Chapter 1:
Conniving Immortals
"Voldemort is vanquished and MIA," their faceless leader announced to the gathered.
He wasn't so much their leader as he was their most senior member. Nobody else knew anything about him other than that he was literally faceless. A walking corpse coated in molten silver, like veins of metal in his mummified flesh.
The only purpose he ever seemed to serve was to keep their meetings on target and to offer advice. And as a veto.
In the shadowy chamber, far removed from the prying eyes of the world, sat all ten members of their little club. Their choice of seating was a circular table. Yes, it was THAT circular table, though one seat was empty.
Xavier thought Voldemort's absence would make the place more inviting, but their youngest member was hardly the factor to make the place so unpalatable. Dark witches and wizards in their circle outnumbered light or even grey ones by far.
"A seat cannot remain empty," said Perenelle Flamel, where she sat on her husband's lap. "Who shall replace him?"
Xavier thought it rather unfair that Nicholas and his wife could share a seat. But he also suspected therein lay a hint to the true nature of their immortality—that the two of them together counted as one human being.
The other seven seats remained quiet, though several nodded in agreement to the woman's words.
"Does anybody have a nomination?" Edgar Stroulgar, a man who was more steam engine and piston than flesh, invited.
"I've not heard of any new immortals in the seas," said Mirabella Plunket.
"Nor I in the skies or flames," said Wendelin cheekily, mocking the other woman as she tended to do.
Both ladies were starting to look aged. Well into their eighties if not beyond. This meant they would both have to go through their different, but similar, rebirthing rituals soon and be useless to them for at least sixteen years.
Mirabella, the Omni-Animagi, could transform herself into any sea creature. Once a century she did so into the immortal jellyfish, reverting back into a larval form, then returning to humanity as a baby. Wendelin, on the other hand, was a Arcano-Animagi; the rare witch or wizard able to transform into a magical creature instead of a mundane beast. Her form? A phoenix.
Their methods of immortality were the more straightforward ones.
"How long until you will be leaving us, and do you have new homes planned out for us to watch over?" Xavier asked.
The red-haired phoenix animagi glanced at him.
"I have identified one red-haired family left intact in Britain after Voldemort's recent rampage. I think I can pass myself off as the child of one of their brothers. Abandoned on their doorstep," Wendelin said.
Xavier had a good idea of who she meant. He had fond memories of Fabian and Gideon, and even their mourning sister would find it easy to imagine one of them siring an illegitimate daughter to be left on their doorstep.
Mirabella remained silent.
"Either way, proceed with caution," Havelock Sweeting said. "The wizarding world is on edge, and our movements will be scrutinized. Mysterious infants showing up on doorsteps will be even more suspicious than usual."
The man ran a unicorn sanctuary. As did his "descendants." His version of immortality was also readily obvious, though the details of how he did it without the whole "cursed life" thing were beyond Xavier.
"If none of you have any nominations, then I nominate Harry James Potter," their leader announced.
They all looked at him. They all had a similar expression of bored doubt.
"He is a baby," Dorcas Wellbeloved complained. "A year and change of life behind him."
"He will not remain so for long, much to your disappointment, I'm sure," said Nicholas Flamel with a grimace at addressing the woman.
The vampiress grinned at him, showing off every needle-like tooth that filled her mouth.
He wished they could just kill her, their second youngest member. But their oath forbade them from killing each other, and the magic which bound their organization cared not for how dark or light a member was. But when even Voldemort couldn't stand the woman's presence you just knew they were the vilest of sorts. Though in his case he might have had more personal reasons for despising a woman who opened women's and children's shelters in order to prey on both, in the worst ways possible.
"What makes you think he is immortal?" Xavier asked.
"Because, Mister Rastrick, I have born witness to the prophecy around the boy," said their second eldest member.
The legendary woman sat there with a magical bird on either shoulder, her third red and gold avian companion off spying for her no doubt. The two she kept on her were the most mysterious creatures he had ever known, matching no other magical creature description. But they must be impressive if the third pet of hers was a phoenix. There was a hilarious story about her recruit Wendelin, but he was privy to it.
So yeah, Cliodne the druid. Difficult nut to crack.
"The boy is protected by prophecy?" asked Stroulgar. "Does it tell of how he dies?"
"It does," said Cliodne.
"What a rare find! Prophetic immortality, temporary and imperfect though it may be, is so very interesting," said Stroulgar as steam rushed from a nozzle on his faceplate. "But we will need a placeholder member until he is ripe for the harvesting."
"In that case, I have somebody in mind," said Xavier. "More of an agent for our use, and not an immortal one."
"Placeholder members may be mortal. Who do you have in mind?" asked the leader.
"Carlotta Pinkstone. Enemy to the Statute of Secrecy," said Xavier.
Notes:
To summarize the plot of this story.
What if the Harry Potter universe had an organization that served the role of the Akatsuki? All of these characters are canon to Harry Potter. If you don't recognize them, then you need to go reread your famous witches and wizards cards.
In this case it is a group of immortals, on par with Voldemort if not superior. Which is the biggest hint I will give towards their designs.
Thanks as always to my patrons whose continued support allows me to keep writing. And of course to readers like you, whose continued feedback keeps me motivated.
This chapter was edited by chatGPT.