Next chapter!
So now we have Harry waking up, a little bit of magic, and a scene from Scortwit.
First off, while I'm on the topic. Scortwit is a very complex character with his own story. You might be able to put some of the puzzle pieces together throughout the story, but I promise that the full story for this character has many twists that you won't see coming. That is all I will say for now.
Now, I cannot do anything else without explaining some of the ritual, as I wanted to do at the end of the last chapter. So. The ritual is-once again-based on fairy dances from folktales and other stories. The twenty healers imbue the Zouwu tail with magic in their dance, awakening the creature's magic through movement in order to aid in the progression of the ritual. Next, if you couldn't tell, Spearmint is no longer able to have children. That is the big sacrifice for this ritual to be successful. Spearmint gave up her own fertility for the recovery of Harry's own fertility.
While we're on that topic, there is the voice that Spearmint heard. That is the goblin goddess of Fertility, who will be talked about at some point in the coming chapters. There's more that I could say, but most of it would be explaining things that were already explained, so I think that just continuing on with the chapter is the best idea.
So let's begin!
—0—
"The thumping stopped." Harry blinked, still sitting with the large skeleton.
"So it has… you will wake up soon."
"Wonderful…" Harry sighed. "Back to my freakish existence."
"How many times must I tell you. You are no freak."
Harry simply nodded. "Whatever you say."
The skeleton drifted over to Harry's side, its shadowy robes rippling like water.
"You should not feel so afflicted by your gifts."
"Gifts? I'm different from everyone! I'm a mistake! A freak of nature!"
"Surely you don't mean that…"
"I do. Everyone else believes it. It must be true."
"You will find that there are many who don't believe that."
Harry's green eyes flashed as he scowled. "Prove it. Name one person."
"Me."
"You don't count."
"Very well, the man that brought you to a healer. The man that saved you."
Harry blinked. "Someone… saved me?"
The skeleton waved their hand, allowing the picture of a man carrying Harry's broken body to form from nothing.
"He is worried about your health, little one. He brought you to goblin Magee, healers that are doing whatever they can to save you."
Harry stared at the picture, before shaking his head. "No. He probably just felt sorry for me. He doesn't know that I'm a freak. He doesn't know what I did."
The skeleton sat down before Harry. "What did you do?"
Harry looked down. "I used my freakishness… I burned that place away and killed everyone in it."
"You were not in control. It was Tom."
"Ella. She calls herself Ella. I couldn't stop it, so I'm at fault."
The skeleton leaned down, its pale face staring at Harry with it's hollow pits of darkness. "Such selflessness and humility… Do you think it wise then, to leave that body in Ella's control? Allie her to kill more?"
Harry shook his head. "No… but I feel so tired…"
"You have been through quite a lot, little one. However, you must continue to endure."
Harry sighed. "Why me…"
"We are almost out of time I'm afraid." The skeleton spoke as Harry began to shimmer. "I know you may not enjoy it, but please do me a favor."
Harry looked at his hands as they sparkled and began to fade. "Might as well… I have nothing better to do."
"Try to be accepting of your gift."
The boy sighed as he dissolved into particles of light.
"I'll give it a chance."
—0—
Harry's eyes opened to greet a cavern-like room. The ceiling was carved out into a dome, showing the layers kept within the rock.
The child felt… different. There was something off about the feeling in their arms, legs… everything.
Harry slowly turned, finding themselves to be upon a square stone slab. They were clad in a red garment, a beautiful garment that flowed down their body, yet clung to it tightly in a bizarre and enthralling manner.
Magic.
The child sighed as they sat up. Harry said he would give it a chance. At the very least, he no longer felt angry.
The child slipped off of the slab and touched down upon the smooth stone floor with their bare feet. Harry blinked as locks of full, black hair fell down messily upon his shoulders.
The child blinked as they next caught sight of their arms, and their legs. They hadn't noticed the first time, but now that they looked, their skin was smooth, devoid of scarring. The perfect porcelain color that Petunia had tried to powder into him was now there, and it looked… healthy. Natural.
The child fell to their knees, before leaning back against the stone slab. "My body's truly been healed… someone did save me…"
They sat like that for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling of the stone chamber. "Magic… I'm supposed to use my freakishness… my magic…"
But how? That was the question running through Harry Potter's mind as they sat there, the weight of this new reality settling upon their mind.
Before, in the facility, they had conjured light. He had wished for the light. Maybe they could do something along those lines once again.
"I wish… for light."
The same orb of light from that night at the facility sprung into existence, the strands of light wavering as they wrapped and twisted around each other. Harry watched with mixed feelings as the orb hovered there, above their palm.
'This is… it just feels wrong. It just feels like it's out of the ordinary. It's freakish… just like they said…'
Harry closed their hands, causing the light to extinguish. Looking up at the ceiling once again, the child felt their mind begin to wander.
Although the power felt like a taboo to the child, they couldn't help themselves but be curious. They had said they would give it a chance, after all… it was something that had been squandered. Harry didn't even know it was real until that time many weeks prior.
'Perhaps… I could wish for another substance? I am rather thirsty…'
Harry cupped their hands together in front of them. "I wish for water."
Clear liquid slowly filled Harry's hands. The child blinked in wonder, before taking a sip. The cool liquid ran across their tongue and down their throat, smoothing the dry prickle that the child had come to notice.
"I wish for water."
For a second time, the child's hands filled with the clear liquid, and they drank. Harry repeated the magic twice more, before wiping the back of their hand across their mouth.
'That was quite refreshing, although I feel a little tired…'
Harry held their hands out once more and splayed their fingers. "I wish for… energy."
A white light trickled from the tips of Harry's fingers and coalesced into a small droplet. Harry blinked as the droplet shimmered, before falling to the ground. Harry's eyes widened as the drop hit the ground, and a shock ripped through the room, throwing them back. Harry felt their eyes begin to close as the spell took its toll, and the child quickly found themselves in the arms of sleep.
—0—
Diagon alley was abuzz with early morning business. Wizards and Witches zipped from shop to shop, collecting potion materials, quills and ink, new cauldrons, owls, books.
Scortwit sighed as he ran a hand through his dragonhide satchel. He could feel the galleons rolling over his fingers, waiting to be spent.
'Well… first off, some clothing would probably be a good start.'
Scortwit walked into Madam Malkins Robes for Every Occasion. The witch running the shop yawned as the doorbell jingled. Looking up, her eyes widened, and a smile came to her lips.
"Well if it isn't Charlie! How do you do?"
"Hey Maldy, how's business?"
The witch sighed. "Honestly? Downright awful. The most trade I get nowadays is around the start of the school year."
Scortwit nodded. "So Tatting has been taking all your customers?"
"Something like that… people just don't like the robes I make as much as his… more dressy options."
Scortwit nodded. "Well, unfortunately for his customers, you get a cheap price over there for a nice looking jacket that'll rip in a month. Here you pay for quality."
Maldy Malkin smiled and nodded. "Thank you Charlie. So then… what can I get for you?"
Scortwit smiled. "Well, I've landed myself in a bit of a situation you see… I need some childs clothes."
"CHARLES FONTAINE SCORTWIT-"
"Calm down! Calm down! It isn't anything like that I swear!"
The witch shook her head. "I want an explanation. You can't just come and tug on my heartstrings and then say you have a child!"
Scortwit fiddled with his hands. "Well, again… it is a funny sort of situation."
"Funny my arse you lily livered-"
"I found them injured on the road just last night. Brought them to gringotts. It's not good, Maldy."
"How bad can it be Charlie?" The witch huffed. Scortwit remained silent.
"Charlie… they're going to be okay, won't they?"
Scortwit scratched the back of his head.
"CHARLIE!"
"I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T GOOD! They're in the hands of the goblins now…"
The witch blinked. "Goblin healers…"
"It's that bad Maldy. There were so many scars… so many…"
Maldy nodded and placed a hand on Scortwits shoulder. "I will gladly give whatever the child needs."
"Maldy, I will pay. You said it yourself, business hasn't been good. I can pay, the dragons give enough gold for much much more anyways."
The witch sighed. "Well… at least allow me to visit once in a while Charlie. The boy will need someone who knows how to cook a decent meal."
"Hey! I've got my apprentice on the preserve now. He's pretty skilled in the kitchen!"
"Apprentice? Ah yes, little Charlie Weasly… two Charlies on the preserve must get pretty confusing!"
"Sometimes, the dragons get annoyed easily by it. They started calling us big Charlie and little Charlie."
"Aw! Which one is big Charlie?" The witch smirked as she closed the window shutters and put a closed sign on the door.
-Will return in approximately one tick after a jiffy-
Scortwits frown made the woman break down into a fit of giggles. "I kid, I kid. Now… how does this look?"
Scortwit looked at a mannequin that was dressed in simple day robes. "Those… look perfect!"
"How many sets would you like? I can also do different colors if you prefer."
"Hm… perhaps a set in blue, a set in gray, and a set of black?"
"Just three?"
"Well, I assume there are more daywear options…"
Madam Malkin smirked and nodded. "There are. Let me set these three aside… now… this one."
A delightful outfit consisting of denim pants and an emerald green button down shirt. "It is a lady's outfit… but you didn't specify the child's sex."
"It will be fine. I'm not even sure what they prefer, I'm just trying to get them decent clothes. Is this muggle inspired?"
Maldy shrugged. "A bit, mainly the denim. But I think it's rather stylish."
Scortwit nodded. "Indeed… Could we do… one set like this, and another with a red shirt?"
"Of course. Next?"
The next outfit was a fusion of traditional European wizard wear, and the stiff professional wear of American wizards.
"Hm… That's a rather odd trench coat."
"It's not technically a trenchcoat. It's a mix between a traditional robe and an American trench coat. More flowy than the stiff coat, but stiffer than an average robe. Better for movement when spellcasting, and for staying rather stylish."
Scortwit nodded. "Not that they'll be doing much spellcasting… it'll look rather cute on them…"
Maldy chuckled and walked into the back of the shop. "Next we have…"
Scortwit's eyes bugged out as the woman returned, clad in some very revealing clothing.
"Th-th-that's… well it's- erm…"
"Starting to sweat~?" Maldy smirked as she swayed towards the wizard. "You haven't visited me in so… so… long, Charles…"
The man's eyes were wide as the woman slid into his lap, wrapping her arms around the man's neck. "And you didn't floo call like you promised you would…"
Scortwit squeezed his eyes shut and stood up. "I'm sorry… I can't do it right now Maldy."
The witch blinked. "Sorry?"
"I never told you why I picked up the child Maldy. It was her. I saw her standing over them."
"Alana?"
Scortwit nodded.
"Oh my god… Charlie… I'm so sorry-"
"You didn't know. It's okay."
"It's been twelve years… You haven't talked about her once, so I thought-"
"So did I."
The two stayed quiet for a few awkward moments, before the witch dusted herself off and gave Scortwit a peck on the cheek.
"I'm sorry Charlie. If you'd like to talk, I'm always here."
Scortwit nodded quietly. "Thank you Maldy… would you like to get a drink the next time I'm in the alley?"
"You know what I like…"
"A single malt… now, about those robes…"
"Right. how about…"
—0—
And there you have it. Can you guess what type of magic Harry is using? It's hinted at in the light spell. :3
Along with that, this is a taste of Scortwits character. Yes, he's supposed to be funny, especially in his interactions with the goblins. The story with Coppergash is a bit more extensive than the run down that Charlie received in the previous chapter… but of course, you will learn of that later.
Scortwit does know Madam "Maldy" Malkin, and if you couldn't tell, they are a bit more than old friends. If you have seen a certain anime with a certain asshole evil princess, please note that her name is different, and so is her character. Originally, I was thinking of having her first name be "Melody" or "Malady". I decided to shorten it to "Maldy" For a bit of a bump to the backstory. If you didn't understand the drinks correlation to her name, that will be explained in later interactions.
Anyways, I've said my piece. Until next time,
Adios.