Bab 11: Harry Potter : Another Dark Lord - Chapter 11 : Missed Gold Opportunity
The End-of-Term Feast was a joke. Slytherin was first in the house cup. Mikhael table was in glee. The Greengrass even hugged him. His relation with other Slytherin was better, he won some house point with potion and charm, but he had no real friend. They just accepted his presence. The blond snake's happiness stopped as soon as the headmaster announced a terrible new.
The old wizard chose this moment to award some last-minute points to three Gryffindors, the golden trio as Malfoy called them. A hundred and fifty points difference was just disregarded by the headmaster. At this point, both houses had an equal amount of points. Mikhael scanned the table and didn't find Potter, still at the hospital wing. Greengrass whispered to him how unfair it was, no one saw what Ron, Hermione and Harry did to deserve such amount of house points. Mikhael agreed. He saw them, they weren't spectacular. Only Potter's 'fight' against the dark lord should have count.
Snape and McGonagall were in staring contest when Dumbledore added another ten points to Neville Longbottom, making the Great Hall color changed to red and gold. Even if Mikhael didn't really care about the house cup since there was no reward for winning, he shared his house-mate feeling of unfairness. The bland favoritism shown to the savior of magic repulsed him.
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The trip back to the orphanage was quiet. The school year was productive. It granted him a lot of benefits. Indeed, he reached a higher level of magical mastery and got a lot of experience. Furthermore, he obtained the philosopher stone. At the third floor last room, Mikhael broke the mirror of Erised to mask his thievery. Potter would believe the stone was either destroyed or brought back into the mirror after his confrontation. The mystery would hide his participation.
The stone could turn any metal into gold and craft the elixir of life. Money would flow in his palm and the elixir would allow him to be immortal until reaching his body limit. All those advantages would make his life easier, but he had to proceed with caution. Those greedy goblins might be suspicious and steal him if he showed too much gold at the same time. He would have to pass by muggle bank to convert his future gold bar.
At the Express platform 9 and 3/4, the orphan felt down. Here, he was among families fetching their kids. They were happy to see their child after months of separation. A father shuffled his eldest son's hair. A mother covered her second-year daughter with kisses. Mikhael moved faster. As the reflection shown in the Erised mirror, he didn't want to be alone.
Mikhael didn't want to return to the orphanage this soon. Instead, he went to Diagon Alley. Before leaving school, teachers had reminded the student that they weren't allowed to perform magic during summer. This fact, was unacceptable. He needed a way out, and he had the idea of how. With the remaining money he got from his lost object reparation, he believed he had enough to conduct his summer business.
The barman Tom didn't show any surprise when Mikhael enter the pub. The student didn't order anything before accessing to the magical alley. After getting some more Galleon cash, he went straight to Knockturn Alley, putting on his hood. Numerous shops devoted to the Dark Arts filled the place instead of the 'normal' shops of its opposite alley.
Unusual, sinister and seemly dangerous individuals walked around and shopped in the area, minding their business. Among the anonymity, the orphan wasn't disoriented. Shrunken heads, poisonous candles and obscure books were displayed for the customer sight. Those articles weren't what he sought. Mikhael continued further.
When a wizard shoved him aside, the black hair student retaliated. His aggressor wand arm was burnt to bones and dozens of his favorite fire spheres rotated around the injured. The passerby stopped at this power display. They watched as the older wizard begged for mercy. Mikhael gained the man Galleon as compensation. He couldn't show any weakness here nor kill senselessly. The aurors still patrolled this place from time to time.
The crowd let him pass without insistence. Different shops specialized in tattoos, exotic near forbidden animals, cursed objects but none showed what he sought. Another shop sold vampire food with blood from any kind of muggle, some magical wizard blood or dangerous beast. He found it. Mikhael entered the establishment. Crocked standing and white as a paper sheet, the shop owner didn't greet him.
" Good day sir. I saw you deal with any kind of blood, so I wonder if you had un-curse unicorn blood ? ", Mikhael examined a flask with liquid of similar texture to his unicorn blood, hidden in his trunk.
" Ha, young customer. Don't you know that the ministry had forbidden such a good. If you are here just to fool, get out before I force you. ", the owner pointed his wand toward the exit.
" I see, for an honest price. Would you purify the blood I have ? ", not intimidated by the man's behavior, Mikhael summoned his unicorn blood. At this sight, the shopper waved his wand, closing the door and windows.
" How rare, the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. That's why the ministry registered the unicorn strictly. I won't lie, I can purify it but I want half of the blood, no Galleon is worth the price for this. When you have slain something so pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips. Still, a half or second life, it can give anyone enough time to find another way. ", the shop keeper and Mikhael engaged a price war. No matter the Galleon, the rare stone or ingredient, the shop keeper refused. In the end, Mikhael accepted to pay a third of his unicorn blood. He felt the price was too high, but there weren't many other shops in Knockturn Alley which dealt with blood purification.
The orphan witnessed the full process, not trusting the owner. Annoyed, the adult wizard started to set the blood inside a circle of shrunken heads. As the owner chant the unknown purification spell, the heads absorbed the curse, turning white before dissipating. The silver-like blood lost its metallic color. Turning into a translucent liquid, similar to pure water, the unicorn blood quantity diminished by a quarter.
Mikhael Left the shop with his un-curse blood. It went without a problem but the amount was lower than anticipated. He hoped it would be enough for any ritual he would use it. The Knockturn streets changed at night, more wizards hiding their faces roamed the alley. Inside another shop, Mikhael met a wizard ready to remove his Trace charm for seven Galleons. He could do wand magic without alerting the ministry, this summer and the following.
Trace charm was one way for the ministry to monitor young wizard, Mikhael believed there was more. The ministry couldn't let its students without implementing more spying measures. To be safe, Mikhael bought some ward stones for hiding his magical activity and another set to accumulate ambient magic at a faster rate. After installing the ward, the magical concentration in the area wouldn't be as good as Hogwarts but it would be better than the natural process.
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Mikhael returned to the 'Seven Oaks Provisional Home For Orphans'. The building hadn't changed, still in place with white painting suffering from the climate. Some windows were replaced while some parts of the building required reparation. The orphans had grown up. The fat Samael was skinny. Nature had shaped his body as she should have in this environment. Some older kids left, leaving the population reaching thirteen counting his presence. The matron didn't bother to greet him as she was teaching the last orphan girl how to be noticed by adults for adoption.
Mikhael didn't bother with visit day, he had enough money for himself and stayed here for the free accommodation. He didn't practice magic training near the orphanage and the village. How long and large was the zone, the ministry had determined to be his magical range. Mikhael didn't want to find the limit. His magical sense had an approximate zone, but who knew if he missed some part or if there was hidden spying magic in place around his trace zone.
Deep in the forest, the wizard put the ward stone in the perimeter he used for training. His magical control range had increased to sixteen meters. He didn't have anyone to compare his progress, but he thought it was a good advancement. He gained more than half his previous range distance. Lucy girl wasn't great at conversing. Mikhael felt disconnected to the orphans. They lived their lives here, without magic, concerning themselves with food and family adoption.
Mikhael couldn't feel at ease with the other orphans. He was too different now. He couldn't train his magic with them near him. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were then, spent alone in the forest. The kitchen elf Barpy of Hogwarts, the one he met first, respond to his call. The orphan wasn't sure about this attempt. Those elves were working for Hogwarts so why should they answer his call from so far away. He was happy to see the small creature.
Giving some money to the elf to purchase the food it needed to prepare meals, Mikhael enjoyed the service of Barpy for the whole summer. There wasn't much to do at Hogwarts since students and professors left for summer. The other house-elves had to keep the school clean and that was all. Barpy was enjoying its new responsibility. Mikhael didn't need to waste time with transport when the elf could apparate him to London or any other place. Stealing house jewelry was funnier with an accomplice.
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The grading system of Hogwarts followed the chart :
O - Outstanding (Pass, always continue to N.E.W.T.)
E - Exceeds Expectations (Pass, usually continues to N.E.W.T.)
A - Acceptable (Pass, rarely continues to N.E.W.T)
P - Poor (Fail, may repeat subject)
D - Dreadful (Fail, may not receive O.W.L. credit)
T - Troll (Fail, with distinction. More than one T may mean refusal into other N.E.W.T.s)
Mikhael received his exam results while pickpocketing in London street. The owl appearance made his action detected which resulted in him running away. The orphan grabbed the letter, cursing the bird and all its family members. Reacting to this behavior, the bird attacked the student who was prepared. The owl stayed still when a hundred of fire flames surround it. It had to wait in the same place for a day before Mikhael released it.
The first-year results were not extraordinary since the orphan trained more his personal skill than the class requirement. There were three outstanding for charms, transfiguration and potions, three exceeds expectation in astronomy, defense against the dark arts, herbology and two passable for flying and history of magic. He didn't put a lot of effort into those last subjects. Defense against the dark arts could have been outstanding if the teacher wasn't Quirell.
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Mikhael raged. For days, after training he spent two hours deciphering how to use the philosopher stone, but he couldn't find the way to activate any of its effects. Alchemy wasn't something he had searched as it was complicated and didn't have an immediate benefit for his growth. He would have spent near three years to master it at a beginner level, not worth it. Summoning the Hogwart elf, the orphan went to Gringotts and put the stone inside his bank vault. He didn't give up, he just stored it until he found clues on how to use it.
Mikhael had no problem with first years spell, he had mastered. He could cast any spell from 'The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1' with or without his wand chantless. Furthermore, all the rituals he underwent allowed him to turn those first-year spells into lethal curses. The Fire-Making Spell was his first modification since he had an affinity with heat and fire.
For example, the Wand-Lighting Charm, Lumos, had the effect to create a beam of light on the end of the wand. Mikhael played with it, altering the effect, color, duration, position. He made it float and duplicated like his fire sphere. The intensity could blind anyone and even injured eyes if his power was strong enough. Concentrating the light beam in a single strand of magic had the same effect as a laser. The piercing power was strong enough to go through a tree's trunk with no resistance but the magical cost made it less attractive to his own fire magic.
Continuing his research on ritual, Mikhael found some which could enchant his magic but side effects were too severe. Losing life years wasn't worth the gain. Using ritual would help him to grow stronger, but like anything in this world, there were limitations. Wizard couldn't undergo too many rituals, some blend well with others, but the majority weren't compatible. If Mikhael wasn't prudent, undergoing a new ritual could dissolve his previous gain at best and kill him at worst.
For example, gaining strength from the troll's heart would be replaced if he gained strength by another creature even if the latter was weaker than a troll. To increase the strength of the current troll's heart, he needed to sacrifice other troll's hearts. However, he couldn't focus on strength alone since a wizard body could only support a certain number of rituals before either mutating or exploding. The only exception was the purifying ritual which made his magic more potent. It altered the user magic in a unique way, not truly damaging the body and soul.
What seemed to be the most attractive to him was a specific ritual to enchant his agility. Avoiding curses would become easier, spending less effort. For it, the orphan went to London and caught nine kittens. The younger the cat was, the more growth his agility could be boosted and trained. He hesitated. Those lives weren't a threat to his life. Mikhael hardened his heart. If he couldn't sacrifice innocent lives for his objectives, he wouldn't be able to continue. He would find another excuse for another problem. He couldn't fail. Power was blind. If, the orphan couldn't advance, he would betray his best friend, Abigael Obbs.
Some orphan kids stumbled on the wizard's training place while he underwent the ritual. They saw the animals agonizing, the sight made them flee in terror. They didn't question him, avoiding his sight. The stayed feet away from him whenever he went back to sleep. The matron was even ignoring his rebellious act when he didn't participate in house chore, Mikhael could see fear hidden in her eyes.
Mikhael's training became spectacular, he avoided fire orbs even in the air. The ritual left no visible side effect. His behavior was more feral than before. He preferred meat for meals and loved even more the forest. Still, it didn't bother him since it wasn't affecting his training. With a greater balance, Mikhael could train his endurance while wearing magically heavier clothes and not fall from the forest trees. This way, he trained his strength, endurance, agility and magic at the same time.
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Money making had to be more efficient. Mikhael spent time to develop his thievery arsenal. The Disillusionment Charm to merge with his surroundings. He added sound, heat and odor concealment magic. Policeman dog stopped barking at him then. The second part was easier, a shroud of darkness covering a zone help to hide his activity. No one would see through it so no witness would see door or windows 'opening' by themselves. The last spell Mikhael relied on was the hardest. He found it in a Knockturn book for divination magic.
'Hidden Third Eye', was a spell clothed in Disillusionment charm. It summoned a head size eye with vertical iris which connected to the wizard mind, showing him the sight from this third eye. The particularity of this sight was the ability to focus on magic, zoom and ignore layers of clothes, walls, matter. It was classified as dark magic since the wizard ministry didn't want to be spied on by any of its users.
Mikhael found it interesting. Unlike his fire sphere, the third eye could move further his magical range control to a maximal distance of three-time his limit. The other noteworthy feature of this spell was the eye ability to ignore matters. It could traverse anything that wasn't protected by magic barriers. The orphan used it to spy on houses he wanted to steal, checking that the owners weren't home. It also became handier when he could summon a second third eye. Those two were positioned as watchers. Even if alarms were activated, he could see through the third eyes when the policemen were there. The third eye spell, in theory, could be used to summon an infinite number but the load charge would be enough to kill any wizard. Mikhael restrained himself to two third eyes, his limit was three.
London went into a frenzy. There was numerous case of thievery without any evidence. The muggle bank was even affected. Two of its buildings had been raided. Newspapers wrote articles about this serious case of public danger. Aurors patrolled the London street to arrest the wild wizard, but thanks to his third eye spell, Mikhael always detected their presence before fleeting away.
The orphan amassed quite the fortune. Converted to Galleon it reached the sum of 18'129. Wizards in Knockturn Alley gave good prices to jewelry and the two banks held around forty-five thousand Pounds Sterling each. His vault wasn't the richest but it was enough for him to live his life without working if he didn't spend irrationally. He wouldn't be able to amass the same amount with the tighter security.
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The Dark Arts, also known as Dark Magic, referred to any type of magic that mainly were used to cause harm, exert control over, or even kill the victim. The use of such had intoxicating effects on the user. After asserting his will on the Cerberus, Mikhael felt an urge to dominate others. This wasn't a rational thought. Training all the time or studying helped him to forget, this desire.
Yet, he found himself in the forest. Holding a snake which he forced to knot itself on his wrist. He wanted to know how far his control could go. The animal tightened its grip, tearing its skin and muscles. The pain wasn't enough to make the orphan exit this trance. Fascinating was the continuous servitude the snake showed. The body trembled in agony. Bleeding stained the wizard arm.
In a silent cry, the snake died.
Mikhael recognized the effect of his will as a lesser form of the Unforgivable Curse, the Imperius Curse. The animal conscious was still there until the last moment. It struggled as much as it could. His magic and will command the body while not controlling fully the animal, it wouldn't struggle if the wizard had a perfect dominance over the snake.
His magic wouldn't allow the enslaved snake to do more than what its body was able.
Mikhael had to focus more on the mind art.
He needed to protect his mind from himself.
He couldn't lose control.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Hiehie_
Hiehie_ Second year soon to come.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone