Welcome everyone to another chapter of "Forgotten".
Yeah, I know that some of you probably thought that I had forgotten about this fic (see what I did there... ok I will stop). You couldn't be more wrong. If any of you visit my profile from time to time then you probably saw that I decided to put this story on hold for some time. I just didn't have any desire to write this story back then and while now it isn't that much better, I hope to at least give you a chapter every few weeks. With that said, if you want to find more about any future updates or talk about the fic I have something special for you all.
IMPORTANT: After some talking with my beta from my other story, we decided to create our own Discord server. I want to create a community where every reader or writer will be able to talk about fanfiction or other off-topic stuff. It won't be anything big, but I hope we all will be able to talk there without any problems. Just remember to follow the rules.
Link: discord. gg/ b7JaQcpuc7 (Just delete the spaces.)
Before I begin the chapter, I want to address one more thing or rather two things. The pacing and gamer system.
I know that for now, the story might seem slow, but I can promise you that for now I am just setting things up and soon the pace will pick up. Like some of you, I am not of fan of too slow stories, but unfortunately, worldbuilding takes some time if you want your story to be well prepared.
As to the gamer system. I know that it doesn't appear as often as some of you might want and I can't promise it will change. Yes there will be quests, yes there will be new skills and notifications, but I just don't want to fill my story with only gamer stuff. I did the same with "Grimm's Evolution" and for now it is working.
Alright, that was one long AN. Now enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 8. Out in the open
Harry tried his best to show everyone in the room that he was as surprised at this new development as them. He was pretty sure that the goblin didn't really care about Harry's reaction, but Charlus was a completely different case if the looks the young boy was getting from him were anything to go by.
Thankfully before Charlus could ask a question Ranlast came out of his shock and began whispering to himself, "It really is impossible, but our tests don't lie. Yes, they might not know something, but not lie. To think that another one of them would appear in this age and in form of someone who should be completely human..."
Of course, the rest of the occupants of the room also could hear the goblin and Charlus instantly followed up with a question or at least tried to, "Ranlast, you are not making any sense. Hell, the test is just as confusing. Tell m-"
Ranlast raised his hand to stop the elder Potter before he could say more, "I am sorry Charlus, but I can't tell you anything before you sign something for me."
If Charlus tried to hide his confusion before now he was outright showing it, "Sign something? How is this," Charlus pointed at Harry's test, "connected to some documents?"
"Patience please," the goblin tried to placate, "All will be explained after you sign the document, for now, I just can't tell you anything."
Even though he was visibly annoyed Charlus accepted Ranlast reason and the Potter duo was left waiting as the goblin prepared something on his desk. Harry wasn't sure what was really going on. He was new to all of this and if it wasn't for the constant lessons during dreams and the system, he probably wouldn't be so calm right now.
The boy just hoped that all of this wouldn't bite him in the ass in the nearest future. His "good" luck already caused him enough problems...
"Here it is," Ranlast said before passing a large document to Charlus, "You are free to read it before signing, but you need to understand that without your signature I won't tell you anything."
Charlus accepted the paper before he frowned at something, "Still there is one thing I don't understand. Why only I have to sign this?"
"Ah, you see there are certain individuals that can't be bound by this contract," Ranlast explained with a quick glance at Harry, "Again, I will explain why after you sign it."
Charlus sighed in return and went back to the contract in his hands. As Harry was sitting pretty close to his grandfather, he tried to glance at the document to see what it was all about.
Unfortunately, he only caught some mentions of something called "Underworld" and terms he couldn't even understand. Harry might know a lot, but obviously anything regarding official laws or business was beyond him for now.
"So that's the real reason why Edward couldn't tell me anything, I thought it was something special regarding the Hunter Guild..." Charlus said quietly.
"It is the standard contract for anyone that wants to be a part of the Underworld community. Hunters obviously deal with it daily so they are all required to sign it before getting the job," Ranlast once again explained.
"I see," Charlus replied before looking back at the goblin, "So this will stop me from releasing anything about Underworld and its occupants? Nothing else?"
Ranlast nodded, "That's right. It is a very old contract and even we don't know how it really works. Fortunately, it keeps the secret safe so we never tried to change it."
Charlus ran a hand through his hair and finally signed the contract. The document glowed briefly and Harry concluded that it did its job in binding Charlus to whatever the contract was about. He really needed more information about the wizarding world if something like that was going to happen every day and knowing his luck it would...
"Now tell me why Harry didn't need to sign it and how Underworld is even connected to all of this," Charlus asked after leaning back in his chair.
The goblin gave a tired sigh, "It is a pretty long story, but I will try to shorten it as much as I can without missing any key information. You can find out more on your own, I don't have the time to be your guide to Underworld."
Charlus nodded, "I can agree to that."
"Let me begin with what Underworld really is, as am I not sure how much you know about it... The Underworld is a very large community spanning the whole world. It was created over millennia ago to give sanctuary to all magical beings that weren't normally accepted into the wizarding world. It is also a safe haven for races that are mostly extinct, but that's not important now.
The Underworld, just like the wizarding world, has multiple hidden locations just like Diagon Alley. The whole community is governed by a council. I won't go into detail as again it is not important now and you can find out more on your own. Just don't rush into the Underworld as even though some wizards and witches live there, they aren't well-liked."
Charlus snorted at the last comment, "So it is pretty much the opposite of the wizarding world?"
Ranlast shrugged, "In some cases, yes, but it is still much more accepting than any wizarding community. You will find out on your own... Now as to why your grandson didn't need to sign the contract. Well to put it simply, it would never bind him as it was his race that created it, even if the divine part is something completely new," the goblin murmured the last part, but both Potters could hear it.
That was completely new information for Harry. He knew a lot about his new race, but he was pretty sure that the visions he got were far older than anything Ranlast talked about. Still, he would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about this new development and thankfully Charlus asked the questions for him.
"You are talking about the Divine Akiari part, right? And you still haven't told us what it exactly means."
"Of course I was talking about it, do you know any race that is called unknown?" Ranlasd answered dryly before turning serious, "And there is not much I can tell you about them apart from the facts that they were powerful and if any of them are alive now, they are in hiding. I never thought I would meet one, but well here we are."
"I guess you won't tell us more?" Charlus inquired when the goblin stopped talking.
Ranlast shook his head, "As I said, I am not your guide. While discovering an alive Akiari is a surprise, I won't go out of my way to help you. I am old and prefer a simple life. I can give you directions to the nearest Underground district and keep today's conversation a secret, but that's all you will get from me."
Well, that was pretty disappointing. Harry really hoped to find out more about his race in current times, but it looked like Rigna was right and his race was really almost extinct.
Charlus chuckled, "I guess I should have expected that from you. We will take what you can give us and be on our way."
"Good answer," Ranlast said with a toothy grin, "Now take this, it has the address of London district that only you can read. And before you go I will leave you with one last piece of advice. When you finally go to the district, don't tell anyone what the boy is apart from the gatekeeper. While most already forgot about Akiari's role in Underworld creation, others still remember and might cause some problems."
Charlus nodded accepting the small file before standing up, "Thank you for your help Ranlast. I will probably be back in a few weeks to talk about my holdings, but for now, we will be going back home. Come Harry."
Harry bid the goblin goodbye just like his grandfather and walked out of the room.
The rest of their trip to Diagon Alley was quite uncomfortable for Harry and it wasn't because some people looked at him like he was a big celebrity. He could feel the constant thoughtful looks he was getting from his grandfather and Harry was pretty sure that the older Potter wanted to ask some questions regarding what they discovered in the bank.
After all, Harry told him about his "dreams" and saw him training with magic and a sword. If the man didn't connect Harry's new race with his overall weirdness, then the boy didn't know what it all was about.
When they finally came back home and arrived in the living room Charlus broke the silence, "Harry please sit down for a moment."
Even though Harry was dreading this moment for the entire trip back, he still sat down on the couch and waited for his grandfather to continue. He just hoped that the old man wouldn't be mad at him for keeping secrets. He really didn't want to go back to his aunt, not when he found a new family member that already was much better than his relatives.
"I think we can both agree, that you weren't that surprised about our discovery in Gringotts, eh?" so he did notice... well, no one could expect an eight-year-old to be a good actor. The system didn't help with such things.
Harry tried to find a way to answer, maybe deny all of it, but he just didn't know how, so in the end he stayed silent.
"Harry, look at me," he didn't want to, but the soft tone of his grandfather's voice convinced him to at least try.
To the boy's surprise, Charlus' face held none of the anger Harry expected to see. Instead, the man smiled at his new charge, "You don't need to worry about anything Harry. I understand that you had a rough childhood and trust isn't something you give away easily. When we first met, I knew that you had secrets, after all, what normal child trains with magic and sword when they shouldn't even be aware of magic... Look I want us to be a family that you always should have and if don't want to tell me anything, that's fine. But with the recent development, it would be much easier for me to understand if you just told me something. Not everything, but something."
Harry looked in amazement at his grandfather. He knew what Harry was scared of and gave him an out from this situation. Harry really wanted to just stay silent, but he knew it wouldn't be fair for the old man that tried so hard for him.
With his decision made, Harry started talking. He told Charlus more details about Akiari, while still keeping some information for himself. He explained more about the night when his parents were killed and what his "dreams" exactly were. Harry again decided to keep his sword a secret and of course he never told Charlus anything about the System. The fewer people knew about it the better.
This whole conversation took almost half of an hour and when Harry finished a comfortable silence fell upon the room. Still, Harry needed to know what his grandfather would do now, so he was glad when Charlus broke the silence.
"That's a lot to take in," he said slowly, "Thank you for telling me this, and know that this changes nothing between us. You are my grandson and I will take care of you as long as I can, remember this."
Harry's heart soared at those words. Maybe his luck was really good in the end.
"Artemis," a rough, old voice said, "It has been what? Hundred, two hundred years?"
Artemis looked at the visage of the ancient man and smiled softly, "Almost two hundred, Vitus. I see you are still doing fine."
The bald, wrinkly man smiled widely, before letting Artemis through the door, "Of course I am. I might be centuries old and I plan to live a few more, even if my current existence is boring... Nothing happens in this district and my condition doesn't allow me to get out."
Artemis chuckled lightly before sitting down in the offered chair, "I could ask Apollo to see if he could do anything about it."
Vitus snorted, "Bah, better than him tried and failed. I am beyond saving, now tell me why are you here. I am happy to get a visitor, but you never really came to me without needing something."
That was true. Vitus might be one of the few males Artemis liked to some extent but she was never one for casual visits. It just wasn't worth her time, when she could spend it with her hunters."
"Some time ago I felt something very disconcerting," she began, "A pulse of power almost cut me off from one of my domains. I am not sure what it is, but I pinpointed it to Europe or more recently to the British Isles. Soon I will go there and find the one responsible, but before that, I need to know what is the situation with demons in these parts of the world. I don't want to risk my girls."
"So I was right," Vitus murmured, "A new Akiari really was born and one with the power to almost take away your domain. Interesting development indeed, I will need to get in contact with Lempo again..."
Artemis just let the man monologue as it was a pretty usual thing for him to do. It definitely didn't hurt that he was giving her more information about her target than she previously had. Only when he fell silent she asked, "So you also felt it. What can you tell me about my target?"
"Target?" the ancient man said with a raised eyebrow, "If you even plan to harm a new member of my race then you can leave now. I might respect you Artemis, but I won't let you harm one of mine, even if you are a goddess."
Artemis wanted to be angry at the old Akiari, but she couldn't. Both due to her own respect for the man and the fact that her inquiry about the new Akiari wasn't too friendly.
"I won't harm them Vitus," she responded politely, "I just want to know what could have caused such a disturbance. None of you could ever do that."
The old man nodded, visibly placated, "As long as you don't report this to Zeus I will be happy. As to why the new Akiari could do that? I don't really know, the only thing I can tell you is that whoever it is, they are not normal Akiari. My race might be connected with each other, but that's all I can and am willing to tell you."
Artemis sighed lightly, she really would like to get more information, but she could understand Vitus' reluctance. After all, if Zeus heard of a mortal that can steal someone's domain, he would order the poor soul's demise.
"Alright. I will take what you can give me, but I still would like to know about the demons in this territory."
Vitus frowned heavily, "I can't tell you much. Over one hundred years ago I made Lempo responsible for gathering information and he only sends me reports from time to time. The Hunter Guild is doing a pretty good job from what I know and the remaining Akiari probably kill all the stronger Demons that appear. Unfortunately, it is nothing confirmed so I would advise going to Amsterdam and contact Lempo. He should be able to tell you more."
That wasn't what Artemis wanted to hear. While she knew that Lempo was a good man, she didn't like going to the main district of the Underworld. Usually, other lesser deities of other pantheons lived there and Artemis didn't want anyone to see her there.
"I will do that," she finally responded, "Thank you for your time Vitus, I will be on my way now. My lieutenant is waiting for me."
The old man waved her off, "Of course, after all, I didn't expect you to sit here and chat with me for hours. Still, I need a favor from you. When you find the new Akiari and gather enough information, please visit me again. I would love to hear about the new member of my race."
Artemis nodded in acceptance. She was going to do that anyway. The old man at least deserved that much from her.
The few next weeks were really life-changing for Harry.
He finally got used to his new home. He gained a new family member that was kind to him and wanted to help Harry with everything he could. Well, almost everything as Charlus wasn't too happy when Harry practiced highly dangerous magic or some moves with his sword.
At least the older Potter didn't ask about the sword anymore. He just accepted that it was one of the things that Harry wasn't willing to share. Which in itself was pretty weird as Charlus already knew about Rigna, but Harry couldn't lie that it was amusing to see his grandfather stare in amazement as he summoned the sword out of nowhere.
All in all, Harry was happy with his life. Hell, he even progressed with the System.
Power: 760
Power Regeneration: 15/min
Strength: F- | (37%)
Endurance: F- | (88%)
Agility: F | (31%)
Int&Wis: F+ | (56%)
Magical Power: E- | (13%)
Luck: Good
His new stats proved that even for his age he was progressing pretty fast, even though most of his practice in the last few weeks was dedicated to reading books about the wizarding world. At least it leveled up his Int&Wis to the next level.
Magical Power also progressed to the next rank and Harry could feel that his magic really was stronger. He didn't know how exactly that worked and the system wasn't willing to explain, so Harry just accepted it and decided to look for answers at a later date. After all the system was created by Rigna so he shouldn't worry about it hurting him.
On the other hand, his skills didn't level up much apart from one rank in each ice and darkness mastery. It didn't unlock anything new but made the control of the elements a bit easier.
Now though Harry was lying on his bed thinking deeply about his first visit to Gringotts.
After the conversation Harry and Charlus had when they came back from the bank, the younger Potter forgot completely about anything else that happened that day. He preferred to just leave it behind and look forward to his new life, but just a few minutes ago Charlus again left for Gringotts, and Harry could help but remember the day again or rather one thing that he saw on his test.
Sirius Black, his supposed godfather, or rather sworn godfather even if Harry didn't know what that exactly meant.
Was the man even alive? And if he was, then where did he go when Harry needed him. Those were questions that the young boy needed answers to and he would get them as soon as his grandfather came back.
For now, a nap sounded pretty good.
And that's all for this chapter. Hope you like it.
As you see some things changed from the last version, while some didn't. Truthfully most things will change while only elements of the last version will be visible. Will it be better? I hope so, but we will see when I finish this story.
As for Harry's decision to tell Charlus about some of the things. Yes, he might be a bit more mature and have trust issues, but he is still a child that always wanted a true family. Now he got it and he doesn't want to lose it, thus his decision to give Charlus some info.
For now, that's all from me and remember to visit my discord.
Link: discord. gg/ b7JaQcpuc7 (Just delete the spaces.)
Have a good day/night everyone and Happy New Year.