Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter sadly. JK Rowling does
Goose Step: Thanks for the review ! Comments like that, as short as they are, really make my day. Lots of love ! I hope you'll like what's coming next.
Darthdylan: I'm glad you liked it. Here's the next one. I'm thinking about going from two chapters a week to three until I'm able to catch up to the french version. But... Oh well, we'll see. Until then, I hope you'll like this chapter.
ARWilliams: Thanks for the review ! Well, I'm not going to tell you how exactly, as it would spoil you this chapter and the next one. Still, I'm so happy to see so many people liking my story. You made a good observation, even though, as you'll see, that part of him will sometimes resurface, even if it's for a split second. But hey, this time he has power, so he might as well use it :)
Guest: Thanks !
JohnMonty: Wow ! Once more a really big review. Thanks ! So, let's take things one by one. First, yes, Harry needs to take things easy. But hey, that's Harry. Thinking about his well being is not a thing he does regularly. Glad to know you like the fact I included rituals. There will be some legilimency indeed, don't worry. Then, about some John Wick style fighting, I don't know. You'll see it in the next battles, but I really wanted to concentrate on all the different kind of magic Harry is able to master. But, when I'll run out of idea, I might as well do that. Thanks for the idea ! And your idea with Lucius would indeed be funny. Then about the potion part... I will admit I haven't thought about that. I may be too late in the story to implement such things, so I can't really promise you that Harry will have this power. His enemies though... I keedp that in mind. Thanks for the idea again ;). Finally, for the two last question, there will be romance, but later in the stories (and both Harry will have their lady, not only the older one). About lemons, well, I don't think I'll add lemons in the story, or at least in the main story like this. But I might write, after the end of it, one or two bonus chapters with a lemon in it (if I find a way to make it correspond to my characters. I don't want it to be pure smut. There's already a lot of that on the internet, and that wouldn't add anything to the story). Finally, about Dumbledore, he won't be an evil Dumbledore. Maybe a bit manipulative... but... without spoiling too much, let's say that older Harry will be much more manipulative than him. I guess war does that to you... Thanks for the review !
LifeIsAGreatAdventure: Hello ! Thanks for your review. I am glad you like it and find it interesting. To answer your question, yes, I will continue to translate it until I catch up to the French version. And then, we'll see ! Thanks you !
11/17/1991, 09H32, Asyut, Egypt:
"Magic isn't so bad after all," Harry grumbled as he stepped out of the small hotel he was staying in.
The journey had taken a while. While finding a flight had been easy, converting his galleons to pounds had been no easy feat. He wanted to kick himself just thinking about it. With Harry's guardianship and the destruction of a Horcrux, he had completely forgotten to ask for a way to convert his money.
A return trip to Gringotts, then to the Muggle bank, then to a waiting room to fill out paperwork, followed by four days of waiting to make sure his account had been opened. Once the account was opened, the money transferred, and a ticket to Egypt purchased, he was finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Part of him cursed himself for not buying a broom. Apparating long distances drained his core too quickly and left him defenseless. Well, almost. He still had his revolver concealed under a charm on his leg.
Indeed, once he arrived, one of the first things he did was put on his combat gear. Already weakened by his lack of magic, he preferred to have all the odds in his favor.
Refocusing his mind on his current mission, he drew his wand and muttered, "Point me to Djara's Cave." A small transparent stream shot out of his wand and headed west from his current position.
Nodding, he canceled the spell and summoned the nearest carpet. He saw nothing for a few seconds. Suddenly, from a window to his left, he heard the cry of an older woman, probably quite old, "Ouch! YOU IDIOT!", before seeing a purple carpet with several strange gold patterns land at his feet.
Quickly casting the Gemino spell to double the carpet, he sent the original back through the window. This was followed by a thud, then a "BASTARD!" in the same female voice.
The young man thanked the automatic translation enchantment on his cloak. It had been useful in the past for his travels around the world. After all, he had neither the time nor the inclination to learn all the languages. The enchantment, fortunately, had allowed him to avoid potentially long months of learning. It was thanks to this that he had understood the insults of the carpet owner. "Sorry! I hope everything is fine," he thought, insincerely, a sneer twisting the lower part of his face.
Harry was not a bad person. He never had been. But his experiences, the war, and the loss of his loved ones had changed the man. The innocent little boy was now buried behind barriers deep in his mind. Only a bitter man, who, although working for the good, was ready to do anything to achieve his goals, remained. It was in some way a common point he had with Dumbledore. The only difference was that he acted on his own. He would not put the fate of the wizarding world on the shoulders of an untrained kid. He would not stay in the shadows and would fight until his death. Well, at least not before he was sure people could work out things without him being there.
He had accepted what he had become. However, that didn't prevent his feelings from resurfacing sometimes, like when he entered Diagon Alley. Maybe once his revenge was complete and the potential dangers to peace were eradicated, he could let the Harry buried within him come out. For now, too much was at stake. Mistakes were not allowed.
He cast a levitation spell, followed by a hardening spell on the carpet. "It's not a racing broom, but it will do for now. Let's hope my magic holds up," he sighed as he mounted his new mode of transportation.
He cast the Point Me spell again, and, already feeling his core tire, began the journey to the famous Djara Cave.
11/17/1991, 13H21, Djara Cave, Egypt:
The waning sun caressed the dunes of golden sand, casting dancing shadows upon the gaping maw of Djara's cave. Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the wind whispering through the rock formations.
Amidst the rocky formations, a solitary figure emerged. It was a man of imposing stature, his presence alone enough to overwhelm the senses of any other person present. Fortunately, he was alone. The only one prepared to pierce the secrets buried within the cave's depths.
Harry had waited a few moments for his magical core to replenish itself. He had made several stops along the way, taking the time to hydrate, check his destination using the Point Me spell, and then regenerate all the magic he had expended. The journey had not been difficult, mainly thanks to magic, but it had been rather long. The endless solitude in which it plunged him reminded him that in this world, he was alone, unknown to all. Fortunately, he managed to suppress these negative thoughts with the help of his Occlumency, and let himself be drawn to the cave entrance.
His first step was hesitant, the daylight fading rapidly to make way for a growing darkness. The cool, damp air enveloped the mage, while a sweet scent of wet stone hung in the atmosphere. His cloak slid over the rocky ground as menacing stalactites hung from the ceiling, like giant fangs ready to snap shut on any intruder.
The flickering light that extended from his wand illuminated the cave walls, revealing natural sculptures of strange shapes. Grimacing faces seemed to observe the sorcerer, while animals from a forgotten time sprang from the rock, frozen in an eternal movement.
The path descended steeply, winding between fallen boulders and gaping chasms. The echo of footsteps resonated through the tunnel, amplifying every sound, creating a fantastical and slightly frightening atmosphere. Suddenly, absolute silence. Harry extinguished his wand, plunging the cave into total darkness. A thrill of excitement ran through his body.
Only his sharpened senses guided him now, his breath was short and his mind alert. He focused on the magic in the air, searching for the enchantment behind which the famous work he sought was hidden.
A muffled sound, like a distant heartbeat, could be heard further to his right. Harry made his way towards the source of the sound, relighting his wand in the process. As he advanced, he felt himself crossing a veil. He turned quickly, and saw... nothing. He had just moved forward into the cave. "No doubt a Muggle-repelling enchantment. It's supposed to get rid of tourists, I guess," he thought.
Before him, an immense chamber unfolded, bathed in an ethereal blue light emanating from shimmering crystals embedded in the walls. At the center of the hall, a magnificent underground lake reflected the light, creating a fairy-tale spectacle. Rocky formations of extraordinary shapes emerged from the water, resembling legendary creatures slumbering.
Harry approached the lake, captivated by the mesmerizing beauty of this forgotten place. A sense of awe and humility washed over him in the face of nature's grandeur and the mysteries it held. He slowly levitated some water from the lake and brought it to his mouth to taste. He gave his body time to detect if it posed any threat.
Suddenly, he felt his magical core solidify. It only lasted a few seconds, but it allowed him to realize what this liquid truly was. "This isn't just water. This shit managed, even if for a moment, to repair my destroyed core," he exclaimed in surprise.
In the silence of the cave, only disturbed by his movements, he sat on a stone and contemplated the scene, letting himself be permeated by the magic of the place.
Djara's cave was no longer just a dark and frightening place, but a secret sanctuary, a hidden treasure that the mage had had the privilege of discovering. For nearly an hour, he remained motionless, absorbed by the beauty and serenity of the cave. He took the opportunity to let the ambient magic replenish his reserves, hitherto depleted by exploring the place.
Finally, detecting a shimmering wall at the back of the cave, he stood up. He brushed off his trousers, grabbed his wand, and headed towards the strange wall. The latter whispered incomprehensible words to his mind. It was bewitching, similar to a Veela on a pubescent adolescent. Was it really shining? Or was it just an illusion? It took him some time to understand.
Suddenly, a realization hit him. He knew this wall. Ever since he had entered the cave, he had felt like his mind was elsewhere. The oppressive magic of the place had drawn him in, and his defenses weakened by his defective core had not protected him from it.
He had already seen this wall. It was the one he had destroyed with a wave of pure magic in his time. He saw himself again, for an instant, with his comrades, laughing and wondering how to cross the magical barrier.
# Flashback #
12/02/2009, 19H09, Djara cave, Egypt:
"There must have been another liquid in this lake other than water. I identified the corpse of a cat that has been dead for more than five years. And you know what's worse? The corpse is better preserved than Leo's brain!" Masayuki exclaimed.
"Well, that's not hard!" Hery laughed, patting the Japanese man on the back.
"Hey!" he protested, "Instead of mocking me or looking for water that doesn't exist anymore, do you want to help us with this damn wall?" The man, annoyed, refocused on the wall that occupied Elena and Harry's minds.
Harry had to admit that the complexity of the enchantment surprised him. He had seen his share of strange spells in his career, but seeing one that he was completely unable to decipher was new. Whoever had created this wall didn't want it to be crossed so easily.
The obvious solution would be to touch the wall, to see if it was solid or not. The problem was that none of them had the slightest idea of what the consequences would be for the person who touched it. They were powerful wizards, the best in the modern world... but they were not invincible. If they were hit by a death spell, they would die too. If they lost too much blood, they would pass out, and then slowly fade away as well. The difference with other wizards was that they knew how to avoid these situations, or at least how to turn them to their advantage.
Harry's instinct told him to touch the wall in front of him, that there was no danger. However, differentiating between instinct and magic-induced compulsion was a whole other matter. He couldn't risk losing a limb just because his "instinct" told him it was a good idea.
"Elena, do you see any clue as to what this crap does in the runic pattern?" he asked the Russian woman.
"Niet. Vall eez strange. Vall should not be able to hold. Runes make no sense. Rune here of explosion, zhere of dream, zhere of soul manipulation... I understand nozhing at all!" she growled, visibly annoyed by the lack of logic in the magical passage.
"Otherwise we can always try to touch it and see what happens," Hery suggested, looking at the wall more closely with Masayuki.
"With a soul manipulation rune, I prefer not to. It might be harmless, but you never know," Harry explained to the Malagasy, making sure to speak slowly so that the other would register what he was saying.
The group continued to inspect the wall, as well as the rest of the cave, with a fine-tooth comb. However, to their great disappointment, they found nothing of interest.
"Alright, I have an idea. I propose that we copy the runes one by one onto a parchment. We will enchant this parchment to be able to store our magic, so that it can have the same reserves as the cave. Once this is done, we leave the cave and give the parchment to Harry who returns to base with it. Once there, he reproduces the runes on a wall. After that, all we have to do is ask a prisoner sentenced to death to touch the wall, and we see what effect it has. After that, Harry will come back to us, and we will let you know," suggested the Japanese.
"I must admit that that is a rather good idea. But, a better idea would be to just bring a death row inmate here to touch the wall, and watch," Elena proposed in turn.
Masayuki took a moment to think, then nodded. "Yes, that's not wrong. What do you think-".
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out. The heads of the Malagasy, the Russian and the Japanese turned towards the wall, a magical shield surrounding them. The force of the explosion pushed them back several centimeters.
"What the hell is that!" Hery shouted towards the other two sorcerers in the group.
"Harry found the solution to your thing. He boomed the wall!" Leo exclaimed, dispelling the smoke around the group. This revealed a smiling Harry Potter, his long, smoking wand pointed at the now former cave wall.
"You know the old adage, right? When violence isn't the solution... it's THE solution," he said, laughing.
"Yes... but well... it's less funny when the violence is against us!" Hery grimaced, looking at the annihilated wall.
"At least the way is clear. Come on, let's move on!" Harry said, striding through the hole he had created.
The other three wizards exchanged glances, a mix of relief and apprehension on their faces. They had no doubt that Harry's unorthodox methods were effective, but they couldn't help but worry about the consequences.
# End of Flashback #
11/17/1991, 15H01, Djara's Cave, Egypt:
For obvious reasons, Harry couldn't employ the same technique as in the past... "Or, rather, in the future technically," he added mentally. He was too magically weakened for that, and even if he could drink the lake water and quickly cast a spell, it wouldn't do any more good. Indeed, although in the future there was no one left in this place, Harry had no proof that this was also the case today.
He saw only one solution: to touch the wall. He had done everything to avoid this situation in the future. But, in reality, he had never detected any curse on the wall. He simply didn't want to undergo any stupid trial to prove his worth.
Unfortunately, today, he had no choice. Holding his breath, he approached his hand to the wall, then placed it abruptly on it. He heard a sound of rock moving, and then he passed out.
?/?/?, ?H?, ?, ?:
As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was white. White everywhere. He immediately thought back to the station he had seen when Voldemort had cast that killing curse on him. The only difference was that there was no station. Only he, in his combat gear, his wand securely tucked in its holster and his weapons ready for use, was present in this soulless place.
"Welcome, traveler. You find yourself here in my lair. Finally, you have found yourself here. If you are here, it is because you wish to pass the test to access it."
"Damn, I told you there would be a test. Screw you Elena!" he thought to himself. Suddenly, as he thought about his old friend, he felt something. Something he hadn't felt since he had arrived in the past. "My core! It's re-"
"paired, yes. Well, not quite. Only your soul has traveled to this plane. In the real world, you are peacefully asleep, and your core is still in the same pathetic state," the voice explained calmly.
"So my soul is lost in the asshole of the world, but my body is safe?" Harry repeated.
"That's correct. Enough chatter. The presence of your soul here alone consumes an immense amount of magic. You are a very powerful wizard," the disembodied voice continued. "I will put you through three trials, each with its own theme. If you succeed in all three, then you will be deemed worthy of what is hidden behind the wall."
Harry remained silent, simply savoring the feeling of satiety that his complete magical core brought and listening to the words of the voice.
"Very well, I'm ready. Let's go!" he threw into the void.
"In that case, here is the first test: the test of strength!"
Harry barely had time to understand what the voice had just said before everything around him warped and twisted.
?/?/?, ?H?, Lost, Probably in the asshole of the world:
The void around him slowly transformed into what looked like a dark plain. He saw many trees whose trunks had been cut to the ground. The grass at his feet was burnt, and the ground, once flat, was littered with holes, turning the plain into an unstable Gruyère cheese.
He knew this kind of terrain, it was war territory. He could even make out what he thought were trenches in the distance.
And in the midst of it all, he, still in his soldier's uniform, wand in hand and cape in the wind, stood ready for whatever might come his way.
"In this first trial, you will have to face the most powerful sorcerer you have ever met in your existence. You must either incapacitate or kill him. Good luck to you, powerful sorcerer." After this instruction, the voice disappeared.
Harry looked for a corner of the plain where he could fight without having to constantly watch his feet, and stopped next to a lake. He froze it with a simple flick of his wand, and landed in the center, waiting for his opponent.
"What a joy to have my full power back. Okay, now who's going to show up. Dumbledore? He's very powerful, but with his age, I doubt he's the best sorcerer. Voldemort? I've had to fight worse during the Great War. Wait... the Great War... No, it can't be-"
He was cut short in his train of thought by a huge pillar of rock that was hurtling towards him at inhuman speed. Harry snapped his wand vertically, effectively cutting the rock in two. Each piece flew harmlessly to the side and crashed far behind him, creating a deafening din.
"The only one who masters Transfiguration well enough to conjure such massive blocks is... Damn it! Alexei!"
Before him appeared a man of average height, a long black robe, similar to Voldemort's, covering him. His piercing and cold gaze swept over the lake where Harry was before settling on him. While for some his facial features marked his old age, in Harry's eyes, it represented his experience in the vast field of magic.
The air around him vibrated, showing the overwhelming power of his magic. Harry himself reluctantly respected the man for his power and knowledge of Metamorphosis.
Alexei was a Russian dark wizard against whom the squad had faced. He was a very powerful sorcerer. But, unlike the other "Dark Lords" they had faced, this one had allied himself with many races of magical beasts. It was the last battle the squad had won before their fall in Italy. That battle had almost cost them their lives.
"Nothing is lost! Even if I don't have the others with me, he's alone too. Without his army, I can handle it... Oh and damn it! Since when do I doubt," he thought before shouting: "On guard!"
The sorcerer facing him nodded without a word. After all, he was just a memory. And it's not like the man had been talkative in life anyway.
Harry opened hostilities with a flurry of spells as powerful as they were fast. He would first have to test the waters to see the raw power Alexei possessed. The two exchanged spells, parried and dodged for over fifteen minutes. Such exchanges would have already caused the death of any other sorcerer within a fifty-meter radius of them.
Harry's wand was deadly accurate. Alexei's favorite field was Metamorphosis. So Harry watched out for anything the dark wizard could animate or conjure.
Suddenly, a wave of pure energy was sent towards Harry, who rolled back. When he got up, he saw two more pillars coming towards him. At the same time, he felt the ice of the lake attach to his feet. To top it all off, as if that wasn't enough, Alexei animated an ice golem to protect himself from any possible retaliation.
Harry had to act quickly. He focused on his magic core and compressed it, inflicting tyrannical pressure on the Russian. His eyes shone. The temperature dropped sharply, and even the air seemed to tear around him. The predator sorcerer was out hunting. The testing phase was over.
He cut the two pillars that were coming at him with blades of air that crashed into the ice golem, cutting off an arm. The latter was however immediately repaired by Alexei.
"Ooh! Tired already? It's true that the reason our fight lasted so long in our time was because the whole team was injured and magically exhausted from our battles against his minions," Harry thought as he saw the man remain on the defensive.
"In that case, I'm not going to wait any longer!" He concentrated, and cast the Fiendfyre spell on the immense golem that was approaching him.
Harry immediately understood that the golem was not just a simple mass of ice. It passed through the flames and tried to crush Harry with its powerful arm.
Harry immediately conjured the most powerful shield he could think of, and stopped the pressure he was exerting to save his reserves. When the golem came into contact with the shield, Harry felt like his wand arm was going to tear. A powerful gong echoed across the plain as the shield, against all odds, held.
The golem retreated, and prepared to strike again. "If he hits again, I'm done for!" Harry thought as his wand unleashed itself on the ice creature.
However, all his spells seemed in vain as Alexei repaired every damage he caused in an instant. "Wait... but of course! Alexei!". Harry regained full control of his Fiendfyre spell that was ravaging the plain in the distance, and directed it at Alexei. The immense Basilisk approached dangerously close to the powerful Russian sorcerer.
The latter, seeming worried, planted his wand in the ground, and an earth golem appeared in front of him, protecting him in extremis from death. Nevertheless, this offered the perfect opportunity for Harry who transferred control of the fire to his free hand, put away his wand and drew Revenge. He fired three explosive bullets at the ice golem, one respectively in each leg, then one in its head.
Alexei, too preoccupied with the fire, did not have time to repair his golem, and could only watch in horror as Harry reloaded his weapon, sheathed it, drew his wand and whispered: "Avada Kedavra".
Harry had compressed his magic core as much as possible and gathered all the hatred he had for the so-called "Dark Lords".
The Russian sorcerer, in desperation, twisted his wand to place the earth golem on the trajectory of the spell, which allowed Harry to redirect the flames onto the man.
Further away, Harry watched slowly as the mage was consumed by the flames. "It's true that he was probably the most powerful mage I knew in terms of brute force. But the poverty of his reserves probably places him below Voldemort in reality. Well, in single combat. If we add to each their respective armies...", he thought to himself, shivering.
"Congratulations. You have completed the test of strength. I was not wrong when I said you were a powerful sorcerer," the voice commented. "Now, you will move on to the second test. It will test your magical knowledge. On to the test of intelligence."
After these words, the scenery disappeared. Everything turned white again. He then saw a table appear in front of him, with a long parchment on it. He approached and unrolled the parchment to see hundreds of questions.
?/?/?, Later, Still Lost, Asshole of the world:
Harry took the time to reread the parchment in front of him, to make sure he hadn't forgotten to answer a question. The exercise had been rather simple. Many questions about magical theory had been asked. The ones he could answer, he answered aloud. The others, he gave a theory on what he thought was the answer. Some questions had obvious answers. But others were... more complicated. The last question in particular was a good example of that.
"Is 'magic' capable of making decisions?" he read aloud. He took the time to think about the question. Fortunately for him, time did not pass in this plane of existence. Once the trials were finished or failed, he would naturally wake up just seconds after passing out.
He didn't have the answer to that question. But, on reflection, a potential answer came to mind: "This question implies magic as a whole being. The idea behind this last question makes us wonder: under what conditions does magic make decisions? In reality, every magical being is capable of decision-making, so in a way, we could say that magic makes decisions through us, magical beasts and humans. Nevertheless, there are different ways involving the intervention of 'magic' itself. We can take three obvious examples: magical contracts, binding vows... and rituals."
At the mention of rituals, Harry felt a vibration in the air. He knew he was on the right track. "A ritual is a sacrifice, an exchange with magic. There is a gift, and then a reward. 'Magic' therefore makes the decision to grant the reward according to the gift. So, we can assume that yes, magic makes decisions."
His answer spoken, he stepped back from the table and waited a few seconds. He had concentrated as much as possible to give detailed and logical answers. Now, only the voice could tell him if he had succeeded or failed.
"Well, well! Very impressive young man. As you seem to have understood, this test is not really meant to test your knowledge of magic, but rather to observe your thinking abilities. Good job, you passed the test. Now, you are facing the last test. It is very simple. Your goal is to state aloud your purpose in life. But be careful, if you lie, you will... regret it," the voice explained darkly. "Let's begin the honesty test. Good luck, sorcerer!"
This time, only the table and the parchment disappeared. "I totally didn't understand the real purpose of the test. That was close!" Harry thought.
He looked around, preparing for the changes when he suddenly saw his godfather appear in front of him.
"Sirius?! How?" he exclaimed, drawing his wand.
"Relax Harry. I'm just an illusion created by your thoughts," the latter replied, smiling warmly at Harry.
Parallel to his response, he saw his parents, then Ginny, then his children, then Luna, Neville and all his old friends from Hogwarts. They all appeared one after the other.
Harry took a deep breath. He had an idea of what he had to do, an idea that was quickly evoked aloud by his father: "What is your goal, son? What is your purpose in life?"
The test had seemed simple to Harry at first. Simply express his goals. He didn't see how the test could be failed. Now he understood.
"My goal..." he began, his head lowered. "My goal is to create a peaceful world, without war or Dark Lords on the horizon." At his declaration, he felt an immense pain, close to that of the torture spell, fill him. Hundreds of red-hot knives pierced his entire body. He bit his tongue until it bled to avoid screaming.
"Harry, you must tell the truth. Otherwise, it will make you suffer... a lot," said Luna in her dreamy voice, repeating the previous words of the disembodied voice.
"But that's my goal!" he shouted before feeling another wave of pain. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. His own children were judging him, his godfather stood before him, waiting for his godson's answer.
Their gaze hurt Harry more than any torture spell. He thought his Occlumency protected him from all this. But even Occlumency could not allow him to ignore all emotion in this situation.
He knew it deep down. His real goal. He had no problem accepting it. But, the noble Harry in him prevented him from formulating it aloud in front of everyone he had loved. Yet, if he wanted to get out of this situation, he would have no choice. As he made his decision, he felt like a vise on his heart loosening, as if simply making this choice allowed him to feel freer.
"My goal? Revenge! To annihilate all these bastards who took from me those I loved, all those self-proclaimed Dark Lords who think they're better than everyone else. I don't care about dark wizards, about those who perform rituals to transform themselves into evil liches, as long as they don't kill anyone but themselves. But all the others, those who make innocents suffer for their own pleasure... I want to rip them open, tear them apart with my bare hands until the last of them!"
He shouted the last words as he felt all the anger buried within him resurface. All the ghosts in front of him disappeared, some looking at him with a smile. A new Harry was born. A Harry who did not hide behind a false innocence, behind a so-called noble goal. A Harry who had fully accepted himself. A soldier in search of revenge.
"Well done, powerful sorcerer. May your goal find its fulfillment. You will find what you are looking for on page 213 of the book 'Various Forgotten Rituals and How to Perform Them'. It is up to you to do what you want with the rest, but I doubt it will be of much use to you. Farewell, great mage!" said the disembodied voice before everything around him disappeared.
11/17/1991, 15H02, Djara Cave, Egypt:
The green-eyed wizard rose slowly, silently lamenting the return of his weakened magical core. He made the rounds of his equipment, making sure he was missing nothing, and, putting away his wand, he advanced into the now open corridor.
He quickly reached the end of the passage. In the back, there was a skeleton sitting in a chair, eternally asleep on a small desk placed in front of him. Behind the desk was a torch leaning against the wall. Above it, Harry saw one of the luminous crystals from the lake. "That's why the room is always lit, even long after its owner's death."
He suddenly remembered that Voldemort had already found the place. He wondered for a moment why the powerful dark wizard hadn't already destroyed everything. "Probably in case he came to forget what he had read here. Either that, or he was arrogant enough to think that no one else but him would find this place. Knowing Tom, the second possibility is very likely to have happened," he thought. After all, given the location of the various Horcruxes, he wouldn't be surprised.
He drew his wand and cast a detection spell to make sure there were no more curses that could threaten his life. He saw several books on the desk. The majority dealt with magical theory. "I understand the reason for the second trial now," he muttered, spotting what he had come for.
The book "Various Forgotten Rituals and How to Perform Them" was hidden under the arms of the sleeping skeleton. Harry gently pulled it towards him with a flick of his wand, until he had fully taken hold of the book.
Once the well of knowledge was in his hand, he began to flip through it until he reached page 213. He saw other rituals that might be interesting and decided to reread the book once he had repaired his core. Finally, he reached the page and read aloud: "Consolidation of magical core. How to solidify what differentiates normal beings from magical beings to become the perfect soldier." He had found what he was looking for... now he had to implement it.
"Well, well… I guess that's my time to shine..."