Harry Potter and the Scabbard of Excalibur [AU]

[Birdsie]

Sunlight Shimmer

Early December encroached upon Hogwarts, and with it came the first, belayed snowfalls. As sheets of pearly white gathered outside the castle, and children departed to play in the chilly air, Harry was on watch, thoughtful and disturbed. He wasn't that popular now anyway - his acceptance was frayed, given the events of the last school year.

"Are you good, mate?" Ron asked, coming up from behind. He'd put on a pair of woolen mittens and a heavy cloak. Harry dressed more lightly, in a simple jacket, and kept periodically heating himself with muttered spells and Warming Charms. "You're out here sulking and stuff."

"I've been thinking."

"Yeah, I can tell," Ron answered, "It really shows when you do. You get quiet and broody."

"I don't brood," Harry harrumphed. That was Geist's schtick!

"You do." Ron laughed. "What's been eatin' away at you? Some argument with Nev over demons again?"

Harry simply shook his head, contemplating how to respond. He chose pointedly not to question how Ron possessed knowledge of his demons - Ron seemed to have ways of knowing the most inconvenient things, and usually escaped solid answers whenever questioned. If he pushed, Ron would surely reveal the truth, but there was no grounded reason to do so. Harry trusted Ron to reveal his sources should they ever become even in the slightest chunk relevant in some manner. Until then, Harry would allow him to keep those secrets to himself.

If there was one thing that Harry could say he'd learned at Hogwarts - aside from harnessing the magical abilities latent within him - it was that everyone had their own secrets. Secrets they didn't want other people to see. Even people like Dumbledore or McGonagall had dark or interesting secrets.

"It's... the basement stuff."

"Oh, that stuff."

"I've been thinking about finding that Dementor and squeezing the answers out of it."

"Gonna use your Dark magic to beat it into compliance?" Ron snorted. As soon as the words left Ron's lips, Harry looked nervously around. The other boy snorted again, and said, "Relax man, I've warded us. No sound getting through. It seems the Auror's got you on edge."

"Yeah. It's been riskier than ever to practice my usual stunts," Harry answered. It didn't keep him from summoning demons to complete his homework assignments. Maybe the Auror's Office, and wizards in general, truly were as incompetent as Geist claimed? It was a hard pill to swallow, especially given some of the feats of competence he'd observed firsthand. It seemed like there were gaps, or maybe even spots in ability that didn't entirely add up. It was like half the Wizarding World was sandbagging its capabilities, especially the adults. He frowned in thought, but decided to contemplate on that sometime later. "I wish there was some fast, easy way to get a Dementor to behave. I don't want them sucking my happiness out."

"Have you considered a Patronus Charm?"

"A Patronus?" Harry's eyebrows furrowed as he recalled, through the murk of information, the small details he'd read of the advanced magic. It seemed like a stretch to be able to learn a Charm that powerful, but he smiled - if there was anyone who could master it in their Second Year, it was Harry Potter. "Good idea, Ron."

As December went on, Harry practiced the Patronus Charm in private every night. To his frustration, even in his best attempts, he couldn't produce more than a couple of sparks of errant light. After some weary observation, Geist stepped in and began to instruct him directly, but even then, the tired ghost's directions were limited in puissance. They were also occupied with training Harry's Occlumency up to another level and Harry was occupied with preparing for the last of his midterm exams. However, as school went out, and the Aurors, save Ms. Nettlebane, packed up and largely returned to the Ministry of Magic, Harry found himself with a bunch of free time.

And finally, a couple of nights before Christmas, he managed it. Sadly, there weren't any Dementors left in Hogwarts, as it went against Ministry regulations to leave deadly, soul-sucking monsters in the vicinity of school children without appropriate measures put into place towards protecting the children from them.

In absence of anything better to do, Harry decided to handle the Christmas present arrangements. A number of gifts had to be given out, and Harry relished in the task of finding appropriate presents for his acquaintances and loved ones.

Among them, the most difficult was probably Draco's and Snape's - the former because reading half a year into the future, even in the vaguest way, was a trial and a pain; the latter, because it felt shudderingly unnatural to send anything to Professor Snape, even though the gift was simply a piece of parchment veiled with sarcasm and smugness. He genuinely hoped that Snape wouldn't perceive it as some attack on his authority and dock more points from House Hufflepuff. The Potions Master was fond of doing that.

Another gift he'd come up with was the First Year Beret - the hopeful beginning of a new Hogwarts tradition, potentially, assuming that nobody down the line happened to accidentally misplace or lose it. He was planning on gifting it to a young girl he'd seen and vaguely spoke with during breakfast; Luna Lovegood. Among the First Years, she and Ron's younger sister were probably the only ones who hadn't put much stock into Harry's new reputation and shied away from him like from the plague.

And, of course, Neville's sword - the project began ambitiously, but Harry eventually realized that while awesome, the idea of metal absorbing magic so readily wasn't as easily realized as in his mind's eye. As a matter of fact, stacking that many enchantments on a sword was a trial of its own.

And the last gift was the most important. And ironically, it also cost him the least in effort and money.

Gently, Harry stacked the Muggle book on permutation theory on top of the Rubik's cubes, then wrapped everything together. He penned a short handwritten letter, and put the gift away, planning to deliver it personally on the day of Christmas.

Dearest Sirius,

I think that we've made it through some hard times, and I know that it can be even more difficult when all you have left is work. I know that you aren't fully healed, and I doubt I ever will be either. But we have each other, and that's what matters. It's really important to have engaging hobbies to keep one's mental health keen, so I dare you to master this by next December - it'd make me really happy to see you solving it!

Sincerely, Harry

He smiled and leaned away from his chair.

---

Animal forms, such as those of an Animagus and displayed by the Patronus, are dependent on the same aspect of a soul: the Spirit Animal. Although it's often said that such animals are equal, some are undoubtedly more equal than others. Select your Spirit Animal - you've got 22.5 Gnosis to spend.

[ ] Wolf - The intelligent, playful wolf. He is a pack hunter, devoted above everything to his family, ever in service to his loved ones. The wolf fits you exceptionally well.

[ ] Raven [5 Gnosis] - The cunning and wicked raven, freely patrolling the skies in search of adventure and secrets. Its calls of greed are familiar to you already.

[ ] Stag [7 Gnosis] - The indomitable and brave stag, a guardian of the forest, is associated with protection and majesty. It's also your father's very own.

[ ] Chimpanzee [14 Gnosis] - The empathetic and versatile chimpanzee: feels as humans do, and its workings may be arranged in a similar manner.

[ ] Phoenix [25 Gnosis] - The resplendent phoenix: eternal and immortal, its very presence bends the cosmos towards the aspects of justice.

And what are some of the more notable gifts that Harry might've received this Christmas? You may select three (3) or pay a sum of Gnosis equal to the additional options past that amount; one Gnosis per.

[ ] Magical Toothpaste - Apparently, Hermione's been trying to get into enchanting dental and hygiene products. She's managed to produce her first batch of effective toothpaste recently, and claims it can whiten your teeth almost immediately - a good amendment for your caffeine habits, or so she claims. Let's put that hypothesis to a good, hardy test, shall we? (She also wishes you Merry Christmas, of course.)

[ ] Mistletoe Wand - It's from Neville, oddly enough. These are illegal in most Wizarding countries, including Magical Britain. Mistletoe's almost no good for any proper Charmwork or spellcasting, but it can do a whole lot of Dark Arts and "meaner spells" just fine. However, its most notable and favorable attribute is that its spells generally can't be picked up by the Trace, save for especially powerful workings cast in especially public areas. You should be fine, though - just don't go summoning Azathoth or conjuring Reality Marbles out in the middle of the street.

He wishes you Merry Christmas and tells you to keep your secret practices secret.

[ ] Magical Broom - A good flying broom. It doesn't have the newest Charms on the market, but it's still a good piece of work, and it'll serve you faithfully. It came from Ron, alongside a short note, "I know you aren't as big on Quidditch as you pretend to be, but flying's a useful skill. Maybe try to get into it? Merry Christmas, mate -- Ron"

[ ] Jar of Peanut Butter - A whole goshdarn ounce jar of peanut butter. It came from Dumbledore - his initials were carved into the side of the jar, alongside a scratchily-written 'Merry Christmas.' It's odd how the glass seems to reflect the light... Huh.

[ ] Wiggenweld Potion (x6) - An entire batch of very high-quality healing potions, made from the finest available ingredients.

It came with a note, "As I seem to have recovered unusually quickly, I decided I may well put my new time to some good use. And I know that you, of all my students, will sadly need it the most. Attempt not to get into too much trouble this year, Potter: I've got my eye on you, and I remember. Merry Christmas, -- Severus Snape."

[ ] A Letter from D - An odd letter signed by someone calling themselves 'D.'

 

[Birdsie]

Here's what you'll be doing in January.

Astronomy (Omega Centauri Galaxy, Star Counting and Charting, Atomic and Stellar Sciences)
Charms (More Charms. Determination and Intent - Why Are They Necessary? More private lessons with Flitwick)
DADA (King Otter, basic Dark Arts combat defense, undoing the effects of elementary Jinxes)
Herbology (Soil-Enhancing Potion, Plant-Growth Charm, Dirigible Plum, Abyssinian Shrivelfig, Spiky Prickly Plant, Apples and Magical Varieties)
History of Magic (Development of the Wizengamot, Old British Wizard Culture, Druidic Cultures of Old Wales, First Goblin Contract)
Potions (Peacock Feather Plucking, Tartar Oil, Onion Juicing, Octopus Powder, Hungarian Fume Leaf, Garlief)
Transfiguration (Obliteration Charm, Basic Chain Transfiguration, Rabbits to Slippers, Pebbles to Rabbits, Grasses to Pebbles)

At the moment, you've got 0.05 Gnosis. Cannot afford anything.

Select your actions this month --

[ ] Devotion to Schoolwork - Harry dedicates around 80% of his active time in Hogwarts to learning and bettering his use of magic. He's also getting ready for the Astronomy OWLs, that encroach upon him like dark twilight shadows from the future. Current odds of achieving a perfect grade in OWLs: 10%.

[ ] Devotion to Investigation - Harry dedicates around 80% of his active time in Hogwarts to investigating the basement incident. As a result, he also gets in contact with Asmund and the rest of the engineering team, in hopes of cluing them in on his plans. 'Puffs stick together.

[ ] Write-in

---

Here's a character sheet for this quest.

As a reminder, you can join Discord here for discussion, as well as alert pings to let you know an update is going to come out in a short while. All discussion on Discord counts partially towards your Gnosis progression and offers boosted rewards if relevant parts of the discussion are reposted in the thread.

 

[Birdsie]

Earning His Stripes

"...Among the iconology of wizardkind, stars and moons feature most prominently - especially on clothing," Professor Binns recited, reading from an ectoplasmic tome. Although his voice was as dry as cracked leaves and unpleasant to listen to, he didn't possess the same, faintly irritated drawl as Professor Snape. "Any idea why?"

A hand shot up. Then, another.

"Mr. Potter?" With a huff of annoyance, Hermione lowered her hand. "Did I get your name right?"

"Yes, Professor," Harry confirmed, then continued. "Um, essentially, it's because most of the wizarding cultures in the world nowadays are descended, or related, to our British culture of wizardry. During Julius Caesar's foray into Albion - in 55 BC, I believe - his armies brought along a number of priests and patricians that we, nowadays, descend from. However, after remaining on the Isles, those wizards meshed together - culturally and magically - with the native population of druids and Celtic magicians. And those magicians believed, even back then, that celestial objects possessed great power: particularly stars, and the moon."

"And what of the sun?"

"Although worship of the sun was very common during those times, especially among the native Muggles, and wizards believed the sun to be a source of greatness, splendor, and luck, they didn't call upon it per se. They feared that its scathing rays might judge them too harshly." He didn't have the slightest clue what any of that meant. He was simply reciting the textbook passages from memory. It was the fifth paragraph of page three-hundred and seventy-five.

"Hmm, good. Twenty points to Huffle... yes, Ms. Granger?"

"Another thing, Professor - about the sun, I mean."

"Yes?"

"The sun god of the Roman Empire was known as Sol Invictus, meaning 'unconquerable,'" she said. "It was commonly believed that by using magic to openly call upon the sun was an invitation for one of the Powers into our world, and one that might feel challenged by the deed."

"Adequate description, yes, very good. Ten points to Ravenclaw."

The remainder of the lesson passed on uneventfully. Professor Binns spoke a little bit about the crunchy particulars of druidic cultures and behaviors, their magical abilities, and the mostly forgotten aspects of their rites. He also reminded everyone that Merlin was, technically, a druid. After class, Hermione caught up with Harry and Neville.

"I see you've been reading at night again!" she called out, a lace of affront running through her tone.

"Now that I've fully automated the process of doing my homework, I have plenty of free time," Harry replied with a casual, nonchalant drawl. He checked his fingernails playfully for any dirt, smirking. "I'm simply that good at magic, Hermione. Today, the Astronomy OWLs; tomorrow, the NEWTs."

"Oh, stop being a bull," Neville said, rolling his eyes. A common feature of bullying attempts - with emphasis on attempts, as Harry expertly parried any concrete insults or jinxes tossed at his back - was somehow tying them back to the theme of cows, given the scar spots on his body. It turned out that Malfoy had been mostly correct. Alas, even his friend Neville picked up the treacherous habit of calling Harry a slanderous bull or ox, mostly in a joking fashion; Harry permitted it, even though he disliked it.

"And where's your beret?" She squinted at his suspiciously barren head.

As though synchronized through the same clockwork wind-up mechanism, Neville and Harry simultaneously glanced down the hall, toward Luna Lovegood. The young girl was now enjoying total popularity among her First-Year peers. It wasn't entirely due to Harry's enchanted beret, but one couldn't deny the effect was definitely amplified. Under the right light, it almost looked as though Luna wore a small blueberry on top of her head. Apparently, Professor Sprout approved heartily of Harry's idea, assigning him even more points for displaying the true spirit of Hufflepuff by magnanimously sharing his greatness with others.

She'd worded it a little differently.

A blaggard, you are.

What's that?

A wizard insult. You wouldn't get it.

Harry shivered a little. As the days passed, Geist spoke to him less and less, although he maintained a regular regimen of beating the crap out of Harry's mind to get him to raise his Occlumency barriers quicker. It seemed the ghost was becoming more of a passive observer as time went on, and as a result, sometimes Harry could have difficulty recognizing whether something that Geist had said was actual, directed words, or simply his own background thoughts temporarily running on a particularly dry pessimism.

"Hey, Asmund."

"Harry," Asmund nodded.

He was alone, unaccompanied by Nova or Dusty, apparently returning from classes. It was the perfect opportunity to ask him.

"Find out anything about what happened to Dusty?" Harry asked in a hushed voice.

"...I... yeah, sort of," Asmund replied. "I've already told Dumbledore all I know. There was an intrusion, on the night it happened. The Aurors are discussing Polyjuice. And then someone died, apparently, but it wasn't a teacher or a student, so it had be one of the Aurors."

"And not a Dementor?"

"'Coz Dementors don't die," Asmund answered with a dry tone.

"Right. Well, see you later."

---

Anyway, now that January's behind you, select your actions for February and March. Here's your curriculum --

Astronomy (43P/Wolf–Harrington, Stellar Correspondences - Advanced, Drawing Stellar Correspondence Charts, Astrological-Animal Blessings)
Charms (Cheering Charm, Peeling Charm, Water-Float Charm, Spark Charm, Charmitorium, personal training w/ Flitwick)
Defense Against the Dark Arts (Review, General Introductory Daemonology, Advanced Ghost Banishing)
Herbology (Magical Trees, Exotic Mandrake Extract, Snowflake-Biting Column Tree)
History of Magic (Development of Wizarding Industry in the 1200s, Wizengamot Decree on the Three Enchantments, Goblin Decrees, Other Ancient Artifacts of Britain)
Potions (Introductory Explanation of Alchemy, Basic Alchemical Oil, Enhanced Variants of the Forgetfulness Potion)
Transfiguration (Magical Alphabets, Basic Rune Chart (Futhark), Lesser Switching Spell, Human Transmutation, Fingernail to Blade)

At the moment, you've got 2.5 Gnosis. As such, you may afford these, but nothing else:

[ ] Removal of the Accursed Name [1 Gnosis] - The name of the Dark Lord Voldemort is deprived of its magical power, and is no longer considered a taboo. As a result, the people of the world can speak it without Geist knowing, and he no longer derives any benefits from it. As a result, you can also say it as much as you want - the Dark Lord no longer possesses any significant power over the thread, although he may act disgruntled should you bully him too much. It doesn't seem like Geist cares overmuch.

[ ] Removal of the Envious Curse [1 Gnosis] - Remove the curse on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. As Sirius appears to be holding down the fort competently, this won't have much effect, but it's still a charitable act for future generations. Geist grumbles slightly but in his usual apathy, doesn't seem to care.

Do you wish to continue the investigation, or continue studying?

[ ] Study Even More [+1 Gnosis]
-[ ] Any particular focus for your studies? (Particular spells, domains)

[ ] Resume Investigation - Hm, the new information brings some facts to light. Maybe you should question Sirius or Ms. Nettlebane? Alternatively, you can attempt to eke the information out of a busy Auror's mind using Legilimency, while under the guise of Invisibility!
-[ ] Target (Write-in)

As a reminder, you're still providing Dumbledore with regular astrological charts. There's been nothing abnormal happening according to your predictions, and nothing is going to happen. Here's some other ideas of stuff you can do to spend the time:

[ ] Dueling Club - It's late into the year, sure, but Professor Flitwick's been urging you to go and show off your talents. With your current skills, you'd probably be able to give some of the Fourth Years a run for their money.

[ ] More Cooling Off - Hang out with your friends and do some fun things together.

[ ] Contemplate Death - How are you going to defeat a super-ancient super-being? Read up some books and tell Neville about your ideas.

 

[Birdsie]

Permission Slip

After his latest foray into the ongoing investigation, Harry decided to take a little break and channel his increasing skills in Astrology into a ritual to break the spell that young Voldemort had cast over the school's Defense Against the Dark Arts position. It didn't seem like Geist was bothered, even providing some advice in a couple of areas, particularly the nature of the Dark Arts that had been utilized in the curse's creation. However, in either case, Harry would have to wait several months to cast the spell, as the astral alignment necessary to break the curse only occurred twice a year, and the closest one was in late June.

It was a cool evening in the middle of March, and Harry was studying for an upcoming Charms pop quiz. Alas, the existence of the pop quizzes was no longer that great a mystery, now that Harry could anticipate them days in advance simply by looking at the night sky. The set of constellations best utilized to predict one's education or the fate of a school in general, wasn't usually that easy to read. Hogwarts, in particular, had a couple of stars with deep-rooted meaning attached to them. Deciphering the secret meanings of the stellar signs didn't consume as much time ever since he'd gained his attachment to the sky, but Harry wasn't eager on revealing such abilities.

"I think I'd like to become an Animagus," he commented off-handedly.

A snort rose from deep within. Geist's voice was modestly incredulous. Why?

"Haven't you said, like, that everyone's spirit animal is what defines both their Patronus and Animagus forms?"

I have. So you'd like to become a Phoenix shifter?

"Why not?"

Primarily because it's a waste of time. I mean, if being an Animagus was so great, don't you think I'd have done it already? Being an Animagus, even one whose alternate form is a particularly impressive and powerful magical beast, like a Phoenix, is almost worthless. I actively think less of people who've bothered with it, with few exceptions.

Oh? Who are those?

One is Pettigrew. He became an Animagus because he thought it'd be funny, and a good test of his skills. Also because it made sneaking around the castle easier. There were no other practical considerations. The others, you don't know, and I don't care to tell you about.

Okay, but what's so bad about having the option? Phoenixes are magical beings. They have useful abilities.

Like what? Crying tears that heal? Just buy some off the black market. Flying? Just get a broom and learn to use it. Resurrection? Only works if the Phoenix dies from old age, and its life cycle is so rapid that happens often - otherwise, it dies like any other living being. I suppose there's its unique form of Apparition and mild pyrokinesis, but you can learn both of these as a wizard. Its merits aren't as great as they seem, and it has the crucial demerit of actively preventing you from using wand magic while you're in that form. And sure, the Phoenix is flashy and impressive - it has a keen majesty that can't be replicated. That also draws attention. People are going to notice a Phoenix Animagus.

He slumped over his book. "Geist, you just love to suck the fun out of everything?"

If you really want it, don't let me prevent you. I'm talking about practical considerations, Harry. If the reason you want to turn into a giant fiery bird is to have the ability to turn into a giant fiery bird, rather than becoming stronger or better, then I have no objections.

So, at the end of the day, being an Animagus isn't that useful?

It can be if your form is sufficiently subtle. A rat or a cat, like McGonagall or Pettigrew, can sneak around and enter a lot of places unnoticed.

I think I'll become an Animagus anyway, and show you it can be pretty useful if you know how to apply it.

And you do? Once again, Geist snorted. Children...

Ugh.

On the next Thursday, after Charms and Transfiguration, Harry approached Professor Pettigrew after class. The gaunt man sat calmly behind his desk, dressed in a dark tartan suit that looked surprisingly good on him and arranged some papers that a couple of the students had turned in, presumably for reading and grading.

"Excuse me, Professor?"

"Yes?" Vaguely surprised that someone was speaking to him, Pettigrew looked up. "Mr. Potter, how can I help you?"

"I'd like to become an Animagus."

Pettigrew smiled thinly in response. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but the Animagus Transformation elective is only available for Fifth-Years and up."

"Can't an exception be made?"

"Certainly." A movement of the wand produced a minute paper slip, which Professor Pettigrew slid over in Harry's direction, across the desk. There was something almost patronizing in the motion. As Harry picked up the paper, he noted there were a number of dotted lines on it, as well as mystical symbols. It was a Ministry-stamped Animagus Course Exception Slip, as the bold letters in the upper center proclaimed. "I'll require the signatures of your guardian, as well as Professor McGonagall; who is both the Deputy Headmistress and the main Transfiguration Professor of our esteemed institution. After you bring the signed version to me, I'll enroll you next year. It's a bit late, now."

Not only Sirius but Professor McGonagall as well? He'd need to convince them both to allow him to partake in an advanced Transfiguration course several years ahead in the curriculum. That sounded outright impossible! Harry prevented himself from groaning in annoyance through an effort of concerted will.

He nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Professor."

"No problem, Mr. Potter." He paused, watching Harry with a curious look. "Will there be anything else?"

"No, sir." Harry realized he'd been standing and blankly staring off into space for several seconds, considering how to get Sirius and McGonagall to agree to sign. "Thank you again, and have a good day."

"You as well, Mr. Potter."

After returning back to his room following that day's lessons, Harry collapsed into his bed with a deep sigh.

Screw you, Geist, you knew this was going to happen.

Didn't you? The ghost sounded genuinely surprised.

No, how could I have?!

I mean, Pettigrew said as much during the beginning of the year. And while bending rules and even pranking fellow Professors is completely fine - as the worst he'd get is a mild reprimand from Dumbledore. This is a completely different matter. Secretly teaching the Animagus Transformation to a child without any relevant documentation? If anyone ever discovered he taught you and helped you perform the ritual - and he'd be the first suspect in any real scenario - he'd easily get life in Azkaban.

Ugh! Whatever, let's practice my Occlumency until it's time for the Inner Circle meeting. And then I have to drink my dream-killing potions...

---

Alright, so you've decided to present your findings regarding the event in the basement to the Hufflepuff Inner Circle, in hopes that maybe someone can provide you with additional data or at least direct aid in solving the issue. How far exactly are you planning to go with your revelations here? How do you present your findings? Although the Inner Circle is going to accept your words as truth, simply because Hufflepuffs trust each other inherently, the way you display the findings might affect whether people believe the events involved actually happened, or you simply misunderstood the nature of what you perceived.

[ ] Be Forthright - Explain everything that you observed and figured out, while providing commentary on things that need it (such as your Cloak of Invisibility.) Answer any questions with full disclosure, and don't be afraid to reveal most of your secrets excluding obvious things such as the existence of Geist.

[ ] Write-in

Also, you may (but don't have to) select one of these options:

[ ] Apocryphal Forbearance - Nothing of exceptional (Apocryphal) nature is going to happen in your Third Year at Hogwarts. All events will proceed as normal. This won't actively disrupt ongoing events or the plans of background characters, but won't encourage chaos or test your mettle actively either.
[ ] Singing Sunlight Remit - Ensures that you get one of the signatures for your Animagus Permission Slip.
[ ] Magic Boost - +.75 Gnosis, +10% to Gnosis Modifier this turn and next turn.

 

[Birdsie]

Convention of Tears

Among the Inner Circle's additions to the Hufflepuff Basement was something called simply the 'Gathering Room.' A relatively large, airy chamber with magical ventilation and no windows, and only a single door. Inside, there was an arrangement of comfortable chairs and a round table. As young as he was, in comparison to most of the gathered people, Harry felt slightly out of place, like a kid dressed in his father's business suit, not quite certain of what he was supposed to do. After some greetings and jovial banter, as well as the spreading of free bagels and coffee, the Head Boy, Anthony Barr encouraged Harry to begin presenting his case.

He spoke at great length, sparing not even the slightest detail or minor piece of data.

His only exemption was the fact he didn't mention any of Geist's involvement in the events because he wasn't certain how people might take the information that a Harry Potter, the infamous Chosen One, was walking around with the Dark Lord's voice stuck in his head. They'd probably think he was crazier than they already believed him to be.

Anthony looked around, then located Myles Lastark, the Head of Investigation. "Do you mind?"

"I've already done some looking into this, but didn't locate anything of particular note aside from what Harry's already said," the boy answered mildly. "It's actually pretty mysterious. I'd suppose the culprit was using this opportunity in which Dementors were relatively available to test some magical device on them."

"That seems to be the motivation, yes," another person supported.

"But I have no idea what the device's purpose is," Myles added with a shrug. "Restriction? An experiment by some enterprising sorcerer to make a device helpful in breaking out of Azkaban? I can't even say that much."

"That'd be, like, super-illegal," Nova cut in.

"Yes, quite," Anthony said. "It's unlikely to be a student. Otherwise, there'd be no need for a disguise. All it'd result in would be a stern reprimand, as with Dusty."

"Why disguise as a Hufflepuff, then, and who's done it?" Harry asked.

"Dusty's known for faffing about with that kind of stuff," Asmund said. "That's probably why."

"Might it be last year's terrorist?" someone questioned.

"Unlikely." Another person displayed, then copied and spread around, a chart of Astrology for everyone to see, scintillatingly clear and with an English translation of its results. Alongside it was a Ministry Department of Magical Law Enforcement report, penned by a high-ranking Auror, saying their investigation was concluding the Azkabanite was unlikely to attack Hogwarts again or strike at any public targets within the next year. It suggested patrolling and maintaining increased divinatory enforcement in AFBM zones, or 'Areas Frequented By Muggles.'

"And your case is that we should resolve this conundrum?" Anthony questioned. Seated on his right, Asmund was distractedly playing with his wand, using it almost like a chisel to carve away strips and chips of wood from the table.

"Yes. It affected one of our House with disciplinary action, so it should be an issue we take interest in," Harry said elegantly.

"Of course," Myles said. "I'll pick up this evidence and pass it onto some people I know."

"In any case," Anthony said, "We ought to secretly forward this to Dumbledore, in case he might've figured something out."

"Does Dumbledore get involved in stuff like this?" Harry blinked. "And do we really have such good contact with him?"

"Of course he does," Anthony replied. "Things such as these happen every year."

"Part of the magic, they say," Asmund muttered as he stood up.

"So, the meeting's concluded," the Head Boy finished, also standing. "Until the next, everyone."

As Harry vacated the room and moved upstairs to participate in the daily breakfast in the Great Hall, Geist spoke up with unusual volume and tenacity, as though subtly irked by something that Harry hadn't fully perceived.

I am not going to complain...

But? Harry drew an eyebrow.

But informing Dumbledore's a terrible idea. You do realize they'll inform Dumbledore about your Cloak of Invisibility, and from there he'll spread it to the faculty? It was your sole advantage against every teacher, except maybe Snape.

Speaking of, how did Snape know I'm wearing the Cloak? And tear it away from me?

He's undead.

Ha!

No, seriously, that's the only explanation I can think of. You're wielding a powerful, I dare say primordial, artifact. It should grant you the same powers of concealment as Death's own robe, according to legend. Did you know that Death can't be astrologically predicted? I'm sure you've noticed, and before you cut in - oh, sure, danger can be predicted - and once danger reaches a sufficient level, Death is certain. But you can't actually predict the day or the hour with complete certainty, as they say. Your chart might say that you're completely safe, only for a piano to fall on top of you from nowhere. Wanna know how I know?

Because you died even though you knew you shouldn't have?

Exactly. Fate is so goddamn predictable until it comes to the subject of Death. The one matter that wizards can never seemingly crack. The ghost cleared his throat, mentally. It was an odd sensation, and an even stranger sound, as it was purely inside of Harry's thoughts.

Anyway, that Cloak should make you as invisible to all of a living being's senses as possible, including the metaphorical living world. If Snape's able to see through, he's got some power that's incomprehensible to us, or he's simply not alive. Only dead things can see Death. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

Oh, man, are you using linguistic metaphors as thaumaturgical foundations? Flitwick said not to do that.

Flitwick's stupid. Guess what, Harry? The sun isn't literally made of gold, and the moon isn't all cheese.

Wait, but alchemically, isn't the moon sil-

Shush. Be quiet, before I use Legilimens on you.

Stupid Geist.

Breakfast occurred without any major interruption. Harry chatted with Neville and several other boys in Hufflepuff, mostly about Quidditch. He'd stopped getting second looks ever since he moved some of his cursed skin patches into slightly less visible places.

Once he saw her standing up from her seat at the High Table and leaving, presumably to teach Transfiguration, Harry swiftly approached McGonagall, permission slip in hand. She noticed him out of the corner of her eye, and frowned sternly, not slowing down her tread. He managed to catch up anyway.

"Excuse me, Professor."

"Mr. Potter, how can I help?"

"I'm sorry to bother you," he apologized genuinely. "Do you mind signing for this?"

As Harry held out the paper, she actually paused her inexorable march to peek at his permission slip. She adjusted her glasses minimally, squinting at the writing, then her frown deepened. "Animagus course, Mr. Potter? Why should I?"

"I'd really like to be an Animagus."

"I have not yet heard a response to my question, Mr. Potter," McGonagall replied harshly. "Becoming an Animorph is no small undertaking. It requires exceptional dedication and skill in Transfiguration. Did you know that insufficiently skilled Animagi often have issues turning back into their human form?"

"I know! But I promise I'll study."

She gazed at him for the longest time, expression flat.

"If you manage to get an Outstanding in Transfiguration this semester, and maintain your coursework diligently in Astronomy, completing the OWLs to my satisfaction, I will consider your plight, Mr. Potter," she said, in a weary tone. As he smiled, she immediately undercut his joy, speaking in a forbidding and warning tone, "However, should I hear even once of incomplete or foolish homework - or Merlin forbid, a school rule violation, you can say goodbye to the Animagus Course. Am I understood?"

"Yes'm."

"Good." She moved on, leaving his paper unsigned.

Hm, the old crone's got some fire in her belly, Geist remarked casually. You shouldn't bother with the studying she demanded. I can teach you to brew a most subtle pheromone that will ensnare her senses and get her to sign without any fuss. Even if you remark on it afterward, she'll be utterly convinced she simply changed her own mind.

Um, is that ethical?

What, controlling people's actions to do what you want? Sure. If they're stupid enough to obstruct your path of ultimate justice, it's not only ethical to do, but unethical not to do it. You'd like to transform into a phoenix, right? I'd rather have you possess a stable Animagus form as a phoenix than waste time on trivialities.

I... would that even work? The signature can't be faked.

It can't be faked, but nobody said that it can't be compelled.

I'll consider it...

A skeevy feeling came over Harry as he considered the idea. It'd be akin to poisoning, or even using the Imperius curse to puppeteer McGonagall's actions before making her forget the signing. The signature couldn't be faked, but nobody said that it couldn't be compelled... There was something dark and inhuman in those words.

"Hey, let's go," Neville tapped him on the arm, breaking him out of his reverie, "Charms is in five minutes."

---

[ ] Dedicate Yourself - It's not like McGonagall's demands are irrational or exceptionally difficult. She's merely demanding that you devote more time towards Transfiguration to ensure your own safety! Apply yourself and give in to her command.

[ ] I Heard A Rumor... - Apply Geist's dubious solution instead, learning how to brew the subtle yet effective Mind-Scouring Potion, then use it on Professor McGonagall to get her to sign your permission slip. It saves you a lot of time to spend on other things instead, such as breaking through to another level of power in your Legilimency.

Anything else you'd like to do before the next turn of actions begins? Only relatively minor actions that may be completed within a week.
[ ] Write-in

 

[Birdsie]

Fallen Kingdom

April, a calm and uneventful Sunday, the clock striking only several minutes away from midnight. A cool gust of wind blew in through the open window, rolling the yellow-black tapestries, smelling faintly of nightsoil and salt. Tomorrow, the day would start with Potions and then Transfiguration. Any sane child would've gone to sleep.

Harry couldn't. He stared up at the ceiling, bleary-eyed, passing the night in loneliness with his own thoughts. Even Geist was resting, dreaming in a placid half-death, not quite present, yet an arm's reach away. A single call and the Dark Lord's own ghost would rise from the subconscious murk to faithfully answer his questions. He raised a hand up to the ceiling, as though attempting to blot out an invisible smear, staring at his own knuckles. He clenched his fist in a kind of emotion that he couldn't describe; a mixture of exhaustion, exasperation, and rage at his own insomnia. Then, his fist dropped back down, and he closed his eyes, grunting.

Novice Atra.

Somewhen; a forever ago, someone by that name had lived and died, in a place forgotten by legend and time. A young boy that didn't understand the impending doom of his own people. And then, his memory became a device of torture for another boy, stuck in a game of Ancients, Guardians, and Powers.

"I'm not even started, and I'm beginning to get sick of it," Harry muttered, getting up from bed. He unstoppered the herbal mixture on his bedside. Its scent was unpleasant, but he powered through and took a deep gulp of the potion. Instantly, most of his weariness and negativity faded away, like the remnants of a bad dream.

He greedily drank another mouthful, stoppered the potion, and put it back down.

"Accio," he lazily said. A map rustled, then came into his hand. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Accio," he said again. His glasses came into his waiting fingers, and he put them on.

He examined the hallways of the castle, with particular focus on the higher floors, and squinted in suspicion immediately. He scrolled into the dungeons, then back up to the third and fourth floor, and carefully studied the routes the black-ink feet were taking down, and his frown deepened.

The Auror patrols were irregular tonight. Everyone was patrolling solo, and it was as though none of them wanted to stay in one area for too long; moving with a kind of hurried bounce, taking long and fast strides. Occasionally, a shift supervisor would appear seemingly out of nowhere, stop one of the Aurors and converse with them for a minute, before disappearing and letting them resume. Every once in six of these conversations, the Auror would disappear alongside the supervisor instead, leaving an area unsupervised. A minute following such a disappearance, something that left behind footsteps, but didn't have a nametag attached, would slowly make its way through.

Then it'd disappear, much as it appeared. And then, it'd repeat all over again, leaving Harry transfixed for what must've been at least fifteen minutes, doing nothing but observing the motions of the Aurors against the nameless being.

He decided immediately that he wanted to see it up close, in case it was related to the Dementor event, and started gathering up his things.

A threat entity, Geist remarked, in a wistful tone.

"What?" Harry stopped in the buckling of his pants.

It's a division.

"I don't understand."

Legilimency doesn't work on it.

"Alright," Harry admitted, "That's slightly more useful."

And then, Geist was silent, as though he'd drawn on the last reserves of mental stamina. Harry continued to dress up, and then put on his Cloak of Invisibility. A small knot of anxiety appeared in his stomach at the thought that Dumbledore was keeping an eye on him, and that somehow he'd know that Harry was getting up to misadventures on midnight, especially when he wasn't supposed to, but that fear was quashed by the confidence of picking up his wand and feeling its reassuring solidity. A single line, to render apart reality and reveal its secrets to his eyes. Harry smiled, then moved up the stairs. It took him a minute to traverse the castle's dark hallways.

As he did, he observed the movements of the Aurors and noted one of them on the third floor speeding up. Harry momentarily turned and reached that Auror's position only seconds later. He followed after the old man; a silent observer of events.

The Auror, one Hector Pentelbury, spoke into a hand mirror, "It's here. I'm setting down a spike."

He reached into his robes and removed a magical device composed of many elements, partially crafted from brass and in other places, polished wood. It was remarkably familiar, and in seconds, Harry realized it was the device he'd seen in use down in the basements. Allegedly, it was the device that Dusty attempted to use against a Dementor. In spite of the Auror's name for it, Harry thought it looked more like a small pyramid with an orb at the top. A second after the 'spike' was set down, the Auror's supervisor appeared with the characteristic snap of Apparition and took his arm. Then, both men disappeared.

"Uh-oh."

Harry realized he was in the middle of a dangerous place. He unrolled the map and looked at it.

Down the same hallway that he was in, some fifty meters away, a pair of feet was approaching. As before, there was no concrete name attached. Harry looked up in alarm, but couldn't see anything in the darkness. He couldn't risk casting a Wand-Lighting Charm.

He moved away from the footsteps, in the opposite direction, and waited.

A silhouette moved in the shadows, then. A figure similar to a Dementor, but with its deeper shape indiscernible. As it moved over the spike set on the floor, its mechanisms twisted and discharged a bolt of green lightning into the figure, making it shriek lowly. Harry felt his scar pulse in sympathy.

I never told you the complete truth, but now I'm able to, Geist spoke out of nowhere. I am not the complete soul of the Dark Lord. I am a facet of his being. The kindness and human feelings that lived in him. It's only natural that I would latch onto you.

The green lightning ran through the dark cloud of the figure's body, like an electric storm through a cloud of volcanic ash. It shrieked and then swiped a claw, and the lightning was balled, dancing between its fingers, locked into an orb. It crushed the energy and then screamed in frightful rage. A dozen Aurors came in out of nowhere, a staccato of the snaps and pops of Apparition filling the empty hallway. They began to cast spells; jinxes and spirit-banishing Charms; warding and abjuration Charms. A rainbow of a hundred magical lights outlined the corridor in their lambency.

As the Aurors assigned to watching over you as a child figured out, other fragments of the Dark Lord survived the shattering event that your mother caused. I believe we've already seen one of those fragments before. You even chased it away using a water pistol, didn't you?

The Pottergeist, staring into its own reflection in the Dursley House. Harry felt a surge of pain in his scar.

As though magnetized, these fragments are now fated to eternally seek each other out; half-living until rejoined. I piggyback on your own brain to achieve sentience, but they are seldom so lucky. Naturally, the Aurors are concerned with eliminating them. If too many fragments accumulate, well... who knows what might happen?

The dark ghost, the Dark Lord's frightful remnant, dashed forward into an Auror, absorbing several curses and spells. Its malicious red eyes gleamed with sadistic joy as it came within an arm's reach of him. It slashed its claws across the man's throat, dissevering his windpipe, and leaving dark smoke flying from the wound.

An Auror moved to seize his bleeding colleague, raising a wand, and they both blurred and collapsed into a single point, disappearing in a snap of Apparition. The ghost had no interest in them, occupied with the others who'd redoubled their efforts to distract it.

Have you never considered how insane you are, Harry Potter? How mad you must appear to others? How your friends might question you should they know the manner in which you spoke to Bellatrix Lestrange? There is no telepathy involved in any of this. It's as simple as this: you're schizophrenic, yet completely lucid - sick in the mind.

Harry moved and narrowly dodged a spray of conjured arrows. They rippled through the ghost's flesh with surprising effectiveness, leaving its arms hanging loosely by threads of shadowy muscle. It roared and moved, delivering a knee into the stomach of an Auror, making the man double over and cast a spell to send himself flying back to safety.

And I am the virus that's rooted deep within you, cutting away the labyrinthal network of protections your soul builds up to consume me.

The ghost took a look at its surroundings, reading into how much the battle's turned since its beginning, and its eyes seemed to lock in on Harry momentarily before it ignored him once again. There were now six Aurors left standing against it.

I survive as a parasite, and exist only inside your soul, containing fragments of spiritual memory; and you, possessing a malleable child's mind, with all of your cognitive plasticity, managed to delude yourself into believing that I am some 'mental ghost' that speaks and reveals secrets to you. There's no such thing. Anything I tell you is something you know yourself already. I have no sentience, and the evidence for it is that only a couple of sentences ago, I claimed that I do. How could the Dark Lord, the man who nearly conquered Britain, in all his wisdom, make such a baseless and witless assertation? To double back on his own statement?

An Auror cast a powerful spell; a claw swipe that bent space around its severance lines, carving great rivulets out of the ghost's malformed corpus. Glowing ectoplasm leaked out of its wounds, like pus or blood. Its form was corroded by dark magics and a deep silence, forbidding the speaking of its name.

The answer is simple: there is no logic to anything I say because I'm simply an embodiment of all your insanity that's accumulated over time. I'm the product of a broken, shattered mind - the working of your own forebears, a son to 'defeat' a Dark Lord that can't be defeated. A repeat of Dumbledore's own insanity.

"Fantasma Fevgei!" An Auror thrust his wand, and the dark ghost disappeared into the floor.

And now we're stuck like this, in a vicious cycle of excellent self-torture.

The Aurors began to clean up the scene, getting rid of any evidence of the battle. Harry was no longer interested, returning back to his room and thinking about what he'd seen and heard. Along the way, he entered something resembling a torpid, half-dead state, no longer cognizant of himself.

He managed to find his own messy bed and returned back to sleep, capable of doing it without the slightest issue this time around.

I had a strange dream last night, he thought on the next morning.

Are you sure it was a dream? You don't normally have dreams, Geist said.

It couldn't have been anything else, he insisted.

If you insist.

---

It's time for April and May. Here's your curriculum. It's the last game turn before your Astronomy OWLs --

Astronomy (Grand Astronomy, Astronomical Markings in Alchemy, Alchemical-Astronomical Correspondence, Astrological Practice, Final Revision)
Charms (Repelling Spell, Impediment Jinx, Leg-Locker Curse, Severing Charm, personal training w/ Flitwick)
Defense Against the Dark Arts (Water Demons, Air Demons, Fire Demons, Earth Demons, Ghost & Intangible Demon Workshop)
Herbology (Comfrey, Cherries, Snakeweed, Starthistle)
History of Magic (Soap Blizzard of 1378, Werewolf Code of Conduct, Elfric the Eager, Gargoyle Strike of 1911, Uric the Oddball, Wielders of the Elder Wand, Medieval Assembly of European Wizards, International Warlock Convention of 1289, 1883 Riot at the British Ministry of Magic Headquarters)
Potions (Saltpeter, Antidote to Common Poisons, Hair-Raising Potion, Pompion Potion, Scintillating Solution, Swelling Solution)
Transfiguration (Coin-Switching Spell, Pillow to Rock, Feather to Quill, Steel to Brass, Coal to Powder)

At the moment, you've got 6.7 Gnosis.

[ ] Removal of the Accursed Name [1 Gnosis] - The name of the Dark Lord Voldemort is deprived of its magical power, and is no longer considered a taboo. As a result, the people of the world can speak it without Geist knowing, and he no longer derives any benefits from it. As a result, you can also say it as much as you want - the Dark Lord no longer possesses any significant power over the thread, although he may act disgruntled should you bully him too much. It doesn't seem like Geist cares overmuch.

[ ] Removal of the Envious Curse [1 Gnosis] - Remove the curse on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. As Sirius appears to be holding down the fort competently, this won't have much effect, but it's still a charitable act for future generations. Geist grumbles slightly but in his usual apathy, doesn't seem to care.

[ ] Martian Malevolence Methodology [7 Gnosis] - At the moment, you've got 10 Covenant Strength to summon demons and maintain pacts with them. After this, you'll cast a ritual spell that permanently carves a channel in your soul for the holding of demonic energy - a permanent upgrade that, in essence, lets you have infinite demonic pacts. As long as you have the stamina to endlessly recite the proper rituals, and assuming there are enough of the entities you're looking for, you can assemble an effectively infinite army of demonic servants eventually. (Do remember that even relatively powerful demons don't pose much threat for a trained wizard, especially an Auror!)

[ ] A Song of Forever [5 Gnosis] - Increase your Skill with a chosen discipline of magic instantly, up to a third of a stage higher, though with modestly decreasing returns past the level of Adept. May be purchased multiple times.

Anything else you'd like to do? By default, Harry's going to focus slightly more on Transfiguration in this turn, confident enough in his skill with Astronomy to not study. (Most of the actions proposed on the last turn sadly aren't applicable for various reasons, but if you insist, Harry can look for Animagus tutoring elsewhere, in private sources.)

[ ] Write-in

 

[Birdsie]

Arrow of Time

An Herbology lesson in the field. As the sunlight warmed the fields of northern Scotland, Professor Sprout elected to herd the mixed Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff class of students into the periphery of the Forbidden Forest in search of fantastic and exotic flowers and fungi. The team to gather the best crop was going to enjoy more points.

"Yes, I've done the Amato Animo Animato Animagus incantation this morning. You don't have to beat me up over it."

"Good."

"First, it's the saliva-drenched mandrake leaf, then gathering a bunch of stupid morning dew, and I have to keep doing this incantation every morning and not forget about it, or else I'll have to do it over again. Becoming an Animagus sure is annoying."

"Don't forget dangerous. I've heard of people attempting this and transforming into half-human half-animal abominations, with no known cure."

Frustratingly, there weren't many Animagi in Hufflepuff. It seemed that for all of its inclusiveness and humility, none of its members were particularly interested in such esoteric fields as self-transformation, or the deeper studies of forms. And there didn't seem to be that many Animagi to start with; according to Ron, he was able to count the total number of Animagi he knew on the fingers of one hand, and a majority of those were Hogwarts professors. Likewise in Neville and Hermione's case, and none of Harry's friends were interested in studying and mastering the transformation themselves, so he was alone in this pursuit.

Gabriel Tate, a senior prefect, informally in charge of keeping the younger students in Hufflepuff happy, oblivious, and productive, sternly informed Harry that McGonagall's demands were correct, stated for his own benefit, and even if he wanted to be a secret Animagus, he should focus his efforts on studying Transfiguration in order to perform the rituals involved in a manner that was both safe and hygienic. He warned Harry of the myriad of tragic and painful fates that befell youthful wizards and witches that sought to overstep beyond their appointed magical skill. But that sounded boring and stupid, so Harry had other ideas.

As Geist looked on and commented with dry humor, he'd sought out a tutor of his own, using Astrological rites to divine the identity of an individual perfectly aligned to his own interests, and willing to guide him on the path ahead. And such an individual emerged soon thereafter.

"Yeah, whatever," Harry said, with a bright smile. "I can't wait until I'm able to turn into a phoenix."

"That's your takeaway here, huh?" Cho sagged a little.

It was a surprise that a Ravenclaw student his own age was an unregistered Animagus, and experienced enough to perform the transformation wandlessly, but Harry found that fate had an interesting way of twisting its paths and surprising him. Apparently, she'd learned and undergone the Animagus transformation as a young child, identically to her own mother, and her mother's mother before her, and so on until probably the beginning of their bloodline. Imagine her surprise when Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and recently infamous celebrity and target of bullying asked her about the entire thing out of nowhere.

"Sure," Harry agreed amicably, intent on changing the topic. "Anyway, Cho, I have something of an odd question."

"Shoot."

"Imagine you're schizophrenic-"

"Oookay..." Mission failed, she was already weirded out.

"-and, like, you have a second personality, right? And it's this suspicious, paranoid, annoying person, talking constantly in your head that keeps second-guessing you and trying to spook you by saying odd things, like that you have schizophrenia."

"Uh-huh, I follow." She nodded absently, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"And then the second personality, it says you're insane, and not-" Harry realized something and stopped. "Wait, no, I explained wrong. Imagine that you have a fragment of another person's soul in you, and every now and then, their undead voice whispers secrets to you. Sometimes, in your sleep. Sometimes, in the classroom. But instead of correctly understanding its own sapience, this fragment believes your soul is gradually eating away parts of it, or maybe already did a long time ago, when you were born, and now you're kind of just insane and schizophrenic and have a second personality in you. But that's weird, right? Since then you'd just be telling yourself that you're insane, but you'd be telling yourself that through layers of insanity. It doesn't make sense, it's like a paradox - a set that contains every set contains itself. You know what I mean?"

He looked over at her, eyes searching for compassion.

"Harry, I don't know that much about those potions you take before sleep, but maybe lay them off," Cho said. "I don't think they're doing you any good."

"Nah. I think they're pretty good for me. I used to have nightmares before the potions. I'd constantly see an extremely advanced civilization of hyperborean wizard-kings fall over and over to a storm of green lightning, only to be tormented for eternity in a black void."

"Wow."

"I know! Insane, right?"

His query didn't inspire confidence, as Cho didn't respond. She looked down and momentarily bent over to carelessly pick out some mugwort, throwing the small plant in their shared wicker basket that floated behind them. The enchanted basket moved to catch the herbs.

A crimson flare rocketed into the sky with a sudden whistle of startling noise, around three hundred or so paces to their left. A sign to conclude the exercise and return back to the main grounds before it got dark.

"Oh, how much do I pay?" Harry asked.

"Same as last time. Ten galleons."

He coughed up the appropriate sum, alongside the alchemical pills he'd promised. She looked at them distastefully for a moment. Cho conjured some clean water in the palm of her hand and swallowed them in a single gulp. Immediately, the contents of their conversation faded away from her mind, to return only upon a specific trigger phrase being spoken, one they'd agreed upon when hashing out the details of the Animagus training idea. Harry, meanwhile, took a couple of moments and restructured his own memories to put the conversation as deep down as possible without completely forgetting about its existence.

"Talk to you later, Harry," Cho said, casual but distant.

"Yeah, see you." He copied the basket's form using a spell, conjuring one for himself based on its schema, and they split up the herbs in a mostly fair manner and moved to return back to their own teams.

My God, Geist laughed, as Harry stepped back through the forested twilight. It's insane how insane you are. I know that wizards are supposed to be crazy by nature - not a single one I've ever met that's healthy or well-adjusted by any definition of those words - but you're something else.

"I'll prove that you exist, eventually," Harry said.

You're actually fucking crazy, kid. Like, completely insane. You're hellbent on proving to yourself that your split personality, that calls upon subconscious memories from a half-decayed soul fragment and stimulates defragmented intellectual function has some underlying independence from you, even when it's convinced itself that it doesn't actually exist, Geist said. It makes sense you'd hire a squirrel Animagus as your private confidante and therapist; squirrels like nuts, and you're nuttier than Nutella.

"If you're so convinced that you don't exist, why keep referring to yourself in the first person?"

I don't know. Maybe I'm your tulpa or something, or maybe you're not insane enough to confuse yourself constantly. How about you focus on becoming an Animagus instead of questioning a partition of yourself that has enough experience to call upon to recognize the absence of definite qualia?

"Whatever. You're a stupid brain tumor, and you always will be." Harry quieted the ghost forcefully.

---

Alright, good news - you're learning the Animagus transformation. Illegally, and in secret, I might add.

Bad news, you might be nuttier than Nutella, or maybe Geist is still wrong. Who knows, and how would you recognize the difference between yourself and a spirit that's half-melded into you anyway? This sounds more like an issue of applied psychology and philosophy than magic.

Harry unfortunately isn't willing to delve back into the Chamber of Secrets at the current juncture. He doesn't see much of a need. He's found some awesome stuff down there on his first visit, but most of the gizmos he found were too advanced for his level, and he doubts that's changed over a single year. He's already handed over the notes on the sky diamond over to Ornias, but the demon had little fortune in puzzling out Salazar Slytherin's personal studies. Besides, Harry doubts that Geist would cooperate with the Parseltongue necessary to grant him entry, given his recent crankiness.

If you wish to finish the Animagus transformation in a timely fashion (before summer), you'll need to devote some time away from studying for the last straight of the year, and that's going to impact your scores in most subjects. As a matter of fact, your yearly grade in the given subject might suffer a decrease in whatever subject you choose to focus less on. The question is then, naturally, where do you cut your attention away from? As Transfiguration is pretty essential, Harry's a little wary of reducing his attention to it, nd learning less of Astronomy isn't an option with your upcoming Astronomy OWL. As such, that leaves the following:

[ ] Herbology
[ ] Potions
[ ] History of Magic
[ ] DADA
[ ] Charms

Most of your educators will be disappointed to see your sudden lack of progress. Particularly, Professor Snape might turn up his nose at you and take away a bunch of points from Hufflepuff for perceived failures or laziness (Harry's not confronted him about the whole undeath thing, and is planning to do that only at the end of the year, when it's safest.) In the other subjects, your teachers are Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and Sirius, all of whom have decently high hopes for you. As such, that leaves History as the only subject where you wouldn't be significantly disappointing someone.

Also, on the plus side, you're about to remove the curses, as the window of opportunity is open soon enough.

Anyway, your free time is mostly unchanged. Decide what you'll spend it on:

[ ] Summoning Demons - As the Auror presence in the castle will be significantly reduced over the summer, it's now safest to increase your network of evil spirits. Put a bunch of them to work, maybe search the Black Lake, scour the Forbidden Forest, and do some redecorating in your private spots over the castle.
[ ] Preparing for the Ministry Break-in - As Geist had explained, breaking into the Department of Mysteries is no small task. He'd never managed to do it casually in his life, but he also didn't have the massive boon that is your Cloak of Invisibility. He's confident that a couple of months will suffice to let you break in without trouble.
[ ] Untracing Your Wand - There are some pretty simple methods for removing the Trace, but they require time and skill. You're at roughly the appropriate level of magical talent that you can remove it from your primary wand.
[ ] Write-in

 

[Birdsie]

Avenging Wand

It seemed that Geist possessed a wealth of information regarding the Trace, especially its removal.

The Ministry of Magic's Improper Use of Magic Office implemented a double-step verification system for spellcasting.

The first stage is wand-side. All wands sold commercially, themselves, have the Trace placed upon them, legally implemented upon the creation of a wand by Ministry regulations. The spell is programmed to automatically fade away once it detects that its bonded wielder is above the age of majority.

However, as long as the Trace continues to exist on a wand, it sends out a ping on every cast spell, recording the type of spell that was cast in the information. That information is picked up by the Improper Use of Magic Office. Allegedly, this could only happen when the spell doesn't pick up on the presence of a certain environmental factor, so the spell doesn't trigger in places such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, or Ministry-approved wizarding areas that comply with standard regulations and practices.

Nobody was certain whether this alleged information was the unbiased truth, but given that most Dark Wizards weren't frequently arrested when practicing only in their own homes seemed to indicate it was factual. One rare point of positivity in the Ministry's favor when it came to respecting people's privacy in their own homes.

The second stage is Ministry-side. An astrological device, called simply the Trace Orb, in the Improper Use of Magic Office confirms a ping, records its data, and prints out a scroll containing the information. A clockwork golem operating next to the associated station cuts out the scroll with a knife, hands it over to an investigator, and the investigator studies its contents to determine whether magic was actually improperly used. It's exactly at this point that a young wizard might receive a letter informing them that the Ministry made note of the misdemeanor and infracted them.

In pure theory, removing an enchantment of that sort from an object, such as the Trace from its attached wand, was simplicity itself. Even a third-year Hogwarts student of particular incompetence and brazenly dull wit possessed the theoretical skills to do so and would be able to do so given a couple of hours, a standard reference document, and some objects to practice on before the actual attempt. The issue came with the Ministry side of things, as the Trace Orb was capable of detecting, recording, and printing out the data that a Trace spell went offline. Normally, once a wizard reached the age of majority, this would be simply disregarded.

However, when this wasn't the case, it'd instantly become clear a serious violation had occurred. A successful attempt of removing the Trace from a wand without Ministry approval, depending on who carried it out, was punishable by removal of the wand and restrictions on magical casting until the age of majority, expulsion from Hogwarts, up to seven years in a magical prison, or even - yes, indeed - a short trip to hotel Azkaban itself. That one was usually reserved for extreme cases, such as mass removals.

However, there were certain conditions under which the Trace Orb didn't properly operate, and couldn't pick up the Trace from certain areas. A thunderstorm happened to be one of them, and so, on the same day that Harry finished his Animagus training, he'd also have an opportunity to remove the Trace.

They stood upon the peak of the Astronomy Tower, on the edge of its balustrade, as the dark clouds gathered and swirled, storms gathering.

"A blanket?" Harry asked Cho. "What for?"

"Harry, when you transform, you'll leave your clothes behind," she explained, discomfited. "It's always like that on your first transformation. It'll take you a while before you can go back, but when you do, you'll probably be buck-naked."

His cheeks went slightly red, but not as much as they would have a year ago. He looked away, blinking. "Do you promise not to look?"

"I'll forget anyway."

"You're right."

"Anyway, what did you bring a second wand for?"

"I'm removing the Trace from my wand," he explained in an easygoing manner. "I'm planning to break into the Department of Mysteries at the earliest available opportunity, probably this summer, so I can find out where they're keeping Death, so I can fight him for killing people. It should be easy since I can become invisible."

She merely shook her head. Then, when he didn't chuckle or laugh, stared at him. "Are you... Oh Merlin, you're for real?"

"I'm always real. Not unlike my schizophrenic brain ghost."

"Harry, that's a terrible idea," she told him, sounding modestly terrified. "And Death... isn't some magical spirit you can find and fight."

"Nah, I'm sure they're keeping Ol' Grim somewhere in there. I'll find him and kick his ass." He pulled out a canteen and took a swig of Wiggenweld for bravery. The leaf in his mouth could handle that kind of moisture, fortunately. It wasn't going to react with anything magical or alchemical in his mouth. "For my dead Muggle family."

"Rrright. So what are you doing first?"

"I'll handle the Trace first. Once I'm in my other form, it'll be hard to cast spells."

"Right."

The storm clouds gathered and brewed, a dark eye of cyclones above. A bolt of lightning struck the earth in the Forbidden Forest, and its many animals scattered for cover as it started to rain. A great and terrible darkness befell the world, shielding it from the sun, as thunder reached them at last, with the storefront.

"Alright, I think it's time."

He took out the precious wand he'd bought at Ollivander's, slightly regretting the terrible thing he was about to do to it. A rarity even in medieval times, antique Roman wand wood, and exceptional make. It didn't deserve this kind of treatment.

Gently, carefully, he placed his fingers on very particular spots on the wand's length; one finger in the middle, another in a spot close to the tip, but not the tip itself. Cho observed as he applied force until the wood began to crack and snap. He didn't go all the way, allowing the wood to hang loosely by several splinters, but the glorious core underneath was revealed, sparkling with golden magical energy. He watched as the magic in the wand faded and leaked away, the enchantments placed by Ollivander's ancestors fading away. And soon, the Trace went away too.

He picked out the spare wand and cast the spell, over and over. "Reparo Maxima." A number of splinters regenerated, but it wasn't a complete repair. It was difficult to fix a wand. "Reparo Maxima."

"Here, let me," Cho offered. She moved her wrist and unleashed a translucent swirl of energy into his wand. "Reparo Maxima."

"It's fixed." He smiled. "And Traceless."

"Is that really how you remove the Trace?" she asked. "Snap your wand in the middle of a storm and fix it?"

"Yes, the Ministry is going to be none the wiser."

She nodded, then handed over his crystal phial. Harry accepted it warily. "Animagus time; I'll be here for you in case something goes wrong."

Animagus time indeed, Geist laughed within. Are you ready to die? To feel the pain? I've heard that one's first transformation is agonizing, especially without proper Transfiguration practice. You haven't learned a quarter of what McGonagall prescribed you. Are you ready to die? he repeated.

You could've told me this earlier.

Nervous, Potter?

"Don't worry, Harry," Cho reassured him. "If anything goes wrong, I'm ready to help."

"Thank you." He looked down at the potion. "Right then, let's go."

He nodded in a salutory manner to Cho, uncorking the Animagus potion and downing it. Its substance was thick and slimy, more like minced gelatin than fluid, and it didn't go into him pleasantly. Its sludgy texture came with a deep bitterness, like enhanced mint and aromatic, pungent herbs.

The Animagus potion moved down his esophagus, to the level of his chest, and seemed to palpably stop there for a second, dissolving into something intangible - a kind of primal, exciting energy that bobbed in tune with his breath. The storm outside continued to rage, and Harry could feel as that primal energy within him reached out, an animalistic and subconscious element that dreamed within him ever since his first breath, but was now unleashed and given physical form by the potion he'd consumed. The storm within began to rage as well, in tune with the one outside, and they ebbed and flowed in tune with the universe, harmonized and rhythmic, like a gentle tapdance.

He began to feel an indescribable, burning, violating heat arise in his throat, like the stinging of acrimonious ethanol. It descend into his chest like a white-hot hammer of vengeance, and then slithered down cruelly into his stomach, spreading its searing heat over his insides, as though he were filled with volcanic magma. It spread over his entire body in seconds, flowing through his arteries and veins, revivifying him with lightning. His heartbeat picked up, but alongside it, he sensed a second, weaker beat.

It rose, and rose, and sped up, and sped up even more - a heartbeat more like a drum of war, going crazy - and the heat began to scorch him, streams of diaphanous steam wafting off of his skin. He grit his teeth painfully and grimaced, as his fingers went up in flames, tips fading away in a blaze of fire like small torches. He opened his mouth, releasing a soundless scream, and only a bright fire emerged from him. His eyes began to heat up as well, and moments later everything went blindingly white. His body changed, bones snapping inelegantly as they moved and rearranged.

And then, in an explosion of fire, he was reborn into a young phoenix, an incandescent beast of flame. It took a couple of seconds, but the flames emanating from him calmed down, and he was left merely a young bird with elegant, golden-red plumage. The heat within remained, softer and gentler, but no less powerful.

He screeched in confusion, as he attempted to step forward. His smooth talons slid against the floor and he somehow faceplanted with his beak.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

"Oh, you poor thing, you don't have a balance. Here, let me help, Harry." Cho gently picked him up and set him back down. Harry's chicken legs wavered and hesitated, shaking in an attempt to keep his balance. He screeched desperately, attempting to go back to human form, but couldn't. The second heartbeat wasn't coming.

How do I go back to a human?!

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

Am I stuck like this forever?! I knew I should've learned Transfiguration!

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

"Harry, you need to focus. Imagine your human form. Imagine going back to it."

He did, as desperately and eagerly as he could, focusing and using all of the ingrained magical knowledge and experience he possessed. And yet, no matter how much he pictured it, the magic stubbornly refused to arrive and save him.

He flapped his impressively large wings and found himself almost weightless for a moment, before mass returned. It was a curious sensation, and he decided to see whether or not he could fly - maybe if he could locate Dumbledore, the old wizard might be able to turn him back. Harry attempted again, beating the wings, over and over with noisy flaps, until his talons began to lose contact with the floor. Overbalanced to the front, he teetered and went sailing beyond the railing before Cho was able to grab him. He could only distantly hear the gasp of shock from her as he began to rapidly accelerate towards the ground.

OH SHOOT, OH SHOOT, OH SHOOT-

HAHA-WAIT, FUCK-FUCK-FUCK, FLAP HARDER!-

He attempted to stall his descent, spreading his wings like a parachute, and managed to catch a lucky breeze that raised his trajectory slightly upwards. He managed to avoid a confrontation with the earth as a result but was forced to begin flapping his wings with renewed vigor to avoid stalling again. The process became tiresome very quickly, requiring him to move constantly and swiftly, but once he got the hang of it, he found that flying was instinctive and natural for this form; effortless and thoughtless.

He screeched in an ungodly loud ululation as students and teachers below him, in the Astronomy Courtyard, stared and pointed up. The storm had begun to pass moments ago, during his transformation, and now he was a golden star racing through the sky, out of control, but managing to fly straight forward.

He attempted to move his tail. Its errant twitch caused him to spiral down and to the left, and by dint of luck, he managed to steer himself forcefully upwards, flying through an open window in the courtyard's second level, out of another open window and then turning to ascend. He screeched out a cackling, maddened laugh, alongside Geist in his mind who seemed relieved to find they weren't going to die in a fatal crash with the earth. Streams of golden fire passed off of him, contrails left by his wings, as he accelerated to impossible velocities, magically fast, and reached the Astronomy Tower's top again.

He shot in like a bullet, slid across the floor, and managed to return back to human form, reinvigorated.

He laughed and looked at Cho. "That was great!"

"Put on some clothes." She levitated the blanket from before in front of him, as an impromptu changing station, to preserve modesty.

"Oh."

It's hard to believe that Cho Chang is the first girl to see your butt.

---

After that, you managed to slip out of the Astronomy Tower unnoticed and gave Cho the regular pay and dose of forgetfulness pills.

A phoenix is a magical beast with a lot of natural abilities. What's the first one you'd like to practice? As this might be relevant as soon as this summer, this choice is highly relevant and important.

[ ] Flame Apparition - A unique form of Apparition that can bypass most wards and magical abjurations, but is extremely difficult and tiring to perform. Can be used to carry people and objects with great amounts of training. The Phoenix Method of Apparition was one of the magical dynamisms that inspired the creation of Floo powder.

However, unlike most professional forms of wizard Apparition, it's extremely unsubtle and noticeable - even a short-range blink is as loud as an explosion, and easily twice as bright. It's likely that you'll be able to perform it reliably within a month if you start practicing now.

[ ] Accelerated Flight and Pyromancy - Expel the golden phoenix flames in order to accelerate your flight speed, or spread them around an environment to repel foes and protect allies. Your current peak speed is around 120km/h, but you could easily double that in a single month with regular training.

[ ] Healing Tears - Basically, you're going to learn to cry any time you want. More difficult than it seems, but it'll make you an indispensable and powerful healer. There's almost nothing that a phoenix's tears cannot heal - even deeply cursed wounds and fatal injuries can be done away with in a couple of drops. A phoenix's tears are among the only known substances in existence that can reliably and significantly heal cursed wounds, curing them with no more challenge than normal wounds - a feat that's considered to be otherwise impossible.

After this, you're going to take on your Astronomy OWL.

Is there anything else you'd like to do before summer begins? Aside from removing the curses on the DADA position and Voldemort's name, of course. If you'd like, you may pick one of the activities mentioned in the previous vote.

[ ] Write-in

 

[Birdsie]

Atop the World

"Oh, hey Luna."

"Oh, it's Harry! Hello, how are you?!" The young girl arrested her cheerful, bouncing motion down the hallway to greet him with a bright, gleeful smile. Harry was strangely contented to see the magical blueberry beret resting on top of her small head, slightly crooked. "Did you hear about the wraebae in the Astrology Tower?"

"Wraebae?"

"It's like an evil version of a phoenix that announces bad omens, like a banshee!"

"...Yes, I've heard." He smiled tightly. "Is that what everyone thinks that was?"

"Oh, no. Everyone thinks it was a phoenix, but I'm certain it was a wraebae."

Yes. A wraebae - exactly like the blibbering humdingers or the aquavirius maggots and wrackspurts. There was a perception of the ghost shaking his head in disappointment, or perhaps a mild weariness. She's insane. Still, it's fortunate that she displays the proper deference towards you. It's important for juniors to respect their seniors.

Really? Like you respect McGonagall by wanting to poison her?

Technically, you are Lord Voldemort. I am simply the fragment of you that remembers that fact. The reason I even maintain the pretense we're separate beings is to confuse you slightly less and make the acclimatization more palatable.

Right.

"Well, in any case, I don't think the wraebae is a cause for concern, Luna."

"Really?" Her eyes widened. Any wider, and Harry was pretty sure her pupils would transform into star shapes. "Are you gonna defeat it, Harry?"

"Already did," he said. "I'm holding the carcass in my backyard."

"That's amazing!" She put her hands together - as though in prayer, or perhaps overwhelmed by awe.

"Yes, it is. I've gotta go, Luna," he excused himself. "I have to clean up the wraebae detritus and whatnot."

"Okay, Harry! You're an amazing wizard!"

"Hahaha, yes I am!" He waved as he moved away.

If you were attending Mahoutokoro, you'd be her senpai. Is that what you seek? The approval of your lessers? I can give you that, and so much more - the entirety of the Earth as your kingdom, and its peoples as your adoring family. All you have to do is swear to destroy the Ministry of Magic and burn the reigning Minister at the stake.

Why are you so dead-set against the Ministry of Magic all out of nowhere? Not too long ago, you were content to laze around inside my head.

The banishing of yet another of my fragments has reminded me of some things I swore to do a long time ago. I am starting to regain additional fragments and strength, becoming more and more like my old self. I now remember not only why I gave up, but also why I fought.

You're contradicting yourself.

Don't I always? Because I don't really exist. I'm only a part of you, disguising itself as dialogue with another being. I'm not actually convincing you to do anything, or tempting you - there's no conversation here. You're simply recalling memories and feeling emotions, and your brain's perception filter alters that to be a conversation with another being. When are you going to wake up to everything that's happened, Harry Potter? How many times must you repeat this cycle of endless struggle?

Enough of this, Harry barked with a frown. It's starting to tire me out.

Most of the younger students were having a break now, eating food or enjoying some free time, but Harry Potter alone was an exception among their number. He'd be the youngest Hogwarts student to be admitted to write the Astronomy OWLs in many centuries.

He reached the examination classroom in the middle hall, next to the Serpentine Staircase, and settled in along the Fifth Years that he'd been studying alongside for the past couple of months. Almost nobody gave him a second glance, as everyone was too occupied reading the last passages in their textbooks, memorizing the last scraps of data necessary to pass. He didn't do any of that, simply closing his eyes and letting himself relax, immersed into the image of an endless sky, as dark as royal cloth, with glittering stars spread across its empyrean firmament, distant nebulae shining like clouds of fireflies, and pulsars releasing waves of force and invisible light, like a heartbeat.

He breathed in, as someone shook his shoulder.

"We're entering," Jackson said.

Harry nodded and went inside the classroom after them. Several examiners from the Ministry loomed on the dais set in the center of the room, by the teacher's desk, while another - a tall, bearded man with a harsh glare - hovered next to the entrance, wand in hand, arms folded and foot tapping impatiently. He closed the door with a flick of the wand right as Harry entered, and ushered everyone to sit down. Their desks had been set apart, a specific distance from one another, to prevent glancing over anyone's shoulder. The quills were being checked and re-checked one final time by several personnel.

A gaudily-dressed woman, around her mid-thirties, from the Ministry Department of Magical Education, stood in the center of the room and began to speak, using an empty sheet of blank paper to instruct them in the procedures of writing the exam. The introduction to the Ordinary Wizarding Level only took a minute.

The woman asked if anyone had questions. Nobody raised a hand.

She nodded. "In that case, may your Astronomy OWLs begin. As I've already said, you have ninety minutes to complete the test, counting from the exact moment your papers are conjured. Good luck."

A swirl of the wand caused papers to appear on everyone's desk. Quills were immediately picked out of their inkwells. The sound of furious scribbling dominated the room. In several other sections, this scribbling was conspicuously absent instead. Poor fools.

1. As you know from the Second Book of Occult Philosophy by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, in the Scale of Number Seven, it's considered the Celestial World, particularly its planetary ecumene, contains a very specific set of celestial bodies. Can you name these bodies and explain the rationale behind their Scale, as opposed to their alternatives?

That's way too easy, Harry chuckled to himself. He wrote, 'The bodies are, in order: Saturn (Saturnus/Cronus), Jupiter (Jove/Zeus), Mars (Mars/Ares), Venus (Venus/Aphrodite), Mercury (Mercury/Hermes) and The Moon (Luna/Selene). The reason these bodies were chosen for the Scale of Seven (the Scale of things perfect and promised,) is their relevance and connectivity between the principles of the Earth Realm and Celestial Realm. They are the bodies closest to the Earth and affect it significantly more than bodies outside of the Ring of the Seventh Scale, such as Neptune, whose effects on Earthly occurrence are frequently negligible.'

2. Pertaining also to the Second Book of Occult Philosophy, what is considered to be the Second Reward of the Damned, as per the Scale of Number Eight?

'Death. Its (blessed) equivalence is Incorruption, but this applies only on the Eighth Scale.'

There were several more questions in that vein, some of them almost giving Harry a bit of difficulty, mostly concerning Agrippa's writings.

It wasn't really that difficult in the end - any Astronomer worth his salt would've been able to reason out the actual contents of the Scales with simple logic, given some time to ponder. It's simply that Agrippa created a convenient reference that was easier to memorize than most.

After that, however, the questions became slightly more universal.

16. A young, unmarried witch (approximately 16-years-old) is flying a standard-issue civilian broom, ensorcelled by a set of basic Charms approved by current Ministry regulation. Assuming the level of these enchantments is roughly 'baseline' (allowances are going to be made for wrongful estimations) then, according to Newton's Hidden Law, what is equal and opposite to the backward push of the magical force emanated by the broom's motion core, and what is the speed at which the broom is moving?

The easiest, however, was the last question, as Harry could simply close his eyes to receive the answer.

30. Draw a chart, as accurate as possible, displaying the following constellations: Virgo, Gemini, Ursa Major, Eridanus, Pegasus, and Hercules. The objective accuracy of the drawings shall determine the number of points received for this task.

A pleasant exercise for a change, Harry found - all it required was for him to close his eyes and move his wrist in a particular pattern. One of the examiners seemed to notice this, observing him keenly with a contemplative frown.

31. Additional Question - For a maximum of six additional points, you may also elect to draw the constellations requested above as they were approximately 3000-3200 years ago, according to best speculations in the field of Astronomy.

He did.

Several minutes later, after re-checking every question, Harry nodded to himself in conviction. He'd answered every question as best as he could. As far as he could tell, there wasn't a single one where he couldn't offer at least a miniature response. He stood from his chair, and raised his hand.

The witch in charge waved her wand. His test disappeared in a whoosh. She nodded, permitting him to leave.

---

Congratulations, you've written your Astronomy OWL - results are going to come in next summer. Aren't you excited? Of course, Harry's extreme level of talent with Astrology is such that he can already tell he passed easily, and with flying colors...

Summer's approaching. Given that you're unlikely to see Hogwarts for a while, and you'll be occupied preparing for your entry into the Department of Mysteries, it'd be most wise to arrange for anything that has to be done in Hogwarts to be done now.

Choose up to four (4) actions.

[ ] Cho Therapy - Have one last session of pseudo-therapy with Cho. Maybe go into the forest in your Animagus forms together.
[ ] Rest Easy - Knowing that you've achieved so much over the last year - successfully becoming an Animagus, learning the Patronus Charm, and passing your Astronomy OWL.
[ ] Lakeside Picnic - Gather your friends and have a picnic together by the Black Lake.
[ ] Plunkball Tournament - You haven't participated in quite a while. As Ron said, there's some easy money to be made here...
[ ] Quidditch Tryouts - Anyone interested in Quidditch is able to sign up in advance for the next year. All you have to do is speak with Madam Hooch.
[ ] Dueling Club Tryouts - Anyone interested in the Dueling Club is able to sign up in advance for the next year. All you have to do is speak with Sirius or Flitwick.
[ ] Consult McGonagall - In reality, you're going to smugly tell her about how excited you are about how easy the Astronomy OWLs were. You'll also have tea and crumpets.
[ ] Consult Dumbledore - About your future prospects. It'd be smart to get closer to his secrets - he might know some things about the Voldemort fragments flying around.
[ ] Write-in

 

[Birdsie]

[End]

As regrettable as I find it, to inform any players who'd been eagerly awaiting the next chapter of this quest, I am here to announce the end of Harry Potter and the Scabbard of Excalibur - at least, its end for the foreseeable future.

The reasons for this are many; arguably, too many to count. Foremost among them, however, is simply my personal loss of interest. I assure everyone in this thread that it's not the actions of any particular players that turned me away, but simple human circumstances beyond anyone's control; I do not find writing or devising plots for this quest as rewarding as they were initially, and I find that in hindsight, I'd planned rather poorly to begin with - assuming too many times that you'd choose certain paths, and preparing the most salient of developments for those paths, which ended up going unselected.

Again, it's not your fault - and I consider it a personal failure of my own, rather than anyone else's.

I do not currently hold any form of intent to continue this quest. This condition may change in the future, of course, but such a change is beyond the remit of my current predictions, and therefore it's safer to assume that this quest shall remain inoperational permanently.

Given the nature of this permanence, and given the palpable investment many players had, as form of mild restitution, I'll offer to freely answer any questions about the quest, be they diegetic or non-diegetic, the players have. On that same note, if there's anyone willing to become this quest's writer, I'm completely willing to hand it over.