Not My Magical World
Chapter 15
Harry sat at his desk in Potter Manor. Papers were strewn across it as he prepared to hunt down Arcturus black and complete his deal with Andromeda Tonks.
According to the information Norman acquired for him, The Black family had their fingers in many pies import, export, assassination, and chemical enhancement, just to name a few. With that last one, he thought they were stupid for letting Andromeda go just because they didn't like whom she married.
Leaning back in his chair, the wood creaked as he stared around his office. It was a large room with wooden floors. The window at his back looked out over the drive; he could feel the sun warming his shoulders.
Bookshelves lined the walls to his left; they didn't hold much since he kept most of his more interesting books in his lab.
Three tall filing cabinets sat in a straight line to his right, each containing Clarice's detailed information on Celestial Enterprises.
Tearing his gaze away from the cabinets, he stared straight ahead, not really seeing anything before him. He needed to kill Arcturus Black to ensure Andromeda would work with him. He knew that, but the Blacks hadn't done anything to earn his ire.
He made the deal because it would be so simple, especially now that the Juru was helping return a small portion of his former strength, but did he want to deal with the fallout? He shook his head, picking up the papers on his desk. According to these, the Blacks weren't good people but was it his job to kill them?
Sitting down the papers, he spun in his chair to stare at the grounds. The only thing he could do was keep his word; it was for the betterment of mutants.
Closing his eyes, the light warped around him as he pulled a bit into his body, frowning as he felt only a tiny portion of what he pulled in flow through him.
Nam had told him about the ethereal circulatory system in his body and how part of it was malformed, another part was shrouded in dimensional energy, and the remaining amount fed his power.
Was this the reason the magical protections of this world affected him so severely? It made sense if his body was used to pulling ambient energy.
He rubbed his thumb over his left forearm; the small puncture had long since healed, but the news from the blood test stuck with him.
According to Andromeda, his X gene was different from most others, not surprising since he came from a parallel universe, but according to her, it was more than that. There was some secret in his heritage that she believed could help push mutant evolution.
As he heard those words, Harry wondered if it had anything to do with the knowledge his mother had removed from the history book he had created. Raising a hand, he rubbed his right temple. Not only had she removed it from the book, but he felt like he had learned something, and it had been removed from his mind.
What could be in the history he discovered that his mother didn't want him to know? He stood to his feet; he could think about the past later. He had a mission to prepare for; he just hoped the fallout didn't make his life more difficult.
Standing to his feet, he exited the room; his footsteps faded slightly as he stepped across the round red rug before his desk.
–XX –
Harry walked down one of the more affluent neighborhoods in Manchester, his shoes scraping along the sidewalk as the cool evening air wrapped around his bare arms. He glanced up at the night sky, staring at the sliver of the moon surrounded by an ocean of stars. "Why is it dark deeds happen at night"? He shook his head, "I guess because mortals are afraid the gods may see."
Stopping at his destination, he leaned into the shadows.
Before him sat a large mansion made of white marble. Black accents highlighted every door window and column.
A brick wall surrounded the grounds, caging in the manicured lawn and bushes lining the gravel drive.
This would've looked like an average home to anyone walking by, but to Harry's senses, it was something different. With a blink, pale purple energy filled his eyes and the actual protections of the abode before him.
To his sight, a black dome covered the property, made of three runic lines crisscrossing over one another in producing a dark purplish light.
Following the curve of the barriers, he saw them sink into the wall. Concentrating as he moved closer, more runic lines appeared, etched into the stone in a pattern similar to a circuit board.
"So, the wall is used as a focal point and amplifier for the barrier," he placed his hand upon it, "but what forms its shape and powers it?"
Looking around, he cursed himself for coming alone. What he was about to do would leave his body vulnerable, but he had to learn more about the barrier to get through it. He could tell instinctually that it was not like the one Rust blood used.
Harry leaned his forehead upon the stone wall surrounding the property, taking a moment to breathe, allowing his body to relax with the rhythm. Once most of the tension was out of his body, he slipped his mind into the flow of magic emanating from the wall.
–XX –
When he felt his feet impact solid ground,
Harry opened his eyes.
He stood on a plane made of grey-white dust.
The slightest movement sent puffs into the air.
Glancing into the overcast sky, he watched dark clouds move unnaturally fast across the land. Holes appeared in the ground wherever the shadows of the clouds lingered.
"I'm definitely not in a pleasant place." Kneeling, Harry scooped up a handful of the dirt; he allowed it to fall through his fingers.
He jumped slightly as voices began to whisper in his mind. Springing to his feet, his head snapped around, his senses expanding as he searched for the voices' owners. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
He grimaced at his words, "Like someone is actually going to listen."
"Who are you?"
Spinning around, Harry found a translucent human standing before him, "Who are you?" He asked back while taking him in.
The man before him was 5'8" tall with short blonde hair streaked with grey and warm brown eyes. He had a little pudge around his middle, but his arms were strong, and his back was straight.
He wore a dark blue T-shirt underneath a plaid shirt. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to his elbow, and the knees of his jeans were faded.
The jeans covered scuffed-up brown boots with mud in the tread that stuck after death, telling Harry that the man had spent much of his time in nature.
The man inclined his head, "My name is Edward Tonks, but you can call me Ted."
"Alright, Ted," Harry gestured around him, "what is this place?"
Ted glanced around him, "We call it the waiting room."
"We?"
"Myself and the other souls imprisoned here."
"Others? Imprisoned?"
Ted nodded, "The black family killed me because they didn't like me marrying into their line," a sneer twisted his features, "my blood wasn't pure enough."
If Harry had any suspicions about the man's identity, there were now gone; this was most definitely Andromeda's husband.
"Now normally," Ted continued, unaware of Harry's thoughts, "that would've been the end of it, they kill me, and I would've moved on to the afterlife, but no, the Blacks are different."
Ted began pacing back and forth, his eyes vacant as he no longer saw Harry but relived the memories, "The weapon they used to kill me absorbed my soul."
"I don't remember much after that, but if my experience follows the others of this place, then the Blacks stole my body after burial. They drained my blood and removed my bones, using them to increase the protections around their home," his hands curled into fists, "can you imagine," he glanced at Harry, "being used to protect the people that killed you?"
"Honestly, no, I can't."
Ted's shoulders slumped, "Of course, you can't," he glanced up, a broken smile on his face, a short high-pitched laugh escaping his lips, "I mean, I knew magic existed. My mother was a blood member, my father a mutant, but I never imagined something like this was possible."
Glancing away from Ted, Harry thought. He couldn't leave these souls here. Not only were the protections around the compound too strong with them here, but it would be immoral.
"I may be able to help you, but I need to talk to some people."
Ted straightened, his eyes devoid of hope, "That would be nice, but don't risk yourselves on our account." Turning away, he began walking. Within a few steps, he disappeared.
Harry stared after the broken man as his body faded from the prison.
–XX –
Pulling his head away from the wall, Harry turned and began moving back down the street, his hands in his pockets and a deep frown on his face.
A block from the black estate, he reached out with his mind, connecting to Clarice, Andromeda, Nam, Nadira, Jani, Kreature, Jonas, Divine, Fabian, and Gideon. 'I need you all to meet me at the estate. There's been a development.'
Within another step, he disappeared in a flash of pale purple light.
–XX –
Harry sat in the rarely used conference room on the Potter estate an hour later. It was a simple room with dark wood paneling, red carpet, and two chandeliers hanging above a long pale wooden table.
Clarice, Nam, Andromeda, Jonas, and Nadira sat to his right, while Divine, Gideon, Fabian, Kreature, and Jani sat to his left.
Jani leaned forward, "So, why did you call us all here?"
Harry stood from his chair at the head of the table, locking eyes with each individual down its length, before finally locking onto Andromeda, "I went to the Black estate this evening to complete a business arrangement I had with Andromeda."
Everyone looked at Andromeda, but her eyes were locked on Harry.
"I found a barrier around the estate unlike anything I'd ever encountered. When I investigated, I found that the Blacks use the bone and blood of their enemies to imprison their souls to power the protections around the estate."
Andromeda's eyes widened, "Are you saying…."
Harry nodded slowly; his lips pressed into a thin line.
Nadira leaned forward, "This is all horrifying, but why are we here?"
"The DNA of the imprisoned individuals is within the wall holding their souls captive. What I want to know is, can we bring them back?"
Everyone along the tables stared at him, their mouths hanging open.
"You want to bring back the dead?" Nam asked slowly.
"Yes."
Jonas jumped up, his green eyes narrowing, "Such a practice would be against nature."
Kreature leaned forward, "Some could say the same about our existence, brother."
Jonas stared at Kreature for a long moment before slowly nodding, "True, brother, but the cycle of life and death is not meant to be broken."
Nadira spoke up, "True, but what's happening to them is against nature as well, and since their souls are still around, would it really be against nature to give them a vessel to dwell in?"
Nam tapped his chin, "if we were going to do this, we would need to break down the wall and separate the components back into their individual remains."
Harry looked at Nam, "We would also need a way to contain the souls once the wall was down until new vessels could be created."
Nam nodded, "Before we go any further, what are the mental conditions of those within the wall?"
"I don't know," Harry looked at Andromeda, "I only met one individual, and he seemed sane but resigned to his fate."
Nam's lips pressed together, "Not ideal, but we can't leave them in that state."
Everyone at the table nodded at the statement.
Harry clapped his hands together, "So if we're all agreed, I guess our next order of business is to find someone who can help us separate the DNA and contain the souls."
"I may know someone that could help," Andromeda whispered, her eyes still locked on Harry.
As everyone turned to look at her, Andromeda seemed to remember where she was and turned away from Harry, her back straight.
"Amelia Bones, the current head of the Bones family, can help remove the souls from the walls and contain them," she said, "I have no idea how to separate the wall back into its base components and differentiate the DNA."
Harry sat down, his brow drawn together, thinking. "I can do that part."
Everyone turned to look at him, but Harry ignored the stairs, "however, during the process, I will be vulnerable, so I'll need someone to watch my back."
Jani raised her hand, "I'll do it."
Harry stared at her, "Are you sure? I can promise you this will end in blood."
Jani hesitated, her hand wavered in the air; she glanced at her parents before nodding firmly.
"Alright then," Harry clapped his hands, "let's prepare."
