The Beginning of Alliances:
Xenophillius, upon seeing the envelope opened it rather excitedly. After all, it was a letter from Jean Von Neumann. Xenophillius looked at the envelope and realised that if this letter represented 'muggle correspondence' the wizards were behind. The paper was thick and seemed to be embossed with a multitude of many patterns. The writing was clean and consistent. Every letter seemed to be exactly the same and it satisfied a need for order that he had never experienced. This was not handwritten, maybe a muggle machine had made the correspondence? Xeno continued to read:
Hello Mr Lovegood:
As I had promised, a tour of the muggle world is in order. Truthfully, the muggle world has so many places to visit that one a single day will not suffice. We plan to make this a recurring event particularly for you and Luna, regardless of if you choose to accept/not accept the offer outlined in this letter.
My brother Hadrian and I were very pleased with the last design that Luna did for us. We do have a nice fee waiting for her. More importantly, is the promise of employment – If Luna takes up employment with us, she will learn about the muggle world as she progresses with her duties. As I mentioned, we do business in the muggle world. You will find that Luna's salary will be far ahead of many Ministry of Magic employees.
The weapon you saw strapped to my leg was not a coincidence. It was a test. I was curious if you would rat me out to the Wizarding public. You certainly have not. I think as long as your Luna is safe, you can be trusted. I think you are astute enough, and you know exactly who I am.
We are aware that Luna is too young to take an oath. However, as a parent you deserve to know exactly who the people are your little moonbeam is spending time with. I will provide you with an oath that outlines the scope of activities that we carry out, and the activities that we do not participate in. We also promise your full safety. You can be sure of who we are. You, in return, will offer an oath afterwards to merely keep our secrets.
After the evening is done, and we reveal our secrets, you can decide if Luna working for us will be a good idea. Also on the table is the promise of advanced magical tuition, access to our equipment and all the other perks we enjoy for being people who live in both worlds. Particularly of great importance is an apprenticeship under the French Master Portrait Painter, Clementine Delacour herself. We know her very well and she needs somebody like Luna, if she finds your daughter appropriate.
Eventually, when Luna understands the gravity of the type of work that we do, she can give us an oath. If you decide that employment with us is acceptable, we will come by and retrofit your house with all the necessary equipment. In most cases, she will be working from home until we set up office spaces much later on.
Please let me know if you are interested in hearing the full story with both of us. We promise it will be entertaining. Let me know if the 10th of July sounds good.
Love,
Jean von Neumann
Xeno who already had rather favourable views of the Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess was only too happy to immediately reply that he was amenable and excited. He attached his reply to Snow who had been ordered to wait. He then sent Hermione's owl off. Meanwhile, Mercury simultaneously delivered an owl to the Weasley Residence.
Hello Ms Weasley,
I was busy with the family business, and immigration is kind of a mess to get handled. I am now settled and will be staying in England now.
I am ready to explain EXACTLY how airplanes stay up. I understand that your husband has always wanted to know, and he probably has been asking about me for a long time! I also would be quite happy to meet a wizarding family, I have lived in the muggle world my whole life, although I am fairly competent with magic.
Accompanying me will be my sister and my other uncle Snuffles. Well not my blood sister, but we are so close at this point it doesn't matter. And better yet, we will be bringing some Muggle snacks and other interesting things. We hope to provide you with entertainment for the evening. She too is magical and lives in the muggle world.
Your husband can ask whatever he wants. We are likely to give him the best explanation he will ever receive. We have also heard of the legendary prowess of your culinary skills. You are free to make whatever you want, we are not fussy.
As for Gred and Forge, tell them they have a third and fourth perpetrator on the way, to join them in their pyrotechnic activities. Not to worry, we won't burn your house down. Uncle Remus is coming with us too. Let us know what date works for you.
Love,
Hadrian.
Sirius had purchased a new owl named Whisper. She had been sent on her first official correspondence to Longbottom Manor. The nature of this letter was much different than casual conversation. Unlike other letters, this one was a howler. However, this howler had not been created to scream at anyone – rather it was to deliver a serious and official magical oath via a letter.
Agusta Longbottom was rather curious that Lord Black had written to her – a new Lord Black on the political scene was a bit of a shock. However, with all the things that happened recently, she decided to investigate fully. Dame Augusta Longbottom took her wand and slowly opened the letter, and prepared to vaporise it instantly with her wand if it only twitched in the wrong direction. She was greeted by a distorted voice as the howler began to speak. The talking paper mouth that the letter had formed, then glowed a shadowy black and silver. Augusta was quite aware that a magical vow was going into effect:
Well Met Dame Augusta Longbottom.
I give my magical oath upon the contents of his letter, as being true and not filled with any deception, or manipulation. I do not plan to harm you or Neville in any form or fashion either. I ask that you listen so that House Longbottom will benefit from this olive branch.
I am the new Lord Black. House Black is done with Pure Blooded extremism, and it is not going to harbour relationships with anyone who was or plans to be in the service of Dark Lords – whether it was/is Voldemort or any new one on the horizon.
I am perfectly aware that we aren't the best of friends with what Bellatrix Lestrange has done to your son and daughter. We have never been allied politically, although I know Arcturus had a healthy respect for you. I offer recompense if you can guarantee that our meeting will be private and that we will keep each other's secrets only between us, from the reception of this letter, particularly as this is House business.
In return for your trust, I am going to strip Bellatrix Lestrange from House Black – her access to the wealth, facilities and even her magic, right in front of you. In return I also offer Neville his Hogwarts tuition fees, any choice of mastery he wishes to pursue, advanced magical tuition and even a custom wand crafted by a person who is far better than Ollivander.
I also offer Neville the comfort of friendship with people his age. Talented and probably already deserving of many Order of Merlin awards, these children will help Neville to become the best he can be. It will be necessary as I have confirmation that Voldemort did a piece of magic so foul, that he will be back. I plan to fight him and his ilk, head-on. They took many people who were very special to me, and this time no mercy will be shown this time.
As for Dumbledore, I heard you don't like him one bit. Neither do I. I give you a deal – if you accept my rather unusual stipulations, I will share how we have already screwed the bearded menace over. We will certainly fight evil, but not with his apologetic and soft policies. You and I, lost too many good people while Aurors attempted to 'stun' Death Eaters the last time around.
House Black is going to crush all of them. Pureblood Elitists, the oppressive Law system, the lack of democracy, the discrimination of muggleborns, all of it. Let me know if you want in.
Regards,
Lord Black.
Head of House Black.
Augusta sat quietly as she listened to the howler speak. Augusta was well aware of the Storm Bringers – everyone in political circles was still discussing the Gringotts showdown. Augusta as an intelligent woman understood immediately that the new Lord Black was supported by new powerful friends. Otherwise, he could not make such bold magical oaths. He believed he was fully capable of doing exactly as he promised. But the chance of seeing Bellatrix Lestrange stripped of her house magic? After what she had done to House Longbottom? That promise alone had her full attention. And a chance for Neville to learn new powerful magic, or whatever it was the Storm Bringers did? Augusta immediately replied and attached the letter to Whisper, as she channelled her magic into the ink:
Lord Black,
You have my promise of silence and non-interference from any third party, upon my magic. Send a date. I am impressed, and I would like to meet you. I am not easy to impress, remember that.
Dame Augusta Longbottom.
Regent and Acting Head of House Longbottom.
"Harry, how is his wand going?" asked Hermione.
"I am almost there. I had to change the construction. I decided to combine the silver particulates into the core material. My eyes are telling me that the magic is resonating a little. Not much, but I will take everything I can get. I already prepared the cobalt sleeve. Just to glue the graphene paper on the core assembly. How are your projects going?"
"I was wondering if we can make things float freely in the wizarding world, why are they no floating jewellery in the wizarding world? I would like some floating earrings, please? A girl has needs, okay?"
"You know how much women would run for that? I have always been fascinated with items that float freely with no support. They look rather fantastic! I don't understand why nobody ever bothered to design anything around those Wingardium Leviosa charms."
Sirius and Remus grinned. Brilliant ideas were never in short supply. Harry continued:
"Of concern is my designs being leaked into the Wizarding world. The ink batteries are good enough, but I am wondering about the core. I think we need to make a synthetic and inferior wand core. I don't want anybody scrapping the device to make improvised weapons. For now, I am using an epoxy that binds to the wand core. As long as they take it apart, it shreds the thing."
"I think that will be enough. They have no idea how to use screwdrivers." Hermione giggled.
"True. I was wondering if the Wizards are innovative enough to copy my designs. They generally have never been exposed to free-market breakneck competition. So I guess they don't innovate often….."
"It might be a case of cultural standards in the Wizarding world. A synthetic wand core is not going to be a rush project, not one bit. That is a lot. What makes up a wand core ?" asked Hermione.
"We need some type of organic material that has carbon nanotubes in it – those structures are certainly present in Grace's feathers. The material needs to be able to physically support the rearrangement provided by the intent of the spell. It has to hold it there until a new spell changes the structure. There is something about the carbon nanotubes that makes them magical. I have fabricated my very own nanotubes and they are not automatically magical…"
"Well, one more thing for investigation. Anything in Glaucon's notes about the Deathstick."
"I think different magical disciplines require different characteristics in the wand core. Since you can't have 10 different wands, you build one with a trade-off. I do know that Glaucon provided for this in the design of the Deathstick. His notes indicate that magical superconductivity is a thing, and it was a beneficial accident that helped him make such a powerful wand. I wonder where I can buy superconductive material?"
"Hmmm…Harry, maybe you don't need lab-grade stuff. How about the superconductivity toys they sell on Amazon? The ones with the floaty magnets. Yttrium based stuff, I think."
Harry stared at Hermione, utterly dumbstruck.
"Yikes, I didn't think about that. Amazon, here I come. Can superconductors be made at home Mione?"
"Not sure. From the discussion we had before, I only know the various types of superconductors and some of the critical temperatures. Yttrium is the best high-temperature one we can manufacture."
"Ah well, that one is on the back burner. Well, the wand is done. This is the first wand with swappable components. The whole thing is held together by a literal screw cap. Well, Sirius?"
Sirius Black slowly walked to the workbench and proceeded to touch the wand gingerly. This wand represented his first personal wand as Lord Black. As soon as the wand touched his hand, it began to drink in magical energy from his body. The cold steel almost seemed to warm up, with a magical signature that felt like himself.
Powerful, Elegant and Elusive.
Most importantly there was an almost familial buzz, something that almost reminded him of James. That was when Sirius understood that the wand was quite aware that somebody dear to him, the only son of his long lost friend had built the wand out of love. Then the wand settled as the core of the wand almost felt like it had greeted him.
"Hello!" was the distinct feeling that Sirius experienced as he held the wand in his hand.
The tip of the wand slowly began to let off an almost shadowy mist, streaked with silver trails. Then the wand gave Sirius a feeling that he clearly understood:
"Loyal to Family. Loyal only to you."
As the wand made its statement, Sirius then cast loudly and firmly "Lumos"
Sirius was greeted by the brightest light he had ever conjured. The wand seemed to love him, and it felt like it was hardly doing work. Sirius then dimmed the spell, wondering what else he could test out. Harry sent a stunner a bit wide as a warning. He then yelled "Think Fast! Everybody make him suffer!"
Sirius then docked behind the couch, with his old Hit-Wizard training kicking into action. Hermione and Remus began to bombard Sirius with stunners. He tried to block all the spells being thrown his way, from behind cover. While he was quite rusty and he was struggling to meet the speed, he decided to just sustain the shield constantly instead of selectively blocking spells with wand flicks.
Sirius put the little bit of energy he could muster into conjuring a constant shield – something that was not advisable as it drained too much energy. Sirius was quite surprised when the wand responded, and it began to channel the spell. It began to use the little energy reserves he had quite efficiently. The wand also seemed to vibrate gently. He realised that the resonance was working to his advantage. He could almost feel the wand, as it worked towards protecting him as best as possible. He began to appreciate how far ahead Harry and Hermione were – Hermione could almost cast at approaching double Harry's speed. Her attack was a brutally consistent barrage, and it reminded him of Alice Longbottom. She had earned the nickname, 'the Tempest' based on her ability to create a magical barrage. Harry's spell did not seem to be far off from James in terms of the power being dished out. Harry was anything far from an adult, and his familiarity seemed far better and much faster. That was a lot of power for a ten year old. Sirius began to sweat cold. Aurors would be in deep trouble to deal with all of them at their current level of amplitude. But Remus?
Remus seemed even more powerful and fluid. Many of his spells were flat out non-verbal and there were hardly any wand movements. He was spitting them out at a speed that would make Minerva McGonagall struggle. His stunners were not wild, but focused. Remus finally surprised Sirius by levitating a water bottle over his head and emptying the water. The water splashed on Sirius and his concentration broke. He, not wanting to lose instinctively dived behind another table, but not before replying to Remus with the most powerful stupefy he could manage. Remuscollapsed as a result of the unconventional approach angle, which was quite an achievement.
"Alright that is enough, Sirius how did the wand feel?" asked Harry as he cancelled the stupefy on Remus with an 'Ennervate'.
"Perfect. The wand almost talks to me. This was a feeling I was now beginning to explore with my old wand. The core likes me, and it likes that you constructed it. It likes offensive and defensive spells equally. The wand almost vibrates when I summon the Protego."
"Yes, the wand is very tuned to you. We have some resonance working to amplify the spell. The wand will eventually get more burned in. Every component has been dialled in to you. I think the Black magic likes silver too. You do have silver in your core. Ollivander does not use metals in his core."
"Congratulations Harry. It is good to see you have built your first wand. Normally I would have offered advice, but I wasn't sure about the metals and the energy storage graphene sheets in the wand. This is the first time those types of materials have been implemented."
"Thanks, Gramps. What do you think about my hybrid core?"
"Ingenious – the different magical creatures balance each other. I don't suppose they can snap the wand? It does look sturdy. I do notice the tip of the wand has been sharpened to almost a knife-edge? Weapon?"
"Ah yes. Sirius. The wand shape is a hybrid between a dagger and a wand. The quillion on the handle is meant for you to use the wand as a stabbing instrument. The tip is sharp enough to do a lot of damage. You can wrap any choice of string or material after the quillion. Yes, they can't break the wand."
"Nice. Maybe we can poke some of the Death Munchers in their eye sockets. Not bad at all, not bad." commented Sirius thoughtfully. Sirius hugged Harry.
"I officially feel like a new wizard all over again. Although, I can see I am rusty and far behind everyone here. I will get down to pushing the practice. Remus, your magic is fluid and powerful. I can feel the wolf in the spells."
"Thanks, Padfoot. I have accepted Harry and his family as my pack. I do not care about Dumbledore or anyone else. I have also accepted that I can tame the beast with discipline. The wolf will run as an apex predator, not a wild animal."
Whisper returned after leaving a couple of hours earlier. She quickly alighted on the light stand before Sirius and politely stretched out her talon. He untied the missive and read Augusta Longbottom's reply.
"Well?" asked Harry, as everyone else looked on expectantly.
"She is in. How about if we handle her and Xeno at the same time?" replied Sirius
"That might be efficient. Saves us from having to do the explanation twice. July 10th 5 p.m. ?" asked Remus.
"Harry?" asked Sirius.
"Done."
The next week, Harry and Hermione spent the following days refining the shielding system. Harry already had a shielding system in the armour that consisted of individual components, but the whole state of the array was controlled by a single switch. While it was simple to make the entire shield trigger when magic was detected via a rune, Harry and Hermione endeavoured to make every piece individually responsive. Instead of using a 'presence' rune, Harry opted for detecting spells, by using antennas. Large but thin, flat, circular copper coil antennas seemed to do the job, especially when the signal was amplified by triodes. Harry hoped eventually he would find a solid-state replacement for his vacuum tubes. This small advancement had rather large implications. In theory, magical radar was possible, with a large enough power source.
Also to the delight of the pair the superconducting toys behaved in a rather surprising manner when exposed to magic. It seemed that the critical temperature for superconductivity could reach as high as minus ten degrees centigrade when a moderate amount of magic was dumped into the material. For now, they would keep investigating its applicability to wand design.
Later that week, Harry and Hermione began to explore if it was possible to join their minds. The progress had not been satisfactory, but they continued, as the breakthrough would come eventually. They began to explore the possibility of a magical cannon.
"I am thinking we just enlarge the standard construction. We might need to charge the device externally as a Wizard can't provide enough energy to power one."
"How are we manufacturing the core?" asked Hermione?
"Maybe we can pulverise magical cores and reconstitute them and pray that it works? I am going to work towards arm-sized. Say about 750 millimetres as a test demonstrator? If the ideas work, we can go to one meter. I will use wand dimensions as a template to scale the idea up?"
"If we can have one on the drone, that would be funny! I will put the materials down on the requisitions."
"Anyway Hermione, help me with these bands, we need to take these shield generators for a spin. I am curious to see how the individual bits trigger the partial shields. Maybe later I can have a looksie at the overlaps for the individual pieces. This, if it works reliably will save us a lot of power, by generating only what is needed on demand. So far, the titanium does well against the Killing Curse. Imperio and Crucio, I have no ideas on how to deal with that yet. Nothing like a brick wall to block spells, if you know what I mean. We will have to look into Lucretia's notes."
"Yes, you were lucky in that regard Harry. That scuffle at the house the other day had me terrified. Thank the universe, you were thinking ahead."
Harry and Hermione later in the week, were surprisingly joined by Lorna, Priya and Sirius as they began with physical conditioning. The new additions gained an appreciation of how relentless the fitness of Harry, Hermione, and Remus was – often Harry and Hermione would lap the others and tease them while the rest huffed the entire contents of their lungs out. Sirius had a difficult time, with sudden cases of vomiting. Upon inspection, it seemed that the exercise was forcefully expelling Azkaban's taint and it was absolutely painful. With the increase in caloric uptake, the magic wanted to repair all the damaged areas of Sirius' body and particularly his teeth hurt all the time. Without Priya's charms and Lorna's and Hermione's various potions, Sirius would have not managed. Priya's new spell was pushing all of the decay and rot out of his teeth, which was a common side effect of Azkaban.
Clementine had been written to incessantly by other small studios and painters. Some who did business in the muggle world were only too happy to buy small but regular amounts via Amazon and others were willing to pay portkey shipping. She as Harry's redistributor was now selling approximately fifteen thousand units a month, as the whole of Europe was rushing in to buy the ink. People were looking to accumulate personal stockpiles and the situation reminded him of a rather funny story that he had come across – Hagoromo Japanese chalk was highly regarded by mathematicians worldwide, and many teachers maintained their personal hoard.
Harry created three additional manufacturing lines as the Wizarding demand was 30,000 units a month. Now the production line was getting stressful. He decided that he would extend employment to the Weasleys during the school holidays, so he could engineer everything.
July the 10th arrived quickly. Hermione found herself at the residence of the Lovegoods again. Luna had decided to spend the evening with the Weasleys, as Molly was only too happy to have the girl over. Hermione appeared with Grace, totally cloaked and wearing the shield new emitters as they were being field-tested. She gently strode to the door and politely knocked three times.
"Knock-Knock-Knock"
Hermione could hear the footsteps as Xeno approached. He opened the door and stepped outside with a spring in his step. He was apparently…excited.
"Hello Jean! I have decided that I agree to your terms."
"Hello Mr Lovegood. Let us get started immediately.
I Hermione Granger, give you my magical oath that neither I, my brother nor anybody in our immediate circles participates in any type of pureblood extremism. We also do not participate in any morally dubious business practices. However, because of our political stances, we have been required to defend ourselves sometimes with lethal intent. We have also been required to personally right many wrongs that affected us gravely. We will also explain everything fully this evening if you take the oath. You will safe with us this evening. Lumos!"
Xeno nodded and found the oath satisfactory.
"I Xenophillius Lovegood, swear upon my magic to keep all secrets that I learn this evening secret unless instructed otherwise by the Storm-Lord or the Rune-Priestess. Lumos!"
"Excellent. Time for the first surprise. Grace, uncloak!"
Xenophillius was quite surprised as he saw the most magnificent bird he had ever seen. Curiosity overtook him as he asked the expected question.
"What a lovely bird you have there. What type of bird is this?"
"Ah. This is Grace or Gracie as I call her. She is a phoenix, just like Fawkes. Fawkes is a fire phoenix. Grace is however a lightning phoenix. As to what she does, just hold my hand and you will see for yourself."
Xeno who was quite excited suspected that phoenixes could apparate past wards. Dumbledore had never been willing to confirm if this was the case and confirming this little piece of undocumented information by himself alone was worth the oath. Research on magical creatures was hard enough to come by, particularly as there were hardly any records about phoenixes.
Xeno was happy when he heard the statement, "Gracie, to the Manor!"
Augusta Longbottom had decided that if Bellatrix was going to be punished, Neville might as well be there to witness it. After all, he was not at school yet, and he spent his time at home in the Greenhouse. He had always been unsure of himself and the grave injury of his parents had affected him deeply. Augusta was disappointed that Neville had not expressed any inclination to produce magic and she was somewhat worried. The Hogwarts letter was not too far away. Little did she know, that she was going to see a different approach to the use of magic, this evening.
Sirius had loved Harry's robes so much that he opted to take an exact copy. However, he had chosen Herald as his choice of decoration for the robe. He also had picked traditional Black house colours for many of the stripes and lines, but on his left side, a thick vertical pinstripe that contained a Gryffindor Logo along with brilliant red and gold lines was present. The bright colours popped out brilliantly. Madam Malkin had suspected who it was, but Harry seemed too happy so she asked no questions.
If Harry was happy, there was a good reason for it.
The new addition was a magnetic wand holder on Sirius' right leg, a pistol and the new shielding array. Harry had also created a 'cloaking vambrace' for him, and he felt proud to wear Harry's invention. He looked imposing and he had chosen a stylish sci-fi looking cobra helmet that had been highlighted with Gryffindor colours. It was an odd choice, but it suited him well.
A snake's ambition, with the heart of a lion.
Sirius had requested that Harry accompany him, and the green-eyed boy was happy to display his new war gear. He also had developed a magnetic plate that resided on his back. He carried the main rifle, Master-Chief style on his back, along with the improved shields and the cloaking device.
Naturally, the best way to reach Longbottom Manor was via Floo. Sirius had opted to use the Grimmauld Place Floo and was currently waiting for confirmation that Grace had returned to Peverell Manor. His earbud communicator then chimed as he listened to the message from Remus.
"Alright, she is back. Just throw a large handful of powder and recite the destination clearly. Also, do not panic. Trust the powder to orient you correctly, even if you feel unsettled when you arrive at the Longbottoms. Although, from what I hear you are sensitive to orientation and sturdy on your feet, so it may not be an issue for you. Longbottom Manor!"
Harry then followed suit, and he trusted the magic and process to carry him correctly as the green flames roared.
"Longbottom Manor!"
Augusta had been somewhat excited – she was curious as to who could bring about such changes so abruptly to House Black. She has suspected that it was indeed Sirius Black, but she was not sure. She was however banking on one thing to reveal his identity. Sirius had always been a proud Gryffindor, almost to the point of showing it openly to annoy others. This was something that her son Frank had joked about many times, from the days of the Auror academy. When the Floo flared green and a young, hooded man stepped out, as soon as she saw the pinstripe colours she already knew. But it was the second visitor, who held her attention. A young man walked out with a confident stride, as she continued to inspect the most fashionable robes she had ever seen. The robes had so many contrasting colours and when she looked upon the signature masks, she could not help but admire how menacing they looked.
The young man had some type of large object strapped to his back. It was the wand looking object or the gun as she had heard, proudly on display on his leg. The boy's stature was tall and fearless as his robes danced with all the complex lines and circles. Neville sensed that these men meant business, clutched his grandmother's hand, as he was afraid. The Storm-Lord was now in his house.
"Well met Lord Black and Storm-Lord, Welcome to Longbottom Manor. I do find it curious that you asked to arrive at my residence."
Augusta watched carefully as Lord Black made a motioning acknowledgement to the Storm-Lord as the younger man spoke:
"Well met Dame Longbottom. Usually, the tradition is to kiss your hand, and I certainly plan to go through with that. We will get on with the niceties at Peverell Manor. We have no intention of ever connecting our house to the Floo. I suspect the Dark Lord in the last war could monitor the Floo network. That was how he committed untold murders. I say if you don't have control of it, don't use it. Why should anyone assume that the floo system is safe? No, we utilised the floo from elsewhere to arrive at your home."
Agusta considered the comment and realised that the Floo which she had never given a second thought about, was a dangerous thing. Perhaps she could password the Floo. Harry continued:
"We will be going to Peverell Manor via my lightning phoenix."
Augusta was quite shocked, first by the claim of a 'lightning Phoenix' but before she could ask anything, the robotic voice yelled:
"Grace!"
It was at this point that a small lightning bolt appeared and an elegant bird just appeared in existence and calmly alighted on the Storm-Lord's shoulder.
"Not to worry about her sudden appearance. Phoenixes can bypass all wards. They also can apparate owners. Dumbledore's Fawkes does the same thing, so I guess you are now in on one of Dumbledore's big secrets. Let me take your hand, Augusta. Hadrian will take Neville. Trust us, you are going to have fun this evening." Sirius replied.
Augusta already impressed by the bird - phoenixes did not associate with just anyone, and as much as she did not like Dumbledore, even she had to admit he was powerful. Sirius walked forward and put his hand around Augusta's arm in the classic escort position. Neville gingerly stepped forward and Augusta felt somewhat happy when a warm hug across the young boy's shoulder occurred as the Storm-Lord rubbed Neville's back.
"Relax buddy. The real reason you are coming this afternoon is for me to tell you how I choked Draco Malfoy. Too bad his father could not hear about it, because I had already made the whole lot of them unconscious. Not to worry, we have a lot of snacks."
Neville began to laugh, as he associated the joke with Malfoy's signature but repetitive line.
"Grace! To the mothership!"
The whole party appeared in the workshop, and Sirius led the group to a little corner where Remus, Lorna and Priya were already sitting with an assortment of small charcuterie items, along with an entire pile of ham and bacon sandwiches. There were also any number of pastries and beverages of any choice. Sirius and Harry had chosen the workshop because all the projects were on display, and it would be easy to fill them in on the rather impossible things that they had done. There were also small weapon demonstrations planned for the evening, and it did not go unnoticed how many guns were deliberately on display after William and Harry had mounted all of the captured gear on the wall. Both of them had giggled, all day long while undertaking that project. The visitors who were of the impression that Muggles still used swords and shields immediately began to realise that something had to be wrong. Even Xeno seemed to be concerned. Augusta feeling rather unfamiliar with the environment was only too happy to acknowledge Xeno.
"Xeno, I must say I am pleased to see you. I take it you somehow got involved with our hosts?"
"Hello Augusta. Yes, I did. Luna does artwork for Hermione. I think she will be down soon."
Sirius then tapped a glass.
"Alright. Now the smoke and mirrors are all done, let us get the show rolling on the road!"
Sirius then removed off his mask. He then held Augusta's hand and gently kissed her knuckles.
"Hello Augusta, Sirius Black at your service. As you realise, nothing is as it seems. Harry?"
Neville began to wonder if the legendary Harry Potter was here. Every wizarding child knew the story of the one and only Harry Potter. However, all three guests had not expected the Storm-Lord himself to take off his mask. In the middle of the suspenseful reveal, Hermioneshouted:
"His real name is BIGHEAD! LORD BIGHEAD!"
The sudden absurdity of the comment caused everyone to laugh as Hermione walked in with a beautiful floral arrangement. Harry presented Augusta with the flowers and she was flattered. She was also quite pleased when she received a hug and a kiss from Harry and the green in the boy's eyes reminded her of Lilly for a moment. He certainly had his mother's eyes.
"Harry Potter at your service. Or more uncommonly known, Lord Peverell, Palatine Artificer Peverell, The Storm-Lord, Slayer of Ham Sandwiches, Demolisher of Dunkin Donuts Coffee, bla bla. And here we have…"
Augusta was quite surprised when Hermione gave her the type of reception that she would expect from a granddaughter.
"Hermione Jean Granger. Or more uncommonly, Lady Granger, Storm-Priestess, Rune-Priestess, Rune-Priestess Granger, but most importantly Moine the primary human slave of Mr. Crookshanks, the cat." She then gave an exaggerated curtsy which demonstrated that she did not take herself seriously.
Harry continued:
"And the rest of miscreants here – Sirius Black, supposedly mass murderer but as you know Fudge is a jackass so that is not true, Uncle Remus Lupin, my older sister Apprentice retainer Lorna Findley and most importantly, Master Healer Priya Singh, my adorable and ever so beautiful adoptive mother."
It was at this point Augusta realised that there were a lot of things that had occurred. Neville had not missed the information – apparently Sirius Black was innocent. Augusta sat down as Sirius offered all the guests refreshments.
"Please, Augusta help yourself to whatever you want. You can have the tea or wine if you want. Or anything else from the kitchen, just ask. Neville, do not be shy to try what you want, you can have any of the snacks or drinks if you are curious about the muggle or as we say, the mundane things. Xeno, you already know what is up. I suppose we should let Harry lead the storytelling, as everything starts with him and Ms Singh."
All three guests looked at Harry, very confused as to how a boy Neville's age could look that big or strong. Harry and Hermione then plonked down on the couch on either side of Neville and hugged him.
"You are one of us now. Hello Godbrother," replied Harry casually
Augusta looked upon how happy Neville seemed as suddenly he felt relaxed and he did not feel nervous about being liked. Everyone was astonished when Harry seemed to summon his wand wandlessly as he said:
"I give a magical oath to tell my story truthfully, the way I have experienced it."
He then paused and took up a sandwich but held it in his hand.
"My dearest Godbrother, and my dearest Gran, mother of my godmother and Mr Lovegood…
This is the story of how Albus Crumple-Fuck, Mugdump Supreme, Chief War-cock, Dogwarts Goat-master and bearded moronic menace left Harry Potter on the doorstep of the last living relatives of Lilly Potter so that he could live in a cupboard, experience starvation, suffer emotional abuse, be denied his magical heritage but lastly, be almost killed by honest to God murder attempt by none other than his guardians. Oh, that was only two years ago and some change…..
Neville was already in stitches, with Harry's low key sass and rude language. However, the faces of the guests began to get serious as soon as they realised that perhaps the humour was a coping mechanism...
"So, you are saying that you had to fight off a piece of the Dark lord after you were beaten to death by your uncle?" Augusta asked utterly distraught.
"Yes. And it is proof that he is alive somehow. I barely escaped with my life. There was also no guarantee I would survive all the injuries. And this was how I met my mother the next day and then Mione right after."
"And you child…..you are saying that apart from your magical heritage, that Morgana herself qualified you to be a Rune-Priestess by your accomplishments? And that chain, comes from her? There is only so much my old heart can take. The things that you people have done in this room, over two years – this much has not happened in two centuries.
No wonder there has been so much talk among the darker houses. They are aware of these changes but are not aware of who is responsible for them. We still attend these annoying parties occasionally, and there is still talk about your identities. Nobody is none the wiser and they are afraid."
Augusta now was looking at Priya and Lorna.
"And both of you took Harry and Hermione in and slowly got both of them prepared. And you Ms Singh! Your entire family adopted him as your own and healed him. You told him his heritage and if I understand, that activated the Peverell Magic." asked Augusta.
"Dame Long…"
"Just Augusta child, leave the posturing for the Wizards and Witches who are not worth anything. What you did, you are so pure of heart. And you Ms Findlay, I have never liked Slytherin house too much after what Bellatrix did to my children. But upon hearing what you did for Harry? Wizards and Witches like you are the future of Slytherin house. Mark my words, child!"
Priya and Lorna did what women usually did when they received comments. They blushed.
"It is remarkable that you suffered so much and you were brought back to such prime health. I consider your development remarkable. You look very tall and strong for your age. How did you manage it?" asked Xeno.
"Ah. You are going to find this fascinating. We have been applying Muggle science to enhance our magical prowess and….."
"Let me clarify this – I have been looking for the Deathly Hallows my whole life, and you are saying that it does not conquer death and your ancestor made the artefacts as a joke?" Xeno enquired.
"Very much so. Glaucon was a bit of a troll. After he built wands for the founders, he decided he wanted to 'amuse himself'. With science and magic at my disposal, I have been pushing the practice even further. Sirius, show our guests your new wand that I made for you."
The wand slowly passed from hand to hand as Augusta felt the cold hard steel and the ridiculous craftsmanship. It felt solid and powerful. She was immediately aware that this wand was not capable of being snapped. The wand seemed to have a large amount of energy stored in it and it felt very balanced. She also found the tip shape fascinating.
"Can you explain the significance of the tip?" she asked.
"Harry designed the tip with a sharp edge. It is meant to be used as a bludgeoning tool. That tip is razor-sharp and will puncture badly. I have no qualms about stabbing some of the Death Munchers in the neck with it, and then firing off a Bombarda."
Augusta understood that Sirius who was okay with stunning in the last Wizarding War was certainly going to kill this time around.
"So, you are saying after finding out Sirius was innocent, and after learning enough magic, you got into business and then used the absurd amount of money you earned to build an entirely new class of artefacts? And then you decided to launch an attack on Azkaban, and to do everything under Dumbledore's nose?" said Augusta, even more bewildered.
"Correct, but I didn't start from scratch. I had help from my parents' journals and the Peverell coin reserves. We had to build and test a lot of things. Then we had to sometimes pray that what we freshly built, would stay reliable in the field. We had to think about how we could creatively exploit the magical systems, with tools and technology that Wizards were clueless about.
What made the rescue operation a success, was the ability to fly without a broom, and to be able to generate shields with magical power sources that far outstrip a wizard's ability to provide energy. We can afford to hold continuous protegos, and we even modified the spells. Our guns could easily offer accuracy from a minimum of two hundred feet. Actual range? About 1800 feet. The Aurors had a had a terrible time at Azkaban."
"You young man, are so much like Lilly Potter, you have no idea."
"Gran, that comment pleases me to no end. We would like to demo our newest shielding devices. Then we would like to show you standard Muggle guns and then our improved magical versions. I think this will be beneficial as you will understand how we plan to wage war on those jackasses." Harry commented.
Neville and Augusta saw assault rifles and sub-machine guns in action. Then came the pulse rifles, the pulse shotgun and even his sword. Then the tour focused on the armour and the other projects. Augusta and Neville came to conclude that Harry and Hermione were not only brilliant. They were stark, raving mad and bordering on insane.
"So now, my lovely guests we have everything in play. The Purebloods are none the wiser. As you can see, my method for apparition is much more efficient. Science is very much important to the advancement of magic. We can intent modify spells and all of our weapons and armour use tweaked versions of standard spells. Hermione and I will not be attending Hogwarts, so naturally, we want Neville and Luna trained and properly armed. When the time is right, we will reappear.
As for you Xeno, Luna will work from home when we outfit her with what she needs. We are also planning to have the Weasleys in our corner. We plan to push for their return as a most Ancient and Most Noble house, as soon as they pay the four million galleon penalty fee. We could pay that like nothing from our money, but I am thinking to provide them with the right opportunities and they will make their own income. They just need some pointers, they have the work ethic already from what I have heard. This is not limited to them, I plan to get all my allies rolling in galleons."
"You have thought this out quite well. I must admit I am very impressed. I feel like I am speaking to an adult."
"Hermione and I get that all the time. The early regimen we adopted has matured our brains and body much faster than most. I think our new students will benefit from the methods we use…."
"Will anyone else will be in our alliance, Harry?" Augusta asked.
"We also plan to approach Lord Greengrass, when the time is right. Lady Greengrass cared enough to look for me. Lord Davis will also be included, both of them are similarly minded."
"They have always been fair and they respect everyone, regardless of blood."
"I know, but they are close to the Darker Houses because of their success with their businesses. I do know that the Darker Houses plan to pressure them, eventually. That is another reason why I am getting the business arm of the operation ready.
Lucius Malfoy will have to contend with House Weasley, House Greengrass and House Davis being in positions of power where they cannot be threatened. House Weasley will work to galvanize the old alliances they had with the minor light sided houses, House Longbottom will lead the charge. House Greengrass and House Davis will gather the neutrals. House Black will be the link, to cut Albus Dumbledore off. The Lovegoods will be our media and news front. We are going to set up a method for communication that does not rely on Ministry methods. All the advertisements and other things for our products will happen through the Quibbler.
House Potter will eventually come to the front as the banner. House Peverell and House Granger will secure whatever we need, with total economic control, along with the threat of large amounts of violence. Any threats particularly against us, and we are fucking killing the lot of them."
"That is indeed a stroke of genius. I like it!" Xeno replied as Augusta nodded.
"It is a lot of plotting, but I hope it works. Finally, as I said I am presumed dead. Oh right, to close the oath up…..Lumos!"
When the oath went into effect and the bright light demonstrated only the truth had been spoken.
Sirius then explained:
"I consider Harry and Hermione my children. Both of them will be magically adopted into the House of Black. Not as direct heirs, but as a son and daughter. I was interested in Harry or Hermione as direct heirs but they already are swimming in enough magic. I will have to adopt them as a son and daughter of house Black. I plan to squeeze all the Dark Wanker's old friends. That being said, let this be a show of my commitment.
Herald! The Obsidian calls you forth!"
A huge nine-headed snake appeared. Augusta looked on in awe as she saw the fearsome snake. She also observed that Sirius did not need the incantation to summon the family magic. It obeyed totally.
"The Black House magic used to be a snake totem. I ripped it all down and started anew. This snake is of great significance. The Hindus call him the Seshnaga. He protects their main deity Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe when he sleeps. Make no mistake here, there is no evil here. This Snake represents something that is inherently holy. Ms Singh happens to be a practitioner of the faith."
Augusta and everyone else looked at her as she nodded. Augusta realised that an entirely new chapter of Black history was being written before her eyes.
"I as Lord Black command the Black House Magic to kill Bellatrix Lestrange nee. Black for her actions against House Longbottom! The Black magic serves Black interests! From after my Grandfather to now, House Black has knelt to some madman. The Blacks do not bow to anyone!"
Herald then spoke:
"Bellatrix Lestrange cannot be killed by the Black magic. Primacy was not invoked in the marriage contract. Bellatrix is equally Lestrange too in the eyes of magic. However, you may punish her in any other way" Herald answered.
"Very well – give her the Narcissa Malfoy treatment. No facilities, no passage, no resources, no Black House magic, no Black spells, not even a damned knut. Strike the word Black from her tongue and thoughts so that she may never speak or think the name!"
"The House magic finds this alternative satisfying. We do as you command Lord Black," Herald answered.
The ring glowed and Bellatrix in Azkaban suddenly felt the Back Magic totally leave her. She had heard rumours that Sirius had escaped. How dare he cast her out of House _ _ _ _ _ . Suddenly Bellatrix could remember nothing. Bellatrix could only remember that she had grown up in a great prestigious house and it was House _ _ _ _ _
Nothing. She had no House Name.
Suddenly the Lestrange Magic claimed her and she now understood that she was only Bellatrix Lestrange. She used to be someone before Bellatrix Lestrange. Was it House _ _ _ _ _?
Nothing.
All Bellatrix could understand is that her cousin Sirius had robbed her of something and he would pay, for whatever it is he had done. Somebody had rescued Sirius recently, and now he had control of everything.
Filthy mudblood lover.
"I find myself satisfied tonight, Sirius. I think we all had a good time and we are now aware of your plans Harry. I am impressed. I expect Neville to spend as much time as possible as I hope he will learn much. I had always been worried that he would not be magical and I hoped that he would take in the footsteps of his father."
"Ah, I understand. Consider this - Neville carries the blood of Aunty Alice too. He may observe the traditions like his father, but he has his mother in him too. That means that he must understand his path. The Greeks had a maxim - know thyself. He must explore himself fully and his magic will flow powerfully. What if the crucial experience that will truly let him know himself is in the mundane world of all places? You can never know. As for his magic, let me just check if he has any problems. Mage sight is one of the perks of my house Magic - this gift allows me to see magic."
Harry's eyes glowed positively green and luminous as he looked over Neville's body. Harry's scrutinising gaze carefully inspected Neville and the boy sat in utter dread, as he wondered if he was a squib. The evening had already gone too well, something bad would have to occur now. Neville waited apprehensively.
Augusta found Harry's perspective to be filled with wisdom. How could a young man know that much? She supposed he had paid a high cost for the knowledge. He had suffered much pain. Perhaps she had been wrong, as to Neville's expectations? Perhaps, he truly needed people his age to talk to? These thoughts plagued her mind and she looked on.
Harry continued:
"So, he packs a punch but he feels uncomfortable and unsure of himself. The magic seems a bit stuck in his upper back and spine. Intense exercise will clear that blockage out, and also expand his core efficiency considerably. There is something else there. I can tell I am looking like something sort of similar to my magic. Possibly there might be Druidic magic at play."
"Druidic Magic?" asked Augusta, clearly confused.
"Yes. Lord Moldypant's death was engineered by my mother. She found a piece of Nordic Warlock magic and she enhanced it with a Druidic ritual. I can tell flat out his magical signature shares the same characteristics with what my mother left with me."
"I know of the Druids, but there is no written history of them. I may have to consult the family Grimoire." Commented Augusta.
"Worst case scenario and there are no written records, no problem. Druids always communed with nature. Neville will retool the usage of the powers by merely meditating and asking nature to guide him. Mother has some records – I mean Lilly Potter. I will dig. I think she had some of that ancestry in her."
"What does all this mean?" asked Neville.
"It means buddy that you have a magical monster begging to be let out. You just need the right treatment. We will help you embrace the old and the new simultaneously. Standard schooling will not do, to truly unleash the power in you. We will work on that privately. One of the sad things we have realised is that standard public schooling of any kind is not good for obtaining excellence. You always need a personal touch. That is why we self-study. Both of us already know almost all spells up to the seventh year for Defence against the Dark Arts, Charms and we also know Runes quite well. Hermione is working on arithmancy by herself, and she is an absolute crack shot at that.
You will be trained. Properly."
Neville's face suddenly brightened up as he realised that he wasn't useless. His Uncle Algie had threatened to drop him from the window if his magic had not manifested. Neville promised himself to work hard, now that he felt a little better about himself. Hermione then left and came back quickly with a little chain in her hand. She gingerly put it on Neville's wrist.
"This is an anti-legilimency chain developed by Morgana herself. It prevents people from reading your mind. You don't have to take any oaths, just keep everything a secret. That will do. Understand Neville, our lifestyle is demanding. When we are done with you, you will be so dangerous with a wand and your hands, they won't mess with you."
Neville nodded.
"Well, this has been entertaining. I am glad my Luna will become strong and she will protect herself. During the last Wizarding War, they did attempt to hunt me down because I refused to publish in favour of the Death Eater's interest. I will not be caught unprepared again."
"Here Gran, these are copies of the memories that we made beforehand. Understand we left out a lot in our explanations. These memories give you full context as to how the operations were carried out. The second operation is for your own eyes only. That one was rather disturbing and it cost us a lot personally. But do watch it."
"Understood granddaughter. Harry, I will leave it up to you to help Neville. I think your company will be good for him. I do notice he likes the hugs from both of you. He had always been quiet."
Neville blushed.
"I do suppose it is time to go home. This has been illuminating. I will continue in Wizengamot sessions to monitor the situation and I will see how we may work toward our goals as an alliance. Sirius, I assume you will reveal yourself during the Yuletide season?"
"I will. We have several refurbishment and contract jobs to finish. The Goblin King himself is expecting personal retrofits to Gringotts and a weapons delivery. The French are also expecting the same. Harry gets the Hufflepuff energy from his mother, he works like a badger."
Harry smiled and Priya blushed.
"I will be happy to publish articles that highlight the advancements in the Muggle world. If you ever decide that your interests would be served by penning your ideas, I will not hesitate. I am also interested in some of the new items I have been introduced to this evening. I think I love fountain tipped pens very much."
"Not to worry, we can help you with what you need. Grace!" Harry replied.
Grace then flew over to the couch.
Harry kissed Augusta politely on the cheek while Hermione brought out a couple of bags of rather interesting snacks for both Neville and Luna. In the bags were two high-quality bottles of wine, right from Harry's vineyard. Harry and Hermione then both hugged Neville and Xeno respectively. Grace then alighted on Augusta's shoulder and carried both her and her grandson home. When Grace reappeared, she carried Xeno to his home.
After the visitors had left, the warding security was reactivated. Once again, Peverell Manor became invisible to the letters and the tracking charms that were on their way. Most of the items fell dead, and the others began to make their way back to their places of origin.
When Harry sat down, he felt light-hearted as it had been nice to talk about what happened. Meanwhile, Neville and Augusta began to chat, after the night had passed, when they were back at Longbottom manor.
"Well, Neville, what do you think?"
"Gran, Harry and Hermione are the best! I have friends now!" replied Neville brightly.
"I can sense their magic very faintly. They will protect you and love you, till the end of time. I can feel it. Your job is to honour their sacrifice and honour your parents. You will not be like your father, or your mother. I do believe that Harry has taught me something tonight. I have been wrong because I was afraid. I am sorry if I have been harsh. You are all that I have. I will do better, I promise."
Augusta hugged her grandson, with tears in her eyes.
"You will be you, and you will surpass both of your parents because you are Neville Longbottom, the future Lord Longbottom."
Neville's back straightened as suddenly the approval began to show in his eyes. His Magic responded and suddenly Neville seemed so alive. Augusta was pleased - perhaps he could keep his father's wand as a keepsake. Harry would build him an entirely new type of wand that would mirror his new destiny.