Stalingrad | Russia
A shiver went through Mariam as she paused in drafting her letter. In one week alone, everything had gone to hell. The allied forces' much-anticipated encirclement of Grindelwald had never materialized. Something had happened during the last scouting mission of the volunteer forces. They had been ambushed and killed to the last man. Worse, Albus Dumbledore was missing in action.
Without him, the bloodwards had made a comeback at the worst possible time. Russian forces had lost their momentum and morale and were now taking a beating. They were surrounded and cut off from reinforcements. Her agents had mounted a desperate internal investigation within the legion in the guise of routine counter-intel operations. Mariam wanted to know who authorized this operation without her prior approval. When the investigation into the commanders came up empty, Mariam knew that Gellert had outsourced this. And there was only one who was able to accomplish such a feat.
Julius Giovanni. Mariam angrily thought to herself. This entire disaster has that scumbag's fingerprints all over it. If he had already presented Dumbledore's corpse to Grindelwald after all her denial about his existence in Russia – a swift execution for gross incompetency would have been the best possible fate. Having her innards rearranged and nails pulled out in a German torture chamber for suspected treachery would be the worst.
Mariam glanced at her enchanted mirror and saw multiple shadowy figures gathering outside her door, their intentions clear. Panic surged, but there was no time for it. Mariam forced her training to overcome her instincts and write the letter. A polite knock sounded on her door, but Mariam ignored it. Swiftly sealing the coded letter with precision, she placed it in the grasp of her trusty owl, its eyes reflecting the same anxiety that weighed on her heart. As the owl took flight, Mariam watched through the window, her fate momentarily irrelevant. What mattered was the letter—its secrets, her lifeline to allies in England. The Giovanis had a massive operating base in the United States, that was where her agents had last placed Julius to be. ECLIPSE needed to raid that place and turn it inside out. The knocking grew more aggressive, and Mariam could feel magic build up on the other side.
REDUCTO a muffled voice echoed, and her door was shattered into a thousand pieces. Robed men stormed into her office, pointing their wands at her.
It was up to ECLIPSE now to fight this war while she was temporarily incapacitated.
ONCE UPON A TIME
Dumbledores and Giovannis
The large cameras flashed and emitted smoke incessantly, capturing Kendra's flawless angles as she effortlessly shifted from one pose to the next. The crew, mesmerized by her elegance, worked fervently to capture every moment. As the shoot wound down, Kendra's assistant came in and whispered in her ear. Kendra's eyes widened in excitement at the message, and she walked out to meet her guest.
"Well, hello there, Percival," she said smoothly.
"Can we talk?" Percival didn't return the greeting but tightly said.
Kendra's brow furrowed. "Sure, I know a spot."
She led him to the back of the studio used by the support staff for a cigarette break. Percival pulled out his wand and cast several privacy spells so that they wouldn't be interrupted.
"What's going on, Percival?" she demanded, her tone sharp. "We agreed to cut things off!."
Now that there were no "civilian witnesses, Kendra's mask dropped, and the real self emerged.
Percival hesitated, then met her gaze. "Kendra, we need to talk about us, about our future."
Kendra's jaw tightened. "Go on."
Percival took a deep breath. "I promise you, Kendra, I will marry you. I'll keep up with the lifestyle you're accustomed to. We'll have everything we've ever dreamed of."
Kendra's eyes narrowed. "A promise, Percival? That's all you have to offer?"
Percival's expression turned serious. "No, not just that. I plan to submit my petition to the Ministry, to be recognized as a noble family and admitted to the Wizengamot. I'll run for election on the ministerial ticket. Minister Burke has promised me a cabinet position!"
Kendra couldn't help but contain a snort at that.
"And what makes you think you can do all that?" Kendra said. "You have zero idea of campaigning. No people skills. At best, you were the shy nerd at Hufflepuff if you forgot. Hell, you couldn't even get in the head boy post."
Percival's face tightened at Kendra's callousness, but he was persistent.
"If you stand by me, Kendra, we can make this happen. I can be the Interior Minister or the Foreign Ambassador, just like the ministerial candidate promised me." Percival said. "I'll work harder than anyone else. I'll make it happen for us. For you!"
"Ah-han. and What? I should spend the first decade of my marriage in your family's hovel?" Kendra spat.
Percival stepped closer; his voice filled with determination. "It'll be temporary, Kendra. We'll get through it. You have to trust me."
"I don't know, Percival. It sounds like a long shot." Kendra said. "A damned long shot."
"I know it does, but you know why Nott wants you, right? You're a Veela, and you'll be nothing more than a trophy wife for his son and his family's legacy. With me, you'll have the freedom to live your dreams, to be whoever you want to be." Percival said.
"A trophy wife to one of the richest families in Britain doesn't sound half bad," Kendra said.
"And if you will be mine," Percival said, taking her hands in his. "You will have wealth and power, but with freedom. Think of the freedom here Kendra!"
Kendra stared at him for a while. A million calculations ran in her brain as she tried to chart the best possible outcome for herself.
"You have a lot to prove, Percival," Kendra said.
Percival nodded a determined glint in his eyes. "I'll make you proud, Kendra. You'll see."
Kendra's shoulders sagged, a mix of reluctance and hope coloring her features. "I hope you do, Percival. I really do."
Percival pulled her into a tight embrace, whispering promises and reassurances as the bustling city life continued around them. The night enveloped them, its shadows casting a veil of uncertainty over their future.
A Broken Family
"Kendra, she is a girl! Give her time!" Percival roared at his wife.
The house gave a whining creek as it miserably shuddered at the force of the domestic dispute raging inside it. Emotions ran high during these arguments which directly fed the ambient magic around them. There was always a risk of uncontrollable magic raging about. Worse off, it always brought about panicked feelings within Arianna. She shuddered and wept uncontrollably outside the kitchen stairs as Aberforth desperately tried to comfort her.
"SHE IS ALMOST 12! EVEN HER HOGWARTS LETTER HASN'T ARRIVED!" Kendra roared back. "Face it, Percival, she is a squib now!"
"And what do you want me to do?! Throw my own daughter to the streets?!" Percival shouted.
"I want you to do your duty as a man! Go out there, get those bastards! Or better yet" She pointed upwards towards Arianna's room. "Get rid of the deadweight! For your campaign's sake if not us."
"Careful now woman, careful." Percival dangerously whispered.
"Carefulness can go to hell now, Percival. I am almost 32 now. I have given you three children. Everything you ever wanted; I have given you. I married you when no girl would even go to the ball with you!" Kendra shouted. "You promised me the Dumbledore name would be in Wizengamot by now. That living in this hovel would be temporary! That I could have whatever I wanted! For Merlin's sake, I rejected my father's preferred proposal from a Nott for you! A Veela rejecting a Nott!"
Percival stared angrily at her but said nothing. This only infuriated Kendra who renewed her barrage.
"And what have my sacrifice ever bore me? You have lost election bids twice now! If word got out how a bunch of muggles took us for fools and made our daughter a squib, what in damnation do you think would happen?!" Kendra said.
Percival threw his hands up in the air, grabbed his wand, and walked away from the kitchen.
"That's it, Percival, run away! That will solve all our problems! I never mistook you for a coward! My mistake forever putting up with you!" Kendra said and Percival resolutely marched away.
A violent shudder ran through Arianna as Percival violently slammed the door shut.
"Calm. Arianna. Calm. They are just angry. They don't mean any of that." Aberforth gently whispered to Ariana while gently patting her on the back. A snorting noise distracted the two as they raised their heads to see Kendra glaring down at them.
"Girl stops crying like a damned baby. You used to be a witch once. At least try to act like it!" Kendra said.
"It wasn't her fault, mother," Aberforth said.
"Or maybe if you didn't baby this puff all the time, she would grow a spine and regain her magic!" Kendra yelled and looked at Aberforth. "Or maybe if you were more of a man like your brother, Aberforth, you would have prevented this. Or maybe you would have avenged her if you were a real man!"
"Or maybe if you looked after us better instead of being on campaign trips all the time, this wouldn't have happened," Aberforth said and with lightning speed, Kendra pulled out her wand at pointed it squarely at Aberforth.
"Say that again, boy. I dare you." Kendra hysterically whispered while Aberforth defiantly glared at her.
"You heard me, woman. You are no mother. You are a gold digger!" Aberforth spat. A toxic blue glow emerged from Kendra's wand and Aberforth immediately screamed in pain and began desperately scratching at his skin.
"You ungrateful piece of shit." Kendra shrieked. "After everything I have done for you."
Aberforth kept screaming in pain while Arianna desperately grabbed at her mother's robe, begging her to stop hurting her brother.
"Expelliarmus." A calm voice intoned, and Kendra's wand was snatched from her wand and gently landed a few paces away. Kendra swirled around and paled at the new entrant. A bored-looking Albus lazily held his wand towards her.
"Albus dear! I was just- " Kendra began but Albus interrupted her.
"Leave now. Take a walk outside. Come back when your brain is working." Albus said and Kendra urgently nodded, picked up her wand, and went away. With a wave of his wand, Albus fixed Aberforth's wounds.
"Get yourself cleaned up," Albus said and walked away without sparing a glance towards a weeping Arianna.
A Woman's Ambition
"You are as much of a son to me as Albus is, Gellert." Kendra implored. "You don't need to leave."
"It's a pity then that my new brothers don't agree with you, Kendra," Gellert said as he packed his belongings. "Albus has made his decision. He has chosen Ariana over our great work."
A furious sigh left Kendra as her mind registered that name. In the waking hours of the morning, in the dark depths of the night, she cursed that name. She cursed that name for depriving her of a husband. She cursed herself for giving birth to such a pitiful creature who bore that name. Through angry tears, she gazed outside at the wide opulent houses. None of them belonged to her. She lived on the sidewalks in the maids' quarters, working dead-end jobs for families with too much wealth on their hands. After her husband went to jail for enacting justice upon the muggles, no respectable organization would hire her. Their election campaign had gone to the gutter, and she was all but persona non grata amongst the Eldermoor elite.
This will not be my fate. Kendra narrowed her eyes. If Albus was so keen on throwing away the future of his people, so be it. She could always make him see reason again. Kendra glanced at Gellert again, the neurotic fool had failed to make Albus see the right side of the history. For all his might and intellect, the young man was mightily stupid. He severely ignored the power of a smooth tongue. Gellert was always too absorbed in his world to know that sugar attracted a lot more flies than vinegar ever did. A boy at the age of 24, who with his looks, had yet to have a woman warm his bed. Kendra had lost everything, but she still had her blood. She was a born Veela. Kendra couldn't help but snort, this will be easy.
She ventured over to him hugged him from behind and whispered in his ear, "And me? Will my little boy leave me behind?"
Her hand dangerously trailed below his waist. Gellert's breath hitched in nervousness and his heart raced ahead. He couldn't muster a reply and Kendra deepened her embrace.
"Would my precious boy leave me behind in this squalor? Among squibs and inbred freaks?" Kendra said.
"N- no m-mummy." Gellert managed to nervously stammer out.
"Good boy." Kendra purred and whispered her plan in his ears. One of the houses that retained her services, the Giovannis, had a lot more going on in their dungeons than they let on. Things that could mightily aid Grindelwald in his conquest and inevitable triumph. All it took was 1 hour for her to access the secrets. One hour to uncover the Giovanni grimoire's location.
"Tell me, baby, do you know what an obscural is?" Kendra whispered and Gellert's eyes widened in response.
Deals in The Dark
Julius watched in satisfaction as his sire, Fabio Giovanni, was suddenly struck by a wave of magic and roared in pain. For far too long that pathetic fossil had dominion over him, forcing him to bow to his own cruel whims. His dying screams were the trumpet's roar that heralded his glorious freedom.
Who knew that a chance encounter with a veela working in his ancestral estate would pay such dividends? The Veela had delivered true to her word. A formidable cabal of wizards had laid sinister wards that trapped Fabio as soon as he entered the cave. Julius had earlier told him that there were artifacts of great power in that area. With Fabio kneeling over in pain, the wizards wasted no time in putting him to rest.
"Incarcerous," they said in unison, and metal chains wrapped themselves around the elder vampire. Julius emerged from the shadows with a kerosene can and flicking lighter, Fabio's eyes widened in horror as he looked at Julius. His mind instantly formed the connections, and he realized what had just happened. Fabio opened his mouth to plead for his life, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"Auf Wiedersehen," Julius said and set the vampire ablaze. Julius watched in barely contained mirth as the flames licked the flesh from his sire and reduced him to mere ash. Julius eagerly clapped like a child seeing his favorite magic trick.
"You have had your fun, sanguinaire." A voice said from behind Julius. "Now pay up."
Julius turned around to locate the source and grimaced briefly before putting on a winning smile. He bowed in respect to the wizard in front of him. When Kendra had approached him earlier with the scheme, he had doubted the boy wizard's prowess. Truly his skill exceeded all descriptions.
"But of course, Gellert." Julius smoothly said before pulling out vials of his own blood and tossing them to Kendra. "Just my a few drops of my blood and you will be a part of our velvet regency. Welcome to immortality, sister." Julius bowed towards her.
Kendra returned the bow with one of her own before Grindelwald's gaze deepened in annoyance. Julius took heed of his mood and snapped his fingers. Several thralls stepped forward and dropped trunks brimming with gold in front of Grindelwald.
"And of course, I will ensure that the Regency's considerable might is put at your disposal. Your holy work to combat the cancerous growth of the mundane world will benefit greatly from our grimoires." Julius said and Grindelwald's aura grew darker. Julius grew nervous at the wizard's ire.
"He wants to know about the obscural, my dear." Kendra's soft voice broke Julius's nervous disposition.
"Ah," Julius remarked. "Once we have the delivery, we will begin working on her instantly. Rest assured; you will have your weapon."
Neonate
A soft, eerie light filtered into the room, illuminating the interior of the ornate chamber. The young woman, once an old washed-up fashion model, now rose from her coffin with an eerie grace. Her eyes, now a brilliant shade of crimson, flickered with an otherworldly intensity as she surveyed her surroundings. A surge of power coursed through her veins, setting her senses alight in a symphony of stimuli she had never known. Her skin felt tight and her breasts supple.
Colors danced before her, vivid and pulsating, their hues richer and deeper than any she had seen in her mortal life. Shades she couldn't have possibly conceived of now weaved together in a breathtaking display; every corner of the room was alive with a vibrancy that seemed to surge from the very essence of her being. The scents of the chamber enveloped her, a dizzying array of aromas that teased her heightened senses. The subtle traces of incense, the lingering fragrance of aged leather-bound books, and the faint metallic tang of blood lingered in the air. Each scent beckoned to her, weaving a tapestry of allure and danger that only served to awaken her hunger further.
With newfound strength coursing through her muscles, she balled her hand into a fist, feeling the coiled power within her. With an abrupt motion, she struck the nearby wall, her knuckles connecting with a force that should have shattered the bone. Instead, the wall gave way, cracks spider-webbing outwards from the point of impact. A wicked grin tugged at the corners of her lips, revealing the sharp points of her elongated canines as her laughter echoed through the chamber. It was a laugh laced with both exhilaration and a hint of madness, reverberating off the walls and filling the air with an otherworldly resonance. She felt a surge of exhilaration coursing through her, the elation of newfound power, of being unshackled from the confines of mortal limitations. Her body, once fragile and vulnerable, now pulsed with an otherworldly strength that seemed to grow with every beat of her immortal heart.
As the echoes of her laughter subsided, the new vampire traced her fingers along the cracks in the wall, relishing the sensation of her newfound vitality. A clapping sound echoed from the shadows and the vampire snarled as turned to face the newcomer, tooth and claw, she would turn him into ribbon.
"I see you have taken well to the changes, Kendra." A man emerged from the shadows, and they pooled by his side. The pale specter loomed over the room; his smile betrayed his deathly yellow eyes evaluating Kendra.
Kendra snorted at the poor display of mind games and marched right over to the vampire.
"I am yours, Julius." She said and bent the man's neck and kissed him on the lips. "Now and forevermore."
"The Giovannis will not know what hit them. We will rule them, my dear." Julius remarked to which Kendra laughed in sarcasm.
"Such pitiful ambition, Julius, I took you for a greater conqueror," Kendra said and Julius raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Don't tell me your father's death has made you soft," Kendra said.
"It hasn't," Julius said through gritted teeth.
"It better not. I don't take weak men to warm my bed." Kendra said and with lightning speed, Julius grabbed her throat and lifted her from the ground.
"Such an insolent welp." Julius spat out, his eyes now blazing with fury. "Not a mere whole day into the midnight, and you already carry yourself with the arrogance of an Elder."
Kendra's dead lungs no longer fought for air as eldritch parasites now sustained her form. She smirked down at Julius which further annoyed him.
"Perhaps I should unmake your right here, right now. Teach you your new place in the hierarchy." Julius said as he made a knife hand and aimed for her heart. Kendra now openly laughed at him. Her eyes glowed and Julius felt a vision overtaking him. Flashes of Grindelwald's wrath crossed his mind as he saw the entire manor burning to cinders and ash. Staked vampires mounted on the front lawn. An involuntary shudder ran through Julius at the sight of such blazing fire and his inner beast howled in panic. Julius's grip weakened and his hand wavered.
This was all Kendra needed as she brought a knee to Julius's jaw and knocked him away from her. With a flourish, Kendra pulled out her wand and yelled, "CRUCIO!"
Julius howled for minutes on end, but Kendra didn't relent. His muscles pulled till they simply tore apart and his eyes bled blood. Seeing his state, Kendra relented and pulled her wand away from him.
"Let me make this clear, Julius," Kendra said as she grabbed his hair in a tight fist. "The new pecking order has me as the Alpha. ME."
She took his face and smashed it into the marble floor below before picking it back up.
"The Giovannis will follow me. You will expedite my rise into the higher circles." She yelled and slammed his head again. "The Giovannis will pledge fealty to me!"
Julius groaned in pain as his eyes were dazed.
"My son, Gellert, expects their total loyalty. When he doesn't get what he wants." She squeezed his cheeks. "He tends to reduce things into cinders and ashes. Especially, uppity vampires who don't know their place in life. I am a mage-undead, you are merely undead. Do not forget your place in the hierarchy here."
She let him fall limply to the ground. Kendra conjured a towel and threw it in his hand.
"Clean the floor up when you are up. You make a disgusting mess." Kendra said and left the bedroom.
Giovanni Manor Summer Gala
United States
It was as if he sipped on molten tar and was trying to swallow it. The happy "high" Morrigan and he shared had lasted for just about one night. Harry knew deep down that it wasn't something serious or possibly long-term. She was THE Morrigan Riddle after all. Seeing her in an elegant cocktail dress of green and silver with a fur fox over her shoulders and hair braided up, was a startling experience.
The dress was dark, and Harry felt as if the starry pattern on it shifted and danced as Morrigan moved from charming one guest to another. Purple eyes excitedly glowing, she gave more smiles & told jokes to total strangers than Harry had seen her give to fellow students at Slytherin. For a moment, she caught Harry's gaze as he served drinks to a guest and winked at him. Harry immediately blushed bright red like a tomato.
BUT.
Seeing her on the arm of Abraxas Malfoy, beaming in delight as she interacted with the guests was another thing. A primal wolf howled in his chest seeing her with someone else. He didn't quite know where and why these feelings emerged from. For a moment, Harry wished he had Ron to complain to. A little boy-to-boy talk would have done good for him. He spied a smirking Charlus Potter looking at him with a knowing expression and Harry internally groaned. Morrigan had laid down the law earlier.
The Malfoys had been invited to the summer gala and Abraxas would be representing the family since he had now graduated. Thus, Morrigan had simply tagged along as his companion for the evening. This is how she would infiltrate the manor without having too many security and background checks performed on her.
Harry on the other hand had infiltrated as part of the waiting staff since Morrigan had "re-arranged" their memories of the last night. A freckleface redhead with a scar on his cheek stood in Harry's stead, courtesy of his metamorph abilities. It was too great a risk for Kendra to recognize his preferred form.
Charlus had joined them earlier and after overhearing the words "Grindelwald" and "Dumbledore" had insisted on joining. Morrigan had vehemently denied the "request", but Harry had been pragmatic about it. Given the sheer opposition he faced in the manor earlier, mundane and magical, Harry had insisted on bringing Charlus over. The boy was a dueling champion in Gryffindor, second only to Morrigan and Arcturus Black in the school-wide rankings. Besides, Harry knew his own hot-blooded tendency to chase after action. It would be impossible for Charlus Potter to stay confined to his hospital blood and recover while his father was missing. Thus, it would be better if he made trouble where Harry could easily reach him. Unfortunately, that made Harry the but of his jokes about being a leftover for Morrigan.
A muggle senator slobbered all over the Giovanni ladies as he talked about his achievements.
"My dears, I assure you, nobody thinks of American sons more than me. I will not have them die in droves for a European war between cousins." He droned. "As far as I'm concerned, they should keep their war within their shores. What has Adolf Hitler ever done to us that we should fight him? Or what has Churchill ever done for us that we should fight for him?"
The ladies giggled behind their champagne glasses and tittered the man with compliments.
"So compassionate!"
"Hear hear!"
"Lovely!"
The senator blushed at the female attention and slobbered on. Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes at the display. Was he really that stupid to not recognize the psychological manipulation that the Giovannis were subjecting him to? Clearly, they didn't want the muggles to attack Grindelwald's Germany and this fool was playing the perfect donkey.
Harry carried the champagne tray around at offered it to various guests present there. Cassiopeia Black had sent Morrigan concoctions that she had insisted Harry place in the booze cylinders of the Giovanni cellars. The entire ballroom was serenaded by musicians and people had begun to dance. Harry's annoyance rose as he saw Abraxas pull Morrigan tightly towards him. His face leaned into her own. The two waltzed gently on the floor as old lovers. As Abraxas's eyes met Harry's, he smiled knowingly towards Harry.
For a moment Harry panicked that Abraxas might have recognized him beneath his disguise. The moment passed as Abraxas broke his gaze and smiled the same way toward another young man.
Bastard. Harry seethed. He's just showing her off.
A heavy hand patted him on the shoulder and Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"There. There. Harry. Plenty of other fish in the sea." Charlus said. "To be honest, she was a bit tall for you."
"For the last time, Charlus, we are not a thing," Harry said and Charlus chuckled.
"Of course, Harry. Of course." Charlus said.
The dances got more aggressive as people drank more. Some guests had already been escorted out by security for being too aggressive with the women. A few sharp sounds of slaps being delivered echoed as Charlus discreetly slipped more drops into the champagne. The area got more crowded as the Giovanni hostess scrambled around trying to get the waiters to stop serving alcohol. Harry discreetly followed her casting confundus on her, as she forgot to repeatedly give orders.
Harry saw Abraxas and Morrigan discreetly break away from the dance floor and head to a private quarter. Harry took this as his cue and signaled Charlus to trail him. The party was now in a full-blown brawl session. Guests threw chairs at each other, and women pulled at hairs. A few loud ringing shots went off as men now engaged in pistol duels. The two slipped into a storeroom and armed themselves. Harry nervously palmed the prototype Edurus potion, a lot was riding on these prototypes should things go south.
Cry Havoc!
Morrigan was pleased as the sounds of a riot outside broke into the restroom. While her other two compatriots swore up and then prepared themselves, Morrigan struggled not to break into a giddy dance. This was a chance. One that she had sought out for so long.
The wards. The magic. The Giovannis. And now the Vampires.
Morrigan smiled ear to ear as magic brimmed around her. All the endless hours spent in Hogwarts, practicing in hidden rooms, training in dungeons, forcing the ghosts to answer her, and mastering the basilisk away from the overarching foolish Dumbledore - all had led to this moment. She could unleash herself fully without anyone restraining her. Her might and magic against one of the oldest families in the world.
Old wealth and overarching tradition vs limitless ambition.
Morrigan grinned as she stripped and prepared to don the "armor" Harry had prepped for her. A door clicked as someone entered the room and Morrigan scowled as she spotted a pale head approach her.
"You look lovely today, dear Morrigan," Abraxas said, making no effort to hide the fact he was openly leering at her.
"Abraxas," Morrigan said. "You are intruding."
"Come now. What's there to be shy of between us? You are to be the future Lady Malfoy." Abraxas said and Morrigan stiffened as he hugged from behind. She could feel him harden behind her as he groped her. Morrigan saw red.
"How about we celebrate the occasion here -" Abraxas said and was blown away and slammed into the wall behind him. Abraxas groaned in pain as his breath was knocked out and he felt a rib or two cracked.
Morrigan stood over Abraxas and pointed his own wand at him, "Imperio."
The Dark Trio
Harry | Morrigan | Charlus
The three sneaked away into the deeper recesses of the manor Abraxas grinned stupidly and guarded their rear. Harry pointedly led the group since he knew the manor best from amongst the trio. He stood outside the main meeting with the creepy skull and proceeded to open it. The door resolutely remained shut despite numerous charms cast on it.
A clapping sound echoed throughout the room. The trio instantly moved into formation as various figures emerged from the shadowed corners of the room and surrounded them.
"Brava, children. Brava." A lead voice said and stepped into the shadows. A bald man with pale dry skin stood clapping in front of them. He bowed elegantly in front of them.
"Hugo. At your service." He introduced himself.
"Not many would be bold enough to venture into the Giovanni stronghold after witnessing our dark side," Hugo said. "Nice little distraction outside if I must say so. You almost would have gotten deeper if we didn't expect you."
Hugo grinned, exposing rows of pointed monstrous teeth.
"So now little mages, what do you intend to do - " He never got to finish his monologue as Riddle leveled her wand at him and chanted,
"Incendio!" A wave of flame burst from her wand and raced towards the man. Meanwhile, Charlus let out a large surge of magic and conjured a potent magical shield around them.
"There isn't enough of you leeches here to stop us," Morrigan remarked as all the vampires dashed away from her conjured flames. The flames were strengthened by her magic and split into various shapes of fire serpents that chased after the vampires.
A vampire dodged a fire serpent's lunge with preternatural reflexes and ran towards them with claws bared. Charlus fired a stupefy at him, striking the man squarely in the chest. He fell down groaning while the serpent behind it bit him in his neck. The vampire quickly caught fire and combusted. Charlus laughed at the fallen foe.
"Is that all Grindelwald has?" Charlus mocked. "I am going have to kick my dad's ass for getting beat by your sorry lot."
"Fine" Hugo spat out. "Let's even the odds!"
"Guards! Guards!" He shouted and Harry could feel magic emanating from him as sound waves were directed to specific rooms. Morrigan saw through distributed snitches as various coffins were opened in the areas where Harry had planted seeds. Besides that, muggle guards armed with Winchester rifles were running from the guard room towards the combat site. Dealing with them would allow the vampires to cast their spells at them.
This is your moment, Harry! Morrigan transmitted to him. Harry who had been saving his meager reserves in the face of Morrigan and Charlus' formidable sorcery, jumped into action. Pulling out his own wand, he sent a coded pulse of magic to all the areas where he had planted the seeds. The vampires were now retaliating with their own limited magicks. Some extinguished the flames with blood magic and their own bloodline disciplines. A sharp pain echoed as one of the vampires fired mental probes at him from an unknown location. He couldn't tell through the pain if others felt it as well but could see that Charlus had stopped firing spells. Harry grinned through the pain as he heard a rumbling sound throughout the manor.
The vampires now focused on Charlus's shield and struck at it with fists that collided at inhuman speeds. Some had descended into loose stances and Harry could see constructs of blood magic in the shape of spears strike at them. Morrigan retaliated by firing broad arcs of electricity at them to keep them away from the shield.
Suddenly, large plants the size of men tore through the grounds of the Giovani manor where Harry had planted the seeds. They sprayed out spores and wherever they landed on fertile ground, lesser variants of the plant sprouted forth. The venomous tentacula dotted the manor in all their toxic, fuming glory. In an instant, it got to work. The muggles in the guard room were sprayed with acid and instantly incapacitated. They howled in pain as the acid melted their weapons, limbs, and the area around them.
Those who avoided the grisly fate in the guard room were beset by other plants Harry had created inspired by the whomping willow. They swung heavy vines at the guards and broke their bones or tightly wrapped themselves around the guards. Meanwhile, the vampires struggled to break open their coffins as the devil's snare wrapped itself around them. Soon they began to feel their bones shatter as they struggled in vain against it. Some of the stronger vines pierced the Vampire's hearts rendering a final death on them. A few of the older vampires summoned leftover magick from their bodies and clan gems and conjured magical shields to protect themselves.
When freed, they went in a feeding frenzy upon the guests. As the blood gushes down their throats, they tore open the hostile semi-sentient plant life with their bare hands and marched towards their battle site. Morrigan frowned briefly in annoyance at three vampires approaching their location before her battle lust gripped her. The vast majority had fallen victim to Harry's plan and the Giovanni vampires had foolishly broken the statute by exposing themselves to Muggles. Morrigan took solace in the knowledge that a few muggles and wizards had run away safely. A few witnesses and all the government bodies would ignore their involvement in the face of such massive crimes. Not even the Giovanni fortunes could help manage against the charges of high treason involved whenever the statute of secrecy was broken.
She gestured to Charlus to lower his shield and stepped forward as both sides briefly stopped dueling to take a breather. She cracked her knuckles and stretched her knuckles as her wand let out dangerously colored lights.
"All righty-roo" Morrigan sang. "Now that we are even. Who's next?"
And that was enough to launch the room into renewed combat and individual duels broke out.
Morrigan Riddle
Morrigan jumped forward and chased after Hugo and his older vampire reinforcement. They fired at her with guns and blood-red arcs of energy, but the wards of Harry's armor design held firm. Morrigan dodged a particularly nasty burst of red arc and retaliated.
"CONFRINGO" Morrigan yelled as a burst of flame arced away from her location. Hugo yelled as he was caught in the arc but was saved by his partner promptly dosing out the flames with blood. The third member clawed at her with inhuman speed. Morrigan was slow to dodge in front of the man's speed. The claw connected and Morrigan was launched out into a tea garden and flew through a wooden table. Hugo and his associates surrounded her from all sides. Morrigan braced herself for an attack, but it never came. Instead, the vampires started to run around her at high speeds. Morrigan gasped as she struggled to breathe. For a split second, a vampire would break formation to swiper at her with his claws. The blows cut her, leaving her bleeding but her ward stopped the worst of the damage.
Morrigan gasped "I-i-incde- incendio!"
But the flame instantly went out the moment it left her wand. Then it her.
The leeches are creating an air vacuum! Morrigan seethed.
I will be a damned moron if I let them kill me like this. Morrigan thought as her analytical mind broke down the situation around her. She saw Harry sending coded pulses of magic as Charlus defended him from oncoming attackers. An idea sparked to life inside her brain. She slammed her panic down with her occlumency shields and time seemed to slow around her. Morrigan focused on non-verbal casting and surged her magic into a single spell. She bent the magic into surrounding her body and exploding away from her.
In her mind, she whispered the word, "Currux Aqua!"
A wave of electrified water burst away from her body and struck the running water. They howled as they broke their stride and fell onto the ground. Morrigan looked on in satisfaction as they supported electrical burns on their body and their clothes were burnt. With a wave of her wand, Morrigan conjured the nearby furniture into long spears.
"Incendio" She pointed her wand at the spears as they were ablaze. She aimed the flaming spears at the three vampires. The two others dodged but Hugo was at too great an angle to dodge. The spear struck him through the heart and then impaled itself into the ground. The other two left out snarls of disbelief at the sight and went invisible.
Pathetic cowards. Morrigan thought and grinned. She spied footprints rapidly approaching her in the water puddle from the earlier spell.
Pathetic and Stupid Cowards. Morrigan corrected herself. She jumped onto a wooden table nearby and pointed her wand at the puddle. An electric current roared out of her wand and into the water "pond". The two approaching vampires roared in pain and shuddered uncontrollably as thousands of watts flowed through them. Soon their bodies caught fire and they perished. Morrigan admired her handiwork for a moment before moving to join the others.
Harry and Charlus knew they were in trouble. Their main hammer had ventured to do battle outside against Hugo and his friends, they hadn't seen Morrigan since. The vampires were striking them with relentless speed and blood magic. They had yet to tank a significant blow but it was only a matter of time before the vampires got lucky. Charlus's Potter genes shined as he transfigured numerous furniture articles into golems and animals to attack the vampires. Unfortunately, Charlus was no master, and his transfiguration required time. Time that Harry had to buy with a measly core allowing him to cast only the most mediocre of combat spells. In desperation, Harry glanced at his satchel and saw mewling forms of mandrakes.
He whirled towards Charlus, "Charlus! Force them into a frontal arc facing me."
Thankfully Charlus didn't question him and forced two flaming fire wheels into an arc that the vampires jumped to avoid. Harry deftly cast silencing charms on Charlus and himself before pulling out the shrieking mandrakes. Both Charlus and the Vampires paused and stared bizarrely at Harry.
"The fuck is - " Charlus began before his eyes widened as he recognized the wand movement and he dove into cover behind a pillar.
"Sonorous Maxima!" Harry whispered and the mandrakes' shrieks grew tenfold in amplitude. The keen hearing of the vampires overwhelmed them immediately, and they all bled from their ears. Some clutched their skulls and clawed at their eyes and ears in sheer agony. Charlus openly gaped at the macabre spectacle. Harry once again pointed the wand and repeated the spell. The sheer magnitude of the sound waves crushed the skulls of the vampires, their eyes liquified, and their chests caved in. A few brief moments of silence followed as Harry and Charlus took in the entire carnage.
"Holy hell Harry." Charlus took in the sight and whistled. Harry merely shrugged in response. Now was not the time to debate morality when Dumbledore's life and by extension, the entire war effort, was at stake. A polite cough interrupted the impending argument. Charlus and Harry immediately turned and raised their wands for combat. An annoyed Morrigan was standing behind them massaging her ears in circles to comfort it. She glared at Harry.
"Too loud, babe. Too loud." She said.
"Whatever" Harry muttered, and this time turned and blew apart the conference room's doors. Morrigan dragged a bleeding Giovani vampire who was still alive and smeared his blood all over the strange skull. The hidden passageway opened with a grumble. Meanwhile, Morrigan drove a stake through the panicking vampire's heart. Charlus watched the entire proceedings with eyes wide open.
"Remind me to never get on the bad side of you two," Charlus said and Morrigan and Harry looked at him. The two then faced each other and it seemed as if they were telepathically communicating before Harry simply shrugged and went inside the open passageway. Morrigan followed behind him. Neither of them noticed Charlus briefly looking around before casting a brief spell that placed a glowing, green-colored rune on the door.
A few moments later, the rune glowed red and a squad apparated inside the hallway. Their robes were tattered, and their faces bruised, as if they had been in combat. The insignia tattooed on their neck bore ECLIPSE markings. Without a word, the squad moved in the opened pathway.
Harry tried not to focus on the delirious Abraxas Malfoy walking around like he was at a princely affair. Charlus, still mortified by the earlier violence, grimly stared at the ward before them. The red halo of the library door infuriated the three of them like no tomorrow. It was like a serene siren's song that always remained elusive. The closer you got to it, the farther it seemed.
"Lumos Revelatio." Harry intoned and his wand lit up to display the sheer magnitude of the ward strains interlocking with each other. Bypassing them was practically impossible since they spanned all the surface area around them and went deep into the earth. Harry took deep breaths and focused on the task at hand. His job was to keep Morrigan's ward breaching attempts safe. She had someone on a magical two-way mirror, an obstruction spell on it prevented Harry from truly gauging their identity. While Morrigan worked at remaking the core aspects of the security ward, Harry tried to guard her attempts. The ward was truly ingenious by design. Whenever one worked on the ward to unlock it, a set of time-triggered spells immediately went to work to prevent the breach. The spells were in response to your breaching attempt.
Morrigan's attempt to overcharge via electricity was responded to by a spell marking her as a conductor, petrifying her, and throwing the current back at her. Luckily, Harry was able to spot the magical build-up and neuter it in time by casting an illusion spell on that particular security set. It was as if the wards were sentient in their own way. Morrigan and her hidden companion spoke to each other about quickly appearing esoteric magic that Harry couldn't even begin to follow. He spied a frown on Charlus's face and felt better about himself. He wasn't the only one here who felt completely out of depth.
"The wards comprise around at least a million strains," Morrigan said to her companion.
"That explains its retaliation measures. The ward isn't sentient. It just has a long list of probabilities that it cross-examines as a breach attempt is underway." The companion said.
"I wager it stores information about all the breach attempts to strengthen itself," Morrigan said.
"Most likely." The companion said. "I would recommend an alternative approach. In a language the ward isn't used to."
"Stupid." Morrigan spat out. "The Giovannis have been around for more than 400 years. Do you honestly believe there is a -"
Harry could feel the other companion begin to wither under her diatribe before Morrigan paused. A look passed in her eyes and Harry could tell she had come up with a plan. Abraxas immediately stepped up to Morrigan and faced the wall. Morrigan waved her wand towards Charlus, and he grumbled some more about not being trusted despite everything.
Abraxas grabbed his own wand from Morrigan and started chanting in Parseltongue.
Fucking hell. He's under an imperious!. Harry theorized. Neither Malfoy Sr nor his brat, Draco, had been a parselmouth in his time. He highly doubted Abraxas was a parselmouth. She pulled out a vial and poured it over the entire door frame. It sizzled furiously and Harry recognized it as basilisk venom. His arm jittered in pain for a split second as the phantom pain of a previous life followed him, but Harry reigned it in control. He could feel the security aspects of the ward panicking at the unknown breach attempt, but Harry was relentless. He poured his magic in and prevented the ward from materializing any defense. He tricked the ward into thinking that it had acid pouring on its sold foundation walls. The ward merely flushed water down its walls which merely aggravated the basilisk venom.
At this point, Abraxas conjured a knife, slit his palms, and placed it against the wards. He shuddered violently and wailed in pain before Morrigan silenced him with a charm. His silent howls were far worse than the previous thing. Abraxas then promptly fainted.
The red hue of the ward began to fade away. And it gave way with a small pop. Morrigan smiled triumphantly in response. Not even she was able to control her emotions at such a feat. Harry meanwhile relaxed, the sooner Morrigan looted the library, the sooner he could get her to help out Dumbledore. Not waiting for an invitation, Morrigan walked inside and pulled out a bag with a bottomless pit charm applied to it.
Morrigan liberally put artifacts and magic tomes inside the bag. She spotted the Giovanni family grimoire sitting proudly in the middle of the library. This was not what she was here for. Morrigan tossed the bag to Harry and instructed him to square it all away. Her pulse quickened as she heard faint whispers of parseltongue echoing in her mind. She went deeper into the library and grinned like a child in a sweet shop when her eyes met the spine of the book.
Magic Most Evile.
& Let Loose The Hounds Of War!
Harry and Charlus went around liberally dumping everything they put their hands around into the bag.
Coins from bygone dynasties? Check.
Rune engraved cauldrons? Check.
Dubious seeds and potion bottles? Check.
Armor and weapons that emanated sinister whispers? Check.
The looting spree was interrupted by the clapping sounds of a man and woman.
"Brava," The man remarked.
"Brava indeed," The woman said.
"I must commend you on your efforts young ones. Tearing down the wards to Giovanni's ancestral library is a task all neonates have dreamt of for centuries. Yet you have down that within 25 minutes." The woman said. "As satisfying as it would be to finish this tale of high thievery on a happy note – you know the thief slipping away, I'm afraid I can't quite let that happen."
"A parselmouth to boot." The man said.
"And they got rid of the annoying neonates. Also, that one is a metamorph." The woman said and looked directly at Harry with sickly yellow eyes, "Blood smells the same kitten, no matter how much you hide it."
The woman cackled at Harry's panicked face and said, "A parselmouth and a metamorph. Most amazing specimen, wouldn't you agree dear Julius?"
"Most amazing indeed, dear Kendra." The man said. "I am sure the other one has his uses as well."
She stepped forward and said, "I will be needing the family grimoire back my dear kittens. Also, the artifacts."
Harry and Charlus exchanged a look.
"Oh, don't worry kittens. You will be rewarded for your mighty deeds far beyond mere trinkets. My Lord Grindelwald will be most interested in hearing of your deeds today." The man said.
"Oh yes, he is quite the entrepreneur." The woman said and extended her bleeding wrists. "Come and sup from my veins, children. Shed your mortal bonds! Join us at the midnight!"
Charlus let out a bark of sarcastic laughter. Harry spied on Morrigan casting invisibility on herself and getting in a favorable firing position behind the duo. Harry frowned as she didn't immediately attack them.
"Something funny, boy?" The man said.
"I would rather die than join that raving lunatic Grindelwald." Charlus spat out. "He isn't winning much these days, is he? Surrounded on all sides in cold Russia. I hear he whimpers like a bitch while the bear encircles him."
The woman pulled out her wand in response with a crazed expression and shrieked, "Say that again blasphemer. I dare you!"
Damned blazes. She is an undead witch. Morrigan said through their mental link as they all eyed her wand.
"Oh, I dare do much more. You leeches think you have a monopoly on cunning here." Charlus said. "The thing is you lost this game the moment you walked in tonight."
Both Harry and the vampire duo nervously frowned at Charlus's confidence. Harry hoped against hope that the brash Gryffindor actually had a plan instead of needlessly goading them. The man snarled in annoyance and clapped his hands. Harry's eyes widened as 10 vampires materialized out of shadows and surrounded them.
"You did well against brute neonates and newly awakened old ones, kid. I will give you that." Julius said. "Now let's see you fight the Regency's elite."
Harry felt ice trail down his spine as he felt Morrigan panicking through their shared mental connection. Meanwhile, Charlus couldn't stop laughing.
Harry. Brace yourself. Charlus isn't responding. I will porky us out of here. Morrigan said for the first time in anything but supreme confidence.
"What is so damned funny?" Kendra snarled at Charlus.
"Even a lion cunningly stalks its prey before pouncing, leech. Always remember that." Charlus said as he wiped his glasses without a care in the world. "Now let's even the odds, shall we?"
Charlus raised his wand in the air, "ECLIPSE troops! Rally to me!"
A bright flash broke out in the middle of the room blinding everyone, but Charlus was faster and shielded Harry. The rest of them weren't so lucky as the vampire's enhanced sight took a while to recover. It was at that moment all pandemonium broke loose in the room and another mass duel began.
Author Notes:
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Point 1: Magic most evile will be very different from cannon and the grimoire has a role to play in the future. The build-up is here for a reason. The undead witch/wizard thing will also be explained later.
Point 2: Some folks pm'd me say that a dude like Harry should have been able to solo the Giovanni manor since the neonate did it as well. I want to point out that the neonate was at worst embraced by Caine, at best by a methuselah. That's why they throw around level 6 or 7 abilities without breaking a sweat. And advance to that within months. At that point, the neonate is a demigod not a more kindred. Imagine if Ur Shulgi, Baba Yaga, or Helen Troy showed up to your hideout as you chill with your buddies and wanted smoke. That's how bad the neonate is. Harry is not a demigod. Infact his core is effd up.
Point 3: I am almost done clearing up the prior chapter's grammar and stuff. Had to post this cuz my publishing deadline was coming up. Fixing things is a number 1 priority. I have no idea why tf my line breaks or dividers aren't showing up for this chapter. This is the 4th time i have updated the doc. Lemme know if y'all still seeing weird paragraphs. ffs this is bad now, 5th update i have added titles so its easier to read. If you have issues here, try reading it on A03.
Lemme know what you think of the fic so far. How do you like the lore? What do you like or dislike about the new characters (Kendra and Julius)? Please Review. I love hearing from y'all. 3 Keep me in your prayers. Have an amazing weekend ahead! :) :)