Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Harry Potter
October 14th, 2017
Harry wrapped his arms around his daughter tightly, burying his face into her hair to hide how watery his eyes were. Lily didn't seem to understand why her father was so desperate to hold her, but appreciated it anyway, patting him on the back and telling him all about the day she had spent with her mother.
Her mother, Ginny Potter, was far more astute. "What happened, Harry?" she asked, placing a concerned hand on his shoulder. They were in their home, outside of London, and they were safe. Mikael hadn't attacked them.
"Not here," Harry murmured, shaking his head. "I need you to take Lily and go to Hogwarts. Tell Minerva that we'll be staying there for the foreseeable future."
"Harry, what happened?" Ginny asked, worry plain in her voice. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine, but you need to take Lily there now. We'll send some House-elves to retrieve our belongings, but I'll feel a lot better once you're secure."
"Harry," Ginny began to say.
"Now, Ginny!" Harry regretted his harsh tone instantly, able to tell that he went too far by how Lily flinched in his arms. He never needed to raise his voice, not even when James and Albus were misbehaving, not even when Teddy exploded the back wall of their home. But never had his family been in so much danger as now.
"Time to go, Lily. Daddy has work to do," Ginny said, taking Lily from Harry's arms. The cold look in her eye hurt Harry, but he needed them safe.
"Stevens, go with them and make sure they're safe," Harry ordered to one of the Aurors that was watching his back. Jeff Stevens, a recent Hogwarts graduate, gave him a nod before placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder. A moment later, he disappeared, taking Harry's family with him.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the other Auror, who was listening to a Patronus murmur in his ear. The lynx disappeared a moment later, and the Auror, Lenny Pierce, spoke, "Malfoy Manor has been confirmed destroyed, sir. No trace of survivors found."
"That makes ten so far," Harry said, closing his eyes. Pierce cleared his throat. "What?"
"It's thirteen, sir. I received word of the others while you were occupied with your family," Pierce explained. Harry growled.
"Of course, there was more. Why wouldn't there be more? It's not like Mikael isn't already a big enough pain in the ass," Harry muttered. "Has the Portkey Office reported anything?"
Harry was referencing the map of Great Britain, created by his great-grandfather, who spent a decade burying thousands of wardstones all over the country, to create a map that could track wizards. Unfortunately, due to the population density of Great Britain, tracking Mikael was a shot in the dark.
"Not yet, sir."
Harry sighed. "Bloody fantastic. Alright, we know he's moving north, have Aurors already been sent to the homes of the Purebloods north of London?"
"Some of them, sir. The issue is there are hundreds; we don't know which ones are in the most danger," Pierce explained. The Auror was from Canada and seemed mostly unconcerned with the fate of the British Purebloods. "Sir, are we staying here much longer? It's a danger zone."
Harry looked once more at his home. "No, we're returning to Egypt, I need to speak with the High Chancellor."
A nausea-inducing Portkey later, Harry was back in Egypt and walking down ancient stone halls. Nicolas' secretary waved him in, and Pierce remained behind to chat her up. Harry entered.
"Potter, good of you to join us," Nicolas said. Harry nearly winced at his mentor's tone. He opened his mouth to apologize for his earlier actions, but Nicolas waved him off. "What's happening in England?"
"Mikael has destroyed thirteen Pureblood homes so far. The attacks are random, but he's definitely headed north, although we don't know why," Harry quickly explained. A light pressure on his Occlumency made him glare at Zhen, who grinned at him from the corner.
Nicolas hummed. "Could he be going for Hogwarts?"
That sent a sharp feeling of fear through Harry. But then reason asserted itself. "Would he start that far south if he wanted to attack Hogwarts? It'd be a good way to exhaust his army," Harry asked.
"Well, there's nothing else of value to the Wizarding World north of London. Not even Stonehenge, not after we depowered the runes on it," Nicolas growled.
Suddenly, it clicked. "He's not attacking the Wizarding World," Harry said in horror.
"What are you talking about, of course he is."
"No, he's drawing us on a wild chase. These attacks are distractions!" Harry said. "He's after the Muggles."
"To what end? What do the Muggles have that Mikael wants?" Nicolas asked. Harry's blood went cold as he realized Mikael's intentions.
"Us. He wants them to turn against us. While we're focused on this, we aren't looking at the Muggle world," Harry said. "I need to get back to England; we can stop this if we contact the Muggles."
"Go with him, Zhen," Nicolas ordered.
"Sir?"
"Nicolas?"
Nicolas waved them both off. "We don't know who we can trust over there. Zhen will smooth things over with her Legimincy while you work on finding Mikael," he said with a significant look toward the witch. She nodded.
Something about how Nicolas said that bothered Harry, but he put it aside for the time being. Besides, he could see the value of having Zhen assist, even if he didn't like personally. Harry left a moment later, with the silent woman following him closely.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Harry and Zhen made good time back to England, and even better time in contacting M. The mysterious man agreed to meet them in an out of of the way warehouse that Harry didn't doubt served a dual purpose as a safe house. Before they left, Harry made sure he and Zhen were on the same page.
"You will not curse him," Harry warned. "I've worked hard to develop a good relationship with the Muggles, and I will not have you threatening that because you don't like the way he looks at you."
Zhen smiled at Harry, the dark glint of amusement gleaming in her eyes. "I will do whatever is necessary to protect us, Undersecretary Potter. Besides, I do not feel threatened by a Muggle. Do you?"
Harry ignored her mocking question and Apparated the pair to the street outside the warehouse. Almost immediately, the pair froze as four men with assault rifles held them at gunpoint. "Identify yourselves," one of the masked men demanded.
"Harry and Zhen," Harry reluctantly said. Another man pulled out a radio.
"They're here, sir."
There was no answer, as instead, a nearby door opened up. The four men gestured with their weapons for Harry and Zhen to enter, before turning their attention back to their surroundings, returning to lookout duty. The magicals entered.
The warehouse was full of activity. Muggles sat at computers, using satellite imagery to track various scenes of destruction. To Harry's shock, he recognized one image as Malfoy Manor, and he quickly realized that the Muggles were somehow tracking and looking at Mikael's attacks.
"Potter, over here," M's voice said. The man stood in the doorway of an office. All three entered, and M shut the door, granting them privacy.
"What the hell is going on, Potter?" M asked as he sat behind his desk. He threw an old cup of coffee out of his way, uncaring how it splashed the wall by the trashcan. He looked tired.
"Mikael the werewolf is attacking Pureblood houses, killing everyone and burning them to the ground. He started east of London and is heading north, but because of how random his attacks are, we think they're a distraction. We think he has a Muggle target he's trying to lead us away from. Is there anything south-east of London that could be a target?" Harry asked, cutting straight to the point.
M started swearing, shocking Harry. He pulled out a cellphone and quickly stabbed a few buttons before holding it to his ear. He barely had to wait before someone on the other end picked up. "Shut up. Brass Tacks. Elephant. Omega Orange. Patriarch. Stop complaining and patch me into the general's line."
The room was silent as the two magicals watched M silently stew angrily. Someone must have spoken on the other line. "Shut up, Irons. I've received intel that says an MW-Level threat is on its way to you as we speak. Slash and burn everything and fall back to secondary locations. Take it up with the PM then, just get our people out of there!" M threw the phone against a wall, shattering it.
"I take it something is there?" Harry asked. M shot him a withering glare before drawing in a deep breath to calm himself down.
"In recent years, there have been concerns about threats to our military assets due to wizards," M spat. "We created a new bunker outside of London, a fail-safe that we could use to direct our military assets if the other locations we have were compromised, as we believe they are, by wizards."
"He's hiding something," Zhen suddenly said. Harry and M both twisted to look at her. "He's realized I'm a Legimincer, and now he's trying to not think about something."
"You brought a mindreader here!" M demanded, glaring at Harry. His hand reached for something in his desk, but Zhen's wand was faster, petrifying him in his seat. Zhen moved in front of him to make eye contact.
"If you resist, it'll hurt more," Zhen purred, before striking. Her Legimincy slammed into M's mind, and the man stiffened even further.
As much as Harry felt distaste at Zhen's actions, he couldn't find it in himself to condemn them. The world was too dangerous right now, and if there was a threat to it or his family, Harry would sacrifice a lot to keep it safe. Zhen pulled back.
"The Muggles are working on weapons to kill magicals," she said, contempt filling her words. "They've been kidnapping witches and wizards and using them as test subjects."
Harry was horrified. "Can we save them?" he asked. Zhen shook her head.
"He told someone called General Irons to slash and burn everything. He was talking about the captured wizards. But that's not the only thing on his mind. He's been plotting to betray the wizards for years."
"What?" Harry asked aghast.
Zhen chuckled. "Surprised your colleague had ulterior motives, Undersecretary? We can use him, though."
Before Harry could react, to ask what she meant or say anything, Zhen pointed her wand between M's eyes. "Imperio."
In an instant, Harry's wand was in his hands and pointed at Zhen. "Turn over your wand now, Zhen. You're under arrest."
Zhen gave him a mocking smile. "You're not an Auror, Undersecretary. Besides, the High Chancellor authorized the use of Unforgiveables on Muggles under extenuating circumstances. This man plotting with the others to kill and control wizards? Extenuating circumstances."
Harry was stunned at Zhen's words. Nicolas Flamel, his mentor, authorized the use of Unforgiveables? What the hell was going on?
"You're lying," Harry said, his wand steady even though his nerves were not. "Nicolas would not do that."
"He did. He made the decision after your failed attempt at diplomacy earlier. He reasoned that if you couldn't avail to their better nature, then it was unlikely anyone could. He realized he needed to focus on the good of the Wizarding World, and Muggles have no place there. Anything goes now."
Harry did not like Zhen's smile. But he liked even less the realization that this happened because he failed at convincing two mad Muggles to peace. Was this to be his legacy? The domination of Muggles under Wizards? Harry wondered if this is what the world would have been like nineteen years ago if Voldemort had won.
During the absence of his response, Zhen had turned her attention back to M, quietly murmuring orders to him. Harry looked at M, remembering the years the two men had worked together, trying to puzzle out magical cases and missing persons. He then remembered Zhen's words, about how M had planned to betray wizards for years.
Harry reluctantly holstered his wand and stuck his hands in his jacket pocket. As he silently watched Zhen work, he stuck his hand in another pocket, pulling out two coins. Harry began to turn them over and over again, running his thumb over their surfaces as he tried to settle his thoughts. He Apparated away.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Daphne Greengrass
October 14th, 2017
Daphne stood calmly in the heart of the Ministry of Magic; her eyes never straying from the door in front of her. It was like hundreds of other doors in the building, bland and boring, but what it led to was anything but. It led to the Portkey Office and the map of Britain.
She was invisible, or as close to invisible a witch under a Disillusionment Charm could be. A few Notice-me-not and Silencing Spells also covered her, making the distinction academic. Maybe she would pose the discussion to a few ex-Ravenclaws and watch their brains melt.
She watched witches and wizards pass through the door, each wearing fluffy earmuffs that she knew to be enchanted with powerful Silencing Charms. A shimmer gleamed on the door, the only indication of another Silencing Charm, one that had to be recast every day lest the unholy racket made by the map of Britain as it pinged the location of every magical deafen everyone. That was the reason why Daphne was here.
The doorway opened, and a witch exited, an exhausted look in her eyes. Daphne took careful aim with her hand and sent two wandless spells toward the witch. The witch moved to the side at just the right moment, letting both spells pass her, but both had two different effects.
The first spell would disrupt the link between the map and the thousands of wardstones all around Great Britain. Slowly they would begin to fail, cascading into one another and exploding where they were buried in the ground. It would cause an impressive amount of damage, but it wouldn't be world ending. It was just part of the plan.
But the second spell was much more dangerous in Daphne's opinion, and why she was under multiple Silencing Spells that didn't just remove the sounds she made, but also prevented certain sounds from reaching her. It disabled the Silencing Charm on the Portkey Office's door.
No sooner had it hit than an ear-splitting racket filled the air. Every magical within eyesight collapsed, their hands desperately pressed over their ears, trying to keep the noise out. Blood began to trickle from their ears.
But that wasn't Daphne's concern. She was already moving, walking calming and invisibly through the building, moving around the writhing magicals. Some of the more intelligent ones were casting Silencing Charms upon themselves, trying to block out the noise. Daphne ignored them, and their attempts at trying to recover.
Unknown to the magicals in the former Ministry of Magic building, but the noise could be heard by the Muggles above. London was in a panic as the noise filled the streets, damaging eardrums and causing accidents all over the city. It was the loudest sound ever recorded, and not one anyone would soon forget.
Daphne moved to the lifts and calmly entered. It began to move down without her physical input, as she used her magic to push the button needed. It was a petty parlor trick, but one she was fond of, as it helped portray the image she effortlessly projected—namely, that of a powerful witch.
A moment later, she was stepping off on level nine, home of the Department of Mysteries. She moved without hurry through the halls and down staircases, finally arriving at an unmarked door. It swung open at her touch.
Several blasts of colorful light raced toward Daphne, ancient and forbidden magics designed to restrain and subdue. Daphne raised a careless hand, conjuring simple stone discs to intercept each one, before banishing the remains into the Department of Mysteries. She followed behind them, dispelling the spells that hid her.
Daphne ducked underneath the next spell, casting one back in return. The wizard it hit liquified, turning into water, splashing and startling the other six cloaked witches and wizards with him. They eyed Daphne much more warily, moving to encircle her.
"Daphne Greengrass, you're under arrest for the murder of an Unspeakable. Hands up!" one of the figures barked. Daphne smiled.
"No."
Immediately the air was filled with more spells, curses, hexes, and charms not seen for hundreds of years by other magicals flew toward Daphne with lethal intent. It was an onslaught that would be capable of giving the Dark Lord Voldemort pause; it was this very might that made him so reluctant to force his will on the secretive department.
Daphne was unmoved. Literally, as the wall of magic slammed into a barrier around her, flashing with all the colors of a rainbow as it absorbed the hostile magic. She stood calmly as the Unspeakables continued their assault, not even twitching when one of them cast a Killing Curse directly at her face.
A small stone disc burst into being outside the shield, intercepting the spell and exploding. Daphne didn't even twitch as fragments skated across the protection that wrapped around her. The Unspeakables began to vary their attacks, trying to pierce the shield using Enchantments, magical artifacts, and Transfiguration. She smiled.
The Unspeakables didn't know she wasn't maintaining the shield at all, that it was tied to a brand new field of magic, named Personal Wards that had been developed at Cape Horn. They weren't as powerful as regular wards, but they had an advantage that made that a non-issue:
Daphne moved, the shield moving with her. The Unspeakables panicked as she closed in, and her hand wrapped around an Unspeakable's throat. She clenched, and inhuman strength crushed the man's throat, snapping his neck and causing him to collapse instantly. The other Unspeakables paused as they looked at their fallen comrade, staring at her in fear as understanding dawned. Daphne's smile was distinctly wolfish as she moved once more.
Thump went her heart, pumping once in her chest. Her hands slashed through another Unspeakable's chest. The force sent the witch into the ground, breaking bones. Her heart thumped once more as Daphne lunged across the room, backhanding an Unspeakable into the wall, killing him instantly. A curse left her other hand, splitting an Unspeakable in half, and sending his blood flying. Thump.
The remaining Unspeakables reacted much better than their comrades, managing to snap off a spell each while Daphne was focused on killing their friends. Thump. It helped them not as Daphne descended on them with a fury not unlike a storm, tearing them apart into bloody chunks with her bare hands, using inhuman strength. Thump. Thump. The spells impacted the walls harmlessly.
The only sounds Daphne could hear through her modified Silencing Charm was the blood that dripped onto the floor. She paid no attention to the puddles of blood she stepped through to reach the center of the room, looking around at the doors that circled the room. She pulled out her mirror and tapped it once to activate it.
"Clear," she said.
A heartbeat passed before the room was filled with dozens of new figures, all dressed in black armor. Layered scales covered their bodies, with heavy plates covering vital sections. Their helmets were sharp, lengthening in an angry snarl, perpetually frozen in a wolf's visage. None bore weapons, but their hands were sharp like claws, and each was taller than Daphne by a full head.
"Neutralize the other Unspeakables and begin our raiding efforts," Daphne ordered. One of the figures nodded as everyone else broke off to carry out their orders. Three more approached Daphne, taking up positions at the door leading in the Ministry of Magic. She ignored them.
"Release the Dementors once you're done here. Seal the physical exits, but break down the wards. We want survivors, not a complete massacre," Daphne said. The lone soldier nodded.
"Yes, Lady Dantes," a masculine voice said, deeper than natural. The man bowed to her. "Your sister has been asking for you non-stop."
Daphne smiled. "She should settle down now that her husband arrived there."
That seemed to surprise the soldier. "We're letting in Death Eaters now, my lady?"
"No. Lord Dantes put an additional test against Draco, and he somehow managed to pass it. It isn't something that will be repeated, and he'll be watched closely to make sure it wasn't a mistake."
Daphne could see how her words didn't exactly comfort the soldier, but he was professional enough to hold his tongue. She gave him a kind smile. "Don't worry. It isn't a test any of the other Death Eaters could have passed, nor will they be given the opportunity to," she said to reassure him. He nodded.
"Very well, Lady Dantes. Your sister and husband await your return in Acropolis," he said, before joining the other three soldiers at the door. Daphne smiled for an entirely different reason, before reaching into her pouch. No sooner had her fingers touched the Riddle Coin that lay there, than she vanished from the room, Portkeyed thousands of kilometers away in an instant.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Alexander Dantes
Ten Years Ago
"We need to start building the shell here," Alexander said, pointing to a spot on the model before him. There were a dozen witches and wizards with him on his balcony, each heading one of the work crews working on the Acropolis. "It's vitally important you only connect it to the pillars we've built, not the platforms."
"Why?" Jennifer Davis asked. She was a thirty-year-old witch from America and bouncing a baby on her hip. She and a wizard from Kenya had been married last year and had recently had their first child.
Alexander appreciated the blunt question. "The enchantment I intend to weave on the shell will turn it partially see-through, namely on the inside. From the outside, it will look like a mountain, but for those of us living on the inside, we'll be able to look through it without issue. If we connect the shell and platforms, we run the risk of creating invisible floors or see-through roofs."
"The pillars won't be an issue?" a wizard from India asked. Alexander was a little annoyed it took him a moment to remember his name was Mohinder. There were tens of thousands of people living at Cape Horn now, and he couldn't know them all.
"The enchantment can only attach itself to certain surfaces—the curves of the shell, for example, and walls and floors. You might have noticed we left the pillars rough? It'll disrupt the enchantment, preventing it from attaching."
"But not the shell? Your design is rocky," Jennifer said. Her baby gurgled, almost in agreement, causing a few of those in attendance to smile.
"The outside is, but not the inside. We're smoothing the inside of the shell so that the enchantment can take hold, and so people don't walk into invisible rocks. I want us to have a hell of a view, not concussions."
The group laughed in appreciation, but Jennifer still wasn't convinced. "It just seems like a lot of work to go through. We have your magic lights and such, why would we go through the effort of this enchantment?"
Alexander smiled. "I could tell you, but I think when you finally see what I have planned, you'll appreciate the surprise even more. Besides, this enchantment can also be used to allow sunlight to pass through, acting as another source of light. I hope that's enough to mollify you?"
"For now," Jennifer sniffed. Everyone laughed.
"Does anyone else have any questions or concerns?" Alexander asked the group. Nobody spoke up. "Very well, let me know if any issues arise. You're all dismissed."
The group broke up, casual conversation arising between them. Alexander smiled at how they acted, how they were focused on a shared goal. This was precisely the kind of behavior and personalities he sought when he sent the Riddle Coins out into the world. A woman clearing her voice behind him alerted Alexander he had company.
"Sir? The Welcoming Committee flagged a new arrival," Joanna Finch said. She was an Irish lass, and her full, welcoming smile and open personality made her a perfect fit for welcoming new arrivals.
"Yes, Joanna? What's the issue?" Usually, they would wait to submit a report at the end of the day, a trivial thing that he could often ignore. That she was here this early in the morning meant something unusual must have happened.
"Well, it's a werewolf, sir. I mean, he is. He's a werewolf," Joanna said, getting flustered. Alexander raised a hand to calm her down.
"That's fine. This is our first werewolf, correct?" Alexander asked.
Joanna nodded. "Yes, sir. But we're not really sure about what to do. The Veela settled without issue, as did the Yuki-onna, even if we did have to settle them on opposite ends of the settlement. We just don't know what we need for a werewolf," she finished with a half-hearted shrug.
Alexander nearly rolled his eyes at the reminder of the near-human magicals they had welcomed into their camp. Things had been fine until the first Veela arrived, and she had instinctively reacted to the cold the Yuki-onna generated. The ensuing fight had flash frozen and burned four homes before Alexander managed to separate them. Daphne had found the entire thing far too amusing.
Taking pity on Joanna, who was still standing there awkwardly, he smiled. "Take me to him. I'll handle this."
That caused Joanna to perk up. "Yes, sir!"
The pair left, making their way through the Cape Horn settlement. The years had been kind to the people and their homes, becoming more refined with each year, although Alexander made sure they were all aware that it would only be for a few more years. The Acropolis loomed in the distance after all, and even the naysayers looked forward to finally claiming the structure as their home.
But for now, Cape Horn was home. Dirt paths had been replaced by stone, squat buildings built upon to make larger ones. In the distance, Alexander knew there to be farms and ranches, supplying food for the hungry workers, and he knew that underneath his feet, there were dozens of workshops churning out stone for the massive Acropolis behind them.
They arrived in the welcome area, which was where all Riddle Coins were targeted to land. A miniature statue of the completed Acropolis sat here in a fountain, reminding everyone of what they were there to do. Joanna led Alexander to a man who lounged under an apple tree, munching on an apple. The werewolf was almost as scarred as Alexander and immediately stood when they approached.
"I thought you said there weren't any other wolves here, girl?" the werewolf asked. Joanna looked offended on Alexander's behalf. Alexander wasn't.
"I'm not a werewolf, my friend, I've just been in far more fights than most wizards," Alexander said. He examined the man thoroughly, noting his small size and muscles, and thinning hair. The werewolf had obviously been living poorly for many years.
The werewolf wrinkled his nose. "Probably weak wizards," he scoffed.
"Would you care to try your teeth?" Alexander asked, baring his own. The werewolf laughed, a harsh sound not unlike a hyena.
"Well, at least someone here has balls. My name is Mikael," the werewolf said. He offered his hand mockingly as if he already knew Alexander wouldn't take it.
But Alexander did, taking and squeezing it tightly enough that the werewolf gave him a curious glance. "You may call me Alexander. Your accent is German, yes? But you speak English."
Mikael grunted. "I was born in Germany. I lived my whole life as a respected wizard until that bastard Greyback bit me. The German wizards found me and gave me a one-way Portkey ride to Canada. Been living there ever since until this nifty little coin appeared one day."
He held up a Riddle Coin in his hands. "Was a nasty shock when I first tried to spend it, and it wouldn't leave my hand. The shopkeeper nearly cursed me."
"I'm sorry my coin gave you such troubles, it wasn't my intent, I swear," Alexander offered. Mikael gave him a suspicious look.
"I'm not giving you MY coin," he said challengingly. Alexander laughed.
"No, you misunderstand, the coin belongs to you, and it always will. I merely created it."
"You created money?" Mikael asked, impressed. It was against one of Gamp's Laws, after all.
"No, I created a test," Alexander explained. Mikael looked lost. "I wanted to find people who were creative, daring, and intelligent, who wanted to live for something more. You've managed to pass that test."
Mikael frowned at him. "I don't understand. How does a coin test for those things?"
"The runes on them do the test. The coins are how I spread the test to the entire world, looking for people who were ready to move beyond relying on their wands," Alexander explained. He had a feeling explaining the finer nuances of the runic language he created would escape the werewolf. "You should feel proud, you've done something millions of wizards are unable to."
That caused the werewolf to puff out his chest. He then deflated. "I don't have a wand. The government snapped it before the exiled me."
Alexander smiled and summoned a rock from the ground to his hand, stunning Mikael with his careless use of wandless magic. "Hold out your coin like so," Alexander ordered. Mikael reluctantly mimicked him.
"Cast a Levitation Charm on it," Alexander said. Mikael glared at him and opened his mouth to give a sharp retort, but Alexander cut him off. "It's what the coins train wizards to do. Most cannot feel their magic without touching their wands, and that ability is vital to solving the coin. That you did so without a wand tells me that you have more than enough of a connection with your magic to perform wandless magic. So do it."
Mikael glared at Alexander but turned his attention to his coin. He muttered angrily under his breath, focusing intently on his coin. But Alexander could tell that the werewolf was pushing it, going about it all wrong.
"Magic is not fueled by anger, Mikael. It is fueled by need and will power. Every month your bones break, and your skin rips as the werewolf within bursts out. Focus on the will that gets you through those moments, and embrace your need for the coin to rise," Alexander whispered.
Mikael did as Alexander instructed and was stunned when the coin in his hand rose. It drifted only slightly, and Alexander watched with no small amount of amusement as Mikael's face was filled with wonder as he felt his magic do something long denied to him. Tears fell from Mikael's eyes, and he caught the coin when it fell.
Alexander clapped a hand on Mikael's shoulder, gaining his attention. "Welcome to Cape Horn, Mikael. You and I are going to do remarkable things. When the full moon arrives, we'll provide a Portkey to a safe location for you to change. Joanna? Could you show Mikael around while I work on building him a house? We'll meet back here in an hour."
Joanna nodded, and took the still stunned werewolf's arm, leading him away. Alexander smiled as they walked, pocketing the vial of Mikael's blood he held in his hand. Remarkable things indeed.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
Much later, after Alexander showed Mikael his new home, and left the werewolf to settle in, Alexander was back in his workshop. While he wanted to dive into studying Mikael's blood, Alexander was still working with another, fascinating branch of magic that he was almost certain had never been explored by magicals anywhere: Personal Wards.
Wards had long been anchored to buildings and locations to fulfill a variety of functions, such as cleaning, repairing, protecting, and attacking. They could usually be layered, stacked upon one another in such a way as to strengthen the overall protection available. Objects as small as a shoebox could be warded, but they all had the same limitation: Wards could not be anchored to moving objects.
Which annoyed the hell out of Alexander. The entire planet was speeding through space, which meant all the wards were already moving. It had taken many tests for Alexander to determine that the real issue stemmed from the fact that the wardstones the wards were anchored to needed to remain stationary, or else they'd destabilize. Alexander sought to overcome that.
Any mineral could be used to anchor a ward, but some materials held magic better than others. Gemstones held it best, but Alexander was surprised by the capacity obsidian had, which was on par for diamond. Alexander made sure to note this for future warding projects, as obsidian was much easier to procure than diamond, even when accounting for Alchemy. But Alexander had a gut feeling that there was another, more potent, material for wardstones, and it was very close to his heart.
Literally. There was a chunk of Philosopher's Stone embedded in his chest, near his heart. Alexander had considered using the substance as a wardstone before, reasoning that the sheer amount of magic contained within would allow much more potent wards, but had dismissed it as it was an annoyingly time-consuming substance to create, and better used elsewhere. But he was curious.
So he went through the effort, and a month later, he had a fist-sized stone available for his experiments. And the results were astounding.
A ward anchored with a Philosopher's Stone also acted as though it was powered by one, constantly recharging and reforming itself. You could even move the ward by moving the wardstone, although you had to be careful of what ward you used. Alexander nearly disintegrated a wall with a careless wave, as the offensive ward destroyed even thick stone.
But that was with wards made with the usual runic languages. Alexander's Riddle Coins used an entirely new alphabet, with runes that specialized in mental effects. They could search for emotions, psychological traits, and even intentions, which made them perfect for threat recognition.
A ward that only activated when it was targeted with lethal intent. A shield that could block physical attacks, spells, and even changes in atmospheric pressure. A bubble of fresh air that encircled someone's head when oxygen was depleted; these were all within reach with Alexander's runes.
He just had to patiently and methodologically go through every combination of his alphabet to find them. By his calculation, it would take him three more years of daily study. Fortunately for his sanity, warding diagnostic spells existed – mainly used by Curse Breakers – which would allow him to discover possible runic combinations, as well as figuring out their purpose, faster.
Alexander paused in his work. If he could carve runes on a Philosopher's Stone, then he could carve them on the stone in his chest. He could carry a ward that could never be taken from him, that would always protect him! That was a very enticing thought.
Magic Break Can't Be Seen
AN: Thank you everyone who has been reading and reviewing both this story and Alexander Dantes! I appreciate it a lot.
Harry: Before you complain about Harry being "chill" with Zhen's actions, I would just like to point out his own use of the Unforgiveables in canon, as well as what's happening in this story. I've tried to portray how much Harry cares for his family, and the lengths he'd be willing to go to protect them. He's definitely not comfortable with Zhen's actions, but he's very much realizing how out of place he is. He may have the political power, but at his heart he's still a good guy and he's not comfortable with what leadership really means. (Think about how the DA wasn't communicated with at all while they were on the run using the coins. Harry is used to doing things himself)
Zhen: The Fantastic Beast movies gave us an interesting view on Legimincy. I tried to include something similar here, just how dangerous the ability is. Also tried to show more of her character.
M and the Muggles: I think it's entirely rational for them to kidnap and experiment on wizards to be honest. But one on one, most wizards are too powerful for a muggle, as I hope this chapter demonstrated. As for why they didn't search Harry and Zhen for wands or weapons, I'm taking a liberty here and saying that no wizard would ever willingly give up their wand in this situation. M used his power/influence to order the muggle soldiers to let the two magicals entrance.
Daphne: The moment I wrote the epilogue in Alexander Dantes I knew exactly how Daphne would be leaving Magical Britain in this story. She's spent the last 19 years with Alexander, training along side him, learning the secrets of magic with him. She recognizes he's still far beyond her, but I wanted to show just how dangerous Alexander and Daphne have become with this little fight scene. The "thumps" are her heartbeat, showing off how quickly she killed the Unspeakables. You might have also noticed her new title, that'll be explained later.
The Black Armored Soldiers: Spoilers. sorry guys, you'll just have to wait.
Acropolis: Yup, it's still being built. The "shell" spoken of in this chapter will encase the entire structure, providing even more protection. I also wanted to show off how there are lots of different witches and wizards living at Cape Horn now. The number at this point is around 100,000 people. But if you remember, I've revealed that hundreds of thousands of people have disappeared globally, from the muggle and magical worlds. Still have quite a bit to go.
Mikael: Ta da! but wait, he's weak and small in this chapter, but he's described as being bigger in the "present" in an earlier chapter. I wonder what happens... Also, I didn't mean to make him German when I first created him, but it happened anyway. I swear it wasn't a typecast.
Joanna: Part of the welcoming crew, so Alexander can focus on other, more important, things. Again, not based off anyone, just wanted to show how people from all over the world are being brought to Cape Horn.
Riddle Coins: I'm surprised no one has commented on it, but the Riddle Coins have another, so far unspoken, search parameter. They're searching for people who aren't particularly attached to their home country/nationality, as well as not having strong religious beliefs. It's part of the reason why the Cape Horn settlement works as well as it does.
Personal Wards: I hope you all enjoyed this little segment. Mobile wards are a fun concept, until you smash your face into the wall when you remember that the entire planet is already moving and need to figure out why the difference matters. Wards are an order of magnitude more powerful than typical shields, allowing them to "tank" more deadly magics, although unforgiveables can disrupt them, causing them to fail (hence conjuring the stone to intercept them). There are going to be several different kinds of personal wards shown in this story, and the difference are many and varied.
I hope you're all enjoying the story! The NEXT UPDATE will be in THREE DAYS!