Albus frowned as he stared at the paperwork on his desk. As the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, he saw all the meaningful correspondence of the ICW. He received reports from the Hunting teams, the Security forces, and the Memory teams. Individually, the three corps functioned as their names suggested. The Memory teams were responsible for dealing with any breaches of the Statute of Secrecy, mainly via use of Memory Charms. The Security forces guarded the various locations of highly concentrated natural magic, and the ICW high prison Nurmengard Castle. However, the Hunter teams were the most active of the three. They were responsible for hunting down any magical or creature that threatened the Statute. Sometimes called the Grim of the ICW, the Hunters were notorious of being in the area whenever terrible things occurred.
As every highly active unit employed by a governmental entity does, each corps was responsible for the creation and subsequent passing upwards of reports detailing the activities of their members. These reports eventually make their way to Albus Dumbledore in the Hogwarts Headmaster's Office. It is the contents of these reports that were concerning, not the fact that the stacks of parchment were over a foot tall.
Directly in front of the aged Headmaster were three reports. Two from separate Hunting teams, and one from a Security squadron. The squadron recently reported magical activity on the shores of Lake Victoria. This wouldn't have made it into the report if it wasn't for the next line. 'Officer 23P identified the spell residue as that of a ward identification spell, two points of apparition, and a blasting curse. The target of the blasting curse seems to be a pile of dust that, under identification charms, glowed yellow, indicating a connection towards wards. Lead Officer 25E suspects that Undesirables were examining the wards around Island Inhabita, as the shore point is the closest one could reach the wards and stay out of visual range of the island. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Increased presence of Island Inhabita, dispatch of Warders, and an investigational Hunter squad to be placed on the Island.
Albus read that and looked at the secondary report from a Hunting squad around 1500 miles north of the Lake. Hunter Dusk identified target 3F4RRD, one Howard Clarke, to be involved with members of a Dark Arts ring centered in the Egyptian desert 20 miles south of Mallawi. Howard Clarke was a spell crafter who modified wards to attack the inhabitants of non-magical homes. SEE report 3F4RRDc for charges and details. A raid was organized upon the Dark Arts ring's headquarters, an old warehouse to the west side of a small town. Hunter Dusk left a trail in accordance with protocol F before leaving, as outlined in Articles of Engagement Appendix 3. When Hunter Dusk and other Auror forces under Sargent Issa arrived back on scene, the building was engulfed in an explosion, tied to the appearance of magical signatures. One person was found nearby, in the garb of the Dark Arts ring. Hunter Dusk utilized the affiliation with the Dark Arts ring to apprehend subject 4DTT88, one Hamed Baz, for questioning, in accordance to protocol B subsection 4 and subsection 5. Baz stated that "the ring served its purpose. Clarke did his job. You'll never catch him now." Upon further and intensive questioning, Hunter Dusk has reason to suspect target 3F4RRD has been exterminated after accomplishing his assigned task. Baz admitted to the kidnapping, torture, and killing of dozens of non-magical, and has been transported to Security Squadron 55 stationed in Alexandria. Hunter Dusk searched the ashes and wreckage of the site, identifying the human remains of 3 magicals. Due to the damage of the explosion, farther identification was deemed impossible. Target 3F4RRD will be placed into Inactive-Unknown status until further evidence appears.
Albus frowned and looked at the final report. From a Hunter Fiale, this was from Albania. Hunter Fiale's report was of particular interest to Albus. Hunter Fiale, in search of target U88ST2, identified as an unknown dark magic spike in the area of the Dark Forest, has located what appears to be an abandoned camp, ten clicks east of Puka. Further investigation has shown that the camp was occupied by two magicals followed by three, and some form of serpent of unknown origin and approximately 15 feet in length. The third magical did not walk into camp, apparate in, or be portkeyed in. Two magicals then left the area via apparition and took the serpent with them. Hunter Fiale proceeded to search the campsite thoroughly. The body of one Bertha Jorkins was found buried under heavy concealment charms upon further search of the camp site. Hunter Fiale identified cause of death as heavy blood letting and extreme trauma. Body has been extracted and is on its way to British soil.
Albus read that with some degree of sadness, even after reading for the tenth time. Bertha was one of the few students who he had before him in his office that had the gall to lie badly to his face. While not very bright academically she was a great social creature and enjoyed being around people. It was why she worked in the international cooperation office. With a sigh, Albus moved on to a fourth report that Fawkes was looking at with a critical eye.
A report from a Memory and Security force team in France, responding to a distress signal from Calais from a Hunter Bright. Hunter Bright's body was found in a ditch, three meters north of the distress signal beacon. Two piercing wounds was found on his torso, along with a bite mark from a serpent of some magical nature. Cause of death was blood-letting. Memory Squad 2, under secondary leadership of Vice-Captain Hurns, responded to the emergency beacon with Security force 14 stationed in Paris within 10 minutes of receiving coordinates. According to Medic Newton, of Memory Squad 2, and Security Officer Medic Quils of Security force 14, magic was preformed to drain, and vanish the blood of the victim. Hunter Bright's body has been extracted for further examination at ICW base 2.
Albus frowned. If one looked at the dates of the reports, it would seem that someone was in Albania, killed Bertha, then went to France, possibly even entered the British Isles, while at the same time someone ordered a probing of the wards around the Second Library. Albus frowned. He would have to travel to Nurmengard soon. Just to check.
Severus Snape sneered at a first year who quickly ran away. As soon as the child was out of sight, he sighed, the sneer fell from his face. He leaned against the corridor's wall and winced as his arm throbbed in pain. He knew what he would see if he lifted his left sleeve. Steadily, the mark on his arm had gained color, with it now being as black as pitch. He eased himself off the wall and started back towards his quarters.
As he entered his quarters, he locked the door with over 20 different charms, swept the room for any form of surveillance, and layered his own counter-intelligence charms. He then made his way to the Slytherin Head of House desk. It was an ancient thing, basking in magic and enchanted heavily from generations of Slytherin heads. It was tradition, as per a letter from the previous head to the current, to search the desk. Severus remembered doing so, finding dozens of secret compartments, each filled with valuables. Course notes, students to watch out for, secret passage locations with passwords, and most importantly, the last will and testament of the last Head in the first secret compartment.
This compartment wasn't much of a secret. It was well known that the Headmaster or Deputy knew that it existed. Severus wasn't certain of when the tradition began, but as he sat down in the chair behind the desk, he was grateful that it was still a tradition. He gently pressed the snake shaped emblem at the bottom of the writing portion of the desk, gently lifting a section of the writing surface up. He reached into the compartment and removed a stack of parchment. He swiftly shut the compartment, setting the parchment on the surface of the desk. He merely glanced at the first line, ensuring that it was the parchment he looked for. Seeing the words Last Testament of Severus Tobius Snape on the first page calmed him slightly. He flipped through the near dozen pages, falling on the last page. He tapped the parchment with his wand, whispering an inaudible series of words. With a flash, the text on the page changed, adding yet another parchment to the lengthy document. Severus began to read through his last page once more. Once finished, he organized the pages again, and hid them away, closing the compartment after. His eyes flicked towards the stack of papers still needing to be graded and gestured for them making them hover towards the desk.
Severus just started to relax after grading a few of the papers, when a knock disrupted the silence. Glancing at the small clock on the mantle, he flicked away the protections on the door, and bade the knocker to enter.
Draco entered the room and sat infront of the dark oak desk. He looked at his godfather, who continued to grade the essay he was reading. Several marks went onto the parchment, a few scathing comments and finally a grade of an Acceptable into the top left corner. As soon as the grade was placed, the parchment went into a pile of completed essays and the dark eyes of his godfather locked onto his face.
"I had a weird thought this morning." Draco opened the conversation. "I was in transfiguration. I was bored, and I saw Granger get passed a note from Weasley. She read it, placed it in her bag, and I nearly stole it." Draco didn't look away, continuing his line of thought. "I nearly stole that note, and the only reason I didn't was thinking about my mother. And then I realized something afterwards as I flew around. That wasn't the first time such a thing has happened. There have been other times, when I was about to do something, that my mother's words would ring in my head and stay my hand."
"And is there something you want me to do about it Draco?" Severus asked as an eyebrow slowly rose. His godson couldn't be this much of a dunderhead could he?
"I think she did something to my head! It's the only thing that makes sense!" Draco admitted with a cry. He thought about what he used to do all the time. The more he thought about it the sicker it made him. He held his head in his hands and took several deep breaths.
"Draco. You are 14 years old, and just gained access to your Grimoire. You are without a doubt changing on a mental level. Not only that, but the Malfoys family magic is by nature a magic of intensity in feelings. By your own admission, you feel disgusted by your past behavior, yet you continue to attempt it. Why?" Severus asked as he folded his arms slightly for more comfort. He may have to light a fire soon as the office were slightly chilled.
"My father-" Draco began, before he was interrupted by Snape again.
"Your father is his own, as you are yours. Why do you want to abuse others?"
Draco thought silently for several moments. Several thoughts ran through his head, and several more were discarded. So deep were his musings he didn't notice Snape light a fire or order a house elf to bring some snack items. When he came back to the present, he took one of the offered snacks and took a bite before answering the question.
"I wanted his acceptance. I wanted him to love me."
"I will tell you two things, the first is obvious, the latter a terrible secret. Your father loves you, no matter what you choose to do." Severus took a sip of water before continuing. "Your father loves you because regardless of your choices, regardless of your life decisions, you are still his son."
Draco nodded and asked,"What is the secret?"
"While you are your father's son and while he loves you for it, he doesn't care about your choices. In his mind you have only one future. And it is the same as his. He can only foresee you on your knees for the Dark Lord." Severus looked into Draco's eyes as he said, and gently placed the image into his mind.
Draco saw in his mind eye a dark figure sat on a throne as he and his father knelt before him. He could see the pride in his father's eyes, even though his face was blank otherwise. However, the more he looked; the more bile rose in his throat. Draco noticed that the robes they both wore were stained in dark liquid, and that they kneeled in even more. A coppery scent rose into his nostrils and made his eyes water. The image dissolved before he started to gag, and he was staring into this Godfather's eyes.
"That is how your father sees your future." The silky voice of the Potions master was quiet and spoke with a finality that closed the situation as if it was shutting a coffin.
Draco stood jerkily and made his way towards the door. "I… I have to go. Goodnight professor."
Severus didn't say a word as the door shut behind him. He started to grade once more.
Harry wrapped some black athletic tape around his left ankle as he stood outside Hagrid's Hut. It was nearing the end of March, and the Chosen would find out the task on the First of April, or Fool's Day. Harry tapped the tape with his wand, hissing quietly as it tightened. Sirius nodded in approval.
"Good. We know the ankle is healed from last week, but its never a bad idea to have more support. When I knew I was about to be in combat, I wrapped my ankles and wrists." Harry nodded in response as he started to pack away the tape into a small bag of items.
"Now, we are going to be running Harry. But not just any running. Remus, Cedric and Minerva will be chasing us down and attempting to capture your bag. Specifically, the triangle of cloth in your bag. If one of them touch it, it will shift in color." Sirius explained the exercise carefully. Harry checked that the cloth was in his bag in the first place, as he didn't place it there. He frowned when he saw a triangle of off white fabric roughly the size of one of his school books nestled lightly between two kits of equipment. He started to reach for it when Sirius stopped him.
"Nope kid. It has an enchantment similar to a snitch, whoever touches it first shifts the color." Harry nodded as he shut the bag and pulled it over his shoulder.
"We get a 1 minute head start. Ready?" Sirius asked as he rotated his wand arm. At Harry's confirmation, Sirius blasted red sparks into the air as both started to run into the forest.
Remus sat on a stump deep in the forest, where three paths intercepted each other, creating a small clearing. He lounged easily on the stump, as if the Forest was as much his kingdom as his home. To his left, pacing slightly, was Cedric. Cedric's eyes kept flickering towards the dark woods around them and he was extremely careful to always have his wand between him and the trees. Towards Remus' right, Minerva stood stoically, her wand in her hand as she crossed her arms to keep the wind from chilling her.
Remus stood fluidly as the sparks from Sirius' wand lit up the treetops towards the castle. He casually pulled his wand from his robes and gave it a slight wave. His robes shifted into a tunic, that exposed his black tape wrapped arms, and a pair of pants that showcased the boots he wore. Cedric eyed the clothes before mimicking the transfiguration. With a whispered word, he conjured medical tape, and swiftly wrapped his arms.
"Remus, we have 30 seconds." Minerva spoke softly, as the werewolf took a deep breath of the forested air.
"Minerva, you will cover towards the castle. Left path. There shouldn't be any dangerous things on the way. Cedric. You are with me. Try to keep up." Remus shook his limbs out before looking down the rightmost path, his nose flaring. "They just crossed the intersection to this path. Let's go."
Cedric shot after the blurred form of the werewolf.
The Arawn hunted once more.
Sirius kept pushing Harry faster, urging him to speed up. Harry used his wand to clear the path ahead, slashing away branches, reducing limbs and rocks in the way to ash, vanishing items and using a hovering light orb to keep his sight. Sirius ran behind, using growing charms, earth moving charms and even some curses to create obstacles for their pursuers.
They weren't running long before they knew they were being tracked. A single spell laced between the trees, slamming into the trunk of a tree to the left of Harry's head, prompting this mad dash for the 'safe zone', a pond 2 kilometers into the forest.
"Sirius! I'm gonna stop with the magic and try to speed up that way!" Harry panted over his shoulder as he transitioned to swiftly moving through the briars, branches, rocks and tightly packed foliage. Harry mentally reviewed the training Remus gave him for survival and high speed movement in various environments, especially when apparition wasn't an option.
"Remember Harry, that you never go against the nature unless you are getting rid of it. If you know how to move through the woods, it will be faster than blasting through any day. Nudge things away gently, while keeping the loping bound we talked about." Remus demonstrated as they moved towards a clearing in the Forest.
Harry incorporated the techniques carefully, using magic to enhance his physical capabilities as Sirius taught him last week.
"So kid we have covered defensive measures recently. I think its time to cover general measures. How to move faster, hit harder, and react even swifter." Sirius opened their training session with a smile. "Now, come at me. With everything you got, baring the Mask"
Harry started his assault with a trio of concussion hexes and kept the pressure building. Unleashing dozens of spells, and even slipping into the Potter family magic for Drax curses, Harry poured his magic forth in a flurry. Sirius started to move, his body seeming to blur, countering, shifting out of the way and even in some cases blasting three or four spells out to deal with family magic spell. Before Harry could react, Sirius pressed his wand tip to his throat.
"See kid?" Sirius smirked at the excited look in Harry's eyes. "This is an Auror specialty though most wizards discover it eventually. I should warn you, the more you do it, the better you become at it. So someone like Dumbledore who has been doing this for longer than we have been alive, would likely be better than anyone you will ever meet."
"What are you doing though Sirius?" Harry asked confused. He thought it was just simple charms effecting the movement, but it sounded like Sirius was doing something to himself.
"Oh, I thought I said. I am using the magic that runs through my body internally to enhance how my body acts and reacts. The proper name for these magics are Internum Vis, or internal force. Mind magics fit into this category." Sirius did his version of a lecture, creating an illusionary version of a human diagram. "When we pulse the magic in our bodies, it creates a reaction in our muscles, synapses and more. Healers think that it allows them to fire and strengthen indefinitely and it acts as a form of adrenaline. Without most of the drawbacks of course." Portions of the diagram pulsed with a yellow light as it started to move, showcasing the enhanced movement speed. The pulses started irregularly and as Harry watched the illusion, they evened out and even started to slow. Yet the figure seemed to move faster. "As you can see the more regular and swift the pulses of magic, the more efficient and intense the increase."
"Where did wizards learn this? I never read or heard of it!" Harry asked as the illusion faded.
"Vampires. They are masters of this. Vampires have very few outlets for the magics that they absorb. If we are batteries, they are sponges. The older the vampire, the faster and stronger they are. Moody said once he saw a Baroness of the Court use this to clear a room of New Bloods." At Harry's confused look, Sirius explained. "Freshly created vampires. The Court deeply despises them in mass, due to how much trouble they are. Anyway, Moody reckons that she killed all of them, easily a classroom full, before a drop of the blood hit the ground." Harry's eyes widened. He couldn't comprehend killing a class full of beings, faster than the blood could touch the ground.
"Its why if there is a rogue vampire, protocol is to have an auror team handle it, and to report it to the Court. A rogue vampire means a nest of New Bloods are likely, which decreases the Court's ability to feed and to govern itself. Most vampire hunters are vampires themselves employed by the Court. It was only from the Court that we as wizards were taught how to do this technique, to survive against rogue nests." Sirius explained the history with clipped tones as he chugged a goblet of juice.
"You mention this Court a lot Sirius, is it the Vampiric Court?" Harry asked as he searched for the answer.
"Yeah kid, it's the Vampiric Court. What do you know of it?" Sirius asked curiously. The darker creature governments were normally only covered in Fifth Year and above Defense and in Seventh year history. While vampires were covered as creatures in the early years, it wasn't until later in the education that Hogwarts showed how dangerous things could be for a magical.
"The Court is a governing body of Vampires that have five Baronesses and four Barons. However, there is a tenth member, who is said to overrule them if necessary. The Court doesn't control vampires, but merely enforces general rules over the various Covens and Nests. Those rules include no mass feedings, no turning of other creatures and I guess no mass turnings." Harry quoted. Sirius nodded.
"I don't know for sure who the tenth member is of the Court, but I do know that they are likely the most dangerous and powerful vampire alive. Vampires are powerful creatures, who value power and experience. They can live for centuries and it isn't uncommon for them to live longer. The oldest vampire in Britain that I am aware of was over 400 years old. She was around for the Roman invasion before she was killed." Sirius stroked his chin as he racked his brain for more Vampire information. When he came up blank, he clapped and continued the lesson on how to do the pulses that brought on the conversation in the first place.
Harry focused on moving forward and pulsing the magic in his body in a steady beat. He hopped above briars, ducked branches, sprung off boulders, and yet still he heard the pursuit of Remus behind him, slowly gaining ground. Flashes of spell fire started behind him as Sirius attempted to slow Remus and his cohort down.
Harry's senses went haywire as he gained sight of the clearing, screaming at him to duck. Luckily he obeyed as a Stunner slammed into the tree branches above his head with enough force to dislodge several. It slowed him down enough that a blur was able to jump over him and settle in between the clearing and Harry.
"It's over Harry. Give me the bag." Remus ordered as he held his wand by his side. His eyes widened as Harry's grin flashed in the descending darkness.
"You're right. It's over." 'Harry' said as his form faded into Sirius and Remus heard Cedric cry out. Remus was nearly too slow to block a flash of red from his fellow Marauder and was too slow to stop a blur shoot past him as he frantically traded spells. He cursed when the trees lit up with green sparks.
Harry smiled at Remus as he entered the clearing. "Did it work completely?"
Remus nodded. "It worked perfectly. It will be a marvelous addition in the Third Task."
Harry's smile grew.
It was three days later that Cedric could be found in a small sitting room found on the first floor of Hogwarts. He lounged on a couch, and beside him, her head on his chest, was Fleur Delacour. They had just finished the feast when the Chosen were told what the Third task would consist of. A Hell Run. Cedric shivered as he thought of it. A Hell Run was one of the most merciless trials that wizard kind ever created. Originally a form of pseudo-punishment, it was a run from Olympus to Tartorius, a city deep in in the forests of northern Greece. A run of over 200 kilometers, across lands populated heavily by Creatures and Dark Wizards. Adopted later by the Romans, it was used as a punishment for soldiers in the English territory. The soldiers were forced to run along Hadrian's Wall and defend against the many beasts and enemies.
Cedric stroked Fleur's hair as she snoozed on his chest, his mind on the Hell Run and the fact that the last time it was done, the Tournament had over forty deaths. He prayed that this time would be different.
Harry laid in bed, his dormmates snoring around him as he thought of the Third Task. It was only 38 days away, on May 10th. He had so much to prepare for, including figuring out where the run would take place. He shut his eyes and started to expand his awareness as he had practiced. Slowly the magic of the castle came alive in his mind's eye, like lines of flame forming walls and figures. Slowly his awareness stretched beyond the walls he was in and took in most of the castle. Yet still he could not discover where the Magic of the Goblet was preforming its transformative work. He sighed as he relaxed into his pillows.
It took him many hours to fall asleep that night.
Viktor held his love to his chest and looked at the only photograph in the room. Fredrick laughed endlessly in the image as he hung on the back of Viktor. He could still remember that day, when he asked Fredrick to marry him. It was mere luck that Grendal was able to take that photo, as it began to snow nearly immediately as they arrived at manor. It was luck that they were able to be outside as it the snow eased up just long enough to propose, get the picture and get inside. He loved that picture and in 38 days, he would ensure there were more moments like that.
Time passed in a blur for the Chosen, as they were buried in training for the Task. For the rest of the schools the tensions slowly rose. It was felt most by those who were close to the Chosen. Those closest to the Chosen, but who weren't helping with their training were the most worried people in the castle. At least in Hermione's opinion.
She hadn't had a decent night's sleep since the Hell Run was announced and even laying in Ron's lap was not enough to calm her nerves for her friend. That was the position she was in at the moment, her head in her boyfriend's lap, her hair being stroked by the redhead as she attempted to rest.
"Ya know Hermione, we don't have to worry about him." Ron whispered as the common room slowly emptied for the night.
"Why not Ron? It's a Hell Run." Hermione sighed as she started to sit up.
"So? He is Harry Potter. He is the Last Potter. He is the Basilisk slaying, Dementor Repelling, You-Know-Who beating and the best wizard I have ever seen." Ron smiled as he pulled Hermione into a hug.
"You are right. He did all of that. He has performed so well in the tasks. I wouldn't have guessed he was so young if it wasn't known. But a Hell Run Ron… it's the worst thing they could do to him. It kills people with just the run, not counting what the Goblet will do!" Hermione clutched Ron closely as images of shadowy beasts appeared in her minds eye.
"He is my best mate. He is my brother in all but blood Hermione… He will win, because he promised us he would. He will walk out of that Hell Run the Triwizard Champion because he is Harry Potter and he has never let his friends down." Ron spoke with conviction as he looked over Hermione's head at the portrait hole that Harry just stepped through.
"Ron's right. I won't let you all down. I can't promise to win it… but I will survive it. I promise to come back to you two." Harry spoke as he walked across the common room, engulfing them in a hug. Hermione wiggled out of the hug as a sweaty arm touched her neck.
"Ewww Harry! You need a wash!" Hermione wiped the offensive fluid off of her neck as Harry started to badly apologize.
Soon the three friends were laughing with each other early into the morning.
AN: So, this is chapter 18 and shows a bit of the world. I chose to make the ICW an actual body of support toward the Statute of Secrecy. They are also the holders of some extremely dangerous things and people. I also made mention of vampires. I actually am not using the concept that vampires are undead in this story, as that goes a bit too close to revival of the dead for me to feel comfortable. In my world, Vampires are beings. I also made some creative... edits to how Vampires operate in the Wizarding World. I won't lie, the Court is slightly inspired by the Volturi in the Twilight series and the Court of Owls from DC. However unlike both of those... well there is much more to the concept of the Court than meets the eyes.
Also, for the first time, Remus shows his talents. The major players of the First War are always going to have something to bring in my world as, in my mind, the war is not considered over by most parties.
Now the next chapter will be out sometime soon, likely by the end of the month. And it will feature the Final Task.
Til then,
Zero