Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Harry Potter

October 21st, 2017

The moment Harry's feet hit the ground, and he confirmed he was in Hogsmeade, his wand was in his hand and summoning his Patronus. "We need to talk. I'm at Hogwarts," Harry said. "Go to Susan Bones."

Prongs bowed before darting off, faster than a blur of light. Lily clapped excitedly at the spell and tugged on her father's arm. "Do it again, daddy."

"Later, Lily," Harry said. "We need to get to Hogwarts, and daddy needs to take care of a few things first."

They had barely taken a step when a nearby pop surprised them. Harry whirled, his wand raised but pointed it away at the last moment when he realized it was his wife. Ginny gave him a surprised look.

"Is everything alright, Harry?" Ginny asked. Lily ran over and hugged her mother.

"I thought you were needed at work?" Harry asked, his wand not yet sheathed. Ginny gave him a confused look.

"That was hours ago. Are you feeling alright?" Ginny asked, hugging her daughter.

Harry blinked but looked at the sun. It was in a different place than he thought it should be, even accounting for being dragged across the world by Portkey. How long had he spent at Cape Horn?

"I'm fine. Everything is fine," Harry said unconvincingly. He finally put away his wand, causing Ginny to relax. "How was work?"

"Oh, it was an absolute mess. Cuff wanted me to cover the opening of Dean and Seamus' new business venture, which was really just a pub in Bristol. They don't even bartend in it; they have Muggles run it! Some Aurors showed up and closed the whole thing down, stating that wizards couldn't have Muggles working in their business! Magic wasn't even used," Ginny explained as they walked through Hogsmeade.

"Hmm," Harry grunted. Daphne's words were ringing in his mind. He wished Susan would show up quicker. "So, what happened then?"

Ginny shot Harry an exasperated look. "It's a pub, and the bobbies were shutting it down. Everyone rioted, of course! I was only allowed to leave because I was press and your wife! It's all so ridiculous. Now, what did you and Lily get up to today?"

Lily immediately starting telling Ginny all about the ocean, orchards, and crystal mountain they saw. Ginny gave Harry a warm, indulgent smile at Lily's apparent, fanciful claims, and Harry did not doubt his wife thought they played an elaborate game while she was gone. Even as he considered telling her, Harry realized how ridiculous the whole thing sounded.

So instead, he asked a question. "Did you ever try to solve your Riddle Coin?" he asked. Ginny seemed to be caught off-guard by Harry's sudden question.

"No, you know those things remind me of HIM," Ginny said with a shudder. She was speaking of Tom Riddle and his wretched Diary. "Besides, if Hermione couldn't figure it out after all this time, I doubt I would be able to."

"You might be able to," Harry said. Ginny rolled her eyes at him.

"Unlike Ron, I have no desire to pretend I'm more than I'm not. Hermione is much more intelligent than I, much more learned at magic! Even Bill gave up on it, and he's the only one who can keep up with her these days."

Harry fell silent as he listened to Ginny's protest. Somehow, Harry felt this was exactly what Daphne was trying to keep out of her Acropolis; this defeated attitude. He wondered what it said about himself that he could solve a Riddle Coin twice, even if he couldn't remember the first time, and his wife wouldn't even try at all. Were they opposites?

A pop from behind alerted the trio, causing them to turn around. It only took Harry a single glance to forcefully turn Lily away, pushing her toward Ginny.

"Take Lily and run, Ginny!" Harry ordered, already moving forward, his wand drawn. So powerfully commanding was Harry's voice, that Ginny obeyed, picking up their daughter and sprinting for Hogwarts.

On the ground lay Susan Bones, great strips of her flesh torn from her body. Blood gushed from her wounds, and she desperately gasped for breath, blood dribbling from her lips. Harry dove forward, his wand already casting what little healing magic he knew to try to stabilize her. But Harry's gut told him it was too late.

Susan grabbed Harry's arm and struggled to move her lips to speak. "Flamel," she finally gasped. "Ritual... Dangerous... Children!"

She began to cough even harder, and to Harry's alarm, the blood came up black. But Susan wasn't done speaking yet. "Run," she said, horror filling her voice. But then something left her eyes, and Susan stilled.

Harry knelt there over his friend, her blood soaking his pants, as an incredible wave of guilt overcame him. Susan was dead because he had asked her to investigate Flamel, and she had found something that resulted in this.

He closed her eyes and bowed his head out of respect. He couldn't do anything to change the past; that was something he had accepted long ago. But he definitely could change the future. Harry rose.

"Hold it right there!"

Harry turned and was wary when he realized he was staring down four wands, from wizards wearing elaborate dark blue robes. He didn't recognize any of them.

"Says who?" Harry asked, his wand not quite pointing at them.

"War Wizard Samuel, that's who!" the newly named Samuel said. "That woman was wanted for criminal behavior; what's you're relation to her?"

"None," Harry said. He knew better than to provide wordy answers.

"A likely story," Samuel muttered. "Did you speak to her?"

Alarm bells rang in Harry's head. They asked that before asking about Susan's injuries, how he found her, anything else? Harry's hand tightened on his wand as he answered. "No."

"We'll find out back at the Ministry. Take him, Howards." Samuel ordered.

Before Harry could raise his wand, before he could defend himself, he felt a wand pressed to the back of his neck. As the Stunning Spell hit him and he faded to darkness, Harry could only thank his luck that Ginny and Lily got away in time.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Daphne Greengrass

October 21st, 2017

After a quick flight and a short walk, Alexander and Daphne were entering one of the hospitals they had built within the Acropolis to serve its citizens. Their bodies did not need to shrink to fit inside, as the building had been constructed with larger than life dimensions. As it was, the tall ceilings felt quite welcoming, and no one felt cramped.

The hospital staff bowed or nodded to the pair as they passed, each taller and more muscular than an average human. The couple nodded and smiled back as they made their way down a brightly lit hall, one that wouldn't have been out of place in the non-magical world considering how clean it was. The wide hallways were designed to act as trauma wards after all, in case a truly horrific number of wounded were in the Acropolis. A waste, some might consider, but Alexander preferred to be prepared.

But as Daphne tugged on Alexander's arm, guiding and supporting her weary husband, through the halls, she knew they were not here for him. All he could do at this point was rest, after all, as his body would heal itself. No, they were there for her.

"I want to see my son!" Astoria Malfoy screamed in the distance, the sound easily reaching Alexander and Daphne. They quickened their pace.

The room they entered was slightly wrecked, Astoria's magic had tossed furniture around, throwing a few electrical devices into the walls and denting them. The frantic beeping of Astoria's heart filled the air as a frazzled nurse tried to politely manhandle the much smaller woman back into her bed. A normal-sized Draco sat in a nearby chair, his head in his hand, as his wife tried to convince the nurse to let her go.

"Astoria, you're still recovering," Daphne said. She turned toward the nurse. "You may go. Thank you for your service."

"Of course, Lady Dantes," the nurse said with a bow, exiting the room quickly, eager to get away from Astoria.

Astoria glared at her sister. "You said I could see my son! Where is he?"

"Hogwarts," Daphne said. Unlike the nurse, Daphne had no issue with using her wandless magic to pick Astoria up and throw her gently in the bed. The sheets immediately tied themselves around her legs, trapping her.

"You said he was going to be brought here!" Astoria said. Alexander sighed before moving to the only other free seat near Draco. As his body approached it, it grew in size, no longer suitable for the average human to sit on it, but someone of Alexander's size. He sank into it gratefully, ignoring how alert Draco became, and began to doze.

"He will be brought here when the time is right," Daphne countered firmly. "You are still recovering, and you won't be fit enough to move until next week at the earliest!"

Astoria pouted. "I've already been recovering! I can stand and walk and everything!"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Astoria, we replaced your bone marrow. We need to be cautious to make sure that you're not going to have a bad reaction from that. If you do, and we don't react fast enough, you could lose the ability to cast magic!"

She sighed. "I know you're eager to see Scorpius, but he's safe right now. Please, Astoria, just wait a little bit longer?"

Her sister collapsed angrily on her bed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But I'm not happy about this!"

Daphne rolled her eyes at how childish Astoria was being but turned to Draco, who was intently watching the two sisters. "Have you been settling in well, Draco?" she asked politely.

He nodded. Draco had recovered from the week of hell Daphne had inflicted upon him, between once more seeing his wife and getting some rest. He was still pale, but he always was, and not even stranding him in the middle of a desert would change that.

"I'm settling in fine, although my only real entertainment is when Astoria tries to escape and that nurse stops her. She seems incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of using magic on us for some reason, and if it weren't for the fact I saw her charm her make-up, I would have thought she was a muggle," Draco said, the question clear in his voice.

"That's because she used to be," Alexander softly said, his eyes closed. Were it not for the fact he just spoke, everyone would have thought he was asleep.

Draco sputtered. "What do you mean used to be?" he demanded, while Astoria stared at him in shock.

Seeing how Alexander seemed to be more interested in studying the inside of his eyelids, Daphne answered. "We found a way to turn non-magicals into magicals," she explained. Silence fell over the room as Astoria and Draco stared at her in utter stupefaction.

"Why?" Draco asked, his eyes showing just how dangerous he thought that idea.

"How?" Astoria asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

Daphne smirked as she sat on the foot of Astoria's bed, making it creak. "The how is rather simple. Every person who lives here has a Philosopher's Stone growing within their chest, next to their heart. In magicals, this gives us a small but noticeable boost in magical power and control, as well as constantly exposing us to the Elixir of Life. Combined with a few other augmentations, dying of old age is no longer a concern."

"But in non-magicals, the stones kickstart their capacity for magic. Alexander found evidence that all living things are magical to some degree; some are just born with much more than others. The Philosopher's Stones act as an external source for non-magicals, helping their magic grow to the point where they could be considered witches and wizards. Not that many people use those labels here anymore."

She paused to allow her sister and brother-in-law to wrap their brains around that. Unseen to the pair, but perfectly noticeable to Daphne, Alexander was smirking at the couple and how impressed they were about something he considered so trivial. Daphne almost laughed with how amused that thought made her.

"The why is a little more nuanced. When we started bringing people here with their Riddle Coins, we allowed their families to accompany them, so long as they passed our rigorous standards. However, among this number were non-magicals, usually the family of a Muggle-born, but sometimes the husband or wife of a magical."

"So we allowed them entry," Daphne explained. Astoria and Draco's attentions were riveted upon her. "It wasn't a popular decision, and there were more than a few hiccups along the way, but eventually we reached a point where the non-magicals were accepted."

"And then you gave them magic," Draco said. Daphne nodded.

"What better way of making sure they don't feel envy toward their neighbors for having magic? Or to stop inevitable conflicts between the ridiculous concept of 'us or them'? All may become more here, so long as they're willing to work for it," Daphne explained.

"This was why you wanted me to give up my family's legacy," Draco said, realization filling his voice. "You don't want, or need, legacies corrupting this society you've built. If new leaders emerge, you want it to be because they did so on merit."

One of Alexander's eyes snapped open, glowing with magic as he stared at Draco. "Very astute, Draco," Alexander said, deliberately forgoing the use of his family name. "And an excellent segue into you."

"What about Draco?" Astoria demanded, coming to her husband's defense instantly. Daphne patted her leg to calm her down.

"Relax, Astoria. You and Draco have managed to earn your places in the Acropolis by virtue of solving the Riddle Coins. There is just one more thing to take care," Daphne explained.

"And that is?" Draco asked with the air of a man about to walk to his execution.

"I hate Death Eaters," Alexander explained, his other eye opening. Draco was pinned in place by his intense stare. "When I was younger, they killed my family, and only a few years later, they were hunting down the Muggle-born for being impure," he spat.

"When Astoria started dating you, I considered arranging an accident," Alexander explained as if it were a perfectly natural thing to do. Only Daphne knew how natural it was to Alexander. "But I decided to let young love be young love. If it grew into more, that would be Astoria's choice."

"But you see, my Riddle Coins have many requirements, and they discourage those who don't fit them from even attempting to solve them. Having a Dark Mark," Alexander nodded to Draco's arm, "is one such thing that is frowned upon."

Draco's brow furrowed. "The Dark Mark is twisted magic, but rare. How would you even know how to search for it, let alone sense it?" he asked.

Alexander smiled and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "A few hundred meters in that direction is a prison. Only one person inhabits it as most of the people here are relatively reasonable. You might even know him, does the name Rookwood ring any bells?" Alexander asked. Draco sucked in a sharp breath.

"Who is it, Draco?" Astoria asked.

"A very dangerous Death Eater. I thought he was dead," Draco said. Daphne laughed.

"Everyone did. Alexander made him disappear at the Battle of Hogwarts. He's been torturing him ever since." Astoria recoiling drew Daphne's eye. "Not without cause. Rookwood tortured Alexander before that. Rookwood's life has always been forfeit, but he can at least provide some use before that happens."

"Still, it seems rather cruel," Astoria said. Alexander's eyes moved from Draco to her in an instant.

"Would you like to spend half a year being tortured by an ex-Unspeakable and a Dark Lord? I could arrange it if you think my actions are unfair," Alexander threatened. Astoria shrank back in fear.

Daphne frowned. "Alex, that was uncalled for. Same for you, Astoria, you don't know why Rookwood deserves far worse."

Alexander grimaced. "Sorry, Astoria. I have far too many unpleasant memories tied to that man, and I am determined to make him pay," he said. Astoria gave him a reluctant nod, but the damage was done. Both she and Draco now knew he was perfectly willing to torture someone.

Alexander turned back to Draco. "I've studied the Dark Mark quite intensely. It was originally a brand that a Mongolian warlord used to brand his horses, allowing him to direct them even without riders. It did this by causing the creature's pain, encouraging them to run as fast as they could in a direction that didn't cause them pain."

"Voldemort took the original brand and twisted it further, using his soul to bind the magic to his target's soul. In some cultures, this would count as marriage," Alexander explained, admiring how Draco's face turned green, "but the bond was broken once he died. Congratulations, Draco, you're a widower."

Only Daphne laughed.

"Anyway, the Dark Mark is a symbol to many here of cruelty and oppression, not to mention how it represents the group that killed my family. Limiting such things here is my goal, and I cannot do that if I allow Death Eaters in. Do you see the issue, Draco?" Alexander asked.

Draco closed his eyes and nodded. "I have to leave," he said, defeat clear in his tone.

"No! If Draco leaves, so do I!" Astoria immediately protested. Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Neither of you are leaving. Draco just has to do one more thing in order for him to stay," she explained.

"What does he have to do?" Astoria asked.

"He needs to cut off his arm," Alexander explained, his voice firm and clear.

"What! That's absurd! And disgusting, who the hell do you think you are demanding my husband to cut off his arm? If I had my wand, I'd be cursing you until Daphne couldn't recognize your ugly mug. I'm going-" Astoria ranted.

"I'll do it," Draco said, cutting her off. Astoria stared at him in horror.

"Draco, no, we'll find another way!" she pleaded. He gave her a sad smile.

"I've considered it a few times over the years. You don't understand what this mark feels like, Astoria. It feels like HIM, and it's horrible. If being able to be here with you and Scorpius requires me to remove my arm, so be it," Draco said. He looked around before turning to Alexander. "Should we do it here?"

Alexander nodded, ignoring Astoria's protests. Daphne reached out and allowed her sister to grasp her hand, squeezing it tightly as the pair watched Draco Malfoy. Draco stood, drawing his wand, and he held it firmly, pointed at his elbow. He breathed in deeply before slowly letting it out as he said the incantation.

Only Daphne saw Alexander's eyes intensified their glow, causing a shield to burst into being between Draco's spell and his arm. Astoria was too focused on her husband to notice, and Draco was bracing himself for a pain that never arrived. Slowly they looked down to see the shield, and they looked at Alexander and Daphne in confusion.

Daphne looked at Alexander. "How the hell did you know he'd be willing to do that?" she demanded angrily. "I thought I was going to win for sure!"

Alexander smirked at her. "You're the one who told me that he was in love with your sister, him being willing to cut off his own arm to be with her makes sense," he said.

Daphne growled. "You win this round," she said, her eyes angry slits. She was almost positive she was going to win the bet!

"You bet on whether my husband would cut his arm off!" Astoria shrieked. Daphne rolled her eyes at her sister.

"We were curious! Besides, we don't need to cut off Draco's arm to remove the Dark Mark, we have another way," Daphne explained. Draco perked up.

"You do? What is it? I've spent thousands of Galleons trying to rid myself of this thing; I thought I was going to live the rest of my life with it," Draco said. Alexander held up his hand.

"Expecto Patronum."

Silvery mist seeped from Alexander's hand, filling the room slowly. "A Patronus is interesting magic. It's driven by emotions, the more powerfully intense, the stronger that aura it can create. But it can also be used to purge Dark Magic, like your mark, if one knows how to properly apply it," Alexander explained. A shape slowly began to form in the middle of the room.

Its shape was very confusing, made more so by the fact it was constantly shifting. But slowly, the mist solidified, and only Daphne knew Alexander was dragging the whole thing out to build suspense. Finally, the form of his Patronus was revealed.

An elephant-sized chimera filled the room. Unlike others, its animal parts were not consistent, ever-changing, and growing. It turned to Alexander and bowed, and he nodded back. "Reveal your arm, Draco," he ordered.

Draco did so, baring the faded Dark Mark for all to see. Most wizards these days considered it "just a scar" but it was anything but. It was a stain on his soul, so deep and dark that it left a physical mark on his body. Even cutting off his arm would not rid his soul of that mark.

The chimera dove, shrinking, and condensing. It dove into Draco's Dark Mark, and he gritted his teeth in pain as it began to burn again as if Voldemort was alive once more. But as it burned, a weight slowly lifted off Draco's shoulders, one he had not known he carried all this time. Finally, after the chimera was fully immersed in his arm, did the pain stop. Draco gasped in relief, but to his horror, sparkles came out.

Alexander and Daphne laughed. "It's an aftereffect of this procedure. It'll wear off in a few days, but every time you speak, sparkles will come out," Daphne explained with fiendish delight. Draco groaned, causing more sparkles to escape, and even Astoria joined in on the laughter.

"You're free of the Dark Mark," Alexander said, drawing the room's attention back to him. "But don't think you're free of your past affiliation with it. Many may look past it and see you for who you are now, but others will not. But I'm willing to give you a fighting chance."

Alexander leaned back in his seat. "Tell me, Astoria and Draco, would you like to become Lycans?"

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Alexander Dantes

Eight Years Ago

When Alexander revealed the Philosopher's Stone to his people, it was a purely tactical decision. Over the years, he had charted his and Daphne's development, observing how their bodies reacted and changed due to the constant presence of Elixir of Life running through their veins.

The effects were not just physical, although those were not insignificant. No one alive would decline everlasting youth, broken bones that would heal in days or a strength that pushed the human limits. Alexander had also long known that the Elixir of Life repaired the nervous system, boosting the human brain's ability to remember, which, while not perfect, was still an improvement. The small increase in magical power and control was almost an afterthought.

No, Alexander was far more interested in how the Elixir of Life changed his personality.

It hadn't been noticeable at first, but Alexander could see how his thoughts slowly grew darker and more ruthless over the years. He hadn't woken up one day and decided to be evil, but he certainly began to focus on more direct means of accomplishing his goals, pursuing methods that would make other people flinch.

Like experimenting with the magic that made a werewolf and tweaking it to create an entirely new race of magical beings he named Lycans. Especially since the creation was tied so closely to the Philosopher's Stone, they might as well been one at this point.

Alexander offered to implant a shard of the Philosopher's Stone into each citizen at Cape Horn, including the non-magicals. It would provide the same benefits that he, Daphne, and Mikael now experienced, but it was mainly done as the first step of a very intricate plan to change the very nature of the people who looked toward him for leadership. Especially once he told them that the stones would only last a thousand years.

Most could not comprehend the time span involved. How could they, when none of them had even reached their first century? All they heard was that the gift of their immortality would one day run out, and they felt fear.

Alexander capitalized on that fear by offering to turn them into Lycans.

When Alexander had evolved Mikael's werewolf form, he did it as a proof of concept. He had wanted to see if he could boost Mikael's blood production, so that more blood would run over the Philosopher's Stone, causing it to grow slowly over time, and not shrink as it did in a baseline human. Theoretically, Mikael would never die from old age so long as his heartbeat, which was being healed continuously by the Elixir of Life.

This did cause a slight issue. Eventually, the Philosopher's Stone would grow too large, killing the person from the inside out. Rather than wait a few thousand years for this to be an issue, Alexander decided to be proactive and use a rune he theorized back at Hogwarts: the Tesseract.

The Tesseract rune was something Alexander thought of to solve the issue of Space Expansion Charms. By the time it was ready, the issue had been resolved, and the concept had been shelved for a much later date. But for an implanted Philosopher's Stone, it was perfect.

Unlike most conventional runes, it was a three-dimensional cube with a hollowed-out center. Each corner was also missing, allowing for air, and more importantly, blood, to enter the inside. A secondary rune in the shape of a small pyramid went at each corner, acting as the boundary for the Space Expansion.

Making the rune out of a Philosopher's Stone was perfect, as it meant it would never run out of magic, and thus the effect would never have the chance to fail. Combined with a constant source of fresh blood via artificial veins, it meant the wearer's immortality was assured. Alexander had the added benefit of non-magical manufacturing, as he could use machines to make pea-sized Philosopher's Stones, that he could then use magic to mold. They would grow over time until they reached the optimum size, roughly the size of a human heart.

Of course, many people were wary of becoming Lycans, even if it meant living forever, which was why Alexander and Daphne injected themselves with the serum he devised first, to show them that there was nothing to fear.

The Lycan Serum was not the same as the one Alexander had used on Mikael, although it did use the same base material. Alexander had added the blood of other half-human creatures, carefully cultivating how the magics bonded to one another to ensure there were no issues. Rookwood was the guinea pig for those experiments, and the repeated stress of his body being forcefully changed acted as a new form of torture for the Death Eater.

Werewolves possessed remarkable regeneration, healing broken bones in minutes and cuts in seconds. Veela had natural fire abilities, as well as an impressive fire resistance that only grew with age. Yuki-onna could walk through a blizzard in subzero temperatures and not even shiver. Mermaids could resist the massive pressures at the bottom of the Marianas Trench, and giants were well known for their impressive strength and resistance. Combined with the potent power of Dementor blood, it made for an awe-inspiring package of strengths and abilities.

In fact, the only humanoid races that Alexander couldn't find a useful ability from were the centaurs and the goblins. Centaurs relied too heavily on interpreting celestial bodies, which was no more accurate than guessing, and the most noticeable and apparent trait goblins possessed was an intelligence equal to humans. Adding their blood into the serum only weakened it, so Alexander went without.

Which also led to the issue of vampires. Alexander managed to get his hands on one subject but found the results underwhelming. Introducing vampire blood to the serum led to the entire thing breaking down and turning into acid. While the vampire's innate abilities would have been useful, Alexander was fine without them, as magic could already achieve most anyway.

Theoretically, Alexander knew it was possible to kill a Lycan through injury alone. It would just require catastrophic damage to be applied continuously to the Lycan until they burned through their Philosopher's Stone. They weren't unkillable, as you could behead them, use the Killing Curse, or rip their heart and stone from their chest simultaneously, but their many enhancements made that difficult.

Slowly people began to go under the procedure, accepting the Philosopher's Stone and the Lycan Serum. Due to the magics involved, they recovered remarkably quickly, wondering at their new strength and the power they felt running through their veins. As more witnessed the results, the volunteers increased, until Alexander was overseeing a thousand procedures a week. Soon, the only people not Lycan were the new arrivals, who were quickly encouraged to undergo the process.

Even the non-magicals were such no more. Between the Philosopher's Stone and the Lycan Serum, they gained magic, and the last divide between them and the former magicals was gone. All were Lycan at Cape Horn.

Unfortunately, this created a new issue that Alexander should have foreseen. Lycans, like werewolves and wolves, were pack creatures, and they fought quite viciously with one another for the right to lead the pack. At first, it was just petty squabbles, but soon work on the Acropolis had been halted entirely as the Lycans fought among themselves to determine pack hierarchy. Alexander received numerous challenges that he had to put down quickly, lest he lose control of the whole situation.

Which was easier said than done. Alexander had done, perhaps too good of a job, in creating the Lycan Serum. The only thing that gave him an edge was his brilliant mind, Metamorphmagus ability, impressive pain resistance, and the knowledge of how to cast magic as a Lycan.

Dementor Blood acted as a battery, sucking in magic and refining it, making it more potent. Since the concentration of Elixir of Life in his blood was so thick, due to how long it had been in his chest, Alexander found he could cast magic even while transformed, an ability that only Daphne shared thus far. Although he knew that eventually, more Lycans would unlock the ability, he was going to use it to his advantage now to maintain his place at the top.

Months of infighting, and dozens of crippling injuries later, Alexander was impressed with himself and the serum he had created. His people adapted to the new status quo, although Alexander had to personally beat every soldier training under General Brik so they would follow his lead. What would paralyze a human or outright kill them was only mildly inconvenient to a Lycan, and most fights had to be done to submission as everyone's new endurance meant they could fight for hours.

Once everything had settled down, and everyone acknowledged Alexander's place at the top, he introduced a right of passage that everyone would have to go through to be recognized as an adult. There were many protests, of course, but Alexander silenced them with a single growl. He then began to explain.

He told them of how he climbed a mountain as a teenager and threw himself off in his attempts to learn how to fly. He eventually succeeded, and on that day, he felt fully alive. They would do something similar here, at the Acropolis, once it was finished. To be acknowledged as an adult in their new society, they would have to accompany Alexander on a climb, from the bottom of the Acropolis to the top, and throw themselves off, saving themselves with magical flight.

This also meant that all lessons on how to fly, something taught in the typical wandless classes, would be halted immediately. There were protests, mainly from those who hadn't learned yet, but Alexander silenced them by telling them they would learn during the climb. Any who passed the climb and the final test would be recognized as an adult in their society, with all rights that entailed, and it would only be then that they would be allowed to challenge others for their place in the pack.

Pack. The word resonated in Alexander's mind, as well as the other Lycans. This was their pack.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

AN: Thank you everyone for the reviews!

Rune size: Someone asked how small runes can be. Theoretically, they could be atom sized. Realistically, you want them to be observable to the naked eye. The issue is quality control, the method for carving runes is by hand or with magic. Both methods have the possibility of causing errors, misplaced lines or curves, which could be dangerous. There is a way to use technology to carve runes, but that leads to the question: Why? Not just why can technology do it, but why would you need runes that small? I've yet to find decent answers to either question that don't amount to "Because it'd be cool." so as of this moment, I have no intention of ever using runes that can't be seen by the naked eye.

Dementors: Are a fun concept. They're now extinct in the present storyline, but they served their purpose. Might bring them back at some point though.

Ginny: I hoped to show how she's not very curious or academic. Her experiences with Riddle's Diary also makes her wary (understandably) of enchanted artifacts like the Riddle Coins.

Harry: If some of you noticed that I paraphrased what his father said, then kudos to you. It's meant to be a nice little reference to canon, as well as show that he cares about his family (unlike the Cursed Child, which is still trash). As for him revealing the Acropolis... spoilers.

Susan Bones: RIP. I actually wanted her to live but I couldn't find a way to make the story run smoothly. Flamel would have never allowed her to live once she saw him perform the same ritual Alexander saw him perform (where Flamel sacrificed children).

War Wizards: They're like Aurors, but they wear blue. J.K. They're actually supposed to be even more ruthless than typical Aurors. They're trained to cast spells first, ask questions later.

The Hospital: Wanted to show how different the Acropolis is to the rest of the world, especially since it uses magic and technology side by side.

Astoria: All of her bone marrow was replaced off screen, "curing" her of her families Blood Curse. Once Scorpius undergoes the same procedure, it'll no longer be passed on to any of their children.

Draco: You might complain that Alexander didn't let him chop off his arm, but there wasn't really a point. Draco in this story hasn't done anything to annoy Alexander, other than being a Death Eater. He's technically even family, so Alexander is willing to give him a chance to prove himself a productive member of the Acropolis. More on that in the next chapter.

Daphne: More of her personality in this chapter. Nothing she shared is considered a secret within the Acropolis, so please don't cry foul about it.

Alexander: You guys have no idea how badly I wanted to write his Patronus as a Xenomorph. I realized it'd be a pain to explain to Astoria and Draco, so I settled on chimera, which fits him perfectly I think. A deadly creature made up of many different animals. Seemed pretty obvious to me. And yes, he's still torturing Rookwood. Alexander isn't one to waste a good test subject.

Lycans: Back when I was writing Alexander Dantes, during the third year when I mentioned a werewolf (who was never used again unfortunately), this idea came to me. I reasoned it's entirely reasonable for Alexander to pursue many different methods to strengthen himself, and the werewolves J.K. Rowling were, well vastly underwhelming.

To clarify, Mikael and his army are enhanced werewolves. They're vastly stronger than normal humans, and their werewolf forms are not sickly looking creatures either. They're all around 7 feet tall (215 cm) as humans and closer to 8 feet tall (243 cm) as werewolves. Lycans on the otherhand, are around 8 feet tall (243 cm) as humans, but range from 9-11 feet tall (275-335) in their Lycan forms.

The difference is due to how powerful magically they are, as the Lycan transofrmation is magical. Muggles turned into wizard are around 9 feet (275), wizards are 10 feet tall (304 cm) tall, and half-human magicals are 11 feet (335 cm) in their Lycan forms. These sizes are not static, and they can grow with age as the Lycans grow stronger magically. Lycans are also much larger and stronger than enhanced werewolves because of the other side effects they are. This has been revealed to be:

Enhanced Werewolf- superior sense, strength, speed, and healing

Dementor blood- improved strength, magic refinement

Veela blood- fire resistance, greater control over fire

Yuki-onna blood- cold resistance

Giant blood- improved strength, physical and magical resistance

Mermaid blood- improved lung capacity, ability to survive great pressures.

Pretty potent combination, in my opinion. Finally, a pack structure is inevitable in this environment. Alexander maintained his top position for the reasons listed in the story, but he's working on cementing his place. Don't worry about him suddenly becoming worthless, he's a Lycan with a plan.

I hope you're all enjoying the story! The NEXT UPDATE will be in THREE DAYS.