Bab 25: Chapter 25 – Introductions and Developments
The new couple had lost themselves in that first kiss. It had taken Poppy fifteen minutes to decide that she'd given them enough time. She was excited for the pairing, for more than one reason, but she also knew how easily the passions of youth could overwhelm those same people. She'd knocked firmly, and then given them five seconds, before she walked in.
Both the teens had been blushing, but they were also smiling. Poppy had even given them a smile in return. Then she'd told them that it was time for bed. She'd be staying at the fortress, during the evenings. Her system would inform her of any need to get to the castle in a hurry, and Harry had made a medical exception for her in the teleportation portal wards, which would make her one of the very few people who could use a teleportation portal from inside the fortress to a transportation station and then back to Hogwarts and directly to the infirmary. It was good to be the mother-figure to the king. Well, that, and Harry had a healthy respect for the healer business, and would always include them in exceptions, just like the wizarding world did.
The next day had seen a young couple exploring the concept of coupledom. Wanting to hold hands was cute and fun, but when said hands became sweaty, it wasn't all that comfortable. Not wanting to give offence to one another, they'd tried to tough it out, until they both realised that neither of them were enjoying it. Gryff had just chuckled and told them to loosen their grips, to allow fresh air in, which had the effect of relieving the sweating and having both teens glaring at the hat for allowing them to 'suffer', when he had obviously known of the problem. He was old, after all.
Surprising Neville, they'd not suddenly become different people. He'd eventually find that they would disappear on occasion, but he'd not suddenly been forgotten.
Speaking of which, Neville's morning visit to M.I.P.D. had gone over with a few of the officers on duty being shocked at his skill, when Moody had taken opportunity to fire at him from a hidden location, and him both dodging all three spells, and returning fire in under a second. Moody had been able to deflect his return-fire, but he'd also grinned and greeted Neville by name and with a friendly handshake after that.
The other officers were not shocked to learn that Moody had had a personal hand in training the young man. They'd found out about that, when Moody congratulated him on keeping up his training, and then inviting him into his office, to have a chat and a cup of tea. Neville's easy smile and confident demeanour, even after the unwarranted attack was the biggest shock to them. Apparently, Lord Potter's friend was quite capable. Nobody had been able to dodge Moody's surprise attacks before. They'd not even heard the standard 'Constant Vigilance!', because the young man had obviously been quite vigilant.
Moody had personally taken Neville on a tour of the department, and he'd introduced him to a few of the officers on duty. Two werewolves had already been promoted to senior officer status, along with one vampire, a centaur, two sphinxes and strangely, a Veela. Neville hadn't questioned Moody's choice, and he didn't need to when he saw sharp, intelligent eyes regarding him and evaluating him, as he was evaluating her. If he believed his system, which he did, since he'd programmed that feature himself, she was also quite powerful. He couldn't see her reserves, but her magical impression was strong and steady.
The vampire was just about to end his shift, and he was apparently the one in charge at night, when other vampires, a few goblins and another werewolf were on duty. For the senior officers at least. The normal officers were more numerous, but they were also more like uniformed patrolmen, considering there hadn't been any large need for them yet.
Then Moody had taken him into the goblin town under Unity Isle. There, he was introduced to Moody's personal spies. Or at least that was how he'd describe the Mage Isles Counterintelligence Agency. M.I.C.A. was Moody's version of Unspeakables and his attempt to start sending Mage Isles support out into the wider world.
The goblins of the Unity Isle had taken to the freedoms of less restrictive laws, and quite a bit of help from Moody, to set up goblin automatons with a new focus and function. They had a whole department of goblins who used magically invisible remote-operated automatons, to monitor happenings around the globe.
The remote operation was based off Harry's first remote operated transportation shield. As was the invisibility it used. The way they operated around the globe, was also due to connectivity to Harry's global interface system. The way they flew and followed people automatically was apparently based off ancient goblin techniques.
The automatons could be directed remotely, but they could also automatically keep track of people, and follow them discreetly, due to the way the automatons could operate without direction, after a priority is set and since they could move through solid objects. Having access to the teleportation portals, which Moody had to open for the automatons, was also a great bonus. He was still working on a way to incorporate something he'd seen Harry do a few times, to allow someone to cast spells through the automaton, using the interface system.
It was due to this operation that Moody had received word on the purebloods' attempt to kidnap Harry. Apparently, they were also part of how Moody found new residents to the Mage Isles. Especially the creatures who were abused by the wizarding world.
The fact that the goblins in question were all too happy to help punish self-important, entitled, selfish pureblood witches and wizards was a pure coincidence. Honest.
Moody had also acted on information about magical communes, where people were suffering under the rule or leadership of people drunk on their own power. Moody informed Neville that they had already helped a few people in situations like that, and that Harry was well aware of that fact, when Neville asked if there was anything he could do to help.
Neville's plans to join Moody on the Mage Isles became that much more solid, with every new thing he learned. The Mage Isles were not isolationist. They were making a global difference. Moody informed him that he had plans to start helping out mundane police and intelligence agencies in the future as well. Something he knew Harry would appreciate, considering his views on the responsibilities of power. It would need a careful hand obviously, to protect the secret of magic, but it could also help a lot of people.
III-III
Neville had been with Moody for most of that Friday, and Harry and Hermione had gone to see a few other things he'd been working on in secret.
"So, when a dragon breathes fire at the charging target, it uses that magic and creates an opponent for the dragon?" Hermione asked, as she inspected the large translucent crystalline tube that was jutting out of the middle of the dragon arena.
"Exactly." Harry said, smiling. "This way the dragons can vent their excess aggression in a harmless and fun way."
"But some dragons are stronger than others." Hermione pointed out.
"There's a safety feature." Harry said. "If they charge the target for longer, the golem becomes stronger, but the golems will not be able to hurt the dragons past a certain point. I've also added an interface that is connected to each dragon when they charge the target, which learns from each individual dragon, to give it the best experience. The idea is to eventually give every dragon an experience that leaves them satisfied with the results of their battle. Victory, but not always easily attainable victory, as it were. Dragons really like a challenge."
Hermione internalized that, nodding as she considered things. She obviously didn't know everything that went into this, but she'd seen enough to help her understand some of it. "So… it's like our magic? We learn how to use magic by repetition and learning to understand our own magic, making things simpler with time, and letting us do more."
"Not exactly, but also kind-of, yes." Harry said. "The skills of the golems don't come from the arena, or the charging target, as much as the desires of the dragon, combined with a record of their past experiences in the Arena. When they charge the target, their magic communicates with the magic of the arena, which tells the arena what to produce and how much of a challenge the dragon can handle. The only difference being, if they need a longer fight, they need to charge the target longer, or wait for another round after other dragons have had their turn."
"There's a lot you're not telling me, isn't there?" Hermione asked. This seemed too complicated, and at the same time, almost too simplistic. "How does the arena know? How can it 'remember'?"
"To be honest, there is a bit of a cheat involved." Harry admitted, as he smirked at Hermione. "I used an interface program, which I copied into the charging target, with quite a few of my memories and ideas, so that it can function like a sort of magical intelligence. Since it can learn and adapt, using my knowledge, it can adjust a golem as necessary, and directly manipulate a golem into making mistakes for the dragon to take advantage of."
"Magical intelligence?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows rising. "You mean like an artificial intelligence?" she asked, worry starting to colour her words.
"Not quite that intelligent." Harry assured her. "It's more like a moving portrait. Yes, one could say that those are intelligent, but they can't become a threat to anyone, because that's not how the magic works. I'd need to want to make it a threat, for it to be able to be one." A little bit of his research and experimentation into spirit and blood magic had gone into this one. They were dangerous elements of magic, so he'd been damned careful.
"Harry, are you sure this isn't something dark?" Hermione asked, still worried.
"Let me demonstrate." Harry said. He lifted a hand and directed magical power into the crystal, while Hermione looked on in worry, as the crystal glowed for a few seconds, until Harry lowered his hand, and the glow stopped.
There was a thick bubbling sound then, as molten earth started seeping up from the ground, quickly growing and expanding upward, until a ten-foot-tall golem started taking shape next to the crystal. It reshaped into a humanoid shape, with a bulky figure and head, but no face, before it quickly cooled down and solidified.
"Harry?" Hermione asked, worried. The thing was huge and looked really strong.
"You might want to take a few steps back." Harry suggested. "It won't attack me if you are too close and might get hurt."
Hermione looked at the golem, as it just stood there, making no move, but a slow rising and falling of the shoulders as it emulated breathing. "You've done this before?" Hermione asked, not moving away.
Harry smiled at her. "I had to test that it worked correctly, right?" he asked.
Hermione sighed, but finally took a few steps back, not turning away from the golem.
The moment there was enough space, the golem jumped at Harry with its right fist lifted in an overhead strike.
Surprising Hermione, Harry was suddenly just as large as the golem, and he moved with a sort of practiced ease, to sidestep the golem, which landed with enough force to be felt in the ground before Harry tried for a similar jumping attack on the golem, but with a quick spin and a kick, rather than a punch. The golem turned in time and blocked the kick, but stumbled back from the impact, before turning and returning an attack with a roundhouse kick.
The fact that Harry could fight wasn't really a shock to Hermione, considering his dance system. He could learn any sort of move and could probably use the system to train muscle-memory directly into his body instantly these days. What did shock her was the smile on Harry's face as he traded blows and kicks, with attempts at grappling and throwing added in.
He looked like he was having fun, even when the golem got a hit in that she winced at. Harry didn't even slow down, even though it looked like it had hurt him. Harry didn't rely on magic in this fight, besides obviously somehow making himself bigger. She'd ask after that later. It took a couple of minutes for the fight to conclude, with Harry finishing the fight with a grapple to the golem's head and a knee to the golem's chest which cracked and broke. The golem stopped moving instantly, and started crumbling to dust, which seemed to be reabsorbed into the arena, as the disturbed earth of the arena floor smoothed out again and became as flat as it had been.
Harry's form didn't so much shrink, as become normal again in an instant, like he'd been wearing a copy of himself as armour. He still had a bloody lip and a few bruises, but those disappeared as soon as Harry looked at Hermione with a victorious smile.
Hermione was stumped for a moment. She didn't know this side of Harry, but also, some part of her felt the need to kiss him, just then. So, that's what she did. She'd not be able to admit it, just then, but seeing Harry dishevelled and a little bloody after a physical fight with a giant rock monster, had the word 'hot' jump into her head.
When the kiss broke, which left them both breathless for a short bit, Harry broke the silence. "So, still worried?" he asked.
"Oh, that was well done, Mister Potter." a female voice said, as they heard two sets of feet approach them from the side.
"Mistress Yinara." Harry said with a sigh, as he let go of Hermione, and a small blush appeared on both their faces. He saw her husband and nodded at him, as well. "Master Yangon." he added.
"Don't mind us." Yangon said. "Please, do continue what you were doing." he teased.
Both Harry and Hermione's blushes deepened at that.
"Stop it." Yinara chastised, as she slapped his arm. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty." she said to Harry, then. "Miss Granger." she added, with a nod at Hermione.
"Oh, that's how it is, is it?" Harry asked, as he ignored his blush. "Should I greet you the same way, by your title?" he added, before he went down on one knee, looked at the ground and spread his arms. "Good afternoon, Your Eminence, Divine Queen of the East. Mother of Gods."
"Okay!" the woman exclaimed. "Mister Potter." she added, with a slight pout. She'd asked Harry not to do that, and he did it whenever she tried to act formally with him. "You do know I didn't tell people to call me that, right? Mother of Gods? I don't even know where that came from. I've never had children and I never claimed to be divine."
"She used to help gifted elemental and land spirits settle into roles as minor deities." Yangon supplied.
Harry just smirked as he stood up. He knew she hated that, just like he hated letting these ancient beings speak up to him. The fact that Yinara helped put spirits to use was not really surprising to him, considering the many gods and godlings in Chinese mythology.
"Um. What?" Hermione asked, not knowing what to make of the exchange.
"Do not worry, Miss Granger." Yangon said. "It is just a game between my wife and Mister Potter. Neither of them wants to be spoken to formally. At least when it's just us. One of the perks of the Mage Isles is to be treated as you want to be, after all."
"It seems your entertainment venue is nearly complete." Yinara decided to say, changing the subject.
"How long have you two been coming here?" Harry asked.
"Oh, we felt the magic here, shortly after arriving on the Mage Isles." Yangon said. "We came to inspect it and divined its purpose from there."
"My husband likes to sneak here for a bit of fun every other day." Yinara said, sending a knowing look at her husband. "He thought I didn't know, but I like to keep an eye on him, when he comes here. He sometimes doesn't expect the new strategies the constructs use, and it's very funny to see him come up short."
"You knew?" Yangon asked.
"I'm your wife. I know everything." Yinara said, smirking at him. That seemed to shut the man up, for the moment. "As I was saying, it seems you are almost finished with this venue. Do you have any idea when you will be opening it up to the dragons?" she asked.
Harry didn't like that his surprise was spoiled, but he supposed he should have known better than to just use a simple repelling ward to keep everyone away. "You didn't tell anyone, right?" he asked.
"And spoil your surprise and gain your ire?" Yinara scoffed. "I think not. We do consider you an ally, Mister Potter. Maybe even a friend."
"Then how about calling me Harry." Harry asked.
"In our culture that would be too familiar." Yangon said. "It's not about respect, as much as it is about not showing disrespect. Give us a bit of time. This is our way."
Harry sighed. He couldn't very well force them. He had to practice what he preached. "Fine." he said. "The Dragon Arena is nearly complete. I just need to add a few more charging targets, and flight targets, before I can open things up here. I was hoping to get this up soon, because Charlie and his coworkers have noted an increase in irritability in the dragons without dragonkin forms. This is meant to be a vent for that."
"Why not just finish your work in giving them dragonkin forms?" Yinara asked.
Harry sighed. "There're hundreds of dragons waiting for the change. I can't do more than a few a day, because I'll run out of options to keep things unique. Some of these dragons are quite vain, too. They want to look impressive and unique, which means they get frustrated when they have to compromise. I don't want them to get angry at me, because I can't think of everything they'd like."
"Wait." Hermione said. "You're being delayed, because your imagination can't keep up?" she asked. "You? Mister, 'I can do things Merlin never dreamed of', can't keep up with the demand on your creativity?"
"Hey!" Harry objected. "I do more than think of new modifications and forms for dragons, okay? I actually have other things going on. I even have paperwork I need to handle, these days."
Hermione just lifted an eyebrow at him, before shaking her head. "Master Yangon, Mistress Yinara. Would you be capable of understanding the needs of the dragons and then help Harry incorporate the dragon's desires into dragonkin forms?" She knew that they were dragons, from her discussion with the woman the previous evening, and her follow-up questions with Harry after that.
"Hmm." Yinara hummed, as she smiled at the bright young woman. "We may indeed be capable of helping in that regard, yes."
"If Mister Potter would be willing to share the process-" Yangon started.
"No." Harry interrupted, as he'd done before. Yangon had tried that a few times. Apparently, they'd already figured out the interfaces and system, but they were also unable to copy them, because they knew the magic was claimed.
"We do not need that." Yinara said, before Yangon could object. "We'll be more than capable of helping you with this, simply by helping come up with the forms for the dragons, to help you speed up the process."
Yangon just kicked at the ground, like he'd received a scolding by… well, by his wife.
"Oh." Harry said. He'd not thought of that. As dragons themselves, with directed magic that was much like a witch or wizards' magic, they very well could help in the process, while more easily communicating with the dragons, than he could. He turned to Hermione and smiled at her. "Thank you." he said to her. Then he looked at Yinara. "And thank you. I would appreciate the help."
"It will be our pleasure." Yinara said. "Won't it, husband?" she asked him.
The man sighed. "Yes, yes." he said. "It would be our pleasure." he added. He looked up sharply, then. "I would like to be involved with the demonstration, when the dragons come here, though." he added a caveat, in hopes of getting something out of this, at least.
Harry considered that, before finally nodding. It was actually not a bad idea. The ancient dragons before him would likely be able to teach them the process best. "Agreed." he said.
Yangon smiled at that. "Fantastic." he said. "Now… what is a flight target?" he asked.
Harry smirked. Apparently, they'd not discovered everything. That made him feel better. At least he'd be able to see the first time one of them tried the flight targets. "Here." he said, as he waved his hand, and something came flying in from the far end of the arena. It looked like a large snitch. Well, it was a gold oval, rather than a ball, and had wings, but these wings were not the standard tiny feathery golden wings of a snitch. These were the wings of a bird of prey.
Harry didn't need to say anything, as Yinara's shape shifted and elongated into that of a large serpentine dragon. It was a quick transformation, and pretty soon the white dragon was standing in position, seemingly ready to pounce.
"Go." Harry said, and the target took off in an instant, with Yinara taking off after it at tremendous speed. She was definitely faster than the target, but it was more manoeuvrable, making instant course-corrections and avoiding the jaws and talons of the dragon, as she slithered through the air in a serpentine dance of ferocious speed and beauty, all while following the target between outcroppings and pillars.
Still, the dragon was old and experienced, and used her long body to corner the target in just a few minutes. She returned with the still struggling target in her talons, a grin on her draconic features. She landed quite softly, as she stopped by them. "That was fun." she said. "Not much of a challenge for me, but fun nonetheless."
Harry smirked. "It won't be that easy next time. It learns from its opponents, just like the golems." he said.
"Perfect." Yinara said. "But I think I'll wait for the next opportunity. I wouldn't want you to see me flounder, as I've seen this one do, when your golems change tactics." She finished, as she released the target, to indicate her husband, and started shifting back.
"You can speak in your dragon form?" Hermione asked.
"We are dragons, Miss Granger." Yangon said. "We learned to speak in those forms, before we could change shape to that of a human."
Hermione had known that part, but the way these people spoke had made her forget that they had started as magical beasts, rather than humans with draconic forms. "Right." she said, nodding.
"We'll start gathering information for you." Yinara said, then. "I believe we should be able to accommodate the rest of the dragons in the next day or two, depending on availability. I've seen enough of your claim to streamline that process for you quite a bit."
"I'm not the academic in our relationship." Yangon said. "Your magic makes more sense to my wife than myself. I should be able to help though, once I've seen what she has in mind."
"Thank you both, for doing this." Harry said. "Charlie was really worried."
"Speaking of him." Yinara said, as she lifted an eyebrow. "I hear you're working on granting him a dragon form?"
Harry sighed. He should have known Charlie would have spoken to these two about that. Charlie would likely assume that these two were humans with dragon Animagus forms, or something. "I've already got the form ready, but I've been waiting for him to do something that would give me the excuse to grant it to him."
"He hasn't earned it yet, even with all he does for the dragons?" Yangon asked.
"That's his job." Harry said. "This is a large thing he's asking for. It would be worthless if he didn't earn it. I also can't do something like that for just anyone. Charlie will be asked why he was allowed to get something like that from 'Lord Mage', and he'll need to be able to tell them how he'd earned it."
"I think you underestimate how much that man does." Yinara said. "He's taken charge of the comings and goings of hundreds of dragons, worked on accommodating all their needs, communication with other dragon handlers from other preserves and sleeps less than any other of the staff on the island."
"Working harder isn't working smarter." Harry said. "In fact, if he makes me think he's being overworked, he'll never earn the form, because I wouldn't be able to afford losing the time he'd need for him to train the new form."
"The problem of being irreplaceable." Hermione said. "Sure, you have employment security, but you might not find promotion if you can't be replaced."
"Exactly." Harry said.
"That is true." Yinara said, nodding. She lost a bit of her smile, though.
"Why do you want this for him?" Harry asked, noting the look.
"Charlie is a favourite among many of the dragons." Yangon said. "He's earned a lot of trust with them, and that owl of his has become a dragon treasure. The communication it allows was a bridge to understanding that the dragons have long been denied." The dragons appreciated that bird as much as the humans did.
"Perhaps, if we ask the dragons, we could get their vote on the subject?" Yinara offered. "If they ask for him to receive a form, that should satisfy your need for there to be a strong qualifier? If anyone wants something similar, they'd need to earn the same amount of trust from the dragons?"
Harry narrowed his eyes at the woman. There was more there. They weren't telling him the whole truth. It wasn't a lie, but there were other reasons. Deciding to wait them out, Harry crossed his arms and waited.
Yinara sighed, when she realised what he was doing, before slumping. "We want to meet another being who can bridge the divide, on our own level of intellect, okay?" she asked. "We've been around for thousands of years, but it's a lonely thing. We know everything about each other and rediscovering the joys we've long grown accustomed to and forgotten, would be a great reminder of how fortunate we are."
"It's the nature of our immortality." Yangon said. "In the long run, things only ever change every so often, and we adjust to those so quickly. When we became what we are, we lost something that mortality offers. Living a grateful life is something we aspire to. It becomes less achievable to us, the older we get. There is a deep yearning for the release from the sameness of our existence. Meeting and befriending mortals can also be a painful process, because we know from the very start that we would just lose the ones we allow into our hearts."
Yangon put an arm around his wife, after that. "We would like to make friends who are more like we are. Even if mortality claims your friend, with a draconic form, he might become longer-lived, as is the nature of certain dragons."
"Reina shows great promise, but she is still young, and hasn't achieved the full understanding of a sapient being." Yinara said. "Her kind could live for many hundreds of years, though, so we are hopeful."
Harry thought about that for a bit. There was something in what they said, that made him feel sad for them. He didn't know if he could fully understand it, with his meagre years. Even if he was older, he didn't think he could understand the drives of beings that were ageless and not even really human to begin with.
"Well, I could probably figure out how to counter your agelessness." Harry said. "I can make myself ageless as well and should be able to reverse that for you."
"Harry!" Hermione objected. That was one of his biggest secrets.
"Is this true?" Yinara asked, her eyes widening. "You could become immortal?"
"It's not a simple spell, and I don't think anyone but Hermione would be able to copy the feat, but it is doable." Harry said. "I just don't intend on doing something like that. Maybe later in my life I might consider it, but for now I don't want to burden myself with immortality."
Hermione looked at Harry through narrowed eyes, before turning on the dragons. "You will not mention this to anyone, understood?" she demanded. Her eyes meant harm to the dragons, and they realised that she was serious, and truly capable of grievous harm in that look. They doubted she'd be able to hurt them seriously, but the determination was definitely there, and with her access to Harry's source, there was always the possibility.
Yinara was seemingly speechless, however. Not for the demand, mind you, but for the information that someone had the ability to choose to become ageless. She suspected she'd not misunderstood, when Harry changed his wording from ageless to immortal, too. Chances were that that was meant to be a clue that the young king was more capable than he'd told his partner. Being able to choose to become truly immortal, meant that Harry might actually be able to be a friend to them for much longer than his human years.
"Of course not." Yangon said, as his wife's mind seemed to need a bit to settle. "Mister Potter's life would be put in danger, if people found out." he said. "That being said, I would suggest that you consider it seriously. These lands will need leadership for a long time, before its foundations have solidified. Even if only for a few hundred years, you might be capable of great change in the world."
"He's a True Mage." Yinara finally said, in almost a whisper.
"The sphinxes have been saying that all along." Yangon replied. He'd not doubted them, but he knew his academic wife would need time to confirm it for herself.
"Do you understand the enormity of this?" the woman asked her husband in her native tongue. "He's not even reached his magical majority. He'll only get stronger. He's already a True Mage. When he reaches his potential, he'll surpass any past mage by leaps and bounds."
"You do know that I can understand you, right?" Harry asked. He'd not thought to help translate for Hermione, like he'd done with Neville and the Kitsune, until she'd nearly finished, but anything else she said would be understood by both of them.
Yinara sighed, having forgotten for a moment that she'd given him access to that, after he'd offered her something similar.
"She's excited." Yangon said in English. "She's not trying to hide anything from you. She's also correct. You have potential that neither of us has ever seen, and we've seen much in our lives. The idea of maybe having immortal friends one day is very welcome and gives us much hope for the future."
"Like I said, it's not in the plans for me yet." Harry said. "I did recently reverse Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel's ages to their prime, and they like their agelessness, so you already have an option there, if you want."
"What?!" Yinara and Hermione both exclaimed. Hermione with shock and Yinara with a hungry look.
"Well, it would be more accurate to say I helped them create replacement bodies that they are technically possessing from inside limited interfaces." Harry corrected himself. "It was a fun little project for me, but it meant a lot to them. Being ageless, but in elderly bodies is apparently not all that much fun."
"What?!" Hermione exclaimed, again. "How?! And why didn't you tell me?!"
"They asked for privacy, Hermione." Harry said. "I won't tell you where to find them, and I won't tell you what they look like. They are enjoying their youth again and would like to remain anonymous."
"How did you meet them? How are we going to meet them, then?" Yinara pressed. She knew of the famous alchemist and his wife, of course. She'd not expected to find out that Harry had been involved with them.
"Professor Dumbledore introduced me to his old friend, shortly after we set up the alias of Lord Mage." Harry said. "We wanted them involved, because they could give a lot of credence to the story, and obviously they had a price for publicly admitting having known of him for a long time. They needed to be safe from people who wanted to come to them for information on him. By admitting that they knew of Lord Mage, they were painting targets on their own backs. As for you meeting them, I'll send Hedwig with a message to them, to ask for a visit."
"Are they on the Mage Isles?" Hermione pressed, trying to find out more. It made sense that Harry would offer them a space on the island, for their safety, and his own.
Harry smiled at her for guessing that much. "They live here, yes." he said. "They can't be seen in their new forms back home, obviously. It would probably just bring negative attention down on them. Well that, and you know, protecting both them and myself."
Harry and Hermione soon left the Dragon Isle, but not before going to say hello to Reina. No doubt she already knew Harry was there, but she also knew he was up to something on the island that he wasn't sharing yet.
They next stopped outside the Fairy Forest.
"Okay, so… I need you to do something." Harry said, as he opened his interface and opened a specific folder, pulling something up, along with a large program. "I know you will have questions about how I made myself into a giant-kin before, and for the next visit, you'll need to know part of that."
"It's a model replacement, right?" Hermione asked. She had a similar auto-repair function in her interface, with a similar model to Harry's. She'd just never created other models for her to modify herself into other people or things. Giant-kin made sense to her, too. Like Hagrid.
"It uses that, yes." Harry agreed, as he requested permission to her interface. She quickly accepted and Harry could see her interface. He started copying the program and another model.
"What?" Hermione asked, as she saw a model that looked like herself, but way smaller, and with what looked like dragonfly wings. "Is that… a fairy model of me?" she asked.
"We'll be visiting with the fairies, and we're too big in our current forms." Harry agreed.
Hermione looked at the model, and Harry, a few times, before she blushed. "I really hope you don't have other models of me in there. And if I find out that this thing is anatomically correct, we'll be having words."
Harry's smile didn't fade. "I used a base model and estimated most things. I didn't do anything under the clothes because I knew you'd object to that. My medical knowledge of female anatomy likely did end up modifying that, but I don't have a clue as to how accurate it would be when compared to you." The fact of the matter was the only part of the model that had hair was the head, as far as he knew.
Hermione seemed to accept it before she looked at the model again. "Okay, so how do I do this? I can't think it's as simple as just applying the model to myself. I'd think that becoming this small would have an issue with my cellular make-up."
Harry nodded at that. "Watch my interface." he said, as he opened his to her.
Hermione watched as Harry produced an image for her.
"First you make a connection between the model and your body model." Harry said. "Then you apply the program I copied to you, which connects muscular control, senses and so forth between the two. If I did it right, your body model should then change the fairy model to be anatomically correct, so you may want to check it before that.
"The next part is the important part." he continued. "See that function built into the program there?" he asked as he zoomed in on the function.
"Yes." Hermione said.
"That part performs a switch." Harry said. "Basically, it switches your body model for the fairy model, turning you into the fairy model, while technically making it your real body, and storing your real body in the interface."
"How does the interface store your whole body?" Hermione asked, not arguing that it should be possible. So far, it seemed like he'd taken steps she didn't know about to help him become friends with the other races on the Mage Isles. That even made sense to her. He'd been making human models for the other races, too. Some of them even worked in the mundane world as normal humans. Of course he'd want to do that for himself at some point. Suddenly she had a suspicion about how Harry would be giving Charlie a dragon form.
"It's quite complicated." Harry said. "The fairy model is just as real to magic, as my real body. Switching between the two is just an exchange of magic. There are obviously limits to the level of detail, and your main body-model should remain your primary, but switching between the two for two days has had no effects on my magic or body in the past."
"And… what about that detail?" Hermione asked, needing to be sure. "Obviously a living body is a complicated thing. You can't skip things."
"Oh, I see the worry, there." Harry said, in understanding. "For lack of a better description, the detail is carried over to the fairy body, but isn't part of it. This literally requires a body-model on par with what only we have created to date. For the Flamels, I had to create body-models on par with mine, before I could apply the model-switch program. They don't know everything about how it works, and I applied the program to them the same way I do it for the dragons.
"Technically, they are Dual-Homomagi, as opposed to Animagi." he continued. "In layman's terms, they are animagi with eternally young human forms as their animagus forms."
"So… they can switch as they please?" Hermione asked. "I'm assuming that if I ever meet them, they'll be in their original forms?"
"Yes, and likely." Harry said, nodding. "Okay, so do you want to try this? I didn't arrange a visit, or anything, but I like to look in on the fairies that help the magical creatures acclimate."
Hermione had no doubt that the process worked, because she both trusted Harry and his system, and he'd apparently already tested the process. "Okay." she said, as she readied herself.
Harry activated his own body-switch, first. He wanted her to see and ask any questions she may have. His body disappeared, with no flash of light or sounds. One moment Harry was himself, and the next moment he was floating in the air, with tiny dragon-fly wings supporting his body, which was already clothed exactly as he had been.
Hermione didn't wait long to activate the program on her side. The next moment the world around her shifted, becoming larger than she'd thought to expect. Her new body was also dressed as she had been, with no indication of how the wings went through her top. In fact, she was almost certain her new wings were somehow going through her bra-straps.
As she inspected her body and wings, she realised something else. She was already floating, with her wings keeping her aloft. She knew she didn't know how to control them… or hadn't before the switch, but now she was quite confident that she could use them as easily as walking.
"How am I already flying?" Hermione asked. "I can feel my wings and I know how to use them. That shouldn't be possible."
"Fairies are humanoid." Harry said. "One of them let me scan them as they flew, and I read the control from their minds and built it into the program for the fairy-models."
Hermione needed a moment to internalize that, but having spoken to him about humanoid creatures and their ability to use their gifted human bodies, made that bit make sense to her. She didn't think she'd be able to do it, herself, but she did understand how he'd go about doing it. "Okay." she said, as she smiled at him.
"Ready to go?" Harry asked.
"Let's fly!" Hermione exclaimed, as she suddenly took off. She was never the best with brooms, but this was different. She felt like she was more in control, with her current flight capabilities connected to her own body. She could feel the wind, and how the air affected her wings. She could dip and dive and rise and fall, simply by moving her wings the right way. It felt more natural than any other form of flying could be.
Harry didn't take long to follow, and he soon led her through the forest, to a grassy clearing where a few unicorns were grazing. As they approached, a fairy flew up to them and held their hands up.
"Firo." Harry said, smiling at the male fairy. He was dressed in a leaf-green fabric tunic, with a hat that seemed like it was made from an actual leaf.
"Good day, Lord Potter." the fairy replied in a calm, light, but almost musical tone. "What brings you and your guest to the Fairy Forest this day?"
"Just here to show my girlfriend around." Harry said, feeling a bit of heat enter his face as he called her that.
The fairy looked at Hermione and nodded before he addressed Harry again. "As you know, we have taken charge of the creatures of the Fairy Forest. We'd appreciate it if you could announce your intention to visit, so that we can arrange a proper escort."
"And have Queen Alette send the royal guard again?" Harry asked, smirking at the fairy. "I don't think so. Last time they arranged a whole feast, and everyone was in a panic. I don't like causing such chaos, just to pop in and say hello."
The fairy smiled at that. "You must excuse the Queen for her enthusiasm. She's just trying to be welcoming to our gracious lord."
"Oh, sod off Firo." Harry said. "I told you; This forest is yours. If anything, I should thank you and your people for taking up residence and agreeing to help the creatures."
"If it's ours, then you won't mind announcing yourself in the future, yes?" Firo asked, in return.
The smiles between the two of them, made Hermione think these two had become quite friendly. When the fairy indicated for them to follow and took them to a secluded place, to show them a pregnant unicorn mare, who was just about to give birth, she knew that the demand to announce himself wasn't really a demand at all. Probably just a game Harry played with the fairy. The mare was surrounded by many fairies, who were soothing her and rubbing at her in a calming manner.
"Do you need anything from me?" Harry asked Firo, as they watched from a high branch.
"We'll be fine, Lord Potter." the fairy replied. "We've done this sort of thing many times. The unicorn prefers our presence, because we're natural allies in the magical world. They clean and cleanse our drinking water and keep darker entities from coming near our settlements, and we provide them with help in times of need, like this. They also like the fruits and berries we cultivate."
"Are you saying there are fairies in the forbidden forest?" Hermione asked, frowning. She knew there were unicorns there.
"There used to be." Firo said, before sighing. "The colony that used to live there had to leave, due to an Acromantula infestation. Fortunately the unicorns that used to be there are all here now."
"Along with some of the centaur." Harry said, nodding. "Apparently they had been protecting the unicorns in the absence of the fairies."
"They are far more relaxed, since they came here." Firo said, nodding. "Centaurs are normally not too friendly with outsiders, but on the Mage Isles, where equality is the common drive, they are quite happy to interact with other races."
"Were they able to resolve the issue with Longnose?" Harry asked.
The fairy chuckled. "It was just a misunderstanding." he assured Harry. "Firenze was able to mediate. The goblin merchant wasn't trying to steal. The price for oats had just gone up, due to supply issues. You've since rectified that, and the issue has been resolved."
"Longnose is the goblin trader that supplies some of the day-to-day necessities in the marketplace." Harry told Hermione. "He's a grumpy one, but according to Ripclaw, the Unity Isle goblin chief, he's very honourable. He'd never knowingly swindle a client."
"Harry Potter." a rich female voice said from behind them, then.
Harry sighed. "Queen Alette." he said, without looking. Then he turned around and smiled lightly at the fairy queen. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your lovely presence today?" he asked.
Hermione looked to see not only a beautifully dressed lady fairy with a silver circlet on her brow, but also about twelve fairies with what looked like polished wooden lances in their hands and metal rapier-like swords at their hips. Probably the aforementioned royal guard.
"That was my question." the regally dressed Queen of the Fairies said, her eyes narrowed. "Imagine my surprise when one of my border-guards informed me that not only didn't you announce yourself, again, but you actually brought a guest, without so much as a word from you."
"Oh, come on." Harry countered. "You can't expect me to make a big deal every time I just want to catch up with Firo?"
"Firo is meant to be watching the herd." Alette said, sending a scowl at the male fairy.
"Is she not part of the herd?" Harry asked, grinning at the queen as he indicated the mare.
The queen didn't answer that, but the guards smiling at the by-play made Hermione think that this was a normal thing between them.
"You will be stopping by the palace for lunch." Alette said, then. "And you'll properly introduce me to your guest, there."
"I was just stopping by." Harry said, but the queen was already flying off. He turned to Firo, then. "You signalled someone, didn't you?" he asked.
"Of course not, Lord Potter." Firo said, easily. Harry's system indicated he was lying, but the smug smile on the fairy's face made it moot.
"I'll get you for that." Harry promised. Then he sighed. "We should probably go immediately, before they can pull out all the stops." he said to Hermione, as he lifted up.
"We're not in trouble, right?" Hermione asked, even as her wings fluttered and lifted her up, to follow Harry.
Firo snorted, a very un-fairy-like sound, as he followed them up. "Lord Potter stands on equal footing with our Queen in our forest, by her decree." he said. "Her displeasure stems from the fact that she likes his company, and feels personally affronted when he shows up, but doesn't visit her."
"I just don't want to make a fuss." Harry said, reasonably.
"Just let her have a bit of fun." Firo argued. "It's not too much to ask, is it? When you visit, it's always a perfect occasion for her to have a bit of fun. A break of routine, as it were."
"Stop making sense when I want to whine." Harry countered.
"Then stop acting so spoiled." Firo countered. "Freedom without rules is chaos."
Harry just shook his head again, as Firo veered off and went back to his post.
"I didn't know you'd made so many new friends." Hermione said, diplomatically. She liked seeing Harry so happy and seemingly care-free. It felt like progress to her. She knew about Harry's emotional issues, and liked seeing him act so normal, even if the current situation would not be considered normal to most people.
Harry didn't respond, but to smile at her, as he led her to the centre of the reasonably large forest. Somehow, even though the islands hadn't even existed a year prior, the centre of the forest already looked old, with trees that looked like they'd been there for a very, very long time. Hermione suspected that this was either achieved though fairy magic, or maybe something to do with the forest nymphs. Harry had told her about them, and what they could do.
As they approached the centre of the forest, Hermione noted more and more fairies, going about their days, as they carried things, or in some cases, used magic to carry larger loads. She spotted younger looking fairies playing in the trees and following each-other in small packs. She spotted one coming out of a tree and realised that there seemed to be a home, built right into the tree, with lights on the inside and little windows with actual window boxes, with a bit of greenery already growing there.
"They have homes inside the trees?" Hermione asked.
"They're fairies." Harry said, like that explained it. "Their magic is sometimes very attuned with nature. As I understand it, they ask the trees to let them live in them. I don't know how that works, but apparently it's part of how fairies usually hide themselves from mundane people."
Hermione would need to consider that further, but she didn't have time, as they came to a hill, which had a clearing. The clearing was surrounded by roots and knots of the surrounding trees which protruded up from the ground, and as they crested over one such a natural outcropping, Hermione saw what looked like a construction of pure crystal. It looked to Hermione like it was glowing and had spires that twinkled in the daylight. Even for a person reasonably used to magic, it looked rather magical.
"Welcome, Lord Potter and Lady Granger." a fairy announced, as he flew to them from the direction of what Hermione assumed was the aforementioned fairy palace. He was dressed elegantly and looked older than most of the fairies she'd seen so far. He also had an entourage of four of the same guards that had accompanied the fairy queen.
Harry stopped there, to greet the older fairy. "Good afternoon, Lord Harper. It is good to see you again." Harry said, a little more formally than Hermione had expected. He'd actually performed a little bow.
"Um, good afternoon, sir." Hermione said, copying Harry's motion.
The older fairy cocked his head slightly to the side, a small frown on his face, before a form of recognition went over his features and he nodded and smiled. "Ah, you are not familiar with our customs. I assume you are new to the form?" he asked.
"Harry only just showed me how to become a fairy a short while ago." Hermione said. "Did I do something to offend?" she asked.
The older fairy shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing of the sort, my dear. I am just used to ladies curtsying, rather than bowing." he assured her.
"The fairies have their own customs." Harry said. 'Think Victorian era. Elegant dresses and extravagant balls. That's why I don't usually want to announce myself.' he added, through the interface.
"Ah." Hermione said. "Sorry about that."
"It is not your custom." the fairy said. "Come, the quicker we get you to her, the less time the queen has to try and make it into some sort of large event. I still haven't quite balanced the books after the last party."
"Lord Harper is in charge of Queen Alette's financial affairs." Harry explained to Hermione.
"I am the Royal Advisor." the man corrected. "The queen is correct to be welcoming to the King of the Mage Isles. She just has a habit of going overboard. Since our people love her, they never complain when she makes suggestions, and they tend to be swept up by her exuberance." he finished as they landed by the open front gates of the Palace.
"Flying is not allowed inside the grounds of the royal palace." Harry said. "Well, besides the queen and her entourage and household."
"You would be allowed, Lord Potter, but miss Granger would not be, so it would be best to proceed on foot from here." Lord Harper stated.
"How do you know who I am?" Hermione asked, as they started walking in. The place was very large, from her current perspective. The walls and floors seemed to be made of crystal, too, but Hermione suspected that the crystal was somehow cast on-top of stone walls and floors. There was also a lot of opulence, with colourful carpets, portraits, thick rugs and elaborate moving tapestries, depicting what seemed to be fairy-tales. There were chandeliers that shone in multiple colours and that seemed to actually hum in crystalline tunes.
Lord Harper seemed to be unimpressed by the fairy-tale quality of the halls, as he led them on. "I did my own research about Lord Potter, before we decided to move the Fairy capital to the Mage Isles. Our Queen had nearly ordered all fairies to simply come here, but I was able to persuade her to be careful. I could feel that Magic was encouraging her, but I needed to ensure the safety of our people."
Hermione frowned at that. The statement was more than she had expected, and it gave the impression that there had been issues in the past, that the fairies had had to handle, or overcome. There was probably a reason why the Queen needed an advisor, as well. Perhaps she'd spend a bit of time with the fairies, to find out more about their history. It sounded like it may be educational. "That seems wise." she decided to say.
"Thank you for not taking offence." the old fairy said, nodding at her. They soon came to a large set of doors. "Here we are." he said, as he knocked on the opulent doors with his knuckles, which made an interesting sound, almost like a gong, but also somehow with a crystal echo. It wasn't too loud, either. Hermione suspected that it was specifically enchanted to make that sound, depending on need or occasion.
"No-no-no!" a rich female voice came from the other side. "We aren't finished with the preparations! Bring him back in an hour!"
The old fairy opened the doors anyway and swung them open. There were many other fairies that were bringing things in and rushing about, as they apparently prepared what looked to be the throne room for a large event. There were many tables being set and some fairies were already putting table-cloth down. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my Queen. We seem to have spoiled your plans." he said, as he walked in, with the guards following him in. When Harry followed, a smile on his face, Hermione decided to just stick with him.
"Harper!" the queen admonished, as she huffed. "You did that on purpose!"
"Of course not, my queen." Lord Harper replied. "It's just that Lord Potter already intimated that he had plans later, and I'd hate for you to miss the opportunity to entertain our guests."
The queen, who was sitting on her throne, crossed her arms and seemed to glare at the old man, while the other fairies in the room stopped and watched the confrontation.
"If you'd prefer, I could get them something to eat and send them on their way, my queen?" Lord Harper suggested, his face showing nothing but honesty. "I must have forgotten that we had some event planned, and wouldn't want to inconvenience you, while you are obviously very busy."
"You just like spoiling my fun." the queen accused.
"I assure you, my queen, that I am distraught at having interrupted your day." the old fairy said, a hand on his heart. "I shall entertain our guests for lunch at a different locale and free you to continue with your day. I'd hate to cause you any sort of inconvenience."
The queen's glare was still on the man, before something seemed to bubble up in her, and then she was suddenly laughing. It took her a bit before she settled and smiled at the old fairy. "If you weren't so charming, I'd have tried to replace you many years ago." she sighed then. "Very well, then. Let's just have a bit of lunch, before Lord Potter decides to deprive us of his company."
There were a few chuckles from the other fairies in the room, before they started clearing most of the tables away again.
"My queen, if you'll excuse my delay in introducing your guests." the old fairy said, bowing, as if nothing had just happened. "You of course know Lord Potter, Lord Mage and King of the Mage Isles. This is his childhood friend, and closest confidant, with whom he has shared his magic and source: Lady Hermione Jean Granger, first of her house. She is a first-generation witch and shows signs that she will one day be a powerful and influential sorceress."
Hermione did a passable curtsy, this time.
'They call those in training witches. Even men.' Harry told her, through the interface. 'Once someone's achieved something notable, they consider calling them a sorcerer or sorceress. He's saying you have great potential.'
Hermione understood that Harry was feeding her information, so that she could react appropriately. "Thank you, Lord Harper. I hope to one day be worthy of the compliment." she said.
The old fairy smiled at her and winked. Hermione suspected that he must have intuited something, based off her response and what he knew of her.
"It is very good to meet you, then." the queen said, regally. "Welcome to our Palace. I hope that we may become further acquainted, as time permits."
Lunch, from there, was less formal. The queen was not one to sit on her throne, when she could be more familiar with her guests, and sat with them as they ate. The food was some sort of crackers, which lacked for flavour, but with sweet toppings of cuts of berries and with what looked and tasted like whipped cream. They also ate with their hands. Harry explained that lunch was traditionally finger-foods.
Hermione was introduced to a few more fairies, as they joined. Apparently, they were the queen's close friends. They were also all female and most of them liked to smile at Harry in a way that Hermione did not enjoy seeing. For his part, Harry seemed to just smile and continue on, either unaware of their flirting, or ignoring it.
Lunch wasn't a long affair. Harry and the Queen discussed a few things that she apparently needed to inform him about. Things like the status of the animals in her domain. She also thanked him for some delivery. Harry informed her, through the interface, that he'd set them up with cold-storage and that the fairies apparently had a thing for ice-cream. It was a small thing to him, but to them it was an extravagance to be able to indulge in such things. They could purchase ice-cream in Unity, but they'd not had the ability to store it properly and use it later.
When lunch was over, Harry and Hermione said their farewells and left. They didn't actually have other plans, but Harry wouldn't make a liar of Lord Harper. He did a marvellous job of keeping his queen both happy and in some form of control. Hermione would question that later and find out that the queen was reasonably young and hadn't yet learned to control herself and how to wield her authority, but it wasn't discussed in polite company. Her people still loved her, which was why Lord Harper needed to act the way he sometimes did.
III-III
Back on the home-front, Dumbledore had spoken to Madam Bones. She'd already handled the people that had tried to abduct Harry. Her solution was to get what information she could from them about who tried to arrange the abduction of Harry Potter. She'd made it quite simple, too. She'd put them all in one room and told them that the last person to volunteer information would be going to Azkaban. She'd said it in a tone of voice that was as cold as the grave, like she couldn't stand to be around them. They were a disgrace to their stations and would never wear a badge again.
It had apparently just taken enough time for one of them to break, before they all started spilling the beans, not wanting to be the last person. One of the people on the list of conspirators was one she'd wanted behind bars for a long time. Lord Lucius Malfoy.
After they'd gotten all the details they could, Amelia had spoken to Dumbledore. Knowing about the curse, she'd decided to take a different route in their punishment: She'd let them go. It had been a shock to most, but she'd been vindictive in telling people about the curse and not feeling an ounce of regret at their situations. It was out of her hands anyway, and if they ever tried to use magic in an illegal way again, they'd either be victims themselves, or lose their magic. The punishment there, was that she wouldn't spend an ounce of effort, in trying to arrange for the curse to be lifted.
She'd see if she could get hold of the mysterious Lord Mage, through Dumbledore, so that she could ask for access to this magic in the future.
The man that had died, was reported as having committed suicide, by Lord Mage. Much as the muggles had the concept of suicide-by-cop, where they'd draw a weapon on a police officer, and get killed in self-defence, she'd basically created a new category of suicide. The fun part for her, was when she filled out the discharge papers of the ex-aurors. Dishonourable discharges for all of them, with a note to watch them for more 'suicidal' tendencies.
Lord Mage had never broken the law, and he'd even acted within the law to stop a miscarriage of justice. While Amelia didn't like vigilante justice, because it was illegal, she did have a vindictive side that enjoyed it when justice was poetic.
As for Cornelius Fudge… When he found out what had happened, he'd instantly recalled his orders to have a suspected Dark Lord investigated and arrested. In fact, he'd taken the time to have an interview with a reporter, to state publicly that he did not consider Lord Mage a Dark Lord. That he was just a powerful individual, who had a right to his own claimed magics, like anyone else, and that he condoned his actions in stopping the unjust arrest of Harry Potter. The death of a senior Auror was mentioned, and Fudge had simply said that the man had been an idiot for trying to attack a man who was simply trying to protect a student. He very specifically didn't mention the curse.
Fudge would be getting mixed responses from the wizarding world, but he didn't care. Any man that knew things that nobody should, could control dragons, appear anywhere, ignore magical attacks and turn people's magic against themselves, was an enemy he didn't want to have.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
burnable
burnable I've got one more chapter after this, but I'm still not happy with it. I'll be focussing on finishing this story in the next couple of weeks. Sorry about the delay. Inspiration was there, but I kept getting stuck behind things I'd written and wanted to keep, but ended up needing to remove, to let the story continue.
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