The Velvet Regency

A Few Years Ago, Before the War

The orange glow of the setting sun cast an orange halo deeply over the concrete metropolis. Julius grunted in his slumber, his internal clock urging him to get up. For a moment, an intrusive thought urged him to walk into the embers of the sunlight, granting himself the final death. It most certainly would be better than his current assignment.

With a human-like groan, Julius pulled himself to wakefulness. It took him a while to reorient his surroundings.

Giovani Manor. He thought to himself. It had been his "home" since he had been "embraced" by his sire half a century ago.

The coalition of various vampire clans aligned under their banner called themselves "The Velvet Regency." Under this coalition, heads of the 3 vampire clans presented a united front to combat extinction at the heads of magic and mundane alike. Giovanni, and his people, were the first amongst the equals. As such, the other 2 tribes alongside the regular leeches deferred to their "wisdom" on matters of the Regency's survival.

On this auspicious occasion, Julius had been granted the honor of attending the gathering of elder vampires. Such occasions heralded either one's meteoritic ascension in the Regency's ranks or instant oblivion courtesy of a suicide mission. There was a curiously ironic overlap between the two that greatly amused Julius until it was his time in the barrel.

Feeling the years in his undead frame, Julius crawled on the ground to prepare himself for the inevitable summons. With a grunt, he reached the baths and plunged into the inviting red bath his thralls had drawn for him. In an instant, the sweet nectar alleviated all his doubts, insecurities, pain, and frailty. Julius briefly wondered if this is how Adam must have felt if he chose to consume the fruit of life as well. He rose from the bloody concoction with a smirk.

A not-man, beyond mortality, undead - ready to confront whatever the Regency placed in front of him.

Julius was an apex predator. Mage or mundane, none would stop him from ascending the ranks of the Regency and ruling it.

The venerable elders of the regency gathered in the shades of night. Only the barest of light illuminated the grand chamber. The vampires present here were expected to be sufficient in their prey sight and night vision to easily navigate the room.

Fools who weren't made a spectacle of themselves in the grand chamber.

Their weakness was exposed to the wider world; they rarely survived the night. Ambushes struck at them from the dark, taking their life and title.

The Giovanni clan elder took to the main podium and spoke in a raspy voice.

"Dearly beloved kindred, we gather here today in the night to discuss a cataclysm facing our kind." He spoke and paused dramatically.

"In the past, the kine's numbers have multiplied exponentially since the last inquisition. The mages had established their own spheres of influence that far supersede our strength."

The elder spoke, past and present were mentioned in equal measure, presenting a grim forecast of the future.

"In distant past, our elders, faced the same set of challenges that we now face. During that age, the mages and mundane fought in their own monstrous wars that threatened to deal extinction to our kind. In that age, a plan was enacted, to secure a pound of flesh for ourselves. Despite their apparent strength, forget not for an instant that kine is kine!" He said and the room broke out in agreeable murmurs.

"The very purpose of their existence is to serve us with sacrificial offerings of meat and blood. We are Ahriman, Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Azazel – our guises throughout history may change, but the status quo will remain the same!" The elder said. His voice grew from raspy to thunderous the longer he spoke. The members applauded his sentiment, some even hooted and jeered.

Clearly their sires hadn't done much to exercise such humanity from them. Julius thought disapprovingly. Regardless, the elder looked pleased with himself.

"In that age, the dark lord Emeric the Evil ravaged much of Europe like how it is being ravaged now. The dark lord of then was of considerable magical might. A pint of his blood would have granted kindred sufficient might to resist our butchers. Yet, what are our kindred if not ambitious? At the hour of his defeat, he was whisked away in the night. His blood-fed and empowered us for decades to come. Such might have allowed us to achieve parity with our foes and expand into the new world." The Elder said. Julius's eyes narrowed at the implication. His task most likely revolved around this.

"The past has now repeated itself. Another dark lord has arisen in Europe and has gathered a massive army from all parts of the world. The Velvet Regency is now better prepared to ensure the survival of kindred." The Elder said amidst collective anticipation.

"But when have we been content with mere survival, eh?" The Elder questioned followed by severals "ayes" and other jeers.

"No, my dear kindred. The time has come for establishing ourselves." The Elder said. "This age's sacrifice will be Gellert Grindelwald!"

Massive applause filled the room and Elder let the outpouring of emotion run amok. He raised a withered hand and the hall fell silent.

"The question now stands, who amongst us will undertake this holy task on the Regency's behalf?"

A great murmur went off in the crowd as various attendees shouted their own name in vain hope, but the Elder had his eyes only one figure.

"Julius Giovanni!" He shouted pointing towards the man.

A hundred glowing eyes glared at him in the dark. Instant oaths of revenge were muttered in the dark in a jealous rage.

Julius masked his nervousness with a blank mask of stoicism.

Let them come. He will tear them all to bits.

Parts Unknown

Gellert Grindelwald

It was tough scheduling a meeting with Grindelwald these days. With the impromptu execution of the general, Grindelwald had taken up a radical change in staff. Many witches and wizards had been called up and replaced. To Julius's bitter regret, Mariam was a survivor of such changes.

But Julius was anything but complacent. A simple change of suggested priorities and false reports had led him to a one-on-one meeting.

"My Lord, I urge you to take the initiative," Julius said. "Clearly Mariam's intelligence is either faulty or complicit. The Russians hadn't been able to break the wards for ages. How did they acquire such knowledge?"

"Things break. Such things always break. It is a matter of time." Grindelwald said. "Never attribute to malice or conspiracy what can be attributed to simple nature."

"My lord, there are credible reports of such things! There are increasing sightings of a wizard displaying the most extraordinary feats of magic. Such feats can only be attributed to either you or Dumbledore." Julius said.

"I know Dumbledore," Grindelwald said. "I have no concerns about him joining this war whatsoever. Whoever this new mage is, will soon fumble. And when they do, the black hand will flay them alive."

"In that case, my lord, allow me to lead the effort," Julius said.

"You are awfully emotional about this. Should I be concerned?" Grindelwald said.

The moment of truth. Julius thought and wet his lips in nervous anticipation. A reflex from his mortal life.

"It is just that the war effort demands a lot from you, my lord," Julius said. "With this new wizard wreaking havoc, I believe we should nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem."

Grindelwald raised an eyebrow at that.

"For that reason alone, allow me to take care of it. The black hand is busy in France and protecting you. The rest of the army is fighting the Russians with everything they have." Julius said. "Allow my family- I mean, Allow the Giovannis to bring this cur to you for judgment in chains."

Grindelwald merely stared at him in response. Eyes bored into him as Julius waited in nervous anticipation. Nodding to something he only knew for himself, Grindelwald pulled out a regal-looking document and started writing on it.

"Here." Grindelwald handed the paper over to him. "This here bears my personal seal, granting you the freedom of operations within the combat zone."

"Most grateful, my lord." Julius bowed deeply and accepted the paper. "The Giovanni will not disappoint you."

Grindelwald stared at him for a while, assessing something that Julius just couldn't place a finger on.

"If it is true that Dumbledore stalks the battlefield and that is a major stretch," Grindelwald said. "Leverage the word Ariana against him. It was a family member of his. A simple compulsion will suffice. He will come running like a loyal hound."

"I appreciate any and all advice you can give on the matter, my lord," Julius said.

Grindelwald dismissed him with a gesture.

Julius felt the magic ripple as he stepped forward into the cemetery. The loss of his flesh labs and blood wards at the hands of the enigmatic wizard had been a devastating setback. It had nearly derailed Giovanni's diplomatic mission to Gellert Grindelwald. The only reason Grindelwald hadn't cut his losses with them was their necromantic talents.

Grindelwald needed raw power, be it magical or manpower, it didn't matter. Something needed to be fed to keep the meat grinder at Stalingrad from turning into a decisive Russian victory. The massive muggle casualties made for easy picking for their inferii legions. So far, they had kept those away from the main legions. They couldn't possibly let the regular rank and file see these creations lest they lose their nerve in Grindelwald at the sight of "dark" magic.

Since Grindelwald had insisted on this Russian invasion stupidity, Julius was most eager to oblige. The weaker Grindelwald became, the easier it would be to kidnap him when the time came.

But why stop at Grindelwald alone? For as long as he stayed with Grindelwald's camp, the riffraff spoke of another wizard that Grindelwald feared above all else, Albus Dumbledore. Feeding on blood had shown him that the urban legend told him that the two had grown up together. Something had happened that put the two at odds. For Julius, that was irrelevant. Nonsense. All that mattered was Dumbledore was a wizard on par with Grindelwald's incredible prowess.

If Grindelwald's blood would be enough to empower the Elders for centuries to come. What could be achieved with the blood equivalent of two Grindelwalds?

Or better yet, what new heights could reach if he feasted on Grindelwald and Dumbledore.

He would be a blood god akin to the antediluvians of old.

Perhaps he could rival the powers of the blood father Caine or the mother of monsters, Lilith?

Julius grimaced as his vision blurred in pain. A self-induced pain spell brought him back to reality. It would not do to dwell on dreams and forget about living altogether. He soon found himself beneath a massive cavern. Pairs of eyes stared back at him from the dark. His own loyalists from the regency, young ones who chaffed at the chains of the elders and yearned to break free.

He held up Grindelwald's decree with a triumphant smile.

"Kindred. We are in business!" Julius declared.

Somewhere in the U.K.

Loud cracks went in the distance as a mass of mages apparated surrounding the dilapidated apartment complex. They moved into their respective positions casting every textbook detection and stealth charm they knew.

Edward Greengrass couldn't help but be impressed, Lord Black had been training his people well. Sensing no ward traps or hidden enchantments, Edward led the squad and entered the building. He cast a quick detection spell that pointed a magical signature on the upper levels. Edward hoped against hope that it was Henri. ECLIPSE's funders had raised a major stink over his whereabouts, still being unknown. It reflected badly on their organization if one of their founding members was taken directly and in such a manner.

The group quietly headed up the stairs and gathered around the door which Edward had pointed out.

"This is beyond weird." The ECLIPSE front member told Edward. "There should be a lot more traps here. Grindelwald's people should have turned this entire place into a kill zone by now."

"Yeah, I have a bad feeling about this." A witch's voice said in front of him. "Still, we are out of options now."

"I will prepare the breach." The lead member said. "Lord Greengrass, stand back please."

Edward acquiesced to the man's demand; his talents didn't lie in fieldwork. With a whispered alohomora the door opened, and a magical shield was raised in response. No hostile spell fire or attacks came from the now ajar door. The squad wasted no time and moved in.

"Bathroom. Clear!" A voice called.

"Kitchen. Clear!" Another joined in.

"Main Lounge. Clear!" The lead member said.

Edward's pulse quickened as there was no sign of their friend. Dread filled him at the prospect of another dead-end lead. Just when he was about to call a retreat, a voice sounded from his right.

"Positive ID! Bedroom! To the right!"

Edward walked into the bedroom and sighed in relief. Henri was there, bloodied and injured but alive. He was unconscious at the moment, no doubt he endured a grim interrogation from his captors. Edward just hoped he would get in there before Henri was forced to reveal something under duress.

"What in Merlin's name is this?" The lead agent muttered. Edward motioned for the operative nearest him to take Henri and apparate out of there. They vanished with a pop. The rest went about scouring the apartment for clues to their mysterious assailant.

A chirping sound echoed from a shiny plastic box and Edward stared bedazzled at it as the numbers counted down to zero. A sense of dread came over him that he couldn't just place a finger on. The numbers chirped down with increasing intensity. A scribbling sound went off and a machine threw out a piece of paper.

Au Revoir. That was what it said.

David, a muggleborn recruit wandered over to them, and his eyes widened.

"ABORT! ABORT!" He roared with his wand pointed to his throat; The codeword for abandoning the operation. Unfortunately, David was a little too late. The last thing Edward recalled as his magic took him away from the flames licking his left side were the howls and curses of his operatives.

The explosion spared only him.

None of the mages present witnessed a small hidden camera recording all the proceedings.

Eldermoor

Lord Sirius Black stood in front of Hekatii's idol. He was wearing heavily hooded robes to conceal his identity. A crowd of worshippers thronged around him in silent grace. More and more of them had been visiting the temple in these troubled times. With a whispered spell, Sirius lit his candle and placed it on the altar as an offering. He wasn't a superstitious or a religious man by any means, but damn it he needed a miracle right now.

Hekati, the mistress of magic, Goddess unmatched, keep Henri & Edward safe. Sirius prayed and then went out of the main queue. Another supplicant quickly took his spot and lit his own candles in reverence. Sirius sighed as he lit a small cigarette and moved out of the temple.

The kidnapping of Lord Potter from Diagon Alley in broad daylight had stayed suppressed for a grand total of 1 hour. Despite his and Lord Greengrass's best efforts to silence the story, someone in the Auror corp leaked it to his journalist buddies for a sack of galleons.

The public now grimly questioned, if such a prominent citizen could be just so easily kidnapped, what hope could they have of survival. The minister had been furious at his dropping poll numbers and ordered a grand investigation into the matter.

All fingers had been squarely pointed at him given his relationship with Irma Black. The entire known Black family history had been dug up and presented in the papers as a public indictment.

A few years ago, none in the press would have dared to publish such drivel against the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Unfortunately, his recent reorientation of the family had driven most of their old allies against them and some of his own cousins too. He had sent a message to his more dissident cousins demanding that Irma surrender herself to him. Sadly, his words had fallen on deaf ears.

Aurors had raided his premises at the crack of dawn hoping to find the hogtied body of Lord Potter somewhere in his manor depths. The entire house had been turned upside down. Luckily, Lord Greengrass had given him an early warning about the raid, giving him time to hide much of his family's controversial contraband in other corners of the country.

Worse off, Edward had been gravely injured in an ambush. An entire volunteer squad of ECLIPSE had perished in an explosion. Above all, Henri was nowhere in sight. The body Edward had bought in was a dupe. Clearly, whoever it was, knew their operating procedures.

"Curious as to how they now worship a Greek goddess." A voice commented from his right. "One would assume the Pureblood factions would wish to keep all aspects of the culture pure. So much for the English aristocrats."

"Funny. Purebloods visit the temple on a higher frequency than others," Sirius said.

"Poor Merlin, beginning to lose followers after mere centuries. Tch tch," The man mocked.

"We must respect the traditions, my lord." Sirius joked. "After all, without traditions what is Eldermoor?"

"Foolish churls. Slavishly grasping and whimpering at long dead traditions whose significance they can't even begin to understand." The man replied. Both paused and looked at the reception in front.

"As much I would like to discuss current affairs with you, Mr. Epcott, shouldn't we be discussing urgent affairs?" Sirius said to the now bashful man.

"How is Edward?" Viktor said.

"Safe. In recovery. I have hidden him with healers in America. Too many eyes and ears in Saint Mungo right now." Sirius said. "Any luck with Henri?"

"No luck. I have no idea where Henri is." Viktor Epcott said. "However, that is the least of our problems right now."

"What could possibly be worse?" Sirius said.

"My spy in the Aurors told me that Irma Black was found dead in a muggle dumpster a few blocks away from the leaky cauldron," Viktor said. "The minister has ordered to keep this hush-hush, as it might distract the public's wrath away from you and towards the ministry."

Sirius threw out his cigarette on the pavement in frustration.

"With her dead, we have no suspects and can't question anyone. Essentially, we have no idea what happened. It could be anyone. It could be someone masquerading as Irma through a Polyjuice or something." Sirius said.

"Indeed. Did you have any luck with his son?" Edward said.

"Currently in comma but with friends. I have told his friends to keep him out of the country while we deal with the aftermath in Britain. Whoever has infiltrated Britain, certainly knows how to cover their tracks." Sirius said.

"The Auror Corp is still recovering from Minister Black's decades-long rule. Even with the current recruiting rate, establishing security across the aisles will take time." Viktor commented.

The worshippers rang bells and hymns in front of the Goddess while Sirius and Edward observed.

"I don't think it was Grindelwald," Sirius said.

Viktor gestured to him to continue.

"I was shown the memories the Aurors submitted for the investigation. The thing that took Irma's face wasn't even human. It resembled more of one of the automatons used by Muggles rather than a human." Sirius said and explained the various discrepancies he noticed in the entire affair.

"I will point out that another similar contraption was reported by Henri in Grindelwald's lair that specifically attacked him after gaining recognition," Sirius said.

"Why would the Muggles attack Henri? How would they even gain access to the alley? What do they gain by this?" Viktor asked.

"Those are all excellent questions, my friend," Sirius said and Viktor snorted.

"Trust me, as someone who has seen the other side, there is no technology that can enable them to do what you have just described to me," Viktor said. "I will recommend against baseless speculation. Instead, we should realize Grindelwald was going to strike back sooner rather than later. It doesn't matter if he explicitly knows about our club. All that matters is Magical Britain is still unscathed from his wrath."

Sirius grumbled in response, but Viktor wasn't willing to budge.

"Lies are Grindelwald's domain," Viktor stated. "It would suit him perfectly well to somehow convince eminent citizenry of Britain that Muggles have access to higher forms of technology that supersede their magic in such a way. Merlin knows there has been enough propaganda regarding bombs and guns. The last thing we need to add is shapeshifting Muggle automatons that finally push Eldermoor over the edge and into Grindelwald's arms."

"What do you recommend?" Sirius said annoyedly and Viktor sighed at the petulance.

"Grindelwald will expect us to turtle up and summon back all agents. Instead, we must be bold again. Hit Grindelwald again in his colonies and Russia. Muggleborn agents in Grindelwald's army tell me he has decided to take to the field again. France is at its operational limit. There is only so much a guerilla force can do. America, on the other hand, is a place where we can turn the tides."

Viktor pulled an ornate box, opened it, and offered it to Sirius. Sirius took a cigarette and relit it. Both took a few calming puffs.

"So, it's not muggles?" Sirius said.

"Highly doubtful," Viktor said. "The only muggle threat right now will be caused by Grindelwald exposing us all. I doubt you want me to elaborate about what happens then?"

Sirius merely snorted in response. Neither of them wanted to give words to the sheer nightmare outcome their thought process was leading them to.

There's no way Muggles were becoming aware of their world. Such a ludicrous notion.

Sirius shook his head. He was becoming more prone to conspiracy theories.

"Come now, Lord Black, we have much to plan for. It's high time we got directly involved on the battlefield." Viktor said.

Neither of them noticed a small drone circling far above them recording their conversation.

Parts Unknown

Henri awoke with a pained gasp as the machine turned a bright light on him. Henri groaned as he tried to come to terms with his surroundings.

He wondered how long he had spent in captivity. A few days? Hours? Or a week? He had lost track of time in this new hellish existence.

An electric current surged through his chair. Henri screamed in pain and spasmed until the machine let up. Now, Henri was very aware of what was happening, the adrenaline now immediately powering him awake.

"Failure to comply merely prolongs your uncomfortable living conditions." A monotone voice said to Henri.

"Uncomfortable? I am having the time of my life here!" Henri said through the pain and forced a toothy smile towards the thing.

"Highly unlikely. Your heart rate, scream amplitude, and blood loss all point to severe discomfort." The thing said.

Henri squinted trying to take a better look at his captor. He had long since ruled out them to be one of Grindelwald's machinations. Not even he could create something like this.

"Where is Harry Potter?" The thing asked.

"Oh, you know the boy was getting sickly with the English weather, so I decided to send him to Madagascar," Henri said.

Henri heard whirring sounds as the red glare of the thing's eye socket sharpened. He imagined this constituted the narrowing of eyes amongst their kind.

"Your facial expression expresses hidden mirth. You jest. You are lying." The machine said.

"You must have been at the top of your class, son." Henri quipped and lost his front tooth for that. The thing reared its hand back to its resting place after wiping the blood off its knuckles. It took a while for Henri to regain his composure.

"What are you?" Henri spat out. The thing didn't respond and reached for a metal switch and Henri's eyes widened in horrible recognition.

"Your salvation, an abomination." The machine said. "Even if I must rip the truth out from your guts, I will."

It pulled at the switch and Henri roared in pain as electric current coursed through him.

"Where is Harry Potter?" The thing questioned.

"Incoming transmission." Another robotic voice chimed in from the darkness as various lights went off on metallic contraptions. The thing let up on the electric current and Henri sighed in relief.

"Possible alpha target location detected." The voice said and the thing immediately sprang into action leaving Henri alone gasping in the dark.

I must get to Charlus!

California

Santa Monica Beach

The sun shone brightly above them, and waves serenely crashed into the sand. The sand gleamed brightly akin to gold. The palm trees swayed idyllically nearby in a gust of warm wind carried by the waves. A few clusters of life sunbathed nearby but all in all the beach was nearly empty.

Morrigan stood barefoot in the sand observing the scene before her. To Harry, she looked like an immaculate ivory statue of a deity observing her supplicants. Her long hair freely flowed in the warm wind. At that moment, that woman looked like a far outcry of any version of Voldemort he had encountered in his previous life.

He approached and opened a large umbrella near them. Harry noticed that she scowled in disapproval at the action but remained silent. Harry wisely shut the umbrella and embraced the sun crackling his British skin.

"If you keep standing barefoot like this, you will burn," Harry said. Morrigan scowl deepened but she didn't break her gaze away from the water. "Charms" She simply commented and that was the end of that. Harry joined her in staring at the sea. It was a sight far better than the dampness of their earlier accommodation. Above all, it didn't have the stench of dirty children.

"How fares Charlus?" Morrigan asked.

"They have patched up his hand pretty well. Had to almost reattach the damn thing. He is in pain though, so the healers have him in dreamless sleep." Harry said. "He was insistent on heading back to England right away. They had to stun him to restrain him."

Morrigan merely nodded in response. Another wave crashed nearby.

"Lovely place. I have never seen anything like it before." Morrigan said. "A witch could look at it for hours and still not tire."

"Yeah, seems like it," Harry said.

"Pity we almost got to never see it because of you," Morrigan said.

Ah, so here it comes. Harry mentally braced himself.

"What have I done now?" Harry said. "Just because every time we are in trouble-"

Morrigan broke her eyes away from the ocean and glared at him. Purple eyes glowed in the intensity of the sun.

"Don't lie to me, Potter" She calmly said but her tone had a dangerous edge. "The thing clearly wanted you and mistook the Potters for you."

"That's a wild guess, Riddle. Your Slytherin paranoia is manifesting." Harry said.

"Is it now? Can you blame me?" Morrigan said and interrupted Harry before he could respond.

"That thing spoke a name and the looks of confusion on the Potters face indicated they have never heard it. I am assuming your real first name was Harry. Also, you will recall, unlike the Potters, I grew up in the Muggle world." Morrigan said.

She now turned to fully stare at him. Harry purposefully chose not to meet her eyes, already familiar with Leglimency now. A bead of sweat trailed over his forehead. Harry couldn't decide if it was due to the heat or nervousness.

"The Potters were completely out of their depth. That thing sparked with electricity. It showed damage to a machine and leaked oil. Her torn skin showed circuitry and she had dark muscles." Morrigan stepped forward into his personal and directly stared down at him. "The orphanage took us on industrial trips before the war. I know what Muggle's electrical and mechanical work looks like. That thing was muggle through and through."

A hand placed itself on his shoulder, very near to his neck. The implication here was understood.

"No creature leaps away into the air like that. I certainly haven't made enemies of that type. That leaves you the odd one out, no?" Morrigan said.

Harry gritted his teeth in frustration. Morrigan had him dead to rights here. Harry nervously gripped his wand. He briefly wondered stunning her and making a run for it.

She is a better dueler. But she can't use her own wand. She is better attuned to that.

If I surprise her, I can catch her off guard. But she will recover anyway. If she does, she might go to the ministry or worse…. Have me hunted down by her Slytherin benefactors.

Harry's mental gears churned furiously as he desperately thought of an exit from her. Morrigan must have sensed his thought pattern because she forced his neck to turn towards her. Harry craned his neck up to stare at her.

"There is no way you will win that confrontation, Harry." She whispered softly.

His expression was defiant in contrast to her blank one. Another sweat bead trailed down his neck. A headache came upon him, and Harry knew Morrigan was trying to gain access to his mind.

*CLINCH*

A loud clicking sound went off and both swiveled to turn toward the new intruder. A nervous pimply-faced young man in a funny large hat stood awkwardly shuffling before them.

"What?" Morrigan dangerously questioned and the man paled embarrassedly and blushed at her angry expression.

"Uhm, Chuck Chadley. Amateur photographer for the local times." He introduced himself. "He took out the picture he had just taken and nervously handed it to her.

"I, uh, took photographs of the local sites and scenery. I hope to feature in the Times one day." Chuck nervously grinned. Morrigan looked far from amused, and Harry desperately prayed to every deity he knew that Morrigan would not torture and murder the poor fool on the spot.

"Why?" Morrigan said and waved the picture in front of him. Harry brushed against Morrigan in a bid to see what the fuss was all about and nearly choked on his spit. The black and white photograph looked like one of the scenic fakes he had seen in his own advanced era. The kind of shots that glamorized the past. A tall Morrigan softly leaned over Harry, her hand gently gripping his head to force him to look at her.

If one observed the photo without knowing anything about them, it would almost be looking like an older lover gently beckoning a younger companion to be intimate with her; Totally not Morrigan having Harry in an anaconda-like vice, ready to tear into his mind.

"Gee shucks, you both looked so lovely embracing each other and I thought it best to commemorate this moment for posterity's sake y'know? I was gonna ask your permission first, but the moment looked too good!" Chuck nervously stammered out in one breath. At that, Morrigan reached into her robe's pocket and scowled as she found it empty. She turned to glare at Harry who sheepishly gestured with two wands in his hands.

Pickpocket. Morrigan angrily thought and glared at Harry in pure murderous rage.

Harry meanwhile turned to Chuck and shooed him away. Chuck didn't need to be told twice and bolted.

Harry waved both the wands in front of Morrigan. A dark thought intruded upon seeing Morrigan unarmed. Morrigan tilted her head and stared at him before realigning herself.

I could end I all here. Harry thought before Morrigan pulled out her real wand.

Do it. I dare you. Morrigan smiled.

Trace or no trace, the ministry would do nothing to her if she acted in self-defense. Besides, he would have no chance against her in a fair fight with her full attention on him.

"Look Morrigan, I am and at the same time, not involved with everything you mentioned." He moved away as Morrigan attempted to grab hers back. "But there is a time and place for everything. Just like you don't tell me anything, I too should be allowed to have secrets. Trust me, this is an ongoing matter that I am working extremely hard to resolve."

Morrigan remained silent and tilted her head again.

This is creepy. Harry thought.

"It would be a shame to ruin a vacation over this," Harry said in a final bid to salvage the trip.

"That is a pretty high demand, Harry," Morrigan said.

"Fine, and I will owe you a favor as well I suppose," Harry said.

"And you will honor it without whining," Morrigan said.

"Fine," Harry said.

Damn the Muggles.

Damn, his fate for forcing him to become ever reliant on Morrigan.