Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter or MCU/Marvel, all rights reserved to J.K. Rowling's and The Walt Disney Company.
Chapter Twelve: Red Stones and Blue Birds (Hogwarts Arc: Year One)
Synopsis: Family bonding, primal meetings, stolen property, and a pending fight.
Arriving from the shadows into the great hall of Potter Manor, deciding not to waste the floo powder at the Leaky Cauldron, I follow both scent and sound through the halls to make my way to one of the living rooms where Sirius was. I could hear both Ashina and Daciana in the library getting some tutoring from Remus.
Their education was surprisingly well-rounded, having been taught by the collective adults in their old pack and their father having stolen various books to help teach the children in the pack. Though their education focused on practical magic, their magic theory was rather weak. Classes like astronomy, history, and herbology needed the most work to match their age group. Regardless, Remus giving them focused tutoring should allow them to improve quickly, matching and even surpassing those in their age group in various subjects.
These thoughts when by the wayside when I saw Sirius lounging on one of the couches with a cup of tea to the side as he was reading an advanced book on defense against the dark arts. Quickly making my way to his side I tossed myself next to him, sinking into the soft couch and snuggling into his warmth with a sigh, enjoying the familiar scent.
I could almost feel his smile and I could smell his scent change, a permeating happiness enveloping me, offering me further comfort. His arm snaked across me, holding me close, and I let myself sink further into his side, needing the comfort of pack and family after my rather stressful experience.
"How are you doing pup?" Sirius asked, a slight hint of worry coloring his tone, like a hint of ash along the snow.
"Just give me a minute Padfoot, and I'll get you up to date on what happened," I told him, deepening my breaths as I sunk further into meditation to calm my heart and mind. Delving deeper and deeper my mind calmed as the beating rhythm of my heart slowed, a tremulous sea calming after a raging storm.
As the seconds turned to minutes, I reached the depths of my meditation, time passing by like the ignorable whisper of the wind, present but out of mind, and I touched upon my soul, a recent accomplishment. Yet, even so, I sought not the comfort of myself as I traveled within, a place where self and soul were one and the same, I sought that gentle warmth embraced in the arms of slumber.
My mother.
Feeling the encompassing warmth of her soul, I basked in the love she felt for me, driving away the shadows of fear of facing a woman who has seen civilizations rise and fall, and whose power was as deep as the ocean. That she wasn't hostile was luck on my part, and she seemingly wants to teach me, a potential boon or trap. In either case, I can only take things one step at a time, knowing that I am less than a match to the ancient immortal, a candle flame facing a raging storm.
Under the calming presence of my mother's soul, my mind calmed and I surfaced from my deep meditation, still comforted by the warmth and scent of my godfather. Seeing that about ten minutes had passed, Sirius help me even closer in worry, and my heart warmed at the care, but I still had things to do.
"Kreacher" I called out, straightening out on the couch, seeing the elderly elf appear suddenly in front of me.
"Yes, Dark Mistress?" he asked, his head slightly bowed down to me.
"Get me a small piece of parchment and an inked quill please" I told him, my serious demeanor coming through. With a snap of his fingers, both appeared floating before me, and I grabbed both quickly, sending a thank you to Kreacher as well. Sending a quick hardening charm into the parchment I begin to write:
I know this is earlier than our usual correspondence, but something came up and I had to ask you something important. Selene Gallio, is she trustworthy or less so? She has offered me an apprenticeship under her, so I look to you grandfather to know if that way lies knowledge or death. Please write back with all post haste, as I will soon undertake her first test, a ritualistic hunt, the prey yet to be decided.
-With love, Elizabeth
Finishing my short note to Izo, I send it into the shadows into the mailbox I gave him, reminding myself to make sure to check it in an hour or so. Letting out yet another sigh, I snuggle into my godfather's warmth, looking to my side to meet his worried eyes.
"So, ready to share?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, something I think he stole from Amelia, but was still nonetheless effective at getting his point across.
"Well, since Hermione's busy studying and working on her essays, I had some free time, so I decided to go on a quick trip to nip a potential problem in the bud" I shared, knowing I would need to obfuscate a few points soon.
"A Death Eater?" he asked, curious and slightly hesitantly. While the years in Azkaban and the betrayal by both Peter and Dumbledor have undoubtedly shifted his mindset to be more ruthless to his enemies, I know that the idea of me going after people like this still makes him worried.
"No, a muggle" I told him, curious about his reaction.
"Why on earth would you go after a muggle?" he asked in obvious and understandable surprise, both eyebrows raised to show his shock, yet happily, no condemnation poisons his gaze.
"Well, I'd say he was a special target, in this case, consider him a living imperius curse. One that you can't fight with enough willpower, and a man who was more than happy to abuse this ability" I told him, my tone serious and my eyes hard.
"You're shitting me?" he exclaimed, shock coloring his features.
"Nope, and I was more than happy to get rid of him and use Yumie's venom to make sure his body was unsalvageable" I continued, feeling a dark smirk spread across my lips.
Sirius looked at my expression and gave a small shudder, "I love you pup, I'd give the world for you, but your one scary cold-blooded little girl at times" he said, hugging me closer despite what he said.
"Just to my enemies" I told him, my smirk transforming into a more lighthearted smile, albeit with a slight edge to it.
"So, what about the mind control muggle bothered you? Just what he could do, has done, or something else?" he asked.
"Mm? Oh, nothing about him weighed on me other than the dangerous potential he held, and how willing he was to abuse his power. No, what bothered me was the woman who found me after getting rid of the muggle, that woman scared me out of my bloody mind" I told him, giving a very real shudder at the memory, ignoring how my blooming hormones also reacted to her.
At most, I can at least thank my training and adrenaline for helping to keep me calm when facing someone like her, because I sure as hell couldn't fight her.
"What made her so dangerous?" he asked, seeing my reaction. "And how dangerous is she exactly, because although you need to grow your magical knowledge and dueling skills, your physical capabilities are pretty damn dangerous pup" he said.
"Well, I know a little bit about her from grandfather" I shared, having shared a bit about the man who raised me with him, "and what I can tell you about her is that she is incredibly old, incredibly powerful, very well connected, and probably one of the top 10 most dangerous people on earth" I told him.
Sirius just gapped at me, his eyes wide and mouth ajar, "And she just let you go? The woman sounds like he could give the Dark Wanker a run for his money" he said.
"Ha!" I said, unable to stop the sharp laugh at the comparison between Selene Gallio and Tom Riddle. "She would make Voldemort seem like a bumbling toddler, and although she's powerful, that doesn't equate to her being evil, though I have no doubt she is utterly ruthless to her enemies. Though that doesn't change the fact that someone as powerful as her, is still bloody terrifying to be confronted with, especially as a surprise" I shared with him.
He stayed silent for a minute, processing what I told him, and I could smell the shock permeating him for a second time, "Well, fuck!" he exclaimed, his head falling back to rest on the couch.
"That's about right" I told him with a chuckle. "Anyway, as scary as she is, she offered to teach me since she can use shadow magic as well, and she's probably bored too for all I know" I tell him, an unwilling sigh leaving my lips at the thought of the quirky immortal.
"I've already sent a letter to my grandfather, so he should be able to shed more light on the woman herself, hopefully at least, and if there is a problem, I can have Kreacher let you know if I need to meet Izo in person" I explained.
"Speaking of which, Kreacher" I called out, seeing the house elf appear a moment later.
"Yes, Dark Mistress?" he asked with a bow.
"I should be able to help you with that task we discussed soon, I'm almost done with my end" I told him, thinking about the finishing touches on the soul container box I had to do.
"Kreacher thanks Mistress" he said with a slight grovel and deeper bow, disappearing into a puff of smoke a moment after.
"Think you'll get some good news?" he asked, referring to Izo, with a raised eyebrow, though I could see and smell his hidden worry.
"I think so, information on her is sparse and mixed, but if anyone would know more, it would be someone like Izo who's been around for a while" I shared, hoping for a good response as well.
"Though enough about things we can't affect for now, here comes the rest of the pack" I said with a smile, having heard the footsteps making their way here, and seeing Ash and Ana make their way into the living room, Remus on their heels soon after.
Getting up from the couch I gave both the twins a deep hug, and Remus a quicker one, happy to see them both. Though all three of them looked a little stiff, Remus much more so, due to the full moon coming tonight.
"How goes the studies?" I asked them, a bright smile making its way across my face.
"Good" said Ash, a bashful smile playing across her face.
"Though history and herbology kinda suck" Ana said with a huff, sitting next to her sister on the couch as Remus sat across from us. "Though runes are actually pretty interesting, even if they're not something I would want to master in" Ana continued on.
"Honestly, their both doing very well in their studies, all I have to do is fill in some of the gaps and they should be able to take their owls by the end of the year" Remus shared with a small smile.
"Will the Ministry allow us to take our owls? Being werewolves and all?" Ana asked as Ash looked questioningly as her side.
"Oh, they will, after their debacle with Sirius, and adding in the weight both the Black and Potter families hold in Wizengamot, you both will be able to get tested, fairly at that. Hopefully more overarching changes and be pushed forward in time, but small steps first" I told them both, earning wide smiles in return.
"Though speaking of werewolves, your transformation is tonight, right?" I asked the three of them, earning nods from all three, even if Remus was slightly tense.
"Great, I'll be there tonight finally, and I'm sorry I haven't been able to make it before this, but even if I excel at the practical magic parts at Hogwarts, the written sections and my own projects are running me ragged" I shared, my tone light but still truthful nonetheless.
"We understand" Ash told me, her sister nodding beside her, "and thanks, it'll mean a lot to have you around, for support at least" she finished.
"I agree with my sister, it should be nice to have you around" Ana said with a wide smile, Remus nodding at her side and seemingly a bit more relaxed and sporting a small smile of his own.
Soon after Kreacher came with some English Breakfast tea for all of us while Dobby has some scones that were just delightful, all of us simply enjoying idle chatter. As I sipped on my own tea with honey and cream, I simply basked in the warm simplicity of my small little family, my own pack, despite the trials and tribulations of each of our pasts. Even Remus is growing closer to me as time goes on and he works on his own issues with the mind healer.
Feeling the moon overtake me a bit I made my to the piano with a smile at my family, sitting on the bench and stroking a few keys. Taking a deep breath I taped a single key a few times, slowly pushing my magic into the keys, the room bathed in an ethereal glow as lights began to dance in the air.
As my fingers danced across the keys into a waltz-like pattern, I pushed my feeling into the music and magic, letting it wash over those in the room. I could feel them all smile and relax even further as my magic permeated the room, the dancing lights like slowly dancing fairies.
If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you
Looking around, I gave them all a wide smile, the lights hugging them close as they waltzed around the room, and around each of them.
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I'd spend them with you
I let my voice ring out, filled with my magic and heartfelt emotions, the love I have for my growing family
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you wanna do once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the ones I wanna go through time with
I pushed and pulled the music, letting it rise and fall to create a mosaic of emotion that I wanted to convey to those around me, to show how much I cared.
If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you
And truly, these people surrounding me are giving something precious, something my grandfather has offered but something treasured either way, family.
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you wanna do once you find them
And I've looked around enough to know
That you're the ones I wanna go through time with
As the music rose to a crescendo, I saw Sirius pull out his wand and conjure himself an acoustic guitar, impressing me with his skill, and more so as the music evolved into a duet. Both the piano and guitar play off each other, a beautiful and emotive dance that had us both smiling wide.
Finishing up the final measures of the song after Sirius's accompaniment I let the magic in the room die down, and I felt that we finished things off well. Soon after, Sirius and I made our way to the office room while Remus and the twins went back to finish off the last of their own work.
"Padfoot, I need you to start helping me learn apparition, because if my grandfather okays my contact with Selene I'll need to be prepared to pass her test for me" I told him
"Test?" Siris asked.
"I'll have to hunt down an animal of my choosing, fight it one on one, the more difficult the better, and then perform a ritual that is apparently pretty old. Depending on the animal, I'll be able to gain certain benefits, and the more difficult the hunt, the better the benefits. Basically, a small quest she set me on before she'll teach me" I explained, a slightly pensive look marring my features as my thoughts began to wander.
"Damn, well, I can see why you'd want another skill on hand" Sirius said in a thoughtful tone.
Though his own eyes hardened soon after, "but you better stay safe pup, I don't care how good your healing is, if something happened to you, that would destroy me" he said, emotion coloring his voice as his eyes misted with the phantom pain of loss. The shades of my father and mother weighing down his heart I'm sure, haunting his visions of the future with the shadows of the past.
"I will Sirius, I will. I still have a lot to do in this world, a lot to change, and greater heights to climb before I'm willing to face death many years into the future" I told him, sincere in my conviction as I reached out and squeezed his hand, offering him a small measure of comfort.
After letting the emotional tension die down in a few moments of idle and contemplative silence, we both segwayed into more light-hearted conversation. Yet as time does, it ticked away in abandon, and soon I was giving my godfather a hug and saying my goodbyes to the rest of my family, making my way back to Hogwarts.
Though it was to an annoyed Hermione that I arrived to after leaving my room, who had apparently finished her work over an hour ago and had been looking for me. After smoothing her feathers down for a bit, we both spent the rest of our own free time going over some of the recent books we've enjoyed, and me lending her a few fantasy books from my collection.
When the sun started to set and sleep weighed down Hermione's eyes, we each split off to our rooms with a warm hug and a tired "goodnight" from her.
Yet despite my own busy and stressful day, I had a long night ahead of me, both at the height of tonight's full moon and finishing the last touches on one of my current projects, the soul chest.
Having used Western Alchemy transmutation of the hanged man's dead wood, I permanently changed the wood's form into the shapes I needed. While transfiguration can be locked into a permanent shape, that lock is magical in nature, and a possible weak point if a skilled witch or wizard wants to break that transfiguration. Transmutation, at least at this basic level, doesn't have that weakness, leaving only small traces of magical residue as proof of the worked magic.
The biggest time consumer of this project has been finding the right combination of Japanese kanji and Egyptian hieroglyphs to work as power and soul binders to carve into the chest.
And after that, taking the time to carve the runes into each of the six compartments of the constructed chest, the sealing lids of each compartment, and the soul and power sealing rune sequence once again on the cover of the full box, as an added precaution.
What I've been working on now was the final and most important aspect of the project, carving out the ritual circle I had been constructing these past few months. Using a yin-yang symbol as a base from a Japanese ritual to enhance the spirit of a weapon with another object, I used hieroglyphs to influence and latch onto an actual soul, and kanji to help direct the flow of the magic, and I'm currently inscribing it on a crystal circle made of ruby.
Getting some corundum and chromium in measured amounts, I was able to transmute them in a very controlled way and make the circular ruby, relatively thin, and incredibly clear. Though it has a much high level of magical radiation than the wood due to its more complex nature, it's still relatively basic regarding alchemy, with basic knowledge found in a geology book. Though it would be harder to sell in the magical community since there are regulations for such things so as not to collapse a gem's value.
And while selling to the non-magical world might be an option a time or two when gem values start dropping, it would draw attention, and someone selling magical radiating gems would be tracked eventually. Plus, most who start getting into a complex subject like alchemy are smart enough to both, not do something so dumb, and smart enough to have other ways to earn money.
Anyway, using the sharp tip of my wand, I'm holding a tightly controlled vanishing spell to help carve into the ruby, every minute detail is taken into account, and even my heart rate is measured and slowed. After about two hours, the entire ritual circle is finished, and I get up to a popping back with a smile.
"Done!" I can't help but yell out in relief, happy that I still have time to head back home to spend some time with Remus and the twins before their transformation. Putting both the ruby and the box into my storage ring, stepping into the shadows, and heading home with a smile, Yumie resting inside my tattoo.
ΩΩΩ
Holding the hands of Ash and Ana, all five of us are in the transformation room, waiting for the full moon to reach its peak, Sirius already transformed into Padfoot and laying by my side.
"You guys remember to take your pain potion?" I asked all three.
"We did" Ash said with a nod, "Yep" Ana added, both their hands squeezing mine, and I saw Remus give a quiet nod of his own. Sirius gave a soft bark at my side, probably just because he wanted to be included.
"I'll be here for you guys" I told them, adorning a soft smile.
"But-" Remus began before I cut him off with a sharp hand wave, that may or may not have had a silencing spell sent in his direction.
"It'll be fine, you've all taken your wolfsbane potion, and even if you're a bit hazy at the start, me and your animal side should get along just fine" I consolidated him, my smile gaining a slight edge and seeing him give a reluctant nod in return.
After sitting in companionable silence for another ten minutes, the three werewolves started to groan, the pain potion only able to soften the blow of their transformation so much. Not 3 minutes later, three wolves that would put a timber wolf to shame laid in front of me panting, the twins coded in a mixture of Gray and black fur, while Remus had a patchy brown coat himself.
Ana was the first to stand on shaky legs, taking a few seconds to gain some sure footing, and when she saw me next to her, she let loose a deep territorial growl.
I paused, and at that moment, I was able to let unshaken those predatory instincts deep inside of me, that animalistic side too dangerous to be released among those at Hogwarts. Staring deep into the eyes of the wolf that was Ana, something primal passed between us, a measure of our danger and dominance, a clash of wills. I could feel the claws of my hands and feet slide out as our wills clashed, and at last, Ana was found wanting as she lowered her head and eyes to me.
After that brief confrontation that felt longer than it was, the room became far more relaxed as I enjoyed my time among the wolves and dog, finding a sense of familiar comfort. With the wolves laying at my side and sometimes rolling around with each of them, I can't help but miss the freedom the forest offered me.
If I hungered, I could hunt, if I wanted to run till my heartbeat madly with blood I could run through the rich scents of the forest, and the world around me was simple. As much as I love learning magic, growing in skill and power, making new friends, and gaining new family, I think I will always love the freedom of the untamed wild.
I left after an hour with the wolves, Sirius following me out as the play fighting with them all seemed to tire them all out, plus, he can spend the next two nights with them as well.
"How the hell did you do that?!" Sirius asked/exclaimed after transforming back into his human form.
"Do what?" I asked, blinking innocently up at him.
"The whole stare-down thing with Ana?" he clarified, his voice holding a hint of exasperation.
"Oh, that?" I said, tilting my head at him, "it's an animal thing" I told him with a smirk, before letting out a giggle.
Sirius just rolled his eyes at me and started to let out a chuckle of his own, seemingly knowing that my answer was the best he was going to get out of me. Though, to be fair, it was the best answer I could give him.
"Planning to head back to Hogwarts then?" he asked.
"I have a promise to keep with Kreacher, then I plan to get some much-needed rest back in my home trunk. Even with endless stamina, the mental fatigue is starting to weigh on my mind" I told him, a tired tone escaping me.
"Promise?" he asked.
"Ah, well, you might want to be there for this as well, it's to do with one of the Dark wankers soul anchors" I told him, having to chuckle a bit at the open-mouth shock I got in return.
Heading down to the ritual room in the basement I called Kreacher and had him bring Slytherin's locket, waiting a few seconds to come back with the locket in hand.
"This here" I said, holding up the locket, "is what Voldemort decided to store a piece of his soul in" I finished off, getting an understandable look of disgust from Sirius at the idea.
"And that's what's keeping him alive?" he asked, though seemingly a more rhetorical question to himself.
"Yep, one of a few," I said.
"Fuck, destroying the bastard is going to be even harder than it already was. So how do we destroy the damn thing?" he asked, a scowl marring his features.
"Either fiendfyre or the killing curse should do the trick, neither of which I have the power for just yet, and the first nowhere near the skill to control" I explained.
"That's some dame heavy-duty dark magic their pup, so, do you need me to do it then?" he asked.
"No, I have something else in mind" I told him, feeling a slightly sadistic smile creep over my face, "death is far too good for him, and it starts with this" I told him, holding up the oval diamond, "an alchemically created diamond."
"Well, firstly, are you sure pup? Whatever you have planned could blow up in your face you know?" he told me, understandably worried.
"I know Padfoot, I know. What I have in mind isn't ready yet, and won't be for a while, but I'll make sure to have contingency inside of contingency. If my final plan doesn't seem like it'll work, then I'll be the first to start destroying his horcrux's" I told him, knowing my eyes were as hard as steel.
"Good, good" he said, his eyes unfocused, lost in memories long past, and I gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze and a kind smile when he focused back on me.
"It'll be okay Padfoot" I told him, giving him a warm hug, hoping to push away some of the shadows that haunted him, a hug he warmly returned.
"Thanks pup" he said, giving me a small smile.
"Anytime Padfoot" I told him sincerely.
"Anyway! Secondly, how in the hell are you not rolling in galleons if you can make diamonds!" he exclaimed
I snorted at that, "because while I might be able to get away with that once, I have no doubt something like that would be tracked, maybe by the Department of Mysteries at the very least" I explained.
"Huh, makes sense I guess" he said, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Not many witches and wizards get into Alchemy because you need a basic knowledge of non-magical science at the very least, and most purebloods disdain even the thought of that" I said, getting a snort of agreement from Sirius.
"And more so, the final product is pretty easy to spot due to the transmutation process. At most, I could sell to the goblins at a controlled rate so as not to crash the value of diamonds. Transmuted stones are great at holding magic due to their creation process, so the goblins have a wider use for them than non-magicals would" I finished off.
"So that's why you created a diamond instead of buying one or getting one from the Black vaults?" he asked.
"Exactly!" I confirmed with a nod. With that, I walked to the center of the ritual room while Sirius and Kreacher stood off to the side.
Taking out the ruby circle, I telekinetically lift it above my head in the very center of the room and send a white Lumos spell floating above it. The result was the ritual circle projected from the ruby overlayed on the ground of the ritual room, and since this ritual circle needed no extra ingredients in its creation, I have an easy and fast way to reuse it.
Another added benefit is that I don't have to worry about any magical backlash, rare that it would be for something like a broken soul to offer that, from breaking the circle.
"There, Kreacher, put the locket in the smallest circle furthest from me" I told him, handing him the locket, and then placing the diamond in the smallest circle closest to me. After seeing that both circles were filled in the stylized yin-yang symbol, I was ready to begin, though I felt my heart beat rapidly despite my preparation, the soul
I pushed my magic into the circle, and I could feel it activate, pulling ambient magic from the air, with my own magic acting as the catalyst to start the ritual itself.
Though as the magic was moving through the circle, I could feel the horcrux fighting the change and magic, somehow anchored stronger than it should have been. Then I remembered that the horcrux only seemed to be fully active when it was open, so the parseltongue lock must have acted as another protective measure keeping it anchored.
"Open" I hissed out, feeling Yumi taking notice and moving on my back. With a sudden click, the locket sprung open, releasing a dark black smoke whose magic felt like rotten flesh and sewage.
"Nooo!" the broken piece of Voldemort screamed out as the magic of the circle did its work, pulling and binding the soul piece into the diamond, even as it glared hatefully my way. Quickly, after feeling the magic in the circle die down, I grabbed the diamond that was now stained black and radiating malice and shoved it into one of the six smaller boxes within the soul-containing chest.
Slipping on the inner cover I could feel the radiating magic and small influence from the stone cut off like a light suddenly turned off, and with a sigh, I closed the lid of the chest, blood locking it with a parseltongue password, just as an added precaution.
"It's done" I tell Sirius and Kreacher, a bone-deep weariness coloring my tone from the long day and added emotional exhaustion of making my first strike against Voldemort and finally binding a piece of his soul.
"You can destroy the locket now Kreacher, and finally fulfill the last order of your previous master" I tell the aged elf, and with a snap of his fingers, the locket shines brightly before crumbing into ash, tears falling from his large eyes as he watches its destruction.
"Kreacher thanks Dark Mistress!" the house elf cried out, his long mission at last completed. "Kreacher will forever be loyal to Dark Mistress! Forever! He swears it by his magic!" he said, and I felt the strong and unbreakable bond snape into place between us. For better or worse, Kreacher was now forever bound to me as my house elf.
"You're welcome Kreacher, you're welcome. I will do my best to be worthy of such a promise and bond" I told him, kneeling to give the weeping elf a warm hug.
Even Sirius shed his own tears, seeing further proof that his estranged younger brother died fighting against the tyranny and man that was tearing our world apart. Maybe he was even lamenting the past and what could have been if he had been there to support the brother who seemed to be staunchly in support of his family's ideals.
But there is no cure or answer for the question of what could have been, and I know for now that a single step has been taken in a drawn-out fight.
Now?
Now I'll simply head back to Hogwarts and into my comfortable home trunk to sleep the night away and relax from a truly trying day. Ending the night by looking at a short note before sleep takes me in:
Trustworthy but dangerous.
- Stay safe. With love, your grandfather.
ΩΩΩ
After finishing off that busy day, the rest of November felt as if it kept me just as busy, my various projects and private sessions eating away at my time like a ravenous beast. Studying material covering various beasts and magical creatures for the first ritual became a late-night endeavor rather than getting the full amount of time I wanted to dedicate to it.
Spending a late night or two on my custom Nimbus 2000, special ordered in black, might have also eaten away at some of my extra time as well. Though to be fair, the broom was devilishly fast and handled like a dream, able to be put through enough stress that would break any of the Hogwarts brooms.
Sirius even took a picture of me doing a Wronski Feint with just an inch away from the ground left before I made my way back up into ascent. He claimed he had a mini heart attack as he was taking the photo, but I think he was just being dramatic.
With how well the broom handled and thinking about how poor the Hogwarts brooms were, I decided to put some money aside that I'm currently getting for my storage rings for some new Hogwarts brooms. By the end of the year, Madam Hooch should be receiving a set of Comet 260s for an entire class.
Yet classes and projects continued to be at the forefront of my mind and effort, no matter how fun it was to fly high in the sky.
My lessons with Pomfrey were interesting but extensive, with memorizing various hexes and jinxes and how to remove them, as well as beginning healing spells. I admit, although my memory and feel for magic helped me when learning, I didn't have as much of an instinctual grasp for healing magic as I do for other branches.
Transfiguration was fun and interesting but also complex, with smaller transfigurations and conjugations requiring a consistent eye for detail and a feel for the magic itself. A lapse in either concentration or magical control can lead to a complete breakdown in the end result, hence earning its reputation for being a complex branch of magic.
Though by the time the first of December came by, I had finished my way through all of the first-year material and was able to transfigure a mouse into a snuff box very easily. I made sure to put the extra effort into making a more ornate box as well, with the top showing a basketweave on top and a raven in the middle. The filigree lions on the side of the box were just my nod of respect to my teacher, and something that earned me a small smile in return.
My lessons with Filius continued apace with my transfiguration lessons, with me charming a set of fruits to waltz and tango as well as tap dance. Both of us had a little fun by adding in a little transfiguration as well and had our respective fruits' sword fight, which he won with his better control over the spell.
My dueling lessons with the half-goblin also continued going well, though I have yet to truly challenge him, my own spell work improved in speed and fluidity. I loved having the opportunity to duel with him due to his own reflexes matching my own, but his experience and knowledge constantly pushed me to my limits.
Adding Sirius, Remus, and even the twins into my dueling practice has helped make sure that I get some experience in different styles of dueling so that I don't get used to just a single style of dueling. With my constant morning workouts, I'm happy at how my martial skill sets continue to grow.
I used Snape's obvious favoritism to let me take the first-year final around the same time as well, something Hermione could have taken as well due to her own talent, but something I wasn't able to push for.
Though the firm grip on my shoulder and his creepy smile when I brewed a perfect forgetfulness potion made me almost regret asking for the favor from him.
When it came to classes such as Herbology, History of Magic, and Astronomy, I kept to the pace of the other students, even if I took the time to memorize future material. Mainly for the fact that I didn't have an immediate interest to particularly excel in those classes as I do in my other core classes, as well as the fact that my other projects ate up most of my time.
One positive thing I was able to push for Astronomy at least was to get Professor Sinistra and Filius together to work on an enchantment for the astronomy tower that mirrored the one in the great hall. Although it will take until next year to be fully implemented, they're working together to tie the enchantment to a set of runes so that Professor Sinistra can use them to match her syllabus for each class.
No more late-night classes now, when the Professor can just tap a rune to show the constellation in up close glory on the tower ceiling.
Why wasn't something like this done much earlier? Simple. Tradition.
The class was always done the way it was done for centuries, and when something is done for that long in a closed-off society that seems to stagnate, progress can be slow to come.
Not that tradition itself is bad, but it should never be used as an excuse to halt positive advancement. Yet considering how widespread things like blood purity, bigotry, and corruption are in many of the wizarding elite, it's not too shocking that keeping to the status quo is such a pervasive idea.
Irregardless of all that, I hope that I'll be able to push for more change over time while also not trying to wipe out our inherent culture. There's nothing wrong with respecting the Norse gods, worshiping some of the old holidays, and respecting those that came before.
But stifling magical innovation isn't the answer, remaining ignorant of the wider non-magical world isn't the answer, and even taking inspiration from the non-magical world should be encouraged. And hopefully, given time, I can have the larger magical world accept such things, at least starting with the younger generation.
Though speaking of the younger generation, in my generation at least, I've also taken the time to help Neville in potions and even pushed him to help some of the other students in herbology. Since he has a fitted wand right from the start, he's doing well in his classes, but his helping other students have helped boost his already growing confidence from the presence of his parents.
Tutoring Susan in transfiguration has helped us start growing a bit closer, and she has helped others in tutoring defense against the dark arts, something that her aunt has helped her in considerably. Understandable since being related to the head of the DMLE has made her into a target in her own right.
Hermione has taken to her own self-defense lessons with great dedication, and while she may be any master at hand-to-hand combat, she'll be able to hold her own or surprise any witch or wizard that gets too close eventually. She can already do so with most of the magicals in our age group now anyway.
When Hermione dodged a jelly leg jinx from Draco, and she tossed him to the ground with a one-armed shoulder throw because her wand was in her bag is a memory I'm sure to cherish. Though it did lose her twenty-five points from Snape, but Filius was quick to repeal that after deeming her actions self-defense and removed the same amount of points from Slytherin.
He's really my favorite Professor for a reason.
Though that event did make sure to remind me to add a wand holster to her Christmas list among the other things I have planned and am currently buying or making for her and others.
Lastly, Tonks was taking to her lessons amazingly well, and I understand why Moody took her on as an apprentice in the books. Her metamorphic abilities enhance her muscle memory capabilities and once she started training them, her reaction times as well.
She's picked up the various judo and kali martial art techniques very well and has become more comfortable integrating them during our duels when we get up close and personal. She has also gotten better at sensing magic heading her way so that surprising her with magical attacks has become increasingly more difficult.
And while she may not be equal to a veteran auror or fighter, she has definitely started building a much stronger foundation than most that get into the magical police force. If Mad-Eye Moody was willing to accept her as an apprentice before, he should be clamoring for her now.
Training with Tonks aside, one class that I was surprised I was able to take the first-year exam in was DADA, thinking that either Quirrell or Voldemort would want to hold me back in that class. My question was answered though when after the exam I felt my occlumency being attacked when Quirrell's back was turned.
Though I had a severe sense of schadenfreude when my shields were able to hold up to the weakened leach and I saw frost start building over the top of Quirrell's turban. The man himself only groaned in slight pain before the mental attack stopped.
When I asked what happened, he apologized for failing to properly clean up some remaining magical residue, an obvious load of dragon dung, but hopefully, they thought it was a result of my mother's protection than anything on my part. Yet if suspicions were raised on their side, there's nothing I could do about that. Suffice it to say, I didn't have to worry about a repeat performance any time soon at least.
Though the experience did lead me to where I am currently, making my way through the streets of Diagon Alley a week into December. I knew I had a package to deliver soon, so I was making my way through various owl and postal shops looking for a high-quality owl delivery harness, wanting only the best for my Hedwig who is currently flying overhead.
A small benefit of the outing is being able to wear some of my favorite outfits again since robes are the mainstay at Hogwarts, and when I'm not in class, I'm busy either tutoring, studying, working on my own projects, or spending what little free time I have with my friends in more casual clothes.
Sometimes a girl just wants to feel pretty!
So here I am doing a little walking dance as I hum Senbonzakura, donning my black yukata decorated with dark pink and red Sakura petals, walking in my geta sandals, and a decorative cane in my hand just for the fun of it. A conjured pink water lily blossom also adorned my hair, light pink contracting my dark black hair.
An outfit that when Hermione saw, she absolutely loved as well.
And if that didn't draw enough attention, the small billiard pipe I was puffing on intermittently certainly did. The smell of my Captain Black Royal tobacco permeated the air around me with various pleasant notes.
The bewildered looks I got at times were certainly amusing and reminded me that although there were far fewer laws restricting wizarding children due to our sterner constitution, that doesn't mean that most take advantage of that freedom. Most simply wouldn't have the taste or interest to try some of the things that older magicals take advantage of, and something I grew a taste for in my previous life.
The disgusted expressions that many kids wear when they try their first taste of alcohol harsher than some red wine gives testament that some things are certainly an acquired taste.
Finally, after a long search, I came across a high-quality pet store that specialized in owls, containing an assortment of apparel, food, and amenities. Looking above to see Frigga's Embrace carved into a large wood sign and a carved horned owl statue with wings spread placed above the sign.
Giving my cane a tap on the ground and disappearing it into my ring a moment afterward, my pipe following soon after with a stasis charm, and I enter the store and see a kind looking middle-aged brunette woman at the counter. Looking around I spot beautiful cages, artful owl stands, and a variety of owl treats and apparel.
Approaching the woman, I give her a slight smile and a small bow, "Hello ma'am, my name is Elizabeth, a pleasure to meet you, I wish to know if you make fitted owl delivery harnesses?" I asked.
"Oh my, it's so nice to see a polite child these days. You may call me Octavia and it is a pleasure to meet you as well miss. And to answer your question, I do in fact make custom fittings for your owl, I just need the owl in question" she told me with a smile.
"Perfect" I said, feeling my own smile widen, "thank you very much Ms. Octavia" I tell her and hold out my arm, Hedwig arriving moments later to perch on me with a smooth glide.
"Hello precious, enjoy your flight?" I asked Hedwig, nuzzling her close.
Why yes dear I did, thank you for asking. Now, let's hop to it and see what the kind lady has in mind" Hedwig said, her motherly voice echoing in my mind.
"Will it take long to do her fitting?" I asked Octavia.
"Not at all miss, just give me a few minutes, and I'll have her measurements done and it'll be a jiffy to size the correct delivery harness for her" she said, admiring Hedwig in the process.
As Hedwig went through her measurements and Octavia went about her business, I looked through the store in some idle interest. Eventually, I came across a beautiful owl stand that was made out of glass, imbued with cooling charms and unbreakable charms, perfect for Hedwig. Another owl stand was shaped into a twisting hallow branch about the same size as the other one, giving me a few ideas.
After a short wait, the woman came back with a perfectly fitted harness for Hedwig made from incredibly supple and whitened leather enchanted with cushioning charms, impervious and unbreakable charms, and a few charms to help keep an owl safe from predators. The pouch had a small, expanded space to fit larger packages, a featherweight charm, and security charms that need a password or Hedwig's consent to open.
"This is absolutely beautiful and incredibly well-done work, truly, thank you very much Ms. Octavia" I told her, giving her a slightly deeper bow than before, and earning a bright smile in return.
"Why thank you very much miss, I'm glad you appreciate my work, will there be anything else that you need" she asked, friendly and professional.
"Yes please, would you be able to combine these two owl stands for me? With the glass stand being the higher of the two?" I asked the woman.
"That's perfectly fine, though their prices will be combined with each other, will that still be fine with you?" she asked.
"No problem Ms. Octavia and thank you for letting me know as well" I told her, appreciating her professionalism and straightforwardness.
With a nod of her head, Octavia took out her wand, and with a few silent flicks the wooden owl stand moved and wrapped itself around the glass owl stand. The final product was still a beautiful work of art, now with even more added complexity.
"That's perfect, thank you very much" I told her with a wide smile. Soon everything was shrunken and packed up, and after paying for everything, I made my way out of the store and into a nearby darkened alley, soon stepping out from the shadows into my room.
I set up my new owl stand near the window in my room, placed atop a wide mahogany box I transfigured together using some of the leftover wood I had when I make handles in my forge. With warming charms placed on the box, as well as on the wooden section of the owl stand, there is a place for both Yumie and Hedwig.
With various openings made along the wooden log, any trespasser that wanders near we'll find an irate and highly venomous serpent making their acquaintance. So, with that, a job was well done, and both Yumie and Hedwig very much enjoyed their new resting spots.
Now all there is to do is wait for my little foray into the third-floor corridor, and maybe say high to a fluffy Cerberus along the way.
ΩΩΩ
Later that night I stood in front of the third-floor corridor door, feeling out the ward scheme tied to the door, and while it's not as powerful as if it was tied to a ward stone or as long-lasting, it will certainly do the job for the school year. From what I can feel there's a basic on the door and a more complex one on the handle itself, much more subtle.
I could probably remove the one on the door myself with just a simple Finite Incantatem, but I have no idea what I would do for the one on the handle. It seems to act as a tripwire of sorts, so even getting rid of it would alert Dumbledore, and I don't have the skill to transfer it to something else. Especially without someone like Dumbledore being none the wiser.
With a smirk, the air around me bursts into black smoke as I disappear and reappear behind the door, enjoying getting one up on Dumbledore with my ability. Who expects a shadow traveler right?
Hearing three rumbling growls that I could feel in my bones I see the three-headed Fluffy start getting up in front of me, six eyes staring my way. Though like I did with Ana, I met the stare of the Cerberus, pushing my magic out into the world around me, bringing that primal instinct to the forefront of our encounter.
When he started coming forward, I pushed down telekinetically, increasing my presence even more, and it was understandable when the domesticated animal raised by the kindly Hagrid started to whimper.
Out of the two of us, I'm the only one who has spilled blood and hunted fleeing fighting prey.
"Who's a good boy? You're a good boy, aren't you?" I cooed out, the giant Cerberus that I had to look up to suddenly becoming a puppy for me, all three heads having excited expressions, and massive grins spread across all three heads.
Fluffy suddenly came down in front of me, giving me a massive wet and slobbery lick, causing a shiver to run up my spine as I scratched the chin of the head in front of me and did the same with the other two heads with my telekinesis. As Fluffy calmed down I started to sing and hum, using a nifty spell to harmonize my voice.
Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the road that you go
I started to hum the melody as Fluffy started to nod off
And may you need never to banish misfortune
May you find kindness in all that you meet
I finished humming the lullaby as Fluffy drifted off into a deep sleep
As Fluffy slept restfully I was about to grab the trap door, still idly humming the lullaby before stopping my hand, feeling a similar ward on this door as I felt on the handle previously. I had to admit that it was clever of Dumbledore to put another one on this door since one might forget to check after dealing with the massive Cerberus in front of them.
Disappearing once again, I appeared on the floor below, bypassing the Devil's Snare between the two floors, and I did the same for the room with the flying keys and the chess set. Why bother wasting time with obstacles that might have their own tripwire traps when I can bypass them easily?
Even the troll only had time to turn its head my way as I was walking through the next door, getting a slight chuckle from me at its confused grunt.
The trap that actually almost caught ended up being the potion trap of all things, and not because of the riddle or the positions but because there was another tripwire trap! This time it was tied into the activation spell for the line of fire blocking the next door.
I only stopped because I wanted to see how the spell worked and as I was feeling out the spell structure, I was able to feel out the very subtle inlay of the other spell. I was incredibly impressed even if annoyed at almost being caught, and my respect for Dumbledore as a wizard went up even more at such subtle spell work and contingency spells.
Falling back into shadow before I crossed the spell, I looked into the room in front of me, seeing the mirror of Erised placed in the center. Stepping out into the room I stood in front of the mirror that would show me my desires, unsurprised at what was displayed before me.
My mother. My father. Sirius, Ana, Ash, and even Remus are in the background, as well as some shadowed figures surrounding me to help complete my family, my pack. All of them smiling at me with love and affection, my own eyes alight with power but filled with love for those around me.
None of their eyes held the contempt or disgust I sometimes fear they might, hating the monster I sometimes see myself as.
Pulling up my metal shields once again I look into the mirror, thinking back on my memory of the first book and movie, knowing that I want the stone but don't want to use it. My reflection looks at me with a smirk before holding up the stone near the mirror, and I place my own hand on the chilling surface, soon feeling the rough texture of the philosopher's stone as it's pushed into my hand.
Turning away from the mirror I focus on the stone, and I can feel the sheer magical intensity held in my hand, overwhelming to my own senses, unable to distinguish the magical variances involved with it. Though I know one thing for sure, Nicolas Flamel was a true master to create something like this.
Since I can feel the magic radiating from the stone, I figure I would try something, and after memorizing the stone, I use the radiated energy to conjure a copy, exact in looks and feel. Now, it won't pass the scrutiny of anyone familiar with the stone for more than a few seconds, and even those unfamiliar but knowledgeable, for more than a minute at most.
It should hold up enough as a brief forgery for Voldemort after trying the magic to make it semi-permanent, and I just have to hope Dumbledore won't have a reason to start inspecting it himself.
With that I place the fake back into the mirror and hold the real one close at hand.
"Hedwig" I mentally call out, seeing the owl in question arrive soon after in a burst of snow on my shoulder.
"What do you need dear?" she asked in her usual motherly tone.
"Can you find Nicolas Flamel, the alchemist?" I asked.
"Just give me a moment dear" she told me, her eyes closed in concentration. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and gave me an annoyed look. "I can track him, but he certainly hasn't made it easy since I will have to follow toward the direction of whatever seems to be trying to push my attention away and it may take me longer than normal to get their and back again" she huffed, her feathers puffing out momentarily.
"Perfect. Sorry it turned out so tedious, but can you send this to Nicolas Flamel?" I asked her, holding up the stone and note I wrote earlier. The note simply pointed out that whether this is his real stone or not, it was rather easy to get, and I don't want any money for it. Though if he wants to pay me back, then a guide on western alchemy written by him would be incredibly appreciated.
"It'll be no problem dear" she told me, her tone consoling as she rubbed her head against my cheek, making me smile in return.
After placing her new delivery harness on her, I placed both the stone and pouch inside the expanded space and sent her off with a smile, gently falling snow signifying her departure.
"Now, let's get some work done" I mumbled to myself, unsheathing one of my claws from my hand and knees in front of the mirror. I then spent the next hour carving out in very light lines a Greek runic curse called the Promethium curse, where a person would have their liver cannibalized by their own magic before bursting into flames.
You just have to love the Black Library sometimes.
I then used the Carpe Retractum spell to send out a rope of magic to pull me up to the ceiling before casting a sticking charm onto my feet. On the ceiling, I lightly carved an Egyptian curse that reversed gravity, and on such a location, a particular possessed professor should be slamming his head into the stone ceiling lethally hard.
Lastly, I summoned some invisible ink infused with Chōzu-ya (Shinto Holy Water)and my own magic, before beginning the process of writing various kanji on the walls. I know that this will be a process that will take me a few trips, and after a few hours, I stretch and head back to bed, knowing that this was a night well spent.
ΩΩΩ
The next few weeks I kept up with my usual schedule, finishing up the kanji on the walls of the room, and I even made another trip to Japan to Dewasanzan-jinja Shrine (Three Mountains of Dewa) to pick up a new outfit and a Harae blessed by a Shinto. On top of the Harae was a shakujō as well, mixing Shintoism and Buddhism maybe, but the symbolism and magic certainly mixed together well.
Though amidst those trips I finally found the right animal I wanted to use for my ritual, spending a week looking for the right aspect that I wanted.
One thing I wanted was something that might help with the speed of my spells since firearms rain rather supreme in regard to the speed of bullets. Magic can off incredible utility with its various branches and terrifying destructive might, easily being a match to a non-magical soldier, as long as the witch or wizard is both trained and aware of what they will face.
But although there are spells that are incredibly fast, and casting speed with a trained fighter can even match a semi-automatic firearm, bullets are always going to be faster, let alone bullets from powerful rifles. Yet I finally found the animal that might help regarding spell speed, with whatever other benefits I might gain.
To help prepare for this I spent the time I usually did dueling with Sirius mastering apparition instead so that it could be instinctual for me. Finding out from feeling that underpowering the spell leads to splinching, something I thankfully didn't have to go through as I like my limbs attached to me. Overpowering the spell is when you get a loud pop during the magical teleportation, which has its uses and using just the right amount of magic lets you disappear almost silently.
So, I practiced it again and again.
And again.
And again.
Making sure I made the most progress possible with the spell and finding that my radar-like senses helped tremendously with my spatial orientation.
Lastly, I spent more time looking into the history of my various lineages, making sure nothing might cause an issue for my ritual. I found that those with very close bonds with their familiars have gotten abilities like I have and are later able to pass those abilities down to their children.
I'm lucky that my own highly adaptive physiology and close bond with my own familiars have made this much easier to gain than a normal witch or wizard. Some might gain some small skills, but nothing to the point that it would grow into a skill to be passed on.
A very early Potter family member apparently had a Fenrir familiar, giving him stamina far beyond his fellow witches and wizards, some magical resistance, killer instinct, and an almost sixth sense in battle. While it might not seem flashy, it shows why those of the Potter family who became fighters have been legendary on the battlefield.
The Black family had two interesting families in their background, one of the very early members who was a pirate had an infernal sea serpent as a familiar, gaining the Black family an incredible propensity for dark and black magic. The Black family also tended to have cold-blooded animagus forms such as serpents and even alligators, and crocodiles with a few members.
The second interesting one is a bit of a double-edged sword, as one Black family member thought it was a smart idea to have a boggart as a familiar. Why she thought a shapeshifting creature that feeds on fear was a good familiar I will never know, but she went insane later in life, so that might be why. What such a bond did offer was the ability for some members in the Black family to be a metamorphmagus, as well as showing up in various other families that the Blacks have married into, both magical and squibs alike.
Sadly, this also increased the propensity for madness within the family, the inbreeding that happened at times certainly didn't help either. Thankfully such matters are usually watched closely by the family head unless they happen to be the crazy one of that generation.
When I investigated the Romanoff family, outside of the royal one, there actually was a magical Russian family of some renown who supposedly gained a boon or the blood of a high dragon far into the past after saving its life. Since a high dragon is incredibly intelligent, can speak just as well as any human, and use their own form of magic, managing to save the life of one is no small feat.
Though since high dragons have long disappeared and there are no known Romanoff's left, all I could find were rumors and hearsay, not even able to completely ascertain if I am truly connected to that lineage via my grandmother and mother.
Even less is known about the Peverell family, just more rumors and hearsay, rumors that the line has been touched by death, and monstrous transformations awaited those of that lineage who became animagus.
Very helpful.
And nothing magical could be found on my grandfather's side of things, the Howlett family either not being magical, their records somewhere in Canada, or just not a well-known enough magical family. At the very least, considering how robust the life force of both me, my grandfather, and my possible uncle Victor is, it would certainly offer a robust boost in regard to the life force of whatever animal came from such an animagus transformation.
And though I didn't find anything directly useful for me at moment, I also didn't find anything that would cause any issues for the ritual as far as I could tell.
So here I am at the foot of a mountain on the day of Yule, a few days before Christmas and a few days after Hogwarts went on break, watching as lightning lit the sky and thunder roared overhead.
The cry of an old and powerful thunderbird singing overhead, an omen for what's ahead. A battle of blood, pain, and sacrifice. Something that I know will push me to the brink, wring out my regeneration, and leave me a ruined mess or reborn from battle. What an event on a day of rebirth.
How exciting hahaha!
ΩΩΩ
Songs Used:
Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce (I listened to the Babyface version)
"Senbonzakura" English Cover by Lizz Robinett (The song Elizabeth was humming)
Secret Garden – Sleepsong (I listened to Nightcore - Sleepsong Lyrical Video)
Shout Out:
GoldenShadow, thanks for all the help and suggestions during our talks, and some great ideas that were used a bit here and more in the future. Also, appreciate the back and forth with alphaprince0 as well.
Recommendations:
Daughter of Death By: vampirenav (Vampire Diaries/ The Originals) (Binged all 64 chapters)
Through the mists by Renart_de_Mal_Herbe (Ao3) (Great fun, dark at times) (Amazing world building)
A Feathery Tale by Renart_de_Mal_Herbe (Ao3) (A great fluffy story with a few dark things) (Amazing world building)
Two Faced By: AvidReader2425 (By me lol, a Harry Potter short story) (Emotion focus story) (Words: 5,235)
As you are reading my story, I'll go under the safe assumption that you enjoy Harry Potter fanfiction, and the two stories by Renart_de_Mal_Herbe are fantastic female Potter stories with amazing world-building. I highly recommend both as the world-building is amazing, the lore incredibly deep, and the characters very complex.
If Vampire Diaries/The Originals isn't your cup of tea show-wise, they aren't mine either ha, and I haven't seen more than a season or two of both, and that was years ago. But irregardless of that, I feel like Daughter of Death is still a fantastically fun read, even if those shows aren't something you watch like me. The main character is very likable with great character growth, the vampires are undoubtedly predators and not just misunderstood individuals, and the original family of vampires shows why they are so dangerous.