Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. I am releasing two chapters today, to make up for not posting in the past two weeks. I have been on holiday, and I had to fix my laptop, so I haven't had much time to upload chapters.
Chapter 47
After creating the new bo-staff, Harry took a few practice swings to ensure that it was the correct length. He had experienced a growth spurt in the previous few months, so his old staff no longer suited him. If he wanted to execute some techniques correctly, he needed to find a length that was proportionate to his height. He found no problems with the staff, so he focused on the most important phase: inscribing the arrays onto the bo-staff.
Harry used a clamp to keep the bo-staff stable. He pulled out a piece of paper with the finished array schematic on it. It had taken a lot of work to create, but now all Harry had to do was transfer the design to the staff. Because of its complexity, which included multiple interconnected arrays, the design was classified as an intermediate array. Although individual arrays could have been used in the design, the staff's shape made it easier to create a chain of interconnected arrays.
He retrieved a runic pen from his inventory. The pen was extremely rigid, with a sharp point ideal for inscribing on metal surfaces. It had cost him ten Shop Points, but it was a necessary expense.
Harry inscribed the first array on one end of the bo-staff. He designed it so that the kinetic charge enchantments were at both ends of the staff. This way, he could easily control how the devastating attacks were unleashed.
He completed the first array in thirty minutes. The process of inscribing on metal demanded extreme care and precision, so he took his time. If he made a mistake at this stage, it would mean having to start over, re-smelting the metal, and crafting the staff again.
After completing the first array, he inscribed the conduit sequence that connected it to the next array. A few hours later, Harry finally put down the runic pen and wiped his brow. He had become so engrossed in his task that he lost track of time. The arrays were only halfway finished, so he still had a lot of work ahead of him. He grabbed a bottle of water off the table and drank half of it in one go. He returned to his task after taking a few minutes to rest.
The middle section of the bo-staff would hold an array of some of his most notable features. Following extensive research, he created his own array by combining several important sequences into a single configuration that he named the Foundation Array. Though the name left much to be desired, its functionality was the most important consideration.
Previously, Harry had to incorporate each of these sequences separately into each individual array for them to function properly. The bo-staff could only hold a limited number of arrays, so it wasn't the most efficient method. These sequences included the Blood Binding Sequence, the Obscuring Sequence, the Trigger Sequence, and the Magic Battery Sequence. The latter provided the magic necessary for the enchantments to function. The sequence could store a large amount of magic. As the staff had a high magic requirement, he needed something that wouldn't need to be recharged frequently.
After another four hours, Harry completed the final array. He laid down the pen and declared it finished, allowing the Source to evaluate it. He held his breath, waiting anxiously for confirmation that he had succeeded. Because of the complexity of the work, there were numerous opportunities for errors to occur.
As soon as the symbol on his hand warmed up, he retrieved the Source to read the latest message.
The host has created his first artifact!
Enchanted Bo-staff (unnamed)
The Enchanted Bo-staff is an artifact created by a novice artisan. Drawing inspiration from a comic-book character, he has cleverly replicated a bo-staff that can generate devastating kinetic charges capable of levelling a house, depending on how much magic is used. The charge is released from either end of the staff, which allows the user to direct the charge away from themselves. The bo-staff is bound to its creator and cannot be used by anyone else.
General Experience: + 5000
Skill Experience: [All Runic languages, Dexterity] + 2500
Elder Futhark Runes has increased to Level 4
Anglo-Saxon Runes have increased to level 3!
Progress to level 11: 17800/76800
Level 11 Unlocks
Feature: Increased range of items in the Magic Emporium.
Item: The Double Tier Array Schematic.
The host has completed a workshop task.
Create your first artifact: 1000 points.
Renown + 150
Current Points: 2300
Workshop Level: 1 Next [5000]
The host's workshop renown has surpassed 100 points!
The host has made it onto the Source's Artisan World Rankings!
The rankings comprise the top thousand artisans in the world.
The host is in the 999th position.
A rankings page has been added to the Source where the host can view it at his leisure.
Reward: 2000 workshop points; a rare item has been added to the Magic Emporium.
The host has received a new task.
Task #10: Climb to the 750th position in the rankings.
Objective: Continue to create artifacts to increase the player's renown and rise in the World Rankings.
Reward: 5000 workshop points; additional rare items added to the Magic Emporium.
When he read the first line, he could not help but exclaim in delight. He stood up and performed an impromptu dance, unconcerned about his appearance. After months of work, he had completed his first artifact.
Once Harry had gotten it out of his system, he sat down to catch his breath before continuing to read the message. After finishing the reading, he paused to consider the implications.
The Source had finally revealed the purpose of the renowned statistic. He had been aware of it before, but he hadn't understood its significance.
Harry stored the Source for the time being so that he could investigate the new information he had learned later. He picked up the bo-staff and hurried outside to put its capabilities to the test. Standing outside his workshop, Harry infused magic into his bo-staff. While he couldn't fill it up to capacity, it would be more than adequate for what he needed.
After draining half of his magic, Harry held the bo-staff at one end. He had to be careful not to release too much kinetic energy at once here. In theory, the trigger sequence he had added allowed him to control how much magic he activated at once, but he could only put it to the test by using it.
Harry took a deep breath and raised the bo-staff above his head, slamming it to the ground with a loud thud. He activated the enchantment at the last moment, creating a burst of blue energy around the end of the staff.
The ground exploded in front of him. Harry instinctively closed his eyes as dirt rained down on and around him. When it had stopped, he opened his eyes, only to have his jaw drop in surprise. There was a small crater in the ground in front of him caused by the impact of his bo-staff. Despite the ground being soft, he hadn't expected such a level of destruction, considering he had only utilised a fraction of its total power.
"Wow!" Harry grinned and wiped some dirt from his face.
He checked the bo-staff for any problems, but aside from being dirty, it was in perfect condition. After he activated the reduction enchantment, the bo-staff shrank to a length of three inches.
Minerva rushed out of the house after seeing the commotion through the window. "Are you alright, Harry?"
"Never been better."
"What happened?"
"I created my first artifact," Harry told his grandmother.
His grandmother hugged him. "Congratulations. I understand how hard you have worked to get to this point.
Harry grinned. The approval of his grandmother was more important to him than the milestone he just achieved.
"I need to go to the guild before returning to Hogwarts," Harry reminded her after she had released him. "I need to get the staff assessed so I can become an official artisan."
"Just a moment. Let me clean up the mess."
With a wave of her wand, she returned the displaced dirt to the ground and filled the hole. There was only a patch of dirt remaining to indicate that something had disturbed the ground.
"Go inside and take a shower, and then I will take you to the guild," Minerva instructed.
Harry and his grandma arrived at the Artisan's Guild and entered the reception room. Alphonso stood at the front desk, conversing with an elderly guy.
"Harry, what a delightful surprise," Alphonso exclaimed, hurrying over to shake the boy's hand. "It is a pleasure to see you as well, Madam Potter."
Minerva raised her eyebrows at the man. "How many times do I need to remind you to address me as Minerva?"
"My apologies, Minerva," Alphonso winced. "Now, Harry, what can I do for you?"
He removed the reduced staff from his pocket. "I've built my first artifact. It needs to be assessed."
Alphonso's eyes widened. "You have already accomplished such a feat! When you showed me the assessment scroll, I had high expectations, but I never expected you to arrive at this point so soon."
Harry rubbed his nose. "It's not that impressive."
The gentleman who had been talking to Alphonso approached them. "Who might this be, Alphonso, that you would so rudely abandon me in the middle of a conversation?"
Harry cocked his head curiously. The man had an American accent. In contrast to Alphonso, he dressed himself in a suit and tie, which was uncommon attire for wizards in the UK.
Alphonso waved his hand dismissively. "Don't speak nonsense, Henry. This is the boy I mentioned earlier, the one who created the appraisal scroll."
"Oh, how interesting," Henry said, tweaking his moustache while observing Harry. "It seems like the younger generation is more impressive with every generation, leaving us old-timers in the dust."
Alphonso made the introductions, before saying, "Henry is an old friend of mine from the Artisan Guild branch in New York. He's currently visiting for business related to your appraisal scrolls, Harry."
"Really?" Harry inquired, curious. "What on earth could you want with my scroll?"
"Unlike the more relaxed standards in magical Europe," he said. "We test all magical objects imported into our country. One of the guild's principal responsibilities is to put any magical objects introduced to our market through rigorous product testing."
"Huh. So, my appraisal scroll has yet to reach the American market."
"Don't worry, it will happen soon," Henry promised him. "I've already tested the product. We just need to figure out the best approach to introduce it into the American market."
"We will need to hire individuals from America to produce their supply of appraisal scrolls," Alphonso explained. "Relations between our magical governments and theirs is not good, which reduces the likelihood of successful sales of any products manufactured here."
"It is the same with the guilds from both countries," Henry added.
"Why is that?" Harry asked.
"It's mainly a difference in design philosophies," Henry replied. "In America, we're not afraid to merge technology and magic in order to innovate and better our lives."
Harry nodded in agreement. America had emerged as a leading force in Magic-Tech, a relatively new field that had gained prominence in the past two decades. He sometimes wished he lived in America, where he wouldn't be limited by the more conservative European mindset.
If he wanted to pursue magic-tech, he needed a solid foundation in a mundane education, with the goal of earning a Bachelor of Engineering. But is that really necessary when he can easily learn technical skills from the Source? Something to consider in the future.
"Can Harry be assessed now?" Minerva asked. "We need to return to Hogwarts soon."
"Of course," Alphonso said. I don't know if you're aware, but two expert artisans must oversee the assessment of a new artifact. It's a good thing Henry and I are both masters, so we won't have any problems doing the assessment."
"I wasn't aware of this requirement," Harry said. "I guess I came at the right time."
"What type of artifact is it?"
"It is an offensive weapon that uses kinetic energy to deal significant damage to the surroundings."
"We will need the testing room."
Alphonso led them through the door behind the front desk and down a corridor. When they arrived at a door halfway down, he ushered them inside. The room they walked into was roughly twenty feet square. There was an enclosed area with a thick protective pane of glass running the length of one side of the room.
Alphonso pulled a parchment and quill from his robes. "Please provide me with information about the artifact's functions before we proceed with the testing."
Harry gave him the information, and Alphonso meticulously wrote it down on the parchment. "Okay, Harry," he said. "We are heading into the bunker, and I would like you to strike the floor with the staff. Don't worry, I built this room to withstand a lot of damage."
Harry returned the bo-staff to its original size and hit the ground. This time, he increased the power dramatically, nearly depleting all of the magic contained within. The room trembled as the staff struck the floor, but there was no visible damage.
"Amazing," Alphonso said, stepping out of the bunker. "To make the room shake, the staff must be packing a lot of power. Is that the maximum amount of kinetic energy it can release at once?"
"No," Harry replied. "I haven't completely charged it with magic, so I estimate I exerted around forty percent of its maximum power in that last strike."
Henry stroked his moustache. "That is one dangerous artifact you have created. Don't hit anyone with that unless you want them to die."
"Indeed," Minerva said, looking concerned. "Fortunately, you are the only person who can use it. I hope you recognise the responsibility of wielding such power. If I discover that you have misused it, I will have no choice but to take it away from you."
"I will only use it in an emergency," Harry reassured her.
"I don't need to see anymore," Alphonso said. "The staff is on the level of an artifact. Henry, what are your thoughts?"
"I agree," Henry said, smiling at Harry. "There is no denying its power."
"Having said that, I now certify you as an apprentice artisan," Alphonso said, patting Harry on the shoulder. "I will get you a badge and submit your official registration to the main office. You can now accept level one commissions posted on the board."
"Congratulations, Mr Potter," Henry said. "I'm not sure if I've ever heard of someone becoming an artisan at your age. Not in my lifetime at least. I look forward to what you accomplish next."
Harry smiled. "This is just the beginning."
They returned to Hogwarts in time for dinner. Harry walked into the room, a bronze badge prominently displayed on his chest. It wasn't like he was trying to show off, but he didn't want to hide it either. He greeted his friends as he took his seat at the table.
"You did it," Daphne exclaimed. "You've successfully created your artifact!"
"Let me have a look," Susan said, turning Harry around so she could see the badge on his chest. "Wow, that's incredible."
His friends congratulated him as well. The news spread from table to table, causing the entire hall to buzz with conversation. Harry could feel the students' eyes on him, and some even stood up to get a closer look. He did his best to ignore the looks. His friends from the other houses came over to congratulate him as well.
"You can't go one day without stealing the limelight, can you, Potter?" Blaise asked.
Harry bowed his head. "Please accept my humble apologies for upstaging you once again. Perhaps you will have better luck tomorrow."
Blaise snorted as he sat down at the table. "I doubt it."
Harry grinned. He felt relieved now that their friendship had been restored. Blaise had a difficult couple of months dealing with the guilt he felt after attacking Harry. Although Merlin manipulated Blaise, it wouldn't have happened if he hadn't sneaked out to investigate the Enchanted Wall first. Harry had to persuade him it was not his fault by explaining that he had done the same thing. What he didn't say is that he also touched the wall, and without the Source, he too would have been manipulated as well.
The ordeal had only served to strengthen their friendship. It helped that Blaise knew a lot of what happened in Merlin's chamber, as he had been there for the climatic event. Harry had to explain what had happened prior to that day, and Blaise had to promise Charlus that he wouldn't say anything to anyone.
Later that evening, Harry sat in his bed. After waiting all day, he was finally going to check out the new features he had unlocked from creating the artifact.
He took out the Source and looked for the new entry displaying the Artisan World rankings. Among the thousand names listed there, and his was displayed in the second to last position.
Curious, he examined the list and found a familiar name towards the top of the rankings.
Rank 157th - Alphonso Lamont: the guild master for the England branch of the Artisan Guild.
The guild master was a master artisan, so his high ranking made sense.
Tonks wasn't on the list. Did that mean his artifact was superior to hers? It may be because hers had a specific function that was only useful for metamorphmagi. As soon as she made her next artifact, he expected her to be listed in the rankings.
He focused on the artisan in the first position.
Rank 1st: Galahad:?
Harry's eyes widened. He recognised the name. He had two of the man's artifacts in his possession. Galahad was Lancelot's apprentice, who had gone on to surpass his master as one of the world's greatest artisans.
"Wait a minute," Harry said, frowning.
Did the rankings include artisans who had already passed away? When he looked through the list, he couldn't find the name of the Master Artisan who died at Hogwarts on Halloween. If he were alive today, he would definitely be on the list, so the artisans had to be alive to be placed in the rankings. The same could be said for Lancelot.
From that realisation, another thought arose. He searched the rankings for Master Karlsson, but he didn't find him. So, he was definitely dead. Although it had been unlikely that the man would survive, he hoped that somehow, he would.
Harry bowed his head in respect. Despite not knowing Master Karlsson that well, but he had liked the man. He took a moment to grieve for him, wondering how he met his end, and hoping he didn't suffer too much.
He pulled his thoughts back to Galahad. This man was a mystery, and it was hard to believe he's still alive. Did he use necromancy similarly to Salazer, or did he use a different method? How many artifacts had man created during all those centuries? Could he even knock him off the number one position when he was so far behind?
Maybe he could find some clues about the man after he found the third watch. He already had two watches after his grandfather purchased the second one from the reporter. The artefacts were useless on their own, so he would have to be patient and set them aside for the time being until he could find the third.
Harry flipped to the page with the Magic Emporium. He went through the list until he found the rare item that had been added this morning. As soon as he selected it, the description for it appeared on the adjacent page.
Communication Stone (Fae Realm) - 300 Shop Points
The device enables the host to communicate with someone from the fae realm. The individual is chosen at random, so there is both a high risk and a high reward. The host may make a connection with a benevolent person, or you may attract the attention of an unfriendly deity.
What was the Source thinking when he offered him such a useless item? Would he ever consider buying it, even if it was significantly cheaper? It might have been worthwhile if it hadn't been so random, but he didn't want to risk attracting the attention of deities like Modor.
He knew the Source came from the fae realm. Could it be that it was attempting to get him involved in its affairs by giving him related items? He could ignore it if he wanted, since it was optional. Seeing as he didn't have enough points anyway, it wasn't something he needed to worry about right now. Having finished with the Source for the moment, he put it away.
Harry crossed his legs and closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing while taking deep, even breaths. For the past two months, he had dedicated an hour every night before bed to practising occlumency. Currently, he was stuck on stage two of Occlumens Level 2, which was driving him insane. The task wasn't particularly difficult, but it was time-consuming.
In the second stage, he had to turn his deep subconscious from nothing to something tangible. He had also done the same thing with his surface mind, which allowed him to create an actual space with shields within it. His subconscious appeared vast and seemingly boundless, akin to an unfathomable black hole. The only thing that he found inside was his magic conduit, which was the source of his magic.
When he first tried to shape a small portion of his subconscious into a tangible structure, he encountered unexpected resistance that slowed its development. It was as if he were attempting to build a structure out of sand. He only realised what he was doing wrong after consulting the Occlumency book. It was impossible for him to transform one part of his subconscious at a time, so he had to do it all in one huge effort.
This required a lot of mental acrobatics, as he had to not only understand the dimensions of his subconscious but bring it all together. He had been working on it for a while now and was steadily making progress, although he still had a bit more to go before reaching his goal.
Harry lay down to sleep after completing his occlumency training. Tomorrow was Sunday, but he had no time to relax. He had to meet Master Footshredder for their last lesson and show, through a trial of combat, everything he had learned in the past two months.
14th March
The following morning, Harry and his master took to the stage in the Duelling Garden. There was a small audience that included his friends, the headmaster, and his grandparents. They were curious to see his performance, given his secrecy about his training over the previous two months.
Harry stretched to prepare for his upcoming battle with Master Footshredder. Now that he was free of that dreadful suit, he was eager to put what he had learned into action. After two months of hard work, he had mastered both the movement technique and the fifth level of his Velocier skill. Because of his consistent workouts, his physique has become more defined, with a sculpted six-pack and toned muscular arms.
He mentally checked the Velocier mechanism and calculated how long he could safely stay at the fifth level.
4010
His magical reserves had been steadily increasing over the last two months as a result of all the spells his grandparents had taught him. However, he noticed a sharp decline in improvement over the last two weeks, so he assumed he was reaching his limits for his age. According to his grandfather, his magical reserves were comparable to those of a typical sixth-year student.
He had a nice range of spells now, and his transfiguration had greatly improved. Because he was still learning how to use it in combat, he was forced to rely on charms and his spell cards. He had honed his ability to cast spells with his left hand, which allowed him to keep his right hand free for throwing spell cards.
"Since you have reached this point," Master Footshredder said. "I believe it is time to reveal the name of my technique. It is called Sanguinis Furor."
Harry tilted his head. "Translation?"
"Blood Frenzy."
"Are you sure that's the right name for it?"
"I specifically designed it to eliminate my enemies with ruthless efficiency." Footshredder pursed his lips. "I believe it's a good name."
He didn't want to argue with the goblin's logic. Sanguinis Furor encompassed more than just explosive movements and acrobatic feats. The technique altered how the Velocier skill worked, increasing the user's speed and agility even more. As a result, they became extremely difficult to hit, but this had a drawback in that it reduced accuracy. Although, that wasn't an issue with goblins, as they primarily used weapons to fight their battles. With a lot of practice, Harry hoped to eliminate this weakness one day.
"Are you prepared?" Footshredder inquired as he stood across from Harry. "Show me everything you have learned over the past two months. I will not be holding back, so use everything you have."
His master held a wooden stick in his hand that he would use to strike Harry. It looked like it could do some serious damage, so he needed to be careful.
Harry took a deep breath before dialling up his Velocier skill to level five. Next, he reinforced his legs with magic, enhancing the skill further.
Footshredder exploded into motion and dashed forward with incredible speed. He raised his stick in an overhead strike and aimed for Harry's head.
Harry jumped backwards. The stick struck the floor where he had just been, causing cracks to appear due to the force of the impact. Harry summoned a fireball spell card and threw it at his opponent. A second later, he cast Stupefy from his wand, aiming to the goblin's right in anticipation of his next move.
Footshredder leapt to the right to avoid the fireball, then swatted the Stupefy with his weapon, reflecting it back at Harry. Caught off guard, he swiftly dodged to the side, and narrowly avoided being hit by the spell. He dodged again immediately, as Footshredder swung the stick at the side of his head.
"Ventus," Harry yelled, and he pointed his wand at the goblin, quickly performing the wand movement. A powerful gust of wind shot out of his wand and expanded outwards as it rushed towards Foot Shredder.
The attack was too slow. Footshredder evaded the attack by vaulting over it, then retaliated by launching a flying kick to Harry's head.
Harry quickly infused his arm with magic, boosting its speed. He slapped the leg away but was forced to duck as the Footshredder spun around in the air and kicked out with his other leg.
Quickly summoning another spell card, he threw it into the air before rolling forward. A low roar sounded behind him and exploded against the stage.
He needed to remain at a distance as he was at a disadvantage at close range, but it was easier said than done. A sense of unease washed over Harry, causing the hairs on his neck to prickle. Reacting swiftly, he summoned another spell card—an interceptor. He threw it backwards, and a small shield materialised in mid-air, right in the goblin's path.
Footshredder reacted swiftly, kicking off the shield and landing nimbly on his feet. The delay allowed Harry to gain some distance. He threw several Scythe cards at his opponent to slow him down, all the while thinking furiously about his next move.
After casting a single spell, it quickly became apparent that using his wand was too slow, as he didn't know how to cast spells without the wand movement. Due to Footshredder's exceptional speed, it would be extremely difficult to hit him with his wand unless he surprised the goblin. So, he could only rely on his spell cards. Fortunately, he had created a bunch of them, so he wouldn't run out anytime soon.
The lightning-fast speed of the duel captivated the spectators watching the fight on stage. The movements of Harry and Footshredder were so quick that only a short time had elapsed since the beginning of the duel.
Harry infused magic into his right arm this time to enhance his throwing speed. In rapid succession, he summoned ten fireball cards and launched them one after the other. He tried to predict Footshredder's movements, to make it difficult for the goblin to evade.
Footshredder executed a series of graceful leaps, effortlessly evading spells with such fluidity that he seemed to defy gravity. Harry clenched his teeth in frustration but maintained his composure. He summoned several blackout cards next and threw them to different parts of the stage until it was shrouded in impenetrable darkness.
"Let's see if you can dodge them now," Harry called out as his opponent landed back onto the stage, becoming submerged in the darkness. He summoned several more fireballs and threw them out. Because of the darkness, Footshredder would have less time to react to them.
A blur obscured his vision. Harry blinked, feeling the tip of the stick press against his throat.
Footshredder grinned, revealing his fangs. "Do you concede defeat?"
"I concede," Harry grumbled, and the goblin pulled the stick away from his throat.
The onlookers applauded, and Harry waved sheepishly.
"Do you realise the mistake you made?" Footshredder asked.
Harry gave the matter some thought. "I tried to blind you, but I ended up blinding myself because I was unable to react when you appeared from the darkness. I used too many spell cards, and as a result, my ability to see ahead of me was impaired."
"That is correct," Footshredder confirmed. "You have yet to master Velocier and lack battle experience, but you are on the right track."
"I am curious. Is there any wizard who can defeat you when you are moving at such incredible speed?"
"Speed is only one factor. Let's take your grandfather for example. If I were to fight him, eight times out of ten, I would probably lose. Your grandfather wouldn't need to move from his spot in order to accomplish this."
Harry's eyes widened. "Are you for real? How is that possible?"
"Why don't you ask him?" Footshredder replied. "I consider this duel to be the end of your apprenticeship. You'll have to learn the rest on your own."
"Thank you for everything, Master," Harry said, bowing in respect.
The duel had been incredibly exhilarating. He had already decided to develop his own fighting style, building upon the foundation of Sanguinis Furor. Once he learned bojutsu, perhaps he would incorporate the style into it.
The possibilities were limitless.
So, what do you think? Harry has created his first artifact. What will be his next?
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Thanks for reading.