1,035This chapter was edited by Gladiusx.
Morning, Saturday, August 21st 1993
Potter Manor
Harry focused intently as he stared at the small mirror on the table, trying to ignore the smug grin of the witch sitting across from him. He could feel his blood rushing to his head like an avalanche; it hammered in his ears like a war drum as he struggled to focus. He could almost imagine something forming on his–
"You look constipated."
Only to groan as he lost focus when Chiara nearly choked on her coffee in laughter at the other witch's comment.
"Just how the hell do you do it, Tonks?"
The smug grin turned wide as Tonks easily willed a horn to burst out of her forehead, shifting through a myriad of colours until settling on pure white.
"I'm just that good. You're twenty years too young to surpass me, my young grasshopper." Just to put salt into the wound, the older metamorph turned her mouth and nose into a horse's snout and neighed, causing Chiara to laugh even louder.
Feeling that he was becoming the butt-end of a joke and wondering what grasshoppers had to do with him, Harry did the mature thing and ignored the young woman. Instead, he focused on the breakfast Dobby had just placed before him. After they had captured the vampire, Harry had floo-called the Auror's office, only to be told that since there was no longer an imminent threat, they would send a squad first thing in the morning. Too tired and sleepy to argue, he acquiesced and went to bed, catching a few hours of sleep before Tonks arrived to, according to her, "Scout and make sure the coast was clear."
Naturally, after a brief look around the grounds from the parlour window, and then at the bound and stunned vampire, they decided to take it easy as they waited for her boss and the rest of the squad to arrive. Tonks had been beyond ecstatic to learn of his metamorphing powers, so much so that she did not even bat an eye when he explained it was the result of the Coming of Age ritual. Harry had the feeling the witch was simply glad to find someone who could relate with her powers and take on the role of mentor.
"Jokes aside, it took me a long, long, time to be able to use my powers for inhuman transformations." Tonks's face returned to her usual human appearance as she hungrily attacked a plate of fried eggs and sausages. "It helps to study Transfiguration as well, especially human-to-animal theory. I think you will start taking it in the third year."
"I see. Have you ever succeeded in turning completely into an animal form?" He said between bites of bread, beans, and eggs. Usually, Harry would prefer to eat in silence, but the topic of discussion greatly intrigued him.
"Nope, I can change parts of my face and limbs well enough, but a complete transformation? I still have a long way to go." Tonks, not even bothering to stop devouring her meal, had her skin morph to alabaster white, and her irises turned a bloody shade of red. Black horns sprouted from her temples to curl back with her hair, which also turned pure white. She grinned, showing sharp fangs and a forked tongue, before turning back to her human form: Pale, rosy skin, pink hair and eyes, and a heart-shaped face. "Any humanoid transformation is also easy with training, as nearly all humanoid species are somewhat related to humans in one way or another."
"Interesting."
Harry stared at his healthy, tanned hand and willed it to turn darker shades of brown until it was pitch black before turning to pure white. He tried to change it to something unnatural, some colour that was not normal in humans, like red, blue or green, yet all he managed to do was give himself a rash. Judging by Tonks' knowing grin, she would simply tell him he needed a more profound understanding of transfiguration and a lot of practice.
Still, it was strange that he could easily change the colour of his hair and eyes without any problems - perhaps it was also considered naturally occurring in wizards and witches. "What manner of creature was that, anyway?"
"That was a vampire succubus I had the pleasure of meeting with my family during a visit to Spain." The way she said it strongly suggested Tonks did not seem at all pleased with that encounter. "You won't usually find succubi or incubi in the British Isles. They don't like the dreary weather but are commonly found on the mainland, especially along the Mediterranean. While their magic is usually weak, succubi are naturally athletic to compensate and will try to seduce you regardless of sex. If they happen to be vampires… yeah, they will take more from you than you imagine."
Harry visibly shivered, wondering why this was the first time he was learning about such creatures. He glanced at Chiara, who shared his confusion, "Why have I never learned about such creatures? I took Care of Magical Creatures to NEWTs, and while I briefly learned about vampires, I don't think any of the books mentioned Succubi or Incubi anywhere besides the fiction novels."
"Oh? And what kind of novels were you reading that had those creatures, Kira?" Tonks teased, and Harry grinned as Chiara blushed and stammered - looks like he learned more about his attendant. "Anyway, unless you know exactly where to look in the Restricted Section, you won't find much information about Near-Human species in the school curriculum. Not even the centaurs get much attention, despite having a tribe living literally next door to the school."
"Unless they are deemed a threat by the ministry?" Harry wagered a guess as Chiara lost her blush and lowered her head glumly.
"Yeah," Tonks smiled sadly at the werewolf. "Giants, vampires and werewolves are considered some of the most dangerous beasts by the ministry, but at least most vampires could be reasoned with, and there are no more giants in the British Isles. Werewolves have no control over their urges under a full moon, so they are considered a greater risk… at least that's how the ministry justifies their terrible record in dealing with them."
"Yet the bastards aren't even interested in helping us, just controlling us. If they could get away with it, they would have had us all rounded up and then murdered! Just like they did to the Giants." Chiara suddenly growled, gritting her teeth before finally exploding. "Wolfsbane has been around for ten years, yet it still has not been approved by the ministry to be subsidised, while bloody love potions are! They even artificially inflate the price of the herbs. That damned pink toad also just managed to approve massive tariffs for ingredients imported from abroad, making it harder to even find the ingredients, let alone purchase them!"
The table went silent as the werewolf seethed. It had taken Jon some time, but he finally got used to and understood the parliamentary nature of British politics. Chiara might blame Umbridge, but the woman was merely a mouthpiece, for the Wizengamot were the ones who voted about such matters. That her supposedly unpopular bills kept getting passed through the Mot spoke more of how they were not so unpopular after all. He scoffed inwardly at the sad state of affairs; such was the risk of allowing any random bloke into positions of power. Such a system would never have been tolerated by the Westerosi nobility unless it was purely between peers - such as the Black Brothers of the Night's Watch. Considering that more than half of the Wizengamot seats were reserved for elected members of the public and Ministry officials, it indicated that the blame did not lay with the nobility.
The most glaring issue was responsibility, which was supposed to be wedded with authority and power. Yet the Ministry of Magic showed woeful unconcern about matters of responsibility and accountability for their decisions and actions - or inactions. If things were going well, it was surely because the Minister and his office were toiling endless hours to work for the people. But if things went awry, it was despite their best offers, of course. Spreading out the power and process of the decision-making seemed to muddle the waters even more so, making it harder to pinpoint the blame when things went horribly wrong.
But was it truly appropriate to blame the individual or the ruling power, which seemed to have taken on a life of its own? If everyone voted for a bill that ended up causing untold tragedies, who would be to blame? Harry did not know, and a part of him was equally scared and concerned, wishing not to know. He was happy enough in his little kingdom, while the rest of Britain could go deliberate on whom to blame for their system's flaws. Probably through a vote, and the scapegoats would be another convenient target; perhaps the house elves this time?
Tonks hesitantly placed a gentle hand on Chiara's shoulder, causing his attendant to flinch, before taking a deep breath and centring herself.
"I apologise for my outburst," Chiara turned to the Metamorph, attempting to change the subject while returning to her breakfast. "So, vampires can infect non-humans as well?"
"Yep, all sorts of humanoids, not just humans." Tonks rubbed her chin for a moment before returning to her plate. "Actually, any mammal can be a vampire, though it's far more likely to be near-humans."
"What about the animagus transformation?" Chiara asked as she buttered her brioche. "Is it possible for a metamorphmagus to become an animagus?"
"I'm not sure, to be honest. I did consider it, but my mother advised me not to and instead encouraged me to focus on my abilities." Tonks swallowed the last of her breakfast before patting her belly in satisfaction. "Anyway, thanks a bunch for the grub. It's always a pleasure coming here for business."
"Oh? Do they not keep you busy in the DMLE?" Chiara asked as she poured a cup of coffee for everyone.
Harry had never tried the dark, steaming beverage before, but after the hectic night, he decided it would be best to try something strong to keep him awake. Sipping from the mug had him grimacing; bitter, too bitter.
"Ugh, don't remind me. It's been mad hectic over the last few weeks."
"Let me guess, trouble with the minister and his undersecretary?" Harry accepted a small jug of steamed milk from Chiara along with the bowl of sugar. Putting some in the cup and stirring, he sipped hesitantly before humming appreciatively; it tasted much better, and he could even feel the energy kicking in.
"Who else? Is what I would like to say, but things have been messy with the illegal side of society lately. Rumour has it, Lucius Malfoy's death has left a power vacuum in the criminal underworld that we did not even know existed." Tonks's fierce frown turned into a despondent shrug before a bubbling chuckle as she observed him cautiously sipping on the beverage. "Still, Madame Bones promised to join us in a bit once she finished setting the day for the department."
Malfoy associating with criminals did not surprise Harry, but that the DMLE did not know about it until a month after his death was concerning. "I'm surprised she would have the time to be personally involved."
"Yeah, well, since you are such a high-profile individual, and considering other circumstances like the Wildland getting involved, it was supposed to be Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour that would come." Tonks smiled mischievously, "I think Amelia just wants an excuse not to have to deal with Fudge and his badgering on why crime doesn't magically solve itself. Scrimgeour has more patience for politics anyway."
They chuckled genially before Harry checked the clock on the wall, finding it approaching eight. "Hopefully, Madame Bones will be here soon. I have no idea how long that thing would remain stunned."
"Ah, don't worry about it. I bet it's just a fledgeling, a recently turned vampire, a thrall, or all of them."
"Thrall?" Harry raised an eyebrow, but before Tonks could answer, the Floo chime rang out, and he could hear Henry greeting someone in the foyer before appearing in his portrait. "Was that Madam Bones?"
"Yes, and she requests entry to the manor."
"Tell her to please come in. We will be right there." Once Henry departed to his other portrait, Harry called out, "Dobby, bring the tray."
The elf popped in with a tray consisting of a freshly baked loaf of bread and a bowl of salt. Harry stood up, followed swiftly by Chiara and Tonks, the werewolf grabbing the tray. Then, they made their way to the Foyer to find Amelia Bones exiting the fireplace, followed by a tall, dark-skinned man, a younger familiar man of middling height, and finally, a man who nearly caused Harry to stop short. He quickly recovered but couldn't help but take note of his many scars, missing leg, the staff he held that oozed power, and a large, clearly magical, electric blue eye that whizzed and flew everywhere, even to the back of his head.
The man screamed danger to each of his senses, and he was clearly a veteran, like an old trusty sword that was kept pristine and always sharp.
"Madame Bones, I apologise for having you come here so early in the morning." Harry began, noticing Tonks standing far more straight and formally in the presence of her boss.
"It was no bother, Mr Potter. This is Kingsley Shacklebolt," she turned to the black Auror, who nodded, then to the younger Auror, "Robert Proudfoot," Harry smiled at the familiar Auror who helped him and Narcissa in the ministry. Amelia then finally gestured to the scarred older man, "and Alastor Moody."
Harry returned the nods from the two younger Aurors, yet the older one maintained a scowling demeanour. "I welcome you to my home and request you partake in guest rights."
As he spoke, Chiara approached with the platter, much to the confusion of the Aurors.
Amelia looked bemused, yet took a piece of bread and dabbed it hesitantly in the salt before eating it. Shacklebolt mirrored her actions with a placid smile, and Proudfoot followed suit, though his confusion was most apparent. As the three Aurors partook in the ritual, Harry could instantly feel the wards accepting them, and they too seemed to notice, as if a hidden weight were taken off their shoulders.
Moody, however, looked suspiciously at the platter, his scowling face full of distrust even as Chiara waited patiently for him.
"I will not take any food or drink."
For a moment, Harry froze before his eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared at the man at the sheer indignity of the insult, yet he paused and took a calming breath before gazing at the old Auror.
"Perhaps you may not understand, or maybe you were never greeted into a proper home before, but it is customary when you enter someone else's home to accept their hospitality." Harry patiently explained. "A promise and an assurance that you have not come here with ill-intent and shall not raise wands or arms against your host or other guests, while the same applies to me - I shall not allow any harm to come to you so long as you are under my protection for that is your right as my guests. Bread and salt have been used since time immemorial for similar gestures, whether for alliances or accepting the rites of hospitality."
And it was true. Harry was surprised to learn that many cultures in the Mediterranean, from the Levant, Egypt, Greece, and Rome - the progenitors of many of Europe's magical societies - had a similar tradition of greeting guests into their homes. Clearly, there was power in the gesture, which went beyond mere tradition but in the intent of magic itself.
Judging by the unamused look on Moody's face, he clearly disagreed.
"Even more reason for me to refuse. I'm an Auror, boy. If I accept such a vow, and then I discover you have committed a crime and need to be brought in, then I would be disadvantaged if you turn hostile."
The belittling way the man spoke to him did not endear him, and Harry saw right through the flimsy argument. He noticed the Aurors, including Tonks, watching on as if enjoying a show, even if Chiara shrank at the sight of Alastor Moody.
A few months ago, Harry would have just accepted the indignity, the sheer insult, because he had not known better. But now he did.
Yet it wasn't wise to make enemies where there were none before, so Harry pushed down his rising temper. "Have you not heard what I said, Alastor Moody? Or perhaps your ears have begun to fail you in your old age? The rite goes both ways, and the gods would curse me if I go against my own rules."
The insult caused Tonks to snort, though she swiftly turned her face blank when the man glared at her, making Harry realise something was wrong. Moody was clearly known by the others and not an enemy, so why the hell was he being so obtuse about the matter?
"Just get on with it, Alastor." Amelia Bones grumbled before he could retort. "This is not the time for your paranoia."
"That's what they want you to think, and then they would slip in a poison in your drink when you least expect it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Harry did not jump at the sudden bark, but he could not be blamed for having his wand and dagger instantly in his hands, while Moody laughed uproariously before gazing at him eerily with both eyes. "See? Even the lad knows it best. I don't know what kind of shite you've been through to have those kinds of eyes, boy, but you are not one to be taken lightly."
It both flattered yet greatly irritated Harry that the veteran Auror took him so seriously and considered him a threat. While refreshing, the inquisitive eyes of Amelia Bones boring through his head was not something he wanted to deal with.
The stand-off continued for a whole minute, and, seeing that neither of them would budge, Madame Bones finally had enough. "Alastor, either eat the damned bread or leave. I'm sure I can handle interpreting whatever drivel the bat has to say."
"Ah, but you will need me to scan the grounds for further spawn points."
"Yet you came along uninvited." Amelia raised an eyebrow, "What happened to only sticking to teaching?"
"But I am teaching," Moody moved to the stiff-looking Tonks, his fake leg making a clunking noise on the floor. "Even if she got an early promotion, Nymphadora is still a wet behind the ears trainee to me. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
The constant barking had finally grated on Harry's patience, "Look, I don't know what your problem is, nor do I care. All I ask is basic courtesy. Either eat the damned thing or get out. I didn't ask for any detailed inspection of my home anyway."
"I'm afraid that would have to be a necessity, Mr Potter." Amelia interjected apologetically, "Knowing that you plan for a gathering later today, I could not in good conscience allow my niece, along with any of your guests, to visit when there is a chance your security might be compromised."
Cursing under his breath, and feeling Ghost growling silently in his mind as he glared at the grotesque smirk on the cragged face of Alastor Moody, Harry felt something snap in him, "Then I shall cancel the bloody party! No one enters my home without my permission, and any who refuses my rules shall be–"
Alastor Moody rasped out another grating laughter that sounded like sandpaper grinding over metal, and Harry nearly willed the wards to banish the senile old fool; he could even feel the mansion humming dangerously just waiting to unleash its powers… Only for the madman to reach out to the tray in Chiara's hands, tear a piece of bread, dip it in salt, and eat it leisurely.
"Hmm, not bad. Fresh from the oven, eh?" Mad Moody licked his fingers appreciatively before washing it down with his hip flask, his magical eye moving everywhere at even higher speeds. "Interesting ward scheme you have there, Potter."
"Bloody hell, Mad-Eye!" The younger Auror exclaimed as the act sent the wards down to dormancy - guest rights had been declared, and Harry could no longer banish the man unless he broke his rules. "What was the whole point of this charade if you were going to eat it anyway?"
"Testing the lad's character, Proudfoot."
"Oh? And what do you think, Alastor?"
"Lad's got some–"
"I don't give a fuck!" Harry interrupted, not caring about the disapproving look on Amelia's face - his night had been long enough as it was, and he still had plenty of preparations to make before the first guests arrived in a few hours. "Let's get on with this."
He stormed off, doing his best to control his breathing even as Mad-Eye Moody, and wasn't that a fitting nickname, wheezed out in more laughter before following him, his pegleg clinking eerily over the tiles. Chiara hurriedly placed the tray on the coffee table and caught up to him, along with the rest of the Aurors.
It was very unbecoming of him to lose control like that, yet he had no more patience to spare with these meaningless games.
Tonks quickly moved to walk beside him, "Sorry about the old bugger–"
"I can hear you!"
"The senile old bugger," Tonks insisted as she glared backwards.
"You really want to take that tone with me, girl?"
"Madame Bones, I am firmly under your command, am I right?"
"Absolutely, dear Nymphadora."
"Then yes, Mad-Eye." The old bastard simply laughed again when Harry glanced back, his magical eye flying everywhere and he wondered what was up with that - Tonks saw his gaze and supplied helpfully. "He can see through walls and most enchantments with that eye."
"Can he now?" Then, there was no point in hiding Cinder's existence if the man didn't mention her; Harry could feel her giggling to herself from inside the Heart Tree as she enjoyed the shit show. While she assured him that she could hide her presence from witches and wizards, he was not confident she wouldn't show herself for any other reason than to cause mischief. Then again, the Fae had swiftly made herself scarce when Tonks arrived, so maybe she was just naturally shy?
Not bloody likely.
"Here," Harry tapped the door with his wand, causing the sealing mechanism to release - no simple locking spell could be trusted when dealing with an unknown like that. Still, the wards offered him excellent tools that he would not normally be capable of using without more study. "All yours."
They entered the dark, windowless room in his cellar to find the strange bat chained to a table, unconscious from the last time Harry came in to check and hit him with another stunner. The Aurors instantly formed a perimeter with Tonks and Proudfoot by the door while Amelia, Shacklebolt, and Moody surrounded the table. Harry and Chiara stood by the wall, leaving the Aurors enough room to work and giving himself a good view to see how they went about their business.
Without wasting time, Amelia waved her wand, unchaining the bat before casting the petrification spell. Then, another flash of light came in, and in place of a bat, there was now a human. No, as Harry looked closer, it did not look entirely human. It had grey, pallid skin, like it had never seen sunlight in its life, which would make sense considering it was a vampire. Its gaunt face was bare of any hair, and its lidless red, unseeing eyes eerily reminded him of Voldemort, yet far more pathetic, for the creature was practically skin and bones, as if it had not eaten in a long time.
Amelia pointed her wand at the creature, sending out a red light that caused it to unleash a rasping gasp as its eyes blinked. Huh, it seemed to have some sort of transparent eyelids. Shacklebolt had a scroll hovering mid-air where a self-writing quill floated, waiting to record the impromptu interrogation.
"What is your name, creature?"
The vampire looked around the room in fear before gradually calming down as it failed to find what it was looking for - if Harry was a betting man, it probably feared Cinder more than anything.
Nevertheless, once it realised its predicament, and Harry purposely used the pronoun it, for he had no bloody clue what sex it was as its naked form lacked any kind of genitalia, it hissed a few unintelligible words, causing Amelia to grimace before stunning it.
"What did it say?"
"Nothing worth noting. Tonks, take Moody and scan the grounds. We will have to dive into the creature's mind to rip out any information it has." Tonks visibly gulped at Moody's savage grin. "Mr Potter, you are welcome to stay, or if you have preparations to make, now would be the best time. I am told Legilimancy is utterly boring to watch, and that's all we shall be doing over the next hour."
Feeling pity for Tonks, Harry nodded before turning to Chiara, who spoke promptly. "I will stay and see if I can learn something."
Naturally, she meant something more like 'I'll keep watch in case of any mischief,' though Harry highly doubted the director of the DMLE would be the source of trouble and glared a hole at the back of Moody's head as he followed them out of the cellar.
"Liking the shape of my arse, Potter?" Mad-Eye spoke suddenly, and Harry realised he was watching him with his magical eye.
"Believe me, I would rather be staring at Tonks', but you are hogging the stairs."
Moody gave his rasping laughter while the pink-haired auror grumbled behind him as they silently exited the cellars and made their way to the grounds.
"So, Mr Moody," Harry began, loathe as he was to be courteous to such an unpleasant fellow but deciding to be the bigger man, as they followed the ornery Auror in the grounds. "Find anything yet?"
"Well, I certainly found a real beauty." The older man stopped dead in his tracks as he gazed at the distant figure of the Heart Tree.
"Wow, what is that?" Tonks' awed voice came from beside him. Harry realised that she had never had the chance to tour the grounds since that visit two months ago; typically, she would only stay for a short while in the manor for whatever reason she visited - usually skiving off work.
"Er, Harry? Could you get that crazy-looking fellow away? He's creeping me out."
"Can he see you, Cinder?"
"I don't think so. It's not like I'm actively hiding my presence, but my magic is all over the tree, and if his eerie eye could see magic as I suspect, then he must have an idea that the tree is not normal."
Deciding that he had allowed the Auror more leeway than necessary, Harry moved them along. "Just some tree I discovered on my land. Why the interest, Mr Moody? Do you think it's Dark?"
Mad-Eye Moody stared intently at the tree for a long minute, "I have never seen a tree of its like before. Such a tree should be registered in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Then–"
Harry stepped in front of him with an unamused gaze. "I would like to remind you that anything in my lands that I designate as mine is under my protection and responsibility. Need I remind you why you are here?"
For a moment, both Harry and Mad-Eye gazed at each other defiantly - a test of wills to see who would cave first, but the older Auror was simply too disadvantaged to make a fuss about the matter. "Very well."
Thankfully, the carved face twisted in agony was on the opposite side, though Moody could probably see it with his magical eye. Or maybe not.
Harry nodded before glancing at Tonks - unable to resist provoking the older Auror a tiny bit more, "Don't worry, Tonks. I will let you check it out later during the party." The young woman's face lit up, and he nearly chuckled as he heard Mad-Eye grumble. "Now let's get back to searching for more wights."
"Wights? Strange term for what you have described." Mad-Eye stared at the tree for a few more seconds before shrugging and beelining to a certain spot close to the bogs.
"Do they have a different name, then?"
"I will have to see them to judge. From what you described, they seem to be some failed experiment by a rogue alchemist or warlock. Like that vampire Amy is dealing with."
"Wait, an experiment?"
"Aye, that thing is no true vampire, nor even a turned human. It's a homunculus created with dark magic." Moody searched the area intensely for a minute before turning away and moving west towards the entrance of the Wildland. "Homunculi are not living beings, but more like flesh automatons, almost always created through some sort of human sacrifice or experiment. Soulless husks that follow their creator's orders to the letter, and while they can showcase emotions to a certain degree, they cannot deviate from their purpose."
"I see. So, what makes an alchemist rogue?"
"Dabbling with dark magic such as necromancy, flesh crafting, and a host of other things that you are too young to learn about." Harry grunted as they continued deep into the woods, past the spot they captured the bat, and navigating through roots and bushes that had the old Auror grumbling as his fake leg kept getting stuck in vines and thorns.
Eventually, Moody stopped before an old tree that caused Harry to raise an eyebrow; the ground was littered with dead leaves and rotten branches. It was as if the tree had aged considerably in a short amount of time.
Suddenly, Moody struck his staff on the ground, causing the tree to shake before the bark burst, releasing another of those abominations he had burned a few hours earlier. Before Harry could raise his wand with an Incendio on his lips, Moody's staff belched out a gout of flames that turned the many-limbed monster into a screaming projectile still sprinting towards them. Tonks waved her wand, causing the creature to freeze midstride before Moody walked closer to inspect it. His staff remained miraculously upright on its own as he pulled out his wand and Harry inspected the staff closer; it had a serpentine head with two rubies for eyes and a gaping maw where a large emerald was placed.
"Hmm, let's see here," Mad-Eye ignored the wailing of the creature as the flames cooked it alive, causing melted flesh to fall and embers to spread on the grass until the Auror waved his wand, causing the flames to fizzle out. "Aye, this is the work of an alchemist, alright, an amateur as well. Otherwise he would have grafted troll skin into it for magical resistance and perhaps kill its pain receptors. This revenant was created by necromancy and flesh crafting. Now, how did you come to be here?"
Naturally, the creature's grotesque form, now skinless with its bones clear to see, only gave squeals of rage for an answer. Mad-Eye lazily waved his wand, cutting its head off before setting it on fire again. Within a minute of silently watching and enduring the horrendous stench, nothing of the corpse remained aside from charred bones and ash, which Moody vanished with a wave of his wand.
"Not the first time you have seen a corpse burn?" Mad-Eye suddenly asked, "Even Tonks here looks queasy, yet you barely blinked."
"I did burn a score of them earlier."
"That you did," Moody smiled, stretching his scarred face into a hideous mask. "Yet that's not the whole deal. You have the eyes of a killer, Potter. One who had seen death, both mundane and magical."
"Mad-Eye!" Tonks glared at her former mentor, aghast, "That is a serious accusation. How can you even think about accusing a thirteen-year-old of murder? And Harry Potter, no less!"
"I didn't say murder, girl. You won't get it. You're still too soft, though you are getting better."
"I've had plenty of brushes with death," Harry laconically deflected. "Hogwarts is not always the safest place, I'm afraid, and a bunch of shambling corpses don't even enter the top three most dangerous encounters I've had. You can inquire more with Dumbledore if you wish."
Alastor nodded stiffly, seemingly letting go of the matter for now. Harry had no idea what game the veteran Auror was playing, but he was no fool to play along - Tonks provided the perfect distraction as well. "And I would like it if we continue with our work? I still have a very busy day ahead of me."
"I shall be asking Dumbledore about this," the man growled.
Harry snorted. "Please do so. Let me know if Professor Dumbledore thinks the school will be safe next year, or I'll have to make additional preparations."
The blasé manner with which Harry talked about death and danger seemed to put off even Mad-Eye, and Tonks looked rather pale and quite uncomfortable. Shrugging, Harry waved the veteran Auror on, who led them to another spot where he claimed to notice an anomaly. It was where the first wights had appeared, and the scorched and melted ground showed nothing else to Moody.
Next, they moved to the tunnels where Moody and Tonks waved their wands, inspecting several footprints and claw marks made by all sorts of magical creatures. They cast some kind of charm that caused ethereal figures mimicking a myriad of beasts to appear where the marks were. Harry stared with interest; such a spell would be handy if it showed what creature left what mark.
"And you believe they sneaked in from here?"
"Aye, tracked their mounds of wights to here. We found the bat a stone's throw from here." Harry was seated on a rock as he watched them work. He and Chiara were not trained investigators, at least not magically, yet they had done their due diligence in searching for any evidence. "We are certain they moved towards the Wildland, for that was where we found the last of the revenants."
Moody hummed as his eye roved through every tiny detail before grunting, "Hmm, I think I know how they sneaked in. Your wards purposely allow magical creatures in, right?"
"Yeah, I can't exactly block them from entering the Wildland."
"And when was the last time you've seen a magical creature passing through?"
Harry paused as he thought about his reply. "I think… a couple of weeks ago."
"This matches what we discovered, Harry." He turned to Tonks, who had just returned from her trip deeper into the tunnels. "All these marks are old, and I don't think any more creatures will be aiming for your Wildland any time soon."
"Wait, I may not be the best at tracking." That was a lie. Jon Snow was an excellent hunter who could track prey cross-country if need be, even without Ghost's powerful assistance, but they did not need to know that. "But those tracks look plenty fresh to me."
"Those tracks look fresh because they are not from magical creatures." Tonks patiently explained as she pointed at a hoof print. "They are from the revenants. The identification spell we use merely tells us what animal would have a footprint like this. It looks like it could be from a cow or a goat, right?"
"Indeed?"
"But all the monsters we found so far had animal feet." Harry's eyes widened as Tonks nodded and continued, "Yes, your wards didn't pick them up as hostiles until they went deeper into your territory because they appeared as animals. The dark wizard must be an animagus as well, and I guess your wards were advanced enough to send the alarm when the animals dug in instead of continuing to the Wildland."
"Well said, Nymphadora," Tonks scowled at the praise, but Mad-Eye continued unfazed. "I think the fastest way we could solve this issue is by changing your ward rules. I know all seven registered animagi in Britain, and none of them are alchemists. Yet it's common knowledge that there are many more animagi who never bother registering; why should they when it's only necessary if you are working in the ministry or Hogwarts."
"Sounds like an oversight."
"Unless we question every random witch or wizard, it is simply not feasible to document everyone, considering the Animagus Revealing Charm only works when the animagus is in animal form. Not to mention, there's no method of learning how long they have been an animagus." Moody shook his head, "We will need Amelia's permission, but if you have not noticed any magical creatures migrating in weeks, I doubt any more will come by, and we should seal those entrances. New Wildlands don't eternally attract magical creatures, only as much as it needs. Once done, your wards should easily pinpoint the location of any monsters hiding in trees or underground."
"Fair enough, let's get back to the manor."
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"I think we are done here."
"Done?" Harry repeated. He had just exited the wardroom in his study room after recalibrating the Wardstone, and then directing it to incinerate any lingering wight in his lands. Now, Amelia Bones approached him from the corridor along with the rest of her squad. "What have you discovered from the creature?"
"Unfortunately, not much." Amelia looked aggrieved, and Harry could tell from how she was furrowing her brows that it had not been a pleasant experience being inside that creature's mind. "Ultimately, it was but a freshly crafted flesh automaton that did not know much aside from its last order - it was the last of many other homunculi created by whoever the rogue alchemist was, but he appears to have slipped. The creature had trouble flying after transforming into a bat, which was why you found it hopping around in the forest."
"So, was this all a waste of time? A dead end?"
"Not entirely, Potter." Moody chimed in. "We now know the location of the alchemist - inside that Wildland. There is nothing more for us to do here aside from flushing out any more of the revenants. Have you found any?"
"A handful scattered about, but the wards had already incinerated them." The Aurors looked both impressed and slightly apprehensive - he wagered they did not like the idea of such a wide spanning ward being able to identify and attack those it designated as hostiles so easily. Naturally, it would not have been possible if his lands were not built right over a ley line, that had been further augmented by the Heart Tree and its roots that even now continued to dig and spread everywhere.
"But I am more concerned that I have a flesh-crafting dark wizard alchemist hiding in the unexplored Wildland and possibly using his wicked means to potentially create even more monstrosities from the creatures within." Harry made sure to reiterate the facts slowly as he stared at each Auror in the eyes before settling on Amelia Bones. "And you want to just ignore it? What happened to making sure the place was safe for your niece?"
"We have already sealed all the entrances to your lands aside from the main gate," Amelia explained patiently. "I have half a mind to seal the Wildland entrance as well, though that would simply cause it to create another entrance, most likely outside the protections provided through your land and the extensive wards. I would rather not have that happen."
"So, what do you suggest?"
"Protocol dictates that I get the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and probably even the Department of Mysteries involved." The director of the DMLE rubbed her brows tiredly. "Yet that would take far too long, and the DRCMC never did show up for an inspection, did they?"
"Not at all, never even replied to my mail."
Amelia muttered a few choice words at someone called Amos before schooling her face, "Then we have only one option to deal with this issue. We will need the aid of someone with the experience, power, influence, authority, and knowledge to handle matters like this."
Harry had a feeling where this was going. Sighing, he asked, "Like who?"
"I believe you sent an invitation to Albus Dumbledore for your party. Did he accept?"
The plot thickens. Poor Harry, all he wanted was to have a party with friends, but instead, he got Mad-Eye Moody trolling him for shits and giggles.
Next up is the one and only: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Oh, and the party, I guess.
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