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

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Harry Potter

October 31st, 2017

Harry and Zhen landed in a room he had never seen before, and he found himself immediately petrified. Before he could fall face forward to the floor, Zhen's second spell caught Harry, rotating him until he was facing her. She smiled at him.

"The Immortal Alchemist has requested your presence, Harry Potter," she ominously said. She turned, floating Harry through dark corridors.

They walked in silence for a few moments, and Harry's eyes slowly adjusted enough to see. Doorways passed them on either side, and occasionally Zhen would rotate him, allowing him to see in them. Harry's skin crawled at the sight of mummified bodies, ancient tomes, and treasure piled almost without care. But the worse was the room that Susan Bones' body in it.

Zhen paused long enough for Harry to see his former friend, her body denied dignity in death. Her organs had been ripped from her body and placed in jars, each labeled clearly, and someone had drained her blood into a large jar on the floor. Zhen pulled Harry along.

They finally arrived at a large, ancient chamber, and judging by the hieroglyphs on the wall, Harry reasoned they were in Egypt. But it was the rest of the room that was unsettling, with the dozens of open coffins that had sleeping werewolf children in them. Each bled from wounds on their bodies, and the blood created nasty looking runes that Harry had never seen before.

And in the center of the room, Nicolas Flamel chanted in a demonic tongue.

Harry and Zhen stood in the doorway, watching the ancient alchemist as he continued his ritual. Harry was horrified by what he was seeing, and struggled in vain to free himself from Zhen's spell, but it held him too strongly. He could do nothing but watch.

A powerful wind picked up, and the children screamed as their blood and magic was torn from their bodies. It flowed through the air, before spearing toward Nicolas Flamel, surging into his mouth. Harry felt something deep inside him twinge uncomfortably, as if it too was being grabbed, but the feeling faded as the ritual completed.

The coffins now contained mummified remains, not unlike those that Harry had seen in the various rooms on the way here. Disgust filled him when he realized that he had must have seen hundreds of mummified remains, kept as some perverse trophy by the man in front of him. His once mentor.

Nicolas Flamel was panting in the center of the room, a look of euphoria on his face. He looked up slowly at the doorway and beckoned the pair closer. "I think it's time we talk, Harry. Release him, Zhen," he ordered.

Zhen did so, waving her wand almost dismissively over Harry's body. His feet suddenly found the ground, staggering to the side, and he used it to his advantage, moving away from the two obviously insane magicals. His wand was in his hand a heartbeat later and pointed at his former mentor.

"What the hell, Nicolas?" Harry asked, horror on his face and fury in his tone. Nicolas gave him a maniac smile.

"Just a little ritual, Harry. I've been doing it for a while now and it gives me the most delightful buzz," Nicolas said with a little shiver. Was it Harry's imagination or did the ancient man look younger?

"You harvested children! You harvested Susan!" Harry roared, his hand and wand shaking.

Nicolas rolled his eyes. "They were just werewolves, nobody will miss them. As for Susan, was it? Well, she shouldn't have snooped around what didn't concern her. She ran afoul of my defenses here and I'll be turning her corpse into an Inferi to bolster them."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You're mad. Utterly mad! Do you even hear yourself, how can you think this is sane? Either of you?" The last question was shot to Zhen, who hadn't moved from her position by the door.

Nicolas waved a careless hand, causing the newly made mummies and coffins to rise from the floor and fly into holes in the walls. "Zhen is one of many who believes in the mission of the Immortal Alchemist. She's helped me find more who are loyal to our mission, of a superior Wizarding World! A world you can still be a part of, Harry!"

"What?" Harry asked. Why on earth would Harry ever join Flamel in anything? Especially now that he's seen what the man behind the curtain truly looked like.

"Yes, the Immortal Alchemist and the Man-Who-Won!" Nicolas said, moving forward eagerly. "I have always wanted you by my side, helping me guide the world. You are a wizard who wants things done, I have always known that. Join me, Harry! Together we can achieve great things!"

Unbidden, Ollivander's words floated through Harry's mind. "The man who wielded that wand was a great, but terrible, wizard, Mr. Potter. I think we can expect you too, to do great things." Harry shivered.

"I will never join you!" Harry roared, readying his wand. It was time to act.

A cold look formed on Nicolas Flamel's face. "So be it." And with that, Flamel launched a wandless Killing Curse right at Harry's face.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

The World

October 31st, 2017

All around the world, the same orders were being carried out with practiced efficiency. Men and women, soldiers, had trained for these actions, with the hope they would never be needed. But today their hopes would fall, as they were forced to obey the darkest of all human acts:

War.

In bunkers deep beneath the earth, Muggle generals gave the order. Keys and codes were used in synchronicity, unlocking the most terrible weapons in their arsenal. Coordinates, all around the world, were being locked in. Technicians ran through their final checks, and those religious few prayed for salvation for what they were about to do.

Military bases were put on high alert, and planes and tanks were being fueled and prepped for deployment. Soldiers were awoken from their slumbers with orders to get ready, for they were about to be deployed to cities all around the world to root out the magicals. It was an unprecedented level of international cooperation, and slowly the Muggle war machine awoke.

Which was why the Muggles were stunned when the wizards suddenly attacked.

It happened without warning, and even the frantically mobilizing militaries were unprepared for the surprise attack. Bursts of Fiendfyre burst into being, descending on the military bases with a vicious rage. Thousands of Muggles died in the initial attack and the survivors frantically scrambled for a way to suppress the cursed flames. But the wizards were not idle.

They moved forward, their forms shimmering with Disillusionment Charms. The Muggles fired wildly, trying to prevent their advance, but the camouflaged figures ignored the bullets with ease. One wiser soldier threw a grenade, and it landed right in front of one of the hidden men.

It blew, disrupting the charm that concealed him. The Muggles were confused; this was no fleshy wizard, but a magical covered from head to toe in black armor, looking no worse for the wear from the explosive. The man raised a hand and Transfigured spikes rose from the ground, launching forward to kill the Muggles. His Disillusionment Charm restored itself a moment later.

There were only a dozen of these cloaked figures assigned to each Muggle military base, but even that was too much for the powerless Muggles. Fiendfyre, barely controlled and directed, lunged forward and burned on its own violation, destroying many of the defenses the Muggles were relying on. Bullets had no effect on the armored magicals, explosives barely caused them to halt in their advance, and those foolish enough to attack with their hands or knives quickly found their chests caved in by brutal force.

The bases fell, one by one. The Muggles in the hidden bunkers quickly gathered their remaining assets, hidden silos, and the fleets and submersibles that seemed to be so far untouchable by the magical forces. The generals quickly conferred with one another, pushing aside their feelings of anger and loss so they could plan. It only took them a moment to reach to the only logical conclusion.

"Unlock the nuclear missiles!" General Davis ordered. He was deep underground, in a bunker built to withstand any attack. "Lock on Alpha Targets!"

In that room and all over the world, lock confirmations came in. Magical heavy areas all over the world were being targeted by the most power and terrible weapons in human history, explosives designed to cow warring nations and force them to the negotiation table: Nuclear bombs.

General Davis opened his mouth to give the order, to condemn tens of millions to death and to damn even more to living with radiation poisoning. But his breath and chest hitched, causing those soldiers nearest to him to look up at him in concern.

"Sir? Is there something wrong?" a young woman asked. Everyone turned to look at the general.

Slowly, General Davis rose in the air, his body falling back limply. The air beneath him flickered, slowly revealing the presence of a black-armored soldier, their face and body concealed utterly by their armor. Their fist was punched through the general's back, wrapped around his spine. With a twist of their wrist, the general's spine was broken, and he was tossed to the side carelessly.

The soldiers standing guard around the room immediately opened fire, shooting hundreds of bullets at the armored figure. Some bullets ricocheted off their armor, hitting nearby Muggles, injuring and killing them with friendly fire. The soldiers did not halt their firing until their guns ran dry. The unknown solder still stood.

The black armored soldier moved faster than humanly possible, dashing across the room in an instant. Their hand smashed a Muggle soldier into the concrete wall, crushing him instantly. The spray of blood that flew in the air hit nothing, as the solitary soldier was already moving on to their next target.

Only a handful of moments later, the room was empty of life. Technicians, soldiers, anyone who had been present, was dead. The black armored soldier reached up and unclipped their helmet, revealing a woman with vibrant red hair.

"Embark Bunker secure," she said. A small stone square hanging from her neck glowed.

"Ravi Bunker secure," a voice answered. A dozen other voices soon called out similar things, as bunkers all around the world fell.

"This is Cape Horn," Daphne Dantes' voice said. "Enter new targets."

The red-haired Lycan moved to a nearby console and went through the system. The Muggles had already gone through all the effort of linking and starting the system, automating it as much was reasonable. Which was why the red-haired soldier, and her comrades all across the world, could add targets to the computers.

"I can't reach eight targets in Central Europe," a voice said.

"Diverting six from Eastern Europe," another voice replied.

"Diverting two from Atlantic Ocean," the red-haired soldier said. "I don't have full coverage over North Africa, could Ravi Bunker assist?"

"Diverting."

Calmly and efficiently the soldiers worked, as if they weren't targeting cities full of human beings. Unknown to all of them, this was the result of the Elixir of Life running through their veins, having slowly twisted their minds over the years to become more ruthless. They would do whatever their Alpha would say, for they were one of the Pack.

"Embark ready," the red-haired soldier said.

"Ravi ready."

"Oma ready."

And so on it went, each bunker announcing their readiness. The last one, in New Zealand, signaled their readiness. Daphne spoke once more.

"Commence Burning Sky."

Without hesitation, each Lycan around the world hit the button that would launch thousands of nuclear missiles. Their targets ranged from cities, to fleets, and to magical sanctuaries all around the world. In thirty minutes, the world would be changed forever.

The red hair soldier reattached her helmet, concealing her face once more. On the screen in front of her was a list of targets, each with a string of coordinates attached. The last one marked a set of abandoned ruins in the Scottish Highlands, that all magicals knew well.

After all, who hadn't heard of Hogwarts?

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Alexander Dantes

Four Years Ago

The Lycans wasted no time in claiming their new home. But when they entered the Acropolis they were stunned to find the rocky interior they knew so well to be gone, that the stones underneath their feet were smooth. But it was the outer shell that drew their attention, and how they had an unobstructed view to the world outside. Standing at the bottom and looking up was like looking at the most impossible architecture in the world.

Everyone loved it, but those Lycans who had unlocked the secret of flight had more than a few accidents of running into invisible walls. They were never fatal, usually only resulting in a few cracked bones, but it was a mistake that most Lycans only made once.

There were many questions about what Alexander had done to the Acropolis, especially how he mustered the sheer power needed for it. A few of the more intelligent Lycans estimated it to require the strength of thousands of magicals, if not millions. Alexander only smiled in reply and directed them to return to their new duties.

Now that the outer and support structure was complete, Alexander and his Lycans could begin the time-consuming task of establishing the interior. The first task they had to deal with was plumbing.

Alexander wasn't content with relying on runes to handle waste management. He believed in redundancy, and was well aware that sometimes the runes failed, causing the waste to be expelled violently. He also wanted systems that could be removed, replaced, and upgraded easily. Which was why everything was built knowing that it would need to eventually expand.

Pipes large enough for a Lycan to walk through, were laid down. Electric pumping stations were built, but were reinforced by runes to help maintain the systems. Theoretically, half of the stations could fail, and life in the Acropolis could continue without issue. Alexander justified the extra stations to the Lycans as a form of caution, and only he knew just what he planned for them that would require this level of care.

The large open spaces at the top of the Acropolis were filled with icy fresh water, harvested from Antarctica, thawed, and further purified for safety. Gravity would get it to the rest of the Acropolis, although runes and technology were once again used to act as backups.

Filtration and sanitation was a concern, of course. Eventually the scientists came up with a method that ran the waste water through multiple systems, ensuring that by the time the water once again reached Lycan lips, it was as purified as it could be. Runes and enchantments were heavily used on these systems, to assist and further clean the water.

The artificial rivers and canals were slowly filled by the excess. Alexander's designers added small lakes at random points, and some were being converted into farms to hold fish. Saltwater was artificially created in some of these, in enclosed loops so they wouldn't contaminate the freshwater. They then built waterwheels along the rivers, using hydropower to generate electricity, although Alexander and the other scientists planned for other sources later on.

The ground was still barren at this point. Alexander sent his Lycans all over the world to collect soil, using the recommendations of several botanists and farmers from among their numbers. While there was a brief inquiry into artificial pesticides and manures for the plants, magic was far ahead of non-magical methods. Using crop rotation and certain spells, a bountiful harvest was assured weekly, with the surplus being placed into long-term storage under Preservation Charms.

But the real aim of these different soils were the miniature eco-systems they were building. Each was themed to an unique environment, and magic and technology was used to simulate their real world equivalents. They constructed massive greenhouses for them, large enough to put a New York City block to shame, and there were still vast amounts of space left over for future expansion.

Which was where Alexander had forests, farms, and plains put in. Alexander refused to allow his people to starve, to allow it to even be an issue, and there were many crops that could be cultivated for medicinal and recreational purposes. Things like chocolate and coffee beans, for example, were in high demand, as was barley.

The forests and plains served the Lycans as areas for them to burn off energy, by being able to run and fight without any concern of endangering anyone else. Magic was used to hasten the growth of forests, and Alexander's fondness for Giant Sequoia's saw many of the forests to reach towering heights. The other Lycans could soon be found climbing up those wooden giants, and it was not uncommon to find a group racing through the treetops with reckless abandon.

There was a large debate over how the Lycan's should build their new homes. Alexander knew his people would fall into smaller groups over time, building up their own personal packs within the greater one. But he wanted there to be a sense of community among them all, an understanding that all Lycans worked for the community's need, and not just their own.

A main street was planned, a wide, winding thing that would run all the way up to the peak of the Acropolis. There were no cars in the traditional sense, but younger Lycans or those with families could use carts pulled by golems to travel around. Along this street buildings were constructed, never taller than fifty meters, with the understanding that they could be renovated at a later date should their population grow.

Every few hundred meters a large fountain was placed, with trees, stone benches, and grass. The fountains had statues of magical creatures, and the closest fountain often identified the local buildings. It was a form of proto-address that most found confusing but amusing, and it stuck. It was not uncommon to hear someone to say to meet them at the red dragon pub, or blue centaur cafe, after a few weeks.

The question of currency arose around this time. Many were curious about it, as they had viewed the construction of the Acropolis as a job, to be repaid with a home within once it was completed. Alexander asked the Lycans what they should base their currency around, and one man suggested gold. Alexander merely conjured a gold coin and placed it in the man's hand.

"The Philosopher's Stone in your chest boosts your Transfiguration skill tenfold. Conjuring gold or silver is no longer an impossible task," Alexander had explained. "There are several other metals that we could instead use, but the question remains: why?"

"Think about what our magic and this place means. Food costs us nothing. Shelter costs us nothing. We are in a safe place, one where we can explore, study, and create with total safety. Each of you will live as long as you desire, what point is there to hoard wealth when everything is freely available?"

"Why should we do anything then? If nothing has any value?" a young man had asked.

"Why do you do anything now? Because you're curious, because you have a dream, because something inside of you yearns for more! You no longer need to worry about working a job that has no purpose, now you can truly explore whatever interests lay in your heart! Write your novels, create your art. Or study for hundreds of years, exploring the secrets to the universe! Your only restraint is yourself!"

It had taken a few more days of discussion, but slowly the naysayers understood Alexander's message. They were not cogs, to be used by some businessman to further his wealth. They were not pawns of some politician, used to advance her career. They, for the first time in their lives, had freedom to explore what it meant to be alive.

Work slowed only slightly during this time. Peer pressure was a wonderful thing, and guilt ate at those who sat back and watched others work. It helped that many of those who continued the building efforts were not pleased that they had leeches mooching off of their labors and often challenged them. Alexander didn't have to lift a single finger.

But Alexander knew he had to give something for the Lycans to push toward, some way to achieve notoriety. Lycans, like humans, enjoyed challenges and acclaim, as well as rewards. So he used the layout of the Acropolis to his advantage.

The winding levels, all the way to the top, were viewed as a form of achievement. Each Lycan would begin their education at the lowest level, and they would have to overcome a series of challenges and tests at each stop, to prove their competence. This was used as a way to test young Lycans, to prove that they understood their school subjects at a basic level, and that they could pursue further study on their own violation. The stone tablets were of great use for this, restricting information that the youth were not ready for yet.

The adults were a different matter. First, they had to complete a climb with Alexander, which he led each month. They would climb on the outside of the Acropolis, fasting the entire time while Alexander questioned them on their hopes and dreams for the future. He would share stories, little secrets of magic as he guided them to the peak where they would be recognized as full Lycans, so long as they could pass the final test: magical flight.

Not everyone passed. Alexander was not cruel toward those who failed, who could not complete the climb or the final test for one reason or another. They were always given permission to try again, but until they passed the final test, they were restricted from engaging in dominance challenges.

This was the true method of how Alexander kept the Lycans in check. It was a pecking order, starting with him at the top, and running all the way down to the youngest Lycan. It wasn't an established list, although it was well within Alexander's powers to make one, but a way of recognizing glory and respect among peers. A weekly tournament was held, and anyone may enter the designated Proving Grounds, a large stone coliseum, to answer challenges.

The first month Alexander planted himself in the center of the ring and held his ground. Dozens of challengers approached him, struggling to overcome him with might or magic, but he turned them all away. The fourth week no one was foolish enough to approach him, and Alexander finally took a seat, allowing Daphne to take his place. One week later she sat next to him after proving her strength.

Slowly the Lycans organized themselves, recognizing skill and mastery of ability as the true wealth of this new society. Laziness slowly evaporated, but it created a new problem in the form of abuse. Alexander quickly put a stop to it in the best way he knew how: He killed the offenders.

There was a firm line between enjoying your superiority over someone and abusing the power you had over them. Needless cruelty was something Alexander was firmly against, and if you had beaten an opponent, he felt you had to do the honorable thing of either killing your opponent or leaving them be. There must be a certain amount of respect between Lycans, an understanding that because of their now natural abilities and stance, they should be afforded certain levels of respect.

Alexander knew it wasn't a perfect solution, but hopefully it would be enough for now. He didn't want to rule the Lycans as a tyrant, but he did want them to be better than the humans they once were. Evolution should ideally be an improvement after all, and they were still evolving.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

AN: Just a few more chapters everyone! The end is near!

Linking everyone to a Greater Stone: If you mean mentally, as some sort of hive mind, no. If you mean physically, using their blood to further bolster it, no. The Greater Stone is essentially a magical nuclear reactor, creating more magic than it needs to operate. Adding more blood/magic to it won't increase it anymore, as it is now the pinnacle of magical evolution. Alexander also won't be telling everyone how to make it, or even showing it off. It won't spread beyond him, Daphne, and their children, and will help cement their place firmly at the top of the Lycan pack for all time.

Muggle Leaders: I wasn't trying to show them to be horrible leaders, even if they are. They're essentially facing an invasive species that can do things that are otherworldly, and show no hesitation at abusing the human species. That being said, I do view politicians as the worst kind of human, so them ordering nuclear strikes at magic heavy areas would not surprise me at all. It's really meant to show that human, wizard, or Lycan, everyone is horrible, but they're horrible for different reasons.

Harry Potter: I paraphrased Ollivander's words but I thought they fit. A nice little callback to the start of Harry's journey as a wizard, ending here, at the end of the world.

Flamel: He's power mad. He's been harvesting magicals for hundreds of years, taking their blood and magic for himself. He has taken over the Wizarding World, and now that Mikael's werewolf army has been destroyed, he'll turn his focus onto the Muggle World.

Black Armored Soldiers: If it wasn't clear, they're Lycans and they serve Alexander. I wanted to show just how devastating magicals with zero remorse could be, how a dozen of them could slaughter hundreds with ease. Ignoring their own remarkable physical abilities and healing, magic is already a reality breaking power. If your concern isn't capturing targets or objectives, just asset denial, you can cut loose with a lot more destructive means. Add in the physical power of a Lycan, and you have a fun little package of destruction.

Nuclear Launch Detected: T-minus 30 minutes until the end of the world. :D

Acropolis: in case you forgot, Alexander wove an enchantment on the outer shell, so the Lycan could look through it as if it were a one-way window. This also allows sunlight to reach the inside of the Acropolis. It's 3 km tall, and 2km wide at the base, before narrowing toward the top. The levels are a little under 1 km wide, and that width remains true almost all the way to the top. There is a lot of land available on the inside because of this, although please forgive me if I don't calculate exactly how much.

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