Chapter 182: Chapter 182: "Holidays and New Strengths"
With a soft crack, Harry appeared in the entrance hall of Black Castle. The familiar sight of the grand staircase and the portraits of his Black ancestors lining the walls greeted him.
"Master Harry," Mira said, her large eyes shining with pride, "Master Arcturus and Master Sirius are waiting for you in the study."
Harry nodded and made his way. As he approached the study, muffled voices engaged in intense discussion reached his ears. It seemed Sirius was recounting the events of the previous night to Arcturus.
Knocking softly, Harry entered to find Arcturus seated behind his massive oak desk, with Sirius pacing back and forth. Both men looked up as he entered, their faces a mixture of concern and relief.
"Harry!" Arcturus exclaimed, gesturing for him to take a seat. "Sirius has been filling me in on the events at Hogwarts. It seems you've had quite an adventure."
Harry settled into one of the plush armchairs, feeling the weight of the past few days settle on his shoulders. "That's one way to put it," he said with a wry smile.
Arcturus leaned forward, his eyes sharp despite his advanced age. "So, Voldemort's real name was Tom Riddle. I had heard about him. A charming and smart young lad during his years at Hogwarts who suddenly went missing. I had assumed he had left the wizarding world for better opportunities since he was a muggle-born. Now it looks like he was a squib born from the line of Gaunts. To think all the blood supremacists have been following a half-blood to cause chaos and death in the wizarding world. Many old families have been destroyed and some to near extinction by the actions of that crazy dark lord."
Sirius, who had stopped pacing, chimed in, "It looks like Dumbledore knew his real identity for a long time. Why didn't he expose him? That would have made a dent in Voldemort's followers."
Arcturus shook his head, his expression clouded. "No idea. No one knows what goes on in his mind. Over the years, he has done things that make no sense. Let's forget it. So, one more Horcrux down. I didn't think he would leave one with the Malfoy brat. The boy will be in so much trouble when Voldemort comes back and learns what happened to it. Two Horcruxes down and who knows how many more to go."
Harry, seeing an opportunity to broach the subject of Horcruxes, spoke up, "Actually, it's three down. I stumbled upon another one at Hogwarts when looking for its secrets. It was in a room known to Hogwarts elves as the Come and Go Room."
Sirius's eyes widened in surprise. "Good job, Harry. Come and Go Room? I thought I had explored all the secret places in the school. It looks like we missed some."
Encouraged by their interest, Harry continued, "I also have another idea where another one could be."
Arcturus leaned forward, intrigued. "Go on."
"With Bellatrix," Harry explained. "Since Malfoy had one, I'm sure Bellatrix, whom Voldemort trusted a lot, would have one too. I just have no idea where she could have hidden it."
Harry had been wrestling with how to access the Hufflepuff cup Horcrux in the Lestrange vault. Having failed to come up with a solution, he couldn't help but seek Arcturus's advice.
Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "Good guess. However, unless we can read the mind of Bellatrix, we have no way of finding the hiding place."
Harry pressed on, "I have narrowed down the search to some places, but the most likely place I think would be Gringotts. The most secure bank in Wizarding Britain should have one of them. Just don't know how to confirm or go about searching for the Horcrux in Gringotts. Have any ideas, Grandfather?"
Arcturus stroked his beard, considering the question. "Goblins don't trust wizards, and vice versa, so I have no way of getting into Bellatrix's or the Lestrange's vault. We will have to wait for her to come out of Azkaban to think of some way, or else wait for the natural death of the Lestranges and her, and then do some tricks to buy the Horcrux from her unsuspecting inheritor."
Harry sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment. "So nothing can be done. It looks like we might have to think of some other ways to kill Voldemort seeing that destroying all the Horcruxes is not possible. Maybe we could trap him and imprison him until he dies a natural death. I will have to refer to the Black Library. Grandfather, I might need your help."
The old man, despite his age, was still very much able to help Harry. With the help of a proper diet and treatment from Cordelia and Emma, the old man could function normally just like Dumbledore despite his age.
After some more chit-chat, Sirius left for his home. With Sirius away, Arcturus turned towards Harry, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What did you do with the basilisk, Harry? There's no way you left that hissing trove of treasure for Dumbledore to deal with."
Harry grinned, impressed by his grandfather's perceptiveness. "You're right, Grandfather. After Sirius left Hogwarts, I went to the chamber again to deal with the basilisk. It was a tough fight, but I won in the end. I have the basilisk harvested and stored in a trunk. Can you help me deal with the less important materials?"
Arcturus nodded, a glint of pride in his eyes. "Since you killed the snake, you have full rights on how to deal with it by law. However, we will have to handle things discreetly. We're talking about rare magical materials that cost a lot of galleons. The amount of galleons will make even wizards like Dumbledore jealous."
Harry considered this for a moment. "I leave it to you, Grandfather. You have the contacts. I just want the basilisk skin for some robes and a few things for the animagus ritual. I don't need much money, so maybe sell the meat and the fangs and store the rest."
Arcturus smiled approvingly. "Good thinking. Also, using materials from a thousand-year-old basilisk, you will have a very good chance of awakening a magical animagus. I want to see this in person."
Harry's eyes lit up with excitement. "Sure. I will need your help to prepare for the ritual. I can't wait to gain a magical animagus form."
They decided to hide these things from Sirius for now. The missing basilisk might create some suspicions and mayhem, and Sirius not knowing what happened to it would ensure he didn't accidentally show some clues. Sirius could be told later after things cooled down.
Later, Harry went outside to the castle grounds. He was eager to test out his gains from the previous night. After that refreshing nap on the train, he was wide awake and excited to experiment with his new abilities as a knight.
Harry started with a simple test of strength. He approached a large boulder that he'd previously struggled to budge. With a deep breath, he placed his hands on the cool surface and pushed. To his astonishment, the boulder moved with surprising ease. He estimated that his strength had increased at least fivefold as written in Gryffindor's notes.
Next, he tested his speed. Harry sprinted across the grounds, covering distances in times that would make Olympic athletes envious. His reflexes were put to the test when he asked Mira to throw various objects at him. Harry found he could catch or dodge them with an ease that bordered on precognition.
To gauge his improved stamina, Harry embarked on a grueling workout routine that would have exhausted him within minutes before. Now, he found he could maintain intense physical activity for extended periods without tiring.
His eyesight had also dramatically improved. Harry could now discern details at distances that were previously impossible, and his night vision had become almost cat-like in its acuity.
Curious about how his knighthood affected his magic, Harry began casting spells. He immediately noticed that magic flowed more smoothly through his body, and casting even complex spells felt more natural and quicker. His magical reserves seemed to have expanded as well, allowing him to cast more powerful spells without fatigue.
Despite these impressive gains, Harry found he couldn't access his seed of life that he had just awoken or manipulate life energy directly. It seemed that advancing to the rank of Great Knight would be necessary before he could harness those abilities in combat.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the castle grounds, Harry resolved to continue his training. He was not satisfied with merely becoming a knight; even reaching the level of Sky Knight didn't seem enough. Harry was determined to push the boundaries of what was possible in this life, his ambition driving him to seek heights of power and ability that few had ever achieved.
With the basilisk defeated, his knighthood achieved, and the animagus ritual on the horizon, Harry felt less anxious about the future war. He knew he was on the path to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the wizarding world. The challenges ahead no longer seemed insurmountable, but rather obstacles to be overcome. With renewed determination, Harry made his way back to the castle, ready to face whatever challenges the future might hold, confident in his growing abilities and the support of his family.
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