Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
Assignment #7 - Ancient Civilization (The Inca Civilization)
Task #2 - Write about a descendant of a powerful being or a powerful being such as a God or Goddess
Further prompts are at the end.
Word Count: 1,358
"Yeah, but who made you sorcerer? The Genie has more power than you'll ever have!"
And it's a cunning plan, something Harry wouldn't have expected from Ron, but there's a gleam in the new sultan's eyes, and Harry knows that Tom might just be more cunning.
"He gave you your power," Ron continues boldly, not seeing or just ignoring that Harry's shaking his head frantically, trying to get him to stop. "He can take it away! Face it, Tom, you're still only second best!"
"True," Tom says quietly, his dark eyes still gleaming. "You're right, perhaps for once in your life, Ronald…" Ron flushes, but it's obvious from his expression that he thinks his plan will work as Tom turns to Harry and says, "Then Genie, for my third wish… I wish for you to serve no master other than myself for the rest of eternity."
Ron gasps, horror filling his eyes, and slowly, they all turn to Harry.
Who stares. "What am I supposed to do with that?"
"You don't know?" Ron and Tom chorus, then look at each other with identical looks of disgust. "But I thought, with your genie magic stuff…" Ron says.
"Ineloquent," Tom sniffs, "but yes. Do you not feel some sort of compulsion to fulfill my wish?"
"I do," Harry says, "but genie magic's also kind of subject to interpretation. I've got to do something, and that something has to fulfill the wish, but it's up to me what, exactly, I do. And no one's allowed to have more than three wishes, but this isn't exactly the classic 'I wish for more wishes' wish, and the language you used is so confusing, depending on what you define as a 'master,' so…"
The sound of muffled speech draws all of their attention to the princess, who clearly wants to speak.
"Um… Can I?" Harry asks Tom, gesturing to Hermione. As predicted, Tom looks pleased at his deference, and nods, probably knowing that he could imprison them all (sans Harry, of course) in an instant again. Harry waves his hand and the floating globe Hermione floats in disappears, setting the princess lightly on the ground.
"So Tom's wish is subject to your interpretation, correct?" she says immediately, her expression souring slightly at her would-be-husband's name. Harry nods, and she continues. "Then it's up to you what you decide 'serving no master other than Tom' means. Or, specifically, what being your master means - is it the genie sense of the term, with the three wishes and all, or the conventional sense of the term," she scowls, "as in you have to do everything he orders you to. So you can choose that first definition, and since Tom's used all his three wishes, and since you aren't allowed to serve anyone else-"
"You're basically free!" Ron finishes, his eyes lighting in comprehension. "Congrats, mate!"
"Why would serving no master other than Tom not keep me from being own master, though?" asks Harry.
"Because that's literally impossible!" Hermione says. "When not in the process of fulfilling a wish, you are your own master. You have to be, otherwise you would literally cease to function. If you choose the genie master definition, none of that changes. You're at your default state, and therefore, your own master."
Her logic… makes sense. Harry can't see anything wrong with it, which means that… "I'm free?" Hermione and Ron nod, and he starts to grin. Who would have thought… with one poorly-worded wish… he's free. Free to do whatever he wants, to be whoever he wants, to go wherever-
Wait.
No.
They must see it in his face, the moment he realizes, because Hermione asks concernedly, "What's wrong?"
"If I'm using the genie definition… that means I have to follow the other genie rules, don't I?" He glances at Tom, and suddenly realizes why the man is silent, why he hasn't retaliated in the face of his failed plot yet. His expression is perfectly neutral, but there is a triumphant gleam in his charcoal eyes… because it hasn't failed, not completely, at least.
Ron asks what they all must be thinking. "What… What would those other rules be?"
"That I cannot kill, resurrect, or make fall in love, that I cannot grant anyone more than three wishes, that I cannot knowingly put my master in danger unless a wish comes into play… and that I must stay within ten miles of my master unless otherwise commanded." He peeked at Tom, who was definitely smirking now.
"Then…" Ron swallows, glancing between Harry and Tom.
"Yes," Tom replies for Harry. "Unless, of course, you choose the second of the two definitions."
"No," Harry snaps immediately. He would never willingly subject himself to that again.
"There has to be some other way," Ron says frantically. "Princess?"
"I told you, call me Hermione," she says absentmindedly as she starts pacing. "Alternatives to master, which in this context must be a noun… It can mean 'a man who has people working for him' - the second definition -, 'a man in charge of a group or organization' - which couldn't fit in this situation -, 'a skilled practitioner of a particular art or activity' - which again, doesn't make sense, 'a person who holds a second or further degree from a university or other academic institution' - which doesn't work, 'used as a title prefixed to the name of a boy not old enough to be called 'Mr.'' - which doesn't work, or 'an original movie, recording, or document from which copies can be made' - which wouldn't make sense. Therefore-"
"Why do you care?" Harry interrupts. Why are these two humans attempting to help him, when there is no possible way they could benefit from this? Why haven't they left already, used this as some distraction to escape from the newly-made sorcerer who has already proven his willingness to murder?
"Mate," Ron says slowly, obviously perplexed, "you're our friend. And blimey, Pr-Hermione, you really have memorized a dictionary."
She snaps back defensively, and he rushes to reassure her that it isn't a bad thing, but Harry is still caught up on what Ron said first. Their friend? They truly see him, a genie, their friend?
Even in his life before he became a genie, Harry cannot remember ever having a friend before.
"What do you want?" he asks abruptly, interrupting again, and they turn to him, confused. "If you had the lamp, if I could grant you one more wish, what would you wish for?"
Hermione answers first, her eyes shining and suspiciously wet, and Harry thinks she's already figured out his plan. "To be somewhere where no one cares who my parents are," she answers. "To be somewhere where I can be myself, where I can learn."
"To be able to protect my family," Ron says, once he's sure she's done. Harry's sure that neither of them notice the way his body angles towards Hermione as he says those words. "To know that my family, those I love, are nearby and safe and happy."
Harry snaps his fingers, and they disappear. "Done," he says softly. Like Hermione said, he can do whatever he wishes to, which includes giving gifts. Ron and Hermione deserve to be happy, even if he can't escape his fate…
And he could tell, by the look in Tom's eyes, that their lifespans wouldn't have been much longer if they'd stayed.
"Why did you do that?" Tom asks, his voice low as he glides closer to Harry. "Just because they said you were their friend?"
"Because they cared," Harry replies, glaring at Tom again. "I'd consider helping you if you did, too, but we both know that's impossible."
"But if I did," Tom persists. "If I proved to you that I did care. Would you use your powers to assist me?"
"That would never happen," Harry insists.
"If you're so certain, then what's the harm in making it a vow?"
And Harry knows Tom's manipulating him, but one, he doubts it will ever happen, and two, maybe the world will be a little better if Tom tries… so he says yes.
Autumn Seasonal Challenges
Days of the Year & Religious Events: 24th October - Make a Difference Day: Write about something small making a difference to someone's day.
Pet Peeves Week: Bad grammar - Write about someone misstating a spell and the result.
Chemistry Week: Strontium: Sincere
Games and Puzzles Week: Word: Rules
United Nations Day: Austria: (AU) Royalty
Princess Day: Daenerys Targaryen - Write about a relationship that starts off as an arrangement
Crystals and Gemstones: Amber: Historical!AU
Tarot Reading: Two of Swords, upright: Write about someone making progress with something.
Writing Club: October
Character Appreciation: Action: Staring
Record Collection: 21 - He Won't Go: Write about taking a risk.
Eras: Movie: Beetlejuice - Write about summoning someone or something
Time Machine: Word: Demand
Showtime: Barbara 2.0 - (word) Adapt
Elizabeth's Empire: (trait) intelligent
Liza's Loves: High Elf - Trait: Intelligent
Lizzy's Loft: Write about fixing something
Angel's Archive: Red Riding Hood: Fairytale!AU
Scamander's Case: (word) vow
Film Festival: (action) breaking something
Marvel Appreciation: Iron Man: Redemption
Lyric Alley: That you don't understand
TV Spree: Character: Liv - Write about someone whose life is turned upside-down
The Forecast Says… 2nd. Rain: Giving advice to someone
EnTitled: The One with Joey's New Girlfriend - Write about starting a new relationship
Halloween Fair
Monster Petting Zoo: Shawn the Sasquatch - Pet him: (colour) Charcoal
Pirate Ship: 1,358 words
Halloween Sing-Along: She Wolf - Shakira - A shot in the dark
Pumpkin Carving: Pumpkin - (word) Strength
Murder Mystery: Rooms - Library
Hot Air Balloons: (trait) Bossy
Bingo: Tom/Hermione
Wine Tasting: White Wine - Pino Cellars Pinot Gris 2015 - (trope) Trapped (in some location/confined space)
Fortune Telling: Life Line - Casting a spell
Trick Or Treating: House Two: the Weasleys - Lollipop: (word) alternative
Apple Bobbing: Apple 2 - Arguing
Costume Party: Mary Poppins - Mary: (Trait) Helpful
Leaf Picking: Orange - Gratitude
Spooky Playlist: Zombie - The Cranberries / (word) silence
Pop Figures: Marvel - Black Widow: Theme: Sacrifice
Stickers Club: Portuguese Long-Snout - Trait: Slytherin
I Want to Play a Game: 10 Pints of Sacrifice: Write about someone realizing they've made a terrible mistake
Talent Show: Super Mario Skit - AU: Royalty!AU, Setting: Castle, Word: Charm