"Harry... Am I drunk or was it really a vampire spider?!" asked Ron, still with his wand in his hand, looking disgusted and alarmed at the same time, "Spiders... why did it have to be spiders?" He murmured.
It took Harry a while to explain the whole situation. Everything rather seemed surreal.
In the end, they were still guarding the door waiting for some kind of abomination to emerge from there, both tired, breathless, but still alert and ready for a fight.
But nothing came out of the door.
There was only silence, an uneasy, and very uncomfortable silence.
Too quiet.
Way too quiet! It was as if someone was waiting, sneaky, to give them a big scare, maybe a deadly scare.
Harry leaned his ear against the door. Then he heard something (or was it just his imagination?), a strange scratching sound, maybe it was Erlles legs' sliding ethereally on the floor.
Now he, the abomination called Erlles Nostrad, had the whole Department to himself.
What other things were being researched there?
What was Erlles looking for there, other than "his" Emissary, as he called it?
Had the Emissary been there?
When?
Was the Emissary that strange figure floating like a ghost that Harry had fought against before? The Patronus' spell had never failed before. It was as if light and happiness were being devoured by the strange floating entity.
The expression "spiritual vampire" came to his mind suddenly.
He read: "The Nostrad-Ikabonf must consume energy, and energy comes in many forms, they need to devour it, in the blood we can find a great deal of vitality and energy, so they drink it—"
A terrible monster was now confined there, no one should enter until Harry could learn more about the problem. It was way too dangerous to let anyone in. Someone could die. They had to completely isolate the place, put it on quarantine.
He had read many books about the Nostrad-Ikabonfs in the Ministry's library with O'Neill and Ron (Hermione sometimes tried to help, but she had been way too busy). The problem was that many sources didn't seem that reliable and some books made Harry feel strange and unexplainable sensations as the books were… cursing him. He had felt dizzy, suffered from headaches, for example. A particular book made his hands bleed a lot as soon as he touched it: "Ritual Sacrifices, a Handbook," unknown author. They weren't able to open it to read.
O'Neill had said that there were even more obscure books being sold in some kind of forbidden annual auction.
Where it happened and what were the items auctioned, no one knew.
But O'Neill had said that dark objects, including rare books about grotesque dark arts rituals, were sold there for millions of galleons.
Harry sighed. Problems and more problems.
The magical world wasn't exactly... safe. It was hard to admit that, but that was the truth.
How could he say that the world was a safe and peaceful place when clandestine forces were rising in the darkness?
The civilian population was dissatisfied, afraid of economic and social uncertainties.
There was not much optimism for the future.
Pessimism was strong, lying heavy, and depressing in the air.
The economic, social, and political crisis continued.
The magical population did not trust Magis at all, his popularity was dropping to a new low. They saw him as someone who acted only for the benefit of some small privileged sectors, social aid state programs were being decimated, prejudice against the so-called "non-humans" increased.
Radicalization and fear, distrust, a lack of solidarity among citizens.
Another protest was scheduled for today: wizards claiming their supposed superiority and the right, in a scenario of widespread impoverishment, to receive more benefits than "non-humans", saying that wizards were the "legitimate citizens", creating some kind of artificial hierarchy, there could be members of the PNM in the middle of this specific protest, trying to recruit more members using a populist discourse.
Yesterday there had been a protest for werewolf rights, a friend of Ted's was among the protesters who were persecuted and assaulted by anti-werewolf citizens.
Blood dripped from Harry's hand on the floor.
Harry looked at the door again. Other things, probably members of the infamous Nostrad-Ikabonf family,seemed to be confined there too and, by what Harry had concluded, they could follow people home, invading private spaces, contaminating them. Nothing seemed to be following them.
The Nostrad-Ikabonfs, leaders of the Circle, as he had read before and as Charlie had confirmed. He knew about it. He just needed to confirm, because he, as an auror, had to try working more with evidence, the internal affairs were keeping an eye on him and Ron, openly demaning extensive reports about every little operation they did.
He knew could find more answers in Wynn and Celt, where he had heard that song from that creepy tribe, but he just couldn't investigate without the Minister's permission, that would be a beast if they tried to investigate further, and could cause diplomatic incidents between countries. But why did Romania and Ukraine care so much about the forests? Something was being hidden. He could remember:
Have mercy on those who enter the forest
The forest is not for the living, "for the pure"
Only the dead and the unclean make it their home
Keep the wrath of the spirits away from our humble village
Foreigners are the ones who enter Wynn, terribly cursed
Not us, our village is pure, here we celebrate life
Here the Circle is closed. Hermetic. It doesn't open anymore.
Nothing comes in and nothing comes out. Closed circle.
Circulushermeticus.
And in the forest, he saw and heard something that wasn't human. Simply couldn't be human. Something that had tried tempted him, Clayton had also sang:
Icar Wolf tricked and drowned Isabel Nostrad on a sunny summer day
The sweet song of the birds and the fruits that she picked
The child in her womb and the wedding the following spring,
Everything was gone, gone, gone
Hidden crime, hatred, and then more killings
The Bloody Lady of the Lake is searching for her eternal revenge
Full of sadness and anger.
Also, he remembers reading in some random magazine:
The Tournament Organizer canceled, without further explanation, the World Quidditch Tournament that would take place this time in Romania. Pressed to give a reason, Mr. Iscaf Jacrig, said he feared for the players' and the public's safety due to what he classified as "strange incidents." Iscaf Jacrig adamantly refused to give more details, Romania's Ministry of Magical Sports was asked to give more details, but officials declined to give testimony.
Was something going on in Romania? Harry would try talking to some friends and acquaintances, he thought Ginny knew some players of the Romanian team, they could give him some details...
The subject seemed to be a gigantic taboo.
Harry had tried to ask some questions to an intern of Ukrainian origins in the Ministry, she lived near Celt for years, but the girl had refused to say anything to him, anything at all. According to her, those who talked too much would suffer a terrible curse that would drag on for generations: "No one talks about it, it's better not to say anything, We just ignore. I'm sorry, Mister Potter, but I can't!".
When he tried to insist, the terrified girl said she would call a lawyer, with giant tears in her eyes, "I don't want to, I don't want to talk about it!"
His son had been found in Wynn, Romania. Before he was in Celt, Romania... where he had been tortured... and raped. Was it the Nostrad-Ikabonfs?
Perhaps. Were the culprits the vampires...? And not humans?
But how did Albus end up at Celt and then at Wynn? How was he kidnapped from London, Diagonal Alley, and then taken to Ukraine and Romania, respectively? There were strict rules for side-long apparitions with minors. How had they managed to pass through the borders?
His poor son. He didn't deserve any of that.
He wished he was having fun at Hogwarts. He wished him all the happiness in the world… what he had gone through was… atrocious.
Harry wasn't all that surprised he didn't remember anything. Maybe it was, as Ginny kept insisting, for the best.
His therapist sent him letters often. Albus hadn't remembered anything yet:
It's maybe taking a little longer than normal..., but each has its own time, I have never dealt with that extent of trauma. Looks like a horror movie script if you ask me. Maybe he's not telling me everything, it's normal for kids to keep secrets. But... I think that... I don't know... It may be—
(A full paragraph scratched, illegible)
Forget it. It might be my imagination!
Harry insisted. He wanted to know any new theory. He wanted to know all he could, so he would be able to help his son better.
I have a hypnosis technique. I know you don't believe in it! You're not a mystic person. I usually use magical energy crystals. The patient falls into a state of trance and can, hypnotized, answer a few of my questions. Some memories are in the subconscious, especially the ones one wants to forget, those of traumatic events. I go into a trance as well, with my patients, and let my conscience guide me, it's like I'm walking through his mind. I ask him, channeling my inner energy, with the help of my magic crystals. But…
It was like there was a barrier. Like a huge and solid wall. I couldn't reach it and I felt my energy being sucked... This has never happened before. It's normal for people to create certain self-defenses... that's occlumency's basic principle, but I never felt like there was a literal barrier. I thought... for a few moments... that there was someone else in the room with us. I felt it! It could be my imagination, of course. But... everything was so cold... and I felt like that third unknown presence kicked me out of his mind. I saw later that the crystals turned black.
I wonder If you think I'm crazy… Just forget it. It's too absurd. Sometimes they create a kind of sanctuary... to retain certain memories.
This presence maybe it was just Albus... a more... inconsequential Albus. Maybe an unknown side of him, one that he never shows to anyone. Children hide things, it's normal. I think it was Albus..., it could only have been him, right? His consciousness seemed older, way more mature, perhaps it was a mental representation of himself, created in his own mind, by himself. a strong, fearless figure, able to deal with all the trauma, I felt an extreme force, but I also felt certain... malice. But don't worry, no human being is completely good or evil!
As auror I know you must be worried about possession, but he's not possessed. I checked it myself. Don't worry.
It's normal to create mental representations... I've had a lot of imaginary friends, I've always been a lonely child. The crystal's energy seemed to have been sucked away. Devoured.
(The Patronus' spell had never failed before. It was as if light and happiness were being devoured by the strange floating entity.
The expression "spiritual vampire" came to his mind suddenly.
He read: "The Nostrad-Ikabonf must consume energy, and energy comes in many forms, they need to devour it, in the blood we can find a great deal of vitality and energy, so they drink it—")
He remembered never answering the therapist properly, he had found it all way too absurd. He didn't like the healer's methods, that was no secret. Albus needs special potions and specialized and traditional healers, not a crazy mystic.
He had called his son... malicious!
His son was as sweet as sugar and a wonderful kid.
He could hurt no one.
Also, he was the victim!
But Albus liked that crazy man... That crazy mystic healer who asked to come to his house... see if they had some book of his "I can't tell you what book is... but it's important, he was my great-great-grandmother's... Albus… erm… borrowed the book...".
But... subconsciously... Harry had ominous realizations.
The Circle. The Forests. His son. Hogwarts. A Third malicious inner presence on his son's mind. The Nostrad-Ikabonfs. The Emissary.
Harry couldn't accept that logic at that moment. Unconscious, he threw it into the back of his mind.
He and Ron had stood in deep silence, standing, on guard, in front of the door, wand raised. Harry's blood dripping on the floor.
Mirrors…
Came from a mirror.
The Nostrad-Ikabonfs…Erlles, the self-proclaimed arachnid vampire king…
For some ancient tribes of Eastern Europe, the mirror was a gateway to the other world, to the beyond. The Beyond. From the Beyond, to the Beyond. Through the mirrors. They brought with them a ghostly cold that spread like mold.
(There's mold spreading at Hogwarts, is it dangerous to the students?)
About Erlles' strange appearance…
Harry remembered that the second generation of the Nostrad-Ikabonfs hated humans so much that they had preferred to breed with magical creatures and even common muggle animals (using a strange and macabre ritual called the Blood Purification Ritual), trying to extirpate any magical human blood from their noble and respectable lineage.
Harry remembered seeing old texts talking about beings that resembled snakes, mermen, about (now extinct) primitive giant butterflies, and... spiders.
Horrible images, the vampiric characteristics mixed with those of magical creatures and animals.
All to extirpate the human in them. To take away the contaminated blood, to reestablish a heritage that they believed should be animalistic, wild, and, most importantly, non-human.
Hating any human characteristic, loving the animalistic ones, denying humanity as a whole and magic itself, because magic was human.
The second generation was excellent at hand-to-hand combat and very violent. The first generation, miscegenated, seemed to be relatively more pro-human and pro-magic.
The first and the second generation hated each other, one tried to kill the other. The first one had been victorious.
How had Erlles done to make the spells pass straight through his body... as if he were... a ghost? Was this an ability that every Nostrad had?
What was happening?
A chill went through his body. He felt sick. His hand kept bleeding profusely, he felt a strange numbness through his arm, spreading more and more, infecting him.
But no complaints were uttered by him. No time for that.
"Ron, I think we can go now, but let's seal this door and inactive the elevator because no one can go down there, we also have to inform the superiors," said Harry, emphatically.
He couldn't lose time, he had things to do now.
Harry sighed deeply. His hand…
But the pain was part of an auror's life. He had learned to deal with it, he learned to accept it fully, he could handle it. He wrapped a green handkerchief around his arm, quickly, squeezing and grimacing a bit, he saw a small pool of blood on the ground, where the blood had dripped continuously. He felt something sharp still inside the wound. Maybe a part of the thorn was still lodged in it, he would find out later.
He needed to interrogate Charlie, that was the most important thing at that moment. From his own experience, Harry knew that people may lose their courage if they take too long to speak, or else... in the worst-case scenarios... something suspicious could happen to them. Harry knew of some cases of what he thought had been "file burnings", he needed to stay alert.
He knew that not everyone in the Ministry had the same goal as him. He wanted to guarantee the magical world', and, in the process, help his family and friends, doing the best he could... others wanted popularity, money…
Harry several times had to behave more like a politician because some cases were highly unpopular, certain cases of corruption, for example, the "powerful-ones" didn't want those cases to be investigated when they were involved, of course, but Harry didn't get intimidated... If he had faced Lord Voldemort, he would face some politicians and businessmen with his heads held high, no fear. He knew he was doing the right thing. It was because of his morals that Harry had, over the years, received a lot of criticism of both his professional performance and his personal life, with even his family and children being involved in the political-media clash. Harry didn't mind being criticized, but... his friends and family had nothing to do with any of it.
If what had just happened leaked out, the Minister would have a fit. It was the second time that the Ministry of Magic had been invaded!
Now it was a bit worse… because it had been invaded by some creepy spider-vampirical-being…, Harry thought bitterly.
If Dennis Salinger found out he would probably celebrate it would be a great headline, various conspiracy theories would arise, it would be a success.
Otto had done some very problematic research, but, in Harry's opinion, what had caused the increase in the mysterious activities had been the arrival of the so-called Emissary…
Who was the Emissary?!
He wanted to know for sure. He wanted proof.
It could be a she, itcould it be a woman… but Erlles had referred to the Emissary as he, using a masculine pronoun.
The Emissary's identity could be the key to solving many mysteries.
He, as the Emissary, might know some privileged information, right?
There was no way the Emissary would be oblivious about the Star's Hour.
He knew. Whomever he was.
And also… What was the connection between Ikabonf… and the Emissary?
And which Ikabonf, by the way?
("The Emissary was here! Unfortunately, I also can notice Ikabonf's previous presence," had said Erlles)
Well, Harry hadn't been able to see the figure's face.
He remembers he could only see a dense mist-like substance obscuring his face, he was levitating… like a ghost. Ghost… Ghost. Evil ghost.
The Emissary... He was a human, but... was he a dark wizard?
Was he a criminal… Could Harry trace him back to Azkaban?
The Emissary and Ikabonf were related to Sarah's death, they should be investigated and face trial.
Wynn... Celt... Hogwarts... he needed more information.
Wynn. Hogwarts. The song he remembers hearing. The Circle.
Wynn where he found his son…
Hogwarts… where he found the symbol.
Albus was hiding something from me, the thought ran through his head in a rush.
He ignored it and lodged it in the back of his mind.
It can't be related to this.
Albus is just a child, he may have wanted to tell me about what they did to him.
And what did they do to him? Rape. Torture... Harry thought with deep bitterness, clenching his fists.
Wynn. Deep in the Wynn forest. The Nostrad-Ikabonfs. Were they they really the ones who kidnapped Albus? Weren't they dead? In Wynn's forest where no one would go. Only monsters lived there. Monsters like the Nostrad-Ikabonfs.
Albus was hiding something from me. My son should trust me.
Harry's sudden Flashback I:
"I'm sorry, Mister Potter and Mister Weasley. I just thought it could be..., some kind of ritual, and..." It was strange to see the confident and professional O'Neill looking so shocked and unsure of how to phrase his sentence.
"A ritual? What kind of ritual?" Asked Harry, utterly confused with O'Neill's behavior.
Out of character, blatantly strange.
Harry's sudden Flashback II:
"About the nightmares, didn't you remember anything?"
"No,"
Albus lied to him.
His son lied and O'Neill never elaborated, never talked more about it. Ritual.
He would talk with Albus later and he would pressure O'Neill.
But he needed more information.
He had to make Albus understand that he could always trust him.
He was there for his family and his friends, always.
He would always be loyal and help the people he loved, he would never abandon that belief.
"Harry?" Asked Ron, who had been looking at his hand, worried, "You should really get your hand checked," he suggested.
"No, we have no time for that. We must first interrogate Charlie," he stated, determined.
"But… you are bleeding a lot, and the skin around the wound was looking a bit strange before you covered it," he commented, Harry pulled down a bit the cloth that wrapped the wound, looking briefly at his hand, the skin was rigid, a little gray, but Harry simply decided to ignore the wound.
What could go wrong?
He had been through wayworse.
He had been through situations where he thought he might've actually died.
Moreover, he hated hospitals and healers.
At the beginning of his auror training, he always ended up being taken to the medical ward in the Auror Academy and was always checked by the same healer, Richel, a grumpy and ill-tempered man who always gave him horrible potions and painfully poked him hard with his wand all the time, never letting anyone visit him.
Harry ordered that no one should enter the Department, he reported briefly the case to the Minister (he made him swear that no one would discover), and the door leading to the Department was finally locked with heavy spells, also… the magical elevator would no longer be taking anyone there.
He and Ron ordered Charlie to be called in for formal questioning, he was the one who seemed to know the most about the things that occurred in the Department, he also seemed way more willing to talk.
"Who is the Emissary?!" Asked Ron, pragmatically, as soon as the man entered the room, terrified and tense, but also determined, the heavy door closed behind the boy with an ominous noise, a strong storm was beginning, lightning streaked the skies, bright and wild, the cold intensified.
"I have no idea," he said, sighing, "Otto did had some theories, and he had been searching for the Emissary before he was killed," he said, lowering his gaze, as if ashamed of something.
"Tell me about those theories of his. Who could be the Emissary?" Harry asked.
"Someone with terrible luck," Harry sighed, annoyed.
"Please, elaborate," said Harry, a bit harshly, his hand throbbing painfully, he began to feel a little dizzy, his head was starting to hurt.
As the young man looked a bit taken aback now, Harry decided to be the one to talk, he told him about Erlles, informing him about all the things he heard from the arachnid king.
"Sorry… it's just… this all is just very complex, let me try to summarize. from the beginning… please don't interrupt me. Otto and I started research on exotic subjects. I was already interested in that subject, Otto never had had proper contact with it, and was doing all of this because of his son's premature death. We started with a basic bibliographic survey, but it was difficult to find the necessary material, I asked my grandfather to get some books for me… he knows people. But, grandpa did nothing wrong, he's been behaving since he was granted formal citizenship here, he just loves studying new topics, he's an intellectual," assured Charlie, nervously.
"Otto traveled to Italy to access a specialized library there, in search of books and ancient texts. As you two may know, the Circle was initially an esoteric research group from Eastern Europe focusing on esoteric black magic and the leaders of the original Circle were Edgar Nostrad and Tartaglia Ikabonf. There are many dark and scary stories about the group, there are even some accusations of genocide and kidnappings for ritualistic purposes. Vampires terrorized Eastern Europeans for centuries. In Japan, there is the legend of a creature that's half a snake, half a vampire, and my grandfather who studied this specific legend for two decades said that, in reality, it is a member of the Nostrads, one from the second generation, that through miscegenation with animals and magical creatures, obtained snake characteristics, much similar to the case of this spider-vampire," he went on, his voice seeming more and more terrified, the man seemed nauseous and asked for a glass of chamomile tea, there was a huge storm out there. Harry turned on the heater that was in the room, but that didn't amaze the supernatural cold that surrounded has been surrounding the Ministry lately. Harry's blood fell on the carpet, but it wasn't red. It was a color that Harry could not describe, a color that simply did not exist in this world, a supernatural tone. Before he could do anything, Charlie continued, sipping his tea.
"But complaints about the Nostrad Ikabonfs are scarce because those who made them simply disappeared or died. It was also believed that the Star's curse would fall on those who denounced, so it was common that... to pacify relations with vampires, some people had to be offered as sacrifices. Boys and girls, young, were preferred because it was believed that They had purer souls, full of energy. The Nostrad-Ikabonfs drank their blood or made them their "possessions" which meant they could do whatever they wanted with them, with no repercussions, because the Nostrad-Ikabonfs were seen as the ones who were blessed by the Star, all were allowed, they could do no wrong. Those offered as a sacrifice never managed to escape, they could not return, as the Nostrad Ikabonfs, from the first generation, are known for Laberint Techniques that allow them to create geographical illusions, disorienting people so that they can never find the place they are seeking. They were feared and hated but were also loved and glorified, especially by some tribes who saw in them the embodiment of evil and, in that logic, understood that evil was no longer in other things or spaces, that they would be containing evil so that it would not spread. Others believed that they could also be graced by the Star of Tomorrow, the one who would fulfill any desire." Harry couldn't help but ask:
"Could them? Would they be able to wish upon the Star?"
"No. In the Circle there is a very rigid hierarchy. There are the official members and the disciples who have sworn allegiance to those inner members, those non-official ones can also be called "the outsiders". It was like this before the Emissary's idea, developed by Tartaglia Ikabonf, an idea that according to him was endorsed by the Star itself. The Emissary would have to be human, and a wizard… it can't be a vampire, he or she can't be any being other than a human wizard, because the magic has to flow through the Emissary's magical core, and he has to be fully connected to the real world, he can't have a spiritual or ghostly nature, like the vampire from the Ikabonf-Nostrad family, the Emissary would need to inhabit this world, be attached to it," noticing their confused expressions, Charlie explained better.
"There are two worlds: our physical world and the Beyond, also called the Phantom World, the Mirror World, the Shadow World, it has many names. The Emissary, in his condition as human and wizard, would be the connecting factor with one of the worlds. But it would be necessary that to conjure the Star of Tomorrow, that rules the Beyond, would need a vampiric existence, connected with the Beyond. It is not possible to be human and vampire at the same time, but it is possible, according to Ikabonf's research, to divide the soul, the existence, and divide the body and the spirit as a whole. The Emissary, idealized at the top of the Circle's hierarchy, and regarded as a kind of deity to be protected and glorified, would be both a human wizard and a vampire. Respecting the hierarchical rules, Tartaglia Ikabonf would then be the vampiric existence, and the most faithful outsiders member of the Circle would be chosen. The ritual would be made and an Emissary would be created. As the vampire possesses spiritual and ethereal characteristics the physical appearance of the human wizard would remain, although his being would be divided."
"Did it work?" Asked Ron, impatient with this much information.
"No. It was a disaster. The ritual was way too painful, macabre, just plain horrible, many died. The only apparent success they had was kidnapped by second-generation Erlles Nostrad, who kept him imprisoned for years in a cave, and anyway, this prototypical Emissary was too weak, died after a while. Although Erlles Nostrad had said that he was able to find out more about the soul and esoteric affairs. And there are rumors that he went crazy just before he died, very ill. The second-generation hated humans, they must have treated him like some kind of slave or something, he was just a child... he was 14 when he died." Ron seemed extremely bothered by it, maybe he was remembering Erika, who had also died very young and in a horrible way.
"They found that the soul problem is a matter of space. The soon-to-be-Emissary needs to lose half of his soul, it needs to be split, in the soul also resides his magical core… half his soul will continue being his, the other half will be gone forever, and will be offered as a sacrifice to the Star, but no one can live with only half a soul, so the vampirical being' soul shall occupy this new space, two minds that also tend to influence each other, realized that, in the case of the first Emissary, the fears and desires of one might be confused. For example, some knowledge of Ikabonf passed unconsciously to the boy and vice versa. That is why the "Mind's Sanctuary" was created, to prevent non-voluntary sharing of memories and wisdom, although when tested, this tended to damage the Emissary's memories, also generating some confusion and disorientation."
"What? Then… the Emissary is being possessed?" Asked Harry, thinking about the situation with the Chamber of Secret in his second year where Ginny had become possessed by Tom Riddle.
" It's not a usual possession, the Emissary, or the Star's Receptacle-" pointed out Charlie.
"Why is it not said that the Emissary is synonymous with the Star receptacle?!" Ron asked, a bit annoyed.
Harry briefly recalled from the book The Terrible Nostrad-Ikabonf Family:
The Star's receptacle would have to be powerful enough to conjure the Star of Tomorrow, to open the portal, to open the Circle. Vampirical beings such as the Nostrad and the Ikabonfs discovered they could, using rituals, communicate well with the Beyond, but they weren't too "attached" to the "real world" and couldn't, therefore, serve as the Star's receptacle. They were well connected to the Beyond, but not to the "real world" as they concluded they were "spectral entities with a desire and need for blood" and wouldn't be able to properly fixate themselves to this reality and make the connection between two "worlds". They needed a… wizard, a human, who would make this connection to reality. But discovered that humans can't communicate with the Beyond, even using rituals, so they would never be able to be the Star's receptacle! Presumably, Edgar Nostrad researched some rituals involving the study of the soul. He wanted to make it possible for a vampirical soul (able to communicate with the Beyond) to have instrumental ways (using a human body and the relics) of conjuring the Star of Tomorrow from the Beyond.
The problem was:
The humans didn't usually survive the ritual.
The human, with a healthy soul, expelled the vampirical entity.
"It's because of the translations, g-gentlemen, these books were written in old languages, there are translation errors! And... And... it's also a very poorly studied branch, it is poorly seen by the majority of wizards, and many are just like you, Mister Potter… skeptics." Said the man, wiping his teary face with a small towel he had conjured.
"All right, let us know more about it," said Harry sitting calmly in the chair. Yes, he was tired. Yes, his hand hurt an awful lot now, but he would not give up until he got the information he needed.
"Well... have you read the book The Terrible-"
"Yes. What about the part where an individual with a healthy soul would expel the vampire entity?"
"Well, they needed then a soul that wasn't healthy, weakened. Also, the Star, which was once pure and good fell into darkness and will only accept corrupted souls, so the soul must then be broken, one must contaminate the magical core with black magic, one must... torture the future Emissary to the point of harming his emotional state, his mind, his physique to the point when its soul until the point that it's is no longer "healthy" enough to expel the vampiric presence that will then merge with his soul. Part of the vampirical's being soul, already corrupted, will be offered, and the Emissary will lose half of his soul too, " he emphasized, with tears in his eyes.
"This sounds… strange," said Ron, visibly uncomfortable.
"Again, it's not a possession, it's worse. It's like a permanent robbery of someone's body, mind, and soul. It's like a merger, a fusion. The Emissary, if separated from the vampirical entity, will die or go mad, because remember... his soul is broken, and it was torn apart, there's only half a soul. No one can live with half a soul!"
"What is this vampirical entity doing, exactly? What does it do other than invoking the Star of Tomorrow?" Asked Ron, serious.
"Must have begun to recreate the relics with sacrifices and he must be feeding also... when he does not feed on the Emissary's blood and energy, he might be devouring ghosts, he can conjure many things from the Beyond..., anything that gives him enough energy, anything that can be seen as a sacrifice," he said.
"Does it eat ghosts?" Asked Ron, a bit disgusted. Harry immediately made the connection. Biins, Nearly-Headless Nick. Energy? Did the sorting hat count as a source of energy? He tried to keep calm. Why does it always have to come back to Hogwarts? His sons were there, his family was there, the children… He grimaced in pain. His hand burned painfully. He felt very dizzy now and started rubbing his eyes, but he refused to stop. He had to finish the interrogation. Ron was looking at him worriedly, he put his hand on his shoulder, in an encouraging manner.
"It eats the ghost's energy, that's why Otto was interested in what was happening at Hogwarts... ghosts can also be used to power up and create the relics, as sacrifices, as I already told you..., people can be sacrificed too, but they need to be marked first, they can't simply use them if they weren't prepared first. In relation to the selector hat, before any of you ask me... it is also pure magical energy and can be consumed."
"What are those relics?" Asked Ron, before Harry could say anything. Harry thought he was trying to speed it up, so Harry could go see a healer. The friend knew there was no way Harry would leave on his own, not before finishing the interrogation.
"Relics are extremely rare and powerful materials that will be used by the Emissary in the Star's Hour to summon the Star of Tomorrow, but I don't know much about them...," said Charlie, nervously.
"How exactly do you... prepare someone to become an Emissary? And… what is that mark people receive before being sacrificed?" Asked Ron, seemingly very worried.
"One needs to split the soul, seriously hurt the future Emissary's magical core, and contaminate it. One needs to do something horrible to the poor target, that shall, in that case, be a human wizard so that his soul is no longer "healthy", to weaken his body, his soul, his mind, nearly destroy his thought heinous actions and performing a painful ritual so that he because susceptible to the vampirical being and can be influenced by them."
Albus. Torture. Abuse.
Harry felt sick.
No. No. No.
He was making all the connections instinctively.
He wanted to be wrong.
He was wrong.
There was more he need to discover before he came to any conclusion.
"Auror Weasley, you worked in Erika's case, right, auror Weasley?" Asked Charlie. Ron nodded, surprised.
"Otto thought that someone was trying to turn her into an Emissary. But it failed," said Charlie.
"What?!" Exclaimed Ron
"Y-Yes, I mean… but Otto said that they didn't know how to perform the ritual well, you need blood, nails-"
Nails.
They had removed Albus' nails.
Harry found them, in the Celt Forest, in a bucket.
Disgusting. Poor Albus.
Heinous Acts, to break the soul.
Harry thought disgustedly. No. No. He couldn't conclude anything. He needed more proof.
It was his son they were talking about.
"The Star-Hour is coming… what does it mean? And… also… if this ritual breaks the Emissary's soul apart… why would anyone want to be an Emissary?" Asked Ron, as Harry was speechless, in deep thought.
Not his kid.
Charlie was pale and seemed sick.
"Many people from the Circle wanted to be an Emissary! The Star's Hour is the time where the Star of Tomorrow shall be conjured into this world and grant a wish. Becoming the Emissary was the only way for an outsider member to get higher in the strict hierarchy, to wish upon the Star, the Emissary one of the most important Circle's members and shall be protected and respected as an official member, some may see him or her as some kind of deity. Wherever the Emissary is, I would bet he is being followed and watched closely by at least one Circle outsider member, and some inner members may be close by, checking on him, maybe, that would be a normal thing. But…, the problem is that it seems that there is some confusion, even among the members themselves about the Emissary's identity... Strange. Indeed strange. If the Circle was the one who created that Emissary, what would they not fully know who that person is?"
Ron was silent and only spoke now.
"If Erika died… how did this one survive?" Asked Ron, sadness present in his voice.
"Maybe Erika was ready to go. She was able to leave everything behind… maybe that Emissary refused to let go. Maybe he saw the Star, maybe he had something holding him down into this world, and then refused to go where the dead go rest forever. Through the ritual, the Star speaks to the future Emissary and then the Emissary can cross into the Beyond, a place full of those who refuse death or cannot actually die, where the Nostrad-Ikabonfs reside, as spiritual beings, feeding on energy and worshipping the Star of Tomorrow, waiting for a reason to leave the spiritual realm… that reason is the Star's Hour, where they might be able to achieve their wishes in the real world."
"Wait. Are you saying that Erika died peacefully?! She was tortured!" Ron was now pretty upset.
"I know…, but Otto had been researching and theorized that some accept death as some form of salvation, others don't, those are the ones who will see the Star. Those who refuse the Star will not decay into darkness. Those who accept the Star become Emissaries, holders of the Star's will, transmitters of his teachings, those who invoke the Star of Tomorrow when the Star's Hour comes."
Otto opened a thick book he had with him:
Star's Hour: The time to summon, from the Beyond, the Star of Tomorrow. The time for eternity and vampirical glory on Earth. Those who do not respect the Star's hour will be cursed by the Star. And the Star never forgives. May the emissary, with the Star's will, punish them all. To end the Prison of the Past, a new real beginning will come. Star of Tomorrow, Engine of History.
Soul – synonymous: mind, self. Immaterial component of a human being's essence, that confers individuality and humanity. What compromises the integrity of the mind? The Mind is, ideally, a Sanctuary. No one can enter the mind of others and disturb their peace of mind. Torture, murder, trauma are some of the elements that disturb the mind, that disturb the essence of our being, so they corrupt the mind. In a wizard, the mind is associated with the magic core, so the corrupted mind affects the core. The magical core of the Nostrad-Ikabonfs (second-generation, mixed with wizarding blood) was different from humans, as original vampires, the exhibited way more talent for the dark arts, that doesn't mean their core was corrupted, since their core had been "dark" from the beginning. But..., I claim here that for a successful possession it is necessary someone, the possession-victim, with a degenerated magical core in order for a successful possession, in order for the vampire magical core to perform a kind of fitting with the cracked nucleus. But how to achieve the correct amount of trauma? The Emissary would need, before being possessed, to suffer a certain amount of trauma, it would be necessary for the Emissary to to have high coping capacities to deal with trauma, or it would be necessary for parts of the victim's memory to be corrupted, in order to
It was all in a book called Possessions and atrocities: Nostrad-Ikabonfs' Legacy, by Sarah Icalk.
"They have now what is, apparently, a real Emissary, one that seems at least strong and capable enough to stay active, and this will bring the Nostrads-Ikarbonfs back to this world. They had never found someone capable of being a proper Emissary before, but somehow someone made the ritual, someone did something horrible to a person and then an Emissary was created. Because things have gotten much worse recently, stronger, and deadly. They are beginning to awaken from their semi-eternal sleep in the Beyond. But… I think some of them might have been hiding in some dark forests out there, did you see they canceled a Quidditch Cup? Strange things are happening, Mister Potter… Were they extinct as some say? Of course not! They all may begin to have noticed the presence of the Emissary somewhere in Britain, Otto thought that is where the Emissary is located! I bet they're already trying to figure out, watching from the Beyond, who the Emissary exactly is. Something that, again, is puzzling, because… they supposedly were the only ones able to create an Emissary, the Nostrad-Ikabonfs I mean…, but if they are trying to find him, then who did create this Emissary?!" He stopped for a moment, his hands shaking.
"The new Circle's member. Mr. Potter, find the Emissary as soon as possible and... and kill him. Finish him, destroy him. I know it's in your nature to respect the law... but the fate of the whole world is at stake. One death against many. The Emissary is a wizard, that's true, but don't consider him as a human being anymore, whoever it is, that person is now a thing, his individuality must be compromised, he will be the mean for horrible rituals! His personality, his memories, that all may be messed up. No longer human, I say. If the Emissary is a good-natured person, he or she will accept to be killed in the name of humanity, to secure life on earth. The Nostrad-Ikabonfs will desire horrible things with the Star of Tomorrow's power and the world will never be the same again!
Harry now had more questions than answers.
"Why? And how do you know all this?" Harry asked, suspiciously.
"I used to find it an interesting branch of research, gentlemen. It was really interesting, at least in the beginning. Trying to demystify what happened in the past, reinterpreting the actions of the Nostrad-Ikabonf. It was taboo... everyone was afraid to do it, but as researchers, we'd always be looking for new knowledge and we believe, Otto and I that if we studied hard enough we would find out why the Nostrad-Ikabonfs did such horrible things and we could even use their know-how for modern magic, to do good, but... but... I was wrong. They really are the curse of the East, they are evil and the antithesis of any good that may exist in the world. I... I really regret it... Otto and I even went as far as to bother Edward Daniels Ikabonf with questions and now I regret not listening to him when he told us not to investigate further... Instead, we listened to Celin Ikabonf and... and now everything is lost. I know they'll come after me," he whimpered, "I can tell you what I know before I'm killed in an abominable way... I'll send tell grandfather-"
"We'll give you all the protection you need," Harry assured him.
"Nothing will do, I'm a dead man, I know it already, Mister Potter. That's why I'm telling you everything I know. After Otto, it'll be my time," said Charlie, a single tear falling down with cheek, "Kill the Emissary." He said seriously. Lightning fell, the rain fell hard, the cold had never abandoned them. Harry's hand hurt a lot. He didn't feel too well. As the world rose and he went towards the ground, Ron and Charlie's voices muffled, he only heard the rain. The cold, cold rain.
He wouldn't kill anyone. His job was to save people. When life is lost, humanity suffers as a whole. No human being has more value than the other. The Emissary had as much right to live as anyone else. The Emissary was human, he felt pain, cold. He needed help.
The Emissary... it was his son, wasn't it?
No. He… needed to investigate more. There might be something he wasn't realizing. But now… his hand hurt a lot.