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

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Earth

October 31st, 2017

No one was prepared for their world to explode into fire and death. For waves of pressure to shatter buildings, for flames to raze forests down, and for the howling fury of man's technology screaming into the night.

Those who went to sleep, safe in the comfort of their homes and beds, would never wake up again. They would never hear their alarm clocks go off, feel the warmth of their partner's beside them. There would be no more late night's with friends, talking of their dreams, the stars, their loves. No more.

Then there were those who were awake, going about their days, so sure that everything was business as usual. There were still uproars over the revelation of magic, but the world could not stop for it. No, many men and women were back at work, earning money to live, while their children went to school to learn. But everything changed when the bombs fell.

All around the world people lived. They had built their homes on lands they long thought conquered. But they never designed their homes for the most terrible of all weapons.

The first bombs hit the coastal cities. Some were hit multiple times, so dense was their population. But others only merited the use of a single bomb, which was still enough to destroy whatever it hit. Mushroom clouds rose, and those far enough away, isolated enough, scrambled to get the news out.

But their calls and pleas went unanswered. The bombs disrupted electrical grids all over the globe, cutting off the power and hampering communication. And still more bombs fell, creeping across continents to their hearts, blanketing the countryside with radiation and death. The wave of death was unstoppable, and those who had a minute or two warning tried to use it to save themselves.

Desperate families clawed their way to the basements of their homes, or into the sewers nears that ran underneath. Panicking civilians crammed into underground railways, fighting to get to a safe place. Some governments had bunkers they could access, pushing their politicians and leaders into safety, even as their people faced death.

And that was when the black-armored soldiers appeared, casting Fiendfyre on the cowering fools. Bullets and knives bounced off their armored bodies as they tore their way through the bunkers, slaughtering the occupants to the last. They had no mercy, no hesitation, as they followed their Alpha's orders to secure the world for Lycans.

Monuments known the world over fell under the nuclear onslaught, shattering and melting from incomprehensible forces. Only isolated pockets of land would be spared the direct touch of a nuclear strike, a fool's consolation prize as the radiation spread over the land, poisoning the world and those who remained.

And in an isolated part of Scottland, there stood a mighty castle that had stood for a thousand years. Armies of soldiers had failed to breach those walls, thousands of wizards had stood in defense of its walls since the time it was built, and hundreds of magical beasts had failed to claim it. It was a testament to the true might and ingenuity of wizards, of a stronghold that could withstand anything.

Almost anything.

The missile did not care for the wards that were erected to stop physical objects, or the ones that suppressed fires. It exploded ten meters from the edge of the outermost ward, a distance too far from the castle for any conventional attack. But this was anything but such a strike.

Hogsmeade vanished in an instant, wiped from the Earth. The Forbidden Forest burned, the ancient tree trunks shattered and ripped from the ground and thrown a great distance. The many beasts that called the forest home only had a moment to comprehend the oncoming wave of death before it hit them, killing them with an attack they had never experienced before.

Hogwarts' wards tried to resist the nuclear missile's might, but its effort might as well been paper for all it stopped. They fell, and the ancient stones bore the full brunt of the attack, blackening instantly. And then the stone crumbled, and the castle began to fall.

The Great Hall was blasted apart instantly, killing the witches and wizards cowering there. The heat and pressure moved through the halls, scorching portraits and tapestries as it passed. The famed Hogwarts Library was set aflame almost instantly, only some of the enchanted tomes resisting the fires for a moment before turning to ash.

The Astronomy Tower was the first to fall, followed closely by Grffindor's. Ravenclaw's Tower fell last, collapsing through the remains of the library, and smashing into the dungeons below. The Greenhouses and Hagrid's cottage, once notable features on the grounds of Hogwarts, were gone, blown away.

As a mushroom cloud formed over Hogwarts, the ghosts stared around in horror at the devastation. It broke them, seeing their home destroyed, and the bonds that connected them to the Earth unraveled. Their forms faded, and only the Fat Friar was aware enough to note what was happening.

He had been sent to the monastery as a child and taught the word of God. But when his magic was revealed they cast him out, branded him a heathen, and he was left on his own. He went to Hogwarts, became educated, and returned to the monastery as a grown man, eager to show them that witches and wizards were not evil.

They had drowned him, and his spirit had haunted the world ever since.

As he felt his spirit leave the world, only one word crossed the Fat Friar's lips to be carried away by the wind.

"Why...?"

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Daphne Dantes

October 31st, 2017

"Any problems so far?" Daphne asked. She was in the Acropolis, overseeing the latest, and last, influx of wizards. They were being settled in a building built closer to the outer shell, but still on the long, winding road that wandered up the Acropolis.

"Just a bunch of wizards scared out of their minds," Mark said. He was back to his normal appearance, shedding the skin of M as easily as he could breathe.

Zhen rolled her eyes from next to her husband. "We had to confiscate their wands. Two of the red heads tried to threaten Malfoy and some Lycans when it became clear they wouldn't be allowed to move about freely." She placed a chest of wands next to Daphne.

"Did you arrest them?" Daphne softly asked, eyeing the wands.

Zhen shook her head. "We reasoned it would push them over the edge. I still think we should just kill them and be done with it."

"You know the bargain we made with Helga. In exchange for the information we needed, we would provide sanctuary to those who resided at Hogwarts," Daphne said. She motioned for two nearby Lycans to drag carts of blankets and clothes to the wizards.

"You and Lord Dantes are the only ones bound by that agreement. You could step away for just a moment," Zhen said suggestively.

Daphne whirled around in an instant, blurring with how fast she moved. Her hand closed around Zhen's neck, squeezing so tightly she crushed the muscles into the bone, and Daphne lifted her up into the air with one hand. Zhen's hands frantically grabbed onto Daphne's arm for support, as even though it wouldn't kill them, asphyxiation was still uncomfortable.

"No," Daphne said, squeezing her hand slightly to emphasize the fact that she could crush the reinforced bones in Zhen's neck with ease. She held Zhen like that for a moment before releasing her, allowing Zhen to fall to the floor.

Zhen gasped slightly before recovering enough to speak. "My apologies, Lady Dantes, for speaking out of turn." She rose back to her feet a second later, her body already healed from having her throat crushed.

Mark barely glanced at his recovering wife, focusing on the wizards in the distance. "Will we be turning them into Lycans then? I don't think I need to remind you how unhappy everyone is to have them here. They didn't earn their place," he said.

Daphne smirked. The Lycans were very unhappy to host a group of wizards, especially ones who had not even solved their Riddle Coins. But none would go against the words of Alexander, their Alpha.

"No. If they want to become Lycan they must impress Alexander, and the only way they can do that now is if they solve their Riddle Coins. They'll have to figure them out without their wands though, as I don't intend to give them back," Daphne said. She flicked a finger at the chest beside her, causing it to snap shut before flying off to Alexander's laboratory. Daphne was sure her husband would appreciate the gift.

A trio of figures approached them, and they seemed wary of the Lycans moving about their tasks. Daphne eyed them calmly, but readied herself mentally for an unpleasant conversation.

Hermione Weasley glared up at Daphne, her hands balled into fists, and her hair escaping the strict bun she had pulled it into. Ron and Harry followed closely behind, the latter looking embarrassed, while the former was just as angry as his wife. Daphne almost felt amusement.

"Give us back our wands!" Hermione demanded.

And there went the amusement. "No."

Hermione's face wasn't the only one to turn red with anger, and Ron pushed his way forward. "You can't trust Malfoy, he's a slimy snake!" he said. Daphne raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"I was also in Slytherin, Weasley, and he's also my brother-in-law. Take care how you speak," she warned. Ron glowered, but Hermione spoke again.

"I apologize for Ronald, he's just tense since you took our wands away and we found ourselves confronted with Malfoy's drastic change," Hermione explained, trying to turn the situation back on the Lycans.

Daphne was more than equal to that. "Your husband threatened to harm several Lycans when it was revealed you wouldn't be allowed to move freely about the Acropolis for the next few days. A not unreasonable restriction, when you factor in the many dangers and rules you are ignorant of! Your wands will eventually be returned," she said, not bothering to mention that their wands would only be returned if the wizards became Lycans or were dead.

"Then give us a list of these rules so we can move about!" Hermione demanded imperiously.

"I know you were a Gryffindor, but do think with your head. Everyone just went through the traumatic revelation they were living under a Dark Lord and that the Muggles had declared nuclear war on them. We're giving everyone a day to settle in and relax before letting them loose," Daphne firmly said.

But that didn't satisfy Hermione. "Well, how about you give me the rules now and I could explain them to everyone?" she asked.

"No."

Ignoring Hermione's shocked face, Daphne turned to Harry Potter, who had thus far remained silent. "Something on your mind, Harry?"

His eyes flicked to Zhen who merely waved her fingers tauntingly at him, but he shook his head. Daphne didn't need to be a mind reader to know that was a lie.

"I thought you enjoyed our time together, Harry," Zhen purred. Her husband rolled his eyes beside her.

"How the hell would anyone enjoy you digging around in their skull?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione looked between the two in confusion. Harry noticed as he gestured to Zhen. "When Flamel imprisoned me, it was Zhen who interrogated me."

Harry's friends looked at Zhen warily, but the Lycan merely shrugged. "It was necessary to maintain my cover. Besides, better me picking at your brain than someone who actually wanted to see all your little secrets. I could have done without seeing your sex life, thank you very much."

Harry and his friends blushed, much to the amusement of the Lycans. They all knew Zhen was lying, that she greatly enjoyed using her Legilimency to perv on the thoughts of others. It was better than television, in her oft expressed opinion, although Mark often called her out whenever she introduced something new to their sex life.

"Daphne," Harry said, getting her attention once more, "have you heard from Alexander? Do we need to organize a rescue party?"

"Always rushing to save the day, Harry," Ron said, shaking his head. Harry shot him a look.

"You didn't fight Flamel, Ron. He makes Voldemort look like a first year, I've never felt that outclassed in a fight before. And he wasn't even taking me seriously, it was all a game to him."

That sobered Ron up. "Merlin, what are we going to do about him?"

"We are going to do nothing," Daphne said. "Alexander has the situation in hand, and if you get in the way now, you'll just kill yourself. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other tasks to attend to."

Daphne didn't have anything else to occupy her time, but she couldn't just stand there and engage in meaningless conversation with wizards while her husband was fighting the darkest Dark Lord to ever live. Although, as she walked through the nearby trees, she wondered if that title could now apply to herself and Alexander, with how and why they planned to end humanity's reign on Earth.

Her hand reached up to stroke her necklace, the pendant that Alexander had made for her decades ago at the Yule Ball. As Daphne walked through the trees, her mind walked through the memories of the past, and she allowed them to consume her...

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Alexander Dantes

One Year Ago

They rested on a massive bed covered in furs. Alexander laid on his back, one arm underneath his head while the other ran through Daphne's hair, twisting and curling as it went. Daphne laid on his chest, and her hand traced the planes of his muscles with gentle caresses. A thin sheen of sweat covered their bodies, and neither bothered to hide their nudity, having long grown used to one another.

"We have everything we need," Daphne suddenly said, breaking the silence. "We could cover the entrances to the Acropolis and just ignore humanity as they slowly kill themselves off."

"We could," Alexander agreed. "We could sit in our mountain and watch as humanity tears itself apart, poisoning and killing themselves. As they filled the oceans with plastic, the land with chemicals, and the air with death. We can watch until the very last person dies."

Alexander knew why Daphne voiced this thought, for it was one he asked himself often as well. But he also knew that he could never do it, never watch that slow suffering as people eked out a miserable existence due to their own inability to change. He also knew what Daphne would say next.

"We could help them. Use the Acropolis as our safe haven, but reach out to the world and aid them. We could share our technology, our advancements, show them that there is a better way," Daphne murmured into his chest.

His jaw tightened. "Their greed dominates them, and their arrogance. It's not enough for them that they must have everything, they also want it without any consequences. Say that we shared our technology, our magic with them, what do you think they would do?" Alexander asked.

Daphne's voice was small as she answered. "They'd abuse it. They would use it to consume far more than they could ever need, far more than they could ever sustain," she said, repeating the argument Alexander had long since shared with her.

Alexander nodded. "It would be like applying a patch to a broken system. It would allow it to work for a little longer, but eventually, it would break once more, taking us with them."

He sighed. "And we would have to reveal the location of the Acropolis. Everyone wants what they can't have, they would send armies in an attempt to claim this land for themselves. And millions would make the journey here, hoping they might be safe, with no regard given to the fact that the Acropolis can only hold so many. Even with magic and technology, we would fall."

Alexander wrapped his arms around Daphne, pulled her closer. "Which leaves the question once more of how humanity should die. A slow, painful death that we must watch, unable to change because in order to do so we would need to change their very nature? Or a quick, sudden death that we can control, to spare as many as possible the horrors of the future, and reclaim our world?"

"It's still murder," Daphne said. Alexander resumed running his hand through her hair.

"It is. But I must look at it rationally, to look out for our people. The longer we wait, the more we put it off, the more likely someone will find the Acropolis. And then the decision will be taken from us, to rip apart all we have built, and we will fall with humanity," Alexander said. Both Lycans knew that they had been fortunate the Acropolis hadn't been discovered yet, but that was more because of Alexander tracking those who left, than any measure of chance. Still, he could not watch everyone at all times, and eventually he would miss someone.

"So we kill billions to save ourselves?" Daphne asked. Her voice sounded cold and dead.

"Yes. I hope they find peace in their last moments, Daphne, I truly do. But we're still destroying the world, and I for one will not miss it. I can only hope what we build afterwards is better," Alexander said.

The two Lycans were silent as their thoughts consumed them. Nights in the Acropolis were pleasant, with a gentle breeze moving constantly through it with the use of charms. Daphne shifted on top of Alexander, moving to sit on his hips, allowing her long hair to cascade around them, hiding them from the world.

"I agree with you," Daphne said. "I only wish I didn't."

Alexander pulled her down to him once more, kissing her gently. "I know. But as I told you long ago, my love, I am not cruel. I will stop their suffering, even if I must cause some myself."

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

The next day, Alexander was in his laboratory, although calling it such was an understatement. To begin with, it was the size of a decent-sized library, with multiple floors and sections. Each was focused on a distinct branch of research, and all were warded, enchanted, and fortified to such an extent, that a bomb could go off and not even cause a loose paper to rustle. There were shelves of old experiments, workbenches and tools scattered about, and even a partially disassembled aircraft that Alexander was studying.

"Test number fifty-eight on the Greater Stone complete," Alexander said. A tape recorder was recording nearby. "Structure of the stone remains unchanged despite the third runic language created from it. Magical recordings are still incalculable."

And wasn't that annoying? Alexander had tried and failed for years to develop a reliable way to measure magical strength and density, but other than comparing two magical objects or beings to one another, there was no perfect method.

Alexander braced himself for the next test. "Commencing today's adjustment," he said, before reaching out and picking the Greater Stone up from where it lay on the workbench. Immediately fire poured through his veins, causing him to grit his teeth.

It had taken him a few painful encounters with his most impressive creation to determine what was happening. The Greater Stone was several orders of magnitude stronger than the Philosopher's Stone, which was already equal to the strength of thousands of wizards. Alexander could handle that lesser stone, feeling the magic within it like it was a hot coal, but that was well within the tolerance of even a non-magical human.

That was especially important since Alexander implanted Philosopher's Stones into the chests of every Lycan at the Acropolis. Getting the sheer quantity needed was a pain, but a few runes on the stones of the Proving Grounds banished all the spilled blood into special storage vats, enchanted to keep the blood fresh. Alexander would never run out of a blood supply due to the combative nature of the Lycans.

But the Greater Stone was much more powerful than a Philosopher's Stone. Instead of feeling like a hot coal, it was as though someone had condensed a star into the palm of his hand. Such was the intensity and power of the stone it felt like his entire body was being incinerated, despite not being lit on flame.

At first, Alexander could barely hold on to the stone for a few seconds, finding it too intense to withstand, even with his remarkable pain tolerance. But in those few seconds, Alexander had access to more magic than he ever thought possible, allowing him to achieve feats far beyond even a nation of wizards, like Transmuting the Acropolis. So he tried again.

Slowly, Alexander adjusted to this new level of pain, one horrible second after another. Today marked the first day that Alexander could hold the Greater Stone for five whole minutes, a length of time that had been elusive to him for years. Finally, it grew too much for him, and Alexander dropped the stone, collapsing to the ground to catch his breath.

But as his enhanced body struggled to recover, Alexander's focus turned inward. The Greater Stone's magic lingered in his body, on his skin, and he eagerly used his magic to reach out, connecting with it. He pulled it within himself, gaining a rush of new strength and power, which caused a heady sensation.

This was why Alexander tormented himself; to gain power. Day by day he absorbed more, slowly growing his own strength while his body adjusted to the painful onslaught. One day, soon, Alexander would be able to implant the Greater Stone within his chest, replacing the Philosopher's Stone, and he would be the strongest Lycan to ever live, forever.

Alexander reached out for the Greater Stone once more.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

AN: Told you guys there would be another update. They're shorter because, well, I'm not going to write out 10k+ words to describe how the entire world is being destroyed. The next chapter will show Alexander and Flamel's fight, so try to be patient guys.

Hogwarts: Not going to lie, I was a little sad writing that part. Say what you will about Rowling's stories, a lot of us grew up with good memories of Hogwarts. Still, Alexander was always going to destroy it, to destroy the world, something I foreshadowed in the first chapter of Alexander Dantes.

Fat Friar: Couldn't remember what the canon was for him, so I made my own. If it wasn't clear, with Hogwarts destroyed the ghosts no longer had anything binding them to the realm of the living. Most of the ghosts were too shocked by that to speak, but the Fat Friar was just aware enough to question their demise.

Ron/Hermione: I thought about getting a "revenge" on them as well, but there's really no point. Typical human behavior isn't something Alexander is offended by, plus Alexander's life wasn't defined by their actions like the others. I did leave the option open for the future, but as of right now, Alexander isn't going to appear and rip their heads off or anything.

Zhen: You can't tell me mind readers wouldn't be closet pervs.

Daphne: She and Alexander do love one another. I wanted to show how she's had concerns over their course of action, while Alexander doesn't. I also tried to hint at the fact that as the Alpha, the Lycans, including Daphne, will slowly come around to Alexander's point of view. The strongest personality defines them and all that.

Alexander: He's had a fascinating character arc as he's gone from victim, to freedom fighter, to destroyer. He knows his actions are horrific, but he also know that if he does nothing it'll be even worse. He has the choice of watching the slow death and suffering of humanity, or making it happen much quicker, and to his benefit. It shouldn't be a surprise what his choice is.

My writing style: If it isn't obvious, I'm not a fan of padding my work with useless dialogue/descriptions. I'm sure I could easily triple or quadruple the chapter length if I chose to do so, but I feel it weakens the overall quality of the writing. I know many of you wish for the chapters/story to be much longer, but I can't do so without compromising the quality of the overall work. Sorry guys, but I'd rather a "short" 100k novel, than a 300k rant.

I hope everyone is enjoying the story! The NEXT UPDATE will be TOMORROW.