HP: Sacred Gear Chat Group (2) - Chapter 43 (Patreon)

Chapter 43 - Before you can say Hogwash!

Who cared about their confusion?

As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt magic building up around our entire party. Admittedly, the Thalmor were well-trained and immediately noticed that something was happening. They could feel the magic gathering, too. However, although they swiftly conjured up defensive Wards, they were responding to the wrong threat.

The next moment, my vision blurred as the world around me warped into swirling colors and my feet left the ground. The same thing was happening to the others, as we were all sharing the same Keyword.

The last thing I saw was the stunned Thalmor agents firing a barrage of spells at us, but it was already too late. I felt the familiar pull of the necklace I'd been wearing since our first few days in this world.

And just like that, we were no longer inside Labyrinthian.

We were somewhere else.

My feet slammed into the ground alongside the others, but having grown up in the Wizarding World, this wasn't my first time using a Portkey. I quickly regained my balance and steadied myself, landing gracefully in the snow.

The others had landed safely as well.

"Like always, a pleasure," Tracey said, kicking some snow off her boots.

"Still better than Side-Along Apparition," Astoria grumbled as she did the same.

We had landed just outside Winterhold, no more than a short walk away. We hadn't Apparated directly into the College because we had no idea how its wards would react to Apparition.

"That's true." My sister nodded before turning her gaze toward me. "Thank Merlin you decided to leave. For a moment, I thought you were going to fight them."

"Nah, that would've been an unnecessary risk. I'll admit we had a good chance of winning, but there was still enough danger involved that it wasn't worth taking the gamble," I denied immediately.

"We would've kicked their asses!" Astoria chimed in determinedly.

Daphne immediately chided her. "Astoria, language!"

"It's English," the younger girl cheekily replied.

I could only chuckle at her antics. "Maybe we could have, but it wouldn't have been worth the risk. Sure, I'll have to go back there, but I'll do so once the coast is clear. Now that I've been there, getting back is just a single Apparition away."

"I'll still accompany you. You're inexperienced at Apparition, after all. The last thing we need is for something to go wrong," Mom added in her usual calm and collected manner.

Being ambushed by a small army of Thalmor agents had done absolutely nothing to rattle her.

Well, she had lived through a Wizarding War, and her own brothers had been Death Eaters. Hell, her sister-in-law was Bellatrix Lestrange, a woman infamous for her twisted sense of familial love. In her eyes, if you weren't on her side, you deserved nothing but death.

"Of course you would... And that has absolutely nothing to do with wanting to see the Bromjunaar Sanctuary and whatever time-related magic that place holds, does it?" I pointed out her true intentions without hesitation.

"No, of course not. Apparition is an advanced form of magic for a reason. You only learn it later in your education under the Ministry's guidance," she replied with a completely straight face.

But she wasn't fooling me.

"I want to see the place where we found the Wooden Mask, too!" Astoria added eagerly.

"Sorry, Tori, but this will be an in-and-out operation. Who knows how closely the Thalmor are watching Labyrinthian? Since they're also looking for the masks, they're obviously interested in the Bromjunaar Sanctuary as well. Unless, of course, they know something I don't," I added absentmindedly.

Skyrim had never explained why the Thalmor were after the masks. There was only one reference to their interest: a soldier pretending to belong to one of the sides in the Civil War would send people out to retrieve one of the Dragon Priest Masks.

If you killed him, you'd find written orders on his body hinting at the Thalmor's interest in the masks.

And that was it.

"It's better to play it safe and bring as few people as possible. Besides, none of you have learned the Disillusionment Charm yet," I concluded.

"Fineee! So unfair. Just watch me. I'll have that stupid charm mastered soon enough!" she declared determinedly.

———

[ Agnar: You should have invited me, friend! I would have put those wretched Thalmor in their place. ]

[ Alistair Davis: Yeah, or so you claim. You wouldn't have missed out on the fun of exploring Labyrinthian, either. ]

[ Agnar: That too! A Skeletal Dragon! You fought a Skeletal Dragon! If that isn't an adventure, then what is? ]

[ Alistair Davis: Not you too. I already have Astoria gushing about her Skeletal Dragon. She even named him Skelli, and now she's all pouty because I finished him off. ]

[ Agnar: Like a true Nord! ]

[ Alistair Davis: Still not a Nord... ]

[ Rias Gremory: I get her! A Skeletal Dragon sounds amazing! I would have loved to see it for myself! I'm so envious! hint hint ]

[ Yamato: Sounds like a worthy opponent to fight. ]

[ Alistair Davis: It would have taken you one hit. A little infusion of Haoshoku Haki would have been very effective. Armament Haki alone would have been enough, too. ]

[ Yamato: The fight isn't what matters. It's the experience! I want to see the world! Any world! ]

[ Agnar: Spoken like a true Nord! ]

[ Alistair Davis: Not a Nord either... ]

[ Yamato: I would love to see Skyrim! ]

[ Agnar: You're always welcome here! We Nords welcome any warriors who embrace our ways! ]

[ Alistair Davis: I'll take you there once I figure out how to reach you. ]

[ Irene Belserion: Ahem. ]

[ Alistair Davis: Yes, I haven't forgotten that I promised to help you first. ]

[ Irene Belserion: It would be rather foolish if you had. ]

[ Rias Gremory: Ahem. ]

[ Alistair Davis: And that I'd meet up with you and take you along on the next jump... ]

[ Agnar: Ahem. ]

[ Alistair Davis: What do you even want? Don't you have a Dragon to capture so you can find out where Alduin is and save your world from ending? ]

[ Agnar: Oh, I know. But that takes time. Something about arranging a truce in that pointless Civil War of theirs. It's all too bothersome, so I'll leave them to handle it. As long as I get to smash some Dragons, I'm happy. ]

[ Alistair Davis: Is that wise? ]

[ Agnar: Meh, they're squabbling right now. It's so tiresome. ]

[ Alistair Davis: Wait, are you in the middle of a diplomatic meeting right now? ]

[ Agnar: Yes? ]

[ Alistair Davis: Shouldn't you be paying attention? ]

[ Agnar: They'll handle it. And it's working! Every time they talk to me, I just nod, and some of them seem happy while the others look unhappy. But things seem to be progressing, so it should be fine. More importantly, you're having more fun than I am! What was that I heard about an excursion to Saarthal? ]

[ Alistair Davis: Listen to the diplomatic talks! You're the Dragonborn! ]

[ Agnar: So are you! ]

[ Alistair Davis: I'm not from your world! ]

…

[ Roxy Migurdia: I'm here too... ]

———

— Albus Dumbledore POV —

The Headmaster’s office was unusually quiet that evening.

Beyond the tall, arched windows, the grounds of Hogwarts lay beneath the warm haze of mid-July, with the sprawling lawns bathed in golden sunlight and the distant treetops stirring lazily in the summer breeze. A few wisps of cloud drifted across the pale blue sky, while the Forbidden Forest stood dark and imposing against the late-summer greenery. The silver instruments on the side tables whirred and puffed occasionally, filling the quiet office with the delicate sounds of mechanisms that had never quite agreed on how the world ought to function.

Behind his desk, Albus Dumbledore sat with his fingers steepled beneath his chin, studying a small glass vial.

Inside it rested a single measure of clear, dark blue liquid.

But his thoughts were elsewhere, as they so often were.

Albus Dumbledore was many things. Some would call him a bumbling fool, others a decrepit old man or a cunning schemer. Yet more would call him the most powerful wizard of modern times, even comparing him to Merlin himself.

Albus Dumbledore, however, did not see himself that way.

He saw himself as a tired old man who had made the mistake of stepping up during a time of great need. Even now, he could not say whether his decision to face his former friend, Grindelwald, so many years ago had truly been the right one.

There was always the nagging feeling that he might have made matters worse in the long run. Ever since then, everyone had begun to rely on him.

And, of course, Albus could not simply let things get worse. Every time an emergency arose, he had to step in and do it all over again.

All he really wanted was to enjoy some peace and teach the next generation.

Still, there were so many things he had to keep an eye on. His former student, Tom, was one of the most pressing concerns, but the Wizarding World extended far beyond the borders of their own society, and the wider world held plenty of other headaches for him to deal with.

It was pure luck that their kind had not been wiped out already!

Yet, deep in his bones, he could feel that his life was nearing its natural conclusion. He was not quite ready to move on to the next great adventure, but he knew that the day would come.

What worried him more was whether the next generation would be ready when it did, especially young Potter, who represented his greatest sin and his greatest hope all at once.

Then there was the new variable that had appeared over the past year. A completely unexpected one, though not entirely unprecedented.

Honestly, Albus was quite familiar with the subject. It was hardly the first time a new student had joined Hogwarts in their fifth year after being considered a Squib for most of their life.

During his own time at Hogwarts, Albus had grown up hearing stories about such a student. That student, too, had entered the school in their fifth year and gone on to become a legend. A legend who had stopped a Goblin Rebellion with the power of Ancient Magic.

Did Alistair Davis possess the same gift?

Another variable he would have to keep an eye on. A particularly complicated one, at that. Dealing with the old families was never easy, and the Lestranges were among the oldest of them all.

Alistair's uncles were followers of Tom.

Fortunately, his mother and grandparents had not followed the same path.

However, they were not considered part of the so-called Light Side, either. If anything, they were firmly neutral. The Lestranges generally disliked Albus, while still respecting him for his skill.

It was a sentiment he could appreciate himself, if it were not for the fact that it made this new variable all the more complicated.

And Albus had the distinct feeling that he was only seeing the surface of the matter. The Lestranges had always been a mysterious family. Schisms between family members were not uncommon throughout their long history, with new branches emerging all over the world. The French branch was one of the most prominent examples.

Yet, there had never been so much as a hint as to what had caused these divisions. Every Lestrange remained silent on the matter.

Albus's eyes returned to the vial containing the dark blue liquid. There was no tea in it.

And now there was this, confirming that matters were far from simple.

Across from him, Severus Snape stood with the rigid posture of a man who had already decided that his evening had been wasted.

As always, a frown marred the Potions Master's face. This one, however, was different. Instead of his usual sour expression, brought on by having to deal with students or Potter, it reflected a riddle he couldn't solve.

"Your thoughts, Severus?"

"Whatever this is, it shouldn't exist." The Potions Master frowned. How novel.

"Yes, I already confirmed that with Pomona. Like you, I gave her a few samples to experiment with. This brew was created from a completely new branch of plant life, one never before seen in either the Wizarding or non-magical world," Albus repeated.

"That's not what I mean." Severus shook his head firmly. "I've tested it extensively, and this liquid contains properties that have never existed in this world before. Usually, a new plant is simply a mutated offshoot of an existing species, inheriting its properties while adapting to its environmental circumstances. But this one contains no environmental traces, nor does it possess the properties of any known plant in this world. It's as though it doesn't belong here at all."

Yes, that pretty much confirmed his own findings, yet it only made the situation more troublesome and this new variable far more important.

Albus was no stranger to the concept of other worlds. Although the subject remained a secret within the Wizarding World, it wasn't entirely unknown. However, he doubted this was a world that could only be reached through the Dimensional Gap.

There was simply no passing through that.

Which left only the possibility of another dimension belonging to this world.

Had the Davis family established contact with one of the supernatural factions? And if so, how? As far as Albus knew, the supernatural world avoided wizardkind like the plague.

There were a few points of contact between certain factions and the fringes of the Wizarding World, such as the Goblins and the Veela. But wizards? There was nothing.

"I believe the Davis family sells other ingredients in their shop as well. Perhaps we could find some clues or gather new information by looking into them," Albus suggested thoughtfully, his eyes fixed on the dark blue liquid.

He already had a few ideas about its potential applications. A medicinal liquid capable of expelling magic from a person's body would be a powerful tool, but he didn't dare get his hopes up. After all, his greatest headache was far more complicated than a simple case of magic.

"Possibly, but you won't be getting any help from me." Snape snorted dismissively, a hint of annoyance and envy creeping into his voice. "I've already heard about those new ingredients, but I won't be getting my hands on them. The Davis Apothecary doesn't sell to anyone affiliated with the Dark Lord, former spy or not."

Right, there was that.

Leonie Davis, née Lestrange, could be extremely vindictive and had absolutely zero tolerance for Death Eaters. Her husband wasn't quite as passionate about the matter, but he followed her lead nonetheless.

The foolishness of her brothers must have truly angered her.

"I'll see what I can do about it." Albus nodded. He still had a few contacts in the wizarding world, even among the Potions Masters. While they probably wouldn't be too happy about parting with such precious ingredients, he could at least get his hands on some for the right price.

Phoenix Tears, for example, were a highly sought-after commodity among potion-makers.

But that did little to ease his worries about this new variable.

What was he supposed to do?

[-- End of Chapter --]