Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.

Hi all,

Here's the second release of the day. Harry gets to work on creating his next artifact.

Chapter 59

"Meet Solas," Newt announced excitedly. "He is an Elder Phoenix I met over a decade ago. He's from Greece but he has been travelling the world recently."

"That's fascinating," Gabrielle said. "It is believed that phoenixes originated in this part of the world, and it has the largest population."

As Luna marvelled at the majestic creature, she said to Harry. "I should stick around with you more often. I get to encounter the most incredible creatures. Daddy would be so envious. Do you think Solas would mind if I captured some photos of him?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't," Newt replied. "Although he might prefer it after he's completed the task he came here for."

When Solas made his grand entrance onto the island, Newt stepped out of his cabin to formally introduce him to everyone. The phoenix dwarfed Fawkes in size and boasted a more vibrant plumage, showcasing deep blues, purples, and greens alongside the traditional oranges and reds. Harry felt a sense of grandeur surrounding him, as if he were a monarch making a public appearance. He strutted around with an air of ownership, giving the impression that he was even more pretentious than Fawkes.

Solas disregarded the others and circled Harry, emitting soft trills as he pecked at his clothes. However, Harry sensed a tinge of anger in his tone.

"Any reason why he's so fixated on me?" Harry inquired.

"Perhaps you smell good?" Newt jested before giving a serious response. "Solas, as an elder phoenix, possesses the ability to delve deeply into the affairs of other phoenixes and comprehend their well-being."

"He's magnificent," Gabrielle remarked, crouching down for a closer examination. "What exactly is an Elder Phoenix, and how do they differ from regular phoenixes?"

"I'm not entirely certain," Newt confessed. "I've only gleaned what I know from Solas, who isn't very forthcoming about it. However, he did mention that he serves as the guardian of the origin flame, where phoenixes are born. Elder phoenixes are exceedingly rare, with only a handful in existence today."

Looking between Newt and Solas, Harry asked, "Can you communicate with him?"

To Harry's surprise and awe, a tendril of fire emerged from Solas' body, and he proceeded to write a message in the air.

Use your imagination, halfwit.

The message prompted laughter from everyone, quickly dispelling Harry's sense of awe.

"I don't need you to sass me, bird brain," Harry retorted.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged the usefulness of such a skill. He considered teaching Fawkes to write similarly, which would be more precise than attempting to interpret the images sent by Fawkes.

Solas then penned another message. Where is the phoenix? I need to examine him as well.

"He is in my cabin," Harry said, rising to his feet to lead the way.

Fawkes was perched by the window, appearing even worse than the day before but maintaining a facade of wellness. Upon noticing Solas, Fawkes let out a soft trill and bowed his head. The two phoenixes engaged in a silent conversation, leaving Harry out of it. Solas seemed to grow increasingly agitated, as evident in the way he kept shaking his head.

Solas ended the conversation with a sharp trill, and Fawkes hopped down from his stand. Baffled, Harry followed them outside, where Solas began writing another message, gathering everyone around to read it.

Fawkes is in critical condition, a result of a series of unfortunate events, and you, hatchling, are to blame.

Solas appeared to have stopped referring to him as a halfwit, which was a relief, but he was still hurt by being held responsible for what had happened. The reference appeared to refer to the incident at Ollivander's shop. Fawkes also appeared offended, delivering a sharp trill at Solas.

Solas tried to modify his statement. You saved Fawkes from a terrible situation, even if it was unintentional. The way your bond came to be is unprecedented and extraordinary. Fawkes was enslaved by a dark artifact linked to his eternal flame, making escape nearly impossible. I wish to exact revenge on whoever did this to him.

"That seems like a reasonable response," Charlus murmured, earning an admonishing look from his wife.

The stolen feather played a crucial role in forming the bond. If not given freely, the feather will strive to return to its rightful owner. It holds sentience and is imbued with the magic that allows a phoenix to flame travel. However, being trapped inside a wand prevented its return.

"That's where I come in," Harry said, looking at the faint phoenix-like symbol on his hand, the result of the accident.

I'm not sure why you reacted so intensely to the wand, but when it exploded, the feather should have returned to its rightful owner. However, I suspect that the artifact intervened, leading to a series of events that allowed Fawkes to break free and appear at your location.

"I don't care how the bond originated," Harry stated. "Even if it wasn't intentional, I've grown accustomed to sharing the bond with Fawkes and wouldn't want to give it up for anything."

Fawkes trilled in agreement.

Solas wrote a harsh message in response. Even if it's harming him?

Harry felt a sense of dread. "Can you explain?"

The bond requires magic to sustain it, but Fawkes is the only contributor. Additionally, a malevolent darkness is currently plaguing the bond. To counter this, Fawkes' magic is working tirelessly to shield both him and you from it. The group exchanged concerned looks, realising the situation was more serious than they had thought.

"What darkness?" Minerva demanded.

The artifact controlling Fawkes used a corrupted flame, which is highly toxic to phoenixes and humans. When Fawkes broke free, a portion of the corrupted flames merged with Fawkes' immortal flame, infecting him and the bond.

Harry furrowed his brows. "Is that what's causing Fawkes' problems?"

That's just one part of it. When Fawkes had his burning day, you experienced something similar, and the magic he used was immense. Fawkes mentioned there was dark magic in your scar, and expelling it required a great deal of his magic.

"He got the scar from the night Voldemort attempted to kill him," Charlus noted, his jaw tightening. "Are you sure it has been expelled?"

Fawkes nodded.

"Did the dark magic affect your health?" Daphne asked. "Maybe it was like some sort of parasite?"

Harry hadn't given it much thought, but it sounded like a reasonable exclamation. "I wasn't even aware it was there, but I'm glad it's gone."

"What can we do to help Fawkes?" Gabrielle asked.

Solas didn't respond immediately. He paced around on the sand, looking as if he were thinking about something. If the situation wasn't so serious, Harry would have laughed at the way the bird waddled around like a penguin. Where had Solas' so-called grandiose demeanour gone? Finally, the phoenix stopped pacing and wrote another message.

I have a solution, but I need to leave to grab something that will help. Wait here.

Solas flew into the air and vanished with a burst of flames.

"Is it wrong of me to say that he resembled a chicken strutting across the ground?" Neville quipped.

His comment sparked a few chuckles, with even Fawkes trilling with amusement.

"I wonder why I suddenly have a craving for hot, spicy chicken wings," Hermione laughed.

Fawkes squawked and playfully tucked his wings to his sides as if responding to her.

"That may be one fiery chicken that's too hot to handle," Newt remarked with a grin.

A few minutes later, Solas appeared, but Harry immediately sensed something amiss. The temperature in the room rapidly escalated from warm to almost unbearable, akin to sitting in a sauna.

"What's happening?" Charlus wiped the sweat off his face.

As everyone noticed a flame hovering in front of Solas, they instinctively backed away. The bright red flame exuded intense heat, creating a shimmering effect in the air around it.

Solas descended next to Fawkes, and the flame gently lowered to the ground. Upon contact, the sand sizzled and melted under the flame's intense heat.

Solas inscribed a message in the air. I will feed Fawkes a portion of this flame. It will cleanse the darkness within his immortal flame and should do the same throughout the bond.

"What is that flame?" Harry inquired.

That's not something you need to know.

"Considering its potential impact on Harry, I believe it is," Charlus interjected.

"I trust Solas," Newt stated calmly, undeterred by the rising temperature. "This must be addressed immediately. Have you considered how Harry would be affected if something were to happen to Fawkes? It could seriously harm him or worse."

"It's fine," Harry responded, steeling himself. "What do I need to do?"

Take a seat. Once the flame purifies Fawkes, I will guide you through a minor adjustment to the bond so that you both support it equally. Solas instructed.

"What effect will this have on his magical reserves?" Minerva inquired with a furrowed brow.

Harry shrugged. "It's fine. I probably have more magic than anyone else my age."

Solas separated a portion of the red flame and fed it to Fawkes, who reacted with a squeal upon ingesting it. Harry felt his internal temperature rise as if he had consumed the flame himself. Gritting his teeth, he endured the discomfort, waiting for the pain to diminish.

As he watched, a red streak ran through the bond, burning away the dark substance that had clung to it. Fawkes shared images through their bond, demonstrating how to channel magic through it. Harry concentrated, summoning his magic to the surface and injecting it into the bond. A golden gleam streaked across the bond, gradually shifting to orange.

As the bond vanished, the heat within Harry subsided. Looking at Fawkes, he was relieved to see the phoenix's vibrant plumage restored. Fawkes hopped into his arms.

"Why did you act like everything was fine?" Harry gently scolded Fawkes. "You were trying to protect me without considering yourself. Let me know if there's a problem next time."

Fawkes nodded in understanding.

Harry let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.

"Can you extinguish that flame now?" Astoria complained.

Now that Fawkes was back to full health, Harry turned his attention to his project. He was motivated now that he had obtained the sea essence, as it looked like it would solve the issue he was having with the artifact's design.

First, he dragged a protesting Tonks into his workshop trunk and had her explain gem-crafting to him in greater detail. She led him into the gem-crafting room and gave him a quick overview of the craft.

"Could you tell me what the advantage of making artifacts from jewellery is?" Tonks asked.

"Why are you asking me questions? Just give me the answer," Harry grumbled but relented when Tonks made to leave the room. "Okay, fine. Jewellery is more discreet. The artifacts can be disguised as regular jewellery or concealed beneath your clothing."

"That's right. But there are other advantages as well. Certain runic languages, such as Majikkurun, perform better with gems, especially elemental arrays."

"I have a book to learn the language, but I haven't started yet," Harry admitted. "I should get to it if I plan on using it to create my artifact."

"I frequently use the language in my projects. Some gems work better with their corresponding elements, like rubies for fire and emeralds for earth," Tonks explained.

Harry pulled out the sea essence from his pocket. "Can this be used instead of a gemstone? It's a crystal, but it's made up of the water element."

He passed her the sea essence.

Tonks examined the crystal thoughtfully. "Maybe. Crystals tend to be more brittle than gemstones so they aren't typically used. But I have never seen this crystal before, so I cannot say for sure. You will need to perform some tests with it. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let me first explain what gem-crafting is. Pay attention."

"Yes, Miss Tonks," Harry said with an exaggerated, childlike expression.

Tonks transformed her face to look like Snape and sneered. "The arrogant brat thinks he is funny. Exactly what I expected from a Potter."

Harry shuddered. Snape's stern face transposed onto Tonk's body made for an bizarre and frightening image.

"As I previously stated, certain gems are excellent foundations for crafting arrays onto them," Tonks said. "Not only can they hold a lot of magic, but they can conduct magic very well. They are extremely stable, allowing you to inscribe arrays into them at a minuscule scale without affecting their performance."

"But all gems are unique to each other in terms of their internal structure and shape," Harry argued. "Wouldn't that change how the magic works inside them? You would have to make changes to the entire array schematic to account for each one."

"That is why gem crafting is considered a profession in itself. Come over here and I will show you what I mean."

Tonks motioned him over, and Harry joined her at the table, which was covered in hand tools for shaping the gemstones. In the midst of them was a small ruby that she was currently working on.

"You do know that there are machines that can shape gems for you, and they are much more precise," Harry told her. "I should have realised this sooner and purchased one."

Tonks shook her head. "I find that doing it by hand helps me maintain good hand-eye coordination, which is essential in my profession. If any of my products become mainstream enough that they require them to be mass-produced, then I can consider the expense."

"That makes sense. I will need to get a few, though, because the allure suppressant will be mass-produced."

With his dexterity, he could easily accomplish the same task, but it would take a long time to complete. A machine would significantly reduce that time. If he could make the artifact, he was sure it would be in high demand. Unlike the previous time, when he used the guild to promote his appraisal scrolls, he was considering hiring his own staff to make them, as he would receive a larger share of the profits. He wouldn't need to advertise the artifact because every Veela would want one, and he could always have Lauren write an article about it to advertise it.

Tonks continued. "There are two main aspects of gem crafting: shaping the gem and refining it. The former is simple enough, albeit time-consuming and requiring a lot of skill. However, the latter is the most important because you cannot do anything with the gems otherwise. As you previously stated, a gemstone's internal structures are unique, with no two being identical. This can also affect the flow of magic inside them, which could lead to subpar results, or something more explosive when you are inscribing arrays onto them. With me so far?"

Harry nodded.

"So, we need to alter the structure inside them to make them more uniform. You know how to infuse your magic into an object, right?"

"Yes. I use the technique to activate my spell cards."

"Well, this is a more advanced version of that," Tonks said. "Let me demonstrate."

She took out a small microscope and placed the ruby under it. "This is one device where I prefer the muggle solution because it is far more accurate than any magical solution."

Harry begged to differ. He had the focus monocle, which he had received as a reward for setting up the gem crafting station, but Tonks wasn't as fortunate as him to have the Source, so she used the next best thing.

"Look at this," Tonks said, moving aside so he could take a look at the ruby.

The inside of the ruby was composed of crystals arranged in a hexagonal pattern, a stunning example of nature's work at its finest.

"Take note of how the entire structure looks," Tonks instructed.

Harry did so before stepping away from the microscope. Tonks looked through the microscope and placed her finger on the gem. Harry couldn't see anything, but he was certain she was doing something because she looked so focused. A few minutes passed before Tonks pulled her head back and gestured for him to take another look.

The internal structure of the ruby had changed. It was subtle, but he had excellent attention to detail, so he noticed the difference immediately. She had managed to change the internal structure slightly within the span of a few minutes.

"This is amazing!" Harry exclaimed. "How difficult is it to alter a gem like this? Will it take me long to learn it?"

Tonks ruffled his hair. "Well, you are a genius, so I can not say for certain. Perhaps it will take several weeks. It's a hard skill to master, which is why gem crafters are in high demand."

Harry groaned. "I don't have the time for that."

"Well, once you have experimented with the crystal, I will do it for you," Tonks offered. "Although the crystal will require some figuring out. Each gem type has unique patterns for optimal internal structures for inscribing runes onto them. But there aren't any patterns for the sea essence."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. That sounded like a simpler solution until he could master the skill himself. "I can compensate you."

"No, you won't. You have already done enough for me by allowing me to use your workshop. Now, get to experimenting, but don't forget about the sun shining outside and those lovely ladies. I know what I would rather be doing with my time on the island."

"What? Seducing underage girls?" Harry snarked.

Tonks punched his shoulder. "Don't be a smartass."

6th August

Harry spent the rest of his time on the island, divided between his girlfriends and experimenting with the sea crystal. Making time for the latter was difficult because the girls seemed to go out of their way to distract him, and his hormones were starting to get out of control. They couldn't keep their hands off each other, with some heavy petting sessions that almost got out of hand. Even when the others were present on the island, they found places to be alone together, despite his grandmother's efforts to keep an eye on them.

"I don't want to be a great-grandmother for another few years, at least," Minerva explained to him. It was especially embarrassing because it occurred right in front of his girlfriends and the rest of the group. He received a lot of teasing for it, so he returned to his workshop to lick his wounds.

None of his girls were allowed to be alone with him in his workshop, considering there was a bedroom upstairs. He supposed it was a good thing because he could concentrate on his work. His only companion was Fawkes, who had become especially clingy after recovering from his illness, but Harry felt the same.

They also spent more time at Newt's Safari Park, meeting some of the more colourful residents and exploring the various biomes. It was insufficient time to fully explore the vast park, which would take weeks. Gabrielle and Luna had already decided to collaborate by writing a series of articles about their encounters with the magical creatures.

Newt got his wish and conducted a series of tests on Harry while he was in his demiguise form, though he seemed disappointed that no firm conclusions were reached. When the man asked Harry if he could pluck some strands of his demiguise fur to see if they had the same magical properties as a normal demiguise, Harry had to put his foot down.

His grandmother supported his decision because removing parts from an animagus' animal form had unpredictable consequences on the human side. Even something as insignificant as a strand of fur could have serious consequences, and his status as a magical animagus might exacerbate the effect.

He started his project by carefully breaking the sea essence into smaller pieces. If he was going to make jewellery out of it, it had to be the correct size. Using Gabrielle as a guinea pig in exchange for several kisses, he discovered that the smaller crystals had less of an effect on her. However, it wasn't to the extent that he desired, and he didn't want to reduce the size further either.

Harry would need to devise an enchantment that would isolate the desired effect, which was to reduce the allure while leaving everything else intact, as well as to alleviate the nauseating side effects. He didn't want the Veela to become physically ill when they wore the artifact. Also, he didn't want them to lose their harpy form or the ability to conjure flames. Not only was it an essential part of their identity, but it also provided them with the ability to protect themselves.

With Tonks' assistance, he was able to refine the crystal into something capable of holding runes. They had discovered that the crystal was strong enough that it didn't break when Harry inscribed the runes on its surface. Now that the problem had been resolved, he only needed to learn the new runic language and create an array schematic for the allure dampener.

The last day of their vacation in Greece had arrived, and everyone had packed their bags. They returned to Athens, and Stefanos drove them back to the Ministry. After saying goodbye to Newt, they returned to England and split into two groups. Sirius, Remus, and Lauren would transport the majority of the teenagers home, while his grandparents, Tonks, Gabrielle, and himself, would return to France.

They didn't use the Ministry of Magic to travel to France because they were concerned about spies that would discover where they lived. They had a special portkey, which Gabrielle's father gave them through his connections, allowing them to travel there without permission from either country.

"I won't be seeing you for a while," Daphne said, hugging him as they prepared to part ways. "Professor Snape is going to take me on a field trip to harvest some rare ingredients, which may take some time."

Harry nodded. "Going from paradise to hell. You have my sympathy."

Daphne slapped his shoulder. "Don't be mean. He's not too bad, but he is a little grumpy. Maybe we should set him up with a woman to bring him some happiness. Does Tonks have a boyfriend?"

Harry stared at her. She had to be teasing him because he didn't think Snape was just a little grumpy, and he would never subject Tonks to that ill-tempered, greasy-haired jerk. Then a thought struck him, making him shudder.

Gabrielle and Susan laughed as they noticed Harry's disgusted expression. When they asked what he was thinking, he explained.

"I just had the most horrible image in my head," Harry said. "A few days ago, Tonks changed her face to resemble Snape's as a joke. I was just picturing them kissing, with Snape's face superimposed on her body. Wouldn't seeing that make you celibate for the rest of your life?"

"That is disgusting, Harry!" Susan exclaimed. "How could you possibly imagine such a thing? Your mind is like a sewer."

"Maybe we should reconsider him as our boyfriend?" Gabrielle reflected, and the other two nodded in agreement.

"It's Tonk's fault," Harry protested.

When they arrived back in France, Gabrielle had to return home, but not before dropping a bombshell.

"You need to work hard and finish your artifact," Gabrielle said, tapping his nose. "My parents told me I could go to Hogwarts if I finished it before the school year started."

"What the hell?" Harry called after her, but she just giggled and dashed across the backyard to her house.

Harry stood there for a moment, imagining all of his girlfriends attending Hogwarts alongside him. It provided pleasant imagery and boosted motivation to finish the artifact quickly. He had planned to finish it before the end of the summer vacation, but there was no guarantee he would make it in time. But now there were significant stakes involved.

August 20th

For the next two weeks, Harry shut himself in his workshop and worked like a madman. First, he learned the Majikkurun runic language and practised it by creating some smaller-sized projects.

Tonks had given him several sequences that were water elemental based and would allow him to get more power out of his arrays.

He jotted down the features he wanted for the allure dampener, but he wanted to keep things as simple as possible. The artifact had to completely suppress the allure while also providing a way to turn it on and off. It had to include security features as well. The artifact had to be linked to the Veela wearing it, which meant that only they could control it, preventing anyone else from using it against them. Furthermore, it needed to be resistant to being removed from the Veela's body, either magically or physically.

In terms of the array schematic, the most challenging part was eliminating the other side effects of the sea essence. The crystal worked to suppress all of Veela's powers, which wasn't what he wanted. He realised that if someone else got their hands on this stone, they could use it against the Veela. Nerine told him that the stones had only appeared in the Aegean Sea thus far, which was fortunate. He wondered how she knew this if she had never left the area.

If his artifact was successful, she would provide him with more in exchange for the items she required. She wasn't interested in money, but she did want to build her own home in the island's inlet.

After two weeks of preparation, Harry was finally ready to create the artifact. The crystal would be encased in metal, and he chose the same metal that he used to make the bo-staff because it had good magical conductivity. He used a charm to expand the casing so that he could accurately inscribe the arrays. After experimenting, he learned that he could shrink the casing back down without affecting the array, so long as he was careful.

The majority of the arrays would be inscribed on the back of the casing, but he needed to connect them to the crystal itself, which would be the most difficult because he had to inscribe a small sequence onto it.

He spent several hours carefully inscribing the arrays, with the focus monocle covering his eye. When it came to the crystal, he had to switch runic pens. It was specifically designed for use on gems and was extremely sharp, but it lacked magical ink. It was unnecessary because the crystal itself was the source of magic.

The last and easiest part was to thread the chain through the encasing, and he was finished. Harry breathed out a sigh of relief and placed the finished product down on the table. He took a moment to appreciate what he had created.

The metal encasing and chain were both silver, with the blue crystal embedded in the centre, creating a stunning contrast. He could add some finer details to make it more aesthetically pleasing, but for the time being, all he cared about was functionality. Crossing his fingers, he declared the artifact complete and gave it a name at the same time.

He retrieved the Source, and read the new message that had appeared.

The host has created his first High-Grade artifact!

Allure Suppressant Necklace

The Allure Suppressant Necklace, crafted by a talented fourteen-year-old artisan, is a remarkable example of creativity and workmanship. Its ability to completely suppress a Veela's powerful allure is unprecedented, offering a unique solution for Veela to interact with others without having to worry about others being affected by their allure. It also boasts advanced security features to protect its wearer from potential theft or misuse.

Experience Report

General Experience: +20,000

Skill Experience: [Majikkurun Runes +10,000]

Majikkurun has increased to Level 4!

Current Level:11 Next: 123010/153600

The host has completed a workshop task.

Create your first high-grade artifact: 3000 points.

Workshop Level: 2 Next [4050/10000]

Renown + 400

Total Renown: 615

Artisan Rank: 996th - 912th

"Yes!" Harry pumped his fist.

He couldn't believe that he had finished creating his new artifact more than a week ahead of time. More importantly, he was surprised that it worked at all. He expected to go through several iterations, but it just goes to show that thorough preparation was key to success.

Harry grabbed the necklace and hurried out of the room and up the stairs to his bedroom. He ran over to the bed, where Tonks was snoring on top of the covers.

"Tonks!"

"What?!" Tonk's eyes popped open in surprise as she noticed Harry standing over her bed. "Cor blimey, Harry. Why the hell are you waking me up like that?"

Harry didn't say anything but handed her the necklace, and she smiled when she realised what she was looking at. She grabbed the necklace and examined it.

"Congratulations, Harry," Tonks said, sitting up and hugging him before breaking into an impish grin. "How do you know it works? Aren't you going to test it on your girlfriend?"

Harry rolled his eyes. He had already received confirmation that it had worked. Nonetheless, he imagined Gabrielle's reaction when he showed her the artefact and couldn't wait to see it. He grabbed the necklace from Tonks and dashed down the stairs.

"Don't mind me. Leave me hanging after you rudely woke me up!" Tonks shouted after him.

So, what do you think? Harry has created his second artifact, and it's going to cause a bit of a stir in the magical community.

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