~O0o-(A Wizard in the Clouds)-o0O~

Harry Potter X Bioshock Infinite

Chapter 2

1912

Coast of Maine

Shit! Shit! SHIT! I was thrashing about as best I could in the chair that now held me in place. I could feel the rockets rumble loader as the voice of the countdown slowly reached one. My panicked face shot up as the countdown ended to see the room disappear from the porthole and I was met with grey stormy skies. I barely had half-a-chance to notice the sea below all the way to the horizon. I was going up fast and I could hear the robotic voice still, yet only now it was giving out how high the rocket was going. Five thousand feet. My mind was going a mile a second. Was I going to die here? I saw my life flash before my eyes until I final saw the faces of my family. Mum and Dad. Ten thousand feet. Sirius, Remus, and Hermione. Fifteen thousand feet. Andy, Ted, Dora, and Teddy.

Suddenly everything became weightless. Sunlight shined through the porthole and I saw a truly magnificent and awe-inspiring sight. A city. A bloody city in the clouds. How? How was this possible? Am…am I dead? Is this the other side? I was quickly brought back to my senses when I felt the familiar feeling of falling. With how often I'd been on a broom and how much I loved flying I knew the feeling quite intimately. Guess I fall to my death then. However I was wrong again as I heard something above me open and a floating sensation came back. Did a parachute open? Well that's brilliant. I relaxed and almost passed out in relief but then I remembered the city and looked back out of the porthole once again in awe of what I was actually seeing.

It was utterly amazing. The city was massive; maybe as big as London proper. I could see fireworks going off around the city. Were they having some kind of celebration? Could this be the city of Columbia? I doubt it could be anywhere else. I looked around and all the buildings almost looked as if the city had multiple districts on different cloud banks. I could see a large bridge that reminded my of some photos I'd seen of the Brooklyn Bridge. There were even airships moving about like cars in a city would. A bell tower passed in front of the porthole as I floated by. The tower had an odd American flag waving about in the wind. Then a large face came in to view; an older bearded man's face. He reminded me of Dumbledore a bit which wasn't a ringing endorsement. 'Father Comstock, Our Prophet' was printed at the top and bottom of the billboard. 'Great,' I thought sarcastically, 'just what I didn't need.' I couldn't stop glaring at the face as it did nothing but bring back many bad memories after the lies and deceit that we'd uncovered after the war.

I was jostled out of my anger when the rocket I was in came to a sudden stop on top of a building. Looking out I saw some guardrails and a weathervane for a second or two before the capsule started to go down at an elevator pace. I soon started to see writing cut into steel beams that I was passing.

Why would he send his savior unto us,

If we will not raise a finger to our own salvation?

And though we deserve not his mercy,

He has led us to this new Eden,

A last chance for redemption.

I could see gears and beams everywhere between the writings as the rocket slowly made its way down to…wherever it was taking me. I suddenly saw a large stained glass window with the picture of the bearded man from earlier surrounded by people pointing towards a city in the sky. Above the window was written another verse: 'And the Prophet shall lead the people to the new Eden.' I was jarred again when the rocket stopped and the panel with the porthole slid open and the restraints on my wrists popped off. I stood up slowly looking in gobsmacked awe around me.

"This must be some kind of welcome center for new arrivals," I stated to myself. As I stepped out I felt myself splash water around my feet when I noticed that the area was covered in water. By that I don't mean there was a big puddle; I meant that water was ankle deep or so everywhere the only dry areas were the lifted stone steps leading to pews. I could also hear singing all around me from an echo from who knows where. I cocked my head to the side trying to recognize it; the song sounded like "Will the circle be unbroken?" In fact I knew it was. I'd heard the song I time or two around Privet Drive when I stayed with the Dursley family when I was younger. I honestly grew to like the song since it was such a peaceful melody.

As I made my way to the pews I saw a book on one of them and picked it up. The title told me it was 'The Word of the Prophet.' Bloody hell; is this some sort of cult? I also took notice of two statues on either side of the window of female angels with broadswords over their shoulders. There was a waterfall to the right of the rocket that brought me here that seemed to be where all the water was coming from. As I turned to head down the hall I noticed hundreds of candles everywhere casting an eerie glow about the place. The only other form of light seemed to come through the windows from outside. I also noticed another verse at the top of an archway leading to a large statue. 'The Seed of the Prophet shall sit the Throne and Drown in Flame the Mountains of Man.' Well that's not ominous or anything, right?

I soon came face to face with a large statue of the prophet that looked like he was judging you with his hair and beard windswept all around. It again reminded me of Dumbledore with his grandfatherly, judging look. The statue was situated in the center of a circular room with four openings, one of which I was walking through and cautiously making my way down the stone steps. I saw two rooms to either side of my location and decided to check them out. I made my way to the one on the left that had a blue or purple colored glow to it. Inside was another stained glass window, but this one was of a regal-looking woman in a stunning blue outfit. There was writing on the arch at the bottom of this one: "And in my womb shall grow the seed of the prophet." Comstock's wife I'd hazard to guess. There were also two statues on either side of the window of the same woman kneeling in prayer. I made my way forward looking around and saw a small alter on the raised stone steps. To the right was an inlet with her portrait hanging above more candles as if for prayer. As I walked up to it I started to hear a voice in my head suddenly pop up.

"Love the prophet because he loves the sinner," came a woman's voice in my head. I looked around sharply wondering if someone else was here. "Love the sinner because he is you." I was alone in this room. "Without the sinner, what need is there for a redeemer? Without sin, what grace has forgiveness?" What was that? Could it have been some kind of legilimency attack? I was panicking and that was never a good thing. I took a steadying breath and waited. There was no more voice. Maybe this is another side effect of coming to this dimension? I looked at the portrait of this Lady Comstock. Could it have been her? But how?

Seeing I'd get no answers from the portrait, I made my way out of this room and across to the other I'd seen. I saw a man dressed in white robes waiting at the top of some stairs that led down to somewhere unknown.

"Pardon mate?" I started. "What is this place?"

"Heaven friend," he answered honestly, "or as close to it as we'll see till judgment day." Well that was helpful. Just go with it Potter best not to make yourself too dodgy looking. I made my way around to look into the other room before heading down the stone steps.

This room was different. Brighter maybe. Hopeful I thought. Yeah. It felt hopeful. There was another large stained glass window, but this one had Comstock, Lady Comstock, and a baby in his arms. Under the window was another verse like the others only this one read: "The Lamb. The future of our city." The two adults had such loving looks that it made my heart ache. It steeled my resolve to move forward and save this girl. However now I had a bad feeling that the girl I was here for was the baby being held in Comstock's arms. Their child. Buggar my life.

Not bothering to go into that room I made my way towards the robed man and the stone steps. Throwing a disarming smile at him, one which he returned, I made my way down the spiral stairs and saw three more stained windows of a sword, a key, and a scroll respectfully. I was starting to wonder what these people's fascination was with those three items. I soon came to a massive cathedral room with angelic statues and columns everywhere with more white robed worshipers all around in knee high water praying. I then heard a preacher to the end of the cathedral surround by dozens of worshipers. I slowly made my way towards the circle listening to the preacher really lay it on thick for his people. Above him was another verse that gave me pause: "This path of forgiveness is the only way to the city." Forgiveness of what? Need I remind you I wasn't much of a church going person although I do know some of the basics. The very basics. Then I suddenly remembered the voice in my head from earlier. Sins. Forgiveness of sin. Well hopefully they can't see into someone's noggin, aye?

"Pardon me," I stated as I broke into the circle knowing this may be my only way through.

"Is it someone new?" spoke the preacher with curiosity. "Someone from the Sodom below?" I made my way forward and noticed that the preacher was blind if the milky white of his eyes was any indication. "Newly come to Columbia to be washed clean before our prophet, our founders, and our Lord?"

"I'm honestly not sure about all that," I stated sheepishly. "I was just looking for passage to the city. I was hoping to start anew up here." I felt bad about lying to the man, but with the people surrounding me and my belief that this was a cult I felt it was best to make them think I was willing to give them a chance. I doubted I could take all of them in a fight if it came down to it.

"Passage to the city?" he said followed by a quiet laugh. "Brother, the only way to Columbia is through rebirth in the sweet waters of baptism. Will you be cleansed, brother?"

I was only looking to pass through, but I could hear the rest of the worshipers getting restless and egging me on. No choice aye? I walked forward and met the preacher's hand with my own. He turned me so that I was facing his people and tilted me back so that I was off balance. It took some restraint on my part not to just chuck him arse-over-teakettle into the water. Wouldn't take much since he maybe weighed ten stones at best; however if I didn't want a real fight on my hand with the worshippers I'd best just relax.

"I baptize you in the name of our Prophet, in the name of our founders, in the name of our Lord!" he started and before I could think about it anymore I was dunked backward into the water. I could still hear him as I was held under for a few seconds. Luckily I was prepared for it and wasn't too caught off guard by it. I was a little annoyed that I was going to have to dry off again though. He brought me back up out of the water.

"I don't know brothers and sisters," he stated innocently. "But this one doesn't look clean to me." Unfortunately he did catch me off guard the second time he dunked me. I looked at him questioningly before I saw the pranksters gleam in his milky eyes. He pushed me back under and I started to struggle to get lose until I passed out from oxygen. Just brilliant.

Unknown

I heard a rushed pounding on a door to my office. Wait? Office? I don't have an office. I opened my eyes to see a cluttered desk in front of me. It looked like an old private eye desk from some of the old black and white movies Dora had me watch once during the summer before my forth year. Looking up only confirmed I was in a detective's office from the early 1900s or so. The banging on the door only got more insistent not giving me a chance to look around.

A voice called out fiercely from behind the door. "Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt!"

"What do you want?" I couldn't help but shout back.

"We had a deal Dewitt! Open this door right now."

DeWitt? Wasn't that the name on the box the Rosalind gave me? I got up from the cluttered desk and made my way to the door and opened it ready to deck the tosser banging on it. Instead I stood in shock and horror at the devastation in front of my eyes. New York City on fire and being attacked by airships just like the ones I'd seen flying around Columbia from the rocket I flew in. And above the airships was the looming shadow of Columbia, the city in the sky. Before I could question what I was seeing one of the airships turned towards my location and fired a rocket at me and my world went white.

Columbia

Garden of New Eden

I came to with a gasp and coughed up the water in my lungs. Someone should really tell that bastard the difference between a prank and murdering someone. Once I'd gotten my breath back I looked up to see three worshipers praying in front of three statues. As I looked at the statues I over heard the worshipers call them the founders. I was suddenly aware of who they were. The Founders of America, well three of the most well known anyway. George Washington, the first president and leader of the revolution. Thomas Jefferson, the third president and primary author of the Declaration of Independence. And finally, Benjamin Franklin, the man who discovered electricity and avid inventor; not to mention a trusted diplomat. I also noticed those three symbols again although this time they were each being held by one of the statues. Suddenly it clicked. The sword in Washington's hands symbolizes the soldier: the key in Franklin's hands a symbol of the scientist: and the scroll in Jefferson's hands speaks of the scholar. Strength, wisdom, and order; those must be the foundations of Columbia.

I shook my head to clear it of my eureka moment. One thing figured out still hundreds of questions still unknown. What a depressing thought. Knowledge was Hermione's thing, not mine damn it! I shook my head again thinking about my best friend as I made my way up the stairs passing another robed worshiper with a handlebar mustache and goatee, talking about what a good thing almost being drowned could be. 'Mental that one,' I thought. Oh brilliant, now I'm channeling Ron of all people. Funnily enough I saw a large raven perched on the handrail looking around before it locked onto me. I almost felt like it was grinning at me. Then I noticed that I was in a beautiful garden that would've made my Aunt Petunia green with envy. I could even see hummingbirds feeding from the rose bushes all around the garden. As I made my way I became aware of all the worshipers and what they were saying. Laying the greatness of the founders out as if they were gods. Great men they may have been in their time, but they were still men. No one can just become God. Or a prophet for that matter.

I saw more statues of angelic girls with more cryptic writing on them as I made my way around this garden. 'What is Columbia, if not another Ark for another time?' Huh? Interesting take.

As I make my way towards what I can assume to be the exit I see yet another banner-like stone sign above the double doors; the very same verse that gave me a bad feeling when I first left the rocket etched into it. 'The seed of the Prophet shall sit the throne and drown in flame the mountains of man.'

This time the statement brought me up short as I felt a chill go down my spine and made the hairs one the back of my neck stand on end after that weird dream I'd had when the preacher nearly drowned me. This couldn't be good. Not one bit I'd say.

"Just what I needed in my life," I muttered bitterly, "another bloody prophecy."