.
•••
.
Child of Fate
.
•••
.
«Way of Life»
Chapter 3
.
•••
.
???, August 1994
Zzziinng
Ziinngg
Two lightsabers clashed with each other. One blue and one red. Their wielders stared at each other while trying to find a weakness to exploit. The voice of the clashes of their lightsabers reverberated in the large room.
But from a keen eyesight, one could say that both men were amateurs. Slow reaction. Slow reflex. And an amateur stance. After all, how could wizards be good at swords if they only learned to use magic from the age of eleven or below?
An average wizard would just disregard a sword or show a little interest to impress the opposite sex. In the end, how could a flimsy mundane weapon compare to a magical wand? Well of course that is the case in prejudiced places where wizards and witches think magic is mighty and muggle weapons like swords and spears are barbaric.
The fight ended when the wielder of the red lightsaber stabbed his opponent. If these lightsabers were real from the "Star Wars" series, then there would have been only one person alive. But sadly these lightsabers were not. The place where the lightsaber stabbed had red colour paint.
"This is the prototype right?"
"Yes. For now few members are negotiating with goblins and other magical communities if they could share a few rare minerals as the source for these lightsabers."
The lightsabers they used for sparring were harmless and did no damage because the core for these things was not strong enough to materialize the laser like the original. For now, they were able to make it clash against the lightsabers of the same cores. If it is slashed at a living being or a non-living being, it would just colour that specific part where it is slashed.
But for the Department of the Mystery, it was enough. The concept and design were enough to make the real deal from the movies. When the first movie was watched by the Unspeakables of the Department of the Mystery, the ideas and possibilities it opened with the use of magic gave a new level of excitement to the Department.
Instead of normal wizards who think muggle weapons or things made by muggles are inferior, Unspeakables think of using knowledge of anything from anywhere to see how vast Mother Magic is. They don't consider others as half-blood or a muggleborn, dark wizard or light wizard, man or woman, noble or commoner. The Department of Mystery recruits only those people who have a thirst for the vastness of magic, not to get easily swayed away by fame, family, friends, power, or delusions.
This doesn't mean that they are heartless or cold-blooded or can murder at any moment. They also have family, friends, vacations, or hobbies, they just don't mix their job as an Unspeakable with their private life or openly tell others that they are Unspeakable. They have their priorities and act accordingly in dire situations.
And to do experiments with magic deeply, the founders of the Department of Mystery had to tie themselves with the Ministry of Magic and help them if required for specific investigations. But that doesn't mean the Department of Mystery is an uncorrupted place. Bribes of theses, exchange of logs of experiments from different areas of magic, donations of old tomes of extinct families. Sometimes few Unspeakables betray the Department to get more knowledge with an outsider's help. But these rebels never lasted more than a week when they declared themselves against the Department.
Experiments, meetings, and work done by the Department are protected by magic wards from thousands of years. Even a pinnacle master of Legilimency won't be able to see those parts of memories related to the Department. Even the use of Imperio and Crucio won't make them reveal the secrets of the Department, but that doesn't mean that they are immune to those spells.
Unfortunately, for many years after the release of "Episode IV: A New Hope", the Department of Mystery was unable to procure a real lightsaber. And to their surprise, two unofficial Unspeakables were able to produce designs and concepts behind the lightsabers as their side projects. This only increased the anticipation and suspense of what other main projects these two unofficial Unspeakables were doing.
.
•••
.
[Flashback]
Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England
April 1992
Lost. Confused.
These were the feelings he felt when he was found out by that little midget.
After hearing from the old vampire that he found a universe where he could use magic freely and unobserved from different people, Artemis agreed immediately. But socializing, making new friends, and enjoying life was not on his to-do list.
Finding his way back to his world was Artemis's top priority. And for that, he needed to use all of his potential with the new powers he gained.
He remembered his mother playing with the twins, Butler's presence with him anywhere he goes, Holly's nagging and helping in her investigations, No. 1's fusses about his short height, and many other things.
And then he realized that locking himself in a room to advance in magic would not be what his family and friends wished for him. And also the appeal of learning magic in a magical school was too tempting for him.
Zelretch just dropped Artemis at one of his acquaintance's places with a job so that nobody would be suspicious of his identity.
Technically, the job is babysitting, but in reality, he has to accept all the demands of Luna Lovegood, which somehow never crossed the line made by him. She keeps quiet while he reads a story, tells a few of his adventures, or does research from the books given by Mrs. Lovegood. Her parents were also happy when they found more happy smiles and laughs on their daughter's face after she gained her guardian fairy but…the number of distractions that they had to make to separate her from Artemis before going to sleep exhausted them.
She just tries to glue herself to Artemis 24/7.
But after hearing her reasoning about her ability and Artemis's presence near her, they let it go. (And Xenophilius wailing about Luna leaving him early for a boy was too hilarious for Pandora).
Artemis found Luna's unique ability intriguing. And what made it more fascinating was how they both tried to research it. While Artemis could see the workings of magic through his Fairy eye, Luna hears the melody of magic to compare what represents what according to their senses.
Luna hears how the melody of the wand matches the wizard's or witch's tune, while Artemis watches how a portrait of different colours is made when a wizard or a witch uses magic.
Even if they were from different universes, different cultures, and with different abilities, both of them were able to adjust to each other in comfort. And the frustrated half-fairy still tries his best to find a way to hide his magic from that little midget or else he will never be able to hide from her in a hide'n'seek game.
.
•••
.
Hogwarts Castle, September 1992
"Fowl, Artemis"
Hearing his name, Artemis walked toward the stool and chuckled inwardly as he felt the nervousness and excitement going through his future classmates.
But a determined look took over his face when the Deputy Headmistress put the Sorting Hat on his head. As soon the hat touched his head he activated his fairy patterns and slowed the time around his head, while he accelerated his thoughts to make a deal with the Sorting Hat.
Sorting Hat wanted to shout Slytherin continuously the moment that heterochromia iris half-fairy entered the Great Hall. Even though the half-fairy managed to hide his heritage from the magical castle with his half-human heritage, his magic exposed his identity to the ghosts and the Sorting Hat who had once been in contact with the original fairies who roamed the Hogwarts ground once thousand years ago.
[ Wow. You sure are cunning for a half-shit. Covering your magic patterns in the magic veil of mine to hide it. And if my guess is not wrong you want to hide from the old dumb-door, right?]
Hearing the voice of the Sorting Hat in his head, Artemis kept a curious face while he talked with the hat.
[ Listen I don't know what type of history you had with the fairies of that time, but I am here just to gain social experience and protect my partner from any harm. ]
[ ...Really? Do you think I can't sense you are hiding something? Even though you are telling the truth, I know what type of shits the Founders had gone through to gain these lands from your kind. ]
Artemis's eye twitched and tried to make a deal. After all, he wasn't accepting shapeshifting to a small size and becoming Luna's familiar to live with her in Hogwarts. And if that old man heard this, he was sure there would have been a lot of magical hidden cameras and familiars to capture his humiliation in Hogwarts.
[ How about this, I won't use any of my fairy magic to make any deals or harm to the students who are residing in the castle as official students of Hogwarts. In return hide my heritage from everyone in the castle, even the portraits. ]
Sorting Hat hummed a little and agreed on it, after all, watching Headmaster and other teachers getting toyed by half-fairy would be fun to watch. As they are not included in the deal to be unharmed from Artemis.
Artemis also added that he would only use his fairy magic and contracts in the presence of a ghost or the hat, after all, he doesn't know what dangers this castle could be hiding.
[ And put me in Ravenclaw. Do you think I don't know what type of blood supremacy shit is going through that house? Even though I like to play politics and be in control, I came here just to study and uncover the secrets of this castle and magic, not to rule and dominate the wizarding world. It is just a short-term goal of my partner, which she vehemently didn't allow me to help her. ]
"Ravenclaw!!"
The Sorting Hat shouted while Ravenclaw students cheered a little. For everyone, it looked like the Hat sorted him in three seconds but the talk had gone for a minute with the Hat.
Knowing well now every portrait and ghost will keep an eye on him if he used any of his fairy magic, Artemis walked towards the Ravenclaw table while his future housemates clapped and welcomed him.
He gave a small nod toward Luna with a small smile as he went through his arsenal of spells he learned in the past months to use on any idiot without a brain who will point a wand in his or Luna's direction. After all, he only agreed not to use fairy magic, the wizard magic was an open game for him.
[Flashback]
.
•••
.
Hogwarts Castle, September 1994
"Luna, can you help me with the properties of these ingredients for potions?" A first-year Ravenclaw, Matilda Honey asked while showing a few notes she didn't understand about Potions to Luna.
A first-year who managed her way through the hearts of her classmates irrespective of houses and also a few seniors with her kindness and cheerful nature. Even Artemis and Luna found it refreshing to talk with this girl who has the intelligence of their level.
Knowing well Snape was not a great teacher at teaching Potions, Luna replied, "Ask Artemis, he is better at Potions than me, and if you have any problems with charms or transfiguration, you can ask me."
Passing the parchment to Artemis, Luna continued to go through the letters she got from different posts, while Artemis just raised his right eyebrow as he read about the third-year potion ingredients written on the parchment.
Matilda smiled as she saw that they both didn't question her why she was asking about third-year potion materials. Even she couldn't understand how could Professor Snape be allowed to teach the younger students here when he doesn't know how to handle children.
The two mysterious third-years who even scared the seventh-year students were not as scary as rumors said. The philosophical, educational, and magical discussions she had with them were very helpful.
After a few weeks of accommodating in this magical world, Matilda felt a new excitement course through her. Magic. It just explained how she could do those things when she was young.
Matilda froze when saw a white hand pass through the chest of Artemis. He started to make choking sounds while the quill from his hand fell.
"Artemis, Helena, stop scaring the poor girl," Luna said as she looked at the ghost whose hand phased through the chest of her half-fairy in amusement.
Artemis chuckled and stopped acting. While the ghost standing behind him, Grey Lady, chuckled and floated away to prank other students of her mother's house which now became a house filled with nerds.
Matilda sighed in relief and then mock-glared at the half-fairy for scaring her.
Artemis told a few points about the mentioned ingredients of potions before continuing his work.
The first-year thanked him before going to her dorm. On her way, she shook her head and thought it was her imagination when she saw the Grey Lady passing a note to Artemis with her other hand. After all, how could a ghost touch and pass a note to a human, right?
.
•••
.
A/N: Another 2k chapter.
Should Artemis interfere in any Holy Grail war or any plot of Type-Moon, after the HP arc finishes?
Comments and reviews are appreciated. It helps to improve my writing and gives me the motivation to write about other ideas which are rent-free in my head.
.
•••
.