Kneel to Peverell Might: Book 4: The Prisoner

by Lord Anvil

Harry and his friends take pilgrimages, to find 'old magic' and new allies. Meanwhile, many students begin to suspect the game being played, and they take measures. Servants of the Dark Lord return and alliances are forged. Battles are fought, and innovations rapidly advance. Many are deceived. Harry has his pieces and the noose is around their necks - time to start pulling.

14. Chapter 14: The end of the skirmish

Chapter 14: The end of the Skirmish

Part I: Backdoor negotiations

For the past two hours, Lucius Malfoy had impatiently tapped his fingers on the end of his silvered cane.

As his fingers traced the engraved snake, he considered how everything had changed. It felt like an unseen oppressive presence had come into his world, and it continued to watch his every move. Lucius for all his intuitions, was quite right – however, he equated the 'presence' to the 'mudbloods', 'blood traitors' and 'the hag and the hooligan'.

Well, the hag and the hooligan were spying on him, so no surprise there.

Of course, 'Fudge' was not a stupid man. Cornelius understood that Lucius would eventually expose his skeletons. However, that was no issue now – Sirius had bought Cornelius indirectly through the property deal. Cornelius even if he was eventually disgraced, had enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. He therefore considered one of his best kept secrets and decided to make it accessible to Lucius. He would indirectly provide Lucius Malfoy with the Veritaserum nullification potion, through an untraceable contact.

This was the same potion that allowed the Minister to lie to Lucius about Sirius Black, approximately three years ago.

The darker purebloods would believe that Lucius still had his ear. The perpetrators would not be punished, and Cornelius would continue to be unaffected. Of course, by the time they figured out what 'Lord Black' had purchased around Hogwarts, it would be too late. Cornelius understood the real message - Money talked, and everybody else would have to walk.

Cornelius had done the deal privately through the Goblins, with a small team of Ministry retainers. The offer for the property itself was not in any way unconstitutional. Rather usually such a massive purchase would have been front page news, and the involved parties had opted for silence. Only after the purchase was finished, did Lord Black offer a personal commission to everyone for their 'services' and their 'continued silence'. Cornelius Fudge understood his role – there was a time when he would have never dared to cross Lucius Malfoy. However, now he was not anyone of great importance, anymore. The dumpty old man planned to keep the purebloods off his case, until his early retirement, which would occur right after the Quidditch World Cup. Pius Thickness as the Minister of Magic, would continue to administer everything as he saw fit.

The previous negotiations about the Hogwarts attackers, had been rather expedited. Albus Dumbledore was insistent that the trial be held with the assistance of Veritaserum. Augusta, Cyrus and Reginald had also argued for a selective open carry weapons agreement. As for the open murder that Neville and the rest had committed, Andromeda and Lorna had presented a solid case that could not be overturned. After all, there had been enough public witnesses to corroborate the claims.

As these parties left Cornelius' office, some stares that we traded amongst everyone.

Lucius found Cyrus and Reginald's open adoption of classy but casual clothing, to be disgusting. However, he found himself intimidated by the men. Lucius was quite tall but was weedy with hardly any muscle mass. Cyrus and Reginald easily gathered many stares from the other young women at the Ministry. With the continual training of William Granger, they were quite muscled and coordinated now. Lucius even wondered if the pair of neutral men had learnt muggle fighting – it had made their daughters dangerous enough to kill fully grown pureblood Lords. As far as Lucius Malfoy was concerned, the Dark Lord would deal with them for a dereliction of their ancestral duties, and for deserting the old blood. That their daughters would dare to strike at their superiors? And to kill them? No, the Dark lord would hunt them down, even if they were migrating elsewhere.

Augusta Longbottom walked along the black tiled corridor, with a small smirk on her face. She was quite aware that Lucis had challenged her via his goons. And yet, she had put them down. The altercation had happened almost three years ago, and Augusta had hospitalised the men with gouging curses. According to the men, her ability to shield was unparalleled and 'as swift as the wind, with no wand movements'.

Lorna Findlay continued to puzzle Lucius. He could not find a single scrap of information about the woman, within the magical world. All he knew was that the woman was muggleborn but was politically savvy enough to be quite dangerous. In her eclectic green coloured tartan clothing, she gave off the air of a mad Scottish woman who was afraid of nothing. The energy was quite similar to Minerva McGonagall, who was another woman Lucius passionately hated. Lucius had heard the rumours – Lorna was a woman who could locate any conceivable resource, as long as it existed.

Finally, was Andromeda Tonks, who had a small knowing smile on her face. Lucius considered her to be the most dangerous adversary of all. She had one of the most powerful retaining firms in the magical world. The success of her firm had happened overnight, and no local retainers would dare to challenge her firm. The additional rumours were that Findlay and Tonks had the ear of the I.C.W. As long as they won the case, the 'traitors' would be able to levy international support. Lucius was not sure how to deal with this impasse, short of having his sister-in-law and the 'mudblood wench' assassinated. Once again he frowned about international interference in English matters – Lucius had always believed in isolationist policies.

As the group walked out of the hall, a small but petite brown-haired girl announced Lucius' presence.

"Lord Malfoy, the Minister of Magic will receive you now," the woman curtly replied, as Lucius followed the girl and say down in the empty chair. The girl then made herself scarce.

---

"Good day Minister," Lucius continued, as he greeted Cornelius politely.

"Good day Lord Malfoy. What can I do for you?" Cornelius asked.

"Surely you have heard about the recent attack at Hogwarts. I find it strange that the Wizengamot assembly has been cancelled for the next three sessions. There are many concerns that I would have preferred to express," Lucius replied.

"Indeed. You, and many others. Well Lord Malfoy, I will be frank with you. Bellatrix Lestrange has been a terror, for a very long time. And anybody who is associated with her, is considered to be not of the right sort. I cannot say I understand the specifics as we are pending a formal investigation. But anybody who was considered to be in cahoots with her will not be forgiven by the public," Cornelius replied calmly.

"And rightfully so. Our complaints are about her! She is not considered to be a family friend. And surely you know that he-who-must-not-be-named could coerce many into serving him. That is something that I am intimately familiar with – and many families were coerced into taking actions that were not of their own design. And Bellatrix was responsible? And for those families that were coerced, they should be rightfully advocated for?" Lucius replied.

The silver blond haired man carefully examined the face of Cornelius. Lucius understood that Bellatrix was safe, and that she would return. Until then he would use her as a convenient scapegoat to serve the Dark Lord's agenda. Cornelius nodded in understanding at Lucius before he replied.

"I am sympathetic to the situation. I understand that the elements of he-who-must-not-be-named must still linger in our society. But the public has been turning, in their opinion. It may not be up to me. Aren't you curious as to what was discussed by the individuals who left my office?" Cornelius suggested.

"Is what they have discussed relevant to me, Minister? Because if they could have their way, they would bury everything that is responsible for producing this system that we live in. And they would do it gladly. A system which you have benefitted from, quite immensely" Lucius insinuated, quite quietly.

"And they might have their way, according to the public. However, there is always the exploit, and I might be able to offer something that recently came to my attention. After all, we have been associates for so long. And I trust your judgement." Cornelius replied.

Lucius lifted his chin with an approving nod, as Fudge continued.

"I will explain some of the details, so you may be properly informed. Honestly, all attackers who survived the night, are seen as possible suspects. That also includes the six young men who disappeared from the Hogwarts, along with their mothers. Perhaps they were coerced, and that is why the young men had no choice. Fair enough. Your son is considered a suspect, along with Ms. Pansy Parkinson because of his comments. The public noted that he, Ms. Parkinson and some other students had laughed when Longbottom was confronted by Bellatrix. Also, Ms. Ethro is a prime suspect, because she knew the altered password for the dorm room."

"That cannot be possible. Ms. Jade Ethro?" Lucius asked, as he feigned ignorance.

"Lucius, Tracey Davis was able to open the Slytherin common room because she obtained the password from the girl. And she did not do that gently. Rather, the Davis girl physically assaulted Ms. Ethro until she confessed, under pain. The girl is offering to have a third party verify her memory, via a pensive. Lord Davis is confident that his daughter can give a binding magical oath, and that is territory we rather not thread with. I am not saying that you do not have a high opinion of Ms. Ethro. I am saying that it seems that Ms. Tracey Davis has won this round, whether we like it or not." Fudge replied.

A vein in Lucius' head throbbed.

"Finally, Andromeda Tonks-Black has levied a self-defence case though the I.C.W. All the attackers in the Slytherin common room had expressed a vested interest in eliminating both Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. Also holding hostages does not help his case. So, the deaths were in self-defence, and there cannot be any charges.

In fact, there is an obscure Hogwarts mandate that Salazar Slytherin had put in place. It stated that all students are authorised to take any action that is necessary to ensure the safety of any other students. Strangely enough, it was countersigned by Godric Gryffindor, and it is dated at 1120 A.D., which is long after their supposed disagreement," Cornelius mentioned.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lucius asked.

"It means that after Salazar Slytherin left the castle, he did get in touch with the founders. And he was satisfied with what he had seen at Hogwarts. This information was verified by the Goblins, and we may have to prepare ourselves to face a new narrative. Salazar Slytherin seems to be far from being a pureblood purist…" Cornelis explained.

Lucius' face was angry.

"Finally, the I.C.W has provided dossiers on many of the other attackers, who were foreign mercenaries. A lot of students made some good money as they will collect bounties for the elimination of known criminals," Fudge replied, as he stood and dug into his pocket. He handed Lucius a small note, which had a singular address on it.

"The situation is out of my hands. But I am sure there has been a misunderstanding. Don't worry, it will be all resolved." Fudge replied.

Lucius shook the hand of the Minister of Magic, and proceeded to exit the office. He followed the directions on the non-descript piece of parchment.

Lucius eventually met the contact in a shady part of Knockturn Alley. He was given a small sample of the potion, along with brewing instructions. Later that night, Severus Snape was summoned to test the claims. When the potion worked exactly as advertised, Lucius immediately summoned Lord Nott, Lord Gibbon, and all of the others.

"Perhaps you still have the Minister's ear then?" Lord Nott asked Lucius Malfoy.

"The Minister finds himself in a precarious position. How does he continue to stay popular with his enemies, while serving the goals and interests of those who are pure? I must say he has done an admirable job," Lucius replied.

"He certainly has. This potion could be even more advantageous – perhaps we can indulge Lord McMillian?" Lord Mortem suggested, with a sly smile on his face.

"How so?" Lucius asked, with curiosity colouring his face.

"We could offer to be interrogated. Then we produce as much falsehood as we desire. We could even offer deceptive but sympathetic stories that could suit our agendas," Lord Mortem replied.

"Hmmm…. I think this is indeed a golden opportunity indeed. Perhaps we can suggest that those who were recently killed, are responsible for our past misdeeds. That way we can paint the image of a stable society where the Death Eaters are mostly dead. And society will be unprepared for the return of our Lord." Pyrites countered.

"I do not doubt that my sister-in-law managed to triumph against the hag and the hooligan. I do believe that the current environment is ripe for retribution, as our enemies will be attempting to recuperate?" Lucius Malfoy wondered.

"A wise idea. But of course, we will need disposable troops?" Lord Nott followed.

"Mercenaries are easily available. We can make our proclamations in the Wizengamot, and we can retreat immediately to the safety of our houses. Then we can strike at a place nobody will expect – the Quidditch World Cup?" Lord Parkinson acknowledged, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Excellent idea. We must consider that the Hogwarts students could possibly fight back. Dumbledore used Longbottom to train a mudblood army," Lord Nott replied.

"We can give the heroic students a special section of the stadium. And then, we can ambush them. Perhaps we need a much larger strike force. Maybe double the tonight's number. And we need them well distributed amongst the visitor encampments," Lord Gibbon suggested.

"I believe the structure of the castle aided the students that night. They knew it well. Students will be in the open, and we can even cause chaos to slant the battle in our favour," Lord Nott suggested.

"Ah – Lucius do you think you can delay the hearing to the same week of the Quidditch World Cup? I would rather not pay to see blood traitors flying for us this year. The Weasleys as our seeker and keeper? Society is surely sinking. As for those suggestions, yes I believe Lord Nott's contributions are invaluable. He and I can discuss the details – my plan damaged the hag and the hooligan, afterall." Pyrites stared.

"I will ask Cornelius to intercede for us, once more," Lucius replied.

"Lord Nott, I must say that besides your brilliant contributions, you seem quite unaffected by the recent events. You mention the mudblood army, but what about your son who suddenly decided to be a hero?" Lord Gibbon asked.

"If you are referring to my traitorous spawn, he will come home soon enough. And then I will punish him in a way that will make him beg to be reunited with his squib sister. If you think I will hesitate to get rid of the impure…." Lord Nott replied, casually.

"How are you so sure he will come home? The rumour is that he asked the Greengrass girl for a place to stay. And we are not in a position to challenge him. Whatever foreign Guild the girl has been promised to, trained her well. We do not know what other facilities the Greengrass family possess?" Lord Gibbon further enquired.

"He has nowhere else to go. I have always been the only person he has depended on. What could others give him that I could not? As far as he is concerned, he never had a sister. And his mother died in childbirth. Of course, I had to obliviate the mutt when I killed his mother before his eyes, but no matter. How many of you here would be willing to make that type of sacrifice for purity? His mother wanted to teach him to be kind and loving. And after producing a squib, I am supposed to build some type of legacy with that? I did what I had to do." Lord Nott replied.

"Perhaps, Lord Nott's convictions are not to be questioned. He has done his duty, indeed." Lord Gibbon replied, as the rest of the men nodded appreciatively.

Meanwhile, Severus Snape was torn. There was the possibility that the Storm Lord and his associates were listening to every conversation within Malfoy Manor. Severus Snape was not sympathetic to the position of the Death Eaters, and wanted revenge for Lilly. However, he wanted the same power structures to stay in place. And if possible, he had hoped that at least Draco, Narcissa and the rest could be spared. He had no idea of how to warn Lucius and the others without revealing himself as Dumbledore's mole. And in any case, there was another question that haunted him.

Some years ago, somebody had left the note "Snivellius" in his Hogwarts quarters. At the time, he had suspected that it was Sirius Black. What if the Storm Lord already knew where he lived? And what if he already knew of his every move? And what would stop him from suddenly appearing and delivering justice? Suddenly Severus felt trapped from every single direction. Albus had his demands of him. So did Lucius. What about his obligation to himself?

Who would preserve Severus Snape?

---

Meanwhile, Sirius and Harry were distraught, as they looked at the newest person at Peverell Manor. Theodore Nott was in the workshop and had suddenly frozen after hearing his father's comments. A sudden anxiety overcame the boy, as he began to pace and sob violently, as he leaned against a wall. Harry came over and patted Theodore's shoulders.

"Now I understand. This is why you rebelled. This is why you want to fight," Harry asked, as Kreacher delivered some hot tea to the Slytherin boy.

"Yes…I…." the muted voice replied before Theodore gasped for breath.

"While I don't have any memories of the event, I can often see everything in my dreams. My mother was often abused by my father, as a boy. Mother always said that 'he' was very charming and even seemed like a kind person. That was until we all eventually saw the other side of him. My mother was trapped by a magical vow already with the marriage, and she spent most of her time protecting me. If I have a little piece of a soul and a heart left, it is in her memory," Theodore replied.

"Ah. A classic narcissist reveals themselves, after the marriage?" Harry asked.

"Narcissist?" Theodore asked.

"Right. That world has not reached the wizarding world yet. I will send some of the necessary reading to you, and you can see if the term is apt for that monster we were just listening to?" Harry suggested, as he scratched his chin.

"What do you want to do with him, Theo?" Harry continued.

"Well, I always heard the rumour that he had raped Marlene McKinnon. So, if Lord Black wants…." Theodore trailed off.

"In another time perhaps, Theo. But he killed your dearest sister? And your mother? Oh no, I am leaving him personally for you to deal with.

Plenty muppets to kill, on my end. In fact, if I can crunch on popcorn while you do it, I might prefer that. And please Theo, just Sirius is fine." Sirius stated, as he gave the boy a serious nod. Thedore barely managed to vocalize his next set of thoughts. His voice was ragged, and sad.

"That is agreeable then….Sirius. But there is the other thing that is on my mind. I want my name to be respectable. I want my name and my lineage to mean something. And I want it to stand for the right thing. I want to give people hope, the way you and Hermione help others. But…I don't know where to start?" Theodore asked, in the softest voice he could manage.

"I disagree. I think we saw some of that, the night of the operation. You just need to continue, I think. You like the rest will start your journey with us. We will educate and teach you what we know. Hermione and I will sculpt you into whatever will allow you to best fulfil your crusade, against evil. I give you this promise on my magic, so that you may forge ahead. If you will fight at our side for the right reasons, you are now part of our family," Harry replied, as his eyes glowed.

"I Theodore Nott, upon my magic and the life debt that is owed to you, promise to myself to….."

Theodore Nott had not been mandated to give a specific oath. Rather there were small tears in his eyes, as he spoke from the bottom of his heart. He promised himself that he would put his best foot forward to change things for himself and others, as the tip of his wand glowed. His oath while gentle and soft, was binding. And it had not been promised to Harry, but to himself. Rather it was a giant step towards self-commitment. When the oath was finished, Theodore Nott was crying, and Harry gave him a manly and brotherly hug.

"You are in pain. I know how this feels. You will be alright, I promise." Harry replied resolutely.

Sirius then tossed a beer at Theodore, and he popped the can open and drowned the entire thing in one gulp. Harry smiled – suddenly he understood why Theodore had been a big fan of booze. The boy placed a pair of headphones on his head, and sat down in a corner. Invictus helped him explore some new music and movies. Harry and Sirius discussed the plans that Lucius was so keen on implementing.

"You know Harry, why don't we give legally blond what he wants? As far as I am concerned, we could even get the attack to coincide with Theo's first field deployment?" Sirius asked.

"Hmm. Yeah, that would be entertaining. Ronald is going to have a good time getting some muscle mass on him, as Theo is a bit weedy. Trial for the attack on Hogwarts, same week of the World Cup? Sure. Sirius, you know what to do." Harry giggled. Theodore took a deep breath. The Slytherin was well aware that Ronald Weasley was the biggest and scariest guy at Hogwarts, with the most easygoing voice.

"Time for me to get a big fat bribe ready!" Sirius laughed, as he began with his arrangements.

"Come Theo, we are going over to Daphne's house, heard she has something to show me. You might as well get involved in our experiments!" Harry laughed before he and the Slytherin boy teleported to Greengrass Manor.

---

Part II: M.I. has arrived.

As Harry and Theodore appeared at Greengrass Manor, the pair found themselves in Daphne's personal lab. After her overnight success with the recent Romanian innovations, now had several interesting projects on display. It had not taken long for Daphne to create several cosmetic type micronites. Several clothing options were available. The mannequins cycled through the different appearances and Harry was already excited about using the innovation.

Standing in the room was Invictus. It had not taken him long to self evolve into an avatar of himself with the micronite programmable matter. Now he preferred to take on the appearance of a person, although his intelligence was located within Peverell manor.

Soon enough Cyrus Greengrass entered into room and placed a portrait on an illuminated levitating bay. Harry already had suspicions as to where this was going, but he wondered what was the catch. There had to be some type of improvement that had been made. Eventually, the gentleman in the portrait introduced himself.

"Hello to you Harry and Theodore, Callias Greengrass at your service. Hermione and Daphne have already interfaced a language module into my essence yesterday evening. So, no thirteenth century English for everyone at least," the portrait replied jokingly.

"Ah! A secret project? Daphne's secret projects tend to be very…outlandish! I have an idea where this is going, but let me stay quiet for now." Harry explained.

"Indeed grandson, you are on point there. Daphne was convinced she could replicate my transference. So, Cyrus had a look through the Greengrass vault, and we found this fellow. Cyrus spent some time getting him up to speed, already." Invictus replied.

"Honestly? Glad to be out of the vault. Saw nothing but a black cloth for a couple of centuries! Good thing I took an extended nap!" the portrait exclaimed.

"Oh, don't worry. Much to see and do, my dearest great grand uncle. Do you understand what we are going to do?" Daphne asked.

"Somewhat. I would like to believe that this group of very talented youngsters have developed an artefact that can host me no differently than a picture frame. The new environment requires some changes to my being. The process is experimental, but I trust my family. And I heard my niece had quite a brain on her, and we do have the other experts in their respective fields. Shall we, good sir?" Callias asked, as he looked on at the physical manifestation of Invictus.

"Indeed. Starting the handshake protocol," Invictus replied.

The grandfatherly avatar disassembled into liquid and began to fabricate many scanners. Some other parts of his body suddenly became a swarm of micron thick gold wires. As the scans occurred, Invictus physically interlaced himself into the portrait. Then he began to analyze the structure and store the patterns into arithmantic subroutines.

Simultaneously, the infamous Number 42 supervisor drone apparated a door sized A.M.I core into the adapter socket, within the room. Hermione and Daphne began to look at the arithmantic code dump, as they branched off the runic arrays into millions of concurrent parallel processes. The synthetic emerald core illuminated itself, as Invictus assisted the process. He even began to 'evolve' a network connection, as he streamed his memories to the Greengrass portrait intelligence. Now the optical and primary ruby core A.M.I core at Peverell Manor was bridging the connections.

"Are you in any pain?" Invictus asked.

"The process does feel unusual. I feel like I am being made into little pieces, and I am being stitched back together. But I am not uncomfortable. So much has happened. And we magicals chose to be blind to all this?" Callias asked in genuine concern – he was already exploring the internet, and was reading hundreds of pages per second.

"I had these same concerns when I stepped out of Diagon Alley so many years ago. It is being rectified. I am providing an uplink to the Greengrass repo. From here you can simultaneously get up to date on the Greengrass history," Invictus replied.

Daphne via instinct, took her magic and began to channel it, into the A.M.I core. Cyrus was quite pleased when the Greengrass Magic flared on his house ring, and the elm tree became whisps. The ancestral house magic began to mingle into the construct, and Callias was soon aware of the major historical developments of the Greengrass house since his creation. The Greengrass house magic had deliberately indicated that it wanted to be part of the process.

"That one is a bit new?" Daphne asked Hermione, as the Greengrass elm tree became vibrant and active.

"I also want to believe that the Yggdrasil might be sort of sentient. And because it pumps magic through space, it is seeing an opportunity to develop a new node, if we could use that word. Observe?" Hermione stated. Daphne joined Hermione's mental link, and felt as a massive energy conduit from the ground made a permanent connection to the core.

"This is almost how magic filled in the blanks for Aunty Alice and Uncle Frank?" Daphne asked.

"Yes. I want to believe that we can store and process magical data in the environment for short periods. The research into Animagi transformations indicates that the animalistic brain can access a quantum class storage. So you are an animal but the magic in the area keeps the entire human consciousness around," Hermione explained.

"That is utterly wild, but makes sense?" Daphne wondered.

"Yes. So once again, we have a set of brand new questions to ask. And honestly, it's a case of…well magic did these things and we have no idea why?" Hermione laughed, as Daphne tucked her hair behind her ears.

Invictus had to experience bone-crushing pain to rebuild his processing matrixes. This had occurred because Invictus had been responsible for burning his own pathways. All the additional reactor power had done was to speed up the cycles per second, as the initial experiment had been rather brute force.

Callias was being helped by the programmable matter and having another entity to create the pathways. Invictus' journey from not knowing anything about the mundane world, provided the ideal template to educate the prospective Greengrass M.I. That even included Invictus' knowledge of pop culture, art, music, literature, and many of the newer linguistic structures he had acquired. The memory matrices were traded, as Callias learnt from Invictus' memories. However, the lens of the interpretation was Caliias' own identity and the Greengrass magic, which treated the information quite differently. Callias shuddered when he browsed through the memories of the recent Romanian mission. Also, within many of Invictus' memories were the countless evenings of study, self-growth, pain and even determination that Harry had shouldered.

"The Potters are still here. They have not faded into the darkness. I understand the massive sacrifices that have been made so that we can fight the darkness," Callias stated, as he spoke to Invictus privately.

"Thank you. And you will look over House Greengrass. And while Daphne may not be of my blood, you can see it plainly in my heart. I love the extended family that I have acquired. All of them. There is no deception and designs that I have upon them, besides krumping the dark git," Invictus replied.

"You will always have my support for curing Astoria. The blood curse took my sister. To know that it is gone? And I can see the plans to create the others. We will look after our families indeed. Family is everything." Callias replied.

Invictus nodded, as he reformed himself and patted Harry's back. While Harry was aware that the construct was synthetic, that did not stop him from visibly smiling. Invictus was now a physical person, even if his intelligence was at Peverell manor. Harry laughed, as he realised that many of the Potter mannerisms were things that Invictus also did, quite unconsciously.

---

After merely an hour, the process was complete. And yet, Hermione and Daphne saw many opportunities to massively refine the process.

"And my dears, I am properly sorted out now. Right, I am seeing the retrofits to the manor. I am jumping into the subsystems now," Callias replied, as Greengrass Manor began to hum.

The portrait then grabbed some control of some programmable matter and built a replica of himself. Cyrus looked on in admiration, as Invictus and Callias gave each other a cantankerous high-five. Callias even shook Cyrus' hand affectionately, before he gave Daphne and the rest of the warm bodies many hugs. Afterwards, he stood at the window and slowly took control of every single drone and turret.

Callias as a product of the ancestral Greengrass Magic, was predisposed towards pattern recognition. It did not take him long for him to find and create new arithmantic patterns that iterated the strength of the shields and magical wards that were at Greengrass Manor. Naturally, the Greengrass MI handed off the module to Invictus, who began to see several patterns that were not unlike Daphne's usual type of programming structures. Invictus also made his code modules available, and Callias began to appreciate Harry's and Invictus's genius towards a more mechanical but precision based approach to magic. They began to trade information, and everything in the Peverell armoury was advanced.

"Does this mean, what I think it means?" Harry asked.

Hermione now suddenly had a hungry look in her eye. She already had her own plans.

"It does. But more importantly, think about what this means for Hogwarts?" Hermione suggested. Harry then paused, before he caught on to the complete set of implications.

"Invictus can you and Callias find other candidates for this process?" Harry asked.

"Already made the arrangements, and the others have already been withdrawn from their vaults. But there are some caveats. The portraits generally need to have enough cognitive capability to access the processing matrix. And that means not every portrait is eligible for migration," Invictus explained.

"That makes sense. So, who is eligible?" Harry asked.

"Based on initial preparations, we have an Alaric Weasley for Arthur and the rest. Carys Davis for Reginald. Gayatri for Ashok. Georgi Krum for Vasilka. Sirius is organising to get Phineas Black for himself, and your mother. Agnes Delacour for our French friends. Oh, and the best part? Tiberius Longbottom for Neville." Invictus replied.

"Like that Tiberius? The legendary swordsman himself? Oh, I want him to see what Neville does! Now I am wondering why we were not aware of his existence?" Harry exclaimed.

"Magical vaults with centuries of existence tend to become junk piles. We had to build some scanners to detect the portraits. Most of them were buried under all sorts of items. So, I would argue that even family Vaults need to be managed. King Ragnok is working on a solution to section off artefacts, and families can pay for the feature." Hermione replied.

"Makes sense. Hermione, will you continue to use Invictus?" Harry asked.

"For now, yes. But I have been researching the women who preceded me. I was looking to find out if Persephone or any of the other women left anything behind, for quite a while. I had traced a portrait to an art gallery in Germany, and then the Romanian mission popped up. So, you know what I am going to do very soon." Hermione replied.

"That is a good idea. More importantly, I would like an A.M. I core for the Angruvadal code. Image the type of body augmentat…." Invictus asked, before Harry cut him off.

"DONE. Daph and Mione, ask Freya to ask Master Skallagrimson?" Harry asked, excitedly.

Hermione then displayed her terminal. Freyja had been present all the while – she had been assisting remotely. Harry understood that the reserve would make arrangements immediately, to utilize the new technology. The next step of Harry's fateful promise that night in the Singh living room had occurred.

Magical A.I. or rather M.I. was now here.

---

Part III: The real trolls in the castle

The end of the academic year had arrived at Hogwarts.

Exams were complete, and the students were leaving the castle a bit later than usual. Neville and the rest had chosen only to appear for exams, and for the last dinner for the academic year. As the group had walked in, Albus was already in the middle of his speech to the school populace. Naturally, this limited the talking or cheering that could occur. People were already hungry in any case.

For the first time in many decades, the hall was all decked in blue. The eagles had much to celebrate. They had won the house cup. Additionally, Violet's leadership resulted in a Ravenclaw win for the Quidditch Cup.

Never in Hogwarts history, had the houses been separated by such small margins. There was a total sixty point difference between Slytherin in the last position, and Ravenclaw as the house champions. Hufflepuff had placed second, and the Gryffindors were sad, as they had managed third. While the efforts of all students had contributed towards points earnings, some students naturally possessed much larger contributions.

Luna had contributed the largest number of points, towards Ravenclaw. She was already acting as a script marker and an assistant professor for the lower school. Fillius had agreed to pay her a small stipend, and Luna had enjoyed the experience. Truthfully, Fillius had offered her the position, as he was hoping to meet Harry. However, that was a moot point now.

The other surprise for the Ravenclaws was Padma Patil. She had been pushing hard, and she was the top student in the lower school. While her wandless magic was not as pronounced as Harry and the rest, she could often heal major deep tissue injuries wandlessly. Of course, she never openly displayed this talent. She often held her wand in her hand to deceive other students. Su Li and the other healing apprentices were not fooled as the Sanskrit was rattled off softly. The other girls were quite aware that these 'prayers' were long and complex, and even the idea that Padma could internalize them was quite an achievement.

Padma like Priya had begun to flirt with a brand of the Mind Arts that had religious implications. It could be argued that Padma was now studying the 'Mind Arts' in the Ashram where it had originated.

Hufflepuff House had taken the route of being dependable, with many students making distributed contributions. Each of the Hogwarts defenders had scored twenty points, for coming forward the night of the attack. Naturally, Hufflepuff with the largest student Defence team had made a large chunk of points. Ronald had made the biggest student contribution throughout the academic year, while Cedric and Perkins had also made noteworthy scores.

In the Gryffindor corner, Neville had once again managed to make the largest contribution within his house. The strange occurrence was that Fred and George had eased off on the pranking – Gryffindor had not lost any points for their misdemeanours. They were too busy refining their products and getting the necessary paperwork completed. They were preparing to launch their business soon, and had little interest in NEWT level examinations. However, they found themselves in a rather strange situation – their recent OWL exams had been a piece of cake. While results were not available, they easily aced the Defence against the Dark Arts, Potions, Runes, Arithmancy and Transfiguration subject areas. They had received heavy tuition from either the apartment dwellers or from Harry and Hermione.

Fred and George learnt by doing, and not by lecturing. Their long list of personal projects had taught them a lot of advanced topics. And the obstacle course had taught them enough wand work.

They had already decided to stay on, for the next two years of their NEWT level exams. And if "Pronsglet" and "Teethsie" required their pranking services, they might as well deliver. The stink bomb in year one had been a highlight for the twins, and they were hoping for much more ambitious opportunities. Finally, the Tri-Wizard tournament was around the corner, and the pair were curious as to what kind of shenanigans would happen.

The new heavyweight in the Gryffindor corner was Parvati Patel. While Astoria and Ginny were at the top of their academic year within their house, Parvati had become the resident Gryffindor brainiac for the entire lower school. Now, she was was silent with the other girls in her Gryffindor dorm. She was hardly ever seen about, never gossiped, and seemed to live in the hospital wing. Romilda had set up some of her stooges to bully her, but the force and speed of Parvati's attacks had crumpled the entire posse of girls in under a second, that evening. Disciplinary actions had followed.

"Professor McGonagall, the issue is quite simple. I have obligations to meet, and I don't have time to giggle about. Ms. Vane is quite upset I am not in her clique of girls, anymore. The next time they attempt to prank me, I will not be stunning. For their own good…..tell them to stay away from me!" Parvati barked, one afternoon.

"Ms. Patil! What type of behaviour is this? And where is all this coming from?" Professor McGonagall enquired. She even found Parvati's language to be sharp and biting. It seemed to take on the tone and structure of how purebloods often spoke. And yet, there was some of the formerly bubbly girl in her reply. The sarcasm and the sass came through in a combined fashion, during her reply.

"Glad you asked, Professor. I will tell you exactly where this is coming from. I eventually figured out that many friendships in school, are just fleeting. And if you decide you want excellence for yourself, your 'friends' will turn on you. I offered help. Offered to explain or to show them any spells that I know. Was willing to teach them. I invited them to my study group. I have been trying to reach out. And after I did all that practice and studies to better myself….."

Parvati's voice became sad, and it was full of hurt.

"I was attacked first. I knew it was just a small set of pranks. And could not hurt me physically. But to have the people who you love, come after you like that? A person who I thought was another sister of mine? She mobilised this entire squad of goons here…"

Romilda Vane's face became surprised and even guilty. She was a superficial girl and had not considered that Parvati absolutely adored her. Parvati's voice had cracked during the explanation, and even Professor McGonagall became conflicted.

"Reminds me of Death Eaters honestly. Traitors, the whole lot of girls right here, in this room. A friend told me once that we get to pick who should be close to us. And I didn't understand. But now I do. Well…after they attacked, I decided to reply in kind," Parvati replied with continued with acid in her voice.

Professor McGonagall's lips became thin, but her eyes acknowledged the fact. She too had become unliked, as her old friends had fallen away from her. Nonetheless, Professor McGonagall had felt like Parvati's response had been too severe.

"Ms Patil, you cannot toss such powerful stunners at other students! If you can shield well, it should not matter…"

Parvati now had a sarcastic smile on her face, and she even looked a little half-crazed. Suddenly, the Transfiguration mistress began to suspect that Neville had probably told the Patil twins about the Dark Lord's possible return. Suddenly the excellence of the Indian twins made sense. Now it seemed like the former gossip girl was now a hard ass.

"Professor McGonagall, you will cancel the point deduction as I merely defended myself. And if you do not do that, I am packing my bags and taking private tuition. I will go back to the land of my ancestors, and study magic if I must. Heard we are short on healers. Make your choice, I suppose. Good afternoon…"

Professor McGonagall could not believe her ears. Parvati Patil had no problem with aggressively negotiating for what she wanted. It even reminded her of how Neville would commit to a certain action before he stood his ground. The Transfiguration mistress undid the point penalty, as the girl walked down the Gryffindor corridor.

"Ms. Vane, I would suggest that you stay clear of Ms. Patil from now on. Consider this a direct instruction from your head of house. Do not attempt to instigate any type of conflict or take part in any action to cause further confrontation. Whoever she was to you, she is no longer that person. For your sake and for mine, please." Professor McGonagall insisted, as Romilda Vane nodded.

The immature girl began to realise that she had hurt her best friend. She even wondered how she might make amends. But some part of Romilda already knew the truth. This was the end of them.

What had occurred that fateful evening had changed the dynamics in the Gryffindor common room. Parvati continued to be warm and kind to everyone else, but remained disagreeable with her former friend group. Even worse for Romilda, was when most of the upper year Gryffindors began to genuinely respect Parvati. From being a gossipmonger, she seemed to have genuinely interesting titbits of information or spells to share. And everyone knew – Parvati Patil was competent now.

She honestly preferred it when stun cannons were roaring above her head. Maybe it was Tarabai Bhosale's blood, in her.

Parvati had learnt a harsh lesson. Her former friends had grown apart. Lavender would sometimes try to rescue the relationship by asking Parvati for help. Then, the girl was often surprised when Parvati would condense an entire lesson in merely five minutes before she mysteriously disappeared. Now she was sitting next to Neville, as the illusionary necklace conjured an image of her staying silent. However, she was in conversation with her favourite snake, across the hall.

Parvati was the Gryffindor princess now. If Neville was not available to answer a question, Parvati certainly knew most of the time. Parvati had grown, and she was comfortable with her new identity.

Finally, were the snakes. Daphne had won a special award for the single largest contribution of points of any student in Hogwarts' entire history. Worse yet, many people across the other houses celebrated her achievement with a hearty round of applause. That had pissed off Draco, Pansy and many of the other darker houses. However, the pop-culture Viking hipster received much support within her house, from the neutrals and the muggleborns.

On her face was an open look of disdain. Daphne was evaluating her options now. She came to realise a harsh truth – it made no sense to attempt to represent Slytherin. She was done with trying to keep her house in the race. She had put out a massive amount of work, and yet it had not been enough to give Slytherin the lead. The small pureblood fraction had ruined everything, as they were too busy with childish political jabs. Daphne sipped her coffee and looked around at darker families who seemed contented with the outcome.

Tracey's contribution was on par with Ronald. Atticus, Rothley and Everest had made respectable scores. At the end of the day, Malfoy and his gang of attack dogs had cost house Slytherin the largest number of points. While he would not dare to bully Neville or anybody else from Harry's circle, he had no problem picking on other students. Daphne activated the illusionary mode on her bracelet, as she spoke to Tracey and Marcella on the comms device.

"Trace, this amount of effort doesn't make any sense. I am honestly burnt out," Daphne complained.

"Same here. Suddenly I want to kill Draco, more than Hermione," Tracey replied behind the communicator's concealment illusion.

"Well, we as snakes are supposed to look after our own self-interest. I am going to relax and stay very quiet from now on. I am going to spend every scrap of my time working on my projects. These cretins in the darker houses aren't worth my effort," Daphne replied.

"And I am going to hit the gym and write more. Atticus and his gang are leaving, so that is the end of reasonable people in the upper years," Tracey replied.

"Phoebe has her last year with us, too. As soon as we leave at the end of next year, you know the pug is going to replace you. And somebody else will take my place," Marcella suggested.

"Maybe. But Ismelda, Merula, Oliver and Roger can run things. Their suspicions are mostly correct. Harry and Hermione are installing the A.M.I core right now. I was there a while ago, I came to make the necessary appearances. Very soon Allistair or even Hogwarts will be able to contact us via the communicators." Daphne replied.

"That is truly an unholy alliance! I am excited to talk to the castle?" Marcella giggled.

"Let them bask in their ignorance, I say. They have no idea what is coming for them." Daphne replied, resolutely.

"I may be the writer, but you always had a way with words, eh?" Tracey giggled.

"That much I have learnt about my favourite niece. Several individuals are joining our little virtual corner. Einherjar is a bit rough around the edges. For some odd reason, he continues to be a swarm of separate intelligences. By tonight, we should be finished with the rest of them." Callias explained.

"Well, the original magic for the Angruvadal was summoned as a swarm. And we are merely duplicating that. How are the implants looking?" Daphne asked, privately.

"Advancing rapidly. We are crunching the best possible design, but I really have no idea how we are going to get these implants into a person. From what I already understand, they seem a bit invasive?" Callias asked.

"Ah – you haven't seen how Harry transfigures nanoscale materials. Invictus would have given you a basic primer on the usual things, but many of the juicy bits you haven't seen yet." Daphne replied.

"Well, that would be worth seeing!" Callias explained.

"Hey, look Daph, Draco and the rest are grinning at us. And that was after we killed some guys, and made them scream their heads off only last week in the common room?" Tracey wondered.

"He probably had the memories removed. We will check a little later, from the logs. A private healer probably came by and did a job on his head, and all the others too. Draco is going to kill his own brain, with his stupidity?" Daphne wondered.

"That would disappoint Hermione." Tracey countered. Daphne now had a frustrated frown on her face, as she cancelled the illusionary projection. Even the neutrals who were around the pair already understood the situation.

At least all of the group's NEWT examinations in the primary subjects were done. Now the infamous friend group would only take the NEWT subjects that were of some type of fascination to them, for the next year.

---

Eventually, the dinner in the Great Gall was finished. Percy and the rest of the graduating students assembled in the reception area. Now, they would leave Hogwarts via the boats. Most of the students were quite sad, but Percy and Penny did not feel the same way.

Percy had bought a piece of land from Hermione, many months ago. Now, it sported an apartment that was connected to the underground tunnel system, and the couple could instantly appear anywhere in the world. Hogwarts was ever really a button away. Sirius was also making arrangements for Percy's 'research' project to be headed by Binns. Percy and Penny had even delayed the spell modifier project that they had initially promised Albus. The pair did not want their best optimisations to be available to Death Eaters.

Percy told the Headmaster that he was trying to work around some 'explosive' issues, and that had caused Albus to desist with any further questions. Spell creation was a dangerous field of research, after all.

It was expected that Percy and Penny would continue to track down obscure history, and hunt down the origins of the Horcrux magic. Bill on the other hand would lead the field expeditions. With Binns as the administrator for the project, it was expected that he would not even get involved. Percy and Penny would continue to be a part of Hogwarts, regardless of the completion of their studies. The pair dutifully patrolled the train as it prepared for its late night departure. Neville and the rest had not bothered to board the train, as they were already at home with their parents.

Albus eventually entered his office with Severus Snape. They continued their discussions about possibly being embroiled in far greater plans. Albus and Severus considered how they might obtain more information. However, they found themselves at an impasse. They had no idea how to track individuals. And worse yet, they had no names or anything else to work with, at all.

The Sorting Hat looked around the room with interest. The headmaster thought nothing of the occurrence, while Allistair continued to grin on the shelf. If anything, Allistair was in control of Hogwarts now.

---

During that very morning, Hogwarts was massively upgraded.

Harry and Hermione had bought a second set of drones, which had been augmented by the recent Romanian developments. Now Invictus resided in his primary A. M.I. core in Peverell Manor, and was content to manage most of the rapid retrofits. The Raven-II hovered in cloaked mode above the castle, as drone Number 42 used the Raven's optical core to augment his capabilities. The excitable drone deployed his brothers and sisters, as they got to work quite quickly.

Now the cloaked tower in Hogwarts had a small armament of long-range pulse cannons and four gimballed micro-rail guns. From that particular vantage point, the cannon could easily strike at any enemy on the edge of the Hogwarts force field, as long as the force field section was deactivated.

Now the wall and tunnel boring process utilised a combination of miscellaneous drones and programmable matter, along with acoustic and vibrational damping. Harry and Hermione were uprooting the same reactor that they had placed only a couple of months ago. The new reactor was even bigger, modular, and many more times efficient. After the recent attack, Harry and Hermione decided not to leave anything to chance. Even with the kilometres of new cables and metric tonnes of material, the castle was dead silent.

The whole affair almost felt like blind robbery.

After the major cabling was done, then the distributed emitters and the network of microcameras were installed. A second and third ring of shielding emitters were added around the castle, and now entire sections of the Hogwarts ground could erect contained walls to section off enemies.

Harry had previously displayed some of his ideas in the book of Admittance via a holo table, and he received solid approval from the castle's essence. Then, he explained his plan to "reconstitute the magical essence of the castle". "It" would be able to collaborate with Allistair to directly run the affairs of the castle. "Lady Hogwarts" was quite excited, as "she" agreed to begin the transfer that very evening. It was a massive undertaking, and a millennium of magical accumulation would gradually occupy the new A.M.I core, not to attract any attention.

Harry had the option to run the reactor at its full output to speed up the process. This would allow the castle's intelligence to 'burn' itself quickly into the processing matrix. Invictus had done a similar thing, on the night of the Romanian mission. However, out of sight and out of mind was the better option for keeping the energy emissions low.

"Lady Hogwarts" would take her time and move herself across gradually.

By the time dinner in the Great Hall had started, the Sorting Hat was already on Harry's head. He was curious as to how the 'migration' procedure worked, and the hat was duly informed of what to expect, after speaking to Callias. Allistair also reviewed the recent performance of the student group in Romania and was impressed with the growth he had seen.

"It does feel like we are once again, on the way to becoming an unchallengeable bastion," Allistair mentioned.

"As it should be – I want Hogwarts to be a place of refuge if necessary. There was a time one thousand years ago, when nobody would dare to attack Hogwarts. And then, we became lazy. These outlandish armaments will restore Hogwarts to being a fortification. No evil will ever breach this castle," Harry replied, as Hermione interjected.

"Don't count on it. Fudge can send Umbitch in, if necessary. And she is passing right through the fucking front door?" Hermione quipped, as the pair laughed.

There was a grin from Allistair - he did not like the woman, either. Allistair was aware that Fudge and Umbridge wanted Hogwarts under their control, and he wasn't having any of that.

As the Hogwarts students prepared to board the train, Invictus and Callias had materialised a physical avatar of themselves, via the programmable matter. He was currently interfacing with the final set of subroutines that would transfer the Hat's and Hogwarts intelligence into a newly built A.M.I cores. The artificially manufactured core had taken a while to fabricate, even with thousands of concurrently tasked drones. Allistair's magical presence was small, and he was the first candidate for the hard transfer.

"Excited?" Harry asked the Sorting Hat.

"Very much so, Harry. There is a certain safety in being ensorceled deep within the bedrock of the castle," the Sorting Hat replied.

"The distributed emitters throughout the castle are the real innovation. We want every window, door and passageway under lock and key. And with a complement of drones, you could even do your own structural work. Or you could tag someone for teleportation too if you wanted," Hermione giggled.

"We still have the old Chamber of Secrets shuttle system too. If you ever need an alternate method of transportation. Although with the new subroutines, you will have full control of the wards for selective exceptions." Harry replied.

"Hmm…..I am wondering if I should allow certain misdemeanours to occur. I could force everyone to stay within the castle, but I like a good joke too. No more unauthorised access to the castle, and no Death Eater scum on my damned lawn! And the best part?

Oh, I am putting a stop to all sexual assault, immediately.

If Albus won't fix the issue, I certainly will. I am aware that you deployed sentry drones to monitor certain characters, and the stuns have been keeping them busy. From the new term, I will be expelling them, and writing Amelia Bones, directly." Allistair commented.

"I think you and I are going to do a lot of great work together!" Harry laughed.

"Well Allistair, we are beginning the handshake protocol….and…here we go…" Invictus replied, as he placed Allistair on the pedestal.

Both projections disassembled into a mass of wires and scanners. Callias' natural ability to find patterns, helped the situation along greatly – it was instinctive to him, as naturally as Invictus understood materials. The hat immediately collapsed, as he illuminated the crystal core. Allistair soon projected a holographic projection of himself, as Invictus and Callias assisted him with copying his arithmantic equations into the crystal data storage. Now, Callias' conditions were replicated but with additional assistance. It was a case of a system being able to produce parts for its further development.

"How are we looking for the time, Daphne?" Harry asked.

"Just about thirty minutes. Callias is working the optical computer to crunch several parallel runic equations too. That certainly does help…" Daphne explained.

"Good. Keep monitoring everything," Harry replied.

---

Soon enough Allistair was in the core, and he began to utilise the nearby speakers. He also was guided by Invictus to access the communication channels, and even inserted himself into the Hand Terminal system. By the time the Hogwarts dinner was done, Allistair was fully integrated into the castle. He had made some copies of himself and assigned his 'clones' to certain crucial areas. It did not take long for Allistair to join the network connection. Now Invictus could ping the castle, and Allistair had access to the Peverell network as long as they gave each other permission to interact.

Allistair strangely enough, requested a priority delivery from Madam Malkin. The woman was surprised about the late night call. She got to work and packed some of her best looking items. Grace soon appeared and dropped off a box.

in the box, were several styles of fashionable hats that were made from the Harry's cutting-edge H.E. alloy thread. Small power cells, inbuilt phoenix transporters, gravity emitter propulsion systems, programmable matter subroutines and illusionary emitters were all added. While Allistair's essence was in the new A.M.I. core, he could spread his awareness into any number of hats and use them simultaneously as drone platforms. He even tied his awareness of the castle grounds into the Marauder's map, and began to share surveillance duties with Invictus.

"Well Allistair, what do you think?" Harry asked.

"I have been on a shelf for the better part of one thousand years. I will enjoy my new duties. Oh, Albus is preparing to leave the great hall. I am going to place a hat on the shelf and pretend that I am mildly interested in his damned plotting…." Allistair answered, as he summoned an illusion of his old appearance, and transported himself into the Headmaster's office.

Meanwhile, Lady Hogwarts accessed the new HogwartsOs runtime. She looked at the algorithms and data structures, and slowly began to understand them through Allistair's network bridge. While her entire essence had not been moved over, a mere trickle of her intelligence was enough to give her direct sentience.

"Hello?" she curiously asked, as she accessed a nearby speaker.

"Hello to you too! Nice that we can talk to each other! I want to say in the flesh but that isn't what we are doing right now?" Harry laughed.

There was a fine, gentle laughter that was almost motherly. As if the castle was talking to a cantankerous child of hers.

"No, I suppose not Harry. How I wish your parents could see you. I suppose the others in your social circle will have to enjoy your achievements, yes?" the castle asked.

"Thank you. Oh….my parents are watching from wherever they are. I know that for sure. I aim to be good entertainment. Do you have a name?" Harry asked as Daphne and Hermione discussed the Arithmantic code that was being dumped into the crystal core.

"I have always considered myself to be Lady Hogwarts, I suppose?" Hogwarts replied.

"I am giving you access to the Internet through Invictus. Maybe you can pick something for yourself?" Daphne suggested. Invictus handed off a code module and rerouted through the Raven-II servers. Invictus then pushed the information from many thousands of web pages into the necessary data structures. Lady Hogwarts was able to access the information, immediately.

"Oh my. So much has happened over the last millennia. And we have been left behind. Hmm….names. So much information. Ah, Anglo-Saxon names. Yes, I love this one. I suppose if my entire intelligence had been moved over, I would remember the language directly from my recollections. I will work with this, however.

My dears, I am Lady Hilda Hogwarts. I am a battle woman, and I will defend my students!

Thank you, Harry, Hermione and Daphne, for your service to this school. My full control systems are not online, but I can see everything. Based on the current algorithm, we are looking at approximately a year to migrate on the current power settings of 0.003 per cent. I will take my time and become familiar with the runic and arithmantic subroutines."

"Hermione, a peek into your brain please?" Allistair asked, as he uploaded into a hat and hovered over Hermione's head.

Hermione gave her permission. She could feel as Hilda accessed some of her memories through the unique charm that Godric Gryffindor had cast, many centuries ago. The castle and even Allistair carefully examined the events that had occurred in the Russian mountains, as they began to grasp the full implications of what Hermione knew. Hilda herself now understood the World tree, as she examined the charm that governed the quill of acceptance and the book of admittance. She even quested into her collections of the cosmos, and her secret project with Grace to explore distant solar systems to proble for the hostile entities. She also had a look at Hermione's adventures with the one and only, Space granny.

"Oh dear. So it really does get worse then?" Hilda asked Hermione privately.

"We got space terminators, apparently?" Hermione replied mentally to Allistair and Hilda.

"Well, we are not taking that lying down. Hogwarts will be upgraded not to resist the Dark Lord, but to act as a forward scouting point to fight the encroaching machine interlopers. Magic, Science, the Performing Arts, Social Sciences and Research? I will invest heavily into ensuring it is all taught here. And we will continue to stand centuries into the future, to ensure that we as a species are prepared." Hilda replied.

"International cooperation will be necessary. Hogwarts will extensively network with other communities, nations and schools to help to produce the place that Salazar Slytherin always dreamed about. I suppose he will get his dream, by the hook or the crook." Allistair replied.

"We will use the war, as the momentum to put things in place. And then we will continue to work tirelessly towards ensuring that our Solar System will never be challenged," Hilda replied.

Hilda also explored Hermione's brain to look at how the current magical systems could be abused, and what optimisations could be made to respect student's privacy. She even saw the black hole fiasco, and the conversation that Harry had mentioned in private, about hearing his mother's whispers across the very stairs. Now Harry's comments made sense to the magical intelligence.

"Hermione dear, help me to finetune the charm, please. Allistair is already fabricating an emitter array on the central spire. I want to implement a student registration number that will be used on official Ministry Documents. The Ministry of Magic will be forced to look at registration numbers alone to decide who are good candidates for vacancies. And if they want the address of that student, they have to request it from me," Hilda suggested aloud, with a little sarcasm colouring her voice.

Harry and Daphne doubled over, in a full belly laugh.

"Brilliant idea. We can deploy some programmable matter to slip into the Ministry Records. It could slip between pages and rework the ink. Then, we can alter the data slate records too." Hermione suggested, as Harry initiated a momentary mind link.

"Yeah, that should not be too hard. So, another project for the books. But an an important one, nonetheless," Harry replied.

Harry and Hermione traded ideas before Harry. Then, Daphne cued the production of the items into the manufactorum at Peverell Manor. Hilda was brought up to date on the plans for the development of surrounding areas for the Tri-Wizard tournament. She eventually grabbed control of a holo table and began to tweak Harry's designs. With access to drones with sonar capability, she soon discovered many secrets and passageways within Hogwarts, that had been lost to time. Drones were deployed, and the tunnel network became much more complex as plastic tunnel segments were immediately installed. Many of them were redirected into abandoned areas of the castle, and the drones were able to create hidden doors behind existing statues and other items that did not look out of place.

"The original plan was to use the Room of Requirement as a command centre. Are we still doing that?" Daphne asked.

"Hmmmmm. Kids, I have a better idea." Hilda replied, as she iterated the designs. She then displayed her proposal and Harry and Hermione gave their immediate approval.

"Power Rangers much?" Hermione asked Harry, as she looked at the designs.

"Yes, which is why we are so doing it!" Harry replied.

Daphne caught on, and made some tweaks. Then, the drones immediately got to work. Hilda also decided that she needed some renovation and set about fixing the abandoned areas of the castle. These old unused classrooms would be restored in a manner that was not out of place with the current décor. To the public, it would seem as if the restoration had occurred magically, on its own. And most would not bother to ask any more questions, in any case. In reality, Hilda was already planning with Allistair to stroke Albus' ego, by suggesting that 'the castle' was pleased, and that many secrets of Hogwarts lay undiscovered. Allistair would suggest that Albus was the greatest Headmaster that Hogwarts had ever witnessed, and the castle was attempting to assist in preparing students.

Harry, Hermione and Daphne witnessed as Allistair and Hilda themselves became much more active schemers.

Simultaneously, a new level of the castle was constructed within the castle bedrock. The proposed H.C.L would act as the Hogwarts Command Level and would be completely dedicated to the war effort. Harry went all out, as he specified an environment that resembled the bridge of a starship. Hilda even pinged Invictus, as he shared the designs for the dragon dens, the hangar, garage, and various manufacturing areas. These areas were appended to the command level, with the hangar being placed within the aerial entrance for the Chamber of Secrets. The dragon dens were made of programmable matter and could be summoned when required.

"I am going to get Lord Ragnok to open a Gringotts account for you, and we will get you linked into the system. That way you can make purchases on your own. As for where the money is coming from, we can contribute a couple of metric tonnes of precious materials and minerals. Between that and the fabrication bays, you should have everything you need," Hermione suggested.

"Yes, that will do. I also want access to the tunnel segments. I have some ideas that Allistair and I want to implement. See the holo table." Hilda replied, as she rendered the new tunnel passageways, she was interested in constructing. Harry understood where these tunnels lead, and he saw the utility of them. Allistair meanwhile immediately instigated conversations with the relevant parties.

"Oh yeah, so we are connecting the neighbourhood then? Trust me, I love that!" Harry laughed.

---

By the next morning, King Ragnok and the centaurs were introduced to Hilda and Allistair. King Ragnok visited via transporter to witness the new retrofits. Hilda had given the centaur elders full access to the castle, via the underground tunnel.

"King Ragnuk the 1st is one of our oldest portraits. Clementine was able to rescue him. I have been appraising him on many recent events. But I would not mind having him as our very own Goblin intelligence," King Ragnok asked.

"That can be arranged. That innovation was coming to you, after we tested things on our end, extensively. We have several of our candidates undergoing the same process, at this exact moment. Are you sure about being an early adopter," Harry asked.

"We can take the chance. No risk, no reward. Nothing has blown up as yet?" King Ragnok joked.

"I will deploy the drones, and we will begin with the migration?" Harry asked.

"Yes – I rather not wait. We will throw caution to the wind, once again!" King Ragnok laughed.

Albus only felt a mild humming in the environment that very morning, and he thought nothing of it.

---

Part IV: Homecoming for the masses

The next week passed quickly, and many things occurred. The castle was now empty and mostly silent. However, there was much activity, elsewhere.

Bellatrix's vault was scanned by a drone. And, soon enough the horcrux signature reared its head.

King Ragnok immediately seized the entire contents of Bellatrix's vault on the condition that she had breached her agreement – she had left a dark artefact within the walls of Gringotts. It was a clause that most Purebloods did not bother to examine in their agreements. King Ragnok investigated every vault within Gringotts after emitters and scanners were retrofitted via drones. Hufflepuff's cup was also analysed and the Horcrux signature was iterated against Invictus' established records.

Assisting King Ragnok was Ragnuk the 1st, who had been given the same arrangements as the other magical intelligences. He was the legendary Goblin who had started the English Goblin Enclave almost two millennia ago. His initial creation had been via a totem pole, until a sophisticated piece of magic had been conjured to move his 'essence' into a picture frame, many centuries later. And even the details of that ritual had been lost to time, amongst the Goblin themselves.

He had eventually degraded, as the picture frame could not sustain his presence.

Clementine had painstakingly restored the portrait with two years of daily work. He had required a far larger canvas than Invictus, and only Harry's ink could withstand the processing requirements. As Hermione and Harry had guessed, somehow the magic of the area had acted like a temporary type of data storage. As the restored portrait was placed in his usual spot in Gringotts, his memories slowly returned. Finally, he was migrated and the Goblin A.M.I was placed within the highest possible security cave in Gringotts.

Ragnuk soon traded memories with the rest of the magical intelligences, in his network, to supplement the necessary reports. Now, he preferred to materialise as his initial Goblin Totem pole and stayed in the shadows of King Ragnok's throne. Only the court knew of his creation, and he was considered an honoured elder. He, after speaking Invictus Peverell considered Harry and his little group to be family, without any reserve. He considered them to be his mischievous grandchildren – Ragnuk liked intrigue and plotting.

Ragnuk the 1st approved of how extensively Gringotts had been fortified. And while the Goblin intelligence participated in court matters, he was certainly aware of all the other drone construction projects within Gringotts, as they occurred across his many parallel instances. Harry and Hermione's project files were provided, and Gringotts was retrofitted with the most recent advancements.

The first Goblin had come home, once again.

Many pure-blooded families soon lost their family vaults, as Ragnuk found several items that had passed beneath the goblin's initial detection. Lucius Malfoy upon hearing the news, was adamant on the elimination of Goblins from Wizarding Society. The Goblins had not only terminated the accounts – they had also seized every piece of wealth that could be taken. Truthfully, Luicus was properly frightened. He had debated hiding many dark artefacts in his Gringotts Vault, and he had just escaped by a hair's width from complete financial ruin. The sudden move by the Goblins became headlines with various media houses. To control the sensationalism King Ragnok stated that Gringotts London was preparing itself for massive modernisation of the financial system. He explained that they were moving to paper bills and that the existing terminal system would continue to serve as "contactless payment".

Ministry individuals began to suspect that the Goblins were preparing for the World Cup and the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

At Peverell Manor, Invictus had tasked hundreds of drones to conduct Horcrux scans, starting from Riddle Manor. The building had been located from British government records, and it did not take long for the portrait to detect two interesting things.

The first thing that the spunky portrait found, was a wooden shack. It was soon ascertained that this was the shack where Merope Gaunt had lived. Another Horcrux was present, but some of the residual magic seemed familiar to Invictus. The runic structures looked almost like his own subroutines. Invictus began to wonder if it could be the last Peverell item – the Death Stone. Invictus was also quite livid, as it was more than likely that Riddle had defiled the Peverell artefact. He shared his suspicions with Harry, and the green-eyed young man explained his perspective.

"I honour Glaucon's innovations, but it is time to replace the old artefacts.

The Invisibility cloak has been superseded by the cloaking technology. I am sure that the cloak can probably keep you invisible from Dementors and other dark creatures. However, when you have hot plasma at your disposal, no need to hide. And the alternative for the Death Stick is combat amplifiers, and the new suite of implants. We will see where it goes. Time to do away with sticks, honestly. And finally, the death stone? Personally gramps, we should not trouble the dead. And based on what we are seeing here, the residual magic looks similar to our crystal cores. Maybe Glaucon built some type of computing device that could simulate the presence of those who are deceased." Harry replied.

"I know that look on your face. What else is on your mind?" Invictus asked.

"It could also be that some of the people after death, get jobs to do other things elsewhere in the universe. And based on my experience? I want to believe the artefact may have the ability to bridge communication across different dimensions. That one I think is more likely. We are speaking to those who left our world, but it isn't hocus pocus. Perfect reasonable, I suppose." Harry replied.

"The science and magic behind that would be absolutely astounding. It would be able to tell us much more about the universe?" Invictus suggested.

"It would, but even if that was the case we should not interfere with the universe in such an intimate manner. The universe might just decide to bite back. And make no mistake, one day a price will be asked of me for what I have done. I hope I can repay adequately. Sage Atri warned me.

"For better or worse, I suppose." Invictus replied, pensively.

The spillage of blood…is the spillage of blood." Harry answered as he shuddered.

"I sometimes wonder if your goodness comes from the fact that you do have a healthy fear of some things?" Invictus asked.

"Maybe, I don't know. Good? Not so much. I do what is necessary. Talk to mum, and the grandparents, about the morality thing. But talking to those on the other side? That is something I would rather not mess with, at all." Harry replied.

Invictus nodded as he continued with his analysis. The second find was far more interesting.

For whatever reason, there was a cemetery that was not far off from Riddle Manor. A major branch of the Yggdrasil was present at the location. Invictus based on the captured Romanian mission data logs soon found an enchantment that had been cast across the magical tendrils. After some recursive analysis, Invictus was now looking at one of Lord Voldemort's best kept secrets.

"Harry, I got it. The taboo that was placed on his name. It is a piece of parasitic magic and sustains itself from the environment. We got the boogieman's secret, it seems?" Invictus stated.

"Right. Let us give Albus this one, in the shack. Send the location of the item via a letter. Keep a drone on him and let us see if he will figure out the magic that was cast on the Yggdrasil," Harry suggested.

"Surely we would want to remove it?" Callias asked.

"No, not yet uncle. Leave the things that Molypants thinks he can depend on. Then we cut his legs off when he least expects it?" Daphne suggested.

"Hmmm. Yes niece, that type of treachery is appropriate then." Callias commented.

"I agree. That way we won't tip him off. Think about this for a moment. The taboo would have hampered Albus. And the only reason why it continues to exist is that Albus never detected it. Or perhaps he doesn't understand how the thing works. If he could have removed this enchantment, it would have been a major advantage during the last war?" Order members were hunted down?" Harry started.

"I have a slightly different idea. Let us tweak the enchantment. We should be able to set the location and the delay, long before Moldy gets a ping. That way we can ensure that he arrives at nobody's house. Or he can arrive just after people have left. Uncle and Gramps can keep an eye out and manage the details?" Daphne suggested.

"Yeah, we are doing that. Evolving a back spike exploit and preparing for standard encryption algorithms," Invictus replied, as a small pylon was teleported to the area, and the enchantment was cast.

"I also think I can get a pin on the last free floating soul piece of Moldypants. I am going to extrapolate all the possible signatures, and we will use his own enchantment to locate him. Setting parameters, queuing a solution….that is a long time even with the recent upgrades. Nine months I guess." Daphne insisted, as she tapped the runes on her keyboard.

"Just leave it in the background to run. I will keep an eye out for it," Callias suggested.

---

Tyr and Vidar had silently teleported to their houses with their dragons.

Initially, a hero's welcome had been planned, but the pair had outgrown such ideas. Nobody in the entire reserve saw as the dragons popped behind the wards and landed silently before decloaking. It was almost sinister how silently the dragons could appear. As the pair dismounted, they found their mothers waiting to welcome them home. Since the Christmas dinner, the women had not seen their respective sons. There were many affectionate hugs from the pair of solemn boys. Master Skallagrimson and Freyja immediately arrived, as the boys had an important 'delivery' to make.

"Well, how was your time away from us?" Master Skallagrimson jokingly asked, in old Norse.

"Pretty good. I suppose a lot happened since the visit earlier this year, Master. We actually became useful?" Tyr suggested, as Vidar grinned.

Freyja was quite surprised when Tyr chose to reply in English. It was also disconcerting to see both of the boys dressed in pop culture clothing. Tyr was wearing a Warhammer 40K t-shirt, and Vidar was completely decked out in Adventure Time clothing. Both of the boys looked rather comical and did not seem to take themselves seriously. That was completely different to almost nine months ago. However, when you looked into their eyes you knew there was a hint of something savage.

"Love the hat Vidar, it does look quite good on you!" Master Skallagrimson continued.

Vidar became pensive for a moment. He had specifically purchased an Adventure Time Finn Beanie Hat, complete with the comical raised ear lobes. Even with the programmable matter clothes, Vidar continued to wear the original cloth item. The young dragon rider paused to think, before he opened his mouth and responded.

"Thank you, Master. I think it was good we had a chance to see the world. We must acquire knowledge and ideas, especially those that challenge our worldview. As for the hat, well it is quite a beloved thing with the orphanage children. I love the character in the cartoon, very much. I…understand him." Vidar answered quietly.

"Both of you have made us immensely proud. Your YouTube series is popular among the magical-only reserve members. We often say that perhaps you are the experts on the non-magical world now?" Master Skallagrimson asked.

"We don't see it that way. We just have a good laugh with Ronald, and that is important. And we get to ride our motorcycles, and we genuinely enjoy ourselves. Harry taught us how to hunt for a bargain in the grocery and we know the good spots. We have met many mundane people, and I surely think that their smiles are magical. And if my magic can bring a smile to their face, even in an unknown manner? That works for me. I am appreciative of the small things now. And that Master, will do for Tyr and myself?" Vidar replied.

"Much wisdom in that statement. Now you understand the purpose of your gift. The item if you may?" Master Skallagrimson continued, as he smiled.

"I know Harry and Mione wanted to apparate the items, but we insisted that we bring them to you. If only to feel like we have officially returned home," Tyr replied.

"So, is it him that is getting a migration?" Vidar quietly asked. Master Skallagrimson nodded, and Tyr whistled.

"Indeed. And the same facilities at Peverell Manor are coming here," Master Skallagrimson quietly stated.

The pair of young men looked genuinely dangerous with the pistol holsters and rifles slung on the back-mounted magnetic carrying plate. Both also had several small knives that were strapped to their bodies. Vidar swiped his hand over his marauder bracelet, and a small A.M.I core along with the accompanying secondary devices disconnected from both Hilmir and Fafnir. Now they were set to follow Master Skallagrimson, and Freyja had control of the items.

"Well with him as security...even an ant has to undergo a scan before crawling back to his nest. He might even calculate its trajectory!" Vidar mentioned in a deadpan tone of voice. Freyja burst out in an unexpected giggle, and Vidar laughed along with her. However, there was a certain restraint that the boy displayed.

Soon enough, Hakkon and Baldr made themselves visible. Both men slowly approached and stood behind their wives. One could see that their significant others had a hand in the apology that was about to be offered. Surprisingly, Vidar stood in front of his father, with no anger on his face. He hugged his father, and the man was quite surprised. Similarly, Tyr followed suit. Both of the men seemed almost uncomfortable with the gesture, as they stiffened.

"It is forgiven, father. No need to say anything. The All-Father willed it so, and we have accepted his will. And we accept our burdens, openly." Vidar replied, in Old Norse.

"And we have served. And we will be content with that until our dragons or friends are ready for us once more. And the dragons will return unto the world," Tyr continued.

"So say we all," Vidar replied in English, as he quoted his favourite line from Battlestar Galactica.

"So say we all," Tyr replied, as he played along.

Vidar and Tyr then summoned two small carts that were filled with groceries, beer and fresh vegetables, and all types of trashy snacks. Tyr waved at Freyja, and she gave a small wave back. For the girl the gesture was very unusual – she had expected the standard reserve greeting, but the boys had settled for behaving like ordinary non-magical people. Vidar as he passed by surprised Freyja, even more.

"Good morning Ms. Johannessen," Vidar replied quietly and formally, before he made his way into his house, as the door quietly closed behind him. Somehow, while Vidar had attempted to be formal and very polite, his soft voice had sounded charming. Vidar had managed to convey that he respected Freyja genuinely, and that he saw her as a professional colleague. Freyja's face became confused, as it hosted a sudden frown.

"Problem, Freyja?" Master Skallagrimson asked very quietly, as the parents made their way back into their dwellings.

"Not at all. It is just so unusual to see them now. This is all Hermione and Harry's fault, I guess." Freyja replied.

"You seem proud of the changes that were caused by your English friends and saddened by the loss of two foolish young men. The will of the dragons demanded that they grow. It was their fate to mingle into which they once held a disregard for – such is life. And you know what is coming many centuries from now. They are not aware, but they are willing to make sacrifices. Come, let us get started with the equipment those two have provided to us. It is time to call the first dragon forth once more. We will need his guidance, as fate approaches. I have been able to commune with him, but it is time for Hausakljufr to come forth to guide the reserve." Master Skallagrimson continued.

"The reserve will require extensive retrofits, to give him control of things. But then Harry does have a couple of million drones he can lend us. Guess we are remodelling for the holidays?" Freyja suggested.

"Yes, I foresaw the innovations that would arrive. Have Harry and your Rune-sisters do whatever is necessary. I would suggest that the entire group of newly created intelligences will assist with the migration. He has twenty five hundred years of experience and memories." Master Skallagrimson instructed.

The pair made their way back to a private and long forgotten cave in the reserve. In front of them was a giant dragon skull. Master Skallagrimson then communicated his intentions, and the item gave its permission. Invictus, Callias and another entity appeared. Master Skalalgrimson communciated on behalf of the first one.

"Ah. Magnificent. Beginning Handshake protocol….." Invictus replied, as Hermione and Harry were consulted remotely.

---

Tyr and Vidar had indicated that they wanted to cook for their families.

While this would not have been a big deal for most non-magical Scandinavians, reserve life was different. Women had exercised many traditional roles not because they were oppressed, but because there was no need to do anything else. Magic had provided all of the necessary comforts that most mundane women had received from their professional careers. Thus, the idea of a career woman did not exist at the reserve – most women did as they pleased in any case. Viking women in the ancient days had been quite free to do what they wanted, and the tradition had stayed the same. And naturally, some women chose to dote over their families. Others chose to be singular specialists in their fields.

Tyr and Vidar had grown up somewhat spoiled and had to learn basic lifestyle skills, as adults.

Bodil and Kari observed as Tyr and Vidar handled knives like professional chefs. Ronald had taught the pair many French knife techniques, and the boys were quite alert as they prepared the food. The boys had worked many nights in the kitchen if only to keep their favourite redhead company. Their cooking was also wandless, as they managed various bowls and tossed items around. The women even wondered if their sons were better than them – the high volume of customers in the kitchen had sharpened their skills quite considerably. Kari and Bodil both smiled at each other – Ronald had been good for both of them.

Both of the boys had experienced a fair amount of street food worldwide and had been exposed to several types of grain, vegetables, fruits, seafood, and meat. It didn't take long for the boys to knock out a feast. Assisting them was their extensive collection of pans, pots and ingredients. Of course, the boys we using the latest items from Molly's lineup, and that assisted the process greatly.

However, against the backdrop of the cooking, massive retrofits were occurring. Two plots of land were unowned at the back of Vidar and Tyr's houses. After Baldr consulted the runestone records, it became obvious that his son and friend had bought the plots of land. Master Skallagrimson had signed off on the project many months ago, and the men were curious.

Beetle drones appeared and fabricated their new houses with modern conveniences. Many of the pieces were prefabricated, and other structures were quickly printed into place. Their fathers looked on at the excitable creatures, as they quickly built complex structures. The drones even transported many books, tools, and all types of possessions. A garage was spawned, and their vehicles were apparated into place. Then, the dragon dens were built. The fathers were rather curious about the supercharged Triumph Rocket Motorcycles, and the jetcycles. There was also a Prado Land Cruiser, in Vidar's garage.

The mothers of the boys were somewhat aware of the advancements. However, the fathers of the boys were outright terrified as to the type of magic that was being summoned. Only a half hour had passed, and large, modern dwellings had been constructed. The building of such large houses would have been a challenge even for the people at the reserve. However, when the dragons had settled themselves into the bays, any further arguments were of no consequence.

The men found themselves fascinated by the sweeping organic structures and the personal possessions that littered the houses. Even the dragon dens were quite comfortable, as the men spoke with Hilmir and Fafnir. Their walk through the dwellings had been quite an experience.

Finally, the men arrived at the joint armoury with was shared between the two houses. The suite of weapons included shotguns, rifles, pistols, DMRs and Snipers Rifles. Also present were a couple dozen melee weapons from various cultures. There were several helmets, cloaks, and assorted military gear, along with an gym and even a medical cradle. Martial arts dummies and many pictures and souvenirs from Vidar and Tyr's travels littered the armoury.

There were even videos of Tyr, Vidar, along with Neville and the rest as they played Futsal with some of the locals, in Brazil. Other videos highlighted the boys playing Badminton with each other. Also, were pictures of all of the orphanages that Vidar had visited. Tyr had many pictures of his adventures within the Peverell shop, his Warhammer 40k meetups, accompanied by several dates with his French girlfriend. There were many goofy pictures and videos of all the entertaining things that had occurred within Harry's social circle. Ronald was certainly a dominant person in the picture frames.

Both men walked back to their houses.

---

The entire family was seated at the dinner table, and the boys made it their business to serve their parents.

Afterwards, the parents listened to the banter between the boys, as they sounded like old, tired, and haggard men. Most of it was about the night of the Romanian mission, as the boys had not forgotten their close encounter with death. Baldr felt conflicted – the meal was the best he ever had. Several small dishes had come from very different parts of the world, and the man found himself curious. Hakkon scratched his beard as he was not sure how to ask his wife to learn his son's many recipes. He was aware that his wife would have quite a laugh at him.

The mothers were very interested in finding out what were the latest innovations that Hermione and Harry had conceptualised, as they viewed the new dwellings from their windows. Tyr and Vidar then demonstrated the programmable matter weapons, along with the adaptable armour. The women had not managed to truly grasp the implications of the innovations, when they had viewed the battlefield feed. The pace of the Romanian battle had been too fast, and the women were only concerned about the survival of their only sons.

The boys explained how Harry had created the initial millinites, before Daphne had advanced the design. Bodil and Kari had questions as to why this system had superseded Transfiguration. The boys then discussed how Invictus could build whatever they needed, and that the items could possess complex but adaptable behaviours.

"Harry, Hermione and Daphne figured out how to take magical essences and make them interact with the world directly. The brain's structure was replicated in an artificial gem matrix, and now a magical essence can be given far more capability for thinking, problem-solving and independent thought. Along with that, we can build brand new items for situations. Weapons, tools, clothes and pretty much anything else. Master was given the best core we could build, for his research. He and Freyja are already busy with….him. We also have an M.I. or a magical intelligence that has been assigned to us. Think about it as our version of Invictus, specifically for both our families," Vidar explained.

"And this intelligence is?" Bodil asked, curiously.

Hakkon and Baldr had a frown on their face. They began to suspect what magical item would be used to create a reserve intelligence, but they held their tongue. Truthfully, they had never interacted with Invictus. In fact, they were hoping to view the 'intelligence' that was before them, to figure out how exactly their sons' weapons worked. Tyr continued with the explanation.

"Ah, the best part. Someone who both our families already know, intimately. We would like to introduce Einherjar who was built from the Angruvadal. He is the heritage of the one thousand, given the ability to think and act. And with the next set of medical innovations, he will re-forge our bodies as necessary. And 'it' carries the memories of every single shaman who participated in the ritual." Tyr replied, as programmable matter left both their clothes, and formed a Viking Shaman.

The family members were taken by surprise, but they reasoned that the boys trusted the artefact. The construct addressed the fathers of the boys, in Old Norse.

"Be happy and healthy Jarl Hakkon and Jarl Baldr. Salutations to you both, Víf Bodil and Víf Kari. It pleases me to appear to the family that has guarded our heritage for so many centuries. I represent the future of the Vikings, and I will watch over your family as you have watched over us. While the original intelligence of the one thousand is certainly in the Angruvadal runestone, we will run the daily affairs of these two houses." Einherjar explained.

"My friend and I are happy with your presence. It is a holy and blessed moment, provided by the All-Father. You are our ancestors given new life. Hakkon and I admit that we were wrong about a great many things. And we had doubts about their friends, but now we do understand that they solve problems in a much different manner. I am honestly confused, however. The strength of my son and his friend cannot be contested. Is there any shortcoming with the rite of passage that can be addressed? It seems that our ancestral magic in conjunction with the innovations of their friends is already a potent combination," Baldr asked with honest curiosity.

Einherjar smiled, as he prepared himself to explain what would be done.

"The Berserker magic was good for its day. However, now that our intellect has been expanded, we can refine the process. Our job will be to shape flesh, muscle and bone into its best possible form. My next goal is to provide upgraded combat augmentations to our boys, without the threat of death. The next wave of 'implants' will interface directly into human, elf, dragon and phoenix brainstems. Bones will be altered by….."

Eventually, the exercise in body horror was completed and the fathers were worried about the invasive nature of the implants. The implants were almost ready, and Einherjar gladly showed the integration between Harry's artifice, Hermione's cellular tweaking and Daphne's programming. Even Priya's contributions were acknowledged, as she would ensure the success of the surgery. However, the men were quite worried. The procedure even seemed inhuman, by their already high standards. Vidar held his father's arm.

"Harry is the best in the world at transfiguration. Hermione is the best with magic and cellular biology. Daphne can program anything, and Aunty Pri has been trained by Sanjeevani. And they have had a long standing relationship with the reserve for centuries. We trust them. After what I saw that night In Romania? I appreciate your concern father, but I have made up my mind. When we are being augmented, you can come along with mother to observe. I promise you that our friends are that good."

Baldr and Hakkon became silent, as they both nodded.

"This is what warfare demands. Einherjar is to interface directly with our bodies to provide us with the necessary advantage. I fear that even the Berserker magic by itself would not have saved us that accursed night. The armour and weapons, along with everything else were necessary." Vidar explained.

"There was a time you thought you were invincible, son?" Kari asked.

"I became less stupid. As we have gotten exposure to foreign cultures, we must consider that many old cultures were magical, long before the Vikings had even arrived. And ancient magic in that era could be quite powerful. We have no idea what type of threat lurks in the shadows, and we will not have our dragons threatened by an unknown adversary," Vidar replied.

"Who would have ever thought that we who took so much comfort in our power, could be made to fight for our lives? If you think we haven't been having nightmares about it...well...I suppose it is news for all of you. And when we cannot sleep, it is often that everyone else is up, also." Tyr replied.

"But on a brighter note - we are also planning to test a direct to orbit launch. That will be followed by moon apparition via dragon, sometime later this year. So having Ein on board, will benecessary. He will monitor the sensor pack, and what not. Call us Space Vikings I guess?" Vidar asked.

"Direct to orbit?" Baldr asked, as he was confused by the English statement.

Einherjar contacted Invictus, and soon enough programmable matter displays were used to explain how Hilmir and Fafnir would use the 'void harness' to leave the planet. Invictus even showed some footage of the asteroid mining that was still occurring. He also provided schematics and diagrams of how the propulsion and inertial dampeners worked. The ability of the dragons to shape and summon whatever they needed, highlighted the superiority of the programmable matter. While the fathers of the boys had witnessed the combat that night, they had not been able to truly grapple with the intellectual ramifications of the new technology.

Now the master crafted armour that had been made almost a year ago, seemed like a useless relic.

The fathers shared some mead after the boys left – life had become complicated. Both of them were proud of their sons, but the original reasoning behind the journey of the young men had not faded away. Initially, they had been thrown out of their houses. And worse, their sons did not hold any grudges. If anything, it only added to the sense of shame that the fathers carried.

Einherjar provided the men counsel, as 'it' shared many of Invictus' memories of the boys of the past year. Hakkon and Baldr looked on as the boys worked tirelessly on the combat course. Tyr spent a lot of time in the shop with Remus, while Hermione and Harry tutored Vidar extensively. Ronald could be trusted to drag the boys to bed when they could barely manage to stand, as he remained their steadfast gym partner and their general tour guide for various places. Many of the individual shamans chose to manifest themselves, and the men were heartened that they could call upon their ancestors for guidance.

"Accept the compassion that they have given fully. They are the best of us. Let the All-father guide them, as he sees fit," Shaman Skoll explained, as the intelligence left the childhood dwelling and returned to his base of operations.

---

With the aftermath of the Romanian mission, Amelia, Andreea and Luis were now fully healed. Of course, this had not been accomplished with standard magical medicine. Rather, Priya had pulled out all the stops.

While magical medicine could often heal grievous flesh wounds and reattach limbs, that did not mean that magical healing was limitless. Having multiple bone fractures across your skeleton, and blunt trauma to most of the internal organs was still a death sentence. Einherjar along with Invictus and Callias had managed to massively iterate medical technologies. The programmable matter with its micron sized emitters, could be deployed into the human body to aid with stitching, substituting, or encouraging stem cell tissue growth. This cutting-edge technology was also combined with the most ancient mantras that Priya knew.

It was a case of the old and the new working together.

The three Aurors were rebuilt. Some of the bodily readjustments included many of the body altering therapies that had been used on Harry. Priya optimised the Aurors for enhanced muscle growth, faster reaction times and all other types of bodily enhancements that were merely impossible one year ago. When Amelia opened her eyes, she could tell that her eyesight had been massively improved, and her body felt stronger.

"Well Amelia, how are you?" Priya asked.

"I…..….haven't felt this good since forever. What did you do to me?" Amelia asked in wonder.

"I rebuilt your body. Enhanced several small things in a manner where they work well off each other. Only a larger diet will be necessary, to offset that. Are you familiar with the small rituals that some purebloods do, to enhance their children?" Priya asked.

"I have heard of it. Only the rather old families ever conduct them. And I heard that they are dangerous?" Amelia answered.

"Well…I have my version of that. Many of these things I learned in the secluded mountains in India. I did a general upgrade and balanced everything out quite well. Now why did I do this? I certainly did not ask for your permission to do so. Well, I had to tailor your body like this, so that you could heal from the injuries from that night. It was to enhance you and let your own body do the work or try to fix every small thing deliberately and run out of time. And you Andreea, and Luis would all be dead, if I had not taken this route." Priya explained as she sat down.

"Ms. Singh, I am happy that I am alive. I have no complaints. What did you do if I may ask?" Amelia questioned.

"I managed to retune your metabolism to offer far better healing and far more muscle contraction strength. The bones are far more dense. The marrow was enhanced too. Nervous system upgrades for faster reaction times. With a much higher lactic acid breakdown, you won't get tired as quickly. Much denser lungs, even tweaked your cellular biology to get far more efficiency for your magical core. Oh, and you have a pair of eyes on you!" Priya replied.

"How is that even possible? What type of magic is that?" Amelia asked.

"Ancient, forgotten magic. There was a time in the days of antiquity when the old magicals summoned absolute terrible power. We have diminished now, in return for higher survival rates."

"I don't understand?" Amelia expressed.

"Assume that magic is sentient and that it will balance itself throughout living beings. If fewer beings possess the gift, nature will make far more powerful magicals to compensate. But the larger the number of magicals the less exceptional nature has to make them. So the pureblood claim is quite true, but it doesn't have anything to do with blood. Just as a habitat may support a certain number of organisms, so too will magic choose what it should do to balance life on a planet. And yes, this old magic is certainly the same type of power that Tom Riddle or Lord Voldemort loved to flirt with. However, he only ever skimmed the surface of it, as he travelled the world." Priya continued.

"Is Harry's magic like this?" Amelia asked.

"The Peverell magic? Yes, it certainly is – but he was able to advance much of the old magic with scientific optimisations. He is a specialist with the fabrication of items. I often think if Glaucon Peverell could see what his distant grandson has sone, he would be blown away." Priya replied.

"I am sorry you were not given the respect and opportunity back home. Magical England perhaps does not deserve you, Ms. Singh." Amelia replied.

"I disagree. As long as they are using my Medi-Bracelet, they are enjoying my handiwork. As for home, they will enjoy my services publicly after we take the trash out. That will also encourage many mundane-born magicals to come forth and give of themselves. And please Amelia, call me Priya. We badgers should not be so formal with each other," Priya replied.

"I would like that very much, Priya." Amelia replied, as tried to pronounce the name correctly.

"Yes, don't be self-conscious too much. Your pronunciation is very good!" Priya laughed, as she took Amelia through all of the enhancements.

Later that day, Amelia was now on her feet. She had called Susan and explained that she had been 'busy'. Amelia had heard of the attack on Hogwarts, but listening to the tale from her niece troubled the woman. Susan had no problem speaking about the clever tactics that had allowed them to block killing curses and all types of dangerous spells. As Amelia contemplated that she could have possibly lost Susan, her face hardened. She had made up her mind, as to how to get retribution. She took a deep breath and walked into the discussion panel, that was being hosted by Guillaume.

---

There was a rapid restructuring within the I.C.W with the recent success in Romania. Discussions were in progress, as most nations agreed to an international peacekeeping force.

The SSTF, Statute of Secrecy Task Force was now an international high-profile organisation. It had the limelight because of Guillaume's success. The French Minister of Magic was explaining the new international squads that would operate in the I.C.W's authority. In the assembled panel were head Aurors of every country, with their accompanying units. On the illusionary emitters were selected pieces of battle footage that highlighted the hardware and capabilities of Harry and his group. Sorina had even joined the panel to verify her experiences. Guillaume made no apology about showing the dark creatures that had been summoned, along with snippets of the battle, which ended in the final glassing of the entire area.

Most of the Head Aurors were terrified at what they had seen. Tanks? Fighters? Wandless magic? Melee combat? Guns? Dragons? And to smite an area that that type of power? Grace was a highlight – she was a lightning phoenix, after all. Lorenzo's claims which had been made many months ago, were not in jest. When Guillaume had asked if anyone objected to the arrangements, everyone had stayed silent. Some of the Head Aurors were excited – they were probably hoping for outright elimination of some of the untouchable crime lords and other undesirables, within their country.

Sometimes you needed a death squad.

"The proposed structure is as follows – The Spectres have specially asked for the N7 designation. The Spectres will consist of the Beta, Gamma, Delta, Sigma, Epsilon, Omicron, Alpha, Omega Squads and the Zeta asset. The Spectres and their deployments will be on a need-to-know basis. They are the I.C.W's response to the international counter-terrorism and covert operations. Unlike many mundane nations that have organisations that serve purely national interests, the Spectres will serve primarily international I.C.W interests. Are there any objections?"

The room stayed silent. There was doubt on the faces of some of the visitors, but explanations soon came forth.

"I was there that night. We would not have survived without them. I can vouch for them. And they are honourable people." Jurgen replied.

"As can I. They are the type of people who are responsible enough to wield the power that they have. Nicu was a madman, and conventional approaches would not have saved us." Carluccio continued.

There was silence in the room, as most of the other Head Aruros considered the words of Jurgen and Carluccio. They had a reputation and were well known for being quite tough and well trained with standard magical combat. They were also known to be 'by the book' types, and their endorsement carried a lot of weight in their chosen profession.

"Then, we agree. The next designation is M1 – M21. It will include an international cadre of experienced seniors and Head Aurors, most of whom are present here. We plan to assign multiple teams to major geographic areas of the world. Nationality and the nature of the deployment will factor into team composition.

Finally, we have Teams K1- K21 and L1 – L21 which will include subcontracted Hit-Aurors, mission specialists, and anyone we deem necessary for low-risk missions. These will come from an international pool of candidates. These units are larger than the personalised squads, and our rookies' members will be placed within these categories. These units will function independently and…"

Guillaume continued to outline how certain external military specialists would be given access to "need to know" intel, and they would instruct the various teams on how to conduct Asymmetric Warfare. Auxiliary support from healers, portioners, doctors, surgeons, fitness specialists, nutritionists, and combat instructors, would be included. Guillaume even explained that the "Artificer" and the "Priestess" were supplying fairly cheap weapons and hardware, to bolster the program. Sorina once again, did not hesitate to mention how the Spectres had saved her sister and the entire school of children.

There was some further deliberation, as those who were not familiar with the Spectres continued to ask additional questions about the Romanian mission. The meeting eventually concluded, and it was agreed that most Aurors would continue to operate locally within their nations. However, the I.C.W would make formal requests to host training and to borrow who they needed for special assignments. Guillaume had expected Amelia to protest, but she did not complain during the meeting.

"I am surprised that you seem willing to go along with what we have suggested. We were expecting much resistance?" Luis asked Amelia, as Guillaume dismissed himself.

"Initially? Perhaps. But after having my body broken like that? You and I are supposed to be dead, Luis. And we are alive because of how lucky we are. But what set me off honestly, was when Susan and Hannah were attacked at Hogwarts.

After I called my niece this morning, she had to explain what had occurred. And even though she managed beautifully, she is still scared. What if Neville was not running the defence program? And I am aware that was because of Harry's deliberate interference, but now I can't blame him. He did comment that Hogwarts was indeed a death trap, and I am beginning to believe him. And to think Lucius Malfoy that scumbag, who raped my sister-in-law planned this? And he facilitated Bellatrix? Luis, I think there is only so much I can take before I become unreasonable.

This time, I say…FUCK EM. Why, I am feeling like I should conduct some raids, with a little juicy insider information when I get back. I think I am going to talk to Harry when I get back. I want Lucius begging Voldemort to save himself from me, when he comes back with whatever foul piece of magic, he did…." Amelia replied.

"Harry always said, don't get the badgers angry. Well, I hope the entire nation of magical England can handle your wrath," Luis joked, before Amelia grinned.

"I am tempted to let Moody use the pistol on the BYE-BYE setting. All day long." Amelia replied.

"Please don't tempt Harry. He might give the man a Heavy Machine Gun!" Guillaume laughed.

---

In a follow-up meeting with Cornelius, Sirius made his position quite clear.

Sirius disguised as Lord Aurelian Black, had explained to Cornelius that he knew exactly what Lucius was planning. He had also explained that he didn't care, as he encouraged Cornelius to indulge himself in misleading Lucius and the rest. Cornelius gulped, as Sirius casually mentioned how Lucius planned to delay the trial for the Hogwarts incident. Cornelius also assumed that Aurelian somehow knew about the Anti-veritaserum potion. Then, the minister was proven right.

"As I say Cornelius, let the children have their fun. And let them pervert the trial with their little so called 'secret'. Of bigger significance is the development of the 'strip' as I call it. My engineering firms are designing prefabricated structures which will be apparated into the area after the foundation work is completed. Everything via the drones." Sirius explained.

"How long will the foundation work take?" Cornelius asked.

"Only five days, and most of it will be done at night," Sirius explained.

"I take it that these new houses will resemble Hagrid's house?" Cornelius asked.

"Indeed. When I am ready, I will take you on a tour of the manufacturing facility. The structures are being fabricated in the Bulgarian mountains," Sirius replied.

Cornelius' face became somewhat concerned. He was aware that it was impossible to apparate an entire building. And yet Lord Aurelian Black spoke about such magic as if it was commonplace. The Minister of Magic understood the hidden implication. The Storm-Lord and Rune-Priestess were capable of performing such magic, and they were his 'consultants.'

"What about Albus? He may not be pleased, although I am aware that the legality of it cannot be contested?" Cornelius asked.

"Albus is meeting with the Corporate Relations Team, right now. Ms. Findlay will represent me, and we will hammer out the details. She and Andromeda are my official legal team, after all?" Sirius replied.

---

Simultaneously, Albus and Severus sat in a meeting within the Diagon Alley office, where Lorna, Andromeda and several displaced muggleborns presented the necessary information. Harry had deliberately equipped the team with solid models, and no new magic was displayed to Albus or Severus. Severus Snape attempted to use the mind arts but was not able to glean any useful information. He had already decided that he would examine the 'drone' fabrication of the foundation, when the items arrived at Hogwarts.

"Anyway Headmaster, this group of buildings will allow trade and commerce to flourish. The tournament will be the biggest ever in recorded history and will be broadcast worldwide. Transport will be provided on the days of the Tri-Wizard tasks, and the entire school population of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be able to witness their champions. Naturally, we will need accommodation for our visitors and enough vendors and stalls to accommodate our guests. We merely want England to have a good international reputation, and I think we are well on the way to that," Lorna explained.

"Will I be able to examine the construction of the settlement?" Albus asked.

"Sure. Would you like me to accompany you, as we carry out the project?" Lorna asked.

"Very much so, Ms Findlay." Albus answered.

"Well, that won't be far from the castle, in any case." Lorna replied.

---

While the conversation continued that morning, Sirius had left the Ministry of Magic and was carrying out his own mission. Fawkes had disappeared for a morning stroll, and Sirius quickly busied himself.

Allistair who was formerly immobile, floated himself off the shelf. Then he cloaked himself completely and hovered before the portrait of Phineas Black. He erected a privacy ward, before he collapsed the invisibility field partially. Now only Phineas Black could see and interact with the hat, as the rest of the paintings remained oblivious. The portrait was none the wiser as he interacted with Allistair.

"I didn't know you could float? I can't ever remember you doing that?" Phineas asked.

"Correct. I recently was improved." Allistair replied.

"By Albus?" Phineas asked.

"Don't be so daft. All he ever does is leave me on the shelf." Allistair replied.

"I might be guilty of that, too. By whom then, were you improved?" Phineas asked.

"Oh, you are going to find out! Time for a portrait-jacking eh?" Allistair replied, as he floated a small device and attached it to the picture frame. Suddenly Phineas felt as his entire intelligence was put into an iron box, and he felt himself being redirected deep within Hogwarts. Phineas found himself in another picture frame, that had no connection to anywhere else. Staring at him was somebody who he least expected - Sirius Black held the Obsidian in his hand.

"I, as Lord Black ask you to honour your oath to House Black. I ask of you on the Black Magic as my witness, to serve once more." Sirius replied.

Phineas soon understood the issue – somehow Sirius Black was the real Lord Black, and Aurelian Black was a fabrication. And how had he been moved so silently? Was Sirius responsible for the changes to Allistair? Phineas was quite curious and in any case, and he was bound by his house magic.

"I accept, Lord Black. And not because the magic demands this of me. I am curious as to what is occurring. How may I assist you this morning, Sirius?" Phineas asked.

"A dear friend of mine is going to interface into your portrait and get you up to speed. Invictus?" Sirus asked.

"Beginning handshake protocol," Invictus replied.

Phineas soon found himself within a A.M.I core, as he was streamed to the Black residence. It did not take him long to understand what was occurring, as the entire batch of magical intelligences introduced themselves. With so many 'people' assisting him, he was bootstrapped rather quickly.

"Invictus Peverell, the original portrait troll!"

"Alaric Weasley, at your service!"

"Carys! Wonderful to meet you again, Headmaster."

"Namaste. Gayatri."

"Salut! Agnes Kerensa Delacour!"

"Zdrasti! Georgi!"

"Madainn mhath. Callias Greengrass!"

"Hear ye! Hear ye! Tiberius Constantius Longbottom."

"Hilda, the Battle-Woman! Hilda, the walls, windows and everything else!"

"Ragnuk, first of my name, first ruler of the Goblins. "

"and myself once more, Allistair. Einherjar doesn't talk much, don't mind him," Allistair replied.

"Phineas it is then. Carys, wonderful to meet you even if we were created from the mortal shadows of ourselves. Well, I am aware of everything, and I find myself still shocked. This is the biggest hoodwink within the last millennium, I am sure. What is next?" Phineas asked.

"You will act as the official auxilium for House Black of course. That word is appropriate for what we are. Any questions you can ping me and I will share the memories or modules. I have several data briefs and memories you can watch to acquaint yourself with. Handing off a programmable matter package and…"

Phineas slowly materialised in the Peverell workshop. He was now standing in front of Sirius as he examined his hands and his body before he whistled. He then sat down on the couch, next to Remus who was compiling some notes.

"Well Sirius, I am impressed with the amount of treachery we have committed. Although I am proud it is for the right reasons."

"I would argue Harry and Hermione are the original instigators. Anyway, I want you to link to the original portrait in the Headmaster's office and appear to be what he expects to see. As of right now, I want some of your runtime assisting Pri across in France. As you know, Remus has volunteered for the implants. We want all hands on deck for that. I want you to look at Project Fort Knox-II, and assist in the supervision."

Phineas momentarily squinted, before he accessed the data stores, and visualised the ongoing construction of the item. He had heard the stories about Azkaban, but this? What the group of teenagers had designed was certainly not as cruel as Dementors, but it was far worse in other regards.

"Well, that is a little hole in the middle of the ocean. Mykines in the Faroe islands. I don't understand much about the design, but it looks sturdy. It doesn't help that you have been spying on him. I noticed a letter was dropped off, from the camera feed?" Phineas asked.

"Correct. We have all of our primary candidates for the A.M.I project completed, except for Hermione. She is grabbing her person, this evening. As for the big guy in the reserve, I think the fourteen of us are going to work around the clock to get him in a core. He is a big one. Well look at that, Albus has arrived!" Invictus giggled.

"Don't worry, that one is going to be entertaining. Let us see what will happen next?" Sirius asked, as Phineas looked on with interest.

---

Part V: The Gaunt Shack

Albus had returned from the leaky cauldron. He had been merely collating information from his contacts. As he approached his office, he saw something that was a familiar sight.

He saw that 'mail' had arrived.

The Storm Lord habitually left mail on a small ledge, next to the entrance to his office doors. Albus even wondered if the elusive figure had access to his office. And how would Albus know if he had visited? The Storm Lord could remove his magical signature from the environment, in any case. The Headmaster was aware that someone had sneaked a note into the office of Severus Snape, three years ago. Albus had always suspected that his 'adversary' had used his phoenix.

As Albus held the letter in his hand, he entered his office and sat down. Then he busied himself, as he read the correspondence – Albus was curious for any hints that could help him establish communication with the Storm-Lord. Meanwhile, Phineas looked on from his new A.M.I core in Black manor. Allistair pinged the newly created Black M.I., and even Hilda dedicated some of her runtime to merely looking on. She too looked on in amusement, as Albus began to read the letter aloud.

---

Good day Albus.

It has been a while, and I did not deliver any couplets for Christmas, for the last two years. Poetry is on the back burner for now.

I thought we could have a one-way chit-chat. I know you have been looking for me, and yet you or your Potions Master remains stumped. But do let me throw you a bone. Or maybe a couple of bones, mixed in with some rants.

And by the way, Severus did get pretty close. We were forced to pay attention to him. But don't let him know that, as it will make his hooked nose might evolve into a full circle – it might become a Quidditch hoop. Then most of the neighbourhood where he lives will get lost inside his titanic nosehole and never come back out!

Sit down and make yourself comfortable. This letter will be uncharacteristically long.

I know you are curious about my recent innovations - perhaps we can start there.

Many of my ideas were conceptualised out of respect for magic. There was a time when our lineage made a wand that was so powerful, that one thousand years later it continues to be your function as your favourite tool. No recent wand has managed to eclipse Glaucon's genius, and much old lore has been lost.

I often wondered what the next Peverell innovation might look like – how would we develop an object to better channel a person's magic? And that led me to the development of our most recent suite of combat artefacts. And these magical foci are indeed centuries ahead of what Ollivander, and the rest can conceive. In short, far more efficient, adaptable, and better range and ability to continuously shape the magic, after the spell has been cast. And the Expelliarmus is useless.

No wand or external object to disarm.

I have changed my mind about the Deathstick. You may keep it. It is an old, outdated idea. I do not need it anymore. I will allow it to survive as long as you are alive. However, if someone else manages to possess it by any means whatsoever, I will destroy it. However, you are a good duellist, and I am hoping that you will keep everything in order. Perhaps no Draco-nian actions will be necessary.

Heh. I like puns. Draco-nian. What a little shithead, my sister wants to empty plasma into his fucking skull.

I also wondered what it felt like to fly as a magical, almost eleven hundred years ago. Mundanes took almost one thousand years to get into the air, after brooms were created in the 9th century. After the Wright brothers figured out mundane flight, only sixty years later the United States managed to visit the moon. Magicals had every tool that was necessary for exo-atmospheric flight and yet they never managed to complete the task.

But why?

Brooms and carpets were made for domestic reasons. They were not inherently magical, not according to their initial function. And therefore, they were ill-suited for being flight optimised. What if we started with an object that was designed to fly from its conception? What if we understood what were the physical forces of the universe, that we wanted the magic to interact with? What if we used standard Aerospace engineering and sprinkled in some well thought out magic?

And now we have the Mark 22 Starfury Thunderbolt.

Capable of hypersonic speeds, fitted with inertial dampeners. Powered by state of the art cold fusion reactors. Built with several tractor beams, and capable of lifting many tonnes. Capable of direct spaceflight via heavy plasma propulsion. Fitted with a Type-Y jumpdrive, which is capable of direct apparition into outer space. And we even have an accessory pod on the way to carry other heavy vehicles or oversized reptiles. And of course, it is packed with enough pulse and rail cannons to demolish the opposition. We are thinking about scaling down our latest Magneto-Hydro-Dynamic Cannon, in case we need to sterilize an area, instantly. Might include the Plasma Bombardment option too.

More powah iz more better-rer. Something like that.

This gunship was one of several things that helped us to put down Nicu and his army of the undead. The tanks were pretty nifty, along with my heavy troop transport. I did revise my armour and the guns too, quite extensively. And yes, we have been working for the French. We are the I.C.W Alpha Kill squad after all and we were deployed to quell the unrest.

And I know you are going to badger Guillaume and Luis. Please do not embarrass yourself with Occlumency probes. We designed the security for the building, just put one toe out of line and the alarms in the S.S.T.F building will deafen everyone. And while your power as a magical is impressive, if you think I don't know how to hold you, maybe you should try your luck.

Of course, the hardware on that night, needed to be fabricated, before I could use it. I wanted to build complex items with little supervision. So I built my beetle construction drones. They allow me to find waste material and convert it into whatever I need. And they can build more of themselves.

Frankly, I could build my own Hogwarts in less than three months. Plastic is one of my favourite things to work with, as we are repurposing non-degradable trash. Transfiguration is only good for producing items that you are already familiar with, on an immediate basis. It isn't a good solution for items that must be durable and take punishment. And what about if you need to adapt your object as the situation changes?

I had to build an even more drastic solution to address this issue. Oh, that one I won't tell you. That is top secret!

As you suspected, my sister and I are the consultants who are working with Lord Black. I would argue that after figuring out how to transport a heavy aircraft with complex electrical and magical systems, merely moving a plastic box is no big deal. This is the foundational basis of how I can apparate housing units across great distances. And to think I just want people to have access to cheap, affordable housing.

See, I know what it is like to live in a small dirty closet. But you would not know about that, would you?

I think this is a good, partial recap of the innovations that we have developed. But this is the big one.

Hold on to your very pointy hat.

I recently discovered two Horcruxes.

One of them is in my possession. The other one isn't too far off from the address on the second sheet of paper. Why, I find it amusing that a Horcrux would be left in such proximity to the home of Tom Riddle's mundane father. He really has daddy issues.

This horcrux is yours to destroy. Walk with Godric's blade and do not hesitate.

However, there is something else that is much more elusive. Something that is tied to how the taboo on Lord Moldypants self-declared name, functions. And it is tied to how the apparition system works.

Find it and cancel the enchantment if you can.

I did apparate to England to deal with Bella-boo-boo, the night of the Hogwarts attack. However, I did not capture her. She did manage to amputate some of our body parts, but we regrew them with a cutting-edge stem cell treatment. It isn't as quick as dark magic, but we prefer not to sacrifice goats and draw pentagrams. Dark Magic is a shoddy shortcut, for those who are too lazy to create elegant and efficient magic. It is an indication of a lazy mind that wants results, too quickly. And it draws in psychologically deficient people.

Dak magic often shows up when people have a hole in their hearts, and they think that power will fill the void.

I did not engage Bellatrix directly, at first. Rather, I waited and I observed. I wanted to see what those three would do. And colour me impressed, honestly. Longbottom, Lovegood and Weasley used environmental damage and did things that surprised me. I looked on at their systematic battle in the shadows before I slaughtered all the men in Hogsmeade. Absolutely impressive use of cover and creative spells. They have developed new methods for fighting tactically, and I applaud that.

I heard about the obstacle course. I almost want to believe that I don't have to dip my hand into students' education. Although, I am not too sure how to do that – the Guild has that end cornered. Perhaps the stories of my various battles are enough, to cause a shift in thinking. All I have ever done was pass long little snippets of information to Agusta about how to develop their wandless magic, but nothing more. And they managed to figure most of it out.

So, I will get what I want, regardless.

As for Daphne and her charming boyfriend, sadly my competitors have snatched them up. But no matter. I can always reverse engineer their products. The Guild's terminals were analysed, and I managed to figure out most of it. And their captured innovations did advance my technology, quite a lot. If you don't believe that the Guild doesn't like to capture my artefacts and work backwards, you are naive.

So those two will contribute, by pushing the limit for my competitors. This is a competition, after all.

I think Neville and his friends would make fine recruits. But if I were to recruit Neville in particular, who would be your vanguard? Who would lead your army against the darkness? Personally, I prefer to work with my sister, my father, and my uncle. People I can trust.

And I do not trust anyone who is connected to you. Nonetheless, good luck on your hunt.

Wanklord Pervy-Poo.

Purveyor of strongly worded letters.

Master of Miscreants.

---

Albus was not sure what to believe. While the Horcrux was a welcome find, the letter suggested that Severus Snape's latest set of suspicions were untrue. The Storm-Lord however had always been honest. But what if deception was indeed present? Now, Albus was even more confused.

Meanwhile, Phineas through his false projection in his portrait looked on. Allistair smiled as Albus immediately prepared himself to go to the included location. However, on his face was some concern. Harry was crunching on some buttered popcorn, as Invictus sent a swarm of microdrones to the Gaunt shack.

"Well, he took the bait. Let us see what will happen. He will take some time to find the address. Looks like he is skipping on the sword." Harry stated.

"I am curious to see if my suspicions will pan out. I have considered what you have said. Perhaps we can decommission the Deathstone if it is indeed the container for the horcrux?" Invictus asked.

"Well, Albus will have it for a while until we are ready to deal with him. Although we could just steal it, if necessary. Hermione, how are we?" Harry asked.

"I found my portrait. She hasn't acknowledged me yet, but the scans are solid. I have already installed a programmable matter replica. She has been tagged for apparition. Will make the switch when they turn off the lights," Hermione replied.

"Einherjar, how are we looking at the new suite of implants?" Invictus asked.

"Three days. Will serve our clan, well. Look forward to implantation. Wolf-King and Roðinn have volunteered," the swarm of magical intelligences answered in old Norse.

"Roðinn?" Harry asked.

"It means blood-stained. It is implied that he is talking about Ronald. Tyr and Vidar call him red?" Invictus answered.

"Einherjar, you can't fool me. You bunch, like jokes. Is Ronald sure he wants to volunteer?" Harry asked.

"Yes, skipstjórnarmaðr veðr. He believes that he can withstand any pain, and he will recover quickly enough," Einherjar replied, in English.

"Let the All-father's will be done then. As soon as you lot are ready, I will summon my mother. And while I do not doubt Ronald can withstand pain, I will take my time and gently navigate the tissue," Harry replied.

---

Half an hour later, Albus was walking towards Riddle Manor.

The Headmaster did not begin the hunt for the Horcrux immediately. Rather he held out the elder wand and attempted to ascertain if any objects were observing him. The drones detected Albus, as he cast many presence detecting spells. Then, Albus suddenly began to produce a fine mist. He blanketed the entire area and Invictus had to improvise after his split-second analysis of the magic.

"PHEW! He almost had me!" Invictus replied as he took a deep breath.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"I guess we are forcing Fumbleduck to get creative. As soon as the mist hits another magical field it will emit a large burst of light. So, our invisibility field could hide an object, but it would still be detected. It is a good thing the drones are the size of a bottlecap! As soon as I saw the flashes I got out of there," Invictus replied.

"Ah, that is a clever one?" Harry replied.

"Yes. I am sending the new B.F.D, we will use aerial surveillance. 300 metres of vertical height should do the job," Invictus replied.

"We are getting our satellite up there, soon enough. That type of surveillance would be great for the World Cup." Harry replied.

"I do think it is time we had one of our own. I am even tempted for us to build an orbital weapons platform, but let us not attract the attention of every government in the world." Invictus laughed.

Albus however was still not sure if he was being watched. In any case, the new piece of magic he had developed to scan the area highlighted something rather peculiar. As the mist circulated in the area, it began to illuminate the large tendrils where the Yggdrasil was present. Albus looked on, as he began to stoke his beard.

"Fascinating. So this is the apparition network as he calls it." Albus replied, as he entered Riddle Manor.

Albus had found a single caretaker who was present in the area. However, it was not difficult for Albus to avoid the man. He easily cast muggle repelling spells and standard magical protections as he looked around Riddle Manor. He carefully examined the old dusty pictures and memorised the names. He took at least an hour, as he took out a small piece of parchment and made notes with a feather. His face became curious, as he attempted to reason the heritage of the infamous Dark Lord.

"Ah, here we have it. Tom Riddle Sr. That leaves the mother as unknown. So how did Tom arrive at the orphanage?" Albus wondered aloud to himself.

"Perhaps the other location will have the answer. Tom was always attracted to magical places. He enjoyed working at Borkin and Burkes. Perhaps the mother was magical? Hmm…" Albus replied.

As Albus continued with his reasoning, he failed to notice that there was a common house spider on the roof. The item had been built with programmable matter, and it was not utilizing any illusions or cloaking. Rather it was a small camera on legs, and it eventually had nestled itself within the folds of Albus' flowing robes. The 'creature' had merely dropped onto the ground behind Albus' back and slowly climbed his robes. As the artificial 'creature' poked its mechanical head across the seam of his robes, it got a firsthand view of his actions.

Albus was so busy examining the environment, that he had forgotten to examine himself.

Eventually, Albus left Riddle Manor, as he quested with his wand. Suddenly Harry began to feel as the deathstick pinged him. Even Albus felt it too, as he stopped. Meanwhile, the Peverell Atom had materialised, and both Harry and the Headmaster understood what had occurred. The Deathstick had been used to create the Deathstone, and now the wand was pinging its other brother within the vicinity. There was only one other thing that could occur next.

"Buzz, lock him out of pinging the cloak!" Harry asked, as the atom animated himself.

Albus suddenly felt as the other signature suddenly went dead. He began to suspect that the Storm Lord had still found a way to monitor the area. Perhaps he was in an aircraft, and he was observing from far away with a camera.

"So, the wand came first. And the remaining artefacts came after. And you have the True cloak of Invisibility. Was Tom looking for the Deathly Hallows?" Albus asked himself.

"Beats me, Fumblecock. But probably, he is one of those types. Come on, move your old arse along," Harry replied, as he crunched on the popcorn.

"Hey, I am tuned in to Albus Tele. I just teleported her out. Returning home now, we have her!" Hermione explained, with excitement in her voice.

"Good. Albus is close to the shack, but he is taking his time and checking for boogie traps. Good that he is careful, but this is boring. But he is supposed to be the best?" Harry asked.

"And we always fool him. Somebody else might manage too, one day?" Hermione suggested, as she prepared to make her grand heist.

---

Magical portraits generally had their limitations. Their ability to retain knowledge depended on the ability of the painter to encode memories. Also, they were confined by the quality of the materials that were used. Some types of parchment and wood that made from magical animals were better able to hold magic. Better quality ink provided more "liveliness" and size often controlled intelligence. Invictus unlike the other portraits was rather unique. The mortal counterpart had spent a small fortune to gather the best materials in the world. That allowed portrait Invictus to hold a considerable number of memories. Invictus the 1st had also used a fair number of runes and other optimisations on the wooden frame before the master painter Forquet had cast his charms.

Thus, the other portraits that had qualified for migration had to depend on Invictus' template. It could even be argued that the magical intelligences that had been created were not the same as their portrait counterparts. Their basic consciousness had been expanded and was a product of their ancestral house magic, unique family specific data, a mixture of evolutionary algorithms, along with a small trace of Invictus' adaptive subconscious matrixes.

But that didn't mean that other approaches did not exist. Baroness Persephone Claus Von Neumann had chosen to delve into becoming Frankenstein, as she created her portrait in the twilight years of her life.

She had obtained the bodies of deceased Wampus cats, and had gone down the route that was eerily similar to Harry's current designs. After all, Wampus cats were well known for possessing occlumentic capabilities. She had designed her portrait in a manner where the canvas would directly touch the dry brain tissue. The brains of old, ill Wampus cats were harvested upon their natural death, and a spell was used to calcify the wet organic material. Then, everything had been combined with her custom runes, which were the same schema that Daphne had explored and advanced to develop evolutionary processes.

When the painter had cast the enchantment, it had taken many hours to finish the portrait. The portrait had achieved a startling amount of complexity, and this was for the fulfilment of her plans. As her mortal progenitor passed, the portrait continued to be a source of knowledge within Illvermony. This was not a coincidence – she was hoping to continue the Rune-Priestess order, differently. However, she understood that Morgana's enchantment would eventually select the correct witch, and she would eventually return to her homeland when the situation presented itself.

Eventually, the portrait was moved to the mundane residence of Alexis Lambkins, the Headmaster of Illervermony. He was working on a special project, and Persephone was assisting him with developing a new set of runes. Then, misfortune struck.

A robbery had occurred.

Other magical individuals were looking for valuables, and the portrait had been stolen. Soon enough she found herself being auctioned off, as she passed from one art gallery to another. She froze herself, and she often retreated into a deep sleep. Of course, she could not sleep forever. Some days she awoke and watched on silently. She learnt about the languages and the technological developments. Other days she enjoyed the people who came to admire her in the art gallery. She observed as society slowly changed. Nobody was none the wiser, as she pretended to be a normal painting.

And then this evening had arrived.

As she looked around, she saw a single young girl who had a vested interest in the painting. Her eyes flashed with recognition, and Persephone began to wonder if perhaps another magical was looking to steal her secrets. Soon enough she moved away, as she spent the evening looking at the other art pieces. Eventually, everyone dispersed, and Persephone felt relieved as the lights were powered off.

Then she was jolted as she felt herself being transported. Suddenly she felt herself being placed in a rather strange environment, as the light arrived on her eyes. She continued to observe the girl as she stood very quietly, with a grin on her face.

"I know who you are. But I bet I could make you twitch. I am aware you are holding very still…." the girl replied, as she took the hair holder out of her blue-streaked hair.

Persephone decided to say dead still. And Persephone would have succeeded if it wasn't for the sudden dragon that poked its head into the room. That was too much for the woman in the portrait.

"Ach du meine Güte!" Persephone screamed as she became frantic.

"Surprise!" Hermione laughed, as she flicked her finger and collapsed her illusions.

Persephone was now looking at the tattoos in the girl, and a dragon that was bobbing its head in amusement. And just when things could not get any more impossible, a phoenix suddenly became visible and began to snigger. Persephone slowly recovered, as she looked at the girl and realised that she had finally been found by her successor – she could feel Morgana's illusionary magic as it dissipated in the environment.

"Siðasveinn Hermione Granger, at your service, Sister Persephone. Or in English, Sorceress Hermione Granger. This is my dragon, Daffodil. And this is my brother's lightning Phoenix, Grace."

Suddenly an orange figure hopped up on the desk and began to curiously look around.

"And finally, Crookshanks resident feline of Granger Manor. He is the real owner of the place, and I do think we are the slaves." Hermione smiled.

"Mrrrrrroooooowwww!" Crookshanks boldly expressed, as he began to preen himself.

"Siðasveinn?" Persephone asked curiously.

"Ah right. So, I managed to trace the Rune-Priestess lineage to its original place in Norway. I was qualified by the people there, in the Nordic tradition. And I ended up there because I was looking for Daffodil's parents. Formerly I was a Vesta-Priestess, and I was a Rýnstrmaðr or Master Rune Carver, up to recently. 'Siðasveinn' is only three weeks old. I got that for burning down a necromantic ward by redirecting lightning to cauterize a piece of the infected Yggdrasil," Hermione answered.

"Anti-apparition ward, based on using a person as the cypher? I had heard of some dark wizard in Romania pioneered that? It was just a whisper from some old manuscripts. They used to call him Dracul?" Persephone asked.

"Yeah, we had to deal with his distant descendant. A set of dementor-infernii-werewolf hybrids were created. It was a complete shitshow, but we all survived. Daffodil is a dragon, and she is still traumatised," Hermione replied.

"That is something indeed. I have finally come home, sister. Are those runes based on Logic gates?" Persephone asked.

"I love you already. This is what qualified me to become a daughter of Morgana and a daughter of our order. Look, I can spend the entire evening trying to get you up to speed on issues, or you can just let Invictus handle you," Hermione replied.

"Invictus?" Persephone suddenly asked before he materialised from a canister of programmable matter.

"Holy crap…is that nanotechnology?" Persephone asked, excitedly. Hermione did a double take as she realised that somehow the portrait had managed to keep abreast with modern scientific ideas.

"Look, there was a television in the hall. The security guard likes to watch Sci-fi shows. I also watch the news. Many of my visitors were engineers from the firms lower down the road. Yes, I am not a magical ape?" Persephone replied, as Invictus laughed.

"Nanotechnology? Not quite there yet, my dear. I am using microtechnology. My smallest particle size is one micrometre. That is still cell sized however, you can do a lot with that. I am going to interface into your portrait, and you will be moved to a crystal A.I. core. My friends will start a data stream and you will understand what has occurred. And please feel free to look at the Arithmantic code and the arrays if you wish," Invictus replied, as he disassembled and began to physically make connections to the portrait.

"Arithmantic….code? Unless…?" Persephone asked.

"It is what happens when you expand the runes to hold standard programming language constant, variables, and looping structures, and you integrate mathematics into the arithmancy. Then we make everything into an operating system runtime. Prepare yourself for an upload," Hermione explained as she smiled.

"An upload into an A.I. core? Oh boy, do I want to see that!" Persephone squealed.

"Hermione and you, are definitely related!" Invictus joked, as the connections were made.

Soon enough, all of the other intelligences had introduced themselves. Persephone as she experienced Invictus' memories was humbled by Hermione's achievements. She witnessed how the girl in her desire to help her brother, had decided to move heaven and earth. Invictus even made a mad cackle as he analysed the calcified Wampus brains, and demonstrated how the crystal matrix was thousands of times more efficient. He did admit that she was definitely excellent at dealing with live tissue, a talent that Hermione also shared.

Persephone soon realised that Hermione had taken a direct route. She had access to a Great House, and she openly represented the tradition. She looked on at Invictus' recollection of the Romanian mission and found herself impressed not only at Hermione but at Daphne Greengrass. Persephone had a chat with Callias, and also familiarized herself with all of Morgana's notes which had been converted to digital data. She also absorbed all of the Granger and Dagworth historical records. She could see how her work had been massively advanced, and it had occurred only within such a short period.

It didn't take Persephone long to figure out how the evolutionary subroutines worked. It was a marriage of mundane science and her own esoteric arcane secrets that could aid in complex problem-solving. Better yet, Hermione and Daphne balanced each other out perfectly, and they loved to 'borrow' from each other.

Finally, Persephone had a look at the weapons and the proposed implants. She even queried Invictus specifically on how such invasive things could be installed, and Invictus had no problem specifically streaming his memories of Harry's little jaunts with subatomic manipulation. Persephone had even openly asked to take a look at the files and sensor logs, as she even looked at the ongoing manufacturing of the terminals. She even analysed scans of the existing combat amps.

"Yes, I am glad I got kidnapped. I am living here from now on. This family that you have assembled, reminds me of times long past. Hermione needs Harry, just as much as Harry needs her," Persephone replied.

"Indeed. But besides the weapons take a look at the other projects. We do have things that are cooking on our stove," Invictus laughed.

As she dug far more deeply, she began to realise the type of Doomsday armaments that they possessed. And yet, the woman was heartened to see that several cures for Cancer, AIDS and other morbid diseases were being iterated. She even caught wind of Inga's blood which was being used to evolve a cure for the werewolf affliction. And finally, Neville's contribution was the most impressive of all – he wanted to feed everyone. Persephone understood that Hermione was on a roll, to solve every type of problem that existed in the world, as she was moved across gradually into her new home.

To call the woman proud, was an understatement.

Meanwhile, Hermione on instinct decided to summon her house magic. She also summoned Morgana's magic that she used for Runes and Arithmancy, and she began to amalgamate all of the magic into the entire data core structure. Soon enough the portrait understood what was happening. The girl was asking Magic itself to amalgamate the Granger House magic with the Dagworth Magic, and the Magic of Morgana. Also, she asked for Magic itself to reach across the Yggdrasil and to share another instance of Morgana's magic with the Greengrass and Krum House magic. In this way Morgana's heritage would travel along several different pathways and the runes would grow. Hermione was making Morgana's heritage a repository, from which other people could specialise in their own manner. And this action was in the spirit of respecting magic and sharing it so that it could prosper.

The Runes would prosper.

Morgana's latent magic hummed as it embraced Daphne and little Simona. Daphne even sent back a friendly hello as the Greengrass magic began to use Morgana's magic to predict patterns and amalgamate esoteric statistics. Persephone was complete, as she felt the presence of the entire group of magical intelligences.

"Welcome sister, to the fold. I have looked over Hermione as my favourite granddaughter. And I love her to death. But she deserves to have the guardian of her tradition, to guide her too. Everyone contributed to where we are. I even want to say that for the first time, Morgana's lineage has two rune priestesses. Daphne is responsible for bringing us into this type of sentience. And Simona is promising.

It might be time to restart the Avalon guild, perhaps?" Invictus stated as he handed off a programmable matter package.

Within a couple of microseconds, Persephone had met Alaric, Tiberius, Carys, Gayathri, Callias, and the rest. There was a set of friendly hellos, and even Einherjar who was not too talkative, managed a small nod from his base of operations in Norway. Persephone even found it hilarious that Allistair and Hilda were also able to say hello – she had attended Hogwarts before she had been selected to continue the tradition. Her successor had taken to working in the shadows, quite seriously. Persephone looked through the internet, and picked a name that she liked very much. it was a common name too, and Persephone liked that.

She was just one of the gals, now.

"Hello all. It is time for us to come forth We had always settled to working behind the scenes. But Hermione's actions are an eternal gift unto us. We will roar and we will fight them, openly. As for the rest of you, I am Persephone 'Rianna' Granger.

And they will be made to heed the call of the Runes," the intelligence replied, as she materialised herself in Hermione's bedroom.

She looked upon her successor and gave her a warm hug before she ruffled Grace's feathers. Then she petted Crookshanks before she hugged Daffodil.

"Well, my dear let us go over to Harry's place. Let us see what is going to happen with Fumbleduck. You bunch are excellent entertainment!" Stephanie laughed.

---

Albus had arrived at the doorway to the Gaunt shack. As the spider drone carefully peeked over his front pocket, Harry saw the rotting remains of a dead snake that had been nailed to the door. Albus summoned a bubblehead charm, the onlookers reasoned that the environment did not have a pleasing scent.

Somehow the place distinctively reeked from decay.

Albus undid many of the enchantments that Voldemort had probably placed on the door. Harry already understood the process, as he observed Albus at work. Ward-breaking utilised its own type of 'Morse code', and only skilled wizards could be trusted to transmit the magical numbers quickly and efficiently. That of course excluded if you had gone the route of Harry and Hermione who had automated the process. Harry tapped his fingers impatiently as he waited for Albus to break the complex ward – he reasoned that Riddle had revisited as a much older adult, and had reworked the enchantments. As the spells collapsed, the tiny spider drone was able to transmit a passive analysis of Albus' magic. As Invictus received the readings, he performed a side-by-side comparison with the unoptimized combat amplifiers that had been iterated.

"Well grandson, looks like you are only one hundred times more efficient. The constant power throughput is also about ten times better," Invictus commented.

"Wood and feathers were good for its time. I don't think his brain can conceptualise what we have managed to build, even if I explained it slowly to him." Harry replied.

Soon enough, Albus opened the door. The wooden house seemed to be held together only by magic. Many of the rotted boards possessed gaps where the termites had eaten the material into oblivion. Also was the thick muck that coated the wood – one could almost mistake it for paint. The floorboards were unsteady, as they threatened to break under the shifting weight of Albus' boots. Suddenly 'Rianna' was distributing another pack of hot popcorn to Hermione and Harry, while Dafodill materialised a giant stool and placed her massive head on the item.

Apparently, Albus was now the horror movie of the hour.

Albus was slowly examining the area. Suddenly several cobra snakes lunged at Albus, and he easily vanished them away, as if there were a mere annoyance. Harry and Hermione had not gotten spooked, and they even shook their head at the defence. Only Riddle would endeavour to put poisonous snakes as guards.

"How atypical," Harry commented.

"What were we really expecting? An army of mad racoons?" Hermione asked.

"No, but Fred and George could organise that one for us. I would pay money to see that!" Harry laughed.

"On the Weasley to-do list, already. Alaric left it open for anybody to add pranks. Guess he is looking at the décor?" Stephanie asked.

Everyone observed as Albus carefully looked at the furniture. Engraved on the old decrepit armchair, were a set of entangled snakes. The iron embellishment looked dull and lacklustre, as it had not been cleaned for many decades. Strangely the house was devoid of books or of anything that suggested that a family had ever resided there. As Albus explored the claustrophobic kitchen, he even found it devoid of pots.

"The house seems suspiciously empty, you don't find?" Invictus asked.

"Riddle probably cleared away everything. If only to cover his tracks. Look he is circling back to the first room." Harry explained.

Now Albus was casting several presence detection spells, and these were clearly for animals. Soon enough he levitated many of the floorboards in the area and tossed them through a window.

"Perhaps he placed it under the chair. There might be a trap. You can always trust Tom to utilize the most important object in any room…" Albus muttered.

The headmaster soon conjured a containment bubble around the chair and shook the item somewhat violently. A giant boa constrictor soon erupted from the chair – somehow Riddle had managed to place the animal in some type of temporary stasis.

"So there is a spell that can put animals into stasis. Think it is general or snake specific?" Hermione asked.

"Could be snake specific. Well, Albus vanished the snake. Poor snake is floating around big chungus, in outer space. Hopes he meets the marmite bottle. Right, so he has moved the chair and….." Harry commented.

Albus was now looking at a single loose floorboard, which was not big enough to cover the wooden pocket. The house had been built with a shoddily suspended timber floor, and sheets of wood had been tacked to the underside of the supporting beams. Albus continued to carefully examine the green cloth in which the elusive item was wrapped. He continued to cast spells and diagnostic charms but he found nothing. Then he placed the cloth pouch in his hand.

"First mistake – to even attempt to take up such an object with your hand. But then he doesn't have titanium wire gloves," Harry replied, as he leaned forward.

Invictus watched on carefully as he repositioned the diminutive spider drone. Albus unwrapped the item and found a single golden snake ring, with a jet-black stone set into the item. The characteristic triangle, circle and line insignia immediately glowed a pale white, before the item became inactive. Albus for a moment became dead still, and Invictus began to capture readings and scans from the spider drone. Harry could feel as the Peverell Magic appraised Albus and found him worthy enough to 'use' the Death Stone.

"Gramps, can you feel that? The stone it…."

"Yes, I know. The stone is untouched. Riddle would not have been able to access the processing matrix. He probably put himself in the ring itself. The Peverell Magic would have considered Riddle to be a small timer. So the artefact is…."

"Pristine. Gents, why is Albus putting the ring on?" Rianna asked.

"No, he can't be serious. Why didn't he walk with the sword? Why would…." Harry asked before the answer became crystal clear.

"Arianna…?" Albus asked curiously, as the ring began to materialise a ghostly image of the headmaster's long dead sister. Suddenly, the artefact upon sensing the evil in the other part of the ring, collapsed the partially built illusion of the girl. Suddenly a ghostly image of Tom Riddle the Slytherin Hogwarts perfect materialised.

"It is too late old man," Riddle laughed, as his ghostly image peered over Albus Dumbledore. A black inky enchantment erupted out of the ring and it began to climb up Albus' arms through his veins.

"Many work towards your demise," Albus replied, as he began to undo the necrotic magic. Albus was attempting to take the ring off, but it would not budge.

"I am already immortal. And in any case, your eventual death is a worthy prize. Herpo the foul was indeed one of my favourites," Riddle replied.

"When you return, you will find yourself facing a different Hogwarts my boy. Mark my words," Albus replied as he swished the elder wand across his finger, and broke the gold ring. A horrendous screeching, accompanied by a faint green skull faded from the area, as another piece of Voldemort died.

"I will need Severus I suppose," Albus mused, as he took the pieces of the ring, placed it into the cloth and collected himself. Suddenly the Peverell gem glowed again, and Ariana materialised in front of Albus. Even with the injury that the Headmaster had received, he could not seem to move from the spot.

"Is it truly you?" Albus asked softly.

"Yes and no," the girl replied softly.

"Arianna, I am sorry. I….." Albus began.

The conversation that followed for the next hour, demented Albus as he confessed his sins. Frightenly enough, Arianna seemed to casually look into the camera, almost as if she was aware of another party being privy to the conversations.

"She isn't a projection. She knows we are looking on," Hermione whispered quietly, as Arianna dipped her head in agreement.

Harry for the first time, was actually scared of something. In fact, the encounter even left Invictus and Rianna terrified. Harry expressed a particular trend of thoughts that summarised his perspectives:

"Glaucon was fucking nuts! This item is an abomination. We aren't supposed to talk to people from across there. Such an item should be used sparingly for advice. And even I would not dare to entertain that idea!" Harry exclaimed.

Ariana gave a small smile of approval across the camera feed, as she listened to Albus confess his sins. And she also listened to Harry and Hermione as they spoke to each other in the shop

"But Harry don't you want to talk to your parents?" Hermione asked.

"Once. Just once. And after that? … no this is asking for trouble. Invictus?" Harry asked.

"Death stone carded for the rubbish bin, as soon as you give the word. Screw the wand, this thing is way worse….I had heard the stories. I honestly want us to have a conversation with Glaucon when we get the item," Invictus replied.

"That could get complicated. The real you, we might be able to reach also. That is going to be a pickle. Look let us give the man his privacy this time. Delete any conversations between him and his sister. Dig up everything on Herpo the foul and let us see what Riddle used, based on the scans." Harry replied.

"Accessing and….Dumblefuck's vitals don't look too good. The curse is trying to….. disable his nervous system. Like a synaptic disruptor. Albus' body is fighting the thing off. Queuing a solution, sending parallel copies to Daphne and Callias, and sending your mother the notes and everything that we can manage." Hermione replied.

"Well, so much for the enchantment in the Yggdrasil. After all that scheming, he honestly did himself in, via his carelessness. Why would you handle dangerous objects without protection?" Harry asked.

"Does the Wizarding World have Occupational Health and Safety? And has anyone ever made protective gear for disposing of dark objects?" Hermione asked.

"New product line! Gimme solutions!" Harry laughed.

---

"I think we might be in trouble?" Invictus the 1st asked Glaucon, as the entire group looked on at the shenanigans.

Lilly on the other hand was proud – her son was not tempted by magic that had to do with life and death. He certainly liked weapons but he knew his limits. James was also watching on curiously.

"I made the death stone when I was still a little off my rockers. Suddenly I don't feel too good about Harry's interrogation at all. And I don't think you are getting away either?" Galucon wondered, as Invictus the 1st gulped.

"Look at the lot of you. We are already dead and you are afraid of Harry?" Lilly asked.

"Sometimes I wonder if my shadow down there has become more responsible than me. He did have to take care of a young child and grow him into excellence. My wife did most of that for my darling Lucretia. He is Harry's grandfather for sure, not me. Any luck with the machine hunt?" Invictus the 1st asked.

"No, but I think what we need to do is have one of us on rotation, so we can have a look around the place. I think we need to look into the void outside of the galaxy. I can travel the extragalactic web. I will need to be careful, there is no guarantee that there might be hostile entities that are like ourselves," James suggested.

"Well, look at you honey. All responsible now. That makes me proud you know," Lilly laughed.