Chapter Text
These past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions for one Harry James Potter. Between learning there was a mass murder out there and getting kicked out of his home because of blowing his aunt up it has been a pretty wild week.
He almost laughs at the absurdity of it all. Usually, it is not until his back at Hogwarts that all of these shenanigans start. Seems there was much in store for him this time around.
Speaking of stores. You may be wondering. So, what does a teen who just turned fifteen do since he was kicked out of his home? The answer? Explore each and every corner of Diagon Alley.
Since he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron he decided to spend his time between class work by exploring and shopping in the Magical's best flea market. Though he would never tell his wizard friends that that's what he called this place in his head.
He visited the broom shop multiple times. Books and so were left as an afterthought. Not really his cup of tea. That seems to be more of Hermione's hobby and not his. But he did visit places where treats and sweats were sold regularly. After all, he was an unattended fifteen-year-old teenager. Of course, those were the places he would regularly visit.
But there was a place he dared not visit yet. Though there was a part of him that wanted to. Maybe it was his Gryffindor courage or just his morbid curiosity calling him. What place was this? But the Dark Alley of course.
The place where, according to Mrs. Weasley, only those who dabble in the Dark Arts dared to step inside. Maybe it was true. Or maybe it was just a scary story invented by the Weasley matriarch to dissuade him from going inside.
So here he was. Just as he had been doing for the past week at this time of the day. Standing in front of the Alley trying to get the courage to take the step inside.
He gulped to get rid of his nerves and was about to take a step back when a voice on his right startled the shit out of him "You're going in or not?" The voice asked and Harry had to jump back a little to get his surprise in check
There stood a male teen about Harry's age. He had blond platinum hair that seemed slightly white. He styled it in a short undercut fade that made Harry self-conscious of his rough and messy long hair.
He wore a streetwear outfit with a gray hoodie on top of it. But the thing that captured Harry's attention the most was a pair of lilac-colored eyes looking at him in curiosity.
Harry, thanks to his years of experience dealing with Snape, got his surprise under control and put his attention back on the teen. "Um, I'm sorry. What did you say?" Harry said as he stood straighter.
"I was wondering if you're going into the Alley or not," The teen asked as his eyes traveled to the alley in front of them "I've seen you around here for the past couple of days. You always stay here and then never go inside so I was curious," He said shrugging his shoulders "So, are you going in or not?" He asked and Harry glanced back into the Alley
"I don't know. Isn't that place filled with darkness and such?" Harry asked rhetorically and the teen again shrugged his shoulders
"It does. But those that matter anyhow?" The teen asked giving a curious look to Harry once more before walking into the alley.
Harry got left out of words. Here there was a teen he didn't know walking into such a dark place without any self-doubt and practically nonchalantly. Harry couldn't help but feel frustrated by his indecision right here. And one thing that was a unique characteristic of Harry is that whenever he felt frustrated he was prone to rash decisions.
And perhaps following that teen into the Dark Alley was a rash decision. But while it may seem a rash decision now. In the future, Harry would feel very grateful for this moment. Since this would mark a path that would lead to a better future for him and those he held dear.
Harry practically sprinted through the alley and before he could crash into someone who was rounding up the corner he felt a tug on his collar "So, you've decided to come then," He heard that same bored voice from behind him.
He shook the hold and looked back to see the teen still looking at him with those same curiosity-filled eyes "Yes. Figured there was nothing to be afraid of. Especially something I don't know yet," Harry said and the teen offered him a small smile.
"That's very healthy of you, Potter, " the teen said before walking past him. "Come on. There are some stores I wish to go to," he said as Harry matched his pace.
"What makes you think I'd follow you? I don't even know you," Harry said hiding the fact that he had entered the alley just to follow him.
"You're free to explore by yourself, Potter." The teen said without looking at him "But I've been told that shopping with company is quite pleasant," He said as he turned around into another corner and Harry had to backtrack to keep with him quickly. But then he stopped as the teen in front of him stopped and turned around abruptly.
"And I taught you remembered me. My mistake," The teen said putting a hand forward "My name is Perseus Nyx. Percy is fine," The teen said waiting for Harry to shake his hand.
"Um, nice to meet you. But what's this about me not remembering you?" Harry said not hiding his confusion one bit as he shook Percy's hand.
"We met just before our first year started," Percy said as Harry furrowed his brow trying to remember when he met this guy "We shared ice cream while you waited for the school's guard Hagrid," Percy explained and Harry's eyes grew big.
"Oh, that's right. We talked about how nervous we were about the whole magical thing," Harry said with a bit of a nostalgic tone in his voice but then a thought went up his mind "Why didn't you talk to me later? Back then I mean," Harry asked.
Percy looked away from Harry's eyes for a moment and shrugged his shoulders "You got into Gryffindor and I into Slytherin. By the time I wanted to approach you, you had started believing all of us were evil and bullies. It made you pretty unapproachable." Percy said continue walking forward.
Harry felt a little bad and started scratching the back of his head "I'm sorry," Harry said apologetically and Percy glanced at him.
"Don't be. 'Sides, Malfoy, and the upper classmates didn't make it any easier either," Percy said as Harry grew a bit curious.
"Meaning?" Harry asked and Percy stopped in front of a shop and looked at Harry with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Live in Slytherin isn't rainbows and roses. It is a viper pit and one of the rules there is that if anyone befriends Harry Potter or his friends then there'll be repercussions," Percy explained as he opened the door to the store and let Harry enter first.
"That has to be a joke right? And what about this? Will you get in trouble for just speaking to me?" Harry said and Percy just looked at him seriously and gave him a nod "Then why risk speaking to me then?" Harry said as Percy closed the door behind him.
"I realized some things about my family recently. Figured I should stop worrying about what other people might think or say," Percy said as he walked around the store.
Harry again was lost for words and to regain some composure he started looking around the store. It looked like a normal library but the books looked rough and old instead of pristine conditions.
"What is this?" Harry asked his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Mcklain's store for the unknown. It is a small library of sorts," Percy explained and Harry saw him grabbing two scrolls from a wall nearby "And they're not technically ministry-regulated so that's why it's here." The white-haired teen explained as Harry started browsing the books around him.
"So it's illegal then?" Harry asked but the answer didn't come from him but from a voice above him.
"Not technically it's just not advertised that much." Harry heard a high-pitched voice explain and looked up. There on one of the stools a small creature, the size of a coffee mug, stood fixing some books.
Harry had read about such creatures. If he recalled correctly they were called gnomes. Small creatures that lived in small holes and were favored in magic. He was so lost in his amazement that he almost missed whatever the small creature was saying.
"Hi my name is Gabriel, nice to meet you, Harry," The gnome said as the small gnome stood in front of him and gave him a small wave "What brings you to my store?" She asked and Harry blinked a bit.
"Um, just exploring I guess," Harry said still unsure how to feel with staring at an old female gnome.
"Gaby you're freaking him out. It is his first time seeing a gnome," Percy said as Gabriel's eyes winded and she quickly scurried away.
"I'm so sorry, please call me if you need any help!" She said and quickly ran away before Harry could get any word in.
"Hey Gaby! Where is your Greek mythology collection? I don't see them anywhere!" Percy shouted as his eyes browsed the collection of books in front of him.
"Right in the front! The left corner! They should be there!" Gaby shouted back and Percy moved to the front.
Harry quickly rushed to where he was and started whispering to him "Dude what the hell is this store!?" He whispered a bit forcefully.
"A bookstore?" Percy said a bit confused "I thought that it was obvious," Percy said blinking a bit and Harry quickly shook his head
"No, I get that," Harry said looking around "I mean. Why such an ordinary store is in the Dark Alley? Just because the ministry doesn't advertise it?" Harry asked incredulously and his eyes grew bigger in shock when he saw Percy nodding his head.
"That's the gist of it," Percy said as he grabbed a book from the selection in front of him "Most of these books come from authors that are frowned upon by the ministry," Percy said as he handed a book to Harry "Like that one for example," Percy said.
"Mythological creatures. Real or fantasy? Rulebook on how to find and kill fantastic creatures, by Drog Ragzzlin," Harry read out loud and then looked at Percy with confusion.
"He was a Goblin. An important one at that. It took 'bout 4 thousand or so wizards to take him out during the rebellion," Percy said as he grabbed the book back and placed it with the others he was going to buy "It's common knowledge that the ministry doesn't like to share because they don't want to look weak. It's bigotry," Percy said with a shrug as he walked to the counter, having already gotten what he came for.
"It also doesn't help a wizard didn't write it," Percy said as he placed the books on the counter and Gaby started checking them out "Ask Granger how many books are written by non-wizards in Flourish and Blotts. It will surprise you how low the number is," Percy said as he brought a bag of golden coins to pay for the books.
"So this place exists for these types of books then," Harry noted and Gaby gave him a nod in agreement.
"Knowledge is knowledge. Ignoring them just because of who wrote them is plain stupid in my opinion," Gaby said passing Percy a bag with the books "That's why my grandsire created this place. For people to read everything he used to say," Gaby said and Harry looked slightly impressed by the whole thing.
"Incredible. I'll make sure I bring my friend here sometime, she could definitely love this place," Harry said and Gaby offered him a bright smile.
"I'll look forward to it, have a good day Harry," Gaby said as the raven-head teen nodded his head "And good hunting Percy," Gaby said as the white-haired teen gave her a nod in thanks.
"Hunting?" Harry asked as they were leaving the Bookshop. His curiosity was piqued a bit by Gaby's choice of words.
"Dungeon hunting. A small hobby of mine," Percy said as he led Harry to a store down the hallway "I can explain more later if you're interested," Percy said and Harry was indeed interested.
That's why he kept following Percy throughout this shopping spree. Or at least that was the excuse he was telling himself. He actually found himself enjoying Percy's company. He didn't like to compare but he was better than Hermione at explaining things.
Hermione explained things very methodically and logically—a textbook explanation you could say. But Percy, on the other hand, explains things to him outside the box. It was as if he was telling a story rather than explaining a subject.
They enter one last store. It was called Diagon Alley's Underground Material Shop, and Harry didn't have to be a detective to figure out what they sold there. Materials of every kind and need.
Or at least that was what he thought but once they entered the first thing he noticed was all the glowing little spheres on the store's shelves. Round spheres each in a different color from white to black and all the in between.
And just by walking past them, Harry could feel the elemental power surging through them. He almost touched one but Percy swatted his hand. Telling to be careful with those.
Then in the middle of the store, several mechanic devices lay together. Harry didn't know what their function was exactly. He asked Percy about them but he just said that he would show him later.
Both teens approached the counter and the young Gryffindor student saw Percy pushing the bell that served to call the clerk out of the inventory room.
Harry, having gotten used to the unique qualities of the Dark Alley's stores, wasn't surprised much when an old and scrawny centaur came out of the back door of the store.
"You're late Percy," The centaur said and then he noticed the other teen there. Harry felt like he was being judged as the centaur looked at him up and down "And you brought company. Care to tell me what the boy who lived is doing in the dark alley?" The centaur asked and Harry looked at Percy confused.
Percy just shrugged his shoulders letting him know to answer however he liked "Just browsing. Why, I can't?" Harry asked with a little bite coming out of his voice. A habit he had picked over the years.
The centaur whistled and gave Harry a chuckle "Of course you can. I'm just a little surprised that the Light's poster boy would roam these dark spaces," The centaur said. And again Harry gave Percy another confused look.
"What does he mean by that?" Harry asked and Percy rubbed his face a sign of annoyance
"Don't mind him, Potter," Percy said and then looked at the Centaur "Do you have what I asked you for Bill?" Percy asked and Bill smiled and put a small box on top of the counter.
"Took me a while but it is done," He said as Percy opened the box. Harry took a peak and saw those small and light mechanical black fingerless gloves with sphere-sized holes in the middle of them.
Percy tried them on and flexed his fingers a bit getting a better feeling for them. He adjusted the strap on the wrist before looking back at Bill "They're great. Feels very light," Percy said and Bill looked proud of his job.
Harry was just lost. He felt out of place by everything that was happening between Percy and the clerk. Especially after Percy a bunch of more things.
He hoped that Percy would stick to his word and explain things later on because he wanted to know why he was buying a sword from this place.
Percy had sent back his purchases home by a house elf as Harry had seen. Then the white-haired teen led Harry to a muggle café shop in front of the entrance leading to the Leaky Cauldron.
Percy reasoned that Diagon Alley had too many wizards and didn't want anyone to overhear him. But soon Harry would learn that wasn't all to it.
"So, have you read any fantasy books, Potter? Like The Hobbit or something like that?" Percy started after both had their drinks in their hands.
Harry shook his head "No" and Percy leaned back to think of a better example "Fantasy movies perhaps? Narnia? Lords of the Rings?" Percy asked and again Harry shook his head "No".
"Seriously? What do you do to pass the time then?" Percy asked a bit confused and Harry shrugged his shoulders
"Quidditch perhaps. My relatives don't give me so much free time like that," Harry said and Percy started tapping the table with his fingers.
"You need to get out more Potter. You live too much in the magical world," Percy commented before taking a sip from his tea. A comment that didn't sit too well with Harry.
"First of all call me Harry, you sound like a prick when you call me Potter. Like a certain one I know if I might add," Harry said and Percy looked apologetically. Harry knew he meant no harm by it so he carried on "And second of all. Life outside the magical world, at least for me, it's shite. So excuse me if I prefer to live too much in the magical world," Harry said and then looked down at the table in frustration.
"I'm sorry," Percy said after a pause of awkward silence "Can I ask why life is so shite for you?" Percy asked in curiosity and Harry looked out the window
"Let's just say life for a magical orphan in a muggle household is not easy," Harry said and Percy looked at his cup of tea.
"I get it," Percy said and Harry looked at him as if he had grown a second head "I lived in an orphanage before Hogwarts. And the matron was very religious. So you can guess how I was treated after my accidental bursts in magic," Percy said and Harry looked down.
Whatever retort about how he could get about how he was treated died down at the thought that someone had gone through something similar as him or worse. "On the other hand. I could show you," Percy said with a shrug and Harry looked up in confusion.
"Show me?" He asked tilting his head.
"Muggle pop culture," Percy said as he leaned forward "Don't get me wrong the magical world is pretty sick. And I'll show you why in just a second," Percy said adjusting himself in his seat. "But the muggle world has much to offer. I'm guessing your friend Granger has told you as much," Percy said and Harry frowned a bit.
He tried to remember what Hermione had told him about the muggle world and other than the fact that her parents were dentists he was drawing a blank. He realized that he should ask Hermione more about her muggle life.
"Take this for example. It's called an iPhone," Percy said as he handed the rectangular device to Harry "Whatever advances we wizards have. Muggles have them in technology. It is impressive that you can access every corner of the world with that small piece. Muggles found a way to get the whole world at their fingertips," Percy said as Harry looked through the phone.
"That's very impressive of them," Harry said and gave the phone back to Percy.
"That it is," Percy said as he started going through something on that phone looking for something specific "So, I suppose I should explain my hobby no?" Percy said glancing at Harry for a bit. And when he saw the black-haired teen nod he showed him an article on the phone.
"Two weeks ago in Whales, a couple of middle school students found a cave and swore they heard some growling coming from inside," Percy said as he leaned forward while pointing at the phone "So the local coastguard sent out a team in case if it was a bear. Since the cave is pretty close to the local school they were afraid it could get loose," Percy said and Harry noticed a bit of excitement dripping from his voice here and there.
Harry looked at the article and got confused since it didn't say anything about a bear in the article. It was just an article about a mysterious and scary cave that was all. But then he looked up and his eyes grew big.
Percy hadn't shown much emotion since he had met him. Other than plain boredom or slight curiosity there isn't much there. It made him look aloof. But here, right now in front of him, the teen he had met just a few hours ago, had his face with a huge excited smile and slightly sparkling eyes.
"Now here's the interesting thing, Harry. No matter how close the coastguard got, they all turned away," Percy said leaning forward with the chair below him leaned forward with him "And you know what they all said? They all told the press that they started to feel dizzy and before they knew it they were back at the start. And a Place we know does the same effect," Percy said brimming with excitement.
Harry was still confused so Percy decided to carry on "Hogwarts. If a Muggle gets too close to Hogwarts grounds there's magic in place that will force them to turn around wondering why they were there in the first place," Percy said and Harry tilted his head for a bit.
"So this place has the same type of magic as Hogwarts. Why the great interest?" Harry asked as Percy dropped down making a clang sound with his chair drawing a few looks towards him but none that remained for long
"Because great magic like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It has to be concentrated by something. Most likely a powerful item or creature," Percy said as he took out a straw from the nearby tray "Take our wands for example. Imagine this a wand for a second," Percy said and Harry nodded in understanding. They couldn't take their wands out so freely so he supposed the straw would suffice.
"For the wand to work, it needs three components. The core, the wood, and an anchor that holds them together. But it channels its user's magic for one singular piece. It's core," Percy said pointing at one end of the straw "And the other two components help redirect this magic, this power to the end of the wand. But everything starts from the core," Percy said as Harry looked closely at the straw. Intrigue filled his eyes and he absorbed every detail of Percy's information dump.
"But you may be wondering why wand-makers like Ollivander choose to do wands like this. Why not use the core or the wood alone?" Percy said rhetorically as Harry looked up "Because Magic needs a catalyst. It is one of our secret world rules. A rule of nature," Percy said as a bright smile filled his face.
"And once in a while, nature creates these surges. These secret places are protected with such potent magic that you have to wonder what catalyst this place has. And that Harry, those places are what I like to call dungeons," Percy said to Harry's never-ending curiosity.
"Places filled with magical creatures and endless supplies of magical items and scrolls. As well as gold," Percy said as he leaned back and brought his excitement down a bit "So, I go to these dungeons when I get the chance just to see what's there. Before those cunts from the curse-breaking department seal the place," Percy said ending his explanation.
Harry leaned back absorbing all the information while looking at the article in his hands "And here I thought bravery was a Gryffindor trait," He joked getting a small smile out of the teen in front of him "All of this is very interesting I will say. But why show me this? What do you gain by telling me all of this?" Harry asked and Percy understood his reasoning.
They had just met and Percy had dumped a lot of personal information on Harry. He couldn't tell the raven-haired teen that his hobby was too much fun for him and he just wanted to share. So, as nonchalant as he could, he started explaining his reasoning.
"Honestly? I figured you're bored at spending all your days in Diagon Alley and I'm just presenting you with an alternative," Percy said shrugging his shoulders "Besides, these dungeons are dangerous and I could use some company. And who better than the guy who killed a basilisk as the rumors say," Percy said smirking slightly and Harry looked down and crossed his arms
"So you're asking me to go with you?" Harry asked as Percy nodded while taking a sip of his drink. Harry pondered for a bit before looking back at the white-haired teen. "Can I think about it?" He asked and received a nod
"Sure, sleep on it." Percy said as he grabbed his phone "I'll be waiting here at 10 am tomorrow if you decide to come," Percy said as he stood up from his seat "Now you have to excuse me but there's much I need to do to prepare for tomorrow. I hope I see you again Harry," Percy said putting a hand on Harry's shoulder before leaving the café
And Harry remained there for a couple of moments pondering the offer that had been made. He couldn't lie, adventure like that sounded pretty nice. But there was also the fact that he had just met the guy and this whole thing could just be a huge practical prank from the Slytherin student.
But anyhow he wasn't a person that overthinks stuff. He would rather face things head-on. So after a good night's sleep, tomorrow, he would decide whether to go or not
Line break
Percy was flipping a coin up and down to ease his nerves a bit. A mantra that helped him calm down whenever he was facing new challenges. He often wondered where it came from but he never found an answer. It was just one of the things he had grown to do.
He was leaning in front of one of the walls of the entrance of yesterday's café waiting. There were still ten minutes or so for the agreed hour to get here and there still wasn't a sign of the Gryffindor teen. There still was time but he was getting ready to go it alone.
A waste really. He would never admit it but he longed for someone to accompany him in these little adventures of his. Daphne never would've agreed to and her being his only friend there was a shortage of people he could ask. Especially now that she had gone cold turkey on him.
That was another matter he needed to resolve really. It had sting a bit when she went low contact on him in the summer but thanks to the lengthy chat he had with Ragnok, a goblin who worked at Gringotts, he had a pretty good idea of why she had done so. And knew how to fix it.
But his musing where cut short when he felt a hand on his shoulder "Hey Percy are you there?" He heard Harry's voice on his left and blinked catching the coin in his hand
Had he been so lost in thought that he didn't see the boy-who-lived getting here? He was getting too comfortable perhaps "Yeah sorry, there's been too much on my mind and I think I lost myself in there," Percy said pocketing the coin away.
"Can I ask what is it about? Maybe I could help," Harry said sympathetic, and Percy couldn't help but smile at him in thankfulness.
"Just some issues with a friend. One that I will sort out later on," Percy said as he pushed himself forward and stopped leaning on the wall "So, are joining me I guess?" Percy asked and Harry nodded his head
"No turning back now right?" Harry said with a bit of sarcasm and Percy chuckled a bit. Then he reached for something inside one of the pockets of his jacket.
"You'll have to wear this," Percy said giving Harry a gray simple cap to him "I can't have people wondering why the Boy-Who-Lived is in Scotland," Percy said and Harry took the cap with curios eyes.
"And how does a simple cap would help me hide?" Harry said putting the cap on as Percy pointed at the reflection next to them.
"It has a simple confusion charm placed on it. It hides your most prominent figures from everyone except you and me," Percy said as Harry looked at his reflection noticing his scar was gone and his eyes had turned into a shade of brown "Got the idea from a book I read," Percy said with a shrug and Harry looked over at him.
"You made this?" Harry asked slightly impressed and Percy just nodded his head as he started walking forward
"Just a few simple runes really no big deal," Percy said as Harry stopped looking at his reflection and caught up with Percy.
"So how are we getting to Scotland?" Harry asked as Percy gave him a side glance
"Through a portkey," Percy said simply and then realized he would've needed to explain further when he saw Harry's confused face "They're these items that serve as anchors to travel from one place to another, like teleportation," Percy explained and Harry nodded in understanding.
"I had Teeky, my house elf, put the other part as close as she could to the dungeon," Percy said as he led Harry to a nearby abandoned alley.
There in the middle of the dead-end ally, a portrait of a white castle stood on the ground "So how does this work?" Harry asked as Percy kneeled down
"Just grab the portrait and once we're ready I will activate it. Just don't let go till we're there, don't want to know what happens if you do," Percy said as Harry gulped but kneeled as well and grabbed one of the edges of the portrait.
"Ready?" Percy asked and Harry nodded his head, Then a surge of aid invaded this area and suddenly Harry found himself floating up in the air
It looked and felt like he was in the middle of a tornado and he held the portrait for dear life and he had to close his eyes as it was too much for him. Suddenly the feeling of floating stopped and he found himself smelling the breeze of the open sea
"You okay? I know that the first time traveling like this can be a bit too much," Percy said putting a hand in front of him. Harry blinked and looked around before grabbing Percy's hand.
The white-haired teen helped Harry up and the Gryffindor teen needed a moment to get his bearings "We're here?" Harry asked glancing back at Percy
"Yes, we are. Do you need a moment?" Percy asked but Harry shook his head and took a few deep breaths in
"No, I'm okay," Harry said shaking the sand off his pants "Let's carry on," Harry said and Percy snorted and tapped his shoulder.
"I'm glad you didn't puke, that would've been embarrassing. This way then," Percy said as he led Harry through the beach and towards a small cave in the distance.
"People puke with this?" Harry asked and Percy nodded
"Some do, movement like that can get people a bit dizzy and well," Percy said as they neared the cave and that's when Harry noticed a huge camping bag lying in front of the entrance of the cave.
But he didn't have the time to wonder much as a medium-sized cat with two tails and bright yellow eyes jumped on top of the bag scaring Harry a bit. He then saw Percy kneeling in front of the car and started scratching the chin of the animal "Hey Kuro, sorry for leaving you here this long. Did you have a good hunting day?" Percy asked and Harry heard the cat meow as if it was responding to the other teen
"Harry, this is Kuro. My familiar and our guide today, he will lead us to the exit if things get too hard or if we lose ourselves," Percy said and Harry nodded in understanding.
"Now, before we go in, there are a few things I need to say for our safety," Percy said, and Harry focused on him "First, since Scotland is part of the UK, we cannot use our wands, with the trace and all of that. I would rather not go to jail, thank you very much," Percy said, getting a chuckle out of Harry.
"So, what was your idea then?" Harry asked as Percy reached for something inside the bag
"You know how you use a sword?" Percy Asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders
"Just stick them with the pointy end no?" Harry said a bit sarcastically and Percy snorted
"Yes I suppose that will suffice," Percy said as he handed Harry a silver longsword with a compartment in the handle filled with three of the gems Harry had seen in the store where Percy bought those gloves yesterday. "Now pay close attention, I'm gonna explain how this sword works," Percy said as he pointed at the gems.
"See those colorful gems?" Percy asked, and Harry nodded. "They're elemental gems, catalysts for magic. Like a magical core," Percy explained as Harry looked up, fully taking the information in. "Right now, the sword is nothing special. But if you press the button below the handle, it will turn elemental. Give it a try," Percy said, and Harry did as he was told.
And suddenly the sword became a bit heavier and Harry saw a gust of wind swirl around the blade as if a small tornado had invaded the sword "Now, make a swing that way. And remember, the more power you channel the stronger the effect will be," Percy said as Harry nodded in understanding.
So he closed his eyes for a second and faced the ocean. Then in a quick but strong movement, he swung the sword slashing forward. And a gust of air flew out the sword and cut the waves in half before they reformed once more.
"Whoa," Was the only thing Harry could say as he saw the gems changing places with an orange one standing on top of a purple one and a white one
"Once you use the power the gems will change to cool down the sword and make sure it doesn't break. After five seconds you'll hear a ring," Percy said and just as he finished the ring sounded "That will mean the next power is ready to be used," Percy said and Harry turned with a look of excitement on his face.
"This is incredible, did you make this as well? And what other powers does it have?" Harry asked and Percy chuckled
"I came up with the idea but the rest is all Bill's work," Percy said as he reached for something else and Harry noticed that Percy's hands had bandages all over them. He decided to ask about that later and instead focused on the further explanation of the sword "And the powers are Wind, Fire and Lighting. The three are the same mechanic, a long-distance elemental swing," Percy said as he threw a metal wristband at Harry who caught it with ease.
"Now put this on the wrist opposite the one holding the sword. Your off-hand," Percy said as Harry did and also notice him putting those gloves he bought yesterday on. Harry also noticed that on the right one, a red gem was there while the left one carried a white one. But his concentration broke off when a small shield appeared from the wristband.
"Whoa," Harry said as he moved his arm up and down testing the shield around.
"If you want to put it away just flick your wrist once more," Percy explained and Harry did just as he started bringing and putting away the shield over and over again.
"This is so cool, where did you get all of these ideas?" Harry asked as Percy stood up making sure his gloves were tight enough.
"Like I told you. We can learn a lot from the muggles. A lot of these items came from inspirations I got while watching movies and playing muggle games," Percy said as she adjusted Harry's wristband "Then I realized us wizards had the tools necessary to build them and the rest is history," Percy said taking a step back after making sure everything was alright.
"And the gloves?" Harry asked in curiosity as Percy looked at his hands
"These things?" Percy asked and Harry nodded "These are a bit different. What do you know about Sorcery?" Percy asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders
"Is what they teach us in Hogwarts is it not?" Harry said as Percy shrugged his head
"Not quite. Hogwarts teaches magic the wizarding way. The basic way you could say," Percy started explaining "Wizards learn magic through endless study. They devote themselves to books and a logical path that grants them magic," Percy said
"But there are a lot of ways you can use and learn magic, though it is not mentioned due to bureaucracy issues," Percy said with a shrug but that served to raise Harry's curiosity more
"So what kind of magic are they?" Harry asked and Percy pondered for a second.
"Well I don't really know, magic is endless so who knows how many ways there are," Percy said and then looked at Harry "The ones I do know are as follows. One, you get your powers by striking a deal with another powerful and otherworldly being, like a devil or a fey creature. They are called warlocks," Percy said and Harry raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"People made deals with devils?" Harry asked as Percy handed him the backpack with the unspoken question being if he could carry the supplies. Then Harry saw Kuro jumping on top of Percy's right shoulder.
"Different times I suppose, they weren't called the Dark Ages for nothing," Percy said as Harry adjusted the backpack on his back "Although one can argue that house elves are a type of warlocks," Percy said looking up.
"House-elves? Really?" Harry asked as Percy nodded and walked forward as Harry trailed behind him
"Well a deal is made between elves and wizards and the stronger the wizard, or house depending on the contract, the stronger the elf," Percy said as both teens entered the cave.
And because Harry was so absorbed with information dump he didn't realize that he had entered his first dungeon until he was already deep inside.
"Then you got people who have a close bond with nature. The world's magic speaks to them and lends them help whenever they need it. They're called druids," Percy explained "Their magic is more nature-related, and changing to animal forms is one of their perks," Percy said and Harry blinked a bit.
"Not gonna lie that sounds very impressive," Harry said and Percy nodded in agreement.
"It is, and I have a suspicion that Longbottom could be one but I haven't gotten the opportunity to talk to him long enough to decide if he is or not," Percy said and Harry tilted his head in curiosity.
"What makes you think that?" Harry asked curios and Percy shrugged his shoulders
"Herbology came as second nature to him. Either he had previous studies in that subject or perhaps a deep connection," Percy said and Harry looked at him as the walls of the cave started blocking the light more and more.
"Then we have vow magic. Either with a deity or a bond. Their faith and devotion are so powerful that they manifest magic in ways that can only be granted and not studied. They are called Paladins and Clerics," Percy said "Goblins have gotten very capable with the uses of this magic," Percy explained.
"Goblins? Really?" Harry asked incredulously
"Yes. Goblins are very powerful warriors, and their vow to keep money safe has granted them these powers. Seems you haven't been paying attention to the Goblin rebellion that Binns keeps babbling about," Percy said cheekily, and Harry chuckled sheepishly
"Then there's the bards. But I'm not well versed in how they use melody as magic. I know they sing and play music and magic appears. Perhaps their powers were granted by sirens," Percy said with a shrug.
"Sounds like fun. Do you know of someone like that? Or someone that uses that magic?" Harry asked and Percy shook his head
"Not really. Though last year I heard someone or something singing around the lake at night. I never did find out who it was," Percy said before looking at his hand.
"Then we have Sorcerers," Percy said stopping for a bit and making Harry stop as well "Sorcery is something that's granted, like the warlocks, but it comes from bloodline not an otherworldly being," Percy said as his focus remained on his hand.
"Either a relative was a powerful being, made a pact, or fucked a powerful being. And it is always the third option," Percy said with a sarcastic chuckle "Magic is granted by family, makes it special you know," Percy said with a smile on his face.
"I'm guessing that's the magic you use," Harry said and Percy nodded his head.
"Yeah, I'm still learning to control it," Percy said "I'm good at the utility and simple spells, but I'm still figuring out elemental magic. Hence the gloves," Percy said and then looked at Harry "I also think you are one," Percy said as Harry blinked in confusion.
"What? Me? A sorcerer? Why?" Harry asked and Percy tilted his head in slight confusion
"Remember the first class with Madam Hooch? How Malfoy stole Longbottom's remembrall?" Percy asked rhetorically
"Yeah, I remember. What about it?" Harry asked and Percy looked closely at him.
"You've never even touched a broom before. And flew like a seasoned seeker. Either you're a quidditch prodigy," Percy said moving one hand to the side "Or you have bloodline magic that lets you fly like that," Percy said moving his other hand to the side.
"Maybe. But how can you be sure?" Harry asked looking at his hands. If there was another part of him that he could learn, that connected him to his family. He was eager to learn.
"There is a test, but I don't have the equipment to do it here. If you like, after this, we can check what type of magic you have," Percy said and Harry nodded.
"I would like that thank you," Harry said and Percy nodded before flicking his hand in a circular motion. There a small bright orange flame appeared lighting the path ahead.
"It's a deal then. I really hope you are. Being the only Sorcerer I know it's starting to get pretty lonely," Percy said as he started walking forward.
And Harry couldn't help but sympathize with the other teen. For as long as he could remember the only thing he desired the most was a place to belong. And he had found it in Hogwarts and his friends. He wondered if Percy still hadn't found anything like that.
"I'm gonna leave you behind if you don't start walking Harry!" Percy shouted and Harry quickly trotted to catch up with Percy.
Either way. If Percy was looking for a place to belong then it was up to Harry to give him that chance. Then after making that mental bow, he realized something. They have been descending rather than going forward for a while now.
"We're going down," Harry pointed out and Percy nodded as he put the flame in front of them.
"I've noticed," Percy said looking around "Seems this dungeon is underground. I don't particularly like the fact that we haven't found any indication of what's inside the dungeon though," Percy said as Harry looked at him in curiosity.
"Meaning?" Harry asked as Percy glanced back at him
"Dungeons are a manifestation of the creature or item residing in them," Percy started explaining "The more you get closer to the center you start noticing certain details of what resides in these places. Like webs on a spiders nest and such," Percy said
"And you're worried that we haven't found something significant?" Harry asked and Percy shook his head no
"I'm worried that the significant thing is the cave around us. I was hoping for a magical item dungeon but it seems we'll have to deal with a magical beast," Percy said and then gave a side glance searching for any sign of hesitation in Harry's expression "If you wish to turn back Kuro would be happy to guide you back," Percy said but Harry shook his head.
"No, I came all this way here. I need to see this through," Harry said and Percy gave him a small smile.
"Good. Because we're here," Percy said moving the flame between them and Harry saw what was ahead.
A circular door made out of silver rocks with engravings of a blood war stood in front of them. Preventing them from going through. He then saw Percy levitating the flame around him before he started pushing the door to the right.
"I could use a little help, Harry," Percy said struggling, and that woke Harry up into helping Percy push the door open.
The door started moving to the side revealing a circular hole big enough so that the two of them could fit. And on the other side, there was this natural light coming out so Percy decided to preserve some energy and get rid of the small ball of flame.
Harry entered the room first with big wide eyes. In front of him, there was this hidden small paradise. It was a huge cave with a small waterfall on one of the lateral walls. And thanks to this source of water the floor had these beautiful red roses and green grass all around. It was a thing of beauty.
"This is so beautiful," Harry couldn't help saying and glanced back at Percy. But then Harry got confused as Percy had this serious look on his face.
"Don't drop your guard," Percy said and then Harry heard rustling behind him. He turned around and saw a medium-sized hyena walking towards him wabbling, as if it was hurt.
Then the hyena dropped to the ground in front of him and Harry saw its stomach starting to move around "What's happening?" Harry said worrying about the obvious pain the Hyena was facing
"It's turning into a Gnoll, step back," Percy said and Harry did just that. Avoiding the explosion of blood that happened in front of him. Then out of the Hyena's stomach, a red-bloodied creature appeared towering over Harry and roaring at him.
Harry froze for a second but Percy didn't and the black-haired teen saw a small ball of fire connecting with the creature. Harry quickly jumped back in time to see an arrow flying past him.
Out of the grass ahead, four creatures similar to the one who had been just born appeared. These were older guessing from the fur on them. They had some armor and weapons on them but they had one goal in mind in their pale eyes. Kill the two humans in front of them.
"Are you okay?" Percy asked Harry dropped the bag and took out the shield Percy had given him
"I'm okay. Guessing we have to kill them right?" Harry said pointing his sword at the Gnolls while activating the firepower
"Unless you'd like to become their food. Then yes, we must," Percy said creating flames around his right hand "You take point, and I'll offer support okay?" Percy said as Harry nodded his head.
Then he heard Percy whispering something in a language he didn't understand. He was about to ask what that was when suddenly an orange aura filled his vision and wrapped itself around Harry.
"It's called Haste. It will make you quicker," Percy said as he sent a ball of fire to one of the Gnolls.
Harry didn't have time to wonder more about what just happened thanks to the situation at hand. So he decided to take action and sprinted forward.
Just to find himself face-to-face with a gnoll in the blink of an eye. Instincts took over and he made a swing with his sword cutting the head of the gnoll in a swift moment.
"Holy," Harry said marveling at his speed missing how a gnoll jumped at him with a rapier heading straight to his head. He put his shield up to protect himself but it wasn't necessary as an invisible force of wind pushed the gnoll away sending him crashing into the wall face first.
"Don't lose focus Harry," Percy said as he stopped an arrow in mid-air with his left hand and sent a ray of fire to Gnoll that had shot that arrow.
"Right," Harry whispered to himself as he focused on the matter at hand.
Both teens made swift work of the Gnolls. They were though but they were wild animals and thanks to Percy's experience and advice Harry found himself tackling this issue very easily.
So with the Gnolls dead, both teens took a moment to breathe. They were covered in gnoll blood and the scent of ashes was present in the room. But neither of them had let their guard down. Both had the same amount of experience in this type of situation to know that this much quiet meant trouble.
And they were right. A small explosion occurred at the far end of the cave and out of it came a creature unknown to even Percy. This creature had the same look as the gnolls but it had the face of a lion. It could've been a morphing between a lion and agnoll but Percy didn't have time to ponder.
In the blink of an eye, the Gnoll creature was in front of him, he reacted by instinct creating a magic shield between him and the Gnoll. But the creature's strength proved greater than he anticipated. The Gnoll broke through the shield and managed to cut Percy right above his left eye before sending him flying away.
Harry didn't have the chance to worry about Percy as the Gnoll set his eyes on him. He managed to block the first strike with his shield and roll away against the second one. He sent a stream of flames with the sword but the Gnoll powered through and punched Harry in his gut. That's when the Gryffindor noticed the red bright necklace on the Gnoll's neck.
Harry tumbled down thanks to the strike but managed to recover quickly before the Gnoll could hit him again. Then both creature and human entered into a strike contest. Harry was trying to cut the necklace off while the Gnoll was trying to cut Harry down.
There an opportunity came as Harry rolled away and cut the necklace from the Gnoll's neck. Then the hairs from the creature grew short and the muscles of the creature receded.
"Nice going Harry," Percy said and Harry glanced at him and saw the white-haired teen with his right hand holding his left hand with purpose. Then a massive gust of wind hit the Gnoll and cut the creature in half.
Harry fell tired and shocked. That kind of magic was impressive and he couldn't help but stare at Percy in wonder.
But then that wonder turned into concern when he saw Percy holding his left hand in pain "Percy! Are you okay!?" Harry asked quickly rushing towards the Slytherin
"Yes, I'm fine. I just overdid it a bit and my arm went numb," Percy said standing up and shaking his left arm around "What about you? Are you okay?" Percy asked and Harry again was out of his depth
Here there was a teen, bleeding from his left eye and with a numbed arm and the first thing he asked was if he was okay. He was starting to grow fond of the Slytherin teen. Not that he would tell him that.
"I'm okay, just some bruises here and there," Harry said as Percy looked up and down at him in concern.
"I'm glad. Sorry about that. It caught me by surprise," Percy said cracking his shoulder while walking towards the Gnoll "Gnoll's shouldn't be this strong," Percy said kneeling down and taking the necklace with his left hand.
"Perhaps that thing made him stronger?" Harry said and Percy nodded his head.
"Perhaps," Percy said as he levitated the bag towards them and put the necklace away inside the bag "Bill should know what it does. Let's carry on, I think this guy was protecting something," Percy said and Kuro, who was guarding the bag while the two teens fought, jumped right back on Percy's shoulder.
A lot of things had happened that Harry didn't even process the effortlessly wandless magic that Percy had done. He just put the backpack on once more and looked at the white-haired teen in concern "Wait, what about your cut? Shouldn't we do something about it?" Harry asked in concern and Percy looked back at Harry
The left side of his face was bloodied and Percy had his left eye semi-closed avoiding the dripping blood from entering his eyes. But other than that he remained as if nothing had happened
"It's not bleeding anymore. Once I get back home I'll deal with it," Percy said as he started moving forward to where the monster had come through.
Harry didn't like it but he didn't have the strength to drag Percy to a nurse, so he will accept this answer for now. He followed Percy into the hole where the Gnoll creature had come from and his vision was suddenly filled with a bright yellow glow.
Gold. Endless amounts of gold filled the room. There was not a single place that didn't have treasure around it. And it was no wonder why he was smiling like crazy. This was spectacular.
"Go ahead. Jump right in. I did it the first time," Percy said from his side and Harry didn't think twice. He carefully dropped the bag and jumped on top of the gold.
"This is incredible. I haven't seen so much gold ever. At least not like this," Harry said grabbing coins and dropping them just to feel them "I get it now," Harry said looking down at the gold missing how Percy was looking at one of the walls with seriousness.
"What?" Percy asked not taking his eyes from the wall.
Harry looked up and smiled at Percy "Why you come here. This little hobby of yours. Adventure and reward can be very addictive," Harry said and Percy snorted but offered no response.
Harry dropped down and walked up to Percy "What are you looking at?" Harry asked getting them a better view of what Percy was staring at
It was a handmade drawing of a white oak with white leaves falling to the ground. And below the drawing, writing was there but in a language that Harry didn't quite understand.
"Just wondering who drew this. I don't think our Gnoll friend had the mental capacity to do this," Percy said putting a paper out from Harry's sight "Now, let's figure out how we're going to carry all this gold out and into your vault," Percy said and Harry blinked at him in confusion.
"What?" Harry said simply not sure of what to say to that statement.
Percy offered him a small smile and put a hand on his shoulder "This belongs to you. You've earned it," Percy said and before Harry could refuse Percy continued speaking to seal any retort away "Happy Birthday Harry," Percy said leaving a dumbfounded young Gryffindor.
And as he saw Percy starting to gather all the gold around he couldn't help but feel glad he had accepted coming here. Not only had he found a great adventure but also a new friend.
Later that day. At nighttime, Percy had returned home. A lovely flat in the middle of south London hiding under a charm that prevented muggles from knowing it was there. He was currently sitting on the kitchen table with a bunch of papers in front of him.
Drawings to be precise. Drawings similar to the one he had found in that dungeon earlier. Each with a white oak but with different writings of their own. And it was clear what Percy was trying to do, decipher the meaning of these writings. But he was getting nowhere as usual.
Then his concentration was broken when Kuro jumped on top of the table "You should take a break Percy," A young and chirpy voice said coming from Kuro. A voice that only Percy understood.
"You're probably right. But I'm close I can feel it," Percy said and then heard his familiar let out a sigh.
"You've been at it since you got back. And you have other things you need to worry about. For example those four boxes over there," Kuro said and Percy looked back. There on a nightstand stood four boxes containing a ring inside each box. Each one a different color. Dark red, silver grey, dark emerald green, and deep black respectively.
"Later," Percy said simply returning to the drawings below him
"You heard what Ragnok said. The more you wait the more it will eat at you. Or has Daphne's situation not done so already?" Kuro said leaving Percy out of words.
"How long are you going to hide from your troubles?" Kuro said and then looked at Percy with a slight frown "What was your family's motto? Only the moon knows our secrets? Perhaps you should abide by those words," Kuro said jumping down and walking away from the kitchen.
Percy dropped his head and rubbed his face in frustration. He had many things to ponder and worry about.
Then for a second when he dropped his hand from his face moonlight hit him in the face revealing his true nature for a moment. His ears turned pointy like the ones similar to elves from those medieval stories. Black dragon scales appeared around the edges of his forehead, jaw, and eyes. And once he opened his eyes there were not those lilac colored iris. Now he had black scleras and red flaming pupils instead. He glanced at the moonlight with a troubled frown. Then a sort of familiarity and comfort washed over him. It was as if the moon was trying to comfort him for a bit.
The moonlight went away and his features returned to normal. And now he found himself with a newfound purpose. He stepped down from the kitchen table and walked to his room. He had a letter to write.
End of Chapter 1