Chapter 11; The Masquerade
After disassembling the contraption, Remus apparated Harry back to the Manor and filled an eagerly waiting portrait in on their success. Charlus was very pleased. After congratulations were passed around, the three of them gathered around the table to discuss their plans.
Charlus, it turned out, was a natural schemer and had a head for planning. He also had an abundance of free time, or as he put it, "Shit-all else to do." So, naturally he took the lead in their discussions. Within his frame, he sat, ensconced in his favorite chair and riffled through various papers that he had drawn up as an outline for their scheme. Where he had gotten the papers or how he had managed to write on them was a wonder to Harry. Seemingly, it was just a part of the maddening magic behind wizarding potraits. However it was accomplished, Charlus had taken exhaustive notes. When he found whatever information he was looking for, the portrait outlined the plan.
"So, if Wolfie here is to be believed," he said, giving Remus a look that conveyed a good deal of skepticism, "Sirius is housed in the lowest level of the prison."
At Remus' nod, he continued. "Obviously, Remus cannot go as himself. If Sirius is discovered missing so soon after a visit from a long-time friend, it would obviously raise questions that would do not want asked. To get around this we will have to polyjuice Remus so that he is not recognized. He will also have to be polyjuiced when he applies for a visitor's pass at the Ministry. Luckily for us, neither the Ministry nor the prison tests for polyjuice, so we should be fine there. Remus will also have to acquire a throw away wand, as he obviously cannot check his own at either location. If there is one thing that the Ministry is adept at, it is the wand registry. They don't, however, check the wands against the registry unless they are given a reason to do so. By the time they realize that Sirius has escaped and check the visitor's log, Remus will be long gone and the wand he checked will lead them nowhere. Are there any questions?"
With a shake of Harry and Remus' head, he continued. "So, the next question becomes how to smuggle our materials into the prison undetected and how to shield them from affecting the wards until the proper time. Our esteemed Mr. Newton had a similar problem. He discovered that a simple lead box could block the gem's effects, so that part is easily remedied. That leaves us with getting the diamonds and the supports inside undetected as well as setting them up."
"Couldn't he just wear them as a part of some jewelery? They'd never think to look at six little diamonds." Harry asked.
Charlus leveled a gimlet eye at the interruption. "Use that clump of manure you call a head for a second, boy! As soon as he crossed the ward boundary, the stones would immediately start to draw power. How long do you think it would be before they noticed and locked down the prison? No longer than your wee prick, is the answer! Now keep your trap shut and your ears open and you may learn something, for once!"
"At least I have one…" Harry mumbled intelligibly, ending with something that sounded suspiciously like "painted eunuch."
"Now, if there are no more asinine questions from the ignorant whelp over there, I can continue. Where was I?"
"Something about your regard for small penises, I believe." Remus chuckled helpfully.
"Shut it you! Oh yes. As I was saying, we need to determine the best method for smuggling the items in. The diamonds, I believe, pose little problem. Remus already proved that items can be smuggled in the muggle way, without magic. If they are shielded within a lead box, they won't be detectable. The supports, however, pose a much more difficult puzzle. One I believe I have solved." With this revelation, Charlus leaned back in his chair and adopted a look of great satisfaction.
After several long moments of silence, Harry couldn't withhold his exasperation. "Well? Go on then! What's the answer?"
Remus too seemed very curious of the response because he shifted forward in his seat, his eyes intent upon the painting.
Charlus took it all in stride, giving off an air that such expectant attention was his natural due. When he had milked the moment for all it was worth without eliciting another explosion from Harry, he continued.
"String." He said.
"String?" Remus asked scratching his chin in thought. Harry was more verbose.
"String! After all your notes and carrying on, the best you can come up with is string? Unbelievable!" He huffed.
"Don't take that tone with me, you little toe-rag!" Charlus shouted. "You haven't the wit to even grasp the merest wisp of my genius."
"A mere wisp is all we'd find, right Remus?" Harry asked, looking to the man for support.
"It could work." Remus said thoughtfully.
"Of course it won't wor….wait….what?" Harry spluttered.
"It could work!" Remus exclaimed. "Instead of wooden supports, we hang the diamonds from the ceiling in their proper spacing. We wouldn't need to smuggle the supports in. All we would need is a little bit of string!" He finished, giving Charlus a look of admiration. "It's brilliant!"
The look on Harry's face during his declaration was equal parts respect and indignation. Both Harry and Charlus loved to goad one another and it was obvious that Harry had been robbed of his prize, much the painting's delight. To Harry's consternation, it was a good idea. A few yards of string could easily be concealed as lacing or some other contrivance, whereas the guards might look askance at someone visiting the prison toting large scraps of lumber on their back. He was just about ready to give up in defeat when a thought occurred to him.
"So how are we supposed to hang the string from the ceiling?" Harry asked with a triumphant look on his face.
Charlus brushed the thought aside with a careless wave of his painted hand. "Bah. Have ye never heard of glue? Nothing magical about it."
"Would it hold?" Harry asked.
"Since the diamonds don't need to be enlarged to function, their weight is practically nil. The string itself would almost certainly weight more than the diamonds." Remus replied.
"Well there you go. Once again, Charlus Potter saves the day." The painting bragged, leaning back cockily in his overstuffed chair.
Harry rolled his eyes as he stood up from the table. Remus moved to follow. "Oh yes. Your adeptitude knows no bounds." Harry said.
"Good to see you recognize it, my boy." Charlus answered.
While Harry and Remus walked to the kitchen to get a well deserved snack, Remus leaned over and whispered to Harry.
"Is that even a word?"
Harry just laughed. It was a good day. With luck, the days ahead would be even better. Soon, Sirius Black would be free.
Just after daybreak, Harry arose early. He had never been a late sleeper. Tippy's early morning activity in their small home ensured that. But, ever since the ritual, Harry had been filled with a strange sort of energy. In recent days, it had only grown more pronounced. Harry wasn't sure if it was another unforeseen side effect of the ritual or if it was just his excitement over the prospect of meeting his Godfather for the first time. Whatever the cause, Harry felt a constant need to be up and doing something. Bouncing out of bed, he made his way to the kitchen and fixed himself some toast and a pot of tea for his breakfast. He made extra, for he knew Remus would be awoken by the smell of tea brewing and would soon arrive on the scene. Not content to sit still, Harry decided the best use of his time, in absence of any real work to do, was to do a spot of reading.
Since encountering the Beginners Guide to Burglary, Harry had been entranced with the idea of artificing. Perhaps due to his success at imbuing the gems or with any youngster's innate desire for invention, Harry felt a desperate need to learn more of this magical craft. He had already identified several tomes dedicated to the art that he was anxious to study, so he made his way to the library and ensconced himself in a reading chair with a small pile of books in his lap. The first book, a rather weighty volume bound in dusty red leather, particularly caught his eye. It rather looked like a textbook to Harry. It was filled with various devices that had been created by famous artificers throughout history. Harry looked at the publisher's page and discovered that it had been published in 1893. For the Potter library, Harry knew, that was a relatively recent publication. It was entitled simply an Introduction to Artificing by Willhelmina Marchbanks. Harry turned to the first chapter. It was a brief summary of the craft.
Artificing by its very nature, is a highly practical art. It primarily concerns itself with the creation of artifacts, as the name implies. The nature of the creation is open to much interpretation. Artificing can involve the application of charms, curses, enchantments, alchemy or any number of other disciplines. There is no set way for an artificer to practice his art. Instead, it requires only the ingenuity and power of the artisan. Make no mistake, it is an art. A skilled artificer can create works of magic that can be beautiful or unseemly, rarities or commonplace objects, works of inherent goodness or unspeakable evil and everything in between.
The principal and overarching theme in the art is that it imbues in an object an inherent and inseparable magical nature. An artificement is, by definition, a permanent creation. Because the artifact is imbued with its own magic, it cannot expire. It can be destroyed, yes, but its magic cannot be spent. That is how it differs from simple enchantments or charms that can wear down over time or be easily dispelled..
How is this accomplished? There are many answers to that question that lie within these pages. The most impressive and perhaps most powerful
Works in this field, often result in the seeming sentience of the artifact. You may note the use of the word 'seeming'. Well you should. Many of history's most prominent artificers have asked themselves that very question. Are such artifacts truly sentient? The short answer to that question is 'we don't know.' Perhaps the more apt answer is, 'does it really matter?' If, after all, it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, who really cares. The famous arithmancer DesCartes famously said, 'I think, therefore I am.' It seems a fair test. However, putting such philosophic wonderings aside, we instead devote ourselves to the learning of this most noble art.
Harry was truly fascinated. His mind was abuzz with excitement as he rapidly turned the pages, scanning the various and fascinating creations from some of history's most noted wizards and witches. He saw strange bowls, called pensieves, that were meant to store and view memories. He saw cauldrons that could brew their own potions and swords that could fight and tell crude jokes. He read about ancient creations, like the famous Hogwarts sorting hat, that was capable of reading minds and communicating telepathically. Hats, in particular, were a common theme.
It seemed wizards were inordinately fond of their hats. Many of them could talk and some offered protection against attacks on the mind or body. Some could improve memory or even calm emotions or heal wounds. Harry was immediately intrigued by this idea. He wondered if it was possible to create a hat that could stop his own emotional outbursts. At first it seemed a reasonable goal, until Harry realized that without the emotional magic, he wasn't able to perform any magic at all.
Nevertheless, Harry found many objects outlined in the book that would be very helpful to someone without control of their own magic. Harry even found an entire section on crystals and gems that described how objects could be used to duplicate the effects of wanded spells. Harry made a note to study that section in greater detail later. He figured, and rightly so, that if his success at charging the diamonds could be carried over into this area, it would go a long way toward overcoming his inability to use a wand.
After several hours of reading, Harry's eyes became strained and he was forced to set aside his studying for another time. Since Remus was likely up by now, Harry wanted to meet up with him and go over the plan a final time.
As Harry had predicted, Remus was drinking tea at the kitchen table when Harry walked in. They exchanged greetings. Remus asked Harry what he had been up to so early in the morning. Remus was constantly amazed at Harry's early morning enthusiasm. Apparently, Harry's father, and Remus himself, had generally viewed mornings as a thing to be tolerated, at best. Harry filled him in on his fascinating discoveries and his thoughts about how they might be put to use. Before he had finished his explanation, Harry could tell that Remus shared his enthusiasm.
"That's a great idea, Harry!" he said. "There have been a great many wizards who enhanced and focused their power with enchanted objects. Artificing is one of those skills that rely much more heavily on creativity and cleverness than on power. The Marauders dabbled in some of that. It's hard and tedious work, but it's definitely worth the effort. Has Charlus ever told you about the Marauder's Map?"
Harry thought about it. "Was that the map of Hogwarts? The one that showed where everyone was in the castle?" He asked.
"Yes. But it did a lot more than that!" Remus said with obvious relish. "It was tied directly into the magic of the castle's wards. It showed all the updated passwords and could even respond to limited questions from the user. It took us the better part of a year to perfect it. In the end, I think it must have had over a dozen enchantments on it. The runes and charms, by themselves, could have earned any one of us an OWL, if we were so inclined. None of the spellwork was new, per se, but I think we managed to combine some charms and rune work in ways that's never been seen before!"
"Wow! Do you think you can show me how you did it?" Harry asked.
"Of course! It may take me a while to work out all the steps, but I still remember the basics. Between Sirius and I, we could probably recreate it without too much trouble."
"That would be great. I don't need a map, not really. I'm more interested in how you linked the enchantments with the wards. Marchbanks' book said that is the most crucial step in artificing. Did you use linking runes? How did you connect the map to the wards?" Harry asked in a rush.
Remus chuckled at Harry's obvious enthusiasm. "Easy there, Harry! Remember to breathe! That's good. Now, as to your question. Yes, we did use linking runes. We didn't have access to the wardkey, obviously. Its location is the most closely guarded secret at Hogwarts. Instead, we linked the map with the portraits themselves. At first we just wanted to have access to the passwords, but we soon found that it had a beneficial side-effect. We didn't know it at the time, but at Hogwarts, the portraits that guard the dormitories are tied directly into the wards. That way, if the school is ever attacked, they can be sealed. By linking the map to the portraits, we got tied into the wards themselves."
"How did that effect the map?" Harry asked.
"It wasn't anything we noticed at first. It wasn't until it was confiscated by Professor McGonagall that we first began to get suspicious." Remus answered.
"Why? What Happened?"
"As I remember it, she caught us huddled around it one afternoon following the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match. We were trying to find out if Margritte Entwistle and Broomhilde Stark were in the showers. You see, there was this rumor going around that…." Remus interrupted his story, giving Harry a sheepish grin. "Never mind that. Maybe when your older. Anyway, we were clustered up together under the stands, looking at the map, when she shows up out of nowhere. Luckily, we were able to clear the map or things would have gone much worse. As it was, she confiscated the map which looked just like any other piece of parchment. She knew it was more than it seemed. When she cast a revealing spell on it, we were all scared witless, let me tell you! Imagine her surprise, and ours, when instead of the map appearing, writing appeared on it instead!"
"What did it say?" Harry asked.
"If I remember right, it thanked her for her kind attention and asked her, very pointedly, to keep her furry little nose out of our business." Remus deadpanned.
"Oh my!" Harry laughed. "She can't have been best pleased with that! What did she do?"
"A detention for each of us and ten points to Gryffindor for a well-placed charm, I believe it was."
"What?! You can't be serious!" Harry blurted.
"McGonagall is one of a kind, bless her. She always had a soft spot for the Marauders."
"I'll say." Harry said. "So that's how you found out about it being tied to the wards?"
"That was the first clue. What really clinched it was when an Acromantula found its way into the school from the forest. Dumbledore sounded the alarm and evacuated everyone to their dorms. When we looked at the map, a large warning scrolled across the page. That was when we knew, for sure, what we had done."
"Remus Lupin. The accidental artificer." Harry chuckled. "Maybe you should write a book."
Remus appeared to give it some thought. "Maybe I should, at that. The names would have to be changed. You know…to protect the guilty."
Two long, interminable weeks passed as they waited to receive a visitor's pass to Azkaban prison. Remus had given considerable thought to who he would borrow a hair from to complete his polyjuice impersonation. They wanted someone who was either above reproach or someone whom they didn't care about, if implicated. This was easier said than done. The majority of the people that Remus and Charlus could think of that were above suspicion, were all people that travelled outside of Remus' social circles. He had some passing acquaintances among the aurors, mostly from his service with the Order of the Phoenix, but Remus was extremely reluctant to implicate any of them.
On the other hand, many of the unsavory types that Remus knew who either former deatheaters or sympathizers whom Remus really didn't want associated with Sirius' name. He agonized on it for some time before Charlus eventually reminded him that Sirius was already sentenced to prison for murder and for being a supporter of Voldemort. Any further association with deatheaters was hardly going to tarnish his reputation.
Eventually they decided that Lucius Malfoy was the perfect target for their purposes. He had certainly been a deatheater. There was no doubt about that. Even if he had avoided prison, it was well known that his claims of being under the Imperius curse were nothing more than inventive fiction. He was also frequently seen around the Ministry and Diagon Alley. Acting, for all the world to see, as some feudal baron, lording over his domain. That was why Remus found himself on a cold November morning, loitering outside the Ministry offices, waiting for Lucius Malfoy to arrive.
They were certain that he would show. According to the Daily Prophet, the Malfoy family had donated 100,000 galleons to the long term care ward at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. In honor of his largesse, the Current Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, had scheduled a press conference in the Ministry atrium, to praise the Malfoy patriarch for the sizeable contribution.
Remus had argued that someone as connected as Malfoy was likely to have private floo access to the Ministry so that they could travel without unnecessary contact with the unwashed masses. Charlus had allowed that was likely the case preceding the ceremony, but that following it, men like Lucius Malfoy were likely to want to press the flesh and be congratulated by the admiring public. Remus was far less educated on typical pureblood customs, so he deferred to Charlus' greater wisdom. For his part, Harry figured if anyone would know about being a self promoting blowhard, it was likely Charlus.
That was why Remus stood in a thin and threadbare jacket in the cold, darkened vestibule just off the main thoroughfare in Diagon Alley, watching quietly for the pale blond hair and aristocratic mien that would identify his target. For two hours Remus stood there, until he became sure that his feet had taken root. Just to prove himself wrong, he occasionally stamped his cold feet on the cobbled pavement. The crowd was middling, at best. The shoppers and Ministry workers made their way quickly to and from their destinations, hoping to avoid the dismal weather. As a werewolf, Remus was far more inured to the chill than an average wizard, but even so, he was far from comfortable.
Just as he was about to give in, sure in his conviction that Malfoy had escaped through the floo, he heard the unmistakably pompous tone of his target. Lucius was strolling down the throughfare, seemingly without a care in the world. His tall, lean frame elegantly clad in well tailored robes. He was not alone. To his left walked the Minister Fudge who was chatting away, unaware or uncaring of this subtle look of disdain upon Malfoy's face. Following the pair was an odious looking woman, who appeared to be some sort of clerk or assistant to the Minister. Her toad-like face held a look of rapt attention, as though she were witnessing some Delphic revelation, rather than the incessant ramblings of the rotund Minister of Magic.
Seizing the opportunity, Remus surreptitiously pulled his wand and aimed it at Malfoy. "Accio hair!" he whispered. Nothing happened. "Accio Malfoy's hair!" He tried again with a similar lack of results. Remus sighed. It was just his luck. Malfoy obviously had some sort of anti-summoning charm about his person. Plan B it is, then, he thought.
With long, hurried strides he crossed the street, pulling a paperback book out of his pocket as he went. Pretending to be immersed in the book, he scurried along on an intercept course for the Malfoy scion. Ducking his head, he barreled into the man, knocking him backward into the Minister and sending them both to the ground in a tangle of thrashing arms and legs.
"I do say! What's the meaning of this?!" He bellowed, trying to right his portly frame. Remus almost laughed at the sight of the Minister of Magic lying on the street with his legs sticking up in the air. Any thoughts of merriment were lost, however, by the cold and murderous look that covered Malfoy's face.
"I'm so sorry!" Remus exclaimed. "I didn't see you there. Do forgive me, where are my manners?" Remus leaned over the scowling pureblood and before he could protest, seized him by the arm and pulled him to his feet.
"Unhand me this instant!" Malfoy demanded. Remus was undeterred. In a blink he reached down and similarly helped the Minister to his feet. All the while, his assistant stood aghast, her face frozen in a look of surprise and horror.
"My good man!" the Minister said. "Do watch where your going. It is unseemly to run around the street like some mindless savage."
"Indeed." Malfoy sneered, looking down at Remus' shabby attire.
To all witnesses, Remus appeared to pay no mind, or even hear, their words of disdain. Despite Malfoy's admonition, Remus continued to lay hands on him, attempting to brush off dirt from his expensive robes.
"Oh dear!" He fussed. "This will never do! Look here how I've mussed up your robes. Not to worry, we'll have you fixed in a jiff!"
Lucius did his best to fend off Remus' attempts to smooth his ruffled robes, but was thoroughly unsuccessful. Finally he reached his breaking point and physically forced Remus away with an outstretched arm. "Enough!" He barked. "I think I've been manhandled quite enough for one day!"
"Oh, yes." Remus replied, adopting a rather apologetic expression. "Many pardons, governor. I can't think what came over me. I do hope you haven't been too badly damaged."
"Yes, well." Malfoy sniffed, "Perhaps a…..person," he drawled, giving Remus a look that conveyed he wasn't convinced Remus deserved such an appellation, "such as yourself, would do better to watch where he is treading."
"Oh, I will sir, I will. Always mind your betters my old mam used to say. Well I better be off. Don't won't to take up any more of your valuable time. Good day governors, madam." He said with a bow to the Minister and his assistant.
"To you as well." The Minister replied jovially, quite recovered from his fall.
As Remus walked away, he heard the Minister say. "He was a right bonny lad, if a bit eager. Wouldn't you say, Lucius?"
"If you insist, Minister." Lucius replied.
As Remus made his getaway, he pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket and wrapped it around a long, blond hair, before placing it back in his pocket. With a spring in his step and whistling a merry tune, Remus made his way back to the apparition point.
When he arrived back at Potter manor, Remus was heartily congratulated. The length of the hair he had liberated from Malfoy's coat was quite sufficient for their purposes. By their reckoning, it would supply enough source material for several doses of polyjuice. Remus and Charlus figured that it could come in quite handy in the future.
The hair procured, Remus was determined to get the process started as soon as possible. He figured that it was best to make his application at the Ministry immediately, because it was the one time he was assured that Lucius would not be present. It wouldn't be pleasant to encounter Lucius while bearing his likeness, after all. Dropping a portion of the liberated hair into the potion, he watched as it changed a dirty golden color. As soon as it settled, he pinched his nose and downed it in a single draft.
"Ugh, that's foul. Malfoy tastes like old socks." He complained. His grimace only intensified as his muscles and bones began to shift beneath his skin. His nose narrowed slightly and his hair lengthened and changed from short, mousy brown to long, blonde, almost white. His body also changed as his waste shrunk and his hips and chest took on a shapely curve. After a minute, Harry and Charlus could only look on in shock as Remus' kindly appearance grew into the haughty and attractive semblance of Narcissa Malfoy.
"Well, this is unexpected." Charlus drawled.
Remus walked over to the standing mirror while Harry could only nod in agreement. "Is that Mrs. Malfoy?" Harry asked.
Remus peered at himself in the mirror. "Yes." He answered in a high, delicate voice.
Harry joined him in front of the mirror, studying his newfound appearance. Narcissa Malfoy was a comely woman, by any definition. She had high cheekbones, a patrician nose and a full, shapely mouth. Her figure was slim, but well rounded in all the right places. Harry had little experience with girls and even less with grown women, but even he could tell that she was a regal beauty. Against his will, his eyes were drawn to her ample cleavage, straining against the fabric of Remus' cotton shirt. When Remus caught his stare in the mirror, he couldn't help but needle the curious youth.
"See something you like, Harry?" He asked.
Harry blushed. "Well, she is rather nice looking, isn't she?" He asked.
Remus returned his gaze to the mirror. "I dare say she is. The Black women were always that, even if a little….unstable." Remus replied.
"Black? You don't mean…"
"I do, indeed." Remus answered. "Narcissa is Sirius' cousin. She was a few years ahead of us in school. She and Sirius never really got along. She was always a bit haughty and arrogant, even back then. All of the Blacks were, of course. Even Sirius showed those tendencies from time to time. He grew out of it, of course. Mostly." Remus smiled at the thought.
"Oh….kay." Harry replied. "So where does this leave us?" He asked.
"Quite well, in fact. Actually better off, if anything. Narcissa has an even better reason to visit Sirius in prison, them being cousins. Plus Narcissa has fewer friends in the Ministry and if anything, is even less approachable than Lucius. Few people would accost her in public, I'm sure."
"So, we're still on then?"
"Of course!" Remus was quick to answer. "Although a change of wardrobe might be in order." Remus frowned. "Come to think of it, that might pose a bit of a problem. Women's fashions have never been something I paid attention to. Not sure if I can transfigure these into something that would be believable. Hmmm…"
"There are all kinds of gowns and things upstairs!" Harry blurted.
"Of course! Brilliant thinking, Harry. I'll just nip off and grab something suitably elegant. They might be a bit old-fashioned, but the Potter women always had exquisite taste, if I remember rightly."
"I can help." Harry said enthusiastically. Remus looked at his charge and chuckled.
"I don't think so, Harry. I'm not sure Narcissa would appreciate being ogled by a prepubescent boy."
"Oh, right." Harry said, a rosy blush returning to his cheeks. Sheepishly, he looked at Remus. "It was worth a shot, wasn't it?"
Remus laughed and ruffled Harry's hair before rushing upstairs in search ladies' apparel.
"I'll be back in a jiff!" He called over his shoulder. "Don't wait up!"
"Damnation!" Harry mumbled to himself. "Never get to do anything fun!"
Huffing at the injustice that was his life, Harry grabbed his book from the table and threw himself into his chair to wait for the werewolf's return.
Remus' visit to the Ministry of Magic went off without a hitch. In the guise of Narcissa Malfoy, he had made made an application for visition rights. The clerks in the office had bent over backwards to hasten the request, very much opposed to Remus' first visit to the office. Being a Malfoy, it seemed, was not without its perks. He was assured that the pass would be processed with all due haste and that the pass would be owled to him at the Malfoy estate. Thinking quickly, Remus had informed the groveling clerk that it was unnecessary as he(she) would be vacationing in the south of France and inaccessible by owl. Instead, he arranged to be revisit the Ministry in a week and pick it up at that time.
He arrived back at Potter Manor just as the potion was wearing off. Changing back into his normal clothes, he found Harry once more pouring over the book on artificing. Harry looked up as he entered the room.
"How'd it go?" He asked.
"Without a hitch. Should be ready next week." Remus replied. "What are you up to?"
"I found this really interesting chapter on runic portals." Harry answered. "Have you ever heard of Finn's portal?"
Remus frowned in thought. "I don't think so. What is it?"
"It's great. It's based on a young Futhark four rune base. You see?" Harry said, turning the book toward Remus.
Remus dragged up another chair and bent over the text. "It seems like a simple construct. Let's see. I recognize those, I think. Elgaz…Ornai…that's 'home' and 'travel', isn't it."
"Yes. Also ehwaz for security and drazul for a 'great journey.' Harry enthused.
"How is it anchored?" Remus asked, intrigued.
Harry pulled the book to himself and ran a finger along the page. "It says here that it's anchored on both ends by the same rune set. The caster has to add a runic representation for themselves in the center and then activate the runes. If done correctly, it opens a portal between the two locations. The best part is the ehwaz prevents anyone but the caster from seeing the portal!"
"That is clever. I remember it now. That, or something very similar, is what guards the entrance to platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross Station."
"Really? It must be great to be able to see all the great magic that's out there." Harry said with a wistful expression.
Remus frowned. Harry shouldn't have to sit cooped up in his Manor, learning about the magical world from musty old books. Children his age should be out and about, learning and experiencing the world first hand. He didn't understand why Charlus had believed that Harry had to be cloistered away like some medieval friar. Harry needed protection, sure, anonymity even. He could understand that, even if he didn't like it. But Harry hadn't been seen in public since he was a baby. He was presumed dead. No one would recognize him or pay him any mind, if he was careful. While he did bear a striking resemblance to his father, even the most rudimentary disguise would keep him from prying eyes. The more Remus thought about it, the more he became convinced that he was right. He WOULD get Harry out more, to experience what life had to offer. He was sure that Sirius would agree with him on that.
"Portals are fascinating works of magic." Remus told him. "Most of the inherently magical places have some form of them, especially if they closely intersect the magical world. Diagon Alley has a brick wall that transfigures itself into an arched entryway when it's activated. The Ministry of Magic even has a muggle style telephone booth that turns into a lift that carries you to the atrium."
"Really? A telephone booth? Those are those big, red boxes on the street corners, right? I always wondered what those were for. Do you think I can go see it? I'll bet the Ministry has loads of nifty magic."
Remus grinned at Harry's enthusiasm. He had never realized how much he took for granted, being raised in the wizarding world. "I don't see why not. We could cast a glamour over you and no one would suspect a thing. Even better, you could wear a hat or maybe some muggle sunglasses. No one would suspect a thing. Half the time, wizards wear the most outlandish clothes that you could show up in a pink tutu and no one would raise an eyebrow."
"That'd be great!" Harry said excitedly. "Maybe when you go to pick up your pass, I can go along. Would you show me those portals? Maybe we could visit a quidditch shop, too. I'd really like to look at some broomsticks. Marchbanks says that some of the most advanced brooms have runic bases. She claimed that the racing brooms had interlocking runes that allowed for layering of dozens of enchantments. Can we go by there, too?"
"I don't know, Harry. That might not be the best time. Maybe we should wait till after we get Sirius back." Remus said. Right away he felt awful as he watched Harry's face morph from exuberant expectation to great disappointment.
"Yeah, I understand." Harry said in defeat. "I know you have more important things to do. I shouldn't have asked."
Remus couldn't take it. Forcing more disappointment on a boy who had already endured so much heartache was more than he could bear. "Allright, Harry. I'll take you along." He told him.
Harry immediately perked up. "Really? Do you mean it?" He asked.
"Yes. But there are a couple of conditions."
"What kind of conditions?" Harry asked.
"First, I can't have you seen with me while I'm in Narcissa's form. It would raise too many questions that I can't answer. Second, you would have to stay close by and do exactly what I tell you. We can go to the Alley and look around. But, when I go to the Ministry, you are to stay in the Atrium until I return. You are not to talk to anyone of touch anything, unless I say. Agreed?"
"Sure. That'd be great. I really appreciate it! It'll be great fun, you'll see. I won't be any trouble, at all."
Remus looked into Harry's hopeful expression and knew he was doing the right thing. Harry deserved a little joy in his life. Remus pledged that he would do everything he could to see that he got it.
That week, Harry kept himself very busy. He and Remus had performed a test run creating the null field under circumstances as close to what Remus would encounter as they could find. The ended up using an old stone well house on the property. The couldn't use the actually gems, of course, but instead used some pebbles Harry had found on the lawn. To assure proper placement, Remus had devised an ingenious plan to build a pentacle using string. When it was laid out to the exact specifications required, he had marked the points of the star with ink and glued the intersection points together. When it was completed, he scourgified the markings he had made on the floor and set about setting out the string pentacle in its place. Then, he measured the whole thing again to ensure that it was as accurate as his original markings. It worked splendidly.
Once he was satisfied, Remus set the thing aside and conjured an exact replica of his creation. Then he began the painstaking process of gluing the thing to the ceiling. It was difficult work. Glue, it seemed, did not stick easily to aged stonework. Eventually, enough glue had accumulated from his failed attempts that he had a surface more conducive to the adhesive. After that, Remus and Harry glued their dangling pebbles from the points of the pentacle, as well as the center stone that made up the top of the shield. At last, their work completed, Remus and Harry sat on the floor of the well house and shared a bottle of butterbeer that Remus had picked up from the market in town.
The other days of the week, Harry continued his study. Their were, he soon found, many different variations to the Finn's portal. Their was a Finn's window, that worked on a similar principal, but only allowed light to enter from one end, while the other end remained hidden from view. There was also a Finn's Door, that Harry found extremely fascinating. Also known as a 'portable door' it required the same basic runes as the standard portal, but they were instead inscribed on parchment or cloth. Instead of being anchored at a different location, the anchoring runes were mirrored on the reverse side of the construction. When placed on a wall, this construction created a doorway through to the other side. The portal could be removed from the other side and could be used again. Finn, himself, had reportedly used the construction to escape imprisonment at the hands of his sworn enemy.
Harry thought it sounded very useful and spent several days practicing at drawing the runes until he had them all memorized. Without using magic, he had no way of activating them, but was proud of his achievement, nonetheless. He had also spent some time designing a rune to serve as his own totem. Such runes, his book insisted, were a necessity in most runic constructions. They linked the magic to the caster and the spells, once activated. The key to creating personal runes was that they had to have some personal relevance to their object, either in name or some other personal trait. They also had to avoid resemblance to anything in common usage, because that would dilute their magic. Harry had drawn his rune as a highly stylized 'H', bordered by a triangle within a circle.
All in all, Harry kept himself very busy, but still found time to pepper Remus with questions about the mission. He knew he couldn't participate himself, but wanted to feel involved in the process. Remus took his incessant questioning in good stride, and did his best to answer everything he could. Harry found out that Azkaban sat on an island in the North Sea, just off the coast, near the City of Sunderland.
"How will you get there? Apparate?" Harry asked one evening.
"No. Sunderland is too far away to apparate. I'll most likely floo from the Leaky Cauldron. There's an Inn near the checkpoint that has floo access. It's in a mostly muggle area, but the Witches' Brew is strongly warded against muggles. From there it's just a short hike to the mouth of the river. The guard station is right there on the coast."
"How do you use the floo? Does it require a special spell?" Harry asked.
"No. The floo is activated by throwing floo powder into the flames and calling out your destination. Once the flames turn green, you just step in and off you go. It can be a little disorienting at first, but you get the hang of it eventually."
"Oh. So you just step in and say 'the Witches Brew'? That's all there is to it?"
"Well, I wouldn't forget to throw the floo powder in first. Your feet might get a little scorched, otherwise." Remus chuckled.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Wizards are nutters." Harry said. "Why would someone want to travel by fireplace?"
"It does sound a little weird, at that. But, it works well and anyone can use it. Even a squib or a muggle."
"If you say so. I think I'd prefer apparating, myself."
"Many people do." Remus replied.
As Harry pondered the strangeness of magic folk, he came to realize how very much he still didn't know about the wizarding world. He felt that he was adrift in his ignorance and resolved to do anything in his power to correct it. Thoughts of his own inadequacy filled his head as he made his way to his bed for the night.
