Odyssey of a Mage Part III

by mootjeman7

Part III of Odyssey of a Mage. Post Grindelwald era. Atticus Sayre, reincarnated soul has chosen to carry the fate of all Magical-Kind onto his shoulders. A weight that bears heavy on his soul for all that must be done. And it is a weight he intends carry all the way to the very stars. Ruthless, Determined SI-OC. Fem Riddle. Pre-Halo Crossover.

5. Chapter 70

Hello All, welcome back to the story!

Without further adieu, please enjoy the post and let me know what you think!

Note: If you would like to read ahead, the next three chapters are available on P^A^T^R^E^O^N / Boombox117

The discord channel is d^i^s^c^o^r^d^.^g^g^/^v^r^8^8^t^6^4^Y^e^7

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30th of October 1952 – Slytherin Manor, Slytherin Castle Grounds

Abraxas Malfoy POV

"Welcome, My Lords and Ladies" Lady Slytherin began, a tiny smile forming on her deceptively angelic face, one that sent shivers down his – and probably everyone else's too – spine, all whilst her cold eyes swept across the room, drawing in all of their undivided attention.

He sat up straighter, just as most others did, after she spoke and the wave of magic that enacted the secrecy enchantments took effect.

He spared a glance around the room, taking in the sight of who was present.

Amongst two dozen and a half people present, the Heirs of Houses of Bletchley, Carlinger, Carrow, Crouch, Nott, Ollerton, Prince, Rockwood and Travers were all present as were Lords Carrow, Greengrass, Lestrange, Nott and Prince.

People of importance, those who had earned the right to be considered in her inner and outer circles.

Unfortunately, so were Blackthorne and Eveningshade though their…attendance…was more related to the fortune of the meagre blood in their blood than their talent.

Whilst the people present represented the majority of the power and wealth they held within Magical Britain, it was not the full attendance of members within the Ouroboros faction.

No…

That would have needed this ballroom to be expanded by several factors to fit in all those that were members.

Ouroboros was seen by most as a political faction within the Wizengamot but it was much more than that.

A large fraction of heirs of traditionalist families had kept their faith in Lady Slytherin upon graduating from Hogwarts and further sworn oaths to her once they were proven to be trustworthy enough to be told of her cause.

Ouroboros was seen as a political and economic faction but it had greater ideas, ideas and a cause that were befitting of the noble families and the magic in their blood.

Yet…

It was only the very starting point.

In the years since the war, Lady Slytherin had begun working in a way that he had not understood, not then.

In the aftermath of witnessing them bring a mountain sized rock from the depths of the void, and then proceed to fashion a new Atlantis as if it was nothing but a fist sized clump of clay, he believed they'd use that insurmountable nightmarish power to sweep aside all opposition and break the world under their boot.

But no…

They had other plans.

Lord Sayre's suffocating domination, the threat of his existence and more importantly his ideas were a smokescreen, a façade to obfuscate and to draw attention to himself whilst his Lady operated in the background, slithering in the high grass under the shade thrown by Sayre's presence.

Lord Saye's exile and subsequent actions that crashed the economy should have been what that led to her downfall given she was his wife yet instead she emerged from that political and social quagmire smelling fresher than the scalp of a new born baby.

He'd been given a lesson in those months on social manipulation and political manoeuvring.

Her philanthropic contributions, the creation of orphanages that took war orphans all across Europe along with the mudbloods and half bloods of Britain, the revamping of magical schools in Wales, Scotland and England with her own funds, the creation of free preschools for all children regardless of their social class, the funding of arts and museums…

All of it raised the public perception of her into near sainthood, a modern version of the Founders and the International Magical Press only pressed that point forward in acute fashion building a solid foundation from which monuments could stand and survive any storm cast their way.

Her alliances made with the Lords of Houses Prince, Carrow, Nott, Lestrange and others – hidden for now – had come from witnessing, from feeling that oppressive, dark seductive power that left them suffocating, clawing at their throats and at their chest as her magic compacted, crushed the atmosphere with the depths of it, depths that had only grown in volume and in intensity over the years…

A true Dark Archmage Slytherin not seen since Salazar Slytherin himself

Suffice it to say…

Loyalty was won and alliances formed, one that tied those Houses to House Slytherin and were brought into her confidence and told of her cause.

All of that would not have shielded her from the scorn that was destined to come her way as a consequence of Lord Sayre's 'fall' from power or his deliberate crashing of the economy later, no…

The Wizengamot was the power in the land, the public were little more than a large herd that only needed to be assured of stability and safety as they had not the capacity for anything more.

And it was Wizengamot members hurt most by the actions of Lord Sayre.

They had the power and motivation to set in plans in motion to cast her down just as they had planned to do to the rest of the Sayres.

Yet…

One meeting with Minister Norton, Lord McKinnon and Lord Black in 1946 was enough to dissuade them from taking that route and to exclude her from their plans for the Sayres.

She had not even released her magic then, no…

Words were enough…

Words wielded by someone who wielded it as well as she wielded a wand, someone who understood that what power she held in her words alone, power that spelled out excruciatingly, syllable by syllable, letter by letter, the cost they would wrought, a cost that'd leave them headed into a spiral that could end up destroying all that they were trying to protect with their actions against Lord Sayre…

Hogwarts…

Hogwarts and all that came with it was a cost none of them were willing to bear.

Hogwarts held a special place in the hearts of Magical Britain. It was a bastion, a proud monument to British greatness built by four of the brightest magicals in all of Wizarding History.

…And it was utterly in her hands.

Hogwarts was founded in the late 10th century during an uncertain era that resulted more magical deaths at the hands of muggles and rival clans in the past two centuries before it than in the next six centuries after it was formed combined.

It was a stabiliser, a benchmark for what most consider the start of modern magical civilisation, valued and cherished beyond its function and venerated for its meaning.

At the beginning, families had been reticent to relinquish their children from the safeguards of warded homes until they could protect themselves and it was only through the binding agreements set by the Wizarding Council, agreements that minimalised and de-politicised threats to heirs, that Hogwarts became successful.

That binding agreement meant that Hogwarts would remain independent of the Wizard Council's influence and laws – with the exception of capital crimes – under the ownership of House Gryffindor and Slytherin.

A binding agreement that was still in effective given that the Wizengamot was the lawful successor to the Wizard's Council whose function has remained the same even if the Ministry took the position of government as a result of the separation of worlds during the implementation of the Statute of Secrecy.

Hogwarts was not beholden to the Ministry nor the Wizengamot and should she enact the emergency edicts within the Hogwarts Charter, she would be able to take full control over the school and Hogsmeade which was part of the Hogwarts lands.

The implication had been clear…

Act against me and Hogwarts as good as independent

At that point, avoiding conflict would have become impossible for the Ministry and the last thing the Ministry wanted was any kind of secession, the last thing the Traditionalist faction wanted was a civil war within its ranks…or within their own families given who she was and the loyalty she had from many of their heirs…

All while the likelihood Lord Sayre remaining firm in his stance of no violence, of refusing to escalate, dwindled had his wife been targeted just as he was…

That prospect, that horrifying prospect of two Archmages arrayed against the Ministry and the Traditionalist faction had chilled their blood, ICW aid or no.

Her reaction changed everything for they believed Lord Sayre would be easy to deal with but if his wife managed to convince him otherwise?

The Ministry knew that had he desired, if he truly desired, he could have started off a civil war to push through his ideas anyway with how popular he had been at the start, a civil war that they'd lose without aid and at best last years with the aid of the ICW who had grown nearly obsessed with Lord Sayre.

Yet they had come under the impression Lord Sayre had no appetite for conflict, for war, partly because of Auror Potter, who broke Lord Sayre's confidence by informing the Progressives on what Lord Sayre would do if he failed in Britain, allowing Lord Black and the Minister the secure knowledge that they could act as politically as aggressive as possible without it escalating into war…

And partly because they believed in what Lord Sayre had espoused.

Abraxas inwardly scoffed derisively.

They knew nothing.

They did not know Lord Sayre at all

He had come to know the man – as much as he could expect – after speaking with him and Lady Slytherin during the time Illos was still taking shape.

He had, then, immediately understood why Lady Slytherin had become fascinated with him at Hogwarts, why she spent time with him beyond the obvious of his power.

He was far from what people believed him to be

Lord Sayre was every bit as ruthless and ambitious as his wife, Abraxas had simply realised the man thought of power in a way most could not, did not understand.

It had been an odd experience, that day he'd seen who they were, the humbleness and inadequacy they induced in him yet at the same time inspired a sense of greatness that Abraxas wanted to greedily cling onto and be part of for he knew they were going to change the face of the Magical World.

And…

As he watched this coalition of Progressives, Traditionalists and the Ministry try to cast the Sayres down, he couldn't help but mockingly think…

They had no idea what they're faced against

What could they do in the face of someone like him or her if they truly took offence?

In their world power was everything.

Blood, Nobility, Magic. All of it had power and Lord and Lady Sayre-Slytherin had oppressive amounts of it.

And yet they began to somehow believe they had – and at the time thought they could – ran out the most powerful wizard alive, a man who had defeated Grindelwald in a reality-shattering fight considered to be the greatest duel in history, one that had veritable proof in the hundreds of eye witnesses that knew and told just how powerful he was.

The same power he had shown once more when he subdued an entire room of powerful wizards in the Italian Senate when they threatened to take what was his.

All because they held it against him – along with the words of Charlus Potter – when he spoke of unity, of peace and of equality, that he would not engage in a war.

A belief that had proven shaky when they had pressed too hard and had been forced to cool down their aggressiveness after he'd shown what he'd do in the face of violence when he dealt with the fools that had hired assassins against him and his family and, in the end, had to come to the table to reach an agreement that led to his 'peaceful exile'.

But Lady Slytherin?

Lady Slytherin had made it clear at the very beginning that actions or words against her were tantamount to a declaration of war and all that entailed with it.

His father had told him that Minister Norton had 'plans' to deal with the Hogwarts problem after Lord Sayre had been exiled yet the economic crisis that came from the unexpected withdrawal of the Sayre wealth had destroyed any such plans and in the years since then…

Since then, Lady Slytherin had only further built up the image of 'Saint' as she became a beacon to hundreds in the wake of an economic crisis that could be – and had been – partially blamed on her yet…

Yet when others did nothing and she did much, helping, raising people back on their feet whilst many others who did not seek her languished, such notions fell away as her actions overshadowed such demonising words, words that were further impoverished by the International Magical Press…

It was masterful…the depths her manipulations extended to and his father had told him the fear that some of Lord Black's closest allies felt.

He inwardly smirked at himself.

His father had given him leave to act in House Malfoy's best interest after Lord Sayre's duel with Grindelwald, to make himself invaluable to the couple in whatever way he could when she began moving in public after the war.

It would prove to be the best decision any Malfoy had done in generations

His father was no longer a close ally of Lord Black, that family was adept enough to know of Abraxas' allegiance to Lady Slytherin, but his father was still part of the Traditionalist faction, however nominal it may be.

It was proof, in truth, of House Black's waning power that his father was still amongst their ranks.

Lord Black seemed to know how tenuous his grip on the Dark families was, knowing how many of their heirs had deep loyalty to House Slytherin, and according his father, was at a loss how to proceed.

He could understand that.

Like water, she weathered away at the rocks, at the boulders that stood in her way, forming channels, grooves where her reach could extend down to the very base.

It must be an insidious thing to witness from his perspective. To think you dealt with the biggest threat only to find out the greatest threat is bearing their fangs only half an inch from your throat.

That the person you called a half-blood bastard was now twisting entire generations, pure and not, to her ideology and to their cause.

That the stymying attempts or the alternate options you tried to offer when it came to schooling were largely failures to the extent that you are only left with the option of pushing through legislation that banned pre-Hogwarts schooling, something you know is at high risk of failure whilst at the same time could ignite the current unrest into full blown riots when it was one of the few beacons of light in many families still suffering from the consequences of Lord Sayre's 'exile'…

He could even understand at how Lord Black and those in the Ministry must feel at the closing walls when even those who you would have believed would never back a half-blood, even if she was a Slytherin, turned and changed their very way of looking at things.

That the opinions of those whom echoed your own were changing when the products of successful integration were seen, mudblood children who were taken from the muggle orphanages, from certain filthy muggles, then raised with wizarding custom and tradition to such success that you could barely tell the difference in behaviour or in their magic in comparison with children from magical families.

The trademark wilder magic, hallmarks of unrefined magic that had not been shaped by centuries or millennia of ancestry, were lesser, far less noticeable and even seemed to be capable of displaying pangs, moderate amounts of family magic of families they were marginally related to when they knew of their heritage.

Proof that despite the desecration from muggle blood, superior wizarding blood won over when they were righted as early as possible. That it mattered that you were amongst your own kind, no matter how filthy your blood was as long as you had magic.

Proof and vindication of the prophesized words of Salazar Slytherin who believed muggles had no right to magic, that their worlds could never coexist and that even mudbloods' own magic demanded them to be with others of their own kind.

Blow after blow, the hits were coming and day after day, their flawless victory was approaching.

Still…

It was some distance away, that victory, however short though it may be…

At present, it was akin to the calm before the storm…an uneasy peace that continued between the Ouroboros faction and the other two major factions, one that was tested by the economic north-south divide where those nearby Hogsmeade were substantially better off than the ones in the south, where many commoners had benefitted from the quick recovery initiated by Lady Slytherin and the Ouroboros' financial backing and smart business practices.

A peace that was given a further gloss of ignorance by how the Ouroboros faction continued to abstain from major political decisions.

He glanced around, his hidden cool eyes sweeping across the table.

The decision to abstain had not been to keep the peace…far from it.

With each year that passes, their position grew stronger as the fractious Wizengamot and Ministry were unable recover as fast the Ouroboros had done.

In that time, Lords and wealthy merchant families that joined the Ouroboros faction had seen their fortunes grow as international trade picked up after the Grindelwald and muggle wars.

They'd expanded from simply operating in the magical world and had turned their attentions to the wealth present in the muggle world.

Many of the individuals present here today had doubled if not quadrupled their wealth by operating in the muggle world with how the post muggle war economy was booming.

They may all hate the muggles, save for the Blackthorne and Eveningshade mudbloods, but it cannot be denied that it was a scheme that greatly benefited them when other noble families were losing galleons like a leaky faucet.

After all, pragmatism trumps distaste just as wealth trumped being poor and prideful.

They were not Weasleys after all.

It was an open secret amongst the senior members of the Ouroboros to whom they could attribute this change in fortune, something that had traces of irony to it with how their rivals in other factions were weakened.

He'd even led them to secure untapped gold veins in the depths of the Amazon rainforest to be used for the Ouroboros organisation.

Lord Sayre's capabilities as a Seer truly was frightening, the scope and breadth of his ability to discern the future only deeply entrenched his loyalty to the two Archmages.

It helped that they informed him of why they were doing what they were doing.

Though most of the senior members of Ouroboros did not know of the intricate schemes the Sayre-Slytherin clan had in play, let alone the fringe members, the senior members did know of the plan to separate Magical Britain entirely from the muggles, to cut the links that kept their people beholden to the muggles and their monarch.

This was only reinforced in the wake of the horror of these 'nukleer' bombs that were capable of destroying entire cities.

The ICW was incompetent in controlling the animals' savagery that was only proven when they ignored the destruction of two muggle cities as something inconsequential…

Claiming that no wizards had died from the bombs and as such was proof their weapons could be outrun if need be...

His father had told him when he'd seen what the little bombs could do in 1940 when the late Lord Markus Sayre had shown the effectiveness of their wards against them.

And now?

When the savages only improved this 'nukleer' bomb to be capable to extinguishing an entire city on its own in a second?

Even Fiendfyre by an Archmage would take an hour, maybe twenty minutes, before it could destroy a city as ably as one of these bombs could.

No…

Muggles couldn't be trusted not to destroy the world with their animalistic stupidity and if the ICW was uninterested in avoiding it then they could only do it their way.

"As I am sure you are aware, the recent sentencing of Mr Coulson has wider ramifications that the Ministry is dangerously ignorant to" Lady Slytherin continued, her cool black eyes tracing across the table.

"The growing unrest amongst the populace, particularly amongst the poorer purebloods, half-bloods and the mud- muggleborns?" Mycroft Elridge, a merchant who operates in the import-export business questioned.

She turned her gaze to him and inclined slightly, a thin smirk expressed on her porcelain face "Proving to the public, amongst many other things, that there might be truth in the bankruptcy rumours about the Ministry"

Rumours that claimed the Ministry was nearing bankruptcy and were focused on stealing the wealth of anyone they could so they sweep it under the carpet.

That at the moment they were coming after the mudbloods but soon…

Soon they'd come for others.

The large budget deficit of the Ministry stemmed from the reduced tax income from businesses and families all across the Isles.

When Lord Sayre withdrew his wealth, it caused too little money to be in circulation which meant too little production which meant deflated prices which meant the economy was poorer.

It was compounded further when many critical industries, such as the hedge farms and the potion ingredients market – of which the Sayres held a significant market share of – had practically gone overnight when the Sayres left causing there to be a dearth of important foodstuffs and ingredients for potions that people depended on.

The scarcity had hiked up pricing in a time where there was too little money in circulation and the Ministry intervention had come only six months later.

Why you may ask?

With a crisis, there was opportunity and at that time, there were many such opportunities. Businesses that had been owned independently had to sell shares in order to afloat and the other Lords of the Wizengamot had sensed blood in the water.

Where before private ownership of businesses was just over sixty percent, now it was under thirty percent with many not having a controlling shares in their own former family businesses.

The deflation of prices for goods and products – other than those in the potion industry – however had not solved and that meant loss of jobs as Lords cut down staff in their new businesses unaware they were set to exacerbate the issue.

With the losses of entire swathes of industries, including the newly made industries that Lord Sayre had created that none had been too successful of reproducing, at least immediately, that meant that there were fewer jobs available causing greater competition for the jobs that remained which meant less wages could be paid whilst prices of goods – however deflated they were – were not in line with the new cost of living.

To make matters worse, the taxation of these businesses that had changed hands were in a different tax category as they were now owned by Wizengamot members who paid sickles to the galleons to what private non noble businesses had previously paid which had been the main reason for the Ministry intervention once they realised how much of a problem they had on their hands.

The Ministry borrowed substantial amount of galleons from some of the wealthier Lords and the Goblins, and had tried to stimulate the economy which seemed to work at first but the way the 'stimulation' had been carried out had been too reckless and without direction.

However, to give them some credit, they did manage to turn it around better than what they had initially expected even if most businesses retained only retained some forty percent of their original value.

She turned her gaze to them all "This, in combination with our strong financial position, will soon grant us the opportunity we've been waiting for." She said in a measured tone as she leaned back in her chair, her obsidian eyes dimly aglow.

"Yes" Lord Carrow said with a careful chuckle as he spied at Lady Slytherin "Especially when the unrest begins to spill into the streets."

"Is that threshold even close to breaching?" Heir Ollerton asked concerned with a frown. It was his grandfather who was present Chief Warlock, a useful member to have within Ouroboros.

"Not yet but in the coming months?" Lord Nott interjected, his cool voice easily reaching across "Certainly. Already I've overheard conversation in Diagon Alley that were more than…simple complaints."

Diagon Alley was one of the harder hit streets. Horizon Alley fared a little better given that their customers tended to be the wealthy but Diagon Alley relied on a range of customer classes.

It was the same with Godric's Hollow which had also retracted in size over the years.

"And how…aggressive shall we be? When it…boils over?" Lord Prince asked contemplatively before he continued, eying her carefully.

Her eyes, cold and as black as they were, gained a shadowed gloss as the curve of her lips mellowed "Aggressive"

She let the precipitous meaning of that word sink in their minds for a short moment before she continued, her eyes tracing across the room that waited with bated, stiff breaths.

"At present, we are an unseen force – politically speaking – to the public." She began, as the words spoken slithered from her lips "An unseen force that has a presence in their subconscious, associated with quiet competence, good moral bearings" she said, very voice bearing a hint of dry near acidic amusement "and respectful leadership in a time of uncertainty and instability."

"Exactly in the way that we wanted." She said, before leaning forward "With how it is now, it is time to present ourselves to the public over the coming weeks as a true alternative, those who will bring back the days of prosperity and stability that these past years have sorely missed." She sat back before she continued, her voice taking on a cool, matter-of-factly tone "And soon enough they'll beg for us to lead them."

Abraxas glanced around and saw more than a few faces that bore pleased expressions.

"Our years of patience are over" she said, her eyes trailing across the table. He did not know the full members of Ouroboros but he knew that there were more than a few within the Ministry itself.

"Lowe's time as Minister is finished just as the Traditionalist grip on the Ministry is. The Ministry's is barely keeping up with their monthly debt repayments despite the high unsustainable income tax whilst in the same breadth taxing businesses owned by Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot knuts to the galleon, something that unfortunately happened to find its way in the public sphere." She said calmly.

"And the Progressives are little better than a loosely aligned coalition than the faction they pretend to be." Lord Prince mused

"Just so." She said with a light nod, her eyes momentarily shining with dark glee before disappeared under a screen of cold neutrality.

There were more than a few who had cast…aspersions on her and on her marriage with Lord Sayre, both during the most turbulent years such in 1947 and in the immediate years since and most of them had belonged to the Light families who knew very little of who she was.

As much as she had been play it off, everyone knew that she was not one to let slights go.

Any further slights had evaporated when she'd permanently severed the spine of a close family friend of Lord Ogden during a duelling promotional event intended to raise the profiles of national duellists…

An incident that had been marked as an accident though the subtle remarks she made, remarks that implied that 'duellists should not fight under the influence of alcohol', making it clear it wasn't.

In truth, he'd been surprised and even impressed how…restrained she was, knowing how…volatile she'd been but over the years, she'd gained a strong measure of…self-control that those of her…power and persuasion had not been known for. It was something that he wasn't sure he was glad for.

After all, there was a sense of security in furious volatility where there wasn't in simmering coldness…

An example of which you could find when he'd found out that it was an event she had someone suggest to the Department of Magical Games and Sports…

…and whom to invite.

"We will set in motions to remove Lowe from Ministership and we place one of our own in his seat" she said before flicking her eyes towards Lord Nott "Your cousin…"

"My cousin continues to assure me that the DMLE will not be a problem." Lord Nott calmly answered.

Hamish Wilkins, first cousin of Lord Nott was the current Director of the DMLE and though he wasn't a member of Ouroboros – as far as Abraxas knew – he was a…beneficiary of a fixed interest investment fund in the muggle world, that fixed his loyalties.

"Good." She said with an approving gleam in her black eyes.

"The other factions won't sit idle when we begin making moves" Lord Greengrass commented quietly though calmly, his neutral expression remaining affixed.

Abraxas looked him with a disinterested gaze.

He had not yet confirmed as to the reasons why or how House Greengrass became a vassal to House Slytherin in late 1943, something that had caused a scandal amongst the nobility, other than the obvious of Lady Slytherin either having the cure to the Greengrass blood malediction curse or the means to it at least, but it had proven to be a significant boon at the beginning of Ouroboros.

"True." Lady Slytherin said, acknowledging it as the truth it was "And I have no doubt that significant number of Lords in both factions would rather see the Ministry burn to the ground than to concede it to us" she said, her eyes glimmering with an obsidian sheen as her lips curled.

"That is why we will not allow them the opportunity or the time to formulate a defence when we begin to move." She declared.

The meeting then continued on to go through plans that would now be started, most of which were related in securing further allegiances from useful pawns to mercenary players.

It was several hours later, when immediate plans had been drawn up and assigned, that Blackthorne spoke up.

"What are we going to do if Lowe continues to target more like Jack Coulson?" Eveningshade asked, his voice steady though Abraxas could tell that it was a conscious effort.

Lady Slytherin's eyes turned to him, eyes that held an almost serpentine like sharpness to them, one that Abraxas could see have a physical effect on the pitiful man.

"Nothing." Lady Slytherin simply answered, her voice calm but her gaze unflinching.

Eveningshade was taken aback, momentarily stunned quiet at the unexpected question before he rallied and answered "What? I…I don't understand."

Lady Slytherin sat back in her chair though she kept eye contact with the man. "I know you're not a simple man, Lord Eveningshade" she began, her gaze sharpening as her expression lost all hints of emotion

"And that you can understand subtleties and sacrifices and what must be done or in this case allowed, at this critical junction when it serves us all a greater purpose, one that ends the distasteful persecutions…" she trailed off as her expression shifted, a near invisible blanket of shadows covered the top half of her face as her eyes turned as black as the frost-cursed maw of a dementor.

"Or…am I…wrong?" she asked in a danger but melodious soft tone, one that radiated menace and peril on an animalistic level.

"N-n-no…my Lady" Lord Eveningshade attempted to say calmly but he faltered. Still…he pressed on "B-but once things get violent, they might end up taking out on squib descendants who we know they won't be kind to. If that happens before it is time to act, they could execute dozens, maybe hundreds." Eveningshade's voice gained some strength at the end even if he was wilting under her gaze.

Blackthorne picked up it after, making it clear it was a concerted effort "And we know that squib descendants are not the only ones that will make up part of the civil unrest. Sure, the ministry wouldn't execute purebloods but them sentenced to the highest levels of Azkaban isn't out of the question." Blackthorne said pointedly before breathing out, his gaze flickering around the table.

"Now it might not be important in the grand scheme of things but it could prove useful later on if we made sure we protected the citizens from the corrupt ministry now." Blackthorne said before finishing "Think of it, 'Former prisoners tell how Ouroboros protected them from the previous corrupt administration'."

"We may not be able to help them now but we can make sure that they survive if only to boost support later on" Eveningshade added.

Abraxas' eyebrows raised to his hairline and he wasn't the only one.

"Appealing to our self-interest and desire for praise, hmm?" Miles Gulbert, one of the largest independent magical livestock owners commented with surprised amusement "At least you seem to have begun to understand." Miles Gulbert noted with a grudging amount of acknowledge.

Lady Slytherin said nothing even as all eyes fell on her on how she would react but at present, she was unchanged in her fixed gaze on Eveningshade who had since nervously bowed his head until several moments passed and she looked away, towards Nott.

"Has your cousin confirmed if he is able to ensure executions are delayed for a number of months, should the situation warrant it?" she asked in a calm voice.

Lord Nott glanced over at Eveningshade who looked surprised at the comment – just as quite a few others – before he turned to Lady Slytherin and nodded slowly "There is precedent of delayed sentences though the exact legalese justifications escape him at present."

"My grandfather has a number of volumes of books related and applied to the DMLE." Ollerton spoke up, drawing attention to himself. "My Lady, I would be honoured to find out for you."

"Good." She said to Ollerton "Do look out for any further useful precedents and obscure allowances."

Ollerton bowed his head in acceptance and she turned to Eveningshade who sat up straighter.

"M-my Lady, I…I didn't know you were already had things set in motion if I ha-" his mouth slammed when the atmosphere grew heavy as a blanket of power began to cover the ballroom.

Abraxas' breath shuddered, his hands clenched as a fraction of her power sunk into the room.

He glanced at Lady Slytherin and saw her expression hadn't changed, it was as if nothing had happened and perhaps that was the truth, that the release of this magic was little more than a twitch of a fibre of muscle for her.

"In truth, I am somewhat pleased at your way of appealing to our self-interests." She said in an idle tone before she continued "Hardly better than a student in Slytherin House but given you had been a Hufflepuff…" she left open before her expression changed and magic began to roll off of her, a thick blanket of pure liquid power that crashed the room in a stifling, hot maelstrom as light was snuffed out of the rest of the room save for the lone, single candle at the centre of the chandelier above the table.

Waves and waves of dark, oppressive magic crashed into them like an endless siege of tsunamis though it didn't leave them suffocating, thankfully…

Her eyes never faltered from Eveningshade. "I understand…that you are keen to ensure that the unfortunate incidents with squib descendants is stopped as soon as possible." She began, her even tone that her voice carried was one of boredom, of disinterest though when she continued, it sent a shiver down his spine

"However…never allow it to impede your judgment or risk our cause…is that understood?" she asked, the finality in her warning clear, a warning that was far from just directed to him.

"Y-yes…my Lady. Thank you" Eveningshade said with difficulty.

"Good." She said as her magic receded, the shadows giving way to the light of the dawn whilst the candles re-lit themselves.

She stood up and impassive expression on her face "Achilles may have only been as strong as his heel but he never had magic." She said as she snapped her fingers, and the appearance of a number of floo stations appeared at the nearby wall.

"I have no concern in cutting the heel off and grow it anew." She finished whilst she walked out of the ballroom, leaving them all with a warning ringing in their minds at the cost of failure…and weakness.

-Break-

31st of October 1952 – The Pandrosion Institute, Illos

Louise Ricard POV

Her professor walked in front of the board, the tip of her wand was lit as it was pointed towards the board, chalk beginning to spell out words in Latin and Anglicised Latin.

'Fourth Tier Occlumency: Solid Mind Shields' formed on the blackboard as a Holo image flickered on and it resembled a mind.

"Welcome back class to the Mind Arts. This class will run from October the 31st to the last week of February in which we will cover the remaining course material for the mandatory core Mind Arts subject." Professor Dumbard said in Latin as her teaching aides stood by each side of the board.

Louise glanced around and saw others whispering to each other. Most looked ecstatic, particularly those who hated the class with a passion, typically those who had little patience or talent for what was needed to excel in the Mind Arts.

The ones who'd been raised on Illos from an early age were the ones who were the most relaxed out of the class, most of them having started at the age of six on the first two tiers of Occlumency and beginning the third tier just before the first year of secondary schooling whilst they were also taught the first two tiers of Legillimency.

When they'd moved here from the Swiss Territories – now the Swiss Ministry – she'd been eleven years of age. Most of her childhood had been spent at SIMS where her parents studied after they'd been rescued from that awful prison.

She'd been shocked at how much she had to catch up especially when it came to things like the Mind Arts, Runes and even Wandless Magic. She'd always been a good student, often in the top three or four of the class and it had been amazing – both positively and negatively – to see how outclassed she was at the beginning.

They had been stupefied when they realised that first year students, ten year olds, were able to move things at whim with just gestures, something that had previously been believed only powerful old magicals could do. Yet here even the most averagely powerful kid could do it just as readily, debunking the idea only the most powerful could do it.

Thankfully she'd caught up – and much to her annoyance so did Max – though she wasn't as proficient as some others were in the Mind Arts, particularly with Legillimency where she could only somewhat sense other people's emotions if they dropped their shields.

She was better though in Wandless Magic than most, much to her brother's chagrin who wasn't as capable in the field.

Power was still very important and not to toot her own horn, she was comfortably more powerful than her twin and it showed in her Wandless capabilities. Most could do the basics though intensity and power were still a factor on how much you could actually do which was different for the Mind Arts where there was greater importance on patience and skill than there was on talent.

Her parents had told her only ancient families taught their heirs – or had someone teach their heirs – in the Mind Arts, a restricted barely legal discipline that Ministries around the world were keen on ensuring wasn't taught to the wider public.

Her parents had been concerned about the class however after thoroughly checking the safeguards in place in both Primary and Secondary schooling, they eased up on it.

In Primary schooling, teachers had to take the same oaths as professors at Pandrosion Institute did and had to be qualified to at least Mastery level at their chosen field.

From what she was told by her classmates who'd been gone to Primary schooling, it was a difficult class but one that they admitted it helped a lot now with classwork.

They scored the highest amongst the student body when it came to examination.

For now, anyway!

Still, her mother hadn't been certain if she wanted them to learn the Mind Arts at school and had wanted them to wait until they were a little older but for once, both her and Max united and had pleaded with their mother. There could be exceptions to mandatory classes provided the parents ensured their children were taught in between school semesters.

And she was glad to have won her over when in her first year class in the Mind Arts Professor Dumbard had demonstrated how important protecting your mind was when they were spelled with compulsion charms to do something embarrassing.

Many of her classmates wanted to at least make sure that they could break free from such invasive and violating magic even if they hated the class. How could you not after having been exposed to such magic, magic that was dangerous and threatening to you – and those surrounding you.

As they aged up, the minimum requirements to pass Mind Arts Division C – Division C being the equivalents of OWLS – classes were to break free from Cerebriperium, a controlling spell that was the nearest spell to the Unforgivables though where it differed was that it controlled speech instead of controlling someone's mind.

It forced others to speak in accordance to the castor's will and it was said to be just as hard to break free from as the infamous Imperius curse.

Cerebriperium was a restricted curse and a heavy penalty was assigned to it should you be caught using it and could go even further than a penalty if it caused harm.

Thankfully, it can be overwhelmed though through having a strong will but it was made much easier by having proficiency in the Mind Arts, proficiency that would be tested at the end of the year.

Even if you couldn't after years of training and were…not strongly willed, there were wards all over Illos that detected foul play like that, a wizarding version of Thief's Downfall.

They learnt a little about Thief's Downfall when they learnt about the Goblin race in their Magical Beings class and the similarities between it and the Guardian Array.

She'd asked her parents about who told her that upon becoming citizens, adults are granted a brief overview of what protected Illos and her father told her that if even half of what it can do is true then it's likely greater than what the Goblins had and possibly the safest place in the world.

The Mind Arts was taught a little differently than in most classes given the nature of the subject. It was a three-hour class thrice a week, one of the few classes that occupied a Sunday slot though it was for about half an academic year long class.

There were six teaching aides, by far the largest in any class, who were an active part of the class. They were all Master Legilimens – she even recognised two who she'd seen at SIMS – and were just as oath-bound to cause no harm or to violate privacy without cause as the other professors at the Pandrosion Institute.

"So far, you all should have achieved Practitioner grade in First to Third Tier Occlumency along with First and Second Tier Legillimency." Professor Dumbard said to the class as she waved her wand. The board cleaned up and began writing again.

"If you have not kept up in your studies of the Mind Arts during your Summer breaks, I recommend you rectify that immediately." The professor warned lightly.

After a few seconds the professor nodded to herself and continued her class.

"So far, you should be able to pick on obvious and direct Legillimency mind probes through your intuitive understanding of your own mind and the ability to discern foreign presences that are alien to your mind." the professor said as she wrote on the board.

"The first two tiers of Occlumency are focused towards gaining that intuitive understanding of your mind. Clarity of mind and organisation of the mind have their benefits with being able to retain and recall more information but importantly what it does is familiarise you with your own mind something that is important for later progression in the Mind Arts.

At Practitioner Grade Third Tier Occlumency, you are able to detect intrusions into your mind from directed Legillimency probes in most circumstances though this may not be enough to detect an intrusion from a Master Legilimens." Professor Dumbard paused for a moment as her eyes flittered towards the class, all of whom were paying vivid attention as she continued.

"A talented Legilimens can bypass your detection techniques through careful, passive use of probing." The three dimensional Holo of the mind began to grow in size and zoomed into the centre of the mind.

A library began to form in the middle of the brain as Professor Dumbard continued "Organising your mind simultaneously has a beneficial and negative impact – you now have a structured mind that can easily be navigated, allowing your attacker an easier way to obtain what he seeks." The class murmured uneasily at that.

Professor Dumbard smiled at the class "Which is why we are ensuring you are at least Novice Grade in Fourth Tier Occlumency." Professor Dumbard explained.

She continued "the Fourth Tier of Occlumency is the practice of creating solid mind shields, shields that can block even the most delicate of mind probes"

The Holo changed and showed two non-gendered figures with one of them having visible lines emanating from their head and the other having none.

"Now, who can answer me how mind probes and attacks are initiated?" the professor asked of the class.

Several hands stuck up and the professor chose Jenifer "Ms Hale" she called out.

Jennifer put down her hand and answered "Legillimency attacks are initiated through eye contact. Generally speaking, it is harder to disengage from a Legillimency attack once it has been initiated unless you're able to look away just as you sense it at the edges of your mind."

The Professor smiled "A good answer." She said in a praising tone before she continued "But not the whole answer. Eye sight is necessary for any prolonged Legillimency attack and to breach into memory repositories however it is not the only way someone can pick things up from your mind." she said warningly.

Her eyes widened. She hadn't known that. None of the text books had said so.

"If you're wondering why your text books don't mention such a possibility, it is because it is a topic that is reserved for Division B classes" Professor Dumbard smiled "Outside of the Division B books, there are few books that express this fact as historically no one wished to particularly advertise this skill for obvious reasons."

"Are you capable of it Professor?" one of her classmates asked what most of the class likely had on their minds aloud.

Professor Dumbard nodded carefully "I am capable of it – and to pre-emptively answer your follow up question; no I am not using it now and I rarely use it." Causing the room's noise to pick a little.

"Raise your hand next time." She chided slightly before she continued

"This particular skill is somewhat different from what you have learned so far from frontal Legillimency probes and is most similar to the second tier of Legillimency; the skill of sensing of emotions.

Instead of directing a legilimens probe into another's mind, you instead passively surround yourself with an expanded legilimens field and all those within that field range can now be 'read' so to speak." She said as she glanced around the room before smiling.

Louise narrowed her eyes. She recognised that kind of smile.

"Do not fret, I am sure many of you are quite nervous however be assured that while those rare few who possess this ability may be able to pick things up from your minds – they are only able to pick up thoughts even if they are narrowing down on an individual." She said before she waved her wand and the Holo image changed again, this time resembling a representation of a mind probe emanating from the head of the faceless figure.

Holos like this were used as teaching aids though each professor used them differently. In DADA and Combat Magic, it was used to show footwork of duels and how people worked and fought together in groups whilst in Ancient Magical History and Mythology it was used to show fabricated historical sites based on archaeological evidence, many of which had been found by the famous Sara Clito-Beauclerc.

"You may think of it similar to the illustrations and images of mind probes" she said as she gestured to the Holo. The mind probe, which was like an arrow floating in front of the faceless figure's forehead, began to grew in length and then size and it began to balloon up with the figure at the centre until the radius of the bubble was several metres wide.

"This form of Legillimency is called Legilipathy and it is a form of Wandless Magic that you will cover in your Division B Magical Theory class should you choose take that optional module.

To summarise, it is an intense and weary ability that takes significant amount of skill to narrow down to quiet the 'noise' so speak. Thoughts are not organised and, in the presence of more than a few, can be somewhat debilitating." She said

"And" she began, her gentle smile widening as an encouraging expression came across her face "It is something that can be entirely defended against. How, you may ask? Through learning to construct even just a basic mind shield that will protect your thoughts from being picked up by others, whether that is through Legillimency probes or through Legillimency scans."

Encouraged whispers travelled through the room.

'And just like that, Professor Lombard had hooked even the most reluctant student in at least making sure they make a decent mind shield' she thought to herself.

Several hours later, they left the classroom exhausted and more than a few looked like they could sleep right then and there with the way they looked. Probably would have if it weren't for the fact that it was dinner time.

"I'm glad that it was the last class for the next few days…I don't think I can think any more for the next week" Jennifer said half joking, half serious as they walked to the dining hall.

"My head is pounding" Olga Kapernetsky said miserably.

"We haven't even started testing mind shield yet!" She said with a tired amusement. To be honest, she was surprised she didn't have a headache as well.

The amount of information they had crammed in today had tested even the best amongst them.

It wasn't all that surprising given that Professor Lillibet Dumbard had always been a demanding taskmaster, no matter how gentle she was about it.

Today they had gone through the theory and instruction of creating mind shields, examples on mind shields and what to not to do especially without any professional aid.

She shuddered at the memory of what could happen to you if you messed up.

It was nightmarish…

In any case!

It was a truly packed first class.

She only hoped it would ease up but she didn't have much hope, not after being told that they'll be tested not only on the knowledge they retained but also to see if they managed to succeed in constructing a basic mind shield in their next class which will be

Professor Lillibet Dumbard was a nice person but she was most definitely one of the most demanding professors at the school.

"Ahh, let's forget about the class!" Olga enthused as she looped her arms around both her and Jennifer's arms "There's far more important thing to discuss!" she said excitedly.

"Like what we're wearing for the Samhain Ceremony!" Olga chattered as her eyes sparkled, momentarily lost in her thoughts. Louise had no doubt that were all kinds of dresses flashing in her mind. Olga snapped back to reality, a wide beaming smile adorned on her face

"I'm thinking of wearing the Chattaya dark green dress, you know that strapless dress that almost glimmers like tiny green stars?"

Jennifer laughed "You want to wear that dress to Samhain?" Jennifer questioned a little incredulously. "You know it's not a party, right?" Jennifer said a little concerned.

Olga shrugged as she glanced at both her and Jennifer, her eyes glinting as her expression turned coy.

'Mother Magic…I hate it when she gets that look' Louise thought to herself warily.

"It might not be Beltane" Olga said with a teasing smile before she continued "But it is certainly an occasion to dress up" she said as her eyes glinted "Did you know that Kwame and his friends are having a little get together before the festival begins?" she said in a sing-song voice, pointedly looking at Louise with all too knowing eyes.

Louise felt her neck heat up a little as she looked away from her friend. She had a bit of a crush on Kwame Khoza for the last few years, something Olga knew all too well.

Kwame's bright smile flashed across her mind, his cute laugh, his delicious…

She furiously banished away those thoughts as she attempted to focus on other things as she stared straight ahead as they walked through the beautiful halls of their school.

Large stained windows allowed light to filter through and the stones almost seemed aglow with the way the light the stones.

"I don't think there isn't anyone in our year who doesn't know" Jennifer said with a roll of her eyes as they turned a corner and descended down the spiral stairs that led towards the dining hall.

"Then you'll also be pleased to know that I got us an invitation!" Olga said with a flourish.

Louise snapped her gaze towards her friend, her eyes wide in surprise "Really?!" she exploded, unable to keep the excited surprise out of her voice as she jerked on her friend's arm that was locked with her own.

Olga's laugh was musical as she turned to Louise "Yup!" she said with pop of her mouth in English.

"How did you pull that off?" Jennifer exclaimed.

"By being brilliant" Olga said self-praisingly.

Jennifer snorted before she gave Olga the look.

Olga rolled her eyes "I'm neighbours with Jacob Gaillard." She shrugged "I asked when he was going to the festival and just like that…" she trailed off as she winked at them.

She couldn't help but smile at her friend as she shook her head "So what time shall we get to yours?" Louise asked with an excited smile.

Her parents would be fine with it, she just had to say she was going to meet with them there at the ceremony with her girl friends

They didn't really need to know they'd be going somewhere else for a few hours first…

Olga's eyes sparkled with delight as she tightened her hold on both Louise and Jennifer "Well…"

-Break-

31st of October 1952 – Illos

Perenelle POV

Critters and sounds of birds coursed in the misty, cloudy air like a distant somnolent lullaby, a lullaby that seemed to be in tune with the mist that swept through the branches of trees.

It almost made her forget that this was far from the distant reaches of human civilisation and was entirely mage-made.

"In this part of the habitat dome, the rain forest density has been tailored to be the same as that of the Borneo Rainforest." Henrik Kolffsson said as they traipsed through the dense, humid rain forest.

Light filtered through the dense foliage of the trees almost like sands sifting through a screen. She stepped over a root as she followed her guide deeper into the rain forest.

"Fascinating." She said, genuinely impressed by the habitat. It was one of the newer additions since she'd last been here. She'd asked to be taken in deeper into the rain forest to see one of the more shy animals were more comfortable in the denser part of the rain forest.

There were about twelve of these kilometre habitat domes, each of them expanded twenty-nine times, creating an area of almost nine hundred square kilometres, in other words areas nearly the sizes of Rome that reached a height of several kilometres at its highest point.

Some of the rune-work she'd seen on the surfaces of the beam structures that powered the enchantment were leagues ahead of the kinds of portable habitats that dear old Newton had become famous for carrying.

Expanded space like this habitat dome required acute understanding of topological space and dimensional space and most of the runic arrays delved into defining the space within the object – in the case the habitat dome – and it was a work of art with how efficient space was expanded with minimal draw from ambient magic.

She recognised some of the runic work from some of her graduates, particularly the runic array that uniquely treated curves as objects itself, allowing space to be compounded several times at significantly lower magical cost.

Most of the habitat domes were not completely occupied, only seven were really in full use from what she was told and only one was completely filled out with magical and mundane creatures which was largely temperate forests found the northern hemisphere with half of it reserved for Mediterranean ecosystems.

The habitat dome she was in was reserved for habitats belonging to the Asian and Oceanian parts of the world, areas that were rapidly seeing large scale devastation to ecosystems as they begun to adapt Western models.

Ecosystems that already had lost many of its wondrous animals during the chaotic years of the Statute Implementation.

When she and Nicolas had travelled to China during the Ming Dynasty in the early 1500s, during the age of exploration, she had marvelled at diversity of magical creatures, animals that were as exotic as they were strange.

Unfortunately, at that time they'd already been on the decline, the ancient reverence the Chinese culture – and across the many islands of Asia – had for mysticism and strange animals was dying out and with it came the culling of many of the larger magical creatures, including several species of Dragons with the aid of wizards beholden to the Emperor and it was a process that was only accelerated though this time by the ICW and the CCM, when the Statute was enforced during late 17th century and the early parts of the 18th.

Nowadays, whilst there were reservations of magical creatures in Asia, just as there was in Europe, many were a pale imitation of some of the most majestic beings she'd ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Only the most cunning, most dangerous or the most subtle of magical creatures still existed in the wild, often exhibited one or two of the traits.

It was partly why she was ecstatic to hear the diligent conservation efforts had expanded since she last visited, aiming to provide a safe haven for all magical creatures out in the wild that were not protected by the wider magical community from poachers and muggle encroachment.

Though what surprised, truly, was the complexity of the ecosystem.

"How was the ecosystem done? I can't imagine it could have been easy to replicate such a complex ecosystem. Nicolas and I have visited Uagoudou on a number of times so we've had a chance to see the jungles. This reminds me very much of those jungles" she said.

Henrik swept across the large leaves directly in his path before glancing over his shoulder, a smile on his face.

"Well, not easily, I can tell you that much" he said with a laugh before paying attention to where he was heading though he continued to speak, the faint trickling of water growing ever nearer as they walked.

"I had no real involvement in the charms or rune-work when it comes to building the place but I did work in the Conservation Team." He said as he whipped out his wand as he came to a stop. "What I do know is that it involved several years of observation of how the ecosystem changed throughout the seasons, from the way the air changed, temperature, humidity and so, to the migratory patterns of the animals" he added before he turned to gaze ahead.

The trickles of water became louder and she caught to him and gazed to where he was looking.

They were on a ledge, a ledge that sloped downwards towards a thin river that coursed through the jungle. "Careful, the ledge isn't too stable" Henrik informed her before he waved his wand and some of the branches on the other side were turned into ropes that made their way towards them.

"I hope you don't expect an old lady to swing across like a Hunchbacked Mon-Gibbon." She said in a trailing tone as she raised an arched eyebrow.

The young man laughed, awkwardly as he turned to her "No, Lady Flamel, just simply forming a natural bridge" he said as he turned back twisted the now hundreds of tree branches into something that resembles a bridge as the roots twisted in spirals, into an elaborate weave that provided a solid surface for them to tread upon.

"We generally try to limit as much interference as we can outside of the zones we work from." He told her as the bridge completed and began walking over the bridge.

She eyed the bridge for a moment before sensing it with her magic and after deeming it to be stable, she followed her guide. "I see that it's not meant to be permanent." She commented as she walked over the bridge.

"Figures you would sense that Lady Flamel." Henrik said with a throaty chuckle.

"Call me Perenelle please, I've already given you leave. You're not too old for me to wring your ear, young man." She said amused.

"Perenelle" Henrik conceded with a smile as he waited on the other side of the bridge. "As I said, we want to limit as much human interference in their habitat. One of the things we noticed during our expeditions into the deepest parts of the world's untamed regions is that there is a delicate balance, a balance that is easily upset by us." He said with a frown as he once again directed them towards their goal.

He glanced at her "To further answer your question, it is in this study of the balance that the eggheads got to understand the complexity of the ecosystem and it is one that we're continuously hoping to improve upon to reflect as true as reality as possible." Henrik smiled at her and she reciprocated. "If you wish, I can introduce you to the project lead if you wish?" he offered. "They'll know far more about how it was accomplished."

It was kind but she really wished to, she could speak to Mr Lucien herself. "Thank you for the offer" she said with a kind smile.

"It's quite alright, it is the least I could do. Never been much good at that kind of thing." He said to her as he swept dense plants out of the way and she eyed him curiously.

"Really?" she said questioningly "I'd have thought you'd contributed quite a bit given that you seem to be in tune with nature." She said with a knowing tone.

He turned to her, surprise on his face. "You can sense that?"

She only gave a kind smile and he shook his head, chuckling lowly as he did. "You certainly live up to expectations…Perenelle" he said with a smile in his voice.

"It does help that I somewhat know of your family's talents" she conceded a little and he laughed at that.

"My father would be pleased to hear that even the Flamels know of our family" he said before he turned to her as they continued to trail through the jungle.

"I did help…somewhat." He said carefully "If you know a little about my family then you know that we have been blessed by Mother Magic to be have a deep connection to the Earth…to nature" he said carefully.

She nodded as she stepped over a fallen tree branch. He continued "The talented in my family are able to sense and feel nature all around…from what dwells in it, what grows and how healthy the land is. It is an ability that has helped my ancestors thrive in near inhospitable conditions in the far reaches of Finland." He paused momentarily.

"I was able to help with how the magic felt in the Borneo rain forest. What people don't realise is that the magic that is deeply entwined in nature…in life…sometimes takes a quality of its own…almost gaining a sense of self by the abundance of life and magic that reside in its domain." He said with a thoughtful frown.

"Like Valbonë forest and the Forest of Hogwarts?" she asked curiously. It was unheard of, this notion of 'sense of self'. After all, artefacts and even buildings like Hogwarts had some sort of inklings of a 'self'. Not sentience, not intelligence but something nearing it.

He nodded with a smile "Just like so. Granted the Borneo rain forest is substantially less magical but that is mostly because there are very few leylines strangely enough that run underneath it. I think there are only a few minor leylines but they don't intersect." He explained.

"And what do you feel now?" she asked, her eyes looking around her in this dense, humid jungle. "Does this feel like nature?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He chuckled as he swept aside a dense shrubbery of plants revealing a small inward waterfall that had some of the clearest waters she'd seen. "Yes. It's a bit…different since it's…" he frowned deeply for a moment as he seemed to struggle to find the right words "isolated…yes that's the right word."

"Isolated from the earth?" she guessed and he inclined his head in agreement.

"Just so but it makes up for it by being very, very magical" he said with a laugh as they walked towards the waterfall and Henrik's hand went into his bag, bringing out a container of magical fruits.

"We rescued a few of the horned Marmosets that had been kept as pets by a muggle family, some of whom were a little too domesticated but managed to acclimatise back into the wild here." He informed her as he placed some of the spiced apples on a rock by the softly trickling waterfall.

"When we rescued them, we ended up sharing a bit of our food with them and found that they really loved spiced apples" he said with a laugh before he strode out a little.

Henrik whistled and it echoed slightly. He kept it up for half a minute before he stopped. "This is the Chipped Group, the one group that are least shy around humans" he added for her benefit.

Some of the tree tops began to rustle, in all directions, and she carefully kept herself on guard.

A head peaked out, big bulbous eyes flittered around as the animal bobbed its head before raising its head, sniffing the air. It chittered and other chittering responded.

Henrik whistled again and the chittering increased as one by one they exited the dense trees and swung to the ground, landing on their feet.

Henrik backed away towards her.

She looked at the animals and took in their sight. Their horns were thick and were loopy, resembling ram horns whilst the colours of their fur were a shade of reds, oranges with black or brown highlights. Their faces were bereft of the fear and it was childlike, almost innocent with the way their large eyes fitted in their small faces.

This was the first time she'd seen one of these magical animals before.

They chattered before they sniffed again and she almost laughed with the way one of them widened their eyes as they raced towards the apples and took one. It set off almost an avalanche as they all took off towards the apples.

"Fascinating…they don't take more than one apple." She said curiously.

"They're a very social species. I've observed that they go out of their way to ensure members of their group are healthy even if it means at the cost of the individual itself." Henrik said before he paused for a moment "Which makes sense considering the dangers present in the Borneo rain forests. A lone horned Marmoset is unlikely to survive the magical predators that are present there." He said informingly.

One of the horned Marmosets finished their apple and intently gazed towards them before walking on all four feet towards them.

Henrik crouched down, silently and met the gaze of the animal. The horned marmoset sniffed once more and then rushed towards him and barrelled into him, causing Henrik to laugh as he played with the animal.

"An old friend?" Perenelle said with a smile in her voice.

Henrik laughed "Yes. Me and this little critter bonded when we rescued him. His name is Cookie."

"I bet there is an interesting story behind that name" Perenelle said with a soft laugh.

"Oh definitely. Involves a lot of thievery and mischief" he said with a laugh before righting himself. He petted the animal "How are things, little troublemaker?" Henrik asked the animal who chattered excitably at Henrik.

"Would you like to pet him?" he asked her and she took up the offer.

"His fur is soft." She commented idly as she sunk in her fingers delicately into Cookie's fur.

"Hmm. It's one of their magical abilities. They've got the ability to manipulate their furs to take on different properties. It can be as hard as wood, protecting them from falls…or predators…or it could be as soft and light as finest silk allowing them to shed that extra bit of weight for speed and agility." He explained to her.

It would be another half hour before they decided to head back. During their journey back, she saw a few more magical creatures, including a winged hawk-squirrel and a mossed fox.

During that time, Henrik continued to speak to her about the kinds of creatures that resided in this jungle, from insects to the largest of mammals, magical or otherwise.

There were a small number of predators, such as mundane leopards and bears, though they posed only slight risks to the magical population of the forest.

There were no Helion Leopards at present, magical leopards that had chameleon properties and the few pairs of leopards in Illos were kept at a different facility in stasis, though eventually they'd be introduced as a way to ensure populations were controlled. At present, research was being done on how to achieve that without endangering stable populations once the predators were introduced.

As large as the habitat domes were, they were still substantially smaller than the forests and jungles in the wild so unless they could be expanded, it would be up to them to manage, carefully, the populations of both predatory and non-predatory species.

It was easily noticeable how much Henrik enjoyed his role as a sort of a zoologist conservationist hybrid and she wondered how he got to this in the first place.

At the beginning, most of the population of Illos had been from the British Isles but as time went by, more and more peoples from different magical societies and cultures had come to make the place home and she loved hearing their stories.

It was one of the things she loved about Illos, the melding of ancient cultures that learnt from each other, that taught each other and, as time went by, she could see Atticus' dream of a united culture forming.

Already more people were speaking Anglicised Latin – there were phrases that did not exist in Latin – to each other than not and it was fascinating to see happen.

In a strange way, she felt privileged to see this happen. She'd led a long life yet she felt herself giddy like a school girl at the future that was to come here at Illos.

She'd found herself speaking randomly to people more than a few occasions, listening to their stories and where life had led them. It reminded her of the early centuries when they travelled all over.

Perenelle, despite their growing isolation from most of magical society, had always been a people person.

Not groups, people as a group always disappointed her more often than not, but individually…a peasant or a king, a noble or a merchant, whatever they were, magical or mundane, individuals always had a story of their own…stories that reminded her that despite all their differences, people often wished for the same thing.

Happiness.

"What's your story?" she asked after a moment as they neared back to the main camp that led to the exits that connected the habitat dome to the monitoring station.

"My story?" he asked a little startled as he turned to her completely.

She smiled at him, her kind eyes watching him intently "You're very far from home." She commented gently.

"Ah…" he said a little uneasily, discomfort clear to see on his face.

He remained silent for a moment before he let off a deep sigh.

"Well…" he began a little uncomfortably "I'm not exactly the most…innocent" he said slowly, intently avoiding her gaze and a small moment of silence passed.

"Most rarely are." She said kindly "What does matter that you learnt from it and strive to do better." She said with a small smile "Seems like you're on your way here." She added helpfully.

He visibly relaxed and smiled at her "I think so too." He said in a sigh before he gazed forward. "I was a follower of Grindelwald." He said abruptly.

"For how long?" she asked kindly. It wasn't surprising to hear such a thing. Europe had been engulfed with war and many had been taken up by Grindelwald.

Many had espoused regret after Grindelwald's crimes and plans had come to be known as public knowledge though how many genuinely meant it, was hard to say.

Grindelwald, until his descent into the truly terrible of magicks did have valid points that many would have seen as a righteous cause just as many others would have seen it as a way to advance themselves and their family at the cost of many, many others.

From what she could tell, with how caring he could be along with how he was of the age that would have marked him as impressionable, it wasn't hard to see him easily falling under the sway of a devastatingly charming man.

"Six years." He confessed. "I hated muggles more than anything…I still do, somewhat. My grandmother used to tell me of the warm lands that sung and were healthy, far from the poisoning that now seeps ever deeper in Her." He said bitterly before he sighed deeply.

She watched him with a contemplative look. It was not out of the realms to believe he could sense the consequences of industrialisation, not if he could feel nature to the extent he could.

"I wanted it to stop, fearing the same poisoning happening to the lands my family had called home for centuries after feeling what it would do to the lands when I visited Germania." He said with a bitter smile.

"I was misguided and it took Grindelwald's confession for me to admit it to myself. I had not realised how much I had changed, how much I allowed to be taken from me." He said with a note of heaviness in his voice, guilt stretched across his face.

"Grindelwald was a charmer." She finally said after a moment. "He preyed on people's weaknesses and twisted what would have been good concerns and intentions into evil." She smiled at him kindly "You're not the first to fall for such manipulations"

'Nor would he be the last' she thought grimly if what Nicky told her about Atticus' words about the growing threat of another Dark Lord in Europe was true.

The seduction of power was real, especially for their kind where the most powerful are often natural leaders.

People were drawn to the most powerful, those whose magical prowess, whether it was subconscious or not, granted them a strange sense of authority over others, something that repeated itself over and over again.

"Thanks." He said with a faltering laugh as he shook his head, falling into a thoughtful silence.

"I was there, you know." He said abruptly.

She looked at him with a curious expression and he expanded.

"The day Lord Sayre defeated Grindelwald." He said as he looked up at the domed sky. "I was captured but I got to see something that forever is enshrined into my mind. Many comment on the feats of magic that stretched belief to its maximum but most did not feel what I felt that day…what I felt emanating from Grindelwald" he said with a complicated expression.

She remained silent, letting him gather his thoughts and he continued.

"It was an abomination of magic and I felt the death of nature with each of his horrifying attacks." He said almost in a haunted voice.

He shook his head clear, seemingly wishing to banish away those harrowing memories away.

She let him do so.

"After that, I complied with the ICW as best I could and after a reduced sentence" he then chuckled softly "Thanks to Jacoby Dachemov – a man who tried to kill me a few times in the war – I did some soul searching."

She inspected his face as silence reigned for several moments "Is that how you came to be here?" she asked.

He shook his head "No actually, this was just a happy accident. I ended up in Uagambe, the magical enclave nearby Uagoudou."

"Ah" she said understandingly. The enclave was famed for its mystics and shamans, mages that used magic in a far more abstract way than the Western or Eastern schools of magic.

He smiled at her as he nodded "Yes. There I learnt to hone my inherited abilities more and not only that, they…helped…me with dealing with the things I've done." He said with a far away expression as they walked.

They finally arrived at the exits that led to the monitoring station.

She was glad for it, she felt herself tiring quite a bit.

For the past few centuries, their energy levels had substantially waned and was far from what it had been in their peak.

The Stone could not replace their waning life force, only replenish it, and as such they were often much older in body even if they looked younger.

Their magic had grown stronger, much stronger than when they had been in their prime however the only reason they were as able as they were was because their magic supplemented their body.

All of that resulted in their lower energy levels.

After unlocking the doors by the enchantments recognising their magical signatures, they arrived at the large spacious area that had a few people working and at one of the Holo consoles, used to watch recordings and live 'Vids' of the animals and plant life, was her husband and Atticus.

"And it was there where I met Lord and Lady Sayre in late 1945 – the former properly this time." Henrik said, bringing her out of her thoughts, turning to him.

He met her gaze and smiled before disbelievingly shaking his head. "A few years after that, I found myself here." He finished though it was clear there was more to it with the way he looked at Atticus with a look of deep respect.

There were many stories like that, the people she'd spoken to always had something that had Atticus at the centre of their changed fortunes.

Atticus had the uncanny ability to gain loyalty even from former enemies and it often came from understanding and more importantly from a sense that he cared.

"Ah, wife!" Nicolas said exuberantly as he spotted her.

"Nicky, had fun playing peeping Tom?" she teased. Before she elected to go into the rain forest, Nicky had the morbid fascination with one of the gibbons that was using…a stick to scratch a certain itchy spot.

Nicolas looked a little abashed but it was put on "Ah, well" he tried as he spied a look at an unimpressed Atticus who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Not long after you left, Atticus got control over the 'drones' and changed what we were watching." He admitted. "Not quite as entertaining…" he trailed off with a shrug.

"Such a child" she said with an amused look on her face.

"Ah, wife, it is my youthful exuberantly disposition that swoons you on a daily basis" Nicolas said with wriggling eyebrows.

Henrik laughed aloud at Nicolas' antics as she closed the gap to her husband.

"I think you mistake tolerance and exhausted acceptance for swooning, dear husband" she said in a flat tone as she tapped his cheek lightly.

Nicolas recoiled, eyes wide as he took on an expression of offense "Oh, see how my own wife wounds me!" he said dramatically, causing more than a few eavesdropping workers to giggle or laugh in amusement.

"You love it really, Nick." Atticus interjected mirthfully.

Nicolas stopped in his dramatics and chuckled "That is true. Sometimes even when she does it physically" he said with a wink. "There was this one ti-"

"OK!" Atticus said quickly "As much as I love your stories and anecdotes, I think that kind of story is probably not something any of us would like to hear, at least not sober."

Perenelle giggled "Ah Atticus, always such a prude." she said teasingly.

"And proud of it, Perry" Atticus said with a laugh in his voice "If we're done here, shall we head off?" he asked and soon enough, they left.

It was hours later, after eating lunch that she was left with Atticus, Nicolas electing to speak with William Bell, a former graduate of SIMS and one of the foremost experts in magical creatures, flesh crafting and biology.

As they sat on a bench in one of the parks in the city, she couldn't help but say "You've built something wonderful here." She said as she turned to him.

He chuckled softly as he smiled warmly at her "You say that each time you visit."

"and each time I visit, I find out something new" she responded easily enough. She turned towards the pond where a few ducks were paddling in.

"Henrik left a good impression then." He mused aloud.

"He did." She confirmed "Full of guilt of course but he is healing." She added after a moment.

Atticus hummed "I sense that too." He agreed.

"It might not last, you know." She said after several minutes of silence.

"Why do you said that?" he asked calmly.

"Because at the moment, it's almost like the honeymoon period…people are in love with Illos, people feel a sense of togetherness, something that accompanies the feeling of newness, of wonder…" she trailed off.

"And you think that sheen will lose its shine?" he continued for her and she hummed in agreement.

He remained silent for a moment. "Perhaps." He finally said after a while.

"Or perhaps it will just build on it." he said as he met her gaze.

She smiled at him "Is that why you intend with the elections?"

"To give the people a stake in their future is important…gives a sense of responsibility for the greater whole…yes." He told her.

"They might change things in ways you may not like" she said curiously, watching his reactions carefully.

He softly chuckled "I expect it." His vibrant purple green eyes shone with knowledge. "I'll be asked to sell land to my citizens not long after the Chief Representative is chosen."

"Ah. In hindsight, that makes sense." She said in a humming tone. She was used to statements like this.

"Quite." He nodded before he stared at the pond "And they'll get their wish. Of course with caveats attached."

"Caveats aimed to further build on this togetherness?" she asked knowingly.

He smiled though he didn't look at her and chose not to answer her question, at least not directly.

"There'll be teething problems but any society has them and as I said, I expect it. It won't be easy to meld ancient cultures together, differing wizarding customs and values, practices and beliefs…" he trailed off before he gazed away from her.

"It is why we're doing it so slowly…give all these people the time they need to live together, get to know each other and in time…" he petered out.

"Like this slightly different Samhain ceremony? Fusing different elements to make something unique to Illos?" she questioned.

He turned to her with a smile "Just so." He laughed "It does make it easy that it is nearly universal that wizarding cultures worship and celebrate ancestors along with having a healthy respect to nature and the cycles it goes through, one that mirrors life and death."

She returned his smile. That was true. She found that to be one of the most consistent points in any wizarding society. It made sense after all…especially ancestor worship.

How could it not exist when family magic was as potent as it was? When family and blood was so entwined with magic?

As she mused on it, silence filled the air for a little while until a curious thought struck her "I'm curious to see the dynamics between yourself and the Chief Representative."

"Oh?" he asked curiously as he turned to her.

She hummed as she leaned back against the bench, crossing her legs in the process.

"Yes. After all, it will be the first time since you'll have someone who can challenge you, politically speaking at least." She said with inspecting eyes.

"In what capacity? The Chief Representative is the Head of the Representative Council which only acts as the legislative branch whose primarily function is making laws within the confines of the Constitution. He serves by mine and Emily's permission. He is not a Head of State or a Commander of the Illosian Guards" he said curiously.

"True." She acceded "But that doesn't mean that he – thank you for confirming it'll be a man" she said cheekily which he only smiled at before she continued in a serious note "won't challenge on a number of topics and issues."

Atticus hummed for a moment, seemingly thinking it over "Maybe." He conceded. "But as long as it is for the benefit for Illos, I'm more than willing to listen." He looked at her with a mirthful glint in his eyes "After all, I do listen to your loopy husband more than I should"

She raised an eyebrow "Really? My husband is loopy?" she said in a huff. "I think I win when it comes to whose spouse is less absurd, my boy." She said in a flat tone as they stared at each other.

After a few moments, they broke into chuckles.

"Speaking of spouses, will Emily come to the ceremony?" she asked curiously as she calmed down.

He shook his head "Not this year." He paused for a second "She's…occupied."

Perenelle sighed but she let it go.

They spent the next hour or so just talking, enjoying each other's company as they delved in all kinds of matters, including her descendants who were thriving in Illos and soon enough it was time to go to the Samhain ceremony.

-Break-

31st of October 1952 - Illos

Fortie POV

"Ooh, Fortie, Fortie, watch out!" Emilia, one of his sisters cried out, barely able to sit still on the edge of the sofa as she watched him with desperate eyes.

She wasn't the only one…Gaius, Livia and Magnus were in the room with them as well as they watched him with bated breath, all rooting for him to succeed where everyone else had failed.

'I'm so close!' he thought anxiously to himself.

"Jump! Jump on the shoulder and hide behind head of the statue, he can't climb!" Magnus shouted as he got to his feet, waving towards where he should go.

"I know!" he growled out as he bit on the bottom of his lip as he jerked his hands frantically as he tried to evade the fire-balls from the fire-breathing monster Aillen.

He moved the hero, Nera, towards the statue and just about evaded one of the fire balls as he hid behind the head of the statue and he allowed himself to sigh deeply.

"Woosh" he exclaimed loudly as he paused the game and brought down his arms, letting them relax a little before he removed the S-Prints from his top parts of his fingers.

'wow my thumbs are a bit sore!' he thought to himself as twiddled his thumbs trying to stretch them out.

He had been tapping his thumbs against his index fingers so fast and so hard trying to escape the monster for so long!

Gaius huddled over to him, as did the others though he was scribbling in his notepad, a deep frown on his face as he stuck out his tongue from the corner of his lips.

"This is the furthest we've gotten so far!" Livia said in wonder before she scrunched her nose before she glanced at the Holo "But Nera's health is too low and we don't have any Healing Draughts or Phoenix Tears left" she said disappointed with a slump of the shoulders.

"And we don't have any Pepper-Up left." Magnus commented just as disappointed "We used the last potion to get Ferdiad passed the creepy rider."

Yes, they were in a bad spot! Really bad spot!

But…

They got this far, the last boss!

They couldn't quit now!

He turned to them and his right hand fell on top of Livia's shoulder, left hand on Magnus' and they looked at him, warily curious but downtrodden.

Fortie wore a serious expression on his face "Team, we're in a not so nice spot right now but we can do this!" he exclaimed heatedly as he turned to Magnus.

"Your hero Bélchú took the great serpent monster Oilliphéist into the ocean before stabbing it from the inside!" he said proudly as he beamed at his brother "You saved the rest of the team from its terrible poison mouth!" he finished with a sharp nod before he turned to Livia and Emilia.

"Your Fianna warrior priestesses defeated the great scourge Balor when you took the monster down into the depths of the lava pits!" Fortie said loudly as he raised his arms excitably, lifting the spirits of his brothers and sisters in the same process.

"Gaius' Ferdiad led the Dullahan into a trap before killing it even as it struck him down with its monster hammer!" Fortie said with a serious look as Gaius looked up with a firm look on his face, nodding for a second before scribbling down on his notepad again.

"We're now at the end, the end of the story and we must make sure Nera finishes the mission for everyone and the king!" Fortie said with a determined look and his siblings all got the same look as they nodded to him with all the seriousness the situation warranted

"So, what do we do team?" he asked seriously and all of his siblings except Gaius offered a plan of attack.

"Gaius?" Fortie asked after a while and Gaius took a moment before he looked up and saw everyone's expectant faces.

"You remember that broken stairs at the other side of the hall?" Gaius asked, his eyes shining with barely contained excitement.

Fortie's eyes widened and nodded rapidly "Yes!"

"Nera can get there through this way" Gaius said as he turned around his notepad and they all crowded around the notepad.

They saw that Gaius drew the Hall of Tara, the arena where his character Nera was battling the monster Aillen, protecting it from burning down like the monster always tried on Samhain!

They were all heroes working for the King of Tara who gave them the mission to defeat the monsters!

"Oooooooooooh" Livia exclaimed bright eyed "I see now!" she said with a giggle.

"Fortie you have to do it, it will be so gooooooood!" Magnus chattered excitedly as he bounced on his knees.

Fortie looked at the drawing before he looked up at Gaius. "Gaius…" he began, trying to speak like mama did when she was so mad she was very quiet.

Gaius looked at him a little confused "Yes? Do you not like the plan?"

"I don't like the plan" Fortie said as he crossed his arms.

"Whaaaaaaaaaat?!" Emilia and Magnus cried out in unison.

Fortie raised his hand towards them as he gave them mama's look and they quieted down even if they looked really confused.

He wanted to laugh but he managed to keep it together, just!

Fortie turned to Gaius who looked a little upset.

"I don't like it because…I LOVE IT! HAHA!" he whooped as he tackled Gaius "It's soooo good!"

"Not funny!" Livia cried out as she pushed Fortie in the shoulder but he laughed it off even as the others join in teasing him.

After they calmed down, Fortie put the S-Prints, the bits that moved the characters, back on his fingertips and followed the plan.

He snuck down from behind the head of the statue and hid behind one of the big feet before he took a deep breath and ran, his eyes focused on escaping fire ball after fire ball, weaving and jumping, his siblings' agitated whispers egging him on, until…

Finally…

Finally managed to climb onto the broken stairs, somehow not being hit once by the fire balls, the broken stairs that led to the ledge that was even higher than the statue and took him at the very edge of the game map and he took a deeeeeep breath before he jumped.

"Aaaaarrrgghhhhhhh" he cried out as he perfectly jumped directly above the fire-breathing monster that had chased and chased after him, hungering to burn him to a crisp and eat his Nera, and brought out his heroic sword Caladbolg, and with a crackle of lightning, it began to glow blue white and Fortie swung both of his arms behind his head.

"Beast! I call you abomination! Prepare to dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" he hollered as the sword began to be engulfed with a turbulent storm of lightning and he let it rip! As he opened up his hands and a huge beam of lightning ripped out and hit the fire beast and the beast roared in pain but Fortie was not done, Nera was not done.

Fortie brought his hands together and Nera had the sword tip facing downward and it plunged into the back of the monster and the monster fell with Nera standing on top of the monster's back!

"Victory! Final Boss defeated! Well done, my heroes!" The King of Tara boomed triumphantly in the holo.

"WOOOOOOOOOP!" "We did it! We did it!" "AMAZING, THAT WAS SOOO AMAZING!"

He and siblings jumped and hugged each other as they won! They did it! They beat the game!

It had taken ages but they did it!

"What is that noise?!" their mother shouted from downstairs, stopping their jubilant celebrations.

"We have to tell the others, they'll be so jealous!" Gaius said with the rub of the hands, a gleeful evil look on his face!

Fortie laughed and wore a Cheshire grin before nodding.

They had a competition which team could do it first and they won!

"Yes, let's go! The last one downstairs is a sucker!" Magnus shouted even as he was halfway out of the door.

The rest of them looked at each other before they all ran out, laughing as they did.

It was hours later when it was time to go to the ceremony.

"Children, gather around, the portkey will be active shortly!" his mama yelled out in the backyard.

"Finally!" he exclaimed as he jerked up to his feet and walked to the backyard. He jumped down the final step and went to his mama.

She was standing by a round flat metal disc, their portkey for the day.

He wasn't a fan of portkey, he much preferred skymobiles!

…But mama said no and said this way would be quicker.

Ugh! He couldn't wait until foo – or whatever that green fire was, his mama always said she missed it – was ready to be used. That had to be better than being squeezed like a lemon in one of mama's kitchen thingies.

When they were all there, they stepped onto the large disc and after mama activated it, they were squeezed and popped out at the other end where there were hundreds of the same discs on the short grass plain.

They oohed and they aah'd as people were doing all kinds of magic and Fortie marvelled when he saw someone make spiralling leaves that circled above them, forming into all kinds of beasts, like hippogriffs, nemean lions, all sorts and all kinds of colours, from bright green to a shallow brown that looked a lot like what was left in the toilet when Magnus had a bad reaction to vanilla ice cream!

Fortie couldn't help but be so excited, it was the first time they were here! Mama had said they were too young last time but this year they were going to all the public festivals and ceremonies!

They'd already gone to the Maple Sugar Moon celebrations in March, the celebrations that celebrated the arrival of Spring and they've been to Beltane, by far the best thing that he'd ever gone to!

He still remembered the amazing way magic had felt that day! It was like he was floating on toffee clouds that day!

It was not long after they arrived that the random activities stopped and people gathered.

Fortie's head whizzed from side to side, his eyes bulging at what he was seeing!

In the dim light of the three orbs, he could vaguely see people all surrounding the…whats that word – pyre! – that's it! Or was that it, he wasn't sure, it was still a big pile of wood! – in a very big circle!

'So many people!' he thought amazed. Everyone must be here!

"Mama, is everyone here?" he asked in wonder.

His mother looked down, a warm smile on her face. "Not everyone, little babies and their parents might not be here but otherwise, I think so dear. Samhain is a very important ceremony, Julius." He scrunched his nose at his name but he was fine with it as his mother rustled his hair.

He purposefully ignored what she said about little babies and that it meant she thought them to be little babies last year also.

"It important to celebrate the cycle of life and death and to honour the ancestors." She told him.

Marisa, his oldest sister asked "Do you honour gran and grandpops?" she asked of their mama in a curious tone.

Eusebius, Livia and Magnus were nearby and waited for their mama's answer whilst the others were a little ahead talking with their classmates who were by their mama Ms Sneijder.

"I do" their mama said with a fond smile "I honour your grandmamma and grandfather every Samhain and I ask them to guard over you little rascals"

"Hey!" "We're not rascals!"

They said indignantly and their mama laughed heartily.

"I know you're all my little sweethearts" she said as she swept them all in her bear hug, squashing them together!

"MAMA!" "Ugh, I can't breathe!" they cried out much to their mama's amusement.

Eventually they were able to escape.

"Do you think grandmamma and grandpapa would like us, mama?" Livia asked with wide eyes.

Their mama didn't speak about her mama and papa too much.

'Or maybe it's because we don't ask' Fortie considered to himself

He vowed to ask about mama's parents more often!

"They would have loved you" their mama said sincerely, a large smile on her face "My father would have spoiled you all so very much I'd have to fight him to make sure you didn't grow up into little rollie pollie piglets" their mama said teasingly as she wriggled her fingers at them.

"And while I'd be stopping your grandfather, your grandmother would sneak around and help him spoil you!" their mother said before she tutted, even if she wore a smile.

They giggled, even Fortie at the thought of being little piglets!

They'd have so much fun rolling down the hills by their homes!

Fortie's eyes lit up. He'd have to speak to Gaius about a new game he thought of!

They were interrupted when the noise of the large crowd rose a little and Fortie swivelled his head towards where the sound was coming from.

"Magnus, go and get your siblings, the ceremony is about to start" their mama said and Magnus ran off to their siblings.

Fortie's eyes widened when he saw an old man with a big walking stick – no was it staff! – walking slowly to the pile of woods at the centre.

The crowd was much quieter but he could still hear them talking!

When they all returned, they surrounded mama as she spoke though very quietly "Now, this is your first time here so you might marvel at what you'll see but I expect you to be on your best behaviour, is that understood?" she asked sternly and everyone nodded rapidly sensing that mama was being very serious.

"Good" she declared before she smiled "Now, turn around and make sure you don't miss anything. The first time is always the most special" she said with a hint of excitement.

Even their mama was excited!

He swivelled back towards the centre where the old man was. He twisted his nose as he tried to remember if the old man was a shaman or a druid.

In class, they learnt that a shaman was someone who could work with the spirits! They could sense and chat with spirits of nature, spirits of animals and even people!

Teacher said though it was more like very very quiet whispers or a nudge than actually speaking to people though!

Still! Maybe he could work with one and help mama speak with her mama – and papa! – she would like that for sure!

Anyway, shamans did all the spirit-ua-lity stuff and elements like water and fire and air and the earth! While the Druids worked more with nature and life and rituals!

He narrowed his eyes, the orbs were becoming a little darker now, as he took in the figure of the old man. He wore like a braid around his forehead, very different than the kind of braids he'd seen girls wear – maybe that was what old men wore? – and had long white hair and beard, dressed in red robes.

He didn't have any of the fancy head stuff that shamans were supposed to wear so he probably was a druid!

He glanced over to Gaius who stood beside him and mouth 'Druid?' to him and Gaius nodded 'Celtic' he mouthed back silently to him and Fortie nodded before he returned his attentions to the old Druid.

He remembered there were all kinds of druids and shamans and that there were like many in their home!

Teacher had said that the Autumn celebrations and ceremonies were something that many, many peoples did all around the world! That even if you lived in somewhere cold like a place like Canada or Scotland, or somewhere warm like Uganda or Malay, there would be people who all celebrated the natural cycle and the ancestors!

He saw where those places were on the Holo Globe and they were so far away from each other!

Teacher had said that magic made them all very close to the world and that it made sense that even people so far away from each other did the same things!

"Welcome" a voice boomed and Fortie was almost startled like as his siblings were.

The old druid continued "To this hallowed day, Samhain, the time of year where the night grows darker and where the veil between this realm and the realm of the spirits is at its thinnest."

The Orbs above went out, the crowd gasped as they were descended into darkness. He was a little panicked but the soft humming their mama did, the soft humming was almost like a wordless song, calmed him greatly.

His eyes widened as he looked up and began to see so many stars!

The Sun Orbs were never completely off even at night when they were like little moons next to their big brother when the Moon was out so they didn't really see any stars then.

But now…

Woooooow! He marvelled.

And before he knew it, there was a huuuge fire at the centre near where he stood, one that seemed to want to lick at the very sky with how large it was!

The old druid stood by it like it was nothing, though he had his staff held by both his hands.

"In history, this day was one of solemn remembrance and of respectful preparation as the cold chill of winter bit at the ankles, clenched at the heart and gripped at the soul as families, clans and tribes prepared for the winter days and months to come. It marked the end of Summer, the end of the Harvest season and it marked when hardship was set to begin.

Ancestors were honoured and beseeched to protect their descendants against the embrace of Death, against the biting jaw of Hunger and against the scorching hands of Conflict." The old druid said, his voice carrying through the air almost like how a ball of cotton wool could sail through the air when it was caught on the air currents that made the wind blow in Illos.

"We are blessed to be saved from such hardships here in Illos, hardships our ancestors have gone through, hardships our ancestors have survived and overcome yet this absence of struggle only gives this ceremony a deeper meaning, one that urges us to remember" The old druid said gravely, his baritone voice reached every ear no matter how far away.

The old druid raised his staff slowly, until it was high above his head and then he slammed his staff against the earth and for a moment, nothing happened until…

The flame rustled and swayed in the air like a shaking bush before it began to grow and grow, reaching even higher in the sky before the tips of the red orange flames began to twist, and then spiral even higher, slowly though surely turning into a huge wheel, a wheel that turned and turned that lit up the entire place!

It was amazing!

"To remember that even in these blessed days the endless cycle of life and death and rebirth never ceases, no matter how fertile the soil and fruitful the lands or how temperate and safe the lands.

Petals and leaves once fallen, are fallen forever just as withered flowers from ancient vine do not return once they drop to the earth, earth from whence these petals and leaves and flowers came and hence used to transform and to nurture the next flower in an endless cycle of life…death…rebirth." The old druid said, his voice now sounding like it came from everywhere and a loud crackle sounded high above, one that caused a lot of people to gasp loudly!

He looked up but had to look away as the light that came was nearly blinding!

He blinked rapidly and then squinted upwards and his mouth dropped.

'Wooooaaaah' he wondered, his eyes alight with awe.

The sky had come alive, a golden bird that was at the centre of hundreds, thousands of glowing shapes, five pointed stars, crescent moons, swirls, snowflakes and many many more shapes, of all kinds of colours that seemed to drift away with each flap of the bird's wings and flick of its long tail.

"Amazing…." Livia whispered and he turned to her.

Her eyes were wide and her face full of awe, of wonder and his eyes drifted to his other siblings and saw they were the same.

He turned to his mama and saw her look at him with an indulgent but gentle smile before she jerked her head slightly forward, signalling for him to look forward and he did so and his eyes widened as his mouth formed an o.

The shapes were descending down and down, like shards from shattered rainbows, towards them all until they were within touching distance.

He reached it, as did the thousands of others, and he gasped when he touched it.

He could feel it!

Woooow he wondered, his eyes filled with sparks of wonder as he carefully plucked it from the air and he gasped as he felt the magic of the little, glowing amber spiral shape!

He could feel magic on his skin! It was tingling, no it felt like it was gliding over his skin, like a soft blanket brushing against his legs but it was all over his body, gliding again and again like how water rippled!

Not only that, the magic felt…more…it felt…warm, soothing but it also felt…sad and hopeful?

He'd never felt anything like this, not ever!

It was too different from Beltane!

His eyes flickered at the old druid and his eyes widened.

His hero was there!

Standing next to the old druid with his left hand up in the sky and a star in his left hand!

He must be doing this amazing magic!

"In your hands" his hero began, his voice made the bones in Fortie's body shiver despite the soft tone.

His eyes glowed like the brightest stars in the night sky as he brought down his left hand and held the star, the star that glowed so very white, in palms of his hands.

"Is a piece of magic that comes from Illos, that comes from what we have built here and in that piece of magic you may whisper and you may feel, all that you wish to send to your ancestors before it is passed across past the veil" Lord Sayre said, almost seeming to speaking directly into their minds as an understanding settled and clarity came.

Fortie looked down at his bright coloured amber spiral shape

"Think of your ancestors and of your lost ones." He heard whispered softly into the air, wracked with solemnity and numb reverence.

Fortie thought of mama's parents, Julie and Alfred.

"Pray for their eternal rest and pray that they will look out for you across the border that separates their domain from ours."

Fortie prayed for grandmamma Julie and grandpops Alfred and asked them to look after mama, after his siblings and after him.

"Think of how you will honour them not just on this hallowed day but in life until we re-join them in death." His hero said, his words sprouting like bright green trees through the hazy mud of his mind and Fortie closed his eyes, thinking, promising, to protect his family as he believed that was the bestest way to make gran and grandpops proud!

He reopened his eyes and saw the amber spiral shape begin to rise in the air, fleetingly, gingerly before it shot up quickly in the sky, like all the others.

All the shapes in the world, all of these brightly, infinite variants of colours began to circle each other, then spiral around each other, until it became impossible to tell where one began and another ended.

Until…

Until the great golden bird cawed a beautiful melody and flapped its great wings one more time, and the sky shone with gold from as far as he could see, brightening the world with a light that made it seem like it was day instead of the night that it was.

The golden bird disappeared, almost like it evaporated in a mist but the spiral of colours remained but only a moment before they dove and dove towards the great tower of flames and, after once more nearly blinding them, the sky was once more back to night but where the flame was, was instead a multi coloured flame that stretched high and far into the sky, like a beam that reached past the moon…

He imagined it going past Saturn…

Past the other planets…

Until…

Until, Fortie thought, until they reached at the other side of the veil like how his hero said.

Everyone was quiet, so quiet that you could even hear the rustling of clothes and Fortie wasn't surprised.

After all…

The messages were still travelling so far away, in the beam, in the magic and no one…no one would want that to end, not until people like gran and grandpops heard their messages…

…their prayers…

…and their promises

-Break-

1st of November 1952 – Norway – House Ulthöst Annual Autumn Event

Otto ÆlvissonPOV

He looked at the lavish food that nearly overflowed on the table before reaching out into his pocket and took out his own contribution of the night.

He placed the golden apple in his hand on the Offering table and remained for a few seconds.

Vetrnætr… (Winter Nights…)

He turned around, glass of champagne in his hand, and surveyed all those present at the Gala.

Guests, hundreds of them, all nobles, chattered as they exchanged rumours and false pleasantries as they basked in the unbelievably luxurious spectacle that was thrown for them.

Briefly, as he stared at the gathering, where opulence and muted revelry drowned the night away, he wondered if their ancestors would be pleased or disgusted at the twisting of this ancient ceremony.

Once, perhaps in his grandfather's time, Vetrnætr had been a revered ceremony to observe the changing of the summer's end into the cold grip of winter.

Food and sacrifice were offered to ancestors to honour them and to plea with them to watch over their descendants as guardian spirits against the cold embrace of death.

On this night, where the barriers between the dead and the living was at its weakest, it was said the ancestors were listening to their pleas and would watch over them if they deemed the sacrifice to be honouring enough.

He glanced at the table, overflowing with food, none that had come from the labours of those present, before turning away, his gaze returning at the gathering until his eyes flickered upwards having been distracted by the glare of the glimmering lights.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the distant ceiling, chandeliers that frayed light from its seams, and the spectral array of colours descended down upon them from a great height, almost making it seem as if Bifröst was reaching down to them to bring them up to the realm of the gods.

He brought the glass of champagne to his lips, a small humorously cold smirk grew from the edges of his lips whilst they parted as he drank the flavourful liquid.

They would have hated everything about this and he could not bring himself to care one whit.

They'd grown above such primitive practices and it was all for the better that it could be turned into something useful.

Each year, nobles from all around came to the Ulthöst event to partake in the overflowing feast and drunken revelry that was barely contained under a veneer of nobility and formality. Though what truly made it worth coming, beyond the upkeep of appearances, was what laid hidden in the crevices of this festivity.

Years had passed since Grindelwald had defeated by the now former Lord Sayre and it had not been kind to many of the nobility.

Decimation of entire bloodlines was a story that was as common as a knut, large families that had once had branches of branches had been whittled down, if they were lucky, to an heir and a spare.

Most were not that lucky.

Grindelwald's madness had come at a price that left both sides bitter, one that stripped both sides of their hereditary rights in many parts of Europe as the ICW took advantage of the turmoil and instituted little more than puppet states during their occupation that wrested control from the hands of the nobility.

Denmark, his country, had not been lucky to escape that fate. Other than Austria and perhaps Germany, Denmark had been the country that had punished the most and it had been an uncomfortable decade for the Dark families as blood traitors and the self-righteous Light families lorded over them.

He rued the day they supported that madman. Grindelwald had promised much to them, a future where those who followed him sat at the top of the pyramid with muggles reduced to cattle only fit for tending the fields.

None of them had any idea what his final plans had been…nor the lengths he was willing to go to see come to fruition. Grindelwald had been mad, at the end, and however much he disdained Sayre for his abandonment of his Olde heritage, he at last could acknowledge the one good deed that the man committed for them all.

Even if it cost his and his allies nearly all of their political influence at the time and their loss of their hereditary rights.

After all…

Influence could be regained if you were still alive.

He glanced around, his eyes sweeping around.

Norway had been fortunate to escape the fate of his homeland.

Just as Sweden, Greece, Italy and Portugal had been though unlike them, save for Sweden, Norway's strength was far from what it had once been.

Grindelwald's madness had ensured that as he decimated through their forces like a hot knife through butter and destroyed much of the infrastructure within the Norwegian Ministry.

Only fifteen years ago, they proudly had themselves listed amongst the most powerful.

Now…

They trailed behind the French who had suffered more than Norway did yet they had rebuilt faster than anyone else on the continent as their economy was largely left unscathed by the spiteful economic attack by the Sayres.

It had embittered many in Norway that the French had grown leaps and bounds, even exceeding the wealth they had before the war, whilst their wealth had dwindled to a fraction of what it was, Grindelwald's occupation having been long enough that he had confiscated many families' wealth.

In an ironic way Sayre had done much to paper over the divisions in Norway when he had crashed the European economy that had only just about started to recover.

Sayre had bloodied many where it had hurt the most, even those who had remained out of the attacks against him and his family in this singular act.

It had been bad enough he and that wife of his published that damnable book that only further emboldened support for the ICW governmental template as blood traitors pushed for a 'fairer' Denmark just as others who did the same in Europe.

His eyes flashed for a moment as an amusing thought passed through his mind. That book had revitalised many noble families and many had put aside their differences and rallied so that none could take advantage of their weakened states.

It was an open secret that families across Europe had traced down the lines of cast out squib lines and had…quietly removed any potential claimants that could be used against the family.

The Light families, always so self-righteous, had involved themselves just as much as the Darker families.

After all…

Wealth was power just as much magic was.

It had been through the recognised threat that the Sayres represented that much of the friction and unrest that sprang from the consequences of the war had been muted in the early years amongst the nobility in Denmark and in other occupied countries.

The war had been devastating not only to bloodlines but also to the coffers and businesses of many families. Widespread looting and destruction, even in the immediate months after Grindelwald's death, had shattered much of the economy of mainland Europe and Sayre's companies had filled that chasm that had formed, dominating entire industries with his goods and products.

Families that once had significant market share over certain industries, may it be potions, cosmetics, stationaries or even entertainment, fell to his encroachment and when the ICW had offered to intervene in return for accepting their demands and political system, many, across the political spectrum, had accepted it with the additional caveat agreed about reduced fines and release of relatives who'd been Grindelwald followers.

Had the ICW not intervened, he doubted any overt action would have been made, not after most relevant Lords had seen his…capabilities against Grindelwald in pensieves.

Who could have stood against power like that?

None but a collective effort of an unholy alliance that saw him as a greater threat, that was what it had taken in the end.

The boy had been a fool…

That Power in his hands…

In his Blood...

And he squandered it away fighting for people who didn't matter...choosing to attack prideful Lords in industries where their ancestors had marked as their own…making enemies that would have otherwise bitten off their hands to be his ally…

With his heritage as a Sayre, a line that stretched back four thousand years, unbroken pure…

Europe could have been his, a Grey family that didn't disdain the dark and one the Light fools could accept.

Yet he threw it away so carelessly that in the end he got his family banished from the Isles that had been his House's home for over a thousand years.

He'd heard some rumours there were some amongst the Norwegian nobility that hated the man so much that they had expended significant effort to find him though from what he knew, even the ICW had no idea where he and the people that left with him went.

In truth, he had no idea why they were so interested in finding him…

Perhaps it was the arctic snow in the air that was addling their minds. They'd all already secured a victory by eliminating someone who upset the power structure as much as he did…trying to find someone like him who left with thousands of magicals, even if most of those thousands were little better than dragon dung, was practically inviting a Horntail to your manor's living room…

There was a reason why, as far as he knew, Sayres family in MACUSA was well and truly left alone. The responses to the few attempts on the lives of the Sayres had been enough to indicate provoking beyond what he was willing to tolerate was a bad idea…which the Italian Senate incident should have only solidified…

And then there was the risk of finally raising the ire of the half-blood Slytherin who'd trounced the International duelling competitions with contemptuous ease and was rumoured to be an Archmage as well…

He shook his head. They'd have to deal with those fools if they took things too far. The last thing they'd want is for their plans to be upended by their need of vengeance.

Nevertheless, the terms the ICW had given had proven to be fruitful as the economic crisis could have been even worse than it was.

Now, finally, years later, the economy was picking back up faster especially after several new industries based on the Sayre family's products had opened up.

That M-Vision creation had opened a fascinating industry where Quidditch games, Wizarding Chess and other sports could be shown directly in homes and from it came opportunities.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if rumours of Sayre's Seeing capabilities were truer than false as he had the foresight to clandestinely sell the patent of the invention to the Delacour family in 1947, a family that had grown as influential in France as the Blacks were in Britain, with only the stipulation that he retained the rights to use his own invention as he saw fit.

Years of court proceedings had finally yielded a result in 1951 that was, perhaps not as favourable, but at least enough to ensure profitable business as now goods and businesses were advertised directly into the homes of their potential consumers.

Now, with the growing recovery of the economy, it was beginning to finally be time to remove the ICW's influence in Europe and restore the rights of the nobility.

And speaking of restoring the rights of the nobility…

He spotted someone heading towards him, a man with short dignified blond hair dressed in fine black Acromantula silk robes carrying a glass of champagne in his hand.

He recognised who it was and as their eyes met, the man looked at the balcony at the end of the gala and he understood.

Minutes later, he walked through the large windowed door and the chill of the autumn cold lashed against his skin. He released his wand and waved it over himself, the immediate relief of warmth coating him caused him to release a content silent sigh.

He walked towards the edges of the former battlement stations, now repurposed as a balcony, and stared out into the distance of the night.

His eyes turned towards the crescent moon half hidden by foreboding black grey clouds, the Moon's light shining peaks at the Jotunheimen mountain range.

Ulthöst Castle, or as it once been known Jotun Fort, was said to have been built as a stronghold by the Ancient Norse in the 6th century during the beginnings of the Goblin-Norse Wars.

A place built within the depths of the mountain, stones made with ancient magicks protecting the structure even to this day, even if the enchantments had fallen long ago.

There were just a few forts like this, the most famous was Durmstrang which had been built on the carcass of one such fort, its rubble stones repurposed as the foundation of the famous school.

He looked to the side, his gaze trailing of over the ancient stones that to this day none knew how to replicate. Not even this protected those ancient Norse mages, having been eradicated to the last enclave. The Goblins had made sure to wipe any traces of the magic that had killed tens of thousands of their kind.

"Lord Ælvisson" a smooth German accented voice called in Norwegian as the man's steps became audible.

He turned around and saw the blond man approach him. "Lord Zandorf" he said with the incline of the head.

The Zandorf family were one the most prominent families in Germanic speaking lands, able to trace their roots over a millennia and a half to the Vauci clan, an offshoot of the Chauci tribe from North Western Germany.

They were also one of the Darkest family around.

They had been one of Grindelwald's first supporters and had assisted greatly in his rise in both the German and Austrian Ministries. As such, they had been one of the harshest punished families.

It was not a surprise that they were unhappy with the way things were going and they had no path to turn things around in their favour.

Until now.

The blood traitors in the German Ministry were waning in power as many noble families regained a growing measure of their political influence owed to them as was their right, the constrictions that had been placed to them falling away with every election that was held.

The 'democratic system' was nothing more than a façade, one that could be manipulated easily through the exchange of galleons and job security, something that the average pureblood prefers more than the notion of 'representation'.

The Zandorf's were one of the families that had one of their members elected in the Parliament though there were at least a few more that had direct links to the family.

The man arrived next to him and turned towards the mountain rage and the half frozen lake. "Did you know that depression" he pointed with the hand that held the glass towards the lower points in the landscape "was not natural?"

Otto tilted his head curiously "I didn't." he stated, wondering where he was going with this.

"Not many do. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ulthöst family didn't know either." He said calmly before he drank of his champagne.

"This was a site of a great battle between the Goblins and the Norse, one that came to define who would become victorious in the war and who would…die off." Lord Zandorf turned to him, their gazes meeting.

"The Ancient Norse had powerful magicks, the kind that caused muggles to worship these mages as gods as they shaped the world around them on a scale that very very few magical peoples are or were capable of." Zandorf's eyes grew cold before he waved his wand towards the site of the depression.

"Yet for all their power, for all of their mountain shattering capabilities, numbers had been their undoing as waves of Goblin hordes kept coming and coming, killing every single one of them…man, woman…child…none were spared, not even their shrines or their ritual sites beyond the few broken rubble that had been left behind as a message." He turned to Otto, a spine shivering smile worn on his face as he brought his glass to his lips and drank.

He brought the glass away from his lips as he tilted his head as he glanced at the mountain range. "I always found that to be a lesson to remember." Lord Zandorf turned to face him again.

"The goblins are little more than neutered beasts now, nothing like what they once were." He stated and Lord Zandorf's unblinking eyes were a little disturbing before he spoke again.

"Oh, they were merely an example however we did not come here to speak of ancient history" Lord Zandorf smoothly transitioned, his countenance shifting towards to stern seriousness "How many have you brought on board?" he asked sharply.

Otto remained silent for a moment "Sixteen Dark families." He finally answered. "Six Norwegian families including the Gunnarson and Haelaand families."

Lord Zandorf's eyes shone with approval though a shine of curiosity entered "How did you manage that? I thought they were bound to the Blacks?"

"They are." Otto said with a scowl before he smiled thinly "But the conditions of their alliances do not prevent from acting on their own as long as it is does not impact House Black negatively."

Zandorf said nothing for a moment until he broke the silence "That would be right. Breaking the ICW's dominance in Europe has nothing to do with them." He turned to Otto sharply, his gaze calculating "You'll need sound out more, many more. Sixteen noble families are a good starting point to get backing to our cause but it will amount to nothing if we cannot form a much larger block."

Otto narrowed his eyes "It is in progress. You know as well as I do that many aren't willing to risk the lenient terms granted to them. The ICW for all of its domination has at least ensured their freedoms, however diminished it is."

"A divisive tactic made to pit both sides against each other on far more equal terms." Zandorf waved away dismissively. Zandorf's eyed spied at him "You realise that don't you? They forced those laws onto to us to make sure we'll spend years, decades whittling them away. They don't care a single knut about the mudbloods or half bloods or those creatures but what they do care about is to ensure no ministry grows strong enough to pose a threat to the world order they've made.

They will not allow any one nation to grow strong enough to be able to contend with its armies, not after how much they struggled to deal with just a few Ministries backing the Dark Lord. It is better for them for us all to be mired in political battles rather than be strong enough to build up a force that would give the ICW more than a little pause in interfering in our business." He concluded before he continued "It is why it is important to twist this system to our advantage as soon as possible until we've regained the power we've lost in the Dark Lord's defeat and undo everything."

It was unlikely they could restore the hereditary governmental system completely, that would be a step too far but they could alter the laws to make it so that it makes little difference.

The blood traitors would ruin their countries with their muggle loving ways and it was their duty to prevent them from doing so.

It disgusted him to think that a Danish Minister couldn't run their government without gaining approval from the Danish Monarch, something that had not been doing for centuries previously.

It was bad enough that the Minister had to treat the muggle Prime Minster as an equal.

"I will accelerate our plans." Otto finally acceded and Zandorf nodded his approval.

He eyed the man carefully "Have you succeeded in your…insertion?" he asked carefully.

Zandorf said nothing for a moment before he downed his champagne. "I have. It won't be a while until it'll pay any dividends but that is fine." He turned to Otto "Keep that to yourself. You know the consequences should that information be leaked." He commented idly and though his voice was calm, the undertones could not be missed.

Otto narrowed his eyes "Understood." He said calmly, swallowing the indignant response.

The Zandorfs were every bit as ruthless as the Blacks were or the Kolya family. They were a significant reason as to how Grindelwald managed to take both German and Austrian Ministries without much resistance.

"Have you been to the Vault recently?" Zandorf asked, breaking the silence that had fallen. He began walking back towards the Gala and Otto locked step with him.

"I haven't." He admitted. He hadn't had time in the last few months. Though…

"I thought they had closed down recently?" he asked curiously.

Zandorf opened the large door and stepped through and Otto followed.

-...s the night when the gateway between

He looked at the direction of the music and realised it was the band playing Solemn Nights, an old song made out of the traditional Vetrnætr prayers.

"No, they only changed location. More stringent protocols to keep the eyes of the ICW away and to avoid gaining the attentions of the Hounds of Death" Zandorf said with a hateful sneer.

It was understandable. The Hounds of Death had destroyed many…suspect avenues of revenue to the point that it scared them – not that any would admit that – from starting it up again, the recent failed and disastrous attempt by one of the Norwegian nobles had made any ideas of restarting it idiotic.

They were ruthless and killed hundreds of good purebloods without any compunctions and had it not been for the fact that they all died gruesome deaths, they would have suspected some of the more vengeful blood traitors had a hand in it.

For now, their best assumptions were that they were rival Dark Houses from Eastern Europe.

Thankfully, the Vault had been spared their attacks.

"I see." He said with a nod as they came to a stop and grabbed filled glasses of champagne.

"I will have them send you an invitation next." Zandorf offered.

Otto inclined his head in gratitude before he turned to the band that played.

our world and the spirit world is thinnest.

"I actually haven't been in recent weeks though I have received some interesting news about one of the nights at the Vault." Zandorf said.

Tonight is a night to call out those who came before.

"Really?" Otto asked curiously. He wouldn't exactly call what happens there…interesting. Unless you were speaking in terms of the deaths that could happen.

There were really some gruesome deaths in those fights.

"Yes…there was a new fighter. Won eight fights in a row in the Lower Rings. Said to be likely at least a Lower Sorcerer."

Tonight I honor my ancestors.

"Really?" he drawled out slowly, surprise in his voice. "You don't usually see someone of that strength fighting amongst the rabble." Usually it was desperate dregs of society of little magical talent that fought for a decent amount of galleons.

If he was that strong, even if it was nothing too special, he should have at least been fighting in one of the official duelling competitions before being…scouted to see if he is of the right sort to invite to take part of the Premium fights.

"I know, surprised everyone else too. He killed them brutally too. Upset the bookies a lot. The last four were favourites." Zandorf said musingly as he brought the glass to his lips.

"Interesting." Otto murmured softly.

Spirits of my fathers and mothers, I call to you,

"What's his name?" he asked after a moment.

and welcome you to join me for this night.

"No one knows but apparently he's young." Zandorf said with a frown.

"Surely the organisers know?" he asked as he turned to Zandorf with raised eyebrows.

"They don't. Signed up under an alias. Apparently the cloak he wore had some kind of obscuring charm but they could tell he was young. Cloak seemed unique too given that it was made black feathers." Zandorf said informingly.

"Properly a mudblood though I can't imagine they wouldn't have killed him then and there." Otto said with a frown. How did he find the place anyway?

You watch over me always,

protecting and guiding me,

"He wasn't, he made an oath that he was a pureblood to one of the organisers." Zandorf said a little impressed. "Wouldn't say how he knew about the event but the oath combined with surprising them allowed him to get on. They probably thought he'd die anyway."

Silence reigned between as the band continued their solemn hymn, rapturing the crowds with sweeping vocals and delicate music.

and tonight I thank you.

"I see." He said contemplatively. "Possibly could be from one of the ruined families."

Your blood runs in my veins,

"Possibly." Zandorf conceded though there was a tinge of doubt which Otto could understand. Zandorf continued past it, moving away the conversation from speculation who he might be "The organisers apparently are hoping he'll take their invitation to join the Premium Events."

your spirit is in my heart,

"Probably at the behest of the bookies?" Otto asked amused.

Zandorf looked at him amused "Wouldn't be surprised."

"What was his alias?" he asked curiously as the band drew nearer to the end of the song.

Zandorf remained silent for a moment until he spoke up "Raven."

Otto's eyebrows raised. Interesting choice…

"Raven? Odd" he said thoughtfully.

"Quite…" Zandorf said with a strange expression before it flittered back into a neutral expression as he glanced at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Until next time." He intoned before he walked away.

your memories are in my soul.

He turned towards the band as they reached the dying parts of the song.

Hail to our ancestors who passed through the Veil and returned,

To watch and to protect over us!

Hail to the Dead!

Hail to the Dead!

Hail to the Dead!

In Bucharest, Romania…

"With the gift of Remembrance…" he whispered as the dreary rain coated over him as he sat on the edge of the building top, his feet hanging over the ledge.

The night was cold but memories kept him warm…memories that roused the burning rage within his chest like kindle filings, rage that licked and charred at the confines of his chained lacking soul.

"You are dead but never forgotten…" his voice was eerie, haunting as the pattered sounds of the rain threatened to drown out the softly whispered words.

"You live on within me…" the words died on his tongue, the familiar desolate pangs of weakness bleeding through.

KRAAA!

Quick fluttering of wings ceased as the raven landed beside him.

He raised his hand, tired, languidly, his coal black eyes gazing emptily at the raven.

KRAAA

KRAAA

The raven barked out as it nudged, closer and closer, within striking distance…

A single swipe of the hand and his fingers would be wrapped around its neck and a singly twist would snap its pitiful, weak neck…

His hand descended and stroked the feathers of the raven, caringly, tenderly…

More and more ravens descended and surrounded him on the turn of this new day…

"You sense it too, don't you…the thin veil that separates the living and the dead…" he whispered to his flock of ravens, his unchosen companions, his chosen flock.

"Hmm…" he hummed softly, as he looked up, gazing at the crescent moon, a pang of companionship passing through him at the sight of its incompleteness, an absence that in his case would forever be lacking, even if on a day such as today, he was as close to complete as possible...

"And just like me…" he whispered to his flock "You're more at ease when the barrier is at its thinnest."

The air around him shimmered, danced…

Faint whispers, faint presences, all in a scale that they were little more than a speck of dust on a perfectly clear window, just, only just noticeable…

"I know…" he whispered, comfort seeping into his soul, the chains that surrounded it were loosened. "Soon…"

"I promise…"