The first spell that flew at him would have caught Harry completely off guard, if the family trip into Diagon alley hadn't been planned as more of a military engagement than a shopping spree at any rate, Freya's and Sirius' nerves that morning heightening his own so that he had easily seen the man leaning awkwardly against Flourish and Blotts door frame freeze at their arrival.
Not recognising the spell, but with no doubt in his mind regarding its intent, Harry knew he couldn't dodge out of the way given that Sirius was stood behind him. Luckily, he had another option available to him in the form of the shield wand Freya had given to him in the week following the Formian incident, the wand leaping from his sleeve into his hand as he spoke.
"Protego!" The difference between a normal wand and a shield wand was that with a shield wand the strength of the shield levelled with the amount of magic put into it over the course of the spell, channeling background magic to maintain the shield once it was in place.
-87 shield hp
Protego shield- 23/110 hp
-30 mp
The spell impacted his shield and the two forces reacted violently against each other for moment before the spell expended itself, leaving Harry breathing heavily as he started to reinforce his cracked shield.
"Stupefy!" It was slightly annoying that Harry and Sirius had acted far faster than their supposed bodyguards, but as the red stream of light slammed into the attacker's hastily raised shield Harry was glad to see them finally stepping up, one of the soldiers slamming the tip of her sword into the ground and creating a glowing dome that encompassed the group.
"Two more, from the left!" The call came even as the other two soldiers ignited their own weapons and armour, becoming encased in golden armour as they rushed toward the newly appeared wizards, who had forced their way through the now panicked crowd and raised their wands.
Something didn't make sense to Harry about the ambush, or the appearance of the two new wizard given the lack of attacks in their direction, the two firing a couple of spells at the approaching soldiers but otherwise showing little concern at the threat the soldiers posed. In fact they almost seemed...
Int check (5)- 4 failed
New skill unlocked (Int 4+): Tactics (general)
Tactics (general) check (Easy): 6 required
Tactics value- +1
High Intelligence (4)- +1
Unfamiliar enemy group- -1
Unfamiliar allied group- -1
Complexity bonus- +2
Luck Bonus (0-5)- +3
Effective Tactics Skill Value- +5
Random modifier- (-4 to +2)
It became obvious to Harry with terrifying clarity even as the two attackers started backing away from the attacking Inquisition soldiers, one of them glancing off to his left for the slightest of instances as he did so giving away where the key part of the trap was going to come from next.
Tactics (general) skill check passed.
"Get back, it's a trap!" His call seemed out of place from a 10 year old, but as another text box appeared in front of him Harry would deal with any issues later, whilst the Inquisition soldiers had been fairly aloof they were still trying to protect his family.
Command skill unavailable, Authority/Intimidate/Charm skills insufficient level.
Command skill check (easy): failed
Charm skill check (hard): 15 required
Charm value- +7
High Charisma (5)- +2
Child of Change title- +5
Unfamiliar allied group- -2
Age and status- -3
Targets awareness- +3
Luck Bonus (0-5)- +1
Effective Tactics Skill Value- +13
Random modifier (+1 to +5)
For a second Harry thought the Inquisition soldiers might listen to him, indeed one of them slowed as they reached the alley that the attackers had fallen back down, but then shook his head even as his comrade carried on.
Charm Skill check failed.
The pause his failed attempt to alert the Inquisition soldier to the danger still probably saved his life, the other soldier not so lucky as there was the sound of an explosion before several black shapes blurred from the alley to overwhelm him, the glowing armour lasting only a few seconds of struggling before his panicked shouts cut out with a final scream.
"Observe!" Harry's purpose for activating the skill was two fold, both so he could determine the identity of these new enemies and also to give him some precious thinking time as his newly levelled skill kicked into action.
Starved Haunt pup (Lvl 1)
Threat Rating- Minoris
Hp-?
Mp-?
"The only thing more dangerous than a pack of Haunts on a dark night, is a pack of Haunts who have not eaten in weeks..."
Basic information-
Haunt are dog like creatures about the size of labradors, they are usually black but there have been occasional sightings of other coloured hides. Males have two deep set red eyes and female's two dark blue eyes, with the young having one red and one blue eye until they reach adolescence. They live in caves deep in mountains and can live with little water for a long period of time. Every full moon the males come down into nearby cities and towns to hunt, usually household pets and vermin but packs have been known to attack humans.
Additional information-
All Haunts have poisonous saliva and claws, the poison is usually a fast acting paralysis agent but this can vary depending on individual genetic mutation.
Starved Haunts are slower and weaker than normal, but because of their feral hunger they are immune to negative mental effects and will not retreat even when injured or faced by a superior opponent.
"Grimm!" The terrified cry from remaining bystanders merely added to the frenzied attempts of the crowd to get away from the scene, several people slamming into the golden shield as they tried to run away, which was probably why the attackers used these particular magical beasts in their attack.
Luckily for Harry though, the psychological effect the Haunts were meant to and had inspired also meant that they were at least creatures that Harry could help against, Merlin only knew how much the shit would have hit the fan if he had to deal with something stupid like a troll at age 10. Drawing his battle wand, Harry did his best to remember Hermione's lectures on the will and intent of magic even as three of the Haunts seemed to notice the other Inquisition soldier who seemed to be struggling to deal with the sight of his now former comrade.
Control over the Protego spell was mostly down to concentration and focus, the shield would form and act differently if the caster had a clear enough understanding of what it was he wanted it to do, and given he wouldn't be able to do enough damage with his battle wand to drop the three haunts before they fell upon the frozen soldier he would have to improvise.
Spell Created- The Wall: Level 1 (3%)
A modified Protego, the Wall is a wordless spell that creates a solid magical barrier in the location the user envisions, blocking both spells and physical attempts to pass through it. However, this increased range of protection capability comes at a cost, making the spell twice as mana consuming as a Protego of the same level with only half the 'HP', though this and the maximum size and range the shield can be cast from the caster increase with level.
Wall shield- 101/101 hp
-60 mp
The solid blue barrier appeared just as the first Haunt leapt at full speed towards the Inquisition soldier, neither it or it's fellow pack members able to stop their charge as they hit the magical equivalent of a brick wall. The drain on his mana hit Harry hard, falling to one knee even as the last of the three Haunts broke through his shield with a pained whine before hitting the ground just in front of the Inquisition soldier, who stabbed the beast with the sort of enthusiasm that only comes from true fear.
"Thanks kid, Jenkins get your ass back here now!" The third Inquisition soldier, the one who had formed the shield around them, stepped forward past Harry with sword ready as Sirius finished the first attacker with a shield breaker/stunner combo that Harry had already seen the man use once before, in the Department of Mysteries.
Wall shield destroyed
His interference seemed to have been enough to tip the scales of the ambush sufficiently, the two remaining attackers apparating out a moment later as the third soldier cleaved one of the four remaining Haunts in two as it tried to claw his leg during his advance. This was confirmed a moment later by the appearance of another helpful game screen.
Random Encounter- Attack in Diagon Alley complete
Main Objective
-Survive the attack (+400 xp)
Bonus Objectives
-Take no damage (+3 max hp)
-Save Inquisition soldiers (1/2) (+30 reputation Inquisition)
Achievement Unlocked-
... And a hard place (defeat an enemy just using a shield spell): + 1% hp on all shields
The achievement was a surprise for Harry, not that he was going to complain at any extra bonuses he could get. The third soldier's intervention seemed to bring the terrified soldier back to his senses, slamming his shield forward with a heavy crunch to counter another Haunt's attack that left the dog beast screeching in pain for the few moments before the man rather messily hacked it down.
"Harry, Harry!" The jolting sensation that accompanied the repeated calling of his name brought Harry back to reality, even as Sirius jerked him back and away from the mopping up.
"Looks like we were right about the risk of an attack whilst we were here, but best we get this shopping over with now with the attackers having fled, Freya is already going to have my head for this..." It was a risky gamble, one that Harry recognised from his past life but realistically would have no hope of understanding as a 10 going on 11 year old kid.
If that had been the main attack, then carrying on with the Hogwarts shopping now would make sense as otherwise they would have to return another day and risk another ambush, you couldn't get a wand by mail order after all and Ollivander didn't do house calls for anyone. But if this had been the main attack, then surely the attackers wouldn't have given up so easily after his first guard fell, if anything that would have made him an easier target and a few spells would have dealt with the second even with his wall stopping the Haunts first attacks.
Looking round the now nearly deserted Alley as he let Sirius lead him by the hand away from the scene of the fight, Harry couldn't shake the feeling he was getting in the back of his mind due to the direction his thoughts were taking him. Either they were walking straight into another ambush, without the aid of Inquisitorial protection, or he hadn't been the target of the attack in the first place...
[]{}#%^*+=
Thankfully, or more worryingly depending on your viewpoint on the matter, there were no more assassins waiting in the wings as they made their way to Gringotts and from there through the winding route of shops for his school supplies. Which lead them to where they were stood now, in front of the one shop that Harry had honestly been concerned about since he had learnt they were going supplies shopping for Hogwarts.
"Got the jitters Harry? I was the same when I first came here, certainly not the most vibrant or welcoming of shops..." Sirius' comment helped calm Harry a little, though as he reached up to grasp the tarnished bronze door handle he couldn't help but consider how the game would react to the wand selection process, would the lack of Voldemort's Horcrux mean that he wouldn't get his Phoenix wand now?
Whilst he wouldn't have that magical leech back for anything, Harry had to admit that the wand had been both an advantage and a comfort to him in his past life, fighting Voldemort would certainly be far more difficult without the twin wand effect to back him up.
"I was wondering when you would decide to enter Mr Potter, if you had taken any longer I would almost think you were worried about my shop for some reason..." Ollivander's opening brought Harry back to the present, the old wand maker appearing behind him, DESPITE the fact that Harry hadn't entered the shop yet.
"Well as you probably know Mr Ollivander we were attacked on the way here, so I think Harry being a little cautious can only be a good thing." Sirius seemed unsurprised at the man's appearance, but given that all adult wizards seemed to just shrug off Ollivander's weird habits as 'eccentricities' that probably wasn't all that big of a reveal.
"Yes, heard about that unfortunate incident, though it does seem strange..." Harry wasn't sure what Ollivander was referring to, but the man looked off into the distance as if contemplating saying more and then shook his head and gesturing into his store.
"No matter, what is important is getting you acquainted to your new partner Mr Potter, shall we?" Even as he finished opening the door, Harry was presented with another window, one that told him quite how tedious this next step was all but certainly going to be...
New Quest: To become a wand's wielder!
The time has come for you to graduate into the big boy leagues! (Well, more like the primary school league as opposed to secondary school, but you get the idea.) In order to do this you need your own, compatible wand, though finding a wand patient enough to put up with you will be no easy task.
Main Objective:
Find and pay for your new wand
Bonus Objectives:
Find a wand within an hour
Find a wand within 2 hours
Find a wand before closing time
?
?
A wand that will put up with me? Harry's fury at the insulting insinuation lasted all of 4 seconds before he remembered the embarrassment that he had felt at the Tri-Wizard Tournament Wand Weighing ceremony, the furious flame dying out faster than fiendfyre with no magic to feed upon.
Swearing that he would take better care of whatever wand he received this time, Harry clicked the okay button on the window and was surprised to see a follow up screen appear.
Choosing a wand is like going to a high end suit shop, if you are skilled and knowledgeable enough you may have a chance to not make an idiot of yourself, but in general it is a good idea to let the proprietor help you choose your companion. Of course, this will take longer and usually cost you more, but it's not as if you have any hidden talents to help you with this task right?
If the game insulting and mocking him with alarming regularity wasn't enough, the few hints it had decided to give him since the tutorial had finished seemed to have been aimed at a 5 year old with the same level of subtlety along with it.
"Mr Potter, are you sure you are okay?" Ollivander's question shook him from his thoughts and Harry nodded, activating Focussed Magical Search as he did so, the drain on his mana physically detectable as he felt the energy literally start draining out of him.
Having scanned the room several times in rapid succession, Harry then deactivated the skill before it knocked him out from magical exhaustion, though if there was another ambush waiting for them he really was fucked. Having noted several brightly glowing objects amongst the many other wands, and assuming this meant they were the most compatible with him out of those he could see in the shop, Harry allowed Ollivander to lead him into the shop and sat down to be measured up.
"Now Mr Potter, which is your dominant arm?" With the vague locations of the bright objects mentally mapped in his head, Harry knew that if Ollivander hadn't found him one of them in forty minutes he could feign wanting to stretch his legs and accidentally walk into the same area as one of them, it wouldn't be the first time he has done something 'incredible' since starting in this new world after all...
A/N: And so we reach the end of another chapter, with a bit more on how combat will work as Harry moves out of the tutorial and onto the main 'game'. This game story will not just be straight pass or fail tests, there will be degrees of failure and success in pretty much every test Harry takes, though most of them will not be quite so life or death as this one was for those two Inquisition soldiers.
So, getting his wand... I won't have the usual 'Harry gets his wand designed because...', primarily because if Ollivander did that service he would probably do it for everyone rather than have a shop filled with wands that may or may not fit everyone. The chances of someone being 100% compatible with a wand are quite small, in the same way that most couples are not actually 100% compatible, it is all about reaching/settling for a good fit over a perfect one.
This means Harry will have a choice between wand characteristics and compatibility in the next chapter, assuming that I don't throw something in out of left field like an Inquisition sceptre or a staff as well to muddy the waters a little. Any other interesting/wacky magical items I could have his magical senses lead him to? I don't want things like 'Merlin's Wand' or 'Excalibur', but shrunken goblin head for his off hand would be hilarious for example.
As usual, let me know what you guys think, and a big shout out to Temairine for proof reading this for me and making sure I haven't completely lost the plot regarding all of this.
Defias Out!