Harry Potter: The Artisan's Path Chapter 71, a harry potter fanfic

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

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Harry gets a huge order from his grandfather and researches up more on spirit subjugations.

Chapter 71

4th November

Harry trudged back to the castle after Quidditch practice, soaked and miserable. It had been pouring rain all afternoon, which you would think would be enough to cancel practice, but that was never the case when Oliver was the captain. Even if a natural disaster occurred on Hogwarts' doorstep, he would insist on continuing the practice.

What made matters worse was that someone had broken into the Gryffindor's changing rooms and stolen his clothes. That had some disturbing implications, but right now, it meant he had to walk up to the castle in his quidditch robes, which were muddy from when he tumbled off his broom into a puddle of mud.

He spotted Professor Babbling exiting the newly restored greenhouse and changed course to intercept her.

"Professor," Harry greeted her, and she turned to him with a smile.

"Hello, Harry. You look like you could use a shower."

"Oliver is mental," Harry muttered.

They continued walking up to the castle.

"How's it going with the runic puzzle?" Babbling asked.

"Hermione already solved it, but it was really anticlimactic. The only reward for solving it was a gold key, but I'm unsure of its purpose."

"Have you tried using one of your appraisal scrolls?"

Harry slapped his forehead. "I'm an idiot."

Babbling chuckled. "I wouldn't say that. You cannot think of everything, and you have a lot on your plate. Besides, it may not reveal anything."

"That's true," Harry replied. "What were you doing in the greenhouse?"

Babbling sighed. "I was double-checking the wards. After the greenhouse incident, I have been paranoid about making mistakes that would put the students in further danger."

Harry winced in sympathy. The professor hadn't had an easy time of it over the past year. First, there was the incident with Merlin, and now she was blaming herself for what happened with the greenhouse.

"If it's any consolation," Harry said. "I don't believe that the greenhouse was your fault. I can't prove it, but I believe the incident was a deliberate act by someone targeting the class."

Babbling raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

Harry shrugged. "On its own, it doesn't sound too suspicious, but when paired with other incidents, it raises some questions. Recently, there was another incident that the Aurors determined was an accident, but I disagree with their conclusion."

"The incident at the deathday party?"

"Yes. I'm certain someone set it up to hurt me."

Babbling stopped and she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, after what you went through in your first year, I'm not going to start doubting you now."

Harry had a sudden idea, barely believing he hadn't thought of it before. "Would you mind giving me a permission slip to access the restricted section in the library?"

The club had been looking for information on spirit subjugations but had no luck finding any books on the subject. The restricted section remained their only hope to find something. He had asked his grandmother about the subject, but she told him that it wasn't something he needed to know about. The subject upset her and he didn't want to push it further. He didn't want to ask another professor because it would most likely go back to his grandmother.

He could always break into the restricted section, but it would be easier if he could gain access the legitimate way.

"What mischief are you up to now?" Babbling enquired, eyeing him with suspicion.

"It's nothing bad," Harry defended. "I'm researching something but can't find any information in the normal section."

"What's it about?"

"Romance," Harry joked. "I'm looking for the book 101 Ways to Woo a Witch. Apparently, it's considered dangerous enough to be in the restricted section."

"Harry!" Babbling exclaimed. "Be serious. I hardly think you need any tips on how to woo a witch."

"Okay, fine," Harry grumbled. "When I was at the deathday party, I learned about the Cursed Vaults. I was wondering if there was any information on them in the library."

"That silly legend?" Babbling scoffed. "You won't find anything about them in the restricted section."

"How would you know?"

Babbling glanced away with a guilty look.

"You were looking into them yourself," Harry said accusingly.

"I may have looked into the subject at one point during my student days," Babbling said. "But I quickly got over my stupidity and never pursued it again. I suggest you do the same."

"Does that mean you aren't going to give me the permission slip?"

Babbling stopped and pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of her robes. "I have no doubt you will find a way to get into the restricted section if I don't give you permission. You better not make me regret it."

She handed him the slip, and he thanked her. They continued up to the castle, and he saw his grandmother was waiting for him on the front steps. For a moment, he thought maybe she knew what he was up to, but she didn't look angry with him.

"Let me know if you find anything," Babbling whispered. She greeted Minerva before entering the castle.

"You look like a mess," Minerva said, pulling her wand out and waving at his robes. His robes were instantly cleaned, making him feel a lot better.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Harry groaned.

"You're a boy," Minerva said condescendingly. "You're supposed to get dirty. You still need a shower, though."

Harry ignored her comment. "Is there something you need from me?"

"Your grandfather has come to visit. He wants to ask something of you."

Harry grabbed his two-way mirror out of his pocket and waved it at her. "Couldn't he have just mirror-called me?"

"He felt it was better to speak to you in person. Go have a shower first, then meet us in my quarters."

Intrigued, he hurried back up to his dormitory and took a shower. Feeling much better, he made his way down to his grandmother's quarters.

His grandfather was sitting with his wife in the living room, sipping on a cup of tea.

"It's about time you got here," Charlus said.

"Nice to see you, grandfather," Harry snarked. He poured himself a cup and grabbed some biscuits to munch on. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"The Obsidian problem needs to be addressed," Charlus said. "I have decided to form a group to eliminate them, as well as any other threats to us and our allies."

"Like Dumbledore?" Harry asked, and Charlus nodded. "What's this organisation called?"

"The Order of the Demiguise."

Harry stared at him incredulously. Did he have a screw loose?

"I think it's adorable," Minerva said.

"It's not supposed to be adorable, Minerva," Charlus protested. "The creature perfectly represents what we are about. We will be like ghosts. By the time our enemies see us coming, it will be too late."

"Name your organisation something cool, like Spectre," Harry suggested.

"I wish I had thought of that," Charlus muttered. "The members have already chosen the name. If I change it now, I will look like an idiot."

Minerva gave him a deadpan look. "It's too late for that, Bampot."

Harry snickered, and Charlus glared at him.

"Spectre sounds too ghoulish," Minerva said. "I think Order of the Demiguise sounds like a wonderful name."

Harry rolled his eyes. "He stole half the name from Dumbledore. Forgive me if I disagree with that sentiment."

Minerva smiled at Harry. "We all know Charlus named the order after you, but he doesn't want to admit it."

"So he's sentimental," Harry said. "But he's too much of an emotional coward to admit it."

"That's my husband," Minerva agreed.

"Can we move on?" Charlus asked, looking grumpy. "I want you to make some equipment for the order."

That took Harry by surprise. "What kind of equipment?"

"For one thing, we need to be able to communicate easily with one another," Charlus said. "I want you to make some two-way mirrors for us."

"That's easy enough," Harry replied. "How many members do you have?"

"There are eight members so far, including me."

"That's not going to be enough to fight Obsidian," Harry observed.

"It's enough for now. We can recruit more members later."

Harry nodded. "I can create a network of mirrors that will allow everyone to communicate with each other. What else do you need?"

"Can you make more vanishing cabinets? They are convenient and allow us to move around unseen."

Harry paused to think about it. "It would take me some time. The cabinets are made from a special magical wood, which is difficult to find in large quantities. How many do you want?"

"Nine. I want one for our headquarters and another for all the current order members."

"Nine of them? That's going to take me ages," Harry complained. "I'm already busy enough."

Minerva frowned. "It better not get in the way of your schoolwork."

Charlus grunted. "I don't need them immediately. You can set your own schedule."

"Anything else?"

"You still have the basilisk skin, correct?" Charlus asked, and Harry nodded. "I need you to make me some protective clothing that people can wear under their robes."

Harry shook his head. "It's nearly impossible to add enchantments to a basilisk hide. I would have to bleach away the outer layer, but it will lose most of its magical resistance properties in the process."

"I don't need any enchantments," Charlus said. "The magical resistance properties are good enough on their own. It may save lives in a critical situation."

"Just making the clothes shouldn't be too difficult, although it will take time to make the basilisk skin more malleable. Please send me their measurements."

Harry calculated in his head how many sets of clothing he could make. He was sure he had enough to make at least fifteen sets, but he would have to visit his workshop to make sure. There might even be enough to make some for his friends as well.

"You could ask someone with more experience than me to make the clothes," Harry said. "It's the guildmaster's specialty. I'm sure he can do a much better job."

"No. I don't trust anyone else not to keep it secret," Charlus said. "I have confidence that you will do an adequate job."

Harry smiled, pleased with his grandfather's words. "Alright, I will get started on the mirrors first. It shouldn't take me more than a few days after taking my other commitments into account."

"That is fine."

"Now, let's discuss my compensation," Harry said, taking out a pen and a notebook to calculate what he should be charging for every piece of equipment.

Charlus eyed him sternly. "We're family. You shouldn't be charging me anything."

"How naive. I will put a lot of time and effort into making the equipment for you. I could be using the time on other projects that would make me some galleons."
"I should get a family discount."

"Okay, I'll give you a five percent discount since I'm feeling generous."

"What a scoundrel. You're no grandson of mine," Charlus roared.

"Really? Then there will be no family discount."

Minerva put a hand to her mouth to hide her laughter.

They spent the next five minutes negotiating a price for the equipment, and Harry felt he got a good deal. He already had most of the materials on hand, so it would not cut into his profits.

They moved on to other topics.

"Remus told me that he was going to teach you the patronus charm," Charlus said.

Harry nodded.

"Why didn't you ask us to teach you? Minerva questioned.

"I was speaking to him when I thought about asking," Harry said. "Plus, he'll only be here for a day. You could help with further lessons, grandma, but I know you are busy."

"I can make time," Minerva told him.

"How are Susan's Animagus lessons going?" Harry probed. "Has she found her inner animal yet?"

He already knew she had found her inner animal, but she refused to tell him, saying it would surprise him when she transformed for the first time. He felt he had the right to know because he was her boyfriend. He tried asking Nagini first, but she was on Susan's side and refused to tell him.

"Nice try," Minerva said, her expression amused. "Susan told me you would try to get the information out of me."

"Bloody females are ganging up on me," Harry muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Harry found his friends in the library. He showed them the permission slip he got from Professor Babbling, and some of them looked like they wanted to snatch it out of his hands.

"Why didn't you think to ask her sooner?" Hermione complained.

"You're one of the brainiacs in the group," Harry said, crossing his arms. "The question should be: why didn't you think of it sooner?"

Hermione poked her tongue out at him.

"Can we all use it to access the restricted section?" Daphne asked. "Or, is it only for you to use?"

Harry read the slip. "Professor Babbling only wrote my name down. Madam Pinch is too much of a stickler for the rules. She will only allow me to enter the restricted section."

"Her name is Madam Pince, Harry," Padma informed him.

"It's the same thing," Harry argued, sitting down. "Before that, there was something else I hadn't considered doing."

"That's nothing new," Gabrielle said, chuckling.

"Everyone's a comedian today," Harry groused. He took an appraisal scroll from his pocket, laid it on the table, and then placed the golden key on top.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Hermione asked, slumping in her seat with a groan.

"You need to step your game up," Harry joked, watching as some words appeared on the scroll.

Once it had finished, everyone leaned in closer to read the scroll.

The golden key opens one of the Cursed Vaults built by Galahad, but the vault's location is restricted.

"No freaking way," Harry gasped.

It should have occurred to him sooner that Galahad was the one responsible for creating the Cursed Vaults. The man certainly had the expertise to create them. The problem was that he didn't have enough information on them.

What was the purpose of sending the runic puzzle to Hogwarts, which held the key? Did he want someone to find the vaults? Wasn't that a little irresponsible? Wasn't there supposed to be a curse placed on each one?

"What are the Cursed Vaults?" Gabrielle asked.

The others glanced at each other, but they also had no idea.

"Did I forget to mention it?" Harry pushed his chair back as the others shot him irritated glances. "What? I had more pressing concerns at the time."

"Explain," Daphne ordered.

Harry saluted. "Yes, ma'am. Erling the Great told me about the vaults at the deathday party."

"What makes him so great?" Blaise asked.

"I asked the same thing," Harry said, and they bumped fists. "Our thoughts are synchronised."

Susan rolled her eyes. "Enough with the bromance. Tell us about the vaults."

Harry shared all his knowledge about the vaults with his friends, and they soaked it up eagerly. It was evident that they were excited about the new mystery.

"Look at this," Terry said, pointing to the word "restricted" on the parchment. "This is such an obvious clue. It must mean the restricted section."

"Doesn't this feel a little strange?" Gabrielle asked. "How did Galahad know about the appraisal scrolls? Did he send us the runic puzzle because he knew we would use a scroll to find information on the key?"

"It's possible," Hermione said, her brows furrowed. "How long have the appraisal scrolls been out on the market?"

"Several months," Harry replied. "Even so, I agree with Gabrielle. How did he know what the appraisal scroll would reveal? Is there a way to manipulate it so that you know what it's going to write?"

"Well, it's only a simple description," Neville pointed out. "He could have brought a bunch of appraisal scrolls and kept making the key until it showed exactly what he wanted."

"My boyfriend is so smart," Padma said, grabbing Neville's arm and hugging it to her chest.

Everyone watched in amusement as Neville's face turned red.

"You need to go search the restricted section," Hermione said. "If you come across any information, copy the books so we can all read them."

Harry headed for the front desk and presented the permission slip to Madam Pince. She examined it carefully but had to give up when she couldn't find anything wrong with it.

"Don't abuse the privilege you have been given," Madam Pince said.

"Sure," Harry replied. He walked over to the restriction section. "Stupid old bint."

A small set of steps led to the restricted section on the second level, separating it from the rest of the library. It consisted of several bookcases stuffed to the brim with some questionable books. He began a systematic search of the books, looking for any references to "Spirit Subjugation" and "Cursed Vaults." Some of the books he was finding were nightmare-inducing, and he didn't spend much time browsing through them. He could understand why the books were in the restricted section.

After an hour of searching, he discovered a black book called Spectris Pessimi, a Latin title that translated to English as "apparitions most evil." He flipped through the pages until he came across a chapter about Dementors, which had an entry on spirit subjugation. He cast a spell to copy the book and put it back on the shelf.

Unfortunately, he didn't have any luck finding any reference to the Cursed Vaults. He spent another fruitless hour searching and was starting to become frustrated.

"Take a break," Daphne told him from the bottom of the steps. "It's almost time for dinner."

"Okay," Harry said, turning towards her, but something in his peripheral vision caught his attention.

A familiar symbol had been etched into the wall in a narrow gap between two bookshelves. It was the same symbol Lewis had left in the charms book: a golden dragon with its tongue sticking out. The symbol was so small that he was surprised he had noticed it at all.

"No way," Harry whispered.

"What is it?" Daphne asked.

"One moment," Harry said. He stretched out his arm and touched the symbol.

No reaction. Frowning, he drew his wand and touched the symbol with it. This time, a reaction occurred. The two bookshelves parted, widening the gap. The symbol had sunken back into the wall, revealing a small depression with a single book inside. He grabbed the book and pulled it out. Instantly, everything magically reverted to its original state.

After grabbing the book, the symbol on his hand heated up. What the hell could that mean? He shoved the book into his pocket before returning to the table and sitting next to his friends.

He opened the Spectris Pessimi book to the entry he found earlier. It was written by an author during the eighteenth century, who was conducting research on Dementors.

Spirit subjugation occurs when an unidentified force overwhelms multiple ghosts, resulting in the formation of a dementor. These ghosts combine, losing their individual identities, and transform into foul beings with an unquenchable hunger for human souls.

It is considered a natural phenomenon that occurs rarely during large gatherings of ghosts. Anyone witnessing such an event should leave immediately, as it is unpredictable and unstoppable, and they risk becoming victims of the creatures that form.

Let's uncover the truth behind the Dementor's origins. While spirit subjugation is considered a natural phenomenon, I think it's just a lazy explanation from wizards who don't put in the effort to find the truth. Herpo the Foul was associated with the first Dementor, which is why I refer to it as a foul creature.

I believe Dementors are created through a ritual, which Herpo invented. Many people are unaware that rituals are extremely dangerous because they open a connection to the fae realm, where deities offer boons in exchange for something. However, the cost of these boons is often far greater than the benefit they bring.

Herpo was known as one of the most influential and powerful Dark Arts practitioners, creating several vile creations. He created the first Basilisk and developed curses that targeted the soul, a dangerous branch of magic. Rumour has it that his mastery of it was so great that he attained immortality and continues to live on to this day.

Harry stopped reading. Although this wasn't concrete proof, it still validated his suspicion that the deathday party incident was manufactured by someone. If it were true that a Dementor was created by a ritual, then someone in the castle was definitely out to get him. He didn't think the others who attended the party were the target. If it hadn't been for their Occlumency, they may have succumbed to the Dementor's adverse effects and been rendered completely helpless to stop it from sucking out their souls.

"Herpo seems like a dreadful individual," Susan said. "He might be behind the origin of the title Dark Lord."

"Forget about that," Blaise murmured. "If what the author says is true, then it certainly paints the deathday party incident in a different light."

"Are you saying someone set up a ritual beforehand and trapped us in the ballroom?" Daphne asked. "Who would go to such lengths to hurt Harry?"

No one questioned her on the assumption that Harry was the target.

"Who knew Harry was attending the party?" Hermione questioned.

"I wasn't exactly keeping it a secret," Harry said, "and I never expected any of you to do the same. Who knew someone would use the opportunity to attack me?"

"Should we tell your grandmother?" Gabrielle asked.

"There is no evidence left that would confirm our suspicions," Harry told her before pausing. "Would the ritual leave any traces behind?"

Blaise snorted. "If someone had drawn a ritual circle in the centre of the ballroom, we would have noticed."

"It doesn't hurt to check it out," Neville said. "Unless someone came along and cleaned up the evidence."

"Aren't rituals designed to empower the individual?" Terry asked, seeing the flaw in the author's logic. "Is it even possible to create a Dementor through a ritual?"

Harry shook his head. "That's what they are usually used for, but it's not the only thing. You can think of a ritual more like a request from a deity that requires a sacrifice in exchange."

He told his friends about the fae realm and deities. After the most recent incident with Parvati, he grew increasingly concerned about how much influence the deities had on the world even when they were no longer present. He wanted to warn them in case they ever came into contact with one of them. Blaise, Daphne and Padma knew about them, but the rest were largely oblivious.

It wasn't information that needed to be hidden, as you could find it as long as you searched hard enough. Besides, now that he had given them the new and improved Occlumency training method, they would find it easier to defend their secrets soon enough.

"But does the person performing the ritual need to summon the deity every time, or is it a one-off thing?" Hermione questioned.

That question prompted a discussion among the group.

Harry stopped listening, his eyes glued to the final sentence, hinting at Herpo the Foul being immortal. This instantly triggered thoughts of Horcruxes, a topic his grandfather had discussed with him earlier that year. Given his expertise in soul magic, it sounded like the kind of dark magic Herpo would dabble in. If this speculation proved true, the man was even more terrible than he had initially thought

"Harry?" Daphne's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry replied, slamming the book closed.

"I asked you about the other book you found."

Harry pulled out the book. It was simply titled "The Cursed Vaults," a slim book with only twenty pages in it. He opened it up and saw that it wasn't an actual published book but a journal, where a man had recorded his thoughts about the investigation into the Cursed Vaults. There was no name mentioned, nor any dates, but there was the same dragon symbol printed on the inner cover.

They began reading through it. It followed the man's thought process from the time he arrived at Hogwarts until the time he left. The ultimate conclusion the man arrived at was that the five vaults weren't located in the castle but somewhere on the grounds, as Erling had suggested. There was some anecdotal evidence that suggested that one of the vaults was called the "Earth Vault" and was located in the nearby mountains bordering the castle. But the man never found it.

"How far do the Hogwarts grounds extend?" Padma asked. "I wouldn't think the mountains would be considered a part of Hogwarts."

"Actually, the Hogwarts grounds extend for several miles beyond the ward line," Hermione said. "I read in Hogwarts—"

"A History," Tracy interjected. "We are well aware of your fondness for the book."

Hermione scowled. "Maybe you should read it sometime to fill that empty—"

"Alright, that's enough," Harry interrupted before they could get into an argument. "Even if one of the vaults is located in the mountains, there are no clues in this book that will lead us to it."

"Who do you think it belonged to?" Terry asked.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. But it's hardly worth going to great lengths to hide it. Unless its pages conceal something else, it's not worth the effort.

Hermione grabbed the book eagerly. "I will take a look."

"What do you think the chances are that the golden key opens this Earth Vault?" Neville asked.

"I'd say there's a good chance," Harry replied.

After dinner, Harry retreated to his workshop trunk. Besides wanting to get started on the mirrors, he wanted to check the new message the Source had for him. To his surprise, several new messages were awaiting him that were related to the Cursed Vaults.

The host has received several new tasks.

Task #11: Locate the Earth Vault and discover the treasure that lies within.