Rather predictably, the Hufflepuffs that were staying at the school were the first ones to arrive at the Realm of Magic. The first thing that Harry did is go and find L or Simeon, it happened to be Simeon.
"Simeon, sorry to bother you, but we're just getting started with setting up for the party later, so I was wondering if you'd allow me to access the build menu here so that I can buy the tables and chairs that we want to put outside."
"I'll have to check with the other two, but I don't see why not with a few caveats."
"Sure. I'll head over to the kitchen area and chat to the others about what we're going to want, is there anything that you'd like me to place while I'm here? As you've done so much for me, maybe some solar panels?"
"Again, I'll check with the others and we'll come and find you."
Harry went back to meet up with the others and relayed the conversation he'd just had, and they started planning out what they'd like to see. Harry immediately wanted to place a tree where any gifts that people had brought could be placed, along with a table to hold a Christmas Cake.
Brett, one of the 6th years, wanted to have a bar that he could put the Butterbeer that he brought behind.
Sally-Anne suggested placing a couple of Cookers and counters off to one side so that they weren't a bother to Sages. Especially given that they were kindly letting them use the grounds of their home for this. Fiona laughs, and adds "If you can set up a room with an archway, I know the space expansion spell, so I could make a fairly small room big enough to fit a full kitchen in. I can't make it permanent right now, I'd need a few days to look up the right runes to anchor the spell. But it should certainly last a couple of days."
They decide that they'll set-up a bar and counters for the food and drinks by the stairs, they'll then have a large double length dining table for those that want communal eating, and a scattering of small tables with chairs. Those students that can will conjure plates for the occasion to cut down on the cleaning up.
L and Simeon both come up from the basement and approach the group, and L takes the lead on speaking.
"OK Harry, we're going to trust you with access, just please don't look at the basement levels. Though we're not adding you to the household finances. You don't need to buy anything for the library, as it's not like we're poor. But if you want to, we won't say no."
"Great! We're planning to put a kitchen out here in a small building, and then add a bar and counters outside for drinks and serving food. We want to put a long dining table or two next to each other over there, and scatter a dozen or so small tables with chairs around for those that don't want to use the main table. We'll then put a Christmas tree over here, and a table next to it to hold the cake."
"How do you plan on adding the kitchen?"
Fiona says, "I know the space expansion spell, it's technically a charm. Once Harry has built the kitchen hut and the first bits of what we want, I'll apply it to the building while the others are moving the tables and chairs around. We were then going to have Harry buy the kitchen furniture inside the expanded space."
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The plan goes swimmingly on Harry's part. He creates the new building with a double archway inside, places a bar and counters for the food and drinks. Adds some solar panels to the back of the library roof, and places a sound system outside as a whim. The tables and chairs are then bought, though he can't place them where they wanted them to be, so some lifting and moving will be needed. He even buys a Christmas tree and some outdoor games and activities.
Once he's done things go tits up.
While the rest of them, and the couple of people that have turned up early, start to move the furniture around, Fiona walks into the centre of the 2x2m hut. Looking around her she fixes the space in her mind and starts casting her spell. At the right points in the spell, she points her wand at each of the 8 corners of the room. She then points at the four corners of the door. Her casting goes on for a full 10 minutes as she carefully defines what she wants to do with the space, which is expand it out in four directions, leaving the door the same size and in the centre of the wall. That being the simplest casting of the spell. As she releases the spell she hears a woman start to yell, "What the underworld!" from outside. Before she can register who said it, she collapses in agony as her brain is invaded by nano-machines, and she is forcibly inducted to the interface.
Outside, L, Simeon, and Harry all get a large message in the centre of their screens.
System is down for maintenance please wait.
Installing new game packs 1/1
New content will be inaccessible until installation complete.
This leads L to exclaim, "What the underworld!"
While she's shouting Fiona starts to scream inside the hut. Simeon tries to rush in to help her, however he bounces off the doorway, as though he's hit by an invisible barrier. Brett has no such problems as he passes through the doorway to help. His momentum carries him a couple of paces into the room as he starts screaming too.
Simeon quickly stops a couple of other people from entering, "Don't we don't know what's going on. If you go in you're just going to become another victim."
Slowly over the next hour, more and more people crowd around the area as visitors to the Library start to arrive by portal and get the same message. Around half hour in, Professor Sprout turns up and, once she's filled in on what happened, determinedly walks in saying, "They are my responsibility, I might not be able to help them, but I need to try. Harry, send Sunbeam to get Madam Pomphrey."
She actually manages to get in and check to see if they're both alive by using a diagnostic spell. As the spell completes she manages to get out, "They're alright, th…" before she collapses on the floor screaming as well.
By the time Sunbeam comes back, nearly the whole of the Hufflepuff house is crowded around the doorway, along with Amelia Bones, and the Abbotts. Sunbeam arrives with Pomphrey, Snape, and Tonks. The latter of whom immediately starts to cast some more advanced diagnostics, which complete before she too collapses screaming.
Carefully, Poppy picks up Andromeda's wand and examines it, "Madam Bones, Mr and Mrs Abbott, and Severus, I need you all to take out your wands and place them on a table." – She follows her own advice and places her wand on a table out of reach – "According to the scans that Healer Tonks just took, physically all four of them are fine. However their brain activity is off the charts, and is the cause of their pain. I daren't apply any pain relieving charms as I don't know what effect that will have. All we can do is make them as comfortable as possible before they wake up.
All in all, it takes another 4 hours before they stop screaming.
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Fiona blinks her eyes as a message floats in front of her eyes.
Thank you for alpha testing the World of Magic game pack.
Your experiences of the alpha testing have been removed so that you
can enjoy the release pack without spoilers.
Please follow the link below for the release notes of this new pack.
She stands her self up from the floor where she must have fainted after casting the space expansion charm. Turning around, she wobbles a little as though she stood up too fast, and stares incredulously at all the people standing outside.
"Erm, hi everyone? When did you all get here?"
Madam Pomphrey pushes through the crowd until she is at the doorway, "Miss Larch, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine why?"
"What do you remember of the last 5 hours?"
Sounding surprised, Fiona responds, "5 hours, deity, I thought I just fainted from over exertion. Why did I just say deity?"
L appears at the doorway in a flash of sparkles before walking into the expanded room and looking around in interest, "Fiona, do you have anything in your vision, maybe at the top or bottom?"
"Uh, yes? There's a message saying something about alpha testing."
"Well, congratulations I guess. You now have the same interface as Harry and the rest of us. Though I'm not sure it's worth 5 hours of writhing on the floor in agony.
"Madam Bones, Madam Pomphrey, this is a total guess, and until I check these 'release notes' that I've just been notified about it will remain a guess. The system behind the interface seems to have found something that it hadn't come across before. I certainly have never come across any magic to increase the space inside something before. And I don't think there's any technology that would do it either, though I could be wrong on that front. I would surmise then, that it immediately induced the interface in Fiona, and then Brett. I believe that we said that Pomona was fine until she cast a spell, and the same was true of Andromeda. I also believe that the immediate danger has passed, and you should all be able to cast spells safely again. Though, I suppose that one of you should be the guineapig and go first, just make sure that it's a spell that the 4 of them are unlikely to know."
Amelia grabs her wand and casts an Auror grade restraint spell at a tree and doesn't suffer any effects beyond a slight feeling of vertigo. "Well, that wasn't bad. I got a slight feeling of vertigo once I finished the spell, but it passed very quickly. It's something that we'll need to keep an eye on, and warn the students about. Now, can someone please tell me what the interface is, and why I'm being so blasé about it all?"
Simeon sighs, "I should really write this down one of these days. The interface is just that, an interface into an alien computer game that they used to use our people to play." – At her blank look, he sighs again – "Ask Susan, who I think you came with, about computers and computer games later. This game was a life simulator and according to our records the early versions stripped the free will away from the people they chose to play with.
"Over time that system was upgraded to allow the people some semblance of normality one step at a time, until the version that our babies, toddlers and children live with came about. Where they are completely autonomous but have to obey any command given to them through the interface. At some point they left, we have been reliably informed that they investigated things like the inside of black holes. We were still left with the system though, and so both it and we evolved together. At some point we became the players in the game, so we get all of the benefits of the system. And can ignore the worst aspects of it, though some of the annoyances like the profanity filter are a female dog to get used to.
"I do remember my parents talking about a Game Pack that came out around 50 years ago when we made contact with Batuu. But I wasn't alive when that happened.
"As for why you're taking this as though it's a normal thing to happen. That's also the interface. It makes everyone around those with it treat things that it causes as natural. So you can still feel disturbed, scared, awed, etc. by the sight, but accept it as something that can happen. Rather than have your 'Something's very wrong here' sense go off."
"Can I expect this to spread?"
"Oh yes. Harry got the interface at the age of 6 through accidental magic. Petunia, his aunt, now has the interface. So we know there's an upper limit of 5 years for the nano-machines to reach the level where the interface can be activated. We don't know how long it will take to spontaneously activate though. However, pessimistically you should expect Susan to gain the interface sometime in her third year, and by the latest her fifth year."
With the immediate concerns, the party finally gets underway. Though in a more subdued manner than it would have been. Tracy and Neville are both efflusive in their thanks when they unwrap Veild familiar orbs. Harry got L a book on magical pranks and potions, and Simeon a book on housekeeping charms.
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Sally-Anne arrived at the hospital with Petunia landing beside her. As she looks up at the glass and steel facing she's suddenly glad that she didn't come alone. Shenjing opted to stay behind to babysit Dudley while they were out, though she was probably going to be playing video games with him instead.
Petunia takes her hand in a reassuring grasp as she shivers, so she looks up at her, "Thank you Mrs Dursley."
"Call me Petunia or Aunt Petunia. And you're most welcome."
"Thank you Aunt Petunia, I didn't think I'd be this nervous."
"But it's such a big and imposing building, that you've just realised how young you are?"
"Yes, how?"
"How did I guess? We were all young once, and I remember my first day at College for my legal secretarial course. It was just as imposing then, but I was 8 years older than you. Come on, let's go and see the receptionist."
It doesn't take them long to be led into a comfortable interview room with a computer in the corner on a desk. There were two men and a woman also in the room. The woman had a tablet computer with a stylus held in her hand.
"Good Morning, you must be Miss Perks. We understood you'd be here unaccompanied?"
"Good Morning. This is my friends Aunt, she volunteered to be my chaperone as she lives in the area."
Petunia smiles, "Ms. Petunia Dursley."
"Thank you, I'm Doctor Kumquat, this is my assistant Alicia Bonds. The other gentleman is Professor Sparks from FutureSim Labs. You probably want to know what we will be testing you for in return for treating your leg."
Both of them nod, so he continues, "Primarily, we want to do a brain scan every few months until you gain access to the interface. We also want to take some blood samples at the same time. Finally, FutureSim Labs has developed a bracelet that tracks nano-machine concentrations over time. We'd like you to wear it full time.
"In return, we will be fitting you with an artificial stump that will be fused with the remaining bone and skin beneath your knee. This will have a bio-electrical converter built into it, and will also be fused to your skin.
"You will then have a robotic leg and foot with a synthetic covering attached to that stump. This is experimental technology for us, but quite routine for the people in Batuu. We will also be implanting a small sensor in the base of your spine where it meets your pelvis. When it detects that your pelvis is out of alignment it will trigger the adjustment mechanisms in the leg, which will grow up to 26mm before it needs replacement.
"You should get full sensation from the new leg, though we will need to replace it every 6 months or so until you're an adult. Also, unless the skin is damaged, you shouldn't need to pay it any more attention than you do your other leg."
Petunia asks, "Why Sally-Anne?"
Professor Sparks answers, "Quite frankly? It's because she's here. This is where our labs are, and so we don't need to go to the expense of having lab equipment that our scientists are familiar with shipped out to Batuu. In addition, the world that she comes from is less technologically advanced than Batuu, so we don't need to worry about accidentally detecting the wrong nano-machines. Finally, we know that she had no exposure to the interface prior to a known date. This is no longer true on Batuu. If we can set up reliable transportation, we may even set up an office in this London that has now opened up and offer similar services to other amputees. At the moment these nano-machines are a black box to us, and for something that has so much bearing on our lives that's unacceptable. What we're hoping to discover with this investigation is how the interface hooks into our brains and nervous system."
"How about things like the inventory?"
"Oh, we cracked that around 500 years ago. The computers behind the system exist in another dimension, like the realm of magic but not so volatile. I suppose you could say it's the opposite of the realm of magic in that respect. Anyway, it has vast stores of energy there and it converts stuff into energy while reading it's precise energy state. When you take it out of the inventory it does the reverse. We can't duplicate it yet, but we're working on it. We think it will also be the key to teleportation without help from the interface. We know it's possible as Masters of Meditation, Sorcerers, Various creatures, and now there's this Floo network. All of which allow some form of instantaneous travel without passing through the intervening space. Though preliminary tests suggest that the Floo is actually obeying the speed of light, so it might not actually be teleportation."
Alicia coughs and the professor looks a little embarrassed, "Sorry, I got carried away. What were we talking about?"
Alicia recaps, "You were answering the question about why Sally-Anne. You then went on an tangent when Ms. Dursley asked about the inventory."
"Oh, right thank you. We also get to test the new prosthetic limbs that we've been developing, especially how well the artificial stump will fit with a growing body. If we've got it right, then it shouldn't impede your natural bone growth, and it will just look like you've got a skinny leg without the prosthetic attached. As for the robotic leg, they're cheap enough to produce. The problem is really in all the man hours needed to get the designs right. If it's wrong, we just sell it to through the interface and buy the raw materials back."
Petunia looks at Sally-Anne, "What do you think?"
"I don't know. I don't mind letting you take a blood sample and doing the scan. But can I have the details of what you want to do with my leg in writing so that I can send it to Mum and Dad? And if we can, can we arrange for them to be here when, if I have it done?"
Doctor Kumquat looks pleased, "Certainly, and would you mind also wearing the bracelet? It's quite light, and would go on your non-dominant hand."
Sally-Anne nods.
"Excellent" – He pulls a hat out of his inventory that has flashing lights on it – "Please put this on. The scan will take around 5 minutes. Alicia, would you be able to draw her blood?"
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Andromeda was sat at a table across from her daughter in the Realm of magic.
"Nymphadora, why didn't you tell me about this?"
"Well, it's kinda an unofficial Hufflepuff secret."
"And I am your mother, and I raised you as a Black."
"Yes, and it's my last year here. Why didn't you tell me that you were going to be my potions teacher?"
"I only found out the Friday before school started and you were out partying all weekend. Next question?"
"Look Mum, I couldn't exactly tell you, as then you'd have needed to explain to your house how you got a brand spanking new familiar. And don't tell me that you're not going to buy one before you go home today, I saw you catching motes earlier."
Andromeda laughs, "True, though you should credit me with a little more subtlety than that. I'm certainly better at it than anyone in my house, and most of your house too. I was going to ask Pomona about it over the holidays anyway."
"So what are you going to do now?"
"Not a lot, at least not until I've got a handle on the interface and have a few Sorcerer spells under my belt. Probably want to wait until I've learnt Copypasta at the earliest."
"Why that spell?"
"Do you have any idea how much that one spell will break our world? Transfiguration can duplicate a lot of things. However, it doesn't do a good job on magical things. This is why enchanted items are still all made by hand. However, that one spell can copy anything you can pick up easily. Brooms, Potions, Wands, Books, Money, and more. From a brief chat with Simeon, it's clear that it's too late to stop the interface from spreading, as it's already deeply in Harry's home and surrounding town. It's working its way through Hogwarts, and probably Diagon Alley. As well as everywhere else Hufflepuffs have been to since September. So what am I going to do? I'm going to learn everything I can, and then I am going to own the illegitimate children that locked Sirius up without a trial and poisoned Arcturus."
"He was poisoned?"
"He was, an insidious potion-based poison that mimicked the muggle disease AIDS. It's why he wasn't seen for the last 5 years of his life. By the time we realised it was a poison it was too late to repair the damage done. Also, don't spread it around, but we're officially still Blacks. Arcturus re-instated us when I helped diagnose him, and dear old mum couldn't override him."
"Anything else I need to know about the Family? Like, is Bellatrix actually a good girl that's trapped in a magical contract?"
Andromeda laughs humourlessly, "No, your Aunt is dyed in the wool bad. It used to be she was just a Rebel. But Mum and Dad broke her before they sold her off to the Lestrange's. I visited once before the signing of the contract, and she was insane then. They wanted to make a pliable wife, instead they got a spitfire bat guano insane female dog that was obsessed with strength and only following the strongest witch or wizard around."
Dora laughs, "You know mum, it really doesn't have the same impact when you say guano or female dog."
"I suppose it doesn't. Guess I need to brush up on my English so that I can use more high brow putdowns than relying on crass swearing. Should improve my reputation in Slytherin if nothing else."
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Release NotesIn a Galaxy far far away, a small magical community live hidden amongst those who don't have magic. Explore new worlds and discover new spells, plants, and animals. Requires either a magical bloodline or the Rite of Ascension to access hidden worlds.
A new magic system has been introduced.
Children born with a magical bloodline will no longer automatically go through the Rite of Ascension, children that currently have a Glimmerstone will still go through the Rite automatically upon reaching Teen.
People that have gone through the Rite of Ascension will now be labelled Sorcerers. Those with magical bloodlines will be labelled Magic Users.
Familiar Orbs are now only useable by those who have gone through the Rite of Ascension.
Brooms sold in the Realm of Magic are now only useable by those who have gone through the Rite of Ascension.
Supermops will still be useable by anyone that has a strong or ancient bloodline.
Brooms will no longer cause an overdraw on Magic Users.
Wands sold in the Realm of Magic can no longer be used by those who have not undergone the Rite of Ascension.
New worlds have been added, Hogwarts, Farmers Market, London. Find Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic, and St Mungo's hospital in London, ask the Sages in the Realm of magic to send you there.
Note, Teleportation or a Glimmerstone is needed to return.
More worlds will be added as minor updates that don't require a system patch.
Magical Gardening, Potion Making, Wand Casting, Magical Theory, and Enchanting have all been added as skills.
Those with both a magical bloodline and Herbalism have had the Potion Making skill added at the same level.
Very Weak Bloodline has been added to the magical bloodlines. Wand Casting and Enchanting are inaccessible to those who have a Very Weak Bloodline unless they go through the Rite of Ascension.
The Spatial magic school has been added to Sorcerers spellbooks.
A new feature has been added to the Build Menu, subplots.
To create a subplot, apply a spatial manipulation to a room.
Subplots cannot be edited from the main plot
Subplots cannot be deleted from the main plot until the spatial manipulation is removed.
Subplots can have their own traits and challenges in addition to those their parent plots have. They are limited to 1 additional trait.
Tents and chests can now have subplots added to them and still be added to house and personal inventories.
Spell Design has been added to the computer for those who reach Level 5 in Magical Theory.
New Spells can now be submitted for publication through the mailbox and will receive a royalty for use.
Sorcerers can now use their wands for Magic User spells, and can learn all of the Magic User skills.
Undergoing the Rite of Dissolution will remove the Sorcerer trait from your sim, and they will lose access to the Magic User only skills unless they already have a Weak or better Magical Bloodline.
A new line of research has been added to the science track – Spatial Manipulation.
The option to add a Floo Access Point to an existing fireplace has been added. Requires a Weak or better magical Bloodline or Rite of Ascension to access, and becomes available at Handiness level 7 or higher. Floo Powder can be ordered through the computer.
Does not work between worlds in different star systems.
Caution, sims playing in first person may experience severe disorientation and nausea during the first few uses of the Floo.
The Floo can only be activated by those with a Magical Bloodline, though once active can be used by anyone until the Floo Powder runs out.
A Floo Powder dispenser can be added to a fireplace to automatically add powder after a person steps through to keep the fire open.
Floo connections will automatically disconnect after 1 hour of inactivity.
A new method of death has been added – Killing Curse, you were killed instantly as your soul was severed from your body. Note, the grim reaper cannot be appeased for sims that die this way.
A new moodlet has been added – Crutacius exposure
Wand Magic spells will no longer unlock hidden schools of Sorcerer magic.
A new life state has been added, inbred. Magic User sims with this trait are more likely to produce children with the Very Weak Bloodline trait.
Added new aspirations, Potions Master, Rune Master, Transfiguration Master, Master Healer.
Added a new Career track, Magical Healer.
For in-depth release notes please view the games website.
Thank you to our alpha and beta testers, Fiona, Brett, Pomona, and Andromeda.