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The Mage's Path: Chapter 4
🕑 Added 2024-07-02 08:19:31 +0000 UTCHi all,
Here’s the next chapter. I have made some minor tweaks and edits to the last three chapters, but two major ones are:
The Fatigue resource has been changed to Stamina. It just reads better. I have added some extra amenities to the break room because Harry will be spending a lot of time in the tutorial dungeon.
Harry stood beneath the soothing shower spray, relishing the hot water as it worked its magic in easing the physical and mental strains accumulated from his dungeon exploration. He could have stayed there for hours, until he shrivelled up into a prune, because the hot water was in infinite supply. But he was too aware of the fact that he wasn’t alone in his cubicle.
"Why did you have to join me in the shower?" Harry asked, attempting to divert his attention away from the fairy hovering beside him, enjoying her own share of the hot water. Despite her diminutive stature, she was a woman, which made him both curious and embarrassed to see her naked.
"Feeling bashful?" Celeste teased with a giggle. "We are going to spend the rest of our lives together, so there is no reason to hide anything from each other."
Harry grumbled. “It’s bad enough that people stare at me when I’m clothed. How do you think I feel when I’m naked?”
Celeste flew down and sat on the shower wall shelf. She had a sympathetic expression on her face. "Are you referring to how pale and skinny you are?"
Harry grabbed a cloth and began scrubbing his body, refusing to answer. He hated receiving sympathy from anyone.
“Well, we can’t do anything about your complexion inside the dungeon,” Celeste said. "But if we stay in here long enough, you should be able to get some meat on your bones."
“Do you really think I will gain weight when the flow of time is stopped?”
"Yes, it’s stopped, but you still feel hunger," Celeste countered. "All of your physiological needs still must be met, so I believe your height and weight will be impacted."
Harry nodded. "I certainly hope so. I despise being a skinny, little runt."
Celeste giggled, and deliberately dropped her gaze to his groin. "Hopefully, your pee pee will experience a growth spurt too."
Harry flung the cloth at her.
After they finished their shower, Harry dried himself with a towel and put on his clothes. He took a bag of salt and vinegar crisps from the pantry and sat on the couch to eat them. He wasn’t in a hurry to get back to exploring the dungeon because he wanted to learn more about his companion first.
“What do they taste like?” Celeste asked, eyeing the chip with a greedy expression.
Harry handed her a chip, and she bit into it. Immediately, she spat out the mouthful. “Eww. They are too hot! How can you eat that garbage?”
He popped a chip in his mouth and munched on it. “It’s not bad. I can’t see myself eating a lot at once, though.”
“Gross!”
Harry snorted. “Do you know how rare it is for me to get treats like this? Now that I have plenty of food at my disposal, I’m going to try a bit of everything.”
After eating a few more, he turned his attention to Celeste. He wanted to see how she would help him in defeating monsters and exploring the dungeon.
“Assess!”
======
Player Information
Name: Celeste
Occupation: Umbra Sprite
Level: 1 Next Level: 50
Experience Pool: (0)
Ability Points (AP): 0
Skill Points: 0
Resources
Health Points: (HP): 25/25
MP: 240/240
SP: 66/66
Attributes
STR: 3
AGI: 11
VIT: 5
END: 3
SPI: 12
INT: 10
WIL: 12
PER: 13
DEF: 0 [+ Equipment] 5
=====
Boons
Occupation:
Umbra Sprite: +1 SPI per level; increases the potency of dark spells/skills by 25%; grants Celeste access to two skill paths.
Titles:
Harry Potter’s Familiar: Has limited access to the Gamer’s menu.
One of a KInd: The only Umbra Fairy that exists today. Possesses unique magic that sets it apart from all other magical creatures.
Fairy Magic: Celeste can use all her spells without the need for a focus or external aid.
?????????: +1 to PER per level, +50% effectiveness towards ???
Burdens
Fairy Constitution: All HP/STA/DEF gains are halved. (Permanent.)
======
Her physical attributes were below average, which was to be expected given her small stature. She was a glass cannon, so he had to be careful how he used her in battle. Prioritising her Vitality may be the best course of action for the first few levels, even if the HP gains are reduced by half. It was fortunate that she received a piece of armour as a reward for completing the quest, as it provided some protection.
Celeste excelled at dark magic, so it would be interesting to see what spells and abilities she would have. With her Spirit increasing with each level, she always had a large supply of MP to draw from. She would transform into a diminutive magical powerhouse.
The only disadvantage was that she was ineffective at using physical attacks, which meant that with her current abilities, she would not be able to contribute to any fights during the weapons phase. When the magic phase began, they needed to go out and quickly level her up so she could learn some new skills.
"Hey, can you show me my status?" Celeste fluttered in front of him.
"I believe you can do it yourself," Harry answered.
He gave her some instructions for accessing the Gamer's menu. While she happily perused it, he opened the notification menu to see what messages were waiting for him.
=======Familiar Party
The symbiotic bond with your familiar means that experience points are evenly distributed between both parties after defeating monsters. It can be adjusted in the settings to accommodate either your familiar's or your own growth. This also has an impact on the experience points earned from quests, so you may want to make adjustments before completing a quest based on your needs.
In combat situations, the one who deals the final blow will count towards any special requirements, such as skill upgrades that require you to kill a certain number of monsters. For bestiary entries, it makes no difference who kills the monster; both count towards the total. Furthermore, if Celeste encounters monsters that are not accessible to the player, defeating them counts as being scanned. =======
Celeste’s Skill Board has been unlocked!
Unlike the player, Celeste doesn’t unlock new skills through acquiring Grimoires. By advancing her occupation, she can unlock more paths, allowing her to acquire new skills to suit different situations, ensuring her flexibility and adaptability in combat scenarios. As a lowly Umbra Sprite, she only has access to two skill paths initially.
Shadow Assault: 1/10
* Shadow Lance
Cursed Amplifier. 0/10.
Shadow Lance | Active | Level 1 | Upgrade: (0/20) | Cost: 10 MP | Attribute: WIL |
Description: Forms a spear of shadows that impales its target, dealing non-elemental damage. This spear has a small chance to ignore defence, inflicting additional damage to the target. The size, range, and damage output of the spear are directly influenced by the user's Willpower and the level of the skill.
* Deals minor non-elemental damage.
* 5% chance of ignoring defence and dealing direct damage.
* Willpower > 15: Increases the power, speed and range of the lance by 25%.
* Effective range extends up to four metres.
* Upgrades to level 2 after killing 20 monsters. ======
Harry went to his settings menu and adjusted the experience distribution so that Celeste received all of the experience points. He would return to an even split once she had advanced a few levels.
"Have you seen your skill?" Harry asked.
“I’m looking at it now,” Celeste said, fluttering her wings in excitement. “Let's test it out.”
Before he could intervene, she raised her hand, conjuring a small black spear in front of her. With a swift motion, she hurled it at the wall, only for the spell to vanish upon impact, the room's protections activating to prevent any damage.
"Must you be so reckless?" Harry exclaimed.
“Nothing bad happened,” Celeste said, shrugging. "I just wanted to try out this new spell in the safety of this room."
Harry hadn't considered utilising the room for spell testing. Inspired, he cast Magelight and checked the skill in the menu, noting that its upgrade progress had increased by one.
He grinned. “I can take advantage of this!”
Because he had access to a bed that replenished his MP, he could grind the skill to level it up. It would not work for skills that required killing monsters, and he wasn’t sure if he could use it outside of the tutorial dungeon, but it was a nice find nonetheless. He cast the spell nine more times, until his MP was almost depleted. He only needed to cast it a few more times to bring it to level two.
"I'm going to practise my accuracy to ensure that I’m effective in actual battle," Celeste declared, after observing his actions.
“You're just full of good ideas, aren’t you?”
“Here’s another one!” Celeste beamed. “Why don’t I use you as target practice? It will be far more effective to aim for a moving target."
“Not a chance.”
Harry left Celeste to her own devices, moving away to access his main menu. He spent his accumulated experience and advanced to level four. He now had six skill points and seven AP to use. After careful consideration, he increased his Vitality by four points and his Strength by three. This allocation served a triple purpose: enhancing his attack power, increasing his HP, and boosting his Stamina. The latter would allow him to go longer periods without needing to rest or consume potions.
He was interested in how his Strength affected his damage output. Every weapon had a minimum and maximum damage range, but there was an unseen factor beneath these values. There was also a Strength requirement for weapons, and meeting it meant that he could deal the maximum damage on a consistent basis, potentially exceeding it due to this hidden calculation.
He opened his skill board menu next to see what skills he could learn. Each Grimiore's path consisted of a series of linear nodes. To gain access to the more advanced skills, he had to unlock all of the skills on the path. It was a restriction that annoyed him, but hopefully there would be a way to circumvent it in the future. He could only see the details of the next skill to be unlocked, and the ones beyond it were hidden from him.
First, he checked his Gamer's Essentials Grimoire. Language Comprehension was the next skill on the Scholar's Path, and it cost him one skill point. It enabled him to learn and understand new languages, whether spoken or written. He ignored it for the moment because it wouldn’t help him in the short term. The frustrating thing was that there could be an amazing skill locked behind it, but he wouldn’t know until he spent a skill point.
Instead, he focused his attention on the Dungeon Survival Path. The next skill was Route Mastery, which allowed him to place a marker on his map and have it reveal a trail that led him to the designated location. It would be extremely useful for intricate dungeon layouts, and the Cursed Library was already complicated enough for a tutorial dungeon. Since it only cost him one skill point, he learned it immediately.
It unlocked the next skill on the Dungeon Survival Path, but he left it alone for the time being and instead investigated the Wind Elemental Grimoire.
The next skill in the Tempest Path was called Windborne Precision, a passive skill which increased the player's critical hit chance with wind spells by ten percent. Before he considered obtaining it, he focused on the Air Acrobatics Path, which he had yet to unlock any skills for. The first skill was called Wind Dash, and it cost him two skill points. He didn’t hesitate to acquire it right away.
=======Wind Dash | Level 1 | Active | Upgrade: 0/1 | Cost: 20MP | Attribute: END |
Wind Dash is a spell that temporarily boosts the player's Agility. Despite its high cost, it can be made more effective by raising the skill level. Furthermore, the strain it places on the player's body can be mitigated by increasing Endurance, which extends the duration of the spell's effects.
* Agility +10
* END > 30: increases the duration of the spell by 50%.
* Upgrades to level 2 after acquiring a wind essence. =======
Gust Leap was the next skill on the Air Acrobatics Path, and it would cost him three skill points. It gave him the ability to perform a high jump by channelling wind energy beneath his feet. He had no idea how useful it was for navigating a library dungeon because he had not seen any ledges or high places that were out of his reach. For the time being, he left it alone.
Instead, he spent a skill point to learn Windborne Precision, leaving him with only two skill points left. Satisfied with his gains for the moment, he exited the menu.
"Let's explore the dungeon!" Celeste fluttered up to him and circled his head several times. “I must level up to acquire more skill points. Casting just one spell is rather dull.”
"Please, stop that," Harry groaned. "You're making me dizzy. We need to recharge our mana before we proceed."
Harry and Celeste slept in the bed. When he woke up again, he cast Magelight several times, levelling it up to two. The upgrade extended the illumination range to five metres. It also reduced the cost to 8 MP per cast and allowed up to six orbs to be active at any given time.
They made final preparations to continue exploring the dungeon. He used one of his remaining four appraisal scrolls on the dagger, but it proved to be a mistake. It was yet another unclassified piece of equipment with low damage and durability. He noticed that the durability had nearly fallen to half of its maximum, so he would need to keep an eye on it.
Before leaving, they discussed their teamwork strategy. Recognising Celeste's low health, they decided that Harry would initiate combat to draw attention to himself, while Celeste would provide ranged support. Harry decided to leave during the weapons phase so that he could return to where he had left off and make the most of his time in the magic phase.
Celeste settled on his shoulder as he moved through the corridors to reach the unexplored areas of the dungeon. Harry decided to test out Route Mastery, the new skill he acquired. He zoomed out his map, and with a mental command, placed a marker at the spot where he had finished exploring last time. Immediately, a trail of glowing footprints appeared, extending down the corridor ahead of him.
“What’s that?” Celeste asked.
“You can see it? It’s a skill that guides me to a position on the map that I have already explored.”
“Boring!”
All of the monsters had already been cleared out, so he made swift progress. The increased range of the Magelight’s illumination helped as well, and he moved with more confidence. After he returned to his previous position, he had the choice to head south towards the centre, or west to continue exploring the outskirts of the map.
"Let's head west," suggested Celeste.
Harry nodded in agreement. He wanted to find the remaining two switches, which, based on the pattern so far, were most likely located in the western corners of the map. While the purpose of the switches was unknown, they could be the key to unlocking the dungeon's exit.
"From now on, we need to stay quiet. There's no telling when we might run into a monster," Harry cautioned.
"I hear you," Celeste responded, hopping off his shoulder to trail behind him. "These bookcases are massive, but I can fly over the top of them. Want me to scope out the other side?"
Harry shook his head. "Not a good idea. We don’t know what is over there, and with your health as it is, one hit could be fatal.
Celeste sighed. "You're no fun."
Soon after, they encountered their first monster as a team. A level 2 Razor's Edge.
Harry raised a finger to his lips, signalling Celeste to stay quiet. Ahead, a Razor's Edge lurked, its pages rustling ominously in the stillness.
His muscles tensed as he dropped into a crouch. The Sneak skill hummed in his veins, guiding his movements. He melted into the shadows along the corridor's edges, his body instinctively finding the darkest patches.
The magelight bobbed silently above them, casting a soft glow that should have given them away. Yet the monsters remained oblivious, a quirk of the spell Harry silently thanked Gaia for.
He inched forward, each step calculated. The stone was cold beneath his palms as he used his hands to steady his advance. Celeste perched on his shoulder, her tiny form barely breathing.
The Razor's Edge twitched, its cover flapping open and shut. Harry froze, heart pounding. After an agonising moment, the monster settled, unaware of the predator approaching from behind.
He closed in on the monster and struck quickly with his dagger, dispatching it in a single clean hit before it could react. It vanished before it hit the ground.
"You left me with nothing to do," Celeste complained.
As she spoke, a notification appeared, informing Harry that the dungeon had transitioned into the magic phase. He mentally patted himself on the back. He had timed it perfectly.
“Now that we are in the magic phase, I’m going to need your help,” Harry told her. "The dagger will be less effective now."
Celeste flew over to inspect the loot that had dropped to the ground. “What are these papers?”
Harry pointed to the page. "The tutorial page gives me more information about the Gamer's abilities."
He demonstrated by picking up the paper, which vanished in a flash of light, and the information flowed into him.
"And this?" Celeste inquired, eyeing the five-pound note.
"This is currency from my world, and it can be used to buy almost anything."
"Even food?" Celeste's eyes gleamed. "Remember, we’re dividing the loot. Half is mine."
"But you didn't help in the fight," Harry countered.
"That's beside the point!"
They continued down the corridor. A shadow flickered overhead. Before Harry could react, a mass of teeth and paper plummeted from above. Celeste shrieked, darting sideways in a blur of purple.
"Chomper!" Harry yelled, summoning a wind blade into his hand. Magic surged through him, and a razor-sharp gust sliced into the monster's flank. Pages fluttered to the ground as the Chomper howled.
Enraged, it lunged at Harry, jaws gaping. He threw himself aside, feeling the rush of air as teeth snapped shut inches from his face. His shoulder slammed into the wall, pain lancing through him.
A streak of darkness whistled past. Celeste's shadow lance buried itself in the Chomper's back, quivering like a macabre flag. The monster whirled, its baleful gaze fixing on the tiny fairy.
Celeste hovered just out of reach, a wicked grin on her face. "Over here, you overgrown paperweight!" she taunted, her wings a blur. "Can't catch me!"
The Chomper snarled, torn between two targets. Harry scrambled to his feet, readying another spell. This fight was far from over.
Harry pushed himself up, ignoring the throb in his shoulder. His fingers traced the familiar pattern of the wind blade spell, magic humming beneath his skin.
Celeste's taunts grew more outrageous. "How's that lance feeling, big boy? Bit of a pain in the ass, isn't it? Or wait—" She cackled, a sound far too dark for her diminutive size. "Don't tell me you're enjoying it!"
Before the Chomper could react to the fairy's provocations, Harry's spell sliced through the air. The wind blade carved through the monster's remaining pages, reducing it to confetti.
As the last scraps fluttered to the ground, Harry turned to Celeste, eyebrow raised. "Remind me to use you as bait more often. You're irritating enough to distract a rock."
Celeste stuck out her tongue, then preened. "It's a gift."
A notification chimed, drawing Harry's attention. He tapped the air, opening the glowing message.
=======You have scanned the Chomper and defeated it ten times. As a reward for your efforts, it may drop a valuable item when defeated.
Enchantment Gem: Bloodletter (10% chance)
+20% chance when defeating a Chomper during the weapons phase. =======
“Interesting,” Harry murmured. “They are harder to defeat at melee range, so it’s giving me an incentive.”
Harry and Celeste continued toward the northwestern corner of the map, exploring all the offset corridors along the way. They found another treasure chest, which held an item called a Whetstone, which could restore the durability of a bladed weapon. He didn’t immediately use it on the dagger, in case he came across a better one.
They defeated another Razor's Edge, prompting another notification informing him that it could drop a new item. This time, it was a Sharpness Gem, with the same bonus drop chances as the Chomper, but during the magic phase.
Harry hadn’t tried his new spell, Wind Dash yet because it wasn’t needed, and he was trying to conserve his MP as much as possible so they could explore more of the dungeon before they had to return to the break room.
By the time they arrived at the dungeon's northwestern corner, they had defeated several more monsters, including three Hexbound Tomes. He had a much easier time dispatching them with Celeste's assistance. He found it harder to sneak up on them than with the Razor's Edge, so he attacked them from a distance.
He found another switch with the words “4/4” inscribed on it. He pulled the switch, and waited for the rumbling to finish, before he turned to his companion.
“You should be able to level up now,” Harry said.
Celeste twirled in excitement. “I almost forgot!”
Although she had some access to the system’s features, he was in control of her progression. But it wasn’t like he was going to proceed without getting her input. Harry opened up her menu and spent the accumulated experience points to advance her to level two. She fell just short of levelling up again.
"We should spend your AP on Vitality," Harry advised.
"You are too bossy!" Celeste exclaimed. She didn’t disagree, however, and he spent her AP to boost her Vitality to ten and her total HP to fifty. “Now, let’s get another skill.”
Harry opened up her skill menu. Even though Celeste only had two choices available, she took her sweet time choosing. He knew what would benefit them the most at the moment, but he wasn’t going to say anything.
“I will choose Cursed Weapon,” Celeste declared.
"A good choice," Harry said. "We might not use it in regular fights, but it could come in handy if we meet a tougher opponent."
He used her two skill points to acquire the skill.
======
Cursed Weapon | Active | Level 1 | Upgrade: (0/10) | Cost: 20 MP | Attribute: WIL
The spell enhances the attack of any weapon, but at a cost; the wielder is subjected to a curse that reduces their maximum health and disables health restoration until the curse ends. Furthermore, the curse puts a lot of strain on the weapon, causing it to wear out faster and necessitating careful maintenance.
* Increases a weapons attack power by twenty for two minutes.
*Reduces the wielder's maximum HP by half and suspends health regeneration for the same duration.
* WIL > 30: Eliminates the durability penalty.
* Upgrades to level 2 after casting 10 times.
======
“Next time, I’m choosing another offensive skill,” Celeste said. “I only chose it for the sake of the team.”
“I appreciate the sacrifice.”
As they moved south, they hugged the dungeon's western boundaries wherever they could, until they came across a pair of imposing double doors. A sign above the entrance identified it as the Theatre Room.
Harry creased his brow. "I wonder what a room like this is doing here."
“What’s a theatre room?” Celeste asked.
"Err...A theatre room is a dedicated space designed for watching movies or live performances."
“What’s a movie?”
"I will explain later. Let’s check out the room," Harry said, opening the door cautiously.
They were greeted by darkness pierced only by the glow from the magelight. He could see the first two rows of seats and a set of stairs descending beside them. To his right, there was a dim outline of a movie projector, which had a film already loaded inside it.
Harry listened carefully, but he couldn’t hear anything inside the room. With a thought, he drew the orb of magelight to himself and stuck it to the wall.
"It feels like something is about to jump out at us," Celeste whispered. She plopped herself down on his shoulder and huddled against his neck.
He summoned another magelight and walked along the back of the room. When he reached the projector, he looked at the film with interest, wondering what kind of film could be found in this dungeon. Harry’s eyes widened. The film's label read: "Harry Potter, Halloween 1981."
“What the hell?”
“I’m guessing that means something to you,” Celeste remarked.
"I was born in 1980," Harry explained. "So I must have been just over a year old when this film was made. But, why is it here?"
Harry flipped the switch, and the projector emitted a soft whirring sound as the film reel began to spin and the light from the projector illuminated the room. He quickly turned it off, scared it would attract the attention of any monsters lurking inside the room. At least he knew it worked now.
"You mentioned Gaia created this dungeon. Maybe she wants to show you something?”
"There is only one way to find out," Harry replied. "First, let us investigate this place to ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises waiting for us."
He moved to the other side of the room and attached the magelight to the wall. With each magelight he summoned, the room gradually revealed itself—a sea of seats facing a massive screen on the front wall. It was just an ordinary theatre room.
After ensuring the room was safe, Harry returned to the projector, ready to watch the film from his past.
Once the projector hummed back to life, he settled into a seat in the black row, while Celeste perched on top of the seat in front of him.
The video began with a young red-haired woman playing with a baby boy on the floor. The camera angle was set from the cot next to the window, providing a view of the bedroom door behind the woman. She smiled and lifted the baby, eliciting a chorus of infectious giggles as she blew raspberries onto his stomach.
“Did you like that, Harry?”
Hearing his name caused Harry's heart to skip a beat, and his grip on the armrests tightened. The woman on screen was unquestionably his mother, as she had the same eyes. Harry's eyes welled up with tears as he saw his mother in her younger, carefree state, her green eyes sparkling with joy and love.
Abruptly, a loud commotion erupted downstairs.
“Lily, he’s here. I will buy you some time. You know what to do. I love you!” A voice shouted from downstairs.
Harry saw his mother freeze, her face was etched with terror and disbelief. He felt a pit form in his stomach as a foreboding sense of impending disaster washed over him.
Another explosion rang out downstairs, galvanising her into action. Tears streamed down Lily's face as she rose to her feet. As if working on a pre-rehearsed plan, she reached down and dragged the small rug in front of the crib out of the way. On the floor was the outline of a runic circle.
She grabbed Harry, positioned him in the centre of the circle, and pointed her wand at him, pinning him to the ground. Harry screamed in protest and tried to move his body.
"I’m sorry, Harry, but this is your only chance to survive. Mommy loves you.”
She summoned a knife, sliced her hand, and then did the same to Harry after a brief pause. Harry cried out, but she persisted. She extended their two bleeding hands over the circle, dripping blood onto the floor. The circle seemed to have its own life, absorbing the blood like a hungry vampire. After thirty seconds, she pulled his hand away and healed it with a flick of her wand.
“What is she doing?” Celeste asked.
Harry didn’t respond. His face was etched into stone, as he continued to watch the scene.
Lily cried out in anguish when she heard the short scream and cold laughter. Footsteps could be heard on the stairs as they climbed to the second floor. Lily stood up and turned around, her wand pointed at the floor, not even defending herself.
Baby Harry began to wriggle even more as he sensed that something bad was about to happen. His magic followed his intention somewhat as his upper body was released from the spell. As a figure stepped through the door, he raised his head to peer through his mother's legs.
“Stand aside, girl. "
"Who are you?" Lily asked, surprised. She had been expecting someone else.
The man's face was obscured, but the menacing grin remained visible. "Call me Uriel."
Lily raised her wand and pointed it at the man. "How did you locate us behind the Fidelius Charm? Did you do something to Peter?"
Uriel ignored the question. "Do you realise who that boy is? If he is allowed to live, he will usher in the apocalypse. Killing a child is repugnant, but it is my sacred duty. I have righteousness on my side.”
"You have no right to come near my child, you despicable wretch!" Lily's voice trembled with rage as she unleashed a fierce, purple curse towards the man. However, it dissolved against an invisible shield, leaving Uriel unscathed.
"You think you can match me, witch? How laughable. Now stand aside. I already have killed your husband. I have no qualms about doing the same to you."
"You are a monster. Voldemort has nothing on you."
"That insolent upstart has already been dealt with by yours truly. The so-called Dark Lord crossed paths with me on my way here, and it appears we shared the same goal of eliminating the child tonight. What a surprising turn of events, wouldn't you say?"
Lily stood there stunned, barely believing what she was hearing.
The man's tone softened as he attempted to reason with her. "The boy is the only other magical blood that has to be spilled tonight. When the boy dies, the Potter lineage ends for good. You can live the rest of your life in peace."
“No, not Harry,” Lily shouted. “Over my dead body.”
"Do you realise how much effort I expended to come here? Don't think that runic circle will protect him, even with your sacrifice.”
Lily gave him a cold stare.
"It may have worked on Voldemort, but it won't do anything to me. Now stand aside."
Lily refused, raising her wand again.
“Very well, if you insist."
Baby Harry's brilliant green eyes widened in terror as he sensed his Mother was in. trouble. His hand glowed briefly, and the runes beneath him reconfigured into an entirely new shape. The runes briefly lit up as the two adult curses collided in front of him, followed by an explosion. Baby Harry screamed.
The video abruptly ended, and Harry realised he could hear his own screams echoing through the room. He shut his mouth, leaving him staring blankly in silence for several minutes as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. Celeste was unusually quiet, allowing him space to himself.
“Who the hell is that bastard?”
So, what do you think? Some of the scenes in the final section are from the previous iteration of this story, as I am keeping some of the narrative for this new version.
Thanks for reading.
