Not my magical world
Chapter 10
Harry paced along the sidewalk, his phone up to his ear, "Hey, Norman, has Clarice sent over the contract?" His eyes panned the street as he reached out with his mind, making sure none of the inhabitants of the nearby houses were eavesdropping on them.
Callisto leaned against a lamppost, her arms crossed as she stared at him with a bored expression.
"She has, good," he glanced up at the night sky, "because I need a favor. A friend of mine died, and I need to get a look at his body. Yes, that's my current location," Harry turned to Callisto, "Do you know where they took Robert?" He glanced at the destroyed house, imagining Robert's body wheeled out on a stretcher.
"Metro General in Manhattan."
"Did you get that?"
"Okay, thanks."
Ending the call, Harry slipped his phone back into his pocket, "So, Norman is going to make sure we don't show up on any cameras."
Callisto pushed off the lamppost, "I told you we could've just gone there. The coroner knows me."
"Yes, but they don't know me, and I'm trying to stay conspicuous for now. If I don't have to worry about the cameras, all I have to do is broadcast a telepathic message for everyone in the hospital to ignore me."
Callisto shook her head as she stepped toward him, "I still think you're being overly cautious."
Harry stretched out his hand, "Remind me which one of us got kidnapped and put in a drug-induced coma for months?"
Callisto shot him a narrow-eyed glare, "Shut up."
Harry grabbed Callisto's hand with a slight smirk and vanished in a pale purple light.
–XX –
Harry and Callisto appeared in Metro General's Morgue in a pale purple flash.
It was a large room with a concrete floor. Three drains sat equally spaced in a straight line from each other, starting in the center of the room.
Directly before them were metal cabinets, black numbers stenciled into the top.
Two cabinets sat side-by-side at the far end of the room.
To their left and right sat two metal tables with wheels on them.
Behind them was another room with a large rectangular window.
Callisto moved forward to peer into the window, the heavy scent of disinfectant giving her a headache.
The room was simple. Filing cabinets lined the back wall, and a desk sat in front of the window. A computer sat atop it with a lamp off to the side.
"Ned is not in right now, so if you want to do this quietly, we better hurry."
Stepping forward, Harry moved down the line of cabinets, eyeing the clipboards in plastic holders on the doors. Reaching the far end, Harry paused, "Here he is."
Grabbing the handle, he stopped. Images of what happened to Frank in his home flashed through his mind. Did he really want his last memory of Whizzer to be his pale, cold body lying on a metal slab?
His lips pressed into a thin line. If he wanted to find out what happened, he needed answers, and there was only one way to get them.
Grabbing the handle, he pulled it down with a clunk and opened the door.
Cold air hit him in the face, along with the smell of blood.
Reaching in, he grabbed hold of the handle and pulled; the tracks within the cabinet clicked as a long metal table extended with each step backward.
Stopping once the table clicked into place, Harry moved around beside the slab.
Frank's heavily lined face was pale, and purple bruises had risen after death.
Harry eyed his naked torso, frowning at how portions of Robert's body had indentions, most notably the one in the center of his sternum. The skin had twisted in this particular area.
With slight hesitation, Harry reached forward, placing his hands on Robert's cold, pale brow with a grimace. Honestly, he never had liked touching the dead, especially when certain magics could raise them to attack you.
On his next exhalation, he sent a pulse of power through Frank's body. As the power swept through his body, a three-dimensional image of its innards began to fill Harry's mind. "You're right," he called over his shoulder, "every one of Frank's bones is either broken or cracked," he frowned, "even his toes."
Callisto moved forward, "Did we just come here so you could verify what I told you?"
Withdrawing his hand from the body, Harry shook his head, "No, we came here for another task, but it is unpleasant."
"How unpleasant?" Callisto asked, suspicion bleeding into her voice.
"Do you know what they did with Frank's blood?"
"What?"
"For what I need to do, the easiest ways to make symbols. Blood is the least disgusting bodily fluid I can use."
Callisto backed away from him, "All this need for secrecy, and you want to draw symbols in his blood?"
"The symbols will burn away after use, leaving no trace. Besides, do you think your friend would be okay with this kind of thing?"
"Unbelievable," Callisto muttered, stepping forward again, "they removed the blood to help stave off decomposition."
Harry inclined his head, "That makes things a little more difficult, and our time will be limited." Reaching forward, Harry plucked a hair from Frank's head. Holding it over the center of Robert's chest, a pale purple outline flowed around the follicle holding it in place as he let it go.
Stepping back, Harry focused on the floating hair, imparting his desire to summon Frank's spirit. Using the hair, he reached for the astral plane, creating a bridge between it and the mortal world. The hair would act as a beacon to Frank since it once belonged to him and be his anchor while he was in the living world. The purple outline holding the hair in place shifted slightly, seeming to phase in and out of reality.
Satisfied, he spread his arms wide, and a gentle breeze swept through the room, sending Callisto's hair fluttering. "I call forth the slain spirit of Robert Louis Frank to come forth and tell us his story so we may wreak vengeance upon his murderer."
The air in the room cooled, and Callisto's breath steamed on the air as she watched a small flame burst to life on the end of Robert's hair. As the hair burned away, the ashes tinged with pale purple power fell onto Frank's chest and sank inwards.
Suddenly, the air in the room stilled, and Harry lowered his arms.
"Did it?" Callisto was cut off as the body of Robert Louis Frank sat up on the slab, bones creaking as he turned to face them. Despite herself, Callisto screamed and backed away.
Harry moved to stand in front of Callisto, his eyes never leaving Frank's body as the head of the corpse lolled, "Frank, are you there? Can you hear me?"
Robert's mouth fell open, hanging loosely as a faraway voice said, "I can," pale unseeing eyes rolled in their sockets as they surveyed the room.
"I need to know what organization you worked for, Frank; they took your boy. They have Junior."
Frank's body jerked, the rolling eyes stilled, and a dim light appeared within the pupils. For a moment, Robert's jaw worked up and down soundlessly. Then the corpse coughed, a rattle echoing throughout the room as it breathed with damaged lungs, "They have Junior?" Frank asked, staring at the duo.
"Yes."
"Damn, I knew I shouldn't have worked for them, but after I took Junior out of the hospital, they started charging me for his containment," his lips turned up in a sneer, "funny how they didn't mention that when they were studying him."
"Frank, you don't have much time and were kind of standing in a morgue."
"Right," he turned to Harry, and Callisto shifted.
"As I said, I needed money, so I used some old contacts to get a well-paying job at a research facility in Canada called Black Hole. They were supposed to be researching stuff to do with other dimensions, but later I found out they had found one with people inside it and were planning to use them as weapons."
Robert Frank shook his head, "I couldn't let that happen, so I tried to contact some old friends, but before they could respond," Frank raised a stiff arm and gestured it himself. Bones popped as he forced the joint.
"Think about the location."
Frank nodded, and Harry's eyes flashed a pale purple
"Got it."
Frank's body jerked as pale vapor began to rise off his body, "Find my boy." Gray flames burned away Frank's hair as his body fell back onto the table, withering before their eyes.
Callisto stared at the emaciated body, unable to turn her gaze away from the now empty eye sockets and protruding teeth, "What happened?"
"There's a price to pay when a spirit reenters their flesh after death."
"Who are you, and what are you doing here!"
Callisto and Harry spun.
Ned Thomas, the medical examiner of Metro General Hospital, was tall, standing at 6'5". A long white coat covered his lean frame, and half hid his pale blue button-down shirt and khakis.
His blue eyes flicked back and forth between the two, wispy strands of white hair blowing up from his head in the air conditioning before his gaze finally settled on Callisto, "Callisto, what are you doing here?" He asked, his arms lowering.
Callisto opened her mouth to reply but stopped when Harry stepped in front of her, "You are not Ned Thomas."
Ned narrowed his eyes, "Who are you to tell me who I am?"
Harry's eyes flashed a pale purple, "I am Harry James Potter. I believe your mother, Andromeda, told you about me, Nymphadora."
Ned took a step back, and Harry flicked his hand, causing the door to the morgue to slam shut. "I have no interest in hurting you, but I want to know why a blood member of your skill is pretending to be a man and working in a morgue."
Callisto stepped out from behind Harry, moving to the side, so she was between him and Ned, "What is going on?"
Harry looked into Ned's blue eyes, "Do you want to tell her, or should I?"
Ned's body began to ripple as his clothes were pulled into him, as his form began to change.
Ned Thomas was gone in moments, and a young woman stood in his place. She was 5'8" tall, with a slender waist, large bust, tan skin, high cheekbones, prominent chin, and dark grey eyes.
A white lab coat, black blouse, jeans, and a stylish pair of Brown boots replaced her previous clothes.
Her bun of long black hair shifted as her gaze flicked back and forth between the two.
Callisto's mouth hung open, "What the hell?"
"This is Nymphadora Tonks, daughter of Andromeda Tonks née Black, the woman who worked with your kidnappers."
Tonks's eyes widened, and Harry looked at her.
"I take it you didn't know that."
Nymphadora slowly shook her head.
Harry glanced at Callisto, who was still staring at Nymphadora in shock. Turning back to Nymphadora, he cleared his throat, "So, how does someone with your talents end up working here?"
Despite the situation, a cocky smile spread across Nymphadora's face, "A girl has to eat."
"That they do, but you could do so much more."
Nymphadora's smile fell, and her eyes hardened, "what business is it of yours?"
Harry shrugged, "It's not; I just find it suspicious, given your mother's history…."
"Don't talk about my mother," Nymphadora snapped, her canines elongating, "you know nothing!"
"I don't know it all, but I know some, like the Black family, killed your father, and your mother worked with some unsavory people to prepare her revenge. Those people kidnapped Callisto," he gestured to the woman who was coming out of her shock.
For a long moment, Nymphadora and Harry stared at each other.
"Why?" The single word hung heavy in the air as Nymphadora and Harry turned to stare at Callisto.
"What?" Nymphadora asked.
Callisto's hands balled into fists. "Why," she began slowly, spitting out each word, her blue eyes hard and narrow, "did you pretend to be something you weren't?"
Nymphadora looked away, "My father died when I was very young, and ever since then, my mother has been terrified of losing me."
Her voice became distant, "For as long as I can remember, she has instilled in me the need to hide from her family," she glanced at Callisto, a small smile on her face, "luckily for me, my shapeshifting ability makes that easy."
Indecision flashed through Callisto's blue eyes before she gave a stiff nod.
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Nymphadora, but I think it's time for us to go."
Nymphadora jerked in surprise, "You're just leaving?"
"It's none of my business what you're doing here; I just don't like people hiding from me." Harry began moving toward the door, "Oh, tell your mother if she wants to continue her research to contact Clarice Glitterstone at the British branch of Gringotts."
"I'll see you later," Callisto muttered before following Harry.
As they exited the building, they could see the beginnings of the sun peeking over the horizon.
"I think it's better if we continue our investigation tomorrow night."
Callisto nodded her gaze far away.
"Do you want me to teleport you home?"
She slowly shook her head, "No, I think I'll go for a walk."
As they exited the building, cool morning air chilled their skin.
Harry watched her walk away, wondering if she had been closer to Ned Thomas than she let on. Shaking his head, he pulled his phone from his pocket, pressed a number, and put it to his ear.
"Hello, Norman. Yes, I know it's early, and there's no need for that kind of language," Harry pulled the phone away from his ear, frustration crossing his features, "Are you done? Good, listen when you get up later. I need you to find everything you can on an organization called Black Hole."
"Was it in the contract? I know it's early, but if it wasn't in the contract. Fine, I'll pay you overtime, you greedy little…." Harry pulled the phone from his ear, "he hung up on me."
Turning, Harry moved in the opposite direction of Callisto; while he was in the states, he might as well visit Mirage Alley and see what it had to offer. Then he needed to find a place to sleep.
