Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.
Note: Tia Dalma will appear again in the next chapter as we explore the Present Time in Harry's absence. Also, just saying this now, I have plans for Hermione going forward but she is not going to be paired with Harry. There is another option that I fully intend to work with for her.
Chapter Five - Magic For Nassau
"Why are we out here again?" James Kidd, or Mary Read as Harry knew her to really be, asked her new captain as he rotated the helm to carry them through a rather large swell. Four days prior he'd whispered her true name in her ear and the only thing he'd asked in return for keeping her secret was for her to join his crew. Considering she had been wanting to do so anyway that hadn't really been a problem. Everyone she'd met had said Silent Harry's ship was the one to join if you truly wanted to make a name for yourself in a hurry.
Even back in her hometown in England she'd heard of Silent Harry, Barbossa, and Adewale, and they had inspired her own turn to piracy. It seemed if one spent enough time knocking over East India Company ships and trade routes they were bound to get famous. Especially in a country like her own where that same company practically ran the ship, as it were.
That being said, it was a little discouraging that she'd been found out so fast. Luckily it seemed only Harry had been that quick on the uptake (though he had said he intended to let Anne and Barbossa know) and she was soon enough just another one of the guys amongst the crew. There were not yet any truly famous female pirates in the west, and she refused to let her gender ruin her chances of fame. So if she had to pretend to be a man then that was what she would do.
Her answer came as Harry adjusted the wheel a slight degree to straighten them back out. "Simple. I want to bring more magic to Nassau. I have an idea for how to really shake things up, but I need more skilled mages to offer a hand. I'm powerful, but I'm far from a god."
"Right, right, right, magic is real." Mary was still having a hard time wrapping her head around that little fact. "But why are we going to America to find them? Wouldn't we have more luck looking in England, ya know, since we're from there?"
Harry sighed and shook his head. "There are a couple reasons we won't go there. First, I really, really, don't like England. I only have bad memories there. Second, English wizards are incredibly stuck up where I come from, and tend to see non-magical folk as beneath them. I can't imagine I'll be able to find people who think differently now. Third, from what I recall, mages in America haven't had the best lot in life at this point. Between witch burnings and a general need to hide who and what they are, something that would get under anyone's skin, if we can find a clump of them I'll bet they'll likely be all too willing to go somewhere they can freely perform magic in the open. To go somewhere they'll be celebrated instead of reviled." A conniving grin came to his face as he finished, "And once they're on Nassau I can make use of their power for my own designs. Mwahahahahaha!" His head tilted with his laugh and that large feather in his hat tipped back to touch his shoulder as a result.
Mary sighed as Anne burst out laughing at the man's actions. The redhead was lounged languidly on a nearby railing sipping from a mug of beer. "Harry, darling, I'm sorry, but you really can't pull off the evil laugh. Stick to the menacing silence, it works far better for you."
"Right, sorry." The feared captain of men turned back to the sea and actually began to sulk. "You try something new one time." He mumbled. Then he said much louder, "Besides, I'm a very good people-person. I'm sure they'll listen to me." That set Anne off even more and the sulking returned with full force as the ship carried on its way.
That evening just past normal dinner time for most people the Freedom pulled up to the docks in the port of Boston. Even at this late hour the place was bustling with all manner of trading craft and other much larger vessels. Amongst this throng of humanity, with the black flag lowered, their own ship went mostly unnoticed as they paid a dock rental fee and a little extra to keep their names off the official books.
"Alright, Mary, you're with me. Adewale, look after the crew, seriously, keep an eye on them. We don't have Writs of Freedom for them so there is a chance they could be legally arrested and sold back into slavery if they're caught. Barbossa, look after the ship. I don't want Dobby's magic catching too much attention here where there's still such a strong naval presence."
"Aye, Captain." The quartermaster and the older man's voices answered in unison.
Looking down the line to the redhead who was nearly vibrating with excitement at finally getting to explore somewhere new again, Harry ordered, "Anne… don't cause too much trouble, and save a pint for me."
"Yay!" Anne pulled her man forward to hug his face into her enviable (in Mary's opinion) chest before rushing off into the crowd.
The entire crew sweatdropped at the sight and Barbossa offered, "Ye do realize we'll be needing to pull her tight ass out of some fire or other later on?"
"Of course." Harry answered. "But that's just Anne, and I like her that way." Without another word he spun on his heels and took off as the brunette crossdresser hurried on to follow.
With Harry
Two Hours. That was how long it took to track down the magical district of Massachusetts. Each state had one in the future but this was the easiest to reach by the captain's estimation. Turns out they'd hidden the passage behind the biggest church in the city. Kind of ironic when one thought about it, but honestly who would suspect practitioners of the arcane to be moving to and fro over hallowed ground. Once he made it through the barriers he took a moment to enjoy the look of awe on Mary's face; had his own been that awestruck all those years ago in Diagon Alley?
"T-This is insane." The brunette breathed as she stared out at the spectacle before them. It seemed the magical denizens here had taken their oppression as a challenge because their personal space was magical as hell. Every cobble in the street was of a different outlandish shape and color. The homes and shops lining the path were of sizes and proportions that should not have made any structural sense, and throughout the visible air enchanted notes, books, and items floated past in arcs likely leading from one person to another. On the whole, Magical Massachusetts was a clusterfuck, and the pirates loved every bit of it.
For a while the two of them perused the enclosed neighborhood and took note of how relatively empty it was. At most there were maybe forty families in the area based on the number of homes and children running around on the street, and there were five or six shops spread out here and there with a small bank and a pub spread between.
Clearly a little overawed by everything she was seeing, Mary still managed to note, "This is amazing, Harry, but isn't it a little… empty here? I expected a large swarm of people if this is the heart of their society."
"Who said this is the heart?" Harry wondered. "As far as I know the MACUSA will form in New York at some point, so that is likely where the majority of the magical population is concentrated. This is simply the folk who live here. There weren't a lot of us when I grew up so I can only imagine how few there are now. My books say on average there are only forty-two magicals out of every one million people, so to find any amount of them in numbers is rather impressive."
They were earning some strange looks now as they walked on down the path, and why not? It wasn't everyday the average person saw a 'man' with androgynous features walking around in a longcoat, britches, and a frilled neckerchief, or another fellow in a sleeveless vest, a wide brimmed hat with a feather, and arms absolutely coated in tattoos.
"They're starting to stare, boss. What's the plan?"
"Simple, Mary, we're going to address as many people as possible and make our offer."
"And what's the best way to do that?"
"By going where the people are, my sweet new crewmember."
The wizard smirked her way and Mary couldn't help the slight flutter in her stomach at that action. It was unfair how charming the dimples of his smile looked. "And where would that be-" She cut off as they ducked under the sign of the only pub in the magical district. "Of course." As she watched, the eyes following them turned into a crowd that quickly swarmed behind the new strangers into the dimly lit space where her captain had apparently conjured a table and a chair with which to sit behind it. A moment later he also had a sign that read, {America kind of sucks right now. Change my mind.} Underneath it in a different script was stated {New opportunities and chances for growth in Nassau!}
A chorus of murmurs erupted at the sign and Mary ended up palming her face. Harry was so going to get her stabbed.
With Anne
Anne Bonny hadn't really had a plan for when she got off the ship, but she knew she wanted to explore, and she also knew her man wouldn't have a problem with that desire. Hell, that was why he was her man in the first place. All her life men had tried to control her. To turn her to their desires and the futures they deemed appropriate and just. Not Harry though. No, from the moment he had made her acquaintance he had only ever expected and desired her to be herself and live as freely as she saw fit. Even on the ship he only expected her to follow the orders every other man did when they were under way. Otherwise she was free to do as she would.
As she meandered down the streets and tried to get some measure of control over her stroll once more (adjusting back to land sucked ass. Damned sea legs.) Anne took notice of all the eyes following her and smirked. Why wouldn't they be checking her out? She was fine as hell and she knew it. Red hair, a chest to die for, muscular legs and an outfit that showed off her assets to the fullest. Men clearly wanted her, but they wouldn't get her. Harry was the only one for her; who could even try to compare to him? Women stared at her with envy and dislike and she just stuck her tongue back out at them. Dusty bints were probably just pissed they had to weigh themselves down with all those layers of fabric and skirts while she could walk freely in her trusty pants.
After a while she decided that a drink was what the evening called for and she ducked into a tavern with blue tinged windows to buy herself a drink. Meanwhile across the street a pair of men in the red uniforms of the British military held up a broadsheet showing the hand-drawn image of a pirate named Anne Bonny. Beneath the image was a written out description as well as a promised reward for information leading to her capture.
"Murtogg," the first man said, "I'm telling you, I think that's her. Think about it, red hair, wears pants, bandana through the hair, and twin long knives."
"What, and no other woman could ever wear pants?"
"That's not what I'm saying and you know it. Of course women could wear pants. Not that they should, but they could. I am merely pointing out the statistical improbability of a woman wearing pants as well as having that color hair and keeping a pair of big knives in her clear possession, and not being Anne Bonny."
"Yeah, you might be onto something, Mullroy." The other man agreed. "You stay here and make sure she doesn't leave. I'll go and get the city watch." The way he saw it there was no real downside here. On the off chance it really was the dreaded knife-hand of Silent Harry's crew then he and Jeffrey stood to earn a rather substantial reward. Perhaps even enough to purchase a pair of lieutenant's positions. And if it was just some random civilian, then the only harm caused was rousing the damned locals out of their bunks. No harm or foul to the King's military either way.
With Barbossa and Adewale
The crew had been too nervous to go ashore with Harry's warning, so had elected to stay in their quarters. With the upgraded expansion runes that space was rather large and the crew of two hundred and eighty men and women (the number having grown over numerous raids on East India Company vessels) had plenty of room to meander about. Some were playing card games that their captain had introduced them to, others were studying their letters (an instructor had been convinced to work on the ship with the promise of his weight in gold once the entire crew was literate), and even more were playing an interesting game called soccer.
Harry had introduced it as a way to keep the crew fit, and every one of them had fallen in love with the sport right away. It had gotten to the point that small teams had formed between their number and they regularly scrimaged each other, each coached by one of the officers of course. (Once Harry explained the rules they were all eager to gain some victory). The winners got bragging rights, special desserts, and extra cups of grog or rum at dinner. Ironically enough, Dobby's team seemed to win more often than not. The others suspected the elf gave his players extra meat to prepare them but couldn't prove it.
Right now though the teams weaving the ball around a fake patch of grass beneath the swinging ceiling lamps were those of Barbossa and Adewale. The game had been going for a while now and it was down to the deciding point that would crown the winner.
"Brace up yards, ye runners and bilge rats!" The first mate bellowed at his forward attacker as she ran the ball across the field with her mates running wings of defense. "Tonight's rum be a goal worth scoring for!"
"Aye, sir!" They screamed back.
Meanwhile, Adewale was waving his arms ecstatically at his own people, urging them back to defend the goal and get ready for a counterattack to reclaim the ball. It wasn't to be, however. Barbossa's attacker weaved nimbly between the others and drove her leg forward, scoring the last goal of the game to momentous applause. A moment later mugs of alcohol appeared in the winner's hands and Dobby began to pop back and forth distributing slices of fruit and cups of water to everyone else. The little guy took the care of the crew seriously after all.
"Congratulations, all. Cheers!" Barbossa chugged his own mug and the others followed before he made his way over to Adewale and offered a hand. "It be a good game we just had."
"Aye. Though we'll take the win next time."
"Only if ye aren't playing Dobby's boys."
The two of them laughed lightly before making their way up to the deck for some air. The sea breeze was certainly calming after all of that exertion. At least, that was the intent until they took note of a disturbance on the other side of the docks. It seemed a contingent of city watch were marching in single file down the street and into the town. Odd that.
Barbossa sighed at the sight. "How much do ye want to bet that has something to do with either our captain or Anne?"
The bigger man crossed his arms and answered, "Not a thing. I am not a fool, Barbossa. What should we do?"
"Gather a landing crew. We'll head in quick and see what's happening and deal with it if necessary."
"Understood."
With Harry
"America is our home."
"Yet you cannot live freely and openly. In Nassau all people are accepted. I can promise you that your magic need not be shamed or hidden as long as you reside on our shores." Mary spoke calmly, having been coached by her captain on the arguments she was likely to receive.
"We have built lives here."
"New lives can also be built." She shot back. "What do you really have to gain here? Where can you or your family go that you have not already been? There are no prospects for your kind in all practicality."
A wizened older woman stepped to the front of the crowd and glared down at the still seated Harry, his hat turned down with his head and casting his face in shadow. "You've not spoken yet, young man, yet it is clear this is your presentation. No one does something as big as offering to relocate an entire settlement without an ulterior motive. Why don't you stop telling us the benefits of Nassau and actually explain why you want a bunch of magicals there in the first place. What do you need us to do that you can't do yourself?"
Slowly the hat raised and sparkling green eyes locked with those of her own. Speaking slowly he asked, "What's your name?"
"Miriam Marsh, I'm the mayor of this hamlet."
"Well, Miriam, magical manpower is one reason. There are only so many objects I can enchant and so many runes I can carve on my own. But there is a very particular spell I want to cast and I'm not powerful enough on my own to cast it over an entire island."
"And that spell is?"
"Have you ever heard of the Fidelius charm?"
The entire room gasped. "The spell that hides a location from all detection except by those who already know where it is." Miriam whispered.
"Aye."
"But no one has ever cast it over an area larger than two acres."
"Hence the need for more magicals. If I can join your power to mine, if only for an instant, I can completely cut off my home from any attacking force that would ever come to claim it."
Miriam held a quick conference with her people before coming back. "What would be our accommodations on the island?"
With Anne
Out of the open window of a particular pub mirroring the harbor came the sudden clear sound of a woman's melodious voice joined soon by the uproarious chorus of the other patrons.
"Bugger off you bastards bugger off
fuck you!
Bugger off you bastards bugger off
Like a herd of bloody swine who
Refuse to leave the trough
You'll get no more this evening
So you bastards bugger off
You've been a lovely audience but
Now your time has passed
Now don't you all be letting the
Door hit you in the ass
You've been a splendid audience
But enough is enough
We'd thank you very kindly if
You'd all just bugger off
Here's to all the thievin' waitresses
Been serving you your beer
They've put up with your noxious
Breath and stupid drunken leers
Be leaving all your money on
The table when you go
Tomorrow you'll have a throbbing head
With nothing else to show
Bugger off you bastards bugger off
fuck you!
Bugger off you bastards bugger off"
The garrison troops summoned forth to execute an arrest warrant didn't know what to make of all this noise so they simply marched in through the door and beheld a sight even stranger than the music. The entire crowd was cheering, singing, and roaring with delight as they waved their mugs in the air toward a redheaded Irishwoman prancing along the bar, belting out lyrics at the top of her lungs, and waving TWO mugs of beer in the air, one in either hand.
"Silence!" The Commandant of the guard exclaimed, quieting the rambunctious mass in an instant. Focusing on the woman standing on the bar he said, "Anne Bonny, by my authority granted by the King of England I am placing you under arrest for theft, murder, and high seas piracy."
The redhead glared down at the man who had interrupted her fun as well as the twenty or so guards he'd brought with him.
"Me? Under arrest? Seriously?"
"Men, forward!" The guards began pushing through the throngs of drunken sailors and dockworkers to little effect.
"Do ya not know who me captain is?" Anne scoffed, "Ya do this and there will be serious consequences. Hell, if by some miracle ya actually manage to touch me then you, your men, your garrison, and your manhoods are all done for."
The shuffling of the troops ceased suddenly as a fresh voice intoned, "Aye, that be true." All eyes turned back to the door where a truly imposing sight now stood. Barbossa and Adewale were shoulder to shoulder and each was holding two pistols in their hands while forty or so of their crewmembers hung back with rifles at the ready. "Now, do ye be wanting to fall back, or get to the shooting. Keeping in mind of course that we've got the drop on you and more firepower."
The commandant glared at the new intruder and commanded, "Men, prepare to open fire!" Clearly not liking this order, his men complied nonetheless, pulling their firearms free.
Barbossa blinked, "Seriously?"
"We do not negotiate with pirates!" The officer returned. "Nor do we allow them to offer terms. We are godly, law fearing men, and as such god will judge us the winners here. Now fire-"
He was cut off as Anne screamed into the air, "Another round for the entire bar if someone knocks that fucker's lights out!"
A moment later and the commandant was on the floor. Standing tall over him was a burly dockhand who appeared suddenly sheepish at all the attention he was receiving. "Free booze?"
"Free Booze!" Anne proclaimed, earning a raucous cheer from the entire populace. She quickly tossed a pouch of gold to the bartender and hopped over several pairs of heads to land beside her first mate. "Thanks for coming, boss."
"No problem." Barbossa responded as he watched the guard members lower their weapons, pick up their leader, and back away slowly. At least they seemed to know a doomed fight when they saw one. "I believe the Captain did tell ye not to make too big of a fuss?"
"What's revelry without a wee bit a fuss?" Anne shot back. "Besides, it all worked out, so let's get on back to the ship. Who knows, the boss might have already finished his task and be waiting for us."
As one the group marched back over to the ship, not caring at all that a couple of guards were still following them. It was probably just to keep the 'dangerous pirates' in their sights, and really, what were they going to do? By the time they were on board it would take several ships firing simultaneously to have even a chance of sinking them, and these fools only had muskets and there were just two of them.
It was a swift walk, and when they arrived Harry was indeed back at the ship at the head of a rather large group of strangers. He had just enough time to wave before Anne was leaping across the distance and throwing herself into his arms.
"Hey, Harry, guess what? I sang a bar ballad, got held up by the local constabulary, and almost started a brawl!"
The young man laughed heartily and kissed his woman. "Sounds like a great time. I only wish I was there to see it." Looking at Barbossa and Adewale he added, "Thanks for looking after her. You guys wanna meet our newest recruits?" At their nods he waved graciously to the Americans, "Meet the magicals of Massachusetts! I couldn't get them all to come, but I found my fair share of curious travelers. Now onward people! We have an island to secure!"
Two Weeks Later
The actual trip back to Nassau had not taken long at all, and the rest of the wait had been spent carving runic schemes into large rocks and placing them at all the cardinal points of the island. Now several wizards were gathered at each one, and as the population of the Pirate Republic watched with interest, Harry stood in front of a central stone and reached out with his awareness, grasping the magical potential of each wizard one by one as the Black Family tomes instructed. With each acquisition his mental and magical strength doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and continued to grow greater in leaps and bounds. He could not maintain such growth for long without tearing his body apart, but it was not necessary to do so. He only needed to last until… there! He'd gained the magical might of every single passenger he'd brought with him from the new world. Cutting off his climb for power he forced his will to level out and hold its current plateau, waiting to say the word that would set the wave of his power free. It was time.
Opening his eyes he glared directly at Barbossa as he stood at his customary place beside him. "The island of Nassau is located at 25.0443 degrees North, 77.3504 degrees West. Now you are the secret keeper of this spell. It will be up to you to choose trustworthy captains and navigators to inform as well so that they may come and go. I am trusting you with the lives of every person on this island. Can you handle the responsibility, Hector?"
"I do be honored for the trust, Captain."
Harry grinned wryly as the strain of so much compressed magic began to pound the space behind his eyes. "Then so mote it be. Fidelius!" A visible wave of light cascaded off of his body through the gathered crowd, and across the entirety of Nassau and its bay. When it finally faded into the night, the island had disappeared from the knowledge of mortal men.
The Present
Tia Dalma opened her eyes and found herself standing in a dark chamber absolutely full to bursting with shelves of books and dark covered lights hanging from the ceiling. A library? Well she certainly wasn't in Cuba any longer, so where was she now? Though her senses were dimmed in her mortal body, she could feel the pull of the sea. England then.
She was pulled out of her musings by a popping sound below. Turning down her eyes she beheld an ancient looking version of Dobby looking upon her with unrestrained awe. "Great mistress." It wheezed as it struggled to kneel before her on brittle knees. "Mistress of magic. Mistress of waves. Mistress of chaos. How do this one be serving you?"
The bound goddess smiled. It was so nice when creatures knew their place in the world. "Seal the building and prevent all forms of magical travel. I do be having a need for the people inside."
The big eared creature stared into the distance for a moment before nodding slowly. "It be done, Mistress."
"Excellent." The goddess purred as she began strutting for the door. It was time to find someone she could convince to search out her anchors. At this point in time their guardians were all long dead and gone so the objects should be simple to retrieve. And once they were dealt with, well, she could feel the sea crying out in pain from what humanity had done to it all these years. Some well deserved vengeance needed to be meted out.