Trail of Secrets

Chapter 22

Harry strode through the streets, his form shimmering as he formed a black suit on his body.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at the change, "I don't ever remember you wearing such dark clothes."

"Things have changed," Harry responded, his eyes glowing with power as they neared a circular building.

"Not too much I hope," Bella murmured as Harry slammed both palms into the thick wooden door of the building.

The doors slammed open with a resounding bang. A shaft of light cut through the semidarkness as they stepped inside.

On instinct, Harry scanned his surroundings, his senses expanding to take in the powerful magic that kept this building shielded from the general public. With a snap of his fingers, torches burst to life, revealing a circular room.

The stone of the floor was smooth. Two raise tables curved around the walls, angled so that the occupants look down on whoever was standing on the floor. There were eighteen figures in total. All of them were black cloaks that hid their features from view.

One of the cloaked figures leaned forward, a pudgy hand pushing on the table before them, "Who do you think you are to barge in here!"

Harry said nothing, concentrating on the life forces of the people in the room. The occupants were equally split nine mages nine mutants. These were the people that made the decisions for the wizarding world, and their time was up. A decision needed to be made now.

"Who I am isn't important," Harry began, "but what I have to say is. Herpo the foul has found a vessel that can allow him to use his full power, we need to get our people somewhere safe."

The man who spoke before broke the silence that followed Harry's words, "One man cannot be that much of a danger."

Harry's eyes filled with an emerald light, "See the world I see. Experience the final moments of the person whose body Herpo has taken."

All around the room eyes began to glow with Harry's power. His lips twitched slightly as those with telepathic abilities fought him, but with a little more force he made them experience Kenji's fight to the very end.

When it was over, the people on the raised tables slumped forward.

Harry folded his arms behind his back, "Now I know Kenji was not a good man, but we all saw what Herpo was capable of in an inferior vessel. What would he be like with a body that doesn't burn out?"

A figure stood up, pale blonde hair falling from beneath the hood as a feminine voice echoed around the room, "I'm more concerned about the tears in the sky."

Beside him Bella tensed at the sound of the woman's voice.

"We knew Herpo was here for years, we knew he was releasing energy that was tearing Otherworld apart, we stayed safe behind our dome, but the rest of this realm suffered." She looked around the room, "Now are in action has come back to bite us, and I for one am not willing to let my children or my children's children pay for my mistake"

Another figure stood up, "We don't know if those tears are a threat."

Another of the eighteen muttered, "Yes, because tears in reality can be a good thing."

The blonde woman raised a slender hand, "Arguing would get us nowhere, Lily Potter also known as death of the endless has spoken to us about taking us to her universe in an earlier time so that we can build our Empire and make sure what happened in this world doesn't happen again. We have now seen what Herpo can do in person, so we need to decide."

A blue barrier split the room in half, separating the people behind the tables from Harry and Bellatrix.

Harry glanced at his curly-haired companion, "What's going on?"

"They are going into deliberations."

"And how long will that take?"

Bellatrix raised her shoulders, "I have no idea."

Harry stared forward before speaking again, "I take it the blonde is Narcissa?"

Bellatrix turned to him, "How did you know?"

One corner of Harry's mouth curled upwards, "Your reaction."

Bellatrix turned away with a huff, and Harry laughed softly.

The barrier flickered down, and Narcissa turned to the duo, "We have decided to allow your mother to take us to her universe. As long as we are there early enough to make an impact and create our own society."

"Good, but you're going to need this," Harry flicked his hand, launching a softball sized orb at Narcissa.

Holding the orb up in a slender hand, she stared at him.

In his mind's eye, Harry could imagine her grey eyes boring into his own.

"What is this?"

Turning, Harry began walking towards the door.

"The moment I saw those tears in the sky, I knew something needed to be done, so over the last few days, I've used new technology I developed to mark everyone in other world, except for those loyal to Morgan Le Fay," he glanced over his shoulder, "and that was mostly because I couldn't get to them."

"That orb gives you a list of everyone that is marked so you can prepare them. However, once you arrive in the new universe, the orb will disperse along with the technology I used to mark people."

"What do you mean by marked."

"I have placed Nanites inside everyone I could reach. Those nanites are synced to my mother's energy. When she pulls TírnanÓg into her universe, she will also pull everyone that has the nanites inside them."

The figure that spoke when they entered the room rose to his feet, "You had no right to do that!"

Harry inclined his head, "You're right I didn't, but this place," he gestured around him, "is the future of mutant kind and the wizarding world. I refuse to allow it to die. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

Narcissa spoke up, "Where are you going?"

Harry paused in the doorway, but this time he didn't turn around, "Someone's got to keep Herpo busy while everyone escapes. By the way, I suggest someone let the Celtic gods know what's going to happen soon. It'll be quite a surprise for them when they end up in another universe. I would also suggest letting them be part of your government. After all you're all going to be in a new world. You're going to need to work together."

XX –

Stepping out onto the street, Harry cursed himself again for not hunting down Herpo as soon as Martha warned him. Turning he began making his way towards the gates of TírnanÓg.

If he couldn't prevent Herpo from gaining a body, the least he could do is minimize the effects he had on the mundane world. After all, he was a magical threat, and the magical world was about to become a lot emptier.

Bellatrix jogged to catch up with him, her curly dark hair flowing behind her, "Where are we going?"

Harry glanced at her, "We're not going anywhere, I'm going to summon Herpo here to minimize the damage he does in the mundane world," he shook his head, "I just hope I'm not too late."

Bellatrix purple eyes became chips of amethyst, "I may have walked away from you all those years ago, but that is not a mistake I'm going to make again."

Passing through the village's thick wooden gates, Harry wrapped his left arm around Bellatrix, "Then you better hang on." Slowly, they lifted into the air before shooting off like a star, a feminine scream echoing in their wake.

A smirk worked its way onto Harry's face as Bellatrix screamed, her slender arms wrapped around his neck, one leg wrapped around his own. "Bella, calm down I'm not going to let you fall."

Taking a deep breath, Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at him, digging her nails into the skin of his neck, "That Was Not Funny!"

"I thought it was."

Huffing, Bellatrix glanced down at the forest spread out below them. Unease filled her as she noticed there were no animals around, no birds flying through the sky, no animals running on the land. If it wasn't for the wind howling in her ears their trip would be almost completely silent.

In the distance she could make out a tower, "Where are we going again?"

Harry nodded towards the tower, "That used to be Herpo's home base. I plan to use the residual energy there to pull him back to this realm."

"Then what are you planning to do?"

"I'd think that would be obvious."

"You can't possibly fight him! The man can tear holes in reality!"

"I don't really have much choice. I don't know of anyone else who can besides my mother and she has to return to her native universe. The Phoenix might be able to do it, but there would be a lot of collateral damage, not that there won't be any way, but this is a magical problem, it's time we started cleaning up our own messes."

He stared into her eyes. Part of his being still ached at what happened all those years ago, but a larger part didn't want to see her dead. Especially with the offer she made to him before they had been interrupted by Kenji's spirit. He had dated before, but none of them felt as right as when he was with Bella.

"You know, I can drop you off if you like?"

"Don't, I told you before we left TírnanÓg, I'm not leaving you this time."

"I hope you know what you're getting into."

They drifted downwards, their feet skimming along the grass as they slid to a stop.

Bellatrix stared at the circular tower in front of her.

Shadowlike flames danced around the tower, forming sinister waves over its domed roof.

An arch surrounded by a balcony stared out at the land like a predatory eye.

"Are you sure you can use this energy?" She asked never taking her eyes off the tower.

"Yes."

She turned to him, "I've never felt energy so dark before, and you know what my family was like before the introduction of the Asgardian technology."

Before the technology that the Potters had discovered and reverse engineered was introduced to the magical world, Bella's family only cared about preserving their magic. They had gone so far as to marry first cousins to do so.

However, when the technology was introduced, and they saw the power that was a side effect of the genetic alterations that allowed the race to become faster, stronger, and live longer. They change their views, focusing on getting more mutants in the family bloodline.

"It shouldn't bother me. Not with some of the evil souls I've taken since my ascension. Besides, I need this energy like calls to like after all."

Raising his hands, Harry reached out with his power, grabbing a hold of the energy that wreathed the tower. With a sharp pull he began molding the energy into an alchemical circle.

A large circle formed over the top of the tower, lines danced within its circumference, creating intricate patterns. He shuddered at the feeling of the energy. It was like dipping his soul in oil.

XX –

Mitchell Evans stood atop Potter industries, his blonde hair waving in the wind, his green eyes locked onto the tower of power shooting into the sky in the distance.

He took a deep breath, his broad chest expanding, his skin glowing as he took in the energy from the recently dead. A frown slipped onto his features, and his eyes narrowed.

Whatever that energy was its proximity was causing people to die. So far, it only affected the elderly or the young, but it would expand to more sturdy individuals before long.

Blinking, his gaze softened, his mind going back to the news he had learned recently. He couldn't believe his daughter was the reincarnation of the aspect of death from another universe. It was much easier to swallow that James was Cernunnos he was always a weirdo.

Wiping down the blazer of his grey suit, he blinked as an intricate spell circle appeared above the tower. It looked like someone was going to do something. Reaching out with his senses, he touched the magic.

Of course, it was Harry that boy couldn't keep himself away from trouble.

Raising a large hand, Mitchell created a purple oval in the air beside him.

Lily had mentioned to him that she was going to pull the magical world to her home universe to protect them from the tears Herpo's manipulation had left in the reality of Otherworld.

He wasn't going to be left behind not with the only family that would speak to him leaving this universe.

Besides, it was time he talked to Selena. They had been apart for too long.

It'd taken him a while to realize that there were two sides of the same coin. He just hoped she would be open to getting back together.

Turning, he looked out over the top of the building.

He had signed a contract to partner with Stark Industries, leaving one Pepper Pots in control of the company. Nodding, he stepped into the portal.

The moment he was through, it disappeared with a pop of purple static.

XX –

Inside the tower of energy, Herpo flexed his solid black fingers, a smile that revealed two elongated canines stretched across his face, and his glowing yellow eyes twinkled.

Long pointed nails tipped each black finger.

He glanced down at his almost seven-foot frame.

Finally, he was not short anymore. He flexed his arms, watching the muscles bulge. With this body and his power, the world would know fear.

A sharp pulling sensation in his gut made him double over.

He glanced up, finding an intricate spell circle above him. With a snarl, he sucked in the power around him, leaving him floating in midair above a deep hole, anything within a six-foot radius around the whole was gone, disintegrated to less than dust

Gathering the power in his left hand, he aimed it towards the spell circle.

Before he could fire, there was a bright flash of black light.

XX –

Bellatrix raised her arms as Herpo's tower exploded. Dust washed through the air like an ocean wave, and bits of rock pelted the barrier Harry had gotten up just seconds before.

As the tower collapsed, she could make out a seven-foot-tall figure standing in the remains, his other features were obscured.

Harry thrust his hand forward, a strong wind washed the area, blowing the dust away and giving them their first good look at the new Herpo.

Bellatrix wished she had the dust back.

He was almost seven feet tall, black skin the color of midnight stretched taut over a muscled body. His slitted yellow eyes glowed with power as he raised a hand and pointed a sharp nail at Harry.

"You again, why are you always interfering in my business?"

Harry opened his mouth, but Herpo shook his head. "It doesn't matter. This will be our final battle. Today you will die."

Stone turn to powder under his feet as he stepped out of the crater. Standing at its edge, he curled his fingers, "Now Come!"