It's going to be a slow day today my beloved readers. I spent the whole day with my mother walking around town shopping for furniture. My feet are sore, my head is aching, and I'm dead tired. Thankfully, I can finally go to bed since I was able to force my brain to work for a short time just to finish this chapter.
I'll address the reviews next chapter. I'm too tired to do so now. Have fun reading. Ugggggggh
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters or abilities already published by an author.
Harry Potter: Shadow Sorcerer
Chapter 11: Maturity
August 11, 1991
Potter Manor
Harry sighed as he finished detailing yesterday's events to Sirius through the two-way journal.
Of course, he could've easily translocated the words directly on the journal but he didn't know how Sorcery would affect an already enchanted object so he had to do everything by hand. He made a mental note to purchase one of those Dicta-Quills he heard about while shopping around Diagon Alley.
Despite the pride he had in his ability to utilize both Magic and Sorcery, he still lacked the experience and knowledge to exercise precise control in their respective theories and potential.
True, he could never deny the fact that Magic and Sorcery work well together but there were still plenty of unknowns that required in-depth study and experimentation. Unbidden, questions between the two floated around in his mind.
How will Magic react to the presence of Sorcery?
Will Sorcery affect the workings of Magic, like an object enchanted by Magic?
Will the effects of Magic be nullified with an application of Sorcery?
What is the potential when Sorcery and Magic is used together as a single source of power?
So many questions yet so little answers.
No matter how much he liked to dive headlong into the study of Sorcery, he lacked the resources to do so. Belgarath did say that Sorcery was practically non-existent at this point in time, so Harry could only assume that there were no books in this particular subject.
In other words, he was working blind. For an 11-year old, an unsatisfied curiosity was annoying as hell.
Sighing again, Harry closed the journal but not before releasing a quiet chuckle at the missive from Sirius before he started his story telling. Sirius definitely liked his wand. The only problem was its power.
According to Sirius, his new wand was far more powerful than his old wand. Meaning, he needed to learn magic all over again. Sure, he already knew the spells, theories, and treatises of magic as a Hogwarts graduate should; but his control over the potential that his wand brought out of him was non-existent. The Marauder didn't bother to hide the fact that it was Harry's fault that he had to start from scratch.
Harry didn't even feel guilty at the slight though he felt quite smug at how powerful his creation was.
But despite his comments in regards to the power of his new wand, Sirius' words were glowing as he complimented his godson in the creation of such a powerful focus of magic.
Harry's ego went up a notch after that.
The young Potter Lord was startled when the clock chimed, telling him that it was already 9 in the morning. Realizing that he hadn't eaten anything as of yet since he was too excited to find out what Sirius thought of his new wand, he sent out a mental call to Flippy to bring him his breakfast, as well as the morning paper. Harry made it a point to his personal house-elf that all mails brought by owls are to be screened before passing it to him. It was safer that way though he doubted that Godric would let anything through the wards that could potentially harm anyone inside the house.
Harry's breakfast appeared on his table along with today's issue of the Daily Prophet. Ignoring the paper for now, Harry dug into the food with gusto. He could never have enough of Flippy's cooking and the elf was proud of that since Harry was growing like a weed.
Harry banished the empty tray back to the kitchens to be washed with a wave of his hand before picking up the newspaper. The front page was a very interesting read.
The Boy-Who-Lived Returns To The Wizarding World With A Bang by Quentin Scribbulus
Harry read the headline and grinned when the people interviewed by the reporter gave glowing testimonies to his skill. Not only was he Boy-Who-Lived, people were now calling him the second coming of Merlin.
The Potter Lord just shook his head. The Wizarding public was easily entertained considering how they described an eleven year old bringing down more than a dozen thugs with only the use of first year spells.
True, he overpowered some of the simple spells which gave off quite a spectacular result. In truth, the aftermath was simple theatrics. Let's face it; a simple tickling charm is annoying since they destroy your concentration. An overpowered one, however, will make sure that you regurgitate your lunch because of laughing so hard.
Fortunately for Harry, the Wizarding public didn't know that he was too tired to do anything else after the confrontation. If it wasn't for Hedwig picking him up then he would have sat down in the middle of Knockturn Alley trying to catch his breath. Harry shook his head. He was turning into another Belgarath, though he didn't mind the realization since the old coot was, is, his idol even he isn't around anymore.
Harry checked the rest of the paper and saw various writers and editors coming up with their own theories as to where he was all this time. He found it a useless read since only he knew the truth.
Folding the paper back on the desk, Harry stood up and walked out of the study planning to spend the rest of the morning in the library to do a little bit of research regarding his new abilities and an afternoon in the Training Room to do some practical study on Sorcery.
August 12, 1991
Diagon Alley
Harry was in Diagon Alley making his way to Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
Griphook sent him a letter last night via Gringotts owl asking for a meeting regarding the new addition to his account. It wouldn't have been a big deal but it seems the old coot of a sorcerer was a businessman owning stocks to various stores both wizarding and muggle.
Of course, Harry was supposed to know about them and make sure they're still profitable. The young Lord Potter would have been happy to just drop everything concerning money on the goblin's lap but it seems that it was the standard operating procedure for goblins to let their customers have the final word in the matter.
Harry was currently the subject of many awed stares. People were pointing at him while the young ones were looking at him with stars in their eyes. It seems that the news in the Daily Prophet elevated his popularity to that of a saint. The masses were too easy to please.
Shaking his head, Harry entered the confines of Gringotts and immediately approached Riptongue who was busy counting rubies from an overly large pouch. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Harry was ushered to Griphook's office where the goblin was waiting for him with a big smile on his face.
"Good morning, Griphook. May your gold always flow and your enemies cower under your blade." said Harry in the ritual goblin greeting.
Griphook grinned. The young Potter Lord was the only wizard that knew and practiced goblin formality.
"And may your enemies tremble at your passing, Lord Potter. Please take a seat, we have much to discuss." said the goblin while beckoning for Harry towards a comfortable couch.
"So what do you want to talk to me about Griphook?" Harry asked curiously after taking a seat.
"Two days ago, a Will handled by one of our Senior Managers activated. Of course, the Will was read with consideration of the account owner's request. To put it simply, everything was passed on to you." said Griphook calmly but the twitching on his lips meant that he was fighting a grin – a huge one at that.
Harry sighed.
"I think I know WHO left me everything. The question is WHAT did he leave me?" he asked the goblin who simply took a parchment from a drawer and held it out to him. Harry eyed it suspiciously before relenting. He took the parchment and almost blanched at what he read.
Most Ancient and Noble House of Aldur
Monetary Assets:
Vault 18: 3,466,221,448 Galleons
Vault 872: $3,450,000 (230,000 Galleons at current conversion from US Dollars)
Vault 873: 3 chests of jewels, rare wand components (wood, magical cores, gems) – Not Appraised
Properties:
Belgarath's Manor (Scottish Highlands)
Poledra's Cottage (Ireland)
Polgara's Perch (Canada)
Beldin's Spire (Greece)
Beltira's Farmhouse (Forks, Washington)
Belkira's Beach House (Miami, Florida)
Belgarion Castle (Iceland)
Wizengamot Seat: 3 (Unclaimed)
Harry's hand shook when he finished reading the content of the parchment. He looked up and saw Griphook grinning like a cat.
"You love this, don't you?" Harry accused the grinning goblin who immediately schooled his features.
"I assure you, Lord Potter, I don't know what you're talking about." Griphook said with an absolutely straight face, lips twitching again. The goblin reached into his drawer and pulled out another piece of parchment, placing it on the table and sliding it to Harry's corner.
"What's that?" he asked while looking at it with apprehension not wanting to touch it even with a 10-foot pole.
"Oh, just another piece of paper detailing the investments under the House of Aldur." Griphook answered innocently.
"You take care of it." Harry said with a shake of his head while pushing the paper towards the goblin.
"But it's your inheritance." Griphook countered, pushing the paper back.
"You're already taking care of my investments so one more wouldn't hurt." growled Harry, the paper slid to the goblin.
"But you need to know about it, Lord Potter." The goblin said calmly, sliding the paper to the young lord.
"I'm only 11 years old for Merlin's sakes." exclaimed Harry giving the paper back.
"It is necessary, Lord Potter." Griphook stated in a solemn voice, pushing the paper to Harry's side but not removing his hand from it.
Harry glared at Griphook while said goblin glared back. The glaring match lasted for 5 minutes until Harry gave up and shouted in exasperation.
"You take care of it and you get 10% share of the investments."
Griphook grinned.
"A wise decision, Lord Potter." taking the paper back to his side but not before pulling another piece of parchment from his drawer – Harry saw the action and started to hate the drawer – and placed it in front of the young Lord. "This is an acceptance form which states that you accept the inheritance from the House of Aldur and a 10% share of the proceeds of the investment with me taking care of it. Is this acceptable?" explained Griphook with a straight face.
Harry had a sneaky suspicion that the goblin planned the whole thing. Sneaky bugger.
The young Potter Lord sniffed, conjured a quill and signed the document with a flourish. He banished the quill with a wave of his hand and looked at Griphook with a raised eyebrow.
"You planned that didn't you?" Harry accused the goblin who was sporting a pleased look on his face while caressing the document Harry just signed.
The goblin didn't say anything but continued to caress the parchment, purring all the while.
"You're creepy. You know that right?"
Griphook just ignored him.
Harry was currently in his study admiring the beautiful sapphire adorning the Family Ring of House Aldur. It seems that the old sorcerer used the name of his master to start a house among the Wizarding Nobility of Britain. Considering that House Aldur was a Most Ancient and Noble status, it meant that the old coot was present during the founding of Magical Britain.
He just shook his head at the absurdity of it all.
The young Potter Lord felt weird. He was now the Lord of not one but four families who had a hand in the founding of the Wizarding World in the British Isles. Harry cringed when he realized that his stature would eventually draw him into the murky world of politics. The book his father left him offered the necessary knowledge needed to traverse the various laws and protocols commonly practiced in the Wizengamot. However, he lacked the experience in dealing with other Lords and Ladies in running their world.
Sighing, Harry levitated said book from the shelf towards his table. He needed to read the damn thing AGAIN to make sure he had everything right.
August 13, 1991
Potter Manor
Harry was fuming as he read the letter from the Headmaster. The old coot told him that it wasn't safe for him to go around Diagon Alley, much worse, Knockturn Alley without a proper escort.
It annoyed him that a mere Headmaster with no parental duties towards him had the gull to tell him what to do. The only person who had the right to control him was Sirius and even Harry knew that his godfather wouldn't step into a parental role unless it was necessary. Harry burned the letter with a burst of Will before grabbing another.
This one was from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement asking him to come to the Ministry to give his testimony regarding the event that transpired between him and the thugs down in the dark alley. Harry quirked an eyebrow when he saw that that it was written by the Director of the DMLE, one Amelia Bones - a familiar name.
After a few seconds of searching his memories, he finally remembered.
Amelia Bones was one of his mother's close friends and the two have exchanged letter, with his mom keeping a majority of it in Godric's Hollow which was now in Harry's possession. Said woman was also the boss of his father when he worked as an Auror.
Harry suddenly had an idea. He could easily use this meeting to his favor.
It was time to make some allies.
Grinning, Harry pulled out an empty parchment from the pile beside him, starting to pen a letter for one Amelia Bones.
August 15, 1991
Atrium, Ministry of Magic
The people within the vicinity of the Fountain of Magical Brethren located in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic was shocked to see a white phoenix out of nowhere bringing with it a young boy, about ten or eleven years old, wearing a wizarding attire that would put many nobles to shame. The confusion was slowly replaced by realization when they figured out who just entered the Ministry of Magic under the power of a phoenix.
The lightning bolt scar on the boy's forehead was a dead giveaway.
Harry Potter was in the Ministry of Magic.
The people were about to crowd around the Boy-Who-Lived when a dozen Aurors materialized out of nowhere to usher the crowd away from the boy who, if they looked closely, was staring at the mob in amusement.
Harry Potter appeared in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic via flame travel. He didn't want to reveal any of his powers or take the wretched floo since it didn't sit well with his stomach. In the end, he contracted his beloved familiar to take him to the Ministry and let her perch on his shoulders as a symbolic gesture.
Truly, Harry was cursed, or blessed, with Belgarath's theatrics.
Harry was amused when the people in the Atrium finally realized who he was. But before they could take one step near him, a dozen Ministry personnel – Aurors if he wasn't mistaken due to their blue robes – stopped the crowd from mobbing him.
Smirking, Harry walked over to a table where it was necessary to register your wand upon entering the Ministry offices.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please hand me your wand for registration before proceeding." said the man behind the desk in a bored voice. He didn't see who he was talking to since he didn't look up from his reading.
"I don't have a wand and will never need one but I do have a staff. Do you need to register it?" asked Harry with a smile.
At the mention of a staff, the man immediately raised his head. Recognition sparkled in the man's eyes before it trailed off to his forehead where his infamous scar resided.
The man gulped.
"Well? Do I need to register my staff?" asked a clearly amused Harry.
Not receiving any answer, Harry sighed and held out his hand before mentally calling Aria. His beloved staff appeared in his grip, emerald glowing softly.
"This is my staff." said as he extended Aria over to the man who tentatively reached for it. "However, take note that my staff is bonded to me and anyone who touches it…well, let's just say that the results would be quite...shocking."
The man's hand immediately retracted, eyes wide in fear.
"Er…can I get your name and the reason for your visit?"
"Lord Harry James Potter here for an appointment with Madam Amelia Bones in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." stated Harry in a straight voice worthy of his station.
The man nodded quickly before answering, his eyes trailing down to look at Harry's right hand where four rings were present. He gulped again.
"If you would please wait for a moment, Lord Potter, I will call an Auror to escort you there." said the man as he pushed a button on the table, possibly something to call an Auror to his location.
A black-skinned man appeared beside Harry.
"What is it?" asked the man in a baritone voice.
"Please escort Lord Harry James Potter to Madam Bones at the DMLE. He has an appointment." said the man, gesturing towards Harry who was looking around in boredom with a phoenix perched on his shoulder doing the same.
The black-skinned Auror was surprised at the name but he hid it well. He faced Harry and gave a small bow which Harry returned with a nod.
"My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt, Lord Potter. I'll be your escort here in the Ministry."
Harry nodded.
"Thank you, Auror Shacklebolt. If you please lead the way, I will follow you to our destination." He said graciously gesturing with his staff telling him to lead.
It didn't take long for Harry and his escort to reach the office of Amelia Bones, Director of the DMLE. However, getting there was an experience for the young Lord.
First, they had to walk past the crowd who wanted to do nothing but mob Harry or possibly to touch him.
Second, the elevator was somewhat fun since the voice on the speaker kept talking, describing each floor and the departments housed in that level. Harry memorized this just in case he needed to visit the Ministry in the future.
Lastly, the DMLE was a crowded place; a lot of tables with Aurors behind them scribbling away on their reports and cubicles where Senior Aurors hold conferences over their subordinates.
Harry stopped when his escort paused in front of desk manned by a pretty middle-aged woman effectively blocking the way to a door with a large sign telling people that this was the office of the Department Head.
"This is our stop, Lord Potter. May you enjoy your time here in the Ministry of Magic." said Kingsley, giving Harry another bow before leaving.
Harry turned to the gaping secretary and said
"Lord Harry James Potter requesting an audience with Madam Bones. I have an appointment."
The secretary nodded dazedly before pressing a button on the table, which Harry noticed was part of the table. There was a beep before a female voice came out of the speaker.
"What is it?"
"Madam Bones, a Lord Potter here to see you." said the secretary.
There was a slight pause before the reply came.
"Please send him in. Cancel all my appointments for the day and make sure to have someone bring in refreshments."
The secretary nodded before making a few notes on a piece of parchment before indicating for Harry to enter the door.
The room he was ushered into was quite spacious, walls adorned by Wizarding portraits all of which were staring at him. Opposite of the door at the other end of the room was a large oaken desk with a woman wearing heavy-rimmed glasses sitting behind it pouring over a piece of parchment. Harry eyed her carefully. She was beautiful though a bit short for a British.
However, what caught his attention was the aura of confidence and power she exuded that was only rivaled by Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts. This woman deserves all the respect that he station is due and more.
Harry walked over to the woman, stopping only a few feet away from the desk.
"Madam Bones, I presume?" Harry asked politely.
"Indeed I am, Lord Potter. Please take a seat before I explain why I called you here." said Bones as she beckoned for him to take a seat in a comfortable couch in front of her. Harry did as instructed, waiting silently for the Director of DMLE to make the first move.
Harry didn't know that Amelia Bones was observing him. In front of her is an eleven year old boy, very confident if his expression and posture were to be judged, very powerful for someone his age considering the reports from her Aurors regarding the debacle in Knockturn Alley. What caught her attention was the four Head of House rings on the boy's fingers. Indeed, this was no ordinary boy.
He might be eleven but the countenance he was showing was that of a mature adult.
"Mr. Potter, first of all, I would like to thank you for accepting my invitation." Amelia fired the opening salvo. Harry merely nodded his head, maintaining his silence, while indicating for her to continue. "I see that you want to know immediately why I called you here. Well, it's quite simple. I need your testimony regarding what happened in Knockturn Alley last August 10, 1991 at around 6:20 in the evening."
Harry nodded.
"I will answer all your questions, Madam Bones. You have no worries on that." He said with a cheeky grin which Amelia likened it to what James Potter usually does when he was questioned regarding his reports.
"Thank you. To start things off; what were you doing in Knockturn Alley? Most wizards tend to stay away from Knockturn considering the type of witches and wizards living there. Why an eleven year old boy is willing to walk around in such a dangerous place?" asked Amelia while giving Harry a look that spoke volumes to her intentions – finding out the truth.
"My business is my own, Madam Bones, but if you really want to know, I was down in Knockturn to shop around for books to add to my collection. I already scoured every shop in Diagon Alley and found the lack of tomes in subjects that interests me. So after asking around, I discovered that there were certain shops in Knockturn Alley that held the titles I seek." Harry replied calmly. A normal child would have been intimidated by the aura coming from the Director of the DMLE, as well as the pressure of the questions being directed at him.
Harry James Potter wasn't a normal boy, however, so it didn't faze him. Hence, the calm exterior.
"Let me get this straight. You went down to Knockturn Alley just to buy books?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes." Harry confirmed her statement. "Besides, it wasn't my first time to venture into Knockturn though it was the first without my persona."
Amelia Bones raised an eyebrow.
"And what persona is that Mr. Potter?" she asked quickly.
"To be honest, that was the second time I went into Knockturn Alley. The first time was almost two years ago. Though I did frequent Diagon Alley many times in the past two years." admitted Harry. "But in regards to your question, I tend to use my disguise when I enter the magical world to go incognito. If you must know, my alter-ego is Harold Evans." To further prove his point, he cast the glamour on himself with a twitch of his staff – revealing to Madam Bones his middle aged alter ego.
Madam Bones was quite shocked. Not only was Harry Potter a mature eleven year old with an aristocratic flair, the boy was doing magic only learned during fourth year at Hogwarts. She needed to get to the bottom of this and fast.
"Mr. Potter. I think you already know that underage witches and wizards are not allowed to use magic. Clearly, you are blatantly defying the law." rebuked the Director of the DMLE.
"Really Madam Bones? If I wasn't allowed to do magic THEN why didn't the Ministry of Magic detect my use of spells? If the law was to be followed THEN the Ministry would have been in my case years ago since I had been using magic since I was 8 years old." Harry explained in a condescending tone which infuriated the witch in front of him though she didn't show it.
The nerve of the boy. If he wanted to play in the big kid's yard then she would be more than happy to...baptize him a proper welcome.
"That is quite true, Mr. Potter, but you are clearly underage. It is…" she stopped when Harry raised his right hand showing her his Head of House rings. "Fine. If you have your family rings then it is clear that you are emancipated by Magical Law since those rings wouldn't even let you wear them if that wasn't the case. Now the question is Mr. Potter, how did you come by magic?"
Harry simply raised an eyebrow. She was getting personal and Harry didn't like it. Time to bring out the big guns, so to speak.
"Let me ask you, Madam Bones, what is the relevance between the Knockturn Alley and my ability to use magic? Clearly, I am within the law to protect myself using magic and no underage law can touch me due to my status as the Lord a Most Ancient and Noble House, much less four. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you are trying to pry madam." Harry said coldly, releasing a bit of his magical pressure around the room to drive his point home.
Amelia Bones didn't expect this. Considering his age, she expected Harry Potter to comply with her wishes, which mainly involved her asking questions and him answering these questions. But no, the Harry Potter in front of her was clearly schooled in Wizarding Law and was able to rebuff her attempts to force the boy into compliance. The boy's magic was also palpable in the air, sending cold shivers down his spine. She needed to be very careful. It seems that she would have to work harder to get information out of this one. But before she could say anything, what the young Lord spoke next made her question her current thoughts.
"You see, Madam Bones. I consider myself a scholar. Despite my young age, I believe that laws are in place to ensure that everyone enjoys a peaceful life. Before I even entered the Wizarding World, I was fortunate to be provided by means to learn the laws of the magicals by my parents. I cannot tell you the means as to HOW they were able to help me but I can stress that they did. Ever since the discovery of the world of magic, I have tasked myself to learn everything and anything I could - from Wizarding Law to etiquette, from theories of Transfiguration to the treatises of Potions. I also delved into politics when I learned that being a Lord of four Most Ancient and Noble houses requires me to have a seat in the Wizengamot though that is far away from now since I am still a minor, emancipated yes, but still a minor."
"Now let's get back to you, Madam Bones. I came here to follow the law. Ever since the confrontation in Knockturn Alley, I expected to be called by one or the other to appear before the Ministry to give my testimony to correlate with the report of your Aurors, as well as confirm or deny rumors stemming from the stories written by the Daily Prophet. I didn't come here to be intimidated or bullied, Madam Bones. I came here to satisfy the need to follow the law."
"So let me ask you this, Madam Bones, why are you intimidating me? Asking questions that are NOT relevant to the case you called me here for?" Harry finished his monologue while leveling his stormy emerald eyes at the Director of the DMLE.
Amelia Bones was speechless. The boy just told her off to stop bullying him. She couldn't refute his words and could never deny that she was impressed that he came here to satisfy the law that she tried so hard to uphold. But despite her professionalism, she mistook the boy in front of her as that…a boy.
But she was mistaken. In front of her was no ordinary eleven year old. In front of her was a man trapped in a boy's body; a mind of a pureblood wizard in the body of a young boy. It was then that she decided to backtrack and get started with what she called him here for.
"I apologize for the direction of my questions, Lord Potter, but you have to place yourself in my shoes so you'll understand as to WHY I asked those questions. Let me explain this clearly. For starters, it is RARE for any underage witch or wizard to have the Head of House Ring. In your case, since you are the last of the Potter, the ring you should be wearing is the Heir Ring of the Potter Family. But that is not what I see on your hand right now. I understand the Gryffindor Ring since I saw your father wearing it while he was working under me. However, I don't recognize the two and I won't pry."
Harry nodded for her to continue while giving her the impression of thanks that she didn't dig deeper into the existence of the other two rings.
"Now my point, Lord Potter, is that tradition dictates that you shouldn't have any power right now. I don't say it in a negative way but as a statement of fact. You're an eleven year old boy. You haven't been to Hogwarts yet you utilize magic that most adults have problem with not to mention the method you used to bring down 16 thugs, trained wizards, in a matter of minutes. Even my Aurors would have problems with those numbers. It is not that I doubt your capabilities since you demonstrated them splendidly but the professional in me couldn't help but ask these question. How come you are capable of what you are doing? How did you become a Lord of the House, much less four Houses? And finally, why don't I see an eleven year old boy in front of me but a man who is well-versed in the law? I have my theories but these are ludicrous to the point that I would be called insane if I voiced it out into the open." Amelia added the last part with a little bit of bite to her voice. Women in the Wizarding World had always been looked down on which is the reason why she always strive to be above the men who believe that they are the stronger of the species.
When Harry heard Amelia's last statement, he couldn't help but release a quiet chuckle. He gave the Director of the DMLE an amused look.
"I apologize if I was a bit harsh in my monologue, madam, but it hit me that I was being forced to answer questions that are irrelevant to the case. But since you so kindly pointed out your thoughts in the matter, I can say that you are in the right. It would sound idiotic to write my testimony in your report without knowing my background. Those who read it will surely pack you to the nearest asylum faster than you could blink."
Concentrating for a bit, Harry translocated the files he showed to Dumbledore and McGonagall – files containing his Heritage Test, his Abilities Test, and the Last Will and Testament of the last Lord Potter – directly on top of Amelia's desk which surprised her a bit.
"That folder contains all you need to know." said Harry as he started scratching Hedwig who started to croon in happiness. "Enjoy."
Amelia stared at Harry before looking down at the plain folder on her desk. Since it was offered freely, she decided to take advantage of the situation. She opened the folder and perused the papers inside, eyes slowly widening as each revelation astounded her. She tore her eyes away from the evidence and looked at the boy, no man in front of her.
"Are these real?" whispered Amelia, disbelief present in her voice. Harry Potter was supposed to be under her care but something happened that changed all that. The boy in front of her could have been friends with her Susan, making sure that she wasn't alone growing up.
"If you don't doubt Gringotts' validity when it comes to their tests then those are real. Besides, don't you think that whatever is written in those pieces of paper give credit to the capabilities I displayed two days ago?" Harry asked rhetorically.
Amelia nodded.
"With these, I can say that the mystery is solved. Thank you for being forthcoming with me, Lord Potter." She said with a small bow of her head.
"Don't mention it Madam Bones. If I were in your shoes then I will be doing the same thing you did." said Harry with a smile. "Since I distinctly heard you earlier cancelling your appointments for the day, I have a few more…revelations you might find interesting if you want to hear them."
Seeing the seriousness in the boy's eyes, Direct Amelia Bones simply nodded her head before reaching down to one of her drawers where she hid her stash of Firewhiskey for situations such as this.
August 16, 1991
Potter Manor
Harry was currently in his study pouring over a piece of parchment writing down scenes in the Belgariad and Malloreon books in order to discover more abilities utilizing the Will and the Word. Due to the lack of materials regarding the real practice of Sorcery, Harry was forced to return to the original source – the story of Belgarath.
Of course, he didn't bother to read ALL the books but he skipped certain chapters only reading key areas he remembered where Sorcery was practiced. He listed down the abilities Sorcerers used, as well as explanations on how it was done.
Not all abilities were explained, however, except for a few snippets here and there serving as clues. It was enlightening and frustrating at the same time.
The first ability that Harry found interesting was the ability to shift to any animals. Unlike an Animagus, Sorcerers were capable to assume any animals as long as they know the animal inside and out. Of course, there was also the case where it was simpler to shift to an animal that you had an affinity with, like Belgarath's wolf, Polgara's owl, Beldin's Hawk, the Twin's dove, and so on.
The second ability was Translocation. According to Belgarath's explanation, this ability had two main applications. One is to teleport the Sorcerer from one place to another. This was similar to his ability to Shadow Walk or its magical counterpart called Apparition.
Translocation could also be used to transport objects. A Sorcerer can easily translocate an item in one location to another. The only drawback to this ability was the need to know WHAT the object is, as well as WHERE the object is kept.
Harry was just happy that he already perfected this skill though he first thought of it as 'relocate'. Somewhat primitive thanks to his limited vocabulary at that time.
One other skill that Harry found intriguing was Garion transferring his consciousness to his shadow to travel across distances. The ability was somewhat similar to Shadow Walking but a bit more flexible. Garion's version involved injecting his consciousness into the shadow thereby giving it the ability to move and interact with the physical environment. This intrigued Harry a bit and wanted to try it out. The only drawback to this ability was leaving his body totally defenseless since his consciousness wasn't in it.
The most important discovery was the actual limitation of Sorcery. Harry generalized it with Belgarath that knowledge was the limitation to Sorcery. If you don't know HOW to do it then you CAN'T do it.
Simple as that.
However, he learned during his research that there was also a limitation as to what you can actually do even if you possess the knowledge. It doesn't mean that you KNOW how to do it and believe that you CAN do it doesn't mean that you're physically ABLE to do it.
There were also rules that existed before in performing Sorcery that no longer existed now. Like when an object is banished using Magic since it was similar to un-creating an object through Sorcery which caused some sorcerers in the past to just blow up from being unable to release their will. Harry mused that he should stick to spell in perform such feats to avoid blowing himself up. He shuddered at the thought.
Harry sighed. Life was so much simpler when he was only a wizard.
August 17, 1991
Potter Manor
Sweat beaded Harry's face as he focused on keeping his shadow construct in place.
In front of him was a blob of shadow with eight arms, each holding an item. Harry was able to solidify his shadow using his inherent Shadow Mage abilities to control them. It wasn't easy since it required concentration while keeping a steady flow of magic to the construct.
Earlier in the experiment, Harry noticed that the larger the shadow to manipulate, the more energy it consumes. Focus was mostly based on what you want your shadow to do.
Feeling that his core was about to deplete at a critical level, Harry cut the connection with the shadow he was manipulating causing the construct to collapse into its original shape – a blob of shadow on the floor produced when the sun hit the paper he stuck on the window. All the items his shadow was holding fell to the floor with a clatter.
Slumping to the floor, Harry reached inside his robe and took out a vial of Pepper-up potion. He downed the thing in one gulp, already feeling some of his energy coming back to him.
"I guess I need to mature more in order to fully master my Shadow Mage abilities." Harry said with a sigh before dragging his body to the bedroom for a well-deserved rest.
Edited by Corruptmonk
May 26, 2012