced their suspicions to any others (twins excluded of course as they shared all) and each felt growing hatred as more hints where made. Alex was quite sure that it had been Muggles that had scarred Harry and had grown to despise them deeply for marking such beauty. Simon hated them more then the rest because he had seen the extensive damage that the Muggles had done. He hated them so much he vowed never to show any mercy to any Muggle that crossed his path (love could do that to you).
As each year passed the members of Harry's court grew ever more loyal to their cold, kind, and fierce leader. Harry, of course, had no clue to how very loyal they were because it was done with such a depth of emotion it was beyond Harry's understanding. Harry could no more understand emotion then he could express it, totally stoic in every way in public and most of the time in private.
Having grown up without learning how to express himself and so Harry could never truly understand the depth of their love. He hadn't known love long enough to know the feel of it, how deep it runs or how far it could drive someone. Love was as foreign to him as air was to a fish, he knew hate not love and he was ill equipped to judge just how loyal his group had become.
Harry spent most of his summer exploring the world with Madeline, gathering potion supplies, learning, continuing his experiments and cultivating his standing in his circle of allies. It was about a week before the beginning of the next school year that they had finally managed to find a house in which to live.
It was about thirty minutes out of Ipswich a small cottage with three bedrooms and one bathroom. They bought it relatively cheap off by muggles and then had proceeded to purge it of anything non-magical. Soon it had seven magically expanded rooms, a library, three baths, a potions lab, a dueling room and a music room. They had also place various wards around the property and it just took an hour of tinkering to make their two acres 'disappear' off the face to the earth.
Harry rather liked it as he could add as many ward as he wanted to his room and they were pretty much cut off from everyone there. It was a great base of operations as it was below the MoM's radar, away from muggles and close to Avalon's ports (which only could be located by someone who knew where they were).
He was able to resume his experiments soon after they had completed the work on the house and was well on his way to discovering the counter to the Cruico spell. However, Harry had long ago decided to present one of his very potent healing potions as his Masterpiece in order to gain his mastery in potions. It would solve one of the biggest problems wizarding healers had when regrowing lost limbs.
When the healers used magic to regrow a cursed limb one of the biggest problems is that said limb had trouble functioning normally and sometimes it was even rejected from the body. Hence why most seasoned Aurors had what one could say a 'mutilated' body (Mad-eye being the most promenade example). The problem lay not in the limb but in the nerves that relayed the neural impulses that controlled the limb.
The regrown limbs had hardly any functioning nerves ready to operate and so the body can't use it properly. Often times the body saw this new limb as a foreign entity and attacked it to reject it from the body. His potion would heal grievous wounds quickly and grow the nerves needed in the new limbs to function.
It was a medical break through of the age and he was not going to share the recipe if his life depended on it. With him as the sole producer of such a potent potion he was sure that his revenues would grow exponentially. On a side note he finally invented a way to bind his mark and all he needed to do was obtain the materials that would be needed. He was sure that by the end of the first month back at school he would have each of his followers marked and bound to him.
It was two days before the start of the new term when Alucard paid him another visit and it was very surprising that he even found him. It was around midnight Harry had already gotten into bed and was well on his way to sleep when he felt a call, like a craving that drew him to his window.
Standing outside his window was Alucard cloaked in crimson and looking just as forbidding as he had when they first met. He hadn't seen him since school let out but that didn't mean that he hadn't felt him near. Their eyes locked though the single pane of glass that separated them, green clashed with ruby and Harry froze mesmerized by what he saw there.
Not entirely sure what he was doing Harry made his way outside in nothing but his nightshirt, unable to seem to stop his feet from heading to the door. He always moved silently and it came in handy at times especially when he needed to move silently in the night. Madeline was a very light sleeper; he had discovered that when they had moved into their house so he had taken more steps to improve his stealth.
The grass tinkled his bare feet, the slight breeze danced around his bare thighs and the bright moon made his skin glow. Alucard gave him a toothy feral grin when he stepped outside and began to move toward him. Alucard had been craving his little one's sweet blood for a while and his body hummed in anticipation with the coming meal.
When he saw the boy standing there bathed in moonlight clothed in only a long shirt that fell mid thigh he felt the stirrings of possessiveness. In a flash Alucard was before him running a gloved hand on the smooth expanse of Harry's neck to feel the pulse of blood coursing beneath the fragile layer of skin.
The thirst for this little one's blood was really amazing, so full of power it tasted of the world and Alucard couldn't stop himself from returning to Harry. Sampling him was like drinking the finest wine; a guilty pleasure that hits just the right spots to satisfy that craving that hadn't been quenched since he had turned.
He crouched down his fangs lengthening as he came closer to his neck in anticipation, his gloved hands grasping his shoulders as fang pierced flesh. He drank deep the blood was as rich and tantalizing as he remembered, his expert ministrations had the boy moaning.
Once again Harry found himself unable to pull away from this embrace, this vampire's kiss, it was unlike the sort of touch he usually had one that curiously didn't make his skin crawl. It felt good, like Madeline's hugging ritual, but it was different though somehow. Madeline never made him feel like this, never made him forget what it was to be human and bound to suffering.
Alucard made him forget when he feed off him, made him forget the world and the horrors that haunted his every hour. Maybe that was why he never consciously fought against the pull Alucard had on him or against the bond they had formed between them on these feeding sessions.
The ancient Vampire was drowning in the delicious intoxication that was Harry's blood but eventually he forced himself to pull away before he turned his little one. Harry's eye's were glazed and had a far off look to them; one Alucard had gotten used to as he fed from him throughout the year. This small slip of a boy looked so fragile bathed in moonlight wearing only an oversized T-shirt and boxer shorts. However, Alucard was far to old to be deceived by the child's appearance, one taste of his blood was enough to know this boy held a tremendous power within himself.
Harry slowly came back to the world and focused on the gloved hands encompassing his shoulders, which was currently the only part of the older male touching him. It was in that moment he got his first up-close look at the symbol on said gloves; an alchemy circle adorned the back of the glove… an enslaving one.
Harry had spent enough time around Madeline to pick up a few things on Alchemy, how could he not as he spent almost all summer with her. He was no expert on all thousand of circles that Alchemy dealt with but he knew an enslaving one when he saw it. That particular brand he had studied a bit when he was looking up certain things for the marking ceremony he was creating.
The question now was, who had enslaved such a powerful being and why. This whole thought process lasted maybe a second but it was enough to give Alucard pause. "So little one do you normally come when the darkness calls?" his tone was teasing and light. Harry finally focused on the one before him to respond, "Only when I feel it would be beneficial to do so."
"Oh, and pray tell, what could be so tempting that one such as you would brave the presence of a monster to obtain it?"
Harry smirked, "No more a monster than I am."
Alucard's smile was feral, "Oh…I wouldn't say that beautiful one but you didn't answer the question."
"You hair, may I have a strand of it." The no life King blinked for a moment, taken aback by the brazen admission. Of course he knew there were a lot of rituals one could do with a single hair from one such as him but that wasn't what stunned him. No, the fact that the small one would even ask was surprising in and of itself. In all their encounters the boy had never asked for a thing in compensation of freely giving his blood.
So without much thought of the consequences (as usual) he pulled a single strand of ebony hair and gave it to the boy before him. Harry for his part was stunned the ancient one would even think about his request not to mention actually giving it to him. He was so surprised in fact that he couldn't stop a small happy smile from sweeping across his face and the effect was breath taking.
Alucard almost took a step back from the beauty before him; the child's eyes were alight and sparkled. His entire face glowed and he looked every inch the embodiment of goodness and beauty. If Alucard hadn't known better he would have said god had graced the planet with an angel, but he did know better so he just smirked at the face that would draw many into the darkness.
As he focused on the angel before him a curious sight captured his attention, and there, a small silver of something on the boy's neck marring the flesh. His eyes narrowed looking at it and before the boy could process what was happening the vampire had divested him of his shirt and turned him around.
Harry's eyes were froze wide with shock and when it finally hit him that Alucard was currently seeing his taint he cried out falling to his knees to hug himself. Never before had he felt so stripped bare, so exposed, so vulnerable and he hated it more then he thought he could ever hate (which was a lot as his hate ran deeper than the sea at times).
Alucard eyed the damage to his little one with disgust, who could had ever marked something so beautiful with something so ugly? He would tear them a part, rip them to shreds for hurting what he was starting to think of as his. He kneeled down behind the shaking boy and raised his hands to gently caress the numerous scars littering the child's back.
It was not right, one that possessed such power should have never been reduced to this, "Who has hurt you little one?" His voice was gentle and held that hypnotic appeal that was very hard to resist. The boy trembled as his hands slid up and down his back tracing the scars softy. Alucard grasped his shoulders and pulled him back to firmly press him against his chest, "Who?" he bit out firmly.
"Muggles…" came the quiet reply; the boy was shaken and afraid. A cold hate filled him as never before, a hate that was renewed for the first time in centuries. He had hated mankind before, detested there lowly existence but over a time he had come to accept them. He had thought himself past this hate…but he was wrong; whatever the passage of time had done to cool his hatred that one admission from his little one was enough to renew it.
Gently he ran his hands up and down his arms, ghosting his lips over the exposed flesh of the trembling boy to lightly kiss the junction between neck and shoulder. His power coiled inside him begging to be release, but he couldn't turn the boy…at least not yet. A blood bond would have to do so that he would know if anyone dared to lay their filthy hands on him ever again.
In one swift move he slit his wrist and forced it into the boy's mouth before he had time to protest against it. Without any options left Harry suckled on the bleeding wrist residing in his mouth, the warm liquid coated his tongue with the coppery taste and he felt something rise within him.
Eventually Alucard removed his wrist, and gently place the boy on his feet once more. Harry did not look at him and just silently strode back to his room with all the dignity he could muster. Leaving one very confused Vampire in his wake clutching his sleeping, who was promptly engulfed by darkness before he disappeared all together.
--x--
The ceremony for his potions Mastery went as well as he had expected and he passed his test with ease (something that had only been possible with the extensive tutoring Madeline had put him through). The Bellulum Liquidissimus preformed beyond his hopes and the Guild Master Council had jokingly said perhaps he should have just named it 'substitute Phoenix tears'.
He took no small amount of pride in his achievement and looked forward to the next year. Without potions as a mandatory class it opened up his schedule quite a bit and with the extra hours he was sure to fill it up doing something meaningful. Their trip across America, Europe and a bit of Egypt wasn't just for pleasure; they had collected many rare powerful potion ingredients.
Some of which Harry had needed so he could complete his marking ritual and with only a few more items on the list he was sure he'd have his court marked by the end of the first month. It would drain him of a lot of magic, oh; there was no doubt about that but it would be well worth it in the end.
The first day of school passed in a blur of activity for Harry as he had made it a point to be very popular within the school and had many people to greet. In the five years he had attended Noctiluca Harry had gained the reputation of being very cold but kind. It was also known that he was a great listener, so it hadn't been that much of a surprise when the younger years had started to seek him out to tell him their problems.
Harry never turned anyone away; never judged, and never looked down on anyone so many had come to appreciate just talking to someone who they knew was listening. What did surprise him was last year when the upperclassmen started to seek him out as well. Something he later attributed to his relationship with Madeline, which had bridged a lot of gaps that had been there previously.
His nickname as Prince Fey wasn't unfounded after all and many without knowing it unconsciously saw him as a leader. Harry had a quiet presence about him that made many very comfortable around him and opened them up. He learned many secrets this way and gained quite a few allies, which had been his goal from the start.
He had even taken to tutoring the lower years when they asked it of him and since his arrival the dropout rate had become non-existent starting with his year. Everything was done with a purpose though, every move intricately place, every impression carefully cultivated and every rumor smoothly directed. He had become very good at maintaining the limelight while operating in the shadows, it was great practice.
This year would be a major step though, he would be pushing further then ever and curtain moves would be made that were much more daring this year. A lot of his plans centered on this ritual, the marking could not be allowed to be anything but perfection. He was almost ready.
The second day back, when classes finally started, went smoother then the first as everyone settled in and routine was established. It was very amusing, as Harry had begun to see that a sort of hierarchy was being formed around him. Previously, it was the tenth and ninth years that held the most respect and garnered the most attention, it seemed it had changed.
His Year-mates were his 'inner court' as he heard them called, followed by the few upperclassmen that he visited with as the 'councilors', and then the lower years had begun to consider themselves the 'vassals'. It was really very amusing to find out that all this had started with a fourth years obsession with medieval monarchy, which, had started this whole comparing him to a Prince thing.
It had spiraled out of control from that and the school had made it into a permeate label. The really curious thing was that no one seemed to mind all that much and that was the most important factor for Harry. Subtly it seemed they were accepting a role as his followers, it would only take a few pushes in the right direction to make this a very advantageous situation for him.
--x--
Hello TomHello TristenEverything is going according to plan; they are falling perfectly in line. So perfectly in fact that soon I'll soon put my other plans into motion. I must express my gratitude Tom I doubt I would be so far along without your help in directing me; social niceties were never my string point. So Tom, you never did finish telling what you knew of Voldemort.
Didn't I? Oh, well he is a very powerful Wizard Tristen and if you ever get the chance to meet him stay on guard.
Why is that?He doesn't take competition well and you are very close to becoming a threat.
If we have the same ends I'm sure we could become allies. Imagine what I could accomplish if I combined forces with him…that is if he ever gets back into power.
He will, there is no doubt about that. So tell me Tristen have you enjoyed your summer? What of the adoption? I do hope you haven't gotten to attached to the girl. She is just a means to an end… always remember that.
Yes, I know. She is just a shield. I never got the chance to tell you but I had another encounter with Alucard.
Really, I would hope that you didn't let that filthy half-breed touch you again even though it is foolish to believe otherwise. Knowing you, you probably let him feast on you, I still can't understand why you put up with that half-breed and his savage urges.
We've discussed this before Tom; anything Magical, ANYTHING, deserves a place in this world. It is the muggles we should concentrate our ire on as they are below scum.
True, but I still can't accept you letting those things TOUCH you. (YOUR MINE!! Tom thought scowling)
It is barely any contact, besides there are benefits in it…the gratitude of a very powerful coven is one and the allegiance to an ancient Master another. What is a little blood when I get so much more in return.
Still it would be wise to find a way around such things.
As I've said before, no, the benefits outweigh the costs. All this is besides the point, I wanted to talk to you to get your opinion on a plan of mine.
Oh, rarely do you see fit to even tell me your schemes let alone involve me in one. Do tell.
You know the only reason I don't tell you my plans in full is because I cannot have anyone discover me, no matter what you say there a ways and ways to retrieve anything once written. Enough with that, tell me what do you think of me obtaining a partner this year?
A partner, in what exactly?
Simple to act as my significant other to keep the dogs at bay, really even with Madeline, they have gotten more persistent this year. Especially Simon, he made one to many moves this summer for me to remain comfortable unattached.
NO ABSOLUTELY NOT! I WILL NOT HAVE IT!
Really Tom there is no need to resort to yelling.
You are M.I.N.E. you do not need anyone else.
Hate to break it to you Tom but you're not real so there is no possible way that I'll ever be yours. (No matter how much he secretly had started to wish for it to be so)
It does not matter, I may be a memory but the real me remains alive and well. I will not have to seeking another!
No offense Tom but your older self will not even know me. I simply wanted your opinion on whom I should consider as a possible buffer zone.
Madeline will be sufficient, you should not doubt her abilities as a mother figurehead.
We shall see, I will have to finish this discussion at a later date I have ingredients to gather.
Do not think this is the end of this Tristen, Goodnight
Night.
--x--
One of Harry's true joys of life are the strolls he takes on Avalon; there is no other magical place in the world that has the wide selection of life living on its shores that Avalon has. It began his first year, when the continuous crowding of people got too much for Harry he would go off onto the grounds to explore.
He never went far at first, but then as the days grew longer and the crush of people became suffocating he found himself wondering further. It is in this way Harry had become intimately familiar with a large portion of Avalon's legendary Forests.
No one could ever comprehend just how much Avalon had to offer until one wondered in the thick woods, plant life everywhere, animals, ancient trees and sprites. Some things that many thought long gone, all, finding home at Avalon and it was often here that Harry knew a few moments of peace.
For someone who never really feels at peace ever, that was saying something and it was on this island of misfits that he would find his last ingredients. It took a lot of time to uncover the last component that would make all he wanted to do with his mark possible.
Binding one being to another was always a tricky business; one wrong move and it could turn out very badly for all involved. Harry would take no chances so he had put it off until all he wanted could be obtained and he was almost there; all that was left was two more ingredients: the hair of a Gargoyle and the metal scales of a Draconian Fire-Cat.
This is where his knowledge of the forests would help him, he knew where these creatures nested and now all he needed to do was convince them to give up the items. It would not be easy, he was more then likely going to get hurt but it would all be worth it if he could gain the things he needed. Perfection was strove for not given and he would strive for this; his mark would do all he dreamt of and more.
Hey my lovely readers I know this isn't my best Chapter but my fingers just refused to listen to my hands! Lol, so this isn't quite what I had wanted but I think it cam out okay! As always please review it inspires me! )
