The Black Lion - Of Magic and Madness (Patreon)
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Harrison Evans, Ruins of Hogwarts
"Your spell gave us a considerable window of time, I have never been so close to the castle since the cataclysm," Selene said, walking calmly through the destroyed castle gates
Gates through which Harry had once walked countless times, on his way to Hogsmeade, once a place full of life and magic
Now it seemed like the entrance to hell itself, even with the Dementors getting away from Harry as fast as they could, the place was still gloomy and terrifying
The black lion ignored the woman and looked directly at Stephen and Loki, who were fully concentrated, looking out over the castle courtyard
“Do you feel anything?” he asks, observing the reaction of both
The sorcerer supreme just shook his head, as he moved his arms at extreme speed, no doubt casting spell after spell trying to detect any problem and danger in the place
"Only a titanic demonic force, however, this one is... diluted, something or someone keeps him contained in this place, this castle was meant to be his birth place and now is his prison, a good sign for us” confessed Stephen, while next to him Loki, with both hands shining with magic, did the same
"We have company," said the Asgardian princess, at the same time that from the ground, huge black vines with red spikes emerged, launching a surprise attack on the distracted group
Loki conjured a quick magical shield, stopping the initial blow and allowing the group to organize to counterattack
Selene and Stephen tried to attack with flames; however, they had the opposite effect, the fire seemed to nourish them, doubling in size in seconds and now causing the thorns to burn everything they touched
"Shit," the sorcerer supreme snapped, quickly changing tactics and using eldritch magic, creating swords and whips that cut through the dangerous plant, however, the fucking thing heal itself as fast as Stephen was cutting it, this pattern continues for several minutes, without any sign of stopping…
Until the plants suddenly stopped, as if a powerful force had subdued them and without any mercy, the roots were forced to emerge from the Earth, evidently in agony, revealing a huge magical plant, with hundreds of vines which are being rapidly compressed without mercy
Harry didn't know who was responsible, but capitalizing on the opportunity, he simply took two steps forward and channeling the magic obtained as ruler of Jotunheim, he blew his icy breath, freezing the demonic plants in seconds, only for the telekinetic force to finish tearing them to pieces
Harrison looked around to find out who was responsible, only to watch his father and grandfather, calmly and with one hand raised each
"Unlike those damn demons, these things are tangible and therefore can be destroyed," said the old lion calmly
James looked at him with obvious pride, though it was a curious contrast, considering that the arrogant look continued on his face
"I've lost count of how many skills you have, that freezing breath of yours looks really useful, I can think of a couple of uses to discipline some people and punish a few naughty bitches, I would love to use it in Narcissa’s nipple haha" said the crimson lion
Harry frowned, but didn't answer, they had more important things to do
"Come on," he ordered, as they continued towards the castle
The Potters used their evidently refined telekinesis and created two huge stone colossus, even if he didn't hold them in such high esteem, Harry could appreciate the dexterity required to create such a construct, with only mental power, he will have his lovely redhead practices something like this
Seeing his face, James saw him with a smug look and spoke
"There is a reason that our family practically rule all the continent, we have secrets within our family, techniques and secrets to use our gift, and now that you are the heir, the knowledge and techniques are also yours, it is your right, you have earned it" he said calmly, as if Harry's acceptance of the surname was a certainty
Harrison frowned at him and said
"Curious, my birth certificate says Harrison Evans, not Potter," said the black lion
James just snorted and rolled his eyes, amused in his face and said
"Please, Lily Flower is beautiful and a wildcat in bed, but she is still a nobody, what does the sad Evans surname have compared to the prestige of the Potter family?" said his arrogant father, not in a mocking tone, but with total frankness
Harrison, still looking his detestable father in the eye, simply raised his hand, which lit up with an emerald glow and, before his father's proud and amused gaze, created a replica not two, but three rock constructs better designed than those of his grandfather and father, the emerald glow denoting nature superior to the crude creations of the Potter men, which paled in comparison to Harrison's skill and talent
"The Evans family has me, and of one thing you can be sure, sooner or later, the prestigious and noble Potter family will bow and humble themselves at my feet and my mother's, that... it's a promise," Harrison said, his eyes shining with magical power, focused entirely on his father, who, instead of being upset or worried, simply smiled, pleased and proud
"I didn't expect anything less from a real Lion, even if you take great care to use Lily's last name, you will always be a Potter, for better and for worse" James whispered, looking with satisfaction at how his words affected Harrison, even if he tried to hide it
With a simple movement, he ordered the constructs to break through, they would be the decoy for whatever was inside the castle
Behind the mighty colossi, the group walked cautiously, unaware of the cautious but curious blue eyes that watched them from what was once the astronomy tower
They belong to a young blonde, who, for the first time in her struggle, felt something she thought was lost a long time ago
Hope
Iliana Rasputin, Hogwarts Ruins
They were alive, her senses didn't lie, they weren't demons or entities, or creations of the imbecile who kept all these souls in constant agony
They were... living and evidently powerful people, they crossed the field of lamentation and exterminated the demonic lace with alarming ease, so much so that Ilyana could feel how the one who dwells in the depths of the castle began to move his pieces more cautiously
For hours, Ilyana watched them, especially the young man with black hair, his walk was firm and confident, but not arrogant, he observed in a calculating way all the nooks and crannies where he walked, however, Ilyana observed something strange
The young man seemed to move through the corridors with certain... familiarity, as if he’s been here before
And apparently, Ilyana was not the only one who noticed
“Are you sure that we are going where we should?” asked the black-haired witch, who emitted such a stench of dark magic that repulse Ilyana, the woman was powerful and dangerous, but not at the level of the young man
He was a titan among ants, his soul a beacon, shining with power in this dark place
"Yes, it is evident that something terrible happened here, yet something or someone keeps the worst locked up in these walls, a sacrifice, an injustice one perhaps, a desperate measure to keep whatever caused this disaster tied to these walls," said the handsome young man
Who, apparently, was also extremely intelligent, Ilyana thought approvingly
At that very moment, the girl watched as a group of her enemy's most annoying servants approached the group quickly, apparently, Belasco was really worried if he sent his Blood Trolls to face the invaders, those beasts were a challenge even for her, usually not being able to face more than one at a time, that he sent a dozen seemed ... excessive, a desperate measure to stop the advance of the invaders
Ilyana was preparing to intervene, if she acted quickly, she could lead the visitors through the corridors to one of the hidden rooms of the castle, away from the blood monolith, they could regroup and perhaps...
However, Ilyana's thoughts were interrupted by the actions of the group, who, instead of running, were preparing to fight
The rock automatons received the Trolls with obvious ease, two of them, the crudest, most robust and basic were simple machines to absorb and receive blows, resistant and powerful, which demolished the Trolls with ease, however, the others were a magical mastery in every way, stylized and agile, they moved with speed that should not belong to beings of such colossal size, and in question
Ilyana watched as the group executed a patrol of the most powerful servants, with stupid ease
"I recognize this magic, it is demonic in nature, dangerous and voracious, we must move carefully," said the black-haired witch soberly
The handsome young man nodded softly and said
"We're in a kind of vestibule, the greatest concentration of magic power comes from the depths, we have to go to the dungeons and find our way to the origin of this disaster."
Ilyana inhaled hard, she knew what they meant, the monolith, where the guardian contained the greatest amount of power of the putrid being that caused so much death
the blonde girl was so unfocused that she did not notice the words of one of the men of the expedition, and such a mistake would cost her dearly
"That's excellent, but we have a spy," said a man with a similar appearance to the young man and looking directly at the beam where she was hiding, paralyzing her
In the blink of an eye, the blonde warrior tried to escape using her portal, however, her body did not obey, as did her mind
She was totally paralyzed, and what was worse
Totally helpless
The warrior felt her body levitate slowly, forcing her to descend from the top of the place totally subdued and defenseless, until she reached the reach of the powerful rock colossi, who quickly took her body, paralyzing her instantly, inflicting a great deal of pain on the blonde
"AAAAAHGG" she shouted using her power to escape the imposing constructs and counterattack with her sword, destroying them both with ease
"Shit," snapped the old man and who was evidently his son, making a face of discomfort, but to Ilyana's surprise, they quickly recomposed, both summoned a fucking storm of swords and spears from the castle itself, making them dance around them and throwing them at alarming speed, so fast that Ilyana was having difficulty dodging them
However, as the dangerous objects get closer and more dangerous, something happened
A force even stronger than the powerful men made itself present, taking control of the weapons and making them fall to the ground, at the same time that a titanic magical force forced Ilyana to kneel on the spot, totally defenseless in the face of the overwhelming power she felt
And the most disturbing thing, somehow, it was impossible for her to call a portal to Limbo, something kept her tied to this plane
Moments later, slow and heavy footsteps walked towards the subdued warrior, who, with total helplessness, could only raise her face, and look at her captor with suspicion and fear
The handsome young man's hand caressed her face gently, a stark contrast to his previous action, the gesture was... intimate and strangely pleasurable, to the confusion of the young warrior maiden
"Normally, I would condemn this treatment to any lady, however, the circumstances of this place force us to be cautious, if you value your integrity, I hope you answer truthfully, if you don't, we will know," said the young man, his tone was casual, but his eyes shone with power, this man was used to commanding
"What do you want to know?" Ilyana said aloud, for the first time in a long time speaking to another living person, her voice was hoarse from lack of use, while she used all her self-control not to blush at the intense gaze of her captor
The young sorcerer and mutant looked at her calmly, with that bearing that emitted pure power and said a simple word, which made her shudder
“All of it”
Apparently, they would be here for a long time
Harrison Evans, Former Headmaster Tower, Hogwarts
"And this is my lair, sorry for the mess, it's just...I have no one to talk to in this place," confessed the newly named Ilyana, as she looked at Harry waiting for approval, it was evident to the Black Lion that this young woman was really lonely and hungry for human contact and approval
At least on Harry's part
The rest of the expedition, they did not deign to answer, they all ran to the old tomes of the library of the place, esoteric tomes of a bygone era, an action that made the young blonde tremble a bit, even if she tried to hide it, having the feeling that the visitors were more interested in old books than in her, and making Harry frown at the lack of tact and humanity in his companions
Although considering who they were, he shouldn't expect much, to be honest
"I thank you for bringing us here, it's a good place to plan our next move," Harrison said with a soft smile
At that act of kindness, the young warrior looked at him with surprise, returning the gesture with a shy, but radiant smile of her own, it was evident that Ilyana's social skills were non-existent
However, they had a lot to do
"Now that we're safe, I need you to tell us about what's going on here," Harry ordered gently, drawing the attention of everyone, who walked back to what was once the Headmaster office
Iliana did not answer for a long time, focusing her gaze on the horizon, the sky was red as blood and the night seemed eternal
"I don't know the origin of this infection, I only know that it happened many years ago, I came here by chance a couple of years ago, when my mutant powers manifested, I appeared bewildered in the main hall, totally terrified and being chased by the servants of the one who dwells below," she confessed, shuddering at that memory
Everyone was silent, analyzing the young woman's words
“How did you survive? I recognized the creatures from before, they were Trolls, slow and strong, not very bright, but extremely resistant” said Selene, focusing her gaze on the blonde
Ilyana shrugged her shoulders and spoke
"I almost didn't, but the Guardian helped me, he sent support and guided me here, the highest point of the castle, with the best protections and the best chance of survival, he lies below, trapped in an eternal struggle to contain whatever it was that the "stupid red-haired brat" was going to release into the world.
At those words, Harrison frowned, as did Loki, Stephen, and Selene
"What's going on here is demonic magic, I can feel it, it affects the whole planet, the Midgard Ley Lines are... constricted, they are still there, but the magic is being used for certain purpose for lack of a better adjective, all the magic is being used to prevent something from being released, we must act and fast," Stephen said, with urgency in his voice
Harrison nodded, before turning his focus back to Ilyana and asking
"Do you know how to get to where this guardian is?" he asked
The blonde hesitated, evidently had no desire to descend, however, she nodded slowly
Noticing this, Harry took her by the shoulders in a gesture of calm
"You will not go down alone, we will all go with you and make sure that whatever caused this disaster, is destroyed, you have my word" he said firmly
Ilyana looked at him with concern
"He is very powerful, Belasco is an unprecedented threat," said the young warrior
And at that very moment, Harry released his magic, feeding the hungry Hogwarts, and waking up the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, little by little, the magic returned, at least for an instant, to the school
"So I am Dear, So I am" Harrison said, not arrogantly or stupidly, his words were a simple certainty, a promise
And at that moment, Ilyana Rasputin had no doubt that Belasco, the so-called "Lord" of Limbo, had his days numbered
Of that, she had no doubt and neither she doubts that, when all of this was over, she will follow the amazing, caring and powerful Man she has In front of her
Wanda Maximoff, Somewhere in New York
She had lost track of time, hours, days, weeks...
Time stopped making sense when you weren't free, Wanda only felt one thing
Fury, a fury so colossal that words were lacking to describe it
She was furious with her brother, with her father, with the world, for leaving her locked up in this disgusting place and...
Wanda's thoughts were interrupted, her eyes dilated, and in an instant, she was no longer in those damn four walls
But in a kind of... luxury Penthouse
Through the window, New York was present, the view was beautiful and the place where she was even more, she was wearing a beautiful but daring dress, black heels and a choker, it was slim and delicate, an amazing peace of jewelry, but the meaning was not lost to her
it was a mark, a claim, this choker was the evidence that Wanda have an owner
"Wanda dear," said a male voice, calling the attention of the mutant, who quickly looked back
Her eyes dilated even more as she watched the most handsome man she had ever seen, tall, black-haired and emerald-eyed, bare-chested, walking straight towards her, naturally
Without seeing her as a weirdo...or a freak
When they were close, he placed his strong hands on her waist, brought her closer to her body and kissed her with passion and desire, taking the breath out of the bewildered mutant, who clung to the exquisite sensation, that of feeling loved, desired and protected
An elixir for Wanda's lonely soul
When they separated, Wanda got lost in those beautiful emerald eyes, which were tattooed in her mind
"Billy and Thomas won't be here today, they traveled to Mars with the quintuplets, we have the whole night to ourselves, maybe we should work on a pair of twins for them" said who Wanda assumed was her husband, who began to caress her butt, her intention more than evident
However, when her husband began to kiss her...
She gets back to reality, to the four walls...
To her fucking jail...
And young Maximoff could only do one thing, scream in frustration, the honey was put on her lips only to be snatched away in an instant
However, the crazed young woman made a promise, that... that had to be her future, she would be married, happily apparently, she would have a handsome husband and at least two children...
That would be her future, not this disgusting hole in earth
And Wanda Maximoff swore that, one way or another, she would find her beloved emerald-eyed man
Even if it was the last thing she do