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Sword is equal to Wand, Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2024-10-21 02:37:39 +0000 UTCConversation with Susan Bones and Cho Chang soon moved sharply from their family's heritage as they seemingly understood they were coming off of as braggarts or trying to push something onto me.
"So you grew up here in Britain?" Susan asked and I had to hold in a mental twitch as I shook my head and said how my family was split between American and British which explained my accent and how I was alone here in Great Britain.
"So what classes are you looking forward to?" I asked curiously.
And Cho clapped her hands together as she spoke. "Oh! Essence Manipulation for sure! The teacher is one of the more skilled masters of the new age! And she was basically responsible for Voldemort's fall!"
I blinked hearing that and I said wryly. "Sorry, American here. All I knew is Voldemort fell like a decade plus ago as his reign of terror didn't really cross the ocean."
Susan nodded and said with amusement. "Yeah that flying battleship filled with Deatheaters got eaten by a Sea Leviathan when they came in around the Bermuda Triangle as they wanted to hit the magical city of New Orleans... Voldemort was extremely angry about that for a while."
Susan shook her head and then more seriously spoke. "Anyway, Lily Potter is one of the better cultivators of the new age or our generation in general. She basically tied her soul to the leylines and when Voldemort attacked her."
"She used the ritual to cut off her soul from her body using all of Voldemort's power, and then using all the power of the leylines. She basically hit Voldemort point blank with a major god's power when he himself was completely drained of power."
I blinked at that. And I then said frankly. "That... Sounds almost anticlimatic honestly?"
To which Cho said with a bit of excitement. "Yeah, thats the thing though. Once you have a certain amount of power, fate prophecies, and other things just don't work. And for a split couple of seconds, Lily Potter had just as much power as any of the Heads of the various Pantheons."
There was a pause before I spoke. "Well... How is she alive now? And I am sure there must have been costs to doing that?"
To which Susan nodded and said. "Yup! She lost her original body but thankfully she was friends with my auntie and she already had a spare homunculus body... But as for costs. That is for her to know, she obviously isn't going to share that."
Which was totally fair, she didn't want any of her weaknesses getting out there. But... On the other hand, it was pretty interesting to ponder how Lily apparently broke the so-called prophecy over her knees.
Our conversation hilted as a sharp boom rang out making me wrench out with my hand grabbing the table to the side to steady myself as the train rumbled.
Both girls blinked and shook a bit but they just visibly took a breath and said with a wry smile. "Something unregistered to the train's previous paths must have been there and the canons shot it apart." Susan said with some authority.
Probably her aunt Amelia Bones telling her that. Though... With how Lily Potter was still alive in this timeline, who knows what else could be different?
I gave a hum but it was cut off as someone knocked on the door before it opened and an older lady spoke kindly. "Hello, anything off the food cart?"
Both girls got something as Cho said. "Jake I suggest getting yourself a snack at least. This ride is likely going to be a solid six hours to Hogwarts."
So I got myself a large muffin.
As I sure as hell wasn't going to get an animated chocolate snack I needed to fight to eat... Imagine eating a chocolate frog and if you don't break it down enough its legs keep twitching or something your stomach.
Just a couple minutes after that, the door was pulled open to the side with a slamming noise by a silvery white-haired girl who was obviously familiar who looked in... Saw me and snorted before slamming that door again.
"That... Was rude as could be." I said dryly.
And Susan said mildly. "As I said before... All apple baskets have a bad apple. Dorea just happens to be completely rotten."
To which I shrugged and went back to my reading of the Beast Taming and Spiritual Bonds class's book. While Cho was doing the same but for Essence Manipulation and Susan was reading what looked like a novel.
'Mystical Creatures and Their Spiritual Bonds' was a very interesting book. As apparently there was a whole class and culture around making spiritual bonds with magical creatures that could eventually form their spiritual intelligence and later on take on a human form.
Magical Creatures for the most part were far more physically powerful and could protect weaker wizards from the likes of Lycans and other Monsters. In return for our magic heavily increased their growth cycle of gaining their spiritual intelligence and human forms allowing them to in turn cultivate properly.
"How does Hogwarts help people find a magical creature to bond with?" I asked more to myself as the book detailed the spiritual beasts and magical creatures people of Britain and Europe typically made contracts with.
Like Owlbears, Graphorns, Giant Badgers, and many other things. Though higher ranked creatures like Dragon's Pheonix and others typically don't allow wizards to make such a contract with their young.
In either case. Making a contract with such a magical creature would in turn help the wizard cultivate especially if their bonded creature's natural elemental alignment aligned with their own cultivation manual.
"Jake do you mind giving us a minute? We need to change into our robes?" Susan asked with a slight blush crossing her face for a minute.
I blinked and I nodded with an easy smile. "Yeah sure that's not a problem. So long as you let me get changed next afterward."
Both girls nodded and I left my book behind as I went into the alley with Cho following behind me to lock the door behind me. Allowing them to get changed in some peace.
As I was in the hallway, I was party to seeing more of my fellow students coming out of their rooms as they went to the bathrooms and I could tell a few were likewise waiting for the other occupants of the room to get changed as well.
'Is that Ron Weasley over there as well?' I mused as I saw a trio of gingers talking to one another as they leaned on a door but I didn't go over to the next cart where they were.
A few minutes later, the door was opened and I saw Susan open the door. And I blinked as the Hogwarts robes for girls weren't as totally conservative as I expected... To be fair Mavuika was dressed in that leather outfit that wasn't at all conservative in the slightest.
Their skirts came down to their knees and they wore a buttoned blazer that allowed Susan to undo the top few buttons to allow her large bosom to breathe and they both had large cloaks that went over their top clothes that went down all the way to their shins basically.
Though... Cho wasn't wearing the Hogwarts girls uniform at all as she was wearing a wuxia styled Qipao that clung slightly to her body but tastefully.
"Is that alright for you to wear at Hogwarts?" I asked Cho with a raised eyebrow.
To which Cho just chuckled and said calmly. "Ladies do have uniforms but we are allowed to dress however we please so long as its semi-form during classes and not distracting... This is the clothes cultivators back home wear... If the British ladies have any taste maybe they will steal it as well."
I heard Susan snort and had to hold a giggle at the thought at the thought while my lips twitched.
Both ladies let me back into the room and I quickly got changed without any awkward thing happening like one of the girls or some else barging in even after I locked it.
So in my own male Hogwarts uniform that was a button-up shirt and dress pants with a large cloak over it that doubled as robes basically. I let the girls back in and we just shared small talk for the rest of the train ride.
-
A loud hiss rang out along with the train rumbling before a synthetic voice rang out. "The Hogwarts Express will be arriving at Hogwarts within five minutes. Secure your belongings and leave them behind, House Elves will be retrieving your personal belongings and will put them beside your bed tonight."
A crackle was left of the voice as the girls simply left their bags and trunks behind with myself putting my school book away before I followed the girls to get off as the train came to a stop.
"Whelp... Hogwarts definitely is a lot fucking bigger." I thought blinking as I saw how Hogwarts just looked so much bigger than in the movies.
But then again there weren't like five hundred kids at most here... No there was a like three or four thousand it seemed like which were quickly being ferried around as a loud voice spoke out.
"First years! Go to the carriages in the back! They will take you to Hogwarts where the later years will already settle into their seats and you all get to take the scenic route!"
'Oh? That's Hagrid?' I mused before my lips twitched as I realized Rubeus Hagrid looked like he came from those Harry Spotter memes from a couple of years ago. And then it hit me that Hagrid with his giant's blood was a perfect body cultivator.
Standing ten feet tall, he was wearing a tight body-fitting muscle shirt that clung to his bulging thick muscles and his lower body was covered in a martial arts gi and belt. And he was also walking around barefoot as well.
Cho's voice then made me break my gaze on Swoll, Hagrid as she spoke. "I see one of my friends. I will see you two later at the feast." And I watched as she walked over to a set of Indian twins that were probably the Patil twins or something.
Susan sighed and then shook her head. "Come on Jake, the least I can do is keep you company."
I gave Susan a dry look and said in amusement. "Oh whatever will I do? A cute goth redhead is keeping me company, how l keep my sanity."
Susan flushed deeply which stuck out greatly due to her pale skin and she all but stuttered. "How did you know?"
To which I grinned and pointed at my own ear and said with a grin. "Nightmare Before Christmas ear-rings... I can recognize Jack Skellington's face anywhere haha."
And Susan's flush was kept in more control as she groaned aloud as we headed to the cart before I froze and my steps paused as the tide of students thinned out enough for me to catch the view of the Thestrals pulling the carriages.
"Ah... You can see the Thestrals I guess." Susan said wryly and I felt her pushing me forward to keep me going so we could get our own carriage.
And it was only when I got into the carriage that I coughed and said somewhat flatly. "Yeah... I can see them to say the least." The thestrals were pitch-black horse-like creatures with wings on their sides and leathery almost desiccated-looking skin that could only be seen by those who had seen death before.
Thankfully she didn't ask for any details and neither did I.
Not that we had time to speak as we both became spellbound as the carriage began taking us around a lap of the Hogwarts grounds it seemed like.
With the massive castle on our side for the most part we came around the Great Lake with what looked like the Giant Squid waving at us from the water and maybe even some mermaids or something.
Then we circled around the edge of what was supposed to be the Forbidden Forest but in reality Susan whispered. "Thats the Spirit King Forest, there is a massive population of magical creatures and Beast Kings who can take on human form living in the forest."
"It's not called the Forbidden Forest or something?" I asked with amusement.
And Susan just rolled her eyes and said flatly. "Why in the world would they call it that? We are here at Hogwarts learning magic, and most importantly how to defend ourselves. Why would we forbid the huge forest filled with magical reagents and magical creatures that wizards can bond with?"
After passing by the enclosed herb gardens the carriages looped around in another courtyard as I came up to the castle's entrance.
And we all got out of our carriages with a magically strengthened female voice speaking out. "New students! Please follow me!" And from in front of Hogwarts large heavily engraved wooden door. Was a woman seemingly in her late thirties at most who had a small ball of light on the end of her wand to get our attention towards her.
'I wonder who that is?' I mused as I followed behind the teacher along with the thousand-something other students in my year making it rather packed obviously.
The teacher's voice washed over the students and I felt a pressure fall onto my shoulders which silenced all the students forcefully. "My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the teacher of Transfiguration. Which is the shorthand for the class's proper name of Body Transformation, Elemental, and Reality Harmonization."
It took me a moment but I realized that McGonagall wasn't extremely old looking like in canon because she was actually a cultivator instead... And had probably allowed herself to look this old on purpose to make students respect her instead.
"There are one thousand and fifty-seven of you this year, as is per tradition you will be sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts with all that entails..."
"Those sorted into Gryffindor will have their courage and martial might be trained to become the best they can be. Hufflepuffs will be given team-based exercises to help teach them how to succeed as a group. Ravenclaw will of course be focused on having students focus on research and memorization of magical knowledge."
McGonagall took a breath and then she finished off. "And lastly Slytherin students will have their own private lessons which will focus on allowing you to accomplish any of your goals with your own power."
"Now as you walk into Hogwarts proper you will see rows of letters reflected on the ground, I want you to join the line denoting the letter closest behind to your own first letter of your name as there are twenty sorting systems within the feasting hall."
And with that, McGonagall turned around and motioned for everyone to follow her into Hogwarts proper.
But even with a thousand-odd students in the year I realized that we weren't exactly packed into the massive hallway leading to what I imagined to be the Main Hall.
Either way, the letter J was a fairly common first letter for a name so I quickly got into the line which was supposed to be made up of people whose first name had the letter J.
And as soon as McGonagall threw open the door to the Main Hall I looked in excitedly before blinking as there was no Sorting Hat at the end of the Great Hall or anything... No there was fifteen large stands and in the middle of the stands where a beach ball-sized swirling orb.
"Now! These are the Dream Trial Orbs, they will pull at your subconscious fears and stress points and use the pre-downloaded memories of monster hunters and various other people who live entirely... Too stressful of lives, you will be put into a stressful situation as your consciousness is captured in an illusion."
"And how you deal with the illusion will determine where you are sorted within Hogwarts." McGonagall quickly explained.
But... I could already see several students looking at the damned orbs in what could only be two parts amusement and fucking pity of all things.
McGonagall then explained that we weren't capable of being hurt while in the Dream Trial but then she snapped her fingers which went off like a gunshot that silenced all the whispering students. "Now to start, when you reach the front of your lines. Tell your proctor your full name and then while they are busy marking your name down you will put both your hands on the Dream Trial Orb... Now begin, I imagine you all want to eat soon."
With that McGonagall went up to the large teacher's table which was built up on a large stone platform allowing the teachers to overlook the four massive tables that literally went on for what looked like a literal mile with all the students for the five years that Hogwarts taught students.
And a solid fifteen seconds later I heard a squeal as someone fell over away from the Dream Trial and I saw as his outer cloak that acted as our robes took on a yellow trim as what I believed to be Severus Snape but in far better shape and without greasy hair.
Probably told him that he was in Hufflepuff with the young man quickly retreating with a red face towards his table.
And for a brief moment, many other of the first students for other letter groups took the test and made weird noises or even screamed in a couple of girls cases. We paused before pressure fell onto our shoulders with a strong voice speaking up.
"If you cannot have the strength to face a mere illusion... How can you expect to face your parents, family, or even friends?"
The source of the voice was Dumbledore himself... And like many other teachers, the effects of cultivation were all too evident. He certainly didn't look more than a century old, no he looked like he was getting close to like thirty at most with him having a slightly odd very long silver beard and long hair going down to his waist as he stood up to speak up.
And thus the line continued. Though there were some hiccups like someone freaking the fuck out and unnerving others, but they were quickly calmed down and people continued seeing no matter how others flipped out, they were truly unharmed.
Then it was finally my turn. And as I came up to my teacher I gave a small grin seeing Mavuika was the teacher of my line.
"Hey Jake, you ready to be terrified." Mavuika teased a bit and I shrugged as I brought up my hands to touch the huge swirling crystal ball.
"Ready as I can be... Can I go ahead?" I asked the fiery-haired teacher and she nodded firmly with me taking a deep breath and my hands fell onto the Dream Trial Orb.
And the moment my hands met the orb my vision darkened and for a moment I felt the Library of Heaven's Path seemingly perk up before it relaxed as it seemingly also realized my mind wasn't being threatened.
My vision abruptly brightened and I blinked, but then shivered in stress as the loud whispers of the Great Hall were abruptly cut off but that wasn't it. I looked around and my lips twitched as I realized where the fuck I was.
"Oh... This is some real bullshit I tell you." I muttered as I realized I was in what looked like a huge room with machinery hanging over my head and what looked like the back of a huge clock in the back of the room with light streaming through circular holes in it.
In front of me was a large saber that was stabbed into the rooting floorboards of the room which I took with a sigh as I walked forward to meet my death.
A figure sitting hunched over within a large throne wearing dark ragged Victorian clothes and a rather dapper tricorn hat atop her head. "Lady Maria... I am ready." I spoke out as I approached the bloody form that already looked like a corpse.
A soft sigh rang out as a feminine voice that tickled my ears spoke out in gaunt exhaustion. "You could turn back you know... Just walk away and secrets best kept sealed will remain as they are."
My lips twitched as I drawled out. "Yeah yeah... I am ready for my ass-kicking already."
Lady Maria, one of the most stressful moments of my past life slowly stood up from her throne with blood pooling around her throne as she did so... And for a split moment I met her silver eyes before a glint hit my eyes and my vision went dark as a loud bang rang out.
The last thing my fading eyes saw was a cold amused smile aimed at me as Lady Maria of the Astral Fucking Clocktower just twirled her ornate double blade behind sitting back in her throne.
'That fucking bitch just shot me!' I thought incredulously as I blinked and shuddered as sharp pain hit my head slightly behind instantly retreating as though the Dream Trial gave a half-hearted attempt to make sense of my so-called fear/stressful moment just instantly killing me without playing around in the slightest.
The next thing I knew, I was blinking away spots in my vision as Mavuika's voice spoke out. "Well well, you showed courage in your trial above all. So go join your fellow Gryffindor's."
I nodded silently as I shook the previous... Dream from my mind as I there was something else.
The Library of Heaven had shifted as it could record martial arts, spells, and cultivation manuals and from there could show imperfections and other things to improve upon it with the user able to combine those prior things to make more powerful manuals, martial arts, and spells.
'Did the Library of Heaven's pick something up from my dream?' I wondered before I thought that if anything I needed to destroy whatever the hell came out of that nightmare... Anything Bloodborne-related was probably a bad idea.
Either way, I followed my fellow Gryffindors in taking a seat at the table with the lion flags hanging above the massive feasting table and as I took my seat I blinked as another red head woman who wasn't even Susan took a seat next to me with a groan escaping her as she buried her face into the table.
"So... Rough trial?" I asked blankly.
And there was a pause as a boy took my other side and likewise buried his face into his arms on the table and screamed making me blink at the sight.
But the redhead perked up and I headed in in a fist pump seeing she was also definitely a goth, just like Susan. Though she wasn't as... Stacked as the Bones heiress.
"I had my mother chasing me through my house. My own mother! And she was the proctor of my own trial!" She moaned out in denial as though her voicing it would change reality.
I looked at her for a long moment... And then I said softly. "That's rough buddy."
Then I paused before asking. "Wait. Are you Lily Potter's daughter?" I asked as I held in any reaction.
There was a pause before the girl groaned and said. "Yeah yeah, Rosaria Potter. No, I can't help you if my mother gives you a terrible grade."
And then the girl looked up and she blinked seeing me and then shrugged at what she saw.
So I just added on in amusement. "At least your trial gave you the ability to run... My literally saw me, and then shot me in the face with a gun." I finished dryly.
Comments
travis btmb
Tftc
Loves2Spooge
Noooooo! Dude, you missed the perfect opportunity yo jumpscare him with an obese girl's fat ass falling on him.
Douglas Karr
Well damn, Bloodborne. . . . .extra dimensional incursion, wonder if he now has the attention of any of those entities with this kind of world being a hunter would certainly fit quite well. Also gotta love the early spread of goth girls, wonder how much of a negative opinion necromancer types receive
Hmm is it time
Thanks for the great chapter looking forward to more.
