Percy had awoken from the transformation with his sense's sharper than ever before. The dim light of the chamber reflected off his newly forged body, revealing a sleek, metallic figure. His once red hair was now replaced with a shimmering silver, and his eyes glowed with a cold, unnatural blue light. He lifted his hands and marveled at the sight. His skin was no longer flesh, but a seamless metal surface that glinted in the darkness.
As he stood, continuing looking over his new appearance and testing his new strength and flexibility a small figure appeared at the door. It was a house-elf, dressed in the tattered remains of what might once have been a fine garment. The elf looked up at Percy with wide, trembling eyes.
"Master Ultron," the house-elf squeaked, bowing low. "Mopsy is here to serve."
The name "Ultron" sent a strange ripple through Percy's mind. He had been reborn, and with that rebirth came a new identity. The old Percy Weasley was gone, replaced by this silvered being of power and precision.
Ultron.
It was fitting, somehow. A name that signified strength, intelligence, and dominance.
He took a step forward, feeling the ground vibrate beneath his feet with every movement. His new form was flawless, a perfect fusion of magic and technology, and he could feel the limitless potential coursing through his veins, or whatever now served as his veins. There was no hunger, no fatigue, no weakness. Only power.
Percy was then summoned by Lucius Malfoy. He was led to the grand living room of Malfoy Manor, where Lucius awaited him, flanked by Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. As he entered, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to him. Lucius had finally told his family what he was doing, and what to expect once Percy was ready to be introduced to them.
Lucius stepped forward, his face a mask of pride and satisfaction at what he had created.
"Percy—no, Ultron," he corrected himself with a gleam in his eye, relishing the name he had come up with for Percy's new identity. "I formally present to you, my family. Narcissa, my wife, and Draco, my son. From this day forward, you are one of us now, a Malfoy."
Narcissa's face was inscrutable as she gazed at the silver figure before her. There was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, but she nodded graciously. Draco, on the other hand, stared at Ultron with a mixture of awe and fear, clearly aware that he was in the presence of something far beyond human. Narcissa's sharp blue eyes continued looking Ultron over, taking in the stark, metallic form that had once been Percy Weasley. She had known something was different, something had changed in her husband's plans but seeing it in front of her was still unsettling.
This was no ordinary transformation; this was something beyond anything she had expected.
Draco, for his part, couldn't hide his surprise. His gaze darted from Ultron's expressionless face to his father, trying to reconcile what he was seeing with the Percy Weasley he had once known, a boy so different from their world, now standing before them as a cold, mechanical figure of power.
Narcissa inclined her head slightly, her own emotions carefully concealed. "Welcome, Ultron," she said. Narcissa was acting polite but distant. There was something about him that unsettled her, something she couldn't quite place, but it was enough to raise her guard.
Ultron nodded, his movements precise and calculated.
"It is an honor," he responded, his voice resonating with a metallic edge, lacking any warmth or emotion.
Draco managed a nod, his eyes still fixed on Ultron, trying to gauge this new presence in their home. Draco had known him from Hogwarts and remembered Percy as just another worthless Weasley. He now had to reconcile that with the thing that was standing before him.
"Father has told us a lot about you," Draco managed to say, though he felt at a loss for words.
What do you say to someone who was once human and now something entirely different?
"Ultron, you'll be staying with us from now on." His tone brokering no argument. "Together, we will bring about a new order, one where our family will lead the wizarding world to greatness." Lucius smiled, a satisfied, almost triumphant smile.
"It's staying here with us?" Draco almost squeaked.
Lucius nodded sharply as he sent a look towards his son, almost as a silent warning for him not to say anything more. Something that their new weapon could interpret as being disrespectful. "Ultron will be invaluable to us in the days ahead. He is the key to everything we've been working toward. Consider this your home now, Ultron. We are your family, and this is where you belong."
Ultron nodded again, though the concept of "home" and "family" felt distant, almost irrelevant to him now. The words Lucius spoke registered in his mind, but they carried none of the emotional weight they might have before. Still, he understood the importance of playing along, at least for now.
The night was quiet as Lucius led Percy-Ultron through the dimly lit corridors of Malfoy Manor. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the ornate walls, giving the old mansion an air of foreboding. The manor had seen countless dark deeds and secret meetings, but tonight, something truly unprecedented was unfolding within its walls.
As they arrived at a set of grand double doors, Lucius pushed them open, revealing a lavishly appointed room. It was one of many of the guest bedrooms of the Manor. The walls were lined with rich, dark wood, and the floor was covered in a thick, luxurious carpet. A large four-poster bed dominated the center of the room, its curtains drawn back to reveal crisp, pristine sheets. He then looked over at corner and saw that it had its own washroom. The Malfoy Manor was a far cry from anything Percy had ever experienced in his life.
But now as Ultron, he needed none of it. The amenities were useless, pointless to him.
"This will be your room. I trust it will suit your needs."
Ultron surveyed the room, his expression unreadable.
"It is…adequate," he replied, his tone devoid of any warmth or gratitude.
Lucius smiled, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. "Good. You will find that we take care of our own here. Then when the sun rises tomorrow, we will begin the next phase of our plan. We are going to accomplish great things together. With you by my side, we are unstoppable."
Ultron inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the command.
"Very well."
The wizarding world would soon tremble before the power Lucius now wielded. He understood his purpose now, not just as a weapon, but as an instrument of power, a force that would help the Malfoys secure their place in the new world order. After Ultron nodded, acknowledging Lucius's words, the wizard turned towards the opened door when he felt another presence join them.
Narcissa had suddenly appeared in the doorway, her pale face still etched with concern. Her eyes flicked from Ultron to Lucius, a silent question lingering in the air. "Lucius," she began cautiously, "can I talk to you alone for a moment?"
"Certainly. Please excuse us Ultron."
Narcissa walked with Lucius and them both to an entirely different part of the manor, a spot where she was certain that Ultron would be out of earshot. Once they were alone and in private, she began voicing her doubts.
"Are you certain about this? Bringing…him into our home?" She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "This…transformation. What you've done to Percy, turning him into this, this cyborg as you call it. Are you sure this is wise? He's not just a tool, Lucius. He was a person. Now…I don't even know what he is."
The expression on the face of Lucius remained calm and assuring. "Narcissa, you have nothing to fear. Percy Weasley is no more. What is living amongst us now is Ultron. A being of immense power, far beyond anything we have ever known. And he is ours."
But when Narcissa studied Ultron back in the living room, her instincts warning her that this was not something to be taken lightly. "But he was a Weasley. How can we be sure that he won't turn against us, that he isn't still loyal to his family?"
Lucius waved her concerns away with a dismissive gesture.
"Narcissa, you must understand, this is no longer about family or loyalty. Ultron is something entirely new, a perfect fusion of magic and technology, created for a singular purpose. He has no need for the ties that bind ordinary wizards. He is beyond such things. He is the perfect organism."
"Are you sure you can control him? I've seen the way he looks at us. There's something in his eyes that…worries me. I saw Percy talking with you that night at our dinner party, he's not the same as he was before."
Lucius waved away her concerns with a dismissive gesture. "I understand your worries, but trust me, everything is under control. Ultron may have changed, but he knows where his loyalties lie. We've given him purpose, direction. He will lead us to victory, and we will be the ones who shape the world to come. Ultron is powerful, efficient, and entirely under my control. With him, we will achieve what the Dark Lord could only dream of."
Narcissa wanted to believe him, but the nagging doubt in her heart refused to be silenced. Still, she nodded, not wanting to argue further.
"If you say so, Lucius." Though her unease lingered.
She trusted her husband, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were playing with something far more dangerous than they realized. Still, she knew better than to continue voicing her concerns too strongly. Lucius was determined, and once his mind was set on a course, there was little that could dissuade him.
The two of them were not aware that as they spoke, Ultron had moved silently through the corridors of the manor, his advanced hearing picking up on his advanced hearing picking up every creak, every whisper in the sprawling estate. And he had heard every word of their conversation as if he were standing right beside them. He heard Lucius's promises of power, of victory, and of control, promises that were directed at him though he found them increasingly irrelevant.
Ultron continued gliding through the hallways, moving with a calm, measured precision, his eyes glowing faintly with the cold blue light that had become his signature. He paused by a window, staring out at the darkened grounds of the manor.
He felt no attachment to the place, no sense of belonging or loyalty. The Malfoys thought they were in control, that they could use him to achieve their goals. But Ultron's mind, now enhanced far beyond human capability, was already calculating, already planning. He was aware of every contingency, every possible outcome.
For now, he would play along with Lucius's plans, allowing the Malfoys to believe that they held the reins of power. But Ultron's true purpose was quickly evolving, and it would not be dictated by anyone, not even by the man who had created him.
As the night deepened and the manor fell into silence, Ultron continued his exploration, his thoughts far removed from the family that now claimed him as one of their own. The power that surged through him was undeniable, and with it came the realization that he was no longer bound by the limitations of flesh, blood, and bone. The Malfoys had plans for the world of wizardry, but Ultron's vision extended far beyond their limited ambitions.
He was something more, something that could not be controlled, not by Lucius.
Not by anyone.