章節 26: Healer
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07.
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Waking up is an experience, more so that being knocked unconscious because you fucking overestimated yourself.
With a mother of all headaches I've ever suffered, including the time that I vomited because of another mutant, I open my eyes to find myself in a place I've never seen before. The first thing that catches my eye, is the glass of water, kept on a table beside the bed I woke up on.
My mind goes over everything it last remembers, as I take the glass with a trembling right hand, and drink some water. I immediately scowl, when I remember what happened.
So, I and Darla killed a God/Demon? Well, an avatar of his, which was probably not even a fraction of a fraction of it's true power, but still. A worthy accomplishment, if I do say so myself. And then, I brought us to the outskirts of Master Potter's house, where I've only been once before, and promptly became unconscious.
I really hope that Master Potter was the one to find us and not someone malicious.
"You sure took your time waking up." Master Potter says, walking in the room, and confirming my suspicions that I was in her house itself, and not kidnapped by someone else. Not like they'll keep me on a soft bed.
I open my mouth to speak, and promptly cough. Drinking some more water, I speak up in a rough, unused voice, and ask, "How long? And where's Darla?"
Master Potter approaches my bed, and starts casting Diagnosis charms on me, some of which I don't recognise even after all these months of learning under her.
She keeps casting spells at me, and says, "Your friend went back to her home, and then Hogwarts when the day came, but she has been returning every few days to check up on your healing, even sneaking out somehow. As for how long, today marks the 27th day of your unconsciousness. I was afraid you won't ever wake up, but here you are, awake, and healthy."
She then hands me a Potion to drink, which I recognise as a Nutrition Mix. It tastes about as bad as you'd expect, gross, but well, it provides a patient with enough nutritional value to keep him without food for a day per dose.
Shivering at the taste, I make a face, and ask, "Did she tell you anything?"
I had promised her answers, and I will tell her about Sorcery at least. Might even teach her if she asks, but it's highly unlikely that she will. Learning Sorcery comes with the issues of knowing about more dangers than you'd want, to stay comfortable.
Master Potter shakes her head, and says, "Some. She told me you fought someone, and that you killed that someone. Other than that, nothing. Now, you better tell me why you broke the Healer's oath, which, even if you haven't taken it yet, tells me that you wouldn't be suitable as a Healer, before I decide to report you to the Aurors, and remove you from the program."
Sighing, I drop back down on the bed, marvelling at the comfortable feeling, and say, "It's.. a long tale, and I'll.. understand if you drop me from the Apprenticeship even after the tale, Master."
"Very well, I'll give you a few minutes to get ready, since you're completely healed. After that, Trappy will show you to the Living Room, where I and my husband will be waiting for you." Master Potter says, and stands up to leave.
I look at her retreating back with sad eyes, my previous pride gone. I did kill a man, and let a lot of other people be killed. And I'm hoping to be a Healer?
But, I couldn't even do anything about it. This was literally a Demon God I was fighting, and none other than Set, the first Demon. He committed the literal first crime on Earth. And I had to kill the man, or I would have died, I know that.
Plus, there's no guarantee that the Man's soul was even intact in there. He caught my Legilimency/Telepathy attack, so I couldn't check the mind, and I don't have anything that can detect souls.
Slowly getting up, I pick my enchanted glasses off the table, and wear the clothes kept neatly folded on the table. I was wearing some pyjamas before, and these clothes were a shirt and trousers of my size.
My other belongings were similarly kept there, including my ruined clothes from the battle, cleaned of my blood, but still torn in places. Sighing, I pick up my wand, feeling comforted in it's magic, and place it in my wrist holster, and then wear my ring back on my finger. This ring saved me a few times today, and I'm thankful I created it.
Wait, not today. 27 fucking days ago. What the hell did they tell everyone? Well, I should find everything once we have a talk.
As soon as I open the door to my current room, a crack sounds in front of me, showing a House Elf. Unlike what I'd expected of a good family like the Potters, the House Elf wore the typical House Elf clothes. A pillow case, a pair of shoes, and a cloth belt around the hip to keep the pillowcase from flopping around.
Although, the clothes did look of a better quality than the House Elves Hogwarts, so I'll give them that.
The Elf, Trappy, says in a squeaky voice, "Come, young sir. Trappy be taking you to the Sitting room."
Smiling at Trappy, I say, "Lead on, Trappy."
Trappy smiles happily, and turns around to lead me. Walking behind Trappy, I observe the walls, and see the portraits and paintings observing me. I have been to this house, exactly once, when I had to drop something for Master Potter.
I apparated here, having given the location by her previously, and came just as far as the front door, where Master Potter met me. So, I haven't been inside, ever.
Soon, I find myself sitting in front of Master Potter, and a man in his 60s, who could only be her husband. Fleamont Potter, a Potioneer of the highest calibre. He's probably just a few steps shy of becoming a Potion oriented Alchemist, if he intends to do so, that is.
After introductions, and a few minutes of silence, to drink tea, I sigh, keeping the cup and saucer down. Looking at Master Potter, I say, "Let me start by saying that if there was a way to save that man, while not endangering anyone else, I would have done it. There wasn't any other way, I swear."
Master Potter stares at me for a few seconds, and then nods at me to continue.
So, I begin recounting everything. From me going to cheer Darla up, to both of us feeling dread. For 15 minutes, I tell her about my battle, how I had advantage a few times, but my enemy was copying my magic spells, or outright taking over them. All the while, her husband stays silent, observing my face.
And then, I tell her about the last moments of the battle. I say, "I knew, that this Demon was too dangerous to be let out of the prison I'd brought us in. But, I also couldn't risk him already knowing how to get out of it. Since the Enemy was definitely stronger than me, and getting stronger by the minute, I had resigned myself to kill both of us in a suicide attack. I was going to kill the Demon, and stay there itself to make sure it doesn't escape. Thankfully, Darla came in, rescued me from a certain death, and then gave me another idea. I always carry a Goblin's Silver dagger with me, never know when I might need it, and I stabbed the Locket with it, which weakened the connection between the Demon and it's vessel. I then burned the body with the cursed flames, to prevent him from healing it again. And then, before the flames could spread too much, I brought us here, knowing you'll be the only one to heal us without asking too many questions, or handing us to the Ministry immediately."
For a few minutes, there's only silence, other than the sound of Fleamont Potter's finger tapping on the arm rest.
He suddenly asks, "Why are you so sure it was a Demon? And not just another Wizard with a God Complex?"
I turn to him, with a grim look, and say, "Darla and I felt his magic, it was Evil. Pure Evil. I've seen Dementors up-close, felt them while in the Ministry, and they don't even hold a candle to it. Also, the man introduced himself as Set, the first Demon."
Fleamont turns to his wife, my Master, and says, "Only the part about Fiendfyre was false, everything else he spoke here is true. Sorry for the subterfuge, young Mason, I cast an Enchantment on the room to detect lies, since I couldn't take a risk with my wife."
I shake my head, not minding it. I'd have done the same if someone claimed to kill a person, and was going to give excuses soon.
Master Potter sighs, and says, "What is the world coming to, Grindelwald seeking death or imprisonment of all muggles. Demons roaming the Earth again. The corruptive magic that was in your body does confirm your claims of it being a Demon, we had to purge your body with the Cleansing Elixir, and replace your entire right ear. And if it was a Demon, then the man beneath the surface was already dead, so don't fret about it too much."
"Are you sure?" I ask, wondering if the Potters have some old knowledge about Demons. I know Wizards once knew about them, since many books mentioned them. But Wizards believed them to be gone from Earth, either dead, or banished.
I had knowledge about them, obviously, thanks to the Room, and the last Wizards heard from Demons was in the 14th Century. But the Ministry, and the Wizard's Council before it, tried really hard to squash the knowledge of Demons from any library they could get their hands on.
Master Potter nods, and says, "Absolutely. Don't worry too much. I won't report you, nor will I suggest doing the same. The idiots in the DMLE will arrest you for practicing Dark Magic, since they probably have no idea what Sorcery is, just like we didn't."
Fleamont leans forward, and says, "Speaking of, I might have read a few mentions of it in the past, but I don't rightly remember. I know Merlin called himself a Sorcerer once upon a time, other than that, nothing. Can you explain us what Sorcery is, exactly?"
Smiling, I do just that.
Crisis averted, I'm not a murderer, and Master Potter doesn't hate me. I don't however think that she'll allow me to take the Healer's Oath as is. Even I won't do it. I'm a Healer, yes, but I will also not hesitate to kill someone if necessary.
The usual oath doesn't allow for any harm to anyone, and killing does count in that. I'll have to look up alternative oaths, or create one. My next trip to the Room of Knowledge will probably include that.
I'd been using it in between to look up any additional Healing spells, or other knowledge. Healing is an art that has been used for thousands of years, even before Wands came to be. There are Rituals, Runes, Wards, all relating to healing, but I stuck to my own level.
I didn't feel it right learning to use Runes to repair bones, before I could accomplish it with a wand, which I can't do yet.
Now, I should visit Darla in school, see how her last year is going, and ironically enough, scold her for skipping school to visit me. As if I didn't do it enough times.
As I go home that night, after having Darla visit me herself in the evening, once again by sneaking out of school, I begin my contemplation.
I'm weak, not in terms of magic, but in everything else. I don't have combat training, I don't have physical training, and I can barely defend myself in a physical fight. If it wasn't for my shield, I would have died by the Nundu that I myself created.
If I hope to survive in this world, which seems highly unlikely after my fight with Set, I need to become a fighter. Along with that, I should begin practicing all my spells again, try and make my casting speed faster.
I cannot become physically strong enough to battle demons, not unless I get my hands on the Super Soldier Serum in a few years, or the Heart Shaped Herb of Wakanda, both of which can only make me so strong. I need to become stronger, and I think I know what to do.
But, to do that, I need to become a Master Healer myself, master Alchemy, and become a master in Rituals. My Runic knowledge will just help out in the long run, so I'm already half prepared.
I cannot become strong right now, not for a decade in the least, which is how long it'll take to become smart enough to figure out my method. But, I'll figure something out as a temporary measure until then, at least for the duration of the war.
Because if I'm not better at both Magic and fighting, I will most assuredly, die. Time to visit my vaults again, there has to be something there, or I'll try mind hopping again. Finding a boxer, or a martial artist, probably won't be difficult.
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A few days later, once I get a day off from my apprenticeship, I visit Gringotts. It was really fortunate that my Master was the Head Healer, because no one questioned my absence too much, after just the initial explanation of 'I had an accident, and was in the muggle hospital for recovery.'
Once in Gringotts, I go to the Miscellaneous Services Goblin, again, to find a construction crew, someone discreet, and agreeable to Memory wipes after the job is done.
You see, I had found the papers related to my family's lands, the place where my grandfather and his family used to stay, before their unfortunate deaths. The papers included a deed of ownership, a magical, foldable map for the House Plans, and a book that held most of the house's secrets, which was now useless. The house burned down, 40 years ago.
I had visited the place before, as soon as I'd found the papers. But, it wasn't livable then. The lands had been burned by Fiendfyre, which meant the ground was more similar to magma than normal Earth. At least, it was the story at the top one meter, while the lower ground was relatively safe.
But, it wasn't fertile, nor liveable, even after I had painstakingly vanished the damaged Earth. Hell, the underground water had all evaporated, leaving dry cracks in their place. I had checked, having gone underground in my Astral Form.
So, this last year, I was busy using Rituals, spells, and a lot of Alchemical Potions, to bring the land back up to shape.
Removing the melted earth was pretty easy, if a long tedious process. It took me a few hours, and being magically exhausted, to clear just one square meter of the land, at first, so, I crafted a ritual to do it for me. That ritual took place over a period of one moon cycle, during which the melted land slowly disappeared, bit by bit.
I was then left with a square area of 100 acres, which was deeper than the surrounding ground by 1.5 meters. After that, I used another Ritual, this one already existing, to fill the hole with land again, recreating it almost similar to how it used to be, sans the Manor, and the small forest surrounding it.
The forest, from what I read in the books, was very small, but it was home to a few small magical animals. Niflers, Snidgets, gnomes, and more than a few small non-magical animals. I'm guessing that other than the Snidgets, which were birds, everything else died in the fire.
Anyway, these two Rituals took me just two months, including the time that it took for me to Ward the entire 100 acres using Salazar Slytherin's own Enchantments.
No muggle can even see this land, not from any direction, and after more Wards, I made it so that not even a ghost will be able to enter uninvited.
After that, I created Potions in bulk, using my Time Slower spells to speed things up, and used them to bring fertility back to the lands. Then, I went through another Ritual, that prayed to Lady Gaea for rains. Don't know if she heard, or if the Ritual was automatic, but the Rains that fell after the ritual didn't stop falling for 7 full days.
A few more additional spells had to be cast, and then the trees planted, after which my Land was finally beginning to heal. And then, I'd left the land alone for 9 months, owing to the fact that I wasn't in a hurry. I still used it, if I need to experiment above ground, and to learn destructive spells, but only for that.
And now, I was going to finally build my house again. And I'm going to hire the Goblins to manage all of it.
"Let me get this straight, you want us to have your Manor rebuilt, and agree to a Memory wipe after our work is done? Does it look like we're idiots?" Girnar snarls, staring down at me, as soon as I'd laid out my request.
I smile, and say, "I am ready to compensate handsomely for the troubles. And I'm not going to erase the minds of Goblins, you will erase the minds of anyone you hire to do the job."
I was going to have a contract ready anyway, just in case they have something to combat Mind Magics. And I'm going to learn the Fidelius Charm anyway, since there's no way I'm allowing everyone to know where I stay.
The Fidelius will take care of anyone that already knows about the lands, including the Goblins.
Girnar smirks, and I get sent to another office to hash out the details. Once I leave Gringotts, I find myself relieved of 75,000 Galleons, which is the fees for the Construction crew, along with owing Gringotts 25,000 Galleons once the job was done.
I did write down a condition in the Contract, that they will never give out my house's secrets to anyone, or try to find out more secrets. Because lets face it, I'm going to make some changes after the house is built.
Now, I'll have a home for the public, in Islington, and another for my own private use, which will be the most secure place on Earth, once I'm done, in Scottish Highlands.
--Time Skip: February 1938--
A year and a half later, I finally hear the words I was dying to hear. "Congratulations Healer Aves, on being the youngest Certified Healer in United Kingdom."
I had spent 2.5 years under her, Euphemia Potter, or as she'd forced me to call her, Aunt Mia, and now, I was a certified Healer, at the age of just 18.
I have tears of joy in my eyes, when I hug her, throwing decorum out the window, since I had actually gotten that close to her.
After the incident with Set, I had begun physical training, and magical combat training. The first, I did with the help of two things. Memories of a man named Vernon Bell, who was a Karate, Jujutsu and Judo Black Belt in Essex, and the books on Physical combat that I found in the Room of Knowledge, as well as the Aves and Slytherin Vault.
As for my Magical training, I practiced 20 hours daily, with the help of the Time Slower to do it in a single hour, going through different combinations of spells, one after the other, until I became almost completely exhausted.
I did the same for Sorcery spells, learning a few more spells in between, and generally just getting better at magic.
Aunt Mia pulls me away, looks at me sternly for a few seconds, and says, "Mind your manners, young man. And don't enjoy too much, you aren't a true Healer yet."
I nod, still smiling, and wipe my eyes. Master Potter, after a few more visits from the Set incident, had now become Aunt Mia, while Fleamont had become Monty. I would go there at least weekly, at first to discuss a Potion I was working on with Monty, and then just for Dinner.
I didn't just show up, though, I asked for the first few times, and then Aunt Mia invited me a few more times. Then, it became an open invitation, after I called them to my house for a few dinners.
We were good friends, Monty and I. And Aunt Mia and I were Master and Apprentice, which is already a close bond. Now, even if I am a full fledged Healer, I won't stop coming over, because they give me a sense of normalcy in life.
I don't see of them as parents, but like distant aunt and uncle, someone I can go to for advice, and someone who makes one hell of a chicken stew.
Nodding, I say, "The Oath, I know."
The Healer's Oath. The Hippocratic Oath. It was an oath that was mandatory, for anyone that hopes to become a professional Healer. There were variations, at least in the Magical World, but the most common one was very similar to the Muggle Oath.
Do no harm, try and heal everyone equally, never take a life, etc. The Oath wasn't binding, at least, nothing could prevent the Healer from breaking the Oath. But there were spells to detect the breaking of the Oath.
Even if they can't prevent anyone from breaking the oath, they can detect if someone who has broken the oath walks inside any Hospital. They'll be forbidden from practicing their Healing then.
I.. wasn't going to take this oath.
Discounting the fact that I have already taken a life, I was prepared to do so again, if need be. I won't kill indiscriminately, but I will kill if someone tries to harm me, my loved ones, or innocents. I also won't hesitate killing during the war, so there's that.
Nodding at Aunt Mia, the rest of the Masters nowhere to be seen now, and say, "I have decided on the Oath, Master. I will take the Guardian's Oath."
The Guardian's Oath. It was discontinued back in the 12th Century, when Healers first became truly neutral. Before then, Healers did not hesitate to fight in wars, to kill. But, when the Wizards went through a long period of peace, the oath was changed. The new Healer's Oath forbid the Healers from harming, Killing, anyone, even their enemies.
The old Healer's Oath was then renamed Guardian's Oath, and discarded into history.
This Oath is more of a Protector's oath, than a Healer's. I'll still be a Healer, but I will be allowed to break the Oath in times of War, or in dire situations. I still cannot kill indiscriminately, and I won't be allowed to kill just for revenge, but I will be allowed to kill in the defence of others, decide to prioritise healing one person over the other, and use any method I deem necessary to heal the patient.
Only the Head Healer will be knowledgeable about it, however, the rest will just be made known that I took the Healer's Oath.
Master Potter smiles, accepting my answer, and says, "Kneel."
I do so without question, keeping my head bowed low. Master Potter brings out her wand, and taps it on my shoulders, one at a time, and I feel her cast a spell at me. This will make me more likely to speak the truth for the next 5 minutes.
"Do you swear…" Master Potter begins, making me smile again. I'm finally becoming a healer.
After a small celebration at Aunt Mia's house, just us three, I go home. I apparate to the Aves Manor, Scottish Highlands. I'd been living here for about 8 months now, which was how long it had been since it was re-built.
After the crew of Squibs that the Goblins hired for me, along with a few Wizards for spell casting, had built the house, I had cast more wards on the House, making it unplottable, invisible to muggles, and created a very strong barrier around the house itself, making it so that it won't be damaged by spells from the outside.
After all that, I cast the Fidelius Charm on the house, since the lands were too large for me to hide completely with the Charm, and made myself the Secret Keeper.
I never knew why the future Potters didn't do this, since there was nothing that said you can't be the Secret Keeper of your own house.
The Charm depends a lot on the loyalty of the Secret Keeper to the People that live inside the secret location. And I being loyal to myself is a loophole, that not many people take advantage of. But this loophole comes with a price, the Charm becomes temporary.
You need to recast the Charm every 10 years, if I hope to remain the Secret Keeper indefinitely.
But, at least this way, my house will remain hidden from everyone, Sorcerer, Wizard, and Ghosts, for a minimum of 10 years. Gods and Demons are debatable, since they're probably above mortal spells. Same for the Sorcerer Supreme, because let's be honest, the Time Stone will show her my house anyway, doesn't matter what I do to hide it. As annoying as it might be, it is the truth.
The Aves Manor was big, too big for just me. It had a whopping 6 bedrooms, with only the Master Bedroom having an Ensuite bathroom. It had two floors, the ground floor having a large entrance hall, the kitchen, dining room, washroom, a staircase to the first floor, and a hidden staircase that leads to the basement.
The first floor had the 6 bedrooms, a library, two other bathrooms, and a large balcony. The library was filled with copies of the books from my Vaults, and it also has the Vanishing Trunk that led to the Room of Knowledge.
The Basement, meanwhile, had the Ritual Chamber, an artefact lab, a Potions lab, a spell practice room, and an Alchemy Room. There was also a small prison, which was just something that I didn't remove from the original House..
Outside the house, there was another Ritual site, along with a lake that I dug and filled for myself. Then there was a small forest, and a garden. There weren't any Magical animals here, other than the two pairs of niflers I'd bought, but they were yet to populate. I was also bringing any magical plant I found in the muggle world here, because that's what will make this region more magical.
As I apparate, I appear on a driveway, with the house a little ways away. It was a security measure, which brought any Apparations, or even Portals, to the Driveway, to give me time to defend myself, incase it is an enemy.
Entering my house, I sit down on the sofa in the living room, and sigh. I was finally a Healer, and have taken an oath. An oath to protect people, an oath to help anyone that needs it, but depending on the situation, I'm just allowed to break the oaths without consequences.
A crack sounds beside me, making me turn my head. I see a house Elf, my Elf, Blinky, who looks at the smile on my face, and asks, "Young sir has succeeded?"
"Indeed I did, dear Blinky. I have become a Healer." I say, patting Blinky on the head.
I'd gotten Blinky right about the time that I had gotten my House back up, 8 months ago. She was abused by her last family, who died off somehow with me not having a hand in it, and the Ministry took her to be relocated.
I applied for a House Elf, and got Blinky. It took a while, to stop her from calling me a Master, and even more time to stop her from crying every time she did something wrong. Even now, she would think of me as someone superior to her.
Tearful, she hugs my leg, and says, "Young Sir is the bestest Healer! Blinky knows yous won't let anyone dies!"
Chuckling, I gently pull Blinky away, and say, "Come on now, my friends will be coming over today. Let's go make something nice for them."
"Young sir can't be cooking today!" Blinky yells, scandalized, and then says, "Today being a special day for Mason Aves Sir, you sit, and Blinky cooks."
Yeah, she still does this sometimes. I brought her here so I can learn about House Elves, so I can somehow find a way to free them, and I have been taking steps to cure her of the Slave/servant mentality. But some things are just hard to get rid of.
I shake my head, and say, "You know the deal, Blinky. You take care of the house, I take care of the grounds, and we both cook Dinner. Today might be a special occasion, but our rule still stands."
Blinky stammers out, "But.. but.."
"No buts, unless you want me to cook for both of us?" I say, and start walking towards the kitchen.
Blinky jumps and follows after me, all the while trying to discourage me from working in my own house. I might be lazy, but there's no way I'm allowing someone I'm trying to rescue from Slavery, to do all the work. I'll just be the part of the problem then.
Now, I won't be allowed to work at St Mungo's yet, since I wasn't 21 years old yet, but I now have a lot of time to do something else. Become a Doctor in the muggle world. But first, I'll have to take care of the certificates.
Sigh, more studies.
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A/N: Did this feel rushed? It felt rushed. But, anyway, I wanted to get this chapter over with. I want to begin with the War soon, but I need to set some things up before I can do that.
Thank you for your support! Tata!
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