Chapter 16 (TROHP)

Review Responses:
Guests, (Chapter 15 reviews): I'm glad you both like the story.
adamzbryanz: This chapter should change your mind, if not then I only have about 20-30 more chapters to do so.
==December 23rd, 1993 - Sunrise.==
It had been a busy twenty-two days. Alexys had been caught trying to potion me and I faked the appropriate outrage, which wasn't hard considering it was a truly dark potion that would have enslaved me and turned me into her human sex toy. I was quite pleased when she was expelled. My grandparents had continued acting as spies for me and had reported that the Megalos family were enraged, but had avoided any legal trouble and had thankfully hushed the matter up. I was just hoping that Dumbledore didn't find out. If he had, he would inform my parents, and they might remove me from Durmstrang.
I had managed to perform two more sex rituals over the last twenty-two days, with Agnes Yaxley and Isabella Selwyn. I had finally become a Mage, and was shocked and surprised by the changes. My eyes now slightly glowed with power, and my magic danced beneath my skin ready to be unleashed at a moments notice. I felt power coursing through my veins and felt like I could do damn near anything. I naturally opted to keep that feeling under control, it wouldn't do for me to get myself killed due to arrogance.
I had passed my tests and successfully entered the Mastery courses for Alchemy and Ancient Studies. My teachers were shocked, and even accused me of cheating. I informed them of my ability: Panmnesia.
It was time to implement some of my plans; namely dealing with the Megalos family, permanently. I calmly entered Grindelwalds class room, with an incredibly pleased smile.
"Ah, Harry. What brings you here?" Grindelwald asked, with a genuine smile.
"I discovered something amazing sir! I'm on the verge of doing something only one other person has done!" I exclaimed, catching his interest.
"What is it?" He asked, his greed obvious in his eyes, and buying my act.
"Defeating the Dark Lord Grindelwald!" I exclaimed with a smile, and withdrew my wand.
He laughed. "If you do, you will be hunted by my followers until you die." He didn't seem terribly surprised that I had learned his true identity.
"Doubtful, Grindy. They'll probably bow to me and offer me their undying loyalty, and I'll refuse. Anyway..." I quickly hit him with a Coma Curse, using my ritual-enhanced speed. I quickly packed and stored his things, disillusioned him, and levitated him out of the room. The arrogant old man never stood a chance, not now, anyway.
I arrived at my room minutes later, and placed Grindelwald in the center of the pre-prepared ritual circle.
"Potentiam, tuam accipio, ut mihi." I said, with a confident smile. I felt foreign knowledge enter my mind, as a wave of energy was released from my sacrifice and was absorbed into the wards. I felt Grindelwalds knowledge enter my mind, and become mine. I felt my body absorb copies of his skill and experience, and then I passed out.
I awoke some time later, and prepared my things for travel. When I was done, I disillusioned and levitated Grindelwalds now undisguised body.
Minutes later, and I had exited Durmstrang.
"Basilisk pit." I said, calmly; carrying Grindelwalds body on my shoulder, without any strain at all.
I arrived minutes later, and quickly used a spell to rid myself of dizzyness.
"Harry!" Deimos and Alexys exclaimed in surprise.
"I found your grandfather like this, this morning." I said, in false concern as the rest of his family arrived. Only Phobos didn't look concerned. Deimos relieved me of my burden.
"Do you know who this?" Alexys, the elderly one asked.
"Yes, someone who wanted revenge against your family." I said calmly, before blasting them all back. "Me!" I used an incredibly powerful blasting curse and obliterated Deimos and Phobos, before quickly killing their grandmother with an over-powered cutting curse that tore through her hastily formed shield like it wasn't even there.
"Why are you doing this, Harry? This isn't you!" Alexys cried.
"Because of you, Alexys." I said, to her shock. "I had a crush on you since my second year, but never thought I'd be allowed to be with you or that I even deserved you. I worked harder to prove myself worthy. I wanted to earn your families blessing, and then I found out about Grindelwald and the secret you were keeping from me, and I even secretly forgave you." I said, causing her to adopt a hopeful expression. "When you tried giving me a potion, I knew my feelings were a mistake and all due to my youthful ignorance. The funny thing is, had you not tried that, I would have gone on believing that I really loved you, when in reality I never really knew you. I will always have a place for you in my heart, Alexys." I slit her throat with a gesture, and watched her bleed to death believing that this was entirely her fault. I did cry though... I was genuinely saddened and did care about her. At least before I found out about Grindelwald.
I spent the next hour slaughtering house-elves and looting their palace. When I finished, I burned it to the ground with the signature magic of Hades; a weak imitation of hellfire, that was more like a black form of Fiendfyre.
When that was finished, I repeated the process on the Aesalon and Xanthopoulus families. It now looked like the Megalos family attacked members of the Athens Academy of Divine Magic, and that they retaliated viciously. I activated my Portkey, and returned to Durmstrang.
I had finally arrived at home, and had stored my things. It was a very successful five months, vast stores of knowledge, wealth, and other resources were obtained. I destroyed multiple enemies, and absorbed the knowledge, skill, experience, and even Grindelwald's Seer ability.
I took my trunks with my looted magical knowledge and assets, and disapparated to Black Manor.
When I arrived, I quickly stored the trunks in a secret room that I was informed of, and disapparated back home.
When I returned, I quickly went back downstairs to spend time with my family.
"So, what are both of your plans for your holidays?" Mom asked, with a smile.
"Studying mostly, my studying during the summer benefited me greatly. I tested into the Alchemy and Ancient Studies mastery course. At this rate, I'll need to take up another mastery course." I said, boastfully. My family looked amused at my arrogance.
"You're not working yourself too hard are you?" Mom asked, in concern.
"No, but even if I was, that's what I'm suppose to do at school." I said, to my parents approval and my brothers annoyance.
"I wish your brother shared that mindset." Mom said, before glaring at James playfully. "He chose Divination and Care of Magical Creatures."
"Those are two most useless classes!" I exclaimed, looking at him in disapproval. "You've never mentioned visions or shown evidence of skills for Divination, and Care is largely useless; especially with Hagrid teaching." I said, angering my family.
"Harry! Hagrid is very nice!" Mom said, reprovingly.
"Yes, and I'm not denying that. He is also quite careless and gullible, and I bet students have already been injured during his classes." The look on my families faces confirmed that. "He is unfit to teach. He has a history of endangering students with his reckless actions. A Cerberus, Acromantula's, a Dragon, and he put them where students could easily find them. If all you can say in his defense is that he's nice or brave, then he will likely be dismissed from his position soon."
"You wouldn't get him fired, would you?" James asked in concern.
"No, and nor will I even try. But the board likely will, and I hope Mom carefully considers the reasons and doesn't allow Dumbledore to persuade her against her better judgement." I could see my family didn't appreciate my words, so I continued. "Everyone caters to his whims, and the vast majority don't question his decisions. That is not good, and he has shown a history of horrible decisions which could have caused a lot of deaths. The deaths of children, I might add." They seemed to be more understanding once I explained my position.
"Anyway, this subject will only ruin the holidays if we continue talking about it." I said, trying to end the discussion. An owl suddenly flew into the room, and landed near dad. I guess it arrived early...
He quickly relieved it of its burden and read the letter. I sensed the magic leave the letter and enter his body through the finger tips, and had brief second thoughts about this action. Our family needed to be strong again, and quit bowing to our inferiors, so I quickly squashed those doubts. My fathers face had obvious shock on it, and my mom looked concerned.
"What is it James?" Mom finally asked.
"A letter from Charlus and Dorea Potter... claiming to be my true parents, and claiming that I was Obliviated by my grandfather." He said, before rubbing his head in discomfort.
I was amazing! I found a cure for Obliviation and protected it under family magic and several other protective spells.
"Are you okay, James?" Mom asked, in concern.
"Yeah, just a headache." He said, rubbing his head.
"Do you have a memory that seems foreign or forgotten appearing in your mind?" I asked, in false interest. I, of course, knew he did. I did create the spell after all!
"Yes, how did you know?" Dad asked.
"I think whoever sent that letter is reversing any Obliviations performed on you. Whoever created that spell must be a skilled healer, or a master of mind altering magic; or possibly even both." I said, in observation and used the chance to compliment myself. "Maybe your mind is being healed, based on what you described that seems to be the case. If it were a mental attack it would be glaringly obvious."
"I have a memory fully restored. It's of Dumbledore, Henry, Fleamont, and Moody attacking me and my parents." I used my skill in Legilimency to re-watch it, and I was very pleased with his anger directed at them.
Over the next thirty minutes he shared other restored memories. His grandfather and Fleamont being caught talking by Dad, and Henry Potters hatred of Charlus and even hating Dad a little by extension. Them forcibly subduing him and Obliviating him, for the second time. Henry and Fleamont asking Dumbledore to keep watch over the Potter family as long he lived and subdue any dark Potters, and again his Obliviation. Dad studying family magic in his fifth-year, which Fleamont insultingly called dark and tried destroying, and nearly died because of the protections that rebounded his weak magic on him. His life was shortened because of that action. Again, Dad being Obliviated.
Dad was pissed, and so were most of us. Dumbledore essentially promised to play God with our lives, and destroy or break apart our family. I'll admit he had good intentions, but the road to hell was paved with them.
"Harry, cast the Fidelius Charm on the manor." Dad ordered.
"Alright. I'll need access to the primary ward stone, and I'm knowledgeable and skilled enough to make some upgrades. I have plenty of time during my vacation to make them stronger than ever." I said, with confidence. "The wards were cast by four sorcerers, we could infuse our own powers into them to strengthen them further. We could do it over the course of mine and James vacation, and get incredibly powerful wards that should be among the best in Britain after Hogwarts, and maybe a few other really secure manors or castles." Dad nodded in agreement, and rose to grant me access to the ward stone. I was surprised that he knew how!
This was shaping up to be an interesting holiday.
==December 25th, 1993.==
I had cast wards against uninvited house-elves, phoenixes, and, of course, the Fidelius Charm, and then I upgraded the existing wards. I put ten-percent of my power into five very important wards, and greatly improved our security. I removed unnecessary waste, IE multiple castings of the same ward and freed up more magic from the ley-lines to be used better. Dad approved of my actions and he and mom even put fifty-percent of their powers into the wards against house-elves. I even cast wards against other forms of magical travel, though I cast them with average power and would have to reinforce them further when I fully recovered my power in a few hours.
Dad had sent a response to Charlus and Dorea's letter and hoped to be able to meet them before the holidays were up, but now, it was time for presents.
"What'd you get me, Harry?" James asked excitedly.
"Oh, dang! I thought I had forgotten something!" I exclaimed, making his eyes widen. "Just kidding!" I added, with a smile, and handed him a box. He quickly tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box.
"What is it?" He asked, taking out the egg and causing our parents eyes to widen.
"A phoenix egg. Don't worry it's safe, you just need to channel your magic into it to hatch it. It will take a lot of magic to do it, but it should be hatched and fully grown by the end of our holiday. Just don't channel more than fifty-percent of your full power into it, when that happens; just stop and recover for a day or two."
"I will!" He said, excitedly.
I handed my gifts for my parents to them, and they unwrapped them with a smile.
I gave dad some books so he could self-study and achieve a mastery in Transfiguration, and an enchanted ring to replace Occlumency. I gave mom books so she could self-study for a Charms Mastery, and the same kind of ring.
They loved their gifts and spent a solid minute thanking me. I knew they had put their studies off due to the war and then my brother and I, and I decided it was their turn to fulfill their dreams.
They gave me advanced books on Enchanting and books on complex Transfigurations. I was surprised that some of the information in the books would actually be useful to me.
"Thanks mom and dad." I said, gratefully.
"When are Uncle Remus and Sirius coming over?" James asked.
"I'll have to retrieve them and bring them into the wards." Dad replied, with a smile.
"Just make sure they swear on their lives and magic that they are who they say they are. If Pettigrew ambushed them, he could polyjuice himself as them and get closer to us."
"Good idea, Harry." Mom said, in approval.
"I'll go retrieve them," Dad said, with a smile.
Thirty minutes later...
Sirius and Remus were finally here, and Remus looked somewhat conflicted. I naturally suspected his loyalty too Albus Dumbledore was conflicting with his loyalty to my father and family, and Sirius.
"So, why the Fidelius Charm, James?" Remus asked.
"Things have been going down hill for years, Remus. Voldemort, his followers, and now Peter, and I recently discovered things about my family." He then proceeded to inform them of everything, and I do mean everything.
"Those manipulative bastards!" Sirius exclaimed, angrily.
"I'm sure they were just doing it to protect you, James." Remus said, like Dumbledore's loyal dog.
"Dumbledore has played god with my families life for the last time. I will no longer aid him in his failed endeavors. My priority is now solely my family and friends." Dad said, with uncharacteristic sternness.
"James you're not thinking clearly! Your talking about associating with two mass-murderers, I have no choice but to inform Dumbledore." Remus said, before turning to leave. I quickly restrained him.
"No. You're going to swear upon your life and magic that you will not disclose this information in anyway, shape or form." I said, having drawn my wand.
"Your all committing a major crime!" Remus argued, trying to make us see 'reason'.
"Dumbledore has done a hundred times worse and gotten away with it, but rest assured all of his crimes will soon be exposed. Your oath, now." I said, coldly.
"I refuse!" I stunned him.
"Should we Obliviate him and remove the knowledge of the manor's location? I could also force him to secrecy, but he would know I did it and would be unable to inform anyone. The knowledge would essentially be occluded from his mind too."
"Do all three." Dad said. I obeyed and began casting.
==January 4th, 1994.==
I had strengthened the manors wards immensely, and my power had grown. I did keep using fifty-percent of my massive power to improve the wards, after all. I was confident that in time the manors wards would eventually rival or surpass those of Hogwarts, though it would take time and effort on my part. I could only safely expel fifty-percent at a time, ten-percent per ward until each ward takes a Mage or better to break. I would prefer it take an Archmage or better, but I refused to be unable to break my own wards, so that limited my options greatly. Mom and Dad had been augmenting wards with their own powers, and that also confused matters greatly. I had confined them to improving wards against house-elves and phoenixes though, and that helped predict the strength of the manors wards.
It was finally time for my family to meet Charlus and Dorea, and hopefully get close to them. The Portkey was suppose to have activated minutes ago, and we had been waiting that long. I just hoped that nothing bad happened to them.
Fortunately, they arrived moments later and nearly fell, but I caught them with wandless magic.
"Why are we in the middle of nowhere?" Charlus asked, suspiciously.
"The manors under the Fidelius Charm, I thought it wise after learning of Dumbledore's manipulations and meddling." Dad said, in reply. Charlus and Dorea nodded in agreement. "Please read this paper," He said, handing them the paper with the secret.
When they had been informed of the secret, dad incinerated the paper and gestured them inside the protective wards.
"Impressive, you managed to put the entire manor under Fidelius. Most would die or be magically exhausted from the power requirement." Dorea said, to dad. Mom and Dad glared at me for omitting that fact. She feigned ignorance, and looked at me in surprise. "You must be a Grand Sorcerer or better to have cast that." She said, in genuine and undisguised admiration. My entire family looked shocked by that revelation.
"He also put thirty-percent of his power in warding against apparition and phoenixes." James added unhelpfully.
"Not helping, little bro." I said, in annoyance.
"Do his eyes have a slight, barely noticeable glow?" Charlus asked.
"Yes, why?" Mom asked, in concern.
"Well, congratulations are in order for both of you. Your son is a Mage." Charlus informed my family, shocking them.
"What does that even mean?" James asked, in confusion.
"It's a title for someone with greater power than a Grand Sorcerer, but it doesn't account for skill or experience. I have more raw power than Dumbledore, that's why the wards have been powered up so quickly." I finally confessed, as we entered the manors Entrance Hall. "I just felt it unworthy of mentioning considering that I'm less than half-way to my goal."
"I wonder what my ranking is?" James asked.
"Warlock level power, though most are much more skilled." I said, in reply. He looked confused, so I explained. "At the bottom, you have your lowly Witches and Wizards, then the much more powerful Warlock, then Sorcerers and then Grand Sorcerers, and finally Mages. The next two rankings are Archmages, and then Magus. For me to become an Archmage I would have to increase my power by four-fold. To become a Magus, I would have to be an Archmage and then increase my power by seven-fold." My parents and brother looked shocked. "It's a lot of work, I just have to do my best and hope it's good enough. Anyway, we can talk about my awe-inspiring power another time; we have family to get acquainted with."
"Yes, you all must have questions." Dorea said, in observation.
"Why did you support Grindelwald?" Mom asked.
"He had a plan to allow us to live openly and free. It was imperfect, yes, but at least he had one." Dorea said, in reply. My mom looked unsatisfied with her answer. "I'll admit we failed, but our hard work still endures in some form; countless governments are independent of muggle over-sight, rule, or even having to associate with them. They are equal to the muggle governments. Was wanting future generations of magical's to be free to live openly and without being persecuted so wrong? Most of continental Europe has benefited greatly from our actions and still do."
"Is it true you slew thousands in a day?" James asked Charlus.
"Yes," Charlus replied regretfully. "I would have preferred that they didn't oppose us, but I had to defeat them; even if I hated myself afterward."
Those were just the first of many questions...
Category:TRoHP Chapters