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Harry Potter: The Mage's Path Chapter 5
🕑 Added 2022-11-01 09:22:19 +0000 UTCDisclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.
Hi all,
Managed to finish it in the end. Maybe a bit rough, but I will edit it at some point. Now to get some shut-eye.
Enjoy.
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Friday 21st June
Harry sat with his legs crossed and his arms resting on his knees, his two thumbs touching his middle fingers in the classic meditative pose. After reading the book and taking advice from Celeste, Harry thought he had a good grasp of the basics and could now try attempting to learn the skill.
He focused on taking deep breaths, expanding his belly and then slowly exhaling. Whenever his mind got distracted with thoughts, he brought his attention back to concentrating on his breathing.
The key to success was not to worry about how his wandering mind- and how they led him to thoughts and feelings that made him uncomfortable. He wasn't usually one for self-reflection. Whenever he tried in the past, his abusive relatives typically dominated his thoughts. It was not a subject he wanted to think about too deeply.
However, there was another topic that was dominating his thoughts since yesterday. Hermione had told him the abbreviated version of his history with The Dark Lord and his absurd title, The Boy Who Lived.
Knowing his parents weren't wastrels like his Aunt Petunia proclaimed was a weight off his shoulders. He shouldn't be surprised at his Aunt's vindictiveness, but apparently, he still thought she had a little decency. His parents were heroes, not some drunks that killed themselves in a car accident. Above all else, he hated her the most for tainting the memory of his parents.
An hour passed, and he still made no progress. He tried not to be frustrated by his failure to create a skill and took a break every so often to calm himself down. Harry snorted in amusement whenever he spotted Celeste lying down on the ground, snoring away after feasting on another Shadow Essence.
Celeste said that the mundane version of meditation was only the first level in the pursuit of mastering the mind arts. Because he was magical, he could delve deeper into his subconsciousness and even exert control to a certain extent once he reached higher levels. Harry tried not to think too far ahead and concentrated on mastering what was in front of him.
Two hours later, he sighed in frustration and opened his eyes. Harry started. Celeste was close to his face, peering at him while floating in front of him.
Harry swatted at the fairy for scaring him, and she flew beyond his range, poking her tongue at him. He was tempted to conjure a {Fireball} to blast her out of the air.
"Still no luck?" Celeste questioned.
Harry shook his head, trying not to let it get to him. Maybe he was becoming complacent, believing everything would become easier for him because of Gaia. Who was he kidding? Everything came easier to him, but it did not mean he didn't have to work for it or that he was in any less danger. If his first experience with a dungeon were any guess, he would probably be frequently in danger. Then there were the forces that gave him the power. They must have a reason for gifting it to him. Not that he could dare complain after the fact since they gave him a choice, and he didn’t hesitate to grab the opportunity with both hands.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask," Harry said. "What abilities do you have? How can you lose a lot of magic skills but still be able to turn yourself invisible?"
Celeste perched herself on his shoulder. "Um, it's not like I lost all my skills initially. I lost the Mana I needed to cast them. But when I integrated with the system, she changed how my skills worked. The {Shadow Cloak} spell turned into a perk I can use for four hours daily, with no cost to my Mana. In return, they have sealed my memories of the spells I have gained until I reach the required level."
"Huh," Harry said. "How can I view your skills?"
Celeste waved her hand, and a screen appeared.
=====
Skills
Shadow Spike | Active | Lv:1| Next:1% | Cost: 5 MP |
Description: Creates a spike imbued with the Shadow element that pierces the target and deals Shadow damage. It has a slight chance of causing the opponent to flee from combat if the opponent is within five levels of the caster or has a weak mind.
Damage: 3-5 [Magic Modifier]
Piercing: E
Chance to inflict Status: Fear = 2% [Enemy dependant].
=====
Perks
Shadow Cloak | Active | MAX| Next:--- | Cost: 0 MP |
Description: An ability to conceal the user from mundane detection. It is effective against most magical detections, but some spells, enchantments, and abilities will negate the skill. It only obscures vision and not the other senses, so it may not be effective against other entities that have superior senses other than sight.
Time Limit: 4 hours per day.
=====
"Wicked," Harry said.
"I'm awesome, right?" Celeste preened.
"Can you use the {Shadow Cloak} perk on me as well?"
"Nope, you will have to find a Shadow Grimoire to see if you gain the perk."
"What about the other skills? Can you teach me?"
Celeste shook her head. "Not until you have gained some affinity in the Shadow Element. It is more demanding in terms of control than the destructive Fire Element; it's more nuanced."
"Bummer," Harry said." So what about your levels? Can you only level up by absorbing Shadow Essence?"
"For now," Celeste replied. "I suspect I have to regain my previous power or something close to it before I can level up conventionally."
"You can absorb one Shadow Essence every day? So how many will it take to level?"
"Well, I need to absorb another two to level up, but it will only increase from there."
"At least we have time before we have to do the Dungeon again. I still need to learn some more skills."
"What about the Severing Charm you learned?"
Harry slapped his forehead at his stupidity. How could he forget about the new skill he had gained? He took out the training wand he had received from the treasure chest.
=====
Training Wand | Equipment | Uncommon | Canon | Grade 1
Description: A training wand that allows players to cast level-one spells. Perfect for the budding Wizard. It does not have the [Trace], so the player may use the wand with impunity.
- Level 1 spells cost 20% less.
- Control + 5%
- [Blueprint: Training Wand] obtained.
=====
"What!?" Harry exclaimed.
"What is it?" Celeste asked curiously.
Harry didn't answer but checked his {Observation} skill. He had yet to check on the skill since before he gained all the levels.
=====
Observation | Active | Lv: 8| Next: 3% | Cost:5 MP |
Description: Knowledge is power. Observe an object or living entity and learn its secrets. The higher the skill level, the more information is revealed. Reveals information on living things nine levels above the player.
Observation Range: 6.40 metres (Modifier: Perception)
Obtain Blueprint: Up to [Uncommon: Grade 2]. Only available for specific items.
=====
You have obtained Bluepoint: Training Wand.
=====
Harry opened his inventory and took out the Blueprint. He frowned when he couldn't read it, as the entire thing was gibberish.
=====
Crafting Skill: Wandcraft Lv.5 is needed to learn this Blueprint.
=====
Harry groaned in disappointment. Celeste still wanted to know what was happening, so he told her.
"It's not an easy discipline to learn," Celeste said. "I don't know what is required, but the number of wand crafters is small. So it must be hard. I would put it out of your mind for now."
Harry pouted in disappointment. He shook it off and returned the Blueprint to his inventory.
Deciding to use the rock as a training dummy again, he backed up, pointed the wand at it, and brought it down in a jagged-cutting motion. "Diffindo," Harry said.
Nothing happened. Celeste burst into giggles. Harry tried to cast again but with the same results. Frowning, he looked at Celest, who was now rolling on the ground.
"Do you mind?" Harry asked.
"Sorry," Celeste said. "The constipated look on your face was too funny."
"Are you going to help or just roll around on the ground like an idiot?."
"Okay, class is in session," Celeste spoke authoritatively. "Sit down and listen up."
Harry rolled his eyes but sat down.
"I spent some time with a witch in the early twenties," Celeste began.
"Wow, you are old," Harry interrupted. "Shall I call you Grandma?"
"Do you want my help or not?" Celeste questioned angrily.
Harry held his hands up in surrender. Celeste huffed and continued. "So, essentially, a Mage and a Wizard differ in how they utilise magic.
A Mage's core is designed to output a lot of magic at once, meaning their spells have more potency but less control. They usually can't rely on foci because only a few stands up to the rigours of the Mage's magic. They had to learn how to use wandless magic as a matter of necessity or be completely handicapped in using magic."
"What's a foci?" Harry asked.
"It's merely a tool for casting magic like your practice wand. However, there are different kinds of foci out there. Many cultures have developed differently, depending on the materials available and the local customs and beliefs."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "What about wizards?"
"Wizards rely on foci to help channel their magic. It has a few benefits, as Wizards are more precise and variable with their magic. You can take a class in school called Arithmancy, which is like magical numerology. You will be able to create your own spells, eventually. The sky is the limit as long as you follow the rules of magic."
"This is interesting, but how does that help me?"
"Have some patience, plebeian," Celeste shouted.
"Now," Celeste continued. "In your case, your foci is a wand. It requires a few things to cast spells effectively—the incantation, wand movement, intent, and in some cases, a specific emotion.
First is the incantation. When you first learn a new spell, the Wizard has to voice the incantation louder to compensate for their lack of control. Every spell has a specific pathway it follows in the body before it is released outside of the body To compensate for their lack of knowledge of the pathway, Wizards subconsciously layer their voice with magic. Some languages are more magical than others, and thus more effortless for a wizard to cast a spell. I told you to learn Latin because a wizard created the language for incantations to be more effective. European and English-speaking countries mainly utilise Latin because English is a lousy conduit for magic. "
Celeste paused. "With me so far?"
"Yes, teacher. I thought school was out for the summer, but who am I to complain?"
Celeste looked to the sky as if praying for divine intervention. "Anyway, the wand movement is simply another crutch the Wizard uses to direct the magic once it leaves the body. Like incantations, it is no longer needed as you gain mastery over a spell.
The intent is the Wizard's determination and will for the specific spell to work. You want the effect, but you have to command magic for it to happen. As for emotional magic, that can be discussed later as it is for far more advanced spells."
Harry absorbed the information like a sponge. Compared to being a Mage, it was a lot more complicated than simply reading a Grimoire to learn a spell and instantly know how it worked. However, how did Mages even create new spells? Was there an equivalent to Arithmancy, or was it more limited? Was there a finite amount of spells out there that he could learn? Since it was mandatory to go to Hogwarts, he needed to be effective with a wand. So he couldn't exactly say screw it and rely on being a Mage. That sounded lazy and a poor attitude to have in learning magic.
Voices in the distance drew Harry from his thoughts, and he tensed in alarm. "Celeste, go invisible." The fairy followed his orders, and Harry scanned the trees carefully. A crash sounded, and a stream of curses erupted. He would have laughed at the colourful language if he wasn't so wary of the intruders.
The voices grew closer until two people appeared, and Harry spotted the two wands in their hands. Harry felt Celeste tense on his shoulder.
"Easy, we don't know if they are friendly or hostile."
The woman, who looked like a punk rocker, was talking animatedly to the tall black man with a long-suffering look on his face.
The woman was undoubtedly trying to make a fashion statement. From top to bottom, she dressed in black. It was a strange colour choice in the current heat. Her belly button was showing because she wore a ribbed top, along with some loose cargo pants. On her feet was a pair of heavy duty black combat boots that she didn’t look to comfortable with if the way she was stumbling along was an indicator. The strangest feature was that the woman had dyed her hair pink, which was certainly rebellious enough on its own.
The older man was completely different, dressed conservatively in a business suit that wasn't the type of clothing you would see when trekking through the woods. They made for an odd pair which made Harry even more cautious. He hid his wand in his inventory since it was useless in this situation.
The man spotted him first and alerted his partner to his presence. The woman looked guarded for a second, then relaxed when she saw it was only a kid. He noticed that they quickly concealed their wands by an unknown means.
They still approached cautiously, though. Looking around the area in case there was an ambush. When they got close enough, Harry could see that the girl was still young, about eighteen or nineteen years old.
"Wotcher, kid. What are you doing out here?" the woman asked. The man stood behind her like a sentinel, still scanning the area.
"Who's asking?" Harry retorted.
"The name is Tonks," she replied waspishly. "This is Kingsley. We are with law enforcement. So are you going to answer?"
"You got any identification?" Harry grinned. He was enjoying himself.
The Tonks fumbled for her wallet and held out a badge identifying her as a policewoman from London.
"Looks fake to me," Harry eyed it suspiciously. The woman flushed a deep red, and Harry saw her hair change colour momentarily into the same red as her face. Interesting. The man behind him concealed a grin behind his hand.
"Listen, you snot-nosed little brat. I have no time to be taking lip from you. Now, are you going to answer my questions?"
"I could," Harry said. However, the silence lengthened as he said nothing more. Tonks looked like she was ready to explode. Harry decided he had enough fun, and he needed to reveal his knowledge of the wizarding world, before they decided to wipe his memories.
"I'm just playing with you," Harry said. "You know, if you are going to dress up as non-magical, maybe you should have switched partners? It looks suspicious when a young woman who looks like she hasn't left her rebellious phase walks around with an older guy."
That got their attention. Kingsley placed his hand on her shoulder and took over the conversation. "You a wizard, kid?"
"I start my first year at Hogwarts in September," Harry shrugged.
"Muggle-born? What's your name?"
Harry eyed the man, wondering if he should answer the question. While they seemed nice, they could be dark wizards in disguise. Thankfully, his hair had grown out, and his fringe covered the scar on his forehead.
"Should I answer that? You could be dark wizards," Harry said sceptically.
"Kid, if we wanted to hurt you," Tonks said. "You wouldn't be able to stop us."
"Thanks for the reassurance; I completely trust you now," Harry said sarcastically.
Tonks looked ready to strangle his neck.
"Why don't you take us to your parents? Because you are underage, we are not allowed to talk to you without your parents’ permission." Kingsley interrupted smoothly.
Harry snorted a laugh. "Yeah, my parents are dead. And my relatives are deathly afraid of magic. My uncle is likelier to chase you out by firing buckshot into your backsides."
They paused at that, looking at him with concern. Harry didn't particularly like the sympathy, but it looked like they were legit. Besides, he had just thought of an escape plan if things turned sour.
"Fine," he sighed. "The name is Harry Potter."
"What!? Tonks reeled back in shock. Kingsley was more restrained, but he looked surprised as well.
Harry lifted his fringe, revealing the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
"Merlin's saggy tits," Tonks exclaimed. Harry cocked his head in confusion. Wasn't Merlin a man? How could he have....?
"Ahem, please excuse Tonks language. She just recently began her Auror career and is still a rookie in training."
Tonks's hair turned red, and she scuffed the ground like a little kid.
"How do you do that?" Harry asked.
"I'm a metamorphagus," she replied. "It allows me to change my physical appearance at will."
"Can I learn how to do that?"
"Sorry, kid, but it is something you have to be born with and not something you learn.
"Tonks said. She turned her nose into a pig's snout and winked at him.
"That is so cool," Harry exclaimed. "I bet it is dead useful in your line of work. Er...what is an Auror anyway?"
"We are wizarding police," Kingsley said. "Now, if you don't mind answering some questions?"
Harry shrugged and motioned them to begin their questions.
"Why don't we make things more comfortable," Kingsley said. "I'm taking out my wand to conjure some chairs, okay?"
Harry didn't know what he was talking about but nodded in acceptance.
Kingsley waved his wand, and three lazy boys appeared, astonishing Harry. "What is that magic called?"
Kingsley smiled at the kid's enthusiasm. "It's called Conjuration, a branch of magic related closely to the broader school of magic, Transfiguration. It allows a wizard to conjure objects from nothing."
Harry ran his hands over the arm of the chair, amazed at how real if felt. "Is it permanent?"
"No," Kingsley replied. "Transfigured objects can last long, depending on the Wizard's magical power. But they are not permanent. However, they can be made permanent by adding Enchanting into the mix."
"I love magic," Harry gushed.
"Well, this makes things more comfortable," Kingsley sat back in the chair. "We are here investigating a magical disturbance in the area. It led us to these woods. Do you know anything about it?"
"What kind of magical disturbance?" Had they detected his use of magic?
"We call it a Dungeon," Kingsley said. "The Ministry of Magic detected the activation of the specific magical taint yesterday. It’s not the first time we have encountered a Dungeon."
Harry tried not to let his surprise show on his face, but he couldn't deny he was startled the revelation. How was it that Dungeons manifested for others? He thought they were only exclusive to him because of Gaia.
"What is a Dungeon?" Harry asked.
"From what we have learned so far," Kingsley said seriously. "They are separate dimensional spaces with creatures and biomes that we have never seen before. It may seem like a treasure trove to be plundered, as they offer a lot of new ingredients and magic to research, but there are some worrying factors. The most concerning is that if they are not cleared of monsters frequently, then the number of monsters increases exponentially. If we left them long enough, the Dungeons would shatter, releasing a wave of monsters into the real world. It has happened once already in Brazil, where many lives were lost before they could get it under control. I heard the cover-up was a nightmare"
"How long has this been going on?" Harry questioned.
"Over a year now," Kingsley said. "But the rate at which they appear, we might face a shortage of capable wizards to help with the problem in a few years."
So they appeared long before Gaia did. So she wasn't the cause of the Dungeons, but she took advantage of their appearance to give himself a place to train and earn loot.
"Have you seen the Dungeon?" Tonks leaned forward.
"Seen it?" Harry weighed up his options regarding whether he should disclose the information. However, he didn't want to lie to them about the Dungeon. If it was going to appear again, then they needed to know. Fortunately, he had a ready explanation. "It trapped me inside it for hours."
The two adults’ eyes widened in shock. "How did you escape?" Kingsley asked urgently.
Harry shrugged. "Accidental magic. I was about to kick the bucket when I suddenly teleported outside to the edge of the woods. It was a tremendous relief."
"Apparation?" Tonks asked incredulously.
"No," Kingsley shook his head. "Apparation has been tried many times before. It bounces them back to the original location they tried to apparate from."
Kingsley took a breath. "Mr Porter, how much do you know about the wizarding world?"
"Not a lot," Harry replied. "I only found out about it yesterday. I have a friend who is a witch, and she clued me in on some details."
"That is strange," Tonks said. "Why were you kept ignorant of your heritage?"
"My Aunt said it was the Headmaster of Hogwarts who placed me there," Harry frowned. "There are protective wards at my house that protect me from dark wizards."
"That's no excuse for being kept in the dark," Tonks said. "I need to speak to my mother. She wanted to take you in when your parents died, but you disappeared shortly after."
What? "Why would she want to take me in?"
Tonks looked at Harry incredulously but then slapped her head in realisation. "Sorry, kid. Of course, you wouldn't know. We are second cousins, and my mother was listed as one of your potential guardians in your parent's will."
'So why was I put with the Dursleys? When was the will read?"
"The Ministry sealed the will. I suspect Dumbledore was involved," Tonks kicked the ground in frustration.
Harry clenched his fists in anger. Just what right did the Headmaster have to interfere with his life? His motives may sound altruistic, but that didn't excuse the lack of oversight. If he actually visited, he would see the kind of environment in which Harry was raised and take action to remedy the situation.
"We can sort that out all later," Kingsley said. "For now, can I ask you to do something for me?"
"What is it?" Harry raised his eyes from his lap.
"Have you heard of Occlumency?"
Harry shook his head.
"Occlumency is a Mind magic that allows you to do a few neat things like organising your mind, memorise things better, and get in touch with your magic."
"That sounds cool," Harry murmured.
"I want you to practise it because there's a chance you can replicate the magic you used to escape the Dungeon."
"Is it that important?"
"Dungeons come in varying degrees of danger," Kingsley sighed. "Unfortunately, there is no way to recognise the strength of the Dungeon before they enter. A dungeon may kill an entire team because they cannot handle the creatures."
Harry nodded his head, understanding the dilemma they faced. "I'm going to Diagon Alley tomorrow with my friend. I can see if I can find a book on it."
"You will be hard-pressed to find it anywhere in a store," Tonks said. "I tell you what. I will bring you a copy of the book to Diagon Alley tomorrow and bring my mother. She will be excited to meet you."
"Before we leave," Kingsley said. "Can you tell me what you can about the Dungeon?"
{0(((..)))0}
Saturday 22nd June
Harry turned off the treadmill and came to a stop. He sucked some oxygen into his lungs and carefully stepped down with his legs feeling like jelly.
It was the first day of the summer holidays, and he had just completed his first Daily Quest at the Gym.
=====
Daily Quest completed!
Fitness Routine
Rewards:
50 Exp, 10 pounds.
Malnourished detriment time reduced by one day.
=====
"Harry," Hermione ran over from the entrance.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry said, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a drink.
"Are you ready?" Hermione stopped beside him, beaming with excitement. The girl's enthusiasm made him chuckle. He thought the girl's endless chatter would annoy him but enjoyed the sound of her voice prattling on about different tidbits of information.
"My parents are waiting by the car. Come on."
"Aren't you early?" Harry looked at the time on the wall.
"Only by fifteen minutes. It's a good thing, too, as you stink. " Hermione wrinkled her nose. "Go take a shower."
"Little brat," Harry mock glared at his friend. "I smell just fine." To prove his point, he sniffed his armpit, which was a mistake. "Uh, hang on a minute."
Five minutes later, Harry walked out of the changing rooms with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Hermione was still around, tapping her foot impatiently.
"What took you so long?" Hermione huffed.
"Someone's impatient," Harry smirked. They walked outside to where her parents were waiting. They stood next to a dark blue Mercedes Benz.
After being greeted by Hermione's parents, they got in the car and headed to London. Harry listened to Hermione talk about her last day of school and their holiday plans for the summer. Jane and Darius chipped in occasionally, offering their own funny stories of work-related incidents.
Fifty minutes later, they parked on the London street of Charing Cross Road. Hermione raced ahead before being called back by her parents.
"You know we can't see the entrance, kitten, without you," Darius gently chided.
Hermione nodded sheepishly.
"Harry, I got you a cap to cover your scar," Jane said, handing him the hat. "It will be easier to avoid a commotion if they don't recognise you."
"Thanks, Mrs Granger," Harry said, wearing the cap.
"Call me Jane," she smiled.
"And I'm Darius," Hermione's father added.
Hermione grabbed her parent's hands and marched towards a run-down inn called the Leaky Cauldron. Harry noticed that the few people passing the establishment didn't seem to know the place existed, judging from their expressions.
Walking inside, Harry peered around the dimly lit room at the occupants, mostly dressed in black robes. Some stopped talking to look at the new arrivals, but they ignored them for the most part. Hermione led them to the bar, where an older man was wiping down the counter.
"Good morning," he greeted. "The name's Tom. How may I help you?"
"Hello," Darius said. "My children are here to do their shopping for Hogwarts. Could you show us the way into Diagon Alley?"
"Of course, follow me," Tom said. They followed him into a small walled courtyard with a single dustbin sitting against the back wall. Harry wanted to question Tom on how this could be the entrance, but he didn't say anything, seeing how the Grangers appeared confident.
Tom took out his wand. "You need to tap a specific brick with your wand to open the entrance to Diagon Alley. From the top of the dustbin, three up and two across."
Harry watched as the brick sank into the wall and expanded rapidly until an archway was revealed.
Tom turned to them. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."
So what do you think? Slightly shorter chapter this week, but I've been swamped at work, so it was a herculean effort to get the chapter out.
Cheers.
Comments
Laharl365
Very cool
