《The Wizard Called Oz - HP》 Chapter -1 - [Character Profiles] - NON-CANON (SPOILERS) This auxiliary chapter will have a list of characters updated overtime that aren''t technically ''canon'' to the series of Harry Potter (Basically my own original characters). Included with each Character name and a description about the character itself will be a picture/s (in the paragraph comments) as reference to what the character might look like. NOTE: REFERENCE TO WHAT THE CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE. Not an exact look as thats up to the reader to decide. These pictures are simply to serve as ''imagination boosters'' when referring to these characters. (Pictures mainly supplied by Jonathan Silva Zero on Discord, thanks for the help!) =============================== [Oz] - The main character of the story. Originally known as Blake Osborne in his previous life orphaned at a young age he spent his life slowly and steadily before his untimely death at the age of 20. Luckily he reincarnated into the Harry Potter world and has been striving to live a better life with no inhibitions. Along the way he''s discovered that the Harry Potter world is much more than what''s shown within books or behind screens... [Oz] (Dragon form) - As Oz transforms into a dragon he takes on the form of a Hebridean Black Dragon. A dragon known for its purple eyes and dark scales that can disguise itself naturally at night. [Lee Oswald] (Oz''s Adult/Political Persona) - Lee Oswald is known throughout the magical community as a ''Master Enchanter''. His popularity first started as he created the Health Specs seemingly out of nowhere and that popularity went worldwide when he created the Magi-Cast. A device that mimicked a muggles video camera in a compact form. After his showcase at diagon alley talk about the master enchanter has spread throughout the wizarding communities of the world. [Alfreda] - An Ancient Royal Elf found by Oz in Merlin''s hideout. Her and her kind was saved by Merlin in passing and she vowed to serve under Merlin and his bloodline until her death. Merlin however left her behind in the hideout one day for centuries until Oz eventually happened upon the hideout where she decided to serve under Oz as Merlin was no longer present on the earth. [Craig] - Who is this guy? Oh right. Craig was Oz''s first ''friend'' at Hogwarts. He was in Gryffindor and held prejudice against Oz when he was sorted into Slytherin. He eventually saw past that prejudice and became friends with Oz and his crew he had gathered. In his third year at the school however he was killed by the Basilisk due to events unfolding differently to the canon. [Rose] - A Muggle-born witch that was initially kidnapped from her home after Voldemort Sympathisers killed her mother and father. She spent weeks tortured by the sympathisers before Oz chanced on the hideout and broke all the captive muggleborns out. After this event she spent a lot of time overcoming her trauma and ''stalking'' Oz trying to thank him. Eventually she finds herself in the possession of Tom Riddle''s diary leading to her replacing Ginny in the canon. Oz saves her a second time as he blasts into the chamber killing the basilisk and destroying the diary along with the diadem. [Norberta] - Technically not a (non-canon) character however my version of her is different. Norberta was born out of an egg Hagrid traded for and Oz was present for the hatching. As Norberta was born and locked eyes with Oz she instantly heralded him as her ''Papa''. Oz took her in and kept her at the hideout allowing her to grow under his guidance. Eventually Oz left her with Charlie in the Dragon Sanctuary so she could grow to her full potential. [Kuro] - Oz''s black screech owl. Oz met this little owl on his first trip to diagon alley and seemingly chose it due to how similar its eyes were to his. Kuro whilst not having a dedicated part to the story as a whole still became a pillar for Oz especially in the early years where he had nobody to talk to at Hogwarts. Oz would often spend his time visiting the little black owl in the owlery when he had nothing to do at Hogwarts. [Raglok] - The head of the goblins at Gringotts. Respects Oz''s lineage and after the mishap with Lucius Malfoy and Gringotts selling Oz''s identity basically places himself underneath Oz. Oz has enacted a deal with Raglok under the guise of ''Lee Oswald'' selling his products through them. The most recent deal basically suffocated Raglok with its absurdity however Raglok had to reluctantly agree. [Arauthator the Ancient] - Arauthator is an ancient mythical dragon that resides at the peak of the Carpathian mountains. He has lived centuries and has even met Merlin once before. His sheer size is testament to the power he holds within himself. [Merlin] - Technically not (Non-canon) however my take is. Merlin is an enigmatic character in the Harry Potter world.. Not much is known about him and as Oz discovers more about him he realises that the old wizard was much more than meets the eye. Chapter -2 - [Quick Explanation on Levels/Steps] - (SPOILERS) Step 0 - Before magical maturity. Hardly any wizards experience this level as usually the core presents itself just before magical maturity rather than years before. Oz however found his core at 5 making him an anomaly, allowing him to self-harmingly train to his first maturity earlier than others. Step 1 - Magical Maturity. The step most witches and wizards are in around the globe. If this were a medieval hierarchy this would be the "commoner" stage. Step 2 - 2nd Maturity. This step is for the more adept witch and wizard. I usually refer to this level as the "Teachers and Aurors" level as thats who mostly occupy this level in the grand scheme of the story. Step 3 - 3rd Maturity. A level only powerful wizards like Dumbledore, Grindelwald and Voldemort have achieved. Step 4 - 4th Maturity. Only Legendary wizards reach this level. Salazar, Helga, Rowena and Godric probably all resided at this level of power along with other wizards of that time that left legends. Step 5 - Final Maturity. ??? Chapter -3 - [Character Profile] - Oz (SPOILERS) Every Volume I''ll be giving a short synopsis of Oz here (His level, his personality etc). This is both for me to refer to, to make sure I don''t write too many plot holes (It''s inevitable there will be some but I will fix as much as possible if pointed out), and for anyone else to read to get a grasp on where Oz is at. ============================================================[End of Volume 1] - Core level > First stage (Late) - Skill level > Wandless up to Year 3, Occlumency defences established with layers of fake memories, thoughts and feelings. Knowledge level is NEWT however comprehension is around OWL/Near NEWT level. Can probably use spells with wand/s up to near NEWT level, however, simultaneous casting with both his wands is not possible as of yet. - Personality > Calm, collected and smart but still somewhat na?ve. He seems to have everything put together in his head but sometimes not everything can go according to plan. He can handle any situation thrown at him in time but he''s still human, some will wear him down. Has some incredible will power regardless though, especially after his death. - Physique > Standing around 4"9, lean physique with decent reflexes. - Love interest > ??? - Wand/s > [Dark Wand: Yew Wood, Dragon Heartstring and 11 inches], [Light Wand: Walnut, Unicorn hair and 11 inches] - Pet/s > Screech Owl (Kuro) - Core level > Second Stage (Lower/Middle) - Skill level > Wandless up to Year 3 still. Able to do basically all spells up to NEWT level (Some are still not possible however). Learned fast speed duelling and also created his own augmentum spell. Focusing on auxiliary skills in the years to come (Potions, Apparition, Runes, Wandless etc) - Personality > Still calm and collected but somewhat more alert to his surroundings. Decided to now interfere with the canon due to a realisation. Slowly starting to accept himself into the world and become a part of it. - Physique > Standing around 5"2, lean physique with decent reflexes. - Love interest > ??? - Wand/s > [Dark Wand: Yew Wood, Dragon Heartstring and 11 inches], [Light Wand: Walnut, Unicorn hair and 11 inches] (Will it stay this way by the end of Vol 3 though?) - Pet/s > Screech Owl (Kuro) ============================================================[End of Volume 3] - Core level > Second Stage (Peak) [Bottlenecked] - Skill level > (Simplifying this much more). Oz is at the level of Aurors at this point. His wandless skills are probably around year 4 level at the end of volume 3. This year he will again be focusing on auxiliary skills more as his core has reached a bottleneck (due to a fast rise). - Personality > Starting to fit into the world around him more. His social links (persona lmao) becoming stronger. Especially at the end of the volume he''s taken on a bit of a brotherly role to Harry, however it remains to be seen if that will last. - Physique > Standing around 5"3, lean (tough) physique with decent reflexes. Purple eyes gained from Animagus ritual and increased strength along with it. - Love interest > ??? - Wand/s > Fused Wand [Yew wood & Walnut wood] Philosopher''s stone used as a catalyst to fuse his two wands together in a ritual making him much more compatible with his wands now put together. Much easier to use for him now. - Pet/s and Servant/s > Screech Owl (Kuro), Dragon (Norberta), Alfreda (Royal Elf) Chapter 4 - The River Otter 3 Years have now passed and Oz is 8 years old. Its a cool summer night and he''s on the brink of magical maturity, 3 years before the normal time. Oz stared at the core within himself, the size had grown from the size of a marble to a tennis ball . The core itself which was filled with a blue gas was becoming denser and denser at each passing moment and Oz''s face began to sweat as it was reaching the critical moment. ''If I can rely on cultivation in eastern novels this should be the part where it becomes a liquid instead of gas, allowing the magic to be purer and more dense'' All of a sudden a boom shook Oz''s body and he was knocked out. . Oz wakes up due to the sun shining through his window, and instantly checks his core to see if he succeeded in his magical maturity. ''It seems all went well, thankfully'' The core within Oz stayed the same size, however this time it wasn''t a light blue gas inside the core, it was a deep ocean blue looking liquid that represented his 3 years of hard work. With this he was finally ready to learn basic magic and if he spams that basic magic eventually he''ll be able to learn even higher level spells. ''Now I''ve reached magical maturity, I''ll see if I can improve my Occlumency defences'' In the past 3 years Oz has worked on many things besides just his magical core. Whenever he''s had the chance he''s constantly improved and taught himself how Occlumency works, surprisingly it actually came very naturally to him. All he needed to do was cloak his memories with magic and thicken the magic to form a barrier. The thicker the barrier the better. You can then augment the mind barrier with many traps/illusions to trick anyone trying to snoop on your thoughts and feelings. Legilimency has come harder however, Oz knows the process yet cant really practice on random orphans in the orphanage at the risk of damaging their brains, So he''s refrained from such a practice for now. A by-product of Occlumecy is that the already calm and cool Oz has becoming even calmer making the people of the orphanage almost afraid at how he acts in certain areas, nothing seems to phase him at all as long as its not a true threat to him. As for the exercise side of things, Oz has been jogging and doing a simple exercise circuit at least once a day for the past 3 years, yielding him a lean physique. For training his reflexes he''d ask the kids in the orphanage to try and catch him. Since they were all interested in the boy who usually stayed in his room constantly they''d agree instantly whenever Oz wanted to play the game "Catch Oz" and chase him around the orphanage in full force. Oz learnt pretty quickly to never underestimate 20 or so kids trying to tackle you down and this almost torturous routine worked very well for his reflexes, as compared to when he''d get caught very quickly he now cant even be touched by any of the kids when playing "Catch Oz". Finally the money side of things, Whenever the Orphanage has gone out on a trip Oz has sneakily pickpocketed people he''s passed by, mainly aiming for people who he deems annoying or ?ssholes to keep his moral compass somewhat neutral. At first he was terrible at it, nearly getting caught several times. Him being a kid allowed the situation to be played off as an accident. Eventually though just like many things he got better, improving his skill until eventually he was able to pickpocket up to 900 pound. If he was a master pickpocket that sum would probably be in the thousands but he was happy with what he had managed to achieve over the years. Everything was going perfect, albeit somewhat slow for Oz''s taste, until one day in the late summer of 1987. . The Orphanage had a trip planned to go to the River Otter, a river near the southwest town ''Ottery St Mary''. Oz didn''t think much of the trip until the night before when he remembered something. ''Hold on a second.... River Otter? thats where the Weasleys live! along with the Lovegoods, the Diggorys and the Fawcetts! If I play this right, could I ''Accidently'' stumble into one of their wards and explain my situation as a young orphan wizard? it may be a bit scummy but they may hand me books about the magical community or even better books about magic in general. That''d help me advance leaps and bounds in the remaining 3 years I have till I join Hogwarts'' A devious plan started to form within Oz''s mind. He already decided long before that the original timeline of the story he''d try not to get too involved in. Maybe offering some aid here and there as help from the shadows. This opportunity seemed to prime to pass up though, he could gain connections with some of the families and even maybe get something out of it. Best case scenario a family could adopt him and he''d have access to magical supplies whenever for 3 years! ''The only problem with trying to be adopted by those families is they older parents may realise ive already gone through magical maturity eventually. That could spell trouble. I need to keep as lowkey as possible until Hogwarts when I gather protection. The plan to create connections though is set in stone'' Oz fell asleep that night, looking forward to the day to come hoping he could actually get lucky enough to find one of the magical families wards and get through to their houses. . The day then progressed as planned. The Orphanage all got onto a coach and travelled towards Ottery St Mary. After arriving they then travelled towards the River Otter where the Orphanage set up camp and allowed the children to start playing. Oz disconnected himself from the group he was with and slowly made his way out of sight of the ?du?ts from the orphanage walking up the river hoping to find wards. ''Now I''m here I''m really just going for broke. Maybe if I pour magical energy into my eyes ill be able to recognise wards easier?'' Proceeding thus, Oz poured magic into his eyes which surprisingly did improve his sight immensely, he felt extreme strain on his eyes though as if they were about to burst. Such pain showed his magic control was still incredibly sloppy. Luckily in the few seconds he was able to keep the magic poured into his eyes, he spotted a blur in the distance. Oz surmised that the blur must be a ward, and the hill it was on look extremely familiar to the hill the Lovegood''s lived on. ''Xenophilius Lovegood, a quirky character and Luna Lovegood, a quirky daughter. There shouldn''t be much hostility if I ''wonder'' into their ward and they may been more than keen to give me some books to read about magic'' Commence mission ''Loot the Lovegoods'' Chapter 5 - Loot the Lovegoods Oz wandered up the hill towards the supposed location of the Lovegood''s house. With each step heavy in the muddy ground he looked back realising he had walked pretty far from the camp as it wasn''t in sight at all anymore. ''I''m almost to where the ward is, the second I walk into it they''ll recognise a new magical signature in the area and come out to me. I have my story straight, I''ll pretend I just stumbled across this place and know nothing of magic. They should be more than pleased to explain everything to me then'' As Oz finally walked into the ward he felt a strange energy quickly sweep over his body after which the Lovegood''s house appeared in front of him just up the hill. Oz smiled, thankfully for him this part worked perfectly and it seems the ward has deemed him magical folk and allowed from him to be in the ward where the Lovegood''s house is. Oz then put on a face of wonder and slowly walked up towards the weird looking abode. Out of nowhere however one of the windows in the top floor exploded. *BOOM* ''Shit did I come at a bad time or something?'' Running towards the house, Oz looked up at the window that had exploded and noticed an older women in it. He then facepalmed himself realising an error he had made. ''Pandora Lovegood, Xenophilius Lovegood''s wife! how did I forget that she isn''t actually dead yet she dies in 1990 and as of right now its only 1987, So much for ''Perfect Memory''... Maybe the ability only activated after I got it so memories of my past life are a bit hazy and still prone to forgetfulness?'' In all honesty, Oz didn''t think his plan would change due to this. Pandora was a more sharper put together women and not as absent minded as Xenophilius, but nobody should be able to turn down an 8 year old orphan wizard with no clue what magic is. Oz finally reached the door and gave it a quick knock. ''They should already know im here, but a little courtesy never hurt anyone'' The door then slowly opened and at the door was a young girl aged around 6 years old. "Can I help you" says the girl, her dirty blonde hair falling down to her waist. ''This must be Luna, she looks so young its weird. I only remember her from the fifth film so the difference is very stark... anyway commence plan loot the lovegoods'' "How did this house suddenly appear on this hill? are you all witches or something?" As soon as Oz uttered this sentence Luna''s complexion paled. She slammed the door and ran up to her mother and father at the top of the house. "Mummy, Daddy! there''s a boy outside who says our house suddenly appeared on the hill and is questioning whether we are witches. Are we in trouble? is he a mug- a muggy, no, Muggle! thats it is he a muggle!" Xenophilius and Pandora both look at their daughter in confusion. Xenophilius then responds to his daughter. "Luna, the wards set around this place will bar any muggles from coming inside, besides me and your mother both sensed that a wizard had come in. How could the boy not know of magic if he''s a wizard himself?" Pandora Lovegood sat to the side, her hair still charred from the recent spell explosion from testing. "Luna dear your fathers right, any and all muggles would not be able to come into the wards, I set the up myself!" "Do you think that the boy was playing tricks on me then?" said Luna, wearing a confused countenance. Xenophilius and Pandora looked at each other then started heading down stairs towards where the mystery boy is supposed to be. . Meanwhile outside the house. ''Maybe I should have slowly eased her into the thought of me being a clueless wizard... Might have went in too strong. She probably thinks I''m a rogue muggle! oh well, hopefully Xenophilius or Pandora will realise that I made it into the ward meaning im a wizard and have magic in me'' Xenophilius then started "Hello there young man, what brings you to the Lovegood household?" ''Is he really probing an 8 year old? he really is strange. Whatever Oz just play the part of a clueless young boy'' "Uh hello Mr Lovegood, I stumbled across your house randomly while on a trip with the orphanage. I was wondering up stream and eventually saw a blur in the distance and became intrigued so I ran towards it then this big house appeared! how did you do this? I thought magic wasn''t real!" Pandora then whispered in Xenophilius'' ear "Xeno dear, it seems to me that he''s an orphan boy who is a wizard yet has no clue of what magic is, its no surprise he''s shocked and curious. Maybe we should let him in and explain to him what he is". Xenophilius after thinking for a moment then responds to Oz "Come on in young lad, looks like we got some explaining to do for you". ''This is progressing wonderfully'' Oz thought as he was welcomed into the Lovegood family home. As he walks in he sees Luna acting sheepish yet still having a curious twinkle in her eye, probably curious about how he doesn''t know anything about magic. "Well young chap" says Xenophilius, "Simply put we here are all Witches and Wizards, and that includes you as well. The slight blur you saw must have been the wards placed around our house and you were only able to come in as you have magic within you. It must be very shocking for you but we will give you the run down as thoroughly as possible". . Over the next hour, Xenophilius Lovegood and Pandora Lovegood both took turns explaining to me in detail what a wizard was, how there''s a wizarding world out there and basically about as much basic information they fit in, in as short of time as possible. "So I''ll be getting a letter to Hogwarts in 3 years! Amazing! learning at the Orphanage is so boring being able to learn magic sounds much more fun!" After Oz said this he could have sworn that Pandora said something about 3 years under her breath, which gave him a bit of a start. ''Hopefully she hasn''t noticed anything too suspicious with me and my magic, this was a hit or miss operation and if the ward notifies her that I actually have more magic than usual at my age as well then she may think it odd... well it wouldn''t be the end of the world. Plus she''ll probably dismiss it after this Oscar level performance'' Xenophilius grins at Oz and says "Yes young lad, you''ll be able to learn a lot at Hogwarts so look forward to it! Our young girl here will eventually be going as well but two years after you so when you''re in your third year make sure to look out for her!". Luna hides her head behind a pillow when Xenophilius mentions her, a cute response in Oz''s eyes. ''Okay now, going in for the kill'' "Could you give me books on magic Mr and Mrs Lovegood. I want to learn as much as possible about the Wizard Community before I join it!" Pandora smiles sweetly "Of course young child we will give you some of our spare books on the matter. We have all the books you''ll need for your time when you enter Hogwarts right here" Xenophilius adds in after his wife "We''ll also hand you some books on the magical community and structure please standby for a second lad". Xenophilius then disappears into the house gathering books for me with which he puts into a little pouch. Oz out of the corner of his eye spotted also that in his scattered movements he accidently picked up a small notebook and put it in the pouch with all the other books. The notebook in question was labelled "Spell note''s - Pandora Lovegood". ''He really is a scatter-brained person! He put one of his wife''s notebooks in that pouch too! Well im not complaining, such notes could prove useful in the future...'' After finishing his rushing around Xenophilius walked up to Oz with a smile on his face. "This pouch here has an undetectable extension charm and can hold a lot of items in it, muggles wont see anything in it but if you activate it with your magical energy and signature you''ll be able to take any of the contents out. Inside is all the books you need lad". ''A bonus pouch! You Lovegood''s have officially ended up in my good books'' Oz then took his new pouch and strapped it onto his waist comfortably. Looking deeply at Oz, Pandora then says "Now young boy its time for you to leave, you''ve been here for a long time now and your orphanage is probably wondering where you are". As Oz walks towards the door he passes Pandora, whispering to her the following: "Be careful not to blow up any more windows with your experiments". Pandora''s face flushed with embarrassment for a second but she kept her motherly smile on as Oz walked out the door. Oz then turned towards the Lovegoods, waving and thanking them for their hospitality before walking back towards the Orphanage''s camp. The Orphanage wasn''t too thrilled with him disappearing however, and reduced his meals for the next couple days. ''A small price to pay for some more knowledge''. . Pandora calls Xenophilius to her room where she experiments, a few hours after Oz has left. Xenophilius walks into the room and sees his wife looking out the window towards the path on which Oz left on. "Is something wrong love?" says Xenophilius Pandora turned towards Xenophilius and sighed, "Dear, that boy was pretty strange, although he did seem truly clueless about the wizarding community he was actually able to spot the ward, saying he saw a blur in the distance. He probably didn''t understand the gravity of what he said at the time but such a feat is something many ?du?t witches and wizards cant achieve, alongside that he seems to have Occlumency defences which a child of 8 definitely shouldn''t possess". Xenophilius sat down next to his wife and look down towards the path that Oz left on also. "He didn''t seem like a bad lad though, he responded in kind and absorbed all the information we gave him. Maybe he has more magic than other kids allowing him to have slight defences in his mind and the ability to spot wards?" Pandora stood up and sighed again, something did seem suspicious but it wasn''t anything ground-breaking that could cause issues, It was probably just here overthinking the situation. " ''Try not to blow up any more windows'', why do I sense as if there''s something more to unravel there..." Pandora mummed as she walked towards the door. Sadly such a warning would be pushed to the back of her mind. Chapter 6 - Power is nothing without control After Oz''s stint at the River Otter, the orphanage put strict punishments on him due to his sudden disappearance. When the group returned to the Orphanage in Cornwall these punishments were put in place. ''Less food and more time in my room, guess I''ll have plenty of time to read then''. Oz ??r?sses the leather pouch on his waist after finishing that thought, his greatest boon he acquired from the Lovegood''s on his trip to the River Otter. ''There''s no time like the present, I''ll spend a few weeks reading all the material in these books that I''ve been so graciously given, hopefully my ''Perfect Memory'' can hold up''. And so began Oz''s bookworm journey into the unknown. . Several weeks pass and Oz is finishing reading a year 7 book of spells, committing each word that lines the pages to memory. As the sun slowly sets in his windows, he turns over the last page to see he''s finally reached the end of his reading adventure he''d planned out weeks ago. ''I''m so glad I picked ''Perfect Memory'' as a special ability, there''s no way I would have remembered even 1/50th of the content I''ve read in the past few weeks from all these books without it''. Oz then slowly put the book he had finished into his leather pouch. ''A lot was learned in these past few weeks, the main new roadblock is control. I''ve been so dead set on growing my magical core and with it, my power however I neglected to think about how to control my own magic more finely''. Between studying sessions in the past weeks, Oz would frequently try out spells in the books he had read and each spell yielded interesting results. Oz found he could only do most of the spells from year 1 and some from year 2 wandlessly. The main roadblock disabling him from doing more spells from higher years was his control of his own magic. The magic Oz conjured up to this point (The simple sparkle spell to exhaust and expand his core) had always been done as a quick full burst of all his magic, using up his core''s supply as quickly as possible in order to allow the core to grow, he never actually thought to fine tune this spell to last longer or use less magic as it, to him at least, was only a spell to improve his magic reserves quickly. Oz managed to pick up magical control with basic spells rather quickly though, mainly due to his practices with Occlumency. Directing magic around his body was something he did to enhance his vision, of course he nearly damaged his eyes in doing so but he was able to do it. Controlling the output and learning control in general would allow that technique to be realised. Controlling the amount of magic also didn''t take Oz as long as he was predicting, actually, it all came eerily natural to him as he practiced throughout the weeks during breaks from studying the Hogwarts/Wizarding World material handed to him by the Lovegood''s. . On a cool winters evening, a year and a bit later, Oz had only a few months until he was 11 years old. It felt like his journey to make something of himself was drawing nearer and nearer and even under his usually calm countenance you could sense a slight excitement at the prospect of the future. ''I''ve been so enamoured with magic and training, I completely neglected to look at myself properly in the past years... I''m still pretty average looking but my physique has been coming along nicely''. Oz now stood around 4"9, a bit taller than other boys his age. His hair was pitch black and his eyes a bright blue, Oz could almost swear that he could see his own magic sparkle within his eyes during the moments he looked at the mirror, but maybe he was just seeing things. His physique had also become nice and lean after all the exercising he would do when possible. ''It''s been 5 years now since I''ve arrived here and so much has happened''. Oz felt weirdly nostalgic for a moment, looking back at the past 5 years. He started off as a boy who knew nothing of how magic worked, only knowing the important people and places that this world had to offer. Now Oz had grown, his core within him was about slowly approaching a tennis ball size again (this time with blue liquid being housed rather than the weak blue gas that was present before his first maturation), indicating to him that he might soon be approaching his next core breakthrough. His knowledge of magic and spells had expanded to a point where he could control most spells up to year 3 now wandlessly. His Occlumency defences had also improved greatly due to his strides in learning how to control magic more efficiently and finally, his physique and reflexes that he''d been training had reached a point where he''d be able to react well enough in a duel. ''Basically all the tasks I set out for myself Pre-Hogwarts are virtually done. My magical core probably wont advance anytime soon, however, it will be advancing... I can sense it. From what I''ve read as well from the books I received from the Lovegood''s; it takes a special wizard to go through magical maturity 2 times, in terms of sheer magical power, I imagine ill be on the same level as Snape or Mcgonagall''. Oz finally put some clothes on and walked out of the Orphanage to a bench in the park nearby. He sat down looking up at the sky, going over what he would need to do in Hogwarts in his head when he''d arrive. ''This same bench scene happened before my death, I guess its rather poetic that in this world it will instead spell the opposite, the start of a new life''. As Oz finished this thought, he looked down from the sky and locked eyes with a women who had approached him. ''Professor Mcgonagall....''. Chapter 7 - Professor Mcgonagall "Can I help you Mrs" Oz asked to the women that had approached him out of nowhere. The women in question had stopped in front of Oz and was taking a deep look at him, probably double checking to see if Oz was a magical folk. "Yes Mr.... Oz I''m here today to talk to you about an opportunity. You have been invited to join the prestigious Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the coming September. The choice is yours whether or not you want to join however, that sparkle in your eyes tells me that you''d make a fine wizard if you were to join our school". ''Strange, she seemed to jump directly into inviting me with no context on who or what a wizard is, does the ministry and Hogwarts somehow know about my encounter with the Lovegood''s? It''s possible they''ve had their eye on me even sooner than I predicted, or that one of the Lovegood''s mentioned me to the upper brass so that I''d be ensured a spot in Hogwarts and be protected''. ''I''m not exactly a fan of being snooped on, This will certainly need to change when I join Hogwarts¡­ with Pandora''s notes on magic spell creation maybe I could create myself a cloaking spell similar to the invisibility cloak, I just need to refract the light and.... Oh right I better actually give her my response''. "Thats sounds like a lot more fun than being here in the Orphanage! Where and what do I need to do in order to join your school?". "Yes Mr Oz it certainly is a lot of fun however it does come with its dangers. To join Hogwarts you''ll need to come with me in the next week to buy your school supplies at Diagon Alley, don''t worry about the cost. Since your an orphan the school will pay for your supplies. All thats left is for you to give me a straight answer and I''ll go inform your Orphanage of all the details regarding your enrolment". Oz sat silently for a second, pretending to ponder his choice before saying. "I''d like to become a Wizard Mrs, please let me join Hogwarts". Mcgonagall let out a knowing smile, she grabbed a book out of her bag and wrote down Oz''s name on the list of accepted students for the term coming up. "I will proceed with talking to your caretakers in the Orphanage about your enrolment, You shall see me again in the coming weeks... Oh! how silly of me, I forgot to mention my name". Professor Mcgonagall turned straight to Oz with a warm smile. "I''m Professor Mcgonagall, your new deputy headmistress and head of the Gryffindor house. I hope your time at Hogwarts will be well spent". A slightly cunning yet excited smile flashed on Oz''s face for a second as he thought. ''My time will be well spent indeed''. . A few days before Mcgonagall was due to pick up Oz to go to Diagon alley, Oz was experimenting with the magic force within his body, coming up with theories on its uses. Oz also had a few spells he wanted to try and create when in Hogwarts in year 1. The first spell Oz wanted to create and learn was a spell he thought up when thinking about how magic travels throughout the body. Using his memories of eastern novels he''d read alone at home in his previous life, he thought of the possibility of using magic to augment his strength and reflexes in moments of desperation. To understand how to fully use this kind of spell though, he''d need extensive knowledge about a humans body, which wasn''t in any of the books the Lovegood''s had handed to him. As a matter of fact, Hogwarts books on the matter had the possibility of being outdated compared to the books in the modern world due to leaps with technology. Oz planned on popping into a book shop nearby before his trip to Diagon Alley with Mcgonagall, hoping to buy a book on the subject with some of the funds he had gathered from his pickpocketing venture way back when. The second spell Oz wanted to develop was a simple yet effective cloak spell. In all honesty, this spell is something Oz has already got a rather good grasp on, putting most of his time into learning it after the encounter with Mcgonagall a week ago. At this point, besides also being able to cloak himself to make himself disappear, he was able to mask his core. Masking the core disguised it to be a bit weaker than it actually was, He wouldn''t keep hiding his cores strength though, eventually revealing it to show he''s a prodigy with magic. The urgency he felt however from being watched by the ministry and Hogwarts the second they realised he had magic spurred him on to create the spell with full force within his room. ''From what I can gather about the whole ordeal with Mcgonagall seeming to already know that I know about magic, my educated guess is that Pandora or Xenophilius must have made a comment to Hogwarts about my existence. It wouldn''t be hard for them to say a boy in an orphanage in Cornwall has magic within him just to save Hogwarts the work and get them in their good books''. Oz felt relieved at this discovery, as he initially thought that the school had been watching him for longer than he thought, maybe even realising that he''s been training in magic longer. ''I was lucky also that Mcgonagall is the one who came to contact me. Such a motherly figure wouldn''t suddenly try to snoop in my brain, finding my occlumency defences. I definitely got lucky there, if it was Dumbledore himself he probably would have seen right through me at this point''. Oz looked at his core within himself for a moment, seeing the core gave him a slight giddy feeling about the progress he had made up to this point. ''The growth has slowed down even further, reaching the next level will probably happen in Hogwarts during my first year... I need to prepare though. The cloak spell I''ve come up with will help me a lot when joining Hogwarts, however, I should slowly reveal my prowess over the coming year as a genius. The cloak spell will allow it to seem as though I have a rapid growth in Hogwarts, rather than a freak who cast all spells up to year 3 wandlessly before even enrolling. As for Occlumency, I need to create a layer of fake memories, thoughts and feelings above the barrier I''ve created in my mind scape to hopefully trick any of the snooping professors. Generating fake memories, thoughts and feelings should be a cinch due to the fact I''ve lived two lives, my imagination is unrivalled''. Oz did feel weird for a moment about how cautious he was being, however you can never be too careful in life. Chapter 8 - Diagon Alley Finally the day had arrived, the day in which Oz would be taken to Diagon Alley by Professor Mcgonagall, the day in which he would get his first wand and pet. As fate would have it, today was also his birthday making him 11, completely ready to buy a wand. Hogwarts truly does have an impressive intelligence network. Even though Oz usually keeps himself calm and collected, even he was showing a childlike excitement at the prospect of visiting such a magical place. Mcgonagall came by the Orphanage and picked Oz up, telling the Orphanage that he would be gone now until the summer of next year. The reason for this was that since the school term was so close, Mcgonagall had arranged accommodation for Oz in the Leaky Cauldron for the last few weeks leading up to his school year. She did this as Oz lives too far out from London and since he doesn''t have any magical folk around him to help him get to London, he needed to stay in London so as not to be late for the Hogwarts train. Oz was feeling very excited also as just yesterday he had finally managed to procure a book on the human anatomy in a shop nearby the Orphanage, allowing for him to make strides in his creation of the augment spell he wanted to make, the full spell however wouldn''t be ready to test until he''s at Hogwarts and has a certain room to use to practice it. So, Mcgonagall apparated Oz to London, taking him into a secluded area just away from the Orphanage to do so, and led him through the leaky cauldron to a familiar looking wall. "Mr Oz, I will be letting you into Diagon Alley soon, heres the money from the school you''ll need to use to buy your supplies. I''ll lead you to buy what you need then after I''ll lead you into the Leaky Cauldron and get you booked in with your accommodation for the last few weeks leading up to your Hogwarts departure". Oz looked up to Mcgonagall with a sincere look of gratitude on his usually cold-looking countenance and responded "Thank you for the help Professor". Mcgonagall replied with a smile and tapped a rhythm onto the bricks opening up Diagon Alley in Oz''s view. Oz stood in wonder and excitement, seeing the bustling street littered with people in front of him. ''This is where my journey will truly begin''. . "Now then Mr. Oz, shall we head off?" As Mcgonagall went to walk with Oz, Oz stopped her quickly. "Actually Mrs. Mcgonagall I''d like to shop on my own if you wouldn''t mind..." Mcgonagall looked at Oz in slight confusion before letting off a stifled sigh. "Kids these days wanting to do things on their own... fine I''ll allow it. But if you get stuck even for a second or return to me with items missing from the list then Ill never allow you such a luxury again". Smiling, Oz looked up to Mcgonagall and thanked her, he then started walking down the alley. Since he was on his own he had more time to take in the sights and scenery of Diagon Alley, he felt oddly nostalgic looking at all the shops he was passing, remembering when he first watched the films and saw this alley behind a screen. Now however he was here in the flesh. Oz had cheated Hogwarts here a bit, the money they gave him was to be able to pay for his school supplies, however, the Lovegood''s already gave him all the main Hogwarts books he needs. Maybe the odd miscellaneous book would be needed down the line in later years, however for Year 1 there was no need to buy any more books. Oz''s first destination in the alley was Gringotts to finally trade in the money he had saved over the years from pickpocketing anyone on the streets near his Orphanage and when on trips. Oz walked up to Gringotts, read the famous lines on the entrance that basically translate to ''DONT STEAL WE HAVE A DRAGON'' and entered. Luckily for Oz, It wasn''t a long time spent in Gringotts. After trading in the money he had, he netted around 200 galleons, a decent sum of money for a soon to be 11 year old and after trading the money he opened a vault for himself within Gringotts under the name ''Oz''. As he was exiting, Oz did notice a desk in the many Gringotts hall that dealt with investments and muggle investments seemed to be there also. ''This could be a good way to grow my funds, using my knowledge of my past life, I know brands that will be successful in the years to come. There is a chance of the bu??erfly effect being present however and maybe such brands wont be as big in this world, however, with the residue money I have it''ll be worth a shot to buy some of the ones I recognise. Besides the modern brands, the company that made the firebolt was said to have a meteoric rise in the original canon, obviously because of the firebolt being made. That should be the safest bet to invest in''. Oz left the Bank with a smile on his face, another plan formed and ready to act upon in the coming weeks before his enrolment. . After visiting Gringotts, Oz headed for The Magical Menagerie in order to get himself a pet. He was planning on getting himself an Owl as in the future, he''d like to at least make a few friends to send messages to and an Owl would allow him to send messages from anywhere, even if he ends up stuffed back in that Orphanage next year. Oz entered the shop and immediately locked eyes with an owl that was just what he wanted, the Owl in question was a Screech Owl with a pure black coat of feathers and bright blue eyes which mirrored Oz''s own hair and eyes. Oz wasn''t much of an animal expert in his previous life, but he did know that Screech Owls had a very interesting quirk to them which was that they actually kidnap snakes, taking them to their nests to raise as pets. Such a ballsy and curious animal was right up Oz''s alley. So, Oz bought the Screech Owl and brought it outside onto the street in its cage. Looking down at the Owl, Oz gave a warm smile. "We''ll be in each others care friend, as for your name I think I''ll call you Kuro... sorry friend my naming sense always su?k?d". Thankfully for Oz, the cute owl didn''t seem to mind its new name chirping happily at the name it had received. Oz then proceeded to go about getting all his other supplies he needed from the list, leaving the thing he was looking forward to the most to last. Finally, as he had gathered all his supplies and put them in his pouch, he looked up at a familiar looking shop. ''Finally, I can receive my wand''. Chapter 9 - The Wand chooses the Wizard After collecting his emotions, Oz walked into Ollivanders. Being an honest true fan of the Harry Potter series before his untimely death, this event felt huge to him. As Oz entered the shop he saw Ollivander behind the counter sorting different wand boxes around while muttering to himself. ''So thats Ollivander, the wand maker. I have no clue what to expect here from my wand''. Oz walked up to the counter, his physique that was taller than others at his age due to extensive exercising, allowed him to see over the counter of Ollivanders with ease. Strewn across every square inch of the shop behind the counter were all different kinds of wands. Interestingly, Oz could sense each wand had its own innate ego or maybe a more simpler term would be its own magic. As Oz was looking around the shop, infatuated with the sight of all the wands, Ollivander stops what he was doing, noticing he is there. The man comes up to him a calculating smile on his face. "Hello there young man, I imagine you''re here for your wand?" Oz looked up at Ollivander with a grin. "Yes sir" "Great!" said Ollivander, "I do hope that you will be an interesting one to find a wand for". Ollivander took a long deep look at Oz, almost skewering him with his eyes before turning around and walking into the back of the shop. After a while, Ollivander from the back of the shop starts talking to Oz. "You have interesting eyes for an 11 year old boy, its as if you know the world, see all, understand what is to come and what you must do. A look of confidence and expectation, yet you seem to carry some naivety too. Honestly if it wasn''t for your stature and age I''d paint you as a man near the end of his life or at least someone who has brushed with death, feeling gratitude for the life given to him and taking on the world by storm". Oz didn''t let it show on his face but he was shocked inside. Ollivander had profiled him down to a T. Nearly everything said is on the nose. ''As a man who has to deal with hundreds of kids buying wands from him, it would make sense that the man can read a persons emotions more than the average person out there''. It took 5 more minutes until Ollivander came back to the front desk with a few wand boxes in his hands for Oz to try out, to see if he had a connection with any of them. "Now my boy, try holding each wand. The wand chooses the wizard so when a wand that accepts you is wielded by you, you will know". Oz picked up each of the wands on the desk, none of them really feeling right in his hand. None of the wands established a connection with him either, letting Oz understand that none of these wands were meant for him. "You are certainly an interesting one child, you don''t disappoint" Ollivander responded, seeing how all the wands weren''t responding to Oz. He quickly picks up all the wand boxes and again ventures into the back of the shop in search for more options for Oz to try. "Looking at you in a magical sense boy, It seems you aren''t entirely light or dark based. Maybe this is me being over-analytical, but it almost seems as if you''ll except any and all magic in the pursuit of bettering yourself. A noble pursuit indeed. Certainly some wizards believe dark magic to be the bane of the magic society, however, why would wizards then create wands to house said magic? Magic doesn''t necessarily make a person evil dependant on what it is. Even the purest wizard in the world, a wizard who only uses light magic and not the dark arts, would still have some evil sides to them". "Sometimes the most important thing is balance". Oz looks at both of the wands in front of him for a long time, strangely enough both wands feel like they have a connection to him, like they are reeling him in. Oz was sure that one of these wands would definitely be his new partner. Oz picks up the wand on his left and immediately feels a burst of magic, signalling to him that this is his new partner. "Yew wood, Dragon Heartstring and 11 inches. A fine wand indeed. When I saw you I pictured that Yew wood would be one of the best woods for you. As for dragon heartstring that shows your passion for power, a perfect wand that suits the dark arts". Oz smiled widely looking at the wand, it was simple yet it fit him like a glove. The connection he felt was strong. Strangely though the other wand on the counter still felt like it was trying to connect to him. As Oz was putting away the wand into his pocket, Ollivander gives a crafty grin. "Boy, before you leave, how about you try holding the other wand as well". Oz looked puzzled for a while, confused as to why Ollivander would suggest such. A wizard can only be chosen by a single wand right? Oz then reaches for the other wand and as he grasps it in his hand another burst of magic is emitted. "Walnut, Unicorn Hair and again 11 inches. In some ways the wand is the complete antithesis of the other wand. A wand that suits the light more than the dark arts. You are certainly a very curious boy indeed". Oz stood dumbstruck for a while as all his knowledge of wands vanished from his head. Thinking hardly on the subject, it was possible for other wizards in the Harry Potter lore to use another wizards wand but, wielding two wands at once? was that even possible? "I know what you must be thinking now child, how is this even possible? such an event is extremely rare on a global scale but it is possible. You could say you as a person have a very split personality, understanding the advantages of both light and dark, creating a perfect balance. Thats why these wands both chose you. Although they are different they aren''t rejecting each other as they are separately latching onto two different parts of your magic and psyche, the light and dark sides". Oz stood brooding for a long time after Ollivanders statement. ''Ollivander is certainly more than meets the eye, not only did he see right through me but his knowledge is even more extensive than I first expected. Most wizards are incredibly biased towards either light or dark magic, yet, I personally found this statement since I came to this world silly, thinking a balance would be a more effective way to move forward, maybe even being the key to move on to later stages''. Oz looked down at both wands in his hands, it almost seemed as the Yew wood wand was older brother and the Walnut wood wand was the younger sister. Either way, Oz felt a strong connection to both and seeing as they accepted him under a mutual agreement he was happy to take both. "Does this mean the bill will be doubled?" "Unfortunately so boy". Chapter 10 - The Hogwarts Express After receiving his two wands, Oz holstered them on either side of his waist and proceeded to head back towards the leaky cauldron to meet up with Mcgonagall. Some of the people waiting around Ollivanders stared at him with curiosity and awe as he came out with not just one wand but two, luckily for Oz, none of their curiosity was strong enough to warrant actually approaching him as he slipped away quickly. When Oz finally met up with Professor Mcgonagall she checked him to make sure he had everything in order. "I say Mr Oz, I think you''ll be one of the first Hogwarts students in generations to be wielding two wands when at school, such an event really is a strange occurrence but Ollivander himself gave you these two wands and that man has been in the wand industry for many many years, it may be weird at first to learn but im sure you''ll manage". Oz already had a plan when he joined Hogwarts to test out both of the wands as much as possible, to find both their strengths and weaknesses. Having two wands however with a distinct light and dark side to them allowed him to practice with either or at a time. He imagined however that in the future, probably later into his first year, he''d need to start teaching himself how to use both wands at once. ''If my Yew wood wand can be used for the dark arts, that could be my attacking wand, fending off enemies with an array of attacking/disarming spells. My Walnut wood wand thats more suited for the light could become my protection, being able to use spells that shield me as well as heal me''. Oz grinned as more ideas flowed into his mind. He was always a deep thinker when it came to anything he was interested in, wanting to grasp even the smallest of intricacies of a thing that interested him. "Well Mr Oz, I believe its time to get you booked in. As for food when your here, it will be supplied by the Leaky Cauldron in the morning and afternoons". At this point both Mcgonagall and Oz walked into the Leaky Cauldron, Oz stood to the side as he watched Mcgonagall get him checked into his room and then give him the room key. "This is where we part ways Mr Oz, I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts in a couple weeks time, even more curious am I as to which house you''ll be sorted into". "Thank you for all the help professor". . The next couple of weeks were slightly painful for Oz. He felt like he was so close to the wizarding world but wasn''t able to enter it properly. When he turned 11 on the day of getting his wand/s he did notice that some kind of magic had latched onto him and seemed to be monitoring him surmising that this must be the trace. With the trace on him he couldn''t do any magical practice, having to just stick to his daily routine of exercising and reading the anatomy book he purchased before his trip here within his room at the Leaky Cauldron and also walking down the streets of Diagon Alley. One thing he did manage to do however was invest most of the galleons he had left into the companies that he wanted to invest into. The trip itself was surprisingly uneventful, Oz thinking he would need to convince Gringotts to allow him to invest even though he was only 11 years old however, when a wizard turns 11 they are deemed capable as they have a wand so Oz was allowed to do his investments with no questions asked. Finally after a couple weeks of just waiting the day had arrived for Oz to finally go to Hogwarts. . Oz woke up early on the day he needed to catch the train, doing his daily exercise, having a shower and getting ready. He looked at himself in the mirror, happy with how he was looking. He still stood at around 4"9, decent for his age. His dark black hair still slightly messy but had almost a hint of elegance to it. Bright blue eyes piercing into himself through the mirror. With wands strapped either side of his waist, he felt more than prepared for the days ahead. ''There''s a few very important things I need to do in this first year of Hogwarts, some of the details I still need to smooth over however the majority is there. First and mainly, I need to locate the RoR. Such an important and useful room needs to be abused to the most of its abilities. Secondly, I need to train myself with both wands inside the RoR, hopefully it can generate a room where I can practice high speed duelling or something. On top of that I need to use the RoR also to read all the books in the castle in one place, including the ones within the restricted section. My memory will come in handy then. Homework will be a pain, but I did manage to come across a self-writing quill in Diagon Alley a few days ago which I purchased so that should lighten the load quite a bit''. ''It''s time to take the Wizarding World by storm''. . Oz arrived at Kings Cross on his own, strolling calmly down the platforms he passed the time chatting quietly to Kuro, his owl, who was chirping back with animated replies. Finally, he came across a familiar wall, spotting a few wizards actually walk through it at the time of his arrival. ''So there it is, Platform 9 3/4. Hopefully nobody pulls a dobby on me and blocks it for fun''. Oz calmly strolls into the wall passing right through, the next sight he saw left him in awe. ''The Hogwarts Express! I thought I wouldn''t be so shocked at seeing it but it still managed to impress me even after the multitude of times ive seen it in the movies''. Oz took his things towards the conductor and after giving a quick "See you soon'' to Kuro, he entered the train to look for a carriage. . He took a book out his pouch, and started reading deeply. After a while a few others came into his carriage and took seats around him. One of the kids next to him seemed a bit too hyper with his wand, swinging it around imagining that he was doing spells. Oz had a feeling that something bad was going to happen soon. As the train started to move off, the kid in question accidently put magic into his wand that he was swinging around shooting it at the window of the train, shattering it. As some of the shards started coming towards Oz and the rest in the carriage, Oz quickly raised his Walnut wand and said under his breath. "Reparo" The window then instantly fixed itself looking as good as new. The others in the carriage turned to Oz with a shocked faces, the kid who had broken the window in his excitement looked panicked also but relieved. "Thank you so much friend for fixing that, I wouldn''t want to be thrown out of Hogwarts on the first day!". Oz turned to look at the lad. "Don''t mention it, just be careful with that wand from now on". For the next hour or so of the trip the kids in the carriage all seemed to desperately want to ask Oz questions, but due to how seriously fixated he was onto his book, they relucted to ask for the entire trip. ''My journey begins now''. -=???????????? ???????? ???????????????????????? ????=- ============================================================ A/N: Ill be the first (100th) to say that this first volume is definitely not the best. As you should see in some comments and replies, I''ve reiterated that these first 10 chapters were all written when I was initially just writing the novel without really caring, kind of as something to do rather than really investing myself into it. (The first 5 chapters were actually all written on the same morning too after not sleeping the night before... ''Perfect Memory''... Yeah...). After I gained traction I started to put a lot, LOT more thought into what I was writing. While I wont say recent chapters are perfect they aren''t as hole-ridden as these first 10. I did actually do a couple of polls recently seeing if people thought I should rewrite. But after seeing public opinion and weighing in my own opinion I decided to instead just keep going and allow my writing style to grow with the story. So while im sure this course of action will mean some people wont reach the parts of the story im writing now, I''m not too bothered. I thank those who do have the patience and like to see a story grow along with its author :). Anyway, enough with all the bogus talk, y''all want to read. I hope you enjoy Volume 2 and beyond! Chapter 11 - Sorting Ceremony As the train stopped, Oz got off with the rest of the students. In the distance he could see a big man waving towards the first years, ushering them a certain way. ''Rubeus Hagrid, I''ve always liked him. A bit too devoted to Dumbledore but its understandable with how much he has given him''. Oz walked with the rest of the first years to the boats, getting on the boat they sailed towards the castle. Oz sat on a boat with the boy who had broken the window on the train ride. The boy looking excited finally talked to Oz midway through the boat trip. "Hey there, again thanks for the help on the train friend! my names Craig, Craig Taplin. I need to know, how is it you have two wands! were you picked by both? my mother always told me that was extremely rare!" Oz smiled at Craig, this boy obviously had been bottling up all the question during the train ride. "I was picked by both wands yes, Ollivander told me its extremely rare as well, but not unheard of. Its kind of exhausting having to manage two but I accept them all the same". Craig gave a nod of understanding to Oz''s answers. "I see! But, wont having two wands on you make you stand out?" Craig had actually hit quite close to home with this comment. Oz had thought for a while, while in Diagon alley, about whether he should hide the fact or not. He was close to just keeping one hidden in his pouch and one out to use however when he attempted with either wand to put it away, the wands ego would protest, like it was claiming unfairness at Oz only using and keeping one or the other out. After this protest, Oz felt like it''d be wrong to hide one and use the other. People underestimate a wands ego, Oz''s wands are connected to each other and him. If Oz were to only keep one out, the other may not even want to work. "I''m not bothered about whether I stand out or not honestly. Two wands on a wizard isn''t exactly unheard of, so im sure such a thing will not make me stand out for long". Craig seemed to be satisfied enough with Oz''s answers. Looking down at the wands attached to Oz''s waist Craig giggled to himself and went to add another comment, but at that moment the mist on the water cleared revealing Hogwarts before all of them. All the students around were looking up at the castle enamoured with it while Oz felt slightly emotional. It took him 6 years of lonesome work preparing for this day and now it finally had arrived. After the boat ride nobody spoke a whisper. They travelled up into the castle, through the halls towards the doors to the great hall. Oz had incredible anticipation of what''s to come, Seeing the castle for real really hit home that he was truly in this world to stay. Some of the kids seemed to already be referring to Oz as ''The Dual Wielder'' behind his back, but he didn''t mind, He never had a plan to hide himself in Hogwarts to the extent of playing a background character, where would the fun be in that? This was a life he wanted to make the most of, not recluse himself. Finally the first years arrived at the door to the Great Hall. . "Good Evening first years, today you will be sorted into your houses. Soon you shall walk into the great hall of Hogwarts and undergo the sorting ceremony and after being sorted into your houses join the tables which your house is situated on". A lot of the students around seemed incredibly nervous about what house they''d be in. Some families after all place utmost importance on a child''s house, for instance, imagine a child from a family of Slytherins ending up in Gryffindor. Such a thing would leave the child ostracized. Professor Mcgonagall then opened the door to the great hall, showering the first years with light as they opened wide. "Please all of you follow me". All the first years then followed Mcgonagall through the great hall, looking around at the incredible sight. Oz was feeling a cavalcade of emotions but overall expectation and excitement reigned supreme. Oz then looked up at the teachers table spotting Dumbledore, noting the incredible sparkle in his eyes. For a second it felt like they locked eyes, but it could be Oz''s imagination. ''If I had to judge, he must be above the next core level im trying to break into, maybe even into the very late stages of that core level. I''d expect nothing less from such a legendary figure''. looking at the rest of the teachers, Oz surmised they had all broken into the second core stage. Snape and Mcgonagall probably being at the later stages of the second stage. ''Hogwarts certainly know how to pick their teachers. Some may seem quirky and odd but they all have the power to back themselves''. Some wizards stay in the first level all their lives, so for Hogwarts to have all their magical teachers be in the second core level was certainly impressive. While lingering on these thoughts, the sorting ceremony began. Each student started going up to the sorting hat and got sorted into their respective houses. Eventually Craig was called up, the boy whom Oz had a chat with and sat with on the boat as well as the train. Judging from his personality, Oz had him pinned as a Hufflepuff. The actual result however was different. {GRYFFINDOR!} Oz help a slight surprise on his face at the result, but when thinking on the subject, he''d only just met the guy so its not like he knows everything about him. After a few more students it was time for Oz to step up. . Oz walked up in front of all the students towards the sorting hat. He could hear slight murmurs, probably remarking about his wands. He then sat down quietly onto the seat awaiting the hat to be placed on his head. ''I understand enough to know each house has its pros and cons. Gryffindor''s are brave yet foolish, Hufflepuff''s outgoing yet somewhat harsh on themselves, Raven claw''s smart yet too focused on studies and Slytherins cunning and clever yet too focused on bloodline and family. Out of all of the houses, I think mines got to be Ravenclaw, Especially after the sheer amount ive studied before coming to school. It also goes hand in hand with my ability of ''Perfect Memory'' an ability fitting of a house that covets knowledge''. Oz sat with a slight grin on his face, feeling as if he had everything thought through and under control. The hat was then placed on his head and started speaking. {Interesting, you seem to understand the pros and cons of each house. Your magic within you is also perfectly balanced between light and dark, I guess having two wands isn''t just for show ey? You will be certainly difficult to choose for...}. The sorting hat then stopped its talking to focus and think, keeping Oz in deep anticipation. {Okay I''ve decided your house}. {SLYTHERIN!}. . . ''....huh?''. Chapter 12 - Foolishness Oz sat in the chair dumbstruck for a while, coming to a deep realization. ''I''m fine with being put in Slytherin but... seems I need to take a deep look at myself''. As Oz walked over to the Slytherin table, a lot of the Slytherins on the table were glaring deeply at him trying to read him. Oz failed to notice the stares however as he was deep in thought. ''Since I''ve come to this world, everything has gone the way I expected. Learning magic, grasping books with my perfect memory, even meeting the Lovegood''s. Everything went perfectly my way... I think I started to innately imagine that everything and everyone around me was easy to read and judge but, I''ve been too ???ky''. Oz, caught up in his drive to make something of himself in this life learnt a very important lesson today. . After the sorting ceremony, all the houses were guided back to their dorms by the prefects. Oz followed along with the other Slytherins, going down into the dungeons. ''This whole turn of events have been a valuable lesson to me, something I needed to happen to keep me on my toes. I wonder though, why was I put in Slytherin?''. Oz was still brooding over why he was put in this house. Personally, he doesn''t think Slytherin is a place completely full of ?ssholes. There''s sure to be some good people here and there who aren''t so caught up on bloodlines and what not. So being in Slytherin didn''t bother him one bit, it was just a step forward in his journey in this world. ''When I came to this world I was put into an Orphanage with no family to know of, the void being said I''d just appear there so I never even considered a family or any kind of connection. Could it be that I do have some kind of distant connection to someone which put me in Slytherin? but who?''. Finishing that thought, the Slytherins arrived in the dungeons. Oz started walking towards his own room when suddenly a random Slytherin called out to him. "So you''re name is just Oz? no family name? How in the hell did you get into Slytherin? This is a place for the elites of the magical society not some random rabble with no family name". Oz scoffed at his first encounter with a typical Slytherin. ''I sincerely hope not all the people in this house are as braindead as this guy''. Oz ignored the guy, walking further towards his room. Right now he only wanted to get his emotions in check after all he''s learnt today and didn''t want to bother with such idiots. "Oi! I was speaking to you, do you think you''re all that just cause you got two wands? two wands just means you can fail twice as much hahaha". The room roared with laughter at the boys comment, Some of the more ???ky witches and wizards must have been jealous of how Oz was capable of having two wands accept him instead of just one. Notably though there were a few Slytherins who weren''t laughing, looking more annoyed at the situation as a whole than anything. ''I guess some of them are decent after all''. The boy who was insulting Oz felt like he had the crowd on his side so he followed Oz to his room to toy with him some more. As the boy went to step in the room, Oz''s patience finally ran thin. Oz snapped his whole body around with his yew wood wand pointed at the boy. "Silencio" ''Seems I need to work on my control again soon using a wand''. Oz looked deeply at the boy who he had now silenced. "Thats much better, Now get out of my room". With that Oz launched a ''Stupefy'' sending the boy flying out of his room, again with a bit more force than Oz intended. Oz then slammed the door, leaving a bunch of bewildered Slytherins in his wake. . Oz sat down on his bed, looking at a mirror on the wall. What he did just now was not something he''d usually do. He''s usually remained calm in the past, however his emotions seemed to get the better of him today. ''Let''s just go over what I need to do for this first year again in my head''. Oz''s next plan of action was to use the cloaking spell he''d made to slip out of the dungeons after lessons tomorrow in search of the Room of Requirement (The RoR for short). After locating it he wanted to first get used to having two wands, before abusing it for all its knowledge and books. Along with locating the RoR, he also wanted to steal the marauders map from Fred and George. To do this he''d need to sneak into the Gryffindor common room, a dangerous task indeed. ''I''m not a hundred percent sure on whether or not casting with both wands at the same time is possible, but hopefully I''ll at least be able to switch between them with relative ease. As for sneaking into the Gryffindor common room to get a hold of the marauders map, that''ll have to be planned carefully''. ''From that little scuffle, it seems I can at least use spells up to OWL level, maybe NEWT if I push myself harder''. Stupefy after all was a spell most commonly learned in your 4/5th years at Hogwarts so it was safe to say that Oz could cast OWL level spells at this point, Wandlessly however was another story. Oz laid down on his bed looking up at the ceiling of his room in the dungeons. "I hope the rest of this year can go somewhat smoothly....". Chapter 13 - The Room of Requirement That night as Oz slept after his eventful first day at Hogwarts, he had a very strange dream. He couldn''t see anything in the dream, he couldn''t talk, he couldn''t even breathe. The only thing he could do was listen. Throughout the entire dream, he felt like something was trying to communicate with him, trying to get in touch or get a hold of him. Near the end of the dream, Oz''s sight returned and he was staring at the fireplace within his room, feeling as though the pull he experienced was coming from there. ''How.... strange....'' Oz soon after fell back to sleep, pushing this experience to the back of his mind. . As soon as Oz got up he got himself showered and dressed excited for his first day at Hogwarts. Yesterdays experience however told him he''d find it difficult to mingle with the rest of the first years, especially with those in Slytherin after the scuffle he had. ''When I died in my previous life I was 20 years old. Trying to connect with 11 year olds when im now technically 26 feels weird; I could b?r?ly even keep up a good conversation with that one boy from Gryffindor''. Oz wasn''t opposed to making friends in this world but he still felt as though there was a valley between him and most of the students here due to his experiences and his age across both lives. He could only manage a preliminary connection with those at the Orphanage, but that was due to how easy 5 year olds are to be friends with. 5 year olds don''t sit back and question things, 11 - 18 year olds do. ''Oh well so what if it takes longer for me to actually create connections in this world, Ill just continue on with my plans until that comes naturally''. Oz heaved a sigh, then leaving his room heading off to his first day of lessons at Hogwarts. . Oz''s first day at Hogwarts was indeed strange. The lessons themselves were things Oz cared nothing about, he had already read the syllabus for each lesson up to NEWT level before even coming to Hogwarts and with his memory he could easily remember anything whenever a question is poised at him. The only interesting lesson he had on the day was charms. Professor Flitwick told the rest of the class to practice the ''Lumos'' spell. Oz managed it first try with his Walnut wand and found that the control he had with the light wand was smooth and calm, completely different to using his Yew wood wand. He then tried ''Lumos'' with his yew wood wand and experienced the same issue he had with attacking that boy in the dungeons, his control was off by a bit, making the spell more powerful than it needed to be. This ended up showering the area Oz was in with light. "It seems your control is still off Mr Oz, do try to relax yourself. We wouldn''t want all the first years blind on the first day of lessons!". Oz looked down at his yew wood wand and thought to himself. ''You are truly unruly friend, but as soon as I can use the RoR, I will tame you''. For the rest of the lesson then Oz practiced under the desk with both wands, using ''Lumos'' with one and then with the other. Such a simple lesson had quite large gains for him, allowing him to come up with theories on how to cast from both wands at once or at least in quick conjunction. Oz found that throughout the entire day of lessons a large majority of the first years were wary of him staying away from him and what he was doing. Oz believed that his attack on the Slytherin boy had already spread as public knowledge. There were still some first years who seemed to be more curious than wary but that was only a small portion, none of them had the confidence to actually approach him especially after the blinding ''Lumos'' spell he casted. Finally the day of lessons ended and Oz went back to the dungeons, to his room. ''My walnut wand seems to be more obedient and easier to cast from so I''ll attempt to cloaking spell with that wand. After that its just a night of locating the RoR, ill take the clock from my room to the RoR as well to ensure I don''t overstay my welcome in the Room'' Oz then waited until the dead of night to start moving. . Night fell and Oz snuck out of the dungeons, casting the cloaking spell with his walnut wand so as not to alert any of the students still half awake. ''The room should be opposite that tapestry, the one with the fella teaching trolls how to ballet''. After several tens of minutes searching, he finally located the tapestry. Looking up at the tapestry, Oz did a full turn, turning to a large wall. Oz then walked up to the wall, standing in front of it. He could feel his cloak spell starting to run dry so he needed to be quick. ''I need a place to train with my two wands. I need a place to train with my two wands''. Oz chanted this thought in his head like a mantra, hoping the room would eventually respond. Luckily for Oz, after a minute of standing still, the door presented itself. ''Finally, I wonder what kind of room it conjured up''. Oz then opened the door slowly walking into the room. As he looked around the room presented to him, he was instantly shocked. The room looked a lot like the room Harry had used in the fifth film with Dumbledore''s army but the difference in size was insane. The room itself was about the size of a football pitch. On either side of the room there were rows of mannequins with wands, they looked similar to the ones Dumbledore''s army practiced with, however, they seemed in Oz''s eyes to be more advanced, maybe even capable of casting spells as they had their own magic supply within them. Oz stood in the room in awe, the sheer size had blown him away initially but now seeing all the mannequins on either side, he was left dumbstruck. In the centre of the room he spotted a bu??on and instantly surmised that when the bu??on was pressed, the mannequins would start to move to attack. ''More than enough space to practice all kinds of spells, a combat mechanism for me to practice high-speed duelling and there also seems to be other mechanisms in place to practice other kinds of combat. This place is perfect''. Oz put the clock down near the door, out of the way so that it hopefully wouldn''t be destroyed. He walked up to the bu??on in the middle of the room looking left and right. ''Well there''s no time like the present, lets begin''. Chapter 14 - A Strange Dream A few months had now passed since Oz had started his life at Hogwarts. His schedule was simply go to lessons, do homework and sneak out at night to train in the RoR. Although this kind of school life would seem mundane to some, Oz held a thorough enjoyment for it loving the feeling of himself progressing further. Oz at the moment was training in the Room of Requirement, duelling against a high number of mannequin wizards. ''Two looping behind to flank, one to my right, three in front. Two behind are preparing a stunning spell, deflect that onto the mannequin to my right. After disarm those two then sending them flying. The three in front will then take a chance while my back is turned, break their balance then finish them off''. After this quick thinking, Oz acted on his thoughts. He snapped around deflecting the mannequins spells using ''Protego'' with his walnut wand, directing one of the spells onto the mannequin the the right. As soon as that mannequin fell he took the split second gap he had to disarm the two who attacked with an ''Expelliarmus'' after which he sends them flying with a ''Stupefy''. Finally he snaps back around to the three about to attack, slicing their legs with a ''Diffindo'', then using ''Reducto'' on all three to finish the job. After this small battle, the room deemed the fight as finished and the mannequins moved back towards the sides of the room. ''Phew... it seems my duelling has improved immensely in these past few months, this room really is as overpowered as all the novels make it out be''. Oz then sat down on the floor in the room, a calm silence filling it as he looked within himself at his core. ''The recent training has made my core grow even more, but the gap between my level and the next is a lot vaster than expected. My control has become a lot more fluent and although I cant cast with both wands at once, I can at least switch between wands quick enough to make it seem like I''m casting both''. The problem Oz encountered when trying to cast with two wands at once was directing the magic within him to the wands. He could only direct one dedicated stream to one wand at a time. He was able to retract the stream quickly however moving to the next wand to cast a spell but, doing two streams of magic to both wands at once was going to be a huge challenge. ''Maybe when my core advances to a higher level I should be able to do it, as of right now it feels basically impossible''. Oz laid down on the floor to rest. During this arduous training in the past few months he hadn''t been able to sleep much, resting sometimes in classes when he could, much to the dismay of the teachers who''d always reprimand him. Snape especially didn''t take to kindly to his sleeping habits, piling him with tons of homework. ''I''m so glad I bought that self-writing quill...'' Oz felt like he was fully trained in how to fight well for now, his next task with the RoR was to absorb its knowledge starting with books from the restricted section as they intrigued him the most. ''Even the smallest details of this world sometimes go over my head, shows my knowledge still leaves much to be d?s?r?d. Switching from strapping the wands to my waist to actual wand holsters made casting and duelling much easier, especially when duelling at such high speeds as I have''. The months that had passed kept reminding Oz that he couldn''t become powerful over night. Although he has more magic than most his age, more knowledge he can utilise and a stronger physique which helps with movement in duels, there were still things he could improve on all the time, even down to something as simple as a wand holster helped his combat ability quite a bit. ''Oh right I forgot about trying to get the marauders map from Fred and George, I was so caught up in training and the enjoyment of getting better it went right over my head... Well its not exactly something I need urgently, as of right now I only need the RoR and I know the location of this place like the back of my hand now''. Oz finally stood up after some time of thinking, walking over to the clock he always left near the door. ''It seems I have a few more hours before classes start, I''ll finish early for today''. Oz then casted a cloaking spell on himself before leaving the RoR to head back to his room in the dungeons. . Oz then returned to his room climbing into his bed and forcing himself to sleep with a sleeping charm. This was the first time in a while he was going to get a decent amount of sleep in his bed, a reward for him finishing off his months of duelling practice. As Oz was nodding off though, he again felt himself falling into the same strange dream he had on the first day at Hogwarts. The same darkness, same stifling feeling and again drawing his consciousness towards the fireplace in his room. ''This door... it has the same design as the door that leads into the chamber of secrets albeit smaller... could Salazar Slytherin have had more secret rooms than initially thought of? such a powerful wizard wouldn''t have just made one hideout after all if he had such driven plans''. Within his dream, Oz stared at the door for a long time. It felt like a very dark and sinister magic was emanating from it. ''In the original canon this kind of room was never found... why would it present itself to me? is it calling me to go down there? it seems ill need to investigate soon...''. As Oz finished that thought he felt his consciousness waning eventually cutting off completely making him fall into a deep sleep. Chapter 15 - Dumbledores Query During Oz''s strange sleep, all the teachers had gathered for a meeting to discuss how the first years had fit into Hogwarts. "Good, now that everyone''s here what''s the verdict on this year of students". The man who began this conversation was none other than Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster. After he poised this question, the other teachers all took a moment to think before responding. "This years students have done exceptionally well fitting in, there''s been hardly any issues and they all seem to be keen to learn". The first to respond was Professor Flitwick, the charms teacher and head of Ravenclaw house. He sat at the table with his head only just reaching above it. "Besides one odd and unsavoury individual in my house, there''s no issues, the students again this year all fail to meet my standards in my class... well except for that odd one". The next to respond was Severus Snape, the potions master and teacher, also head of the Slytherin house. After Snape''s input Dumbledore interjected. "I suppose your talking about that one student? Oz was it? He''s certainly an interesting one. Even I can''t read him at times. Sometimes it almost seems like his core is masked, but for an 11 year old wizard to do that is highly unlikely. I must be getting senile in my old age haha". To the rest of the teachers, it seemed that Dumbledore had been paying more attention to Oz than what he was putting on. The teachers brooded on Dumbledore''s comment for a while before Mcgonagall replied. "After that small incident at the beginning of the year, it seems he''s been ostracized from his year quite a bit. Him being silent, sleeping and not trying to make friends doesn''t help himself either. When I met him to take him to Diagon Alley he seemed extremely confident and outgoing, but I guess the reveal of him being in Slytherin must have sobered his confidence quite a bit. From what I could tell he seemed to think he''d be in Ravenclaw due to his drive for knowledge...". Mcgonagall then let out a soft sigh. The boy was a curious subject, his placement within Slytherin still confused the teachers considering the fact that the boy came from an orphanage with no known magical familial connections. "By the way Albus and Severus, did you ever figure out the boys lineage after initially looking into it? Surely for him to be put into Slytherin it must mean he''s connected to some wizard that had been in the house before". Dumbledore and Snape then looked at each other heaving a sigh, Dumbledore then turned to Mcgonagall shaking his head. "That boy is honestly an enigma, it''s like he suddenly appeared at that orphanage one day and everyone just accepted it. Any information about him from before that time is basically non-existent". "Have you tried asking the goblins? surely they must know his lineage and where he''s from?". Snape gave a disdainful snort at Hagrid''s suggestion. "Of course we''ve tried that you fool. The goblins cant do an inheritance test without blood and we cant exactly attack the boy for his blood just cause we are curious as to where he came from". Mcgonagall gave a cool smile at Snape''s comment. "My my Severus I think its the first time I''ve heard you defend a student so voraciously, has the boy grown on you or something?". Snape glared daggers at Mcgonagall after her comment. "The only thing growing is my annoyance! I''ll give that boy tons of homework and he''ll have it finished within a day! he writes even the smallest details so it takes a longer time to mark than the rest of the students. If he continues to toy with me like this I swear ill...." Dumbledore then stops Snape before he can go off on a rant about the boy. "I need to ask you all something important now... Do any of you think the boy could be potentially dangerous? The boys origins are unknown so there''s no telling who are where he came from. In addition he''s a smart boy judging from the work he submits so its hard to read what his motives are... Considering how he''s been left alone by the rest of his house, im worried at the prospect of him turning bad... maybe we should keep an eye on him more closely?". The room fell into silence at Dumbledore''s comment. Surprisingly the first person to respond was Snape. "Thats a foolish notion Dumbledore. Although the boy is insufferable, he hasn''t done anything to make him suspicious. He simply goes to lessons, does the work then leaves immediately back to his dorms. Yes he''s alone but he doesn''t seem to mind it, as a matter of fact he sits in class with a grin on his face as he''s learning... His grin especially grows bright when he gives me pages and pages of homework to mark...". After Snape''s comment Dumbledore relaxed a bit in his chair, he strokes his beard looking up at the ceiling of the room. "I''m not trying to pin the boy for no reason, its just with Harry coming next year I want this place to be nice and welcoming for him. Having another potential dark lord in the making here at the same time as Harry would not be ideal". Pomona Sprout, professor of herbology and head of Hufflepuff let out a little chuckle after Dumbledore''s comment. "I say Albus for a boy you haven''t seen since a baby you do care about him an awful lot. Oz in my lessons has always been a quiet but smart boy getting the work done quicker than anyone else, I don''t think you have anything to worry about". Albus felt relieved at his colleagues answers to his query, feeling a weight had been lifted after the last few months of worry. ''Looks like there''s no need then for me to keep monitoring him''. After the talk about Oz, the teachers then proceeded to discuss some more topics before eventually splitting off to get ready for the day ahead. . ''Todays lessons start soon but... I feel I need to know what''s down there right now. I can always feign illness or something if anyone asks where I was''. Oz''s curiosity was overwhelming his senses and he felt like he wouldn''t calm down until he had seen what was behind that door he had seen in his dream, even it meant jeopardizing his attempts at being a good model student. ''The dark magic coming from that door... I need to be careful. The magic itself doesn''t feel violent though, it feels like its actually inviting me down there. After my wake up call at the beginning of the year though, it''d be prudent of me to expect the unexpected and be fully prepared for this venture''. Oz then grabbed his wands, putting them in the wand holsters under his sleeves. After getting a few supplies together just in case of an emergency, Oz turns back towards the fireplace again. ''Strange how such a place hasn''t been discovered or at least doesn''t seem like its ever been discovered in a long time. I wonder if there was a strong ward on it or something that only allowed it to appear when I appeared here in this room. The question then is though, why me?'' Oz casted aside all of his stray thoughts and questions heading towards the fireplace. As he placed his hand on the floor of the fireplace, he felt his blood suddenly being su?k?d out of him. The sudden feeling of blood loss made him jump back and instantly after his recoiling, the fireplace that had su?k?d some of his blood gave off a pale green light. When the pale green light finally finished glowing and registering Oz''s blood, he was presented with a hatch in the floor. ''Well there''s no turning back now''. Chapter 16 - The Progenitor As Oz slowly climbed down into the hatch, he felt the sweat drip from his head onto the rocky tunnel floor. He couldn''t shake the feeling that this would be a major turning point in his journey in this world. As he walked towards where the stairs downwards should be, he remarked at how intricately built this tunnel was. From what Oz could tell, this tunnel was built to be decently long so that it would separate itself off from Hogwarts''s wards, much like the chamber of secrets. Such a place would remain unplottable on the marauders map. After a long time walking carefully, Oz arrived at the spiral staircase heading down further into the earth. ''Why does this staircase have to go so far down?''. An exasperated sigh escaped Oz''s lips as he began to go down the dark spiral staircase. With each step he could feel himself getting closer and closer to the source of what was calling him, the source of that insane dark magic. Finally Oz got to the bottom and arrived at the door he had seen in his dream. ''This door... it really does look almost exactly like the chamber of secrets door but instead of being a round vault like door, this ones a normal door shape with the snakes coming down from the top''. As Oz was stood in front of the door, a small voice nearly quiet enough to miss sounded from behind it. {???''?? ??????? ???????...} Oz gulped deeply and put his hand on the door, again experiencing the same blood loss that the hatch enacted upon him. After a moment, the door glowed with a pale green light. The door then slowly opened presenting a sight that surprised Oz immensely. If he had to describe this room, it was like a magical dojo, a place where a student was taught by a master. The room itself wasn''t as big as the room of requirements training room size but it was still relatively big, as he looked around he could see all manor of old and dark objects. After looking around the whole room Oz spotted a huge portrait at the end of the room. {It took you long enough child, I''ve been calling out to you for months and you only respond now!? Is this the disrespect you show the progenitor of your house!?}. beneath this portrait a name was presented on a large plaque. [SALAZAR SLYTHERIN]. "Salazar?! the founder of Slytherin house!? how can you be down here!" Oz was shocked at the outcome of what was in this room, never would he have expected that one of the main house wizards had a portrait in Hogwarts. After seeing this portrait of Salazar, Oz''s mind went wild with theories. Could all the house heads have portraits hidden around Hogwarts? if so where were they hidden? Why did Salazar only now present himself to someone? {Yes child, tis I, Salazar Slytherin. Usually I sleep calmly in this room beneath the earth but a familiar magical signature and bloodline awoke me from my slumber... Yes.... you are a descendant of that man}. Oz again was startled. How could he be a descendant of someone? The void being said that he would have no family in this world! Oz''s mind felt chaotic at the overload of information he was receiving. {Hahaha! child you truly are interesting! Decent occlumency defences at 11 and a core thats closing in on the next level!}. In almost an instant Oz had been seen right through, everything down to his cores true level. ''I guess they wouldn''t be the founders if they were weak... okay Oz calm down...''. After a moment of collecting himself Oz took a long look at Salazar Slytherin who was grinning darkly at him. "You mentioned I''m a descendant of a man... who do you mean? I was brought up in an orphanage with no family name to know of". Salazar chuckled at Oz''s confusion. It seemed after many years of slumber he was enjoying this situation. {Child if you had pure muggleborn roots I would have cursed you as soon as you entered the room! Your lineage is especially special...}. Salazar again took a deep look at Oz. As he stared, it felt like snakes were crawling all around Oz''s body. {Your bloodline, your magic... all of it lines up. Yes you''re a descendant of my previous student. A descendant of that Merlin}. Oz felt his whole being shake at the reveal of his ancestry. A lot of things started to line up as if a missing piece of a puzzle had been filled. ''So the reason im in Slytherin is because of my connection to Merlin! the reason im able to control and grasp magic quicker than others is again my connection to Merlin! Everything makes sense now!'' As Oz stood in silence in his stupor, Salazar wore a cold grin. {If you went to the goblins to get an inheritance test only the upper brass would know of such a noble bloodline! Considering your circumstances however, it seems you never even bothered to check... how foolish}. "So I understand now im a descendant of Merlin.... but why? why did you call me down here? did you just want a touching reunion with a past students descendant? I highly doubt that Salazar, tell me what you actually want". At Oz''s questions Salazar looked around the room they were in, his dead grey eyes showing a small hint of nostalgia. {The room you are in right now is the room I tutored that boy... that Merlin. I saw his potential growth for magic and pushed all my knowledge of the dark arts onto him. He absorbed all the knowledge like a sponge, but, unlike most other wizards who learn the deepest darkest secrets of magic he didn''t become consumed by evil, as a matter of fact he stayed grounded and calm. A foolishly strong willpower indeed...} Oz listened carefully to Salazar, wanting to understand more about his ancestor in this world. Oz felt relieved that Merlin was a wizard who wasn''t swayed by the dark arts, he didn''t want his only connection known in this world to be a bad one. ''Merlin must have also understood the balance between light and dark, Ollivander only understood it under the pretence of wands but Merlin understood the importance of balance as a whole. I wonder... what level did he achieve? what happened to such a wizard with such great knowledge? Surely he didn''t die in some random fight...''. "You still haven''t answered my question Salazar... Why did you call me down here?" An eerie silence filled the room for a while, Salazar stood up slowly from his chair within the portrait and walked closer towards the foreground of it. As he got up dark magic followed behind him as if he was its leader, as if the magic bowed down to him. {I see again in you that which I saw in Merlin... Potential}. After talking Salazar finally got to the foreground of his portrait. A sly grin on his face. {Won''t you train under me child}. Chapter 17 - A Distasteful Mentor Oz felt conflicted at Salazar''s proposition. Sure, learning from one of the greatest dark wizards ever would certainly be a boon but wouldn''t it skew his balance? Plus, Salazar was said to be an evil guy through and through with an extreme distaste for muggles, there''s no way such a man would want to train someone just under the pretence of ''You have potential''. Oz felt strongly that Salazar wanted to use him, maybe even ensnare him. But even though the risks were great, learning dark magic from one of the greatest dark wizards of the past era would definitely help his growth immensely. The void being itself was impressed with Oz''s willpower especially when he accepted his death. Such willpower should be able to overcome any of the burdens of using dark magic. ''It will be a huge risk indeed but... to become something great in this world... I think I need to take this chance. If my ancestor in this world could handle it surely I can too''. With his decision made, Oz looked at Salazar with confidence. "I would like to learn from you". Salazar responded to Oz''s answer with a grin. {Seems your not completely foolish at least... Very well! you should look forward to these lessons child, besides Merlin you are the only other wizard that will have the p???sur? to learn under me personally}. Oz walked up closer to the portrait staring at Salazar, his new mentor in the dark arts. "What exactly do you want to teach me then?" {From the simplest of dark arts to the darkest. I want you to inherit and absorb as much of my knowledge as I can give. This will be a long and arduous journey for you im sure... visit me down here every day after your pitiful lessons and I''ll teach you all I know}. With that said, Salazar walked back to his basilisk throne and fell into a slumber. Oz gathered from this that the man could only stay up for a certain amount of time, calling him down to this place from so far away must have drained him quicker than usual also. ''Well the next few months are certainly going to be interesting''. . Oz''s schedule had now changed after his run in with Salazar. He would wake up, go to lessons and then immediately after go down to train with Salazar for a couple of hours. When Salazar fell back into a slumber, Oz would go back up to the RoR to balance out his core so as not to let the dark magic take it over completely, sometimes fitting in some combat practice when possible. ''Each lesson with Salazar I seem to absorb the ambient dark magic in that room while he''s teaching me... this is probably one of his plots to get me to slowly become one of his puppets.'' Salazar''s lessons themselves were extremely gruelling. He would teach Oz a topic in only 20 minutes and then expect him to have the topic mastered in just over an hour. If Oz was even a second later than Salazar liked, he would be cruelly reprimanded. On one lesson in particular, Salazar actually managed to curse Oz causing him immense pain, something which Oz personally thought was impossible seeing as he is in a portrait. ''He is one of the greatest dark wizards in the past era, of course he''s got some bullshit up his sleeve...''. Oz sighed as he looked at the core within him. ''Salazar said that after next lesson we will only meet once a week instead of daily... at least then I can finally start reading the books from the restricted section using the RoR. I can also try to get the marauders map and also create the augment spell''. Although the lessons were harsh they were necessary. Now they were being eased he could go back to doing what he had planned initially. ''I can tell he''s planning something that snake... I''ll need to prepare thoroughly. Thankfully it seems ill advance soon so at least there''s some security there''. The core inside Oz was actually growing faster due to the recent influx of dark magic he''s absorbed. The only thing left for Oz to do now was to fully complete the balance between both sides of magic allowing for him to break through into the next level. ''Most witches and wizards probably only pick one side, dark or light. The only known person to have ever progressed like I am is probably... Merlin...''. Merlin''s name felt weird to Oz whenever he thought of it, it was as if his magical source would respond to it. Every time this happened it solidified to Oz that he must indeed be connected to Merlin. ''After this year at Hogwarts I must go and do an inheritance test, only then will I for sure know that I''m truly a descendant of that man''. . {You''ve done well in these past months child, much like your ancestor you''ve absorbed everything I''ve given you like a sponge... no need to come down here daily anymore, just come once a week and ill tutor you...}. Oz looked at the old snake within his portrait. Over the past few months of lessons, he had grown an extreme distaste for the man. "Honestly I don''t know whether I should thank you or say fu?k you". Salazar sneered at Oz''s response. {Cutting words from a greenhorn such as yourself. You''ve only opened the doorway of the dark arts and the path ahead is long. The lessons I''ve been giving you is only to prepare you for what''s to come, so don''t get ???ky boy!}. "Well I''ll be leaving then snake, don''t die while im gone". Oz then left the room leaving Salazar brooding for a while. As he watched Oz leave, a cold and cunning grin appeared on his face. {He''s a tricky one that boy, difficult to ensnare. He seems to be balancing his core constantly after lessons so seems my preliminary plan is out the window... guess ill go with that plan instead}. Salazar then sat further back in his basilisk throne getting himself comfortable before falling into a deep slumber yet again. Chapter 18 - A Fleeting Theory At the moment, Oz was walking out to the Owlery to see his pet Kuro. He would do this every week or so when he got the chance and now lessons with Salazar had eased he was able to fit in another spot to go see the little stygian owl. In all honesty, Oz''s only friend at the school right now was his Owl so he would confide in Kuro talking about all kinds of things. ''Am I going crazy? surely not... Kuro''s a good friend there''s nothing weird about talking to a friend''. It would seem after the many months of being alone this was Oz''s only way of being able to talk to something in kind, a very pitiful scenario indeed. As Oz was walking up to the Owlery however, he spotted a girl coming out of it. She looked about his age, of Asian descent and her face gave Oz a hint of nostalgia. ''Thats¡­ Cho Chang isn''t it? She looks so young that I almost didn''t recognise her''. As Oz walked up closer to the Owlery, Cho finally spotted him. She wore an expression of surprise and wariness making Oz realise she probably had heard some rumours about him. Oz ignored her obvious caution giving her a smile. Cho backed out of the way of Oz at this point and was startled at the smile Oz gave, it was warm and comfy to her, nothing like the rumours pointed him out to be. In her stupor however, she backed up too much and lost footing on the cliff. "Ahh!" Oz immediately burst into action, bringing his walnut wand out of his wand holster on his sleeve. "Arresto Momentum!" Oz''s spell slowed Cho''s fall down enough so he could grab her and pull her back onto stable footing. "Christ girl am I that ugly that you felt the need to kill yourself over seeing me?" Cho was in shock at what had happened. Not only had she survived a near death fall but Oz, a Slytherin, had actually saved her. "T-t-thank you so much uhhh... Oz. I-I thought all Slytherins were supposed to be terrible people". Oz chuckled at her naivety. "Listen here girl, there are many Slytherins that have left Hogwarts to become good witches and wizards! You should never sell anyone short just from where they are placed, whether it be in Hogwarts or in life as a whole. Even the most nasty witch or wizard could have a good side to them. Life is full of twists and turns we can''t always expect, our job as witches and wizards is to expect the unexpected and prepare for it". A lot of what Oz had said was coming straight from the heart, it was his own teachings to himself over the past year. He had come to this school with a fire in his heart expecting it all to go a certain way but it didn''t. Being in Slytherin and training under Salazar taught him to expect the unexpected from now on and to roll with the punches. Even though he''s older than all the students at Hogwarts if you mesh together both his lives, he still had much to learn about life in general and he knows that now. Cho looked enlightened by Oz''s speech, her view of Oz changing from wariness to awe. He was only a wizard her age yet he seemed to be so smart and understanding, such a wizard was definitely someone to look up to. Cho then bit her lip and presented Oz a question. "C-could you help me with my homework from now on?". Oz''s eyes widened at this, feeling a sudden shock at Cho''s query. ''Who would have thought I''d finally be able to make a connection at this school, and with a girl I recognise and know nonetheless...'' Oz then gave a comforting smile staring at Cho softly. "Of course, come to me whenever you feel there''s something your stuck on. You should know I''ve got the top grades in our year so im sure I can help you with anything". Cho Chang wore a smile of expectation with Oz''s answer, thanking him and skipping off back to the castle with her letters she came to receive. Oz watched her skipping away. He didn''t feel any romantic interest at all, understandable since Oz''s actual age was a decade above her age but he did feel like he had finally gained something in this world. After grinning to himself for a while, Oz walked up into the Owlery to talk to his other friend Kuro. . Oz was now in front of the RoR again, coming here after talking with Kuro and waiting for all the students to fall asleep. This time however he didn''t want a training room, he wanted books and knowledge. Specifically he wanted knowledge from the restricted section. ''Please let me read the restricted, Please let me read the restricted'' Oz chanted this phrase in front of the wall opposite the tapestry like a mantra, and eventually as expected the room responds. Oz opens the door and walks in, his view completely blocked out by the sheer amount of books that all seemed to belong to the restricted section. ''There''s so many! I thought the restricted section would only have a few hundred not thousands! I wont be able to finish this in one sitting thats for sure...'' Oz found a nice area in the middle of all the books where he could read. He grabbed a few books here and there and started his journey for knowledge. ''Some of this stuff I recognise already from the lectures the old snake gave me, but there''s some other details I should take into account aswell. There''s a chance that snake was hiding information as well so its best to be thorough''. Oz was extremely wary of Salazar, not just because he was the founder of Slytherin and a known muggle hater but the energy he gave off and the feeling he emitted told all of Oz''s senses that this man wasn''t a good person. ''The Salazar ive heard of wasn''t as bad as the one in the portrait... is there some reason for that? I wonder...'' Oz''s thoughts again trailed off as he continued reading more books, eventually after going through a stack of books he laid back in his chair again remarking at the sheer amount of books the restricted section had to offer. ''Such a large variety of books... it''d take me more than a year to get through them all even with my perfect memory remembering where I am and what I''ve read... How did that Voldemort even find the book on horcruxes amongst this mess?''. Oz shook his head at the ideas falling into place. Could it truly be as simple as Voldemort finding the book about horcruxes out of sheer luck? or was there something more here to unravel.... Chapter 19 - Spell Creation Oz''s schedule again took another change after discovering the sheer amount of books the restricted section had to offer. He would now read books within the RoR while sometimes spending time balancing out his core and growing it towards the next level. Such a process was something that needed to be taken slowly and calmly. On the weekends, he''d still visit the old snake for some dark arts lessons. After his run in with Cho however his time after lessons changed with her approaching him with questions that he was happy to answer. She slowly warmed up to him throughout all of this, seeing that he was a kind person that was just misunderstood due to his placement of house and outburst at the beginning of the year. On a certain day however, the first years were learning defence against the dark arts and were practicing casting spells in pairs. Oz was told to pair with a familiar face. ''Its Craig from the beginning of the year... I wonder if he still remembers me''. Oz sat down next to Craig, the latter of whom was wary at his presence. He had a slight scowl on his face, probably due to the fact Oz is a Slytherin and he a Gryffindor. Oz felt the need to break the ice. "So you''re my partner then? Last time we spoke was on the boat I believe... I had you pinned for a Hufflepuff but your turned out to be a Gryffindor! funny how fate works sometimes...". Craig wore a confused countenance. Whenever a Slytherin talked usually, they''d spit venomous comments especially when one was in Gryffindor, their rival house. Oz however didn''t seem to care about such things, just wanting to make small talk. "Y-yeah it has been a while hasn''t it... Oz. I thought you''d be in Ravenclaw with the knowledge you had but it seems you ended up in Slytherin instead, it must have been rough". Oz smirked at Craig''s response. "Well its not all bad, not all Slytherins are terrible and honestly even though at first I was shocked I''ve grown to accept it and like it. Anyway lets start the tasks we were given". For the rest of the lesson then, Oz and Craig practiced spells with Oz sometimes guiding Craig one what he needed to fix whenever he would struggle. As the lesson came to a close Craig''s face was filled with glee but also a tinge of guilt. As they were leaving the class however Craig pulled Oz to one side. "I-I...I''m sorry Oz, even after helping me at the beginning of the year on the train I''ve been avoiding you all this time just because you were in Slytherin. I even helped spread those rumours about you at times... I hope you can forgive me". Oz looked deeply at the boy who was asking for forgiveness. ''I can''t exactly hate him for what''s happened. It''s a totally understandable response to such a situation seeing as the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor is so stark. He was probably influenced by some not to talk to me as I''m in Slytherin as well''. "Its fine Craig, to be honest the rumours and such never bothered me". Craig wore a smile of relief at Oz''s answer. "Thank you Oz, after todays lessons I realised how foolish ive been in judging you... from now on if you want to have a chat call on your ol'' pal Craig!" Such a thing made him feel truly happy. . Oz as of right now was in the RoR however it was one of those rare times he wasn''t reading, instead he was working on his augment spell. ''The augment spell in theory should work... I guess all thats left is just to test it''. Way back when Oz was at the Lovegood''s, Xenophilius accidently slipped Pandora''s spell creation book within the pouch he handed to him. Oz was remiss to attempt using any of the spells within as any could blow him up however, the most important thing about these notes to Oz was understanding how spells were formed from a professional standpoint. With the notes, Oz was able to make strides in creating his own spells, this however would be the first spell he''d actually test out in practice rather than just theorizing on. ''On paper this should all work but the risk will be great. Pumping magic around my body to my muscles and nerves could easily go wrong even with the slightest misstep''. Oz stood still in the middle of the RoR. Taking a deep breath he prepares himself to try out his augment spell that took so long to realize. ''Okay, let''s begin!'' "Augmentum!" With the spell casted onto himself, magic from Oz''s core started to travel to his muscles and nerves, attempting to strengthen them so his strength and reflexes were enhanced. As the magic reached his muscles he felt them bulge a bit and when it reached his nerves he felt them tighten. A slight pain was produced from such a connection. This kind of spell would utilise the users core in order to augment the body as a whole, the magic casted to cause this augmentation acted as a guide to the magic coming from the core telling it where it needed to be. Such a difficult process however was tedious and painful to go through. ''Well this spell certainly isnt forgiving is it...''. Oz''s face strained at the pain he was feeling, his teeth grinding together. After a few minutes of careful control and intermittent pain he felt like the spell was nearing completion in its application, all he needed to do now was test it. ''Now I''m at this stage I need to activate the training program''. Oz then pushed the bu??on in the centre of the RoR, causing the mannequins left and right of him to attack. The second he sensed danger, he felt everything around him slow down. ''Woah... is this due to my reflexes being augmented? I can get such a good grasp on the situation around me!''. Oz span around casting an array of spells from both his wands, disarming and destroying each mannequin he casted at. The final mannequin standing after his initial spell onslaught, Oz ran up to and punched in the gut. This punch sent the mannequin flying into the wall of the RoR, causing it to explode into a million different pieces. ''Amazing! this spell works like a charm! knowing the human anatomy really helped me realise what muscle groups were important to augment. Augmenting my nervous system as well gave such a surprising result as well!''. Oz released the augment spell feeling a slight fatigue on his body. He grinned as walked over to the door grabbing his trusty clock that told him how long he''d been training for. Seeing he had plenty of time, he decided to reward himself, heading off to turn in early for a longer rest. ''All thats left now is to breakthrough before the end of the year and that should be doable with one last push. Sadly I couldn''t get the marauders map this year, but such a thing is only a side task...''. With the year soon coming to a close, Oz was edging closer and closer to the start of the true ''Harry Potter canon''. The golden trio would soon appear at the school and Voldemort would then start making moves.... Chapter 20 - Ozs Core Since it was coming up to the end of the year, the first years had a lot of homework to go though before the term finished. Oz already had his all done however he was asked by both Craig and Cho if he could help them out as they still had a lot to finish. Currently they were all sat in the library, working on different ?ssignments. Craig was heaving a sigh at the mountain of homework he still had left. "Ughh... Why do they give us first years so much bloody homework? You''d think they''d ease us into magic in our first year not dump it all on our heads!". Cho looked at Craig and chuckled. "Come now Craig, if you want to be an auror do you truly think not doing homework is the way to go about it? If you don''t pick up the pace your surely gonna get scolded by the teachers!". Craig paled at that thought, especially so seeing as the one class he had hardly any homework done in was potions. "Ozzy man can we talk about something else for a minute besides work, I just want a second away from it all...". Oz smirked at Craig. Ozzy was the nickname Craig gave to Oz as it felt in his words ''Cooler''. "I''m fine with that, after all im all done with my homework its just your sorry ?ss that isn''t". "Ozzy I got one question for you though man, how did you get so good with magic at such a young age? When we were on that train you managed to fix the window beautifully! That''s something I certainly couldn''t do...". Cho stopped doing her homework when she hear Craig ask this question, looking up into Oz''s eyes it seemed she wanted to add her piece as well. "Yeah... that reminds me Oz, you managed to use that spell to stop me falling off a cliff... how on earth is your magic that advanced already? Most of the first years can b?r?ly keep basic spells up but I know the one you used to save me was an advanced spell learnt in later years". Oz felt a bit bewildered by the questions pointed at him. After thinking about it for a second he decided to tell them how he advanced his core back when he first came to this world. "When I was five I found my core within me, my magic core that is, I was able to exhaust its magic over and over again with a simple sparkle spell. Doing this allowed the core to grow each time it was exhausted. As for knowledge of spells and such I... found a few books on the matter while in the Orphanage, allowing me to get a bit of a head start". Craig and Cho both looked shocked at what Oz had said. Craig being the first to respond. "You found your core at five?! most kids don''t discover theirs until 10! I personally always asked my parents when I was younger when my core was going to appear and they''d say it appears in everyone just before their magical maturity!". Cho looked at Oz deeply with a slight concern. "There were noble families once who used to try and get their children''s cores to present itself earlier than usual to give them a head start but it would always end up with the child becoming a squib or worse dying... How on earth did you get your core to present itself so early?" ''I did always think it was strange... I found my core at five and just exhausting it made me stronger than everyone else... Surely this kind of method would be used by nearly everyone if it were that easy. Is there something else at play here? Could it be again that my connection to Merlin allowed for me to find my core easier and use magic easier also? or did that void being give me more than he was letting on...'' Oz looked at both Craig and Cho whose eyes seemed to be eager for an answer. "I don''t know what to tell you both, really. I grew up in an orphanage with nothing better to do so I''d always meditate to relax myself... I never knew finding a core that early was something serious". Craig threw his head back with a sigh, obviously not satisfied with Oz''s answer. "Ozzy man I swear you''re smart most of the time but when it comes to certain things your brain malfunctions. I remember when I saw you on the train you had those wands of yours strapped to your waist like bloody revolvers! I can''t believe it took you a few months to realise that wand holsters were a thing hahaha". Craig and Cho both burst into laughter whenever they thought of Oz''s wands at the beginning of the year. It was the only thing they could tease him about considering how on the ball he was usually. Oz sighed looking at the two of them laugh. ''I can''t lie that when I initially came to this world there were a lot of things that took me by surprise. I know the Harry Potter canon and events surrounding it like the back of my hand but my knowledge of the wizarding world as a whole? now thats severely lacking still...''. Oz looked at Craig who was still giggling to himself. "Craig you can giggle all your life if you want to, but if you giggle now Snape is gonna curse you for not doing his homework". Craig''s face then dropped. "Ah shit the homework!". . After the study session with Craig and Cho, Oz went to the RoR, this time hoping to break through into the next core level. ''The next level I reach will allow me to be on par with most of the teachers...'' Oz was still thinking about the earlier conversation with Cho and Craig about his core. Such a thing was truly an enigma to him, the only answer he could come up with was that his connection to Merlin came into play allowing for him to find his core earlier or something. ''This summer coming I really need to do an inheritance test, If the Goblins have anything of Merlin''s left for possible descendants then maybe I could learn more about my situation...''. Oz eventually reached the middle of the RoR sitting down on the floor. Looking within himself he saw his core that was a mix of black and white, signifying his connection with both the dark arts and the light. ''Balance... what represents balance in the world? I need to think of a structure that is stable... something that lets both the light and dark magic within communicate with each other...'' ''If I structure the pool of magic within me like a taijitu, then surely that will work? using the dark to stimulate the light and the light to calm the dark... in all honesty this is new territory now, most other witches or wizards would pick the easy route of one side and just focus on that. The only person before me to do this that I can think of is probably Merlin''. Oz settled on this idea and went for it. ''Well its the only idea ive got, so time to go for broke!''. With that Oz started moving the magic within him to be perfectly balanced. Oz''s core was already ready to breakthrough it was just that the balance within him wasn''t perfect, this in turn barred Oz from the next level. After what felt like hours to Oz of intricately moving around his magic he finally succeeded, an extremely powerful boom of magic emanated from him knocking over all the mannequins in the room. Within himself his core had grown from a pond of magic to the size of a lake and the lake itself looked like a taijitu symbol from above. ''Finally its balanced out... I don''t need to worry about that old snake trying to ensnare me with dark magic now on...''. The breakthrough was a qualitive leap up for Oz in many areas. Having this balance allowed for him to not be bewitched by the dark arts. In response to his breakthrough both his wands let out a strong aura. "Hahaha, are you two congratulating me or something?". With a smile, Oz then left the RoR feeling satisfied with what he had accomplished. Chapter 21 - Ambrosius Bloodline Oz''s first year at Hogwarts was finally coming to a close and with that the dilemma of where he''d be going over summer was arising. Oz only had one thing on his mind though, to go and do his inheritance test. If Merlin did indeed leave anything for his descendants then maybe there''s answer there about how Oz should progress with his magic and life from this time onwards. ''I probably should have put more thought into where I''d go after this year... but it hasn''t exactly been a calm year of school now has it?'' Oz reminisced at the year that had passed, so many things went awry and while all his main plans he had for his first year were completed besides procuring the marauders map, It was one hell of a journey to get here. ''My placement in Slytherin, learning my connection to Merlin, Learning under Salazar... Everything came out of left field. I thought when you reincarnate everything''s supposed to go your way...'' As Oz was walking down the halls of Hogwarts brooding over the past year, Craig spotted him from afar. "Yo Ozzy! what''s your plans for the summer man? Think me and my family are going on holiday to Spain!" Oz looked at the boy who had come bounding over. Craig a lad he had only met briefly at the beginning of the year was now a good friend of his, someone he could talk to besides Cho and his owl. "I think I''ll be trying to get a summer job somewhere... or something...". "A summer job huh? thats so like you to be working even in the summer...". Whenever Craig talked to Oz, Oz still felt a slight stifling atmosphere for some reason. Maybe it was because of how much of a social bu??erfly he was? or maybe it was Oz still feeling the age gap between them as a barrier of some sort. "You always do that you know Ozzy, falling deep into thought like that. its like you know the worlds going to come to an end eventually or something". Oz picked his head up to look at Craig. ''Why is this guy so randomly sharp on things like this?''. "Its because unlike you I have a brain that thinks" Craig gave Oz a jab in the gut for that comment, both laughing it off afterwards. "Well Ozzy I''ll see you around next year! hopefully we can stick together all of next year unlike this one where it was only the last few months!". After Craig left, Oz continued back to his room in the dungeons. After packing up everything he needed to take with him he headed for the train that would take him back to London. ''All things considered this year went smoothly in some ways... I''m surprised the teachers didn''t interfere with me at all. Surely they must have noticed something strange about my origin...'' Oz pushed all his stray thoughts to the side as he stepped onto the train back to London. His first year at Hogwarts had come to an end. ''Let''s see if that old snakes actually telling the truth...'' . Oz walked through the busy streets of Diagon Alley, after wading through the sea of witches and wizards Oz eventually came up upon Gringotts. ''Expect the unexpected Oz, a number of things could happen here now...''. After collecting himself, Oz walked into the bank. The bank itself looked exactly the same as it did at the beginning of the year, before he went on his journey to Hogwarts. As he was walking towards the head desk he spotted the investments desk off to the side. ''I would go check those investments but they wont come into fruition until the firebolt is properly released and thats not until 1993...'' Oz eventually reached the head desk, a stern goblin sorting papers was sat behind it. "Uh.. excuse me? im here for an inheritance test". "An inheritance test you say? What bloodline are you testing for..." ''I guess I''d be testing under Merlin''s second name.... that''d be....'' "The Ambrosius bloodline" The goblin behind the counters jaw dropped at Oz''s comment, the surrounding goblins who overheard Oz''s comment all dropped their papers as well in shock. The goblin behind the desk then smacked his hands down firmly creating a loud bang that reverberated through Gringotts. "Ambrosius?! you want to test for Merlin''s bloodline?! are you playing with me boy! such a bloodline hasn''t been discovered for centuries! If we wanted to test you for it we''d need to get one of the heads of Gringotts to come and do the test personally! Taking up their time is something we can''t afford to do if your test comes up false... Are you sure you want to test for his bloodline boy?". Oz looked around at all the shocked goblins before turning to the goblin at the desk again. "I''m sure, some... old snake informed me of my connection to him and I feel I need to confirm it for sure". Seeing Oz''s conviction, the goblin behind the desk sent a message to the top brass. After a while of waiting, the goblin received a reply and started ushering Oz upstairs into the top floors of Gringotts. ''Its the head goblin from the first film, the one who harry meets''. The head goblin walked up to Oz looking him up and down before talking. "So you''re the boy who wants to test for Merlin''s bloodline ey? A bold claim to make... If you truly are a descendant of the legendary Merlin then we will do all we can to ?ssist you in the future. However..." The rooms atmosphere took on a slight chill as the head goblin stopped talking. Oz stood firm and straight, looking the goblin dead in the eyes. "If you are playing me for a fool then the consequences will be severe...". Oz looked deeply and coldly at the head goblin in front of him, he didn''t take kindly to such obvious threats. "I''d like to see you even try to lay a hand on me Goblin". The head goblin looked at Oz in surprise at his comment. "Such a strong conviction for a boy your age... lets hope you can back up the conviction with actual results". "The Ambrosius bloodline... such a bloodline is so old that only our most advanced kit can detect it. Do be patient while we fetch the best testing kit we have". After several minutes of waiting the stern goblin returned with the inheritance kit. "Now boy, im going to draw some blood from you". A slight prick was administered to Oz''s arm with that, and a decent amount of blood extracted. "I do apologise for the amount of blood we need but as you should know such an old and legendary bloodline is something we need to diagnose carefully..." The blood was then placed in a kind of bowl that came with the kit, after some time sitting in that bowl the results became clear to the goblins. The head goblins countenance changed from calmness to pure shock. Looking at the results of the test he muttered. "The boy is actually telling the truth! A connection to the legendary Merlin has finally been found!" Oz looked at the two goblins who seemed to be in awe of the result, at least this told him now for sure he was Merlin''s descendant. ''So I really am a descendant of Merlin... Why though? why did the void being do this? he said my special ability was ''Perfect Memory'' and thats all I get... did he just do this for fun or is there something more here to unravel?'' "It seems you are truly a descendant of Merlin child, such a noble bloodline indeed. Please forgive me for my roughness earlier, Could I ask you for your name?" Oz took a moment before answering, he smiled as he thought of the answer. "It''s Oz.... Oz Ambrosius". Chapter 22 - Inheritance After hours of filling in paperwork after the test, Oz was now legally a proper descendant of Merlin. The head goblin kindly guided Oz through every bit of paperwork he needed to do, probably as a way of apologising and showing sincerity after the sternness and coldness he showed prior to the test. After finishing all the paperwork, the head goblin turned to Oz. "Deep inside Gringotts we have some of the oldest vaults imaginable. Ill personally guide you down there now to the Ambrosius vault". Oz smiled widely at the head goblin''s comment. ''So they do have things left over from Merlin! Honestly it was a shot in the dark in my book, I thought such things would have decayed or disappeared over time''. Both the head goblin and Oz then proceeded down into the depths of Gringotts. The further down they travelled however, the more shocked Oz became. ''How far down into the depths does Gringotts go!?'' The vaults passing by at this point were all witches and wizards that had history to them, legendary names whose inheritances had sadly been left to rot. Finally after travelling down into what felt like near the earths core, Oz and the head goblin finally arrived at a vault door. The vault door itself was small but it felt strangely familiar to Oz. above the door in powerful writing the vault was labelled: ''AMBROSIUS VAULT'' Oz stared at the vault for a while before walking up to it with the head goblin in tow. "Please stand back Mr Ambrosius, the wards placed on this door are dense so it will take me some time to unravel them all". The head goblin then spent a decent amount of time in front of the door doing all manner of hand gestures as well as incantations. Finally after half an hour of waiting, the door opened. "Such a vault is something I cant personally enter Mr Ambrosius, Please enter and gather everything you need. Afterwards we will proceed back up to Gringotts". After taking a long and deep breath, Oz walks in. . Oz didn''t know what to expect when walking into the vault. Could it possess magical items? books maybe? Oz had no clue. What he saw however stumped him. The vault itself was barren, basically empty except for what was in the middle of the room. In the middle stood a pedestal with very intricate detailing on it depicting a snake eating its tail. On top of the pedestal only two items were placed. ''A book and... a ring? what sort of inheritance is this?'' Oz walked up to both items, grabbing the book first he stared at the cover. ''The book doesn''t even have a title... what kind of thing has Merlin left for me here?'' Oz opened the book and started reading the first page: ''To my descendants, seeing as you are reading this book it means that you are lost in the ways of magic, unsure how to progress forward. Us of the Ambrosius bloodline progress quickly until our cores reach the second step, after that progression slows to a halt due to our cores being of both light and dark, ying and yang. In this book is a ritual, think of it as a test of some sorts that those of the Ambrosius bloodline must undergo throughout their childhood years. For this ritual you must collect a number of things from different legendary magical beasts, the more you collect the better the reward the ritual brings to you. To give you a head start, I''ve left something special inside this pedestal, An item that is extremely hard to come by and will help immensely going forward. I hope you thrive and prosper my descendant, Merlin Ambrosius'' Oz stared at the message left in the book for him for a while. ''Merlin... this man truly isn''t simple. The wizarding community right now probably don''t even know the surface of such a man let alone what his true capability was. This ritual alone is something that would send the world into an uproar''. ''Wand synthesis, using a powerful artefact as a catalyst you can fuse two wands together to create a wand with perfect balance. The wands power will multiply with that...'' Oz''s jaw dropped seeing this note. ''Wand synthesis?! did Merlin also have two wands but fused them into one? It wouldn''t be a far-fetched theory seeing as though I''m walking the same path he is, maybe two wands chose him also but he found such an arrangement not to his liking so to appease both wands egos he fused them into one entity...'' Oz smiled looking down at the book, this whole book would certainly become a boon for him. ''Legendary beasts though... I can think of a number of beasts that appear at Hogwarts in the next years that will be useful. The basilisk, the dragons, the dementors, all appear at Hogwarts eventually. If I can use all of them in the ritual then surely the reward will be huge...''. Oz looked over to the ring next to the book. The ring had the design of a snake eating its tail, the same design that was on the pedestal. After Oz placed it on his finger, he felt a sharp pain and with that blood soaked into the ring. ''It must be testing to see if im truly of Ambrosius descent. Merlin really was a meticulous man wasn''t he...''. After identifying Oz the ring glowed brightly and Oz felt his mind defences strengthen immensely. Along with that, his core was completely masked hiding it away from any prying eyes. ''Incredible...''. ''Now for the finale. I wonder what Merlin left for me within the pedestal....'' Chapter 23 - Stuck in Diagon Alley Oz opened the pedestal and looking down in he was shocked at what he saw. Inside the pedestal was a heart and the heart in question was still beating and emanating powerful magic. Oz stared a the heart enamoured with it before turning to the note left beside it. The note read: ''Dragon''s Heart'' Oz stared at the note in shock. ''A dragon''s heart!? Merlin left me a heart for the ritual?! Its not far fetched to think he came across a dragon or two in his lifetime but this heart still has a pulse! how powerful was the dragon in which Merlin killed?!'' Oz felt himself being drawn in by the heart. As he stared, he felt as if he could hear whispers coming from the heart enticing him. ''... Merlin''s connection to dragons is known throughout history, I thought he would have just studied the beasts not slayed them. If this is what he left for me though then I must use it, it would be a shame to waste something so precious''. Oz looking at the heart within its encased box decided to leave it here in the vault so it would remain safe, when the time arises for him to do the ritual he would come to pick it up. ''So a heart, a book and a ring... You certainly didn''t disappoint Merlin. Its strange though... I cant shake this feeling that all of these items mean something. It''s almost as if...'' Oz paused his thoughts for a moment, the theory he came up with made no sense yet it stuck in his mind as something Merlin was trying to tell him by leaving him this stuff. ''It''s almost as if you were preparing for something, as if you knew in the future something would happen...''. Oz didn''t know if the theory he came up with was even viable but his heart couldn''t shake the feeling that it had some substance. Leaving such powerful items for descendants is normal after all so it shouldn''t be seen as strange, but the items left by Merlin were things that could push a wizard to their limits. Even when quickly flicking through the book Oz saw that within the ritual Merlin had notes and knowledge about the human anatomy and those notes were much more advanced than what modern wizards would know. Even modern technology was just on par with Merlin''s notes which is a testament to how advanced Merlin was as a wizard. Would such a wizard truly die simply? ''I can think about this all day but will probably never come up with an answer... If Merlin truly is trying to prepare me for something then ill just continue what im doing. Last year taught me to roll with the punches given and expect the unexpected after all, im sure whatever events happen in the future as long as I prepare I should be able to combat them''. Oz then turned his back away from the pedestal and walked out the Ambrosius Vault. . After leaving Gringotts, Oz was now left in a predicament. ''Shit... where do I go? I don''t want to go back to the Orphanage but it may be that I have no choice in the matter...'' Oz looked down through the bustling Diagon Alley, a sigh escaping his lips. He wanted to stay in this kind of place or at least a place that was nearby, being in that Orphanage separated him from the wizarding world by miles. ''I still have money left over from the beginning of the year... could I rent a room in the Leaky Cauldron? I''d only be able to last there for a couple weeks though... I''d need more money''. Even though magic seemed like it reigned supreme in this world Oz still couldn''t escape the thing known as money. It plagued him in his past life when he couldn''t get a job and in this one he still had nothing to his name. Oz walked towards the Leaky Cauldron at that, deciding to buy a room for a couple weeks. ''In this couple of weeks I need to come up with some kind of money making scheme... Surely with the knowledge I''ve gathered in the past while at Hogwarts I can make something thats useful. What''s something that was in my past life that was extremely useful that no wizards or witches use...'' As Oz arrived at the Leaky Cauldron door via Diagon Alley he stopped himself. ''Wait... are they even going to let me book a room?''. Oz stared at the door for a while before deciding to just go for it. The result was luckily in his favour as "Witches and Wizards with a wand are seen as functioning ?du?ts in the wizarding community to an extent". Oz paid in full for a couple weeks and now he was almost broke. Climbing upstairs to his room he began to think. ''I only have a few galleons left and desperately need money in order to stay here for the duration of summer... with the trace on me I cant exactly use magic much as well... Is there a way to circumvent the trace?''. Oz looked within himself finding a foreign piece of magic attached to him. ''It may be risky... but what If I surrounded it in a barrier? something that made it so any magical activation isn''t detected by it. Then I can use magic whenever I want''. After coming to a decision, Oz carefully started manipulating the magic within him to form a barrier around the trace. Since he wasn''t activating a spell and merely moving magic within his body, the trace didn''t send any alarms to the ministry. He took his time, slowly encasing the trace within a barrier that would fool its senses. ''This in a way is much like Occlumency, using a barrier with wrong signals to fool anyone trying to pry...''. ''Thats one roadblock out the way. Now what to do to make money....''. Chapter 24 - Break-In Oz spent the next couple of days within the leaky cauldron playing around with his magic and refining his control. While doing this he was constantly thinking of ideas to make money. ''I could pickpocket again... but thats a slow strategy, I only b?r?ly managed back in the orphanage over those years. I think I need to do one big thing that gets me a lot of money then use that money to create a product or something that can be marketed''. Oz was dead set on creating something for the wizarding community as it had a number of benefits. Also with his connection to Gringotts, with the upper brass knowing who he is, he could easily make a deal with them in regards to selling a product. The problem Oz had was that he needed an initial investment before he could start work on creating a product. ''There''s a number of things I could have done in Hogwarts to make money but I was too distracted with the events going on. I spent a whole year dedicated to magic without thinking of the future... I really need to reel myself in again and think of the bigger picture from now on''. Oz sighed to himself as he walked over to the window of his room. ''I should have just taken some things to sell from the RoR... what do I do now...'' While kicking himself Oz Looked out of his windows in the Leaky Cauldron. As he was thinking about what to do next he saw a police car on the road out his window arresting a group of people. Looking at this situation, an idea formed in Oz''s mind. ''...If I cloak myself and go into a police station maybe I can acquire some documents on gangs in the area? After locating their bases I could cloak myself and steal all they have to offer leaving them completely blindsided by what''s happening. Its not exactly perfect but this seems to be the quickest method I can think of...''. Oz turned back into his room to look down at the book he had been reading, the book in question was the one from Merlin''s vault. ''Would it have killed you to leave some kind of money for your descendants old man? At least then I wouldn''t have to bother with such ludicrous plans...''. Sighing to himself Oz walked over to the book and placed it within his pouch. ''I have just over a week, in that time I need to break into a police station and find information on gangs in the area. After that I need to spend some nights raiding gang hideouts to procure funds, after which I can then use to pay for the rest of the weeks I''m going to be here as well as start working on a product to market to the public''. A plan had formed and cemented itself within Oz''s mind. The plan was risky and volatile but it was the best he could come up with right now. ''Well I better start moving''. . On the night of Oz''s decision he walked out into the streets of London going towards where the main police station was. After locating it he hid himself in a back alley, blocking the trace then cloaking himself with a spell. ''All I need is information... Such information should be held in the chief''s office in the police station''. Oz waited outside the station while cloaked. The second the door opened he let himself in. Walking up through he took his time just to be sure that he doesn''t expose himself, finally after reaching the top floor he saw a door labelled: ''CHIEF''S OFFICE'' ''If I were a betting boy that''d be where the documents I need are...'' Oz turned to look at the security cameras. Casting a couple spells he knocked out the cameras video feed. ''That takes care of that, Ill only have some time before people start coming up to see what happened...''. Walking up to the door Oz uttered a soft "Alohomora" unlocking it, after which he entered quietly closing the door behind him. "Accio map!" A few maps came flying towards Oz, all of which he controlled with his wands to fall in front of him on the table. ''Okay lets get searching through this all quickly before anyone comes''. Looking through the maps all manner of things were scribbled onto them. Oz eventually found a map of London in the pile with X''s on different buildings and the map was labelled ''Possible Hideouts/Locations''. ''This is it''. After finding the map Oz looked at the map for a while imprinting it in his mind. His ''Perfect Memory'' would allow him to recall all the details after he had seen it once. ''These are only possible hideouts but some should be correct, there seem to be a few near where im based in the Leaky Cauldron...'' Oz then put all the different maps back to where they had been accio''d from. Just as he put back the last map, he heard people running up the stairs. ''I better get out of here quick''. Oz looked over to the window in the chiefs office and use his wand to opened it. He was three stories up but such a height should be easy to land from with magic. "Arresto Momentum" The spell slowed his fall as his feet landed on the ground softly. Turning around he looked up at the window he jumped from. ''Step one complete...''. Pleased with what he had accomplished, Oz walked off into the night. . Arriving back at the Leaky Cauldron Oz laid down on his bed looking up at the ceiling. Exhaustion washed over his body from the sheer amount of magic he had used in the past hour casting spells, cloaking himself and blocking the trace. ''Man who would have thought I''d be doing shit like this in my next life...'' Closing his eyes he recalled the map he saw in the police station. ''There was an X on a building thats nearby here, the X was pretty pronounced too with a lot of different notes surrounding it so hopefully that was one of the more probable hideouts. Ill head there tomorrow night...'' After deciding the location he''d raid, Oz felt himself slowly fall into a deep sleep. ''I should send a letter to Cho and Craig soon......'' Chapter 25 - Cruel Reality After a day of rest Oz was ready to go to the Gang hideout nearby. He prepared himself carefully wanting to be doubly sure that he wasn''t going to miss anything. ''On that map it said that there was a "possible cellar", if its something the police have researched then surely the cellar is the point of interest''. Putting a hood on, Oz ran out into the night towards the building in question. ''Ill break in and go down to the cellar in question, if there''s anywhere they''d keep valuables it''d be there''. Cloaking himself, Oz came up on the building and his senses were telling him there were a lot of people inside. ''Get in, get out. thats all I need to do''. Oz found a window on the far-side and unlocked it with ''Alohomora'' allowing himself in. After which he quietly sneaked around until he saw a door someone had just come up from, the man in question who had just appeared had a smug grin on his face as he walked off towards another room. Walking up to the door the man had appeared from Oz saw a staircase down. ''Sometimes I get too lucky with things like this...'' Oz looked down the staircase with a slight grin on his face. He entered while quietly closing the door after him. Oz then walked down the staircase until he finally reached the bottom and at the bottom he was presented with a room with a heavy duty door. The door gave Oz a start as... ''That door actually has wards on it!''. Oz felt his hold body shake for a second. ''This isn''t a muggle gang this is a wizard gang! to be able to ward off a door so well... the police in the area would never have been able to find it! they would have just been chasing their tail... How have no aurors or the ministry in general not found this place? Is the ministry already corrupt?'' ''I need to be even more careful now, anything could signal those wizards...''. Walking up to the door Oz started to unravel the wards carefully. After several minutes he had all the wards unravelled and he was able to take a peak inside the room. ''Let''s see what you got down here then...'' Oz slowly opened the door just in case someone was already in there and as the door fully opened Oz fell back a bit in shock. ''People?! there''s people down here! they are all broken and bruised, knocked out and left for dead! That bastard who walked up... he must have done this shit!''. Oz felt his blood boil at the scenario he was now in, looking around there room there was all manner of people. Finally after combing the room Oz spotted a girl in the corner, balled up crying. None of the people in the room had noticed Oz opening the door, they were all too broken to notice. Seeing the girl, Oz''s last nerve finally snapped. ''These fu?kers... I planned on just coming in and stealing their money but now my plan has changed''. Oz''s heart thumped louder and louder with each passing minute, his anger rising. For a normally calm boy he was experiencing something innate right now. A dragon like anger was taking over all his senses. ''These fu?kers who caused this don''t deserve to live!'' . Oz immediately ran up the stairs after his discovery, walking towards the room the man had went into after coming up from downstairs. The man in question was sitting in a chair talking to a bunch of others around him. "Nothings better than beating up a few muggleborns to get the blood pumping! If that little baby shit didn''t take out the dark lord we could be doing so much more than this..." One of the other men in the room turned to the guy and spoke. "Do you really believe the dark lord died just because of that? He was an immensely powerful wizard im sure he will return soon, then we can torture all the muggleborns we want! Hahahaha". Looking at this conversation Oz now had an idea of what was happening. ''These fu?kers... they''re left overs of that voldecunts army. Such bastards truly don''t deserve to live''. Oz looked down at his yew wood wand, one that didn''t get much attention until this point. ''It''s time for you to go wild friend''. Oz, still cloaked, walked up behind the man who had just been downstairs. He pointed his wand at his neck and muttered: "Diffindo" The man who had been talking jovially suddenly stopped, the other people in the room looked at him in confusion. While looking they saw the mans head slowly part from his neck. "Shit! we''re being attacked! Where is the bastard whose doing this!" Oz''s cloak spell was exceptionally powerful in regards to these weak rabble. His core was second step and with that the quality of his magic was on an Auror level and this kind of hideout was one that mad-eye moody could take out with his mad-eye closed. Simply put, They had no clue where he was. Oz then looped around the room quickly casting "Diffindo" on each person who was searching for him, all their heads flew off as they were killed. Finally there was only one man left, the one who had said that the dark lord would return soon. Oz uncloaked himself, showing himself to the man in question. "There you are you bastard! I''ll have you begging for death soon!" Oz stared coldly at the man from under his hood. Just as the man went to cast a spell Oz reacted faster disarming him with an "Expelliarmus" The man backed up and fell onto a couch with a scared face. "W-w-wait w-we can t-talk this out r-right? what is it y-you want?" Oz walked slowly up to the man he had just disarmed, his anger slowly subsiding after killing most of the offenders. "I initially only came here for money, but your life now seems more valuable". The man started sweating profusely. "STO-..." Midway through his plea, Oz casted another "diffindo" slicing the mans head off. The simplest spells sometimes gave the best effect. Oz stood around all the people he had killed as his body sobered up. Looking around he came to a realization. ''This is the first time I''ve killed in either life... and it was so easy...''. Trying not to dwell on it Oz used accio''d to gather money from all the now dead wizards. He gathered a rather decent sum doing this, Enough so that it would pay for his accommodation amongst other things. With that, Oz turned to the staircase. ''I better let those people free''. Chapter 26 - Aftermath Oz walked back down the house to where the muggleborn witches and wizards were being kept. His emotions were still rolling after what he had done, but he didn''t regret it. Killing was something he needed to get used to in a world like this else he''d become soft, he didn''t want to become a non-lethal attacker like all the witches and wizards in the order of the phoenix. Finally reaching the door he swung it open, the people inside flinched for a second until they realised who opened the door. A boy stood around 5"2 with a hood on. "Those people are gone now, you''re all free to leave..." All the muggleborn witches and wizards in the room stared at Oz in disbelief before breaking down into tears. The girl huddled in the corner stared at Oz, her eyes red from crying. She was the first to walk up to Oz and speak to him: "T-thank you sir, t-t-they''ve been torturing us for-r months now... You''re like a hero!". Oz stared at the girl whose eyes shone with renewed hope. "I''m no hero girl, I came here in order to steal money from these gang wizards. Finding you all was just a coincidence I couldn''t let slide. Now all of you head off, If you didn''t know we are located near the leaky cauldron so I imagine it wont be hard for you to contact people you know". As Oz started leaving he remembered something, turning around he looked at all the witches and wizards who were still jolly from finally being free. "One favour you can all do for me? don''t ever mention I was here... say that a random auror or something came and broke you out. Although you cant see my face one wrong comment about height and stature could put me in some issues". All the people in the room nodded in compliance, with that Oz left. The girl watched him leave with her eyes. ''I wonder if I''ll meet him again...''. . Returning to his room in the Leaky Cauldron Oz sat down on his bed and looked down at his hands. ''This just all needs to be another lesson for me...''. Oz thought back on the events that had just happened and realised how foolish he had been. He doesn''t regret killing those bastards that tortured those people but thinking back he could have easily disabled that last guy and got him to speak on where more money was or if there were any other hideouts. Feeling his whole body shiver Oz walked over to his desk and decided to write a letter to both Cho and Craig to keep himself calm and occupied. Of course the contents of the letter would omit the details on what he''s been up to in the past few days. As he began writing about what he had been doing the past few days since leaving Hogwarts, his thoughts rolled in. ''I never did tell them much about my living situation... I still feel like im a background character in a world where a story is happening rather than being within that story. Maybe thats where my problem lies...''. Oz when he first came to this world wanted to stay out of the original story as much as possible. It may seem selfish but he just wanted to enjoy this life, use his knowledge of the future for his own benefit and live freely after all the bad events had occurred. Even though he was granted power and knowledge he''s still human and he only wanted to make something of himself in this world up to a certain point where he could live comfortably without regrets, maybe also finishing it all of with marrying a woman and having a family. But only now was he starting to realise that his presence in this world had already started to change the canon. A bu??erfly effect was already in motion and things were changing day by day. His what seemed like small interactions with people have probably already snowballed into something much greater, especially after what had happened today. Oz sat thinking about the events to come, Harry joining Hogwarts, the struggle all the students go through, how harry was left stuck with the Dursleys and abused for all those years. Could Oz truly say he lived a life without regrets if he let such things happen while having knowledge of it? How could he live with himself? He wouldn''t be able to, thats the answer. Eventually one day the guilt of letting years of abuse and pain happen just for his own life to go well would eat him up. Oz looked at himself in the mirror above his desk in the room. He felt ashamed of what he was planning on becoming. He felt annoyed at his own foolishness. He felt embarrassed by his own ineptitude. ''I cant let these events happen knowing that they are going to happen. I need to step in, I need to make a wave in this world big enough that it stops all these bad events from happening in the first place''. His eyes began to glow with a new fire. He didn''t want to be a background character in this world, He wanted to be apart of it, he wanted to change its course and allow for a better ending for all. With his heart steeled he felt his psyche calm immensely, now he had a clear cut goal in this world instead of just getting stronger. ''I''m in a perfect place to make contact with Harry, he should turn up here the day before the next Hogwarts''s term. If I introduce myself kindly and create a connection then surely that will go a long way. With that as a starting point I can start to help him...'' Oz finished writing letters to both Cho and Craig, telling them how he was boarding at the Leaky Cauldron over the summer and was just relaxing inside reading. He took the letters in question over to his Owl, Kuro, who chirped at the prospect of delivering something. Oz watched Kuro fly off into the night. ''As I need to change so does the world...'' ============================================================ Important change: (Chapter 5) Instead of Pandora giving Oz her notes, Xenophilius accidently picks them up along with the other books and puts them in the pouch they give to Oz. Felt it was weird indeed that she would give spell formula to such a young child. Minor change: (Chapter 8) Mcgonagall and Oz have a conversation briefly prior to Oz walking around Diagon alley about him going alone. Felt strange not adding such an interaction as most teachers wouldn''t just leave their students to go off to buy their own things. (Chapter 4) Reworked Oz''s pickpocketing scheme, instead of him being instantly good explains how he was bad at first but got better in time. If he was a master from the get go he would have gotten himself much much more but he only managed 900 in 3 years. (If you think about it thats pretty terrible as most ?du?t muggles would probably hold at least 20-30 pounds in their wallets at all times, In 3 years he only managed to pickpocket 30 odd people if you round it up and estimate it). - Another change in chapter 4 is how Oz pours magic into his eyes. The eyes being the most delicate place on a human seemed weird for Oz to just be able to wing it and be able to see further and see wards. Changed it from being so easy to his eyes nearly bursting from the pressure.. The eye technique works though for the seconds he has it on and he manages to luckily spot a blur (the ward) and a familiar hill. Chapter 27 - Health Specs Oz woke up the next day feeling slightly exhausted but still revitalised by last nights mental breakthrough. Now he had a goal in the world he felt much more relaxed, like he could calmly deal with each event to come. Starting off the day Oz went down to the bar of the leaky cauldron and used the money he had pilfered from the Voldemort sympathisers to pay off the rest of his stay. After paying it all off Oz still had a rather large sum of money to use in his endeavour to create a product for the wizard public. Oz had been thinking on what he wanted to create for a while now and he had finally come to a conclusion. ''Using my knowledge of anatomy pared with Merlin''s notes left on anatomy via the ritual... I have a decent grasp on what needs to be seen in order to tell if someone''s ill or sick. If I combine glasses with an enchantment that allows a user to see through a person but only enough to see the persons bones and muscle, maybe I can create something that will be beneficial to a lot of people in the health industry...'' As soon as Oz was set on the idea he got to work, going into Diagon Alley he bought all the materials he required and went back to his room in the Leaky Cauldron. For the next couple weeks he would recluse in his room trying his hardest to create this product before summers end and have it released under a Pseudonym. ''What should I call this product of mine? Health-Glasses? Inspection specs? hmmm... my naming sense has always been terrible, maybe I should just go simple and call them Health Specs''. With an idea and a name Oz began work in his room. . Several weeks had passed and Oz hardly left his room in the Leaky Cauldron. He spent most of his time sat staring at different glasses trying to enchant them carefully so they could house a, what Oz called, inspection enchantment. The difficulty here for Oz was the fact he had to not only enchant a pair of glasses, but also create the enchantment as a whole. If the output was too powerful you''d see through a person or a wall instead and if the output was too weak you''d just see through a persons clothes and not their body. ''Although these are technically defunct I should still keep them for a rainy day...'' After what felt like months to Oz of toiling he finally created his product. Looking down at himself he was able to see his entire bodies bones and muscles. On the side of the glasses you could up the concentration to allow to see deeper within the human body with the limit being the five viscera and nervous system. ''This is perfect! If I get Gringotts to market this then surely it will be huge!''. Oz didn''t realise at the time but the feat he had achieved was something truly outstanding. Using his knowledge of modern technology along with his powerful control in magic he was able to create something that not only would help him in the long run but help out everyone in need. ''The only issue here is that I''ll be helping out the other side too... Well I can''t exactly ban death eaters from buying the product, they will just find ways to circumvent it and they may even come for me in retaliation''. This product truly was one of a kind though and something only Oz could conceive with his knowledge. Happy with all the results, Oz left his room heading off the Gringotts to get this product patented and sold off to the public. As Oz was walking towards Gringotts he saw a man handing out the Daily Prophet. Usually Oz would ignore such a thing but after his decision to become a part of this world and not watch it from the outside in he decided instead to buy a paper today and see what was going on in the Wizarding World. To his surprise, the front page of the newspaper read: ''MERLINS DESCENDANT DISCOVERED, AMBROSIUS BLOODLINE REVIVED''. Oz looked through the entire paper quickly but luckily there was no passage showing him being that descendant. The majority of the paper was just describing how such a person was discovered recently in Gringotts, however Gringotts kept a tight lip on who the person was. ''Now that this information is circulating though... It means eventually people will find out who I am. I''m already strong enough to defend myself against common witches and wizards but I need to get stronger in order to defend myself properly against any threat''. Reading the rest of the newspaper, Oz found nothing else that was noteworthy and decided to just stuff the newspaper into his pouch. Finally after this all he arrived at Gringotts. Walking in Oz headed straight for the head desk, this time behind it was the head goblin which simplified things for Oz. Walking up Oz gave the goblin a smile and said: "Its been a while Head, how''s business" The head goblin looked at Oz, a smirk planted on his face. "Business has been going well, gold lining our pockets Mr Am- Ahem... Mr Oz. Something tells me you''re coming here to help our business as well?" Oz looked at the goblin in front of him with a sigh. ''Seriously do these guys smell money and opportunities?'' "I do have something I want to start producing and selling to the wizard public. I have the instructions on how to make the products with me as well. If you could share with me some of your time, then hopefully we can come to an agreement". The head goblin smiled and nodded at Oz''s request. He called over another goblin to take his place at the desk as he took Oz into one of Gringotts''s back rooms. "So Mr Oz, what is the product you would like to sell through us today?". Oz smiled as he put the glasses on the table in front of the Goblin. "These are what I call... Health Specs. An item created by me and enchanted by me with a custom enchantment. If you put the glasses on you will be able to see through a wizard, seeing all their anatomy has to offer. By using the dial on the side of the glasses you can adjust the power of which you see through for maximum precision when diagnosing. Such an item I think will be a boon to the Wizarding community". The head goblin looked shocked at what Oz was describing, if this product was truly what Oz described then it would surely help the community immensely. After putting on the glasses himself and demoing them, the goblin found that Oz was indeed telling the truth and these glasses were the real deal. "Truly remarkable Mr Oz, It''s obvious to me that you''ve also inherited your ancestors talent for enchantment. Such a product will indeed be popular amongst the general public and hospitals". "There''s also a failsafe on the glasses so nobody can increase the output or decrease it over a certain limit. We don''t exactly want people staring through walls and clothes now do we". The head goblin laughed at Oz''s comment. "Hahaha we don''t indeed! Okay Mr Oz tell me the deal here, what''s the production cost and cut you will allow Gringotts for selling this item". Oz smiled at the head goblin and explained. "The production cost isn''t much, with the blueprints and spell I left its not hard to create this product at all. The total cut im looking at is 10/20/70. 10 for production, 20 for Gringotts and 70 to me the creator of the product". The head goblin looked slightly stifled by what Oz was proposing. He sat in silence looking at the glasses for a while before saying: "Very well Mr Oz, we will agree with your terms. Lets get the contracts signed and the product patented under your name...". Oz quickly stopped the goblin mid-sentence. "Wait just a moment, would it be okay to use a Pseudonym here? Such a good product, I don''t exactly want people knocking down my door asking me how to create it. If its being sold by Gringotts and the creator is anonymous then I wont have any trouble come to me". "A smart choice indeed Mr Oz, what Pseudonym would you like to sell the product under?". Oz sat pondering for a while, he was always bad at giving things names. "Do it under the Pseudonym ''Lee Oswald''" There was no rhyme or reason to the name Oz picked as his Pseudonym in the production industry for now. It was just the first thing that came to his head. The head goblin nodded at Oz''s decision and continued the paperwork for the product, patenting it secretly under Oz''s name but publicly under ''Lee Oswald''. "With a product this simple we will be able to start selling it soon, your cut will be sent directly to your personal vault under the name ''Oz''. Does that sound fine Mr Oz?" Looking pleased with the results of todays talk, Oz responded: "Thats perfect". Chapter 28 - The boy who lived The next year of Hogwarts was rapidly approaching and with that, Oz would start being involved in the events of the original series. Luckily for Oz all his endeavours in the summer had been going extremely well. For his Health Specs, they had already garnered extreme attention from the wizarding community with many witches and wizards trying to find who made such a great product. The product itself has been flying off the shelves so rapidly that Oz now has so much money he doesn''t know what to do with it. Throughout the week when he can, he''s been going to Gringotts to invest some of his profits in different companies, even stretching out to muggle companies such as Apple or Microsoft. ''When thinking of what witches and wizards want the most... I guess their lives being kept safe was the best answer. Witches and wizards of the past have been hunted down more than once, having such a product that allows for themselves and their peers to be healed faster due to finding the crux of the issue instantly seems to be a huge selling point''. Oz sat on his bed in the Leaky Cauldron as always most of these days, practicing magic, practicing control and checking his core. His core had hardly improved since he reached the second step of magic, there was nothing improving it. However, he found out that since his core possessed both light and dark, his magic capacity was actually much greater than that of other witches and wizards in this step. He found this out due to thinking of how lucky he was to be able to keep the trace concealed while also cloaked and using spells. Such a combo should have exhausted a wizard quicker but he managed to last a remarkable amount of time against those Voldemort sympathisers. ''Tomorrows the day summer ends... the day when I see this boy who lived... I hope next summer can be a little bit more interesting''. Trying not to follow his past mistakes Oz was already planning for the summer after his second year. So far his plan was to again book for a room in the Leaky Cauldron and just improve his empire in the magic world by making more products and expanding out his wealth. When he gains enough wealth he could build a manor somewhere secluded for himself, maybe even somewhere thats on ley lines like Hogwarts. ''That old coot Dumbledore... Its no wonder he stays at that school year round... I wonder if he still holds out hope deep down he can reach a higher level? He''s at the end of his life though so im not too sure... but to be labelled as the second coming of merlin he should have some cards hidden''. After a full day of just practicing many different things in his room, Oz went to bed early. Tomorrow was an important day, a day when the canon would officially begin and Oz would take his first steps to intervene. . Currently Oz was sitting down at a table downstairs in the Leaky Cauldron''s bar/dining area. He had his own table in the corner of the room as he ate some breakfast. At the moment he was reading a daily prophet article. The article was labelled: ''MASTER ENCHANTER: LEE OSWALD, WHO IS THIS MAN?'' Oz smirked as he read all the article. ''It seems that those goblins have kept a tight lip still which is certainly impressive. When they said they''d do anything for me if I was truly a descendant of Merlin did they mean that in kindness?... probably not, they are just waiting for a big enough buyer to sell my identity to... If anyone figures out my identity though, they wont spread it. Such a master enchanter they will try to recruit into their own families...''. Oz''s body ran cold as he thought up his last thought. ''They aren''t going to ask me to marry into families are they?...''. Shaking his head to stave off his stray thoughts, Oz sat back in his chair as he drank his drink. As he started to relax the door on the muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron swung open fiercely. A boy walked in, he looked malnourished and skinny, wearing glasses on his face his eyes held a modicum of caution but they were mostly filled with wonder. Behind him was a big man standing many feet above the boy at 8 ft. He was watching over the boy like a hawk, basically being his bodyguard. ''So I guess its finally begun''. Harry and Hagrid walked around the Leaky Cauldron talking to many different people before stopping at the bar where Quirrell and the bar-man were. Oz slowly took out one of the defunct glasses from his pockets, the one that saw through clothes, and put them on to look at Quirrell. Looking at the back of his head he could see through the turban, seeing a face sleeping still. ''So Voldemort did latch onto him throughout the summer... why would he pick such a blithering idiot... Could I just give these glasses to Hagrid and expose Quirrell here and now?... no thats too risky, in such an open place, Voldemort could easily escape with Quirrell via apparition then I''d have to hunt his soul or something...''. As Oz was thinking his view changed to a table of witches of whom he saw through all their clothes. An embarrassed "Woah!" escaped his lips as he fumbled to put the defunct pair back in his pouch switching them with the proper pair of health specs. ''Those defunct glasses that can stare through clothes... they may be the most powerful magical artefact ever created in modern history...'' Oz then put on the proper pair of Health specs taking a deep look at Harry from a distance. What he saw was down-right depressing. The boys internals were all weak and malnourished. Internal bruises riddled his muscles and some of his bones had cracks on them. Oz felt that the hand he was dealt in life was bad having no family, but he couldn''t imagine how it''d be being sent to a close relative after losing your family just to have them beat and break you. ''Harry is probably only one of many in the world who have gone through things like this... the difference with harry is that I can help him right now and expose it to the wizard public that he''s been abused. Dumbledore maybe able to keep a tight lip on people in his own circle but the general public is a dangerous foe he can''t afford to have''. "Arry'' I almost forgot my manors! This is going to be your new defence against the dark arts teacher, Professor Quirrell!" As Harry tried to shake hands with Quirrell backing off, Oz finally showed himself. "Hagrid and Professor Quirrell! its great to see you two after the summer just gone!". Both Hagrid and Quirrell were startled by Oz''s sudden appearance. In the last year of Hogwarts, Oz was a boy who kept to himself a lot so him suddenly talking was strange. "Ello'' there Oz! It certainly as'' been a while now asnt'' it? Keeping up with your studies over the summer!" Oz smiled at Hagrid. "Of course Hagrid, always trying to stay on the ball with that. Don''t want to lose my touch after all haha". After finishing the brief talk with Hagrid, Oz turned to Harry. Looking at him deeply, Oz smiled. "So you must be Harry Potter, its a p???sur? to meet such a renowned wizard. I hope you don''t feel too overwhelmed by these older folk, they can certainly be annoying at times". "Y-yes I am Harry... Hagrid said you''re called Oz? its a p???sur? to meet you... Uhh... One question though Oz... Just a second ago I saw you on the table over there reeling back in shock when wearing a pair of glasses looking at those ladies over there, what was that about?". Oz''s face dropped slightly at Harry''s innocent comment. ''Shit he saw that? I don''t want to be known as the school pervert or something. Quick Oz act on your feet''. "Uhh... Thats because the glasses im wearing are enchanted. Its a new product that was developed recently called the Health Specs. With them, any witch or wizard can see if someone is internally injured or ill! such a remarkable product has been flying off the shelves recently... one of those ladies over there had an extreme internal injury...". Quirrell and Hagrid both watched the conversation between Oz and Harry attentively. Oz''s interference had distracted both of them from their original plans, Quirrell''s being to probe Harry Potter and Hagrid''s to take Harry to buy his school supplies. "I''ve eard'' a lot bout'' them glasses recently, think Hogwarts placed a large order for em''! I even tried a pair myself when at Hogwarts, an'' impressive piece of kit!". Oz smiled at Hagrid''s comment, seems as though Hogwarts was slightly in his pocket now already. "I got an idea Harry, how about I check your health? With these glasses all it takes is a second!" Harry nodded at Oz''s query allowing him to proceed. Oz then put on the glasses already knowing what he was going to see. ''I saw how bad it was already when back sat in my chair but up close? its even worse... How could that Dumbledore leave him with such shitty people?''. Oz prepared himself as he had to feign extreme anger and pity. "Merlin''s beard! Harry where were you living before coming with Hagrid to here?!" Harry and Hagrid both looked at each other stumped at Oz''s extreme reaction. Harry hesitated for a moment before stating. "I lived with my Uncle and Aunt... oh also with my cousin too". Oz took off the glasses slowly as he yelled, loud enough so that the whole leaky cauldron could hear. "So the boy who lived, the one who rid us all of the dark lord was left with such abusive guardians?!" -=???????????? ???????? ???????????????????????? 2=- Chapter 29 - Golden Trio Everyone in the Leaky Cauldron froze at Oz''s comment. Hagrid especially had a cold look on his face as he knew what the Dursleys were like, however he didn''t know they were bad to this extent only thinking they name called and neglected Harry not abused him. A bunch of other Witches and Wizards in the Leaky Cauldron crowd took out their own Health Specs if they had them and looked at harry also, all of them gasping when they saw the state the boy was in. "Take a look for yourself Hagrid" Oz passed Hagrid his own Health Specs which Hagrid fumbled to take with his large hands, After a bit of difficulty he was able to put them over his eyes and he immediately fell into rage. "Tha'' bloody Vernon! I'' should ave'' cursed that bastard! And that'' Petunia, ow'' could she do this to er'' nephew!... Mcgonagall was right'' all those years ago... we should never ave'' left arry'' with them lot!". Everyone in the Leaky Cauldron started to get riled up after Hagrid got angry as well. Many were yelling out how they should prosecute the family and get Harry saved. After all, though he may be a boy, he did save most of the wizard public by killing Voldemort. Knowing that their saviour was being left in a house with muggles that mistreated him really pissed all of them off. It didnt take long until a very dangerous comment appeared in the crowd. "Haven''t muggles always been like this?! Why do we even give them the time of day!". Oz immediately snapped around at that comment. Raising his voice he spoke. "You fools, don''t go blaming all muggles. If you don''t know Lily Potter, Harry''s mum, was a muggle turned witch. If it wasn''t for her existing then Harry would never have been able to initially stop the dark lord. Its clearly obvious that the crux of the issue is the two guardians Harry''s with! This Vernon and Petunia..." The audience opinion started to reel back after Oz comment as they realised they were getting far too riled up. Oz noted that during this uproar, Quirrell slipped away out of the Leaky Cauldron through the muggle way. During all this Harry looked up at Oz about to burst into tears. The boy never would have thought all his years of pain could be diagnosed in mere seconds by wizards, changing his opinion on the wizarding world from ''mystical'' to ''gratitude''. Oz turned down to look at Harry. "Harry, I apologise for saying this out loud to everyone, but you are a very important wizard! Such treatment is blasphemy to a wizard such as yourself". Although it was all a massive shock, Harry understood what Oz was getting at and nodded, acknowledging his reason why he spoke up. "I-I understand Oz, t-thank you for saying something for me. I''ve always been scared to speak up..." Oz looked down at the broken harry with sympathy filling his eyes, no kid of 11 deserved to have to go through years of abuse like this. "Its no worries Harry. If you ever need help in Hogwarts, come to me! Ill always be willing to lend a hand whether it be studies or anything!" Harrys eyes gained a bit of light after Oz''s comment, instantly accepting Oz''s kindness. With that Oz then turned to Hagrid who was still seething with anger. "Hagrid, you''ll have to pass this message onto Dumbledore. If he vehemently sticks by Harry having to stay in that house at least get someone to monitor it! Or better yet, get someone to prosecute Vernon! If Vernon is taken away for abuse, that would shut that petunia up, scaring them from doing anything more". Although Hagrid was a big intimidating man at times, he was easy to sway. After hearing Oz''s sound argument he agreed and immediately took off with Harry to go and get his school supplies. Oz went back to his seat in the Leaky Cauldron, sitting down he smiled to himself. ''Now Harry''s situation should get fixed... Dumbledore will certainly be getting a shock this year with all the howlers and press he will receive about Harrys upbringing hahaha''. Oz had nothing against Dumbledore, in fact he held quite a bit of respect for the guy. Although there were many fan-fictions in his past life that painted him as a dark lord and manipulator, Oz saw him instead as a flawed character burdened by his past. The power Dumbledore held was worthy of respect to Oz and Oz personally felt that Dumbledore just needed a large wakeup call to realise his decision making is wrong. This may not push him over the edge but it will get him thinking, especially when the wizard public get a hold of this story. . It was finally time for the yearly train ride to Hogwarts, this would be Oz''s second time onboard the Hogwarts Express. He got there early so he could find his own seat in the train and rest himself. This year would certainly be a long one for him and nothing like the previous year considering the events that would occur. Oz had already made a personal agreement with himself to take it a bit easier this year as last year was constant training and reading every night. After finding a nice spot on the train, Oz sat down and rested his head against the glass, attempting to sleep. As he fell asleep he went over his main personal plan for this year at Hogwarts. ''This year I need to focus on potion-making when possible... Last year in classes I was able to keep up fairly well but the more advanced potions are the ones I truly want to use and my skill level is not there yet. If I use the RoR when possible, I can always practice. On the off chance I can go into the duelling RoR room also to brush up on my high speed duelling...'' With that last thought Oz looked down at his two wands in their holsters on his sleeves. ''The book I have from Merlin... He mentioned wand synthesis... I wonder if there''s a material this year I can find thats a good catalyst to fuse the two wands together...''. As Oz was pondering that thought, His compartment door swung open with Craig standing at the foot of the door. "Ozzy! its been a while man! thanks for sending all those letters over the summer! Although admittingly they weren''t that interesting to read as you didn''t do much besides read in your room..." Oz chuckled at Craig''s comment as Craig took a seat opposite Oz. "Now we are face to face, wanna tell me what Spain was like? I gather you visited the magical community there also?" At Oz''s comment Craig''s face lit up, excited to tell Oz about all he had seen over the summer. The boy had grown quite a bit, but he still had that childlike excitement on his face. After talking for a while about various things, a knock was presented at the door. "Uh... Oz? is it okay if I join you?". The person knocking was Harry, obviously now finished with his shopping trip with Hagrid. He must have been searching for Oz as he was the only person he really knew at least a bit at the moment. "Its no problem Harry, come on in! This is my friend Craig. Craig this is Harry". Craig looked at Harry deeply until muttering in disbelief. "No way, you''re that Harry... Harry Potter right?" It seemed Harry had gotten used to the comments about his name and his story at this point as he nodded to Craig replying back to him with a "It''s a p???sur? to meet you Craig" before sitting down with both Oz and Craig. Oz and Craig then continued their conversations about summer break while including Harry within their talks. Harry started to really warm up to the duo as they all talked. Another knock presented itself at the door eventually but this time it was a knock from a ginger boy who also peaked his head in. "Do you guys mind? everywhere else is full...". Oz stared at Ron thinking about him as a person in the story. ''A lot of people bash this boy due to his bias thoughts and leech-like nature. I''ll give him a chance but if he crosses any lines then I don''t care whether or not he''s a part of the ''Golden Trio'' Ill chastise him for it brutally''. Oz was the first to respond to Ron, allowing him in. Ron looked relieved as he sat down next to Craig. Compared to his last train ride, this one was already a lot more bustling in comparison. Craig was a person who was a natural born social bu??erfly, being able to come up with all sorts of conversations and things to talk about. Mid-way through the journey, Craig started talking about recent events that were in the Daily Prophet most of which included Oz. "I know Harry wouldn''t have heard as he''s new to this Wizarding World but Ron and Oz, did you hear the recent news about Merlin''s descendant being discovered? Apparently he was discovered at Gringotts near the beginning of summer! The goblins there have kept a tight lip on who the descendant is though... However I imagine its only a matter of time the sell the information off or someone pieces it together". Oz looked at Craig and smiled. While part of him wanted to tell Craig it was him, He decided against doing so and felt it would be more amusing for the news to slowly come out. Ron snorted however at the comment Craig made. "Who cares about Merlin''s descendant? that man was in Slytherin! I''ve heard from my family that all those in Slytherin are slimy gits, I bet Merlin wasn''t as impressive as they say!". Oz looked coldly at Ron, Insulting Merlin was something that angered Oz for some reason even though he didn''t personally know the man. Maybe it was because it was his only connection in this world that he knew of. Before Oz could speak up however, Craig cut in. "Thats a shallow way of thinking Ron. If you hadn''t noticed Oz whose been talking and laughing with us the whole train ride is a Slytherin! My whole last year I had the same mindset as you before I realised that not all Slytherins are instantly bad people. Also, talking about Merlin that way? Don''t be so foolish, he''s seen as a legend within in wizarding community. You''d be chewed out if you said such a thing in public.". Ron turned his head to Oz looking at him in shock, Oz found his reaction amusing as it looked like a mix of guilt but also anger. Like he was fraternizing with the enemy but he secretly enjoyed it. After that comment was made, Ron noticeably didn''t talk to Oz as much which made Oz realise that his views on Slytherin ran deep, almost as if it was imprinted in his blood. Craig took it upon himself to relight to conversation between the four as they talked about more topics. Oz looked at Craig in gratitude realising that having a friend who was a social bu??erfly in these situations was certainly a boon. As the train journey reached its final legs, the compartment Oz and the rest were staying in was again swung open this time by a young girl. Oz looked at the girl, then looking at Harry and Ron. ''Looks like the Golden Trio has ?ssembled''. Chapter 30 - Altered Fate "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one...". Just like out of the books and movies, Hermione seemed to be helping Neville track down his toad. Oz looked at the three other boys in the carriage before replying. "Nope no toad here". Hermione sighed as she looked around the compartment once more. "Are you sure? I''ve checked most of the train now and there''s no sign of that toad..." Neville then appeared behind Hermione, looking very sheepish and shy. As Oz saw him he sighed to himself before standing up and walking over towards him. "You must be Neville right? What''s your toads name?" Neville looked bewildered by Oz''s sudden questions. After collecting himself for a second he responded: "H-his name I-is T-Trevor" ''Its hard to picture this boy as one of the driving forces in the final film and book...'' "Trevor is it? Okay ill have him here in a second". As Oz slowly unveiled his wand from his wand holster Hermione responded: "What are yo-" Cutting her off Oz chanted: "Accio Trevor". With that, A toad could be seen suddenly flying through the hall of the train. Such a scene made Oz almost laugh as the fat toad was flying rapidly through the air. When it finally arrived to Oz however the toad slowed down and gently landed on his palm. "Here you go Neville, Make sure you don''t lose him again. All it takes is one wrong leap of the train and he''d have killed himself or something". Neville shakily thanked Oz for finding his toad before running off back to his seat on the train. As Oz turned his head however he saw Hermione looking up at him with her eyes glistening with curiosity. "What spell was that?!" Oz looked down at the expectant Hermione with a slight grin on his face. ''Such a thirst for knowledge this girl has. I wonder if in the original story, being friends with Harry and Ro-... especially Ron actually stopped her from reaching her fullest potential...'' "Its a spell you''ll learn soon girl, do not worry" Hermione looked a bit hurt at Oz''s comment seeing as though he wouldn''t answer her question fully. "Humph thats fine then... By the way I have a name, Its Hermione, Hermione Granger". Oz smiled as she introduced herself with gusto. "Well its nice to meet you Hermione. Now, it''d be best for you to get back to your compartment, the train journey doesn''t have long left..." Hermione let out a little gasp as she realised that fact and immediately thanked Oz for helping before running off. As Oz went back down into the compartment to sit, Craig was looking at Oz was a confused look on his face. "What''s the matter Craig? Nargle got your tongue?" "Wha-? No, I''ve never even heard of a Nargle... I was just curious as to why you helped those two. I''ve seen your personality, usually you keep to yourself and don''t bother but in that moment you decided to step in... why?" Oz smiled as he thought. "There was no reason really, I just felt like it". Craig didn''t believe that answer for a second but he decided to accept it. The four in the compartment then started talking again for the last leg of their journey to Hogwarts. . Craig and Oz split off from both Ron and Harry eventually as they needed to be in the great hall while those two went through the Sorting Ceremony. While walking up towards the castle and into the great hall, Oz felt that the synergy between him and Craig was becoming much closer and he felt it was becoming easier and easier to talk to him. It probably helped that the boy was such a social bu??erfly who could always keep a conversation going. As soon as they entered the main hall, Oz walked over to the Slytherin table taking a seat near the very end by himself. Just like last year, A lot of the Slytherins didn''t want to be near Oz at all so it was a stark ostracization with him being obviously alone at the end of the table. Oz didn''t mind though, all of last year taught him just to accept and move on. After a while of waiting the doors swung open. Mcgonagall walked in with the first years in tow, much like what happened to Oz last year. Her expression was what confused Oz as instead of her usual strict face with a tinge of happiness, Oz sensed she felt slightly ashamed and sad. As a matter of fact, when Oz looked up at the teachers table he could b?r?ly see that most of the teachers didn''t have happy faces on. It took a second for Oz to realise what had happened. ''I see... So the school must have already caught news of what happened in the Leaky Cauldron now. When I told Hagrid to tell Dumbledore, I half expected him to cast a spell on Hagrid to make him forget what he saw, but seeing as though the Wizard public is making moves I guess Dumbledore has been backed into a corner''. With someone like Dumbledore who was powerful and held an incredibly high position within the wizarding community, the only way to get to him was through the public nowadays. Oz was no way near strong enough to sway him personally but having the public involved means he will face constant pressure in the form of howlers and complaints. As Oz stared up at the headmaster he felt their eyes lock together. At that moment, he also felt that his occlumency defences for a moment were being touched upon. Thankfully for Oz, the Ambrosius ring strengthened his mind defences a lot so Dumbledore couldn''t get a proper read on him or his core. Oz could see in the distance that the headmaster furrowed his eyebrows slightly before putting back on his grandfatherly face as he stared at the first years. ''That man means well... I know that for sure... but to just suddenly try to read my mind like that? what sort of twisted saint is he...'' After Oz''s thought the sorting ceremony begun. A number of characters went up to get sorted, some of which Oz recognised and some of which Oz didn''t at all. After some time, one of the golden trio finally made their appearance and the first to be sorted between them was Ron. Oz secretly held hope deep down that he''d be put somewhere else due to his interference, however, deep down he realised that Ron''s placement was one that was set in stone. {GRYFFINDOR} Ron''s face was plastered with a huge smile as he ran off to join the table that had his brothers on it. Oz sighed a bit to himself, sad that Ron got off lightly. Then again the sorting hat listens to the decision of the person wearing it so its not a huge surprise. ''Thinking back when I got sorted... I probably could have forced the hat to put me in another house but I just didn''t. I wonder why?'' Oz brushed aside his stray thoughts as he saw Hermione now walking up to get sorted. Oz thought to himself that Hermione was a perfect fit for Ravenclaw and it was weird that she was placed in Gryffindor in the original canon. Maybe the train ride influenced her? or maybe deep down she held out hope that she would be put into Gryffindor? Oz didn''t know, but the answer to his questions came quickly: {GRYFFINDOR} Oz sat slightly surprised for a while seeing Hermione still end up in Gryffindor. Oz truly believed that there was a chance she''d end up in Ravenclaw this time around however maybe deep down the girl prayed to be in Gryffindor? Oz didn''t truly know. Such a situation wasn''t exactly mind-boggling to Oz though and he could accept it. Finally it was time for Harry Potter to go up and get sorted. He sat with the hat on his head as the sorting hat seemed to take its time sorting him. Oz looked at Harrys face realising this time around he wasn''t chanting "Not Slytherin, Not Slytherin". A myriad of thoughts flooded Oz''s mind as the realisation of what was about to happen came to him. Finally after what felt like minutes the sorting hat finally spoke: {SLYTHERIN}. . . ''Fate has been altered''. Chapter 31 - Ozs Identity As soon as Harry''s house was announced, the main hall fell into a deep silence. The teachers all had shocked looks on their faces as they looked at one another. Dumbledore''s countenance also shook which really surprised Oz, seeing as the old man never usually let his emotions show. It seemed this reveal had actually caused his jaw to drop as he sat staring at Harry in the sorting chair. Harry looked around at everyone in confusion, not really seeing what the big deal was. Afterwards he ran off towards Oz at the end of the table and sat with him, a smile on his face. "I''m glad I got sorted into a house with someone I know!". Oz looked down at Harry deeply. Multiple thoughts and feelings climbed into his brain at this turn of events. ''Harrys actually been put in Slytherin... I really did affect fate... with me being kind to him he''s not holding a bias about Slytherin so the sorting hat chose the house he always thought harry suited...'' As Oz looked at harry who was smiling with glee he replied with: "The feelings mutual Harry, I''m glad we will be able to get along more in the years to come". Harry nodded harshly at Oz''s comment. Getting Harrys situation exposed and allowing his abusive childhood to come to light seemed to have greatly affected the boy already as he was instantly becoming more outgoing. He looked at Oz was extreme respect in his eyes, a look that was also filled with expectation of the years to come. ''This boy truly does look up to me and seeing those innocent and excited eyes... I feel I need guide him in the future''. An interesting synergy was forming between the duo of Harry and Oz. Harry respected Oz greatly and Oz always did respect Harry''s drive and courage in the books and films. With them both liking each other, it was set in stone that they''d become good friends. ''With him being here in Slytherin... Maybe I can teach him more than he ever knew in the original canon... He has the potential, after all he was able to kill Voldemort even when he didn''t focus much in school and also when he never actually healed from his abuse. If I heal him up and teach him some methods, how strong could this boy become? maybe he could even reach Dumbledore''s level down the line...'' Oz looked over again at Dumbledore as he thought of him. The man was sat in his chair awkwardly, still reeling in shock at the recent event. His eyes were locked in Oz''s direction, Seeing Oz and Harry converse, it seemed the old man had come up with a few theories in his mind. Oz wouldn''t be surprised if he had already pieced together his backstory, him being the descendant of Merlin everyone''s talking about and the master enchanter ''Lee Oswald''. ''Ill have to be extremely careful... I can already sense he will attempt to contact me properly soon especially after these turn of events...''. After what felt like an hour of silence, the proceedings finally continued with the rest of the students going up to get sorted into their houses. The only other notable person who was sorted was a witch who was sorted into Hufflepuff. For some reason when she sat down she locked eyes with Oz and her face was filled with doubt and excitement. Oz didn''t know who this person was and couldn''t connect her to anyone in the canon so he decided to shelf the experience for now. Oz also spotted Ron on the Gryffindor table with Hermione, talking to the others and looking over at Harry and Oz on the Slytherin table. Looking at his eyes, Oz caught hints of sadness but also disgust. It seemed the lad had a very split opinion when it came to the two of them being in Slytherin. ''How foolish... The boy gelled well with us on the train but the second we are both in Slytherin he seems to hold disgust for us? how can he be so shallow?'' After the sorting ceremony ended, Oz and Harry went back towards the dungeons together talking about all kinds of topics. Oz explained to Harry that he came from an orphanage so his early years were very muggle orientated. When Harry heard this from Oz he was able to start talking about more ''muggle'' topics instead, which Harry found easier seeing as though he was only just introduced to the wizarding world. Even with Oz''s usually anti-social nature, He felt himself connecting with Harry very easily. Maybe this was the curse of the main character, an unmatched charisma. Finally the duo reached the dungeons. . As Oz and Harry entered into the Slytherin common room in the dungeons, they were called out to by a boy with blonde hair. "Oi you two walking there! how would you like to become my henchmen..." Oz and Harry turned around to see a boy staring at them with two other boys stood behind him. Oz smiled as he recognised the trio. ''Draco Malfoy and his two little buddies Crabb and Goyle...'' Harry furrowed his eye at Draco''s comment as Oz yelled back. "I think we''re fine thanks..." Draco looked annoyed at Oz''s rebuttal as he ran up closer to the two stating: "Don''t you know who I am? I''m Draco Malfoy! A proud son of the Malfoy household, a bloodline you lot could never compare to". Oz chuckled at Malfoys comment. Merlin''s bloodline couldn''t compare to the Malfoy bloodline? what nonsense. "We sincerely don''t care Malfoy run along now before I lose my patience..." At Oz''s threat Draco''s face paled. He stumbled back a couple of steps in fright as he fired back: "Are you really threatening me?! My father will hear about this!" Oz chuckled to himself at Malfoy''s clich¨¦ comment as Harry looked a bit panicked at the situation, he could see Oz was purposely antagonising Draco. "Oz we should just walk away, we don''t need to bother chastising him..." As Oz was about to respond Malfoy suddenly shouted out. "Wait! you''re Oz?! My father mentioned you before I left for Hogwarts!" Oz could sense what was about to happen but he decided not to stop it. "You''re that descendant of Merlin aren''t you! The goblins kept a tight lip for a long time until my father paid them with an expensive old dark artefact... Tell me now!" With Malfoys comment everyone in the Slytherin common room turned around to look at Oz. The second Malfoy exposed Oz to be the descendant of Merlin being talked about in the papers they all gasped and held their breath. This news was something huge, not even the daily prophet had any inkling on who the descendant of Merlin was since the goblins refused to say. Oz looked around the room before starting to laugh to himself. Lucius probably told Draco to approach Oz carefully and win him over but such a na?ve boy who easily gets riled up has already blown his cover by just shouting the information his dear dad paid a lot to get. "It seems your father had to give up a lot to find out something I was eventually going to make public anyway... Yes Malfoy, im indeed who you think I am". "So tell me Malfoy... Do you really think your bloodline even holds a candle to mine?" Oz turned around as he looked at the rest of the Slytherins all of whom were gobsmacked at Oz''s reveal. "To all of you who kept asking who I was, to those who constantly bullied and made comments about me all of last year, Let me reintroduce myself to you all now..." Oz grinned as he looked at the whole room. "I''m Oz Ambrosius, a descendant of Merlin". . . . Meme Chapter: pastebin.com/FjqtKVXv Chapter 32 - Dumbledores Folly As I saw the boy walk in I instantly knew it was him. Even though I hadn''t seen him since he was a baby I could sense that his magical signature was identical to the baby I placed at that door all those years ago. This is a day I''ve been looking forward to for 10 years now and finally it has arrived. When the sorting ceremony commenced however, I locked eyes with that boy, Oz, in Slytherin. I tried to peak into his memories for a second and read his feelings but the block on his mind is powerful, something that even I can''t peer into. During the summer break it was said that a descendant of Merlin was found, im almost fully convinced that Oz is that descendant... As Harry walked up to the sorting chair I felt myself smile. With his father and mother both being placed into Gryffindor the boy should indeed follow suit, then all I have planned for the boy should go accordingl- {SLYTHERIN} ...What?! what went wrong! The boy actually ended up in Slytherin! I couldn''t believe my ears when the sorting hat spoke, I almost wanted to obliviate the entire room and redo the selecting but such a feat would definitely cause issues. All the plans I had laid out for him in the years to come... I''ll have to rethink all of them! I looked around at the teachers sat on their table, all of their faces were shocked. Even that Severus'' face was dumbstruck by the result. As I watched Harry walk towards the Slytherin table I saw him sit next to Oz and start talking to him. My mind rolled as I realised again. Oz is the centre of all of these problems. The descendant of Merlin appeared around the same time the master enchanter ''Lee Oswald'' made his appearance as well, such a thing is surely not coincidence and I already surmised that both the descendant and enchanter must be the same person or at least related. However, Oz is a boy in his second year, such knowledge and forward thinking is something he shouldn''t possess! The theories flowing into my head left more questions than answers. Did Oz already have an idea on Harry''s situation? Did he create the Health Specs out of coincidence or did he actually plan to expose Harry''s abuse and in turn my negligence? If all these theories were correct then I fear the boy is far more intelligent than I first expected him to be... If I could somehow bring him under my wing then the fight in the years to come against Tom will be much easier. I sighed at my last thought, the boy doesn''t seem like the type to move under someone''s banner. He seems more like the type to raise his own banner and march on even if he goes on by himself. It may be best to come to a mutual understanding with that boy instead of trying to reel him in. I need to see why he went down this path and what his motives are. I think I''ll need to speak to that boy soon... After the reveal of Oz''s identity the rest of the room fell into a deep silence. Some of the people in the room held a modicum of fear and reverence in their eyes now looking at Oz. People in Slytherin after all value lineage greatly and Oz''s lineage was of the highest order, connected to one of the greatest wizards in the known millennium. Oz looked around the room with a smile on his face. "I wish you all a good night". After speaking, Oz looked down at Harry and ushered him on. Harry then walked off to his own room, Oz following suit soon after. As he got to his own room he sat down on the bed thinking of the situation that just occurred. ''I knew eventually that my lineage would be exposed or that I myself would have to reveal it... but the goblins sold the information way to quickly. Those greedy bastards... I knew they would try to sell the information eventually but selling it to Lucius Malfoy of all people? It looks like Ill have to confront them when possible...'' Oz felt his rage rising at the goblins misconduct, he knew the creatures were greedy but they could at least have lasted a bit longer. ''I wonder what sort of artefact Lucius ended up giving the goblins to find out my identity... I hope it pained him to part with it whatever it is, at least then I can find some joy in his anger at Draco for foolishly exposing me because of his hubris''. Oz felt his rage simmer down as he thought of the troubles Lucius probably went through to get the information just for it to become public knowledge almost instantly. ''I really wanted to come out with an epic reveal too...'' "Come in". At that, in came Severus Snape. A coldness filled the mans eyes as he looked at Oz sat up in his bed. "Uhh... Hello Sir, can I help you at all?" Snape looked around Oz''s room before turning and looking at him, snorting he uttered. "I''m hearing a ridiculous rumour around the dungeons that you broadcasted yourself as the descendant of Merlin... Is this true?" Oz looked deeply at the head of his house. ''Snape... A misunderstood man who stuck by the good side up until his death. In some ways the man is na?ve but his dedication is something truly admirable, especially when it comes to his dedication in love''. "What you''re hearing is correct, I did indeed say that. I went for an inheritance test throughout the summer after all". Snape''s face froze as Oz confirmed the rumour. Seemingly shaken by this realisation, he turned around to leave. Just as he was about to leave however he told Oz: "The headmaster, Dumbledore is asking for you. I suggest you don''t keep the old man waiting and head up their immediately". As Oz watched Snape leave he processed what he had just told him. ''It seems Dumbledore finally can''t sit still, especially after his precious Harry ended up in Slytherin and not Gryffindor''. Oz spent a while collecting himself, using occlumency to its fullest he masked his emotions completely and locked him memories away even more firmly. ''This conversation will be incredibly important. As a matter of fact it could dictate what happens in the years to come. I need to reprimand Dumbledore harshly and hopefully start changing his mind on a lot of things... If he shows the ability to change his ways then maybe down the line we can work together... however...'' Oz looked down at his wands in either hand. grasping them firmly he continued. ''If he shows no sign of stopping his manipulative ways, then he can''t blame me for being impolite in the future....''. Chapter 33 - Confrontation As Oz walked up towards Dumbledore''s office he mused deeply to himself about how he should approach the situation at hand. Dumbledore is a powerful and manipulative wizard and there''s no telling what he will do when Oz walks in. After what felt like hours of walking, Oz finally arrived at the gryphon stairwell. As soon as he reached the stairwell though, he realised that he actually didn''t know the password. However, that didn''t seem to matter as the staircase revealed itself anyway. Dumbledore was probably prepared to let him up when he arrived. ''I guess him not giving me the password is also a sort of sign that he doesn''t trust me at all yet''. Oz climbed up the spiral steps finally reaching a door. ''Well... here goes nothing...''. Steeling himself one more time, he walked into the headmaster''s office. . As Oz walked in the first thing he immediately noticed was Dumbledore''s phoenix, Fawkes. Seeing the phoenix Oz was reminded of the Ambrosius ritual where he needed to collect as many parts of different beasts and creatures as possible. Although he was tempted, Oz couldn''t exactly go up and ask Fawkes for a feather or forcefully take one especially with Dumbledore in the room. After staring at the phoenix for a while he turned to see Dumbledore at the top of the steps looking down at him, the man was wearing his signature grandfatherly smile. A smile that would make any onlookers relaxed. "I see you''re interested in my phoenix. His name is Fawkes and he''s been with me for many years, He''s a dear friend of mine". Dumbledore walked down the stairs and finally stopped as he was just a small distance away from Oz. "Its a p???sur? to meet you properly Oz. I understand last year you had some issues in Hogwarts with the other Slytherins not accepting you... however I feel as though that wont be an issue now." Now Dumbledore was up close to Oz, he could get a proper grasp at the sheer power he wielded. The man was known as the second coming of Merlin, the man who defeated the dark lord grindelwald and the man who is now headmaster of Hogwarts. What Oz could see/sense right now was proof that those titles weren''t just for show. ''This man... he''s at the peak of step 3. His magic is so pure... I can literally feel it emanating from him. He isn''t known as one of the most powerful wizards in the world for nothing... His core even seems to be balanced a bit! I thought he was against using dark magic but it seems in the past he must have brushed with it, that must''ve been when he was with Grindelwald. My previous evaluation of him in the first year was extremely off the mark...''. After collecting himself from his shock Oz heaved a breath as he looked Dumbledore straight in the eyes. "Let''s get to the point Dumbledore, what is it you called me up here for? All of last year you didn''t bother with me but on the first day of this year you suddenly grow an interest?". Dumbledore stroked his beard at Oz''s remark, seemingly amused at Oz''s comment. "With the way you word it, it almost sounds like you expected me to talk to you at one point... No matter... If you want to know I just wanted to talk to the descendant of Merlin, Oz Ambrosius. People always refer to me as a second coming of Merlin so hearing you were actually of Merlin''s descent made me incredibly interested in who you are". Oz looked a Dumbledore with a slight frown on his face. ''This man is obviously lying... He only wants me here so he can get a grasp on what my motives are while in Hogwarts, especially after the Harry situation''. "It seems either rumours spread fast or you knew already that I was connected to Merlin... Well Dumbledore I''m happy to oblige if you''d like to have a little chat about my lineage and where I came from, however I feel as if you already know as much as I do". Dumbledore''s eyes widened slightly as he responded: "Oh? It seems you hold my intelligence at a very high esteem! Such kindness is wasted on me". Dumbledore walked back towards his chair as he took a seat, after getting himself comfy he started explaining his thoughts: "I had my suspicions that you were of a noble lineage in your first year. After all its not like Wizards, especially those placed in Slytherin, pop out of thin air with no magical lineage known of. Your core and mind seemed to be heavily masked as well and from what I can tell its a mixture of your own strength as well as the power of the ring you possess..." Oz allowed Dumbledore to keep talking, a lot of what he was saying were things that Oz expected Dumbledore to know already. "My suspicions were proven and set in stone as soon as a descendant of Merlin was found in Gringotts this summer just gone... I instantly linked that event to you. Then soon after the descendant of Merlin was found a master enchanter called ''Lee Oswald'' appears? You should know as the descendant of Merlin that Merlin himself was a master enchanter, someone who could create magical artefacts just by lifting a finger". Dumbledore leaned back in his chair as he gently smiled. "You can imagine the shock I felt when I realised deep down that you Oz, a boy in his second year at Hogwarts was both the master enchanter and the descendant of Merlin everyone has been searching for... Such an impressive lad you are! Your work from last term showed me your intelligence first hand but creating a product like the Health Specs? thats some raw talent!". As Dumbledore continued on Oz realised that he was trying to be very friendly with him, almost as if he was wary of what Oz could do... no he was wary of what he could become. "Just as all the pieces fell into place in my mind Hagrid then comes to tell me that you approached him and Harry in the Leaky Cauldron, exposing Harry''s abuse to the wizards and witches there. Such a situation to me seemed as though you were trying to get at me. You''re a smart boy Oz so you should know that I''m his legal guardian after his parents unfortunately passed away...". Oz''s face stayed cold throughout all of Dumbledore''s speech. Internally he was slightly surprised by how well he pieced it together. Then again, its not like Oz took any effort to cover his tracks as to him these things were going to be public eventually anyway. Plus this was Dumbledore he''s dealing with, a man who is renowned for his intelligence. ''So heres the punchline. Instead of thanking me for exposing Harry''s abuse he instead decides to go down the route of "Did you expose it to get at me"... He''s too caught up in the bigger picture and doesn''t realise the damage he''s doing... the damage he''s been doing all these years''. Looking at Dumbledore sat in his chair, Oz walked up to the desk directly in front of the man. As he arrived directly in front of the man Oz started to speak: "Albus Dumbledore, you''re a man of great stature, a man of great wisdom, a man of great power. Your previous accolades are a testament to how powerful you are and how wise you are. Being called the second coming of Merlin is also a statement of the highest order and in all honesty I respect both your power and wit greatly, however..." Oz paused for a moment as he crossed his arms. "You''re far too short-sighted". Chapter 34 - Closing Point After hearing Oz''s rebuke, Dumbledore''s eyebrows creased. This was probably the first time in a while someone had directly insulted him. "Oh? and why do you refer to me as short-sighted Oz". Oz sighed deeply as he looked at the headmaster before him. "In my eyes Dumbledore you seem to only be thinking of the bigger picture. After all, instead of thanking me for exposing Harry''s abuse you instead jumped to why I exposed it in the first place. Isn''t that a strange way of going about things? It almost makes me think you don''t care about how Harry''s been treated or you already knew how he''s been treated at that household... I don''t know if you''ve seen the damage first hand Dumbledore but that boy has been physically and mentally broken. Its a surprise the lad didn''t become an obscurial! Even if there was some reason he had to be at his uncle and aunts don''t you think there would be some way to monitor him? some way to monitor all of them? One wrong move in his childhood, one day is all it could have taken and Harry could have been pushed over the edge becoming an obscurus yet you sat here in Hogwarts while it all happened, the ''good'' man doing nothing". Dumbledore looked at Oz in shock at all his rebukes, In some ways he knew Oz was right however he couldn''t bring himself to admit he''d been wrong. "Oz... Harry had to stay with his uncle and aunt so he''d be safe! He''s the boy who defeated the dark lord after all, there''s many forces out there that want him dead due to the feat he achieved. The ward that protects Harry only works while he''s at a house with a family member who has his blo-". "Don''t give me that bullshit Dumbledore. Even if there was no other way than to leave Harry at his uncle and aunts you could have at least reprimanded his Uncle and Aunt for the treatment they put him through... better yet you could have tipped off their behaviour to the authorities in the area! If you took Vernon out of the picture, his aunt wouldn''t want to risk being abusive to him anymore and would be scared to even attempt to do anything. For someone like you such a task should be as easy as lifting a finger but instead you remiss to do anything, allowing the boy to suffer all his childhood for no good reason". Dumbledore looked down at the desk in front of him, a slight sadness overtaking his countenance. Oz decided to continue: "Your power and wit is something I highly respect Dumbledore but you''re too hung up on the greater picture, not thinking of the damage you''re causing along the way...". The room fell into a sombre silence as Oz finished his speech. Dumbledore had a look on his face that told Oz he was deep in thought about something. After some time he replied: "I understand what you''re saying Oz... as a matter of fact I think I''ll act on your request and have Vernon prosecuted. However, understand that the boy needs to stay in that house for him to be safe". Oz sighed as he listened to Dumbledore''s response. ''He''s saying this to appease me but in reality he would have had to act sooner or later anyway due to the pressure from the public...''. Dumbledore''s response to Oz was a non-answer. While on the surface it seemed as if he was complying to Oz''s wishes/reprimands, in actuality this was something he needed to do in the first place due to the pressure from the public after Oz''s scene in the Leaky Cauldron. A sly and cunning tactic indeed, making it seem as if he''s being understanding when in reality he''s been backed into a corner with no other option. Oz heaved a sigh at Dumbledore''s response and continued: "Well im glad we got one thing sorted while I''m here Dumbledore... Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Dumbledore sat for a while, stroking his beard gently. The man was deep in thought about something and to Oz it almost seemed as if he wanted to ask him something more. However after a long while brooding to himself he instead sighed while shaking his head. "I think that is all Oz... I do want to thank you though for the Health Specs the school ordered in. I see that in the future they will become incredibly handy, keeping all the students safe in the years to come". With that, Dumbledore smiled at Oz again with his grandfatherly smile. Oz however sneered to himself inwardly as he heard Dumbledore''s response. ''If I didn''t know what was going to happen in the years to come then that comment would have just been innocent praise... But in reality it seems as if he already knows he''s going to be putting the children here in danger in the years to come...''. After Dumbledore''s closing comment Oz started to head for the door, on the way looking at Fawkes, the latter of whom was eyeing him up the entire time he was in the room talking to Dumbledore. As Oz was about to leave however he felt the need to tell Dumbledore one more thing: "Being a descendant of Merlin my magical sense and control has always been very... keen, Picking up even the faintest traces of magic at times. I initially thought it was all my own power when I was young but over time I realised that this was a gift to me via the Ambrosius bloodline. My own sense and control allowed me to effectively make the Health Specs that are now so widely renowned... Dumbledore, when I first saw that boy Harry there was one thing I sensed from him that stood out. That scar on his forehead emanates a dark magic, almost as if there''s a soul trapped within...". Just as Oz reached for the door handle he turned around to finish his closing speech to Dumbledore. "Dark magic on a boy whose been in an abusive household... All it takes is for that dark magic or soul to use the boys repressed emotions to its advantage and instantly the boy is under its control... You asked me when I entered why I exposed Harry''s abuse so publicly and besides the obvious reasons heres my other answer". Oz stared coldly at Dumbledore as he uttered his last sentence to him. "To save a boy who was on his way to becoming a puppet". ============================================================ Recently while looking back on chapters I found the chapter labelled "No Hero" (Now ''Aftermath'') to be the most controversial one. In lew of all this I decided to tweak the chapter slightly to better fit the narrative and Oz''s progression. The reason why I even labelled the chapter "No Hero" in the first place was that I was trying to depict that Oz''s motives for stepping in and helping aren''t exactly ''Hero like''. The boy didn''t decide to do anything until he was nearly face to face with the canon after all and his reason for interfering was so he himself wouldn''t feel regret at doing nothing. However, its become clear to me with time that this narrative doesn''t actually fit the chapter at all and it makes more sense just to omit the details where he labels himself as no hero. As the story progresses so do I and at times I do feel the need to tweak these situations so they sit well in my mind and also fit what the readers think better at times as well. Chapter 35 - Old Snake As the boy, Oz, entered my office I realised instantly how unique he... The way he carried himself, the look in his eyes, it was as if he''s seen more than most his age... The first thing the boy seemed to be interested in was Fawkes, an understandable situation. After all phoenixes are rare and nearly any student that comes in here gets enthralled by Fawkes. As I called out to him he turned up to look at me. I tried again to get a read on him and his level but its still heavily masked. However, now im up close I can tell that the ring on his finger is the culprit, the thing thats blocking my probing. Just before he arrived, Severus sent me a message about how the boy had revealed himself to be a descendant of Merlin. I had my suspicions already but hearing those suspicions confirmed gave me a start. This confirmed everything to me, even confirming to me that the boy is probably also the enchanter ''Lee Oswald'' that appeared recently. That ring on his finger must be the Ambrosius family ring, its true name was the ''Ouroboros Ring'' if I remember correctly... The boy seemed wary of me as we talked, As if he has formed an opinion on me already and understands me to a certain extent... such a situation made me feel stifled for the first time in a while. His expression didn''t change one bit while I was explaining how I recognised him as Merlin''s descendant, telling me he already knew that I would figure it out. Finally as I questioned him on why he exposed Harry''s abuse so publicly he rebuked me harshly for my ''short-sightedness''. Hearing everything laid out made me realise again that the boys intelligence was incredible as he explained how I could have dealt with the situation better. I decided to accept his solution to the matter with Harry, trying to appease him as much as possible. In all honesty seeing how he''s grown and how smart he is I truly want him on our side for the years to come. Making another riddle by being antagonistic towards him would just be detrimental in the grand scheme of things. I do honestly feel guilty about leaving Harry with such people but it was the only way for him to be safe. Mcgonagall all those years back did warn me about how bad they were but I brushed it off as Harry needed to be in a house with a blood relative for the blood ward to work... As he left though the message he ended on is one that I can''t seem to get out of my mind. A soul trapped within that scar... Could it be... did riddle really do ''that''? He is certainly an enigma that boy... he wields both power and intellect. It also seems as though he knows to some extent what''s going to happen in the years to come... I sighed as I stared at the ceiling thinking of the conversation just passed. Thankfully the boy seemed to be on our side else he could have proved troublesome in the future... . Oz left the room heading back to the dungeons with a bitter taste in his mouth. From that conversation alone he realised how tough of a nut Dumbledore was to crack. The man did show pity at the Harry situation and even stated he would sort it all out however not once did he admit that he was wrong. ''If I had no knowledge of future events that Dumbledore would probably have me around his finger by now...'' ''Luckily from what I can tell the man seems to be wary of me... It almost seems as though he wants me on his side. I guess in his eyes I must seem to be a valuable chess piece... Well at least that means he wont try anything funny with me anytime soon''. When Oz entered the room he had the plan in his head to showcase his own intellect to some degree. Dumbledore is a man that deep down values talent especially in those that he deems able to be turned into followers. Since Oz seems like a perfect chess piece he wouldn''t try to mess with him or get on his bad side for a long while. This in turn would give Oz plenty of time throughout the years to act on his own accord and hopefully reach a level eventually where he doesn''t have to dance around the mans palm. ''This year Quirrellmort will be making moves... Harry is the key to taking out Quirrellmort and also is the key to the philosophers stone... That stone... I''d love to get my hands on it. As for the rest of the year... I''ll just roll with the punches. I need to get my hands on that marauders map soon and somehow recreate it... Also I need to practice my potion making, that will definitely come in handy for future plans...''. As Oz went through his plans for the year he eventually arrived back at his room in the dungeons. As he entered his eyes caught sight of the fireplace. ''I wouldn''t normally visit that old snake down there voluntarily... but maybe I should go see if he''s done anything while I''ve been gone...'' After making up his mind Oz headed down the fireplace towards the room where Salazar''s portrait resided. As he reached the door of the room in question, he was suddenly overcome with a weird sense of foreboding. ''What''s wrong with me? why do I feel as if something is off?'' Opening the door slowly, Oz peeked inside the room trying to look at the portrait in the room from afar. As soon as the portrait was in his sight, Oz fell into shock. ''H-he''s gone?!'' The portrait of Salazar would usually have the man sat in his throne asleep or awake, right now however the basilisk throne he''d usually be sat on was empty. Chapter 36 - The Emerald Trio? As Oz woke up the day after all that drama, he knew deep down that the day ahead was also going to be a long one. Last night he exposed his lineage to the Slytherins in the dungeons and knowing them the knowledge has now spread to most of the castle. The students, the teachers and probably even the house elves in the kitchens now know who he really is. ''I swear soon I''m gonna get sick of hearing Merlin''s name... maybe I should nickname him Big M or something...''. Oz got up and did his quick morning exercises. While exercising though, his mind was filled with a myriad of different thoughts. ''I wonder how this year will go? I wonder how I should go about it? That old snake just had to up and disappear too... I hope he isn''t out doing anything shady''. After seeing Salazar missing Oz had a dangerous thought that the man had come into contact or was trying to get into contact with Quirrellmort. After all Voldemort is his direct heir, to him that heir is a lot more valuable than the descendant of a wizard he once trained, even if that wizard was Merlin. ''My identity has probably already spread rapidly now... but Quirrellmort may also learn that I''ve learnt under Salazar for a year. That information could set his sights on me. It may be prudent to prepare for any unexpected ?ssaults....''. Oz had a couple of plans that he could work from, however, they weren''t exactly good. If he directly went to attack Quirrell there''s the risk of Quirrell escaping and that would be an entire ordeal in and of itself. The safest bet was just to play it by ear for now, let fate play out for a while and be vigilant. ''For now at least I should just focus on what I can do. Improving my skills in all areas to prepare for anything along the ways is the smartest I can be for now. To start I will improve my potion making skills...''. . As Oz predicted the day was incredibly stifling for him. All the students gave him weird looks whenever they saw him. The looks were varied, most looked at him in awe while others looked at him warily. The majority of the Slytherins now though had discarded their animosity after knowing Oz''s lineage, as a matter of fact a few had tried to connect with Oz already. Oz however didn''t want to connect with such kids who switch sides just because someone''s ancestor was great so to all these people he gave the cold shoulder. Eventually throughout all this he finally met up with Craig and Cho in the library at their usual spot. "Ozzy I knew you were special but being Merlin''s descendant?... Even thats something I can''t accept off the bat...". Craig was still trying to wrap his head around the reveal. He felt as if Oz''s lineage indeed did make sense but having it suddenly shoved in his face was shocking to say the least. "So thats why you were put in Slytherin as well Oz, besides your cunning and cold nature it was also your lineage that put you in that house! After all Merlin was famously in Slytherin but was also one of those that came out of Slytherin a good person". Cho since last year didn''t fully understand why Oz was put into Slytherin considering his intelligence. As a matter of fact, many times she thought he would be a better fit for Ravenclaw, however now the details of his lineage were out she could accept it. "Who are you calling cold and cunning Cho? I''m a honest to good wizard!" Both Craig and Cho laughed at Oz''s comment. They knew Oz meant well but sometimes he had a look in his eyes like he was plotting something. That cunningness was something they had grown used to last year. While Craig and Cho were studying Oz instead went and took all the books in the library related to Merlin. One of his tasks for the year was to learn as much about the person as possible so that in the future he could pursue his legacy properly. ''There''s no way such a legendary wizard disappeared so randomly. There must be some sort of reason. When I got the inheritance from Gringotts none of those goblins ever mentioned a manor or household under the Ambrosius name, something which seems extremely weird. But seeing what Merlin left in that vault he is certainly a meticulous guy... There must be a base of some sorts he has that he hid from all prying eyes while around...''. Oz read books and books on the subject but he couldn''t find anything that pointed him a proper direction. He sighed deeply as he finished the last book in the pile. ''The only thing I''ve learnt is that Merlin once had a book that he took everywhere... The book I got from the vault is definitely not the tome described in these passages as the tome was allegedly just filled with magical runes... That tome could be the key to locating his true base and maybe even his true inheritance... but where the hell would I even start to look for that?''. The stuff found in the vault at Gringotts was indeed very important to Oz and it was some form of inheritance, after all The ring and heart alone would allow him in the future to improve leaps and bounds. But, the book tipped him off to Merlin''s true motives. He didn''t want his descendants growing strong rapidly, he wanted them to slowly cultivate themselves over time. Thats why he left such a ritual, it was a way for his descendants to improve themselves while working towards a goal. ''Seriously... what a strange guy...'' Just as Oz finished that thought he saw three people enter the library. The three people in question were a very interesting trio. ''Harry, Hermione and Daphne Greengrass?!'' Oz looked on in shock at this ''boy who lived'' ''The lad gets put in Slytherin and decides to go the ''harem route''?!... fair play young potter fair play...'' Initially Oz thought that the golden trio of Ron, Hermione and Harry would still form due to fate or something, but it seems as though Ron cant get rid of his prejudice for Slytherins. This in turn produced a result where Daphne has replaced him in the trio. ''An interesting trio indeed... I wonder how that Daphne got caught up with them? and Hermione is still there... Well she is a bright witch so no harm done there..., It seems that Harry is fitting in rather quickly in comparison to his life in the canon. I guess to some extent I''ve helped there as well?'' Oz''s reveal of being a descendant of Merlin actually masked Harry''s entrance into the school. Masking his entrance allowed the boy to not feel burdened by his achievements, allowing him to join the school with calm and relative ease. In more ways than one Oz had helped the famous ''boy who lived'' settle into the wizarding world. Chapter 37 - Halloween A few weeks have passed now since Oz''s second year started at Hogwarts. Oz kept himself preoccupied in these weeks by keeping to a simple schedule. He''d wake up, exercise, go to lessons, meet up with friends then at night would head to the RoR to brush up on potion making for a few hours. When he was bored of potion making he''d switch to brushing up on magic. He decided this year to focus some more on wandless magic as well as its benefits in the long run were great. During all this though, his core was showing no signs of immediate growth, sticking around the lower/middle level of step 2. His core not growing didn''t bother him though, such things sometimes need to have time to develop. After all back when he forced his first magical maturity he was playing a very dangerous game, one where a wrong step could have actually harmed him fatally. Looking back at that time, Oz realised how incredibly lucky he had been. Besides keeping to this schedule, Oz also kept and eye on both Quirrell and Harry. Nothing out of the ordinary was spotted by Oz though surprising him greatly. After all, with Salazar out in the castle somewhere he half expected something to happen. The longer the Old Snake was gone the more anxious Oz felt, however since he couldn''t do anything about it at this point in time he decided to just let it be. The only thing he could do now was to be as prepared as possible for anything. As for Harry he seemed to be enjoying his life in Hogwarts. One thing that did change though was that Harry wasn''t drafted into the quidditch team this time around. His talent was still recognised in a flying lesson, however when Snape was approached with the idea of making the young boy seeker he refused, allegedly stating "A first year has no right being in the quidditch team". Such a scenario wasn''t a bad change though in Oz''s eyes, As a matter of fact thinking on the subject he realised that Harry never really had the best of luck in the quidditch team anyway. Although he was gifted at being a seeker he always managed to get himself into danger when playing. In his first year he gets jinxed and nearly chokes on the snitch, in his second year he shatters his arm and finally in his third year he faints and falls down from the sky almost dying. He might actually be safer not being on the quidditch team as enemies always seemed to use it as a way to mess with him... The last thing of note to happen in the past few weeks was Oz''s identity becoming more publicised. After most of the students got a hand on the information it was bound to spread to the Daily Prophet and other media outlets eventually. A few days is all it took after Oz''s initial reveal for his identity to become public knowledge in the whole wizarding world and while his reputation rose rapidly he also realised the hurdles he would have to overcome now... ''A single man in a household that is legendary with a bloodline thats connected to one of the greatest wizards of all time... Huuuu... I guess this response is only natural...''. Throughout the weeks since his identity was publicised Oz received countless marriage proposals from a myriad of different families. The amount of proposals reached such a ridiculous degree at some point that Oz had to issue out a statement stating he wasn''t looking for marriage until he was at least out of Hogwarts. The amount of proposals then dwindled down, however some still snuck in during from time to time. It was a given this would happen though as any family would love to be connected to the Ambrosius lineage. Such a situation however caused Oz to be extremely exasperated. Finally after all these different events, a certain night arrived. One that Oz was highly anticipating for a while as it was the tipping point in the first book/film. That night being Halloween. . On Halloween night, Oz and Harry were both sat at the end of the Slytherin table chatting about various things. To the side of them was Daphne who would sometimes join in on the conversation when possible. While chatting though Oz''s mind was elsewhere. ''So tonight''s the night where Quirrellmort releases a troll into the school... I wonder if that will still happen...''. Due to Oz''s interference in the canon a lot of things had changed. The main noticeable change at this point was Harrys placement in Slytherin. The more hidden yet still important change was Salazar now sneaking around the castle. With such factors in play, Oz had no clue where the story would go. There''s even a chance at this point that Quirrell may not even act on the plan to release the troll. As Oz was brooding over all this he looked over to the Gryffindor table. Looking towards where most of the first years sat, he realised that Hermione was missing. ''Shit she''s still missing? Does that mean Ron and the others still picked fun at her?'' To be honest this scenario wasn''t exactly impossible to believe, Hermione was still a teachers pet character due to her drive for knowledge. With her still being that way she''s bound to have some kids pick on her due to how she acts. After seeing this all Oz went to turn towards Harry to confirm if something did happen, however as he was about to speak Quirrell burst in. "Troll! In the dungeon! Troll in the dungeon.... Thought you oughta know..." Quirrell then fainted causing the whole hall to fall into a great uproar. Oz looked at Quirrell lying on the floor and thought to himself. ''For once the canon is going in the normal direction... this is far too suspicious...'' Just as Oz was about to turn to Harry to ask him again about the Hermione situation he noticed that the boy had vanished along with Daphne. Seeing this Oz sighed to himself. ''That boy is far too nice for his own good...''. . . . A/N - This chapter almost became a different beast entirely. I was initially planning on having Quirrellmort release the Basilisk.. However when thinking of the long term effects of such an idea, I couldn''t bring myself to do it, it was too world breaking. Chapter 38 - Desperation After noticing Harry and Daphne had slipped away, Oz was wondering what he should do in this situation. ''I could probably beat a troll if I used ''Augmentum'' right... The troll is monstrously strong however its speed is its weak point, using ''Augmentum'' I could speed up my reaction time and in turn my speed allowing me to dodge... then it would be just a case of finding an opening to bring it down''. At first Oz had the idea of just tipping off the teachers but then he thought of the Ambrosius ritual. He needed as many different magical beast parts as possible to allow for the boost after the ritual to be as powerful as possible and trolls blood could be a good candidate. The beasts after all are both synonymous with strength and regenerative power, if the ritual allowed Oz to take the traits of the creatures and beasts he sacrificed to it, both strength and regenerative power would be a great boon for him in the long run. ''I better get a move on then...''. With his mind made up Oz cloaked himself and quickly ran off towards where the girls bathroom was, the location of where the troll should be. . After several minutes of running through the halls of Hogwarts, Oz was finally coming up upon the girls bathroom that the troll would appear at and attack Hermione in. As he arrived at the bathroom however he was in shock at what he saw. Inside the bathroom was indeed a troll and it was attacking both Harry and Hermione. Daphne was just outside the door and it seemed as if she was looking for an opening. So far everything seemed perfectly normal and manageable. What Oz saw however heading towards the bathroom was what gave him the greatest shock. ''...Two dementors?! Quirrell not only released a troll but somehow managed to ensnare two dementors and bring them into the school as well?! why would he go to su-''. Just as Oz was about to finish that thought he realised his answer instantly. ''Why would he go to such lengths this time round'', The answer was because of Oz. The canon had again shifted and since Oz was here Quirrell was being more cautious, sending out more than just a troll this time around... Or maybe there was another interaction that happened due to Oz''s presence that caused a bu??erfly effect to happen, leading to this scenario. As Oz was still registering all of this, Hermione and Harry found an opening to escape the girls bathroom. However just as they escaped they instantly ran into the dementors both of which targeted Harry. Harry started to let out whimpers of agony as the dementors fed off his happiness. His past abuse cropping up and filling his mind, his parents that had died appearing in his head. All the pain in his childhood was being unravelled. Such a scenario would be mentally scaring for any person but the Harry that was experiencing it now was only 11, meaning he had no resistance. ''Shit they''re targeting Harry as he''s been through the most pain in the past''. Oz acted as soon as possible, he couldn''t waste a moment in this situation. He used ''Accio'' on Harry bringing him down the hall towards him, stopping the dementors from feeding off of him. Oz caught him and then cancelled out his cloak after which he called out to Hermione and Daphne. "The dementors are targeting Harry! Quickly run to me and take him; Ill stall for you!". Hermione immediately acted on Oz''s request and ran towards him with Daphne in tow, the two girls both looked terrified at the turn of events as Oz handed Harry to them. "You need to both run with him, NOW!" The two girls then ran off with Harry leaving Oz facing two dementors and a troll who was clambering towards him as well. ''Well this situation got incredibly hairy quick...''. Oz immediately acted on his original plan, using ''augmentum'' on himself he enhanced his reaction time and speed. Looking at the two dementors his mind fell into a slight panic. ''I hadn''t prepared for dementors yet as I was so dead set that the canon would still be somewhat salvageable... Fuck sake I guess I''ll have to just chance it''. Up to this point Oz hadn''t practiced the Patronus spell, after all in his mind prior to this he didn''t expect the dementors to make an appearance at the school until his fourth year. Now that he was being besieged by two, it looked like he would need to go for broke and hope he could pull the spell off first time. Oz then charged towards both dementors, with his walnut wand pointed at them he yelled. "Expecto Patronum!" Nothing... No spell came out. Oz felt his heart start to beat faster. ''Damn it! I cant think of anything happy right now... as a matter of fact I feel as if I don''t have a single good fu?k?n? memory!''. Oz''s past life and this life... His memory was working in overdrive showing him all angles of what he had experienced however he couldn''t find anything that made him truly happy, allowing for the Patronus to work. Although his memory is perfect, it takes time to recall events and in this kind of scenario where he''s desperate that recalling takes even more time. You could think of this recalling as a movie reel, Oz at present was rewinding his mind going through his memories one by one but none were fitting his idea of a ''happy memory''. ''Goddamn it I should have asked for a better ability! Why did I go so goddamn basic anyway!?''. The troll took this moment to immediately launch an attack with its club. Oz saw the attack coming however and slid between its legs to get to its back. As he passed between its legs Oz landed a ''Diffindo'' on one of its ankles causing the troll to roar out in pain. The troll then fell to one knee as Oz got back on his feet. He was now facing the troll with two dementors behind it floating towards him. ''Come on Oz think! Happiest memory, happiest memory...''. As Oz was again trying to think the troll launched another attack. Oz managed to dodge again but while dodging both the dementors swooped by Oz, absorbing some of his ''happiness''. Oz''s mind at that moment was filled with regret and pain. He recalled his death, how much regret he felt in the void, how lonely he felt in this world, everything came piling onto him. Oz grit his teeth as he tried to calm himself down. ''I need to take out that fu?k?n? troll first then focus on these ?ssholes''. Standing up, Oz ran at the troll and immediately used ''Diffindo'' again on its ankles to break its balance. The troll again fell to its knees and roared out. Seeing an opening Oz leaped onto its back and pointed his wand directly at the nape of its neck. "I''ll repay Quirrell in kind for this..." Oz then casted another ''Diffindo'' as the trolls head was sliced off of its body. The body then fell to the floor with Oz leaping off of it to regain his footing on the ground. He then looked at the two dementors that were left. Looking at the two creatures Oz heaved a deep breath. ''Happiest memory Oz, what is your happiest memory...''. The dementors started to close in on Oz quickly as he stood still trying to come up with a memory that truly made him happy. Just as they were about to be upon him he recalled one memory. ''Thats right... while I felt despair at my death I felt true happiness at my second chance in this world. When that void being told me I could have a second chance... that was probably my happiest memory''. With that memory loaded into his mind Oz looked up at the dementors who were rapidly closing in on him. His eyes flared up as he was determined to take these two creatures down now. "Expecto Patronum!". This time a spell was created. ============================================================ A/N - As I know someone will question why Oz didn''t already know the Patronus spell: While Oz has practiced nearly all spells up to NEWT, there are some that he would have omitted for now. In his eyes he didn''t see the Patronus spell as something worth learning at this point, after all in his mind there were still two years until dementors appeared, plenty of time to learn the spell right? - The main thing I will say to take from this chapter is what happened to Harry. The boy was attacked by dementors at age 11, his life at Hogwarts has only just started and the majority of his past is bad memories. This attack will have scarred him. This chapter is also an important growing point for Oz, who is having his first taste of true combat in this world (The voldy sympathisers don''t count as that wasn''t really a fight). [Chapters will start becoming more staggered soon, mainly as I have a lot of personal things I need to sort out in the coming weeks. Also I would be lying if I said I wasn''t getting exhausted as well, I don''t know how some of these authors write 3 chapters a day they''re incredible but insane lmao] Chapter 39 - Ozs Patronus As the Patronus was produced Oz managed to make it fully corporeal. Seeing his own Patronus he was shocked. His Patronus was a dragon, a magical beast. Not only was it a dragon, it was a specific kind of dragon. From what Oz could remember this dragon was... ''A Hebridean Black dragon...''. Even though it was a Patronus Oz could feel the dominating power of the dragon be ushered forth. It roared violently at the dementors as one of the them were pinned to a wall while the other was thrown far away from Oz. In this split moment, Oz realised his chance here of getting a dementor''s core as well. Sending his Patronus after the dementor that had been sent down the hall, Oz ran to the dementor that was pinned to a wall. He didn''t exactly want to force his hand inside a dementor without any protection so he decided to see on the fly if he could wrap a Patronus spell specifically around his hand using his innate magic control. Luckily for Oz this application succeeded very quickly, unlike his attempts at using the Patronus spell in the first place. As soon as his hand was wrapped in a Patronus spell he forced it within the dementor pinned to the wall. The dementor let out an ear-piercing screech as Oz foisted his hand within. Oz then yanked the dementors core out violently and immediately stored it away in his pouch. The dementor in front of him seemed to disintegrate, turning into ash. Seeing this Oz turned towards the other dementor that was scared to the other side of the hallway. Oz''s Patronus had it pinned to the end of the hallway, roaring at its adversary powerfully. The whole hallway felt like it was shaking. Just as Oz was preparing to finish off the second dementor it was immediately destroyed. Oz flinched at this outcome and immediately withdrew his Patronus. Running down the hallway were all the professors, turning the corner they saw the sight of Oz sitting himself on the trolls corpse catching his breath. All of them looked at Oz in shock before Mcgonagall started: "Mr. O-, I mean Mr. Ambrosius! What on earth happened here?!". Oz looked at the group of teachers noticing both Daphne and Hermione with them, obviously the two girls had gone to get him help as he stalled. "Well professors when Quirrell came in to broadcast a troll had been released, I noticed that Harry and Daphne next to me on the table had disappeared. I grew concerned and immediately set out to see where they were. After some searching I found them being attacked by this here troll in the bathroom just over there. Not only were they being besieged by a troll however, a couple dementors were also about to attack them from behind. Both Harry and Hermione slipped past the troll but Harry ended up being attacked by the dementors...". The teachers collectively gasped at the events Oz was describing as he continued. "I guess they targeted the boy due to his past troubles... When I saw that I immediately acted, bringing the boy to me and telling both Hermione and Daphne to get help and take him to safety. However, little ol'' me was left fending for himself against a troll and two dementors the latter of whom I have never even prepared for before. Why in the hell are dementors here when they should be in Azkaban anyway? what on earth is the ministry doing letting these creatures venture so far from Azkaban?". Dumbledore looked at Oz sat on top of the trolls corpse, sighing he started to speak. "This... You were far too reckless Oz. Dementors are creatures that can harm a persons soul. One misstep and you could have died or at least been permanently damaged". As Dumbledore was reprimanding Oz, Snape looked over to the dust on the floor. The location of which was where Oz had ripped out one of the dementors cores turning it to ash. Turning back to Oz, he sneered. "It seems our little descendant has more to explain here... Looking over there I can see a dementors ashes which should only be present when a dementor is destroyed". Oz looked at Snape and sighed. ''I guess this high-strung guy would recognise dementor ashes considering he works with potions all the time...'' "Well after I managed to bring the troll down both dementors went to attack me, at that point I attacked them with a Patronus spell that b?r?ly managed to beat them back. As for the dementor that perished over there... who knows how that happened? maybe it hit its back to hard on the wall or something". All the teachers collectively looked at Oz with analysing looks. Dumbledore however looked at Oz with a small grin on his face. Spotting this Oz felt a chill down his spine, it was as if the man was planning something. Dumbledore turned to all the other teachers and started to speak. "While Oz here was indeed reckless, he was only being reckless in order to protect his friends. That sort of bravery is worthy of recognition! Seeing the boy also be able to use the Patronus spell also shows that we all underestimated the descendant of merlin, the boy is way above his years...". After hearing Dumbledore''s little speech Snape started to walk towards the troll. Just as he was about to reach the troll however Oz stood in his path. "I don''t think so professor, I defeated this troll so its rightfully mine. I could strike a deal though, I only need all its blood, you can take the rest and use it how you see fit". Snape felt his rage building at Oz''s clear defiance. Sadly for him though he couldn''t go against this kind of demand as Oz indeed was the one who brought down this troll. "Very well Ambrosius, Take the blood from it now and then we will take it from there...". Oz gave a sly grin at Snape''s response and proceeded to drain the Troll of as much blood as possible. After gathering a few litres of blood he stored it in jars which he then placed into his pouch for safe keeping. Turning to Snape he ushered him to take the rest of the Troll. Dumbledore watched all of this happen with a curious look on his face. Oz suspected that the old wizard was probably wondering why he needed troll''s blood, and so much of it. After a while of brooding Dumbledore looked around to everyone surrounding him and began to command. "Alright everyone, it seems the situation here is solved! Oz, if you could come with me to my office I have something I''d like to talk about with you...". Oz''s eyebrow furrowed at Dumbledore''s request. After seeing all of this, it seemed the old man had a plan in mind for Oz. As all the teachers started to disperse Oz quickly called out to Dumbledore. "Could I go visit Harry before I come to you? I want to see if the boy is okay after the attack". Dumbledore turned around to look at Oz, wearing his grandfatherly smile he look at Oz and replied. "Feel free to do so, but after please come and visit me". All the teachers then fully dispersed leaving Oz with Hermione and Daphne in the hallway. He looked at the two girls who were looking at him both in awe and in fear. He walked up to them slowly and looking down at them with a soft smile he said. "Lets go see how Harrys doing". ============================================================ A/N - So his Patronus is a dragon. I feel that it makes sense due to his lineage and all of you guessed it correctly of course. However I did have some difficulties when picking a specific dragon. I was half tempted to pick a dragon that existed outside of the Harry Potter world however that to me felt wrong so I decided on the most violent dragon in Britain.. I would have gone Hungarian Horntail, but to me that was very generic. Chapter 40 - Harrys condition Thanks for all the votes and suggestions all. I wont lie that the main reason why I decided to make the last two Author Notes were because I was feeling a bit down about comments and such. However, seeing the support I''ve perked up again and decided to just continue and say ''Fuck it ill write what I want''. As a thank you heres an extra chapter for today :) ============================================================ Oz, Hermione and Daphne were all heading towards the medical ward in Hogwarts at the moment to see how harry was faring after the attack. On the whole trip there both Daphne and Hermione kept trying to talk to Oz however he was in his own little world, trapped in his own mind thinking of all the events that had occurred. ''How on earth did Quirrell even get dementors? Why would he send dementors out knowing full well a murder could have happened? This turn of events makes no sense!''. In the fight that had just passed, Oz for the first time ever in this world felt true desperation. He was at his wits end trying to conjure a Patronus on the fly and his foolishness for not practicing the spell prior was nearly his downfall. If he was just a second late casting his Patronus then those dementors would have started to prey upon him. After a while of walking down the halls the trio of Oz, Hermione and Daphne finally arrived in the medical ward. On the furthest away bed near the window Harry was laying down, his expression vacant. The three ran up to Harry''s bedside to see him. As Oz looked down at Harry he almost felt like he could sense the boys despair emanating from him. The sight was so sad to see that both Hermione and Daphne choked up a bit. Harry slowly sat up and stared at the three of them, after a while he looked over to Oz and asked. "Oz... What were those things? When they attacked me... I felt as though I could hear my mother screaming...". Oz sighed as he looked at the boy. "Those were dementors Harry... Dark and sinister creatures that feed off of emotions. Seeing as though you''ve been through the most trauma in your past, you were targeted by them from the moment they floated into that hall". Listening to Oz''s explanation, Harry looked down at his hands and clenched them into a fist. Oz felt that the boy was extremely frustrated at the turn of events. He went to save Hermione after all but ended up being saved instead. "Jumping in recklessly like that Harry was certainly foolish... It would have been better to get a teacher if you knew Hermione was in danger". Looking at Harry, Oz noticed a slight change in the boys eyes. He couldn''t exactly explain it, but it felt as if he was going through the same realization that Oz went through. However his was strictly due to his own foolishness, realising that he also needs power to survive. This Harry after all has been exposed to one of the darkest creatures in the wizarding world just months after properly joining this world. As Harry looked up again to Oz, his eyes felt colder and calmer. It was as if he had decided something. Looking at this renewed Harry, Oz smiled. ''It seems the boy has regained his spark... The look in his eyes is something I like also, as if he''s got a plan from now on...''. "It looks like you''ve started to perk up again Harry... good. I''ll leave you with both Hermione and Daphne, I have to head off and talk to a certain old bat". After seeing Harry was fine Oz now left the medical ward, walking towards where Dumbledore''s office was. While Oz walked away, Harry turned to Hermione and Daphne. "Hermione, did you end up in that toilet due to that Ron bullying you?". Hermione looked at Harry and sheepishly nodded, for some reason Harry seemed a lot more intimidating compared to how he usually was. Harry looked at Daphne and gave a sly grin. "I think us two Slytherins should go and repay him in kind for doing something like that to our friend... don''t you agree Daphne?" Seeing this attitude come out of Harry, Daphne also let off a sly grin. "I''m with you on that Harry". . While heading towards Dumbledore''s office, Oz was beginning to piece together the events that had happened. ''So instead of a troll Quirrell also added two dementors... If he added two dementors then he must have known to some extent that they would target Harry right? Was he trying to get at Harry or something?''. There were many questions that were presented due to this turn of events and Oz felt like he couldn''t answer any of them. He racked his brain on what could have caused these events to spiral out of control so much until finally he realised something. ''...That old snake... That fu?k?n? old snake! It must have been him! If he tipped off Quirrell about my presence and true strength then it would all start to make sense!''. Putting Salazar in this puzzle instantly solved it for Oz. Oz already wondered where the man had gone in the first place but now he was realising that he must have actually gone to get into contact with Quirrell and in extension Voldemort, his heir. What''s one piece of information he''d tell his heir? That Oz, the descendant of Merlin, was training under him! If he told him that then instantly Voldemort would become extremely cautious of Oz and his potential. Knowing that Salazar valued Oz''s potential to some degree would instantly set of alarm bells in Voldemort''s mind, wanting to nip Oz in the bud before he had the chance to grow any more, especially considering how close he is with Harry in his eyes. ''So adding two dementors was to get at me and not Harry! Besides lessons, im with Harry most of the time after all and he decided to release them during dinner when I would have the most chance to be with him...''. Thinking over the events, these ideas seemed to make the most sense out of all the other ideas he had thought of. There were still questions left though, but at least with this theory there was some substance to it. ''Next time I go down into that fireplace I swear I''ll destroy that portrait....''. Chapter 41 - A Cunning Plan SURPRISE TRIPLE UPLOAD BABY ============================================================ When we were informed by the two young girls, Hermione and Daphne about Oz''s fight with the troll and two black cloaked beings I felt myself wondering what we would turn up to. The boy is definitely hiding his true prowess deep down, I can sense it. Although that ring masks his core I feel as though he is more trained than initially expected. His intelligence already shook me the day he entered my office for the first time but if I confirm that he also has the power to back his claims up then I feel as though my plans will change quickly. That boys smarts did impress me that day though. He stood up to me with confidence and no fear, as if he knew I couldn''t act against him. If I tried hard enough though im sure I could get rid of him if he was truly in the way however him being a descendant of Merlin gave him the security that stayed my hand from even doing anything. After all if the descendant of Merlin were found to be attacked or killed in Hogwarts then I would be blamed for the transgression. A clever plot indeed... While thinking of the boy and his wits we eventually stumbled upon the hallway that lead directly to the bathroom in which the poor trio of Harry, Hermione and Daphne were attacked. Just as we arrived however, A roar shook the corridor making all the other teachers flinch. While they were recovering I took that moment to look down the hallway to see a dementor near the bathroom. Those vicious fiends... I''ve always loathed them. Such beings have no right existing considering how inherently bad they are. Its honestly a shock as to why the ministry still keeps such disgusting creatures employed. The second I spotted the creature I sent my own Patronus to completely banish it. Although dementors have a core of negative emotions those cores are only temporary storages, like pouches. A dementor cannot truly die after all as its Amortal. I''m sure however now it has dispersed, its ash strewn across the floor, it''ll find its way back to Azkaban one way or another... I will have to take up all these offensives with fudge though... Turning the corner we ran into Oz who was sat on top of the Troll that was mentioned by the two girls. He seemed to be catching his breath after what seemed like a prolonged fight. Looking at him I felt a smile slowly creep onto my face. As I was basking in this revelation, Severus spotted a dementors ashes to the side of the hallway near a wall. This suggested that Oz had indeed managed to take out one of the dementors himself. Seeing this I recalled the roar we heard while coming up to this hallway, that roar was no troll roar or dementor roar, it was a dragons roar. Thats when it dawned on me truly. The boy had actually casted a corporeal Patronus! and it was a dragon no less! Such talent was truly impressive... As I looked at this boy who was fighting for rights of the trolls corpse with Snape an idea formed in my mind. Although he''s clearly of a defiant nature, there''s one sure way I can make him come under my banner... Ill have to directly force him. . Oz had finally arrived to Dumbledore''s office yet again. Feeling a weird sense of deja vu, he stepped inside. Locking eyes with Fawkes again Oz stared the bird up and down. ''I don''t know when, I don''t know how but your feathers and tears will be mine eventually you fiery chicken...''. "You''ve finally arrived Oz... How was Harry? Is he doing okay?". Oz looked up at Dumbledore and let out an exasperated sigh. "The boy is doing fine... It seems as though this little experience has changed him in some way though. A dementor attack is something thats incredibly rare after all and it happened to him while he''s only 11". Dumbledore listened to Oz while stroking his beard. "Yes... Dementors attacking inside Hogwarts is alarming indeed. I''ve always hated those creatures, disgusting things that feed off of emotions. I will be launching a full scale inquiry about why such things were even here at the school and not at Azkaban as soon as I can gather the wizengamot". Oz looked up at Dumbledore with a confused look on his face. ''He''s being awfully polite and considerate this time round... asking about Harry''s condition and then even instantly jumping on the ball to inquire about the dementors...''. Walking down the stairs Dumbledore started to speak again: "Last time you were here Oz your intelligence and cunning surprised me greatly. Although I didnt agree with everything you said to me the vast majority of what you said was true and hit closed to home on many accounts". "This time however, seeing what you did in that hallway, I was truly impressed by your magical prowess. I know you''re a descendant of Merlin but many descendants don''t live up to the monikers of their forefathers. You however have to a T". Finally sitting down, Dumbledore stared at Oz deeply. "After all I saw your Patronus. A dragon wasn''t it? Such a unique Patronus shows that you''re indeed a wizard with a ton of potential and talent...". As Oz was listening to this old man talk he started to realise a pattern. He again felt a serious sense of deja vu. "Oz... Wont you let me tutor you in the future?". . . ''These goddamn old men....''. Chapter 42 - Enticing Offers Dumbledore had truly cornered Oz with this proposition. At first glance, Oz would be inclined to decline Dumbledore''s offer of tutoring and go on his merry way however Dumbledore was known as the second coming of Merlin for a reason. Learning under such a man privately could allow Oz''s magic prowess to improve tremendously in the years to come. Also since the man is directly connected to Merlin in some ways, there''s a chance he will know more about Merlin than Oz does at this point. Such information is invaluable to Oz. There''s even a chance that the man has procured some of Merlin''s artefacts over the years. In Oz''s mind this proposition was like a piece of meat at the end of a stick. It was too tasty to pass up, yet he knew he was being led along. ''If I accept now Dumbledore will immediately send out reports and news that I''m officially learning under him. That would in turn cushion the amount of damage due to the Harry incident and also improve his stature even more as someone who is leading the wizarding generation to a new era via me, a descendant of Merlin... This old man indeed got me good here...''. Looking at Dumbledore who was giving an innocent grandfatherly smile, Oz sighed. "Okay Dumbledore, Your proposition is indeed enticing. I have a question though before I decide whether or not I accept". Dumbledore''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Oz. "And what would that question be Oz?". Oz looked around Dumbledore''s office, looking at all the different artefacts strewn about. "Do you have information on Merlin at all that you''ll be able to give to me?". Hearing this query, Dumbledore smiled. "I indeed do Oz... as a matter of fact I have a certain artefact that will prove incredibly useful to you, if you so d?s?r? to be my pupil". Oz''s eyes flashed at Dumbledore''s comments. "Oh? May I asked what the artefact is?". Dumbledore looked over to one side of his room and with a flick of his wrist a book came flying to him. "This is the artefact I have from Merlin... It was actually handed to me by the ministry many years ago to research. Sadly though for me, even though im heralded as the second coming of Merlin I''m not actually connected to the man in any way. This book is guarded by a blood ward that will only accept those of Merlin''s lineage. If you come under me, this book will be yours to take". Oz looked deeply at the book in Dumbledore''s hand. ''This book is the book I read about earlier in the year! Merlin''s book that he carried around everywhere with him... his own personal tome. If this book does what I suspected and gives me clues on where his abode his, or anything else for that matter it would be an incredibly important item for me going ahead...''. Oz looked up at Dumbledore''s face again, seeing that the old man had a knowing face on. ''First Salazar and now this old man... I keep getting locked into contracts it feels with offers that are far too enticing to pass up. If I denied Dumbledore now, he would probably withhold that book from me for as long as possible, maybe even locking it away somewhere... He knows that what I need now is knowledge of my ancestor and he''s using that as leverage. This man truly isn''t to be underestimated''. "One last question Dumbledore, what exactly are you planning on teaching me if I learn directly under you? As you saw in that hallway I''ve already managed to teach myself the Patronus charm, If self-study can get me to this level in 2 years then what do you have to offer me truly?". "There''s many things in this world I can teach you Oz... As you should rightly know, Spells aren''t the be all end all, there are many different magical practices out there. One example would be something that I taught to Minerva all those years ago...". Stroking his beard he started to smile. "Yes... I could allow you to become an Animagus and train you in that form... seeing your Patronus is a dragon, such a form would benefit you immensely if you pull it off. I could also teach you more about Occlumency and legilimency, although that ring seems to guard your mind well enough for me not to interfere what if that ring is destroyed or something? You need to have your own personal guard be powerful and not rely too much on artefacts. Finally I could also tutor you in duelling... It seems as though with the way you move you''ve taught yourself with two wands. Indeed thats an admirable feat for sure however..." Using his open hand again Dumbledore conjured a flame that was hot enough that Oz felt the heat from where he was standing. "Wands in some ways are a crutch Oz. Having two wands doesn''t necessarily mean double the power or double the control. Learning spells wandlessly is where you start to become a true wizard in my eyes. I could teach you how to conjure better wandlessly and implement that in battle". Oz stood listening to all the things Dumbledore was offering to teach him. As Dumbledore went into more and more detail Oz found it harder and harder to pass this opportunity up. Not only would he receive a tome that belonged to Merlin, but he would also receive teaching in all these subjects he had neglected over the past year or so while training solely spells. "... Okay Dumbledore you got me hooked. Ill accept your tutoring sessions... on one condition". Dumbledore narrowed his eyes as Oz was asking for a condition. "Oh? and what might that condition be Oz" "Could you please allow me to have a phoenix tear and feather from your phoenix Fawkes over there?". Chapter 43 - Truly Bashed As Oz left Dumbledore''s office he looked down at his hands to see both a feather and a vial with a tear in it. ''I''m honestly shocked the old man went ahead and gave me this... It was a shot in the dark but it seems he truly values me to some extent''. Oz''s last condition was one that he was purely putting forward to test Dumbledore. If the man accepted the condition, then Oz would see that he has value in Dumbledore''s eyes. If he denied it, then Oz would know that Dumbledore views him as important, but not incredibly valuable in the long run meaning he would have to be somewhat careful going forward. ''Now I have a Dementors core, Trolls blood, a dragon''s heart and a Phoenixes'' tear/feather. The list is shaping up nicely... To be honest with just this I could probably go ahead and do the ritual...''. Although Oz was tempted to go ahead with the ritual after seeing all the materials he had collected so far, he decided to shelf the idea. Now he was going to be tutored under Dumbledore, he might be able to use his influence to gain more materials which would make the ritual more powerful. As Merlin said in the notes he left, the more materials the better the outcome so Oz may as well go big. Thinking of Merlin, Oz looked at his pouch which now had the tome of Merlin inside after Dumbledore gave it to him. ''In all honesty, I could have pushed him to give me this book without being tutored by him... The ministry I could have pushed against, especially considering my status they would have to listen to some extent...''. When Oz saw that Dumbledore had the tome he was searching for, he was already thinking of how to get it off of him if he didn''t readily give it to him. The man tried to use it as leverage but he probably knew deep down it was Oz''s right to have that book. However with his power and influence all it takes is him swaying the ministry and the book could be withheld from Oz for a while until he finally gets through. Oz''s desperation could be seen as foolish here for sure. Oz in fact also felt that he was rash in some ways, however, the knowledge that Dumbledore held was truly what enticed Oz the most to accept Dumbledore''s offer. While Oz is indeed a prodigy when it comes to magic, being able to enchant glasses to make the health specs and also maturing twice before 12 years old, Its next to impossible for a truly great wizard to appear without some form of guidance. Going solo would only get him so far and Dumbledore just so happened to offer to teach Oz areas that he hasn''t fully delved into yet, making the offer more enticing to him. This was the main reason why he also accepted Salazar''s offer a year ago as the man had knowledge Oz craved... however now that old snake has gone AWOL. While Dumbledore can be manipulative and cunning, the mans intellect is truly unrivalled. He''s seen far more than the average witch or wizard and probably understands magic better than most in the world at this point. Even though Oz personally sees a lot of faults in the man, this offer was something he felt he needed to take in order to grow faster. For now he would stay on the old mans good side, learning as much as he can from him and absorbing all the knowledge he can possibly absorb, but when he''s learnt all he can he will not stick around. Both his and Dumbledore''s personal philosophies are parallel after all, they will never truly meet eye to eye. As Oz was walking back to the dungeons, he decided to make a detour to the medical ward again to see if Harry had been let go yet, or if he was being kept there over night. Thinking about Harry, Oz felt a smirk coming onto his face. The boy was changing due to Oz''s presence, Oz could tell that much after what happened in the medical ward last time. The light in his eyes wasn''t as na?ve and foolhardy as the original Harry in the canon, it seemed as though he was becoming calmer and more cunning. Oz truly looked forward to seeing where the boy would go this time around. As he arrived at the medical ward though, he saw an interesting sight. Instead of Harry, there was now another boy in the bed, Specifically a red-haired boy. He seemed to be throwing up a lot and also had boils covering his face. At the boys bedside was two twins looking at him with concern on their faces. At closer inspection Oz noticed who this boy was... ''Thats... Ron... what the hell happened to him?''. While looking at Ron, Oz felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he saw Harry, Daphne and Hermione. Harry wore a mischievous grin that mirrored Daphne''s grin as well. Hermione on the other hand had a slightly worried countenance. Piecing together what happened, Oz had to ask. "Did you guys do that to Ron?". At Oz''s question both Harry and Daphne snickered to each other. "We may have something to do with it... or maybe we dont... Whoever did it though deserves a reward!". Listening to Harry''s response Oz felt a slight shock. ''This boy really has changed... and I''m all for it!''. Looking back over at the bed, Oz took a long glance at the twins at Ron''s bedside. ''Thats Fred and George... they should still have their hands on the marauders map. I wonder...''. After seeing Fred and George with Ron, Oz started to formulate a plan in his mind. For the longest time he''s d?s?r?d getting his hands on the Marauders map to tinker with it. Such a map was invaluable in a castle like this and would allow Oz to personally traverse it quicker. This situation that Ron was in with his two brothers watching... Oz could use this situation... Turning to the trio behind him Oz asked. "Is there any way to cure Ron of all of this?" Daphne and Harry both looked at Oz wide eyed. "Why on earth would you want to cure that leech Oz? I feel like he''s got what''s coming to him here!". Oz chuckled at Harry''s response. "Hold your horses I don''t want to cure him for free... those two boys over near his bedside; his brothers, they have something that I''d very much like to get my hands on. If you let me know the cure I can bargain with them to give me that ''something'' for a while. I ?ssure you also that the thing I want will benefit you as well in the long run". After hearing the talk about an item, Hermione perked her ears up in curiosity. "An item thats got even you interested in Oz? What on earth could it be...". "Ill get to that later Hermione, now if you could give me the cure I may be able to work out a deal here". Harry looked over at Daphne after hearing Oz''s request and nodded. At that point Daphne reached into her pocket pulling out a small vial with liquid in it. "This here should fix that idiot up no problem. The whole set was something I found in knock turn alley before I came this year... I originally planned it for someone else however after seeing what Ron did to Hermione I couldn''t pass the chance up to test it...". Hearing Daphne''s explanation Oz felt a slight shiver down his spine. ''I would not want to get on this girls bad side...''. After receiving the antidote, Oz advised the trio to run off now quickly. They all nodded at Oz''s request and headed off immediately. After seeing them off down the hallway, Oz turned back to the medical ward and proceeded to walk towards the trio of gingers. ''If I can bargain with Dumbledore I can bargain with you two....''. Chapter 44 - Silver-Tongued As Oz was approaching the Weasley brothers, Ron was the first to notice him coming. Looking over at him, he wore a slightly confused yet annoyed face. As for Fred and George, they looked at Oz with curiosity as to why he was coming over, but it also seemed they had their guard up. Ron was the first to speak up. "What are you doing here Slytherin?". Oz completely ignored Ron and walked towards Fred and George instead. This attitude infuriated Ron. "Oi you slimy git, get away from here now! We don''t want you here!". At this point Oz stopped and turned his head to Ron. "Oh? You don''t want me here even though I might be able to help you out?". Hearing Oz''s rebuttal, Ron was tongue-tied. Fred and George both looked at Oz with caution before Fred started to speak. "How could you help him? Madam Pomfrey told us that she couldn''t do anything but ease the illness until it passes!" Oz looked at the three brothers and sighed. "Well... you see... I''ve seen this kind of thing before. Back when I was in Diagon alley I saw a young girl who went through the same illness in the Leaky Cauldron. The mother there was desperate for help and asked any and everyone around if they could help. It seemed clear to me that she didn''t have the money to bring her daughter to the hospital so she was just hoping for someone to help. Luckily for her a man stood up and diagnosed her daughter. Seeing the vomiting and boils, he deduced that it was a certain kind of illness that would pass over time but if you want it cured immediately so you''re safer you''d need to concoct a potion for it... The man seemed to be a potions master as well, much to the woman''s delight, as he whipped up a potion quickly in front of everyone to cure the woman''s daughter..." All three of the brothers were fully invested in Oz''s story at this point. It almost seemed his words were laced with poison as they drew you in and made you believe them. "I was obviously present at the Leaky Cauldron during all of this... I witnessed the man create the potion step by step. When he finished the potion, he gave a vial to the woman who immediately ran up to her daughter and gave it to her. She trusted the man quite readily to be honest, but again thankfully for her he was a legit potions master. The potion worked and the little girl healed up almost instantly, taking about an hour to completely heal. After hearing the woman shout ''thank you!'', I asked the man if he could show me how to do that and he just chuckled, exclaiming he didn''t have the time. However, he did have some vials left as the batch he made was big and he tossed me one to keep for a ''rainy day''". After hearing the end of this story the three Weasley brothers all looked at each other. Ron had a glimmer of hope in his eyes at Oz''s story, now understanding that Oz must have the cure to help him. "This here is that cure the man prepared... It was honestly a marvel to see him work. His skill was probably up there with Snape''s so unless you managed to convince Snape to make you this cure... you''d probably have to deal with this illness for a week or so at best". Ron tried to reach out for the cure in Oz''s hand however just as he was about to reach Oz pulled it away from his reach. "However though... Ron here said before all this when I walked over with good intentions for me to ''Leave'' as ''we don''t want you here''. Such treatment when I was only trying to help...". Fred and George both turned to look at Ron with annoyance on their face. They had to look after their little brother while he was in school for his first year and now he was ill it would be put on their heads if anything more happened to him. To them, getting him cured as quick as possible would allow them to go back to doing whatever they wanted. Seeing this reaction from the two Oz smiled. ''Well it seems they all bought that story at least... Fred and George though... I guess since they are the ''delinquents'' of the Weasley household they don''t hold the same prejudice to the extremes as everyone else. I guess my connection to Merlin also helps there a bit too...''. The twins both sighed at their foolish brother before turning to Oz. George began by asking. "What would you want in exchange Oz? We don''t mind doing an exchange as long as we get this little nuisance cured". A sly grin crept onto Oz''s face when he heard this. "If you two twins would come over away from Ron for a second I have something I''d like to discuss...". Both Fred and George looked at each other in confusion before complying with Oz''s request and walking away from Ron, the latter of whom was still wearing an annoyed look at the events going on. The trio of Oz, Fred and George convened over the other side of the medical ward. Oz looked at both brothers before wearing a kind grin. "Here''s the deal fellas. I don''t mind handing you this vial that''ll cure Ronny-boy over there as long as you let me borrow something that you guys have for a while". Fred and George both looked at Oz in confusion at his request. Both were probably thinking what on earth they could have that would entice the descendant of Merlin to ask to personally borrow it. "Ill be blunt boys... I want to borrow the marauders map from you for a while". Both Fred and Georges eyebrows jumped at Oz''s request. "You want to borrow the map?! How did you even know we have our hands on it!". Oz stroked his chin at Fred''s frantic comment. "Do I really have to explain...?" "N-no... you don''t... we don''t mind letting you borrow it for a while. Just let us know when you''ll give it back!". Oz smiled warmly at the two twins. "Don''t worry about that guys, I only need it for a little while to study. After I''ve learnt some things from it, it''ll end up rightfully back in your hands...". At that, Fred reached into his back pocket and pulled out a heavily folded piece of paper. After explaining to Oz how the map functions they gave it to him. "Thanks for this guys! Here''s the cure for Ron over there. Just make the boy drink it and in an hour he will be better...". Both Fred and George nodded at Oz before thanking him, walking off back to their brother on his sick bed. Oz didn''t bother to wait around to see the results, he just decided instead to leave, walking out the medical ward and heading back to his room in the dungeons to take a look at this map before bed. Chapter 45 - Tracking down a Snake Arriving back at his room, Oz sat down on his bed and heaved a sigh. A lot had happened tonight, so much so that he was feeling exasperated. ''The fight against the troll and dementors, Harry''s change, Dumbledore pulling me into being his pupil and then receiving the Marauders map... I wish all nights were this productive...''. Although Oz was tired he was too keen to get a look at the Marauders Map, so much so that the adrenaline of looking into it kept him awake. ''If I can create my own version of this map... It''ll be incredibly useful for the years to come''. Opening the map slowly Oz uttered: "~I solemnly swear that I am up to no good~" As Oz uttered the keywords, the map sprung to life. Oz looked at the map in wonder as he saw his own name along with the names of every student in the school be plotted onto it. Looking around the Slytherin dungeons Oz spotted Harry and Daphne''s names. They both seemed to be back in their respective rooms after this nights debacle with Ron. Looking at Dumbledore''s office he could see the old man pacing around, probably coming up with another one of his schemes. ''This really is an incredible piece of work... I have to hand it to James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew... out of everyone who has been to Hogwarts as students I dare say they are the ones who explored most of what the castle had to offer, especially with this in their hands''. As Oz was looking at the myriad of names on the map and idea started to form in his mind for his own version. ''There must be some way they track people inside the ward... If I mimic that method...''. Oz''s eyes widened at his idea. ''Maybe I could link it to that snakes portrait and track down where he''s going?''. This idea seemed far-fetched to Oz at first but the more he thought on it the more feasible it seemed. Down in the fireplace study Salazar''s portrait was always emanating with dark magic. That magic is definitely connected to him in some way due to how many years he must have been down there... If there was a way to make the map recognise this dark magic maybe it could point out where the snakes slithering off to. Oz was dead-set on trying this idea out after first initially thinking of it, after all there''s no harm in giving it a go. After deciding on what to do with Salazar, Oz looked for another name on the map. That name being Quirrell''s. ''Seems that bastard is back in his study... He must have already looked into the philosophers stones defences... Well too bad for you, you blubbering idiot, I have my eyes on that stone as well...''. Oz spent the rest of the night studying the map to try and gauge how hard it would be to recreate it. Looking over all parts of the map, he came up with ideas that could improve it as well as make the scope of it wider. Eventually sunlight entered Oz''s room, he had spent the whole night with his eyes glued to the map. As the sunlight hit his eyes he squinted. A grin was plastered to his face the whole time studying this map and after looking into all details of it he was sure he could recreate it within a month or so. ''Looking at this... I should be able to recreate this by Christmas at least. That''ll give me all of next years term to track down that old snake and find out what he''s doing''. Content with his findings, Oz put the map back into his pouch as he went over to his bed to lay down. A relaxed grin on his face as he let himself fall asleep after an eventful day and night. . After the events of Halloween, the weeks passed by with Oz keeping to a new schedule. Besides his daily routines he now would, on the weekends, go up to Dumbledore''s office to be tutored by him. The old man did keep to his promise, thankfully for Oz, and taught him wholeheartedly starting with wandless magic and Occlumency strengthening. When Oz inquired about becoming an Animagus, Dumbledore responded by handing him a mandrake leaf. Oz would have to keep this leaf in his mouth for an entire month before he would be prepped to take the Animagus potion. It was a bit uncomfortable for Oz at first but after he got the leaf tucked under his tongue and had it there for a while he got used to it. After he had kept it in his mouth for a month, The duo of Dumbledore and Oz would then have to wait for a thunderstorm until Oz could ingest the Animagus potion allowing him to attain his Animagus form. When a thunderstorm was due, Dumbledore explained that he''d notify Oz and they would both go out to the school grounds privately in order to complete his transformation. Along with lessons with Dumbledore, Oz would also spend his time going to the RoR to get some alone time, researching into the Marauders map and slowly creating his own one. He surmised while creating it that when it was about to be complete, he should take the map down to the fireplace study and connect it to Salazar''s magical signature then. If all went well, he would be able to track the snake. With the creation of the new marauders map, he was on track to have it finished by around Christmas, just as planned. He didn''t fully focus on the map however, still taking time to train himself a bit and read in the RoR so he wouldn''t get rusty. Meanwhile Oz still kept in contact with Craig and Cho, meeting up with them on occasion to chat. He also started to mingle more with the trio of Harry, Daphne and Hermione, the former two who were slowly becoming a match made in heaven with how mischievous they were becoming. The more Oz hung out with this Harry the more he began to like him in comparison to the original version. This Harry had a sort of ''pluckiness'' to him that couldn''t be described. It was as if the boy was just wholly more confident and cooler compared to the original Harry. With lots to do the days rolled by and eventually Christmas was upon Hogwarts. Previous Christmases for Oz were always quite lonely and dull due to how recluse he was, however this Christmas coming up was sure to be a surprise for him.... Chapter 46 - A Warm Christmas A bit more of a ''wholesome'' chapter with some progression at the end :). This one ended up being 1700 words too which is well over my normal word count so I hope you all enjoy! ============================================================ Oz woke up on Christmas like any other morning. He got out of bed, did his morning stretches and exercise in his room before having a shower and then getting dressed ready for the day. Just last night Oz had nearly finalised his own marauders map, the only thing he needs to do now is connect Salazar''s magical signature in the hopes that it can track the snake down... The Slytherin common room for the past few days had been practically empty due to it being Christmas time. The majority of people heading back to their families for the winter period. Daphne had only just left yesterday though on Christmas eve, leaving the common room to just Harry and Oz. Walking in to the common room Oz yawned, looking around the room he saw a tree in the far corner. On the couch nearby the tree sat Harry who was engrossed into a book. Oz wore a soft smile as he sat down on a chair nearby the boy. "Is that a book you got for Christmas?" Harrys eyes quickly darted up in shock before softening. "Oh, its you Oz. Yeah Daphne got me this book actually, It lists different methods of potion making! The potions included however are mainly prank potions like that potion we gave to Ron a few weeks back". Oz chuckled at Harrys comment. ''That Daphne is turning this ''boy who lived'' into a true delinquent... At least the years to come will be interesting''. Looking over to the tree Oz noticed that there were still presents there. "It seems you aren''t completely finished unwrapping presents... come on Harry lets see what else you got!". Harry then put the book down he got from Daphne and walked over to the tree. The present he was reaching for was a present that Oz recognised. Before Oz could say anything Harry started to speak: "Your father left this in my possession before he died, it is time it was returned to you. Use it well?". "What do you think this is Oz? It was apparently my fathers!". Oz took a long deep look at it, feigning ignorance before responding: "I''m certain thats an invisibility cloak Harry! What an incredible item that is. I''m sure you can do a lot with that cloak in hand now...". Harry smiled after hearing Oz''s explanation. Glee filled his eyes as he messed around with the invisibility cloak. "This things awesome! Do you want to give it a try Oz? I can always lend it to you in the future if you need it!". Oz chuckled at Harry''s offer. "I appreciate the offer Harry, but..." As Oz finished his sentence he instantly conjured a wandless cloaking spell. Turning invisible in front of Harrys eyes. He then quickly looped around to Harry''s back and cancelled the spell, tapping him on the shoulder. Oz gave a cheeky grin as Harry turned around with bewilderment on his face. "I''m able to do this stuff without a cloak~". After playing around with the invisibility cloak more, Harry went ahead to open the rest of his presents. Oz almost failed to hold in a laugh at the present the Dursleys had gave him. "I can''t believe they gave me a 50p piece! I bet that Dudley got like 30 different presents as well...". Harry only had two presents left after this... present. He opened up a present from Hermione which was a chocolate frog card and a box of bertie botts every flavoured beans and finally a present from Hagrid which was a wooden flute. Seeing a present from Hagrid, Oz felt the need to ask Harry something. "Do you still talk to Hagrid after him taking you around Diagon Alley". Midway through messing around with the flute, Harry stopped to look at Oz who had poised him a question. "At the beginning of the year I went down to his a lot actually. He helped me get out of that shithole house after all so I feel indebted to him. In addition the guy tells great stories!". After answering Oz, Harry went back to messing around with his presents. Oz pondered to himself about what Harry had said. ''I guess it makes sense that they stayed connected... After all while Hagrid can be a bit muscle brained and straight-laced, especially when Dumbledore''s in the picture, he is a good guy in the end, a guy that cares for Harry quite a lot as well...''. While Oz was deep in thought Harry walked over towards him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Earth to Oz? You need to open your presents now!". Oz fell into a slight shock at Harrys words. "Presents? Since when did I get presents?" Even though this year he had given out presents to some people, mainly Craig and Cho. He hadn''t expected to receive anything. After all last year for Oz he was completely alone due to the complications of his placement in Slytherin. Before that even he was in the orphanage but never really took any notice of Christmas as he was focused on being prepared for Hogwarts. Oz looked over to the tree and low and behold he did have some presents. He saw presents from Craig and Cho, as well as a suspicious present that didn''t have a sender on it. Harry, Daphne and Hermione had also all got him a present as well which surprised him. Seeing this, Oz fished into his pouch and pulled out a pair of glasses for Harry. These glasses were almost identical to the ones that the boy was already wearing. "Here''s my present to you Harry... These are those Health Specs I used at the beginning of the year! I''m sure they''ll come in handy down the line for you". Harrys face lit up at Oz''s present, thanking him and immediately wearing the glasses to test them out. While Harry was testing them out, Oz chuckled. "A few more years Harry and Ill let you have a certain special ''limited edition'' pair... when you''re old and responsible enough". Harry''s head jutted around at Oz''s ambiguous comment. "A special pair?! What are they like!". Oz shook his head playfully at Harrys question. "Ah.... I can''t tell you now can I! Just look forward to it!". Finish this little talk Oz got out of his seat and went over to his own presents, opening them. Harry and Daphne had got Oz a joint present which were some dung bombs. Hermione got Oz the same she got Harry, A chocolate frog card and some bertie botts beans. Craig had got Oz a cool snake necklace with a note attached reading ''Thought this would work perfectly for our little descendant!''. The last present Oz could recognise the recipient of was one from Cho, who had got him a bunch of different candies. Seeing all these presents, Oz felt himself get a little choked up. For the now seven years he had been in this world this was the first time he had actually been gifted things. After thanking Harry for his present, he turned to the last two presents directed to him. One was a bag of sweets, the note read ''For my new pupil, I hope these sweets are to your taste as they are to mine...''. ''Thats definitely from Dumbledore... definitely not touching them''. Oz then tossed the whole bag of sweets into his pouch in one fell swoop. The last present was a box. Specifically a box of all kinds of chocolate. There was no note however and was just addressed to Oz personally. Harry peered his head over looking at all the chocolates. "It''s probably from one of your admirers Oz... I wouldn''t touch them if I were you. Who knows what they could have put in it!". Oz nodded his head at Harry''s comment storing away the box of chocolates as well with Dumbledore''s sweets. After both Harry and Oz had sorted through their presents, Oz pitched to Harry that they should have their own fun on this Christmas which the boy was instantly excited to participate in. Following this the duo played many different board games along with also going outside and having a snowball fight (Harry''s personal request). Harry got a bit annoyed though with Oz at one point as he would stop the balls from hitting him using a wandless ''Arresto Momentum''. All in all however the two enjoyed their Christmas just having fun and chilling out together. Such a Christmas was incredibly warming to Oz, especially after the lonesome years he had in this life prior and his last life before all this as well. . Night finally rolled around on Christmas and the duo of Harry and Oz split off to their respective rooms to sleep. Oz however had other plans instead of sleeping. ''Its time to see if I can connect this map to Salazar in some way...''. Going down into the fireplace study, Oz held his own personal marauders map in his hand. The map had now been fully fleshed out and was already somewhat connected to the wards of Hogwarts. He could already tell with it where people were and in what rooms, he also took the liberty of adding this fireplace room to his map as well as the chamber of secrets to it. Down the line if he found any more places he could easily add it also. Finally arriving in the room, Oz walked up to the portrait of Salazar that was still empty. As Oz got right up close to it he felt Salazar''s dark magic emanating from it. ''Well lets give this a shot then''. In one of the rooms on the map was now a black snake, Oz''s design choice of course that signified Salazar. The snake exuded the same magical signature as Salazar as well. Looking at this snake Oz grinned as he muttered. ''Gotcha....''. Chapter 47 - A Stormy New Years Oz looked at his own personal marauders map for a long while, incredibly happy with the results. With the snake tracked on it now, he felt his anxiousness lift quite a bit, All he needed to do now was prepare for when he shows up back in the fireplace study and confront him. ''He''s been way too suspicious... I cant leave him alive even if he''s the founder of my house. If I remember correctly Dumbledore has knowledge on how to manipulate portraits... Spells to shut them up and shut them in. If I get those spells off of Dumbledore I can lock Salazar in place and then destroy him''. It was known that in Dumbledore''s office, the man has many different portraits, especially of the headmasters before him. If anyone was going to have experience with dealing with portraits it would be him. ''After I get rid of Salazar... All thats left is to wait for Quirrell to lose his patience and go for the stone. I can then take Harry with me and go down there, both in order to destroy Quirrell and get the stone for myself...''. Organising his mind, Oz came back up from the fireplace study and went to bed. This Christmas was certainly fruitful for him in many ways. . A week rolled by in which Oz decided to relax. This week was a week he always found weird, even in his past life. The lead up to the new year. To him it felt almost something like a grace period where he naturally found himself more relaxed. As Oz was relaxing though, Dumbledore sent him an urgent notice a day before new years eve. Oz opened the messaged addressed to him and it said: ''Tomorrows'' weather seems to be stormy just before the new year... Ive gotten snape to concoct an Animagus potion. Meet me out at the quidditch stadium at 11:30pm and we will begin your Animagus transformation''. As Oz read the message, two things crossed his mind. The first thought was: ''What is this guy the weatherman now?''. The second thought was: ''So Snape has concocted the potion apparently... He is a potions master for a reason and in the 6th year in the canon it was proven that he was something of a genius when it came to potions as a whole...''. Oz still felt incredibly guarded around Dumbledore and his people, So much so that in the past months since Dumbledore offered to procure him the Animagus potion he had taught himself a diagnostic spell that can scan a potion for all the substances within. Oz''s personal potion making was improving leaps and bounds, however he was just out of reach of being able to create his own Animagus potion. That didn''t mean that he didn''t know the recipe though, so using the diagnostic spell he''d be able to tell what ingredients were used and if anything foreign was added he''d know instantly. ''Always better to be safe than sorry...''. After reading the message, Oz began to write a reply to send to the old man which was simply giving him the ''ok'' signal on the time and place. . [New Years Eve: 11:00pm] Oz was getting prepared in his room, ready to go out to the quidditch grounds to meet Dumbledore. He sneaked a peak at his personal marauders map to see that presently Dumbledore was still in his office. ''That guy probably plans to flashily appear in front of me with apparition or something exactly at the time designated...''. Oz then checked where both Quirrell and Salazar were. His eyes widened as he saw that they were in the same room. ''Finally they meet up for me to see. So there must have been some talk and connection between the snake and his heir this year that led to all those events on Halloween... It is a bit concerning they are meeting up on New Years Eve though...''. Noting all this, Oz put the map away. Something else to mention, In the past week between Christmas and new years he had already sent the original marauders back to the Weasley twins. Now Oz had his own better map, there was no need for him to keep the old original anymore. Looking at the time, Oz saw that it was now 11:10pm. ''Time to make a move...''. Tonight was the night I would help the boy become an Animagus... Honestly I didn''t know what to expect. His Patronus was a dragon after all so there''s a high chance his Animagus will be a dragon also, the questions were then how powerful will this dragon be? What dragon will he be? After I initially reeled him in to be my own disciple I saw there was a bit of defiance in his eyes as he compromised and agreed. Even as I''ve taught him over the past couple months, he still holds defiance in his eyes for me. Such a scenario is truly suffocating at times but if I expected this to all take only two months then I would truly be a fool. Turning around I looked at the clock on the wall to note the time. [11:20pm]. Looking down towards the footpath to the quidditch stadium, I could see the boy walking towards the area I specified. he was actually creating a cloak with magic so no rain would hit him out in the turbulent weather. Seeing this display of wandless magic I had to sigh. This boy is indeed a prodigy. The past two months showed me that painfully. He''s soaked up everything I''ve taught him so far as if magic was natural to him, as if it was just another limb on his body. Wandless magic, especially for those his age should be next to impossible to cast up to a certain level but he was able to with no problems. I could only marvel at the boys prowess. His talent and intelligence at his age is definitely leagues above what mine was when I was that young... He''s probably even a tier above riddle in that regard as well. Seeing this time I looked out to the quidditch stadium to see that the boy had arrived inside and on the grounds. "I guess its times to begin...". At this sight I apparated. Chapter 48 - The Birth of a Dragon As Oz finally arrived in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, He looked up to the stormy clouds above him. ''This weather truly is reminiscent of the UK I remember...''. Seeing this rain had reminded him of how he died that day. The car driving down the road losing traction due to the downpour that had recently passed. Closing his eyes he allowed himself to reminisce on all the times he had in this world since he arrived, especially thinking about recent times with the trio of Harry, Hermione and Daphne as well as Craig and Cho. ''I have come a long way since then...''. While Oz was lost in thought, Dumbledore suddenly appeared before him. Apparating in from out of nowhere. Looking at the headmaster before him, Oz sighed. "Was that your attempt at being flashy old man? I could have sworn you weren''t allowed to apparate on school grounds yet you decided to apparate down to me just to try and look cool..." Dumbledore actually blushed a little bit at Oz''s comment calling him out. After embarrassingly coughing a bit, he exclaimed. "Well as the headmaster I have special privileges''... Also I didn''t want to walk in this weather you see?". Oz rolled his eyes at the old mans attempt to clear up his one show of childness. "Whatever Dumbledore, we should get this show on the road before this weather passes don''t you think?". At Oz''s query Dumbledore nodded. Reaching deep within his pockets he brought out a potion vial, handing it over to Oz. "This here is the Animagus potion I had Severus concoct for you... After you drink it you will experience some discomfort and pain for a while until eventually as lightning strikes you''ll transform". Taking the potion off of Dumbledore, Oz immediately ran a diagnostic spell. Seeing this Dumbledore let off an awkward grin, noting how meticulous this boy was being. ''It seems there hasn''t been anything added from what I can tell... I guess it is safe to drink then". Looking at Dumbledore, Oz uncorked the potion and smelt it. "Isn''t exactly a pleasant aroma is it? Couldn''t you have got Snape to make it grape flavoured or something?" Dumbledore sighed at Oz''s quip. "Just drink the potion Oz". "Oh well... Down the hatch". After hearing Dumbledore''s rebuttal Oz immediately sank the potion. He felt the potion slowly crawl down towards his stomach as the medicinal properties included exploded out, linking themselves to his blood and body. At this Oz felt extreme unrest and pain. They always noted that an Animagus'' transformation was always painful the first time and the more painful the transformation the better the Animagus form would be. Gritting his teeth Oz used his dominating willpower to overcome the pain of the potion. Dumbledore watched all the while with slight awe in his eyes. "You certainly seem to be in a lot of pain even for a first time transformation... I guess that your form IS going to be ''that'' isn''t it?". Oz at this moment in time couldn''t even hear Dumbledore''s comments. He was focused within himself as he felt the potions energy pour throughout his body. Oz went through this pain for exactly thirty minutes until finally. [12:00am] Lightning struck as the new year was welcomed. At that moment, Oz then felt the potion fully activate as his body transformed. Oz''s body grew and grew and as he grew magic was unleashed from within him. His bloodline almost felt happy at Oz''s transformation and was responding in kind by unleashing a torrent of power as well. This torrent of power even had Dumbledore stumbling back a few steps before he had to put up a barrier to stop himself. Oz finally stopped growing as he reached the size of about two buses. As he finally finished growing he flapped his wings and soared into the skies above the Quidditch stadium. As he reached far above the stadium, he had a view of the whole of Hogwarts and its surrounding area. Seeing this Oz let out a powerful roar. "ROOOOAARRRRRRRRRRRR" Since the stormy night sky was so dark, Oz already had a natural camouflage from anyone''s view. Letting out this roar felt like he was venting all of his frustrations over the years as he felt himself feel reborn through this transformation. The whole castle and surrounding area reverberated the roar that left Oz''s mouth as he slowly descended back down to the quidditch stadium where a startled Dumbledore was standing with his hair and beard ruffled. As he landed he adopted a standing position as he looked down at the headmaster. Dumbledore looked up to him and with a shocked tone uttered: "Your form... it seems your Animagus is the Hebridean black dragon!". With this form a whole door of new possibilities opened up. Being able to fly meant that he could cloak himself and travel the world more. Although in the future he would want to learn apparition, for now he didn''t need to. Being able to travel the world meant he could track down Merlin''s legacy quicker. It also meant that he could see everything this world had to offer, and he didn''t have to be just locked to the British wizarding community in the years to come. Content with the turn of events, Oz let go of his Animagus form and slowly shrunk down to his normal human size again. Strangely enough, even though he transformed back his eyes had now changed colour from his original blue to a powerful purple. Looking over at Dumbledore who still had shock plastered in his eyes Oz let off a knowing smile. "Thank you Dumbledore for this opportunity of growth... I feel as though I''ve been completely reborn". ============================================================ A/N - This chapters very important but also kind of funny. Dumbledore has been constantly trying to get Oz over to his side and he''s gotten so desperate that he''s essentially given him a major gift here in that desperation.. That gift now allowing Oz to go further from his grasp due to the nature of it. Chapter 49 - Changes After Oz''s flashy transformation, Both he and Dumbledore went back into the castle to Dumbledore''s office. Dumbledore explained that he wanted to give Oz the run down on what to do now as an Animagus and what to look out for. Oz noted everything the man was saying but didn''t take it to heart. "Tomorrow Oz ill give you a leave of absence... You''re to head to the ministry and register as a Dragon Animagus. Being a Dragon as an Animagus, this is an especially important step as if you''re not registered, wizards may attack if they see you flying thinking you are a wild escaped dragon...". When Oz heard this line of reasoning, he felt a bit annoyed. Personally, Oz likes to try and keep a lot of his cards close to his ?h?st, however sometimes situations like this arise where it''d be better in the long run to just suck it up and stick to being ''legal''. As Oz was registering all this, one of the headmaster portraits in the back yelled out. "A DRAGON ANIMAGUS?! Such a thing should be impossible! That boy must be some kind of beast! Why when I was younger I wo-". Midway through the speech from the portrait, Dumbledore casted a spell that silenced it. Looking at this Oz saw his chance to ask his dear master a question for once. "Dumbledore... What spell was that just now? I knew you had portraits in your office and always thought it must be annoying to keep track of them. Is there even spells that deal with portraits?". "Most headmasters get notified about spells to do with portraits when they get the post... after all it does get tiring listening to these predecessors babble from time to time. Such spells aren''t exactly a secret though... Here let me demonstrate real quick". Dumbledore walked up to the portrait of the headmaster that had begun monologing before he silenced him, ushering Oz along to follow him to it. "The spell I used wandlessly to silence this portrait was ''Silencio effigies''. As you should know, ''Silencio'' is a spell that can silence people, however adding ''effigies'' on the end specifically makes it catered towards portraits". Oz listened intently to Dumbledore explain, he knew that this information would be crucial to lock Salazar in place eventually to get rid of him. "The next spell you can use to lock a portraits position so they cant leave is ''Colloportus effigies''. ''Colloportus'' here is a spell that locks things and directing it at a portrait makes it so that the portrait is locked away from the network of portraits it can go to...". Hearing all this, Oz felt a grin slowly come onto his face. With this information he would definitely be able to lock down Salazar and get rid of him and his blight. Oz felt the need to ask Dumbledore one last question however. "Is it possible for a portrait to break the lock and silence themselves?". Dumbledore looked at Oz before shaking his head. "No that would be impossible for them... While some portraits housing more powerful wizards or witches can emanate and control magic in the surroundings, sometimes even using it to attack those present at their portrait in incredibly rare cases, its impossible for them to dispel spells". Hearing this last bit of information made Oz incredibly joyful. The one thing he worried about the most was that Salazar had some kind of control over magic in that room even whilst being a portrait. Hearing this information however, it became clear to Oz now that he could only control magic and use it preliminarily, he wouldn''t be able to dispel any of Oz''s spells directed at the portrait itself. Looking at Oz who was deep in thought, Dumbledore continued. "Well now Oz its probably best you head back to your dorm. You have an early start tomorrow with heading to the ministry and all". Oz looked up to Dumbledore and gave him a nod. Dumbledore froze a bit looking at Oz again before smiling and ushering him off back to his room after an eventful night. As Oz left, A lone headmaster was left in deep thought... . Before we even did the Animagus ritual I had a feeling deep down his form would be a dragon, but actually seeing it was an incredible spectacle... At first I sensed that his form was supposed to be something normal, something weaker. However mid-way through his ingestion of the potion his bloodline started to respond powerfully. This must have happened to him as well in some shape or form as he casted his Patronus. That bloodline evoked an incredible aura... It was strong enough that it even knocked me back a bit when it activated. Most witch and wizard bloodlines would never do that... not ever. Usually when connected to an old bloodline you would only inherit its talent and maybe some skills but Merlin''s bloodline seems like a completely different story. His bloodline must have awoken first with his Patronus and then again fully with this transformation, completely changing him from the inside out. Those eyes of his... they changed from a blue to a powerful domineering purple that even made me shudder looking at them. Merlin was always known to be heavily connected to dragons but after seeing this course of events... That man might have even been part-dragon himself... , As Oz arrived back at his room, he took some time to go over what had just happened in Dumbledore''s office. ''So with the information Dumbledore has given me I should now be able to lock away Salazar and silence him for good... thank god for that''. Oz felt another weight lift off him now. Although the Marauders map he made allowed him to track the old snake, he couldn''t actually capture him. However with the information he had now learned, now he could. Letting off a relieved sigh, Oz took a moment to feel the changes within his body. ''An Animagus transformation shouldn''t do this to a witch or wizard surely... was it because of Merlin''s bloodline activating that these changes have happened?''. Midway through the transformation Oz had felt his bloodline activate powerfully, emanating a powerful force from it. At first Oz didn''t think much of this, however when he transformed back to a human form he noticed instant changes in his physique. He was slightly taller now, his physical and magical strength had increased a bit as well. All of this was a nice boost but the most important boost was... ''My eyes... I can sense and see magic flow easier now...''. Walking over to a mirror Oz took a good look at himself for the first time in a while. He still had his ruffled dark hair however now that hair seemed to have a slight ?ustre to it. His face was average still, however his eyes offset that averageness and made him look more mystical than anything due to their powerful purple colour. ''If this happens just from an Animagus transformation... what the hells going to happen after the Ambrosius ritual, when thats finished?''. Seeing all these changes Oz realised again how important the Ambrosius ritual must be for future growth. If an Animagus form of a dragon could give him boosts in quite a few areas like so purely due to his bloodline fully activating, then what would happen when he absorbed materials from all sorts of beasts... What could Oz become then? . . A/N - This chapter was almost called ''I''m tired of these mf snakes in my mf Hogwarts''. Also another note, I couldnt personally find any spells that were specific to silencing portraits so I made them up myself, essentially combining spells that already existed with the Latin word for portrait (effigies). Next chapter is the Ministry of Magic. Any ideas on who Oz might see there and run into? Chapter 50 - Ministry of Magic Waking up after an eventful night, Oz headed out into the Slytherin common room to see Harry sitting down eating some food. The common room was still completely empty. Most of the Slytherins wouldn''t return to Hogwarts until the next term is about to start which is still a bit away. Oz came over to the table at which harry was eating at to talk to him. "Hey there Harry, early start for you isn''t it?". Oz had to wake up excruciatingly early in order to head to the ministry of magic for the day so seeing that Harry was awake at this time was a shock to him. Harry lifted his head from his food as he began to speak. "Hey there Oz, I''m used to waking up this early in all honesty. Most years on new years day my aunt and uncle would order me to wake up in order to clean the house from a new years party...". Hearing this, Oz felt a pang of pity for the boy. They basically treated him as if he was their house-elf. "Well at least you can relax this year around". Harry smiled at Oz''s comment before freezing, now looking at Oz directly in the eyes. "Oz?! What happened to your eyes! I could have sworn they were blue but now their purple?! How did that happen!". Harry spent a long while staring at Oz''s new purple eyes, he even took out his own health specs to see if there was any obvious issues with Oz which made the latter laugh. "Its fine Harry... This is just due to err... who I am... I have to head off soon so I just wanted to have a little chat before leaving". Harry put away the Health Specs sheepishly as he looked back to Oz. "Where do you have to head off to?". "Dumbledore wants me to head to the Ministry of Magic to go on some... errands. Bit of a pain in the back but not much I can do when that old man insists so much". Harry looked at Oz in confusion, Oz realising that the former hadn''t actually heard of the ministry at this point. "The Ministry of Magic is the Wizards Government essentially. You know the muggle government? basically its that but the magical version". Hearing this information Harry nodded, now understanding what Oz meant. Seeing that the boy was caught up to speed, Oz started to head off towards the Slytherin common rooms door. Just as he was about to exit however he turned back around and said to Harry: "Oh I nearly forgot to say... Happy New Year Harry". Harry grinned back. "Happy New Year to you to Oz". After that little interaction, Oz then left to head for the schools floo network in order to head to the ministry. . [MINISTRY OF MAGIC] As Oz first appeared at the ministry he coughed a bit. ''Christ I actually made the mistake of breathing in... Thankfully I didn''t end up anywhere weird and kept my pronunciation right''. Walking out into the middle of the ministry, Oz marvelled at the surroundings. Even though it was New Years Day, there were hundreds of witches and wizards walking up and down, both leaving and entering the ministry. As Oz got to the main foyer of the ministry, he noted the huge tapestry of Cornelius Fudge. ''Its a shocker as to how such a man was made to be a minister... He even forcefully put himself into the Order of Merlin if im correct. What a shallow man...''. After registering the sights, Oz spotted in his peripheral vision a Daily Prophet stand. Seeing as though he had time he decided to head over and buy a paper to read for a moment before heading off the get registered. Looking through the newspaper there weren''t many articles that interested Oz. The majority were just random miscellaneous articles explaining events that Oz had no interest in. However, mid-way through the paper there was an article that directly involved him. [DUMBLEDORE''S DISCIPLE: DESCENDANT OF MERLIN] Looking at this article, Oz sighed. ''That man certainly didn''t waste any time did he?''. When Oz first accepted the position Dumbledore offered to him, he saw this event coming from a mile away. Dumbledore sending this information into the Daily Prophet was his way of cushioning the aftermath of Harry''s incident. ''Well you can have this one old man... When I''ve learnt all I can from you I wont stick around''. Oz then stuffed the Daily Prophet paper into his pouch as he headed off towards the Animagus desk in the ministry. . After what felt like hours of walking, Oz finally located the desk he needed to go to in order to register as an Animagus. Nobody was present at the desk at the moment however on the desk was a ''ring for ?ssistance'' bell, presumably magically enchanted to notify the receptionist when someone had rung it. Walking up to the desk Oz tapped the bell a couple times before waiting. After a few moments of waiting, a woman appeared, a woman that Oz recognised. ''Nymphadora Tonks... She was here at the ministry now wasn''t she... At this point in time she should still be learning under Moody. I guess she also gets given jobs like these when there''s nothing for her to do...''. Tonks swayed over to the desk before looking at Oz up and down. She froze for a moment when looking at Oz''s purple eyes before smiling. "Are you the one that rung the bell? You can''t mess around here you know, this is the Animagus registration desk. I don''t think I''ve ever heard or seen an Animagus as young as you...". Looking at Tonks, Oz sighed and rebutted. "Just because you haven''t seen one doesn''t mean that they don''t exist right? I knew what I was doing when I came to this desk". Tonks looked slightly shocked at Oz''s rebuttal, smiling soon after. "You certainly have a lot of spunk! I like that... Before we begin then I need your name". "My name is Oz Ambrosius" Tonks nodded at Oz''s name and started noting it down. "Okay... Oz Ambros-" "Oz Ambrosius?! as in the descendant of Merlin?!". Oz smiled as he looked at the bewildered woman. "The very same". Tonks did a double take of Oz again before writing down his name. After finishing writing him in she looked back up to him with an extremely curious light in her eyes. "So you''re the famous descendant ive been hearing about! I cant go anywhere in this ministry without hearing at least one witch or wizard mention you and your name, especially after news of you tutoring under Dumbledore... And now I get to do an Animagus test for that same descendant? This should be interesting!". Looking at Tonks, Oz chuckled to himself. ''What a free spirit. Its certainly a shame that such a woman died in the original canon... thats something I will have to fix for sure''. After quelling her excitement, Tonks coughed embarrassingly before introducing herself to Oz. "I''m Nymphadora Tonks, its a p???sur? to meet you Oz". "The p???sur?''s all mine.. Now should we get a move on with this test?". Chapter 51 - Animagus Test After their conversation at the desk, Tonks took Oz into a certain room in the ministry where they allow a person to transform into their Animagus form. Looking around the room initially at first, Oz felt worried that his dragon form might not be able to fit, however while he was sensing how to transform now when he wanted to after last nights ritual he realised something incredibly important. ''When I initially transformed I was as big as two buses in my dragon form... Such a form is far too big especially for covert work. However dragons are adaptable... I feel as though if I will it I can change the size so I''m not as big, maybe even making myself look more like a wyvern than a dragon''. After Dumbledore had told him he needed to go get registered Oz was weighing his options on whether or not he should actually go through with it. On the one hand, being known by the ministry means you can get a lot of exemptions when transformed and also have a certain level of security and protection however there''s always the chance that the ministry would monitor you if you had a powerful form and Oz''s form was probably one of the most powerful Animagus forms in the last few centuries since Merlin''s time. So he instead decided to try and make his form at least smaller when fully registering so as not to raise too many alarm bells. He would still be identified as a dragon Animagus, but it wouldn''t be at a threatening level to other witches or wizards that would see. He would be around the size of a baby dragon instead of a full grown Hebridean Black. Standing in the centre of the room, Oz turned his head to Tonks waiting for the go ahead to transform. "I''m ready when you are Miss Tonks". Tonks smiled at his show of respect. "Okay everything''s in order... Transform when you feel ready from now!". At that Oz immediately allowed himself to transform into his Animagus form, except of course this time he limited his forms size. He again went through the same transformation as last night, however in comparison this one was far easier as his body morphed into a baby hebridean black with no issues and most importantly, no pain. After fully transforming he unfurrowed his wings and looked down a Tonks who had a split expression of both shock and awe. "Merlin''s beard! You''re a dragon Animagus!?". Oz looked down at the shocked Tonks with a slight grin on his face. After a while Tonks finally calmed down and spoke. "Ill write you in then as a dragon Animagus. I''m so glad I offered to take this job for Moody today else such a scene I''d never have witnessed!". Oz transformed back into his human form, walking over to Tonks with a calm smile on his face. He could spot that on his registration paper she had written ''Hebridean Black - Small''. ''So they do note down size to an extent... thank god I didn''t fully transform else there might have been some more issues...''. "Is that all for today Miss Tonks?". Tonks after writing some more information down on her paper took out a little handbook. From what Oz could tell the book had notes about what to do on the job at the Animagus registration desk. After looking through for a while, she scratched her head at some parts but ended up giving the all clear in the end. "All seems okay! Lets head back to the desk to get you fully finished up". At that the duo of Oz and Tonks headed back to the Animagus desk to do the rest of the paperwork. Just as they were about to finish however, a certain someone appeared. "Nymphadora! I hope you''re not slacking off and entertaining children like this when you should be working!". "Mad-eye for the last time! Don''t. call. me. Nymphadora!". Hearing this rebuttal from Tonks, Moody then let out a snort as he walked over towards Oz. "This isn''t a place to be playing around lad, get a move on". As Oz heard Moody''s comment he felt a slight chuckle escape his lips as he looked up to the nutcase Auror. When their eyes connected, Moody actually took a step back with caution laced in his eyes. At that, Oz responded to Moody''s comment. "I was here rightfully for an Animagus test but seeing as though now its all finished I guess I''ll head off...". Turning to Tonks, Oz gave a sweet smile. "I hope we get the chance to talk again in the future". Tonks looking down at Oz gave a kind smile as well "With your moniker and lineage, im sure we will eventually cross paths somewhere. Until then take care!". When Oz had fully left the area, Tonks turned to Moody. "That was strange Moody, you backed off when you looked into Oz''s eyes... why was that?". Moody''s eye was still trained on where Oz had gone off to. He took a deep sigh as he explained. "That boys eyes... they were like a wild beasts. That purple... It felt as though he could see right through me. What was that boys name Nymphadora?". Tonks let out an exasperated sigh at Moody again labelling her wrong. "His names ''Oz Ambrosius'' Moody... you know the descendant of Merlin everyone around here keeps talking about?". Hearing this Moody adopted a shocked look onto his face. "That descendant was here to register to be an Animagus?! What form did he have!" Tonks chuckled at Moody''s response, it seemed even the nutcase Auror had times where he was insatiably curious. She responded by pushing the recent registration paper to Moody. As Moody read the paper, his face fell into even more shock as he responded. "A DRAGON?!". ============================================================ A/N - Slightly hungover from last night so may only be this chapter today. Chapter 52 - Payback A/N - I was hungover then I ate an English breakfast and had this whole chapters idea in my head. I hope you enjoy some slyness... ============================================================ While Moody and Tonks were having their talk, Oz was heading back towards the floo network to head back to Hogwarts. As he entered the main foyer, he took a seat down on a wall nearby the water fountain just to relax himself for a bit before he had to go back. As he was looking around the ministry he noted two individuals that had just arrived via the floo network together. These two individuals were both people Oz knew well. ''Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Fudge... did their dealings span back this far? Its only the first year in Harry''s canon...''. As Oz was pondering he noticed that Lucius locked eyes on him and nudged Fudge afterwards. Fudge then looked towards Oz location with a slight look of glee on his face. Oz then realised what was about to happen. The duo walked immediately over to Oz, approaching him with smiles on their faces. Lucius Malfoy was the first to speak. "I''ve heard about you from my son... You''re Oz Ambrosius correct? the descendant of Merlin? Its a p???sur? to meet you, I''m Lucius Malfoy". Oz snorted at his comment and simply gave a nod, completely ignoring lucius'' outstretched arm trying to shake hands. Fudge then immediately intervened right after. "Ah! So you''re the legendary descendant thats been passed around as news here! Its a p???sur? to meet someone of such an established lineage, my names Cornelius Fudge. The minister for magic here of course". Oz stood up from his seat on the wall to get a better look at both of these men. Both in his eyes were cowards, sheep''s in wolfs clothing. "So you''re Lucius Malfoy... You heard of my identity through your son apparently right?". Lucius blinked harshly a few times before continuing. "Why yes... he talks about how intelligent you are in school and how you bring the Slytherin household up a few notches". ''This guy is just spouting obvious lies at this point...''. As Oz was about to respond he thought he sensed something faint, another magical signature nearby or something. As he focused his eyes for a second he noticed something clung onto Fudge''s shoulder. ''A Dung Beetle... and it has a magical signature''. Seeing this Oz''s straight face turned into a cold grin. "So Lucius you heard of me from your boy Malfoy then? Strange... in school he broadcasted to the common room that you had bought my identity from the goblins with a dark artefact. I wonder if you can explain that?". Hearing this Lucius''s face paled. It was clear to Oz at this point that Malfoy had managed to stop the information of his outburst from reaching his father. He looked at Fudge who was now wearing a concerned face looking at Lucius. "I-I-I... No such thing happened Ambrosius! Why would I lower myself to do such a thing?". "Oh really? I''m sure those goblins would have something to say on that... do you consider dealings with goblins to be lowly? dealings that involve essentially prying into my privacy?". Lucius at this point started to show a visible panic and anger on his face. "I-If you will excuse me Cornelius and Ambrosius, I have a meeting to attend to..." At that, Lucius darted off into the ministry leaving Fudge and Oz alone. Oz again checked Fudge''s shoulder to see that a certain dung beetle was still hitching a ride. Looking at Fudge, Oz decided to talk. "What a shallow man that Lucius is... Say Fudge, do you mind me asking a question to you?". Fudge swung around at Oz''s inquiry, putting on a comfortable smile. "Of course my boy! ask away! It would be my p???sur? to help out the famous Descendant of Merlin!". Oz let off a sly smile as he spoke. "As I''m aware, the ministry once held Merlin''s tome that they in turn gave to Dumbledore for study right?". "That was indeed a while back... Yes we handed him Merlin''s Tome to hopefully decipher and learn from". Oz nodded back at his confirmation. "Right... So that Tome is my property now seeing as im the confirmed descendant of Merlin correct?" Fudge looked at Oz in slight confusion not knowing what he was getting at. He felt a slight shiver looking into the boys cold purple eyes. Oz''s eyes personally however were more trained on the dung beetle on his shoulder that seemed to be listening to everything intently. "If Dumbledore attempted to withhold that Tome from me to... I don''t know... maybe force me to become his disciple, would that be seen as an illegal act that could be penalised". Fudge looked at Oz, still in confusion. This told Oz that he obviously hadn''t received news that Oz was learning under Dumbledore else he surely would have made the connection... unless he was actually that inept and stupid that he couldn''t piece it together. "Yes if Albus Dumbledore were to withhold and essentially blackmail you, that would mean he could be prosecuted. The inheritance is rightfully yours after all, nobody should be able to take that right away from you". Oz felt a calm but sly grin appear on his face. "Well thats certainly interesting!". It would be clear to anyone at this point, if they knew news of Oz''s discipleship under Dumbledore, that he was essentially playing to the fact that he was forced into the role rather than asked and accepted. Fudge continued to look at the boy in confusion before Oz finished. "Thanks for the information about that Minister! Such information may be useful for me in the future if anyone else decided to try and withhold my legacy from me". Fudge smiled at Oz, listening to his praise. "Oh don''t mention it Mr. Ambrosius. As Witches and Wizards we all have to look out for each other!". With that, Fudge bade Oz a goodbye as he headed off. Oz watched the man walk away as the Dung Beetle on his shoulder split off from him, flying towards the floo network. Looking towards where that dung beetle had gone off to, A cold grin again creeped up onto Oz''s face. ''Do me proud Rita Skeeter....''. Chapter 53 - Three birds, One stone As Oz returned to Hogwarts he heaved a sigh at the events that had just occurred. Being approached by Lucius and Fudge was a welcome surprise for sure buy the most welcome surprise was Rita clinging onto Fudge at the time as well. This was probably the luckiest Oz has ever been and thankfully for him he had gone through his Animagus ritual before hand allowing him to spot Rita. ''With these eyes... I can spot magical flow easier and identify magical signatures. A normal Dung Beetle wouldn''t have a magical signature... Piecing together an Animagus dung beetle who was hanging around important people in the ministry... it was obvious who it was''. Oz grinned again at the turn of events that had occurred. If all goes well and it goes exactly to what he can predict, this turn of events will lead to Lucius being completely outed and Dumbledore having rumours spread about him. Oz purposely turned the conversation with Lucius towards making it seem like he was insulting the Goblins as well, noting that Lucius deems dealings with them as ''lowly''. This in turn would fire up the Goblins and their pride making them more than likely to come out with a statement saying that Lucius did indeed pay them off. However, if the goblins did that they would also be exposing that they sold Oz''s identity. So in essence with this one trip to the ministry Oz had managed to kill three birds with one stone. ''So Lucius will be outed, The Goblins exposed for their misdeeds and in addition Dumbledore will have rumours spread about him and the validity of my discipleship under him...''. Oz was sincerely looking forward to the start of the new year term. . As the next year term started Oz planned out what he needed to do for the term ahead. His main goal was to corner the old snake in the fireplace study when he eventually went back down there. Luckily for Oz, his marauders map would track the snake so all he had to do was wait until he arrived back at that room. Worse case scenario he never returns, however Oz can just then seek out the other portraits he goes to personally. As for his studies Oz had already memorized the entire Hogwarts syllabus with his Perfect Memory so all that was left was comprehension in some areas. As for spells there was always more to learn and play with. In addition to this, after learning with Dumbledore the past month he had already managed to grasp wandless spells up to OWL level, quite the jump up from his previous third year limit. As for Occulumency, his own personal defenses were shaping up very nicely, the ring acted as the first most powerful wall while his own personal defenses were a secondary wall to his emotions and memories. He had now also gotten fully used to his eyes that were a lot more s?ns?t?v? to magic. The only thing left for this year was to get his potion making skills up to a peak level so that in the future he can produce potions whenever needed. With this sort of progress, Oz foresaw that he wouldn''t stick around in Hogwarts for all the years he''s due to. Maybe he''d only stick around next year due to the events that are set to occur, besides that he plans to split off and work towards Merlin''s legacy and the ritual. His goal for the ritual was to have it completed before his fifth year. With all these plans in motion and ideas locked in, Oz welcomed the new years term with open arms as he set off to accomplish as much as possible. Currently Oz was sat in the library with a large group of people. The group consisted of Craig, Cho, Harry, Daphne and Hermione, all of which were talking, reading books and studying. "Seriously Ozzy I cant get over your eyes! They''re give off this wicked and mystical feeling now..." Craig''s response to Oz''s eyes was a novel one. Although the boy was a breath of fresh air and the king of socialness just like any Gryffindor he had a hint of foolishness to him at times. He only saw the change in Oz''s eye colour whereas some of the others present at the table felt a slight change in his aura as well. Most notably both Hermione and Cho were looking at Oz''s eyes with extreme wonder and curiosity. As the two bookworms of the group it was a given that they''d be the most fascinated. As for Harry and Daphne, they had long since grown used to this new Oz as they would always see him in the common room. "I told you already I honestly have no clue how this happened... However, its not something thats damaged me! as a matter of fact I feel better than ever! Now lets get back to studying else youll flunk these tests too...". Craig flinched at Oz''s quip as he and the rest of the group started to go back to reading and studying. While looking around the library. Oz noticed that the library had a new copy of the Daily Prophet just sent in. The front page was something that drew Oz in instantly. [DEALINGS WITH GOBLINS AND FORCED DISCIPLESHIP?! THE DESCENDANT OF MERLIN''S PLIGHT] Seeing this title Oz snatched a copy and began reading it on the table while everyone was absorbed into their work. As Oz read the newspaper, he marvelled at Rita Skeeters ability to completely spin a story. ''She''s really played up that one conversation completely...''. ''She must have been jumping for joy when they actually validated it...''. From what Oz could tell she probably goaded them into spilling the beans by explaining that Lucius deemed dealings with them as ''Lowly''. Having their pride smacked in front of them they instantly revealed that Lucius had indeed done deals with them, and from the article present it wasn''t just Oz''s identity they had dealt in. As a matter of fact the Goblins in their furore exposed all the dealings the Malfoy family had with them that was deemed dark and underhanded. With this information exposed it was a clear fact that the Malfoy''s would now be under a lot of pressure from both the Goblins and the ministry in the future. Oz seeing this grinned as he read the next article that was about Dumbledore. Rita had personally wrote this one to seem more like speculation however with proof of the ministry handing Dumbledore a tome that once belonged to Merlin along with using her way with words, she managed to spin a sinister story that painted Dumbledore as a man who forced Oz to disciple under him so he could gain more titles in the future. Looking at both articles Oz was sincerely impressed and pleased. The woman had done exactly what he needed her to do. Both Lucius and the Goblins were now under his foot and Dumbledore was going to be next. The second Oz has learnt everything under him all he needs to do is confirm these ''rumours'' and instantly Dumbledore''s credibility will be up for questioning. If Oz found more damning evidence on Dumbledore in that time as well then maybe he could get the man completely prosecuted. Oz stored away the Daily Prophet paper in his pouch as he looked up at the table.. All that was left this year was the snake and Quirrell. Chapter 54 - Passing a Torch As the weeks passed in Hogwarts and the new term fully went underway, the recent daily prophet articles from Rita had started to spread rapidly throughout the school. Oz continued his schedule all the while, letting all the rumours spread. Lessons with Dumbledore still continued however whenever he would visit the old man now, he would be a lot quieter. Oz sensed that due to these rumours he was being backed into a corner on many accounts. After all, he had just tried to clear his name after the Harry situation, now however there was more information against him showing that he is not the kind headmaster everyone deems him to be. As a matter of fact Oz also seemed to sense that some of the teachers had lost their faith in him even though they were in his circle. Seeing all this, Oz again noted how powerful the media could be. Although power can lead you to the peak of the world, if the public isn''t on your side you would be seen as an overlord whose evil rather than a saint whose leading the magical community. Even with Dumbledore''s past achievements, people in the public were beginning to lose trust in him. As for the Malfoy family they had been put under constant pressure in the past weeks. Interviews constantly being released about their dealings with the goblins. When Oz thought of how mad Lucius probably was at this point in time it brought a smile to his face. These dealings with goblins also started to lead into the direction of the ministry. Rita was probably the one that swayed it that way due to what she was doing when Oz first saw her. To Oz it seemed as though she was initially trying to get information on Lucius''s and Fudge''s personal dealings before he of course swooped in and gave her a far better story. As for Oz personally, he was sent letters about participating in interviews however he didn''t reply to any, not even sending a reply back. This in turn led some reporters to believe that Dumbledore was now withholding letters directed to Oz so that he couldn''t speak out. Honestly Oz at first didn''t reply as he couldn''t be asked and it wasn''t the time to come out with information however seeing this effect he laughed at how the public can spin their own story. While all this happened, each night Oz would either be in his room or go to the RoR to read and train a bit. As he trained duelling however he found that wandless magic was better than having a second wand. Noting this, he realised now Merlin''s wand synthesis ritual was probably created due to Merlin realising the same thing. Although two wands at first seemed incredible, wandless magic was enough to cover you especially when you reached a certain level with it. However having two wands was more of a crutch than having one as they both wanted to be used as their egos clashed. So in response to this, Merlin fused his together in the end. Oz saw himself having to do the same very soon. Whenever Oz was in his room he would keep his eye trained on the marauders map he created, waiting for the Old Snake to return to his nest. Besides that one night on new years eve, it didn''t seem as though Quirrell and Salazar met up after that. Oz wondered if there could have been a disagreement or something that night. . One night in the new term, Oz was sat in the Slytherin common room again staring down at the marauders map waiting for the snake to go to his portrait. While staring down at the map, Oz was approached by both Harry and Daphne. "Hey Oz! Before Christmas you promised us that after giving you the cure to heal that ginger you''d let us borrow the item that you got off those twins. Why haven''t you paid up yet?". "Right, right I hear you... Here you two take this". Harry and Daphne received a heavily folded piece of paper that they both looked at in confusion. Harry looked at the map with a slight scowl on his face. "What''s this rubbish?". Oz chuckled at the clich¨¦ line. "That is something I''ve created... How about you both tap it with your wands while chanting ''I solemnly swear that I''m up to no good''". After hearing Oz''s instruction both Daphne and Harry proceeded to activate their own marauders map. As the map sprung to life both of them looked at it in wonder. Daphne was the first to speak. "This map! It has all the secret entrances and tunnels around the school! It also tracks everyone as well!? This is awesome!". Oz looked at the excited Daphne with a grin on his face. It was obvious to Oz that she was looking forward to causing more mischief with this now on hand. "Wait a minute Oz... How come you''re not on here?". "Well... I''m the creator of the map after all... this version at least. Why would I want you two stalking me around? I have my own privacy too you know!". Both Harry and Daphne rolled their eyes at Oz as they brushed aside his thick-skinned comment. Looking at the two who were enamoured with the map, Oz smiled. "Well? Are you happy now you gave me that cure? This map will serve you well throughout all of Hogwarts I ?ssure you!" The version of the map that Oz had given to Harry and Daphne was one that was better than the original, however still had some areas and things left out. Of course he didn''t include the tracking of Salazar on there and in addition he also didn''t add certain rooms like the fireplace study and the Chamber of secrets for instance. Oz didn''t want to have to deal with Harry and Daphne getting eating by the basilisk and also letting it out after all. After a while the duo put the map away. As they were about to walk away Harry remembered something. "Thats right! Hagrid wanted me to come down to his hut tonight to see something interesting. Do you two want to come as well? I''m sure he wont mind!". Hearing this Oz tried to piece together the events. He realised quickly that this event must be the birth of Norbert (Norberta). As Oz thought about the little dragon he felt inclined to go witness its birth. After all his connection to dragons has been fully revealed to him especially after the Animagus ritual and his Patronus''s corporeal forms reveal so maybe witnessing and seeing a real dragon and its birth would help him in some ways. After confirming that he wanted to join. The trio of Harry, Daphne and Oz all headed towards Hagrid''s.. On the way they also ran into Hermione who tried to talk them out of going down their so late but after Harry mentioned that Hagrid wanted to show them something interesting her curiosity got the better of her as she joined as well. Chapter 55 - Norberta The group of Harry, Hermione, Daphne and Oz all trailed down to Hagrid''s hut slowly. Following the footpath down that lead near the outskirts of the forbidden forest. This was Oz''s first time coming to Hagrid''s so he anticipated seeing the sights first hand. As they reached Hagrid''s Hut, Harry was the first to knock on the door. "Oi! Hagrid! You promised to show me something interesting tonight didn''t you? I brought some friends too if you don''t mind". As Hagrid opened the door slowly, He beamed a smile at Harry. "Thas'' fine by me Arry'', who is it you brought along''?" Hagrid then scanned the group, when he met eyes with Oz he had a slight stiffness in his movements. Looking at Oz for a second he smiled. "Well if it ain''t Mr Descendant o'' Merlin himself! It''s been a long while since we met last hasn''t it?". Oz gave off a polite smile as he looked at Hagrid. "It indeed has been a while hasn''t it, last time was when I bumped into you at the beginning of the year with Harry right?". Hagrid gave a stiff nod. "Yeah thas'' right... Anyway you lot, come on in! It should be starting anytime soon". Hermione, Daphne and Harry all looked at each other in confusion about what was going to happen while Oz kept a calm grin on his face. As they entered the hut they all sat around Hagrid''s table as he fiddled with a pot over the fireplace. The first person to speak was Hermione. "What is that Hagrid?! It looks like an egg of some sort..." Hagrid let off a proud smile as he turned to the group. "Good eye Hermione! This here is a Dragon''s egg". Harry, Hermione and Daphne''s mouths all dropped hearing what the egg was. Daphne looked at the egg with slight d?s?r? in her eyes. "They amount of money you''d get for selling one of these... Why didn''t you sell it you silly gatekeeper?! You wouldn''t have to live in this hut then you could have built a better home!". Oz chuckled at Daphne''s response to seeing the dragon egg. It was definitely a response from a girl in Slytherin. Hagrid turned his head back around while shaking it. "I''m fine with my wee hut thanks, Anyway, the moment you all been waiting for" At that Hagrid brought the egg out of the pan over the fireplace and put it on the table. The group of Oz, Harry, Hermione and Daphne looked on in wonder as the little egg began to shake and crack. After several minutes of tossing and turning, one part of the egg fully cracked and inside you could see some small scales. Immediately after the small crack appeared the egg burst open, The egg shells flew through the air nearly hitting Hermione, Daphne and Harry. Oz on the other hand saw the situation coming and slightly tilted his head to dodge them. Out of the egg came a little dragon that stretched its wings. Hagrid looked down at the baby dragon with a spark in his eyes. "Oh look at the little fella'' Isn''t he adorable?". Looking at the baby dragon, Oz corrected Hagrid. "I''m pretty sure its a ''she'' Hagrid and not a ''he''". Hagrid looked down at the dragon again in slight confusion before correcting himself. "Ah a she then... Ain''t she adorable?". The little dragon stretched its wings out for a while before looking around at each person surrounding it. It looked at Harry first, who looked at it with eyes of wonder. It then looked at Hermione who looked at it in extreme curiosity. Then it looked at Daphne who still had some greed laced in her eyes. After looking at the emerald trio, the dragon looked up to Hagrid who looked at it with adoration. Just as all seemed normal, when the little baby dragon turned to Oz its gaze froze staring into Oz''s eyes. The baby dragon let out a few little sounds. {Papa?....} For a split second Oz could have sworn he heard the little dragon utter these words. As Oz looked down at the dragon, his purple eyes piercing into it. The dragon became extremely submissive. Before hand when it looked around at the other four it had a look of childlike curiosity and playfulness but when it looked at Oz it looked at him in adoration instead of the other way round. Hagrid, Hermione, Harry and Daphne all looked at these turn of events with extreme curiosity in their eyes. Oz looked up at Hagrid before speaking. "What have you decided to name this little one Hagrid?". Hagrid stared at it for a while before saying. "I was planning on calling it Norbert... its a girl though so i guess I''d call it Norberta instead". Oz looked down at the baby dragon and smiled. {Its nice to meet you Norberta}. As Oz spoke the rest of the four watching looked at him in extreme shock at when he spoke. "Oz... You just spoke in Dragon-tongue you know?!" Hermione was the first to point out what had just happened, all the rest of the group looking at Oz in extreme shock. Hearing this Oz fell into a state of wonder and contemplation. ''I spoke in dragon-tongue?! Is this like what happens with Harry where he can speak to a snake without realising? There was no switch or anything though! I just suddenly started to speak in Dragon-tongue? How on earth does this work...''. Looking down at the baby dragon it spun around in glee after Oz spoke to it. It yelled. {Papa! Papa!} Oz for sure heard it this time as the dragon leaped up onto his shoulder and smoothed its head against Oz''s cheek. Hagrid looked at the baby dragon in slight disappointment. "Little fella'' seems very attached to you Oz doesn''t it?". Oz looked at the little Norberta on his shoulder, hearing the baby dragons endearing words he felt a bit stifled at what to do. After the dragon started to rest peacefully on his shoulder Oz asked Hagrid. "Do you reckon I could look after this little one? She seems to be incredibly attached to me now I spoke in her language. Ill still let her stay with you down here for now but in the future I''d like to personally buy her off of you". Hagrid looked at the baby dragon and Oz for a long while. Oz could tell that he was seriously contemplating what to do here. Meanwhile Harry, Hermione and Daphne all started to ask Oz questions about how he knew Dragon-Tongue, all of which Oz answered with non-answers to try an appease them as in all honesty he couldn''t explain it even if he wanted to. After a while Hagrid sighed. "Tha'' little one is truly attached to you an'' I don''t have the gut to yank her away... Fine Oz, I''ll accept your offer in the long run. When the years about to end come down and grab er''... you don''t need to pay me, I''d rather see this little one off to a good owner overall". It seemed after a while of contemplating, Hagrid finally came to a conclusion on what to do. He probably noted the fact that Oz could speak to the little one meaning he could understand what it needed in the future. Oz smiled at Hagrid. "Thanks Hagrid, ill be sure to make this up to you somehow". As Oz stood up with Norberta on his shoulder he whispered to the little dragon. {Hey Norberta? You need to stay here in this hut for a while. Ill come down to visit you okay? but I cant take you up to the castle less you be completely separated from me}. Norberta looked at Oz with teary eyes before giving a stern nod and flying over into the pot over the fire to rest. Oz surmised that it had made its nest their now In Hagrid''s hut. At this little interaction, Hermione, Harry and Daphne all got up as well and bid Hagrid a farewell. Looking at Oz, they seemed ready to grill him on questions about what had just happened which made Oz feel incredibly stifled. Just as they were about to leave however Oz sensed a magical signature just outside the hut. Harry was the first one to speak as he looked out the window. "Thats... Malfoy isn''t it?! Is he going to snitch on us!". Looking at this situation, Oz wondered why the boy would follow them down here but then remembered he still has a bone to pick with someone here, namely Oz for that matter after what he did to the Malfoy family recently. As Oz was about to run out the door and stop the boy, he froze instead. ''Wait a minute... If I let him tell on us wont the punishment be to go into the forbidden forest with Hagrid? In that case I could potentially meet Quirrell and also get a...''. Watching the blonde boy scatter up to the castle Oz lowered his wand. Harry, Hermione and Daphne looked at Oz in confusion. "Why did you let him escape?! Now he''s gonna tell on us! I know you could have stopped him Oz!". Daphne was the first to question Oz''s motives here. Oz then looked down at the trio before him. "If I used a spell from here I would have quite a bit of difficulty hitting him... I didn''t exactly want to risk maiming the boy at all either in my furore". "Oh well, what''s the worst that can happen hey? A detention? Lets just head on up". Turning back and poking their heads into the hut they all thanked Hagrid for letting them come down and see the little dragons birth. After this all four of them headed up the path to the castle. Oz''s mind however was swimming after that meeting with Norberta. ''So I can also speak in Dragon-Tongue... I guess that makes sense considering who Merlin was. I wonder if there''s a way to fully learning the language and use it to do more than just communicate with Dragons....''. Chapter 56 - Foolish Draco As Oz and the emerald trio entered back into the castle, they were met with a stern looking Mcgonagall who was holding a lantern. "Where have all four of you been at this hour might I ask?". Oz watched as Harry and Daphne scrambled for an excuse before they saw Malfoy appear behind Mcgonagall. Looking at the boy, Oz sighed deeply. ''That idiot... There was no bone to pick with Harry but instead he decided on doing this because of me im guessing... Well im not complaining at all. After all if I get a free trip to the forbidden forest without having to sneak out to there then I''m all for it''. As the four entered into McGonagall''s classroom they were met with a stern lecture, specifically targeting the fact on how they were out so late. At one point during the lecture, Harry went to explain why they had gone down to see Hagrid before Oz nudged him and told him to hush. Unlike in the original canon, Malfoy hadn''t seen the dragon this time around. Norberta in fact was hidden in the pan over the fireplace this time before he poked his head in the window. Even if he did see it Oz would try and find a way to keep norberta by his side however this arrangement right now was the most operable. What made Oz look down on the boy who had snitched on them however was his impulsiveness. Oz imagined that after he returned to his home for the holidays he must have gotten one hell of a beating from his father. That beating was probably amplified after news spread from Rita about the dealings with goblins that the Malfoy family had. The boy must have been desperate to get a one up on Oz, not realising that what he was doing would also get him in trouble. Such impulsiveness almost made Oz think that the boy was a better fit for Gryffindor... After a long lecture to the emerald trio, McGonagall finally turned to Oz. "And you Oz... I thought better of such a smart student such as yourself! You seriously went ahead and decided on leaving the castle this late as well?! I thought you would have learned better after that fight you had in the hallway...". This rambling went on for a while as Oz just allowed the woman to speak. He didn''t want to refute her, less she changed the punishment to something else. Throughout all of this, Draco looked at Oz with a smug grin on his face. Oz returned the look with his cold purple eyes which in turn made the boy freeze up. After McGonagall was finally finished lecturing the four, she finished off with dishing out the punishment for these actions. "50 points will be taken from each of your houses... Along with this you''ll also serve detention, all five of you". Hearing ''all five of you'', Malfoy''s eyebrows jumped as he approached McGonagall''s desk. "Excuse me professor... Perhaps I heard you wrong, did you just say ''all five of you?''". "You heard me correct Mr. Malfoy. You were also out after hours after all even if you were trying to do good". Malfoy''s jaw dropped as he looked at the four people he would have to spend detention with. He sneered as he looked at Oz who again returned his gaze with apathy laced in his eyes. As all of them left McGonagall''s classroom, being told that the detention would be held tomorrow night and that they were to meet up with filch to enact it, Malfoy ran ahead of the four as to avoid conflict. Lucky for him he did that as Oz noticed Daphne had something in her hand, specifically a dungbomb. "Damn it that little snake... I was gonna throw this at him as well but he scurried off...". Harry looked at Daphne with a slight chuckle. "Hey Daphne there''s plenty of times we can pay him back still! After all we are in the same house as him! How about we...". As the duo of Harry and Daphne began to walk ahead, Oz could hear that their plans to enact revenge on Malfoy were becoming more and more sinister. Oz looked on with slight amusement wondering what the two would come up with. Hermione on the other hand trailed back with Oz. Looking at the young girl, Oz couldn''t help but quip at her. "So our little bookworm is going to serve detention huh? What is everyone going to think about that I wonder...". Hermione looked at Oz and rolled her eyes. She smiled slightly though as she realised Oz was just trying to cheer her up after the stern talking to. "Well I guess ill just have to work doubly as hard in McGonagall''s lessons to make it up to her! Anyway Oz...". Hermione''s gaze changed again to a look of pure curiosity. "Do you really not know how you spoke in Dragon-Tongue? People have been trying to find out how to speak it for years... no centuries even! Such a language could improve relations with dragons immensely as you understand their wants and needs...". Oz listened as Hermione started to rattle off about the importance of his new found ability. Oz found himself instead wondering about the application of said ability that could give him an edge. ''If I could learn how to speak it properly... I could use spells via dragon-tongue instead of the normal latin-english spells. That should make the spells more powerful and far more easier to control... After all there''s studies that show parselmouth can be used in order to augment healing spells so dragon-tongue should be the grandfather of such an application maybe even applying to all spells...''. Walking back to all their dorms, each of the four had different thoughts swimming in their mind. They all split off as the Slytherins; Daphne, Harry and Oz went down to the dungeons as Hermione ventured up to the Gryffindor common room. As the trio of Slytherins arrived in the common room, Harry and Daphne bade Oz a goodnight as they went into the respective rooms. As Oz was just about to go bed, he took another look at the Marauders map to see that none of the major characters were anywhere important. Seeing that he got into his bed fully and fell asleep. Tomorrow nights detention was set in Oz''s mind as a very important event, one where a number of things could happen.... Chapter 57 - The Forbidden Forest A/N - I hope you enjoy long chapters. [2100 words :)] ============================================================ As the next day passed, Oz prepared himself for the detention which should lead him into the forbidden forest with Hagrid. Getting some supplies together, he fully packed up and was ready to head off towards filch''s office. During the day, news of the 200 point loss was spreading around Slytherin and initially a lot of Slytherins were mad at Harry, Daphne and Oz. However, Daphne explained that they headed out somewhere and weren''t caught until Malfoy snitched on them. She then went on to explain how stupid the boy was for shooting everyone in the foot. That turned all the Slytherin''s anger onto Draco who hid behind his two henchmen Crabbe and Goyle as everyone tried to reprimand him. Oz thought that even Draco knew at this point his decision was a stupid one. As Oz headed to filchs office, all five converged with Draco being especially quiet. Harry and Daphne still seemed to be discussing some sort of prank to play on Draco and Hermione seemed like she wanted to just get everything over with. Eventually Filch came out of his office with a signature angry look on his face. Taking the five down to Hagrid''s hut. After a while they finally reached the hut, lanterns in hand as they greeted Hagrid who was tending to a crossbow near a fire. "Tonight you''ll be spending detention with Hagrid in the forbidden forest...". Hearing this, besides Oz all the rest looked at filch in horror. Draco was the first to speak up. "The Forbidden Forest?! Is that a joke?! We can''t go in there! Students aren''t allowed... and in there''s werewolves and such...". Filch looked at the boy with no empathy in his eyes as he gave them all to Hagrid and left. Hagrid then went into detail about what they were doing in the forest. Meanwhile, Oz was thinking about what he needed to do in this forest while he was there. While thinking however, he noticed a little dragon on Hagrid''s window wagging its tail happily. Oz saw Norberta who must have sensed Oz''s presence and immediately gave her the signal to hide. Surprisingly to Oz, Norberta understood his command as she sadly drooped her head and hid under the window. ''Dragons seem to be far more intelligent than we give them credit for... She''s only a baby but understood a simple command of mine... Unless Merlin''s blood has some sort of commanding property to it''. After this little scene the entire group of six people headed into the forbidden forest. . 30 minutes into the detention Oz looked around at everyone in the group. Harry was presently walking off by himself, still nearby and in sight of Hagrid but could disappear at any second so he kept his eyes trained on him. Meanwhile, Daphne was pranking Hermione, scaring her by hiding behind trees which rapidly caused the girl to become pale with fright. As for Draco he was hiding behind Hagrid and Fang, flinching at every sound. Oz was taking a rather peaceful walk himself. His eyes were able to detect any magical signatures after all so if a magical beast attacked him, he would see it coming. As a matter of fact, Oz was kind of hoping that he would be attacked as that would allow him more materials for the ritual. Sadly for him, he noticed that even some of the small spiders crawling around on the ground were avoiding him for some reason. After thinking for a while all Oz could think of was that his aura that had a tinge of Dragon in it now was scaring certain beasts away. After all, dragons are a supreme magical beast and most beasts act on instinct so seeing Oz with the aura of a dragon probably scared many from acting on him. Realising this Oz felt a bit sad realising that he wouldn''t be able to get any extra materials. Eventually, Oz noticed that Harry was wondering over in a certain direction while Hagrid hadn''t noticed. Seeing this Oz wondered if ''that'' event was about to happen. Immediately as he entertained the thought he heard Harry let out a slight yell of pain. Hearing this, Oz casted ''Augementum'' on him self improving his speed. Charging over he reached Harry and the scene at hand. As he saw the scene before him he let out a cold smile. ''So there you are Quirrellmort... and a dead unicorn here as well? Perfect''. Immediately Oz casted a ''flipendo'' at the cloaked figure sending it off the unicorn corpse. When the cloaked figure picked itself up it unsheathed a wand as well. Seeing this Oz realised he was in for a little fight here. Oz looked down at Harry to make sure he was alright but compared to what happened originally he had fainted this time around. This situation was good for Oz though as he could fight Quirrell with all his power, maybe even finishing the deed here if possible. As Oz stared at Quirrellmort, the man casted a spell which to Oz looked like one of the unforgivable''s. Specifically it was the killing curse ''Avada Kedavra''. ''Seriously doesn''t this no nosed fu?ker know any other spells?''. Seeing this Oz took advantage of his augmented speed and strength to side step the spell as he casted his own counter spell. As the fight commenced, a flurry of spells flew from both angles. Oz''s practice with high speed duelling in the RoR was coming in handy here as he was able to dodge the majority of spells sent at him with relative ease. Oz did feel a sense of danger however as Quirrellmort was constantly using the killing curse. Meanwhile Quirrellmort was being backed into a corner. Oz eventually saw an opening and disarmed the cloaked wizard with an ''Expelliarmus''. As soon as the cloaked figure was disarmed, Harry began to wake up. Seeing this Oz thought now was a chance to finish this early before anything else could happen. Oz immediately sent an ''Incendio'' at the cloaked figure and managed to catch its cloak. However, just before Oz was about to finish the job so Harry could seal the deal Quirrellmort casted a wandless ''Lumos Maxima'' blinding Oz and Harry. As Oz opened his eyes he saw that Quirrellmort had retrieved his wand and was running away. Oz decided at this point not to chase as he would end up too far from the group, he also needed the unicorns corpse after all and if Hagrid came before hand he wouldnt be able to take any of it. Standing still and letting the cloaked Quirrellmort run away, he heard a voice enter his mind... "I should have taken his warning about you seriously...". hearing this Oz sighed as he thought: ''Oh well... I guess the best place to fight him will be down where the stone is. At least then he wont be able to escape especially with Harry involved and the stone in hand... but what he said... It''s completely confirmed now that Salazar and him had some sort of dealings...''. Looking over at the awoken Harry, Oz ran over. "Harry! are you okay? That cloaked figure... it seemed to attack you somehow. I managed to fend it off and its gone now. Can you stand?". As Harry stood up he looked at Oz in gratitude. "I''m fine... thanks Oz for the ?ssist there. That cloaked person managed to make my scar feel incredibly painful for some reason...". As Harry was thinking on the subject his eyes widened as he came to a conclusion. Just as he was about to speak up, he closed his mouth. Seeing this Oz imagined that the boy had come up with a theory on something but didn''t want to tell Oz as to not bother him with it. Of course, Oz already knew what the boy was thinking, that the man that had passed was Voldemort in some way. As Harry was reeling in shock, Oz walked over to the dead unicorn on the ground. He felt a dilemma fill his head at this time. ''I can take the horn but should I also take the blood? Although the curse is present I''m not the one who slayed it... would the curse still activate if used in the ritual?''. Thinking on this for a while Oz came to a decision as he casted ''diffindo'' on the horn cutting it off. ''I already have troll blood... It may be a safer bet to leave it for now. A horn should have enough power and magical properties to give me some benefit...''. Harry looked at Oz in confusion as he stored the horn away. The second Oz went to walk over to Harry however steps that sounded like a horses came bounding over. "YOU THERE! WHO DID THIS?!". Harry and Oz turned to see who was yelling at them, to see that it was a centaur. Looking at the centaur Oz felt slight greed fill his eyes, however he casted it aside as he realised it was neither the time nor place. "YOU TWO SMALL ONES! DID YOU KILL THIS UNICORN?!" The centaur seemed to be in quite the rage as Oz stared at it. As Oz approached the centaur slowly, its face changed from anger to fright. "U-u-uh... I-I didn''t realise there was a noble d-dragon in these parts... Y-you look exactly like a human though... Y-you must be a high r-ranking species!". Oz looked at the now frightened centaur with a kind look in his eyes. "Sorry centaur for the scare... We were not the ones who did this. There was a cloaked figure who was feeding on this unicorn before it ran off. I tried to stop it however the being got away". The centaur calmed down as it noticed that Oz was not angry with it yelling at him. "I see noble one... There have been rumours that a cloaked man has been feeding on unicorns in this forest as of late. Thank you for the information". As the centaur calmed down, Hagrid and the three others caught up with Oz and Harry. Hagrid immediately gave a nod to the centaur thanking him for looking after the two. The centaur looked a bit wronged as he knew that he hadn''t done anything, however Oz nodded towards the centaur allowing it to claim it had helped. After this Hagrid walked up to the Unicorn and started to diagnose it. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Daphne all looked at the dead Unicorn in wonder, pity and greed. After a while Harry turned to Oz and whispered to him. "Hey Oz... Why did that centaur refer to you as a ''noble one'' and a dragon? Do you have any clue why?". Oz shook his head at Harrys question. "I''m honestly not too sure myself... Do me a solid and don''t mention that I fought a cloaked figure, make Hagrid and the others think that the centaur did actually come to help". Hearing this Harry nodded. Oz was his benefactor here after all so it''d be wrong of him not to follow such a simple request. Seeing that the boy complied with his request Oz smiled and turned to Hagrid. "Is this one of the reasons you are patrolling the forest Hagrid". Hearing Oz''s question Hagrid nodded sternly. "Yes... There''s been many reported unicorn deaths in this region recently. I don''t know what cruel bugger is doing this'' but I swear I''ll find out...". Oz looked up to the dark night sky. He had managed to get his hands on a unicorn horn which was plenty of reason to see this little journey as a success. However after hearing the cloaked Quirrellmorts words he felt a sense of urgency again to rid the world of that old snake. ''I''ve let him live in that portrait far too long... He probably only ''taught'' me to lower my guard so he could establish some portrait connections and run when I returned this year''. Oz''s mind was now dead set. When he returned to the castle he had to get rid of the snake before he got rid of Quirrell and retrieved the stone. After seeing the Unicorns corpse, the group stayed in the forest for a while longer. Harry stuck with Oz as the two talked while Draco hid behind Hagrid. Daphne on the other hand was still spooking Hermione out and pranking her. Seeing this Oz felt for the poor bookworm, with her being on Daphne''s radar. Finally after a couple hours, the detention came to an end and all of them left the forbidden forest heading up to the castle and back to their dorms to sleep. Chapter 58 - Im tired of these MF snakes in my MF school (Part 1) A/N - Apologies for no chapter yesterday. I wrote this chapter initially however I ended up rushing a lot of points leading me to completely redo it. After all this has been a long time coming and I didn''t want to present the end of this own mini arc badly (resulting in such a high word count and 2 parts). ============================================================ Oz made a deal with himself that by the end of the week he would have that snake gone from this school. He kept his eyes peeled to the map, if the snake didn''t return to the fireplace portrait then he would actively seek him out. The reason why he hadn''t checked it out yet was mainly because he didn''t want to walk into unknown territory. From what Oz could tell looking at where Salazar was heading off to, he had a total of 3 portrait locations. One was the fireplace portrait, where he taught Oz some dark arts. The second location was in the defence against the dark arts professors room or somewhere at least around that area, this was the same area he spotted Quirrell and Salazar conversing on New Years Eve. Finally there was an area that seemed like it was off the map, probably outside the wards in some way. With these three locations noted, Oz foresaw that the best bet was to wait for Salazar to return to the fireplace room at least. If he cornered him in the DADA professors office there''s always the chance that Quirrellmort will be there, as a matter of fact he was usually there most nights probably talking with himself... As for the other room outside the wards, anything could be there. Even though Oz was personally interested as to what else this school had hidden away he didn''t want to risk letting free another evil portrait or something. Maybe in the future when he''s at a level he feels the most confident at, more than likely when he reaches the next step, he can take more risks and actively enter that room now knowing there''s another room like so that exists. Salazar seemed to spend the most time in the other room outside of the schools wards, probably doing something there... Oz already came to the decision now that if he didn''t reappear by the end of the week in the fireplace room at least, then he would chase him down regardless of the risks. Luckily for Oz, in the middle of a certain lesson he got his chance... . During a potions lesson, Snape had ordered the class to make a set of potions used for healing amongst other things. Oz had already long surpassed this level of potion making with his strides in the RoR that he made this year so he very quickly whipped up the potion, adding his own little findings here and there to optimise it. When he finished the potions he needed to for the lesson, he took a quick peek at his map under the table. ''He''s in the fireplace study! Why the hell did he have to pick now of all times to return...''. Looking around the classroom and then at Snape, Oz sighed. He knew that there was no way Snape would just let him up and leave even if he had done the work. For some unknown reason, Snape had become extremely critical of Oz lately as well so any hope of leniency would be thrown out the window. Seeing no other choice, Oz raised his hand. "Excuse me professor". Snape snapped his head around as he glared at Oz. "What is it Mr. Ambrosius?". Oz put on a slight face of distress. "I desperately need a piss, can I be excused?". Snape looked at Oz in disgust before ushering him with his head that he could leave. At that, Oz took his potions to Snape''s desk and told him he had finished as well before he left quickly. Oz did initially have the idea of pouring potions together to explode and smoke bomb the room... but then he realised how stupid of a diversion that was. The old toilet break tactic has never failed since the dawn of time. As Oz ran out the class he found a spot enclosed from everyone''s sight in the hallway where he cloaked and augmented himself. With himself cloaked and augmented he sped towards the other side of the dungeons where his dorm is in order to finally end this stupid paintings life once and for all. ''I have a lot to question that ?sshole about...''. . After several minutes of running, Oz finally ended up back in his room in the dungeons. He checked his map again quickly to see that Salazar was still down there. Knowing this was a prime chance to lock him somewhere he knew about, Oz instantly ripped open the fireplace hatch and darted down towards the portrait room. While running down the stairs to the portrait room, Oz''s mind was swimming with a myriad of thoughts about Salazar and what his goals must have been in the past year. ''From what I can tell now... That snake taught me in order to lower my guard. As I left the school for the summer, he might have taken that chance to establish some other portrait connections in order to not be stuck with me coming down and seeing him in that room. Dumbledore did explain that certain high level wizards inside portraits can control magic in the area around said portrait and Salazar fits the bill there seeing as though he''s a founder... that explains why he was able to attack me with dark magic in the first year from time to time. He didn''t expect me to balance my core out though completely negating the effects of dark magic...''. While Oz was still thinking, He eventually ended up upon the door to the portrait room deep underground. He had kept himself cloaked all this time, specifically masking his magical signature as much as possible so as not to alert Salazar. After taking a deep breath Oz kicked open the door. Immediately as Oz entered the room, he saw a shocked Salazar who was sat leisurely on his throne with a drink in his hand. Before the old snake could react Oz casted: "Colloportus Effigies!". As the spell was cast it made Salazar''s whole portrait light up with a white light. The man inside was now cut off from his other portraits. Salazar realised this and immediately looked at Oz with anger in his eyes. {What''s the meaning of this Oz?! Is this how you treat your teachers!}. "I''d hardly call you a teacher snake... You''ve been sneaking around all year which has been making me particularly worried about what an old fogey like you could be up to... care to explain now we''ve got the time?". Salazar looked at Oz in defiance. {What I do is hardly your business is it?!} Oz''s eyes became extremely cold as he looked deeply at Salazar. The man inside the portrait shuddered as he saw Oz''s now purple eyes. Taking another long deep look at Oz, His face fell into a slight shock. {What on earth happened to you... You have a dragon''s aura! You''re core level as well... What the hell have you been doing this year?} Oz smirked at Salazar who was confounded by Oz''s power now. "What I do is hardly your business is it?". Hearing his own words thrown back at him, Salazar looked incredibly exasperated. While staring down at Oz with a venomous glare, Oz started to speak his mind. "To be honest snake I don''t need you to explain what you''ve been up to... As a matter of fact I already have an idea of what you''ve been doing". "Let me be blunt Salazar... In the past year you''ve been meeting up with Quirrell right? My defence against the dark arts teacher to be precise... Actually let me rephrase myself a bit. You''ve been meeting up with your ''heir'' thats inside Quirrell. Is that more on the nose?". Hearing this from Oz, Salazar showed a face of shock. Oz relished in the old mans confusion. "Imagine your disappointment when you got to meet the man known as your heir... He was done in by a literal baby! Hahaha". As Salazar heard Oz''s insult he snapped all of a sudden. {YOU THINK THAT IDIOT IS WORTHY OF BEING MY HEIR?! YOU THINK THAT IDIOT IS WORTHY OF BEING RELATED TO ME AT ALL!? He is a complete FOOL! In his pursuit of power he succumbed to his fear of death leading him to use ''that'' art... Only an idiot would resort to such measures!} Hearing Salazar''s outburst, Oz realised exactly what he was talking about. ''So it seems this snake didn''t see Riddle fondly after learning of his efforts with horcruxes... He probably realised his heirs plan when he saw Quirrell in the first place seeing as though the man is a walking ''temporary'' horcrux''. Oz looked disdainfully at the now seething Salazar. "Isn''t living inside a portrait a way of preventing death to some extent as well? Where do you get off chastising your heir when you yourself are also afraid of death to the point you''d stuff yourself in a painting". Salazar darkly chuckled at Oz''s quip. {Yes, yes... well to you right now it seems that I''m stuck in here forever... However...} While Salazar was talking, the dark magic in the room started to bend to his will. {I specifically designed this portrait to house ME and MY POWER. As you can see even while in here my will can control the magic in the room you''re in. I''ve waited many, many years in the hopes that I could escape to somewhere...} As Oz saw Salazar gain momentum he wandlessly augmented himself so his reaction speed was at a peak, just in case anything were to happen. Staring at the old snake Oz asked. "Is that where you''ve been running off to as well? Trying to find a way to escape that portrait?". Salazar chuckled again at Oz''s comments. {You certainly have that beasts intelligence... but you''re off the mark by a bit. At this point I don''t mind telling you that I''ve been creating creatures within a room somewhere that specifically are designed to suck out a persons soul... If I can get my hands on a soulless body I can get out of this painting for good...}. As Oz heard Salazar''s plans he felt himself become angry. "So those dementors that attacked me and Harry... That was you?!" As Oz heard Salazar''s words his mind was shook. ''He was able to create dementors but doesn''t know their names? how could... wait a minute... If I remember correctly from studying on the matter, Dementors first came about fully when Ekrizdis tortured muggle sailors at sea, that place he tortured them at became the Azkaban we know today. Its not far-fetched to think that dementors appeared before then as they are more of a force of nature than anything else... Salazar was around way before Ekrizdis so it only makes sense that he views them differently, even having a different name for them...''. The pieces were finally falling into place. Salazar was the one who released the Dementors after personally creating them in the ''third'' room he goes to. Quirrellmort could easily have also been involved as well with the two working together in order to revive Salazar to some extent, implanting the portraits will into a soulless student. As Oz was brooding over all of this Salazar''s eyebrow unfurrowed. {So those beings attacked you... no wonder they were dispatched so quickly. I told that idiot heir of mine that you''d be an issue yet he never listened, only ever seeing that little boy who survived his killing curse as a threat. Such a fool....}. Chapter 59 - Im tired of these MF snakes in my MF school (Part 2) As Oz listened to the old snake rabble on his eyes grew colder and colder. Now he had the snake cornered he felt as though he could pry him apart before nipping him in the bud completely. Looking around the room Oz noted the dark magic that was being roiled up and chuckled. ''I gather this old mans last ditch effort is to plague me with as much dark magic as possible in order to make me into some kind of vessel... What a foolish notion especially now I''ve balanced my core''. Oz had learnt a lot from Salazar and it wasn''t just dark arts based. He learnt that in order to thrive in this world he really needed to expect the unexpected and prepare for it more. When he first came to this world he felt as if the world was in the palm of his hand, as if the world would shape its fate for him. However all the events leading up to this very moment taught him such notions were completely idiotic. Salazar himself was the biggest event that led to this mental epiphany. Oz spent so long initially focused on the fact that the canon would stay the same to some extent however it changed the moment Oz appeared in Hogwarts. Instead of waiting around it was the time instead to act finally. "So you''re only contingency plan was to take over a body or two? Honestly it shames me a bit to know that my ancestor learned under you... As a matter of fact I feel as though it shames him as well. Your constant hypocrisy is almost overwhelming. You claim that your heir is foolish for fearing death to the extent he does yet you tried to carry your will to the next generation via him and this stupid painting". Oz at this point was purposely aggravating the old snake. He had been in constant anxiety all year and spent far too much time in order to get rid of him. Now he had him locked in place and with no way of escape due to him only being able to preliminarily control the dark magic within the room this painting was in. The old man played it off as though he had control in this situation still but Oz knew deep down that he was panicking as his plans were folding onto themselves. {You insubordinate boy! You act as though you have no fear of death! In addition, My technique isn''t as low quality as splitting a soul its splitting my will! This technique allows me to sustain my original prowess while moving into a body and taking over thats bodies free will! This technique is much MUCH more pristine compared to that fool of an ''heirs'' horcruxes} Hearing this Salazar prattle on Oz suddenly felt everything all come together. ''Thats it!... This Salazar always struck me as rash and sly. He was too cunning and evil compared to the one in history. As a matter of fact, if the Salazar of that time acted like this then the founders would have exiled or killed him sooner! This Salazar.... he''s the embodiment of his evil will, his malice and rage. That would be the only explanation for why he acts the way he does, especially how rash he can be at times considering he''s supposed to be the greatest dark wizard of the known age!''. Oz lined up all the events prior to this with a now rash and malicious Salazar in mind at it all made much more sense. Even the original Salazar would have probably thought twice before releasing dementors as it could alert people to his presence if done wrong. However this Salazar not only released his own dementors, he also called such creatures ''pleasant''... nobody in their right mind would refer to those dark soul su?k?n? monsters as pleasant unless they had some kind of screw loose. Now Oz had all his answers completely. "You say I act as if I have no fear of death... Believe me Salazar you couldn''t be any more wrong. I fear death more than most people I believe. I''ve experienced walking that void with a head filled of regrets and a belly filled with anger and rage at what could have been. Death is a cold embrace when you don''t welcome it. But there''s something that scares me more than death after seeing it eye to eye... and thats not taking life seriously and just letting it pass by". Oz walked over to the portrait of Salazar, he lifted his wand up fully and pressed it against the portrait paper. "You were the first lesson for me in this world, a lesson I will take as I rise up further and further and chase my ancestors legacy. There''s no such thing as a free meal, there''s no such thing as an easy way. Life can change in an instant and the only thing you can do is bite your tongue and cope. If you overcome that situation you''ll be better than ever before". Seeing the fire in Oz''s eyes the Salazar within the portrait began to panic. The dark magic within the room was instantly directed towards Oz as it funnelled into him. The Salazar within the portrait smiled maliciously as he saw Oz close his eyes, thinking that he was being overcome by the dark magic. Unluckily for him, Oz opened his eyes shortly after closing them. "I''m sorry Salazar but this desperate struggle isn''t going to save you" The evil will of Salazar within the portrait started to show a real face of panic as he tried to throw everything he could at Oz but none of it worked. Oz finally went to utter a spell however midway through being about to utter it he spoke in a different tongue: "???". Immediately as the spell was casted the Portrait was completely overtaken in bright purple flames. The flames didn''t give off any heat to Oz but they caused the portrait to not only burn to ash but also melt. As Oz watched on he was shocked to see what had happened. He initially tried to use ''Incendio'' and even had plans to work his way up if such spells didn''t work. After all Salazar was backed into a corner at this point so there was no risk. However mid way through going to chant ''Incendio'' his brain changed to spell to ''???'' (Yol). From what Oz could tell... ''That was a spell in dragon tongue....'' Looking at the devastation, Oz realised again the power which Merlin''s bloodline held. If he could fully learn dragon-tongue to cast these spells whenever he wanted then in the future he could become truly unstoppable. It makes you think how powerful Merlin was able to be with both the ritual and using spells in dragon-tongue. Looking at the now fully destroyed portrait Oz checked the Marauders map to see if the snake had managed to scatter of to another portrait. Luckily for him the black snake on the map had disappeared completely. After doing some more checks to make sure he confirmed it. The old snake was finally gone. ============================================================ A/N - I be the first to admit that the Salazar portrait idea was not the best idea I''ve ever had. You can read more in detail why I even used such an idea in the authors thought. Anyway this note is mainly to tell you all thanks for reading up to this point. This first year has been incredibly slow however im starting to think that it would be best to pick the stories pace up more after this year is finished. After all Oz knows where he needs to go and what he needs to do now. His power is at the peak of second step, probably wont surpass it until the ritual but he''s at a level now where no teachers besides Dumbledore (and maybe Snape/Flitwick as they have more experience specifically in duelling) would be able to stop him. The next year will be a bit faster paced, but the year after will be something good indeed. I''ve been planning it since I started and I hope you all will enjoy it. Anyway, Ill be taking a break over this weekend again to refresh my mind (To be completely honest I''ve bought YS:Monstrum Nox and have been dying to play another game in the YS series for years) So no chapters till Monday. Thanks again for reading up to this point.. Killing off the old snake makes me both relieved and excited to improve more. Chapter 60 - The Tome A/N - I''m back bitches. Also I ended up not even playing that game much and ended up re-reading classroom of the elite lmao. Would highly recommend that novel if you''re into phycological stuff as the MC is fu?k?n? smart as shit, puts Oz to shame tbh lol. This chapters more a recap into what''s going on with progression and explanation at the end for a variety of things I felt needed answers... enjoy :) ============================================================ Now that Oz had got rid of the old snake, he felt much more at peace in the school. The only obstacle now for this year in particular was Quirrellmort however he had a number of ideas he could use to get rid of him. The easiest and straightforward method was to entice Harry down into where the mirror of erised is. At first Oz thought this plan seemed a bit far fetched however the Harry now had changed. He looked up to Oz as his role-model in a way and respected everything Oz said. If Oz were to tell him to come with him somewhere there''s no doubt the boy would listen and join him. So all Oz had to do now was wait and watch Quirrell on the marauders map. ''There''s a multitude of ways I could go about this but the best case scenario is to have Harry down in that room with Quirrell at the right time... That would lead to the philosophers stone making an appearance with Harry. Then all it takes is for me to go with the flow...''. As this years events were coming to a close Oz found himself analysing his past again. It was pretty obvious at this point how much he''d grown as a person. His mentality when he first came to this world was chaotic and na?ve however now even though there was still a hint of naivetes at times he was a lot more calculating, using all his cards he had in his hands. Safe to say Oz made mistakes here and there, after all he was only human. However if his death had taught him anything it was to learn from mistakes, his major mistake in his past life being he let it go by without trying to achieve anything. So while Oz waited for the day Quirrell would act he relaxed himself. Occasionally he''d still visit the RoR to train himself whether it was in potion making or duelling however the further he ventured into duelling the more he realised his fault of having two wands. Oz felt the need to fuse his wands more and more as the days progressed when training, As Merlin once did. Meanwhile during Oz''s time of peace after Salazar was dealt with, the rumours of Lucius and Dumbledore were still being spread massively. Dumbledore himself released no statement on the rumours about luring Oz to be his disciple which actually surprised Oz in a way. He was almost confident the old man would try something however it seemed as though the man indeed placed the ''greater good'' above his own status. In all honesty when your a wizard of his stature there''s really no need to be bothered by public opinion as much, While he''s probably angry with Oz in some ways he''s restraining himself in order to allow for the years to come to be easier with Oz on the so called ''good side''. Lucius however and the Malfoy household weren''t holding up as well at all. After the goblins spilled information about underhanded deals it led to the integrity of their household being under constant check. The ministry had probably preformed many raids on them in this time with the rumours of a dark artefact being used as a payment. Looking back into the situation in full Oz realised that Gringotts had quelled public anger pointed towards them by saying a rogue goblin was the cause of information being sold illegally. Even though initially they acted as their pride was smashed by Rita they used this story as a cushion in order to soften the damage. Unluckily for them Oz could still use this information to manipulate them in some ways. In many ways Oz already had plans for the summer and the majority of his plans were centered around a certain tome he had acquired... . After a study session with the CoC gang (Craig, Oz and Cho), Oz headed off to the RoR in order to this time fully study the tome he had gotten off of Dumbledore a couple months back. The reason why up to this point he hadn''t looked into it was because of all the events that occurred in that time. Learning under Dumbledore, undergoing the Animagus ritual, brushing up on his potion studies privately, the incident at the ministry with Lucius and Fudge, there were many things that kept Oz preoccupied. The main thing that preoccupied him though was Salazar however now that he was gone Oz could study all he needed in peace. In Oz''s eyes, Salazar was the only true threat to him at the school when he was around as he knew how to deal with Dumbledore so he couldn''t act and he also knew Quirrell''s weakness (Harry). As Oz reached the RoR, he entered into a room full of books and a table for study again. This room is one he''s been quite familiar with from time to time as he tries to read as much as possible to utilise his perfect memory. ''Perfect memory... In hindsight it was a silly ability to ask for... I wonder if there was a cut off point? Could I have asked the void being to give me Saiyan abilities or something? Maybe Perfect memory was the limit of what I could have... I guess there''s really no way of knowing now...'' To emphasise how ''Perfect Memory'' worked, it was like a show/movie reel to Oz. He could remember all the days passed as long as he focused and rewinded the ''movie reel'' in his head. If there''s something in particular he needs to know then all it takes is to ?ssociate something with that memory. For instance if he wants to remember of certain potion recipe, his mind will search for that memory instantly and that memory will present itself in a reel-like form. At first this sort of ability was extremely weird to Oz. After all when he picked perfect memory he just gathered he would be able to remember everything, anywhere at anytime. However picturing that now... wouldn''t a persons head explode from all that information? This way of viewing was probably a way so that Oz could calmly look through his memories without there being any major issues to his psyche in the long run. Oz wondered in the long run if he could augment this ability further by connecting it with Occlumency or something... After brooding over his ability for a while Oz took a seat on a chair in the RoR. He placed his trusty clock that he''d always bring to the RoR next to him as he rummaged through his pouch and found Merlin''s tome. Oz truly didn''t know what to expect from the tome, however part of him was thinking for some reason that it was going to be a ''key'' in a way. Something that would let Oz identify where Merlin''s secret abode is in the world. Such a location would be invaluable to Oz as currently during the summer his base of operations was in Diagon alley. If he could have a whole abode to himself then in the future and for that place to be hidden, he''d be free to practice whenever and improve by leaps and bounds by himself. As Oz placed his hand on the tome he felt a familiar sensation prick his hand. It seemed Merlin was incredibly meticulous as each and every artefact under the ''Ambrosius'' name had this kind of blood identification test on it. After it pricked Oz''s hand the blood entered the book and for a while the book laid dormant until the lock on the side suddenly snapped off. Seeing this Oz proceeded to open the tome carefully. Chapter 61 - Hideout As Oz turned through the pages of the tome he was shocked at what he saw. The pages were filled with different runes and spells, however all these spells were devised using dragon-tongue. Just looking at the incantations and the runes made Oz realise how powerful this kind of magic was. In the room with Salazar, his brain automatically changed his spell for him through a split-second moment. Oz didn''t understand why he had done that though, there was probably some kind of trigger for it. What Oz was really curious about since that day was how he could learn dragon-tongue to have all his spells be that powerful. This tome right here was his answer. It had all of Merlin''s theories and formulae on spells and runes, along with also somethings on enchantment that were centered around dragon-tongue as well. This sort of situation was incredibly beneficial to Oz. Looking at the spells inside the tome however Oz came to a quick conclusion that ''dragon spells'' were far more difficult than normal spells. As a matter of fact, seeing the intricacies made Oz realised that what he did in the fireplace study was a sheer moment of luck. ''If I had to rank these spells against normal spells... they''d be far above a NEWT level for comprehension... There''s also the fact that a bloodline with relations to dragons is needed''. While this tome of knowledge was certainly a boon for Oz, there was no way he could learn all the spells over-night. As a matter of fact these were spells that were so high-level that he''d need to be at a Dumbledore level of power at least to be able to even attempt to learn them for daily usage. Ever since the fluke in the fireplace study, he attempted to recreate the spell he casted however nothing worked... it was as if in the moment his body allowed it to happen as a way to show him what ''could be'' in the future when he reached a higher level. Skimming through more and more of the tome, Oz''s respect for Merlin deepened as well as his curiosity. The man was heralded as an important figure in the wizarding community but with knowledge like this did he even view the community as something important? If such a character had truly died what could have killed him? Oz was convinced after looking at this tome and the ritual notes that he could have easily devised a way to prolong his life and for it not to be via an artefact like Nicolas Flamel''s attempt at prolonged life. Thats where questions mainly began to sprout up, why would he suddenly die if he wielded such knowledge? There was only two answers to that question. He either died of his own accord or he was killed by someone who knew more about him than anyone else and d?s?r?d this sort of knowledge. There was the third option that the man was actually still alive however a lot of issues would arise if that were the case. So while the idea stayed in Oz''s mind he focused in on the first two answers surrounding his death. Finally after extensive reading Oz reached the end of the book which had a note written in it. A note left by Merlin himself. ''To whom unravels this tome, I will ?ssume that you are of my blood if you managed to open this tome. Use this tome as you see fit in your future endeavours. While this tome includes a multitude of spells, runes and enchantments, its true purpose is that of a ''key''. This ''key'' is used in order to enter a certain location of mine, a place I used to use as a hideout. The location of said hideout is a formation of stones located in the south of England. To be precise for me, its in southern wessex however that may not be the case for you my descendant as times change drastically. I hope this location will serve you well my descendant. Show the world that the Ambrosius name is something to be respected. Merlin''. . Reading this note for a while Oz felt an influx of emotions. He was happy that he now had a set place he could potentially have as a home in the coming future however there were things within Merlin''s letter that instantly struck Oz as odd. All of the issues and questions arose from the third line in the note. ''Maybe Merlin wrote it that way just because thats how he writes... Maybe he wrote it like that as he was a meticulous man...''. As Oz shuffled through the different scenarios in his head he couldn''t settle on an answer. ''The main issue... why would he call the place a ''hideout''? I may be reading into it too much... but the man was so powerful he could use dragon-spells. Why would such a powerful wizard need a hideout? Was it just a place where he could relax by himself or was he actually being hunted down at one point...''. The next issue Oz ran into on that third line was Merlin explaining that this was ''A certain location of mine''. ''Again I feel I could be reading into this too much... but a ''certain location of mine'' sounds as though this isn''t the only place he called home or made a ''hideout''... It wouldn''t be far-fetched to think that the man had a place in every major country actually, considering his drive for magic''. Oz shelved both of these notions for now but kept them fresh in his mind. At the moment it wasn''t really necessary to know Merlin''s past fully. Thinking over the note Merlin left about the location of his hideout, Oz had one place in mind. Wessex was what the south of England was referred to back in 900 AD, the time in which Merlin should have been moving about the most. To confirm his suspicions Oz needed a map. ''Accio Map'' As Oz flicked his wrist a massive amount of maps flew at him. Oz was hit with a mass amount of paper and in the end a mountain of maps covered him. ''Yeah... in hindsight that was a bad move in a place like this one''. Sighing to himself Oz sifted through all the maps until he found a map of England that he could work off of. Oz already knew the general location, however it was confirming if it was ''there''. After an hour of researching and confirming, Oz finally came to a conclusion on where Merlin''s ''hideout'' in the UK was. ''Stonehenge....'' Chapter 62 - Quiet before the storm After looking through Merlin''s tome, Oz now had a set idea on what to do in the coming summer. Getting to Stonehenge shouldn''t be an issue now he''s a dragon Animagus, all it''d take is for him to cloak himself or just use the natural camouflage of the night to reach the stone circle near Salisbury. The last thing Oz needed to do this year was now obvious and somewhat simple, get rid of Quirrell. With the marauders map on him, Oz was able to log Quirrell''s movements. The man in question was getting more and more restless as the days went by, nearing where the stone is supposed to be more and more. Oz noticed at this point that Quirrell was indeed doing things different compared to the canon. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be a lot more wary when thinking of going down there. This situation would have been far more difficult for Oz without the map though. If he hadn''t made his own personal map, Oz would have needed to keep tabs on Quirrell personally which would have been an extremely risky and bothersome venture. With the map though, Oz was able to keep up appearances with everyone around him without having to constantly disappear to monitor the man. The year was rapidly coming to its end and there was only a couple months left until the end of the school term would fully rear its head. As the end of the term and year came rolling on closer and closer, Oz noticed that Quirrell''s movements began to become more erratic. Oz could sense soon that the man would go to fetch the stone soon enough. Seeing this event coming closer and closer, Oz arranged a talk with Harry in a private area of the Slytherin common room. . Oz was currently sitting in a corner of the Slytherin common room with his eyes glued to a newspaper. The newspaper was the Daily Prophet to be precise and Oz was keeping track of all the goings on in the community as of late. The Dumbledore and Lucius drama was still making appearances within the pages of the daily prophet, from what Oz could tell Rita wanted to milk those stories for all they were worth. This was well within Oz''s expectations for that gossip hungry woman. As Oz grinned to himself, he put away the daily prophet and proceeded to take a look at the marauders map again. Looking again at Quirrell''s movements, Oz realised that he was becoming more and more erratic. Oz realizing now the reason why. ''This man is wary about if I''ll intervene...''. It seemed unfounded at first this theory. After all Quirrell only had a slight altercation with Oz in the forest however that one fight seemed to have put Oz in his radar much more than Oz first thought it would. This wasn''t a bad thing though in Oz''s eyes, when a person is paranoid its easier for them to slip up. Regardless of all this though, Oz knew that eventually Quirrell would need to go down into the third floor room in order to find the stone. ''I could have tried to confront him already however such an idea would be incredibly foolish. Down in that room with the mirror, he would be backed into a corner with only one escape route that I can block. If I attacked him now out in the open a multitude of problems could occur. It''ll be best to just wait for him to make his move and take Harry down there...''. The main reason why Oz needed Harry to be down there was in order to get his hands on the philosophers stone somehow. Oz didn''t fully know the gist of how the stone really worked, ''wanting'' the stone but not to ''use'' it seemed like an incredibly odd set of circumstances needed in order to have the stone on hand. While Oz was brooding, Harry finally made his appearance and walked over to Oz. Seeing this Oz gave Harry a warm smile. "Hey there Harry, Studying hard?". Harry sat down opposite Oz in the corner of the Slytherin common room. "Definitely studying hard!... Anyway Oz im dying to know, why have you suddenly invited me for a private chat?". Oz looked at the boy in front of him for a lone while. "Have you heard about the third floor corridor room?". Harrys eyes flinched slightly before replying. "Thats the one that Dumbledore mentioned at the beginning of the year right?" Seeing Harrys body language Oz was able to instantly gauge a few things. This boy had in fact visited that room already, probably with Daphne and maybe also Hermione in tow. That slight flinch in his eyes told Oz everything. ''Interesting... I mean this Harry is far more adventurous so im not too surprised at his inclination to explore, especially explore a room that was supposedly off limits. To be honest this emerald trio might also have an idea of what''s down there...''. Oz in his head could easily see a scenario where Daphne goaded both Hermione and Harry into checking out the third floor room, only to be greeted by a three headed dog. All it would have taken then was for them to all wonder ''what that dog is guarding'' and harry would have linked it to the bag Hagrid grabbed when they first went to Diagon alley at the beginning of the year. Oz gave Harry a sly grin as he continued. "You know how I made us these maps? Well recently I''ve noticed a certain person going near that room constantly... Its made me incredibly suspicious at what their motives are". Harry felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead as he looked at Oz. Oz chuckled inwardly at Harry''s fright releasing that the boy probably thought Oz had found him, Daphne and Hermione out. "W-whose going down there...?". Oz slowly folded up his marauders map and put it in his pocket. "Its the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher... Professor Quirrell". Harrys face instantly showed a wave of relief followed by shock. As he sat in silence his face started to show a sign of understanding and clarity. Oz listened closely to Harry and heard him mumble under his breath. "So thats why he... it makes sense now...". "Oi, Harry. You still there?". Harry shot his head up at Oz''s comment. "Huh!? Ye-Yes im here Oz. So you really think Quirrell is going to steal what''s down there?". Oz looked at Harry with a smile. "I never mentioned anything about stealing something Harry... Is there something you know and I don''t?". Harry''s face instantly showed signs of shock as he sighed deeply at himself. "O-Oz can I tell you something if you promise not to tell anyone else?". Oz looked at Harry who looked desperate to explain his situations. He gave him a slight nod. "I promise Harry. When do you ever see me talking to anyone else anyway besides our group?". Harry let off a slight chuckle noting Oz''s comment before explaining. To sum it up, He admitted to Oz that when he and Daphne first became friends along with Hermione in tow, they explored a lot of the school in their free time. One day they were curious about the third floor room and decided to scope it out. Daphne pitched the idea of course to which Harry was interested and Hermione was wary. The trio ended up running into fluffy, the three headed dog in that room and instantly ran away. Eventually this situation led to Hermione and Daphne surmising what was down there, more Daphne than Hermione. Harry thought of the bag he saw Hagrid pick up at the beginning of the year and immediately the trio got to researching. At this point they had already figured out that in that room was the philosophers stone however this time round they had no idea that someone was out to steal it. Oz gathered this was solely because Quirrell was being far more cautious and not outright attacking Harry at times. After all, a lot of the suspicions in the original films arose from the quidditch matches of which now Harry isn''t a part of due to Snape''s dismissal of his talent. After hearing all of Harry''s story, Oz closed his eyes. In his mind the stage was set, all he had to do now was enlist Harry''s help in order to stop Quirrell and he could finish this year off perfectly. "So Quirrell is after the philosophers stone... Harry, when the time comes and that man makes his move we need to stop him, that stone is something that no bad person should get their hands on and judging by how he''s scoping around that area at night we can ?ssume he''s not planning to go down there as a teacher to check it. He''s out to steal it.". Harry nodded at Oz''s request. "Should I tell Hermione and Daphne?". Oz shook his head at Harry''s final question on the matter. "No, it''ll be much easier with just us two". ============================================================ A/N - Its been over a week since I initially decided to slow down. It definitely has helped. Here on out chapters will be released a lot slower, maybe even every week one will come out. However in the future when I get more time I''ll try and stock up on some so it can become more frequent :) Chapter 63 - [Apologies for vanishing - Please read] - 01/07/2021 Hey all, if any of you still have this favourited lmao its been a while. I felt the need to write at least some sort of reason why I vanished from making this novel when at the time I was so into doing it. Simply put, Life hit me hard as fu?k. Family struggles, Job struggles, having to isolate took its toll on me and the final nail in the coffin was that I had issues with my computer causing me to have to reset. I only managed to keep some notes for this novel and lost the majority of the plans I had. I always came back to this novel after that reset every couple of weeks trying to write a new chapter and lead the story in a direction but nothing was sitting well, I had an overarching plan however I had lost the thought process of what character does what, how they react, basically losing all remembrance of where I wanted these character arcs to head due to losing certain notes and losing drive. The only notes I managed to save were a synopsis on what was gonna happen each year, the ritual and an early version of my character profiles with Oz only included as he started his first year. So I put the novel on HIATUS, hoping that initial spark would return which at some points it has. However, the worry of forgetting something I already wrote or overlooking something I had already wrote stopped me from actually pressing the publish bu??on on many draft chapters. I would truly like to continue this novel however I do feel I''ve lost that drive I had at the beginning of the year when I started, mostly dimmed down by life itself making me too busy to focus on this project. So, I cant give any guarantee this novel will return, however I''d like to hope in the future I can get my act together and put in the time to continue this because I had many exciting plans I wanted to realise, plans that would expand the Harry Potter world out much further than just ''Hogwarts'' and ''England''. So for those who would still wait for that day, Thank you. And for those who don''t have the patience, I understand. Hope you are all well in these turbulent times. - BoiGeorge Chapter 64 - Pursuing Quirrel As Oz sat on his bed looking at the marauders map, an evening ritual at this point, he somehow knew in the back of his mind that tonight was the night Quirrell would act. In these moments when he was alone and focused solely on one task he''d often have fleeting thoughts about his life up to where he was. He''d question whether it was smart of him to make any moves at all against these people, if it was smart in general to move the plot in his own direction compared to the source material he remembered from his previous world. Often times nights like these would make him depressed, anxious and worried, something that would seem alien to those around him who view him as a calm, cool and collected genius. However, all that worry would drain away when he thought back to cause and effect, him simply being here changed the course of everything. If he''d already changed the course of everything by being in this world in the first place then why not flip the whole wizarding world on its head? Why not usher in a new age of magic fuelled by his connection with Merlin and his own abilities as well. As a determined glint flashed in Oz''s eye he saw Quirrell making a move for the room, this time in a much more hurried manner that was different to the usual scoping. Tonight seemed to be the night he was waiting for. ''Looks like its time to get Harry...''. . Cloaked, Oz wandered into Harry''s room in the Slytherin dungeons and woke him up with a gentle prod. "...nhnnn five more minutes". Oz sighed looking at Harry who seemed reluctant to get out of bed. Unsheathing one of his wands he pressed it against Harry''s leg and emitted from the tip a small shock. "EEYYOW.. What the?!.. Oz what the hell are you doing". Looking down at the boy, Oz let out a slight snicker. "Quirrell is on the move Harry, It seems tonight''s the night he plans to steal the stone". Hearing this Harry''s eyes widened fully. He quickly scampered out of his bed and grabbed his invisibility cloak. "Well what are we waiting for?! Let''s get this bastard!". "You didn''t even know someone was after the stone until I told you recently, why are you suddenly so passionate about it?". Harry rolled his eyes as he looked at Oz. "I''m just excited we get to cause a bit of havoc and sneak out, especially since tonight its with you Oz, I know something crazy will happen". Oz felt content looking at this new Harry he had helped make, he was ballsy and had a lot more vigour in comparison to the original Harry. This Harry would be able to make tough decisions easier and wouldn''t shy away from any fights at all. While to original Harry was good to a degree, this Harry would definitely reach his full potential, especially with him being under Oz''s wing. Oz also sensed that the boy was becoming much more comfortable with him, going from seeing him as an idol to a good friend, a change he welcomed. Pointing his wand at himself, Oz cloaked himself before saying. "Well then... let''s cause some havoc for Quirrell". . Oz and Harry managed to reach the third floor room quickly and quietly, as they approached the door they heard a loud snoring noise. "Snoring... Oz do you think that guard dog is asleep?". Oz couldn''t actually see Harry, but due to his dragon eyes from his Animagus ritual he was still able to see his aura ever so slightly. It was so slight in fact that if he didn''t know that the boy was next to him he wouldn''t know at all, the deathly hallows weren''t to be underestimated. Harry in turn was only looking towards where Oz''s voice was coming from or where he guessed Oz was which allowed Oz some comic relief on this trip as Harry would sometimes be facing the complete opposite way. "It seems our professor had a little trick up his sleeve". Oz carefully opened the door and walked into the room where fluffy was passed out. Harry followed in after him being careful not to let out even a whimper. Looking directly under Fluffy''s head, Oz could see the trapdoor that would start his and Harry''s little journey towards the stone. "Seems our entrance is right there Harry" Said Oz, pointing at the trapdoor underneath Fluffy''s head. "Wait he''s covering it?! How do we get down then?". Oz slowly took out one of his wands and pointed it at Fluffy''s head. Seeing this Harry flinched back a bit. "You aren''t going to kill it Oz are you?" Oz''s jaw slightly dropped at that comment. "Is that what you take me for Harry? I''m not some monster you know...". Pointing the wand at Fluffy, Oz uttered a quiet "Mobilicorpus". Slowly, Fluffy''s whole body lifted into the air. Harry''s face under his cloak was gobsmacked as he saw this giant Cerberus lifted into the air in suspended animation. Harry was right to be gobsmacked as well, lifting a being of this size with a spell was already hard enough but Oz managed to do it slowly as well. As Fluffy finally reached a height high enough for them to get to the trap door, Oz walked over and opened it up. "Ladies first Harry". Grumbling under his breath Harry walked over to the trapdoor and looked down. "Isn''t that just a drop Oz?... Surely there''s another way dow.... You fu?ker!" Tired of hearing Harry''s quips Oz pushed Harry into the trapdoor and was met with another swear from the young boy. ''Two in one night huh? Guess he''s really filling his Slytherin boots with such a vulgar tongue haha''. Before Oz jumped in himself he looked up at Fluffy''s body. ''I''m not sure if it will have any great effect but... I may as well''. At lighting fast speed Oz quickly pinched a clump of Fluffy''s hairs off its ?h?st, instantly waking the dog and cancelling the spell the was holding it up in the air. A loud ''YELP'' echoed through the room as Oz swiftly lunged into the trapdoor, using his wand to close it on the way down into the depths, leaving an angry and confused Cerberus to ponder what just happened. A/N - A short chapter I know but I hope this can make up for the sudden disappearance to some extent. Let me know if there''s anything I missed/got wrong/need to change as it has been a while. I had the notes for this chapter saved on here so I was able to create this chapter without having to re-read as much, however future chapters may take more time as I have to read back and get myself grounded again.. Nevertheless, hope you all enjoy. Chapter 65 - Blasting through the Trials and Hurdles After jumping through the trapdoor, Oz casted a quick ''Arresto Momentum'' on himself, allowing himself to slowly fall down towards the devil''s snare below. Looking down Oz could spot Harry squirming around desperately as the devil snare had him entangled. "Oz! What the hell is this stuff?!". Looking down at the desperation on the boys face Oz gave Harry a hurried response. "Its Devil''s snare Harry, If you relax yourself you''ll naturally fall through it, flailing around will just cause you to get more and more strangled and entangled". During this back and forth Oz himself was still slowly floating down at a minuscule speed, enough to make anyone think that he''s just straight up levitating. "Okay, calm down Harry... Breath..." As Harry calmed himself his body slowly lowered into the devils snare releasing him underneath. Oz smiled seeing this. Whilst bringing Harry along on this endeavour would make the job of dealing with Quirrell a lot easier considering he''s Quirrell''s bane essentially, Oz also wanted to get a good look at this new ''boy who lived'' birthed from his own miss-happenings in the plot. You could even consider it as Oz evaluating Harry, seeing how much he''d changed in this first year since joining Slytherin and hanging around a different crowd. Oz was still descending very slowly, looking around at the devil snare''s tendrils that filled the room he called out to Harry. "Good job Harry, while your method is the cleanest method of getting through this obstacle I like to opt for a more... direct approach". Pointing his wand down, Oz casted an extremely powerful ''Lumos Maxima'', Causing the devil''s snare below him to part like the red sea. When enough room was made for him, he released his ''Arresto Momentum'' spell allowing him to fall quicker down into where Harry was waiting. As soon as Oz fell underneath the devil''s snare, the plant itself reformed closing the gap he came through just after him. Harry stood looking at Oz with a slightly irritated face. "Why didn''t you just do that for me...?". Letting out a little chuckled, Oz remarked. "As that wouldn''t be as fun would it? I''ve got to make this trip down into the unknown somewhat light-hearted right?" Harry rolled his eyes at Oz as he walked on ahead towards the next room. Oz allowed the boy to go on ahead as he looked up at the Devil''s snare. ''I''m unsure whether or not this plant will be useful to me in the long run... but it may be worth bringing along some just in case''. After that thought, Oz used ''Diffindo'' to cut himself off a few pieces of Devil''s snare, almost as if he was carving a steak. Oz himself didn''t know what compelled him to take some pieces of Devil''s snare, however his intuition was screaming that he might find it useful down the road. After serving himself up a piece of Devil''s snare, Oz immediately headed off after Harry and into the next room. . Walking into the next room Oz and Harry both looked around as they saw hundreds of keys flying around. Across from them a door with a lock. Looking to his right, Oz saw some broomsticks that were to be used to fetch the key. "It seems as though we need to fly and grab the key Harry". Harry still enamoured by the sight of flying keys darted his eyes over to Oz. "Surely not Oz...". ''This lad... His talent for flying is incredible yet since he''s not on the quidditch team at all this time around he has no confidence to do this?''. Oz heaved a sigh as he pondered the best way through this. Looking at the door itself he could see the aura of a charm on it, he guessed this charms purpose was to stop any witch or wizard trying to enter with unscrupulous means. ''Damn... I really wanted to do a simple alohomora as well, looks like ill have to put in some elbow grease''. Just as Oz was about to make his move he turned to Harry and spoke. "You do know Harry that you are fully capable of getting on that broom and getting that key right? I know that you know this yourself as well, you know you have talent, you must have felt it in flying lessons". Harry flinched slightly at Oz''s profiling telling Oz all he needed to know about the boys abilities. "Never mind though... let me show you the simple way of getting this done". Finishing his last sentence, Oz focused his purple eyes onto the key he sensed was connected to the door and its ward. Focused solely on that key Oz snapped his fingers causing that singular key to stop in mid-air. The key itself tremble around, trying to break free however Oz''s magical grip on it was tight, lowering it down to himself as he finally took hold of the key with his physical hand. "See? Much easier than flying right?". Oz walked over to Harry and handed him the key. "Surely you''ll be able to open a door?". Harry sighed as he muttered back. "Why do I feel like you didn''t need me here at all Oz?". Oz stared back at Harry who seemed to be feeling inferior after all this power play from Oz, Smiling gently Oz uttered back. "You''ll be needed soon Harry, don''t worry". Hearing this from Oz confused Harry even more as he walked on ahead and unlocked the door leading towards the next room. As Oz was following in behind Harry he had a single thought stuck in his mind. ''This labyrinth down to the stone... the trials that are here... To an experienced wizard such things are child''s play. This doesn''t feel at all like a security system down here besides the dog guarding the door... this feels more like a specially designed trial for someone to gro...w''. Finishing that thought Oz had one name in his mind, someone who might want a certain other someone to grow, going through some trials while at Hogwarts. ''That old man really is twisted if thats the case...''. . After a bit of walking, Oz and Harry found themselves walking into a giant room. As the flames in the room ignited, the contents of the room were shown fully to Oz and Harry. "A chess board?!" Harry yelled out looking around at the bizarre sight before him. Oz surveyed the room with his eyes trying to sense any abnormalities. The only thing he could sense was a few wards and spells put in place to allow this game of chess to work. The chess pieces themselves however weren''t protected at all. "Oz ive always wanted to play real life wizards chess after playing against Daphne! Is there any chance we could give this a...". While Oz would love to humour Harry here, he felt the need to quicken this adventure and after diagnosing the chess pieces strewn around the room he came up with a simple way to end this chess game. Oz took out both of his wands and started to fire away at all the chess pieces, blowing all of them to bits. While shooting with both of his wands he again remarked in his head the importance of eventually fusing these wands into one when possible... As the oversized chess pieces debris flew around the room, Harry stood gobsmacked remarking in his own head that this must have been the 4/5th time he''d been shocked on this night with Oz. As the smoke from all the debris cleared, a completely decimated chess board sat in front of Oz and Harry now. Oz wore a relaxed and satisfied smile on his face. ''That definitely blew off some steam... I didn''t even knew I had that in me''. Harry looked around the chessboard with a frown on his face. "This was the one thing I could have helped with as well...". Oz turned towards Harry and gave him a pat on the shoulder, showing him a calm grin. "No, no. The next part is what you need to help with. You should go on ahead here, alone". Harry''s eyes pricked wide open hearing Oz''s words. "Alone?! You''re not coming Oz?! You came all this way just to make me go and finish the job?!". Oz pinched his nose as he looked up at the ceiling. "You''re making this sound a lot worse than it actually is... All the trials and tasks beforehand I took into my hands as I was the best fit right? Well, it turns out you''re the best fit for this next task Harry so you can go and knock em'' dead". Hearing Oz''s words still didn''t bring any confidence to Harry''s eyes as he seemed reluctant to move on. Seeing this Oz sighed and looked the boy directly in the eyes. "Do you trust me Harry Potter". Hearing this, Harry gave a slow nod. "Then understand that I wouldn''t send you off to get killed or something, I trust that you can do this next part so go do it". Hearing that he had Oz''s confidence, Harry''s eyes lit with determination as he charged ahead towards Quirrell. Looking at the boy run ahead Oz found himself a nice piece of debris to rest his back on as he chilled out. ''I could have gone and just sorted it all on my own but... on this little trip down here I''ve realised that I need the people around me to grow as well to some extent. While I can help Harry with the heavy lifting in most cases, he needs to get some action in at points else he could become a liability in the future... Taking out Quirrell will be easy for him anyway...''. As Oz was mulling over his thoughts, His eyes suddenly came down from the roof of the big chess room towards the door they entered from. His purple eyes gleamed as he could sense an aura within the darkness. ''I had a feeling you''d show up...''. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/N - The plan right now for me is to get to the end of year 1 (canon) so I can then read back and give myself time to take the story in the right direction I want. Thankfully on here I had notes about what I wanted to do in these chapters leading to the end of philosophers so im basically following along while adding some details here and there. As always, let me know if anything''s wrong or seems off and ill correct as best I can :). Chapter 66 - Dumbledore vs Oz Sensing someone walking into the chess room, Oz slowly got himself up and brushed off the dust on his clothes. Looking at the door way a familiar grandfatherly man walked in. "I did think the tasks on the way down here were too easy for any ''experienced'' wizard... was this your way of training Harry Dumbledore?". Dumbledore who had just arrived in the room stood across from Oz in silence, a silence which spoke volumes. The man obviously had foreseen Oz''s interference or, at the very least, knew Oz would help Harry down here blasting away all the trials he had set for the boy. In his sparkling eyes were many emotions, the two main ones Oz could see though was hope and wariness. Extreme wariness. That wariness stemmed from Oz''s disposition. In Dumbledore''s eyes he was a major anomaly in his plans against Voldemort in the future. A boy who at the age 12, a descendant of the legendary merlin, a dragon Animagus and a boy whose magic prowess was at the level of most teachers and aurors. He was but one stage away from himself at the tender age of 12, something that Dumbledore himself couldn''t wrap his head around. But with that wariness stemmed hope. The man believed that if Oz was on his side at the end then the battle against Voldemort would be that much easier in the years to come. Oz''s talent was apparent to anyone who met him and after seeing his Animagus ritual first hand he knew how powerful this boys talent was. Sadly for Dumbledore however, Oz wasn''t someone who''d let himself be twirled around another''s finger. The silence between the two finally broke as Dumbledore spoke. "You''ve really impressed me Oz... That trick with the ministry indeed made things a tad bit difficult for me. You managed to even use Rita Skeeter without her even knowing she was being used, something I must commend as well. You''re truly an extremely rare talent". Hearing Dumbledore''s speech, one thing was apparent to Oz, the man wanted to be on Oz''s good side. "Well... you did blackmail me into becoming a student under you after all. A poor move from you withholding that tome from me when its rightfully mine. I''m surprised you didn''t realise how that could have been an issue". Hearing Oz''s rebuttal, Dumbledore let out a slow chuckle. "Well things do tend to escape me in my old age... Things such as rules fade away especially at my level". To Oz the last part of that sentence almost seemed like a threat... "Dumbledore... Why did you design these ''trials'' for Harry. You must have known that Voldemort resided in Quirrell all this time right? Yet you let it be and created this gauntlet for harry to finally beat the big bad boss in the end... Surely there are better ways of training the boy?". Dumbledore''s eyes flashed hearing Oz''s query. He slowly lifted his head up, looking at the ceiling of the chess room with a whimsical glint in his eyes. "I wanted the boy to grow Oz. In the years to come he will face many trials as the ''boy who lived'', he needs the mental fortitude to combat these trials". Oz understood to a certain extent what Dumbledore wanted and in some ways Oz agreed with the sentiment. Harry himself did need to grow, hence Oz left him to proceed on his own in the final part of these trials. However, throwing him into the deep end in his first year? Leaving him in an abusive household? this wasn''t building mental fortitude. This was akin to torturing a boy who should of had a good life. "Dumbledore... To some extent I agree with what you are doing. Harry does need to grow as it clear in the future things are going to happen. However, the way you go about this is all wrong. Leaving the boy to rot in a household that treated him like dirt? throwing all this his way on his first year when he''s only just been introduced to the world of magic? Thats not a way of training the boy, thats just chucking him straight into the deep end and hoping he will float. I understand that he needs to improve fast but you could just guide him". Dumbledore flinched a bit at Oz''s retorts as Oz continued. "As I said in our previous meeting once, I can sense dark magic from that boy in that scar of his. As a matter of fact I can see it now if I look hard enough. Dark magic on a boy whose been through the trauma of a terrible childhood, losing his family and now introduced to a school where the headteacher wants him to be put through trials just to grow? You''re turning him into a ticking time bomb and you know that deep down". Dumbledore lowered his head in response to Oz''s reprimanding of his methods. These things had already been said before by Oz however Oz felt he needed to repeat these statements in order for it to sink into the old mans brain that what he was doing was wrong. "Dumbledore... I know you''re not a bad person... well at least you try not to be. You truly want to do good after your multitude of past mistakes. However, you are going about this all wrong. Take the boy in as your disciple, train him in magic personally. If you''d just done this then maybe he''d already be at a peak school level considering he has a substantial amount of dormant talent". Hearing all of Oz''s retorts Dumbledore finally huffed a sigh before slowly lifting his wand. In his head he seemed to have come to a decision. It seemed here he wanted to enact a final test with Oz, to see if he could trust his power to protect Harry and the others. Hearing Oz''s retorts had already told him that his heart was in the right place. Looking at Oz deeply, Dumbledore uttered. "Oz... You''re right in what you say. My methods have always been a tad... extreme. Minerva even warned me about Harry''s uncle and aunt yet I ignored her. In the past I''ve always focused on the bigger picture instead of what''s right in front of me...". Pointing his wand directly at Oz he smiled, it seemed the man had a mental breakthrough in some ways with Oz''s words reaching him to some extent. "Your talent is far greater than any other young wizard I''ve ever seen Oz. I''m not fit to teach you anymore, you''ve already absorbed all the knowledge you wanted anyway. This will be your graduation test from being my disciple, lets have a simple duel". Spells littered the room as the rebounded off the chess room walls and ceilings. Sparks flew and rubble fell with each attack. Both Oz and Dumbledore slowly moved around the chess room board as they fought this duel. At the moment Oz was being pressured. ''He isn''t one of the greatest wizards for nothing thats for sure...''. Looking around the room in-between attacks, Oz tried to formulate any strategy he could come up with to gain the upper hand. One idea eventually sprung to mind. Using ''Wingardium Leviosa'', Oz lifted one of the broken chess pieces and launched it towards Dumbledore. The latter receiving the attack used a spell to destroy the chess piece flying rapidly towards him. In this window of opportunity, Oz used his own spell ''Augmentum'' to enhance his speed to the max as he also cloaked himself, trying to flank Dumbledore. As he got behind the old man he aimed to disarm his wand, however just as he casted the spell Dumbledore casted one back towards him causing the spells to clash in the middle. "A clever trick Oz... You are certainly talented. If you were at my level you''d have done me in there I believe". Sadly for Oz while his tactics were on point, Dumbledore was far more experience and powerful. His magic capacity alone was heaps above Oz''s leading Oz to an immediate disadvantage. Along with this, handling two wands was still a crutch, something Dumbledore mentioned to Oz in one of there meetings prior. With all this piled on Oz, he found it incredibly difficult to gain an upper hand. However, the fact he was even holding his own was incredible. Oz desperately searched his mind for a plan but nothing came to mind, as he and Dumbledore were both in a wand struggle the only thing that could turn the tide was to use a spell in dragons-tongue. However, Oz didn''t know how. It always seemed to activate when it wanted. Oz knew Dumbledore was only testing him, there was no malice in his attacks. It did seem however that he was planning on beating Oz up a bit, probably due to what Oz had done in the ministry, putting him in the firing line. While the old man seemed grandfatherly and calm, he had quite the hidden temper. As the wand struggle continued, sparks from the clash flew off around the room as the room itself was lit up. Dumbledore slowly started to add more and more power to his spell leading to the struggle tilting in his favour. Seeing this, Oz started to panic internally. He wanted to win this duel, against all the odds he wanted to put a scratch on this enigmatic old man to show that he wasn''t someone to be controlled. He wanted to show that he was a force to be reckoned with in this world, even at such a young age. As his emotions riled, something deep within Oz responded. His blood churned and his eyes glowed radiantly, becoming slits like a dragons eyes. Dumbledore''s eyebrows furrowed at this sight as Oz let out deep roar. Immediately the wand struggle tilted into Oz''s favour as his magic power drastically increased. Dumbledore started adding more and more power to try and push back but he could only delay the inevitable as finally the spell reached his wand, disarming him. Oz had won this duel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A/N - I''d like to note that this is the end of a ''mini arc'' I dubbed the Dumbledore suspicion arc.. From here on Dumbledore doesn''t see Oz as a threat or anything (doesn''t feel the need to leash him at least) and now Oz has ''graduated'' from being his student, Dumbledore starts to see the boy as someone closing in on his standing. Chapter 67 - Catalyst A long silenced filled the room as Oz disarmed Dumbledore. Dumbledore''s face was especially colourful to Oz, filled with surprise and shock. Very quickly, the old man softened and hid his surprise before looking at Oz with a warm smile. "You are indeed an enigma Oz. Your magic power explosively increased to past my level for a time there, something I''ve never even heard of before. I wonder if this is due to your heritage or your own talents...". Oz himself knew the answer to Dumbledore''s query, The only reason he won was because of the dragon-like qualities within him that he got from Merlin''s bloodline and later were powered through the Animagus ritual. Dragons were competitive fighters and that blood responded to Oz''s will, allowing him to increase his strength explosively. However, this explosive increase left Oz feeling very weak. In truth he got lucky, If they fought again Oz would lose as Dumbledore would be prepared for such a surprise increase in strength. Dwelling on these thoughts Oz stared at his now former teacher in silence. Dumbledore himself lightly walked over to where his wand had flew off to and picked it up. Oz caught a glimpse of Dumbledore''s expression as he picked the wand up, the man seemed conflicted with even a hint of anxiety mixed into his gaze. Oz himself knew the reason for this. ''I disarmed him... meaning that the elder wand he wields is technically destined to be mine one day. The old man wont give it up today for sure... he''s had the wand for so long he may know how to make it work for him until his death, however when he dies...''. The elder wand was destined to fall into Oz''s hands. Strangely enough though, Oz didn''t feel excitement or expectation. With his hands grasping both his wands he thought deeply. ''While the elder wand is certainly the most powerful wand in existence... I have no d?s?r? for it. These wands that have selected me as their first wielder seem far more trustworthy. Id rather grow with these wands than take a wand thats history is known to be filled of death''. Dumbledore slowly walked back over to Oz, face to face as he put his hand on Oz''s shoulder. "Congratulations on passing my little test Oz... Truth be told, I''ve been extremely wary of you as I never accounted for a character such as yourself to join my school. However, after your spoken words in defence of Harry and seeing your will in battle, I believe your heart is in the right place and that you''re not here to cause harm". Taking his hand off of Oz''s shoulder he looked around the chess room, now riddled with scars and debris from the fight they had just had. "It also seems I need to re-evaluate myself once again...". With his mind wondering, Dumbledore looked back at Oz. "Ill entrust you to go and help Harry back up after his fight. He''s certain to win due to his advantage, so please bring him up to the hospital wing when he''s all finished, he''s certain to be exhausted". Looking in the eyes of the old headmaster, Oz could sense that today was a turning point for the old man, his views had changed after the last couple years Oz had been involved in this school. While he wont change suddenly, this start was good. "I look forward to seeing where you''ll end up in the years to come". And with that, the old man left the chess room. Oz himself was still registering the fight as he fell to the floor in exhaustion. The intense magic power increase had made him feel extremely fatigued. He sat and allowed his body to slowly rejuvenate as he mulled over all that had happened. ''Dumbledore is seeming to change slowly... I don''t know if its an act or not yet but if it isn''t then this could work out to be much better than what I planned for him''. Knowing how dangerous the headmaster''s methods could be, Oz had a plan in his head from the moment he first met the man and gained an opinion of him. He was prepared to kill him if he had to, even if that would mean he''d make enemies with the very school that was bringing him up. Thinking on all of this, Oz''s eyes suddenly shot open. ''Did... did he forget about the stone entirely? Although its roughly explained, I always gathered that Dumbledore took the stone from Harry as he brought him up to the hospital wing within Hogwarts. If he''s entrusting Harry to me... does that mean he also entrusts me with the stone...? No... maybe he was just distracted by the fact I disarmed him and it slipped his mind...''. Standing up slowly, Oz looked over to where Harry had headed earlier on. ''Well... I guess I can thank the old man. It seems I''ve finally found my catalyst''. With that last thought, Oz ran off towards where Harry had headed. After a while of running, Oz eventually ended up in the room where the mirror of erised was. Just in front of him, he saw Harry laid on the floor asleep and to his right was the clothes of Quirrell, dust strewn around them. ''It seems the boy didn''t disappoint''. Oz slowly walked down the steps of the room as he used ''Mobilicorpus'' to pick up the exhausted boy. As he lifted the boy in the air, he noticed the philosophers stone on the floor, right near where Harry''s hand was. Oz crouched down and picked it up, looking at the stone with his dragon eyes he noted how much energy was trapped within this stone. Nicolas Flamel and Dumbledore were both people not to be underestimated in alchemy, Nicolas Flamel especially. Oz himself had trained up in alchemy recently but he was no way near the level of being able to produce something like this. He carefully put the stone in his pocket as put on his health specs he had. He wanted to diagnose Harry properly to make sure that he wasn''t hurt badly anywhere. Using the health specs in tangent with his dragon eyes he was able to diagnose the boy incredibly fast and found he only had minor injuries, magical power exhaustion was what knocked the boy out. Seeing how all this had ended, Oz let out a sigh of relief. This night went perfectly for him. He''d secured a catalyst, got rid of Quirrell and also managed to get Dumbledore off his back finally. With all these things perfectly panning out, he could now look forward to the next year with no obstructions in the way. Just as Oz was about to leave however, he caught a glimpse of himself in the Mirror of Erised.... Chapter 68 - Wand Fusion Looking deep into the Mirror of Erised, Oz saw his own figure staring back. In the reflection, he was an ?du?t with sharp features. He looked all powerful, his purple eyes in the mirror gleamed with an intense power. compared to the ones he had right now they were mountains above in both power and intensity. His bodies build looked tyrannical in a way, like he was a human dragon. His hair was still mostly dark black, however there was a purple streak that cut through the middle. Oz never really took notice of his own appearance much, as a matter of fact he never cared. He only ever focused on growing stronger and making sure that this world was heading in the right direction he wanted. Looking at this ?du?t version of him though that was formed from his own d?s?r? to be stronger, he felt a strong want to look like this. Behind the ?du?t version of Oz was a multitude of different dragons that were looking at him in reverence and to his side there was a woman, although he couldn''t make out the facial features or anything. Seeing this surprised Oz as he never had any drive for companionship, at least not at this moment at all. However, it seemed in amongst his deepest d?s?r? he did d?s?r? a partner in life. Sadly, the mirror didn''t show who this partner was. It took Oz a couple minutes before he could tear his gaze away from the mirror. Seeing your own deepest d?s?r?s really left the heart allured. If his will was any weaker he might have just sat down and stared into the mirror for hours. ''This is only my deepest d?s?r?... Its not how everything will actually turn out. However, seeing my deepest d?s?r? formulated in front of me just makes me want to achieve it that much more...''. Content with himself and his vision, Oz left the room with Harry floating behind him. He had a long walk ahead of him. . "So you''re telling me Mr. Potter just randomly fainted while you two were awake late in the Slytherin dungeons? Ambrosius, surely you don''t believe me to be stupid!?". Having arrived at the hospital ward, Oz handed Harry over to Madam Pomfrey who was grilling him hard on what had happened to the boy. Harry''s wellbeing was a s?ns?t?v? topic with teachers due to Dumbledore''s coddling of him so with Oz bringing a fainted and injured Harry to her, she was vehemently demanding a proper explanation. "Madam Pomfrey... I promise you this is what happened. We were practicing spells and one rebounded on him causing him to faint. As you can see by the fact he''s magically exhausted with some injuries...". Maybe it was due to all of the exhaustion of the night, but Oz was having a really difficult time spinning a believable story to Pomfrey. She glared daggers at him before sighing deeply. "Ill believe you for now... I will have to inform Dumbledore about this however, so be prepared to be questioned". Hearing this Oz smirked internally. ''That man knows more about this situation than me, like he will reprimand me when he was actually the main cause''. Oz nodded politely to Madam Pomfrey before heading off. There was one thought in his mind at this time, something he wanted to do before the morning. ''Finally... with a catalyst I can fuse my wands together. There''s only one place I can go to that''ll allow me to do it in peace at this time...''. With this last thought, Oz headed straight to the Room of Requirement. . Oz walked into the middle of the room before searching his mind for the notes on wand fusion and after reviewing what Merlin had left behind a couple times, he began his ritual. Putting both wands a couple feet apart from each other on the floor, he faced them towards each other as if they were about to enact a wand struggle. In the centre between the wands, he placed the philosophers stone. After setting everything up, he walked over to the philosophers stone and with a small knife he had packed for emergencies, pricked his finger open dropping blood onto the stone. The stone responded with a deep glow, the blood that was absorbed by the stone would help the wands know what they were fusing with. ''Everything''s ready... Now for the incantation''. Oz''s heartrate increased as he was reaching the moment of fusion. He only had one chance to get this right. If this ritual was done poorly, there was a chance that he ruin all three components included in the ritual. He''d become wandless and stoneless. Holding both his arms out, his will strengthened as his mind pulsated with the thought of making the best wand for him. Feeling ready he uttered the incantation. {Baculum Magicum Fusione!} To Oz''s surprise his dragons blood reacted to his will again, translating the incantation to dragon-tongue. As he chanted the spell he felt his magic flow out of him like a dam that had broken. He held on as both wands and the stone floated into mid air. The wands circled the stone whilst staying perfectly in parallel from each other as the stone glowed radiantly. Seconds later both wands shot out a beam, from his yew wood wand a stream of black gushed out towards the stone and from his walnut wand, a stream of white. As the two streams of magic hit the stone, the stone reacted violently glowing even brighter. At this point Oz''s magic was draining even more rapidly, even to the point where he felt his consciousness starting to slip. ''I can''t loose focus now...''. As the wands were spinning around the stone, both shooting a beam towards it, they started to close in on the stone quickly. They spun faster and faster as they got closer to the stone and finally just as the two wands came in contact with the stone, an extremely violent burst of magic shook the RoR. The burst was so violent that Oz wouldn''t be surprised if the whole of Hogwarts was woken up by it. The burst itself made Oz loose his footing as he flew back. Even throughout this he kept his hands up and allowed the fusion ceremony to take as much of his magic it needed. He slowly felt his vision blacking out as his magic was becoming more and more exhausted, almost to a dangerous level. Just as he was about to give up, the bright light engulfing the wands and stone finally dimmed down, leaving a floating wand in its place. The wand itself seemed as if it was made up of two halves, both woods of either wand previously were present in the wand. At the intersection where the yew wood and walnut wood connected on his new wand, there were lines of purple. On the hilt of the wand Oz saw a small reddish-purple gem as well, which resonated with him perfectly. The wand slowly fell to the floor after finishing its lightshow. Oz only caught a glimpse of his new partner before he passed out from exhaustion. Chapter 69 - End of a long year Hours passed in the Room of Requirement before Oz finally woke up and when he did he still felt extremely weak. The materials involved and the fact he unintentionally used dragon-tongue was mostly the reason for the backlash of this ritual. Slowly picking himself up he walked over to the wand that laid on the floor. This wand would be his new partner from here onwards. ''With this all my tasks for this year are finished...''. As Oz picked up the wand, he could still feel both parts of his previous wands imbued into this new beast. The wand in comparison to the two formers however was much, much more to his liking. While his connection with his two prior wands were not weak, this wand that combined both seemed to be connected to him even more deeply, even on a bloodline level. At the beginning of the ritual when Oz dripped blood onto the stone, he thought that dripping blood would serve as an axis for both wands to connect to, creating the array of Wand<->Stone<->Wand but it would seem that every part of the ritual was planned out in order to create a partner that would be tied to you much more deeply than normal. Pointing the wand forward, Oz casted a couple spells that he could manage right now in his state. Even though the spells he used were weak due to the backlash of the ritual, he could feel the flow of magic was much smoother and the incantation time was far faster. With this test, Oz was fully satisfied with the wand he had created. While having two wands were cool for the time he had them, it was a crutch in the long run as noted by Dumbledore. The best part about this wand was the fact that it was perfectly balanced between Light and Dark, allowing for spells of both categories to be used to their utmost potential. As for the philosophers stones role in this fusion, Oz hadn''t fully understood what the catalyst itself had brought to this newly born wand of his. This was something he''d have to look into in the future. Oz was extremely elated for a while, looking at his wand in adoration before his mind suddenly snapped back to reality. ''Shit... I''m gonna be late for classes''. With that thought Oz immediately dashed out of the RoR. . "Hmm... It seems Ambrosius is still not here...". The one lesson Oz had to be late for after an eventful night was a potions lesson. Snape looked around the room with a scowl painted on his face. "Taplin and Chang, You''re usually with that anti-social brat. Any clue where he is?". Craig and Cho both looked at each other in confusion before replying to the professor. Craig taking the initiative to reply. "No sir... He''s always been a bit secretive with things so we never know what he''s up to and only ever see him during our study sessions. Its not like him to miss a lesson though... Maybe he''s sick or something?". Cho reinforced Craig''s response with a nod. "He did look awfully pale the last I saw him". ''That boy? Ill? Highly unlikely...''. Just as Snape was about to start the lesson without Oz, Oz finally turned up at the potion classrooms door. His face look haggard and he was still pale from the backlash he received from the fusion ceremony. "There you are Ambro-". Snape stopped mid-sentence when he saw the boys condition. He really was in a bad state. "You fool, if you''re actually ill you should take yourself to the hospital ward not into one of my lessons interrupting me!". Oz looked at his head of house with a cheeky grin, the successes of last night had put him in a good move alleviating his usually anti-social behaviour. "I''m fine professor just continue with the lesson". Oz walked through the potion classroom with a lot of questioning stares pointed at him, eventually sitting down next to Craig. "What happened to you Ozzy? You always give off an all powerful vibe but right now its like your batteries are out". "I just had an eventful night, Everything''s fine now though". Cho from across the table gave Oz a questioning stare. "I heard that Harry was sent to the hospital ward... You also turn up next day to a lesson looking ill, are the situations connected at all?". Oz looked at Cho slightly exasperated. ''She isn''t in ravenclaw for no reason piecing that together so quickly... Ill just go with the story I told Pomfrey''. "Me and Harry were testing spells in the Slytherin dungeons, both of our spells backlashed at one point leaving us both ill/injured. Harry got the worse end of the stick though...". Looking in Cho''s eyes, it was clear she didn''t believe Oz for a second of his story. She eventually sighed just accepting that Oz wasn''t going to give the full details. As Oz was talking however, Snape took this opportunity to hit him in the back of the head. "You turn up late and now talk in the middle of my lessons!? 10 points from Slytherin! and you''ll have detention later as well". Oz heaved a sigh as he accepted his punishment. For the rest of this year he could just take it slow as a normal student. {This parts essentially a mini synopsis of the year} Weeks passed leading up to the end of the school year. Many things had changed again since the beginning. Oz had met Harry, Hermione and Ron at the beginning of the year on the train and that one meeting changed everything that happened. He saw different groups form from the original work and also saw Harry Potter be placed in Slytherin of all places. He himself also grew exponentially as he gained an Animagus form of a dragon. He even managed to back Dumbledore into a corner, enough for the old man to finally accept him as a non-threat. He even used Rita Skeeter to mess up the Malfoys, Dumbledore and also the goblins in Gringotts that sold his identity as a descendant of Merlin. He also finally got rid of the Salazar portrait under his rooms fireplace, now leaving him with a nice study which he frequented when he wasn''t up for a walk to the RoR. It was certainly a long year for Oz, but an extremely successful one. What was even better was that he had a clear path ahead now for the summer to come. In addition, he also had a vague idea on what he wanted to do next year at Hogwarts seeing as ''that'' would appear. As the weeks approached the years end, he would stick to a simple daily schedule. Go to lessons and use the RoR or his study to train/learn. Mainly at the moment, he was interested in potions as he noticed his core wasn''t going to advance anytime soon. To break into the third step, the step that Dumbledore, Voldemort and Grindelwald were in, he''d need his own catalyst. Oz already knew what he would use as a catalyst for his own growth though it would take some time to prepare. Oz had reached a level where he could cast most spells with a wand, especially after fusion. After the fusion itself, people started to notice Oz''s changed wand as it looked almost bewitching to the eye. Oz offered no explanation and just stated that he had some make some ''improvements''. His wandless spells still needed some work to catch up, Something he could focus on when he had spare time. As for his Animagus form, he sometimes would use the RoR to make a room big enough to fit it and try to get a feel for using the form. At first he found it weird becoming a beast with for limbs and wings however with practice he was able to eventually get to a point where he was mobile. As for Harry, he made a full recovery and went back to causing hijinks with Daphne, much to Hermione''s dismay. Study sessions would still happen including the entire gang up to that point being Oz, Cho, Craig, Harry, Hermione and Daphne. Sometimes during study sessions however, Oz would see a girl stealing looks at him from across the room. As a matter of fact, he''d spotted this girl multiple times throughout the year steal glances. Oz on one session decided to ask everyone what he should do and received mixed responses. Craig: "Dude she''s totally into you! Go and talk to her!". Cho: "She''s probably just bewitched by those purple eyes of--- Nothing!". Hermione: "Maybe she wants to join our group? After all, our scores have all improved after being tutored by Oz!". Harry and Daphne both followed up with some ideas of catching her off guard, Daphne leading the conversation as usual. Hearing all these responses Oz decided to shelf asking these guys anything ever again. As for the girl, he left her alone. Surely she''d approach him at one point and not just keep staring at him... . "Oz... are you sure you don''t want to come to mine over the summer? I heard last year you were stuck in Diagon alley!". It was the train journey back to London as the school year had ended finally. Oz looked at Cho who was asking him this question. "I appreciate the offer Cho but I got some things I want to do... Don''t worry, I have enough money to support myself until next term". Cho let out a small sigh as she accepted that Oz wouldn''t budge when his mind was set. Oz turned to his side looking at both Harry and Hermione. "I was surprised when I heard you''d be staying over Hermione''s all summer though Harry! I imagine you''ll find it incredibly weird in comparison to your time at that shithole home you had before". Daphne across from Harry was biting her nails as she said. "Grrrr... why did that old man pick her household instead of mine...". Harry looked at Daphne with a grin. "We can always meet up in the summer Daphne, or at least send letters". Finishing that sentence he turned to Hermione. "Thanks again Hermione... Although apparently Vernon''s been prosecuted, petunias still there with Dudley and I doubt she''d be happy to see me after putting her husband in jail...". After news had gotten out about Harry''s abuse in the Wizard world, news quickly travelled to the muggle world as some avid fans of Harrys or at least, some witches and wizards who felt bad for the boy took it upon themselves to get Vernon persecuted. Harry only received news of what had happened to Vernon near the end of the year as Dumbledore explained to him that he''d be staying at the Granger''s house this summer instead of his own home. Hermione smiled at Harry as she accepted his thanks. "Well Dumbledore did request my parents to allow this so there''s no need to worry, take my home as yours this summer Harry!". Oz had also heard of this situation just before leaving Hogwarts. Apparently Dumbledore had approached the Grangers about Harry nearer to the end of the year. Seeing as though it was Dumbledore who arranged it, Oz imagined that the man had put in a number of contingencies in order to make Harrys stay at the Granger''s household as safe as possible. Eventually though as the years progressed, summers would become more and more dangerous for Harry. He may eventually have to go back to the Dursleys, unless Oz took it upon himself to protect the boy. Knowing Dumbledore''s obsession for the boy though and the fact that he always held goodwill towards him, albeit sometimes going too far, Oz felt content with this setup and felt that Harry would be in good hands. Craig finally chimed in on the conversation. "So where are you even going Oz? You''re pretty famous in the wizard world right now... Are you just planning on travelling around or something? That could be dangerous now...". Oz smiled hearing Craig''s worried thoughts. "I have a set destination don''t worry. I''ll probably be in Diagon alley for a bit to clean up some... mess first. Ill send letters to you all still during the summer, however if im late on replying just take it as im extremely busy". The five others in the compartment all looked at each other with slightly confused and aggrieved looks. While they were dying to know what Oz would be up to, it was obvious he wasn''t going to tell them. Looking out the window of the train travelling towards London, Oz had a smile on his face. ''After one stop of Diagon alley, ill be going straight there...''. Oz touched his ring on his finger as he made a mental note of his destination. ''Stonehenge...''. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A long chapter to end of Volume 3, A lot happened in this volume and I even took a long break near the end. Before I start the next volume I may try and write a synopsis on Oz''s strength. I tried in this chapter as well to include some more interpersonal relationships however I''m not the best at writing dialogue between characters... hopefully something I can improve on in the future! Thanks all for reading to this point, The next volume will be shorter than this one but will have a character return after so so long.... however the one after is going to be very VERY long with what I have planned before ''that'' tournament. Chapter 70 - End of Volume 3 (Notes) {Oz Character Profile} -------------------- [Appearance] Dark black hair, lean physique with a decent amount of strength (especially after the animagus ritual), Purple eyes. -------------------- [Relationships] Craig - A friend he made in his first year. A quirky lad, typical school student with a dream of becoming an auror. Cho - Another friend he made in his first year, first met when going to see his Owl Kuro at the Owlery. Seems to respect Oz greatly for his knowledge and strength. Harry Potter - Met him at the beginning of his second year at the leaky cauldron. Exposed his abuse to the wizarding community and gained his trust. Oz see''s Harry as a boy with untapped potential, limited by Dumbledore''s poor teaching of him in the original timeline. After blasting through the trials to the mirror of erised, they''ve grown a bit closer as friends with Harry respecting Oz wholeheartedly. (Oz is essentially canon Harry''s dumbledore in a way). Hermione - Met on the train to Hogwarts in his second year, she''s obsessed with Oz''s knowledge knowing how he''s top of all his classes so she hangs around him when possible. Friends with both Daphne and Harry but avoids getting involved in their pranks. Daphne - Introduced through Harry, Not much has happened between the two however its clear they have a mutual understanding of each other with Oz understanding that the mischievous girl doesn''t mean any real harm in the long run even with her excessive pranks at times. Ron - Bashed at the beginning of year 2, Oz sees him as a na?ve boy due to his biases. Expected to return eventually... Weasley Twins - Doesn''t have anything against them. He managed to borrow the marauders map from them in his second year in order to create his own to hunt Salazar. Dumbledore - Oz''s teacher for a while until the end of year 2 where he breaks the relationship. Oz respects Dumbledore''s strength and understands why he has his accolades, however he understands that the man has a lot of flaws. Reprimanded him on multiple occasions and finally got through to him at the end of his second year, albeit unsure how effective his words are yet. Unknown stalker girl - Seems to spy on Oz when he''s in the library as thats the only time he allows himself to be seen around the school. Oz has recognised this girls existence but senses no ill-will so is leaving it be for now. Salazar (Portrait) - Antagonistic teacher. Tried to ensnare Oz so he could use him as a vessel(?) After a confrontation due to Salazar helping Quirrell, Oz destroyed him with a dragon-tongue spell. Tonks - Met her at the ministry. At the moment she''s still under Moody at the ministry and was working the desk where you register to be an Animagus. She helped Oz undergo his test and was shocked seeing his form. Oz sees her as a character that had a sad fate, a fate he''d like to change if possible. Moody - Met at the ministry just after Tonks, Oz can sense that moodys strength isn''t to be underestimated and Moody feels the same vice-versa, especially after looking into Oz''s eyes remarking they reminded him of a beasts. Fudge - Trying his best to get on the good side of the descendant of Merlin. Oz thinks he''s a coward. Draco Malfoy - Oz sees him as an idiot especially after he got emotional and exposed Oz''s identity as well as snitched on Daphne, Oz, Hermione and Harry when they saw Norberta hatch. Hagrid - Oz respects the gatekeeper and Hagrid himself doesn''t see Oz as bad. Most of his apprehension would come from advice from Dumbledore however after the end of year 2 he would become much more amiable towards Oz. Norberta - Sees Oz as a father to her apparently, Oz had left her at Hagrid''s however... -------------------- [Core level] Utmost peak of step 2 (Oz''s core is also balanced perfectly meaning he isn''t negatively affected by dark magic as most wizards and witches are). (Quick reminder on ''core levels'') Step 0 - Muggle/non awakened Step 1 - Student wizard Step 3 - Strongest aurors/grandmasters (around peak is Dumbledore/Voldemort/Grindelwald) Step 4 - Ancient Witches and Wizards (Salazar [Prime], Helga, Godric and Rowena) Step 5 - ??? -------------------- [Wand] Newly fused wand using both his previous wands. This new wand is a combination of Yew wood and Walnut wood. The wand cores have combined using the philosopher''s stone as its centre. (Appearance) The wand has a striking appearance, both woods stand out on the wand and at the meeting point of the wands different woods are purple lines (philosophers stone). -------------------- Hebridean black dragon Patronus is what Oz has and that is also his Animagus form. Due to Merlin''s connection with dragons, Oz''s Animagus ritual went a lot more differently than others leading to more of an ''awakening'' than a form gain. This awakening strengthened his physique and also allowed him to gain ''dragon eyes'' that let him see the flow of magic easier. Using this newfound power he was able to detect Rita Skeeter in the ministry. -------------------- [Ambrosius Ritual Progression] A ritual found by Oz in Merlin''s vault at Gringotts. Using different parts of Magical beasts you can augment yourself with their powers. The more beasts parts collected, the stronger the augmentation of the ritual. The ritual can only be performed once. (Ingredients collected so far) - Cerberus''s Furs (Collected before going to fight Quirrell) - Dragon''s Heart (Found in Merlin''s vault along with the notes on the ritual and wand fusion) - Dementors Core (Collected from Halloween event when a troll and dementor attacked) - Pheonix Feather/Tears (From Fawkes) - Unicorn horn (Collected in Forbidden forest during detention). -------------------- [By the way, if there''s anything missing let me know. I was on a long hiatus and have used this chapter to put together a synopsis of everything up to this point.. So theres a chance i''ve forgotten something small etc.] Chapter 71 - Rinsing Goblins After a long train journey, Oz bade goodbye to his friends at Kings cross. After seeing them all off he took himself to Diagon alley. As he entered through the Leaky Cauldron, he felt a slight ruffle in his jacket pocket. {Where are we now papa?} Looking down into his pocket there was nothing there to the common eye, however he knew that in that space was a cloaked Norberta that he had taken with him after the school year ended. Near the end of the school year he visited Norberta a lot and eventually decided on taking her with him when the year ended. If Stonehenge ended up being Merlin''s base then there could be a lot of beneficial things for Norberta as well as things for Oz. With a hushed whisper, Oz responded to the baby dragon. {We''re at the leaky cauldron, when I''m done here Norberta we can soon be off and you wont have to stay stuffed in this pocket...}. Oz was still confused by how his dragon-tongue worked. It seemed to activate whenever he was talking to Norberta however when it came to spells it would only activate in accordance to his will. If his will to fight reached a peak level like when he fought against Dumbledore, he would unconsciously use dragon-tongue. He longed for the day he could control and speak the language when he saw fit and hopefully heading to Stonehenge would help that endeavour. The cloak spell Oz had bestowed onto Norberta was powerful enough to avoid all prying eyes. He''d be in trouble if someone of Dumbledore''s level appeared however the likelihood of that happening was low. Oz headed directly through the leaky cauldron and entered Diagon alley through the back. Whilst walking through the leaky cauldron he noticed he got a lot of stares, much more than he was used to. The second he walked in the alley he suddenly felt like he was the centre of attention to most of the witches and wizards on the street. ''Shit... I didn''t realise it would be this bad...''. Oz knew his fame had snowballed after being revealed as Merlin''s descendant but he didn''t expect it to reach near Harry Potter levels of fame where he would garner attention everywhere. ''Then again I did make a lot of waves this year just gone... how stupid of me. Next time ill have to disguise myself''. . It was a quiet day in Gringotts, the goblins along all sides were working quickly and quietly. This peace was suddenly disturbed when the doors of Gringotts flung open. With a loud *BANG* the doors flew open leading all the goblins to stop there work and look at what was causing the disturbance, in their views they saw a boy with a calm and cold appearance looking directly ahead. His purple eyes sparkled looking directly ahead at the main desk. A couple goblins seeing it was just a young boy prepared to get up and reprimand him for his rude behaviour however just as they were about to get up they started to realise who this boy was. ''Seems I''ve made quite the entrance...''. Oz looked at the frightened goblins on his left and right as he walked through Gringotts towards the head desk. When he finally reached the desk, the goblin there shakily started to speak. "M-Mr Ambrosius, to what do we owe the p???sur? today?". Oz looked at the goblin in front of him coldly. "I believe you know the reason why I''m here... go and grab the head". Looking at Oz''s serious expression, the goblin at the desk immediately scurried off to grab the head goblin. "Ahh, Mr Ambrosius. Looks like you''ve grown a lot since last I saw you... Please come with me upstairs so we can have a proper chat". The head goblin politely lead Oz ahead upstairs leading him to the second floor of Gringotts, where Oz headed last time in order to speak about the health specs invention. As Oz left the main Gringotts foyer, the goblins present heaved sighs of relief as the continued back to their work. . Oz and the head goblin eventually entered a room in which was a table for the both of them to sit at and chat. Sitting down at the table, Oz noticed that the head goblin had a bead of sweat drip down his head. "Ill cut straight to the chase. I''m here for two things, one is to take some money out and two is to hear an explanation on why my identity was leaked...". The head goblin lowered his head as he sat across from Oz. "Mr. Ambrosius... The fault is definitely with our Gringotts. We discovered a small faction within our business that engaged in these dodgy dealings with the Malfoys and other ''dark wizard'' families. The exchange of dark artefacts was being held in underground auctions as well as dodgy dealings such as the one that exposed your identity... We can only sincerely apologise for the issues we''ve sent your way". Oz look at the head goblin with a look of scorn. He knew deep down that this goblin was lying. A small faction within Gringotts? bullshit. More than likely this was known by the top brass of Gringotts however the second such dealings were exposed they covered their tracks by discarding a group of goblins as scapegoats calling them a ''small faction''. "Well sadly for me what''s done is done, now everyone knows who I am and I can''t change that... However...". "If you dare to do something like this to me again and use me for your own selfish needs, I will destroy this bank... even if its the last thing I do". The head goblins eyebrows furrowed as sweat dripped down his face. Looking at Oz, he could tell he was not joking at all when he made this statement and he even felt that the boy was capable of acting on the claim he made. Gringotts made a poor mistake getting on the bad side of this boy. Wiping the sweat off his brow, the head goblin responded. "Duly noted Mr. Ambrosius. Duly noted". After intimidating the head goblin, Oz sat back in his chair with a amiable smile. "Well im glad you now understand... Onto the next thing I''d like to sort out, I''d like to withdraw some galleons from my personal vault. Seeing how much of a hit my Health Specs were, there should be plenty of money for me to take out right?". Happy now the conversation had headed into a more normal direction, the head goblin replied instantly with a smile on his face. "You made a mint Mr. Ambrosius. We managed to sell those health specs not only to witches and wizards everywhere but also to a lot of different schools! Hogwarts, Beaubaxtons and Durmstrang all ordered in a large amount of orders for their hospital staffs". Oz smiled hearing about the success of his invention. "Very good. I''d like to take out a few thousand if possible...". . After finishing up at Gringotts, Oz''s wallet was now a lot more heftier. The Goblin''s service towards him was first class now especially after fu?k?n? him over initially. Just before leaving the bank, Oz found a quiet corner where he disguised himself, making him look more like a middle aged wizard. The illusion spell casted would work fine for now while he was going about his menial tasks as he didn''t want to be pestered or hindered due to his newfound fame. With this money in hand, Oz walked around Diagon alley into the different shops in order to gather different supplies. He put all his supplies in his bag that he enchanted with an Extension Charm. After collecting all that he needed.. Oz finally headed back to the Leaky Cauldron, looking up into the sky he could see that it was becoming night-time, a perfect time for him to depart London towards his destination. Chapter 72 - Travelling to Stonehenge As Oz walked the night-time London streets he kept himself cloaked and concealed. After a while of walking he found a big enough secluded area for him to transform and start his journey. Just to be safe, Oz put up a couple of wards in the area as well just to make sure nobody would see him. {Okay Norberta, you can come out now} After hearing this command, Norberta hop out of Oz''s pocket in glee and flew around Oz''s face before perching herself on his shoulder. {What are you doing now papa?} Looking at the little dragon Oz smiled. {You may want to stand back a bit norberta} Norberta hearing Oz''s command immediately flew off his shoulder and landed just a bit further away from Oz. An inquisitive look filled the little dragons eyes as it watched Oz''s every movement trying to understand what he was going to do. Oz closed his eyes as he commanded his body to transform into his Animagus form. Soon the human boy that stood there vanished in front of Norberta''s eyes and was replaced with a black dragon with striking purple eyes. The size of Oz''s Animagus form was pretty big as well, however in recent training sessions Oz had managed to learn how to limit his size to a reasonable level compared to when he first went through the Animagus ritual. Norberta looked at Oz in his dragon form in shock but also glee. {WAAAA, Papa is this your true look?!} Oz lowered his head towards the little dragon and ushered her to get on. Norberta immediately responded to the command jumping onto Oz''s head and holding on tight. {We got a bit of a journey ahead of us Norberta so be prepared} Throughout all of this Oz stayed cloaked and also kept Norberta cloaked as well. Realistically however in this form he didn''t need to cloak himself as the night sky would act as a natural camouflage however it was better to be safe than sorry. Oz also heaved a sigh of relief as he managed to block the trace from realising he had transformed. Soaring into the skies Oz looked down upon the London metropolis and looking at the stunning view his heart skipped a few beats. He had come so far in these past years and now he was at a stage where he could soar into the heavens. His heart raced with excitement thinking about where he could go from here. After a while of taking in the scenery, Oz finally started to fly off in the direction of his destination, towards Stonehenge. . The flight towards Stonehenge was pretty smooth for Oz as he barrelled across England''s skyline. To keep himself from being bored he''d talk to Norberta, the latter of whom was still perched on his head enjoying the ride herself. After several hours of high speed flying Oz noticed that the area below him was where he needed to land. {We''re here Norberta} Oz notified the small dragon on his head that they had finally arrived waking her up. Oz then started his descent down into a field as dawn was breaking. he looked around to make sure there were no people and even used his dragon eyes to be doubly sure, after a long check he realised the coast was clear. Finally, Oz landed in a field and on the horizon he could see the rock formation that made up Stonehenge. As he landed Norberta flew off his head as Oz transformed back into his human form. Seeing that her ''papa'' had transformed back, Norberta flew and landed on Oz''s shoulder as Oz started to walk towards Stonehenge. ''So im finally here... Let''s hope this will serve as a good base for me in the future''. Oz took a slow pace as he walked towards the historical site. As he walked towards his destination he recalled some history about Merlin in his previous world. It was said in history that Merlin moved Stonehenge from Ireland to this location in England as a memorial for the hundreds of Britons treacherously slain by the Saxons. Seeing as though Merlin definitely existed in this world, Oz wondered if he had actually moved this site previously if such a story was true. If so, Merlin''s magic must have been on another level to move his base of operations if it was so an entire country across. As Oz allowed a myriad of theories to flow into his head, he eventually arrived at the ancient rock formation. Initially, he couldn''t sense anything magical from the area at all however he half expected this considering how meticulous Merlin was. Just to be safe before he investigated, Oz se up a ward around Stonehenge itself as he started to look into what was needed to enter here. ''Merlin would make the key for the entrance something exclusive to his bloodline... So my blood itself is probably the key much like how the Ambrosius ring responded back at Gringotts all that while ago. Question is, where do I drop my blood?''. Just as Oz was questioning where he would have to drop his blood to activate this base, He noticed something in the middle of the monument with his dragon eyes. To a normal wizard, they would have missed this however Oz could faintly sense a tiny bit of magic at the rock place in the middle of Stonehenge''s formation. Walking over to it Oz could see a small hole, almost pin-sized that led into the rock. His instincts told him that this was the ''keyhole''. ''Whelp, lets give this a go''. As Oz was investigating Stonehenge, Norberta was flying around wildly enjoying her time outside. Sensing her ''Papa'' had found what he needed though, she immediately flew back onto his shoulder and looked down into the little hole in the rock. {Papa, I can feel there''s something down there...} Hearing this confirmed Oz''s suspicions. He noticed recently that Norberta''s magic sense was much more powerful compared to him probably because he was a ''half-dragon'' while she was a born dragon. Oz took out a little knife as he pricked his finger letting blood flow. He dropped his blood into the small hole and as the blood dripped in, the area around him seemed to come to life. Oz''s ward was immediately destroyed and replaced with a stronger ward, one that was leagues above his own. The stones that made up Stonehenge around him all glowed with a purple light, each stone encompassed with different runes and glyphs. Eventually Oz heard a loud bang as the floor started to tear apart and reveal a staircase going down beneath Stonehenge itself. Seeing as though he found the entrance, Oz smiled in glee. Norberta looked down into the entrance with expectation as well. After a little bit of time the light show ended with just a staircase down presented to Oz. . For years she laid dormant below the earth. The first of her kind, a royalty among _____. Her master long gone from the world however her lifespan ever expansive. She longed for the day a descendant of her master appeared so she could serve once again. On a fateful day she sensed the formation above her had been activated, the entrance opened. She awoke from her long slumber looking up sensing the bloodline of her master. "Its finally time for me to serve again....". Chapter 73 - Merlins Hideout Oz slowly walked down the spiral staircase with Norberta on his shoulder. He remarked in his head how well kept the area was for a place that should have laid dormant for hundreds of years. Finally after what felt like hours of descending into the earth Oz saw a door with a striking design. The doors design had dragons etched into it wrapping around each other giving the door itself a very domineering aura. Looking at the door it reminded Oz of the door in the chamber of secrets that Harry had to use parsel-tongue to open. As he got closer to the door he felt his blood boil, Norberta on his shoulder also seemed to be shaking a bit. {Open} Oz spoke in dragon-tongue again without realising as he approached the door, almost as if his subconscious knew that was the only way to open this door. The door itself lit up as it slowly opened revealing a space inside. Oz stepped through the door and what greeted him was a large room, looking awfully like the Slytherin dungeons common room. The room itself was incredibly tidy, as if it had been well kept in all these years. Looking around the room, Oz could see a couple exits leading to different areas. ''This is better than I could have dreamed of... I thought it''d be a cave home with a rock bed, not something this grand''. It seemed that Merlin like to keep himself comfortable while studying seeing this place. It was more than enough for Oz to live in. Just as Oz was getting situated in his new home however, he sensed a magical signature coming from one of the doors in front of him. Norberta started to growl as she looked at the door and Oz put a hand on his wand ready for a fight. The door in question slowly opened. "Finally, I have a new master~". The voice Oz was like honey. It was sweet and melodic to his ears. The voice itself actually made Oz calm and collected compared to his previous apprehension at someone being in this place. Eventually the figure revealed itself. Oz gawked at the sight in front of him. Presented to him was an Elf. However, this wasn''t a simple house elf, this elf actually looked like the elves Oz would see in fantasy novels back in his previous life. The elf in front of him held an otherworldly beauty about her. She was just a tad shorter than Oz, her eyes were green like emeralds and the hair on her head was pure snow white. She looked at Oz in adoration and expectancy. Oz sensing that this elf meant no harm put his wand away and coughed. "May I ask who you are?". The elf gracefully walked towards Oz and bowed in front of him. "Yes master, my name is Alfreda. I was your ancestors servant in this place hundreds of years ago". Oz''s eyes widened hearing Alfredas claim. ''Hundreds of years ago?! She even has the lifespan of those elves from classic fantasy novels! She looks like she''s still young!?'' Seeing Oz''s astonishment Alfreda giggled. "I''ve been waiting to serve a master for a long time after my previous master vanished from the world... You wouldn''t believe how elated I was when I sensed my masters bloodline nearby when the formation activated~". Hearing Alfreda speak felt dangerous to Oz''s ears. He always liked to keep alert, however her voice almost seemed like it had a calming magic imbued within it. Oz looked around the room they were in and pieced everything together. "So the reason why this place is so well kept... You''ve been cleaning it during all these years?". Alfreda nodded at Oz''s remark. "Yes master, I''ve kept this place as clean as possible in expectation of someone finding it one day~". One question boiled in Oz''s heart the second he heard that this elf once served Merlin. "Did your previous master... Did Merlin mention that a descendant would appear one day? Do you know where he vanished to?". Alfreda shook her head as her ears drooped. "I''m afraid not master... the previous master was an extremely secretive man. He never told me anything and only sent me on errands. I pledged myself to him and his bloodline as he saved my people all those years ago however I got the sense that he never truly trusted me. As a matter of fact, he never trusted anyone~". Oz sighed as he heard Alfreda''s response ''I guess it''d never be that easy''. "Well let me introduce myself... I''m Oz, Oz Ambrosius. I''ve been chasing Merlin''s legacy ever since I realised he was my ancestor... This little one on my shoulder is Norberta, she''s been my companion on the journey here". Norberta had calmed down now after seeing who the intruder was. She lifted her snout into the air as she let out a little roar. Alfreda giggled as she saw this. "She''s a lively one this one. Master in the past used to have a lot of dragons come in and out of here~". Looking at the beautiful elf in front of him, Oz felt it hard not to be entranced at every movement and sound she made. Out of everything he had experienced thus far, this was one of the toughest tests of his willpower. "Well Alfreda, would you mind giving me a little tour of this place? I plan on staying here every summer between times at Hogwarts". "No problem master, this way~". . Alfreda guided Oz around Merlin''s hideout, showing him many different areas. The more he explored the more respect he grew for Merlin. He seemed to dabble in everything here. He had a potions room with ingredient although the majority had decayed. He had an enchanting room with some artefacts still left over as well. There was also a big room that Norberta instantly loved. When they entered it, Alfreda mentioned that this room was designed to be a room for dragons to grow and be comfortable while growing to a teenager age. Oz couldn''t be anymore happy with this place, it was the perfect base for him. The final room however is what sent Oz''s happiness to the moon. "This room here is a room that I could never get into... The previous master locked it and the key required is his bloodline much like the entrance~". Oz pricked his finger after hearing Alfreda''s explanation and smeared his blood on the door activating it. The door itself responded to Oz and opened. What Oz saw inside shocked him. ''Its the formation for the Ambrosius ritual!'' In this room there was markings on the floor. In the centre of the room was a spot for Oz to sit. Looking at this rooms markings, it perfectly corresponded with what Oz saw in the notes left by Merlin in his vault. Oz walked into the room with a grin that he couldn''t wipe off his face. ''I initially thought that I''d have to draw the formation which would have been another layer of difficulty however it seems Merlin has saved me here!''. After looking around for a while, Oz spotted a box at the far end of the room. The magic wards on the box seemed to be spells that kept whatever was inside the box fresh and new. This reminded Oz of the ward he saw in Gringotts that was placed on the dragon''s heart left there. Oz opened the box slowly. ''This is-!?'' Inside the box was materials from two kinds of beasts. There were Wampus cat eyes and the furs of a Nundu. Seeing this Oz was suddenly stunned. The Wampus cat eyes seemed to peer into his mind as he looked at them and the Nundu furs gave off a sharpness to them despite just being furs. ''How on earth did Merlin get Nundu furs?!'' It was known that Nundus were by far one of the most dangerous beasts to go against. Its even stated that to stun it into submission you''d need at least one hundred wizards working together. So the fact that Merlin had these furs was something Oz was extremely stunned about. As he was enamoured with both the materials in the box, he noticed in-between them was a note: [ To my Descendant, You have done well to discover this place. Here I leave materials that will help you for the future if you plan on using the formation in this room. These two materials alone will not let you succeed so be sure to collect as much as possible... the more the better. This hideout is something I created over many years, its riddled with wards and charms that help disguise it from any prying eyes. I pass this place to you now... be sure to use it well Merlin] "I wish previous master let me clean this room..." Oz laughed as he looked at the elf. Certainly compared to the rest of this place this room was the most weathered down. "Its fine Alfreda, its not like ill be in here much anyway". With that said, Oz left the room with the elf in tow to check out the final areas of Merlin''s hideout. After seeing his own living quarters that had a bed and study, Oz felt fully satisfied. Him and Alfreda both returned to the foyer of the hideout and sat down in front of the fireplace. "Finally master this here is actually connected to the floo network. However previous master made it so that you can only leave this place and not return via it. I imagine he did this so nobody could randomly enter~". Oz chuckled at how meticulous his ancestor was. He really wanted to stay hidden away. It made Oz wonder what he was hiding or doing... "Well thank you for the tour Alfreda... In the future if I need anything can I count on you to go out and fetch it for me?" Alfreda nodded feverantly. "You can ask me to do anything master! I''m here to serve after all~". Oz nodded his head after hearing Alfreda''s reply before adding one last note. "Oh... if you do head out for me, you will disguise yourself wont you?". Alfreda clicked her fingers after hearing Oz''s query transforming herself into a standard looking witch. Oz was awed by her transfiguration magic noting it to be on another level to him. "Don''t worry master, I can take on any persona at will when heading out~". With all this sorted through, Oz was ready for a long relaxed summer down in Merlin''s hideout.. He didn''t have many main plans as his true plans would come into fruition starting next year at Hogwarts. Chapter 74 - A Peaceful Summer Oz spent his entire summer in Merlin''s hideout brushing up on everything he had learned to this point. To start with, he practiced magic with his newly fused wand and gained a deeper connection with it. Inside Merlin''s hideout there were a bunch of rooms and one of them was a room to practice magic spells in with reinforced walls for any kind of spell. Oz would spend his time in here practicing not only with his new wand but brushing up on his wandless magic. However Oz felt throughout the weeks that there was a definite ''wall'' in front of him. He had progressed far too fast, he needed time to acclimate so the best bet for him was to just practice and practice. He wouldn''t break through into the next step unless a catalyst was involved, much like how his wands needed a catalyst to fuse. His own catalyst however would come in the form of the Ambrosius ritual which he wouldn''t enact until he was sure he had as much as he could get for it. While he wasn''t practicing spells, he would spend his spare time brewing potions and enchanting items. Brushing up on this knowledge and practicing to him was fun as he loved to seek new things. He wanted to create a new product that could be on par with his health specs however at the moment nothing came to mind so he''d mindlessly create miscellaneous items to learn more and more. As for potion brewing he brewed all kinds of potions, even brewing things such as Polyjuice potions in the case in the future that he needs them. Whenever he required materials, Alfreda would transfigure herself and apparate to diagon alley to grab him what he needed. Having her around made practicing all sorts of crafts much easier as it eliminated the travel time Oz would have had to do so to Alfreda, Oz was extremely grateful. As for little Norberta she was growing rather fast. The room that Merlin had in his hideout that was perfect for dragons seemed to promote growth. Oz even noticed recently that her vocabulary was increasing, she also stopped referring to Oz as ''Papa'' and instead as ''Oz''. When Oz first heard her do this a tear slid down his face as he realised Norberta was entering her ''rebellious'' phase early. Having both Norberta and Alfreda with him, Oz never felt lonely. Even though he was accustomed to working alone, it was nice to have people around to talk to. Alfreda was especially interesting to talk to as she had knowledge of ancient England back when the founders were running around. On one night Oz asked her several questions. "Alfreda... Not to be rude but the common house-elf is usually much shorter and not as... pretty as you are. Is there any reason for this? Are you related to house elfs at all?". Alfreda put a finger to her chin as she pondered. "I imagine years of inbreeding caused defects down the line master... Back when the elf kingdom was around it was hidden from the world and there wasn''t many of us. As the years went by I imagine the form of ''Elves'' started to change slowly. As a matter of fact my father once mentioned that our form in a few thousand years would be completely different to what it is now and seeing those ''house-elfs'' I think he was right...". Oz listened intently to Alfreda''s explanation. "So inbreeding caused you appearances to change... Your not that much shorter than me right now however house elves are basically half my height. It makes me worry where such a lineage will be in a couple more hundred years... Anyway you keep mentioning an elf kingdom, what is that?". Alfreda clasped her hands together as she gave the ceiling a nostalgic look. "Eglarest... it was the kingdom of my people centuries ago. I was the 3rd princess of the kingdom~". Oz wasnt at all surprised by this bombshell. The way Alfreda carried herself it was immediately apparent she held a high prestige in the kingdom she came from. "Do you mind me asking what happened to that kingdom? Why were you indebted to Merlin?". Alfreda sighed as she looked at Oz. "Our kingdom was always concealed from the world... as you know elves have their own magic and our talent with wards is nothing to scoff at. One day however a certain wizard chanced upon our ward and found our kingdom. Unlucky for us this wizard was not friendly... He ushered a bunch of witches and wizards to attack our wards in the hope of overthrowing us and enslaving us. We were only saved as Merlin appeared. He beat back all the witches and wizards and even fixed our wards. When we asked him why he helped he just said "I was passing by...". Us elves pay our debts without fail so we ended up repaying him through me pledging myself to him and his bloodline. He accepted and took me to this hideout where I''ve served for centuries until this point". The more Oz heard about Merlin the more confused he was. He couldn''t even tell if the guy was good or bad at points. "You on the other hand master give off a different aura to Merlin... I look forward to seeing your full potential in the years to come that I serve you~". Oz looked up at Alfreda with one last question plaguing his mind. "D...Do you know if Merlin died?". Alfreda frowned hearing Oz''s question. "To be honest master, im not sure... he vanished one day without a trace. Even the top witches and wizards of that age couldn''t find him anywhere. People just presumed him dead". "Don''t you resent him for leaving you here for centuries alone?". Alfreda hearing Oz''s rebuttal widened her eyes for a second before shaking her head. "No... I pledged myself to him and his bloodline. Much like how house-elves in todays world must obey, I must obey. Besides, this place isn''t uncomfortable or anything. I''ve been able to live a good life here peacefully..." Alfreda showed a slight smile as she looked up at Oz. "Although master im glad you have showed up here~". Oz smiled at Alfreda. She had gained his full trust over the summer with how much she''d taught him and helped him. He could also sense that she was truly fully devoted to him with no ulterior motives. Such a person was a breath of fresh air compared to most of the characters in this world. {Oz! Can we play today? pleaaaaase?} As the conversation ended with Alfreda and Oz, Norberta called out from her room towards Oz. Oz heaved a sigh as he called back. {Okay, Okay... you''ve turned into a handful this summer...} The one thing this summer Oz still couldn''t solve was his dragon-tongues randomness. It activated when talking to dragons and when his will to fight was at a peak but for some reason he still couldn''t figure out how to use it when he wanted to... . Throughout the summer, Oz had grown taller again and since he kept up with an exercise regime he was also very well built. Alfreda stood to the side with a towel waiting for Oz to finish. "If you don''t mind me asking master... what''s the point in training your physical body? Your magic is already incredibly strong and physical strength in the world of magic almost seems redundant doesn''t it?". Oz chuckled as he stopped exercising. He walked over to Alfreda, taking the towel off of her. "Let me put it this way for your Alfreda. Magic is definitely important however your body is a vessel for that magic. A weak body may hinder your magic growth in the long run. For instance if I wanted to use a powerful spell that sends out a burst of magic, if my body was weak there''s a chance that I may take internal injuries or at least feel very fatigued after. Training my body however covers for that weakness, allowing me to be as prepared as possible". Alfreda listened intently to Oz''s explanation and nodded while she listened. "Merlin''s bloodline has allowed me to attain a dragon Animagus form and that form translated to my original body giving me a stronger physique and these purple eyes... however being content with just that would be folly. Any little step extra is a step forward regardless of how small it is. Besides, this has also been a habit of mine since I first came to... since I first learnt about the magical world". Alfreda tilted her head at Oz''s slip of tongue near the end of his explanation however didn''t ask about it. Oz clapped his hands together after his long explanation. "Anyway! I believe there''s only a few days left before Hogwarts starts up again for a new year... Ill organise and clean this place out as much as possible before then. Alfreda, I hope you can help me with that" Alfreda smiled. "Of course master~". Chapter 75 - Back to Diagon Alley Oz stood across from Alfreda and Norberta, the two of them looked at him with sadness and concern. "Master... Is there no way I can come with you to Hogwarts? From what you''ve told me of your last year, it doesn''t seem to be the safest of places...". {Must you go Papa...?} Looking at the two in front of him, Oz let out an exasperated sigh. Norberta even tried to play on his heartstrings by calling him papa for the first time in a while. "Alfreda, Ill be fine. You should know by now that my strength isn''t anything to scoff at. Ill be able to escape or defend myself in any situation that could arise". {As for you Norberta... You should stay here with Alfreda and continue to grow}. Both Alfreda and Norberta knew that when Oz was set on something, he wouldn''t give it up so they backed off after hearing his response. Norberta let out a little snort as she replied. {Fine.. fine Oz, but I''m not a child anymore! I believe it''ll be me taking care of Alfreda instead of the other way around!}. Oz chuckled as he went ahead to grab a hand full of floo powder. A baby dragon saying she could take care of a centuries old elf was indeed a comical statement. "I understand master... but please be safe~" Oz could see in the eyes of Alfreda a strong sense of fear. Seeing this, Oz realised that maybe Merlin vanishing on her hit her a lot harder than she shows initially. "Ill be back before you know it... And next year when I return you''ll both see me so much you''ll be sick of me". As Oz finished his sentence, he stepped backwards into the fireplace. Looking at the two he was leaving behind he said one last thing before heading off to his destination. "Stay safe you two". At that Oz calmly said "Diagon Alley" throwing his floo powder into the fireplace, in a instant he was whisked away. . "*Cough* *Cough*, Ill never get used to travelling via a fireplace...". Oz had arrived at Diagon alley and the alley was filled with students and there families prepping for the new school year. Before Oz entered the alley he decided to disguise himself just to be safe. Looking in his bag that he placed an extension charm on he realised something. ''That elf... she already took the liberty of buying all the materials and books I needed for this year''. Alfreda was like a super maid at this point, she always seemed to go above and beyond for Oz and when he''d think she''d shown the limit of her usefulness she''d always startle him again and again. Looking in the bag Oz showed a warm smile. ''I guess I can just explore Diagon alley for a bit...''. At that thought, Oz wondered up and down diagon alley venturing into shops. He didn''t have a goal in plan this time, compared to previous visits so he instead opted to just window shop. Heading into a broomstick shop he saw the new ''Nimbus 2001'' on sale. ''I guess it is time for that model to appear isn''t it...''. Strangely enough, this felt like Oz''s first time exploring this world despite being here for many years already. Simply going into different shops made his mood improve as he saw all the different artefacts, items and materials on show and with Oz''s expansive bank account, he was able to buy whatever he felt like. After collecting some items here and there, Oz sat down in the leaky cauldron for a second to go over his things. ''Hmm... it seems as though Alfreda forgot a couple of books, Oh there''s a note?''. [Master, I hope you don''t mind me taking the liberty of buying your school supplies for you. On one of my trips to diagon alley I asked around different shops what books would be needed for a third year student and they all obliged selling me what was needed... there however was one issue with buying your supplies and that was that a certain stores books you needed for the year were sold out. Apparently the day you arrive in diagon alley they should be restocked so you should be able to grab them then... apparently the author is even signing them on that day as well~ Sincerely, Alfreda~] ''This elf is far too good to me... It''s almost suffocating''. Oz felt overwhelmed by Alfreda''s service to him. She must really feel like she owes Merlin''s bloodline after he saved her people centuries ago. As Oz looked through all his books trying to figure out what was missing he realised the situation he was in after recalling the end of Alfreda''s note. ''Uck... its that frauds books that are missing''. Oz let out a long sigh as he stood up from his seat in the leaky cauldron and headed towards flourish and blotts. . ''Sure enough, there''s a massive line...''. ''I thought the timeline would change enough to make it so he wouldn''t appear but sadly not... Gilderoy Lockhart...''. To Oz he was in all honesty a side character. He didn''t have any redeeming qualities and was a fraud at the end of the day. Seeing first hand how popular he actually is at this stage made Oz actually feel sick knowing who he truly was. While Oz was surveying the shop he noticed some more familiar faces. The Weasleys were all piled in the shop, he could see the young Ginny who was starting this year stood next to Ron. Molly Weasley was stood in the line looking at Gilderoy Lockhart in adoration. Oz rested his hand on his chin as he saw this. ''I guess some things are fated to happen...? Then again its not like somethings happened that would prevent them from being here at this time''. Oz entered the shop feeling exasperated. As he entered however he heard a conversation to his right. "Brilliant! So you muggles have machines that do your washing for you? Your kind are truly geniuses!". Hearing the commotion Oz turned his head to see an excited redheaded man talking to a couple, Oz immediately recognise these people. ''Its Arthur Weasley and... the granger parents. That must mean...''. Sure enough following Oz''s thought he spotted Hermione and Harry in the line further ahead waiting to get there books for the year. Just in front of them was where the rest of the Weasleys were and he could spot Ron turning his head glancing at the pair randomly. Seeing these two however Oz couldn''t help but grin. He slowly walked over towards them and prodded Harry on the shoulder. The boy had grown over the summer, as a matter of fact he seemed a bit more taller than in the canon. ''I guess the Grangers fed him right...''. Feeling his shoulder be prodded, Harry turned around to Oz who was currently still transfigured. "C-can I help you sir?". Oz laughed as he saw Harry''s reaction along with Hermione''s who looked at him in confusion and apprehension. Oz waved his wand over his face slowly revealing his face. After his face was revealed, both Hermione and Harrys faces morphed into huge grins. "Oz! You''re actually here! Why the hell didn''t you send any letters during the summer!?". Hearing Harry''s reprimand, Oz stroked the back of his head whilst changing himself back to his disguise. "I''m sorry Harry, I was very busy. I''m glad to see you both are doing well...". Hermione immediately bu??ed in after Oz was done talking. "Are you here for Gilderoy Lockhart''s book signing as well Oz? I knew someone like you would be interested in him, after all he''s such an established wizard". "I''m just here to grab that mans books seeing as though he''s a professor this year... sadly its required to buy his books this term". Hermione looked at Oz with a slightly angry scowl. "What do you mean sadl-" Just as Hermione was rebutting Oz, Gilderoy Lockhart called out. "That can''t be.... Harry Potter!" Chapter 76 - Frauds Mistake Harry had a shocked look on his face as he looked towards Gilderoy Lockhart who had just called out to him. Hermione looked out Harry with a jealous yet happy face seeing her friend be picked out by her idol. Oz however saw through this whole situation and was just amused by it all. "Go on then Mr. Potter!". As Oz was transfigured to not look like himself, he pretended not to know Harry as he pushed him towards the front where a camera man grabbed him. Harry looked back at Oz with a pleading look in his eyes as if he really didn''t want to be a part of this situation. Seeing that Oz wasn''t gonna help him he desperately tried to reel Oz into this situation as well. "The descendant of Merlin is here as well!" Gilderoy''s eyes widened at Harry''s comment as he looked around the store. After sweeping the store several times with his eyes he chuckled as he looked at Harry. "Come now Harry, this isn''t time to make jokes! I don''t see him anywhere so he must not be here. Need I remind you that even if he was transfigured or invisible I''d be able to spot him in an instant! Maybe you haven''t read my works fully as its explained in this book here...". Harry lost all hope as he heard the man in front of him start going on about his books as he pulled him closer for a picture for the news. Hermione however looked up at the transfigured Oz with a shocked look. "How on earth didn''t he recognise you Oz?! He''s an acclaimed wizard whose on the order of merlin! There''s no way you are more powerful than him right!?". Hearing Hermione''s shocked tone Oz chuckled to himself as he put his hand on her shoulder. He leant into her ear as he whispered. "You believe words on a page too much Hermione... Have you actually seen the man prove he''s what he says he is?". With that note, Oz waved Hermione goodbye as he walked out of the shop. A clever grin plastered on his face as he thought up an idea to get out of buying this frauds book. Picking up a few random cheap books he bought them at the counter and went into a corner where Gilderoy''s books were on display. Looking at the for a moment he memorized every detail of each cover. He put his hands on top of each book one by one transfiguring the cover only into Gilderoy''s own books. ''Yeah... Like im gonna feed that fraud money. I mean the price he''s selling these things for are extortionate...''. The books he had now that were originally random now looked exactly like each of Gilderoy''s books that were on sale. If you were to open the books however you''d be greeted with writing that doesn''t correlate at all with the covers. This would be plenty to get past that frauds nose. Basking in his mini victory Oz glanced around the store again. Harry and Hermione were too preoccupied it seemed and the Weasleys were still in line waiting to be served. Just above on top of the stairs he could even see Draco Malfoy looking through random books and even ripping pages out and with Arthur to his right talking to the grangers about muggle business, it seemed everyone was here from the canon... nearly everyone. ''The question is will he show?'' Yes, the last person that needed to appear at this store to make this a perfect fit was Lucius Malfoy. However, Oz couldn''t sense the man anywhere nearby. Oz exited to store as he looked up and down the street and still he couldn''t see any sign of the man. ''Ill wait here for Harry and Hermione... If Lucius doesn''t enter the store at any point, especially after the Weasleys leave then that means...''. Oz sighed deeply as he looked at the floor. ''I guess it''ll never be THAT easy huh...''. . Oz stood outside of Flourish and Blotts for what felt like hours. Eventually, Hermione and Harry exited to store and approached the transfigured Oz. Harry seemed to be in a bad mood after being subjected to Gilderoy''s talking and sudden picture taking while Hermione looked like she had something on her mind. Looking at the both with a grin, Oz said: "Well, did you two have fun in there?". Harry scowled at Oz realising that he was poking fun at him. "Like hell I did Oz...". "I''m sure you''ll live Harry there''s no need to be so upset". Harry heaved a sigh as he marked in his head that this was 1-0 to Oz. As he kicked a rock on the floor he looked over to Hermione. "Hermione? Why are you so quiet?". Hearing Harry, Hermione was jolted out of her thinking. "Oh! Uh... well I was just thinking of how this year will go... Oh thats right! I should probably go grab my parents, how could I forget?". Oz looked at Hermione who scampered off running back into the store. Harry looked at where she had gone as well with a confused look on his face. "Its rare to see her so... ditsy. I wonder what brought this on?". Oz looked towards where the girl had run off to in deep thought as well. ''Knowing the brain on that girl she might already be realising that her idol is a fraud after what I said... Well sadly its just something she has to get over herself'' "I''m sure she''ll be fine Harry... Anyway there''s something I''ve been meaning to ask you". Harry turned to look at Oz as his expression jumped a bit. "Ask me? What do you want to ask me Oz?". There was something sitting on Oz''s mind all this time as he met back up with Harry in Diagon alley. Something he needed to know in order to gauge whether or not this year is going similarly or completely differently to what he knows of in the canon. Judging by what he could sense coming off Harry, he already had an idea of where this conversation might lead. "...Have you by any chance been approached by a house elf?". Harry''s eyes jumped as he looked up and down the street. "D-did you send that ''Dobby'' to me Oz?! If so that was not a funny joke! He nearly got caught multiple times near the grangers house when he tried to get my attention! He even tried to mess with the grangers trying to make me look bad! If you sending him was your idea of a prank then you''re the worst prankster ever! Especially considering that elf told me not to come back to school this year...". Hearing Harry''s full response Oz got the confirmation he needed. If Dobby was trying to contact Harry then that means that Lucius IS making a move this year. "I didn''t send him Harry... As you know my eyes changed in the middle of last year and these eyes allow me to see residual magic. I sensed some ''elf'' magic on you and wanted to ask you about it is all... But an elf thats trying to stop you from going to Hogwarts... I wonder why it would do that?". Harry looked into Oz''s eyes as he explained how he knew an elf had approached him. Even though the reason seemed far-fetched Harry knew better than to underestimate his friends in front of him. "Well... That elf was pretty vague about it. He just kept saying that there''s a plot thats going to take place which will make Hogwarts a dangerous place this year... But I mean... Isn''t Hogwarts the safest place around? How could it be dangerous?". "Harry have you already forgot the end of last year?". Hearing Oz''s instant rebuttal Harry realised instantly that maybe saying Hogwarts was the ''safest'' place was not correct at all. "Well... do you think something will happen then Oz?". Oz walked over to Harry as he put his hand on his shoulder. "It''ll probably be best to keep an ear out at least don''t you think? Anyway, you should go and head off with Hermione. I''ll catch up with you two at Kings cross or maybe even on the train". Harry nodded to Oz before running back into the store to see where Hermione was. Looking up and down the street again, Oz started to piece together his situation. ''If that Lucius doesn''t make an appearance... Then its safe to ?ssume that the diary has ended up in someone else''s hands this year...''. Looking up at the sky Oz sighed deeply once more. ''Ill wait here until the Weasley''s are gone, The second they leave Ill check Ginny''s cauldron. If its not there, then I can only guess that someone else has been handed the diary instead....''. Chapter 77 - Rons Rashness After a while of waiting Oz finally witnessed the Weasleys exit the store. The second the left the store his eyes scanned over all their cauldrons, mainly focusing on Ginny''s. ''Yep... Just as I thought there''s no diary there...''. All the Weasley''s cauldrons were clear of riddles diary. Just to be safe Oz even activated his eyes to see if he could catch a trace of dark magic and get a read on the horcrux however that was to no avail as well. ''Ill wait to see if Lucius comes to get Draco... if he does then I can search him quickly to see if he''s handed it away''. The Weasleys promptly left quickly entering the other stores. To Oz, it was evident that they were going to be late for the train at this rate. Oz stood calmly and quietly minding his own business for another couple minutes before he spotted Lucius walking down the road with a sly grin on his face. Utilising his eyes he scanned the man. ''No signs of dark magic yet here either...''. As Lucius entered the store it seemed he was there to fetch his son. He didn''t interact with anyone else in the store and seemed to look at all the other wizards and witches with some scorn in his eyes. After grabbing his son they promptly left. Oz sighed as he watched the two leave. ''And just as predicted... no sign of the diary here either''. it was obvious now to Oz that someone else had been given the diary. A bu??erfly effect in play that led the this scenario instead of the canon one. ''I expected this outcome to some degree... Just means my plans for this year are slightly more complicated''. Oz looked up and down the street, trying to catch any sign of the diary by just luck but to no avail. ''Ill head to Kings cross then...''. With that decision, Oz started to slowly walk towards the trains station. . As Oz was walking towards kings cross he went over his plans for the year in his head. He had a main goal for this year and it was in the style of a double kill. ''If the chamber is opened then I can enter and kill the basilisk. However, for the chamber to open the heir needs to go and open it themselves. I could go scope it out but considering its that old snakes contraption im almost 100% sure there''s some hidden wards on the entrance that only allow descendants through at first entrance, much like Merlin''s hideout. So as brutal as it is I may even need to wait for a first victim, or just use the marauders map to scope anyone going into ''that'' bathroom...''. The streets bustled as Oz walked through the muggle streets. He kept himself in his disguise still as second nature, being prepared for anything. ''As for the diary that will just have to come naturally... however there is one horcrux in the school I can come into contact with early. The question then is if my eyes are good enough to spot that horcrux in that mess of a room... Maybe I could study the dark magic in Harry''s scar to some extent and become more accustomed to detecting it?''. Oz''s thoughts were rolling thinking about the year ahead. It was imperative to him to get rid of both these horcruxes this year as a part of his big plan. It seemed however that Oz lost himself a bit in his thoughts as he looked up at the clock near the station. ''Oops, I''d rather not have to fly to Hogwarts so I better hurry...''. . Oz walked quickly into kings cross and cringed a bit seeing how busy it was. Luckily for him he had his bag with the extension charm meaning he didn''t have to lug around suitcases like most students so he was able to navigate through the station quickly. Just as he arrived near platform 9 3/4 he heard a loud bang in the distance and the clattering of two trolleys. Peaking his head around the pillar he saw a ginger boy collapsed on the floor and a boy with glasses rubbing his arm up and down. "Goddamn it you Slytherin we''re gonna be late because you hesitated to go in! Look the train is probably heading off now!". The ginger boy was Ron who was pointing up at the clock in the station. Unlike the canon though he was much angrier at Harry. "You could have gone on ahead ginge I gave you enough bloody space!". Oz saw the two boys almost ready to throw hands at each other and decided to intervene. He un-transfigured himself as he walked up to the pillar. Harry spotted him first followed by Ron. Ron wore a look on his face that was smug. "Oh so both the Slytherin wonderkids are gonna miss the train? If only I had made it I could have laughed about this! hahahaha...". Oz completely ignored Ron as he walked up to the pillar placing his hand on it. ''Just as I thought... elf magic''. Ron who was still chuckling to himself looked over at the aggrivated Harry as his own eyes lit up. "That''s right! I can use dad''s car to get to Hogwarts! I can still get there in good time and these two Slytherins will be late and probably expelled!" With that thought outspoken, Ron immediately dashed off. Harry was about to run after him before Oz grabbed him on the shoulder. "W-wha? Why are you grabbing me Oz? It seems that ginger has a way to get to Hogwarts seeing as though the gate here has closed!". Oz shook his head slowly at Harry as he spoke. "If that boy didn''t run off he would have heard what I''m about to say... the gate hasnt closed due to us being late, its actually been shut off by someone on purpose". Harry''s eyes widened hearing Oz''s explanation. "Shut off!? Who the hell would have-" Oz''s eyebrow raised as he realised Harry had clocked the situation. "Its that damn elf isn''t it!?" Oz nodded at Harrys argument. "Yep, it seems he will try any means necessary to not let you into Hogwarts this year...". Oz started pressing random parts of the wall much to the dismay of Harry who was worried they weren''t going to make it to school. Oz looked extremely calm as he did this as if he knew exactly what he was doing. While checking different areas of the ward Oz asked Harry: "So why did it end up with both you and that Ron being late like that?". Harry sighed deeply as he looked at Oz. "Well... I told the grangers that I wanted to wait for you here so I stood in front of the platform waiting. A bit ago that ginger''s family arrived and barrelled on through with the mother and father informing me that I needed to get on the platform soon as the train would leave any minute now. I got in front of Ron who was dead last behind his family however I hesitated running in as I was still thinking about waiting for you. I decided to charge as Ron got nearer and both of us ended up colliding at the gate which has been sealed...". Oz felt warmed by Harry''s reluctance to leave him behind but also sighed internally knowing that even if he was to miss the train he''d be able to get to Hogwarts faster than the train anyway if he felt like it. As Harry''s explanation finished, Oz took out his wand stealthily and pressed it against the wall. A burst of magic broke the lock that was on the gate in an instant. Oz then checked to see if the lock was gone by pushing his hand through the gate which it went straight through. Just to the side Oz could have sworn he heard an elf''s ''yelp'' as it was confused how its ward had broken... "Seems were safe to go now Harry". Harry''s eyes lit up seeing Oz succeed as he grabbed his luggage and ran into the gate alongside Oz. Just as they entered they saw the train basically about to leave. Oz ran up to the train and jumped in the front. He immediately notified the conductor to give it one second before leaving as Harry boarded. Since it was Harry Potter of all people, they complied and gave him time to get on. Oz and Harry then met in the middle of the train. "I''m honestly shocked we made it Oz...". Oz nodded to Harry as he looked out the train window with a cheeky grin on his face. That poor Ron had set himself up to be bashed again... ------------------------------------------------------------------ A/N - Hey everyone, Recently I''ve caught Covid so updates will slow quite a bit. Hope you all stay safe! Chapter 78 - [Side Story] - Dobby and Alfreda [Moments after Oz and Harry enter into Platform 9 3/4''s] Disguised nearby the pillar into platform 9 3/4''s was an elf with a confounded look on his face. "Dobby could have sworn he put a ward strong enough to stop any student wizard from getting through... How could Dobby''s ward be broken?!". Dobby the house elf was currently nearby where Oz and Harry had entered platform 9 3/4 with a downtrodden look on his face. "Dobby couldn''t stop Harry Potter... Dobby has let the boy get to Hogwarts!" The elf was incredibly stressed at this scenario running his hands over his head again and again while looking at the gate. The situation seemed under control until that other student arrived and managed to break his ward. Dobby recognised the boy as the Descendant of Merlin however he never thought he would be able to break his own ward. "Dobby must follow them to the school, else he''ll be in danger!". Making his abrupt decision Dobby was about to snap his fingers until he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. In an instant the elf was whizzed away and arrived in a secluded alley. "Ahhh! Where... Where is Dobby now?!" Dobby looked around until he saw the figure that brought him here. Dobby felt his elf blood pulsate and act violently looking at this figure. The blood within him was screaming to obey, screaming to obey even more than it screamed to obey his master. "Dobby was it~ What was that about danger I heard?" Stood opposite Dobby was Alfreda who was seemingly tailing Oz for some time as he arrived at Kings cross. Hearing the elf''s question Dobby went to answer but his face creased. "Eh... I... Ca-... Sa..." Dobby seemed to have a lot of trouble answering Alfreda''s question which caused the beautiful elf to frown. Looking at the elf in front of her Alfreda noticed something. ''Contract magic... It seems to be binding him from answering my question...''. Looking at how Dobby was sincerely trying to answer her yet was bound by a contract, Alfreda sighed. She could tell the little elf meant well however it seemed his methods were a bit drastic in trying to stop the boy in glasses from getting to school. "It seems you have been contracted to a master... and the clause to break this contract...? You have to receive clothing from your master? How peculiar...". ''No... He''s my new master and a descendant of that man so nothing should be able to harm him. Besides he ordered me to stay back with Norberta... yet...''. Alfreda seemed conflicted as she looked up to the sky. Meanwhile Dobby was just staring curiously at the elf in front of him wondering what else she would do. "Are... are you finished with Dobby Ma''am?" Dobby seemed in a rush to leave as he held his fingers primed to snap. "Not quite yet~ you see... you tried to stop my master from getting to Hogwarts. If you go to Hogwarts you may cause more trouble for my master which is something I cant allow". Dobby looked frightened as he felt the aura around Alfreda freeze. "B-but Dobby has to go! If Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts this year he will be in grave danger! He needs to stay home!". Alfreda let out a bewitching chuckle as she looked at the house elf. Smiling she replied: "There''s no need to worry yourself... Lucky for you that Harry is friends with my master and with my master around im sure he will be in safer hands than anywhere else... So there''s no need to follow them to the school, let them be~". Dobby''s face was still filled with reluctance as he heard Alfreda speak. To Alfreda it seemed this elf was the type to act without thinking, a kind-hearted soul but one that would send itself to an early grave due to that kind-heartedness. "Look... If my master was able to break your ward surely that already shows you how capable he is? There''s no need to worry~" Hearing Alfreda''s final retort Dobby calmed down and lowered his hands. "Dobby understands what Mrs is saying... I''ll leave him be...". After hearing Dobby''s confirmation, Alfreda gave him a warm smile. Looking at this little house elf she felt that his fate was quite sad however that fate didn''t turn him into anything bad. As a matter of fact he had more heart than most out there. ''That''s right master should be fine... However if something does happen to him...''. Alfreda''s eyes for a short moment displayed an intense coldness. ''I''ll make whomever did it regret it...''. ------------------------------------------------------ A/N - Whenever there''s a chapter thats not got Oz in it and only has slight significance to the plot, it''ll be labelled a (short story). While this chapter builds on the character of Alfreda and shows the canon changing with Dobby now not following Harry to Hogwarts, these two points aren''t significant at all to Oz''s main story. Short stories in the future will mainly be for character building which is something I need to improve on a lot. Finally for those who would like a recap of Oz at the end of Volume 3 (where he is power wise) I''ve updated the auxiliary chapter showing his character profile.. Feel free to look at it. Chapter 79 - Hogwarts Again Currently Oz was sat inside a compartment on the train to Hogwarts with his usual gang. Surrounding him was Harry, Hermione, Craig, Cho and Daphne all of which were trading stories from the summer. Oz chimed in from time to time however there was a thought in his mind at the moment. ''I could have sworn I sensed her at the station... was she making sure I was okay by tailing me...?''. "So mystery man what did you do in the summer huh?". Breaking Oz''s train of thought was Craig who looked at him with a cheeky grin. As he looked around the compartment he realised that all eyes were trained on him hoping for an interesting story. After all just before the summer Oz informed them all that he some things to do in the summer. "Ahhh! That''s right Oz you didn''t even send a single letter! You even promised!". Cho looked at Oz with a angered look as she remembered how all summer not a single letter arrived from Oz. Since Oz never took the initiative they could never send a letter back as he was completely off the radar to them. Oz looked at Cho calmly replying "I''m sorry Cho, I was just very busy so I didn''t have the time. I travelled around a bit in the summer looking at different places and just experiencing different things. It was a nice change of pace". If Alfreda heard Oz''s comment now she would probably feel start laughing hard seeing how thick her masters skin was. Oz hardly travelled at all during the summer and mainly just stayed in the hideout after all. Hermione chimed in after Oz explained himself. "That''s a shame though Oz... I had a lot of questions for you in regards to some subjects... I was able to ask Cho but it always seems like you give more detailed answers in comparison" Cho puffed her cheeks out a bit at Hermione''s comment however sighed soon after. She had her pride as a Ravenclaw but even she knew her knowledge was under Oz still by a wide margin. "Well I''m sure we will still have our little study sessions this year as well Hermione, I''ll make up for lost time in them. However, there are some things I need to work on this year which could make me quite busy for some time...". Oz''s focus seemed to wonder off at the end of his sentence as the rest of the people in the compartment exchanged looks of confusion. After some time Harry decided to ask Daphne something. "That''s right... Daphne whenever you replied to me via letters you only ever replied to my letters to you and never what Hermione would send. Is there a reason why?". Hermione''s expression jumped at Harry''s query towards Daphne. It seemed she was curious about this as well. In the summer it seems that Hermione would sometimes send letters alongside Harrys to Daphne however whenever Daphne sent a letter back there never seemed to be a response to Hermione''s questions. Hearing Harry''s question, Daphne''s face became extremely apologetic in an instant as she looked at Hermione. "W-well... as you know my family is a pure-blood family. They are quite strict on who I can ''interact'' with. When they found out I received a letter from a muggleborn they started to... destroy your letters before they even came to me. Only near the end of the summer did I realise this was happening...". Hearing Daphne''s answer to Harry''s question, Oz sighed to himself. Although the Greengrass family weren''t ever really connected to the death eaters it seemed as though they still had a certain level of ''blood supremacy'' in their ranks. Harry''s face turned into a scowl as Hermione clasped Daphne''s hand. "I-its okay Daphne... In the future ill just have to squeeze what I want to say to you into Harry''s messages... If only you knew sooner in the summer I could have started doing so earlier". Daphne''s usually mischievous demeanour seemed to disappear in this moment as she seemed sincerely apologetic. Looking at this girl Oz started to wonder where this situation would lead her in the long run. Maybe as she grew older she would distance herself from her family resulting in her personality changing. . "Oz there''s a free space right at the back here lets grab it quick". Currently the trio of Harry, Daphne and Oz had arrived at the great hall at Hogwarts. Looking at the Slytherin table Oz could see further up there was a space for the first years to join onto. ''That''s right... she should be joining this year''. Oz sat himself down with Harry and Daphne and the three exchanged conversations as the proceedings went along. After some time everyone was seated and suddenly the doors to the great hall opened. In walked a large group of first years looking around the great hall with wonder. Oz looked at them and reminisced back to when he was in that group. ''It''s already been three years since I joined Hogwarts... Time surely does move fast...''. As Oz was feeling nostalgic, Harry and Daphne were discussing who they thought would join their house. The proceedings continued as different first years joined each house. Eventually a certain name was called out by Mcgonagall. "Luna Lovegood!". "Ravenclaw!". The sorting hat followed along the canon this time and sorted Luna into Ravenclaw. Just as Luna was stepping down from the sorting chair she locked eyes with Oz and seemingly froze on stage. Oz wore a slight grin as he realised that even after so many years this girl seemed to somehow still recognise him. "Mrs. Lovegood? Aren''t you going to join your house table?". Blushing slightly, Luna apologised for holding up the sorting ceremony and rushed to her seat on the Ravenclaw table. Harry looked over to Daphne at this moment. "I wonder what that was all about... she seemed to be looking over here". As Daphne and Harry started to cook up random theories Oz was reminiscing back to when he went to the Lovegood''s all those years ago. ''Back then I was so dead-set on learning magic that I basically charged into their house and guilt-tripped them into receiving those books... Pandora even accidently left notes in one of the books which helped me create augmentum alongside Merlin''s notes. I wonder if my closing message changed her fate...''. Regardless of what had happened to Luna''s mother in the end, Oz felt the need to return Luna her mothers notes as well as the books they leant him. Back then Oz didn''t realise how much they actually helped him, now knowing how expensive these sorts of books were Oz felt the fact that he held onto them for so long weighing on his conscious. Of course the Lovegood''s probably never expected them back anyway, however with Oz''s personality changing over the years he felt the need to correct his young mistakes from when he was just dead set on learning magic and nothing else. ''Oh yeah, I did promise her parents that I''d look after her in school. Maybe me keeping an eye out could also be seen as making amends for my previous behaviour...''. As Oz was thinking over many things the sorting ceremony started to come to a close. Dumbledore then stood up and gave a speech to all the new students, sometimes glancing over in Oz''s direction. Compared to the first two years, it seemed this time Dumbledore wasn''t trying to pry into Oz''s mind at first glance, as a matter of fact there seemed to be a level of respect in his eyes now after their squabble last year. The feast the went on with Harry, Daphne and Oz eating their fill while talking about various things. After some time, the prefects of each house stood up and started to lead the first years as well as the rest of the years back to their respective house common rooms. Daphne, Harry and Oz trailed at the back of the Slytherin lot essentially taking their sweet time to get back to the dungeons. "Oh yeah... Oz what do you think happened to that Ron?". Harry seemingly remembered Ron who they had left at Kings cross when dobby tried to lock them all out of platform 9 3/4. Just as Oz was about to reply he actually spotted the little red head at the main door to the castle with Snape in tow. "It seems he''s down there". Harrys head snapped around as he looked down at Ron who had just been brought in by Snape. The boy was covered in mud and had cuts all over himself. He had an extremely sorry look on his face as he looked up and eventually spotted Harry and Oz. His sorry look instantly morphed into a look of confusion and anger. Seeing Ron in this state, Oz waved down to him and with a calm smile called out to him. "Running a little late Ron?". Harry and Daphne started to giggle as they heard Oz''s chiding of Ron. Ron in the meanwhile was going so red he was starting to match the colour of his hair. Snape grabbed the little ginger boy as he pulled him towards the teachers office. Harry watched Ron off as he turned to Daphne and Oz. "He''s definitely in for a grilling isn''t he?". Oz sighed as he looked down at where Ron had been taken to. ''Hopefully this situation can be some sort of lesson to him....''. Chapter 80 - Sowing Karma Oz had many things on his agenda for this year at Hogwarts but one of the main things he wanted to work on was his knowledge of Horcruxes and specifically how to detect them. Oz could sense the dark magic in Harry''s scar when he was face to face with the boy however that energy would be hard to pick out even with his eyes if he weren''t directly looking at the source. Due to this, searching for horcruxes by himself would be a no go. The easiest method would be to carry Harry around like a horcrux sensor however such a setup would be pretty bothersome in the long run. So what would Oz have to do? Well he had already thought up some ways of combatting this difficulty. The most straightforward way was to familiarise himself with the dark magic in Harry''s scar to the point where he can sense it easier and easier. When he gets to a point where he can sense it like any other magical signature, searching for the diary and diadem in the school would be much easier. Oz did think about trying to take a portion of the dark magic from Harry''s scar and replicating what he did with Salazar''s portrait which allowed him to track the old snake via his own marauders map however with the horcrux energy being embedded into Harry it could be a very dangerous procedure to take such energy out abruptly. After all these years it had rooted itself pretty deeply into Harry''s psyche so any sort of abrupt detachment could lead to some long-term issues and damage Harry greatly. If Oz could get his hands on a horcrux that was just an item however, maybe he could create some sort of detector which would work much better in comparison to his eyes just detecting the aura of a horcrux, however seeing as though horcruxes are an ancient dark magic technique Oz wouldn''t be surprised if there were some ''security'' measures put in place that made it so Horcruxes were hard to detect, especially considering how dead-set Voldemort is on hiding them. There was then the issue of the diary being at large and Oz not knowing its wielder. The most straight forward method would be to wait until someone is attacked and then stake-out the toilets which led to the chamber of secrets, waiting for the diaries wielder to appear. If Oz had to, he would follow this method however only as a last resort seeing as though it''d put others at risk. In the original canon, the victims of the basilisk got extremely lucky, only ever seeing the beast through reflections leading them to be petrified. Seeing as though the canon was changing a lot already, Oz wouldn''t be surprised if the first victim this time around was an actual death. So for this year mainly, Oz wanted to improve his knowledge on horcruxes solely. His magic prowess was at a bottleneck anyway and he foresaw that he wouldn''t be able to improve until he was ready for the Ambrosius ritual. Currently as all these thoughts were spiralling in his head, Oz was walking through the Hogwarts castle between lessons. Lessons these days for him he b?r?ly paid attention to, usually just showing surface level attention when in actuality his mind is in a completely different zone. Walking through the castle with much on his mind Oz kept a calm pace, although this year in the long run seemed bothersome, after it was done was when the fun for him would truly begin. Seemingly out of nowhere, Oz suddenly felt a finger prod his shoulder from behind. Feeling this Oz turned his head slowly to see a small girl looking up at him. "E-Excuse me... Are you Oz?". Oz immediately recognised the small girl that had approached him, with a smile on his face he nodded. "Yes I am, you''ve grown a lot since I last saw you". Luna''s eyes widened as she heard Oz''s reply. "You actually remembered me?! But that was so long ago!". Oz tapped his finger on his head as he gave a cheeky smile. "Well im known for having a pretty good memory... I''m more surprised you remembered me". Luna blushed slightly as she scratched her cheek. "How could I not remember you seeing all the fame you''re pulling in these days... My dad instantly recognised you when those daily prophets went out about the descendant of Merlin". Oz sighed deeply noting how his fame was greater than he gave credit to. He didn''t even realise pictures of him had been released to the media. There sadly wasn''t much he could do about it now though and he couldn''t be bothered at this point to try and do anything anyway. "Well Luna... we have some time before our next lessons. Want to sit and chat for a while?". Luna nodded her head fervently as she followed Oz to an area where they could sit and chat. Oz sat down slowly as he looked up at the blue sky above him. "I should have returned this all a long time ago... Please give my apologies to your parents". Luna looked at Oz in confusion as he reached into his bag rustling around, eventually taking out some familiar looking books as well as a piece of paper. "Back when I visited your house, I was young and na?ve. I had only just learned that there was a world of magic and I was desperate to know more... If I had known how expensive these sorts of materials were I would have never asked for such a selfish request. I feel its best to give all this back to you now". Oz handed over all the books to a bewildered Luna who looked a bit stumped at what to say. After some time though, she simply gave Oz a wide smile and nod as she received the books. Oz felt the need however to ask one important question. "How are your parents may I ask?". Luna''s face suddenly changed at Oz''s question and her previously bright demeanour morphed into one of sadness. Seeing this change Oz felt his heart sink a little. "W-well my dad is fine... he''s actually always wondered what happened to you. However my mother... she got into an accident while experimenting. Currently she''s in St Mungo''s and is in a coma". Oz''s eyes widened at the new revelation that Luna had brought to him. Pandora still went through an accident like in the canon however this time around she hadn''t died. Oz wondered if his appearance at their house all those years ago led to this change. "Is there any chance she wakes up?". Luna looked down to the floor with teardrops filling her eyes. "The doctors said it was... unlikely. However my dad isn''t giving up hope and neither am I!". Oz gave a warm smile to Luna as he heard her enthusiasm. At this point he then handed her a small piece of parchment with notes all over it. "I''ve also been meaning to return this as well... it was with the books your parents gave me. I gather it''s your mothers notes seeing as though the handwriting is so neat". Seeing this piece of parchment Luna immediately snatched it up and tears streamed down her face. "F-finally I found it! My dad''s been going mad for years looking for these notes constantly saying that my mother would had put some details in them about how to help her or something... t-thank you so much Oz!". Luna seemed to be extremely emotional towards receiving these notes as Oz just let her cry out a bit. It was horrible to lose someone close to you, however to a certain degree it was even worse to have someone close to you be stuck in a limbo between life and death. Constantly you''d be thinking ''will they wake up'' and your hope would wane day by day. Seeing as though Pandora was alive to some degree though, Oz cemented in his heart that he had to help her seeing as though these Lovegood''s helped him when he first came to this world. Smiling at Luna, Oz finished off their conversation. "If you ever need anything, don''t hesitate to come to me for help in the future. I also attend a little study group with some people which you''re welcome to join as well so feel free to join us when we are in the library. As for your mother... I''ll do what I can to help as well". Luna''s tears started to stop as she looked up at Oz and nodded with a smile. Seeing this affirmation, Oz headed off to his next lesson. His heart slightly lighter than before. . Currently Oz was in the Slytherin common room with Harry opposite him. Harry was looking at Oz in curiosity. "So Oz, why have you called me?". Oz looked at the bespectacled boy in front of him with a grin. "You see Harry, I need your help with something again". Harry''s eyes widened as a bead of sweat fell from his brow. "We aren''t chasing after any teachers with two faces again are we? Not hunting any alchemical stones or anything right?". Oz shook his head with a light chuckle escaping his lips. "No no. This will be much simpler. I''m gonna tutor you a bit in magic and in exchange I''d like to study that scar on your forehead". Hearing Oz''s request Harry let out a sigh of relief. He had seemed to got in his mind at this point that whenever Oz called him for something, he would have to do some sort of big task, however this seemed to be much more lax in comparison. "You don''t need to tutor me in order to do that Oz. I don''t mind letting you study this thing". There was actually a reason to why Oz wanted to tutor Harry though that was extremely beneficial to Oz and Harry in the long run. As Oz knew, in the fifth book and film Harry would become a doorway for Voldemort to manipulate via his scar. Snape was enlisted by Dumbledore at this time to teach the boy occlumency in order to combat this mind invasion however Snape''s way of teaching was far to brusque. With the amount of time Oz had he would be able to build Harry''s mind defences to a far more powerful level so that Voldemort wouldn''t be able to manipulate him. As a matter of fact, Oz also felt that he might even be able to use Harry to send Voldemort mixed signals instead if his occlumency grew to a good level. "What I want to teach you Harry will be extremely beneficial in the long run especially in a world like this. Its gonna be difficult however over time you will come to learn. As for studying your scar, I only need to look at it while I''m teaching you". Hearing that Oz was insistent on teaching him, Harry nodded with excitement welling up in his ?h?st. Oz''s prowess was well known and with him getting lessons from him, Harry felt that in the future he could grow much stronger. As Oz was talking to Harry he rubbed the ring on his finger calmly, some thoughts filling his mind. ''If I combat this weakness early it should be beneficial for everyone involved... If he does truly struggle with defending him mind I can always give him this ring for a while. Although, As that old goat told me you need to learn the magic yourself for it to be effective, an artefact will only get you so far...''. Oz recalled his lessons with Dumbledore in the previous year in regards to occlumency as he sighed. Although the headmaster was problematic he did understand magic well. "Well Harry, there''s no time like the present. Let''s begin now...". ---------------------------------------- A/N - 1999 words, please enjoy :) Chapter 81 - Moaning Myrtle A few weeks have passed since Oz and Harry first began their lessons. Since them some changes have happened. Firstly, Luna has now integrated herself into the study group that visits the library every so often. Oz introduced her explaining that he''s known Luna even before she came to Hogwarts to which the rest of the gang readily accepted her into the group. Harry and Daphne were especially excited immediately trying to get her to come under their wing, however it seemed Luna had her head screwed on right as she didn''t want to partake in the pranks they''d sometimes pull. As for Oz''s own personal endeavours he seemed to be making strides in his ability to pick up a horcrux using his dragon eyes. However, he was still limited in the distance he needed to be to detect it. Horcruxes are an ancient magic after all and Voldemort wanted these horcruxes hidden due to his fear of death. If it wasn''t for Harry himself being part-horcrux then the gang in the original canon probably would never have found any other horcruxes besides the diary, locket and ring two of which Dumbledore had to personally find out by himself over the span of a few years. Even though progress was slow however, Oz could see that this method would eventually allow him to enter the RoR to search for the diadem and at least act as a sensor to detect the diary if it ever came close to him. As for the normal school year as it progressed, nothing of note had happened. It was a simple school life in the background of all these events for Oz and he spent his time calmly and quietly. On a certain night however, he decided to confirm some suspicions heading off from the Slytherin dungeons quickly and quietly... . ''Me sneaking around the castle at night is becoming an artform at this point...''. Oz uncloaked himself as he arrived at his destination, in front of him was a bathroom. This bathroom was the bathroom just above the great hall on the second floor. A girls bathroom that was hardly ever in use due to a certain ghost that haunted it. Oz slowly walked inside the big bathroom and walked towards the sinks in the middle. ''What was that descendants name... Corvinus Gaunt? He''s the reason why the chambers entrance ended up being in the girls bathroom in the end I think... Was he some kind of per-''. Stopping Oz''s train of thought he sensed a presence nearby as he turned his head. In front of him was a bespectacled ghost looking at him in slight anger and confusion. "What''s a boy like you doing in the girls toilets!". Screaming out loud was Moaning Myrtle, the ghost in front of him wailed as she noticed that Oz was a boy. Oz sighed to himself as he knew this scenario would happen. He couldn''t exactly attack a ghost, at least not yet and he didn''t really want to. As a matter of fact Myrtle would become a very important piece for him to find out who has the diary. If magic was out then all Oz could use was his glib tongue... Oz turned his head around fully and looked up at the ghost whose expression changed upon seeing Oz''s face. "You must be Moaning Myrtle correct? I came here as I wanted to meet you...". Moaning Myrtle stammered slightly before replying to Oz. "M-meet me?! Why would the descendant of Merlin want to meet me?!". Oz expected Myrtle to understand who he was. After all the ghost network in this castle is nothing to scoff at and although Myrtle is definitely an outcast to an extent, word would have reached her regardless of that fact. "You know who I am?". Myrtle nodded her head as she flew down closer to Oz. "You were a hot-topic amongst the ghosts here when your identity spread around the castle... Especially that one ghost who spends most of her time in the ravenclaw tower, I was there when she first heard of the news and she looked shocked beyond belief...". ''Helena Ravenclaw... I didn''t think she would know much about my heritage however if what Myrtle is saying is true, then maybe she knows more than I would have guessed''. "I always thought you stayed in this bathroom Myrtle... do you meet up with the other ghosts a lot?". Myrtle scoffed as she heard Oz''s question. "I don''t meet up with them by choice... It gets lonely here sometimes and they usually have information about what''s going on in the castle. I need something to entertain me why im here... all alone...". Looking up at the ghost, Oz smiled wryly. "Well Myrtle... I don''t mind coming and talking to you from time to time in the future. If you can tell me what''s going on around the castle at times...". Myrtle immediately stopped sobbing as she looked down into Oz''s purple eyes. "Really!? you''d come talk to a ghost like me!? B-but you''re the descendant of Merlin!". Oz laughed as he looked up at the ghost warmly. "I may be the descendant of Merlin but that doesn''t make me an untouchable figure. I''m still a boy after all whose in school. Sometimes this place gets boring after some time so changing things up and talking to someone like you would help me as much as it would help you". Myrtles face started to morph into a delighted grin as she flew around the toilet in glee. Oz looked at the ghost with a slight smile seeing her so happy. ''I mean as long as she''s happy... I also get an information network out of this if she does stay in contact with the other ghosts...''. After a while of parading around the bathroom, Myrtle flew down towards Oz with a grin on her face. "Well Oz, is there anything you''d like to talk about now? anything at all?". Looking at Myrtles enthusiasm Oz smiled lightly as he asked her the main question first. "Besides me Myrtle, has anyone else visited the bathroom since the school reopened? Anyone who you''d deem suspicious?". Myrtle put her finger on her chin as she began to think back. After some time she shook her head. "There''s been some girls entering of course however none have been suspicious...". Oz felt conflicted hearing this. He was glad as that meant the basilisk wasn''t unleashed yet but he also was a bit disappointed as if it was released he might have been able to go down tonight and confront it. The blood within him that was hoping for a fight seemed to simmer down a bit. "Well Myrtle if there''s ever any sort of suspicious characters, let me know. We can''t have them disturbing your place here can we?". Myrtle nodded feverantly at Oz''s request. while flying around the toilet some more. Oz looked dead ahead at the taps in front of him. ''So this here is the entrance to the chamber...''. Oz walked up slowly to the entrance with Myrtle looking at his confused from above. Oz slowly put his hand on the mirror in front of him and immediately activated his eyes. Looking closely Oz could see wards placed on the circle of sinks in front of him. ''Its just as I thought... In the canon it seemed that Parseltongue was all that was needed to enter the chamber but in fact it needed another key as well. Harry was only able to enter the chamber as he himself is a horcrux of Voldemort who is the heir of Slytherin. Ginny was able to open the chamber as she herself held the diary which was a part of Voldemort as well. Parseltongue itself isn''t enough to open this door, you also need a part of Voldemort, the heir of Slytherin, for the verification process...''. Myrtle looked down at Oz who was staring intently at the mirror in front of him. Myrtle looked into the mirror as well and felt herself get absorbed into Oz''s eyes that were glowing a bit. she shook herself out of her daze after a while and asked. "Oz... what are you doing?". Oz hearing Myrtles question turned his head and looked up at the ghost. "I thought I had a spot on my face... seems im all clear though". Myrtle tilted her head looking at Oz in confusion as he started to walk towards the exit of the toilet. "Well Myrtle feel free to see me when you want, Ill come visit every now and then from now on as well so let me know any juicy information thats spreading around the castle!". Myrtle smiled and nodded as she watched Oz head out of the toilets and seemingly vanish. She smiled to herself as she flew over into her stall. . As Oz sneaked back through the castle, he smiled noting how important that little meeting with Myrtle was. Not only did he learn about how the chamber is needed to be opened, but he also gained another ally in Myrtle who had connections to the ghosts in the castle. Considering the vast amount of ghosts here having a connection to them would becoming extremely beneficial in the long run for Oz''s information gathering. As he was running back Oz also felt more pieces fall into place in regards to the entrance of the chamber of secrets. ''The whole idea of having a horcrux with you as well explains how Ron and Hermione entered the chamber in the final book... They were holding onto the goblet after all...''. When the pieces fell into place like this Oz couldn''t help but feel fulfilled. Although it did make things difficult for him, this was information he needed to know and he was adamant that the old snake wouldn''t just have the entrance to his secret chamber be another language. Although he was annoying he was a founder at the end of the day... Mulling over this information Oz now had a few steps he could go with. One was to find the diadem as soon as possible and teach himself some parseltongue. Seeing as though Oz was already becoming slowly familiar with dragontongue he imagined that parseltongue would be easier in comparison to learn. With this method, he would be able to open the chamber himself and confront the basilisk straight away. The other method would be to wait until Harry realises he can use parseltongue and bring him along like he did at the end of last year, the risk here however was that if they did this pre-emptively, Fawkes may not come to pluck out the basilisks eyes like it did in the canon leaving Harry in actual danger in the fight. If Oz was by himself he was confident he could beat back the snake especially due to his dragon like instincts. Having Harry there however would basically be extra baggage to look after. The final method would be to wait for the chamber to be opened by whoever had the diary. Oz wanted to avoid this method if possible as it would put people in danger however if it needed to be done then it needed to be done. ''So it seems my original plan of looking for the diadem is what I need to do... Myrtle can be my eyes and ears in that toilet and hopefully will let me know if someone opens up that entrance, when that happens I need to act fast''. Thinking on the diadem Oz thought back to what Myrtle said about Helena being interested in Oz''s appearance at the school. ''Cho and Luna are both in Ravenclaw aren''t they... Maybe I can ask her to let me in Ravenclaw tower so I can approach and talk to Helena. She may have an idea on how to find the diadem faster...''. ----------------------------------- A/N - A little reminder that reading my authors notes help understand my thought process behind certain ideas in chapters. Sometimes I put nothing there but for a chapter like this a lot of explaining is needed outside the chapter itself so I encourage you to read them :) Chapter 82 - Ravenclaw Tower "Oz you never told me those lessons would cause me migraines you damn slave-driver!" Harry was holding his head at the library table looking over at Oz with a scowl on his face. Harry''s progress in Occlumency was incredibly slow however there was definitely noticeable improvements. Hearing Harry''s qualm Hermione snapped her head around to Oz with jealously laced in her gaze. "Oz you''re giving Harry private lessons?!" ''Ah damn he set off the bookworm...''. "I''m giving him lessons in exchange for something Hermione. My lessons don''t come cheap you know". Daphne looked questioningly at Oz, along with the trio of Luna, Cho and Craig who were on the other table. "What sort of lessons would lead to Harry having a migraine though...?". Oz flinched slightly at Daphne''s comment. This Slytherin girl always seemed to not mince words. "Thats¡­ not important. Harry wouldn''t have accepted the lessons if all they did was give him migraines. This is something that will help all of us in the long run". Everyone''s confusion grew as Oz left the situation on that note. After glaring at Oz for a while longer they all realised that he wouldn''t give a definite answer to what was actually going on and after collectively sighing they all went back to their talks/studying. Oz looked at them all again who had gone back to their activities. ''This group has gotten large...''. Luna and Cho seemed to be quite close as they were in the same house with Luna always confiding in her whenever Oz wasn''t present and the dynamics between everyone else had also grown as well. This sight fascinated Oz as this group was completely different to the canon and he looked at this group in expectation, wondering where it would end up. Snapping himself out of his daze, Oz looked over towards both Luna and Cho who were currently talking. "Luna, Cho, I need a favour from you two. Do you both reckon you could help me with something after this session?". The noise at the table stopped, all conversations ceased as everyone turned their heads to Oz. Cho and Luna both looked at each other before looking back at Oz. "You need a favour from us Oz? Thats¡­ rare". Considering everyone''s opinion on Oz, this sort of situation was definitely a shock to them. Both Cho and Luna looked towards Oz in expectation as this was a chance to repay him for the help he''d always give them during these sessions. "Do you both think it''d be possible to get me into Ravenclaw tower?". Both Cho''s and Luna''s eyes rose along with everyone else''s on the table. Hearing Oz''s request Craig was the first to interject. "Why do you need to go there Oz?!" Oz sighed as he felt that a simple ''I wanted to see the sights'' wouldn''t work here... he felt he probably needed to give a somewhat solid explanation that was close to the truth. "As you all know I''m descended from Merlin. Any and all information on what Merlin did in his life is helpful for me in the long run. Recently I ran into a ghost here in Hogwarts that informed me that a ghost in Ravenclaw once knew Merlin personally when they were alive. I wanted to meet this ghost to see whether or not it knows anything I don''t already know about Merlin". Oz basically told them all the full story only leaving out the last integral part which was asking about the diadem. Cho and Luna looked at each other before nodding. Luna looked over to Oz and replied first. "You must be talking about the grey lady... She''s a lovely ghost albeit incredibly shy...". Cho nodded at what Luna said before turning back to Oz. "W-well it should be okay to let you in Oz... However you are a Slytherin. Even though me and Luna see you as a nice person the other Ravenclaws probably wouldn''t look too happily on you walking into our common room...". Oz smiled at the both of them. Snapping his fingers his presence thinned immediately until his was invisible. Everyone at the table besides Harry looked on in awe as Oz had seemingly vanished. After some time he slowly showed his presence again. "As you can see, I have ways of hiding myself... All I would need you two to do is lead me to where the grey lady usually is.". Cho and Luna both agreed to Oz''s request after seeing how he could hide himself. Oz smiled brightly at the both of them saying he would owe them one in the future. "So the ''Cold King'' is sneaking into Ravenclaw tower with two girls... You''re fans would go crazy if they heard this...". Oz''s heart cringed as he turned to Craig. "What the hell do you mean ''Cold King''? And what fans?". Craig grinned at Oz with a mischievous glint in his eye. "What? Didn''t you know about the nicknames you''ve been given since you''ve enrolled here?" Oz felt a bead of sweat drip off his brow as he felt his insides churn. "N-no I didn''t know that at all..." Craig chuckled as he started to list off different nicknames. "The ''Cold King of Slytherin'' is the most recent and a personal favourite around the castle... but I''ve heard nicknames like ''Legend''s Descent'', ''Stolid Snake'' Oh! I recently heard some girls in the upper years call you-" Oz immediately put his hand out in front of Craig to stop him from continuing. "I-I think I''ve heard enough...". Currently, Oz was walking with Luna and Cho. The direction they were heading to was towards Ravenclaw Tower. ''What sort of cringe nickname is ''Cold King of Slytherin''!?''. Oz''s mind was currently... somewhere else as they walked along. Just as they closed in on the stairs, the three moved into a corner out the way. Oz nodded to the two of them before vanishing himself, hiding his body and presence. Seeing Oz''s cloaking was a success, the duo of Luna and Cho then continued up the stairs of Ravenclaw Tower towards were the portrait laid. On the stairs Oz had to sometimes dodge Ravenclaws who were walking up and down however with his reflexes such a task wasn''t hard. After a couple minutes of climbing stairs the trio finally arrived at the front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. Oz looked up at the eagle knocker. This knocker would give all Ravenclaw students a riddle and they needed to answer correctly to enter. A bit more difficult in comparison to just remembering a passcode however it definitely embodied the spirit of what it meant to be a ravenclaw. The eagle knocker would also detect whether the student presented in front of it was or was not a Ravenclaw. As the trio stood in front of the knocker, it looked down at both Luna and Cho before giving them a riddle. "My feathers are brightly coloured, sometimes orange, sometimes pink, sometimes lime green or even yellow. To own me your ears must be trained and a license procured. Don''t listen to my song as it can drive you insane... What am I?". Both Cho and Luna spent a second to think about the answer whilst the answer immediately came to Oz. ''A Fwooper...''. "You''re a Fwooper!" The eagle knocked seemed to glint in acceptance as the door opened slowly. Luna looked at Cho and stated. "That makes us 9-5 now right?". Cho wore a face as disappointment, seemingly upset she didn''t get the answer quicker than her junior of two years. "Yes, 9 to me and 5 to you though. You''ve still got some catching up!". The two walked in as Oz followed closely behind, the door closing as the trio entered. . Cho and Luna walked through the Ravenclaw common room greeting everyone who greeted them. In the meanwhile Oz was trailing behind them being careful not to send off any signals that he was there. After walking through the common room, They approached some stairs that led up. Trailing slowly up the stairs they eventually arrived at an arch. To the right was a balcony that looked out into the wilderness beyond Hogwarts from up high. "I think the coast is clear for you now Oz... if you''re still here...". Hearing Cho''s affirmation, Oz uncloaked himself and appeared behind both Luna and Cho. Oz walked towards the balcony looking out at the incredible view. "I''m actually pretty jealous this is the view you get... what a lovely sight". Oz smiled warmly looking out at the view, as the wind blew his black hair back his striking purple eyes and sharp facial features were out on full display to Cho and Luna. Both of them felt themselves get lost in this site of Oz as they both didn''t reply to Oz''s comment straight away. Cho eventually slapped her face a bit to stop herself from blushing before stuttering out a reply. "W-well Oz me and Luna will be just down the bottom of the stairs. When you''re done up here come and poke us on the shoulder before leaving so we don''t have to stay guarding...". At that, Cho grabbed a dazed Luna and immediately headed downstairs. Oz watched the two of them off with a smile still on his face. He took in the site just for a while longer before walking down the long pathway towards where the grey lady, where Helena allegedly resides around. ''God I hope she''s here after all of this...''. Oz walked up and down the pathway a few times still not able to find her. He even activated his eyes however couldn''t sense any traces of her at all. ''Do my eyes even work to find ghosts? Damn if she isn''t here I''ll have to do all of this again''. Sighing to himself Oz walked over to the balcony again and took in the sight of the sunset. He felt himself relax at this view. ''I''ll look one more time... If she''s nowhere around here I''ll come back anothe-''. Just as Oz was finishing his thought he felt a presence nearby. An incorporeal presence. "You don''t seem to be a Ravenclaw... What on earth are you doing in the Ravenclaw tower?". Oz turned his head from the site in front of him to the side. "It''s a p???sur? to meet you, grey lady.... Or is Helena better?". Chapter 83 - The Grey Lady A/N - This chapter is a big BIG boy so be warned. ------------------------------------------------- "Helena would be my preferred choice of address... However you still haven''t answered me boy. Why are you, a Slytherin, here in Ravenclaw tower!". Oz turned himself fully to take a look at the ghost in front of him. He showed a light smile as he continued. "I''m here to meet you Helena... there''s something I would like to ask you". Helena''s face twisted as she listened to Oz. "The last Slytherin boy I gave the time of day to decided to betray me... Do you really think I''d hear you out?!". Oz knew exactly who Helena was talking about when she mentioned a previous Slytherin boy. Tom Riddle after all tricked Helena into revealing the whereabouts of her mother''s precious diadem. The dark lord''s silver tongue was not to be underestimated as he coaxed the location out of here and ended up turning the diadem into another horcrux. "There''s no harm in me talking first and you deciding whether or not you want to answer later is there? I only need a moment of your time after all". Helena looked down on the Slytherin boy in front of him. She didn''t know why she was still giving this boy the time of day. Usually she would just run away from most conversations and in the event of an unknown trespasser, she would report them to the head of house. However there was something about the boy in front of her that seemed familiar. "Well let me start off by introducing myself to you Helena. My name is Oz Ambrosius, a third year student here at Hogwarts". Helena''s face changed the second she heard Oz''s introduction from a look of cautiousness and coldness to a look of shock. "W-wait a minute... You''re Merlin''s descendant!? The one I''ve heard about that joined a few years ago!?". Oz nodded his head slowly as he continued. "One in the same... As I understand Helena you would have been alive around the time my Ancestor Merlin was. You see, I''m trying to gather as much information on him as possible as... well he''s the only connection in this world that I''ve got at the moment". Helena looked at Oz sympathetically as her ghostly eyes filled with melancholy. Oz noticed all these mood changes and realised that Merlin to Helena must have been an important figure. "I-I''m sorry I didn''t recognise you sooner... I rarely talk to the other ghosts and the last thing I heard was about that you were here in this school and nothing about what you looked like". ''Well that explains why Myrtle recognised me and she didn''t... She''s more of a recluse than Myrtle after all''. "It''s fine Helena... Could you please tell me if you have any information on my ancestor? From what I''ve found, Merlin was a very secretive guy. Everything about him is masked in mystery to me and any solid information would help me in the long run to understand better who I am". Helena nodded as she floated down towards Oz. She looked out at the view from the balcony, seeing the sun set now and dusk approaching rapidly. "He truly was a man masked in mystery... Even my mother couldn''t fathom his wisdom and the other founders were always led in circles by him". Helena turned to Oz and showed a weak yet calming smile. "Would you listen to my story? Maybe that will help you understand what sort of man your ancestor was". Oz smiled back at Helena nodding slowly. "Hearing a story from a legend like yourself would be my p???sur?. Please go on ahead". Helena nodded back at Oz with respect laced in her eyes. Looking out at the view in front of her she casted her mind back to her youth. "My story is a tragic one to say the least... Jealousy poisoned me leading me astray from what I could have truly become. My mother was an outstanding witch. She had the knowledge and power to blow me away time and time again. As I was her daughter she had high expectations of me, she wanted me to be the perfect successor. No matter how much I learned though it was never enough to meet her requirements. Eventually I started to well up with jealousy towards my mother who seemed so unreachable. It started off as a small poison pricked into my heart but eventually it grew into a demon that lead me to do unthinkable things...". Oz nodded his head along listening to Helena''s past. To this point he knew what Helena''s past was like. She was jealous of her mothers talents which led her to steal her mothers diadem. "One day however I met a certain man who flipped everything I knew on its head. He was a couple years above me in school at the time and he was in Slytherin. Back then Slytherins weren''t looked on as poorly as they were today yet my mother still warned me to be careful of the bunch as she herself was wary of Salazar and his hidden machinations. However with my jealousy growing towards her I started to not heed her advice as I tried to learn as much as I could from anyone and everyone". Helena''s eyes became slightly weaker as she started to reminisce. "He was an enigma to me yet fascinating. He hardly talked to anyone yet he managed to ace every class effortlessly. Salazar eventually took him underneath his wing seeing his talent yet he absorbed all of Salazar''s knowledge in a matter of months which wounded that mans pride immensely. I gathered the guts to approach him and he allowed me to sit with him when he would study. Any question I asked him he would know the answer to instantly. Such a talent made me as jealous as it did with my mother..." "Eventually my jealously towards him turned into... something else. I couldn''t stop thinking about him. I didn''t know if it was love or just an obsession towards his knowledge at some points. Suddenly one day he seemingly vanished from the school. I asked my mother about him yet she refused to talk about him. Even Salazar showed a difficult expression alongside Helena and Godric when I mentioned him... that Merlin. I started to ask around about him yet everyone at the school had no clue where he went either". "Losing someone who I cared about most... I found myself spiralling. My jealousy towards my mother grew and my heart yearned to see him again. Eventually I listened to the devil on my shoulder and stole my mother''s precious diadem, running off into the world. During my time on the run I asked everywhere about him and eventually heard that someone with his profiling was spotted in Albania. Immediately I headed there and found myself searching far and wide yet... I couldn''t even find a trace of him". "Angered by my inability to find him I decided to channel that anger into hiding the diadem and causing any issues I could towards my mother. I located a forest in Albania and went about hiding the diadem there under many restrictions. Just as I was about to leave the forest... The Bloody Baron found me". Oz listened intently to Helena''s story as she went into full detail. From what he was aware of, The Bloody Baron was the reason Helena died. However, what he didn''t know was how much of an impact Merlin had on Helena''s life. "The Bloody Baron told me he was ordered by my mother to retrieve me. I scoffed at the man and refused to return. Out of nowhere afterwards the man started to profess his love for me. Hearing him spout words of admiration and love all I could think of was Merlin who I still couldn''t find putting me in an even worse mood. I immediately cut the Baron''s confession off telling him that I already had someone I loved and that he wouldn''t ever have a chance... The Baron flew into a rage hearing my refusal towards his love and charged at me wielding a knife in hand. Stabbing me deep in my heart, I felt my eyes dim and my regrets well up in my body. All I could think of in my final moments was the wrongs I did towards my mother... and the face of a man who wanted nothing to do with me". As Helena''s story came to a close Oz was spending his time mulling over all the information presented to him. ''Merlin... You were truly a sinful ancestor to make this woman fall so deeply just to vanish as you did...''. Putting together everything he knew up to this point, Oz gathered that Merlin had a reason for disappearing. Factoring in how he was gaining knowledge from anywhere and everywhere, how he made hideouts and left inheritances. It seemed the man had some sort of mission, a plan for the future. Helena looked out at the night sky that had now fallen during her story. Ghostly tears welled up in her eyes as she was made to recall all those painful memories of her past. "Thank you Helena for telling me this story... I know it was hard to share. As far as I''m aware, my ancestor had a mission or some sort of plan for the future. I''m unsure what he planned even to this day... However, that probably explains why he vanished like he did". Helena nodded as she let out a slight chuckle. "That man was truly an enigma... I see a lot of him in you". Oz sighed as he played back in his head Helena''s story over and over. While it told him more about Merlin''s character, it still didn''t tell him anything about what the man was up to. "Is that all you knew about my ancestor Helena? Is there nothing else of note?". Helena shook her head as she looked at Oz. "As you know and as I''ve said, he was a man made up of secrets. All I can remember is one thing my mother once told me when I first asked where he disappeared off to". Recalling her mothers words, Helena started to paraphrase what she had once said. "~A Dragon''s son lives a long life, in search of power and in search of knowledge. Little did we know that the young boy we let into our school was anything but, using us for his search~". Helena showed a face of wistfulness as she recited her mothers words. To her she had no idea what her mother meant however Oz''s heart dropped knowing what the words actually meant. ''Merlin... was he older than the founders at the time he was in Hogwarts? If a ''Dragon''s son lives a long life'' then maybe the founders noticed that Merlin had dragon''s blood within him near the end of his stay... If he was able to manipulate his age then maybe Hogwarts wasn''t the only place he used for his search for knowledge...''. A myriad of different theories and thoughts welled up in Oz''s mind after hearing what Rowena once told Helena. His head began to hurt as he realised his ancestor was a puzzle that was just way too difficult to solve. What was he trying to achieve? was he just a knowledge freak or, as Oz surmised, did he have some sort of mission he was taking part in? "That man was definitely around my mothers level maybe even at the time he was in Hogwarts... The headmaster currently in Hogwarts right now is certainly a talented man yet he still remains on the cusp of the 4th step. With him approaching the end of his life, he will probably never reach that level... There was one other that had the talent to reach that step but he...". Helena''s expression grew dark as she remembered an unsavoury figure in her head. Oz saw an opportunity to steer the conversation back on track to what he wanted to know next. "Oh? Who was this other person who had the talent to reach the step the founders were in". Helena''s expression grew darker as she turned to Oz. Eventually she sighed as she started to speak. "I usually wouldn''t talk about him... but seeing as though you''re the descendant of that man I''ll speak". "I mentioned at the beginning of this conversation that I once was betrayed by a Slytherin boy like yourself. That boys name was Tom Riddle... Although today he goes by Voldemort". Helena''s face turned into a snarl as she recalled the dark lord who tricked her. "He convinced me to reveal the location of my mother''s diadem. I eventually told him trusting him to bring it back to here at Hogwarts hoping that would somewhat restore the karma of what I once did... However that man... He defiled that artefact with his dark magic!". Helena''s rage rose as she thought back on what Riddle had done to the diadem. Oz listened intently before deciding to talk. "Helena... What if I I could destroy that diadem, in turn destroying the dark magic he defiled it with? Think of it as a way to repay you for all you''ve told me". Helena''s head snapped around as she looked deeply at Oz. "T-That would be great if you were able to do that... However do you even know what he did to it? What dark magic he enchanted it with?". Oz nodded his head as he began to explain. "He turned your mother''s diadem into a horcrux... you know what that is right?". Helena''s expression dropped as rage filled her face again. However just as it seemed she was about to lose control she suddenly started to laugh. "HAHAHAHA THAT FOOLISH BOY. HE WAS ON TRACK TO SURPASS EVEN THE FOUNDERS WITH HIS TALENT YET HE DECIDED TO USE SUCH A DISGUSTING MAGIC AND SPLIT HIS SOUL! HE''S MANAGED TO COMPLETELY STUNT HIS OWN GROWTH!". As Helena laughed out about the fact Voldemort created Horcruxes, Oz''s expression changed to that of confusion. "Sorry Helena I don''t understand, how does splitting ones soul stop them from reaching that step?". Helena''s laughing started to dim down as she looked over at Oz with a elated smile on her face. "You see Oz, to reach that step your soul''s strength as well as your magical strength is imperative. My mother once told me as such. That Riddles soul and power were well on track to step into the 4th step and maybe even surpass the founders who resided in it. Yet... in splitting his soul he has destroyed all chance he had of reaching that level". Hearing Helena''s explanation Oz started to realise the validity of it and even grasp some insights into what the 4th step was. ''I always thought it was insane how strong Voldemort was considering he had split his soul so much. His talent was actually so great! Yet... his own fear of death managed to stop him from ever reaching those heights... how ironic''. Oz turned back to the elated Helena with a smile. "Well I guess that is one good thing... However since he''s split his soul he''s harder to kill. Helena... could you please tell me where your mother''s diadem was hidden and maybe a way of locating it?". Oz of course already knew where the diadem was, he just felt that he needed to ask as a way of not drawing suspicion. The main info he wanted was in the second part of the question where he asked if there was a way of locating it. "That man... he hid the diadem in the place where all things are hidden... however..." Helena looked down-trodden as she showed Oz a sorry face. "I''m sorry Oz, I have no means in which you can locate the diadem... I once theorised that my mother had placed a tracker on it and was able to find my whereabouts with it however I have no means in activating that tracker. You will just have to go there to that room and seek it out slowly". Oz sighed as he understood now there was no easy way about this. He was hoping there would be some way to get to the diadem sooner however it seemed that he would just need to wait until his eyes were able to detect a horcruxes aura more sharply. ''She did mention though that a tracker could be placed onto the diadem... I wonder if I can use that knowledge somehow''. "Is there nothing you can remember from your mother that would give any indication on how to track the diadem? The sooner I find this thing the better". Helena shook her head as she sighed deeply. "My relationship with my mother wasn''t the best Oz... If only I was more attentive maybe I would have the information you seek". Oz let out another signature sigh as he nodded towards Helena understanding her circumstances. "Thats alright Helena, you''ve been a great help to me today and a p???sur? to talk to". Helena nodded towards Oz as she watched him start to slowly walk back to the stairs down into the Ravenclaw common room. As Oz took his wand out his pocket he turned back to her one more time. "If you ever need someone to talk to Helena... If you ever think of any more stories to share. Come seek me out. I''m always open to more engaging stories". Helena smiled at Oz as she nodded once again confirming that she would seek him out again if she wanted to talk. Seeing this Oz cloaked himself and headed down the stairs. Helena watched him disappear and leave before looking out at the night sky once more and at the moon now rising high. "That boy even has Merlin''s d?s?r? for knowledge....". Chapter 84 - The Greengrasses Curse After finishing his talk with Helena, Oz headed back down into the Ravenclaw common room. Stood near the staircase was Luna and Cho who seemed to be a bit antsy. Considering how long that talk lasted, its no surprise that they were a bit worried about how long they would have to stand guard. As Oz reached the bottom of the stairs, he carefully prodded both of them on the shoulder, jump scaring them a bit. "AH- Oh its just you Oz... Are you all finished now?". Cho spoke out to the empty space behind her after gathering that was about where Oz was. Whispering to the duo he confirmed that it was indeed him. "I''m all finished, again thank you both for your help". Luna and Cho both smiled hearing Oz''s thanks before heading towards the exit of the Ravenclaw common room. Opening the door, the pretended to leave wherein fact Oz was actually the one leaving, slipping out when the door was open. After whispering another thanks, Oz headed down the Ravenclaw tower steps, leaving behind Cho and Luna who once again entered their common room. . As Oz ventured down back to the Slytherin dungeons, he recalled everything that Helena had told him. All the details about Merlin filled his mind as he found his ancestor becoming more and more difficult to pin down. As he entered into the dungeons, Oz uncloaked himself and walked towards his dorm. ''There''s no use thinking about Merlin now... All ill do is confuse myself more and more. Maybe if I send a letter to Alfreda, she will know more about Merlin''s actual age. Then again... Merlin kept so many secrets that I wouldn''t be surprised if she didn''t know''. Oz walked over to his desk as he started to write a letter to send to both Alfreda and Norberta. He ensured in the letter that he was fine and included within its contents they story Helena had told him. As he was transcribing the story for Alfreda to reference, Oz realised something. ''Wait a minute... Helena surmised that a tracker was placed on the diadem. The Bloody Baron was the one who found Helena in the end. Maybe that ghost knows about how to activate the tracker!''. As smacked his head as he realised this simple fact. He was so focused on Merlin that he didn''t realise this simple connection. The Bloody Baron after all was the house ghost of Slytherin so getting his attention would be simple. Oz however had never seen the Baron around, mainly due to the fact he didn''t spend much time in the common room of Slytherins dungeons. Realising this was his best chance at finding the diadem early, he decided to come straight back to the common room after lessons tomorrow in order to seek out the Baron himself. ''Maybe Daphne or Harry know more as well considering how they always hang out there...''. Finalising his thoughts, Oz finished his letter to Alfreda and Norberta. When dawn rose, Oz would head to the owlery and give the letter to Kuro before heading off to lessons. The lessons today seemed to go painstakingly slow for Oz. His anticipation rose towards this talk with the Bloody Baron. After all, not only might the Baron know about how the tracker in the diadem works, but he may also have information on Merlin considering they were both in the same house. Finally the lessons of the day came to a close and Oz immediately headed towards the Slytherin dungeons. When he arrived, the common room was practically empty as most people would be hanging out with friends during this time. As Oz looked around the room, he noticed a familiar face sat down at a table staring down at some books. "Daphne, How are you?". Daphne''s head shot up after hearing someone call out to her. When she saw who it was her face morphed into an expression of surprise. "Oz? Its rare for you to be here right after lessons... usually you just vanish off somewhere". Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Oz walked over and sat opposite Daphne. "I just felt like coming back here for once. Besides I have some business to tend to here as well... By the way, where''s Harry?". Daphne smiled as she replied to Oz. "He managed to get on Snape''s bad side. Honestly even though that man is our head of house he seems to have a vendetta against Harry regardless of that fact". ''When I entered the room she seemed to give off an aura of ''do not approach'', an icy cold aura. The second she recognised me that shell seemed to melt a bit. Whenever she''s around Harry she''s totally different as well. I wonder how she acts around people she doesn''t know at all?''. As Oz was slowly losing himself in his thoughts, Daphne snapped him awake. "So Oz... what is the business you need to tend to here? Did you need to study or... Actually considering your grades and knowledge I doubt its that". Looking at Daphne, Oz decided to ask her about the information he needed. "I''m here because I want to meet the Bloody Baron... You know, our house ghost. As you know I enlisted Luna and Cho to help me meet with Helena in order to find out information on Merlin. Helena told me that the Bloody Baron might know more as they were in Slytherin at the same time". Daphne wore a face of understanding hearing what Oz was up to. Although under that understanding Oz sensed that she wasn''t full convinced and that there was something more. Of course Oz was not obliged yet to mention what his true goal was. "Well... The Bloody Baron usually appears here in a couple hours. Around the time that most students return here to hang out. He likes to talk that Baron, although his conversations are a bit too unsavoury for me... always talking about such vulgar things. I did actually overhear recently that the Baron is banned from ever heading up passed the 2nd floor of Hogwarts... He''s probably caused some mischief thats landed him in trouble with another ghost or something that resides higher up in the castle". Hearing Daphne explain the Baron''s mannerisms he couldn''t help but let out a slight chuckle. ''Too right the Baron is banned from heading any further up... If he wasn''t he''d be pleading his love to Helena everyday...''. "Well it looks like I''ll have to wait here until he appears... While im here Daphne is there anything you need help with?". Daphne gave Oz a grateful look before showing a rare sad smile. "I-I''d be really appreciative if you could help me... However my dilemma is one thats not easily solvable". Hearing that Daphne had a plight, Oz decided to bite. "Well there''s no harm in telling me what''s going on right? Even if there''s a small chance of me knowing how to help, It''s still better than nothing right?". Daphne sighed deeply as she closed the book she was reading. Looking up at Oz she began to explain her dilemma. "I''m not sure if you know Oz... I have a little sister called Astoria. She''s a kind-hearted soul who was taught by our mother to not believe in the ''bloodline supremacy'' of us purebloods. In the summer just gone though I overheard my mother speaking about Astoria... apparently she has inherited our families bloodline curse". Hearing about a bloodline curse Oz was all ears. Oz''s own bloodline had influenced him greatly leading him to have dragon-like qualities via Merlin. The Greengrass family was a pureblood family that spanned back generations. For them to have a bloodline curse it meant that an ancestor of theirs was struck with a curse that passed down the family tree. "The curse itself causes my sister to sometimes be extremely frail and weak. I''ve been looking into a way to hopefully strengthen her and maybe even get rid of the curse from her, however everything I find seems to lead to the same answer... that a bloodline is impossible to tamper with". Daphne''s expression grew sadder as she recalled her sisters face. "She joins Hogwarts next year... I was hoping by then I could surprise her with a way to keep her body from being so frail. She''s always looked up to things like quidditch and other activities however due to this damn curse she would be pushing herself too much if she attempted any of those activities...". Tears started to well up in Daphne''s eyes as she felt her frustration bubble up. Looking at Daphne''s face Oz realised that this girl was far more m?tur? than what she previously let on. All this time she was searching for a way to allow her little sister to have a good life at Hogwarts. Leaning over the table Oz wiped away her tears as he sat back and started to talk. "What your sister is going through is definitely a difficult situation... Bloodline curses are malicious things to deal with. Even though such a curse is malicious though, it doesn''t make it invincible. Out there somewhere there''s sure to be a way to stop the curse from plaguing her". Daphne''s eyes started to gleam with a slight hope as she listened to Oz cheering her up. "When I have the time Daphne in the future, Ill look into bloodline curses more. Such a topic is something I haven''t looked into too much detail in. However, I believe with the right amount of searching there has to be a way to fix your sisters condition. Whether it be a potion or a spell". Daphne''s previous sad expression was wiped away as she now looked at Oz with hope and thankfulness. Nodding her head she stared directly into Oz''s eyes. "I''m really grateful for your help Oz. Knowing you will be helping me is a massive weight off my shoulders". Oz nodded at her thanks as he continued. "You should also tell the others about this... I''m sure they will jump at the idea to help you". Daphne nodded at Oz once again. "I will do just that... Thanks again Oz". Looking at Daphne in front of him. His opinion of the young Greengrass changed once again. Maybe her prankster habits were a way to mask her true personality. Carrying all this weight on her shoulders she probably pranked others as a way to relieve stress. Judging by how she herself was seeking out a way to help her sister, it seemed that the Greengrass family themselves had all but given up on helping Astoria, just wishing that she lived a long life instead of actually helping her. "There''s still a couple hours till that Baron shows up... How about we look into some information now Daphne?". Daphne smiled gleefully as she heard Oz, handing him over a couple books that included all sorts of information on curses and how to cure them. The majority of information Oz already recognised from his time reading books in the RoR, however Daphne seemed to have some newer books about bloodlines specifically that not even the school had yet. She had probably sought out these books herself in order to help her sister. Oz read through these books, feeling the knowledge fill into his brain he felt his blood relax immensely as he started to memorise everything he could. After a couple hours, the Bloody Baron finally appeared in the Slytherin Dungeons. Chapter 85 - [Side Story] - Ozs Lessons A/N - Just some insight into Oz''s school life with a nice little story about a certain frauds first lesson with Oz. Enjoy the double upload :) ---------------------------------------- As Oz started his third year at Hogwarts he was presented with a choice of elective lessons. Even though he himself had already plunged his hands into a variety of subjects using the RoR as a personal library, he was still obligated to pick what lessons he preferred. His personal picks ended up being Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures and finally Arithmancy. These picks weren''t the be all end all though for Oz as he still looked into the other subjects he didn''t pick. He especially looked into divination wondering if such a study along with Arithmancy could produce some synergetic results. The idea of using divination and arithmancy together to predict an opponents movements was one of Oz''s many ideas. As for picking Ancient Runes and Magical Creatures, he picked both as both subjects seemed to be right up his alley. Ancient Runes were something that Merlin himself tampered with as well in the past. At the hideout of Stonehenge, the rocks there wore a myriad of ancient runes some of which were far more advanced than Hogwarts standard. Taking this elective alongside doing personal studies, Oz hoped he could deconstruct those runes further considering how well they protected the hideout at Stonehenge and in the future hoped to emulate those effects on his own. Picking Care of Magical Creatures as his other elective was a given as he was already collecting his own entourage of magical creatures. After all back at his hideout he had Norberta and Alfreda both of whom were magical creatures and with Oz''s own connection to magical creatures like dragons it seemed a given to pick this elective. The only elective subject he ignored was Muggle studies. As someone who lived a life before this one in a ''muggle world'' such a study seemed redundant to him. He took one look at a muggle studies book and immediately put it back down as it reminded him of his previous depressing life... . "Can you all see me? Can you all hear me...? Good!". Currently Oz was sat in one of his first lessons of the year and in front of him was a teacher he had zero respect for. The fraudster himself Gilderoy Lockhart. ''Is that opener something he rehearses?''. Oz watched the man walked down the stairs, standing in front of the whole class. Looking around the class he spotted Oz and took a long glance at him. "Ah! I''ve been wanting to meet you for a while now... Oz was it? To be a descendant of Merlin you are a true royal in this wizarding world! Teaching you will be my honour... as well as yours~". "Ozzie... doesn''t he give you a sort of ''fake'' vibe". To Oz''s right on his table was Craig who would sit next to him most lessons when they were in the same class. Oz nodded at Craig whose spider-sense seemed to be right on the money. "He definitely does give that vibe off...". After extended nights in the RoR reading and practicing potions, Oz felt himself grow tired as his eyelids grew heavier. Part of him hoped that this lesson would end early so he could rest a bit. At the front of the class Lockhart was re-enacting one of his famous stories as he told it to the class. He went into detail how he beat back magical beasts with ease while adding along what awards he one for helping in said situations. Looking to his right Oz noticed that Craig was starting to nod off asleep as well. Knowing that this frauds stories were all bullshit made Oz even more less inclined to listen along. After what felt like hours of storytelling, Lockhart eventually brought in a cage covered by a tarp. ''Oh no...''. Oz felt his head bang as he realised what was probably going to happen next. "You see class, I had some issues with Cornish pixies earlier on today. Dangerous little creatures those things, extremely evasive. I however managed to catch them all quickly... but due to the amount of damage they initially caused I decided it was best to change out those little troublemakers for something more interesting...". "Do be warned, this creature is one that took me a few minutes to best when I first encountered one... even if its destructive prowess is lesser than a pixie it is still just as dangerous". "This here students is a Fwooper! These owls are incredibly loud when provoked, they can even cause a listener to go insane via their song. Today I will be teaching you how to combat that screeching sound!". As Lockhart was presenting the Fwooper, Oz noticed that the Fwooper inside the cage was sleeping peacefully. While Lockhart was presenting the Fwooper however he smacked his wand against the cage as he got more into his explanation. Immediately the eyes of the Fwooper opened. Lockhart looking at the Fwooper seemed to mutter under his own breath. "Oh dear...". "TWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTT". Immediately the class was ?ssailed with a twittering song that made all the students cover their ears. Noticing the moment when Lockhart knocked the cage, Oz immediately used ''Quietus'' on his own ears. Such an application made it so that the horrendous tweeting song of the Fwooper was turned down to Oz, only Oz though. Looking to his right though, he saw a now wide-awake Craig holding his ears tightly. "HOW ARE YOU STILL OKAY OZ!?". Craig and the other students around seemed to be in agony as the Fwooper continued to sing its song. Looking towards the front of the class, Oz noticed that the great Gilderoy Lockhart who was closest to the creature had fainted due to the intense noise he heard. Sighing to himself, Oz walked to the front of the class with all the students around looking at him in hope and confusion. As he approached the cage, Oz pointed his wand at the little Fwooper and casted ''Silencio''. Immediately the Fwooper stopped its song and all the students around were relieved of their agony. On the floor next to the Fwooper, Gilderoy Lockhart awoke and instantly shot to his feet. "An excellent showing of how to combat a Fwooper Oz! Incredible work, 10 points to Slytherin! If you gave me just a couple more seconds though I would have had it silenced lickety-split! You see its imperative that you all experience the terror of a Fwooper first hand so you know why these creatures are dangerous, hence I didn''t silence is straight away". Lockhart looked around at all the students with his signature smile as Oz shook his head with a sigh. ''Honestly... how thick-skinned can a man be...''. "Is that why you also fainted Professor?". Oz decided to combat that frauds claim on how he had the situation under control. He saw that Lockhart was shaken for a second when he initially contested him, however soon after he thought of a reply. "That my dear Oz wasn''t me fainting! It was a technique I learned when I was abroad in... Romania! Using said technique you''re able to block all sensory disturbances clearing your mind. You see, I believe I did the technique so well that I actually cleared my mind too much causing me to sleep for a minute there... curse my talent!". Listening to this man rabble on Oz couldn''t believe the lengths he was going to in order to cover his reputation. "Anyway Oz back to your seat with you... I will now begin with... teaching you thi-" Lockhart started to slow his sentences as Oz noticed he was looking up at the clock. Just as it seemed he was gonna say he would teach them this ''technique'' the bell for the end of the lesson rang. "Is that really the lesson over?! Time flies when you''re having fun ey? Anyway students this lesson was only an introductory lesson! Next we will be looking into my past endeavours in order to learn more ways of combating such dangerous beasts... until next time!". Craig walked over to Oz and put his hand on his shoulder. "That man really is thick-skinned isn''t he?". Oz nodded at Craig exasperatedly as the two then left the lesson together.... Chapter 86 - The Bloody Baron As Oz passed the time with Daphne reading into bloodline curses, he noted how bloodline curses were a truly sinister thing to deal with. Oz himself had read up on all the information he could find on bloodlines when his own awakened back during the Animagus ritual in his last year. Bloodlines themselves were an extremely complex concept. They were inscrutable and hard to manipulate, Oz had even read up on how some dark wizards had tried to alter there own bloodlines in the past to make themselves stronger however the results 99% of the time always lead to a disastrous situation. If he was being honest, Oz only offered to help Daphne purely to pass the time while waiting for the Baron to appear but as he thought on the subject of Astoria''s bloodline malediction he knew that such a thing would be hard to cure if he did decide to help in the future. While it was a pity to have a girl who wanted to do so much at school only be able to participate in low energy activities due to her disposition, Oz felt that his own endeavours were much more important still. If he were to come across a fix in the future though he would be happy to help. The Greengrass''s are a family that spans back generations after all and to visit along with help such a family could lead to some nice benefits. Oz also knew that truly Astoria still had plenty of time to live. In the canon after all she died at the age of 37, by the time she''s nearing her death Oz felt he would have a solution in hand already, maybe even way before hand so he felt no need to rush such an endeavour either. Eventually while Daphne and Oz were reading books about bloodline curses along with any other material Daphne could present to Oz, Harry also joined the duo. "Oz? It''s rare to see you around here at this time... What are you and Daphne reading about?". Daphne hearing Harry''s question reflectively looked at Oz, peering back at her Oz nodded to her signalling that now was the time to explain herself. Sure enough after she told Harry what she was after he jumped at the chance to help her as well as saying that Cho, Luna and Hermione would also be a great help considering that they were all brainboxes to some extent. One thing Oz couldn''t wrap his head around though was why Daphne even hesitated in the first place to ask for help. Was it that her pride denied her from speaking about what was truly going on or was there something else under the surface. Before Oz could think on these points, he noticed how filled the Slytherin common room was and to the far end of the room he spotted a certain ghost who was striking up conversations with any student he could. . "Oz, The Barons here now". Daphne alerted Oz of the ghosts presence as Oz nodded. Looking over at the Baron, Oz was reminded of Helena''s story. ''Considering how he died and what he did before he died its safe to ?ssume he has a few screws loose... I''ll have to coax the information out of him carefully...''. Oz sat patiently with Harry and Daphne the latter of whom were still reading books about curses and bloodlines. Oz feigned reading however in actuality he was sensing out the ghost waiting for it to start approaching his area. After some time the Baron eventually started to head over towards the table the trio were on. "Ahhh! If it isn''t little Greengrass and Potter. It''s rare to see you two so heavily engrossed in books... Bloodlines and bloodline curses ey? What an interesting subject that is!". Oz''s first impression of the Baron was... somewhat eccentric. He seemed to be incredibly talkative and even nosey to a point. Considering the fact that he was locked down in the dungeons most of the time he probably finds himself to be incredibly bored. Anything even if its slight thats interesting to him he would pursue. Daphne and Harry lifted their heads up and simply nodded at the Baron before reading again. Seeing this Oz gathered that the Baron was the type of character as well that would not stop talking if you started a conversation with him. Feeling out his characteristics to this point, Oz felt that it was time to make his move. "Oh! Where are my manners, I didn''t even see you had a new friend with you two. Looking at you... you seem much older than them. How come I''ve never seen you before down here? Your face certainly looks might familiar though... Why can''t I put my finger on it?". "You''re the Bloody Baron correct? Although I''ve been in this school three years now I find it stifling to hang around here at this time as im not really good with crowds. That probably explains why we''ve never truly met before". The Baron looked down at Oz with curiosity filling his eyes. A slight glee seemed to emanate from him as he realised Oz was actually down to have a conversation. "Ah I see! This place can get bothersome at times... I only ever spend an hour or so here due to how congested it feels! Yes yes¡­ I certainly see where you''re coming from. The question I''d like to ask you now though is what is your name?". Oz simply nodded at the Baron''s response before replying. "My names Oz Ambrosius". The Barons eyes seemed to gleam with a slight uncomfortableness when he realised who Oz was before reverting back to his usual curiosity. Normally most people wouldn''t catch such an expression especially when it was a ghost however Oz''s eyes were special along with his ability to read people. "So you''re the descendant of that guy ey? Yes yes I certainly see that man in you! The eyes are certainly similar as well...". The Baron seemed to lose himself in his thoughts as he recalled Merlin. Hearing his response Oz realised that the Baron did indeed know of Merlin to an extent. Considering who the Baron was though and what he was like Oz imagined that his knowledge was probably no way near what Helena held. However this situation allowed him a way to talk with the Baron and lead to conversation along. "You knew my ancestor when you were alive? Would you mind talking to me a bit longer about him? I''ve been searching up all I can about him but information on him is so vague that its hard to piece it together". Hearing Oz''s query the Baron''s talkative nature started to kick in. Hearing Oz asking about his past and his connection with Merlin he seemed ready to pounce on the idea of talking longer about it all. "I''d be happy to talk to you young Ambrosius! Let''s see... How about we head to somewhere quieter first, with how cluttered and loud it is here you may not hear everything I have to say!". Nodding at the ghost, Oz casted his eyes towards Daphne and Harry who seemed to be listening in on the conversation a bit. Turning back he replied: "Sounds like a good idea, my dorm room should be empty. We can talk there". Oz got out of his seat as he replied back to the Baron, starting to head his way towards his dorm. The Baron promptly followed behind. As Oz walked through the Slytherin common room a lot of the students gave him weird looks as he led the Baron somewhere. With the student base knowing how annoying the Baron could be, it made no sense that someone as anti-social as Oz would actively seek him out for a chat. As Oz arrived at his room he entered and waited for the Baron to pass through the door. "Even though I''m a ghost you should at least show the courtesy to leave the door open!". Oz chuckled a bit at the Baron''s protest. "I''m sorry Baron, I only closed it on the way in so as not to let any sound in while we have our conversation". As the Baron listened to Oz''s reply he nodded his head in affirmation to Oz''s reasoning. He slowly brought himself into Oz''s dorm and glided around looking at all the different areas in his room. Whilst the Baron was distracted Oz walked over to the door of his room and secretly pointed his wand at the door. A slight flash emitted from his wand as the door was charmed. Wanting to be safe Oz decided to place the ''Imperturbable'' charm on the door as well as casting ''Colloportus'' so that nobody could enter for a while. ''In hindsight I should have placed that charm a lot sooner...''. With the charm placed, Oz put his wand away as he walked back over to the Baron who was looking at the books on Oz''s desk. "Arithmancy, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures... You seem to be learning everything you can here at school aren''t you! You certainly are a descendant of that man... certainly so...". The Baron seemed to lose himself in his thoughts again as Oz walked over to a chair in his room. Getting himself comfortable Oz decided to ask the Baron. "You''re the second ghost I''ve asked about my ancestor so far. Thank you for allowing me some of your time". Snapping out of his daze the Baron looked at Oz and replied with a hearty laugh. "Its no problem Ambrosius! No problem at all!". "Where do I begin... Your ancestor was an impressive talent in our house. Me and him always seemed to be competing in all the subjects we had together. While his knowledge was definitely impressive, mine was nothing to scoff at as well with me coming out on top more times than him in the long run! One day though... He seemed to vanish from the school. I asked around the house (Slytherin) about him however not many people knew him at all. Truth be told even I didn''t know much about him, seeing him as a rival mainly that helped further my own skills. It was a shame to let such a talented man disappear...". Listening to the Baron''s story about Merlin some of it coincided with Helena''s own story. However... ''He seems to be pretty good at bullshitting...''. Oz could tell that the Baron was trying to spin a narrative that he and Merlin were close in terms of power and knowledge. Anyone with half a brain though would know that that was obviously not the case. Merlin probably didn''t even know who the Baron was. While Oz felt compelled to contest the Baron he knew that staying on his good side would be best for now. Seeing that Oz was showing attention to him, the Baron decided to ask Oz a question. "Now that I''ve answered your question would you answer something I''d like to know?". "By all means Baron. What would you like to ask me?". "Who was this other ghost you met before me that gave information to you about your ancestor, Merlin?". Seeing the desperation and longing in the ghosts eyes in front of him, Oz couldn''t help but crack a smile. ''Looks like this will be much easier than I thought''. Chapter 87 - Centuries of Obsession "The ghost I met before you was the grey lad-... no she doesn''t like that name does she. Helena Ravenclaw is what I mean to say. Seeing as though she was a founder''s direct daughter she seemed like a great place to start in order to gain information on Merlin". Hearing his beloveds name and realising the boy in front of him had met her in person, the Baron''s disposition changed from whimsical curiosity to pure obsessiveness. Oz decided at this point to go in for the kill. "A lot of what you say coincides with what she told me actually. We had a long chat about her past in school when she was alive. What I was truly surprised about was that she asked me a favour before I left...". Oz made it seem as though he was thinking out loud when in all honesty he wanted the Baron to hear these words. As Oz trailed off he floated closer to Oz and stared him directly in the eyes. "W-w-what is it that my beloved wanted from you!? A favour!? M-maybe it''s something I could help out with? Yes yes... If I help she may allow me to see her again!". The Baron''s excitement seemed to rise as he saw Oz as his light at the end of the tunnel. The Baron believed that by using this boy as an intermediary, he''d be able to help his beloved as well as learn what she''s up to. Little does he know though that in fact he was the one being used. "I don''t mind telling you Baron... After all she asked me to get all the help I could as this task was difficult. You see, when I first talked to her she recounted the story of her life mentioning her life''s biggest regret; stealing her mother''s diadem. She wanted to enlist my help in finding the diadem so that her heart could be at peace. The one problem is though... she can''t recount the exact location of where she left it... So, she''s asked me to first find out any and all information about the diadem in the hopes of finding a method to track it down". Hearing his beloveds dilemma, the Baron''s eyes grew larger as his elatedness skyrocketed. "I can actually help my beloved... I can actually help my beloved! Ambrosius! My dear dear fellow Slytherin! I have the information you seek! If I tell you all that I know about that diadem can you please let my beloved know that I was the one who helped her!? Maybe then she will see me again!". Oz clapped his hands together as he looked at the Bloody Baron. "Perfect! Finding this information so fast will only lead Helena to be that much more inclined to see whoever helped. Of course ill pass that information along Baron". "THATS MISS HELENA TO YOU LAD". The Baron''s temper was truly something to behold seeing as though Oz set him off just by calling Helena by her first name. He ignored the Baron''s anger as he proceeded to push for answers. "So what is the information on the diadem then? The sooner I can pass this information along the better". "Ah right right where do I begin... As my beloved probably told you our dance of love ended in tragedy. Her heart was bewitched by something that led her astray from me. Just before I was about to profess my love to her she herself vanished from the school. Distraught I sought out her mother who I pleaded to let me go look for her. Rowena seeing my desperation told me how I could find her". "Rowena''s diadem... she placed a tracker on it that could be activated using a spell created by her herself... She entrusted me with this information along with the details about how the diadem was gone in the first place. The incantation I believe...". "The incantation that Rowena created was: ''Quaerite et invenietis eum diadema et hoc est meum''... The best way I found to use this spell was to enchant it onto something that could ''point'' in a direction. I''d use it on sticks and the stick would fall in the direction of where the diadem and my beloved was...". As Oz heard the incantation and the way to use it two things came to mind. One was: ''Jesus thats a long incantation...''. and two was: ''So to use it efficiently you need to use it on something that can ''point'' in a direction. Seems all I need is a compass''. The Baron kept on rambling giving as much detail as possible about the diadem even going as far as to describe how it looked, how many gems it had, why it was shaped the way it was. He took Oz''s request of ''any and all'' information too literally. Seeing that he wouldn''t stop until told to, Oz bu??ed into his long description. "Thank you Baron for this information! Seeing your devotion to H- Miss Helena has truly moved me so I think its best I head there now and tell her all of this information. The information about how to track it down with be especially important to her... you may actually have a chance of doing more than just seeing her again". Oz started to head towards the door as the Baron fervently thanked Oz. He flew in front of Oz as he headed into the Slytherin common room, essentially ushering him along. "Ambrosius... Mingling with ghosts now? I knew you were a loner but this is beyond sad!". Calling out to Oz was Draco who was sat on a couch with his two henchmen Crabb and Goyle next to him both of whom were looking very nervous. It seemed to Oz that Draco desperately wanted to insult Oz all this time especially considering the trouble Oz has put his father through, however it seemed he only felt comfortable insulting Oz when he had his ''bodyguards'' with him. Before Oz could even reply though the Bloody Baron had flew over directly in front of Draco. "DON''T YOU DARE DISTURB HIM YOU SCUM!" The viciousness in the Baron''s words startled everyone in the common room as he bellowed at Draco. The boy in question shrunk back in his chair with his two ''bodyguards'' fainting. Oz looked on in amusement as he decided to just continue onwards without a word. . As Oz reached the stairs to the second floor the Baron came to a stop behind him. "Don''t you forget to put in a good name for me Oz! I want all the details as soon as possible when you get back!". Watching the ghost ''dance'' off gleefully Oz sighed to himself. ''He really is annoying... his talent at bullshitting as well reminds me of a certain someone too... I wonder if he''s his ancestor''. Shrugging his shoulders Oz started his journey towards to Room of Requirement, It was high time that he secured this diadem. ------------------ A/N - just thought I''d add this little note.. I''ve been debating for a bit now whether or not I should make a discord server for this novel (just a place to chat and bounce ideas around) if this paragraph gets enough comments saying it''s a good idea then I''ll look into doing it, if not then I''ll leave the idea be. Thanks all for reading :) Chapter 88 - The Diadem of Ravenclaw After some walking Oz found himself looking at a familiar wall. Unlike his previous visits here however what he wanted wasn''t a room to practice or learn in. This time he sought out one thing and one thing only. Responding to his will, a door appeared on the wall and opened up to welcome him in. Looking up and down the hall, Oz noted that at this point night-time was approaching with the lack of students. Staying cloaked Oz entered the Room quietly. As he entered into the Room of Requirement he was welcomed by a complete mess of objects and items piled up high. The room to Oz seemed to have no end at all as he looked onwards. Using his eyes he tried to see if he could pick up on the horcrux however the size of this room was truly to big and there was no sign at all to where the horcrux was. ''If the Baron has lied to me then Ill stuff him in a jar and throw him into the black lake...''. On Oz''s hip was a new pouch he had bought during his spending spree at diagon alley before the new school year. To anyone it would seem that this pouch probably only stored a couple coins or some herbs however in reality this was Oz''s full storage all kept on his hip. With the extension charm placed on the bag, everything he had gathered and made up to this point was stored in it. Along with an extension charm Oz had also placed many other wards and charms so that no other people besides him could gain access to it. Taking one last look around the area and looking behind to confirm that the door to the room had closed, Oz pointed his wand into the little pouch and uttered a spell. "Accio Compass". As the spell was casted a compass jumped out of the pouch which Oz caught in his hands. This compass was something he had bought in the summer just before coming to Hogwarts for this year. ''I only initially bought this little thing as it had a fun enchantment on it I wanted to study... however I think finding a horcrux is a little more important than a compass that finds missing quills...''. Pointing his wand at the little compass Oz pressed his wands tip against it and with a slight jolt of magical power he broke the previous enchantment that was on it. The compasses slight ''magical glow'' seemingly faded leaving it a blank slate, perfect for the enchantment told to him by the Baron. "Well here goes nothing...". "Quaerite et invenietis eum diadema et hoc est meum~". After Oz finished the incantation the compass let out a blue glow reminiscent of the Ravenclaw houses colour. The previous compass that lost its ?ustre of magic regained a more powerful ?ustre with the tip of the compass pointer shining a dull blue. As the compass was enchanted, the pointer within the compass seemed to spin around rapidly before stopping abruptly in a slightly north eastern direction. ''Good, it seems to be working''. Looking happily at the compass that was working, Oz started to follow its directions leading him through the cluttered room. ''Back when the Baron sought out Helena for Rowena he was only able to use sticks as a means of finding out which direction she was in... Surely there was a smarter way of going about it even for back then''. Passing through the troves of magical items Oz found his eyes wonder looking at all the different pieces of equipment. With his own knowledge of enchanted items however he could tell that the majority of these items were defunct and dead at this point. Some only needed a magical recharge while others were completely destroyed. Midway through the journey Oz started to pick up the items he thought he could fix up. Even though he didn''t necessarily need them right now, he could always sell them on when fixed or they could even come in handy. He stored these items within his pouch, such a handy item made Oz truly appreciate the magic in this world. ''It''s here''. Climbing up the items slowly, Oz got himself into a good position as he looked in-between the mountain of items. Right in the middle was a black box. Reaching into the mountain of items, Oz plucked this black box out and pulled it towards himself. After retrieving it he jumped back down to the floor. ''Let''s be cautious Oz... The Horcruxes in the canon always seemed to affect the holders emotions. Although I''m confident in my strength of mind a little discretion would never hurt...''. Sitting himself down in the comfiest place possible Oz opened up the box revealing the item he had been seeking. The Diadem looked back at Oz''s with a shine glinting from its central gem. The craftsmanship of such an item was so exquisite that even Oz felt himself get lost in its design. From the central jewel though Oz could feel the horcrux raging within, the gem was the epicentre of where Voldemort''s soul was kept. Carefully, Oz moved his hand towards the horcrux before grabbing it in his hand. The second he grabbed the item he felt a dark aura penetrate his body however the aura seemingly disappeared just as it entered. The dark magic emanating from the horcrux seemed to have been dispersed by Oz''s core the moment it entered him. ''I guess balancing out my core so early on was a smarter move than I thought... With this situation I wont have to deal with keeping my emotions in check when hunting these things''. Oz suspected that this scenario would go this way from the beginning however he decided to still be as cautious as possible. He felt a slight relief when he realised that his ?ssumption was right on the mark. ''Strange... besides holding a part of Voldemort within it this diadem seemed to have some auxiliary purpose before hand. Judging by what I can tell at this point... It was used to clear ones mind completely allowing their focus to improve drastically. Considering that this was made by Rowena Ravenclaw im not surprised that the purpose of the item was something related to helping one study...''. As Oz studied the diadem he felt a bit disappointed now that he had to destroy it. The diadem''s auxiliary effects while simple were tempting to someone like Oz who studied and practiced magic daily. ''Maybe after I destroy it I can restore some of its effects...''. Making his final decision, Oz closed the box with the horcrux in and stuffed it into his pouch. A smile crept onto his face as he realised that one of his main tasks for the year had now been completed. ''Okay... All thats left is to get into that chamber. With this diadem on me right now I should be able to get passed the main ward locking the chamber up, as for the parseltongue entry... I''ll see if that can be circumvented or something''. Wanting to get the main threat gone from the castle now, Oz immediately headed out of the RoR towards the direction of the second floor bathrooms. . As Oz entered into the halls of Hogwarts he cloaked himself. His blood started the churn as it expected a fight soon. The excitement started to become apparent even in Oz''s own eyes. Just as Oz was approaching where the bathroom was though, he heard voices ahead of him. "Albus¡­ How could such a thing happen again at our school?! We may have to send all the students home immediately tomorrow!". Oz''s was just around the corner from the professors who seemed to be filling the hall. Mcgonagall was the first voice he noticed speaking out the Dumbledore. "I''m afraid I don''t know how Minerva... I''m glad you notified me immediately when you found this Madam Pomfrey, If a student saw it they could have been scarred for life". A slight whimper seemed to come out of a teacher Oz couldn''t identify just by voice. Curious at what had happened he turned the corner and looked at the crowd of teachers gathered in front of a wall. On the wall, a message in blood was written. "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened... Enemies of the heir beware". Seeing this message Oz felt his heart drop. If the holder of the diary opened it just a day later Oz might have been able to stop the basilisk from ever being let free. By what he could tell from the teachers talking it seemed that this basilisk had already claimed a victim. "Minerva, wasn''t this boy in your house? He looks old enough to be in his third year it seems... to have this happen to him I truly feel awful". To the right of Mcgonagall who was nodding at Dumbledore''s queries was Gilderoy Lockhart. Even he seemed to be a bit shaken by the situation as he stuttered out a response. "I-If only I was there to help... I-I''ll certainly look for whoever d-did this!". Hearing the talking go on Oz started to feel his usually calm demeanour crack. His instincts were screaming at him that something bad had happened. The body of the boy who was attacked still wasn''t in his sight as it was blocked by the crowd of teachers surrounding it. As his emotions started to become chaotic and his curiosity grew to the max, he presented himself to the teachers by undoing his cloak. The first to see him was Snape. "Students have been told to stay away from this-! It''s you!". "Oz, why are you here at this hour?". Dumbledore was the first to break the awkward silence as Oz started to walk towards them. The teachers seemed to make a wall around the body of the boy who was attacked. "Albus, let me see who was attacked. I overheard your conversation already". The other teachers looked at Oz in shock as he showed Dumbledore no respect. Biting his lip a bit Dumbledore decided to move to the side showing the body that was place on a hook on the wall. Oz couldn''t sense any life from the boy and as he started to look up the boys body he eventually arrived on the boys face. At the moment he saw the boys face, his mind went blank. . Helena looked out into the night sky reminiscing her past as she always would. The painful memories seemed to be more frequent after her meeting with Oz. Thinking back on the meeting in question she found herself thinking about the riddle her mother gave her when she asked her about Merlin. "Why do I feel like im missing something... Was there someone else who mentioned a dragon to me?". As she was using all her brain-power to remember she finally arrived at the answer she was looking for. "That''s right... After I heard that riddle from mother I asked Salazar about Merlin, completely forgoing my mothers words of avoiding the man. He immediately snapped at me calling me all sorts of nasty words when I mentioned that man... but what was it he said at the end?". As she recalled the memory more and more clearly she felt as if she could see Salazar in front of her. After cursing her out the man turned around and sighed. "Never mention that man in front of me again do you understand?! I can''t believe im saying this but for your sake I hope you never find him, he''s an incredibly dangerous individual. If you were to upset him or provoke him in anyway... well let''s just say this...". "A Dragon''s fury is a terrifying thing". Chapter 89 - Fury As Oz stared at the body on the wall he felt his blood boil. His mind that had previously blanked out started to settle again. ''Craig... Why the hell did it have to be you...''. Oz knew himself well and understood that while any student dying would have left a bad taste in his mouth, he would have let it happen if it meant destroying these horcruxes faster. Anything that allowed him to pursue his goals faster would be a welcome surprise to him even if the means of speeding up his pursuit of his goals were sometimes unethical. One of his slight worries over the past while was that the chamber could open at any moment in this new canon seeing as though the holder of the diary had changed. In addition to this worry he also was cautious of how lucky they were in the canon to have nobody die to the basilisk considering all it took to kill was its gaze. Even though he knew how dangerous this all was he still kept a relaxed demeanour and deep down he felt that if a death were to happen it may even be necessary to an extent in order for him to hurry this story along. However seeing his former friend hung on a hook in front of him he started to realise that some of his previous notions were wrong. Him and Craig weren''t the best of friends. Oz always kept a sort of barrier between people and only recently that barrier began to crack with some of the others in his group. When it came to Craig however he felt as though deep down he looked down on him. After all the boy had a na?ve mindset when he first met Oz and even though he reformed he seemed to just be an average guy. Included with this was the fact that he never appeared in the canon so Oz imagine him to be someone of basic value. However looking back on their relationship and his past interactions with the boy Oz felt a pang of regret as he never really gave him the chance to become actual good friends with him. He never gave him the time of day, only ever knowing the surface level that was the character ''Craig'' and he treated him like a true background character. While all this sparked the fire of fury within Oz, what let the flame rage on was his own anger towards himself. He let this happen on his watch when he felt he had everything in his grasp. The teachers around Oz looked at him with wariness as they sensed the aura he was giving off was becoming extremely chaotic. Some of them even started to take out their wands. Dumbledore on the other hand looked at Oz with worry tinged in his eyes. He had experienced first hand how dangerous this version of Oz when they had a duel in the chess room. Holding out his hand he ushered all the teachers to lower their wands. "But Albus¡­ the boy looks like he''s about to burst!". "Minerva, that boy is someone I don''t think any of you can handle right now. Its safer to let him sort through things himself...". All the teachers surrounding the area fell into shock once again after hearing Dumbledore''s words of caution. Putting their wands away they looked at Oz who was stood still. Inside Oz right now his blood was boiling. He felt as if his ''pride'' was wounded and that if he didn''t do something about it he would feel uncomfortable for a long time. Taking a deep breath he collected himself putting on his usual calm demeanour. Turning back around he looked at all the teachers present before locking eyes with Dumbledore. "This situation¡­ Give me one hour and I''ll have the head of the thing that did this. By the break of dawn these troubles will be gone". Dumbledore looked back at Oz seemingly nodding at his words. Looking at the boy''s eyes he saw rage burning within them that seemed to be not only directed at whatever did this but towards himself as well. "Okay Oz, go ahead". Oz nodded at Dumbledore''s affirmation as he casted a spell onto himself. {Augmentum} A dragon-tongued version of his own spell came out in response to his blood that was boiling for a battle. His body welled up with magical power as every part of him felt stronger than before. Immediately he zoomed away heading towards the second floor bathroom leaving behind in his wake a bunch of shocked teachers. "You seem to trust him an awful lot Dumbledore... Didn''t he put you in all that trouble a while back?" Dumbledore turned to his fellow colleagues as he stroked his beard. Looking at Snape who had inquired about his and Oz''s relationship he sighed. "Some people are better to have as allies than enemies Severus...". The teachers looked at Dumbledore in confusion before looking towards where Oz had headed off. "Madam Pomfrey, please handle the body and take it to the hospital ward. I''ll contact the parents of this boy and tell them what has happened. If Oz manages to defeat the thing that is responsible the impact this situation has on the school could still be lessened...". As the teachers scattered to sort the situation out, Dumbledore found himself thinking of Hogwarts''s motto as he recalled the look in Oz''s eyes. "Draco Dormeins Nuncuam Titilandum... A sleeping dragon should never be disturbed...". . After leaving behind all the teachers Oz found himself zooming down the halls of Hogwarts. He eventually arrived at the girls bathroom. As he entered all he could focus on was the entrance to the chamber in front of him disguised as taps. Moaning Myrtle who was present in the toilet noticed Oz as he came in and called out to him. "Oz? Did you come to-". As she called out to Oz she noticed midway through her sentence that something was off with him. It seemed he had tunnel-vision of some kind as he was purely focused on the sink in front of him. He took a long look at it before confirming that the wards had been broken and the chamber opened recently. ''Judging by what I can tell it seems that someone entered the chamber recently...''. "Myrtle, has anyone entered here in the past while?". Moaning Myrtle shook a bit as she heard Oz''s question. "N-No I haven''t seen anyone or heard anything. I was in my cubicle until a couple minutes ago just before you arrived". Oz let out a long sigh as annoyance filled his expression. ''I can only hope my theory works here else I''ll have to force my way in''. Opening his pouch, Oz took out the diadem box and in turn the diadem within it holding it in his grasp. As he looked at the tap in front of him that had a snake engraved onto it he spoke out. {OPEN} ''So it definitely needs to be parseltongue...''. Looking at the ward placed on the entrance Oz noticed that the main ward protecting it had seemed to unlock when Oz took out the diadem. Parseltongue seemed to only act as a means of opening the entrance. To put it in perspective if you looked at the entrance as if it was a ''door'' then the diadem, a piece of the heir of Slytherin, was a ''key'' whilst parseltongue was a ''handle''. The door was now unlocked and while Oz couldn''t open the door with the handle he could just force himself through. {Confringo} Pointing his wand at the entrance he casted ''Confringo'' in dragon-tongue. As the spell connected with entrance it exploded violently causing an extremely loud *BANG* to resonate through the bathroom and the corridor it resided in. After the dust had settled Oz could see that he had made a way into the chamber now. "Myrtle, Do not let anyone and I repeat ANYONE follow me down there understand? I imagine soon that some teachers might come, tell them that I''m the one thats down there and they will help you keep this area secure". Myrtle nodded quickly at Oz''s command as he turned back to look at the entrance. Walking over he jumped down the shoot that lead down into the chamber of secrets. . Falling for a while Oz eventually landed in the area that led to the chamber. With ''Augmentum'' still active he rushed on ahead through the tunnel before him the lead towards the chamber. ''The only thing I need to be careful of is the Basilisk''s gaze. Even then there''s a chance that my own eyes are able to combat that aura but its best not to risk it. As long as I can blind it momentarily I should be able to kill it in the window that I get''. {Confringo} Another dragon-tongue spell came out as he decimated the door in front of him. The door in question flew backwards into the Chamber of Secrets banging as it hit the floor. Walking over to the entrance Oz hopped down into the chamber and started to walk forward. In front of Oz he could see the body of a girl laid down on the floor. At the angle he was at he couldn''t see the girls face nor identify who she was. This scenario was reminiscent of what happened to Ginny in the original canon and Oz guessed that she was the new wielder of the diary. A bit away from the girls hand was the diary in question with its pages wide open. Seeing the diary Oz started to walk towards it and just as he was nearing it he felt a presence nearby. "It seems an unwelcome guest has managed to make his way down here... What a foolish boy walking to his death". Looking towards the direction of the voice, Oz could see an ethereal boy staring at him. ''Tom Riddle''. The spectre of Riddle walked across towards the girl that was laid on the floor and looked down at her with scorn laced in his eyes. "Are you here to save this little one? Such a stupid girl she is. The first time she opened the diary I was able to ensnare her straight away. Someone with nobody close to them is always much easier to manipulate than someone with people around them...". As Oz saw Riddle starting to monologue about how he had manipulated the girl in front of him he looked at him coldly. "You''ve got it all wrong Riddle, or should I say Voldemort. I didn''t come down here to save her or play your little ''Heir of Slytherin'' game. I came here for one reason and one reason only". Taking out his wand Oz pointed it at the spectre of Riddle in front of him. "To show you that some people are not to be fu?k?d with". Chapter 90 - Basilisks Bane Tom Riddle looked at the boy in front of him in extreme wariness after his comments. Not only did this boy know who he was he also know his true identity of being Voldemort as well. With Oz''s final comment though, riddle felt his anger rise as he noticed that the boy only seemed to look at him as a stepping stone rather than a true enemy. "Bold words for a boy so young... Do you even know what sort of beast is down here?! Well... there''s no use getting angry at a dead person". As Riddle finished his sentence he started to talk in parseltongue. The mouth of Salazar behind him at that point began to open. Seeing how the battle was about to begin Oz felt his blood boil even stronger. The rage deep in his belly seemed to parallel his excitement towards this battle. His eyes shone with a deep purple glint as he held his wand out. His heart started to beat in a rhythmic and powerful rhythm. Despite all this rising excitement, Oz closed his eyes and focused all his attention to listening. The basilisk slithered out of the mouth of the Salazar Slytherin statue slowly. Noticing Oz the basilisk started to make his way towards him. In that split moment however, Oz casted a spell with his eyes closed, the spell was directed exactly at the statue of Salazar, just above the Basilisk''s head. {Confringo} Oz''s spell shot out and destroyed the upper portion of the statue of Salazar. As the rubble fell down it started to pile onto the basilisk knocking it down to the floor momentarily. ''The basilisk is an easy enemy as long as I avoid it''s deadly gaze... The only problem is that Riddle is commanding it meaning. Acting as a command tower he can notify and help the basilisk in regards to where I am... However that just means I''ll have to fool Riddle as well''. With a plan in mind Oz used the window of opportunity he had as the basilisk was being pelted with rubble to cast another spell. With the spell being in dragon-tongue, the light given off by his wand made it seem as if a mini sun had descended into the chamber. Using the opening he gave himself Oz cloaked himself and along with augmenting himself he charged up the remaining part of the Salazar statue, standing directly on top of its head that was still solid. At this vantage point, Oz could see the top of the basilisk''s head along with a befuddled Riddle that was looking around the chamber with caution. "Running away is only delaying the inevitable boy... Just accept your death quietly. The mud-bloods of this school need to be purged as is the will of Salazar himself". Looking down at the spectre of Riddle that was starting to lose its patience, Oz snorted at its attempt to lure him out. He sounded like a typical villain with that kind of quote. Looking down at the basilisk that was lifting itself out of the rubble, Oz knew that now was the time to act. Pointing his wand directly at the head of the beast he casted: {Deprimo} Deprimo as a spell was used to blast holes in the floor, however Oz used this spell as a means to force the basilisk down. As the spell shot out it landed on top of the basilisk''s head forcing the beast to the floor in a violent matter. The spell itself wasn''t enough to finish the basilisk, however it was enough to shock it and damage it, knocking the serpentine beast into a daze. Riddle looked towards where the spell had come from with slight shock plastered in his gaze. A spell that powerful should have been impossible for a boy of this age to cast. As the basilisk started to slowly lift its body back up, Oz jumped off the head of Salazar he was on and landed on the basilisk head. Just as the basilisk noticed someone on its head Oz casted another spell at his shoes and the basilisk. {Epoximise} Epoximise was a charm that adhered two objects together. Using it at this moment Oz solidified his foothold on the basilisk''s head. "HE''S ON YOUR HEAD, KILL HIM NOW". Riddle seemed to have seen through Oz''s plan somehow as he screamed out that Oz landed onto the basilisks head. As the basilisk picked itself up, Oz fully augmented his strength with {Augmentum}. The added on strength from it being casted in dragon-tongue lead to his strength becoming extremely formidable. Looking down at the basilisk eyelids he identified where the eyes were without the risk of looking at them and in an instant plunged his hand down. ''Damaging such a precious material would be such a waste... might as well take them out by hand!''. As Oz plunged his hand down he grasped firmly onto the basilisk''s right eye causing the basilisk to scream out in pain. Oz yanked the eye with all of his augmented strength before ripping the eye out from its socket. Blood spurted out of the eye socket as the basilisk flailed around in pain. Without looking at the eye, Oz pocketed it placing it into his pouch. The spectre of Riddle looked up at Oz in horror as he dismantled the beast of Slytherin that had stayed alive all these years. As the basilisk started to flail around, it eventually tried to bang its head against a wall in an attempt to get Oz off its head. Reacting just in time Oz dispelled the ''Epoximise'' spell he had placed on his shoes and the basilisk''s head before jumping off. The basilisk ended up smacking its head hard against the wall causing debris to fall from the ceiling of the chamber. As the basilisk was startled by hitting its head while flailing, Oz casted another spell this time directing it at the basilisk''s neck. {CONFRINGO} As the fight progressed Oz''s blood boiled more and more. His battle instincts seemed to rise to even greater heights as he was able to make the best decision with what he had in his arsenal consistently. To the Riddle that was looking at this fight ensue, it looked like Oz was dancing around the basilisk toying with it. The spell Oz casted responded to Oz''s battle spirit as it produced a ''confringo'' stronger that ever before. As the spell collided with the basilisk it left a sizeable hole in its neck knocking it against the wall again causing the chamber to shake once more. With the amount of damage the basilisk had sustained it was definitely nearing its death. As the basilisk fell to the ground again after being attacked with another spell Oz ran up to it and jumped on its head yet again. Not giving the snake any time to recover Oz augmented his strength to the max again as he plunged his hand towards the basilisk only remaining eye, ripping it out violently. ''There might have been a cleaner way to do this... but it feels so damn good doing it this way''. As he secured the eye and placed it in his pouch Oz jumped off the basilisk again gaining distance from it. Now he had no need to worry about its deadly gaze he could stare at the broken beast in its full ''glory''. Riddle looked towards Oz was anger as he spat out a myriad of questions and insults. "You yourself are a glorious Slytherin! You are a denizen of this noble house! Why are you killing the creature that our houses founder brought up!?". To Oz it seemed Riddle was becoming desperate as he spat out all sorts of things in the hopes of Oz stopping his ?ssault. Looking at the spectre of Riddle pitifully Oz sighed. "I have no connection with this house of mine Voldemort. Hogwarts as a whole and this house that I''m in, they are all a means to an end for me. These are simply tools that I use in my pursuit of power". As Oz gave his monologue Riddle stared at him with increased anger. Hearing Oz''s response he knew that Oz was the type of person that could not be reasoned with. The second Oz decided to kill this ancient basilisk was the second it was destined for death. Oz brought himself closer to the Basilisk which was only just now picking itself up again after Oz''s onslaught. Looking down the Basilisk''s mouth Oz pointed his wand directly into it. {Bombarda Maxima} The spell Oz casted zoomed into the Basilisk''s mouth and entered into the beast exploding it from the inside. The centre of the beast seemed to explode open with blood and matter scattering everywhere. The basilisk fell to the floor in a slump, dead. "You know, for that old snake''s little pet this fella was sure disappointing. I would have like the fight to last at least a bit longer...". Hearing Oz treat the Basilisk as a training buddy Riddle seemed to be incensed beyond belief. He looked at Oz with poison laced in his eyes, however as a simple soul fragment he could do nothing but watch as Oz killed the snake right in front of him. Any attempts at disturbing Oz''s mental state seemed to be subdued instantly which raised more alarms in Riddle''s mind as he looked at the enigmatic boy. Oz seemed to look at the dead basilisk for a little while longer before turning his head back to the spectre of Riddle. "So what was that about getting angry at a dead person? I don''t see no dead person around here... only a dead snake". "You can gloat all you want boy but you have no means of destroying me... With this girl here and her life force draining I''ll soon have enough strength to revive myself". Oz laughed deeply as he heard Riddle''s rebuttal. Without responding he slowly brought himself over to the dead basilisk and augmented himself silently. "What are you-" Before Riddle could finish his question, Oz had ripped out one of the basilisk''s fangs. Holding the fang in his hand, Oz looked down at it with a deep smile. ''Horcrux destroying device secured... How about we give this version of Riddle a little show''. Oz put his hand into the pouch on his hip as he grabbed onto a certain item. Pulling it out the item gleamed, the gemstone in its head shining bright. Riddle watched all of Oz''s mysterious movements in confusion however the second he saw the diadem he felt his incorporeal heart drop. "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT!? HOW DID YOU GET THAT!?". Oz didn''t reply to Riddle, simply smiling at him as the spectre started to go hysterical. If Oz''s ?ssumption was correct all of the horcruxes were connected loosely meaning that the main version of Voldemort might catch wind of this scenario. If he were to blurt out who he was and how he got these items in a ''heroes monologue'' then that would just be foolish. Holding the fang of the basilisk up high, Oz pointed it at the gemstone on the diadem. Seeing this situation happen, Riddle charged at Oz despite his incorporeal form. Seeing how incensed the young dark lord was, Oz chuckled as he plunged the fang into the diadem''s gem. As the fang connected with the diadem, destroying it instantly, black smoke that signified the death of a horcrux spurted out. The spectre of Riddle in front of him showed a face of pain and anger as he stopped his charge towards Oz. "YOU! HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ALL THIS?! YOU HAVE SECURED YOUR SPOT IN HELL BY DOING WHAT YOU''VE JUST DONE". Oz looked at the angsty Riddle with a sinister smile, relishing in the dark lords anger and anxiousness that was directed at him. "I hope your memory of this battle haunts you until the day we meet again". Pointing his wand over to the diary, the spectre of Riddle knew exactly at that moment what Oz was about to do. Charging over to the diary, he hoped in some way to protect it. However Oz was too fast. {Accio Diary} The diary zoomed from the floor in front of the still knocked out girl towards Oz. As the diary approached him he simply held the fang out pointing towards where it was coming from. Riddle looked on in horror once more as the diary that was being accio''d to Oz was impaled on the fang he held out. The second the diary was impaled the spectre of Riddle screamed out in intense pain, unlike before where the diadem was destroyed, the diary being destroyed effected it much much more as it was its own vessel. The spectre of Riddle exploded violently as Oz looked at the anger in its eyes dissipate into nothing but mist. "That''s two down and five to go... I hope next time he can entertain me a little bit more". Looking around the battle scarred chamber Oz felt his blood and heart simmer down into a relaxed state. As if a weight was lifted from himself after releasing all of his rage he felt a serene calm wash over him. However with that calm and fulfilled feeling came a feeling he didn''t expect to feel. A feeling of emptiness. . [____''s POV] The home I used to live in was filled with warmth and hope. Such a peaceful life was something that I took for granted when I realised how quickly life could change. On the day I received my Hogwarts''s admission me and my family celebrated. My mother was a muggle however my father was a muggle-born wizard. My father wished for me to become a witch and hoped to have at least one child that had magical blood within them so when we saw a letter from Hogwarts he was ecstatic. Even though I saw it as going to a simple school, my parents saw it as that much more. My dad in his excitement decided he wanted to throw me a party to celebrate so he said he''d work overtime at where he worked in order to throw me a great party. At the time I hugged my father thanking him for being so kind to me however in the corner of my eyes I remember seeing my mothers worried face. That night my dad left for work and didn''t come back. Me and my mother had no connections to the wizarding community so we couldn''t inquire as to what happened. All my mother could do was put out a missing persons report to the muggle police. However both me and my mother knew deep down that it wasn''t going to work. We spent a week worried and afraid. Knowing that my father could use magic I had thought he would be able to get out of any situation however some nights I''d catch my mothers face and her eyes that showed extreme worry. Seeing my mother in such a state caused my anxiety to grow. Finally after 7 days of no message from my father we got a knock at our door near midnight. I heard from upstairs as my mother ran to the door to answer. From the stop of the stairs I listened in to their conversation. "Is this the home of ______?". "Yes! Yes it is! Do you know where my husband has gone off to!?". Hearing that these people at the door might have news of my fathers whereabouts I started to run down stairs to see them as well. That decision would haunt me for the rest of my life. As I was able to see the front door I saw the people laughing at my mothers question, a light shone as my mother fell to the floor. "MOMMY!" Seeing my mother fall to the floor I ran downstairs in a panic and jumped onto her. As I touched her skin I could feel that she had gone cold. I started to cry out as the people at the door looked at my laughing. I looked at them wanting to be able to kill them in that moment however when I saw what was in their hands I felt my whole body freeze. They were all holding wands. "Avada Ke-" "Wait!" As the man in the forefront was about to cast something at me, A man just behind stopped him. He looked at me for a moment and then put on a weird monocle. "This one heres got magic inside of her! We''ve found ourselves a little mudblood!". The group of people looked at me with anger but also a sick elation on their face when they noticed that I had magic within me. Before I could even utter a word, they knocked me out with a spell. The next thing I knew from there was hell. I woke up in a cellar of a house surrounded by other people who were all beaten and bruised. Looking at them I could tell that they were being used not only as an outlet of anger and p???sur? but also as a means to experiment. I became a part of that too as I was tortured. I felt my hope dwindle as I recalled those peaceful days with my mother and father. The tears in my eyes never ceased to fall and as I looked at the dead faces of those around me I wished for a release. That''s when he came. Blasting into the room he wore a hood over his head, enough to obscure his face. He looked around the room as anger seemed to well up within him. As he locked eyes with me I saw only briefly his expression of rage along with his two dark eyes that imprinted themselves in my mind. He charged back upstairs quickly and proceeded to deal with all the people that had done this to us. Coming back down he looked around and told us all. "Those people are gone now, you''re all free to leave...". I couldn''t stop the tears come out of my eyes as I heard that we were free. Approaching him I told him how I thought of him as a hero. He however replied dryly saying that this was all only a matter of coincidence. He then told us we were nearby a wizard pub that would help us out and before we could even ask any more he left. I dragged myself along with the rest of the muggle-born witches and wizards. Some of them were a lot older than me and helped me especially out of pity. We managed to get to the Leaky Cauldron where we were then sent in batches the St Mungo''s for treatment. After I was treated I was given the choice to stay longer or to head to Hogwarts. Wanting to forget all the pain, I decided to head to Hogwarts as a means to escape from what had happened. As I joined that year, I remember seeing the sight of the castle in front of me as I arrived. Seeing the train that took us there and seeing the great hall that sorted us into our houses. All of these things left me stunned but also reminded me of my father. As I was being sorted into my house though, I looked over to the Slytherin table which I was informed to be a bad house by my father and I saw him. I don''t know how I knew. I don''t know if I was just completely wrong. But my gut told me that Oz, the descendant of Merlin who everyone was talking about was the boy who saved me in the summer. I kept trying to find a way to talk to him but seeing how he was either nowhere to be found or surrounded by people who idolised him, I felt as if I could never but in. The year passed and I never took the chance to approach him. As the summer came I was sent to a wizarding orphanage just nearby London where I stayed in solitude again plagued by my PTSD. As the summer rolled on through and school term approached again I decided that this year I would talk to Oz or at least someone else finally. More than anything I wanted people to talk to... However fate again wasn''t kind to me as I messed up using the floo network when travelling with the orphanage to diagon alley. I was sent to a dangerous looking shop and alley where I ran into a tall man with white hair. He looked at me in scorn noticing that I was a ''low-born'' and looking in my empty cauldron he tutted before giving me a book saying "A donation for the less fortunate". I managed to meet up with the rest of the group after that and buy my supplies. Looking at the book the man gave me I felt apprehension towards it, as if it would suck me in if I opened it. Yet I found myself keeping it on me as the school year started. Slowly the school year progressed and I still couldn''t find myself approaching Oz or anyone else for that matter. I remained in solitude in my room after lessons reading anything I could to take my mind off the painful thoughts. Eventually I looked towards the book the man gave me. Opening that book was the biggest mistake of my life. Chapter 91 - Rose As the girl woke up slowly she felt a wave of fatigue plaguing her body. The cold dank atmosphere of the place she was in made her body shiver as she smelled the pungent smell of blood nearby, a smell she was all too familiar with at this point. She slowly picked herself up as she put her hand on her head nursing her headache. "T-thats right... That guy Riddle managed to trick my so quickly acting like my friend... My own silly mistakes lead to me causing the death of..." Recalling the memory where she hung a boys body up on a hook she vomited onto the chamber floor violently. Tears welled up in her eyes as she started to shiver again. "What''s going to happen to me now?". As she picked herself up she looked around the chamber before her eyes landed on the corpse of a humungous beast. "WHAT!? What the hell is that!?". She felt herself feel faint again looking at the massive serpentine beast corpse that was laid dead in the chamber which was also the cause of the smell of blood she was smelling. She fell back onto the floor as she looked at the beast. "W-why can''t anything be normal around me...". The sheer amount of trauma the girl had gone through up to this point seemed to catch up to her as she felt herself tear up again. For a girl her age to go through what she had gone through, it was definitely a heavy reality for her to grasp. As she sobbed, she lifted her head back up to look at the dead beast again and saw someone within the beasts mouth, the person in the mouth was speaking to himself. "Well I managed to harvest the majority of the fangs... I''ve even collected a decent amount of its poison. Too bad I got a bit too over the top in that fight damaging its skin else I could have secured more". "Ah... It seems you''re awake finally". The boy of course was Oz who walked over slowly to the girl who looked at him in shock and awe. As he got closer he started to recognise the girls face. ''Wait a minute... she''s the one who was stalking me last year? How did she get roped into this?''. As Oz walked over to the girl the girl jumped up to her feet while still shaking. She wiped her tears away as she gave a light smile to Oz. "This is the second time you''ve saved me now I think... I must really look like a damsel in distress at this point". Oz''s eyebrows flickered as he looked at the girl once more. Taking a deeper look he started to realise that her features mirrored the bloodied and beaten girl he once met in the cellar of the dark wizard hideout. "So you''re that girl from the cellar a couple years ago... I thought you gave off a familiar vibe when I first saw you. Can you explain to me how you ended up with this diary?" Oz showed the now destroyed diary to the girl who looked at it with horror and also relief. She took in a deep breath and gave her whole story to Oz starting from how she ended up in that cellar to how a tall man with white hair handed her that book. As Oz listened to her story he felt a pang of pity ?ssault him. Whilst saving her was something he did on a whim it almost sounded like it was actually a bad choice considering what she now had to go through in life. She had no family anymore and she was now also responsible for killing a fellow classmate at the school. Looking at her Oz of course felt no anger towards her as he knew that the true culprits were of course Lucius and Voldemort themselves. ''Looking at her past she''s had many trauma''s pile up. She lost her father and then saw her mother get killed right in front of her... After that she was then kidnapped and abused by Voldemort sympathisers for weeks until I passed on by. With all that happening at such a young age and nobody to turn to Voldemort''s grasp on her was that much more compared to the canon with Ginny. After all Ginny whilst feeling a bit lonely at school still had a loving family and some friends around her whilst this girl had nothing at all...''. The puzzle pieces seemed to connect as Oz sighed to himself. If you looked at it in a certain way then Oz''s saving of this girl lead to Craig''s death in the end. "My second question for you girl, how on earth did you even recognise me? Back then I thought I had myself hooded and disguised enough". The girl looked at Oz for a while before chuckling to herself. "I wasn''t 100% sure to be honest... It could be a woman''s intuition?". Oz looked at this young girl who claimed to have a ''woman''s'' intuition with amusement. Considering the hell she had gone through it was surprising that she could still make quips like that. "Well never mind... It''s not like you ever leaked that situation anyway so no harm done". Oz put the destroyed diary back in his pouch as he walked over to the girl. Judging by what he could tell she wasn''t injured in anyway. It seemed all she was was fatigued after being drained of her life force by the horcrux. "I''m sure you are worried about many things but don''t worry, you weren''t in the wrong here at all. The diary that ensnared you and the man that gave it to you are the things we must look at as being in the wrong here. Although you may feel responsible, you aren''t the cause of Craig''s death". The girl looked at Oz with gratitude as he explained to her that she wasn''t in the wrong. Even though Oz had said it though she still felt a guilty feeling deep in her gut. "Now that we''re finished here I guess it would be best to go see Albus¡­ You should come with me in order to help the testimony else the school may end up being closed down for good". The girls heart dropped as she heard that the school was on track to be closed down due to what she had done. Hearing that she could help she feverantly nodded her head at Oz''s request before walking over to him. "I''ll do whatever I can to help...". Oz nodded at the girl as his opinion of her grew. Most girls her age would have collapsed crying at this whole situation however she seemed to have been able to collect herself even after all of this. Oz guessed that it was probably due to the hell she had already been through that her guts were much stronger than the average person. "That''s right... I haven''t even asked your name". The girl blushed as she looked at Oz in embarrassment realising she still hadn''t introduced herself. "M-My name is Rose...". "Rose huh? Thats a nice name... Anyway lets get out of this dank and dark chamber". . The duo of Oz and Rose found themselves heading back through the chamber eventually arriving back in the 2nd floor girls toilets. As the two emerged from the entrance, Myrtle flew over and pointed her finger at Rose who was next to Oz. "Its you!? You''re one of the only girls that ever comes to this bathroom!". Rose seemed embarrassed as she scratched her head hearing Myrtle call her out. Oz gathered that since she was alone the past couple years she may have gained anti-social tendencies leading her to use this bathroom instead of the main ones. If that was indeed the case then that might explain why Myrtle missed her as a potential suspicious candidate. "Myrtle... It''s been a long night. Ill tell you all about it another time. Have any of the teachers come to this place yet?" Myrtle''s expression softened as she looked down at Oz. "None have arrived at all... I believe I heard talk of a body being taken to the hospital ward though. The headmaster was last spotted heading back to his office". Oz nodded at Myrtle thanking her for her help as he lead Rose out of the bathroom. Looking at Rose he started to explain the situation ahead. "Albus is probably waiting for us in his office to give some sort of report on what''s happened... You can share everything you know however there''s one thing I''d like you to keep a secret". Rose nodded her head as she listened to Oz''s request. "Don''t mention how I stripped the basilisk for materials... When I go up there I''ll show Dumbledore a fang of the basilisk as proof of killing it but thats all im showing him". Rose seemed confused by Oz''s request but still nodded anyway as the two headed to the headmasters office. Chapter 92 - Pensieve Peril Both Rose and Oz walked quickly towards the headmasters office as dawn was breaking in the school. As they both arrived at the familiar gargoyle statue the staircase up to the headmasters office presented itself to them as if it was waiting for them. ''I wonder if its just that old man up there... Since there''s been a death I wouldn''t be surprised if...''. As Oz started to theorise who else could be up there a sinister grin slowly grew on his face. ''If he''s come then this situation may just become that much more fun''. Oz lead Rose up the staircase looking back occasionally to make sure the girl was okay. He had to hand it to her considering all she''d been through she was still holding on just so she could right her wrongs and explain herself. "When you''ve helped up here Rose. Take yourself to the hospital ward". Hearing Oz''s kind-hearted comment she nodded with a smile as she continued on after him. Eventually the two found themselves at the door to Dumbledore''s office. As the approached the door, the duo could hear a conversation from within. "A death has happened at your school Albus! If you don''t find the cause of death for this student within the week then not only will the school have to close down but you will find yourself in Azkaban along with that half-giant". From within Oz could hear an all too familiar ministers voice chiding the headmaster of Hogwarts. Hearing Albus get chewed out Oz debated for a second to let him be for a bit longer however as he activated his eyes to sense the auras in the room he noticed another person in there as well. Seeing this aura Oz''s face morphed into a smile as he chuckled to himself. ''This is now sure to be fun...''. Oz turned to Rose who was stood behind him and asked her to stay just outside of the office for now. When Rose asked why Oz told her that the reason would become apparent soon. As she tucked herself away out of sight just beyond the door, Oz swung the door open and walked on in. Dumbledore looked up from his desk and gave Oz a wry smile as he walked in. Fudge looked at Oz in annoyance for a split second before realising who he was. "If it isn''t the descendant of Merlin himself! Did you catch wind that I had arrived at the school and wanted to have a chat?". Oz ignored the shamelessness of the minister of magic as he walked into the room. Looking over to the other side of the minister he confirmed the presence of a man he really wanted to meet. That man seemed to look at Oz in extreme anger as he walked in. "Not quite minister. I''m here in regards to the situation transpiring in Hogwarts at the moment. I believe I''ve managed to find who opened the chamber of secrets and in turn I''ve also killed the beast that dwelled within". Dumbledore stood up from his seat as a be-fuddled Fudge looked at Oz in confusion at his comments. Lucius on the other hand kept up his calm persona however Oz could see a small bead of sweat falling down the side of his face. "Please do tell us Oz what you''ve gone through...". Oz went on to explain all the events that happened since he ran off after seeing the message about the chamber of secrets being opened. He mentioned that he found the chamber, infiltrated it and killed the beast that was within. Fudge listened to Oz''s story in slight awe yet held a face of scepticism, Dumbledore however looked at Oz knowingly. Oz guessed that the old man probably had an idea where the chamber was and what was in it already. Lucius looked at Oz still keeping his cold glare and was the first to speak after he was done. "So you''re telling me that a boy in his third year managed to infiltrate the legendary chamber of secrets and kill the beast within... all in one night? You may be the descendant of a legendary wizard boy but doesn''t your story seem a bit too far-fetched?". Oz allowed Lucius to speak his mind as Fudge nodded along to Lucius queries. "I''d like this situation sorted as quickly as possible Oz however claiming that you''ve killed the beast already is something I also find hard to grasp...". Listening the both of the befuddled fools Oz gave a knowing look to Dumbledore who returned it with a slight grin. Walking up to the desk he placed one of the biggest basilisk fangs he had. "Is this proof enough that I''ve slain a beast in the school?". Lucius and Fudge looked at the fang in shock as Oz brought it out. To maximise the shock factor of it Oz brought out the biggest fang he had harvested which was enough to sit on the entirety of Dumbledore''s desk. "Merlin''s beard... You really have defeated something grand Oz..." Lucius snorted as Fudge gave his comments. "Aren''t you forgetting something Cornelius? There''s a possibility that this boy just bought this fang from someone as a means to sway us in the wrong direction. As a matter of fact I wouldn''t be surprised if he himself was the one who opened the chamber and is now trying to cover his tracks playing the hero". Fudge leaned back from looking at the fang and collected himself. Dumbledore in the meanwhile kept his whimsical look as he studied the fang now placed on his desk. Oz looked at both of the ministry officials with a sigh. "I understand that this wouldn''t be enough... However I have with me the person who actually did open the chamber". Dumbledore lifted his head at this point giving Oz a look of curiosity. "Oh? Well please bring her in Oz". Walking back to the entrance of the office, Oz ushered Rose in after him. Due to her nature of being a social recluse for these last couple years her head seemed to gravitate to looking down at the floor as she entered an area with a lot of people. "This here is Rose. When I went into the chamber I found her lying down there with a certain book in her hand. She claims that a book caused her to open the chamber by ensnaring her with dark magic". Dumbledore stroked his beard as his interest changed to the book Oz was on about. "Do you still have this book on you Oz?". Reaching into his pouch Oz took out the destroyed diary and chucked it onto the desk. As the diary flew in the air Oz saw Lucius''s expression flash with anger. Fudge looked on a this whole exchange completely cluelessly though. As the diary landed on the desk Dumbledore looked at it intently and looked up at both Fudge and Lucius. "This diary Oz has brought us is indeed enchanting with a dark magic...". After giving his opinion on the diary, Dumbledore turned to Rose who was stood to Oz''s side with her head down. Putting on his signature grandfatherly smile, something he didn''t show Oz anymore. he called out to her. "You''re Rose correct? Do you mind telling us where you got this diary". Hearing that she was being called on, Rose lifted her head slowly to look at the headmaster. Taking one look to the side she saw the minister and a tall white haired man. As her gaze landed on the white haired man she froze. "I-It''s you! You gave me that damn diary back in diagon alley!". Fudge and Dumbledore''s necks snapped to Lucius waiting for his reply. Lucius kept on a calm expression as he replied back. "I have no idea what you''re talking about girl". Rose started to look visibly angry as she turned back to Dumbledore. "Headmaster you have to believe me! He was the one who gave me the diary back in diagon alley. When I got separated from my group in the alley he approached me and gave me the diary saying it was a ''donation for the less fortunate''". Dumbledore kept his calm guise as he stroked his beard looking at the girl in front of him. He took one look at Lucius and Fudge, the latter of whom seemed to be completely out of the loop at this point. Lucius reacted violently to the girls claims. "Why would I give a little girl something when I don''t even know them?! If this is your eye-witness Oz then you may as well just admit that everything you''ve said were lies". Oz looked at everyone in the room with a light smile, a smile that indicated that he had the situation completely under control. Looking towards Dumbledore, Oz began to speak. "Albus. I believe there is one way we can solve this cleanly". As he spoke to Dumbledore he pointed his gaze towards a certain cabinet to the side of the room. Dumbledore matching his gaze realised exactly what Oz was getting at. Standing up from his desk he walked over to the cabinet under the gaze of Fudge and Lucius. "Cornelius, Lucius, I believe the both of you know what the pensieve is correct? With this device you can take out memories from a person and have them played back. I usually use this device to keep my mind organised due to my old age however for a situation such as this its perfect". Throwing the pensieve over to his desk, it levitated slowly and stopped on the desk under the gaze of Fudge and Lucius. Lucius started to look visibly shaken as this tool was brought out. With the pensieve displayed Dumbledore walked over to Rose at Oz''s side. "Rose. If you could recall the memory of you receiving the diary then I should be able to extract it for all of us to see". Rose nodded shyly as she closed her eyes and recalled that memory as best she could. Dumbledore placed his wand on her temple as he channelled magic power. The second Oz saw this he calmly activated his eyes to see if the old goat would pull anything else besides just a memory extraction. Surprisingly it seemed Dumbledore was keeping true to his words and only extracting a single memory. As the memory extracted Dumbledore took it over to the pensieve and dropped it into it. As it floated down into the water of the pensieve a scene started to present itself to everyone present. Oz took himself up to the desk and huddled around the pensieve with Dumbledore, Fudge and Lucius. As the water started to show a picture it started with a girl in an alley walking quietly. "How did I get myself into a mess like this...". The girl looked lost as she looked up and down the alley with saddened eyes. Walking quickly she took every twist and turn but it seemed she couldn''t find a way out. Eventually though she seemed to find the right direction as she rushed on through. In her rush though she bumped into a tall wizard. "Ah! I-I''m sorry sir...". The man took his hood off revealing his face. As his face was revealed Fudge and Dumbledore''s gazes became grave. Lucius on the side seemed to be visibly distressed as well but Oz kept his senses trained on him in case he tried anything. Lucius within the vision looked at the girl who knocked into him with scorn. The girl seemed visibly distressed as Lucius looked as if he was about to do something. Lucius''s gaze seemed to wonder looking at her tattered school clothes and eventually landed on her cauldron that was empty. A light flashed in his eyes as he took out a certain book. "A poor girl like you shouldn''t be running around this sort of place... Here, a donation for the less fortunate". As the book slipped into the cauldron Lucius ran off quickly in the vision leaving behind a befuddled Rose. She looked at the book for a second before running off towards the exit of knock turn alley. At that point the memory ended. It seemed Lucius wouldn''t have a calm day. Chapter 93 - Horcruxes "Minister, there''s definitely something going on here! Why would I have any reason to attack the school using a diary as means of controlling a student?!". Fudge seemed conflicted still as he listened to Lucius'' rebuttal. It almost seemed to Oz that he didn''t want any conflict to come out of this. Such is the coward that Fudge was. "What if... she could have forged that memory of me! Minister as you know false memories appear in trials all the time at the mini-...". "I''m afraid I''ll have to stop you there Lucius. Miss Rose here is but a student in her 2nd year, she is hardly trained in magic let alone in such a complicated study such as mind magic. Only a witch or wizard with extreme control of their mind can forge memories. You''re argument here is moot". Lucius seemed at his wits end as he was desperately searching for a way out. Fudge was sighing deeply as he started to realise finally that all the facts pointed at Lucius being the perpetrator of these act. Oz continued to watch on in amusement before dealing the final blow. "So I guess the question now would be... Why did Lucius do this? Did he just want to cause havoc in this school or was there a deeper plot at hand especially considering that the Chamber of Secrets being opened was a by-product of his meddling... Well as you know Lucius has a history of being involved with a certain dark lord...". The fury in Lucius''s eyes only grew as he looked at Oz give his explanation. The words he tried to come back with seemed to fizzle out as nothing he could think of would help in this situation. "Oz my boy. Lucius was cleared of those crimes many moons ago. He''s been helping the ministry ever since! Besides, the dark lord is dead now and the wizarding community at peac-". As Fudge still attempted to defend Lucius, Oz lifted his hand ushering the minister to be quiet. Putting his finger to his mouth he looked at the minister. "Allow me to finish my explanation minister before you give your opinion... As I said Lucius has a history of being involved with the death eaters and the dark lord himself. Only recently he was caught out using a dark artefact as a bartering item in order to gain information on me...". As Oz was giving his explanation he grabbed the diary that was on the desk, Looking through blank and pierced pages Oz turned his head back to Dumbledore. "Albus. You should know better than anyone the true name of Voldemort when he studied at this school. Care to give us a reminder?". Dumbledore nodded his head at Oz''s request as he looked around the room. "Yes... When he was here his name then was Tom Riddle... To be more precise Tom ''Marvolo'' Riddle". Fudge listened on to the talking with confusion plastered on his face. The fact that he still couldnt see what Oz was getting at made Oz feel worried for the wizarding community as a whole. How did they let such a ditsy man be the minister of magic. Lucius however looked as if he was about to snap. "Tom ''Marvolo'' Riddle... I''m sure you two, Lucius and Fudge, both know that Tom Riddle was the dark lords true name before he changed it to Voldemort. Now I invite you to take a look at the back of this diary". On que Oz threw the diary back onto the desk this time facing down instead of up. At the bottom of the diary on the footer of the back cover was a name written in gold. ''Tom Marvolo Riddle''. The second this name was presented, Lucius reached for his wand however Oz reacted the second he made a move disarming him in an instant. Lucius looked on in horror as Oz then casted a spell at him. ''Petrificus Totalus'' Lucius'' body went fully ridged, not being able to move anymore. Fudge looked down at the name on the diary in fear before looking at the now frozen Lucius. He sighed deeply before turning back to Oz and Dumbledore. "With the evidence shown its clear that Lucius is indeed the root of the issues happening at Hogwarts as of late... With all of this evidence its enough to build a case against him. I''ll be taking him back to the ministry to be sent to a holding cell until his trial. As for the half-giant we sent to Azkaban, we will send him back to you...". "Albus, if you could come on the trial date with that diary and the memory along with the pensieve then that would help a great deal in the case". "That will be no problem Cornelius... Are you okay to escort Lucius here back to the ministry yourself?". Fudge gave a confident nod as he went to push Lucius along towards the floo fireplace in Dumbledore''s office. He underestimated how strong Oz''s spell was though as Lucius ended up falling flat on his face instead of being pushed along. With a thud Lucius hit the floor and his nose broke. Oz let out a chuckle and also heard a snort from behind him. Dumbledore walked over to Lucius and lifted him up with a spell and took him to the fireplace along with Fudge. "Thanks for that Albus... My old bones seem to be getting the best of me these days. I guess you could call that karma in a way for Lucius here. I''ll be calling you to the wizengamot in the next couple of days so be ready". As Fudge finished his sentence he held onto Lucius and used the floo powder to send them both back to the ministry. Dumbledore sighed as the duo left. "It seems yet again you had everything in your palm Oz... I don''t even remember telling you about the pensieve in my room". "Well it worked out in the end didn''t it? I never liked that damn Lucius as well anyway so him being the true culprit was a welcome surprise". Dumbledore stroked his beard looking at the enigmatic boy. Looking behind him he saw that the girl he had brought along was still present. "Miss Rose, you''ve helped us a great deal and been put through a lot in the past while. Don''t worry about what''s happened, your name will be cleared as you were only used by Lucius. You should run along to the hospital ward and seek out Madam Pomfrey, she will give a full diagnosis of you and heal you if need be". "Albus, don''t you also think its concerning that a piece of Voldemort''s history has appeared here and even managed to coerce a student into doing such a thing? Don''t you think there''s a chance that something else is at play especially considering Lucius was involved in this plot?". Taking in Oz''s argument Dumbledore sat back in his chair and took another long look at the diary. His eyes seemed to flash as different ideas and theories came to mind. "It''s clear to me Oz that the magic in this diary is a sinister and dark magic. With it being connected to Riddle, it does indeed raise alarm bells for the future". Walking back over to the desk Oz put his hand in his pouch and showed a certain, now destroyed, diadem. "Oz isn''t that-!?". Oz nodded as he went on to explain. "Yes, this is the diadem of Ravenclaw. You see, I sought out the ghost of Helena not too long ago to ask about my ancestor Merlin. She gave all the information she could however the majority of it was masked in mystery still. She mentioned in that conversation I was the second Slytherin to ever approach her so she was apprehensive at first. I managed to coerce the answer out of her about who previously approached her... can you guess who that was?". Dumbledore''s face grew grave as he looked back at Oz. "Tom Riddle...". "Correct. She mentioned how he had defiled her mother''s diadem with a dark magic and hid it in the Room of Requirement. I decided to seek out the diadem as repayment to her and after extensive searching I managed to get it. When I charged into that chamber I noticed that the diary and the diadem had a similar ''aura'' to them, almost as if they were twins...". Oz set the diadem down next to the diary on the desk. "Two artefacts both plagued with dark magic. Both connected to Voldemort in some way as well... I think you know what this is Albus¡­". Dumbledore''s face grew increasingly sombre as he understood what Oz was getting at. "Horcruxes...". "Yes, thats what I at least believe this to be. It''s the only thing that makes plausible sense". Dumbledore reached over to the diadem and the diary picking both up and looking at them in further detail. Oz simply stood in silence and allowed the old man to take his time inspecting them a bit more. "If your theory is true Oz then the threat of Voldemort is much greater than I initially thought... How many of these items could he have created? Where could they be? What could they be? Although this is an important find its a find that is nonetheless disconcerting to say the least...". "Even if he''s created many more than these two, its a start that we''ve caught on now. It''s just finding them and destroying them now isn''t it?". Dumbledore''s grave expression seemed to lighten a bit as he looked up at Oz. Oz was sure that Dumbledore had long had an idea that Voldemort was still around however until the end of the fifth book he never confirmed the means in which he managed to stay around. Finding this fact out earlier meant that there could be more time in which they could search for Horcruxes. Oz was giving them a head start. "I believe thats everything Albus¡­ After killing what was in the chamber I''m feeling very tired so I think its time for me to head back to my dorm... Ah wait one last thing I need to ask". Oz grabbed the diadem and put it back in his pouch as he started to talk. As he walked off he remembered one last thing he needed to ask Dumbledore. Dumbledore''s ears perked up in curiosity as Oz continued. "For my fourth year at Hogwarts, I''d like a leave of absence". Dumbledore''s eyes grew wide as he looked at Oz. He half expected soon that Oz would spread his wings and soar into the wizarding world but this seemed far too soon. "Are you planning on searching for these horcruxes yourself?". Hearing Dumbledore''s question Oz couldn''t help but laugh a bit before looking back at the headmaster. "Albus, I believe that''s your problem not mine. I have my own things I need to sort out. Of course, if I come across one of these horcruxes then I will destroy it by all means however I wont actively seek them out in my spare time". Dumbledore sighed as he gave a knowing grin expecting this sort of answer from Oz. Oz gave one last wave as he left the room leaving the headmaster in his thoughts. Taking one last look at the diary he looked up to the ceiling of his office. "I guess I should reconvene the Order for this...". . As Oz slowly took himself back to the dungeons he looked back on the events of the night. Everything seemed to happen so fast. Craig''s death was something that still left a bad taste in his mouth despite his loose relationship with him. His helping of those people from the cellar back in the first summer he had after his first year lead to the death of a boy with a future, however if he didn''t help those people then whilst Craig may have survived at least 20 others could have died instead including Rose. Everything happened for a reason and whilst there would be pain especially in the group that Craig had now left this timeline seemed necessary to Oz in the long run. He still felt a debt was owed to the Taplin family though and hoped that the capture and prosecution of Lucius would be enough to help them cope for now. ''With me taking a leave of absence next year I need a way to keep tabs on everything here at Hogwarts as the plot could change drastically... Rose and Harry are probably the best candidates to keep me updated. I''ll send a letter to Alfreda to see if she can procure me a two-way mirror for communicating...''. As Oz planned his next year he recalled that this year still had a lot of time left. There was still some things he needed to do and some that he would like to do. With the threat of the basilisk gone now though it was mainly cleaning up that was needed to be done. -------------- A/N - Double upload as I have a night shift later so probably no next chapter till tomorrow night or so. Enjoy :) Chapter 94 - A Sombre Study Session Oz wasn''t able to get much sleep as the next day rolled around quickly after the events of the night before. He still couldn''t get rid of the bad taste in his mouth after (What''s his name?) Craig''s death. Such an abrupt situation would be incredibly difficult for the rest of the group to get through. Oz even thought about just avoiding the group until it blew over however that probably wouldn''t be the best idea. After the long night Oz woke up late and ran off quickly to breakfast at the great hall. When he arrived everyone there seemed to be happily eating the food and chatting. Judging from the atmosphere it seemed that no news had been broadcasted by Dumbledore yet. Oz drew some attention as he walked in late, locking eyes with people like Dumbledore, Rose and eventually his eyes landing on where he would usually sit with Harry and Daphne. Walking over he sat himself down next to the two Slytherins. "Slytherin''s Cold King seems to have forgot his alarm this morning huh?". As Oz sat down Daphne took the chance to make a dig at him. Oz snorted as he heard his cringe nickname. "I had a busy night last night...". Harry and Daphne exchanged looks of curiosity and seemed to bite their lip looking at Oz. They knew full well he wouldn''t explain the situation if they pressed him. Oz was the type of lad to only speak about a situation when he wanted to, you couldn''t ever coerce him to talk about it. Daphne seemed to sigh as she looked over towards the Gryffindor table staring at where Hermione was sat. "Thats strange... Craig isn''t here yet". Hermione would usually sit with some other girls in Gryffindor however her group wouldn''t be far off from Craig''s group. Oz wondered how close the twos relationship was considering they were in the same house. Thinking about the news that was coming, whether it came from Dumbledore or he had to explain himself, he felt that lingering bad taste still in his mouth. "He''s probably just oversleeping Daphne... Hey these sausages are awesome!". Harry seemed to be ever the optimist as he just brushed it off whilst eating his food. Daphne seemed to still look concerned and eventually she turned her head to Oz. Oz however had his head down peacefully eating the soup in front of him slowly. She seemed to sigh again as she continued to eat her breakfast in front of her. Time passed and eventually the breakfast in the great hall came to a close. Just as all the students were about to leave though, Dumbledore stood up to his podium. Putting his wand to his neck he raised his voice to gain the attention of all the students present. "Attention all students!". Everyone stopped their chatting and what they were doing as Dumbledore belted out an "attention". All their heads turned to him as the headmaster wore a dark expression on his face. "It pains me to have to tell you all this news, however there are some things that you should all know regardless of whether or not the ministry wants to keep it covered for a while longer...". "Last night in this school a student passed away". Collectives gasps spread throughout the great hall as everyone''s expressions seemed to darken. Harry and Daphne both seemed to be frozen in their seats as they heard Dumbledore announce that a student had passed away. Oz kept his calm fa?ade with his eyes closed, obviously already knowing where this situation was heading. "The Chamber of Secrets was opened and with that the beast from within was unleashed... This beast managed to claim the lives of one of our students. Thankfully, we managed to deal with the beast as soon as it broke out however that doesn''t change the fact that a death still happened at this school". "The identity of this student... His name was Craig Taplin, a third year from Gryffindor". Oz opened his eyes at this point looking at Harry and Daphne''s expressions. Compared to his silent rage their expressions seemed to be much more colourful. Daphne and Harry had both seemed to gone blue in the face as the shock grew in their eyes. In the corner of Daphne''s eyes Oz could even see a tear forming. Seeing these expressions Oz realised now that the relationship the group had was much stronger than he thought. He himself was someone who banded it together solely for his own needs in the future, hence his interaction with them all besides maybe Harry was incredibly lacklustre. It seemed as though while he wasn''t there these people grew into a tight nit group of friends. The bad taste in Oz''s mouth seemed to intensify as he realised this. Dumbledore continued his speech. "While the boy has passed he will forever remain with us in these hallowed halls. He was a kind friend, a good housemate and a student who aspired to join his family lineage in becoming an auror. To have him ripped away from us like so is truly saddening..." "Now, some questions you all may have now is ''Who opened the chamber?'' ''Who should we blame for this?''. Thankfully I can tell you that the perpetrator was taken away by the ministry last night. He used a dark artefact to ensnare a student here tricking them into opening the chamber leading to the death of Craig. With the main criminal arrested, We can only hope now that Craig''s spirit can rest in peace...". "That is all... A moment of silence please for the departed young man". The great hall fell into a sombre silence as the sounds of slight sobbing could be heard from different corners of the hall. Daphne seemed to be welling up and Harry who was sat next to her seemed to be in a state of shock. The other sounds of sobbing seemed to be on the Ravenclaw table as well as the Gryffindor table. It didn''t take a genius to realise that the people sobbing were probably Cho, Luna and Hermione. As the moment of silence passed Dumbledore began to speak again. "If any of you are emotionally affected by this, you can visit Madam Pomfrey in the hospital ward. Lessons today will be cancelled however you may still meet up with friends in order to cope... Thank you all for your time". Dumbledore stepped down from the podium and lead the teachers out of the great hall leaving behind a hall of students that seemed shook. While some didn''t seem to care as much the vast majority seemed frightened at the fact a death had occurred. It took some time for them to realise that the threat had been dealt with and there was nothing the could do about it now as different groups started to head off from the great hall. Oz sighed deeply as he looked at Harry and Daphne. Leaning over the table he talked to them. "That old goat only told you the surface level of the situation... Get Hermione, Cho and Luna and bring them to the Library where we usually study. I have someone I want to introduce to you who can give you the full story about what happened. You deserve to have somewhere to point your anger at". Daphne''s sobbing seemed to slow as she nodded towards Oz. Harry nodded along as well keeping his surprisingly calm face on. Seeing they had affirmed his request, Oz walked over to the Hufflepuff table, scanning it until he found Rose. Walking over to her he tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you free for a chat outside?". Rose seemed to still be emotionally unstable as it was now broadcasted that Craig had died. After all she was involved in his death even though she was being controlled at the time. As Oz called out to her, she nodded her head and followed him out of the great hall. As Oz left the hall he turned and saw that Daphne, Harry, Hermione, Cho and Luna had gathered on the end of one of the tables consoling each other. Seeing that scene made Oz feel uncomfortable. . "So Rose, I pulled you aside as I wanted your help with something". As was the way when Oz ever asked for help, Rose looked at him in shock before agreeing to it with expectation on her face. "It''s nothing too serious. As you''ve seen when you were... stalking me I usually hang around with a group of people. They were all good friends with Craig and I believe they deserve to know the full truth of the situation at the very least. I told them to meet us in the library where we usually study in a bit, having you there to explain the full situation and what happened last night would be incredibly helpful". Rose seemed conflicted as she heard Oz''s request. After all he was asking her to talk to the friends of a boy she had a hand in killing and asking her to admit her having a hand in it. However part of her realised that if she never did this then the situation would just get worse with time. "T-That''s fine... How much should I tell them?". A slight grin seemed to creep onto Oz''s face as he looked at the girl. ''Clever girl...''. "I don''t mind you telling them that I helped you out of the chamber, however don''t mention that I dismantled the beast and kept its materials. I don''t care if you mentioned that I killed it but any mention of material gathering is a no go". Rose stared at Oz for a moment before nodding obediently. Oz smiled as he continued. "Well then, lets head to the library". Oz and Rose arrived at the library and sat themselves down on the table the group would usually sit on. Oz grabbed a book from one of the shelves and started to read it mindlessly as he waited for the group to arrive. Judging by all that had happened Oz imagined they could either arrive in a minute or in a hour so it was best to be prepared for a long wait. He told this to Rose as well who grabbed herself a book. "Shouldn''t you have PTSD from opening books now?" "T-These are obviously school material Oz! Don''t make me second guess...". Time passed slowly as they continued to read. Eventually Oz sensed multiple people coming into the library. Lifting his head from the book he confirmed the group there. Harry was in the forefront, still wearing a frighteningly calm face. The girls behind him however all seemed to be worse for wear. They had just heard that a friend of theirs had died after all, someone they talked to regularly. As they spotted Oz sat with Rose confusion rose (get it) on their faces as they sat down on the table. As they sat down Oz closed his book. "Listen guys, I understand how abrupt this is considering that you just learned Craig has passed however I think that you deserve to know as much as possible as soon as possible so please hold on as me and Rose explained in detail what happened last night... Oh by the way this here is Rose... Rose uh..." Turning to Rose, Oz scratched his head. "What was your last name?". Rose gave an exasperated smile as she looked at Oz and then turned to the rest of the group. She seemed nervous at first however as she spoke she seemed to reign that nervousness in. "M-My name is Rose... No well my actual full name is Rosie Erin. I''d prefer if you all called me Rose though". "Well Rose, I think its best if you start the explanation on what actually happened last night. It may be best for you to start from when you got that diary...". Rose su?k?d in a deep breath as Oz gave her the go ahead and started to give a full account as to what happened. Throughout the story the faces of the rest of the people on the table changed more than once. Different emotions from pity to rage to sadness seemed to flash on their faces. Time ticked on by as Rose came to the end of her story. "When I woke up in the Chamber I was completely alone... Thankfully Oz found me and helped me out of there". Hearing the end to the story the group turned to Oz with a shocked look on their face. Oz continued to explanation from his side. "I was walking down the halls of Hogwarts when I overheard the teachers mention a student had died. I saw Craig''s body and lost it charging down to where I believed the chamber to be. Moaning Myrtle''s bathroom. As I entered there I rushed down to the chamber and saw Rose passed out. I fought with the beast down there and after some time managed to beat it. After that I took Rose out of the chamber...". Hearing the story that Rose and Oz were sharing the group seemed to be at the peak of their shock. Harry looked deeply at Oz as his eyes shone slightly, the girls on the table all seemed to be thinking on the story. "Oz I''ve got one question... It seems like whenever something serious happens you always end up there. Last year with Quirrell and this year with this snake. Is there something you aren''t telling us?". Everyone looked towards Oz as Harry asked this question. Oz looked down at the table as he pushed out a light sigh. ''I expected this question to come at one point...''. "I don''t mean to seek out this danger Harry it seems to find me. Granted my own studies into my ancestry take priority however when searching for any leads I always seem to end up finding out more about other things. With the Quirrell situation I had the marauders map that I tinkered with which told me he was frequently going to that room. I felt that sitting still wasn''t the best and no teacher would believe the situation so I needed to step in along with your help. As for this situation I simply overheard the teachers conversation after what had happened and rushed to the first place that seemed suspicious. I once talked to Myrtle and she explained how she died and it sounded suspicious so she was the first person to come to mind when another suspicious death in the school cropped up". Harry put his finger on his chin as he thought on Oz''s explanation. Hermione was the next to jump into the questioning. "What was the beast down in the chamber?". Luna, Cho, Daphne and Hermione all leaned in for this answer as Oz sat back in his chair. "It was a Basilisk". """"A WHAT!?"""" The four girls seemed shocked beyond belief as Oz mentioned the beasts identity. Harry looked on cluelessly. "W-What''s a Basilisk?". Hearing Harry ask that question Hermione snapped her head around and started to explain. "A Basilisk is a Legendary beast known for its deadly gaze. One look into its eyes can kill you! Not only that the venom it secretes is incredibly deadly, just one bit in your system will ensure that you die!". Hermione slapped her hands down on the table as she leaned over towards Oz. "How on earth did you manage to kill such a thing?!". Oz smiled lightly as he looked at everyone on the table. "I got lucky". Hearing Oz''s explanation everyone on the table seemed to be exasperated. Luna however seemed to get up from her seat and walk over to Oz at his chair. Oz looked at the blonde girl in curiosity as she held her hand out and lightly slapped his face. *slap* "YOU IDIOT! YOU COULD HAVE DIED ALONG WITH CRAIG, WHY BE SO RECKLESS?!". Oz stroked his cheek where he had been slapped. He wasn''t angered by the slap, as a matter of fact he sort of expected it. He didn''t feel any pain whatsoever though however that slap spoke volumes to him regardless of that. Everyone else looked at Luna in shock at what she had done. Oz wanting to diffuse the situation put on a weak smile. "I had full confidence in what I was doing Luna. There''s no need to worry about me. After all I promised your parents I''d look after you while you were at school so I can''t go dying early can I?". Luna still seemed upset as she took herself back to her seat and sat down. For now she had accepted Oz''s rebuttal. "Anyway, as a final closing note to you all we managed to find out who gave Rose that diary. He was actually at the school last night along with the minister of magic". Everyone seemed to reel back from the previous situation as Oz diverted the conversation. Hearing that he was about to identify who indirectly killed Craig they were all ears again. "It was Lucius Malfoy... Draco''s father. He was taken to the ministry last night on charges of indirect murder however with his ties to the ministry I imagine his sentence won''t be much...". Harry''s eyes seemed to go from calm to angry. Seeing this Oz''s interest perked up. ''Oh? I wonder what he''s planning on doing''. "Thats everything I and Rose know on the situation... Sorry for pulling you all here during all this". Rose nodded her head along with Oz who was now closing the explanation to the group. As Oz looked at the girl he noticed that it seemed a weight had been lifted from her shoulders after explaining herself like this to Craig''s friends. "T-Thank you all for believing me...". The faces of the others on the table all grew soft hearing Rose thank them. During her full explanation she explained how she was lonesome at school. Daphne gave her a lovely grin as she spoke. "It''s no problem Rosie. It would be nice if you could continue coming to talk with us and study with us for the rest of the year! Just no reading dodgy books from now on...". "Don''t call me that!". Rose reacted abruptly to Daphne''s prodding of her calling her by her actual name. Seeing this reaction, Daphne and Harry exchanged eye contact before grinning sinisterly. Oz looked at the situation unfold with a sigh. ''You''ve just dug your own grave saying that Rose...''. As the group''s mood started to lighten Oz looked over to Cho who was remaining pretty quiet. Looking at her expression Oz likened it to another expression he had seen on someone recently. Her face seemed to mirror the face of Helena. Chapter 95 - A Visit to Hagrids Months passed by after Craig''s death and Oz''s daily routine started up again. He would continue his studies although he felt as though he was reaching a peak in all of them now. After which he would spend his afternoons either in the library with everyone else or in the RoR looking into creating his own weapons/artefacts. Recently Oz had been experimenting with the Basilisk Venom he extracted. He had an idea of creating a smoke bomb that when detonated let out the venom effectively killing everyone in the vicinity. This would be a brutal device in his arsenal and a device that could clear out areas of enemies if he was every surrounded or sieging a building himself. Besides this idea he also had the idea to create a new product that would follow his previous Health Specs. That project though was one he wouldn''t be able to fully finalise until he was back in Merlin''s hideout after this year. The aftermath of Craig''s death led to a lot of ministry officials entering the school at random times. They would come to question the students as well as the teachers and would almost always spend the majority of their time near Dumbledore''s office. Oz imagined that these Ministry officials would be around for a while longer still until near the end of the year when they confirm that the threat had truly been dealt with. As for the group that was hit hardest by Craig''s death, they all seemed to be coping well. Rose had incorporated herself into the group soundly as the others welcomed her with open arms. Daphne and Harry made it their goal to always poke fun at her actual name ''Rosie'' which always elicited a response from the little Hufflepuff. Hermione and Luna seemed to take charge in nursing a despondent Cho who was still coping with Craig''s death. After seeing her face on the day after Craig''s death Oz realised that her feelings for Craig were probably above that of ''friends''. She herself probably didn''t even realise these feelings until Craig had passed, a truly ironic and sad situation. Thanks to Luna and Hermione though, she seemed to be coping well. Oz always noted whenever he''d turn up at the library that each time they all seemed to be getting better and better. Then again, Oz had a theory that they only showed him there ''tough'' faces to impress him wherein their actual emotions about the whole situation were still jumbled. Oz still felt regret over Craig''s death however understood that the best thing to do now was to move on and to give Lucius an extra kick in the stomach whenever he has to fight him in the future. The one person Oz felt slight pity for now was Draco as sometimes Oz would catch Harry along with Daphne hatching a plan almost every night to fu?k him over in some way or another. As the seasons slowly changed and the mood of the school lightened after the wake of Craig''s death Oz heard news of a certain ''half-giant'' finally returning from being placed in Azkaban. Hearing this news, Oz decided to go down and see him as he had some questions for him. Taking himself out of the castle one afternoon, Oz headed down the path of the school towards a familiar looking hut. . After some walking Oz found himself in front of the door to Hagrid''s hut. From inside he could vaguely hear the panting of a dog and the movement of a man wondering around. Hearing that Hagrid was indeed in, Oz knocked on the door a couple times. After waiting a minute, the door in front of him opened. "I''m not takin'' an- Oz? You''re the last person I expected to pay me a visit". Smiling at Hagrid, Oz took a look at the half-giants face. He was covered in bruises and seemed to still be nursing an injury on his body. Oz looked at the Hagrid in pity as he realised the situation that had probably arose. ''With a death happening at the school and Hagrid the prime suspect it seems the ministry were desperate for him to admit that he was guilty as soon as possible after catching him... He''s been treated pretty roughly it would seem''. "Sorry to disturb you Hagrid. I just thought we could have a chat about some things. I wanted to update you on how Norberta was doing as well and the second I heard you''d been released from that terrible prison I thought this news would at least warm you up". Hagrid showed Oz a grateful smile that still hid some wariness behind it. He ushered Oz into his hut closing the door behind him. As Oz entered he saw Fang laying down on the floor snoring loudly. Even in his previous life Oz always liked dogs. Taking himself over to Hagrid''s table he sat himself down. Hagrid brewed up a cup of coffee for the both of them and sat down opposite Oz. "So, how''s my little Norberta been faring? Is she eatin'' well?". Oz chuckled as he heard Hagrid''s ''motherly'' nature towards magical creatures kick in. "She''s been doing fine. I left her at my place with a good carer whose trained in looking after dragons like her. The environment there is perfect for her as well. Soon she will be ready to be sent to Romania along with the other dragons to grow even more". Hagrid sighed in relief as he heard Oz''s news about Norberta. Hearing that the little dragon he got was doing well definitely warmed him up after all the stuff he''d been through the past while. "How come it took them so long to get you out of Azkaban Hagrid? Lucius was caught the night of the murder and I imagine you only got sent off a bit before that?". Hagrid sighed as he placed a piece of cold meat to his bruise on his face. "You''re not stupid Oz so I imagine you know tha'' Lucius has connection in the ministry. He pulled all sorts of tricks to delay his trial meaning my stay in Azkaban was prolonged. He even managed to get someone in to interrogate and well... ''kindly'' coax a confession out of me but I refused to give one. It took Dumbledore coming into the ministry with more proof for me to finally be released. That Lucius still managed to weasel his way outta a proper punishment though... Damn ministry really is corrupt". Looking at Hagrid Oz simply smiled in response as he imagine that situation to be the case. As he looked at that Half-giant he felt regret at the fact that he was blamed for opening the chamber of secrets all those years ago. Oz saw wasted potential in this man. ''I''ve always placed a lot of importance on physique. If magic is held within us then the stronger the body the more magic it can hold. Hagrid''s half-giant physique was probably a perfect container of magic and if he could have learnt everything he could in Hogwarts there''s a chance he could have become a truly incredible wizard. Maybe Riddle targeted him for more reasons than just ''he had a pet that could be substituted for the Basilisk''''. "That does sound like something Lucius would do... You''ve truly been put through a lot". "Ah, It''s alright. I''ve taken worse beatens from creatures in the past believe me!". Oz smiled as the direction of the conversation was heading somewhere he wanted. "I actually took magical care of creatures this year as an elective Hagrid. After taking in Norberta I saw it as a given to look into ways of caring for other creatures as well as her". Hagrid looked at Oz with increased respect as he heard Oz''s choice in electives. He smiled as he started to talk back. "Magical creatures are such precious things. Since I was a wee lad I''ve collected and took care of many different beasts. Maybe because of my giant blood within me I feel a sort of affinity to them hahaha". "I did hear you were half-giant... Do giants still reside in the wizarding world?" Hagrid seemed to bite his lip a bit before continuing. His passion for magical beasts getting the better of his judgement. "Well of course they do. I''ve only ever heard of one community of them though. They are situated in Belarus, to the mountains northeast of Minsk. Dumbledore has had me visit them on occasions with gifts trying to sow a good relationship with them. He''d always tell me they would be important ?sset to us in the future if they allied with us... Although im unsure as to why he feels the need to ally with them". Hearing this from Hagrid, Oz realised that maybe Dumbledore''s attempts at growing the ''Order of the Phoenix'' were actually still ongoing even throughout the time it was disbanded. He definitely foresaw the return of Voldemort eventually after all, he just didn''t know in which form. His attempts at reaching the giants will probably increase after this year considering Oz gave him the information about horcruxes. ''So the giants reside in Belarus... Another place for me next year it seems''. Oz and Hagrid continued to chat for a while longer about various magical creatures. Oz''s extensive knowledge bounced off of Hagrid''s first hand knowledge improving both of their insights on the subject. As the night started to arise Hagrid looked out the window of his hut. "Blimey is that the time?! It seems you should start to head back to the castle now Oz. Wouldn''t want you getting in trouble". After this long chat with Oz, Hagrid''s opinion of the boy had improved a lot. When he first met him alongside Harry in the Leaky Cauldron he was wary of him. He knew he had good intentions when he exposed what those damn Dursleys did to the boy however his own senses told him the boy was more than meets the eye. After having this chat though he felt that the boy meant well deep down. "Thank you for your time Hagrid. When I''ve taken Norberta back to Romania, I''ll send you a letter to let you know". "That''d be great! When are you planning on sending her back?". "Next year... You see I''m talking to Albus about taking a year off from school. He''s apparently been getting push back from the board of governors and they want me to do my OWLs early to show my ''integrity''. I think that they''ll be easy enough though...". Hagrid''s eyebrows rose as he heard Oz wasn''t planning on returning to Hogwarts next year. Hearing the Dumbledore gave the okay though he didn''t challenge it at all. Ushering Oz out his door he gave a small wave as he closed his hut. Oz looked up the path to the castle before turning his head to the forest nearby. He cloaked himself as he headed in the direction of the forest. ''Seeing as though you gave me valuable information I''ll be gentle in gathering materials from your pet....''. Chapter 96 - [Side Story] - The New Group (In the character profile tab I''ve added pictures of Oz''s wand and Oz himself. I drew them myself so they aren''t the best however I hope they provide a sort of ''image'' for you all reading. Thanks for reading my novel up to this point :), [Ill also add them to this paragraph]) ========= Currently it was after school hours and a group of students had gathered in the library. The table they had was one of the biggest there and the houses they were all in were diverse. This group was in fact Harry, Cho, Luna, Hermione, Daphne and Rose. Oz at this point in time was not present. "Harry, did your plan work? You know the one that involved messing with Draco". Luna spoke across the table to Harry who wore a mischievous grin on his face. "I''m glad you asked Luna. Me and Daphne worked our magic and managed to get him to spew his guts all over the Slytherin common room. Snape even came in at one point and he threw up on him! The second that happen he was destined to be put in detention for a while... The best part is he has no clue how it happened! Hahaha". Everyone on the table laughed out as Harry explained the recent prank on Draco. After learning that Draco''s father was responsible for Craig''s death he became the focal point of Harry and Daphne''s pranks. Hermione chimed in with a voice of reason after some of the laughter. "Draco isn''t truly at fault though is he? He didn''t know his father was doing all of that..." The tables laughter soon diminished into a sombre silence. They all knew that fact deep down however they just wanted to feel like they were getting payback one way or another. Breaking the silence was Luna who called over to Hermione. "How has it been in the Gryffindor common room? I heard Craig had quite a standing among some of the guys there so...". Hermione sighed as she looked over to Luna. "Even though a couple months have passed now, the atmosphere hasn''t changed in the common room. It still feels ''heavy'' whenever I go back to there" Luna nodded sadly at Hermione''s response as she turned her head to Cho. "Have you been holding up well Cho?". Cho who seemed listless shook slightly as her name was called out to. "Oh me? Ah I''m doing better now...". Everyone looked towards Cho with as comforting smiles as they could muster. Oz only found out about Cho''s feelings towards Craig after his death however some of the others in the group already had inklings before that fact. With Craig''s sudden death, Cho was still having a hard time coping. "We''re always here for you Cho, you should know that. We can cope together". Hearing a rare supportive comment from Daphne who''d usually stay quiet in times like these Cho''s head sprung up as she gave a light smile and nodded. Rose at the end of the table let out a small sigh as she began to speak. "I-I''m so sorry... Maybe if I was stronger I could have beat back that diaries hold on me-". Cho shook her head towards Rose as did everyone else on the table. "It''s not your fault Rose... You are as much of a victim as Craig was. If Oz didn''t save you there''s a chance you would have been killed soon after Craig was...". Rose felt the tears gather in her eyes as she nodded towards everyone else. In the past few months these people had let her join their group and treated her warmly despite the fact that she had technically been involved in Craig''s death. After everything she had been through this felt like heaven to her as she could enjoy her school life thoroughly. Hermione who has a book in front of her snaps it shut and starts to speak. "Rose do you really not remember anything else besides Oz saving you? Did you see how Oz took down the Basilisk? I''ve been reading through books about that beast and to kill it would take an extremely powerful wizard... At the beginning of the year he even managed to fool Gilderoy Lockhart''s eyes". Everyone on the tables eyebrows rose as they heard the latter half of Hermione''s comments. They had no clue that Oz had managed to pull the rug over someone like Lockhart. "Then again Hermione, I''ve heard rumours that Lockhart isn''t what he seems... The second a death occurred at the school he apparently started to pack his bags instead of help the other teachers". Daphne shot back at Hermione describing what happened to Lockhart in the aftermath of the death of Craig. "But I do also want to know Rosie... Do you remember anything else?". Rose looked towards Daphne angrily. "I told you not to call me that! Why do you insist on calling me Rosie!?" Everyone on the table broke out into laughter after seeing Rose''s reaction to her real name being said. To them it never seemed to get old how defensive she got. Sitting back down in her seat Rose sighed as she recalled that night. "I wish I could tell you more however I was truly knocked out the entire time Oz was fighting that thing... When I looked at the beast as I awoke and Oz was stood in front of it I do remember seeing that its eyes were destroyed. There was also a hole on the side of its neck that was bleeding profusely... the smell of that blood was disgusting". Hermione seemed to write down notes as Rose explained her story. Looking over to Hermione''s notes, Rose saw that she was trying to theorise how the fight went with Oz and the Basilisk. "So he managed to destroy the basilisk''s eyes and then proceeded to kill it afterwards... on top of that he used a spell so strong that it left a hole in the side of the basilisk''s neck... I honestly can''t fathom how strong that guy is, its absurd". Rose and Harry found themselves sighing hearing Hermione''s stress. Out of everyone here they had experienced first hand how proficient Oz was. Harry saw it when he was taken by Oz down to combat Quirrell and Rose saw it when Oz helped her from the cellar, killing those dark wizards instantly and quickly. Rose looked around the table at everyone before asking her own question. "H-How well do you all know Oz? I mean... How long have you all known him?". Everyone on the table seemed to look at each other for a minute. Luna was the first to start the conversation. "I first met Oz when I was very young... He himself was young too probably about 10 at the time. He was on a trip with his orphanage and accidently walked into my Mother and Father''s ward. I remember how excited he looked when my father kindly offered him some learning material to do with magic... My mother berated my father for giving an unknown boy too much after he had left however my father seemed to have a weird amount of faith in him. The next time I met him was at the beginning of this year where he approached me, giving back all the books and my mothers notes...". Luna''s eyes grew sad as she recalled her mother in St Mungo''s still comatose. Everyone on the table looked over to her with pity tinged in their looks. It was clear that along with Daphne explaining her troubles Luna also explained the troubles at her own home and her mother who was now drifting between life and death. Trying to divert the conversation, Rose turned to the others. "So Luna has known him the longest technically... Who was next?". Cho chimed in as she heard her que. "That would be me and... me and Craig. In Oz''s first year here he was placed in Slytherin and due to knowing nothing about his lineage at the time he was bullied harshly by all the Slytherins in that house. They viewed him as someone unworthy of being there. Craig met Oz earlier than me and avoided Oz after hearing he was in Slytherin... they made up at the end of the year though. I remember I met Oz when he was making a trip up to the Owlery. I''d sometimes spot him walking up there on his own with no letter in hand so I imagine he was always there to visit his owl. Knowing how knowledgeable he was I asked him if he would help me with homework and he smiled accepting my request... Oh I also almost fell of the cliff there and he helped me". Everyone listened intently to Cho''s story and after it finished they all turned their heads towards Daphne and Harry. Harry was the first to start. "I met Oz in Diagon Alley... well more specifically the Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid had just brought me to London after breaking me out of the hellhole I was in and was taking me to Diagon Alley to get my equipment. Oz at the time was staying in the Leaky Cauldron over the summer as he didn''t want to go back to his orphanage. I remember spotting him from across the room with those ''Health Spec'' things on. He came over and got very angry as he saw the damage the Dursleys had done to me in the years I''d been there... After that I started to trust him and appreciated his help in getting me out of that place. From then on I''ve hung out with him ever since... Well hung out with him whenever he was around". After Harry''s story everyone finally turned their heads to Daphne. She shook her hands slightly as she went on. "I only met Oz through Harry... My first impression of him was that he was ''unobtainable''. You see around the time his identity was exposed as the descendant of Merlin a lot of pureblood families sent out requests for his hand in marriage. I was actually told to... pursue him as well. When I first met him though I knew that I would never be able to succeed. He did jump at the idea of helping my sister though which shows he does value our relationship somewhat...". Rose nodded her head as she listened to all their stories. Cho sighed out loudly as she let slip a thought in her mind. "Do you think he truly ''likes'' us though? He''s so distant at times and is always focused on his own endeavours it becomes hard to tell if he actually sees all of us as ''friends''". Everyone grew silent hearing Cho''s remark. Rose looked at all of them and spoke up. "Each of your stories of meeting him including mine show that he means well... He gave Luna back her mothers notes after hearing about what happened to her, he offered to help Cho with her homework and saved her from falling from a cliff, he helped Harry in regards to the abuse he was receiving and exposed that abuse allowing him a better living situation, he offered help to Daphne about her sisters blood curse and finally he saved me from that Basilisk". Everyone listened in as their doubts about Oz seemed to clear slowly. "It''s clear that while he''s definitely not the best at socialising and also seems to draw a sort of ''wall'' around him, he does mean well. Even if he is secretive at times and does a lot on his own he doesn''t ever do anything that would put us in harms way. I think thats enough to realise that he''s not a bad person and that he does see us as important in his own way...". Hearing all of Rose''s points the gang around the table all smiled and nodded. They agreed with Rose''s synopsis of the situation. "Wow Rosie it seems that you''re quite the speaker considering you''re usually so nervous and shy... Where were you hiding such a speech?". Rose looked over at Daphne and growled towards the usage of ''Rosie'' trying to keep herself from quipping back with the usual ''Don''t call me that''. Seeing her supress herself everyone on the table laughed. As the laughter simmered down Harry looked out the window of library as he spoke. "I wonder what that Oz is up to right now...". -------------------------- A/N - So far I have planned a total of 7 countries for Oz to visit next year.. It''s looking to be a long next volume. Chapter 97 - Aragogs Knowledge Sprinting into the Forbidden Forest Oz kept himself cloaked along with his aura. Compared to his first visit last year he was seeing a lot more creatures lurking this time. ''When hunting in the future it looks like I need to make a habit out of masking my aura...''. Dragon''s were one of the most supreme magical beasts within the wizarding world. They stood at the pinnacle of the food chain and were both dangerous and intelligent. Instilled in the mind of every creature beneath them in the food chain was a fear of such a beast. If any creature sensed even a slight leakage of the aura in their vicinity they would immediately run away or cower in fear. Unlike witches and wizards, creatures/beasts had a survival instinct that was incredibly sharp so they would be able to sense such aura whereas magic folk wouldn''t be able to without an artefact or spell to help them. The creatures Oz passed though were all too weak for him to bother with. They would add nothing to the ritual considering the amount of magic within them. As he scanned the surroundings he finally picked up a trail nearby of spiders all seemingly heading towards one direction. Charging over to that trail Oz followed the spiders through the forest. ''If using beasts in the ritual allow me to hone their abilities what will an acromantula allow me to do? Will I be able to spin webs and swing around like Spiderman?''. As different questions kept Oz''s mind busy as he followed the trail of spiders he eventually found that his surroundings were filling with more and more spiders. The cobwebs hung between the trees in the forest and the nests of spiders surrounding Oz now were becoming more and more numerous. Oz continued onwards as the surrounding amount of spiders become denser and denser. After some time he could see with his eyes a large presence ahead of him. ''There you are...''. Oz walked slowly as he took a look at the massive acromantula before him. ''Aragog. It seems to be clueless I''m here... Should I just attack and steal a part of it or should I present myself?''. Oz started to feel conflicted as he was making a decision. On the one hand attacking and leaving would be the quickest method however if he showed himself along with his aura he may be able to force Aragog to give more than just ''a part of itself''. After balancing the two options Oz found himself leaning towards the latter as he uncloaked himself. The second he uncloaked himself Aragog''s eyes seemed to snap towards him. The surrounding spiders all seemed to shrink back at the sudden threat and some nearby Oz even seemed to pass out. Looking into the giant acromantula''s eyes Oz could see that it was incredibly distressed at his presence. "A-A g-grand dragon has stepped into my nest... H-How may I help you?". Aragog attempted to talk to Oz even though all of its senses were screaming to run. It probably knew that even if it attempted to run, the boy in front of it would be able to catch up quickly. At this point any attempt at escaping was futile so Aragog could only attempt to solve this diplomatically. "This is a nice nest you got here as well... You see acromantula I only d?s?r? one thing from you and don''t worry it''s not your life or any of your children''s". Aragog''s expression seemed to show relief for a moment before going back to alert when hearing that Oz was not here to kill. Looking down at the boy it began to ask. "What does a noble one like yourself seek here?". "I seek something that comes from you. Something with a lot of magical power infused within and something that you deem important to yourself. Whether this be one of your eyes, your lungs or your web sac I really don''t care. If you present something like this to me I''ll leave you be...". Oz''s aura intensified as the spiders in the vicinity shrunk back once more. His eyes shone purple and started to look like a dragon''s as he stared at Aragog. "It''s either that or we do it the fun way... Your decision". Aragog seemed helpless as it looked down at Oz. Speaking to it''s children it seemed to be asking for their help. The spiders climbed up onto Aragog''s web and surrounded it. "I-I will comply with your demands young dragon... My web sac contains a vast amount of magic within, that should be able to satisfy your needs". Oz looked on apathetically as Aragog called out to its children and finally to It''s wife that presented itself. Aragog''s wife Mosag led her children to surround their father''s web sac as they all jointly ripped it off of him. Aragog seemed to wince in pain as his web sac was taken away from it. A wound was left where the web sac once was and Mosag immediately closed the wound using her own webs. ''So webs can be used like that as well...''. "I hope this pleases you young dragon...". Oz nodded towards Aragog as his wife brought the web sac down before Oz. She seemingly bowed before Oz as she left the large web sac at his feet. All the spiders immediately made their distance from Oz as he looked down at the present he had been given. His eyes shone as he inspected it. ''The spider wasn''t lying... This does seem to hold a substantial amount of magic in it''. "Thank you for this offering, I''m indebted to you". "T-Think nothing of it noble one... I thank you for sparing my family in the first place!". Oz smiled at Aragog as he stuffed the web sac slowly into his pouch. The size was bigger than his pouch so it took a decent amount of time for it to be fully put in. "One more thing though spider... How advanced is your knowledge of magical creatures?". Aragog looked down at Oz with surprised laced in it''s many eyes. Blinking a few times he responded. "M-My good friend who has looked after me since young used to tell me all sorts about other creatures and beasts. Truth be told he''s the reason why I can survive in this forest and world...". "What would you consider as the most dangerous creatures that you could come across in this world then? And where would such beasts be roaming?". Aragog seemed to think on Oz''s question as he lowered his head. "Besides you young dragon and our mortal enemy the basilisk, I''ve heard that in parts of Asia there are demon like creatures roaming. In America there''s noble beasts that can even change the weather. In the Atlantic ocean I''ve heard from Hagrid there are a multitude of dangerous sea creatures roaming in the waters that sink ships and destroy island communities. Those are a few of the places I can think off the top of my head...". Oz''s heart seemed to start speeding up as his excitement accelerated. Hearing this information made him all the more looking forward towards next year after this school year finished. Asia, America, Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. He wanted to visit all those places and hunt creatures along with experience the world. Staying trapped in only the UK would become far too stifling for a dragon like him that needed to spread its wings. Oz nodded along to Aragog''s information and smiled looking at the acromantula. "You''ve really given me a treat here with this information spider... Take this for your wounds". Oz accio''d a potion out of his pouch a threw it towards Aragog. The acromantula scrambled to grab the potion with its long legs as it looked down towards Oz with gratitude. "T-Thank you for this gift noble one!". "That potion should be able to heal up your wound quicker. It''s my own recipe as well so it has some regenerative properties that could also help grow back your lost web sac". All the spiders around Aragog seemed to bow their heads to Oz in gratitude. Aragog and his wife both did the same. In the wild it was known that most dragons were apathetic towards those that weren''t ''their kind'' so this kindness from Oz was something that was valued highly. "Thank you for for all the help spider. In the future I may come again for more information...". As Oz finished his sentence his presence and aura vanished as he himself became invisible. The pressure all the spiders in the area felt lifted. Aragog looked over to his wife with happiness in his eyes. When Oz appeared he thought it was over for all of them. His decision to talk to Oz instead of immediately run or attack was the correct one. {Mosag, Immediately tell all our children to search for information on any magical creatures while on their travels... When Hagrid returns here I''ll ask him to tell me as much as he knows. If that dragon-like boy returns we need to be prepared to please him less he loses his patience with us...} Oz departed from the Forbidden Forest as dawn started to break over the castle. He rushed into the castle and headed down into the Slytherin common room. He didn''t feel tired at all as he sat down on the couch in the common room. Smiling to himself he leant back and rested his head. His next year when he''d leave was looking to be the most exciting thing he had ever done since coming to this world. The world was not going to be ready for the dragon that would fly across it soon... ------------------- A/N - This chapter took some time as I''ve been planning the chapters ahead meticulously. I''ve finalised my plan for Oz''s next year and can say he''s going to go to 13 different destinations across the world. So you can all get hyped a bit along with me, here are the countries/places planned: [Romania], [Belarus], [India], [Atlantic Ocean], [USA], [Brazil], [Japan], [Egypt], [Germany], [France], [UNDISCLOSED ISLAND], [Albania] and finally [Bulgaria] I feel as though this next volume if I manage to do it well could set the tone for this novel as a whole and really solidify the story. Chapter 98 - The Basilisk Bomb Since Oz made a visit to Hagrid''s and to Aragog a few weeks have passed since. With the knowledge of the wide world out there Oz was more keen than ever to leave this school for a while and explore. There was a few more things he wanted to prepare though before he could start making preparations for his journey across the world. Currently Oz was inside the Room of Requirement tinkering with his idea he had a while back. In his hand he was grasping a small green bomb that had a small pin on top. As he handled this bomb he was wearing a small mask over his face just to ensure his safety. ''No leakage... No signs of any problems at all... Look''s like his time to test it''. Picking himself up from where he was working Oz looked to the other side of the RoR and held the bomb firmly in his grasp. Pulling the pin he threw the bomb to the opposite side of the RoR and took a decent amount of distance from it to ensure his own safety. As the bomb landed it rolled and hit the wall on the other side, a few seconds of silence later a bang sounded. *BANG* As the bomb exploded a tinged green cloud of smoke burst from the bomb covering the area around it. The smoke cloud was dense and lingered for some time before it ebbed away. Seeing this Oz smiled. ''Looks like its a success... I''ll call it the ''Basilisk Bomb'' or I guess the ''BB'' for short''. Oz''s new invention fused the venom he had gathered from the Basilisk that he killed along with modernized muggle weapons. This sort of weapon he had created in the expectance of a fight in which he was heavily out numbered. You could call him overprepared to a point but Oz foresaw that in the future he could have moments where he was surrounded by thousands of enemies and while his magic would be able to take out a vast majority it would still end up burning through his magic reserves leaving him in a dangerous spot. As for the effectiveness of this bomb, Oz didn''t truly know yet how dangerous it was. He surmised that it would definitely incapacitated a person when the vapour was inhaled however a trained witch or wizard might be able to cure themselves if they acted quickly after being hit with it. ''I can always test it in the forbidden forest if necessary... If not I''ll test it on my travels next year''. Satisfied with everything thus far he packed away everything he had out. As everything was put into his pouch on his hip he took a moment to sense where he was magic wise. ''Still the peak of step 2...''. Holding his hand forwards he casted a wandless spell that shot forward towards the other side of the room. ''Seems also my wandless magic has stagnated around a ''year 4'' level... I wonder if I''ll ever be able to cast a wandless ''dragon'' spell''. Thinking on this point Oz surmised that such a feat wouldn''t be possible for a long time. At the very least he''d need to be at the ''Founder''s Level'' or maybe even above that to be able to cast a wandless ''dragon'' spell. There was also still the issue that his dragon blood was very random and temperamental. He still couldn''t grasp how to use ''dragon'' spells when he wanted and trying to speak in ''dragon-tongue'' without a trigger was still impossible for him. If he found himself facing another dragon it seemed to trigger and when he was in the heat of battle it triggered as well. How his blood function was equal parts fascinating as well as frustrating. Such a situation was akin to having a weapon that he just couldn''t control no matter how much he tried to wield it. He even studied in the library with the gang from time to time about dragons and if anyone in the past spoke dragon-tongue however there was hardly any information on the subject much to his chagrin. ''There''s only two ways for me to find out information on how dragon-tongue functions... I either find more of Merlin''s legacy across the world or I seek out the dragons in Romania for information when I take Norberta there...''. The latter option was one he could do much sooner as searching for Merlin''s legacy was something that was much more difficult. He had at this point no leads where the man had travelled in the distant past. ''I guess I can leave it there for today... Let''s head back to the dorms''. Walking out of the RoR, Oz started to take himself back to the Slytherin dungeons. As he walked he recalled Dumbledore''s words to him a while back about his ''gap year'' happening next year. Dumbledore informed Oz that he would need to come with him to the ministry in order to do his OWLs early. If he passed then he would be allowed a leave of absence. The board of governors would oversee his tests in the ministry as well, ensuring that his knowledge was indeed beyond his years enough so that a gap year was viable for him. ''What a pain in the neck...''. Oz wasn''t troubled at all by the tests seeing as though his knowledge was already at a NEWT level however having to take time out of his day to go to the ministry was something he wish he didn''t have to do. Dumbledore also mentioned cryptically to Oz that after the ministry visit he wanted to take Oz somewhere before going back to Hogwarts for the remainder of the year. A few theories sprouted about where that would be however Oz didn''t pay much heed to them, he would just deal with the situation as it arose. ''That reminds me... I wonder if Alfreda''s received my letter yet? Hopefully Kuro was able to get to Stonehenge safely...''. . [Alfreda''s POV] Within Merlin''s hideout it was another calm and peaceful day. A silver haired elf was currently cleaning around the main room of the hideout with a light smile on her face. She used a myriad of different magics to speed up the cleaning process and when she was done she brewed herself a cup of tea and sat herself down at the table. ''I wonder how master is doing...''. It had been a long while since she last heard from her master properly. Her and Norberta awaited some sort of letter or notice about him day after day however it seemed that as each day past the likelihood of any news before he returned for the summer was becoming slim. Thinking about this fact Alfreda pouted slightly looking at her tea in front of her. ''Him and Merlin are one in the same on that front...''. As Alfreda was reaching the bottom of her tea she heard heavy footsteps from across the room. Looking over she saw Norberta who was approaching her at the table. "Ah good morning Norberta, Did you sleep well?". The young dragon seemed to nod her head towards Alfreda as her body took up a lot of the room. Seeing how big she had gotten Alfreda noted that she''d soon need to be released into the wild. As that day approached though and as summer rapidly closed in, it seemed Norberta''s attitude was becoming a lot more restless and nervous. "Papa... Letter?". Norberta spoke to Alfreda in broken English, something that Alfreda had taught Norberta herself. In the distant past she watched as Merlin brought in different dragons what felt like every few months so she knew how to take care of them. She knew that dragons were incredibly intelligent creatures capable of a lot of things and teaching Norberta English was something that both Alfreda and Norberta wanted to do to surprise Oz. Her pronunciation was still a bit broken however she was now able to get her point across after months of teaching. Alfreda shook her head at Norberta as she sighed. "Nothings arrived yet... We may not hear from him until the summer soon when he returns". Norberta''s head seemed to lower a bit in sadness hearing that there was still no news from Oz. As she stared at the floor though Norberta seemingly shot her head right back up looking above herself. Alfreda followed her gaze looking towards where she was looking. "That''s... Kuro!". Norberta recognised a familiar magical signature as she looked up. Normally such a feat of identifying an owl like Kuro would be impossible however a dragon''s eyes were not to be underestimated. She had only ever seen Kuro a couple of times yet she recognised his aura the second he arrived in the vicinity. Alfreda rushed up to the top of the hideout and outside into the fresh air. Looking over to the central stone in Stonehenge, Kuro was perched on top of it with a letter in his mouth. Alfreda walked over to Kuro and softly took the letter out of his mouth. After stroking Kuro''s feathers for a bit she ushered him on her shoulder as she brought him down into the hideout. Entering back into the main room, Norberta looked at Alfreda in anticipation. Kuro found himself a nice perch in the room and started to rest after the long journey. Opening the letter Alfreda started to relay the information out loud to Norberta. Within it''s contents were information about what Oz had gone through in the year. Hearing about the basilisk along with the death of Oz''s friend Craig both Norberta and Alfreda''s expressions seemed to turn blue. At the end of the message Oz asked how they were faring and included his notes about sourcing him a couple of ''two-way mirrors'' in preparation for next year. "Papa... stupid!". Norberta seemed a bit upset hearing how Oz underplayed all those events in the letter. The way he wrote about the basilisk was incredibly underplayed and was summed up as simply ''After it killed Craig I killed it''. Alfreda also looked at the letter with a slight frown. As Merlin grew stronger in the past his apathy grew as well, it seemed that her current master was going the same way judging by how he was writing about such serious events like they were by the by. Reading the closing notes about the ''two-way mirrors'' she decided in her head that she would personally deliver the items to him and see how he was truly faring face to face. She also noted that she could tell Oz about Norberta''s growth in person as well. ''I hope he doesn''t get upset by me visiting in person...''. Putting the letter on the table Norberta seemed to notice what Alfreda was up to. She herself wanted to ask to come to Hogwarts as well however she new deep down that it was an impossibility. "Papa... tell... I said... Hi". Alfreda nodded towards Norberta confirming the message she''d have to send to Oz. Looking at the fireplace to her left she decided on her first stop. ''I''ll go to Diagon Alley and get those mirrors first... After I''ll head to Hogwarts''. A/N - 100 Chapters! Thanks all for reading to this point :). Chapter 99 - Surprise Visit Currently a routine study session was going on. Oz was sat reading a book peacefully as the others on the table were working on various homework''s/projects. Harry seemed to be vexed at the homework he was doing as his face showed a lot of stress. The girls however all seemed confident in what they were doing, only occasionally asking Oz questions. Hermione who was to Oz''s right on the table was reading a book to do with other wizarding communities in different countries. "Did you guys know that in Russia they use who trees instead of brooms for Quidditch!? That seems insane!". Harry was snapped out of his stress as he heard Hermione''s fact. He looked at her with sparkling eyes. "Really!? Whole trees!? That sounds incredible! I''d love to watch a game of quidditch with whole trees as broomsticks!". Luna and Cho chuckled as they heard about how Russia plays quidditch. Daphne on the other hand gave off a smug grin. "Yeah... It''s really incredible..." "You make it sound like you''ve seen it yourself Daphne?". Daphne''s smile became more smug as she puffed her ?h?st out. "When I was younger the Greengrass family took a trip to Russia! We were able to get good seats to a quidditch match and they did indeed use trees instead of brooms. It was incredible to watch... Definitely a lot more dangerous though...". Oz chuckled hearing about the dangers of ''tree quidditch''. "Well I imagine a broomstick flying into a wizard is a lot less painful than a fully fledged tree colliding into you... They must have a lot of medi-wizards and witches on standby at those matches". Hermione nodded at Oz''s theory as she pointed at a specific part in the book. "Apparently their fatality rate is at least 10% more than our version of quidditch. That''s one of the reasons why they aren''t allowed to participate in the quidditch world cup, as they use trees for brooms and refuse any compromise". Everyone listened on as Hermione went on about the different wizarding communities of the world. Even Oz found himself lending an ear to her facts considering that he would soon see these communities first hand. "That makes me want to watch it even more...". Harry grumbled in the corner as he pictured the scene of witches and wizards flying around on trees. Seeing this Oz chimed in with a question. "Do you have any interest in Quidditch Harry?". Harry put his finger to his chin as he thought about Oz''s question. Before he could give an answer, Hermione spoke out. "In our first flying lesson last year he picked it up faster than anyone else! His talent seems unrivalled in our year...". Harry shook his head as he looked over to Hermione. "I appreciate the praise but I just don''t have interest in it... I would one day like to get my own broom to fly on however playing quidditch... I just can''t see myself doing it". Oz watches as the conversation between everyone continued about Harry and Quidditch. Oz decided at this point to give the boy a little push. "Well you never know, you may be a prodigy at it... Although with Snape and his distaste for you as a whole I don''t think that he will ever consider you for the team". Everyone at the table laughed as they recalled the relationship between Snape and Harry. Compared to the canon it seemed their clashes were much more frequent due to Harry being in his house this time round. Looking out the window of the library at this time Oz noticed it was getting late. "Hey guys I think I''m gonna head back to the dorms now. Harry, Daphne, do you want to come with?". Harry and Daphne both nodded at Oz as they stood up from their seats. Everyone gave light waves as they split off heading back to their dorms. Oz, Harry and Daphne chatted about various things as they walked through the halls of the school and eventually they found themselves in the dungeons. As they arrived in the dungeons though, Oz sensed that there were more people here than normal. ''Hmm... Somethings going on''. As they turned the corner and entered the Slytherin common room Oz''s intuition seemed to ring true. In the common room all the Slytherin students seemed to be gathered in a group around a person. As Oz activated his eyes on the sly he noticed the aura of the person was extremely familiar. The crowd began to part the second Oz, Harry and Daphne walked in and as the crowd parted the source of the familiar aura was revealed. "There you are master". Alfreda had appeared at the school and she bowed her head to Oz as he entered. The Slytherins in the room seemed to all become rowdy as Alfreda mentioned Oz as her master. "She was a maid?! The bloodline of Merlin is not to be underestimated". "I''m not jealous... I''m not jealous... AHHH I''M JEALOUS". "She makes my house-elf at home look like dog water!". Oz chuckled hearing all the different comments. Looking at Alfreda he ushered her to raise her head. Harry and Daphne both stared at Alfreda and then Oz. "Oz? Who is this?". Daphne broke the question to Oz as Alfreda rose her head. Standing next to Alfreda, Oz presented her to both Daphne and Harry. "Harry, Daphne, This here is my elf servant Alfreda. She''s served Merlin''s bloodline for centuries". Harry and Daphne''s jaws dropped as they heard of Alfreda''s origins. Alfreda bowed her head to both of them and spoke with a slight grin. "It''s a p???sur? to meet you two. Oz mentioned you in his letter to me stating you were both good people". "T-The p???sur?s all ours here... Oz is a great friend to have". Harry stuttered out a response as Daphne gave him an elbow to his ribcage. She then introduced herself as well. With everyone acquainted Oz look at Harry and Daphne. "I''m gonna head back to my room now. I''ll see you two tomorrow probably... Alfreda, follow me". Alfreda bowed her head once more to both Harry and Daphne before following Oz through the common room. As they walked on through all the Slytherins in the area watched them go by. Harry and Daphne watched them off until they were out of sight. "That Oz is always full of surprises...". . Entering into Oz''s dorm, both Oz and Alfreda walked on in and closed the door behind them. Oz casted a few charms on the door so nobody could enter or hear anything just to be safe. "Well this is certainly a surprise Alfreda, How did you even get into the school?". Alfreda lightly chuckled as she looked over at Oz. "Well~ House-elves are known to be able to apparate most places, even places witches and wizards can''t. Even though Hogwarts wards are powerful they can''t block me at all~". Oz stroked his chin as he noted that information. "Is there something inherently different about the way elves apparate in comparison to witches and wizards?". Alfreda nodded at she began to explain. "Witches and Wizards magic is somewhat different to elves magic as you should know. When a person apparates they travel through space incredibly fast. Your method of apparition is a lot more... brutal in comparison to elves. Elves use their magic to break themselves down more before sending themselves through space resulting in a much more easier and precise travel however we can only do it when we travel solo. Your method of apparition is usually a bit faster though as you have no ''preparation'' stage whereas an elves apparition needs that preparation. That preparation stage though allows us to spread ourselves so thin that the majority of wards that block us are completely useless~". "I see... I really have rinsed you for all the information you have yet have I? Well I guess next year we will have plenty of time together to discuss such things...". Alfreda looked at Oz with a smile as she opened the pouch on her hip. Delving her hand in she pulled out a package and gave it to Oz. "It was a bit more difficult that expected to get these mirrors... They also cost quite a bit too~". "Well with the fortune I earned from the health specs I imagine that it''s hardly dented my money reserves...". Opening the package Oz looked at the 4 mirrors in front of him. On the top of the mirrors frame was a small jewel that was blue on two of the mirrors and on the other two it was red. It didn''t take a genius to realise that the same coloured jewels were the connected mirrors. "Do you mind if I ask a question master? Why do you need these mirrors?". Oz smiled as he put the mirrors into his own pouch and spoke. "I need a way to keep Hogwarts in my sight even whilst im not here... You see this school is known for its dangers and recently its been so frequent that it''s almost suspicious. Whilst I have no true connection to the school itself this place still has people within it that I value long-term". "I see~". Alfreda nodded along to Oz''s explanation. As he finished she remembered about Norberta. "Oh right~ As for Norberta master she''s doing well. She''s grown into a fine young dragon who is starting to get a bit too big for the hideout... I think it''s safe to say that soon she will need to be taken to Romania... She told me to tell you she said "Hi"". Oz frowned slightly as he thought of the little dragon that had now grown up. He had spent a whole summer with her along with the travel to Stonehenge initially. He felt regretful at the fact she grew so quickly without him being there however when he thought of how she would be better of in Romania that regret slowly washed away. "I knew it would come to this eventually... After this school term Alfreda I have some business I want to sort through in the hideout for a bit before we start our journey. When I return I imagine we will have at least a few weeks of summer at the hideout before we head off". Alfreda smiled and bowed her head to Oz. "I''ll be sure to have a cup of tea brewed for you when you return master~". Looking over towards the clock in Oz''s room, Alfreda noted that it was time for her to leave. Her face seemed to morph into slight sadness as she had to part with her master so soon. Regardless she knew deep down that soon she''d be seeing a lot of him all the time. "Well master It''s time for me to head off... I''ll be awaiting you return soon~". Oz nodded at Alfreda as he gave her a light smile. "It was nice to see you Alfreda. Tell Norberta that I''ll see her soon and we will have plenty of time to be together then before she has to be taken to Romania". Alfreda''s expression lit up as she heard Oz''s closing message. Smiling brightly at her master she snapped her fingers and apparated. As she apparated Oz noted that it did seem marginally slower than a witch/wizards version. She seemed to phase into dust whereas a wizard would just vanish instantly. ''I wonder if I can get her to teach me how to apparate like that....''. Chapter 100 - OWLs The day after Alfreda departed Oz found himself walking to Dumbledore''s office. Walking through the familiar halls he found himself at the gryphon staircase. As he arrived the stairs presented itself to Oz and Oz headed on up. Walking up the spiral staircase Oz eventually found himself at the door to Dumbledore''s office. ''Let''s get this day over with...''. Walking into the office Oz could see Dumbledore stood near his desk waiting for him. A slight smile was on the mans face as he looked towards Oz. "I gather you''re ready to head off as soon as possible Oz?". Oz nodded at the headmaster and walked over to him. Looking at Dumbledore''s grin Oz got the feeling that Dumbledore was looking forward to Oz not being at the school for a year. Maybe Oz being around was something akin to a loose cannon in the eyes of the old headmaster. "I''ll apparate us directly to the ministry... usually such a feat is impossible however I''ve lifted the enchantment disabling apparition in this room for a day. Should be enough time for us to head off and come back". "Can''t some random just apparate into here in that time?". "Well that certainly can happen which is why I''ve told Minerva to keep an eye on this room while I''m gone...". Presenting his shoulder to Oz, Oz reluctantly lifted his arm and put it on the shoulder of the headmaster. Seeing they were prepared, Dumbledore wore a slight grin and apparated immediately from the school. ''That feeling of nausea is no joke''. Both Dumbledore and Oz had finally arrived at the ministry after apparating. The hustle and bustle of the ministry was a sight to behold and they drew many eyes to them as they walked on through. Many whispers were heard from the headmaster and student duo as they walked on through. The majority were centered around what had happened last year. "You really have ruined my reputation to a high degree Oz... These misinformed witches and wizards are actually thinking that I''m dragging you here for a trial or to get you in trouble after all you''ve exposed". "It''s your fault in the first place for allowing any openings at all... Maybe next time you should not force someone to be your disciple and also not force a boy to stay in an abusive household...". A slight bead of sweat seemed the trail down Dumbledore''s head as he heard Oz''s cutting words. Walking through the ministry Oz was focusing back on how Dumbledore apparated and compared it to Alfreda''s version. ''It does seem like there are differences now I''ve experienced it first hand... I''ll definitely have to look into it more''. Finally after some walking the duo found themselves in front of a door in the ministry. "Inside here Oz are the board of governors who will be looking over you while you do your OWLs... That also includes me of course. When you enter you will be doing each paper one after the other until finished. If any of your grades fall below an (E) then you will be denied your gap year next year. If you get (O)''s in all subjects though then not only will we allow the gap year but we shall listen to one request from you". Oz nodded listening the Dumbledore''s explanation. The headmaster smiled as he opened the door into the room. The room itself was essentially a trial room that instead of having a defendants panel in the middle had a desk instead with a quill and ink on it. Sitting in different seats around the room were the different people who were on the board of governors for Hogwarts. A space was left in the main seat that would usually have the judge in it in a hearing. This would be where Dumbledore would sit. "We will now begin the testing sequence for Oz Ambrosius, third year. During this period the student shall partake in all his OWL exams early. If the student gets a grade below (E) in any papers then the student will not be allowed his leave of absence next year. If he gets all (O)''s however he will be allowed to request the board of governors one thing as well as be allowed to take his leave all of next year". "We shall start off with your first subject, Transfiguration. In front of you is the test paper you shall work through. When finished raise your hand to notify us. If you do not finish by the time the hourglass on your table has all the sand fill the bottom then you will need to stop where you are and accept the grade given to you with the amount of questions you have answered...". "Do you have any questions Oz?". Oz shook his head as he looked up the Dumbledore. "None at all, lets start". . The OWLs went exactly as anyone would expect with someone who wielded perfect memory. Oz worked through all the papers with relative ease. Each question he would read out and answer gracefully. As the tests went on the board of governors started to question if he was really taking it seriously considering the speed at which he was doing the papers. Dumbledore was the only one who knew that Oz''s knowledge was actually far greater than his own power. His wit and intelligence had even pinned him in a corner more than once as well. So seeing Oz breeze through the papers with relative ease wasn''t surprising to him. After a few hours of doing tests Oz was finally on his last paper which was Care of Magical Creatures. The amount of time you''d have for a test was usually around an hour and a half however Oz was completing each paper in around 30 minutes. Exactly around the 30 minute mark Oz rose his hand again and signalled that he had finished his paper. "With that paper finished Oz all your written exams are now complete. You shall now move onto practical exams which we will oversee". Oz nodded as he continued onto his practical exams for the subjects that was relevant in. His practical knowledge was on the same level as his mental knowledge for the most part as he breezed on through all of tests as well. The final test he had to do was to brew a potion. The potion in question was a ''Forgetfulness Potion''. With Oz''s practice in potion making that he did in the RoR on his off time he was proficient enough to make a potion of this level. Certain potions were still out of his grasp though. Looking at all the ingredients presented to him he followed the steps he remembered and created the potion in the cauldron. When the potion was done the governors all looked down in awe at how perfect it was. "It''s safe to say that young Oz has gotten an (O) in practical potions. With that finished Oz you have completed all of your OWL exams. If you could please step out of the room for an hour we shall grade your papers here. We will call you back in with your results as soon as we can". Looking up to Dumbledore Oz nodded in acknowledgement as he silently walked out of the room. The governors who watched the boy leave felt a slight chill down their spine noting how talented the boy was and how his expression didn''t change once throughout any of the papers. If they hadn''t seen him answer those exam questions first hand they would have instantly thought he was cheating with the answers he had put down... . Walking out into the ministry by himself Oz walked over to a nearby bench placed for those who''d usually be waiting to be allowed in for a trial. Sat down he closed his eyes and rested. Thinking on all the papers he had just done he believed he had definitely gotten the best grade possible in every one. ''It should be all ''O''s... With them allowing me to request something it''ll make my life much easier if I can request ''that'' for next year''. Oz found himself snoozing slightly as the governors were grading his papers. With how detailed some of his answers were he felt like he may be waiting a bit longer than an hour. His peaceful sleep was disturbed however as he felt a prod on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to look at the person who had woken him up and staring back at him was a familiar face. "It''s been some time Tonks, you look well". Tonks smiled at Oz who yawned after his nap. Sitting down next to him she had a look on her face that screamed ''curiosity''. "What are you doing here in the ministry this time? Finally landed yourself in trouble with that crazy Animagus form you have?". Oz laughed as he looked at the carefree witch. "Not quite. Next year im planning on taking a gap year from school to travel. Dumbledore and the board of governors asked for me to do my OWLs early to show I was knowledgeable enough to warrant a year away from education". Tonk''s jaw fell slightly as she looked at Oz. "You''re only in your third year right!? Doing OWLs in your third year is incredible! If I did mine in my third year... I definitely wouldn''t be here right now thats for sure". Oz and Tonks both laughed as Tonks talked about herself. Looking at the witch Oz realised something about himself deep down. It was faint but he felt a slight attraction to her. Maybe because with his two lives combined he was around his mid to late 20''s which made it so a witch like Tonks who was older was much more interesting to him compared to the girls he knew at Hogwarts. Pursuing a relationship now though was something Oz couldn''t see himself doing, especially given that he was going to journey the world soon. In the future though Oz found that his tastes towards woman are probably going to end up being on the ''older'' side. "What are you doing around here anyway Tonks?". Tonks sighed as she looked at Oz. "My boss... Alastor Moody has been sending me on errands all day again as usual. I need to sort out several things before a certain time later". "Well I probably shouldn''t keep you then... I''ve still got to wait for Dumbledore as he wants to take me somewhere after all this OWL stuff is done. I''m half-tempted to just run off now but... nah it''s probably not worth it". Tonk''s eyes seemed to glow slightly as she heard Oz''s situation. Oz recognised that her eyes seemed to carry a level of understanding all of a sudden. She spoke quietly to herself, just enough so that Oz could b?r?ly pick it out. "Ah so he''s who...". Tonks stood back up and smiled at Oz. Grabbing all the papers she had tightly she looked down at him. "Well It was nice to talk to you again Tonks, take care of yourself". "Yeah it was nice to talk to you too. I imagine we will see each other again soon~" With that slightly mysterious message Tonks dashed off into the ministry with her papers in hand. A grin seemed to be on her face as she ran on through. Oz recalled her whispering to herself as he realised what situation was about to unfold. ''Oh so thats what''s about to happen huh...''. Looking at the door to the room where the governors were grading his papers he sensed that they would not be done for a while still. Resting his head back he fell into a deep sleep again. The young descendant of Merlin sleeping peacefully in the ministry was a sight to behold for sure. ============= A/N - Surprise double upload. (mainly as im bored and decided to write haha). Also this is officially chapter 100 written of the story.. two chapters ago still included the auxiliary chapters which aren''t technically ''chapters''. So heres to 100 again! Chapter 101 - Order of the Phoenix An hour or so passed and finally the door in front of Oz opened. Out came Dumbledore who looked down at Oz with a smile. "We''re all done now Oz, If you would come on in and we''ll review your test scores...". Standing up from his seat Oz walked through the door and into the trial room again. Compared to when he first entered the gazes that were on him were a lot more different. If the gazes before were mostly awe and judging gazes then they were all no just full of shock and even some fear. Oz walked on in and sat down at the desk in the middle of the room. Presented in front of him were all his papers and a paper on top of all of them showing his final grades. One of the female governors leaned forwards as she began to explain. "Never would we have thought that such a talent was in our school. While its true you are a descendant of Merlin, knowledge and comprehension is something gained and not passed down. When we first presented the idea of giving you a benefit if you got all (O)''s we honestly didn''t believe you would get them all especially in your third year... You truly proved us all wrong". All the other governors nodded listening to the female governors words. Dumbledore wore a smile as he walked up into his seat and looked down at Oz once more. "Oz Ambrosius, you have proven to us your knowledge and have shown that you are indeed above your years. We shall permit a year off for you next year however ONLY a year off. A talent such as yourself will be important in the year after next and its imperative that we have students like you at the school during that time...". "You''ve not only done well in all these tests but you''ve also gotten (O)''s across the board. Such a feat is truly remarkable considering you''re only in your third year. We shall now here one request from you and shall grant it if its within our power". Oz took a second to think about what benefits he could ask from the board of directors. He mulled over many different ideas. He knew that they wouldn''t be able to do as much as they claim when it comes to things Oz truly needed at this time so Oz had to think smaller. As he was thinking about what would benefit him in the next year especially, an idea came to mind. "I requested this next year off in order to travel around the world and experience it first hand. While im fully capable of looking after myself and along with that I have my identity of Merlin''s descendant I believe for certain places that I want to visit that won''t be enough...". "So I''d like to ask you all to make me a Representative of Hogwarts". Dumbledore''s eyes shook a bit along with all the governors scattered around. They probably all believed that Oz would ask for something like an artefact however instead he was asking for an identity. Dumbledore was the first to question Oz''s intentions. "Why do you believe this to be necessary in your travels?". "Well whilst im travelling I plan on visiting the many wizarding schools around the world. Many of the schools might refuse me entry if im seen as just a student travelling. If I''m shown as a representative of Hogwarts then they will have to cater for me and give me the best service. This will allow my endeavours to go much smoother and quicker". "Not only does this idea benefit me in the long run making my life easier but it also benefits Hogwarts as a whole. As you''ve seen today my knowledge is years above my age. If I''m made a representative of Hogwarts it will reflect well on the school in general considering I''m from it. It''s a way to show the schools around the world that Hogwarts is truly the greatest". All the governors in the room started to jump at this idea of allowing Oz to be the schools representative on his travels. Dumbledore was the only person who seemed to be thinking on it more. Dumbledore had witnessed first hand how mischievous Oz could get at times so whilst on the surface giving him the title of representative seemed to be a great idea there was the underlying issue that Oz could also bring trouble their way. Before Dumbledore could question it further though the governors who surrounded him all accepted Oz''s request. With this the headmaster was outnumbered. Looking at Oz, Dumbledore felt himself sigh as he walked down towards him. "The board of governors along with myself agree with your request Oz. In the next couple of weeks I will deliver to you a token that proves your status of representative of Hogwarts. When you arrive at any wizarding school all you have to do is show them the token and they will allow you in". Oz nodded at Dumbledore. Whilst some may think that this request was lacklustre as to what Oz could have asked for in reality this was all Oz needed. "With this, the testing sequence of Oz Ambrosius has come to a close... Thank you for your time governors, I shall take young Oz back to school now". All of the governors bade Oz and Dumbledore a farewell as the duo left the room. As the two left they started to walk back to the main area of the ministry. Dumbledore hadn''t spoke once as he seemed to be in deep thought about Oz''s intentions. In the meanwhile Oz wore a satisfied smile as he walked calmly through the ministry. When the two neared the fountain in the middle of the ministry, Dumbledore started to talk. "While I''m sure you''d like to return back to school there is one place I''d like to take you to first. It''ll only take up and hour or two of your time...". Knowing that the old man wouldn''t budge on this point Oz simply nodded and walked with him. Finding themselves a place away from all the traffic Dumbledore put his hand on Oz''s shoulder and apparated. . As Oz opened his eyes he noticed that it was now dark outside. On the floor was snow that seemed to be incredibly deep to stand in. Oz looked around and noticed where he was. ''Hogsmeade''. "If you''d follow me Oz...". Dumbledore led Oz on through Hogsmeade eventually arriving at a familiar looking bar. This place was the three broomsticks. As the two entered in Oz''s nose was ?ssailed with the smell of bu??erbeer and different foods. Looking around there were an abundant amount of witches and wizards eaten and chatting whilst having a beer on the side. Dumbledore led Oz through the excitement towards the other side of the bar. He nodded towards the bartender who nodded back allowing them on through into the back room. Entering into the back room Oz found himself in storage along with Dumbledore. Looking around he noticed that the room had a few charms and wards placed within it. Directly ahead of Oz though was another door and with his eyes he could sense that within held a bunch of people sat around. As he got closer to the door he started to recognise some of the voices. Dumbledore who was ahead of Oz finally opened the door signalling Oz in. ''Seems my theory back in the ministry after that talk with Tonks was correct''. As Oz walked in he saw a circular table with different food and drinks stacked onto it. Around this table where a bunch of people which Oz recognised. ''Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Molly and Arthur Weasley and finally Mundungus Fletcher... Quite the collection of people here already, this old man works fast...''. As Oz stepped into the room he felt all these witches and wizards eyes glue onto him. Tonks gave him a little wave with a knowing smile on her face whilst people like Mad-eye and Remus lupin seemed to look at his with extreme caution. The Weasley''s held curiosity in their gaze and finally both Snape and Mundungus seemed to hold contempt. ''I''m surprised the Weasleys are still here considering there''s no connection to them anymore with Harry not being friends with Ron... then again Dumbledore values connections and the Weasleys are a big family. The fact that one of their sons looks after dragons was probably enough to sway the man into recruiting them''. Oz wore a cold and calm expression as Dumbledore found a seat at the head of the table. Dumbledore then ushered Oz to take a seat himself and Oz opted for one that was a bit out of the way of everyone else. Dumbledore looked at everyone before beginning to speak. "Everyone, this here is Oz Ambrosius. You should all know him as his moniker the descendant of Merlin. He was the one who gave me information about Voldemort''s method of survival, using ''horcruxes''. He is also the same boy who destroyed two of such things this year while he was at Hogwarts...". Everyone''s expressions on the table changed as they looked towards the young Oz. Reading the emotions of everyone in the room, there seemed to be some apprehension towards him as well as praise and finally scorn. Oz simply nodded towards everyone as a means of introduction to which the majority nodded back. "I''ve gathered us here today in order to speak on these ''horcruxes''... Oz here was the first to discover such things so If you please Oz...". Hearing Dumbledore signal him, Oz sighed as he leant forward on the table. He began to give them the information they wanted. "I only found out about Horcruxes due to luck. I had promised the ghost of ravenclaw tower that I''d find her mothers diadem as repayment to her giving me information on my ancestor. When I found the diadem in question it was plagued with a dark magic that was corrosive at the touch. I kept the diadem on me for further study until... a death happened at the school. I went down into the chamber of secrets and fought the beast there. After I killed it I found a diary nearby in the hands of a girl called ''rose''. This diary and diadem both seemed to be incredibly similar and judging by how a spectre of Riddle showed whilst the diary was gaining power I believed that a dark magic here was at play and it mirrored what I had once read about horcruxes...". Everyone in the order listened on in awe, Especially Tonks who had just talked to Oz a couple of hours ago in the ministry. There were a couple of non-believers though at the table, the most notable being Mundungus Fletcher. "So a boy in his third year claims to have cut off two of the dark lords hands? What a joke...". Oz didn''t react at all to Mundungus'' comments as he sat back in his chair with a cold expression on his face. Dumbledore coughed as he signalled everyone to look towards him. "I understand some of you may believe this story to be falsified or wrong however I can confirm the facts personally. I''ve had in my hands the diary Oz destroyed and the residual dark magic left on it is indeed one of the darkest arts I''ve ever seen. Oz has also shown me the diadem and the dark magic left on it was similar to the dark magic in the diary". Hearing that Dumbledore was now confirming the facts everyone''s faces in the room had changed from not believing to believing. Remus Lupin was the first to talk after Dumbledore confirmed Oz''s story. "So these Horcruxes... how many of them are there? Do we even know where to look for such things?". "A good question Remus. I have a theory myself however I believe such a question should be directed at Oz first...". Oz felt himself getting a headache as he realised Dumbledore had brought him here just to answer questions. He sincerely wanted to just leave now however felt it would be best to just let them all know about horcruxes as much as possible so they can deal with it while Oz travels. "They wont be random and they wont be in random places. They will have meaning to Voldemort and the places where they are hidden will also have a level of meaning as well. If you look into his family and his history you should look into what objects and places he deemed important to himself. That would be the best place to start...". "Some things I would look for are things such as rings, necklaces... maybe even a locket?". As Oz mentioned a locket he looked at Mundungus out of the corner of his eye. The man seemed to show no reaction to Oz''s mentioning of a locket which confirmed Oz''s suspicions of the locket still being in Grimmauld place. Tonks bu??ed in after Oz''s explanation training her eyes onto Oz as she asked. "Is there a specific way to destroy these ''horcruxes''?". "This here is the fang of a Basilisk. When I destroyed both the diary and the diadem this was the tool I used. I can give you all a few of these fangs. Keeping them on yourself as you''re searching for these horcruxes will indeed help". Oz took a few more fangs out his pouch as he placed them on the table. The fangs he had given to the order were all the smallest ones from the basilisk that he hard harvested. Moody picked up one fang and stared down at Oz. "These things here are able to destroy horcruxes? Is there nothing else that can be used?". Oz shook his head as he looked at one of the fangs. "Basilisk venom seems to have a property to it that erodes souls. These fangs have a certain level of concentrated venom within them even though they are now dislodged from the basilisk itself. Horcruxes are literally parts of Voldemort''s soul mixed in with dark magic as a protection. These fangs are the simplest way of destroying the soul held within horcruxes... The harder method would be to use fiendfyre but as you all should know controlling such a magic is extremely difficult". Everyone''s expressions when dark as they noted about fiendfyre. It was a powerful magic that was incredibly hard to control. The fangs in comparison were instruments that were much easier to use. "So Oz has presented us with the information on these Horcruxes as well as how to destroy them... Not only that he has also destroyed two of them himself already. I believe he is a perfect candidate to add into this order...". Everyone in the room nodded towards Dumbledore as they heard him mention letting Oz join the order. Before Oz could give a reply however Mundungus Fletcher stood up. "Dumbledore you want to add this little kid to our ranks?! He may have supplied us with information and helped to this point but wasn''t that all just luck as he explained?! He will end up dragging us down for sure... Don''t you think so too Snape?". Mundungus noticed that the two wizards most opposed towards Oz joining the order was himself and Snape so he decided to turn to the latter for reinforcement in his argument. To his surprise however Snape just clicked his tongue at him signalling that he would listen to Dumbledore''s word on this. Snape himself had also witnessed Oz''s strength back when he killed the troll last year as well as this year when he zoomed off to the chamber of secrets. Whilst he held apprehension and disdain for Oz, he respected the boys talents and strength. "Mundungus, Oz was able to destroy two of these ''horcruxes'' and also supplied us with the information. Not only that he was also capable enough to kill a basilisk, what more would you want from an order member!?". Tonks seemed to react violently at Mundungus'' contempt towards of Oz. Remus was next to give his opinion along with Moody. "It''s clear that the boy is way above his years. Adding him into the order wouldn''t harm us". "This is a boy whose Animagus form is something that is so rare there''s probably not even one other person in the world right now with the same form... He has plenty of talent to join us". Mundungus seemed to start to break into a sweat as everyone in the order contested against his disproval of Oz joining. Oz kept his eyes closed the entire time not taking in any of the arguments. Dumbledore rose his hand to quiet everyone down and stop the debates, giving his own opinion. "Oz will be a very important ?sset to our cause. I ensure you that him joining our ''Order of the Phoenix'' will be to our benefit. He''s already presented us more than enough...". Everyone in the order nodded as Mundungus shrunk back into his seat. It seemed that Molly and Arthur were wholeheartedly following Dumbledore''s judgement and Kingsley the same as well. Oz eyes opened as he heard the debates come to an end. Coughing he signalled everyone to look towards him. "Albus, you seem to be jumping the gun yet again. Whilst I respect most of you here and don''t mind giving you information in order for all of you to move forward...". "I have no intention of joining this ''Order'' of yours". ----------- A/N - I originally released this chapter with the order being in Grimmauld place but as it was pointed out, that wouldn''t make any sense considering Sirius offered it after he got out of Azkaban and joined the order. So instead I decided to have them meet in the back room of the Three Broomsticks.. Somewhere I believed would make sense for Dumbledore to convene people seeing as though Hogsmeade is under his thumb to an extent. Chapter 102 - Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus All of the order members look at the young boy sat at the end of the table in shock at his refusal in joining the order. Looking at all the colourful expressions made Oz chuckled internally. As far as he was aware, this was a mess for the order to fix up while he was gone. He wouldn''t mind helping from time to time if the situation arose however going out of his way when he had better things to do seemed silly to him. "I told you Dumbledore! This little boy doesn''t even understand the importance of this order. We should kick him out in the snow now!". Mundungus Fletcher seemed to feel insulted by Oz''s refusal to join. Everyone else in the room wore uncomfortable faces as they watched the situation ensue. Hearing Mundungus make a comment towards him for a third time, Oz noted that the mans three strikes were up. Standing up he slowly walked over towards Mundungus'' chair with a cold smile. "W-What?! You think your hot shit? I''ve dealt with wizards twice your age in the past you know-". Mundungus stood up as a reflex to Oz coming over to him. As he started to spout a line that would find itself snugly in a wuxia novel Oz snapped his fingers quickly causing Mundungus'' wand that he had just taken out to fly into the ceiling above, embedding itself within it. Dumbledore on the other side of the room seemed to want to stop the situation however had slight apprehension when seeing the aura leak from Oz again. Seeing Oz was incensed he stepped in surprisingly on his behalf. "Mundungus, If he doesn''t want to join he doesn''t have to, he''s already provided us enough information to go on. Don''t go making a fool out of our order by arguing with anyone who refuses to join!". Everyone in the room seemed to look at Dumbledore with surprise in their gazes noting that the man was actually backing Oz here. Oz completely ignored Dumbledore''s comments as he walked closer to Mundungus. He allowed his aura to explode out. As it did, Dumbledore, Moody and Remus Lupin all seemed to flinch back. Dumbledore being accomplished as he is was able to sense the change in Oz''s disposition and Moody could as well with his experience. For Lupin however it seemed his bestial instincts were kicking in telling him this was not something to mess with. Oz looked towards the now cowering Mundungus with a smile on his face. "I have nothing against what your ''order'' is doing. I''ve shown my sincerity by providing you information after all. However, I deem my own ventures much more important than this scuffle". Tonks leaned forward on the table grabbing Oz''s attention away from the cowering Mundungus. "But why!? Surely you can still join the order and continue on your own ventures whilst being a part of our group...". "Tonks, I''m not someone who works well with groups. Even at school I can b?r?ly handle myself in the group I have there. I''m much better off acting alone. Besides, our values clash as well. You as an order don''t hold any aggression towards your enemies. You treat these enemies as people who can reform. However we are talking about witches and wizards who have already killed and are prepared to kill more, they deserve no pity...". Everyone''s expression in the room grew dark. Oz''s main point was one that was contested time and time again in the order, mainly by Moody and such who believed that dark wizards should be killed from the stem. Dumbledore however always swayed them the opposite direction stating that everyone has a chance to reform. "Here''s a little story for you all. A while ago I ran into a situation where I found myself in the basement of a dark wizard hideout. I unlocked a door down there and behind that door were a massive group of muggle-borns that had been beaten and experimented on for weeks maybe even some of them months. I looked around the room at these people and in that moment I realised that these witches and wizards who had preformed these acts on them had no right to life. If life is about ''doing unto others as others do unto you'' then I sincerely believe that killing these people is actually a gift to the world. However as I know you all hold no such values and thats why we can never work together...". "I can give you information, heck I might even help you out from time to time if I feel like it. But I will never work under another group that doesn''t hold the same values as myself and thats final". The backroom of the three broomsticks stayed in a solemn silence as they listened to the young boys words. Normally such accomplished witches and wizards wouldn''t heed what this boy was saying but considering his title and the power he had displayed in overwhelming Mundungus his words now had weight to them. Along with that was the information he had provided showing that his grasp on the situation was far beyond there''s. Dumbledore was the first to break the tension by standing up from his chair. "You''re right Oz. Your values are indeed different to ours and with that we wont work well together. Truth be told me inviting you was a shot in the dark on my side as I believed this scenario would happen. You''ve already told us enough and given us the information we need, if in the future you find out anything more please let us all know". Oz nodded as he started to walk towards the exit. Although he was in Hogsmeade there were plenty of ways for him to get back to Hogwarts without Dumbledore''s help and showing that he didn''t need the old mans help was almost a statement unto himself. Oz turned to the Order members as he was about to leave and gave them a quick wave. Leaving quickly he left all of them befuddled at what had just happened. Moody turned to Dumbledore with a questioning gaze. "Albus, you were certainly subservient towards a boy that is ''your'' student at ''your'' school... I know you sensed the same thing as I just then, is that what caused you to reign in your usual acts?". Everyone around the table seemed to lean in to look at the exasperated headmaster as he pondered for a moment how to answer that question. He sighed as he began to spoke. "Oz Ambrosius, that boy, I''ve had an eye on him ever since last year. As I''ve watched him I''ve seen him grow at an explosive rate. I saw him conjure a Patronus in his second year and not only that I helped him along with his Animagus ritual which ended up with his form being a Hebridean black dragon. All of these events rose alarm bells in my mind. I didn''t want to threaten him less I create for us another enemy however I sincerely didn''t want him to join the other side considering his talent. I started to press him to join ''our'' side under the guise of my personal ''disciple'' however he flipped that on me due to one mistake I made and managed to escape from my grasp. Seeing that he also had intelligence to go along with his power was when I got extremely wary...". "Last year however right near the end I witnessed Oz help Harry with a task I had laid out for him. He gave him more than a helping hand allowing him to blast through the majority of the trials there and at the very end he let Harry go on. I confronted him and he layered the truth onto me, facts that hit me deep to my core". "In retaliation I opted to show my dominance over the boy by staging a ''disciple graduation'' duel wherein me and him had a duel. The duel got violent and his techniques were incredible. If he was at the next step he would have been able to subdue me however I was able to overpower him... that was until...". Everyone listened closely to Dumbledore''s recounting of Oz and his relationship. They all knew the descendant of Merlin at face value, knowing him to be a talented student. However for Dumbledore to be labelling him so highly brought even more attention to the boy called ''Oz Ambrosius''. "His eyes glowed a deep purple and his magic became chaotic as it increased in potency. In our final wand clash he was actually able to best me... causing me to be disarmed from my wand". Everyone''s eyes shot open as they heard the result of Dumbledore and Oz''s duel. Everyone here had a first hand idea about how strong this headmaster was. If you had to put everyone present at a level they were all in the upper level of step 2, maybe only Moody and Remus were slowly stepping into step 3 however that was at the extreme lower level. Dumbledore himself though was at the peak of step 3 yet a boy in his second year at the time managed to best him in a duel. Lupin looked up from the table directly into Dumbledore''s eyes. "Dumbledore... Is that ''aura'' that the boy has on him related to how you lost? I felt that when he pressed Mundungus my... ''bestial'' instincts went haywire, telling me to run as soon as possible... Is that the aura and battle intent that bested you?". Dumbledore nodded slowly as he closed his eyes. Everyone around fell into deep thought about the boy who had just crashed their meeting. "That aura is something that causes me alarm whenever I see it Remus and I''ve seen it one more occasions than one now. When I helped him with his Animagus ritual I thought nothing of it however the ritual itself seemed to awaken something within him that had nothing to do with becoming an ''Animagus''. It almost seemed as though a force hijacked the ritual and awoke within him. Ever since that ritual the aura Oz has given off has become more domineering and powerful to a point where even I feel the need to be cautious. Usually the boy has a calm expression as he goes about his daily life however whenever he''s threatened or his emotions fluctuate, that aura explodes out". Dumbledore showed an exhausted smile as he thought about that ritual once again. Recalling the motto of their school also he started to see a pattern. "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus... Maybe the founders were preparing us for this moment". Everyone''s expressions in the room grew cold as they felt that they had just poked a hornets nest that was not to be poked. Considering that even Dumbledore showed apprehension towards Oz everyone''s expressions seemed to change to wariness towards this boy. Mundungus in the corner especially looked frightened considering how many comments he made about the boy, angering him in the process. Only one girls expression in the room seemed to be slightly different, holding a sadness and regret in regards to this situation. Looking around the room she smacked her hand on the table and with a smile spoke to everyone. "It''s not all bad though guys is it? Oz showed that he''s more on our side by providing us information and he even said he would help if he had the chance in the future. Although its a shame he wont join our group... for more reasons than one... ahem, I mean at least we have him as a collaborator on our side... right?". Everyone''s moods seemed to lighten at Tonk''s words, even Dumbledore himself seemed to brighten up. Dumbledore decided to give them all a vital piece of advice going forward. "Yes young Tonks here is right. Having him as a collaborator is much more beneficial than forcing him into the order or pushing him away. His talent, his intelligence and his will, all are years beyond what he should be capable of. Making such a person an enemy would be folly in the long run, It''s best to keep him at arms length and allow this collaboration to go on unhindered from here on...". Moody seemed to be still holding onto one of the basilisk fangs left by Oz. His eye darted at Dumbledore as he had one last question. "That boy, you brought him with you from the ministry correct? What were you taking him there for in the first place Albus?". Tonks raised her hands as she realised she could answer this question for Dumbledore instead. "Ah! I had a talk with Oz in the ministry. He was there to do his OWLs early, right Dumbledore?". Everyone''s ''shock'' reserves seemed to be spent as they couldn''t even put on the expression anymore. Turning to Dumbledore they saw the headmaster nod as he confirmed Tonk''s words. "Yes, he asked me for a leave of absence next year. The board of governors refused such a thing unless Oz could prove his knowledge was beyond his years so they had him sit his OWLs two years early... He managed to pass with flying colours of course and even showed no difficulty in answering any questions. As we were marking all the governors stated that we needed Oz back for ''that'' tournament in two years time so we could only give him one year of absence max. He seemed satisfied with that though". Molly Weasley who had been quiet up to this point with her husband gasped hearing about Oz''s intelligence first hand. "OWLs in his third year? and he passed them all with flying colours? Even though our sons Bill and Percy got 12 OWLs they still had to learn into their fifth year...". Arthur nodded at his wife''s words as he turned to Dumbledore. "It''s clear this Oz fellow truly isn''t someone to be underestimated at all... Do you know what he plans to do in his next year away Dumbledore?". Dumbledore pondered for a moment as he recalled Oz and his trip to the ministry hours ago. "Oz only said that he wanted to travel the world mainly... However he did request an ''identity'' from the school so he could enter into schools around the world easier. His journey seems to be solely in the pursuit of knowledge...". Everyone in the room felt themselves shiver at Oz''s ?ust for knowledge. Dumbledore looked around at everyone before clapping his hands together. "Anyway I think thats enough for today... This meeting shall be adjourned. We will meet up once again in the summer to talk about ''that'' thats happening next year. With Oz not present at the school next year also that gives us breathing room in regards to approaching Harry...". Everyone in the room nodded as they started to funnel out from the backroom of the three broomsticks. Molly, Arthur, Mundungus and Kingsley Shacklebolt all apparated as soon as they got outside whereas Moody and Remus stayed behind for a drink with Tonks in tow. Dumbledore apparated himself instantly back to his room which was still allowing apparition for a little while longer. . As Oz left the meeting he headed for Honeydukes. Considering how late it was Honeydukes was of course closed so he cloaked himself and proceeded towards the front door where the door in question was covered in a myriad of wards and locks to sway any robbers. Oz sighed as he started to unwind all the wards and eventually narrowed it down to a simple ''alohomora'' spell to unlock the door. As he entered into Honeydukes he remained cautious with his eyes activated ensuring that he didn''t set off any alarms or anything. Thankfully his cloaking spell seemed effective enough to mask his presence completely as he managed to find the hatch that led down into the underground passage leading back to Hogwarts. Oz probably could have just walked all the way back to the school above ground just fine however he felt like trying out one of these ''secret passages'' for a change. As he walked through the underground passage he thought back on the Order''s convening. ''Dumbledore certainly moved fast after I gave him that information... I wonder if that means they are already trying to recruit people around the world to help their cause... Well no matter, I feel as though my stance was made clear in the end and Dumbledore seemed to reign in his usual acts...''. Oz thought that when he refused to enter the Order Dumbledore would push him more to join. Surprisingly though it seemed that Dumbledore reeled back incredibly quickly. Oz wondered at this point if the duel at the end of last year affected him more than he had originally thought. Maybe considering that Oz had disarmed him at that time the wand in Dumbledore''s hand now wouldn''t work well against Oz now as it saw him as its new master down the line. While Dumbledore''s probably tamed it to a degree now if he ever faced Oz in battle it might not show its normal prowess. ''That elder wand... I wonder what I can use it for down the line...''. Looking down at the wand in his hand that had a simple ''Lumos'' spell glowing on it, he smiled. This wand felt like an extension of himself at this point. He had two wands initially and the both of them synched well with him. However at that point those two wands were like having two pistols, while it was cool to duel-wield it wasn''t efficient. After fusing them now though it felt like having a rifle that fit in his hand perfectly. Even though the elder wand was technically his he didn''t want to take it anytime soon. He would be destined though to take it in the end from Dumbledore. Maybe he could fuse his wand would the elder wand? Or maybe he could return to duel-wielding? Such ideas plagued his mind as he walked through the dark passage towards Hogwarts. ''Regardless of these thoughts they are all for the future... With all of this now sorted I only need to tell the gang about where I''m going and give Harry and Rose the mirrors separately as a means of keeping tabs on what''s happening here. After that I can finally journey into the world....''. Chapter 103 - Mirror Madness There was only a couple days until summer break now and Oz decided it was time to convene the gang at the usual place. He only had the task of handing off the mirrors separately and then he was done. He could just give the mirrors and disappear however he felt like he owed it to this group to at least let them know he was leaving. As the group arrived in the library they took their normal seats and all sat down quietly. For Oz to call a ''meeting'' was extremely rare considering this meeting seemed to be in regards to something important rather than just a normal study session. As they all sat down Oz smiled towards them all and started to talk. "This group has grown a lot hasn''t it Cho? Back in our first year it was just me you and... Craig. Now however there''s so many of us we can b?r?ly fit on the table". Cho chuckled as she reminisced back to her first year when the group was just the trio of Craig, Oz and her. A melancholic look seemed to fill her eyes as she recalled. Everyone on the table matched Cho as they looked back on when they joined this group and all the times they had together. Hermione seemed to clock the direction of the talk already as she looked up to Oz. "Where are you leading this conversation Oz?". Oz laughed as he leaned towards the Gryffindor girl. "I guess nothing can get passed you can it. Don''t worry this wont be a long talk however I felt it necessary to let you all know". Everyone leaned in closer as they all stared at Oz intently. "Next year I plan on taking a leave of absence from the school. I''ll be travelling the world for an entire year and I''ll return in my fifth year. So... that means you won''t be seeing much of me for a while" The table filled with shocked faces as they looked towards Oz. They knew Oz was someone who was unpredictable, however they never thought that he would do something like this. Cho who had lost Craig earlier in the year seemed to be slightly panicked as she realised Oz was now going away. "B-But why Oz?! Why do you need to leave the school for so long?!". The emotions at the table seemed to rile up a bit. Oz hadn''t realised it himself however it seemed as though the majority here had become reliant on him. Cho sought him for emotional support as he was her first friend along with Craig. Rose saw him as her hero who saved her twice. Luna saw him as her protector and benefactor. Hermione saw him as her teacher and finally Harry saw him as his dependant senior. The only person who seemed to understand the situation was Daphne who closed her eyes in acceptance at this result. "This is something I need to do for myself... Something that needs to be done in order for my mind to be settled. There''s no need to feel sad though as I will return the year after... the board of governors were dead-set on that". Hermione slapped her hands on the table as she looked over to Oz. "How did you even get an entire year off?! Such a thing should be impossible for any student!". "Well I asked Dumbledore to allow it at first and the only way was to do my OWLs early... So thats exactly what I did". Everyone was stunned again at Oz''s unpredictability. They knew that OWLs were test that you took in your fifth year. Oz stating so simply that he took them early as a means to get a year off was a shock. This shock was especially apparent in the bookworms of the group that being Hermione, Cho and Luna who all understood the gravity of such a thing. Luna felt her curiosity best her as she felt the need to ask: "D-Do you know what grades you got?". Everyone knew Oz''s knowledge was abundant. Whenever they asked him a question he always had an answer. Even Hermione who would ask some questions that weren''t even on the school curriculum would find an answer all the time whenever she asked Oz questions. Even knowing all this though, they felt there should be a limit to it. Sadly for them, they didnt know the extent of Oz''s ?ust of knowledge. "I got perfect (O)''s across the board... That was a requirement in order to take this leave after all. If I scored any grade below an (E) I would have to stay". The three brainboxes fell back in their seats in a daze. Getting perfect grades in your OWLs in your third year was something even they couldn''t fathom. As Oz looked around the table he noted that the tone was still very sombre. He sighed as he stood up. "Listen. As much as I''d love to stay with you all in this school there''s too much for me to seek out in the world. I''ll try my best to keep you all posted about what I''m doing however such things could be difficult while travelling. This is my decision and its final... Understand though that I will return, this isn''t a goodbye forever". Everyone at the table seemed to cheer up as they heard Oz state this wasn''t ''goodbye forever''. Considering Oz''s character they wouldn''t be surprised if he up and left one day. If they knew about Merlin''s story like Oz did then that worry would be even greater considering Merlin did just that. Everyone nodded at Oz as a smile lifted onto his face seeing their compliance. "Well while we are here lets continue with a normal study session. Try and pluck out as much information as possible today as you wont be able to again for a year soon". Hermione, Cho, Luna and Rose seemed to all get out their notebooks as they heard Oz says as much. He suddenly felt a headache come in as he realised that he just poked a hornets nest with that comment. Harry and Daphne chuckled realising the ''danger'' Oz was in. Oz sat down with a sigh and leaned in listening to any and all questions that came his way. With that the study session continued as normal until late. . As the study session came to a close, Oz felt a wave of relief fly over him. The girls were unrelenting this time as they threw tons of questions his way. He answered them all in kind however talking so much had made his throat go dry. As they all started to pack up Oz signalled Rose over to him. "Rose. If you could meet with me privately after we pack up here that''d be great. There''s something I need to tell you and give you". Rose blinked a couple times in surprise before nodding and continuing to pack up. As everything was packed everyone began to split off from the library. Harry and Daphne called out to Oz to join them in heading back to the Slytherin dorms however Oz refused stating he had something to do first. As everyone left Oz turned a corner and waited for Rose to meet him. After some time Rose appeared before him. With Rose in front of him he noted her features, something he never really did with anyone to this point. Her hair was a light auburn that came down to her shoulders. She had dark brown eyes and her face could be describe as ''pretty''. To Oz though she was still too young to consider as a ''partner'' however it was clear that down the line the man who''d bag her would be lucky. She approached Oz with a light yet reserved smile. "So, what did you call me her for Oz?". "Thanks for meeting me Rose... As I said in the study session I''m going to be away next year. Whilst I''m gone I want someone to let me know what''s happening in the school while I''m gone. With what happened this year I wouldn''t be surprised if something happened again next year...". "I can do that for you Oz... But why make a big deal out of it like this? Surely I can just send you a letter while you''re away and that be the form of contact that allows me to pass information to you?". Oz shook his head as he looked at Rose. "That method is too slow. If something like what happened this year happens again I wouldn''t be able to act in time... instead I got something for you that will help with contacting me". Reaching into his pouch Oz pulled out a mirror with a red gem in the top. He handed the mirror over to Rose who looked down at it in curiosity. "This here Rose is a ''Two-Way Mirror''. Whenever I look into it I can see you and vice-versa. Every other Sunday at around 6:00pm I''ll look into the mirror starting at the beginning of next years school term. If something has occurred then turn up and tell me via the mirror. If nothings happened then you don''t need to turn up. This is only a means of sending me information quicker so keep this mirror safe". Rose looked at the mirror with a deep look before nodding at Oz''s explanation. She took in all the information told to her and kept it locked in her heart. "Also... Don''t tell the others about this mirror. I''d like you to be my sole informant at the school". Rose''s eyes grew wider as she heard that Oz was trusting her with this solely. She seemed all the more prepared for the task of keeping him informed as she nodded fervently. Oz looked at the girl with a smile understanding that this outcome was to be expected. A couple more words were traded before the two split off. . "FINALLY I''VE FOUND YOU!". Zooming through a few students was the bloody baron. He approached Oz with a crazed gaze. "YOU HAVE BEEN DODGING ME AT EVERY TURN, EVEN WARDING OFF YOUR ROOM SO I CAN''T SEE YOU". Oz looked up at the desperate ghost with a sigh. "I ward off my room every night Baron. I don''t like people disturbing my sleep". "YOU PROMISED ME YOU''D TALK TO HELENA ABOUT ME. WELL? DID YOU!?". The baron seemed to be completely on another level as Oz couldn''t get through to him. He seemed to ignore Oz and only sought out information about Helena. Oz breathed in as he embodied his inner Lockhart. "Ah yes of course Baron of course... I told her that you gave me the information to find the diadem. She was grateful to hear you had helped her and even said that she lift the ban on you coming up to higher floors next year. As her benefactor she wanted to see you!". The Baron shrunk back as he was overwhelmed with excitement. His booming voice calmed down as he recalled Helena. "S-s-she wants to meet me!? S-s-she''s going to lift that DAMN ban!? hahah! Finally you''ve come around my beloved...". The Baron seemed to be swooning as Oz looked at the gullible ghost with a sigh. People with a few screws loose always seemed easier to sway. The barons head snapped towards Oz as he looked at him in a glare. "If you''re lying about this boy... if next year she doesn''t see me and doesn''t lift the ban... Then I''ll haunt you all next year! Regardless of what the school tries they wont pull me away from you!". Oz smiled at the ghost as he reassured him. "Then I have nothing to fear... you will get what you deserve Baron". The baron who saw Oz''s confidence had his excitement shoot up again. He flew around the common room fixing his appearance and even smearing the blood on his clothes trying to get it off. Seeing how crazed the ghost was Oz laughed and walked towards the dorm rooms. The baron was sure to be upset next year and sadly for him Oz wouldn''t even be here to torment. Oz walked over to Harry''s dorm room where he could hear the boy inside packing his things. Knocking a couple times on the door, Oz waited for Harry to open up. After a bit of clattering around the door eventually opened and Harry looked at Oz with a smile. "Oz! What are you doing here at this time?". Oz looked at the boy with a light smile. "There''s something I want to talk to you about if you don''t mind... Can I come in a second?". Harry ushered Oz in and closed the door behind him. Outside the door they could still hear the Baron going crazy zooming around. Harry''s eyes grew concerned as he scratched his head. "What''s up with that ghost now? He''s been angry for so long and now he''s going crazy...". "Never mind that Harry... Seems you haven''t fully packed yet?". Harry let out a light laugh as he started to sweat a bit. "Yeah... I left it last second again. Hermione will probably get angry at me if she knew how unorganised I was". "Are you heading back to the grangers again this year?". Harry nodded at Oz''s question. "Yes, they invited me to stay for every summer unless something happens. It''s great looking forward to a summer for once compared to before I was at this school...". Oz put his hand on Harry''s shoulder as he gave him a warm glance. "I''m glad for you. Those creatures weren''t your family". Harry laughed as he recalled the Dursleys who had been broken apart from the child abuse situation. Even if he was related to them he had no familial love for them at all. Oz took a moment at this point to sense out Harry''s mental defences that he had built over the year with Oz. The lessons Oz had given him had been effective to a degree, allowing Harry to have an elementary defence. This defence would be enough to help the boy for now even if it was b?r?ly entry level. "Anyway Oz... Why was it you came here again?". "As you know Harry I''ll be gone next year and I need someone in the school to give me information on what''s going on whilst I''m gone... Letters are too slow so instead I got you this". Fetching into his pouch once again Oz pulled out a mirror with a blue gem in the top. He handed the mirror to Harry. "This here is a ''two-way mirror'' Harry. With it we can talk even if we are far apart. Whilst I''m on my travels I will sometimes appear in the mirror to inquire for information about what''s going on at the school. Let''s say... every other Saturday at 6:00pm on the start of next years school term. From then on I''ll start to appear in the mirror. If you have any important information to tell me then please appear for a chat. If not then you don''t need to appear if you don''t want to". Harry absorbed all this information from Oz and nodded near the end. Looking at the small mirror in his hand he smiled. Knowing he would have contact with Oz next year even though he wasn''t here was a boon to him. "Ah and one last thing Harry... Don''t let any of the others know you have this mirror. I want you to be my sole informant". Harry nodded instantly at Oz''s request as he packed away Oz''s mirror he had given him. Oz smiled at the boys compliance as he bade him farewell leaving him to pack. With this now sorted, Oz was set for the summer and year ahead. . As Oz arrived back in his room he opened his pouch and looked at the two mirrors he had. The one with the blue gem and red gem. ''With this setup I''ll be able to confirm information, have two eyes on the school and also know if one of them end up telling the others about their mirror. It''s a bit... bad to do it this way however this is the most effective means of knowing my information will be valid and trustworthy along with knowing both of their ''sincerity'' towards me in the long run. Rose and Harry are the two who I trust the most anyway so there should be no issues...''. Oz put the two hand sized mirrors away in his pouch as he laid on his bed. He had finally completed all his tasks for the year.. As he closed his eyes he fell into a quite yet comfortable slumber, anticipating the year to come. Chapter 104 - Farewell... for now As Oz walked through the school he saw all kinds of students with their luggage rushing around. Today was the end of the school term and in a few hours time was when everyone in the school would make the trip to the Hogwarts express. He had seen this same hustle and bustle twice before now however this time it seemed different, maybe because he wouldn''t see it again for another two years. As he walked through the halls he found himself at the headmasters office. The gryphon staircase presented itself to Oz as he walked up and into Dumbledore''s office. As he entered he saw the headmaster sat at his desk with a smile. "This was certainly a surprise Oz, for you to call a meeting between us. To what do I owe the p???sur?". Oz walked up to Dumbledore''s desk and faced the headmaster. "There''s some information I''d like to request and in return I can give you information on a potential horcrux location". Dumbledore''s eyes widened as he heard Oz wanting to enact an information deal. "''Potential'' you say... so It''s not set in stone?". "It''s better than nothing don''t you think? After all im sure your order has nothing to go on at the moment considering you''ve probably just started the search". Dumbledore flinched at Oz''s cutting words. Stroking his beard he looked at the enigmatic young boy with a light smile. "Okay Oz I''ll bite... What information do you require?". "In the Order meeting we had a couple days back there were those two Weasleys right? Molly and Arthur I believe their names were? Someone told me that their son handles dragons in Romania. I wanted to ask you if you knew where that son was situated". Dumbledore looked at Oz curiously as he decided to press him. "What makes you think I know the exact location of their son?". "If you''re building up your order to fight Voldemort it only makes sense you''d want connections with someone who has experience with dragons. Dragons can be an effective and deadly ?sset in an army after all". Dumbledore let out an exasperated sigh looking at Oz. Sighing he began to speak. "The Romanian Dragon Sanctuary is the full name of the place you seek. I believe you''ll find the sanctuary warded off in the Carpathian Mountains. I can send a note to Molly and Arthur who can relay the information to their son Charlie about your arrival in the coming months... Is that enough?". Oz absorbed the information told to him and nodded at Dumbledore. His first stop after his short stay at Merlin''s hideout was to be Romania in order to take Norberta back personally. Going there he wanted to meet with this ''Charlie'' as he should have further knowledge about dragons. The dragon sanctuary was also an interesting point of interest for Oz as he wondered what it actually entailed considering the dragons he was aware of were intelligent enough to not be held in a sanctuary. "Now Oz... I believe It''s your turn to give information". Oz nodded as he began to give Dumbledore a lead on one of the horcruxes. "Before I tell you this information you are not to ask how I know got it okay?". Dumbledore nodded as he leaned in closer to listen to Oz''s words. "Grimmauld place. I''m sure you are aware of who used to live there? Well I found out a while ago that a certain person from that family got their hands on a particular locket that Riddle used to own. I imagine that could be a horcrux potentially... Of course you''d need permission from the owner of such a place to enter however I believe that you will easily sort that out this year coming...". Dumbledore leant back in his chair defeated hearing the end of Oz''s explanation. When he heard about grimmauld place he immediately remembered the black family that lived there. Next year from Remus there was talk of Sirius Black making his escape from Azkaban after being wrongly accused. Dumbledore had no idea how but Oz seemed to already know this information. Oz telling them now that the locket was in grimmauld place before hand though eliminated Mundungus from grabbing it sooner. "If this locket is where you say it is Oz then you would have helped us greatly... thanks for the information, I''ll be sure to hold up my end of the bargain as well". Oz nodded as he started to leave the office. Before he exited the door though he decided to give a slight piece of advice to Dumbledore in regards to the people in his order. "That Mundungus... I''d be careful of him Dumbledore. I''m sure you know that he is from the underworld of the wizarding community and deals in dark artefacts. An artefact like the locket would be something he would want to hide from you and sell. Just be mindful when you search the place for it... better yet search it with people you trust". Dumbledore nodded coarsely at Oz''s advice returning his own advice to Oz in the process. "Here''s my advice to you then as well Oz. The attention you''re receiving now is even greater than before considering your OWL results are being made public by the governors. Voldemort and his army will eventually have their eyes on you. Whilst you are travelling it will be prudent of you to remain cautious as they could attack you at any turn or even try to coax you over to their side...". Oz lightly smiled at Dumbledore''s advice and walked out of the office. Dumbledore now left alone stood up from his chair and let out a long sigh. "That boy is far too much for my old mind to handle. Thankfully I''ll get some peace next year whilst he''s gone... I''ve been sighing too much recently". . After departing from Dumbledore''s office, Oz headed back to his dorm and packed up the last few things he left. With his pouch and the extension charm placed on it packing up was easy for him as he stuffed everything he had into there. He took one last look at his dorm that had housed him for the previous three years before heading off to meet the gang. Walking through the halls of Hogwarts he took his time to stroll peacefully considering that the train still had a couple of hours before its departure. As he finally arrived at the schools exit that headed down towards the train, he spotted a familiar group stood there. "There you are Oz!" Looking towards the direction of the voice he saw Hermione who was calling out to him. Around here were Harry, Daphne, Cho, Luna and Rose who were all waving him over. He walked over and joined them as they started to walk down towards the train. "I can''t believe thats another year done... so many things happened this year". Cho seemed to feel melancholic as she looked back on the year that had occurred. For Oz each year had been hectic however this one had been hectic for not only him but everyone here after the death of Craig. The group all seemed to nod in agreement as Rose chimed in. "I almost died this year... For the second time in my life so far! I hope next year will be more peaceful for us all". As Oz heard Rose''s comment he sighed. ''Way too obvious of a flag Rose...''. Everyone continues to chat down the path and eventually the conversation ended up situated on Oz. "So Oz where is your first destination this year coming on your travels?". Harry looked up to Oz with sparkling eyes wanting to hear were he was headed off too. Everyone else seemed invested as well as they all turned their attention to Oz. "If you recall Harry, in our first year we witnessed the birth of Norberta right? Do you remember that little dragon". Harry nodded at Oz along with Hermione and Daphne who remembered the little dragon hatching. Oz turned to the confused trio of Cho, Luna and Rose deciding to explain to them. "Norberta is a dragon that the gatekeeper Hagrid had found as an egg. We went down into his hut a year ago now to see its birth. She took a liking to me so I promised to look after her for Hagrid". Hearing the word dragon Luna, Cho and Rose seemed to pause in shock. Oz went on to explain his plans whilst chuckling internally at their faces. "You see that little dragon has all grown up now and is becoming far too big to handle... So my first stop will be releasing her to the wild where she can roam. In Romania there''s a Dragon Sanctuary that I''ll be taking her to so Romania will be my first stop...". Harry, Daphne and Hermione seemed to be remembering that little dragon and found it hard to believe that it had already grown to a size that was too big to be in a house. When she hatched she was no bigger than one of Hagrid''s hand however now she was about the size of Hagrid himself, maybe even slightly bigger. With Oz explaining his plans they started to hound him for what he''d do after that however Oz explained that he would just go ''wherever he feels like'' after. Oz loosely promised to send some letters here and there but Cho wasn''t buying it for a second considering how bad he was at keeping in contact. Regarding this Oz spotted sly smirks from Harry and Rose who had a means of communication with Oz that would allow them to hear from him undoubtedly during the next year period. After a long walk and a long talk, they finally found themselves at Hogsmeade station and looking at the Hogwarts express. In front of the train though Oz could see a large crowd forming around a single point. ''Why am I getting deja vu?''. Harry and Daphne also seemed to feel the same as they approached the station''s platform. The rest of the group all seemed to walk faster in curiosity as to what was there. Sure enough as they approached closer the crowd parted and out walked a beautiful girl. "There you are master~". Walking over to Oz was Alfreda who seemed bowed as she approached him. Looking over to Daphne and Harry she greeted them also. To Oz''s right however he felt the questioning gazes of 4 girls whose stares seemed to feel like needles on his skin. Turning to the four Oz began to explain. "Hermione, Cho, Rose, Luna, I''d like you to meet my elf Alfreda. She is an elf that has served Merlin''s bloodline for centuries and has looked after me ever since I found her a while ago. She tends to be a bit over-catering sometimes which is why I imagine that shes here now...". Alfreda smiled brightly and greeted the 4 girls who greeted back. Luna was especially mesmerised by Alfreda''s appearance as she called out. "You aren''t a house elf thats for sure... What exactly are you if you mind me asking?". Alfreda let out a light chuckle at Luna''s ''to the point'' question as she began to explain. "I''m a ancestor of those you call ''house-elves''. Due to inbreeding amongst other things elves changed their appearance over the years becoming more and more like the ones you see today. Along with that their lifespans also decreased. Me as an ancient elf is still the same as I was many years ago and still have many years left until I am to return to the earth". Hermione, Cho and Luna looked at the Alfreda with a mix of shock and also greediness as they realised that her knowledge might even rival Oz''s. She was an ancient elf after all who would have lived back even when the founders were around possibly. Sadly for them Oz wanted to keep that knowledge to himself and Alfreda wouldn''t say anything more unless Oz allowed her to. "Alfreda I gather you come to apparate me directly right?". "That''s correct master~ I thought you''d find it better to skip this journey by train~". "Well guys, this is where we part for a year. Make sure to all look after yourselves and keep safe. This school seems to be a magnet for trouble these days". Everyone took turns to say goodbye to Oz with Luna, Rose and Cho giving Oz a hug and the rest giving him a handshake. They all seemed a bit teary eyed as they said their goodbyes, some more than others. Rose and Harry were the least emotionally affected as they knew they had a means of communicating with Oz still while he was gone. Luna was the final one to speak up as Alfreda clasped her master''s hand ready to apparate him. "Stay safe out there Oz" Oz replied to Luna''s goodwill along with the rest of the groups with a light smile and nod. They all smiled back as some tears fell and as soon as those tears hit the ground Oz was apparated along with Alfreda instantly leaving behind the group who stood in front of the Hogwarts express. "There he goes... Well we''ll see him after next year so no need to stay emotional guys". Daphne cheered everyone up as she led them into the train. The gang sat themselves down in a compartment as they glanced one more time out the window to where Oz was last stood. Turning their heads back they started to talk again.. After a few minutes the train started to slowly move, taking them all back to London. Chapter 105 - Home Sweet Home As Oz felt a wave of nausea pass over himself he opened his eyes to a familiar rock formation. Looking around he could see fields of green spreading out and a light wind tickling his face. To his right was Alfreda who had just let go of his hands. He had already made it back home. "Right this way master~". Alfreda snapped her fingers and the pathway down into Merlin''s hideout presented itself. She lead him forward and as he reached the bottom of the spiral staircase down they found themselves at the door. "If I recall Alfreda, this door required me and my dragon blood to open... How have you usually been getting in and out?". "Well Merlin had to give me permissions in some places didn''t he? This door also recognises me as someone who can enter as well as people of Merlin''s blood. The only door he completely barred from me was that so-called ritual room you were so pleased to see~". Alfreda walked up to the door and put her hand on it. The door glowed a dull purple as it opened allowing the duo in. As Oz entered he looked around the hideout with a smile on his face. It appeared the exact same as he left it. "You''ve done well in keeping this place nice and fresh Alfreda. Thank you for that". "No problem master... On the table is a cup of tea prepared for you~". Looking over to the table Oz saw a hot cup of tea awaiting him. Looking at this he let out a chuckle as he sat down at the table. "I thought you were kidding about this when we talked in my dorm at Hogwarts... Sure enough you actually did have a cup ready". "Well I thought after all you''ve been through this year a bit of service was necessary. I mean slaying a basilisk and destroying those ''horcrux'' things... It seems you haven''t had much of a break". "I''ve had more time to relax than you think Alfreda after all that happened at the beginning of the year... Thank you though for this". Oz drank his tea as he relaxed in his chair. He noted that the fragrance of the tea was especially rich. Alfreda must have gone out of her way to prepare him the best tea she could. Alfreda proceeded to clean some other areas of the main room before sitting herself at the table with Oz. As she sat down however Oz heard a clattering from the other side of the hideout. Alfreda looked towards the noise and smiled. "She must have been asleep... Took her long enough to notice~". Barging into the room was Norberta who had her eyes locked onto Oz. Oz couldn''t believe for a second how much she had grown. When he left her here she was already getting bigger however when he left she was only the size of a dog. Now however she was actually having trouble getting through into the main room, hence the clattering sounds she left in her wake. The dragon didn''t let out a single noise as it clawed its way carefully through the room to the table Oz was sat at. As she finally got close to Oz her wings wrapped around him bringing him into her embrace. The dragon stayed silent which spoke volumes to Oz. As Oz began to speak he felt his blood heat up in the presence of a dragon. {It''s been long hasn''t it Norberta? I''m glad to see you''re doing well...}. Norberta hugged him tighter as Alfreda watched on with a light smile. In this moment for Oz a slight wave of emotion over himself, something he wouldn''t usually feel. Looking at both Norberta and Alfreda along with the hideout he was in he felt like this place was truly a home for him. Something he didn''t have in either of his lives. "It feels like I''m finally home...". Norberta backed off from Oz as she put on a tough face. Her expression switched from happiness to slight disapproval as she growled at Oz. "Oz... Stupid...". Oz''s eyes widened as he heard Norberta speak English. He looked over to Alfreda who had her hand to her mouth covering herself chuckling. Norberta seemed to be relishing in Oz''s surprise as she puffed her ?h?st out before Oz. "Seems you''ve taught her a few things in my absence". Alfreda stood up and walked over to Norberta stroking her wings. Both of them smiled at Oz who was sat down with his tea. "We thought we''d try and surprise you... Didn''t we Norberta?". Norberta nodded her head as she looked over to Oz. "Yes... Oz... did we... Surprise?". As Oz turned to Norberta he found his blood heat up again. {You certainly did surprise me...} Oz sat back after speaking in dragon-tongue feeling a wave of annoyance at his blood. When he was trying to activate it wilfully at school it never played well with him however in the presence of Norberta, a dragon, it seemed to obey willingly. Oz sighed as he noted that this was probably something he wouldn''t be able to solve anytime soon. Norberta and Alfreda both sat down with Oz as they began to chat about the year without him. Alfreda explained her misadventures whenever she went out shopping along with how she met a certain house-elf at the beginning of the year as Oz went to Hogwarts. Hearing this scenario that went down Oz realised why he never saw Dobby in the year that had passed. Norberta then bu??ed in explaining what happened with her in the year passed going into how she has grown stronger and soon feels she will be able to speak fluent English. Hearing the little dragon now grown up so proud of herself Oz stroked her head giving a her a kind smile as he did so. Oz then went on to explain his year in more detail than he did in the letter. From Lockhart to Basilisks to Horcruxes his story weaved a tale that Norberta and even Alfreda at times were shocked about. As the story concluded on a good note both Alfreda and Norberta seemed happy and calm knowing that despite everything their ''papa'' and ''master'' had pulled through. "That Lockhart fellow seems like quite the character... he was the one doing the book signing at the beginning of the year right? I wonder if he''s still a teacher at the school now~". Oz thought back to the canon in which Lockhart was openly exposed for his misdeeds along with also being obliviated by Ron''s wand. This time around Lockhart was still around however his ''misdeeds'' were actually exposed near the end of the year by certain aurors who came to the school in the wake of Craig''s death. As they searched around the school and especially the teachers they found damning evidence convicting Lockhart of fraud within his study. Lockhart who was completely out of the loop didn''t realise the aurors arrival and when they burst into the room he had no chance to destroy any evidence he had of being a fraud. The man apparently tried to escape however he was immediately apprehended and put through a trial. Along with a hefty fine he had to admit to the public about his misdeeds before a stint in a wizarding jail for several years. Oz was sad he couldn''t get to witness these events first hand however hearing this scenario happen was enough to give him a laugh. "I believe he''s been apprehended for his misdeeds now Alfreda and a shame too... Although I''d usually be angry at such a useless person it was still interesting to watch him spin a story and spout nonsense". Alfreda giggled as she thought back to Oz''s story of his first lesson with the fraud. The teacher explained that falling to the floor passed out was actually a technique to shut down all senses and that he had done it too well. Such bull-shittery was impressive truly in its own right. {What about that ghost Oz? Helena wasn''t it? Did you ever tell her about the diadem being destroyed}. As Oz heard Norberta''s question he felt himself pause for a second. He actually never went back to Helena even after destroying the diadem. He was too preoccupied on other things that he just kept pushing it to the back of his mind. Near the end of the year though on one of the final days he found Luna and asked her to pass on a message to the grey lady saying ''I''ve found and destroyed the item''. Oz didn''t know if Luna had passed the message on before the end of the year or not so he had no clue whether Helena knew about the diadems current situation. He wasn''t worried about it though as he knew that Helena wanted this situation anyway, for her mothers diadem to be destroyed and ridded of the dark magic that it was plagued with. {Someone who I know in Ravenclaw, I gave her the message to pass on to Helena. She should know about what happened in the end}. Oz looked over to Alfreda who seemed to still understand the conversation despite them speaking in dragon-tongue from time to time. "Alfreda can you understand me and Norberta when we talk like that?". "Much like Norberta''s broken English I can pick out bits and pieces... If you''ve seen as many dragons as I have in one life then you start to pick up certain ''words'' and ''phrases'' despite not ever being able to speak the tongue~". Oz looked towards Alfreda with praise in his eyes. She truly lived up to her title as an ancient elf. "Anyway master, what''s your plan from now on? Are we to head from Romania as soon as possible?". Hearing the word ''Romania'' made Norberta shrink back a bit as she understood that Oz planned to allow her into the wild there. She knew herself that she needed to be in the wild too however she still wanted to be with Oz and Alfreda a bit longer before then. Oz noting that Norberta seemed reluctant to go so soon shook his head. "No. I think we should spend a few weeks here preparing first. I have a few things to sort out before we leave anyway... besides it''d be cruel to instantly take Norberta back after I''ve just returned". Oz stroked Norberta with a warm smile on his face as he reassured her he wouldn''t take her back for a while yet. The dragons mood improved as she hugged Oz back. Alfreda looked towards her master with a curious gaze. "Oh? So what are we to do in the coming weeks then master~". "This journey we will go on will be a long one Alfreda... We need to be prepared as possible. Whilst it seems like this journey will be a nice holiday I sadly don''t think that will be the case... Voldemort and his death eaters will probably be trying to track me down during next year". "So there''s two main things on the agenda along with a bunch of little things... First I''d like to make clothing that is enchanted with protective wards etc that will allow both me and you to stay safe on our travels... I plan on sourcing the clothing from Twilfitt and Tattin-". "Master how about you allow me to make the clothing? I''m quite proficient in making clothes~". Once again revelling in the gem that was Alfreda, Oz couldn''t help but grin. "That''d be great. I''ll leave it up to you for the design and what to do... My only request is that you make sure to make a hood/cloak that can hide our faces if need be". "It shall be done master~". Alfreda showed her sincerity by bowing to Oz as she accepted Oz''s request. "Along with that Alfreda I''ll give you a list of things that we will need from diagon alley on our travels. Provisions and such that will all be stored in my pouch. You should also get yourself a pouch that has an extension charm so as to carry supplies for yourself too". "As for the other main thing I plan on creating another product under my enchanter alias ''Lee Oswald''. This project may take me some time but when its done not only will it revolutionise the wizarding community it will rake in much more money for my future endeavours. I''ll include in the list of items the stuff I''ll need as well for that project". Alfreda nodded along with Oz''s request and felt a bout of curiosity as to what her master was planning to make. She had heard whenever she ventured into Diagon Alley the praise for the Health Specs he had made prior. If this product was to be as popular as that then they''d find themselves rolling in cash. "When the product is done I''ll license it under Gringotts... They owe me after fu?k?n? me over so I''ll be able to get a better deal than last time. Finally I''m gonna need containers in which I''ll store all the materials I''ve collected up to this point for the Ambrosius ritual. I''ll be leaving all these things in the ritual room as we travel considering its probably the safest place possible...". With all the plans laid out Oz stood up from his seat and walked over to Alfreda. "When all of this is done we will make our trip to Romania and then into the world... I hope you can accompany well throughout then Alfreda". "Of course master~". Smiling at Alfreda and Norberta Oz thought about his plans that were coming. The main scheme he wanted to perfect before leaving was his new product and unveiling said product as ''Lee Oswald''. The reason why he wanted to do this was so he had an identity whilst travelling around the world. ''Oz Ambrosius'' the genius student would be able to enter into all the schools around the world as ''Hogwarts Representative'' whereas ''Lee Oswald'' the master enchanter would be welcome into magical communities across the globe along with the products and help he had to offer. Oz did play with the idea of revealing himself Lee Oswald out the gate however some places, specifically magical governments around the world may still see him as a ''kid'' looking from the outside in regardless of his talent in creating products and such. Crafting the persona of ''Lee Oswald'' would allow all these barriers to be crossed easily and in tangent with Alfreda''s powerful transfiguration magic he would be able to disguise himself much more proficiently than most wizards would be able to recognise in this day and age. The main step before all this though was to show ''Lee Oswald'' to the world and give the public a face to recognise. Chapter 106 - Magi-Cast A couple days passed after Oz''s return to the hideout and during that time Alfreda headed off to diagon alley in order to gather the items Oz needed for the future. In the meantime Oz was looking over his plans for the product he was thinking of making back in Hogwarts. Throughout the entire second year on his ''off time'' he was planning on something that would be able to follow his health specs, he just didn''t know what product would be good to make. The health specs were a good product and raked him in a lot of money however they were only limited to hospitals along with the odd medi-witch/wizard who d?s?r?d to look after people. Oz wanted a monopoly, a massive amount of money so that all his future endeavours could be funded. As he racked his brains throughout the year over what would be good he thought back to the situation he went through with Rita Skeeter. Using Rita''s ?ust for drama Oz was able to out both Dumbledore and Lucius at the same time using the powerful weapon that was ''media''. Remembering this Oz took a step back and thought about wizarding media in general. The majority of witches and wizards still used newspapers as a means of spreading news and this mainly stayed the norm in the magic world due to how easy it was for witches and wizards to send newspapers around the world with magic. Oz however had knowledge of muggle technology and remembering his previous life he thought about how important the invention of ''television'' was in spreading media. Taking that he started to narrow down more on the product he wanted to make and eventually he ended up with an idea that was equal parts difficult as it was to exceptional. His plan was to make a video camera that integrated both muggle technology along with magic to fill in the gaps. With magic he could substitute the need for electricity and alongside that he could also add a feature that ''projected'' film out to the world essentially just like a video projector the likes he had seen in his previous life. With magic however he could expand on this ''projector'' allowing it to be casted into the sky like a hologram that could be viewed by the wizarding public, the only difficulty laid in combining image with magic. As he looked into making this more and more he researched muggle technology, how cameras worked, how film is produced anything he needed to know he learnt. As the year came to an end he had finalised his plans and was ready to give it a go making it. Oz anticipated it would take a few attempts though. His final plan though was to make a camera that would be accessible to the public for a decently high price. With this camera not only would he find that his wealth would increase but the transmission of ''media'' in the wizarding world would also go through a boon. This would also snowball into wizarding entertainment becoming more popular and in extension could lead to a boon in the entertainment industry as well as the media industry in the wizarding world. All Oz had to make was the snowball that would be pushed down a hill, as it gained momentum it would grow and grow into something far larger than anything else. Alfreda returned with the items Oz requested, amongst the items were the materials she herself needed to create the clothing for herself and Oz. Alongside that there was a vast amount of provisions and supplies ready for travelling. Push to one side was all of the stuff Oz requested for himself in order to begin his project, taking them all he headed to his study within his own room in the hideout and began to get to work. . Trial and error, day in and day out. The days passed as Oz created camera after camera with issues here and there appearing at random. Compared to the health specs that only needed a few simple enchantments and a knowledge of anatomy this was the fusion of magic and technology the likes of which nobody in the world had ever sought before. Oz used runes, spells, arithmancy anything Oz could muster he poured into this project following his plans and he was met with a lot of failure. A week passed and Oz was still working on the project non-stop. Alfreda would visit him from time to time along with Norberta to make sure he was still okay however seeing his pure concentration they never disturbed him. On a certain night Oz finished tweaking one of the runes he had tirelessly placed within the camera and with that he tested yet another prototype. ''Test number #1192... it''d be nice to have this solved before #2000''. Oz pressed the bu??on on top of the camera and noted that the camera began to capture image. The film inside the camera seemed to burn quickly as each frame was captured. After filming around his room for a while he unclick the top bu??on. So far the product was functioning properly. ''And for the hardest part...''. Flicking a switch on the side of the camera a light shot out from it onto Oz''s wall. The film inside the camera magically began to move near the light as it started to project each image onto the wall. As the film moved faster the stuttered images started to become video and from there sound started to feedback. The image became clearer and eventually Oz had a video of his room on his room''s wall. ''Fucking Finally...''. The projection cut off as Oz flipped the switch. Looking at the camera bit longer Oz identified all the parts to ensure that it would continue to work. Replacing the film he filmed another portion of his room and projected it again with repeating success following the last time. Seeing that the product was now completed and only needed some slight adjustments Oz felt his excitement grow. ''Honestly this little thing has been one of the biggest challenges in this world to date...''. Walking out from his room he headed to the main room where Alfreda and Norberta were talking. Norberta''s English was getting good enough now where her sentences had coherency. As the two spotted Oz finally out of his study they looked to the item in Oz''s hand. "Is that what you''ve been working on master~?". Oz smiled and nodded as he walked over to the two. "It took me longer than I anticipated but its finally done... Only some slight adjustments need to be made but by the end of this week I feel as though it should be finished. Here let me show you two how it works". Pointing the camera at both Alfreda and Norberta Oz pushed the ''record'' bu??on and started to record the two. They looked at what Oz was doing in confusion in their gazes. After some time Oz stopped the recording and then projected the recording onto the table to the two present. Norberta and Alfreda watched on in shock as they saw themselves in the moment just gone be shown again on the table, almost like a memory. "Master this is a product that can capture memories!". "Haha while it can do that it''s much more capable than you think. This device is capable of capturing any moment and broadcasting it instantly much like the muggles and their television. Its basically a combination of both a camera and a video projector. This product will certainly be a boon for us long-term~". Oz was in an especially good mood after his product was finally finalised. Laying out his blueprints that had gone through change after change he finally had a final version. This blueprint when handed to any other witch or wizard now would allow themselves to create the camera in Oz''s hand. {Oz, what do you plan on calling this invention of yours?}. Oz felt himself shake as he heard Norberta''s questioning, he was never any good at naming things. {I''ll go with... Magic-Camera?}. Norberta and even Alfreda who managed to catch what Oz was saying both sighed as they heard Oz''s name he had planned for the product. "With all due respect master... That name is very lame". Oz flinched as he looked at the two defeated. Racking his brains he thought over loads of names and eventually arrived on one that seemed to stick. "How about... Magi-Cast?? A device that uses magic to cast an image thats recorded?". Norberta and Alfreda both smiled and nodded at Oz affirming that the name was definitely an improvement on ''Magic Camera''. Oz wrote on the blueprint at the top the name of the product. Looking at what he had created with a smile he knew his next steps. ''Just a few adjustments to make the projection quicker and It''ll be done.... ''Lee Oswald'' should hopefully soon be a household name''. Chapter 107 - Presenting the Product "Master, if I may be so bold... Why is there the need to create another identity as ''Lee Oswald''? Surely bringing more attention to Oz ''The Descendant of Merlin'' would be better in the long-term?". A couple days had passed since Oz had made a working version of the Magi-Cast. In that time he had fine-tuned the product to work much better with less runes and now it was at a stage ready to be presented to the world. As Oz was getting ready to leave for diagon alley with Alfreda, Alfreda felt the need to ask her master a question. "You certainly have a point Alfreda however fame is something I already have an abundance of... For this journey across the world we will find ourselves entangled with not only different wizarding communities but their governments as well. Whilst being the descendant of Merlin is indeed something that would garner me respect in many societies that still doesn''t forgo my identity as a ''14 year old boy from Hogwarts''. I need an identity like ''Lee Oswald'' so that mingling with these governments is a lot easier. With the launch of the Magi-Cast the product should find itself spreading throughout the world due to how revolutionary it is. ''Lee Oswald'' will allow me entrance into the more ''adult'' wizarding societies in the world whilst ''Oz'' will allow me into the schools of the world. It''s just a case of switching between identities like masks. Also having two identities always helps when needing to mask myself if say one identity becomes notorious in a country...". Alfreda''s smile froze on her face as she heard her masters explanation come to an end. He had certainly seemed to have planned ahead however planning for an event in which he is a wanted man in different countries... What did this master of hers plan on doing in his travels if that was actually a scenario that could happen? "Anyway Alfreda you explained to me a while back that your transfiguration magic was much more powerful than the common witch and wizard correct?". "Y-yes master. I''m not much in regards to offensive magic however my charms skills along with transfiguration are two in which I excel at~". "Good. When the time comes I''d like for you to transfigure me into an ?du?t male, I''ll leave the appearance of said male up to you. I''d do it myself however your magic is far greater than mine in terms of transfiguration so there''s no risk in exposure...". Alfreda smiled and nodded at her master. "That''ll be no problem for me master, just say the word when needed~". "Oh... How goes making the clothing for our journey as well? I was so caught up in making the Magi-Cast that I neglected to check in on how you''ve done". Alfreda walked off from the main room and arrived back after a couple of minutes with clothing in her hand. Placing the clothing on the table she began to present them to Oz. "I''m finished with the main clothes as you can see here... The hood and cape are taking a tiny bit longer as I wanted to make something special for them... How about you try the clothes on whilst we make the trip for Diagon alley?". Oz nodded as he took the clothes into his room. Stripping down he starting to dress himself in the clothing Alfreda had made. The material felt soft yet also allowed for a nice amount of movement within them. The outfit was mostly black with some accents of purple here and there. As Oz looked at himself in the mirror he had to admire Alfreda''s craftsmanship when it came to clothing, the stitching, the design and the softness all were top tier. The final piece to put on was a belt which had a buckle in the shape of a dragon''s head. The design was incredibly detailed with the eyes of the dragon buckle having small purple jewels inserted in. ''That elf really is a jack of all trades... I guess living for so long allows you to pick up different talents''. As Oz exited his room he entered back into the main room of the hideout now in the clothes given to him by Alfreda. Whilst he was changing Norberta seemed to have entered into the main room as when he walked in he saw both Alfreda and Norberta sat at the main table. The both stared at Oz as he walked in, Alfreda gave an approving nod whilst Norberta seemed to give a proud look. "I was right in choosing black, it really suits you~... Are the clothes uncomfortable at all master?". "Not at all Alfreda you really smashed it out of the park with this one". {That''s how my papa should look!} Oz smiled at Norberta''s comment as he walked over to her giving her a pat on the head. "It''s best we get going now Alfreda... The sooner we get this deal done the better". Alfreda nodded at her masters request as she approached the fireplace. Inside the hideout there was a complex charm that didn''t allow apparition so whenever she had to travel she needed to use the one-way floo network first to get out of the hideout and then she''d apparate to where she wanted to go. In coming back she''d have to apparate above the hideout and enter through the door that was locked to all but herself and Oz. {We will only be a bit Norberta... When I come back I''ll play with you in the den for a while}. Norberta''s mood lightened as Oz promised to play with her in the den on his return. Hearing this she ushered them off quickly towards the fireplace. Alfreda zoomed off first to diagon alley followed soon after by Oz. . As the duo of Alfreda and Oz arrived in diagon alley they both walked down the streets swarmed with witches and wizards. Alfreda just before leaving transfigured herself so as not to stand out as much, mainly hiding her ''elven ears'' that stuck out like a sore thumb. Even with that though both Oz and Alfreda gained a lot of attention as they walked through the street. "These clothes may be a bit too good Alfreda...". "I''m sure the majority are looking due to your fame master~". As Oz listened to the whispers of the witches and wizards as he passed by he heard them mentioning him along with something about OWL results along with the phrase ''Hogwarts Representative''. ''Those governors... I''m not surprised''. News had spread since the end of last year at Hogwarts about Oz''s results with his OWLs. Considering he got perfect results two years earlier than normal the governors probably spread the news far and wide so as to increase the reputation of Hogwarts as a school. It''s reputation of course was already great however more reputation would never hurt them. After a long walk the two arrived at the front of Gringotts. Oz took a look at the ''warning message'' on the side of Gringotts as the two walked in. "Follow my lead in here Alfreda... There may be some resistance from the head goblin so I''ll need you for backup and maybe even some ''persuasion'' if necessary". Alfreda nodded calmly as she followed beside Oz. The two walked through the Gringotts foyer attracting the gazes of the goblins present. As they noted who had arrived, they started to get agitated. Whenever Oz had arrived in the past, something big had happened. Arriving at the head desk Oz looked up to the goblin who smiled down at him. "Mr Ambrosius, it''s a p???sur? to see you again. To what to do we owe the p???sur??". "I''m here to speak to the head goblin, bring him out". "Certainly sir...". After the situation with Lucius and the goblins they started to treat Oz with the utmost respect essentially giving him VIP status in Gringotts. Goblins respected heritage as well as money and they were well aware of Oz''s pedigree along with his funds. All of this combined led to their service towards Oz being the highest. After some waiting the head goblin came out from one of the back rooms. "Ah, Mr Ambrosius! It''s been some time since I''ve seen you... Come with me". Oz and Alfreda followed behind the head goblin into the back rooms of Gringotts. Taken upstairs they arrived at the head goblins personal office. Walking on in they sat down opposite the head goblin at his desk. "I ?ssume your presence here is business based correct?". Without responding to the goblin, Oz silently took out the Magi-Cast prototype he had finalised earlier in the day and put it on the table. The head goblin looked intently at the device before feeling the need to ask. "What is this contraption sir?". "Considering you allow stocks to be bought in the muggle world I ?ssume you know about muggle television correct? This here is a device that I''ve created that can record real life and cast that recording onto a screen or even project it from the camera itself. Unlike the muggle version however, mine uses a combination of magic and technology to function allowing for ease of use". Oz picked up the Magi-Cast and recorded the stupefied expression of the head goblin for a few seconds before then projecting that image back to him. The goblin watched on in shock as he saw himself projected from the camera. "T-This is incredible Mr Ambrosius! What a remarkable invention you have made!". "I''m sure you''re aware how important this is to the wizarding community if we were to release it to the public...". "This... this device could only be referred to as revolutionary Mr Ambrosius! Media, Marketing, Entertainment this product would allow all these sections of the wizarding community to receive a boon!". The head goblin started to shake with excitement as he looked at the device Oz had brought forward to him. As a goblin obsessed with making money he knew how incredible this device would be if it were to be released. "I''m glad you''re aware of how important my ''Magi-Cast'' is... So how about I give you the condition under which I want to sell this product?". "I''m all ears Mr. Ambrosius, all ears!". Oz smiled as he took the Magi-Cast from the table and placed it back in his pouch. "I have three conditions in regards to releasing this product through Gringotts. Firstly, the split for this product will be 95/5, the 95 being me and the 5 being you. Secondly, This product will be unveiled publicly via a press event outside of Gringotts that you will all organise for me and finally me and you will undergo an unbreakable vow with the conditions being that you will not sell the blueprints to my ''Magi-Cast'' to anyone else underhandedly, not do anything that could bring harm to me and most importantly keep my identity as the enchanter ''Lee Oswald'' tight-lipped from now on. If you''ve already told anyone then obliviate that knowledge". As Oz went through the clauses that came with Gringotts being able to distribute his product the head goblins face grew colder and colder. As the unbreakable vow was mentioned, the goblin flipped out. "Mr. Ambrosius don''t you think your conditions are a bit too harsh?! 95/5?! We will b?r?ly be making any profit! Your second condition is something that is fine for us to do but your last one, an unbreakable vow!? Do you think me crazy in offering me such a ludicrous deal with such conditions!?". Oz and Alfreda both looked at the angered goblin coldly. Oz leant forward as he emitted pressure causing the goblin to break into a cold sweat. "Need I remind you goblin you sold my identity out the Lucius Malfoy 2 years back now, if that deal never occurred my identity as Merlin''s descendant might have stayed under wraps longer... Such a business dealing made me lose all my faith in you. The third clause of the contract is solely so I can trust you from here on. As for the 95/5 split, you should be grateful I''d even offer you any considering all you''ve put me through here". The head goblins expression flinched as Oz mentioned the deal that they had with Lucius Malfoy. Although it was a ''faction'' of goblins from Gringotts that enacted the deal it was still something that happened under the head goblins nose. "Well if you''re that opposed to it then I can always approach other businesses to sell this product under. Such a revolutionary device... any place would want to distribute it even if they make hardly any profit. After all that business will be heralded for centuries to come as the ones who revolutionised the wizarding world". Looking at the goblins expression it was apparent to both Oz and Alfreda that he was beginning to crack. Oz let out a long sigh as he stood up from his seat. "Well I guess that this negotiation is over now. Apologies for wasting your time...". As Oz stood up so did Alfreda and the two proceeded to the exit of the office. As Oz reached for the door the goblin called out. "W-Wait Mr. Ambrosius... the deal... I accept". Oz smiled as he turned back around walking back to his seat. Alfreda smiled alongside him as they sat opposite the goblin. "Well then, let''s get this contract fully underway". . "A 95/5 split, you are certainly devious master... I''m surprised that money loving goblin even accepted such a deal~". Oz and Alfreda had just exited from Gringotts after a successful negotiation with the head goblin. After smoothing over the details and forming a myriad of magical contracts about how the ''Magi-Cast'' was to be distributed, Oz and the head underwent an unbreakable vow that was overseen by Alfreda. The head goblin promised Oz that he would keep Oz''s enchanter identity (Lee Oswald) a secret, that he wouldn''t sell the blueprints for the ''Magi-Cast'' underhandedly and finally that he would never do anything or let anything happen that could endanger Oz. With this vow enacted, the head goblin was under Oz''s thumb. "The head goblin understood the weight of the product I had made... Even though goblins are a prideful bunch they value money equally so too. It was a gamble whether the head goblin valued his pride more or if he valued his pockets more, thankfully it was the latter. With this we should find ourselves well funded in the future. The goblins will also push the product as far as possible to ensure they at least make some profit from the 95/5 split meaning that their labour becomes my cash. I can comfortably say I''ve made them pay back for what they did to me a few years back...". As Oz left Gringotts the head goblin notified him that the ''press conference'' would be held in a weeks time outside Gringotts. Oz told the goblin to push information about the conference as far as possible so to attract as many people as possible. ''The more the better. When ''Lee Oswald''s face spreads throughout the world the wizarding governments of other countries will welcome him with open arms as a revolutionary magi-inventor. That gives me access to not only the schools of the world but also the governments too...''. Walking a bit away from Gringotts Oz and Alfreda found a corner where they could apparate. Alfreda held out her hand to Oz which Oz grabbed onto. Alfreda smiled as she apparated them both back to Stonehenge.... Chapter 108 - A Rare Alfreda In the week leading up to the conference Oz had planned with Gringotts he went about doing all the little tasks he needed to do in order to prepare for his departure with Alfreda. Alfreda on the other hand was hard at work making her own clothing as well as finishing Oz''s hood and cape. Oz notified her a couple times that it didn''t need to be anything special however she seemed adamant about the fact that it had to be ''Top-Tier for her master''. In his room Oz was currently working on something he thought up on the fly recently. Taking out one of the biggest basilisk fangs he had he started to fashion it into a dagger that could be used in the situation where he was magically disabled. Realistically such a situation would be incredibly rare to happen to Oz however he felt as though preparing for the unexpected was better than just blowing it off. Alfreda remarked that he was starting to take on Merlin''s prudency which Oz laughed off as he continued his project. After a few days he had fashioned himself a dagger. It wasn''t the prettiest looking dagger however it was something that could get the job done. Considering the corrosive properties that laid within the fang were still there even after being taken from the basilisk this weapon could be a vital ?sset in a situation of desperation. After finishing his dagger Oz took himself out into the main room where he saw Alfreda working at the main table. To her side was Norberta who was fast asleep curled on floor. As Oz walked in Alfreda noticed him and flashed him a smile. "This dragon... she''s taken up a lot of floor space deciding to sleep there". "I think she likes to hang out here as its where everyone is master~ While you were at school she would spend the majority of her time in the den until near the end of the year where she spent it more in here... I guess that big area can feel lonely at times~". Oz walked over to Norberta who was sleeping peacefully and stroked her head a bit. Norberta seemed to smile in her sleep as she felt Oz''s hand stroke her head. "I''ve basically finished up everything I needed to do now... Did you finish the cloak and hood yet?". Alfreda smiled as she pushed over a set of clothing to Oz. "I just finished it an hour ago... The embroidery on the back took a lot longer than expected. If you could go try it on master and let me know if there will be any adjustments needed~". Oz nodded towards Alfreda as he took the cloak and hood into his room. Changing back into his travelling gear he then put the cloak and hood over it. Alfreda mirrored the same design as the clothing with the cloak and head being black with purple accents. What impressed Oz however was on the back of the cape there was an embroidered dragon head that wouldn''t be noticeable unless you looked intently. It was done with a black material that made it so from afar it was unnoticeable but up front you could see a dragons head on the cloak. It was subtle yet catching, Oz found it to his liking. ''I guess it''s time for me to enchant these things finally...''. Taking off the clothing Oz started to enchant it with different charms that would allow for protection in certain situations. The main charm he added that was the most important was on the hood and cloak, a charm that made his presence thinner when worn. As he finished he put on the clothes again and confirmed that everything was in order. ''Good... Everything seems all set...''. As Oz looked in the mirror he looked down at the wand in his hand. He smiled as he took a closer look at his partner that he had forged himself. After some time looking though he felt a sigh escape his lips. ''This wand has certainly become important to me... too important. Wandless magic is something I can''t neglect any longer. In this journey to come I''ll refrain from using this wand unless the situation calls for it...''. Oz hid the wand away as he decided at that moment to not use it until it was necessary. In the past few years his focus centralised on the wand fusion ceremony and before that he had two wands to look after at all times. With his focus always on his wands he started to neglect his wandless magic something that is equally, if not more important than his normal magic with a wand. In his journey in the future Oz wanted to give himself a challenge more than anything and this was definitely one that he could get behind, a handicap while he travelled. Satisfied with his decision Oz walked back out into the main room. As he entered he saw Alfreda dressed in her own clothes she made for herself. As Oz looked at the clothing he noticed a few things. "It seems we are almost matching in design?". Alfreda who only just noticed Oz walk in the room flinched slightly as a blush filled her face. "Y-Yes master... I wanted my clothing to be similar t-to yours... Is that not okay?". Oz smiled as he looked at the rarely flustered elf. Walking over he patted her head. "I''m not bothered by it so go ahead... but...". Taking one more look at Alfreda he noticed something amiss since he last saw her. It took him some looking however after a thorough profiling he realised what was amiss. "Did you transfigure you bust size to be bigger?". As Oz asked this question Alfreda''s face went a bright red. She pushed Oz away as she started to try and defend herself. "N-n-n-no I didn''t, n-not at all master!". As her emotions ran high her transfigured bust seemed to be affected as it reduced back to a more ''elf like'' size when her focus was lost. As Oz watched this spectacle he couldn''t help but laugh. "It''s okay Alfreda I won''t tell anyone...". Alfreda had reached peak embarrassment at this point as she ran past Oz flustered and dove straight into her room. Oz absorbed the sight of Alfreda''s bashfulness with ''Perfect Memory'' in full force. Such a sight was extremely rare from a royal elf who usually carried herself with such grace. All the commotion seemed to wake up a certain dragon who was sleeping, looking up she saw Oz who was still bemused by what had happened. {O-Oz.... Can I get clothes like yours too?}. As Oz heard Norberta''s request he walked over to her patting her head. {I''ll see if our bashful elf can make you something... You''d probably grow out of traditional clothing though...}. . A few more days rolled by and in the wake of the ''Alfreda Incident'' the elf decided to pretend like nothing happened as she went about her daily chores. Oz also decided to not bring it up at all less he felt like teasing her. The day had finally arrived in which Oz was to make ''Lee Oswald'' appear to the world. "Alfreda, Let''s go over the transfiguration now just to be prepared...". "Of course master~". In the main room of the hideout Oz stood in front of Alfreda her had her hand rested on his ?h?st. A light glow emitted from her hand as Oz''s features started to change. His face became older, going from a 14 year old boy to a 30 year old man. His looks could be described as gruff yet oddly charming and a beard also seemed to sprout making him look very m?tur?. "What do you think of this look master~". Alfreda held up a mirror to Oz. Looking in the mirror he looked at his new face and nodded in acceptance. "This looks good... from now on this shall be the face of ''Lee Oswald''". Alfreda accepted her masters praise as she turned him back to normal. With everything prepared all they had to do now was make the trip to diagon alley and unveil the Magi-Cast. "Looks like we''re all set.... Let''s head off now Alfreda". Chapter 109 - Unveiling "Quite the crowd here don''t you think master?~". Looking down diagon alley after arriving via the Leaky Cauldron fireplace, Oz and Alfreda were met with the sight of hundreds of wizards crammed into the alley. The majority of the witches and wizards were centered nearby Gringotts. "That goblin may have done a bit too good of a job...". Wading through the crowd Oz blended right in now that he was disguised as a simple ?du?t wizard. Alfreda hid her elven ears and also changed her appearance to supplement Oz''s a bit, making herself older. Oz noticed again that she had made her bust size slightly bigger however this time he kept the information to himself letting her have this little victory. Looking around diagon alley Oz noticed ''screens'' had been placed in different areas. On the walls to inside shop windows. Seeing this Oz broke a smile. Alfreda also smiled as she noticed the screens surrounding. The crowds gathered in the alley had also noticed these ''screens'' and seemed to be paying a great deal of attention to them however not many understood what they were for as all they showed is blankness at this point in time. As the two approached the bank Oz started to notice the sheer amount of reporters surrounding it. From different newspapers and news outlets there were many surrounding the bank waiting for a spectacle to happen. Eavesdropping on some of the conversations the reporters were predicting what ''Lee Oswald'' would look like, what he was going to unveil and what he was going to say. Oz and Alfreda slipped on by heading into the bank. As Oz took one last glance down at the many groups of reporters he noticed a familiar women with a quill and notebook following her. ''Figures she''d be here...''. Rita skeeter had also made an appearance which wasn''t at all surprising to Oz. Oz actually looked forward to how she would spin this whole situation into something dramatic. This information and press event after all needed to be spread out of england to other countries and their ministries/governments so as to allow Oz''s identity as ''Lee Oswald'' easier access to them all. Rita may make stuff up but she was good at making a story that drew in attention regardless of it''s validity. Slipping into the door of Gringotts Oz saw that the majority of Goblins were being ordered around by the head goblin near the end of the foyer. As the head goblin spotted Oz and Alfreda enter he approached them with an unkind look on his face. "Who are you? Gringotts is closed for now you have no business here!". Oz leant into the head goblins ear and whispered. "If you go any further with your reprimanding a certain ''Unbreakable Vow'' may trigger". The head goblin blankly stared at Oz as he realised what he had done. As the head of Gringotts he was usually able to see through the transfiguration spells of most witches and wizards how Oz''s own transfigured face completely eluded his gaze making it so he didnt notice it was Oz underneath it. "I-I''m so sorry Mr A-... I mean Mr Oswald. If you''d come this way I think we are almost ready to get the show on the road". Walking over to the main desk inside Gringotts Oz and the head started to finalise the plans for this unveiling. He also took the time to change out the clothes Alfreda had given him and put on some clothes that he had Alfreda buy for him for ''Lee Oswald'' to wear. "I see that the main thing I requested has been done head, good job on that front". "No problem Mr Oswald. Those screen blueprints you made alongside the Magi-Cast weren''t as difficult as making the Magi-Cast itself... It''s taken our developers a few attempts already until they were able to recreate your masterful work...". When Oz finished the Magi-Cast he also made a device which the ''Projections'' from the device could be casted to. After the main mechanism of the Magi-Cast was finalised adding onto the device was easier then creating it from scratch so this mechanism that allowed for ''screen casting'' wasn''t too hard to add. An all-nighters work from Oz and he had it sorted. "Well with everything now prepared I think its best we don''t keep the crowd gathered waiting... Tell me though goblin how did you gather such a crowd?". The head goblin smiled as he chuckled to himself. "Word of mouth Mr. Oswald word of mouth. Us goblins usually just spend our days here sorting all your witches and wizards gold. The second that norm was broken by us talking about an ''event'' going to be held it spread rapidly around the community. Alongside that we also reached out to newspapers and news outlets about the event so reporters would gather". Oz praised the head goblin for his work as he approached the front door. The head goblin headed out first in order to introduce ''Lee Oswald''. . The crowds chatter filled diagon alley with noise as the head goblin walked out. The second the head was noticed however all the noise started to dull down as the attention was poured onto him. Clearing his throat the goblin put his finger to his neck and used magic to raise his voice. "Thank you all for showing today... On this day us of Gringotts and the master enchanter ''Lee Oswald'' have a special product that we would like to unveil to the world. As you all know ''Lee Oswald'' was the same enchanter who revolutionised the health industry creating the ''Health Specs'' that have helped heal thousands upon thousands of witches and wizards already. His intellect is unrivalled in our eyes in terms of artefact and product creation hence we decided to partner with him. His new product he brought to us opened our eyes to a whole new era that could flood over this world. As for that product... I''ll allow the man himself to show you!". Hearing his que Oz walked out to a massive crowd with the face of ''Lee Oswald''. Looking at all the different witches and wizards he felt his blood sizzle. Any nerves and anxiety he should be having in this situation seemed to be supressed by his blood. A dragon after all should never falter in front of cattle. Pointing his own finger to his neck, Oz casted ''Sonorus'' raising his own voice to be as loud as possible. "Good Evening to all my fellow Witches and Wizards... My health specs were an invention I sought to make in order to help the wizarding world as a whole and I''m glad to see the reception they''ve received is positive. When I created them though I wondered what it was I wanted to do next. I spent years mulling over what could be possible and what sort of new product would be a good follow up and after a long time thinking I finally found it..." "As some of you are aware of, the muggle world recently showed in the past few years an abrupt increase in their technological prowess. Along with this new technology they made was a device called the ''Television'' which allowed these muggles to spread information across the world to ''TV''s'' in the comfort of their own home..." "In our wizarding communities across the globe we still use our Owls amongst other methods of communication. Some of us are so stuck in our ways due to this and have never even entertained the thought of moving forward to a new era like these muggles... What I bring to you today however is a device that will allow us to also take that step forward into a new future". Oz reached into his pouch on his side and pulled out the Magi-Cast that had been recently fully finalised. The design was cleaner and sleeker than the original with a few more ''buttons'' and other functions allowing for ease of use. All the eyes of the public were glued onto this device as it came out. Looking out the corner of his eye Oz could see Rita Skeeter writing notes furiously. A slight smirk rose on his face as he continued. "This here is a device I''ve painstakingly created which I dub the ''Magi-Cast''... With this device you can capture moments in time much like muggle television and broadcast it across the world. Unlike muggle television though my Magi-Cast uses a fusion of technology and magic to function. With its small design you can carry it anywhere capturing anything within the world. When you''ve captured that ''video'' you can then bring it back home play it to any and everyone over and over again..." "Allow me to demonstrate...". Oz signalled the head goblin who was behind him to which the goblin responded with a nod. A snap of his fingers and all of a sudden the screens plastered everywhere in Diagon alley started to light up. As the image cleared Lee Oswald''s face was shown in real-time. As he began to speak again his voice echoed with the screens that were placed around the alley. "This function of the device is still a prototype allowing for footage in real time to be caught and transmitted across the world. Much like Muggle news stations that broadcast their news in real time this function aims to do the same thing only much easier. My aim with this device is not only to improve the wizarding community but to revolutionise it...". "From information spreading to Entertainment to Learning to Marketing, this device would allow all these parts of our community to receive a boon. Each department would be improved beyond comparison and with such an easy way of spreading information our security and safety can be ?ssured to...". "And to finalise this unveiling I shall inform you now that this device will be available to everyone across the wizarding community. Nobody regardless of their standing will be withheld from having their own Magi-Cast if they can afford it". The crowd in front of Oz roared at Oz''s speech as he spoke it. Alfreda behind Oz looked at him with a shocked gaze. He was rousing the crowd incredibly well considering Oz was usually someone who stayed indoors deigning to interact with anyone. As she looked at her master she started to see the shadow lingering over him of a leader, something she had never noticed before. "Gringotts shall be the ones to distribute my invention from here on... I hope that my creation can help all of you as much as possible". ''Lee Oswald'' turned himself around and proceeded back into Gringotts as the crowd broke out into a round of applause. All the reporters taking pictures with their primitive cameras in comparison to the Magi-Cast looked towards the device held in Oz''s hand and the screens surrounding them with predatorial eyes. Many yelled out towards ''Lee Oswald'' asking for more information about the device however Oz just ignored them. He could even here the voice of a certain Rita Skeeter however he refused to speak anymore. As he entered into Gringotts the head goblin and Alfreda followed after him.. The door closed shut leaving an excited crowd behind along with reporters who apparated off as quickly as possible to try and get their news story out first. Chapter 110 - The Revolutionary Enchanter "Merlin''s beard Mr. Amb-, I mean Mr. Oswald. You sure know how to rouse a crowd". The head goblin smiled ear to ear as he thought back on the impact Oz speech had to the populace in Diagon Alley. After all for him the more interest in the Magi-Cast the better chance he''d actually profit in the end despite the 95/5 deal. "I also have to say master that was a side of you I''ve never seen before... Considering you stay recluse mostly I didn''t think you''d do well in that scenario~". Oz sighed as he thought back to the speech. In all honesty he just used inspiration from speeches in his previous life to make up for his lacking experience. To him he simply just used the right words to trigger the biggest response possible. "It''s honestly nothing special... My disposition seemed to calm me down as I went in front of all those people. This blood in me is certainly something mystical...". As Oz thought about his dragon blood he started to get a slight feeling of anxiety well up in him. Without this blood and Merlin being his ancestor he wondered if he as a person was actually anything special. His mistake he made back in the void and something he regretted to this day was his wish he made to the void being. Back then he thought he was being clever however after growing in this world he realised that ''Perfect Memory'' wasn''t the best ability to pick for here at all. If this bloodline wasn''t with him and his talent that was passed down wasn''t present would he as a character in this world even be anything special? Would he have even been able to get this far? The sorts of questions plagued Oz every now and then as he progressed through this ''story''. Had he truly grown at all? ''That reminds me... That being stated it planted me in this world and made it seemed to the orphanage that I was a natural occurrence. What if there''s more to it than that? Maybe my consciousness overwrote the child who was in the orphanage that was meant to be Merlin''s descendant in the canon and in this timeline. If thats the case why did the descendant of Merlin never appear in the canons story? Is there something else at work behind the scenes?''. Questions welled up in Oz''s head as he grew silent. This wasn''t the first time questions such as these ate away at him. When he looked back from where he''d come from he questioned almost everything that happened to him. Alfreda looked towards her master with concern on her face seeing him make a difficult expression. "Master? Are you okay?". "It''s nothing Alfreda, just me getting stuck in my own head. If you could transfigure me back now I''ll change out of these clothes and we can head back home". Alfreda nodded as she transfigured Oz from ''Lee Oswald'' back to his young ''Oz'' self. As Alfreda looked at her masters original face she smiled lightly. "I definitely prefer you this way~". Oz smiled at the praise as he went off to get changed within Gringotts leaving Alfreda and the head goblin alone in the head goblins office. After he was done he came back and fetched Alfreda. "Hey head goblin... I actually haven''t asked you what your name is yet have I?". The head goblin seemed to smile wryly as he looked at Oz. "I thought you''d never ask... Ahem! My name is Raglok, Mr. Ambrosius". "Raglok huh? Interesting name... Anyway Raglok is there a chance you could take me down to Merlin''s vault? there''s something I want to grab down there...". . Oz, Alfreda and Raglok all travelled down into the depths of Gringotts towards Merlin''s vault. The journey down was very long considering that vaults left behind by people like ''Merlin'' were kept deep in the earth. Gringotts was established on top of these vaults way after the vaults were initially created. As they travelled down Alfreda whispered in Oz''s ear. "Master, why are we heading to Merlin''s vault?". Oz whispered back into Alfreda''s ear as he explained himself. "I want to check it out one last time before I take the dragon heart from it back to our hideout. Gringotts is certainly a secure bank however I feel as though in the future Merlin''s Hideout would be a much safer place to store the heart in comparison...". Merlin''s hideout was hidden with Alfreda inside for centuries. Compared to a bank that in the canon was actually broken into by the golden trio, Oz judged the former to be much more secure especially if he placed the heart in the ritual room a place only he could reach. Eventually the trio of Oz, Alfreda and Raglok managed to make it to the door of Merlin''s vault. Alfreda and Raglok waited outside as Oz ventured in. ''It''s been a couple years since I last came here now... Nothing seems to have changed''. Looking around the vault Oz activated his eyes and started to look intently. Considering how b?r? this place was he had a theory that Merlin may have hidden something that only someone with his ''eyes'' would be able to see. However that theory was crushed as Oz could see nothing. "Damn... That ancestor of mine really isn''t the best at leaving presents is he?". ''What the-''. His blood started to burn as his aura unleashed out filling the vault. As this happened Oz very quickly put the heart away in his pouch as securely as possible. As soon as it entered the pouch his blood calmed down. "I guess to some degree that was to be expected...". Looking back to the entrance of the vault Oz saw Alfreda poking her head in. She looked towards Oz concerned as she felt his aura pool out for a split second. "Is everything okay master?". "I''m fine Alfreda, Let''s head out of here now...". With that Oz, Alfreda and Raglok journeyed back up from the very depths of Gringotts to the surface again. Oz left Raglok with a few more closing notes about the Magi-Cast before bidding him farewell, leaving with Alfreda. . As Oz and Alfreda left Gringotts they left out the back door. They would have apparated from Gringotts directly however it was charmed so that people inside couldn''t apparate away. After all if a robber came in and snatched some galleons it''d be silly if they could apparate away instantly without anything blocking them. The two walked down diagon alley taking their time to take in the sights. Oz noticed that the crowd had thinned however the majority were still left over. Talks of ''Lee Oswald'' and his Magi-Cast was on the lips of every witch and wizard in the avenue. Nicknames had even started to sprout up as Oz eavesdropped, one of the main ones being ''The Revolutionary Enchanter''. Looking down Diagon Alley Oz noticed some familiar faces near the leaky cauldron. Considering how big the event ended up being Oz wasn''t surprised to see the faces he was seeing. A group of people from the order who had made the time to come to Diagon Alley. "Master? Should we apparate now?". "Not yet, I''m in the mood to say hello to a few people". Walking through the alley Oz eventually found himself in front of the group from the order. The group consisted of Tonks, Moody and Arthur Weasley. As he approached he overheard Arthur smiling from ear to ear praising the genius of ''Lee Oswald''. "Honestly what an impressive wizard! Fusing muggle technology with our magic? What a progressive way of improving our community!". "It''s definitely an impressive item but It''s also dangerous in its own right if you think of the implications...". Oz smiled at the very ''Arthur'' like comments followed by the very ''Moody'' like comment. The trio from the order spotted him and Alfreda as they approached close to them. Arthur and Moody seemed to both be stopped in their tracks whereas Tonks gawked at his appearance. Oz was fully dressed up in the clothing Alfreda had made him and considering the detail and how well made it was along with his ''handsome'' face, it was enough to give a girl like Tonks pause. She snapped herself out of her daze quickly as she smiled towards Oz. "Oz! Did you come to see that conference from ''Lee Oswald'' as well?". Oz nodded towards Tonks with a light smile on his face. "I did come to see that amongst other things... Seeing the three of you here I imagine that the ministry placed a certain amount of importance on this event as well?". Tonks stammered a bit as Moody looked towards Oz warily. Arthur on the other hand scratched his head as he began to speak. "Merlin''s beard... Your intelligence shown from your OWL results isn''t just related to subjects in school now is it?". Moody elbowed Arthur as he made that comment considering it basically gave away their appearance here. Realistically it didn''t mean much however considering Moody''s character he was vigilant towards Oz especially after the order meeting in which Oz released his aura. To Moody Oz was a wildcard that wasn''t settling towards either side. As a matter of fact in his eye he saw him creating his ''own side''. "Well I best be going, I only came over to say hi considering I''ll be travelling soon...". As Oz went to turn around and leave with Alfreda the latter of whom stayed silent throughout this whole conversation, He felt someone grab his arm to stop him. "O-Oz... Can''t you rethink your decision about joining the order? I feel as though with you there we''d be much more proficient in taking down the dark lord". As Oz went to take Tonk''s arm off his own he felt a coldness ?ssail his back. He felt as though he was being glared at for a short time. "I''m sorry but I stand by what I said at the meeting. The way we do things are too parallel. Whilst we are heading in the same direction in some ways I don''t ever see us meeting in the middle. Granted as I said in the meeting I don''t mind giving the odd hint and help here and there if I feel like it". Tonks looked downtrodden as she stepped back with Moody and Arthur. Oz smiled towards the three and gave them a simple goodbye as Alfreda reached for his hand and apparated the two of them away leaving the three from the order there. "What were you thinking Nymphadora!? Dumbledore specifically told us that messing with that boy is like messing with a loose cannon. If your invitation irked him in anyway he may have retaliated!". Tonks glared towards Moody as her hair changed a fiery red. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that!". Tonks sighed as her hair then started to go back to its original colour. Looking at the spot where Oz apparated away she started to speak. "I-I know to some degree I was out of line however I feel as though to solve this ''Dark Lord'' issue Oz is someone integral to that... After all, he''s the one whose given us all the information thus far. I just feel its a shame that he won''t join us". Arthur patted Tonk''s shoulder as he sighed also. "As the boy said himself his way of doing things is much different to ours... besides he strikes me as a person who could never work under someone ever. Something like the order would go against those principles in his mind and heart". Tonks nodded as she took in Arthurs words. Her disappointed face morphed into a pout as she thought about the girl Oz was with. "I wonder who that girl was...". . As Oz and Alfreda apparated they arrived back at Merlin''s Hideout. Having to go through the front door they entered and spotted Norberta fast asleep in the main room waiting for them. "She''s certainly getting a bit too big for here...". Oz stared at the dragon with a melancholic look in his eyes. Norberta throughout his second year was someone he deemed another friend as he visited her after she had hatched. When he took her to here for the summer he then spent a long time with both her and Alfreda before his third year. In a blink of an eye she grew and now Oz knew the time where she had to be put in the ''wild'' was fast approaching. "It will certainly get lonely around her when she''s gone~". Oz walked over to the sleeping dragon and patted her head gently. The dragon seemed to smile as she felt the pats on her head. As Oz looked at Norberta he felt his blood start to boil. Norberta slowly started to open her eyes as she looked up towards Oz''s face. {Papa- I mean Oz you''re finally back! Can we play now!?}. Oz chuckled as he nodded towards Norberta. {Of course we can, The situation in diagon alley went well so I''ve got time to kill now}. Norberta looked ecstatic as she clambered through the main room towards the big hallway that lead to the dragons den. Oz smiled as he watched the dragon run off. He turned himself back to Alfreda as he spoke. "Good work today Alfreda... I think we''ll spend a couple days here with Norberta before we head off to our first destination on this year long journey. Is that okay with you?". "That sounds fine master~". Chapter 111 - [Romania] - Journeys Beginning "Are you all prepared Alfreda?". Oz strapped on his extension charmed pouch to his belt that Alfreda made for him. as he turned to look at his elf servant. Alfreda herself was dressed up in a similar outfit to Oz''s, mostly blacked out with some accents of purple here and there. She smiled and nodded towards Oz as affirmation. "Yes master im all set~". It had been a couple of days since the two had returned from unveiling the Magi-Cast. The device in question had started to receive worldwide attention across the wizarding world. Oz expected as much and now that the device was released it was high time he got his journey on the road. "Where''s that dragon gone?". "She''s probably asleep in the den master~". Oz slowly walked from the main room of the hideout to the den and peaked on inside. Norberta was there sleeping soundly. He felt a bit bad waking her however it was time they made a move. He walked over towards the sleeping dragon and stroked her head slowly rousing her from her sleep. {Pap- I mean Oz? What''s the matter?}. Oz sighed as he heard Norberta start to speak to him. {Would it kill you to call me papa again.... Anyway Norberta it''s time we start making a move. Me and Alfreda are ready we just need you to come along now}. Norberta''s expression seemed to fall into sadness as she realised the time had come for her to be sent away. Oz looked on with a knowing smile as he stroked the dragon a couple times more. {Honestly Norberta I wish I could bring you along on the journey as well but... You need to grow in an environment thats best suited to you. If you stay here you will remain docile as if being grown in a greenhouse. You need an environment that will train you to be a true dragon}. Norberta hugged Oz strongly as affirmation towards his comments. Her face that was depressed changed to a light smile as she followed him along back to the main room. With Alfreda, Oz and Norberta gathered into one room Oz began to debrief them on the situation. "Well it seems like we are completely ready to get going... Our destination will be Romania which will be a long flight for me and Norberta, Alfreda you''ll have to sit on my back as we fly there. One thing of note though long flights in my Dragon form tire me out a lot so a lot of little stops along the way will be needed in order to make sure I don''t fall and crash...". When it came to Oz''s dragon form compared to other Animagus forms his seemed to suck out a lot of magic to keep up. He managed to learn how to control the size of his form at one point in the previous years however that added a whole other layer of difficulty when it came to power consumption. When Norberta and Oz made their first trip from London to Stonehenge he was exhausted multiple times on the journey. This journey would be across countries so it was set to take a bit longer. Oz wished Alfreda could just apparate the three of them however she had never travelled outside of England especially in the recent century so such an arrangement couldn''t be made. {You struggled a bit when we travelled to here first Oz didn''t you? No problem you can both just get on my back and fly the whole way!}. Oz looked at Norberta with a slight chuckle escaping his lips. {Whilst you''ve grown norberta I don''t think your strong enough to carry both me and Alfreda... Maybe in the future though}. As Oz checked over his things once more he felt ready to finally leave on this journey. "Okay guys lets make a move". ''If only Norberta was a bit smaller we could have used the floo network for a head start... Oh well''. Oz followed along quickly and met the duo on the surface surrounded by the Stonehenge rocks. Oz looked towards the direction they needed to go with a smile. "Our destination is Romania however in Romania we need to head towards the Carpathian Mountains. There we should find this so called ''Dragon Sanctuary''". Taking a wide berth from the Stonehenge site Oz and Alfreda checked the surroundings for any muggles. Noting that none were nearby Oz looked up at the night sky with a smile noting it will work as his camouflage. His form as a Hebridean black dragon was known to be naturally elusive and the night sky made it that much more so. ''Seems I''ve still got the trace blocked as well so all should be good to go...''. Oz transformed from his human self into his Dragon form. Something he found curious about this transformation was how his clothes and items held on him seemed to be absorbed into himself so that when he transformed back they were waiting for him. Magic was sometimes a wonderful thing, The ultimate deus ex machina to life some would say. As he spread his wings up he lowered his back signalling Alfreda to jump on to which the Elf responded with a big smile as she climbed aboard. Norberta flew up into the skies and seemed to be excited at the prospect of flying in the open. Oz flew up to join Norberta and as he looked at the dragon that had all grown up he spoke to her. {Follow my lead Norberta... When the dawn breaks we will make a pit stop to cloak ourselves for safety however throughout this night we need to make as much ground as possible...}. . A long and arduous journey welcomed Oz, Alfreda and Norberta as they ventured off from Stonehenge. With the occasional pit stops and the constant vigilance towards not exposing themselves the journey took longer than Oz would have wanted. Multiple times on the trip he cursed how he hadn''t learned any sort of apparation at all that could cut down the journey time. Regretfully though apparation only worked cross country when you had a place in mind that you have visited before so such a set up would be impossible even if he did learn it. For Oz the only way to travel was this way. ''What a pain...''. A few days passed on the trios journey across the English channel and through Europe. They took some time to sightsee whenever they needed a break however such time was short lived as Oz placed importance on reaching Romania as soon as possible. Eventually the trio passed Hungary and arrived in Romania. {Seems we are finally here Norberta...}. Dawn began to break on another day as the trio finally found themselves at their destination. Almost a week and a bit of constant flying at this point had left Oz and even Norberta tired out. Thankfully during their breaks they had the super-elf Alfreda there to nurse their exhaustion. Travelling across countries was no joke especially considering that most had their own form of magical government. As they finally crossed borders into Romania Oz felt a sigh of relief escape his lips. ''A Hebridean black dragon is known for its elusiveness yet I still felt pause about travelling like this... If I plan on travelling across continents in the future another way must be sorted out...''. As the trio entered into Romania''s borders Oz signalled Norberta to descend onto a plain where they could take a break. Using his eyes he scanned the vicinity to ensure nobody was present and after an extensive search he realised the coast was clear. Descending they both landed on the plain and Oz transformed back into his human form. Alfreda looked towards her master with worry as she saw his face had gone pretty pale. "Master maybe we should have taken more breaks on the journey, Look how exhausted you are...". As Alfreda approached him Oz smiled and shook his head. "I''m fine Alfreda, really, The quicker we got here the better. This should be our last break before we finally reach the Carpathian Mountains and that Dragon Sanctuary". Alfreda sighed as she reached into her pouch and grabbed a bottle of water for Oz tossing it his way. Oz and Alfreda both sat down on the grass as they looked towards a sleeping Norberta. Considering the sun was rising Oz casted a cloak spell onto Norberta just to be safe. The cloak spell he intended to be a quick solution ended up digging into his magical reserves much more than usual as he casted it wandless. His face started to go pale once again. "Master... If I may ask a couple questions while we are taking a break?". "Go ahead Alfreda, You''re free to ask me anything". Alfreda smiled as she looked at her masters pale complexion, seeing a bead of sweat trickle down his face she wiped it away with a handkerchief she had on hand. "Well for starters why are you not using your wand? You seemed awfully connected to that partner of yours yet for the past week or so I haven''t seen you use it once?". Oz wondered when this curious elf was going to ask this question. "It''s true that I am connected strongly with my wand especially after everything we''ve been through... However that connection was becoming ''too'' strong. Witches and Wizards of this day and age rely on wands far too much as a conduit of their power. Me not using my wand is a way to train my wandless magic so in the long run it will eventually catch up with my ability whilst using a wand. At that point I''d have nothing to fear if I ever lost my wand...". Alfreda nodded at Oz''s explanation understanding where he was coming from. For her that question was only something that cropped up as she saw him cloak Norberta without a wand. The real question was the next one she wanted to ask. "I see... The other question I had master was about Norberta. Why are you so insistent on taking her to this ''Dragon Sanctuary''? This place was recommended by those people in the order right? Don''t you think leaving her there may be to their benefit instead of ours?". "The main reason im so adamant on going to this place is because of how suspicious it is... Think about it Alfreda, the dragons we''ve known are all intelligent beasts who were miles stronger than any witch and wizard and required troves of such people to keep them under control. Don''t you think its strange that a place like a ''Dragon Sanctuary'' even exists? A place where these all powerful beasts are actually kept behind lock and key? Something about the situation screams suspicious... And about Norberta, truth be told if we had more time I''d want to leave her in a place that was different to here however she needs to be around her own kind. This is the only location I know of that definitely has dragons residing". As Alfreda listened to her Master''s words she dwelled on the dilemma he had placed before her as well. The dragon''s she had seen in her lifetime and the ones Merlin would bring back to raise and study, they were all vastly intelligent and powerful. For a place like a ''Dragon Sanctuary'' to exist seemed incredibly suspicious. Merlin in the past was one of the greatest wizards of all time yet he could only look after a few dragons at a time on his own. For the wizards of this era to have an entire sanctuary to look after seemed incredibly suspicious. "Well... I guess we will know all the answers when we get there. Dumbledore passed along word that I would arrive before hand through the Weasley couple. There should be a person there named Charlie Weasley who will be expecting my arrival soon. Hopefully he can provide answers to these questions". As Oz laid back onto the grass he felt his eyes grow heavy as he started to sleep. Alfreda placed herself near Oz''s head and picked him up resting him on her ??p. As she looked down at her master in adoration she wondered what would happen on this journey of theirs. Even when she was with Merlin she only ever stayed in England so the prospect of travelling the world with someone she felt connected to strongly was a dream to her, especially after centuries of solitude. Alfreda was slowly devoting herself not towards the bloodline of Merlin but more towards Oz as a whole.... Chapter 112 - [Romania] - Dragon Sanctuarys Truth A/N - Fuck it double upload. ========== {Oz I can see the mountains in the distance!}. Looking forward Oz''s gaze was locked onto the mountain peaks ahead. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as they finally had reached their destination. Looking down towards the surface Oz looked for a location where they could descend nearby the mountains so they could continue on foot instead. {Norberta, just up ahead there''s a spot where we will descend to. Follow my lead}. Considering they were about to enter unknown territory, Oz wanted to make sure his magic reserves were in top condition hence he decided to land nearby the mountains and continue on foot from here on. The dragon form just su?k?d up too much of his energy to keep up and even though an epic entrance as a dragon would be cool he had to dismiss such a notion for now. As the trio landed Oz transformed back into his human form. Adjusting his outfit and brushing off the dust on himself he looked at the mountains that were in front of him. ''That reminds me... that old goat only told me where the sanctuary was and not its exact location. Hopefully searching for this sanctuary doesn''t take too long''. Oz started to march forward on foot with Alfreda following behind him. Meanwhile he cloaked Norberta again and told her to fly above them both so that she could follow safely and also relay any sign of dragons/witches and wizards in the area. As the trio started to get closer to the foot of the mountain Oz heard Norberta shout from above him. {Oz I can sense witches and wizards nearby! They are around the side of the mountain! Climb to the peak in front of you and you should see them beneath you from there~}. Oz nodded towards Norberta in the skies as he and Alfreda started to climb up the small mountain they were on. As they trudged through the snow of the mountain they were scaling they finally find themselves at the peak and looking down to where Norberta was signalling them to go. Oz activated his eyes as he looked down on the area. "There''s an extremely powerful ward place on the whole area... If Norberta didn''t notify us that people were nearby It''d taken us much longer to find this place...". Dragon''s seemed to be flying around or corners of the mountain range that the ward encompassed. To Oz it seemed like they were all playing. At the very bottom of the mountain range were a vast majority of buildings clumped together and using his eyes he could sense the presence of people residing in those buildings. Looking at the topography Oz noticed that they way this sanctuary was set up within the ward made it seem like the people at the bottom of the mountain range were the ''lower-class'' whilst the dragons were the nobles high up the range in the skies. "Looks like that down there is our destination Alfreda..." Alfreda nodded at her master as she followed behind him. Looking up to Norberta Oz signalled her to follow them closely before placing another cloaking spell onto her. The dragons on the range seemed to be distracted as they played so none should see her at this point in time. If they did though then the situation could become somewhat troublesome. The trio slowly scaled down the mountain they had climbed towards the buildings at the foot of the mountain range. Looking at the buildings getting closer Oz noted that all the buildings had a ridiculous amount of wards and protective charms placed onto them. As he thought about it though such things seemed necessary in the presence of dragons. Eventually the trio found themselves at the entrance of the dragon sanctuary. . "It''s taken us just over a week but we finally made it...". Looking at the entrance of the dragon sanctuary Oz smiled as he started to stroll on in. As he entered he felt waves of magic ''detect'' his entry. Immediately as these waves hit him the people within their houses and on the street approached him with wary expressions. At the forefront of the people was a big Romanian wizard who had a claw mark going from his forehead down past his neck. "Ce faci aici?!" (What are you doing here?!). As Oz heard the man bellow out he felt a bit awkward. ''Maybe I should have learnt some basic languages before I went on this trip''. "Alfreda? Do you have any clue what he''s saying?". "No master... I''ve only ever known Elvish and English. Other countries tongues evade me...". Oz sighed as he looked at the Romanian wizard in front of him. "Do you speak English?". "...Englez??" (English?). The Romanian man seemed to look around the crowd before sighing to himself. He then bellowed out to his fellow companions surrounding him. "Unde naibii e Charlie!" (Where the hell is Charlie!). As Oz heard the latter half of the sentence he noted that the man was looking for Charlie. Oz wondered if Charlie was the interpreter for this little village of witches and wizards looking after these dragons. As the big Romanian man called out a couple of the witches and wizards around him fanned out to look for Charlie. After some time waiting Oz finally saw a red-headed man approach the area. As the man spotted him his eyes widened. "Ah! You must be the one my mother and father told me about. The descendant of Merlin was it? A p???sur? to meet you my names Charlie Weasley". As Oz saw Charlie introduce himself he noted that the man was incredibly polite especially in comparison to his brothers he had already met. Maybe the order warned him about Oz''s potential. "Charlie, cine este acest vr?jitor?" (Charlie who is this wizard?). Charlie turned to the big Romanian man and started to speak fluent Romanian. "E un oaspete Mihai, ?i ?nc? unul special. Descententul lui Merlin despre care am tot auzit ?n ultimii ani" (He''s a guest Mihai, A special guest at that too. The descendant of Merlin we''ve received news about in the recent years). "Descendent al lui Merlin !?" (Descendant of Merlin!?). The gazes of the Romanian witches and Wizards all changed as they looked towards Oz in awe now instead of wariness. With Charlie vouching for him and his identity now presented they all viewed him differently. "?n orice caz Mihai, am cateva treburi de rezolvat cu el, a?a c? dac? ne-ai putea acorda ceva timp¡­." (Anyway Mihai, I have business with him so if you could give us some time...). The Romanian man from what Oz could tell named ''Mihai'' nodded at Charlie as the crowd that had gathered dispersed. Looking at the crowd disperse Oz looked towards Charlie with a smile. "Fluent in Romanian huh? I guess that comes with the territory here... Impressive none the less". "I think it''s far less impressive than the wizard thats managed to cut off two of that dark lords wings already... Anyway come with me I''ll take you to the entrance of where the dragons roam". As Oz talked to Charlie he noted how bright and seemingly different he was in comparison to the rest of the Weasleys. Oz guessed that maybe him venturing off into the world had changed his world view leading to a more ''mature'' personality. After all spending time in a place like this makes you think of how silly such things as ''houses'' are in a school in the long run. Walking through the village of witches and wizards Oz was followed by Alfreda and in the sky above them still trailed Norberta who was keeping a safe distance from them, cloaked still by Oz''s spell. As they reached the end of the village they stepped into an area that looked up at the mountain range in all its glory with different breeds of dragons roaming around playing and soaring. "Quite a sight to behold don''t you think? When I first came out here I was awed by the sight of so many dragons soaring the skies doing whatever they felt like...". Oz looked at Charlies expression as he ushered Norberta down. Charlie seemed to have not noticed her yet as the dragon touched onto the snow ground. "I''m sure you are aware of the reason why I''m here Charlie?". "Of course, I was briefed by Dumbledore via my parents. You want to leave a dragon here correct?". "Yes... That among some other things". As Oz affirmed Charlies words he snapped his fingers uncloaking Norberta who was behind him and Alfreda. As Charlie looked at the growing dragon his eyes lit up. "Blimey! A Norwegian Ridgeback! She''s already grown to this size too... You''ve certainly taken good care of her judging by the healthy look in her eyes!". "She''s a bit uh... attached to me at the moment you see. I''d love to have her stay by my side however I know full well dragons like her need to be with their fellow dragons in order to grow. I hope you can look after her well here...". "Think nothing of it Oz. Dragon''s are creatures I deem much more important than most wizards of this age, I wont let anything befall her". "Thats good... Now onto the main reason why I''m here". Charlie looked at Oz with a questioning gaze. "Main reason? I thought dropping off this dragon of yours was the main reason". "Thats certainly one of them however there''s something I need to ask you first...". Oz looked up at the dragons on the mountain range with a light smile he began to explain his thoughts the Charlie. "The dragons I know of Charlie are beasts with intelligence that rival their power. Norberta here was even able to pick up our own English language in a little under a year. Hearing about this place I was extremely sceptical of how it functioned after witnessing Norberta''s growth. When I arrived here though I started to theorise on the true nature of this ''Sanctuary''...". "Tell me Charlie, This isn''t a place where you have dragons under lock and key is it? It''s actually the opposite to some effect right?". Charlie''s gaze towards Oz changed quickly from calmness to almost fear. He seemed to have picked apart this locations true meaning in the little time he had been here already. Knowing he had been defeated and that the ''order'' told him to remain on Oz''s good side he decided to tell Oz the full truth. "Y-You''re certainly smart as I was told... Yes you are correct, you could say that the dragons are the ones looking down on us instead of vice versa. I mean if you look at the setup here we are at the bottom of the mountain range forever looking up at them. It doesn''t exactly promote ''Equality'' when you look at it does it?". As Oz heard Charlie begin to explain he noted in his head that his deduction had been right on the mark when he first arrived. "To explain the full ''true'' situation will take some time so I hope you aren''t in a rush". Oz shook his head as himself and Alfreda listened intently to Charlie''s words as he started to talk. "Your deduction is certainly correct, the dragons before you are dragons who aren''t even m?tur? yet that have been let down the mountain to play. Even not m?tur?d these dragons are b?r?ly within our capabilities to handle. Granted we would never in a million years want to harm these beasts considering who they are looked over by...". "Going back to when this sanctuary was founded by Harvey Ridgebit, Witches and Wizards found a home here in order to study these pinnacle beasts that seemed to be centered around this mountain. As they started to build homes to live in at the foot of the mountain they were one day visited by a dragon the likes of which they had never seen...". "This dragon was far bigger than any other ever recorded, in addition this dragon introduced itself as ''one of the elder dragons on the peak''. He warned the people who were here at the time that this area was for their young ones to play in. If any of their young were to be harmed during their time down in the mountainous region then they would make the witches and wizards residing here now take the blame. Harvey Ridgebit who was present at the time reassured the elder dragon that such a thing would not occur and that we''d forever make sure their young were looked after, in exchange however he asked if it was okay for us to study their kind...". "The elder dragon at the time bellowed out in laughter at Harvey''s ''ultimatum'' stating that he was in no position to make requests. He ended up backing out though, stating to Harvey that he ''could try'' to study them. As he finished off he flew up back towards the peak of the mountain. Ever since then those elder dragons have hardly made an appearance... The only recorded appearance after the first was when Harvey Ridgebit died... Well a better way to explain it would be when Harvey was killed". Oz eyes widened as he listened intently to the story. Everything Charlie was explaining started to fit together with his theory he had when he first arrived here. The ancient ward placed on the area, the hierarchy. This place wasn''t a place where dragons and humans coexisted, this was a playground for dragons where witches and wizards were the babysitters. The angry parents on the peak would retaliate if even one of their children were injured hence the sheer amount of wards and charms placed on all the houses within the wards space. "Harvey was nearing the end of his life at 92 years old and during that time his desperation towards learning anything he could about dragons seemed to reach its peak. He staged a capture of a young dragon in the mountainous region, a Peruvian Vipertooth to be precise. The second the dragons on the peak learned that one of their young was captured they sent one of the elder dragons down. He attacked the settlement the witches and wizards had established killing many and immediately killed Harvey for his transgressions. They warned all those present that if such a situation were to happen again then not only would they pay for it but the whole country would...". "Ever since we''ve stayed low and followed their whims. Some of us have fled whilst others have stayed purely driven by their fascination of such creatures. I''m definitely the latter in that set up". Oz frowned as a question escaped his lips. "These dragons... They don''t force you to stay here at all?". Charlie shook his head at Oz''s question. "No, they couldn''t care less if we all left or stayed. I think they view us as less than dirt from that lofty peak. With us here they get free labourers for their young and without us nothing much changes. The benefit is extremely little...". "The reason why Mihai, the man you saw at the entrance, was extremely wary of your arrival was because they see the dragons on the peak as a ticking time bomb. One wrong witch or wizard walks into here and provokes them and suddenly we could find Romania in flames...". "Granted we cant exactly leave this area unattended less their young do get injured and the dragons on the peak blame us for it, attacking us in retaliation. Hence we are stuck here forever to look after them. For some such a scenario is a blessing whereas to others its a curse...". Oz turned to Alfreda and whispered into her ear. "Did Merlin ever interact with dragons that were ''elders'' in a sense?". Alfreda shook her head as she sighed. "I only ever saw Merlin with the dragons he raised, he never spoke of or mentioned anything about elder dragons that could destroy an entire country if angered...". Oz frowned as he looked up towards the peak of the mountain. "Considering there are ''elders'' amongst the dragons on the peak there has to be a leader of some sorts... Charlie do you have any clue who that leader is?". Charlie Weasley shook his head as he too looked up towards the peak. "The only thing we''ve heard from the elder dragons that came down in the past was that their leader was able to wipe us out in a flash. All magic and strength was pathetic in ''his'' eyes... They did tell the people before me in this sanctuary his name though, telling them to etch it in their hearts...". "Oh? What was the leaders name?". Charlie looked up at the peak with a serious expression. The name escaped his lips and drifted through the wind. "Arauthator". Chapter 113 - [Romania] - Arauthator the Ancient On top of a chilly mountain peak surrounded by a sea of clouds was a beast that blended in. It laid asleep most of the time conserving its energy. After years of sleep however the beasts eyes opened up revealing an ice blue gleam to the world. As he awoke an elder dragon flew from another peak before him, landing in front of him the dragon looked up to him in utmost reverence... {L-Lord Arauthator... It''s been years since you''ve awoke} Arauthator lifted himself from his massive perch, stretching himself along with his wings out as far wide as possible after a long sleep. As his eyes focused onto the dragon before him he started to speak. {Years its been? How many years}. The elder dragon looked shaken by the words of Arauthator as it replied while stumbling. {A-Around 21 years it''s been lord... Is there a reason for your sudden awakening this time?}. Arauthator looked down the mountain peak towards the area in which the young grew up. The elder dragon present followed his gaze and its temper seemed to ignite as he realised where the lord was looking. {Is it those damn humans again Lord?! If they''ve kidnapped one of our own again maybe we should just burn their settlement to the ground!}. Looking at the enraged elder dragon Arauthator sighed. {Your ?ssumption is incorrect}. The elder dragon looked as if it had bitten into a bitter fruit as it turned back around to it''s lord in embarrassment for jumping the gun. Looking up to the lord it asked again. {If that isn''t the case lord... Why have you awoken?}. {My awakening... there''s one of our blood that''s arrived in the ward far down below}. The elder dragon looked confused as it stared up to its lord. {One of our blood? Do you mean a dragon has come from the outside world into the ward where the children are?}. Arauthator started to look annoyed at the elder dragon present as his gaze became colder. The dragon present seemed to freeze over as it looked up to its lord. {S-S-Sorry lord...}. Arauthator calmed down as he looked down the mountain once more. With a huff he decided to answer the elder dragons question. {It''s one of our blood yet not one of our body and soul... A human with our blood has risen once again}. The elder dragon present seemed to stare at its master in shock as it too turned to look down the mountain range. From this distance they couldn''t see anything themselves however they could sense the children below along with the witches and wizards in their ''Sanctuary''. {L-Lord you don''t think that the wizard''s appearance is related to ''that man'' do you!?}. {It''s most likely this wizard thats made an appearance is related to ''that man''... Whether we are fated to meet or not is reliant on that wizards ability to reach here if he so chooses... Gather the other elder dragons and bring them here to my peak, If that wizard does make it to us then he deserves an audience...}. Arauthator rested himself again on his peak closing his eyes soundly. The elder dragon present immediately zoomed off at Arauthator''s command heading off to the nearby peaks where the other elder dragons resided. As the elder dragon left Arauthator who had closed his eyes seemed to be dwelling on the wizard below, if that mans descendant had appeared in this era then this era was set to be a turbulent one... . "Arauthator? That''s a domineering name...". Oz who had just listened to Charlies full story about the truth of the sanctuary was still mulling over everything he had learned. His theories on the suspiciousness of the sanctuary had been right on the mark however he never expected things such as elder dragons and even a leader named ''Arauthator'' to be present here. The prospect of meeting their behemoths even gave him pause for a moment yet also ignited the fighting spirit within his blood. "Yes... Arauthator is a name thats been etched into all the Romanian witches and wizards that look after this sanctuary. Any children birthed here are warned that if they are bad they could be taken away by Arauthator...". Putting his finger to his chin, Oz started to think on the ''Arauthator'' character more. What sort of dragon was he? Why would he hide himself away from the world on a mountain peak? How powerful is a dragon that is not only ancient yet leader of all the elders on the peaks above? Questions upon questions seemed to pile up in Oz''s mind as he looked up at the mountains before him. ''I have to meet this dragon... There''s a chance he could be the key to solving the riddle that is my blood...''. "Is there anyway I can meet this ''Arauthator''?". Charlie looked at Oz I extreme surprise as he started to stammer. "Y-You want to meet him!? Are you insane!? We''re talking about a dragon with enough power to wipe out this country and then some, any wrong move could lead to a country in flames!". "I know it seems reckless however this is something I need to do". Charlie looked completely lost for words as he looked at the boy before him. His unwavering determination in his gaze seemed to sway him slightly as he sighed deeply. "F-Fine... Goddamn it they told me you''d be a handful but for it to be this much...". Charlie started to walk ahead ushering Oz, Alfreda and Norberta to follow along. Walking deeper into the sanctuary they saw many dragons fly overhead. Some of the dragons started to swoop down near them and look at Norberta inquisitively much to the latter''s dismay. {Uh... Oz?}. Oz heard Norberta call out to him as he looked around the area noticing the amount of young dragons was growing, Charlie however seemed to be completely content with the situation. Looking at the dragons surrounding him Charlie smiled. "They are certainly much livelier today! Must be because of that dragon you brought here... What is that dragons name again?". "She''s Norberta... Doesn''t this situation give you pause though Charlie?". Charlie laughed at Oz''s apprehension. "Nonsense, Understand that these dragons would have attacked and killed us already if they wanted to. These young ones see us as ''pets'' to some degree so they wont just suddenly attack. If it wasn''t for Norberta they''d have completely ignored us...". Oz nodded at Charlie''s explanation as he looked at all the dragons surrounding them. After a bit more walking the young dragons surrounding them seemed to grow bored as they all flew off. Finally after walking a bit deeper into the mountain range they group found themselves in front of a path leading up the mountain. "This here is the path that leads towards the peak... Although let me tell you a few things to take into account before you go". "Firstly, The dragons at the peak are true monsters in terms of both magic and strength. Due to this the pressure they emit is enough for even the most trained witch and wizard to collapse underneath it. Climbing a mountain whilst that pressure is present is certainly a difficult feat however I believe those at the top designed it this way so only the ''worthy'' could talk with them...". "Secondly, Arauthator as we know him is known to be a dragon that specialises in ''Ice'' to some degree... Suffice to say that the climb when you get nearer to the peak will become colder and colder. By cold I mean beyond freezing temperatures so magic is a must to keep yourself from freezing alive". "Finally, with the two points linked you may find your magic reserves burning out far quicker than usual. If you run out of magic/means to keep yourselves going then you''ll find yourself dying before you ever reach the peak...". Oz listened intently to Charlies advice, hearing the last note he chimed in. "Have you sent anyone up there in the past?". Charlie smiled as he noticed Oz must have realised the only way for him to know this amount of information would be that if someone had attempted to climb before. "When the dragon sanctuary was established many tried to climb the mountain in order to establish a connection with Arauthator on top... The vast majority of them though ended up never leaving the mountain. The ones that returned gave us the information I''m giving you about the mountain. Expeditions up the mountain however have been a project that''s been completely shut down due to the amount of losses amassed whilst attempting it...". Looking towards the mountain path Oz took in the sight before turning back to Alfreda and Norberta. Looking at the two of them that had followed him to this point he sighed knowing that his next ''ask'' would be something they wouldn''t like. "Alfreda, Norberta... You two should stay down here". The two that had followed Oz to this moment immediately expressed distress at Oz''s request. "Master you heard Charlie, nobody has ever reached the peak! You need all the help you can get to traverse to the top!". Oz looked towards Alfreda with a sigh. "Calm down Alfreda... Think carefully about this situation. If I were to take both you and Norberta along you would both also be submitted to the cold and pressure in this mountain climb. Remember about my... blood as well. I will be able to overcome that pressure much easier compared to the two of you". Norberta leaned her head forward looking sadly towards Oz. {B-But Oz I''m a true dragon! That pressure wont mean anything to me!}. Oz''s eyes glint with slight irritation that gave both Alfreda and Norberta pause as they saw it. Charlie on the side-lines seemed confused by Oz''s decision as well considering the more people in an expedition usually the better. "Why do you want to go alone Oz? Surely the more the merrier?". Hearing Charlies inquiry Oz started to explain himself fully. "Besides the fact that going alone allows me to go without worry there''s also Arauthator to consider...". "A dragon like him is bound to take notice of anyone on his territory. The way he''s set this situation up, leaving a path up to him tells me that he only deems those that are ''worthy'' to meet him. If I want to gain his respect and be able to ask him for as much knowledge as possible I need to impress him by going it alone". Turning to Alfreda, Oz showed her a warm smile. "Alfreda all I ask you to do whilst I make the climb is to stay in the sanctuary and ensure that Norberta starts to feel at home here... Can you do that for me?". Alfreda looked extremely conflicted however after seeing her masters honest eyes she sighed and agreed to his request. Charlie seeing that the situation was resolved decided to fill Oz in on one last note. "Although none of us have ever managed to climb to the top we''ve predicted it takes about a week to reach the top if you keep good pace". "A week huh... Well I better get started then". Oz turned to Alfreda and Norberta giving Norberta a pat on the head and Alfreda a light smile as he started to walk up the path. As he started his long climb up the mountain he had one thought in his mind. ''Whilst this setup means it will be a bit harder for me its a necessary difficulty I need in order to grow... I need trials in order to maximise my potential. If Alfreda or Norberta came then the trek up would have definitely been easier but... this is a trial I need to overcome myself''. Looking up to the peak that seemed to loom over him Oz felt a smile rise onto his face. The prospect of a challenge was something he never backed down from even back when he was in Hogwarts. This challenge before him was just another trial he needed to break through, a stepping stone for his future growth. As Oz his journey up the mountain, eyes from above seemed to look down at him monitoring his attempt.... Chapter 114 - [Romania] - Scaling the Mountain (Part 1) A few hours into the start of Oz''s climb he began to realise the task ahead was going to be much harder than he originally anticipated. Regardless of that fact, he saw it as a benefit as he wanted to test himself as much as possible with this trial. Looking up the mountain he kept a hopeful mind as he continued onwards and upwards. In Oz''s mind however were ideas swimming about the elder dragons and Arauthator that were said to be residing on the peak. ''If the term ''elder dragon'' entails that these beasts have lived a long time then I can ?ssume Arauthator is a dragon thats age spans centuries... It''s honestly impressive that up to now his existence has remained so elusive to the wizarding community''. Due to the creation of the Dragon Sanctuary a few decades ago, Arauthators name began to be known amongst the Romanian witches and wizards down the bottom of the mountain range. Regardless of this though these people seemed to keep the all powerful dragons existence a close secret considering that the past decades have showed no sign of any information leaking out about this dragons existence. If such a dragons existence was known Oz was sure that Voldemort and his army would have tried their hardest to gain its attention, after all having a dragon that can decimate a country would be a sure-fire way to take over England''s wizarding community and beyond. ''There could be more to it than that though... If Arauthator is a dragon that simply wants to stay residing on this peak then maybe his existence has been known to the higher ups in the wizarding community for a long time, however relations with a dragon of such aptitude have never even started due to the fear and pressure these people feel trying to reach him''. Even though Oz had only started his journey up the mountain a few hours ago he was already starting to feel pressure weighing down on him from above. His breathing was becoming stifled as he climbed and the air was becoming chillier. He ignored all these problems as he continued up the mountain path. A lot of these problems could have been solved in an instant by Oz using spells however he was reluctant to use any until he got as close as he could to the top. In his eyes he was walking into completely unknown territory. Unlike back in Hogwarts he had nothing to go off of here, no knowledge of how these dragons would react to his presence and no way of knowing what would happen when he reached the summit. ''I need to push as far as I possibly can... Only when I''m nearing deaths door will I use spells to help me back up''. Conserving his magic reserves for this journey was paramount for Oz, especially considering he was staying true to his wandless tendencies. If he used his wand throughout this trek he would have felt like he lost before he even began... . Night rolled around after a long day of traversing up the mountain and Oz noted that he was still a long ways off from the summit as he looked up to the peak. He debated a few times transforming into his dragon form and just directly flying up however the instant he thought up that idea he immediately shelfed it. ''If I were to transform and fly up I''d be subjected to the pressure faster than ever before along with the cold that comes with it... It''d eat up my magic in an instant especially considering I''d be in my dragon form as well''. Sadly for Oz this trek had to be done by foot slowly and steadily. Reaching into his pouch that had all his supplies and provisions he grabbed a simple tent out that had a charm placed on it so the interior was bigger than what it seemed. Taking some time to set it up he made sure it was fully secured into the mountain. When the tent was fully set, the moon seemed to be rising into the sky. ''Best to get some sleep...''. Heading into the tent Oz smiled as he basked at the wonders of magic. One of his own personal favourite moments from the Harry Potter canon was the magic of tents such as these. Simple small tents that held a decent size inside of them using magic. Such a thing was extremely useful to have around especially when travelling. ''This tent certainly wasn''t cheap though... Thankfully the Health Specs and Magi-Cast were such a hit else buying such a tent would have been an impossibility''. In the middle of the tent was a simple table to sit at and behind the table was a single bunk bed. This setup was purchased so that Alfreda and Oz could use this tent on their travels whenever necessary. It helped a lot when they travelled across countries to Romania and now it would help him more so here. Sitting down at the table Oz fetched a jar from his pouch and placed it onto the table. Putting his hand over the jar he casted a Bluebell Flames charm into it causing a blue ball of flames to be placed within the jar. As he did this he felt his magic reserves be sapped slightly, however considering the level of this spell his reserves didn''t fall much at all despite the spell being casted wandlessly. As the blue flame formed in the jar Oz put his two hands on the jar to start heating him up. ''I thought my physique gained from my dragon blood would hold up... Having this around should help ease the cold on my journey''. After a while of heating up Oz left the blue flame jar on the table as he prepared himself a decent meal with the provisions in his bag. After eating a hearty meal that definitely wasn''t going to win any culinary awards, he headed to the bed within the tent and drifted into a deep sleep. His mind focused on the journey ahead of him... . A couple of days have passed since Oz''s first day of travelling and the trek hasn''t gotten any easier. In fact the difficulty has tripled since he started. At this point he kept the blue flame jar he conjured on his first night strapped to his hip securely to keep him warm. The bluebell flames within were a good source of heat and they didn''t harm him in any way. If they touched his clothes however they might get singed. Despite this though the cold still seemed to eat away at him slowly. Tonight it seemed he might need to make another jar to keep himself warmer. In comparison the pressure emitted from the peak was also rising rapidly. Feeling the sheer pressure on him Oz actually wondered at points if he was even ready to climb this mountain. As night started to rise on the third day of his trek he realised he was approaching the midway point of the trek. The terrain had become noticeably more dangerous and the path that led up to this point was slowly receding away under the sheer amount of snow. As Oz approached an area where he could set up his tent for the night he felt a snap underneath his feet. *SNAP* Oz''s eyes darted down as he looked into the snow beneath him. His feet at this point seemed to be su?k?d into the snow as only his ankles upwards were shown to him. Lifting his feet out of the snow he looked down towards the culprit of the sound he just heard. What greeted him was bones. Human bones. ''This must be one of the expedition teams the sanctuary sent out years ago...''. Oz set up his tent quickly and headed on inside making himself another Bluebell Flame jar that he attached to the opposite side of his hip parallel to where his first one was placed. He felt the cold surrounding him subside a bit more. Heading back out the tent looking up to the starry night sky Oz dug out the bones of the human that had died on the mountain. All that was present was a half broken skull, a couple of arm bones and a single leg bone. Looking around the snow a bit more Oz couldn''t find any supplies left behind by the deceased. Most likely the elements had claimed them a long time ago. Oz picked up all the bones present and placed them into his pouch. ''Although I don''t know who you were I respect the effort it took to get this far even if you died trying... I''ll take your bones back to the sanctuary''. Oz looked up at the night sky with a whimsical smile once more before heading into the tent behind him. His third night sleep was even more suffocating than the previous couple... . As the third day rolled around Alfreda and Norberta found themselves both staring up to the mountain upon high where Oz had headed off to. The looks on their faces both showed worry and anxiousness. Charlie Weasley who spotted the two walked over towards them, joining them in looking up the mountain. "I gather you two are worried about Oz?". Alfreda kept a cold silence as did Norberta. When they first arrived here Oz was the only person to speak to Charlie. Both of them kept quiet as he did so. To them only Oz was deserving of their respect to some degree, one as their ''papa'' and the other their ''master''. To this random wizard who tried to converse they showed no respect. Seeing as though it was the third day they were here though, Charlie was already used to this behaviour as he continued on speaking. "Judging by what the order told me I doubt that he will truly be in any danger climbing the mountain... After all he won against Dumbledore in a duel allegedly. Such a feat is not to be underestimated by any means. I''m sure he will be fine...". Charlie looked towards the duo of Alfreda and Norberta once more and saw that they still remained silent. He sighed to himself as he walked off noting that they wouldn''t reply to him. As Charlie walked off Alfreda sighed to herself. "I know master is an impressive wizard... But I can''t help but feel pause about this situation". Norberta seemed to wh?n? a bit as she looked up the mountain. Her worry seemed to be at the same level as Alfreda''s as she agreed with Alfreda''s words. Their devotion to Oz at this point overshadow their own judgement meaning they refused to pursue him still despite their own feelings. All they could do was look up the mountain as the days passed and continue with the tasks Oz left for them. Even though they worried they had a deep-seated respect and pride in their Master/Papa and knew that even in a difficult situation like this one he''d find a way to pull through... . [Mountains Peak] As the dawn of the fourth day rose the peak of the mountain was livelier than usual. At the top sat Arauthator on his pedestal looking around at all the elder dragons that had gathered for this meeting today. {You''ve all managed to get here on such short notice... good...}. The elder dragons kept themselves lowered towards their lord as they bit their tongues, refusing to be the first to ask why they were convened. After a period of waiting Arauthator began to speak again. {I''m sure you''re wondering why I''ve convened you all on such short notice... Well to explain why I''d welcome you all to cast your eyes down the mountain around the midway point}. Listening to their lords words the elder dragons all looked down towards the midpoint of the mountain. Each of them shook by the revelation that befell them as they noticed what was there. In the eyes of these dragons they could sense a wizard that had reached the midway point. Surprisingly compared to the previous witches and wizard that attempted the ascent this wizard seemed to be in much better shape. {As you can all see we have a new wizard trying to scale our mountains... Usually such a situation wouldn''t be enough to all a meeting like this however...}. As Arauthator locked his eyes onto Oz, his piercing gaze falling through the clouds locking onto the young wizard who had just exited his tent. Looking intently at the young wizard he began to continue his explanation. The elder dragons surrounding the area seemed to start clamouring at Arauthators words. They knew the importance of a wizard with their blood in them. One of the elder dragons, seemingly one of the oldest ones looked towards Arauthator in reverence as he stuttered. {L-Lord... Could it be this boy is?}. Arauthator''s eyes glinted slightly sending the elder dragon back in fear. As the elder dragon bowed its head to Arauthator to show sincerity, he began to speak his mind. {Yes... It''s as you surmise. This boy is probably a descendant of ''him''}. The clamouring amongst the dragons seemed to ramp up even more as Arauthator gave his verdict on the young wizard scaling the mountain. Their eyes all seemed to lock onto the boy''s location as they watched him intently. Some looked with pride at the boy whilst others looked in belittlement. The gazes from the elder dragons were a mixed bag all in all as they witnessed a wizard with their blood for the first time in centuries trying to scale the mountain they resided on. Arauthator''s gaze that pierced the clouds however seemed to be laced with only one emotion, one that paralleled all the other dragons gazes... ''Disappointment''. Chapter 115 - [Romania] - Scaling the Mountain (Part 2) A couple more days of travelling up the mountain passes as Oz''s trek is becoming now more difficult by the second. He felt as if the eyes on him from up above had increased tenfold since the third night and now the pressure he felt was almost unbearable. If it wasn''t for is blood igniting at times when he felt like he''d collapse, he''d have long since fallen victim to the elements. The cold weather nearing the mountains 3/4 mark had seemed to increase tenfold since the midway point a couple days back. On his fourth night the Bluebell Flames he created for warmth started to be snuffed out by the sheer cold to Oz''s surprise, despite being in jars. Oz wondered if this was a trial placed by Arauthator or if that the sheer amount of cold was actually causing such a scenario to happen. He didn''t have much time to think on it though as he desperately thought up a solution when the situation occurred. He didn''t want to use any spells that used too much magic however using a spell on the level of ''Bluebell Flames'' was certain to be ebbed out by the cold weather now polluting him. As Oz sat in his tent on the fifth night freezing, He came up with an idea that would give him momentary respites from the cold. Fetching a small cauldron from his pouch he started to concoct a potion with the only purpose of the potion being that it could heat him up from the inside out. As he made the potion his hands shivered along with the cold weather making the brewing that much more difficult for him. ''Come on hands... Work dammit...''. As he slowly pooled the ingredients into the cauldron using his knowledge built over the years in Hogwarts he managed to create himself a simple potion thats only effect was to warm the insides of the consumer. Pouring the concocted potion into different flasks he had prepared in his pouch, the light red liquid looked more appetizing than any meal he had up to this point in the climb. After all the flasks were filled he stored the majority in his bag leaving one out. Holding the flask to his mouth he drank the potion down. Soon after consuming he felt his insides start to burn strongly. ''Shit... I didn''t dilute it enough!''. In his desperation to warm himself from the cold Oz neglected the last step in the potion making that he''d usually do which was to dilute the potion down. The potion he had drank at this moment was an extremely concentrated heat potion that left his insides burning up. It was at the level where the extreme cold was actually needed in order to stop him from burning from the inside out. Heading out his tent into the cold his face was flushed red and steam seemed to emit from him. He sat down in the snow panting as he closed his eyes trying to cool himself down from the now extreme heat he felt. ''Dammit how longs this thing gonna last!''. Looking up at the night sky Oz noted that the moon was directly above him. Laying in the snow suffering Oz''s normally calm mind started to show cracks as he felt the most pain he had ever felt since he first came to this world. Thoughts flooded into his mind contradicting his will. ''Was I reaching to far in doing this? Maybe I should have gotten to a higher level before attempting? Am I biting off more than I can chew? Why have I chosen to suffer like this?''. As the questions welling up in his mind ate away at his willpower he felt pangs of heat start to surge from his blood, different from the heat in his belly. The blood seemed to calm him down from his panicked state as he grit his teeth bearing the searing pain of the potion he had consumed. After a few hours of suffering the burning sensation finally ended and the biting cold started to crawl up Oz yet again. ''That was hell...''. Heading back into the tent Oz took out all the vials of ''heat potion'' he had previously made and began diluting them all down to a safer dosage. After concocting a safer dosage he drank it down again and this time felt a more bearable warmth fill his body. His body grew weary after all the pain he had suffered over a simple mistake, heading straight to bed he fell asleep instantly... . As the dawn of the sixth day came in Oz woke up to a tent that was filled with frost. The potion he drank before sleeping had left his system leading him to wake up from the biting cold. As pulled himself out of his bed, his eyes heavy from the long night. Drinking down another heat potion he felt his insides warm back up giving him another hour or so of respite. Heading out the tent he looked at the morning sky and the clouds that were almost directly above him. ''The... pressures... increased... again...''. Oz''s breathing and even thinking at this point seemed delayed as the air thinned nearing the top. Along with the pressure he felt from the peak and the cold he was in his worst condition yet on the sixth day. He still had a 1/4 of his journey left to go as well. ''Can''t... stop... now...''. Oz packed up his tent as quickly as possible as he continued on up the mountain. After passing the 3/4 mark the terrain had become incredibly hazardous with precipices that, if traversed clumsily, could lead to a drop sending anyone straight to their death. The footholds Oz used seemed to crumble as his feet weighed onto them leading to multiple points where he nearly lost his footing. ''I... can''t... believe... I''m... missing... that... place... right... now...''. As Oz''s trek got more and more dangerous he started to look back on how good he had it back in Hogwarts, unaware of the world. Despite Hogwarts many dangers he had the added benefit of foreknowledge in regards to them. This journey up the mountain however was anything but peaceful as he seemed to be constantly in pain as he climbed further and further up. Shimmying across an extremely dodgy cliff edge, Oz felt a slight rumble in the foothold beneath him. Looking above him towards the peak of the mountain that seemed ever so close now he saw something he wished he didn''t have to see. ''Avalanche...''. As the snow plummeted towards Oz his foothold became unstable causing him to start falling. Immediately as his foot hold was compromised he reflexively used ''Arresto Momentum'' to stop his falling. His magic was sapped up quickly as he did this wandlessly and the longer he kept the spell up the more he''d be eating away at his reserves. Noting this Oz twisted his body quickly and grabbed onto the ledge he was climbing across, disabling ''Arresto Momentum'' as he solidified his grip. The snow continued to pile down with some of it smacking into Oz''s back causing him to grunt in pain. ''Fuck... this...''. Feeling the searing pain on his back Oz''s grip began to falter, slowly slipping from the foothold he was once stood on. Reacting immediately Oz used ''Augmentum'', his own spell that augmented any part of his body, to strengthen his grip as much as possible. His fingers dug into the cliff side like claws causing them to rip and bleed from the sheer amount of resistance from the mountain. Gritting his teeth Oz b?r?d with the pain whilst the avalanche came to a stop. As it did he used his remaining strength to lift himself up on the foothold he was once on. A sigh of relief escaping his lips as he managed to overcome that situation. ''That... was... too... close...''. After using both ''Arresto Momentum'' and ''Augmentum'' in quick succession Oz''s magic reserves had dwindled down a lot. His breathing became even more ragged after that close call. The air was already thin as it is let along having to deal with nearly falling off the peak of the mountain. As he continued across the dodgy cliff edge he finally managed to reach a sturdy bit of rock he could stand on and relax for a moment, catching his finite amount of breath. Looking down at his hand blood dripped from the tips of all his fingers, his finger nails almost ripped in half from the sudden ''Augmentum'' partnered with the tough cliff rock. Oz wanted to heal the wounds with magic however considering how his reserves were starting to run low he decided against that notion for now. He fetched bandages and some healing ointment from his pouch placing it onto the wounds on his fingers. The searing pain made him grit his teeth yet again. As the ointment was applied he bandaged all his fingers before putting his thin gloves back on. ''100... Basilisks... would... be... better... than... this...''. The near death experience had left Oz shaken as he took a moment to collect himself, at this point he was only a day away from the peak... . [Mountain Peak] The elder dragons gathered at Arauthators peak kept their gazes locked onto the young wizard who was traversing up their mountain range. Seeing the boy overcome trials was like a fun ''TV Show'' to them. Some even making bets as to whether he would ''die'' at certain points or not. When Oz was on the cliff edge bets were high as the avalanche hit however the boy seemed to pull through to many of the elder dragons surprise in the end. All of this of course was mostly in good fun as they noted that this boy did have their blood so his potential was greater than any common magic folk/beast so dying so easily despite the situation would be difficult for someone of his stature. Arauthator in the meanwhile kept his gaze locked onto the boy as well. Throughout Oz''s climb the glint in his eye remained the same as if something about Oz bothered him deeply. He knew that the boy he looked at was still young in terms of wizard age and especially in term of dragon age yet... {Disappointing...}. Arauthators emotions towards Oz still didn''t change. . [Dragon Sanctuary] As the sixth day rolled around in the sanctuary the worry carried on Alfreda and Norberta''s faces seemed to be heavier than ever before. Regardless of their worry though they had progressed with the tasks Oz had left them. Norberta was currently socialising with the dragons in the mountain range rather well. Considering her up bringing was in Merlin''s specialised dragons den her strength and power didn''t lose out to any of these wild dragons at all. Suffice to say this was a necessary ?sset as most of the younger dragons ''games'' were based around fighting each other to some degree. Meanwhile Alfreda watched on as she confirmed that Norberta was fitting in well with the crowd in this short of time. Considering it was her own kind it was only natural that she found herself at home so quickly with them, finding it easy to socialise with them. Despite this progress though, Norberta and Alfreda both held worry in their gazes whenever their eyes looked up to the mountain above them. With no means of contacting Oz and no way of knowing how far he had to go or where he even was, all they could do was rely on their Masters/Papas own power when it came to climbing up the mountain that loomed over them. Charlie on the other hand kept making attempts at talking with the two, mainly conversing with Norberta after hearing briefly from Alfreda on the fourth day that she could speak English to some degree. No matter how much Charlie nagged her though, the dragon didn''t budge ignoring him. Alfreda only started to open up slightly as she noted that he was of help to them so remaining rude would be silly. "Why didn''t I get a two-way mirror for the two of us? Then I wouldn''t have to be sat at the bottom of this mountain in worry...". Looking up at the domineering mountain Alfreda sighed as she thought of her master, hoping that nothing had befell him on his trek towards the peak... . As Oz laid in bed on the sixth night he felt it extremely difficult to get any sleep. He drank his heat potion as well as ate a full meal and kept himself hydrated yet no matter what he did he couldn''t get the biting cold fully away from him. Alongside this the pressure was at the most it had ever been making it even harder to breath than ever before. Oz felt as though at this point if he tried to speak he wouldn''t even be able to utter a single word. Even his thoughts had slowed down due to the situation he found himself in. ''Sleep... need... sleep...''. Oz tried and tried to sleep yet no matter what he did he couldn''t get himself to fall asleep. He debated continuing on even though it was night yet he felt doing so could lead him to an early grave considering he wouldn''t be able to see where he was going. Wasting a wandless Lumos spell on journeying at night considering his reserves were as low as they were as well seemed silly too. Picking himself up from his bed, Oz walked over to the table in the middle of the tent. At this point the inside of the tent, despite being sealed from the front, had been covered in a thin layer of frost all over due to the cold temperature outside that seemed ever growing to Oz. The table Oz sat at seemed to shine as the iced on top of it reflected Oz''s face back at him. Looking at his face he noted how worse for wear he was looking after this journey towards the peak. His eyes were dark, his complexion pale, His hair was extremely ruffled and the clothes warn on his body had even become tattered making Oz feel bad for Alfreda. ''Mess...''. Oz sighed as he reached into his pouch grabbing the cauldron he used to create heat potions again. This time however he decided to create a potion that would help him sleep despite the terrible conditions. ''Diluted... draught...''. Oz plan this time was to create a sleeping draught that was diluted enough so that he wouldn''t fall to deeply into a sleep. Thanks to Alfreda''s provision collection before their trip to Romania, Oz had the necessary ingredients to prepare this potion. As he brewed it his movements were extremely sluggish. Despite knowing what to do he felt as though the potion made was extremely lacklustre considering his skill level was decently high when it came to brewing usually. However Oz didn''t care as he grabbed the first flask of diluted sleeping draught and took it to bed with him. Drinking it down he felt himself become drowsy quickly. He quickly drank a heat potion alongside the draught to keep himself warm in his sleep. With both potions drank, he fell into a deep slumber after the most difficult day and night yet... . As the night sky loomed over the peak, a beautiful view was present to the dragons on top. A sea of clouds before them along with the sight of millions of stars would leave any person dumbfounded. To these dragons though, this view was as natural to them as getting water from a tap was to a human. The elder dragons were still present on Arauthators peak keeping their eye on Oz who was now very close to their destination. The majority of the dragons there seemed impressed as they looked onto the young wizard below them. His intelligence and ingenuity towards this trial made surprised on multiple occasions. One of the elder dragons turned to Arauthator who seemed to be holding the same gaze as he did many days ago. Looking up to its lord the elder dragon bowed. {L-Lord... It seems that boy will reach here tomorrow at this rate. What do you have planned for him when he arrives?}. Arauthator''s eyes glinted slightly as he moved his gaze from Oz towards the elder dragon that asked him a question. His glare seemed to penetrate the elder dragon as it shrunk back in fear. {You will see when the boy arrives... IF the boy arrives...}. Looking back down the mountain towards Oz, Arauthators gaze returned back to the same as it was previous to the elder dragons question. If Oz was able to traverse the final step on the mountain he would find himself at the peak alongside these dragons, a feat no witch or wizard has ever accomplished in the current day and age. ===================== A/N - Hey all. Recently on my bio for this book I added a ''Ko-Fi'' link for those who would like to tip me if they feel that this novel is something worth tipping. Let me express here as well as on there that tipping is simply a means to show support and by no means on ''Ko-Fi'' will I ever do things like release advance chapters etc. The most I can ever imagine posting there is side-stories and maybe the occasional artwork depicting my favourite ''scenes'' from this novel if the amount of tips reach certain goals. To explain why I won''t ever do advance chapter mainly relates to the fact I don''t have enough time/don''t think my novel is good enough to warrant people paying to see more. Granted at this stage I''ve written 185k words over the span of this year and thought at this stage if people felt like it a tipping system would be a good addition and help me keep going. The link to the Ko-Fi site is: ko-fi.com/boigeorge If you''d like to help me out. Tipping is of course completely up to you all and its not required/expected at all, just a simple way to show appreciation. Thanks all for reading :) Chapter 116 - [Romania] - Mountains Peak As Oz arose on the seventh day he knew his journey was soon to come to an end. This mountain trek had dealt him hands far more difficult than he could have ever anticipated. Packing up the tent one more time he felt the excruciating cold eat away at him once more along with the pressure above him pressing down on him. For the first time on this hike, Oz''s blood actually seemed to start being overwhelmed by the pressure he felt from above. Despite the conditions Oz still kept going, drinking his heat potions and keeping his head up even with all the pressure pouring onto him. As the time started to approach noon he found himself looking directly ahead, up towards the mountain peak he had been so desperate to get to. ''Just... little... further...''. Each step at this point felt like Oz had a ton in each of his shoes. His muscles screamed out and his bones shook fiercely as he forced himself forward. The heat potion within him that kept him decently warm to this point felt like it was starting to be negated by the sheer cold surrounding him. As this occurred Oz realised that the situation was becoming dire. ''So... damn... close...''. Frustration filled Oz''s mind as he saw how close he was and how his body was beginning to shut down from the pressure and cold. Just as he was about to bow out however his eyes lit with a fighting spirit that kept him moving. His slow and shaky hand reached into his pouch and grabbed a heat potion, except this one was a non-diluted one he had left over. Although he knew how dangerous this would be he needed to give it a shot else he could freeze to death at the doorstep of the peak. ''Here... goes...''. Sinking the non-diluted heat potion Oz''s insides lit up like an inferno. The unbearable cold combatted this inferno within Oz in a constant stalemate battle as Oz continued onwards. With the cold sorted Oz''s only issue now was the pressure which seemed to be increasing with each step. ''Almost... there...''. Each step felt like miles of walking at this point. It''d take tens of minutes just to take one step this close to the peak. At this point though Oz couldn''t turn around and bail, the only way to survive was the press on. Even as his bones felt like they were going to shatter, his muscles feeling like they were tearing, Oz kept himself moving. Finally after all this hard work, Oz reached the peak. ''I... did... it...''. Oz''s exhaustion was to the max as he kept stepping forward. After finally arriving on the peak he step forward a couple more steps before finding the surroundings changing all of a sudden. ''A... Ward...?''. Immediately the originally empty peak was suddenly filled with dragons all surrounding Oz from different angles. As the dragons appeared the pressure on Oz increased tenfold again forcing him to his knees. Gritting his teeth Oz pushed himself off the ground and lifted himself to his feet. He stared at the dragons surrounding him, his blood starting to boil. {I''m here... to see... Arauthator...}. The elder dragons surrounding Oz stared at him for a while longer, judging him intently before flying away from the peak leaving Oz alone. As they departed the pressure on the peak lifted and Oz''s stance became more solidified. That luxury however was short lived as Oz looked up to the skies above him. A Snow white dragon, larger than any he had ever seen before descended onto the peak in front of him. As it landed it made the whole mountain peak shake. It''s eyes remained closed as it did all this and just as it settle they shot open revealing to eyes that looked like ice blue gems. As the dragons gaze looked at Oz, Oz felt his legs give out completely as he collapsed to the floor. The pressure given off by this one dragon was enough to rival all the elders beforehand x10. ''Thats... definitely... Arauthator...''. As Oz picked himself up once more with increasing difficulty he felt his whole mind roll at the concept that is ''Arauthator''. This dragon in front of him was no breed that could be found in any book in the wizarding world. This dragon to Oz seemed to be a Myth, a beast that shouldn''t be real yet was still here in front of him. Pushing these thoughts to the side Oz manages to finally get himself back onto his knees from laying flat on the ground and pushes himself up using all the strength he has back to his feet. As his footing stabilises he stared into the Ancient Dragons ice blue eyes. His blood within himself responds to the behemoth in front of him, burning so much it almost compares to the un-diluted heat potion. {A... Pleasure... I''m Oz...}. Arauthator looked down at Oz showing a rare grin as he saw Oz introduce himself. As the grin flashed, the pressure and cold in the area seemed to subside drastically allowing Oz a respite from the conditions he''d lived with for a week now. Oz felt his thoughts speed up again and whilst his breath was thin due to the altitude he felt as though he could speak now without pause. {Oz hmm? You''ve done well in reaching this place... especially at your level}. {A... Hebridean Black Dragon... Interesting}. Oz eyes grew shocked as he noted the intelligence of the dragon in front of him. Without transforming or using a Patronus Arauthator was able to tell what dragon form and blood Oz had within him. Oz already looked at the dragon in front of him with respect but now that respect heightened to an even higher level. Arauthator continued to look at Oz as Oz''s opinion on the ancient dragon grew. As the dragon stared at Oz for a long time a deep booming sigh escaped his mouth. {Disappointing to be sure...}. Oz tilted his head as he heard the dragon call him disappointing. {Disappointing? Why am I disappointing?}. Arauthator looked down at Oz with disappointment in his eyes. He sighed once more as he began to explain his observation. {You... Your dragon blood... You aren''t able to control it are you? I can say that it activates only in a dire time of need or when you''re in the presence of a dragon... If your control over your blood was better then this ''perilous'' trek you''ve embarked on would have been much easier...}. As Oz heard Arauthators observation on him he felt shocked once more. The dragon had picked apart the dilemma plaguing Oz ever since he first learnt about his blood''s capabilities. {You''re correct... Is there any advice you can give me in regards to this problem?}. Arauthator looked deeply at Oz. Oz himself couldn''t tell what the dragon was thinking at this point in time however it seemed from what Oz could tell that he was debating the situation deeply. As if he was wondering what to say to the young wizard in front of him. {I guess you can take this information as a reward for reaching the summit... You''re dragons blood is a unique and powerful ?sset. Yet looking at how you wield it and use it only makes me disappointed in the fact you have it in the first place...} {I imagine you probably thought that more magic power, a higher ''step'' for you humans, would allow you to harness it better yet you couldn''t be more off the mark...}. {A dragon''s blood within a human only responds to the wielder when three ''requirements'' are met. The wielder must have enough strength to withstand the blood, enough will to control it and finally the right mindset to use it...}. {You boy have two of those requirements already... the only thing I don''t see from you is the right mindset}. Oz listened to Arauthator confused at what the ancient dragon could mean. The right mindset? how would that effect his control over his blood... {The right mindset relates to a goal the wielder has... this goal has to be something the wielder seeks out for long-term, maybe even until their life comes to an end. Looking at you boy your goals are all short-term from what I can gather by your disposition. ''Talk to this dragon'', ''Beat this person'', ''Get in this place''. Such goals only allow you to harness dragons blood for a moment and not permanently...}. As Oz listened more to Arauthator he felt his mind sizzle. All this time he had thought that to control his blood he needed more strength yet it turns out long ago he had the strength to wield his blood already. Looking back Oz had used dragon spells before and his blood activated in times of need so thinking more strength would help was a silly notion altogether. Taking the knowledge Arauthator bestowed upon him though, Oz started to piece together how right Arauthator was. His mindset was truly the issue here. Ever since he came to this world his goal always changed, never staying the same and never being ''long term''. He simply worked ahead with the schedule laid before him. {If you stay this course you will stay stagnant in this era, forever condemning yourself to a lowly level. Considering the blood in you and where it came from that would be an egregious misuse of such a power if you deigned yourself to remain at the level of common magical folk...} {My final piece of advice I''ll give to you... If you continuously chase the shadow of a man ahead of you, you will forever remain in it...}. Arauthator''s wings stretched out as he looked down at Oz with a curious yet intense glare. With a slight smirk on his face he left departing words for Oz. {For now you should dwell on everything I''ve said...}. Before Oz even had a chance to reply to Arauthator the dragon departed from the peak Oz was on to another peak in the distance. The biting cold returned yet the pressure seemed to be completely gone as no dragons were present looking down unto him. With all the information Oz had just received from Arauthator, it was taking time for it all to sink in. ''The right mindset... what is the right mindset?''. Oz walked forward further into the peak of the mountain and found himself a spot where he could look out at the view below. An ocean of clouds rolled out beneath him into the far horizon. The air was cold yet somehow more bearable than before back when he was climbing. Looking out at the view his mind rolled with thoughts about Arauthator''s words As Oz took in the sight he focused on the main question at hand right now. A question that he avoided in his life so far in this world up to this moment. ''What is my goal here... What actually is my endgame....''. Chapter 117 - [Romania] - Enlightenment towards blood Oz spent hours looking out at the sea of clouds dwelling on the words Arauthator bestowed to him. Usually he''d brush off such things and continue on his way however the old dragons words seemed to hit him right in the core of his being, picking apart the very essence that was ''Oz'' at this point. Since Oz reincarnated into this world, he strived forward in search of knowledge and in search of strength. Along the way he met the faces of people he only knew from screens or books and from there he met new faces that never made any appearances in the canon as he knew it. Alfreda, Craig, Rose, Arauthator, these characters existed yet they didn''t exist within the confines of a book or behind a screen. To Oz they were real people, true beings. Looking out at towards the horizon Oz started to realise that his mindset he claimed to be broad was anything but. This was a whole world with different people, not a canon story with only one instance happening at a time. ''Staying in the shadow of the one you''re chasing... Of course I was aware of what I was doing...''. Arauthator left Oz with closing words that gnawed at his brain also. Oz''s path so far in this world was mostly following Merlin''s legacy. He became known as the descendant of Merlin and is heralded throughout the world as such. Yet, is such a set up truly what Oz wants? Forever staying in the shadow of his ancestor? Of course he didn''t, he never intended to. Yet, whilst developing in this world Merlin was the only character he could latch onto as a means to grow his knowledge of magic. Merlin after all was a person who probably reached the peak of magic so any knowledge from him was beneficial in the long run. However as Oz became more caught up in chasing anything related to Merlin he started to lose sight of himself as a person. ''That damn old dragon was right on the money...''. If Oz kept his mindset the same he would forever be in the shadow of Merlin. His blood would never respond to such a weak mindset that put him below others. Dragon''s blood at its essence was a force that wanted to stand above all else. Oz imagined the blood within him was probably fed up with him after all these years considering he always deemed Merlin in his mind as ''a higher power to reach'' instead of ''a higher power to surpass''. Even as Oz became aware of all this though a simple realization was not enough for his blood to start obeying his commands. As Arauthator said a ''goal'' was needed for the blood to respond. With that his will, strength and mindset would form into one allowing his control over his blood to grow exponentially and his blood that ran wild randomly would finally be subdued. With these thoughts in mind it all landed back to the question at hand. What was Oz''s goal in this world? In this life? [A Distant Mountain Peak] On another mountain peak, miles away from Oz, Arauthator and some elder dragons were present looking towards the mountain peak Oz was currently sat atop. {Lord Arauthator... You know full well that at that wizards age a ''mindset'' and ''goal'' in life is hard to grasp. He''s only 14 years old in human years....} Arauthator remained silent as he look towards the mountain peak Oz was on. His eyes held a glint of curiosity and expectance. Some time after the elder dragons argument, Arauthator finally started to speak slowly. {What you are saying is true and I''m well aware of the implications... Even magic in this world could never solve the question of ''life''. Telling this boy that a ''goal'' in life is required for the blood to respond is certainly going to become a wall for him in the future... Even ''he'' took many years to develop the right mindset after he learned that it was required to wield the blood within him and that only really came about due to his obsession with growing stronger becoming a deep-seated goal in his psyche...}. {Despite this though... I believe the boy has the potential to grasp this final key, even if it takes him just as long...}. . More hours passed by as Oz looked back on his life to this point searching for an answer to his questions so far. Where he wanted to go what he wanted to do. Trying to boil down his experiences into one anecdote was proving difficult and every ''goal'' he thought up seemed to just fall through as the ''goal'' he wanted to strive for in this life until his death. Did he want to just kill Voldemort? No, that was not even his business. He saw the no-nosed idiot as a stepping stone rather than a true threat. Did he want to grow stronger and gain more knowledge? Of course yet these goals are just a means to an end. They don''t necessitate a true ''goal'' in Oz''s mind. He kept seeing different images of experiences flash in his mind, the main one being the vision he saw in the mirror of erised. If that mirror showed his deepest d?s?r? then Oz had to wonder what the version of him in that mirror had as a goal. Considering the dragons present in the vision seemed to bow down before him, what goal did that version of him have in mind that allowed him to control his blood and maybe even in turn control those dragons. Frustration bubbled up in Oz''s mind as he realised this task was not something he could solve quickly. Soon, night fell on the mountain peak and Oz''s seventh day on this mountain was coming to a close. Looking up a the night sky, the stars plastered throughout space like shining spots he felt melancholic and even nostalgic... ''That''s right... Back when I was in the orphanage in my previous life after losing my family, I spent a lot of my nights looking up to a sky like this...''. For the first time in a while Oz thought back to his previous life, a life where he was named Blake Osborne. He casted that life away as he reincarnated deeming it a ''failed attempt at living''. Yet whilst he sat on this mountain peak he found himself remembering his previous life fondly, the faces of his family that passed blurry in his mind even with his now ''Perfect Memory''. Since he hardly knew his family even in his previous life and was young when they passed, even his perfect memory didn''t allow him a chance to remember their faces at all... The question then changed for Oz. What did Blake want? Back in the void when he reincarnated what was his heart telling him to do, to be? ''That''s right... When I reincarnated with a heart filled with regret I wanted a life of no regrets, a life that was worth living''. Oz stood up with a smile as a goal started to solidify in his heart. Sensing the change in Oz''s psyche the blood within Oz started to boil as if responding to his newfound will. Looking out at the view and the night sky above him a goal formed in Oz''s mind. ''A life worth living... A life that has no regrets... That''s my goal isn''t it? It always has been yet I never thought about it until now. Growing stronger, Gaining knowledge, Meeting people, all of these things weren''t true goals to me as they were simply subsidiary compared to the true goal I''ve had since the beginning... The goal of living a life worth living, a life with no regrets''. It was such a simple goal, a goal that anyone could have in life. It wasn''t necessarily a righteous goal yet it also wasn''t a wicked one. It was a simple goal a human who had lived one life of regret felt resonate within him. The blood started to reach the peak of its excitement however just as it was about to Oz closed his eyes. For the first time ever, Oz controlled his blood calming it down with ease, calming it down from a boiling inferno into a calm lake. Oz then activated it again causing the calmness to subside and an inferno to erupt yet again. His eyes gleamed in response to him activating his blood wilfully for the first time. The riddle of his blood was finally solved... . [A Distant Mountain Peak] {M-My Lord! The boy actually comprehended it!}. All the elder dragons looking over to Oz stared in awe and extreme shock. The knowledge their lord bestowed to Oz was indeed helpful to Oz however they would have never dreamed of Oz comprehending the true meaning behind the words this quickly. As they looked at the young wizard they felt his blood awaken and just as the blood reached its peak it calmed down just to awaken again. They stared on in shock noting that the young wizard now had control over his dragon''s blood within him, a feat that was not to be undervalued by any means. Arauthator in the meanwhile stared at the mountain peak with the newly ''enlightened'' Oz on with increased praise along with shock in his mind. A feeling he had not felt in centuries. As he stared at the young boy, he spoke his thoughts aloud with an impressed tone laced in his words. {At the age he''s at as well... Managing to subdue his blood... He''s actually surpassed ''him''}. Chapter 118 - [Romania] - Descending the Mountain After solving the riddle of his own blood Oz felt a wave of relief akin to soaking in a hot bath wash over his body. Unlike gaining power or knowledge, there''s was no stark improvement to his looks or his aura, instead his attitude and overall demeanour seemed to have become even calmer than before, a lot more refined and focused on the tasks laid before him. A change in mindset to some may seem a minuscule change and to some it would indeed be so yet for Oz who has lived out two lives and has worked his way to this point after so many years this mental breakthrough gave him far more benefits than he would have ever expected, even besides the blood inside him now being under his control. To put it in a metaphorical sense Oz before his ''mental breakthrough'' Oz had a mind that resembled a ton of tangled ropes and wires forming a ball that was nigh impossible to unwind. All his goals, along with his two lives conflicted forming a mess in his ''mindset''. After reaching a sort of ''enlightenment'' atop this mountain though that ball of tangled ropes and wires seemed to unravel leaving him a much clearer headspace. Dawn began to break and in the distance Oz could see the sun rising on his 8th day on the mountain peak. Feeling the slight warmth of the sun mar through the extreme cold he withstood throughout the night, he felt a smile rise onto his face. At that same moment though he looked down the mountain and felt a long sigh escape his lips. ''Am I really gonna have to descend the whole way back down?''. Oz took a moment to think over his options here. Now with his blood under his control maybe transforming into his dragon form would be a feasible way of descending the mountain. At this point in time he''s conquered the pressure and cold at the peak so flying from the peak down doesn''t seem too far fetched. ''Well that seems like the best option, lets give it a-''. Just as Oz was about to transform into his dragon form he sensed the presence of a dragon coming towards him from another mountain peak. As his head turned around he noticed that the dragon coming towards his was Arauthator. Arauthator landed on the mountain peak Oz was on and looked down at him with an impressed look in his eyes. {For my simple advice to have helped you this much... It seems your mind was far more tangled than I originally surmised. The look in your eyes has even changed slightly...}. Oz smiled as he looked up to the ancient dragon. To Oz, anyone who helped him with no ulterior motives was deemed a benefactor in his mind much like Xenophilius and Pandora back when he first entered this world. Arauthator was another such benefactor who has helped him improve himself immensely by not just to climb itself but the information given to him. Unlike prior to Oz''s mental breakthrough, Oz''s blood at this point in front of Arauthator still remained as still as a calm lake. Unlike before where it acted on impulse in front of a dragon, Oz had a level of control over it now where he had to enact the activation himself. With Arauthator looking down at him, Oz activated his bloodline and stared back at the ancient dragon with gratitude in his eyes. {I wouldn''t have realised all of this if it wasn''t for you, Arauthator... I am in your debt}. {Hahahaha, In my debt? The mountain trail to the peak is a trial I set up for those worthy, the information handed to you was simply a reward for your hard work. You need not feel indebted...}. Understanding Arauthator wanted this exchange to end here, Oz simply nodded accepting the dragons praise. Whilst stood on the peak with Arauthator though Oz felt a burning question gnawing away at him. {Arauthator, what exactly were you disappointed in me about? Was it purely because of my weak hold over my own blood?}. Arauthator sighed as he looked down at Oz. His eyes seem to hold a layer of nostalgia within them as he began to explain. {Your control over your blood was definitely the main reason... Judging by how it seemed to only activate in a dire situation I realised that you had no clue where you were heading in terms of controlling your own blood. As the descendant of ''him'' I figured that you would have some sort of knowledge about your own bloodline so seeing you struggle made me believe you were unworthy of the blood within you...}. {Despite this I then find out that all you needed was a simple push in the right direction to solve that riddle, suffice to say I was surprised to see how little advice was needed for you to undergo such a change... You could say I profiled you too hastily considering I was comparing you to that monster of a man}. Oz chuckled as he listened to Arauthators reasoning. {That ancestor of mine... He''s someone whose left me next to nothing in terms of ''knowledge''. Besides a vault and a hideout he left nothing in terms of how to control the blood within me. Heck, I didn''t even know about this bloodline until I underwent a Animagus ritual that awakened it...}. {My only guess is that he wanted his descendants to seek the answers themselves instead of getting an easy pass... The more I''m aware of that mans character the more of a pain in the ?ss he seems}. {That Merlin is indeed a character set in his ways! Back when he first visited me he stormed up the mountain as fast as he could, ignoring the elements and coming straight to the peak in order to seek information and ''knowledge''...}. Oz felt his eyebrow wrinkle as he heard Merlin''s feat centuries ago storming up the mountain. For him to climb this mountain so rapidly... How far behind was Oz in comparison to that ancestor of his? Arauthator noticed the wrinkle in Oz''s eyebrow and sighed. {Your ancestor was truly a genius thats for sure... However, let me tell you one thing. When he climbed this mountain he was at least 30 years old. His appearance was that of a 20 year old however due to how dragons blood causes humans to live a longer life... He was at least a whole step ahead of you in terms of power as well...}. {He may seem an unsurmountable wall to you right now but trust me... He''s not unbeatable. Judging from the look in your eyes now I can see your d?s?r? to not only reach him but surpass him..}. Hearing Arauthator explain Merlin''s age when he climbed the mountain Oz still felt slightly conflicted. To the outside looking in Oz had surpassed Merlin''s feat by at least 16 years in comparison, being able to climb this mountain not only at a step lower but also at such a young age. However if you combined Oz''s previous life and this one that would make him 34, falling behind Merlin by 4 years. ''When I became conscious of this world however I was 5 years old so technically im 1 year ahead of Merlin... There''s no use dwelling on that all now though. He''s not my main goal after all, he''s simply a means to use in order to reach my ultimate goal''. {One last question Arauthator, What did Merlin seek when he climbed to this peak?}. {The same as you to a degree... I''m unable to tell you how he received his ''dragons blood'' whether hereditary or if he implanted it within himself however from what I do know he was not fully capable of wielding it or at least had no knowledge of ''how''. Alongside this his power was a whole step above you at the time meaning that when he ''unleashed'' his blood it was that much more violent and powerful. Think about the times your blood decided to activate due to your emotions/needs, im sure you realised how powerful that feeling was and how sometimes your emotions can be out of whack focused solely on battle... his was at least tenfold as difficult to deal with}. ''Alfreda explained that Merlin raised dragons in the hideout many of times... could that be related to how he got his blood or even related to him trying to understand his own blood?''. Questions swam in Oz''s mind for a while before being blotted out. Whilst these questions were indeed interesting to mull over they weren''t important to Oz right now. What he needed right now was to descend the mountain and continue on his journey. He still had many places to visit before next year. {I see you want to descend back down the mountain and meet with your companions... Should I arrange a quick way for your descent?}. Oz looked at Arauthator in gratitude. {That would be of great help to me... could I also ask one last favour before I leave?}. {Oh? As long as the favour isn''t too great I can think about it...}. Oz at this point had made up a profile of this ancient dragon within his mind. He seemed increasingly prideful, especially about his own race. That was the main reason why he was so disappointed in Oz considering he wielded dragons blood within him and had no clue how to use it. To Arauthator that felt like an insult. If Oz were to ask Arauthator to ''help the people in the sanctuary'' Oz was sure to be blown off, maybe even completely off the mountain. Oz however didn''t want to ask that as he had no reason to. Instead... {I travelled here with two companions. An elf named Alfreda and a young dragon named Norberta. Norberta I plan on having stay here to mingle with her kind as she grows... If you could keep an eye on her from up here I''d feel much better about leaving her here}. Arauthator seemed to smile as he looked down the mountain towards the mountain range where the young dragons roamed. Oz thanked Arauthator again for the third time during this talk. Arauthator simply nodded as if it was natural to protect its own kind. At that point Arauthator let out a loud roar that echoed throughout the mountains. As the sound of the roar simmered away into the wind, Oz could hear a dragon flying towards their peak. The dragon was smaller than Arauthator in stature yet had the same, ancient look in its gaze. {You called my Lord?}. The dragon bowed to Arauthator showing slight fear and reverence in its gaze. Oz looked at this exchange in awe. {Oz here needs to be taken back down the mountain as soon as possible... I''ll entrust this task to you}. {N-No problem my Lord!}. Arauthator gave a slight nod as he turned to Oz with a look of expectance in his eyes. {Although I don''t know when we will meet again, I know it will happen eventually. I look forward to seeing how much you''ve grown when you make the climb again in the future...}. Oz nodded back to Arauthator, showing a confident smile. Arauthator then flew away from the peak Oz was on into the distance, leaving behind Oz and the elder dragon. Oz simply smiled as he looked up to the elder dragon that was to be his ride back down. Although he wouldn''t have minded transforming himself, at least this way he gets a peaceful ride down instead of an exhausting one. . "Alfreda, It''ll be at least 6 more days before Oz makes an appearance... There''s no need to keep your eyes glued onto the mountain". Charlie Weasley seemed to be tending to one of the younger dragons as he stared at Alfreda who was nearby. In the past few days he realised how dedicated this person was towards Oz, seemingly spending most of her time looking up the mountain towards the peak. Alfreda sighed deeply to herself as she walked over towards where Norberta was. At this point in time Norberta was with one other dragon that seemed about the same age as her. Alfreda didn''t know the name of this dragon yet could tell that it was Norberta''s first true friend here at the sanctuary. As Norberta caught Alfreda in her sight, she took herself over before her and seemed to whimper. "No sign of Oz?". Alfreda shook her head at Norberta''s questioning. Norberta at this point had learnt to speak somewhat fluent English after her lessons with Alfreda throughout the last year. At first she wanted to learn English as a way to surprise Oz however she felt herself more inclined to learn the language as she could converse easier with Alfreda compared to before where Alfreda had to infer the meaning in her words. "Master may still be 6 days yet... we have to be patient". "What is your friend heres name Norberta?". Norberta seemed to lack back down at Alfreda with slight embarrassment. "Oh this is Evy... she''s been a good friend to me for a while now". Alfreda looked at Evy with a smile to which Evy seemed to hold a slightly scornful gaze back. Alfreda chuckled as she expected this, considering that dragons were born prideful. As the situation began to calm down however, Alfreda and Evy both seemed to dart their heads towards the peak of the mountain. Alfreda looked on in confusion and when looking around the mountain range she noted that all the dragons present seemed to be doing the same, looking towards the peak with slight trepidation and fear in their gazes. As Alfreda''s confusion seemed to rise Charlie who was tending to one of the younger dragons ran over. "Alfreda! It''s bad! Mihai''s informed me that they spotted an elder dragon descending from the peak". "An elder dragon?!". Considering that Oz had been gone for over a week now and suddenly an elder dragon was appearing, Alfreda felt nervous considering the circumstances. She extended her senses out towards the dragon that seemed to be descending quickly towards the sanctuary. "It''ll be here in 5 minutes... Norberta, can you help us in persuading it if things do go south?". Norberta nodded towards Alfreda and followed behind her. The two headed towards where Charlie ran off to. As they arrived at the ''village'' side of the sanctuary they saw a big crowd gathered with Mihai the Romanian wizard stood at the forefront with Charlie. Both seemed to be trying to calm everyone. Alfreda looked on with a sigh as the situation seemed to be becoming out of control. "It''s only natural they react like this... last time an elder came down it killed their leader and massacred many others". All of the Romanian witches and wizards looked towards the peak in fear and panic. Charlie and Mihai tried all they could in order to calm them however nothing they could say was able to soothe their fear. Soon, the dragon descended onto them. *BANG* The dragons feet slammed into the ground and looked down upon the inhabitants of the sanctuary. Looking over towards Norberta and Alfreda its gaze seemed to linger for a bit before looking at Charlie and Mihai. Charlie swallowed deeply as he took up the courage to step forward. "How may we-". As Charlie began to speak his attention was suddenly torn away from speaking to slight movement on the dragons back. Jumping down to the elder dragons side was a tattered boy, covered in frost and bloodstains. The boy seemingly ignored them all as he looked up to the elder dragon, speaking softly to it. The elder dragon nodded at the boy and immediately soared off back into the skies, leaving a dumbfounded crowd in its wake. The crowd then shifted their attention onto the boy who had just leaped off a dragon. Alfreda and Norberta looked at the boy with happiness filling their eyes. The boy was naturally Oz. Chapter 119 - [Romania] - It doesnt feel half bad... Alfreda and Norberta ran ahead of the crowd and collided with Oz much to the latter''s surprise. Oz would expect this sort of behaviour from Norberta but for Alfreda to also be like this... ''I guess she must have really been worried...''. Looking back on it, it might have been cruel of Oz to leave her with no form on communication to contact him. Back when he was in Hogwarts or any time in between Alfreda could always ''reach'' Oz if she wanted. This was the first time where she couldn''t unless she tried to climb the mountain in her own. If Oz took anymore days in getting down she probably would have done just that. She was probably worried that Oz might disappear suddenly, like Merlin once did, leaving her alone again. Seeing the two hug him Oz felt stifled on what to do considering affection such as this wasn''t something he was used to dealing with. Although after his awakening on the mountain top he felt a slight change towards this sort of situation. ''It doesn''t feel half bad...''. Oz would use people who were useful to him and destroy those who weren''t. However even he had to admit at this point that Alfreda and Norberta were becoming higher in his heart than just ''People he could use''. Alfreda''s undying loyalty and the fact Oz raised Norberta since young probably played into that factor. Patting both Norberta and Alfreda on the head, he ushered them to calm down to which Norberta backed off slowly and Alfreda quickly. Alfreda seemed to have a slight blush on her face considering that she acted like that on impulse, almost a contrast to her usual aloof and almost ''motherly'' way. As the two backed away from Oz the Romanian witches and wizards of the sanctuary came forward with Mihai and Charlie in the forefront. Mihai looked at Oz in shock considering the situation that had just arose. "L-ai cunoscut pe Arauthator?!" (Did you meet Arauthator?!) Looking at the enthusiastic burly Romanian wizard Oz couldn''t help but smirk. Charlie seemed to turn quickly to Mihai calming him down from further question stating that Oz only understood English so he should ask the questions. "He was asking you Oz if you met Arauthator... Did you?!". Charlie seemed equally enthusiastic about Oz''s climb up the mountain. Oz simply smiled as he began to explain to Charlie... Charlie''s eyes seemed to light up as he heard Oz''s description. "Biggest!? Even bigger than the elder that brought you down?! How big are we talking here-". Charlie seemed to rattle on much at Oz questioning every aspect of Oz''s journey. Meanwhile the Romanian witches and wizards of the sanctuary led by Mihai seemed to be calling out to Charlie asking for a translation however Charlie was too focused on questioning Oz to notice. "The pressure on the mountain was solely from the dragons atop?! Tens of elder dragons reside at the peak watching down?!". Charlie seemed to be getting more and more excited as Oz answered his questions. The crowd behind Charlie also seemed to be getting more and more agitated wanting to know what Oz was saying. Oz usually wouldn''t give Charlie the time of day however seeing how much he helped him when he arrived, he decided to give him the information he was so desperate for. As he went to continue answering questions however, Alfreda seemed to glare at everyone present freezing them in their spots. As she spoke, it was almost as if the ice on the peak of the mountain was laced in her tone... "Charlie... My master has just returned from a perilous trek up the mountain yet you are all keeping him here questioning him. Take a closer look at his appearance and ask whether or not you should wait on the questioning". Hearing Alfreda''s cutting words Charlie stepped back and looked at Oz''s appearance, as did the Mihai and the Romanian witches and wizards. They stared at the 14 year old boy before them in shock as they noticed how tattered he was. Dried blood and frost seemed to cover nearly every part of his body. His back seemed to have been lacerated by something and his gloves had holes on them showing the bandaged bloodied fingers underneath. Charlie and Mihai both scratched their heads in embarrassment noting that they let their excitement get the better of them, completely overlooking Oz''s condition. Alfreda walked forward towards Oz and grabbed his arm bringing him into the sanctuary''s village, splitting off from the group that had gathered around Oz. Norberta followed closely behind as they left acting almost as a bodyguard to them. As Oz went to question Alfreda he noticed that she wouldn''t budge on this moment. Oz sighed deeply as he understood that refusing help at this point would just make the situation more bothersome. His fatigued that had piled up after the trek was seemingly catching up on him too after reaching safe territory. Alfreda led Oz into one of the houses in the village that was given to her to stay in whilst Oz was on his climb. As they entered Norberta waited outside like a bouncer at a nightclub, making sure nobody would disturb her ''Papa''s'' healing... . "Honestly master look at the condition your in! What on earth happened on that mountain climb for you to be this injured all round?!". Currently Alfreda was applying healing spells as well as herbs/ointment to Oz''s wounds in order to heal him as fast as possible. Most of the minor wounds seemed to close up quickly after healing them with spells however the lacerations on Oz''s back and the ripped fingernails seemed to need more time healing, using additives like herbs and ointments to speed the process. "I''ll tell you the full story soon don''t worry... Let''s just say it was worth while". As Alfreda looked into her master''s eyes she noticed that his expression and demeanour seemed to have changed slightly. It was a change that only someone like her might notice considering she spent most of her time with Oz. To others it would look like he was the same young wizard yet to her it seemed as though his expression had m?tur?d and his eyes were clearer than before. She simply sighed as she heard Oz state that it was ''worth while'' in the end. "Well... you''ll be pleased to know that Norberta made a friend in the sanctuary. Along with that she''s settled down quite well with the other dragons. Leaving her here to grow should be fine in the long-term...". Oz nodded as he listened to Alfreda''s report. He had also told Arauthator to keep an eye on Norberta so he was completely content with leaving her here. What he wasn''t looking forward to though was splitting off from her for so long. It was rare for someone like him to feel attachment to anything. Oz even deemed such feelings as weaknesses that could be used against him. However considering how Norberta hatched in front of him and grew in his care, he couldn''t help but feel a kinship to the dragon. ''That avalanche even managed to tear through the clothing Alfreda prepared and I put defensive charms on... Mother nature is something not to be underestimated...''. Oz took off his tattered clothes Alfreda had made him and chucked on a spare set of clothes he had bought just in case. Alfreda snatched the tattered set off of Oz and promised him to have them fixed in a few hours. "Alfreda, you can slow down a bit... After all don''t you want to hear about everything I experienced?". Alfreda bit her lip as she realised she was being to hasty. Considering she was split from Oz with no notice of when he would return for so long she was feeling desperate to ''serve'' him. Looking at her Oz felt pity considering that Merlin had left this elf with such bad separation anxiety. Alfreda put Oz''s clothes away and followed behind him as he left the building they were in... . {Oz!}. Norberta who had been outside the entire time collided with Oz again after seeing him fully healed. Oz smiled and patted her head as he thanked her for standing guard. {So Oz... Can you please tell us what happened on the mountain!? I''ve been dying to know!}. Seeing Norberta''s enthusiasm Oz felt a sigh escape his lips. He calmed the dragon down before explaining. Norberta looked down as she felt cheated by Oz at this moment. Almost as if she wanted to story to be inclusive to the three of them present. Alfreda on the other hand seemed to focus on something else. "Master... You didn''t speak in dragon-tongue just then!". Norberta seemed to shoot her head up realising that what Alfreda had just said was completely correct. Oz would usually involuntarily speak dragon-tongue in front of her whenever she spoke to him or vice-versa. However this time Oz seemed to speak English completely fine even whilst directly speaking with her. Oz smiled at the two of them with a warm grin. "That''s something I''ll have to explain to you two privately later... for now let''s go convene the rest of the sanctuary". Oz walked on ahead followed by both Alfreda and Norberta. As he reached the cornucopia of the sanctuary, he noticed that the crowd gathered was still yet to disperse, seemingly waiting for him to come back to them. Charlie was the first to notice Oz running over to him. "Oz! It''s good to see you fully healed...". "Thanks to Alfreda here I''m practically fully back on my feet now... Anyway Charlie, gather everyone around. I''ll tell you exactly what happened on the mountain. Think of it as repayment for helping me whilst I''ve been at the sanctuary". Charlie''s eyes lit up as he ran over to everyone else translating Oz''s intentions to them. Their expressions all seemed to glow up as they realised Oz was willing to talk about his experiences. As they gathered in the cornucopia of the village in the sanctuary, Oz stood in the middle of them with Alfreda at his side and Norberta behind him. Charlie stood next to him also, there to interpret and translate everything he was going to say. Eventually Oz explained how he reached the mountain peak and was surrounded by elder dragons. The he finally arrived at the main topic, talking to Arauthator. "Arauthator is a ancient dragon far bigger than any I''ve ever witnessed... The elder dragon you saw descend bringing me down was not even 1/10th of Arauthators size. All those years back when Harvey Ridgebit decided to stage the capture of that young dragon, I honestly think you were all incredibly lucky. If Arauthator descended this place would have been completely destroyed..." Oz heard Charlie and Mihai gulp as he explained the full potential of the ''leader on the peak''. The rest of the Romanian witches and wizards also seemed to show expressions of fear as Oz explained the sheer danger that was the ancient dragon on the peak. Oz then went on to explain how Arauthator gave him some information to help him, not fully explaining what that information was and then finally gave him help in descending the mountain via deigning the task to one of the elders leading him to this point. As the story came to a close all the Romanian witches and wizards, including Mihai and Charlie stared at the young boy in awe. At this point in time they didn''t see Oz as the descendant of Merlin but they saw him as his own monster. No hereditary talent could improve how someone climbs a mountain and uses their will and wit to climb to the peak. This was all things Oz had achieved with his own talent. "Charlie, would you mind interpreting something for me to Mihai?". Charlie who was snapped out of his stupor after Oz''s long story looked curiously at Oz''s request. "O-Oh, sure...". "Whilst I was climbing the mountain I found the remains of one of the expedition teams midway up the mountain... I brought back everything I could so that the remains could be properly sent off". Charlie''s eyes widened hearing Oz''s kindness in the situation he explained. As far as he was aware Oz was mostly aloof to most things, especially when it came to what he heard from the order. Charlie turned to Mihai and the rest of the Romanians explaining what Oz had just told him. Mihai seemed increasingly emotional as he heard that one of the many they lost to the mountains elements had been found. They had long held funerals for the passed however having the remains brought back as proof was something that would help them move on and confirm that what''s done is done. Oz walked before Mihai and took out the remains he had stored in his pouch. A cracked skull along with other bones. Mihai looked down at the remains with tears welling in his eyes. He seemed to be incredibly touched by the kindness Oz was showing by bringing the remains back. "Charlie, tell him it was only a matter of course...". Charlie sighed noting that Oz wanted to keep this matter as a simple exchange rather than something greater. He explained to Mihai that Oz only deemed it thus and Mihai along with the rest of the Romanian witches and wizards seemed to calm down. Despite this though, they still stood in front of Oz all thanking him for his generosity. As Oz received their thanks he heard Alfreda whisper in his ear from behind him. "Master... It''s unlike you to do such a thing isn''t it?". Oz shook his head hearing Alfreda''s opinion on him. He may be cold to a lot of people however he respected the dead when the dead died trying to reach something greater than themselves. As someone who had died tragically once, he almost felt a sort of affinity and pity towards the early deceased. "The expedition team traversed such a perilous mountain without the help of any bloodline or maybe even any other means of keeping themselves warm and going. You could call it dumb courage or blind bravery however it''s still worthy of my respect... considering how far up those remains were it was clear that they were determined to meet the the dragons on the peak much like I did... And I respect that determination". Alfreda looked at her master with a new opinion forming of him. At this moment she realised that her master was still a box that hadn''t shown all its contents. His emotions and his feelings towards certain scenarios were still there to be unearthed.... Chapter 120 - [Romania] - Deterrent It took a while for the crowd to calm down after Oz''s story, especially considering how he brought the remains of one of their past expedition members back to them. They continued to question him via Charlie to which Oz replied in kind, The only information Oz withheld was the talk between him and Arauthator as well as what Arauthator ''bestowed'' upon him. "Oz, did you not ask Arauthator for anything at all?". Charlie seemed befuddled by Oz''s story as it seemed to showcase at the end that Oz received nothing in his climb, just ''information'' as Oz dubbed it. "We''re talking about an ancient dragon here Charlie... The fact I was even able to see Arauthator is great in and of itself. He would never deign himself to reward me with items or a prize after reaching the peak. He praised my effort, gave me advice to improve myself and moved on...". "Well actually I guess I did ask him for one favour which he obliged...". Everyone''s eyes seemed to lock onto Oz as he mentioned this part of his meeting with Arauthator. "Oh? What did you ask of him?". Oz smiled as he looked over to Norberta. "I simply told him to keep a special eye out for Norberta whilst I wasn''t here... Not that I don''t trust you all but having an ancient dragon looking after someone I deem important gives me much more ease considering I''m planning on leaving her here to grow with her own kind". Charlie translated everything Oz said to the Romanians behind him who were eager to know what Oz was talking about. After they heard what Oz had asked of Arauthator, they seemed to look at Norberta who was behind Oz with increased caution. Oz could tell that in their minds right now they were thinking they must absolutely not let this dragon get into any danger. "Anyway... I believe that explains the majority of my little trip. Thank you all for the hospitality thus far. If you don''t mind however, I''d like a couple days to recover before we head off...". Norberta''s ears propped up as she heard Oz and Alfreda weren''t going to head off immediately. Her expression that was serious changed to elation as she stood behind Oz. "You''re more than welcome to stay here longer Oz... I''m sure even without asking Mihai behind me wouldn''t mind". . "Now, let''s have a little team meeting". Currently Oz was within the lodgings the sanctuary had given to him. Opposite him was both Alfreda and Norberta who had squeezed her way into the house as well. Oz walked passed both of them closing the door and started to lay wards and charms so as to deny any prying ears from hearing the contents of what he was about to say. After he was done completely locking the place down, he turned to Alfreda and Norberta. "Just before we left you noticed that I can now control my usage of dragon-tongue...". "On the mountain top Arauthator gave me information in regards to my uncontrollable blood... I obviously couldn''t explain this to those sanctuary villagers, especially Charlie considering his connections so I withheld the information". Alfreda and Norberta''s eyes widened hearing the true treasure Oz had gained from his trek. They both knew how stressed Oz was over his blood activating at random times with him not being able to control it. Now he could, they could already see that his expression had eased majorly compared to prior his trip. "Master, does that mean you can use dragon-tongued spells?". Hearing Alfreda''s question Oz grew silent. He shook his head as he started to explain what he had ''gathered'' after unravelling his blood. With Oz''s wand Oz knew he would probably be able to cast at least one dragon-tongue spell, similar to the ones he casted back in Hogwarts. Back then however his emotions were completely out of control meaning he had no gauge on how much magic he was using. Now that he had control over this blood of his he knew how dangerous those moments truly were for him. In his excitement and as his battle spirit reached a peak he would neglect to look at how much magic he was using casting those spells willy-nilly. He was extremely lucky back then that he didn''t ever disable himself. "Regardless of whether or not I can use such spells, its a good step forward. I imagine that my magic reserves need to be much larger in order to be able to cast spells like that frequently... I''d probably need to be at that old goats level, or maybe even beyond that...". The room grew silent as Oz fell into contemplation. Alfreda and Norberta watched him closely as he sighed to himself. "There''s no use worrying about it all now though... It''ll eventually come, there''s no doubt about that. Anyway, let''s enjoy a couple days of break before we leave Alfreda". Alfreda nodded towards Oz as he spoke, Oz then turned his eyes to Norberta showing her a warm grin. "I heard you met a friend here in the sanctuary... Could I meet them?". Norberta perked up as she heard Oz wanted to meet her friend. She nodded happily as she zoomed out the door, not even letting Oz or Alfreda get a word in before she headed out. Alfreda looked at Oz with a sly grin. "Master... You spoil that dragon you know?". Oz flinched slightly as he heard Alfreda''s comment that hit him right in the core. Scratching his cheek sheepishly Oz thought out loud. Looking out the door that Norberta squeezed through Oz''s warm smile changed to a cold smirk. Stepping out the door he looked up through the sanctuary with a knowing smile. ''I wonder if he''s relayed anything yet...''. . [Charlie''s Lodging in the Sanctuary] After hearing Oz''s story directly from him, Charlie spent little time with Mihai and the rest of the Romanian witches and wizards. Slipping out from the crowd as soon as there was a moment he could, He headed from there directly back to his lodging. Entering through the door he took his coat off and turned to the door he had just entered. Pressing his wand against the door he charmed it, disabling anyone from listening in or entering. Walking through the house he arrived in his room and looked towards a box on the floor. He crouched down and opened the box revealing a Mirror. He took the mirror from the box and headed towards his dining area, putting the mirror onto the table in front of him, propped against some books. He once again took out his wand and uttered an incantation. The mirror seemed to glow slightly as activated it. After it was activated Charlie headed into his kitchen to grab something to eat. As he grabbed onto his drink he noticed his hands were shaking slightly. Sighing deeply Charlie brought himself back into the dining room and sat in front of the mirror. 20 more minutes passed by before finally an image started to be picked up in the mirror. The image he could see included a bunch of familiar faces. All of those from the Order were present. "Charlie my son! How is it at that sanctuary right now? Everything going well?". "The sanctuary''s doing well! Mihai''s still as high-strung as ever but working here has still been beneficial to me-". "Can we skip the catch-up for later and get to the matter at hand!?". Moody who was present seemed to snap as he saw the Weasley family communicate with each other. Even for Moody being this high-strung was rare so it showed that he deemed the matter at hand of utmost importance. Molly and Arthur looked upset as they stopped talking, The room the order was in grew silent as they looked at the mirror in front of them with Charlie''s face in it. Dumbledore leant forward on the table looking deep into the mirror. A warm grandfatherly smile on his face. "It''s good to see you doing well Charlie, don''t mind Alastor he''s been increasingly high-strung recently due to this horcrux hunt we''ve been on amongst other things...". "I understand Dumbledore". Dumbledore smiled as he sat back in his chair. He looked around the room at all the members present, a full house. "So Charlie... Did Oz appear at the sanctuary?". Everyone''s ears in the order perked up hearing Dumbledore''s question to Charlie. Tonks especially seemed interested as she leant forward in her chair hearing ''Oz''s'' name being mentioned. "Oz arrived just over a week ago now... He was with a girl named Alfreda as well as the dragon Norberta. As soon as he arrived though, he decided to make the climb up the mountain...". Everyone on the order''s table stared at Charlie in shock. "He actually tried to climb up those deadly mountains!? Does that boy have a death wish!?". Moody seemed increasingly surprised as he knew how dangerous those mountains were. He locked eyes with Dumbledore who showed a knowing look back. The order in the past, way back when the first wizarding war occurred once attempted to reach the elder dragons on the peak for ?ssistance. There was actually a sort of race between the Order and the Death Eaters at that time to be the first to get to the peak. Everyone they sent however either died or returned stating the climb was impossible. Considering how risky the climb was both sides stopped attempting from there on. The cold was of no issue to both sides who were proficient in spells and well prepared for the expedition, the pressure from the dragons on the peak was the true problem for them in the past. "Yes he did climb the mountains and even succeeded in reaching the peak... he actually told me the full story as thanks for giving him information when he arrived. I''ll tell you everything now...". Charlie then went ahead relaying the full story Oz had told him and the Romanian sanctuary workers to the order. From start to finish the Order''s eyes and ears were locked onto the ball in front of them, every one of the looking at it in shock. Even Dumbledore couldn''t hide his shock hearing Charlie weave the tale of Oz''s exploits. "After reaching the peak, Arauthator the Ancient commanded an elder dragon to fly him down, thats where the story comes to a close". The order all went silent. They knew of Oz''s intelligence and knew he was proficient in battle yet this story that Charlie told changed their opinion yet again on the boy. Some of them still had reservations of letting him roam free considering the information bank he was, desperately wanting to reel him to their side even if they had to prepare unscrupulous means. Hearing how perverse this young boy was though, considering the willpower needed to climb in such conditions, they all felt a level of respect and even fear towards the young boy who had climbed the perilous mountains. "He plans on leaving in a couple of days...". Charlie nodded at Dumbledore''s request as the mirror in front of them dimmed. Charlie''s face could not be seen anymore. "Climbing that mountain... reaching those dragons... receiving Arauthator''s praise... This further solidifies my opinion on Oz, We must never aggravate him". Compared to the last time Dumbledore gave this command, everyone this time agreed with stern nods. Tonk''s was the only one to let out a slight sigh considering how everyone saw Oz as a ''dangerous'' individual. To her he was interesting and especially after the story told... "He''s pretty badass if you think about it...". "Hmm? What was that Nymphadora?". Tonk''s blushed as she looked up at Moody. Her gaze morphing soon after from embarrassment to rage. "How many times do I have to tell you-!". Everyone on the table let out a hearty laugh seeing the two dispute. Dumbledore sighed to himself as he thanked the stars again he wasn''t too pushy back when Oz was back in school, else he could have invited a tragedy considering what the boy had achieved this time... . Oz had his suspicions about Charlie as soon as he arrived at the sanctuary. After all the man was an intermediary for the order off the bat. The second he arrived at the sanctuary he knew that Charlie would be relaying his movements to the order to some degree. Climbing the mountain and meeting Arauthator was of course Oz''s main goal after he learnt of the truth of the sanctuary. To him the order were just a side group who bothered him from time to time. However he still felt annoyed knowing they probably wanted to keep tabs on him even after his stance was presented back in Hogsmeade. So when Oz arrived back down from the mountain climb, he decided to tell Charlie along with everyone else the full story knowing full well it''d be relayed to the order. With his exploits known to the order, it would further sway them from ever interfering or bothering him. It was a deterrent so they knew that Oz was someone to steer clear of bothering anymore.... Chapter 121 - [Romania] - A Sad Farewell Before Oz knew it a couple days flew on by whilst he spent his time at the sanctuary. Compared to before the climb his sense of urgency to travel was somewhat lessened as his mindset had changed. Taking breaks like this was important from time to time. If he rushed to the next destination especially with the wounds he had made on his climb it would be unbeneficial towards him in the long run. During this time Oz met Norberta''s friend Evy. The meeting was one that made Oz chuckle as he first greeted the aloof dragon in English causing the dragon to look down on him sternly. Soon after though Oz activated his blood and spoke in dragon-tongue shocking the young female dragon completely. From then on Evy grew a level of interest and respect towards Oz as a human who could speak to their kind. Norberta didn''t forget to gloat about Oz in the wake of Evy''s surprise. Another event of note in the couple days Oz stayed at that sanctuary was the funeral held by the Romanian witches and wizards, sending off the remains Oz had brought back from the mountain. Oz watched on as they went about mourning their deceased. Charlie explained to him that Romanian custom usually dictates that they would have a wake that last two nights followed by a funeral service and the a burial ceremony. However in the past they had already sent off their deceased this way so they skipped the prior two events laying the bones in a casket. Just outside the sanctuary on a slightly frosted hill was where the bones of the expedition member was buried. Placed atop the casket that was to be lowered into the ground were flower crowns made by the Romanian witches and wizards present. Oz watched the proceedings continue, standing back with Charlie both of which felt out of place in the situation. "I think their method of burying the deceased is a bit more traditional than those in our day and age now... However witches and wizards are always known to be behind the times". Oz nodded at Charlies outspoken thoughts as they both watched the funeral continue. To the side of the burial was a table filled with food and wine. After a long service and slowly lowering the casket with the bones Oz had brought back, the witches and wizards present began to drink and eat merrily, celebrating the memory of the deceased that had passed. Even though they couldn''t identify the deceased, they still spoke praise of the expedition teams efforts paying as much homage as they could to the deceased they couldn''t identify. As Oz watched the funeral continue and finally come to a close he had to wonder what happened to his body in his past life. After he was killed he imagined there was some sort of funeral service. He then started to wonder who would have went. The others from the orphanage? The odd school friend that he had briefly? Even as these questions piled up Oz had no way of knowing the answers to them. He simply brushed them aside, focusing on the here and now. As the night arose after the funeral the Romanians in the sanctuary began to get rather merry. After the excitement of the past few days it seemed to Oz that they wanted to cut loose a bit. Oz watched the mayhem ensue for a while as they danced around the area enjoying themselves before taking himself back to his abode... . As Oz woke up on the third day, the day he was set to head off with Alfreda, he felt a slight weight pressed onto him. He understood that this feeling was probably a mixture of things relating to leaving Norberta behind. Getting out of bed he noticed that Alfreda had already woken up and headed out. Oz got himself dressed as he took himself out into the sanctuary, walking through the paths between houses. From inside the houses he walked by Oz could here the muffled groans of hungover Romanians. Oz felt a chuckle escape his lips as he remembered what had happened last night. Eventually, Oz ended up at the centre of the village in the sanctuary. The centre was eerily quite with only one person present. "Good Morning Oz... It''s like a ghost town this morning isn''t it?". Charlie walked over to Oz with a laugh escaping his lips as he too remembered the situation last night. "It does feel weird considering its usually so lively...". "So todays the day you''re heading off huh? It''s been interesting having you here this past week and a bit thats for sure...". "I was only technically ''here'' for like 3 days... The other 7/8 were spent on that damn mountain". "Hahaha, I guess you''re right!". Charlie and Oz continued to converse for a bit as the Romanian inhabitants started to exit their houses. The majority of their expressions showing exhaustion. The only person who seemed lively still was Mihai who looked the same as ever. "Honestly that Mihai, I saw him drink bottles upon bottles of wine last night and he''s completely fine this morning! Maybe he bought a hangover potion...". Charlie looked at Mihai befuddled by the mans apparent ''wellness''. Oz simply smiled as he turned back to Charlie. "I guess it''s time for me to find Alfreda and Norberta before heading off... You''ve been of great help to me while I''ve been here Charlie so thank you for that". Charlie felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead as he heard Oz thank him. As he looked at the boy in front of him he seemed to get flashbacks of a few nights ago staring at Dumbledore''s shocked and concerned face. His words echoing in his mind to ''Not aggravate Oz''. "T-Think nothing of it... It''s been a ride having you here. Anyway I better get off to work". "Now... where did those two run off to?". Activating his eyes via his blood Oz scanned the area for any traces of their aura. After some time looking he eventually saw Alfreda''s aura which seemed to head in the direction of the mountain range. Soon after he also noticed Norberta''s aura that headed in the same direction. Oz followed along using the aura as a trail to follow eventually finding himself at the mountain range. As he entered he saw Alfreda and Norberta ahead of him, seemingly conversing with one and other. Judging from the expressions he could read, Norberta seemed to be showing a sad expression whereas Alfreda was showing a comforting expression. It didn''t take a genius to realise the situation that was going on. Oz slowly walked towards them and as he got close enough to be in ear shot, he called out to both. "Alfreda, Norberta". The two turned around to look at Oz. Alfreda showing a difficult expression whilst Norberta showed and expression of sadness. Oz walked over to them both, giving Alfreda a pat on the shoulder ''tagging'' himself in as he stared at the emotional Norberta. "Norberta... I understand that parting will be hard. It''s going to be hard for both me and Alfreda too. Understand however that this place is the place you need to be in order to grow...". Oz sighed as he looked up towards the mountain peak. He may have imagined it but it felt like there were eyes looking down at him and this situation. If it was anyone''s eyes Oz knew the main culprit. "Back when I first met you Hagrid had traded for you at the Hog''s Head, still an egg at the time. Harry called me down to Hagrid''s hut to see an ''interesting'' thing and to my surprise I got to see your birth. Since then we''ve been attached. Seeing you grow into the dragon you are now has already made me proud however in this long game called life you need to continue growing else you may be left behind...". Norberta''s eyes seemed to well up in tears as she understood what Oz was trying to say. Alfreda also seemed emotional as she hid her face stealthily. Norberta reached forward hugging Oz tightly, Oz reciprocating by patting her head as he''s always done. Norberta''s head seemed to nod as she still held on tightly to Oz. {Don''t worry papa, I''ll make you proud}. Oz showed a warm smile as he patted the dragon on the head one more time before stepping back. As he did so he noticed the young dragons had gathered around this area, Evy included. Oz looked around at all of them with a smile. {Make sure you all treat her kindly, else I''ll ask Arauthator to freeze you all over}. The young dragons looked startled at Oz''s threat and seemingly bowed back as he mentioned Arauthator so willingly. Alfreda took this time to also hug Norberta bidding her farewell. As the farewells were finished, Oz and Alfreda headed back towards the sanctuary leaving Norberta behind in the mountain range along with the rest of the dragons. Oz turned back one last time to see Evy consoling Norberta who was still emotional. Oz knew that this parting would hurt for everyone involved however Norberta was becoming far too reliant on him. As someone who had decent knowledge on dragons, he knew that her reliance towards Oz was holding her back greatly. Whilst he was sad to part from her, he was looking forward to seeing how she would improve from here on. With that one last look back, Oz and Alfreda then headed off from the sanctuary heading towards their next destination... . [On the Mountain Peak] Arauthator was currently looking down towards where Oz had left. He seemed to be in deep thought as he looked down at the sanctuary below. {This world and era really is in for a treat with him running about...}. Arauthator let out a rare chuckle as his eyes glinted with expectancy. He hadn''t looked forward to anything like this in a long time... =============================== A/N - I decided to finally bite the bullet and make a discord. It''s both in my bio and here: discord.gg/67CVXqSf I''ve worked on it for a while now and it should be all good to go. It''s got games, tons of channels etc anything to entertain. Also now on Ko-Fi there are membership tiers that correspond with the discord server roles. So if you feel like it, take a look at my Ko-Fi page too! ko-fi.com/boigeorge I hope you all enjoyed the Romania arc! It wont be the last time being here though.... Chapter 122 - [Side Story] - Summer at the Grangers Harry was currently in his own room at the grangers, looking out the window at the sun high in the sky. Times like these he felt truly blessed by his new living arrangements. In his first year joining Hogwarts Oz approached Harry and Hagrid at the time noticing the abuse Harry had been through. Harry himself knew his living arrangements weren''t the best at all with the constant yelling and slave-driving the Dursleys put him through however he had nowhere else to go. He would go through phases in his younger years at the Dursleys where his emotions became dark and chaotic due to what he''d been put through however in the end he always found himself just accepting it all and moving on, suppressing any bad emotions and keeping a straight face. So when Oz fully exposed his abuse he felt both trepidation as well as sheer elation. He felt trepidation at what would happen next but also elation at how someone finally noticed. Even on Privet Drive when he''d leave the house with the odd bruise Vernon or Petunia would brush it off as ''A child messing about'' to the neighbours. Now that Harry thought about it, there was one neighbour who seemed to know more and bit her tongue whenever she saw Harry''s injuries. He always wondered what her deal was. When the entire wizarding community erupted along with Hagrid at the time, he felt like he had a presence in the world compared to when he lived under those stairs. Fast forward to the present day and he was in a living arrangement he couldn''t ever dream of. He had a nice room filled with his own belongings, a warm bed to sleep on and unlike at the Dursleys he only had to do a few chores rather than tending for the entire house. Even when he did a couple chores at times the Grangers would try to tell him it was not his job yet he felt awkward doing nothing. At this point it was probably hard-wired into his brain. Much like the previous summer with the Grangers, the days passed slowly. He spent his time hanging out with Hermione, sometimes being subjected to reading sessions as thats all she wanted to do however on the odd occasion the entire family would go for a trip somewhere. These trips never seemed to be out of the country though, always staying close to home. Regardless of this Harry still felt happy getting out and about. Despite this however there were times when he felt ''eyes'' on him whenever he left the house. He once told Hermione about it and she told him he must be paranoid is all. Harry by no means in his own books at least was a good wizard. He saw the truly good wizards as people like Oz he used their magic to breeze through life and push aside any in their way. Yet despite all of this he still couldn''t shake the feeling of being ''watched'' by something whenever he walked out the door. Frankly it drove him crazy to the point where he spent more of his summer inside writing letters to everyone and reading books on random subjects that interested him. As the summer was starting to near its end, Hermione came bursting into his room. "Harry! Have you done your summer homework yet?!" Harry who was currently writing a letter to Daphne dropped his quill and put his head in his hands. Seeing Harry act this way Hermione looked at him with a knowing look. "Seriously?! I finished mine near the beginning of summer... Fine let me help you". As Harry pulled his head out his hands he smiled at Hermione thanking her for the help. She entered into the room she sat down next to him as the two started to work through the homework. The light outside the window began to dim as the hours flew by, soon Harry was virtually nearing the end point of his homework. As he started to pack up Hermione spotted the letter Harry was writing to Daphne underneath all the homework. As she looked at it she started to speak. "You''ve been sending an awful lot of letters recently... Has everyone replied?". Harry smiled as he reached over and grabbed a wad of letters addressed to him. "As for Luna she''s her usual self. Her letters recently have started included words and creatures I have never heard of... she did give an update on her mother though saying that she''s still in the same condition. No better no worse...". "Daphne... her replies are the worst almost as if a majority get stopped. I''ve sent a bunch of letters over the summer but only received a couple of replies. The latest one told me that apparently her family restricts her from contacting people over the summer to focus on studies/family business... being in a pureblood house seems hard". Hermione listened in to what everyone in the group was doing nodding along with each explanation. "What about Rose? Is she at that orphanage still?". Harry nodded as he continued. "She was apparently relocated to an orphanage that has ''connections'' with the wizarding world. I guess that makes sense else she''d struggle doing some of the ''practical'' homework. Her letters always seem to have a lonely tone in them though...". "It''s not like she will feel that way much longer though is it? Only a week or so left of summer now for us and we''ll be back". Harry smiled at Hermione hearing that soon he''d be back at Hogwarts. "I guess you''re right". "H-Have you heard anything from Oz yet?". Harry frowned as he shook his head. "Just like usual that guy is completely elusive... Cho, Luna and Rose included in their letters that they''ve tried to find out where he is based so we can send him letters yet they couldn''t find anything. Regardless he''s travelling isn''t he? Pinning him down wont ever be easy as he could be anywhere across the world...". Hermione sighed hearing about Oz. She held him in high regard due to his knowledge. Having him gone for a year will make the study sessions a bit more boring for her as she''d have nobody to question. "It will be a weird year without him thats for sure... Even though he never socialised too much outside of those ''study sessions'' having him at the school still made the school feel ''safe'' somehow". As the room fell into silence once again both Harry and Hermione started to wonder where Oz could be right now, what he could be doing. Hermione was eventually snapped out of her daze as she remembered something. "Oh thats right! I asked mum and dad to take us to Diagon Alley soon. They actually agreed for once as well". Harry was also snapped out of his daze as he heard the news from Hermione. "Diagon Alley? Won''t we be going there end of summer anyway?". Harry felt excitement well up in his stomach thinking about the diagon alley trip now. His mum and dad had left him a rather large fortune after all. If he took out some money he''d be able to get anything he wanted. "Anyway Harry, I''m heading off to bed... Mum told me that she wants us both up early to help with something if thats not too much trouble for you". "No problem, tell her I''ll be there... Goodnight". Hermione left the room with a slight skip in her step. Harry watched her leave before looking back down at his homework filled desk. He liked being here, he truly did. Compared to being at the Dursleys this place was much better yet... ''I still feel out of place...''. Harry had been at this house for two summers now and not a day went by where he felt ''weird'' about being here. He did chores to help out and did anything he could to ''fit in'' yet no matter what he did he always felt like there was going to be a barrier between him and the grangers. That''s why he always looked forward to Hogwarts again, so the guilt of ''freeloading'' would be lifted. ''Maybe I could pay rent with the money I have? No the Grangers would never accept it...''. As thoughts about his arrangement sprung to mind he cleaned up his homework and desk before heading to bed. A day trip to Diagon Alley was on the horizon so he had something to look forward to... . As they arrived the two Grangers who entered first received judging looks from the people inside however as Hermione and Harry walked in the people seemed to understand the situation. A few eyes lit up seeing Harry considering his fame. The four quickly walked through the leaky cauldron heading towards the entrance to Diagon Alley. Going through the familiar brick wall, they were presented with an alley filled with magical folk. "We finally made it! Mum, Dad, can we head straight for flourish and blotts? Apparently there''s a new selection of books out I want to buy a couple!". Mrs Granger looked down at Hermione with a slight chuckle. "Did you forget we have to trade our money in for your wizard money first? Come on lets head to the bank first". Walking down the alley Harry took in all the sights, the different shop windows littered with magical items. As he walked with the grangers he still felt that slight disconnect from them as if he was trailing along rather than standing with them. Sighing to himself he looked towards one window and saw a product that interested him. "The... Magi-Cast?". The Grangers all stopped in their tracks as they heard Harry speak. Usually he''d keep quiet and just be polite whenever spoken to, mainly due to years of ''conditioning'' by the Dursleys. They all focused their attention on what Harry had spotted out. In the shop windows nearer to Gringotts was a device called the ''Magi-Cast'' that was on display to all. The device itself seemed increasingly popular as many of the witches and wizards in the alley were stood at the windows looking at the device themselves. The Grangers along with Harry joined these window shoppers as they looked at the device. It looked like a small disposable camera you''d get in the muggle world yet its ''features'' explained that it could do so much more. "Record video... project video... This is the wizard equivalent of video cameras! They managed to make the device so small!". "How did the creator even manage to fit runes this small into this!? Whoever designed this device must be a genius!" Her eyes trailed as she looked over to the note near the camera giving more information. "Created by... ''Lee Oswald the Master Enchanter''! He''s the same guy who created the Health Specs! Apparently he''s a master enchanter who appeared from thin air one day creating products for all witches and wizards to use... He actually unveiled this product here at Gringotts near the beginning of the Summer! I wish I could have seen that...". Hearing about the Health Specs, Harry flashed back to when he first met Oz who held the Health Specs in his hand. ''So this enchanter created that item? Technically he helped me a lot if you think about it...''. If it wasn''t for the health specs Oz would never have noticed Harry''s condition. Seeing the name ''Lee Oswald'' Harry felt a sort of respect and gratitude towards it. Looking at the device itself he started to realise how cool it was. ''Able to record anything and play it back? Project it as a ''hologram'' or into a screen? This sounds like a fun gadget to have!'' Harry looked over at the price of the Magi-Cast and felt his jaw drop slightly. The Grangers also looked at the price with a knowing sigh. "It wasn''t going to be cheap was it... Although compared to our cameras this one is still slightly cheaper". For some reason he felt as though this camera would be ''useful'' this year... ==================== Join the discord for a place to chat and talk about the novel! :) [Discord: discord.gg/aGm3fkMG] Chapter 123 - [Belarus] - Machinations in Minsk Night rolled over the city of Minsk blanketing it in a dark an eerie ambiance. The only lights that could be seen were the street lights and the odd lights still on coming from different buildings. In a certain park very light footsteps could be heard as a person cloaked in black walked through some bushes vanishing from sight. As the person entered into the bushes, a slight wobble seemed to appear in the atmosphere for a split second before receding away. To any normal person this ''wobble'' would be unnoticeable. The person seemed to continue through into the bushes before finally seeing a light within their sights. Their pace increased as they walked towards the light and passing through one more bush they could finally see where the light was coming from. "Merlin''s beard you gave me a scare... Didn''t I tell you not to light a fire here!? If this place gets burned down by your stupidity I''m not taking the fall for it. Just use your damn wand if you want a light!". Sat down next to the fire was the figure of a man, wearing a similar black cloak to the person who had just entered into their area. "Relax... We''re in a ward right now. None of these dumb muggles will ever see us. If you''re truly worried about me somehow burning this park down then I can just put a charm on the fire to stop its spread... Seriously you worry too much, all I wanted was a couple marshmallows". The man cloaked in black kept his head down not showing his face as he spoke back. His eyes seemed to rest on the marshmallow he was roasting over the fire. The person who had just arrived sighed as they took a seat opposite their companion, sitting down with a slight huff escaping their lips. The camp grew quiet for a while before the man roasting his marshmallow finally spoke up again. "So... did you receive the news?". The person leant forward giving the man a stern nod. "Yes... Still no news of where or if ''he'' is still around. There''s some slight whispers in Albania but nothing set in stone". The man in black shook slightly hearing the news. He stammered for a second neglecting his now ''overly-roasted'' marshmallow which was turning black. "Damn it... We scattered like rats for years, scurrying into different parts of the wizarding communities across the world after that damn little brat managed to somehow beat him... I refuse to believe that was all it took to beat him though". The man pulled back his overly burnt marshmallow still eating it despite its purely black colour. A slight crunch could be heard as he bit into it, his face showing an annoyed grimace. The same expression was relayed back to his by the person who brought the news as they continued. "If you want my opinion though I think its only a matter of time before ''he'' returns somehow... Think about it, someone spotted the order skulking around in England, making moves again. They wouldn''t start up again if it wasn''t for the dark lord making his return... If we try and recruit those damn beasts for him then maybe we can get a promotion when he makes a comeback". "Recruit huh... Can you go this time? Those damn beasts are infuriating to parlay with though. Constantly asking for us to ''prove our strength'' and such...". The person sighed as they reached into their pockets, pulling out a vial containing a dark red liquid. The man laughed as he saw the vial. He took out another marshmallow giggling to himself almost insanely as he started to roast this one again. "It''s hilarious don''t you think? We''ll be recruiting whilst everyone is unaware! When the dark lord returns he''s already going to have an army ready for him! We truly are one step ahead this time... No maybe even several steps ahead!". Both of them present at the fire started to laugh at the situation they were in as the moon above them rose, illuminating their area. As it did the fires light seemed paltry in comparison as the surroundings around the campfire were lit up. The man lifted his head up looking up towards the moon, a diabolical smile now on his face. He lifted up a mask from his side and put it on. The mask of a death eater. . "Master are you sure you don''t need to rest? We''ve been flying constantly for a while now". In the night sky flying north away from Romania was Oz and Alfreda. After leaving the sanctuary they found an area for Oz to transform and the duo were now heading north towards Belarus, their next destination. [I''m surprisingly fine actually. Maybe being able to control my blood more has allowed my form to be held for longer periods. We''ll get to Belarus first before stopping]. Alfreda narrowed her eyes trying to understand what Oz was saying. Whilst in his dragon form Oz seemed to talk in dragon-tongue despite putting all his effort into speaking English to Alfreda. She managed to infer the meaning of his words though, mainly catching that Oz wanted to get to Belarus before stopping. ''Seems my speed has improved as well... We crossed over Ukraine in around 20 hours after all''. Oz descended down onto a hill and transformed back immediately into his human form. His complexion was slightly pale however not nearly as bad as it was when they flew from England to Romania. He took a seat on the hill looking towards Minsk. Alfreda sat down next to him looking at the sight before them. "Master... What''s our plan this time then?". "Unlike previously we don''t have a ''location'' to go towards. Hagrid only mentioned that the giants resided north-east of Minsk. Whilst my eyes are good at spotting things like wards and such, I feel that a ward protecting a race like the giants would probably be a lot harder to spot in comparison. I''d be able to eventually find it but without someone like Norberta here it may take a long time...". "So we need to go to Minsk first. We can re-supply while we are there and search for any ''wizard-kind'' in the city. If we''re lucky we can find they magical society here and I can use the identity of ''Lee Oswald'' to coax information out of them. Something tells me it won''t be that simple though...". As Oz looked out at the landscape he had one dilemma in mind, a simple one yet one that would stop them from progressing with this journey if it wasn''t solved. ''Unlike in Romania where we had Charlie as a translator, we have no intermediary this time in this country. I really should have spent some time learning languages back in Hogwarts in preparation for this...''. Alfreda seemed to leave Oz to his thoughts as she placed a ward on the area they were in and then placed down the tent they had to sleep in. Both of them entered the tent and Alfreda started to cook them both a meal as Oz was left to his thoughts. ''Language... language is knowledge so I can''t make a spell that allows me to learn languages can I. If magic could bestow knowledge then all wizards and witches of this world could learn years of knowledge in a simple spell. Even the founders and Merlin could have passed down their knowledge as spells if it was possible however it clearly wasn''t...''. ''Who would have thought something as simple as ''language'' would be a roadblock in this journey''. As Oz finished that thought Alfreda placed a breakfast in front of him, sitting opposite to him on the table. The two started to eat as Oz''s mind still wondered on what to do. His eyes flashed for a moment as he looked up to Alfreda who was still eating her food slowly. "Say Alfreda... Merlin was known to travel around right? Did he ever go to different countries?". Alfreda swallowed the food in her mouth, patting her mouth with a cloth before responding. "He did like to travel and it was usually out of country... He''d always leave me to tend to the hideout whenever he did". "Was he multi-lingual then? I wouldn''t put it past him to be...". "I''m not too sure... I was never with him when he went to other countries". Oz clicked his tongue as he finished his meal. ''Damn another roadblock... I was hoping there would be an easy way around this but it seems there''s nothing I can do instantly. Guess I should buy an ''English to ______'' book whenever I''m in a new country for now until I find a solution. My memory should help greatly however understanding spoken words will take time...''. ''Regardless of the difficulties, I will find those giants even if I have to go blindly searching in a general direction...''. =================== A/N - Apologies for this chapter taking so long. I''m starting to slow down again I admit but only because I want to continue. If I force myself to write I''ll burn out again like I did early this year and much like you all I also want to see this novel to the end. If you want quicker updates I mention what im doing on my discord so please feel free to join if you''d like. Discord: discord.gg/TbfuXchd Chapter 124 - [Belarus] - Arrival and Books After their short break, Alfreda took Oz''s hand and apparated the two of them towards Minsk seeing as though it was in their field of view now. With that she could mitigate Oz having to transform or them having to travel on foot. In a flash the two arrived at Minsk as the sun was still rising on the day. "I can''t believe I''m saying this Alfreda but our first step will be getting some kind of book that can help translate for us... We had Charlie last time in Romania luckily but here we are walking blind without something to guide us". Alfreda let out a little giggle as she nodded at her masters words. Seeing that Alfreda understood the situation Oz then continued. "Remember also to keep your eyes peeled. We''ll spend maybe a maximum of two days here. If we can find any wizard-folk in that time then we can ask them about the giants that live nearby. If we find nothing in two days then we''ll just travel in the general direction Hagrid told me in the hopes of spotting it ourselves. I''d like to avoid the latter though as we''d be searching blind even with my eyes...". After giving the full run down of the situation Oz motioned Alfreda to put on her hood and he did the same as well. Enchanted onto the hood were a few charms that simply masked their presence and aura so to muggles they were ''less noticeable''. Muggles would only be able to spot them if they did something that drew attention, say a large scale spell that exploded would expose their location for instance. This also helped in finding wizard-folk as only witches and wizards would notice them quicker. With themselves prepared, they walked into the city of Minsk completely blind at what could happen. Despite walking into the unknown though, Oz kept a confident grin thinking to himself that no matter what arose whilst he was in this country he would find a way to overcome it, just like he did with that damn mountain... . Hours zoomed by as the duo of Oz and Alfreda roamed the streets of Minsk and sadly they had no luck at all spotting any wizard-folk in the city. The more hours passed the more theories pierced through Oz''s mind making him wonder if the wizards of Belarus had a gathering point somewhere else other than Minsk. ''That wouldn''t make sense though seeing as though the giants live so close by... If I governed the wizarding community here I would want to keep in contact with the giants as much as possible less they go haywire and decide to attack any nearby muggle settlements. Considering Hagrid specifically mentioned Minsk it would make sense that this place is where they would be based... But where the hell are they?''. As the sun rose up to the highest point in the sky Oz let out a small sigh realising that its not going to be as easy as rocking up to Minsk and seeing someone with magic. It seemed as though Belarusian witches and wizards hid themselves from muggles much more deeply in comparison to the UK community that seemed to roam the streets when they felt like it. Dependant on different jurisdictions and how different people are brought up it may be instilled into young wizards here that they need to be completely hidden not interaction with any muggles at all, even their cities for that matter. ''The best bet for now would be to switch our focus from any wizard-folk to maybe wards/charms in the area... before that though I''ll need to get a damn book...''. Oz briefed Alfreda on the new plans as the two headed towards the main street where the majority of the stores were at. Looking in the shop windows Oz eventually spotted a shop that was filled with books. He entered in with Alfreda and as they entered the door jingled, letting the shop owner know that someone had entered. "§³§Ñ§â§Õ§ï§é§ß§Ñ §Ù§Ñ§á§â§Ñ§ê§Ñ§Ö§Þ!... §¡§Ô§Ñ?" (Welcome!... Huh?). The shop owner looked towards the door and saw nobody there. He looked on confused for a while, poking his head around different corners of the shop yet no matter how hard he looked he couldn''t see anyone. He scratched his head for a moment before sighing to himself. "§®§å§ã?§è§î, §Þ§Ñ§× ?§ñ?§Ý§Ö§ß§ß§Ö..." (Must be my imagination...). After confirming to himself that nobody seemed to be in the shop, he went back to his desk and sat down again looking through the newspaper he was reading. In the meanwhile Oz and Alfreda held their breath as they watched the man search for them before giving up. Oz couldn''t help but let a slight giggle escape his lips. "These cloaks enchantments seem to be more effective than I originally thought... Anyway Alfreda, Let''s search for a translation book. We may have to look for a while...". ''This won''t help with talking to people but at least I''ll get a somewhat accurate guess on what''s going on around here... Guess I''ll let Alfreda know I''ve found the book''. Oz walked across the bookstore after finding the book he needed sneaking a glance at the shops owner who was half asleep in his chair at the desk. Considering nobody besides them had entered the store for some time it seemed to Oz that this store was considerably dead. With the rise of technology in the modern muggle world it''d make sense for places such as these to receive a hit. "Alfreda, I''ve got the book. Let''s leave". Alfreda frowned slightly as she looked at her master. "You aren''t going to pay the shop owner for it?". "I''ll leave him a piece of gold or something if that pleases you... Its not like we have any Belarusian money on hand". Walking over to the desk Oz placed a couple pieces of gold he had in his pouch in front of the now fully asleep shop owner. Even if Alfreda didn''t notify him, Oz would have left something here as a thanks. Looking over to Alfreda he motioned towards the door and the two of them left. The jingle of the door awoke the Belarusian shop owner as he called out saying welcome before noticing the gold in front of him. "§©§à§Ý§Ñ§ä§Ñ!?" (Gold!?). The shop owner seemed to forget completely about the weird happenings as he saw the gold in front of him, his focus now entirely on the few pieces placed on his desk. He grabbed them all with a smile placing them in his pockets. This shop of his was on a downward trend recently however with the gold supplied it seemed he could keep the shop afloat for a while longer... After their little episode in the book shop Oz and Alfreda continued their exploration of the city of Minsk, looking for anything that could lead them in the right direction. The sun that felt like it was high in the sky only a moment ago seemed to now be setting as darkness started to spill over Minsk. Noticing this Oz sighed to himself, looking over to Alfreda he started to tell her their next course of action. "We''ll set up our tent somewhere hidden away... Looking at the maps around our best bet seems to be this park nearby. If what I''ve learnt from the book is enough I think the parks name in English is ''Victory Park''...". Alfreda followed beside her master as the both of them headed towards the park. As they approached their destination night fully fell on the city of Minsk bringing a cold and quiet atmosphere along with it. Victory Park seemed to look like a good place to stop for Oz and Alfreda as there was a number of trees acting as a natural camouflage for anyone within. The dense foliage would allow Oz and Alfreda to set up camp and ward off the area. Whilst it was tempting to use their cloaks to just waltz into a motel or something, there was still the risk of being seen if anything did happen. This setup in Oz''s mind seemed much more comfortable and fitting. As they approached closer to the park, Oz looked towards the the trees that sprawled across sections of it, taking in the sight he was seeing. Although it was dark, he could still appreciate the scenery. As he was appreciating the scenery though he noticed a slight ''wobble'' in the atmosphere. "Alfreda, stop a second". Alfreda stopped abruptly in her tracks looking at her master with confusion. Oz activated his eyes full force as he looked towards the direction of the wobble and as he did he noticed a thick ward within the trees of the park, encompassing a sizeable area. "There''s a ward within the foliage that way... seems we finally found some wizards". Oz kept his wits about him considering the situation. He wasn''t about to barge in all smiles asking whoever was there about the wizarding community here thats for sure. Seeing as though these people had warded themselves off in this park in Minsk it raised alarm bells in Oz''s mind about the intentions of these people. He stared deeper into the ward straining his eyes as much as possible hoping to see inside, after some time he started to see a blurry image appear in his vision. The moon rose eventually shining a light on the camp with the two men in it, At that point Oz was able to see a mask that he never thought he would have seen here. "Death Eaters...". As Oz saw the mask he pulled the magic from his eyes and allowed the aches and pains in them to settle. It seemed now that tonight wasn''t going to be a peaceful night. ========================= A/N - Chapters will be slower for a while however they will still be continuing of course. Just pacing myself for a while :) If you want more updates on what''s going on join the discord: discord.gg/HVvRupJY (Shout out to Jonathan Silva Zero who in the Pictures chat of the Discord gave some good images as reference for those reading the novel!). Chapter 125 - [Belarus] - Slaughter in Victory Park Seeing the death eaters within the ward, Oz''s mind started to swim with ideas and theories as to why they were present. Realistically he could just call it off as these two escaped to here after the wizarding war many years ago and have been in hiding since however this ward was something that would eventually be spotted by any witch and wizard if they spent a long time here. Even without his eyes activated he saw the wobble in the atmosphere as someone passed through it after all. ''Death eaters... Belarus... Another bu??erfly effect could be at play here...''. One of the major changes Oz has enacted onto the canon of the world is telling Dumbledore about horcruxes early. This in turn lead to the early resurrection of the order. With this resurrection the prior order members plus some new ones that Dumbledore must have already had his eyes on as potential candidates for the order started to make moves around Britain again, mostly searching for the horcruxes Oz mentioned about. If a death eater were to see these happenings they would immediately find it fishy, especially those with an actual brain on their heads. Maybe even Lucius Malfoy could have pieced the situation together as ''suspicious'' considering an order that had been dead since their master was last around suddenly re-opened and made seemingly random moves. Most death eaters might write it off as the order just messing around with a task of their own however the more devout death eaters may start to think that the order is ''preparing'' for something and the die-hard death eaters would be convinced that their master is going to be resurrected again soon. With that information in mind, many death eaters around the world that the information had been funnelled to might be on the move once again, trying to match the orders movements and one of the main things the death eaters needed to do in order to go against the British wizarding community was to recruit ready for another war. ''If my theory is correct these two death eaters were given information via a source in Britain that let them know the order is resurrected. With that information and themselves being based in Belarus they could be trying to make contact with the giants earlier than even the order anticipated... It seems that order has a snake within it as well considering this information leaked rather quickly''. Oz could make a confident guess on who that snake was however to him the information leak didn''t matter. As a matter of fact having these two death eaters present might even give him a shortcut into finding where the giants reside and maybe even more about their mannerisms etc. "Alfreda, we''ll head towards that ward cloaked and ready. They''ll have to leave the ward to apparate or go anywhere so best bet is just to wait for that... Follow my lead". With some time to plan Oz started to think about how he would fight this battle especially with the limitation he''s put on himself recently, not using his wand at all. ''Wandless spells take up far more magic... To place a ward to trap them and kill one of them would sap me of most of my magic instantly. Maybe a combination of magic and fighting is needed here instead... The Basilisk dagger should be a good form of intimidation at least''. Thinking on the Basilisk dagger Oz made prior to his trip around the world he was also reminded of the Basilisk Bombs he made with the venom of the Basilisk. As much as he would love to just throw a bomb into the ward with the death eaters he needed at least one alive to answer questions. With his plan finalised Oz and Alfreda laid in wait in the bushes waiting for the two to leave the ward. Occasionally Oz would strain his eyes a bit to see what they were doing and after an hour the two death eaters picked themselves up from their campfire and started to leave. Oz kept his eyes trained on them and as they stepped through the ward, Alfreda instantly locked eyes onto them as well now they were visible. The conversation the two were having prior seemed to continue as they walked through the ward. " -The plan then is for me to recruit the giants and for you to reach out to our fellow death eaters around this area and band them together... If we could get Belarus under our thumb then that would work out even better for when the dark lord returns". The other death eater nodded at the one given a run down of the situation. Turning around the death eater cancelled the ward in the area and the two seemed to nod towards each other before starting to apparate. Seeing this Oz reflexively stood up and casted a ward around the area, encompassing him and Alfreda along with the two death eaters. "ARRGHHH!". One of the death eaters was faster than the other in apparating and was already starting to apparate as Oz placed the ward blocking them in. With this sudden ward being placed, the death eater in question was splinched along his back. The other death eater who looked at his partner in shock darted his eyes around the area noticing the ward surrounding them now and called out. "WHOSE THERE!? WHO BLOCKED US IN!?". "What the-". The death eater who casted the spell seemed completely stunned by the rapid movements of the cloaked person in front of him. He casted that spell without warning after all. Just as he was about to voice his surprise though he felt his sentence cut off mid way through. For some reason he was now looking up at his body that had been beheaded. The death eaters last thoughts before his brain ceased functioning was simply ''how''. Oz stood opposite the beheaded body with his hand outstretched. He had casted a wandless ''diffindo'' to behead the man cleanly. Whenever he was in this situation he always seemed to lean on ''simpler'' spells like diffindo to kill his opponents. The death eater that was writhing on the ground splinched looked up at Oz in horror seeing his partner get beheaded so easily. Alongside that he remembered Oz''s rapid movements in dodging the spell his partner had casted. In his state he felt as though death was only a matter of course. Oz slowly walked over to the man on the floor who lifted his wand up pointing it at Oz. Before he could cast a spell however, Oz kicked the wand out of the mans hand sending it flying into the woods. He then reached his hand onto his waist and pulled out the Basilisk Fang he had fashioned into a dagger. Putting his knee on the mans ?h?st he pointed the knife directly at the death eaters throat before talking. "Unless you want to die a slow painful death then you better answer the questions following truthfully and clearly...". The death eater who looked up at Oz started to see into his hood noticing that the person who had attacked them was only a boy of 14 years old. Seeing this the shock filling his body increased tenfold. Hearing those sorts of chilling words come out of a 14 year old boy made him instantly submit as he nodded his head slowly. "Firstly, explain to me why a couple of death eaters would be acting so suspicious in a place like Minsk". The death eater that Oz had under his knee seemed to still hesitate in answering Oz''s questions. Seeing the death eater hesitate Oz pressed the dagger closer to the death eaters neck, a tiny bit more pressure and he''d break the death eaters skin. The death eaters eyes seemed to show extreme panic as Oz explained what the dagger he was wielding was. Slowly the death eater started to speak. "W-we ran off to Minsk after the first wizarding war... W-we''ve been in hiding since". Oz smiled as the dagger he placed on the death eaters neck lifted ever so slightly, telling the death eater that his answer was satisfactory. "That certainly makes sense... Next question, What''s this about recruiting giants? Gathering death eaters around Minsk into a group? Care to explain these points?". The death eater realised at this point that the young boy in front of him had been stalking him and his partner since they stepped out the ward as he heard these points. He gulped as he began to explain, his eyes still trained onto the dagger in Oz''s hand. "I-In Britain the order that once went against us started to make moves again... We surmised that they were making moves as the dark lord is going to return soon. As a way to show our d-devotion we wanted to recruit the giants and band together the death eaters in the area prepared for the dark lords descent unto the world again...". "The order in Britain making moves hmm... Where did you hear such information?". The death eater hesitated again as Oz questioned him however the second he hesitate Oz started to lower the dagger again towards his neck. Immediately seeing this he started to speak. "O-One of the death eater parties within Britain notified us telling us they got their source about the orders revival through an underworld wizard. They paid him a pretty penny for it as he asked for a high price". "T-They didn''t tell me his name... He''s apparently close to the order though! Maybe even within it!". Hearing this death eaters explanation Oz realised his guesses were probably on the money. There was only one order member that would sell his soul and pride for money. That order member also saw the order as an impenetrable fortress so to him selling information like this was basically getting free money. ''Mundungus Fletcher... One little rat managed to cause an effect across the entire world reviving the death eaters''. "Onto the next question. You talk of recruiting giants correct? Where exactly are these giants you want to recruit and how were you planning to recruit them? If you leave out any information I believe you know what I''ll do...". Oz started to lower the dagger to the panicking death eaters neck again as he blurted out everything he knew. "T-The giants are based in a ward north of Usad''ba Grebnitskikh... A historical landmark north-east of here. If you go to the landmark you''ll be able to see their ward on the horizon buried within a field of trees. T-They have a village there, a settlement within where they live and fight. Our plan to recruit them was to overpower their ''prodigy'' as a show of strength. Giants only follow strength after all". ''Usad''ba Grebnitskikh... overpower their ''prodigy''... Seems each species has their quirks''. "To overpower a giant you would need some strength... What exactly was your plan?". "M-My partner, he managed to get us a potion that would increase physical capabilities for a short period. With that potion we''d overpower the giants". "Why do you need to overpower then with physical strength? Surely you can just use magic?". "T-The giants there loathe magic. If you use magic to beat them you''d be creating an enemy not an ally. Physical strength is of the utmost importance to their kind, even if you aren''t their kind and show a high degree of physical strength you''d be welcomed as a friend. If you beat their ''prodigy'' you''d be allowed to ally with them, even have them serve under you if you overwhelm them fully. They only follow strength after all. Even if you were to kill one of their kind in a physical fight they wouldn''t bat an eye, simply congratulating the winner of the fight". "It seems you''ve done a lot of research in order to recruit these beasts...". Taking in all the information he had learnt about giants Oz realised now that in order to cleanly get materials from them he''d need to overpower them in a physical fight. If he was anyone else then such a feat would be impossible without a potion or some sort of outside influence. However Oz had his dragon-like physique that was much more denser than any normal witch or wizards. Along with that he could augment his strength with magic if needed. Since the magic was internal, the giants would probably give it a pass. Even though there was no guarantee to all this though Oz liked the sound of a new challenge even if it meant he had to throw down with a giant. "We''ll you''ve answered all my questions correctly. I''ll send you off quickly and quietly". "W-W-Wa-". Before the death eater could finish his sentence, Oz pressed his finger to the death eaters neck and casted a wandless diffindo. As he questioned the man his magic reserves replenished enough to use this spell again. As the spell was casted, a line appeared on the death eaters neck and a second later his head was separated from his body. Oz stood up brushing off the dust on him seemingly unfazed by the bloody scene. As he turned to Alfreda however, she seemed to be turning blue at the gruesome scene before her. ''I guess that was too much for her...''. Oz walked over slowly to Alfreda and gave her a pat on the shoulder. Alfreda nodded at her master trying to hide her emotions as best as possible. She was an elf, a royal elf at that, that had grown up surrounded by love and family. She might have been abandoned by Merlin however she spent all that time abandoned locked away in the hideout. This was one of the first times in her long life she had seen such a scene that was so gruesome and brutal. "Master... If im correct you''re only 14 years old in human years. H-How are you okay with all of this?". Hearing Alfreda''s question Oz looked at the two bodies on the floor that had been beheaded. Just recently these two bodies were talking and now they laid dead on the floor. Even knowing that, Oz felt nothing. "I guess its part of the blood within me to calm me down from such events. Granted even before this blood activated I''ve never really had much emotion towards situations such as these...". Back when Oz saved Rose from the basement of Voldemort sympathisers, he had enacted cruelty of this level back then as well without batting an eye. He remembered that the newspapers that came out around that time described the brutal justice as ''chilling''. That brutal-ness happened even before he enacted the Animagus ritual that was hijacked by his dragons blood so he cant say that the calm he felt in the situation was due to his dragons blood. Oz''s only guess towards his ''calmness'' towards killing and death was that he had died once. After dying himself and experiencing a life after death he didn''t feel as bad sending people on their way. Granted he was lucky and one of few who managed to weather the void allowing him to have this second life yet knowing that void existed for those who passed on and they would eventually be put back into the world one way or another made killing seem less cruel to him. It was a reasoning towards life and death that no other person in this world or maybe even any world could grasp. Only Oz alone would have these feelings and nobody could ever understand them. ================= A/N - For updates on chapter releases and a place to talk about the novel/anything please join the discord :) Discord: discord.gg/d8cQH7DB For those interested a new auxiliary chapter was made where it describes each ''Non-Canon'' character I''ve made alongside a picture for reference of what that character might look like. Chapter 126 - Think we all saw this coming... [24/10/2021] (Hiatus) Hey everyone whose still up to date with my novel. Recently again much like the beginning of the year ive lost that drive to write making it extremely hard to write any chapters that I like. I keep scrapping them over and over. For my own sake ill be placing this novel on ???????????????????????? and plan to come back at the latest in the new year a couple months from now. Let me make it clear that I have NO plans on dropping this at all. I have planned for too much far it and it''d kill me just to axe it suddenly. Throughout this time away though Ill continue to plan and smooth out the arcs ive written ideas for and hopefully when I return I can go right to the end of the novel with no barriers at all. I hope you all understand, thanks for reading up to this point. (When I return however there will be a mass drop of chapters that ive written in the hiatus hopefully!). - BoiGeorge :) Chapter 127 - [Belarus] - Usadba Grebnitskikh Currently Oz was looking down at the two dead death eaters with no emotion in his eyes. With a snap of his fingers both bodies were engulfed in flames until they were burnt to nothing but ash. The fire Oz created was controlled so as not to light the trees surrounding him and Alfreda on fire. Alfreda look on at her masters actions with baited breath, knowing it was necessary yet still feeling uncomfortable with the situation as a whole. As the bodies reduced to nothing, A thought passed through Oz''s lips. "That''s right... I neglected to ask them about the wizarding community here..." "The community master?". Sighing deeply to himself Oz turned to Alfreda with a slightly self-mocking smile. "The community here, or at least any sign of a government or such seems completely dead. We''ve been around the majority of Minsk already yet I haven''t spotted a single ''entrance'' to anywhere wizarding related. I was half-expecting something like what we have in Britain, with the ministry connected by phone boxes or just using floo powder however no signs of such things seem to be present...". "Couldn''t it be possible that the Belarus wizarding community isn''t situated here in Minsk? Maybe they are in another location master". Oz grimaced a moment looking down at the grass beneath him. The earth still scorched by the fire he had conjured moments ago. "You could be right... However if I was the wizarding governor of this country I would want my base of operations to be somewhat close to any sorts of ''threats'' and be in the hub of the country. Minsk is not only Belarus'' capital but its also located close to the sight where the giants reside. With such beasts that can destroy cities in mere moments with their destructive strength residing in your country, you''d want to be close enough to them in the event of a disaster". Many questions began to fill Oz''s mind about Belarus'' wizarding community. Maybe he was overthinking it however it felt as though to him it was almost ''too hidden''. If he recalled correct, within the Harry Potter canon the only main mention of Minsk was fully in relation to Hagrid and him trying to connect with the giants here. There was also a disagreement with a Vampire apparently within Minsk when Hagrid and Madam Maxie from Beaubaxtons travelled back here again to attempt to gain a connection with the giants. ''Vampires hmm... I wonder what they are like...''. "Well... It''s not like the government here is a target for me or something. Was only plain curiosity. We got the main information we need now anyway". Turning to Alfreda, Oz locked eyes with the elf and gave a light smile. "Before dawn breaks we need to make a move out of Minsk and head directly for Usad''ba Grebnitskikh. As the death eater said, north of there should be a ward in which resides the giants community. We will have to remain cautious though as it seems these giants are a prideful lot...". Alfreda nodded at her masters words as she followed him out of the trees in Victory park. By the time dawn had broke on the city of Minsk, both Oz and Alfreda had vanished from the city leaving no trace behind. . The sun rose on another day for Oz and Alfreda as the two were travelling through the skies via Oz''s dragon form towards Usad''ba Grebnitskikh. Oz kept his eyes trained on the land beneath him as he flew through the air. As he glided through the sky he felt a level of comfort nowadays, something that wasn''t present before his trip to Romania. ''Meeting Arauthator, that whole journey up the mountain, its helped me in more ways than one... If I was to stay in Hogwarts like originally planned for a lad my age I probably would have never reached this state or at the very least it would have taken decades to finally get comfortable with this blood within me...''. Oz admits to himself deep down that there''s some worry over how the canon story isn''t ''within his view'' anymore and thats in more ways than one. Its a lingering thought that looms over him constantly. His presence in the world changed the tides of fate for everyone and that advantage he had at the very beginning was now completely lost, he couldn''t predict anything that would happen now. All he could do was use the knowledge of the original ''timeline'' to infer whose doing what and what ''could'' happen next. Travelling out into the wizarding world like this however led to situations he could never have predicted in a million years within the Harry Potter world. Arauthator was one example, a mythical dragon the size of a small mountain residing at the peak of the Carpathian mountains. Ever since Oz met Arauthator, he felt excitement towards what could be hidden within this vast world. ''If mythical beasts do reside in this world hidden I wonder what else is truly out there... Could certain mythologies also end up being-''. Oz''s train of thought was abruptly halted as he heard Alfreda call out. "Master look below! We''ve reached Usad''ba Grebnitskikh". Moving his purple eyes down Oz could see beneath him Usad''ba Grebnitskikh. Usad''ba Grebnitskikh itself was ruined building that seemed to have foundations dating back years ago. Oz didn''t know the history of such a place, however such sights always intrigued him. Oz zoomed down from the skies and landed in an area that was clear of people and out of sight. Oz transformed himself back into his human form and placed his cloak back on. Alfreda hopped off his back before he transformed and stared at her master with expectant eyes, waiting for his word on what they planned to do next. Oz took a look around at the surroundings, a seemingly tucked away location, rivers flowing here and there and green fields expanding out. In front of him he looked at Usad''ba Grebnitskikh. "Before we head towards the giants Alfreda lets take a look at this place...". Oz slowly started walking ahead with his eyes trained on Usad''ba Grebnitskikh. Alfreda followed after him with a light smile, bemused by her masters curiosity that to her seemed endearing. As Oz approached the ruined building he looked at its remnants with a melancholic look. ''I wonder how long this place has stood here...''. A pang suddenly invaded Oz''s ?h?st as he got close to the building, reflectively he activated his eyes and peered at the building. ''Residue magic? It feels... old as well...''. Alfreda caught her masters expression that seemed to suddenly morph and stared at him with curiosity. "What''s the matter master?". Oz turned to Alfreda and started to explain. "For some reason as I approached Usad''ba Grebnitskikh I felt the urge to activate my eyes... As I did I could see remnants of old magic here. It''s not of the ancient kind though, nothing like Merlin''s magic or anything like that. It''s just simply old...". Oz''s curiosity to this place grew as he took a step back and looked at the building once more. He started mentally kicking himself for not looking into what Usad''ba Grebnitskikh was before coming here. Maybe if he knew its history he might have been able to get an idea on what could have happened here. Whilst Oz was stuck in his mind Alfreda seemingly started to survey the building herself. Walking around the building she looked at it in wonder, especially now that her master had mentioned the lingering old magic here. As she came around to the front of the building she spotted a plaque placed in front of the building written in Belarusian. "Master, come look at this". Alfreda called out to Oz who snapped out of his daze when he heard her call out. Walking over next to her he looked down at the plaque that seemed to be explaining the history of this place. Oz stared at the plaque for a while as he searched in his mind for the translations. He also took out the book he had gotten from the bookstore to double check here and there just to make sure he was right. "This place certainly has a lot of history involved with it... The magic however is probably from around the time of the second world war...". "Second world war?". "Yes... Thinking about it now It''s a wonder why I never thought about wizard involvement in the war. Muggle governments have links to the wizarding world after all. Although if im not mistaken Grindelwald''s global wizarding war would have also been taking place at the same time...". "I think we''ve dawdled long enough on this little ''side quest'' of ours Alfreda... Let''s start making our way to where the giants should be". Looking north of Usad''ba Grebnitskikh Oz could b?r?ly see a dense forest in the distance, He placed his bets that location was going to be where the giants were. He started to depart from Usad''ba Grebnitskikh alongside Alfreda. Leaving the place with history to bask in the morning sun... ============================ A/N - Im still on hiatus, the last couple months have been busy for me IRL. This break however has allowed me to organise my mind on what to do next and what sort of novel I want this to end up being. My main worry with Harry Potter fanfiction is that its hard to expand upon, however THIS chapter has certain elements that may hint on a direction I may head later on down the line after we get passed the canon story. Enjoy this chapter, another may be released in the month for Christmas as well.. In January however is when I plan to hopefully return fully and release a chapter or two a week again. Happy holidays all :) Chapter 128 - [Belarus] - The Illusive Forest After stopping off momentarily at Usad''ba Grebnitskikh and satiating his own curiosity, Oz started to head towards the forest that the giants were said to be residing in. Alfreda kept to his side as the both of them headed towards the dense forest in the distance. As they got closer and closer however, Oz started to notice something strange about the forest. He activated his eyes as this feeling grew more in his stomach and as he peered into the forest as deeply as he could with his eyes he could see the giants ward in the centre. This ward was to be expected though, after all the magic government of Belarus wouldn''t want a curious muggle walking into a giants domain one day and breaking the statute of secrecy in one night. Oz''s main feeling that he regarded as strange was that it felt as though the forest was being closely ''watched'' by something, he just couldn''t pinpoint what it was or where it was watching from. He even began to doubt his own senses as he search more and more. Regardless of this though he had a good idea of ''who'' could be watching the forest. Eventually, Oz and Alfreda found themselves just a bit away from the forest, a few more yards and they''d be entering in. Oz stopped as they approached this point and Alfreda stopped immediately as he did looking at her master with a confused glint in her eyes. "What''s the problem master?". Oz looked deeply at the forest before turning to Alfreda. "Seeing as though we are basically at this ''Giant''s Forest'' now I thought it best we cloak ourselves before we head in. Let''s both put our cloaks on along with using a cloaking spell for good measure. After all we are walking into unknown territory here, these giants may attack us instantly if we just walk right in". Alfreda nodded at her master''s words seeing no issue with them. After all it would be silly to waltz into unknown territory, especially a giants territory without some kind of precaution or foreplaning like cloaking. Oz however had two reasons as to why he felt cloaking would be a good move here however he didn''t mention the latter point to Alfreda. They both put there cloaks on and after they pulled their hoods over their heads, Oz casted a wandless cloak spell onto both of them so they would be invisible. This spell was elementary to Oz now after all the times he used it in Hogwarts to sneak around at night. Wandless casting of it did still sap a bit more magic than he would have liked however he wanted to stick to his own handicap on this journey, that being he wasn''t allowed to use his wand he had been heavily relying on for so long. With both of them fully set, Oz called out in Alfreda''s direction. "Okay, lets head in". . Walking through the dense forest was trickier than Oz would have expected. His eyes were able to spot the ward within the forest from afar however he couldn''t tell how deep in the ward was. From a distance however he thought the ward encompassed nearly the entire forest however as they entered into the forest and kept walking, he realised he underestimated to sheer size of the forest these giants resided in. The two continued to walk and looking up through the trees Oz could see the time of day change each time he decided to look up. Eventually night fell on the forest and they still hadn''t made it anywhere near the ward he had spotted when they walked towards the forest initially. ''Is this forest really that big?''. Seeing that night had fallen, Oz decided to stop and set up camp for the night. After casting a few protective spells on the area, with the help of Alfreda this time he insisted on helping out. The two set up camp and placed a tent. Oz and Alfreda both headed into the tent and sat down on the centre table. Both of them seemed tired, mainly mentally more than physically. At this point it seemed even Alfreda was having questions about what was going on. "Master... You don''t think that ''death eater'' was lying do you?". Oz shook his head at Alfreda''s questioning. "No... When we were walking towards this forest initially I could see the ward with my eyes. It looked like it was in the centre of the forest from the distance we were at. However, the size of the ward I saw... we should have already come close to it by now". "Do you have any ideas on what could be happening?". Alfreda frowned deeply as she heard her master''s query. She trusted her masters words about the ward he saw in the centre of the forest, however much like what her master said afterwards and judging by their speed of travel they should have already reached the centre of the forest. As Alfreda thought long and hard a glint seemed to appear in her eyes as she whispered out a certain phrase. "Illusion...". Oz he heard this leaned in closer to Alfreda who seemed to have figured something out. "Illusion?". "Yes master, Illusion magic to be precise. Back when I lived in the elf kingdom we had numerous wards placed on our kingdom to keep us hidden away from the public. We went unseen for centuries until the event with Merlin. I remember that one time when I was younger I asked about the wards placed around our kingdom and I was told by my teacher at the time that there were multiple wards and one of them was an ''illusion ward''". Considering that Alfreda knew of this magic, Oz realised that this ''illusion ward'' must be a rather advanced magic technique, ancient even. Hearing her explain it Oz was already beginning to formulate an idea on what was happening in his mind. He was also growing an interest again towards Alfreda''s homeland. "I actually asked my teacher about the ''Illusion ward'' further and he explained that it was a ward devised solely to trick those who entered. Compared to a ward that would be strictly defensive and attack trespassers, this ward was one that took a more ''passive'' approach simply confusing those who entered until they eventually went back the way they came". Oz sighed as he leant back in his seat in the tent. "So we''ve been walking in circles then?". Alfreda nodded at her masters words. "That seems like the most likely answer to all of this...". Oz sighed a second time to himself as he realised he had underestimated the Belarus wizarding government. He was innocent in thinking that they would only have a single ward that barred entry for muggles. ''Of course they''d have a contingency against other wizards too especially ones advanced enough to be able to see wards... after all, if a wizard decided to come and fight some giants enraging them, the giants could storm out the forest and instantly cause mass panic''. With this talk they had now confirmed that their are two wards at play in this forest. The one Oz saw from the outside is a simple ward to block anyone seeing the giants in the centre. The ''Illusion ward'' however was once that must encompass the entire forest, tricking anyone who entered specifically targeting witches and wizards who entered with intent to bother the giants within. The main question Oz now had and something that irked him was how he didn''t spot the ward at all when he entered into the forest. ''I should have seen it with these eyes at least yet I only saw the one in the centre... Even after all that in Romania am I still no way near close to having a dragons true sense?'' Thinking about the error on his part Oz remembered Norberta who he had left in Romania. Thinking about her he thought that she probably would have been able to spot the ward left. ''Regardless, the illusion ward around the entire forest must be a rather ancient ward for it to trick my eyes...''. Oz tapped his finger on the table in annoyance realising the situation he was in now. How was he meant to progress from here? "Wait a minute...". Oz''s mind clicked after some thinking as he voiced his thoughts to Alfreda. "That death eater talked as if he had been here before... how did he get through this ward?". Alfreda''s ears perked up as she heard Oz''s question. Her eyes seemed to flash for a moment as she remembered something from her past. "Thats right master! My teacher told me that all illusion wards usually have a ''keyhole'' or at least a way to enter through it. It could be hidden anywhere though... Inside a hollow tree, in a hole, in a river. The main central area of this forest is completely sealed off however if we find this ''keyhole'' then maybe we can get out of this illusion ward and enter into that central area... Either that or we leave and try to find someone who knows about the ward". Hearing Alfreda''s explanation Oz felt a bit of hope come back to him. He couldn''t spot the ward with his eyes however he hoped there was a chance that he could spot this ''keyhole'' Alfreda mentioned if they spent a few days searching for it. As for Alfreda''s latter point... "The only person who might have known about where this ''keyhole'' as you call it is now dead. Remember when we arrived at Minsk the wizarding community there seemed as though it had completely vanished. If we went back there''s a small chance we''d even find a witch or wizard let alone one that would have information on this ward... It''s clear that the death eaters spread across Europe must have infiltrated different ministries which allowed the ones we found in Minsk to know about how to reach the giants here in Minsk...". Thinking about how hasty he was in his questioning of that death eater in Minsk, Oz cursed at himself internally. If he spent more time questioning him he may have found out how to find this ''keyhole'', heck he might have found out what was going on with the wizarding community in Minsk just vanishing. Only muggles were roaming the streets there which made no sense considering it was the capital of Belarus. "So are we to just search the forest for the entrance then master?". Oz nodded at Alfreda with a strained grin. "As annoying as it will be... Yes thats all we can do for now". . The second day came rolling around and both Oz and Alfreda ate breakfast, packed up and started to walk again through the forest cloaked for safety still. Knowing they were now walking in circles to some extent Oz began to mark trees using a simple ''diffindo'' cutting an X into them. After a half a day of walking he started to see the trees he had marked again which confirmed their theory that they were walking in circles. Truth be told, Oz didn''t need to mark the trees as he could recall scenes perfectly with his ''Perfect Memory'' however he still felt the need to do it in order to physically confirm that they were walking in circles both to him and mainly to Alfreda who doesn''t wield the same memory power as Oz. Arriving back at the first ''Marked'' tree Oz ushered Alfreda to stop and they both sat down in the forest. Oz rested his back on a tree and Alfreda warded off the area they were in before uncloaking herself and then placing a mat on the dirt to sit on. Oz closed his eyes as Alfreda seemed to be preparing some kind of food for the both of them. Inside Oz''s mind presently he was recalling the entire journey around in a circle that led to this point. His focus was on anything that seemed ''off'', even if it was little. Each trees shape, each rock''s placement, each stream that shot through the forest. Every single one surfaced in Oz''s mind as he searched for some kind of pattern, something to go off of that could potentially be the ''Keyhole'' into the central area of the forest and to where the Giants resided. He sat with his eyes closed for nearly an hour getting frustrated at how there was no obvious sign before he was tapped lightly by Alfreda. Opening his eyes, he could see Alfreda''s emerald eyes peering into his. "Master, I''ve made some food for us". Looking at the mat Alfreda had placed down Oz could see a spread of food. As such with Alfreda all the food seemed nutritionally balanced showing her deep care for her master. Oz''s demeanour and character could easily make one forget sometimes however he is a boy whose growing still. Oz moved himself from the tree he leant against onto the mat and sat opposite Alfreda who sat herself down first. Looking at Alfreda he gave a warm smile. "Thanks for the meal". "I told you master you don''t have to thank me each time I make food... It''s my job after all". Oz laughed a bit as he helped himself to some salad. "It just feels natural. When I was... younger I''d always thank those who presented me a good meal. If I don''t do it feel all antsy even if its the persons ''job'' to feed me". Of course Oz twisted the truth slightly on that point, the reason he would always thank whoever fed him actually stemmed back to his previous life as Blake. He couldn''t remember much of his parents even with his perfect memory now however certain scenes surfaced in his mind from time to time and one was his then dad telling him to always be polite to those who fed him. He''d always thank his parents for a meal from then on and even after their accident, he would still continue that ''thanks'' when he was at the orphanage he ended up at. For a time after he lost his parents, all the orphanage owners would hear from him was a ''Thanks'' when food was given to him, thats how ingrained that rule was in Oz''s mind. Although it was only recently in this world he started to do it again, mostly brought on by Alfreda personally cooking for him. It wasn''t like he would eat in the great hall at Hogwarts and thank each elf in the kitchen afterwards. It only happened in the case when a meal was prepared for him specifically. ''I guess she just reminded me of those days...'' With a slight nostalgia tinted in his eyes, Oz began to eat the food presented in front of him. Alfreda smiled seeing her master appreciative of her cooking as she also helped herself to some food. The light in the forest seemed to dim more and more as they continued their meal and eventually the two of them finished as night fell. Looking up at the moon Oz sighed realising he''d spend a second night in this forest and not where the giants were. Then again, it wasn''t like he was in a rush. Sometimes taking it slow like this was needed... . Waking up on his third day in the forest Oz stepped out of the tent and looked towards the direction of where the sun was rising. The light pierced through different parts of the forest, bathing the area they were camping in in a warm light. As Oz breathed in the fresh air a thought crossed his mind. "It''s been... 39 days now since I left Hogwarts last year". Recalling back to when he apparated with Alfreda back to Merlin''s hideout, creating the Magi-Cast and stocking up for the journey, making the trip to Romania and then to here he calculated in his mind that already nearly 40 days had passed since the start of his journey around the world. Only a couple weeks of Hogwarts summer was left until the rest of the gang would find themselves back in Hogwarts again, the gang with the exception of Hogwarts. ''I wonder how those guys are doing... I''m sure they will be fine''. Oz was confident in those he left behind. Not only that he had the mirrors as well as his marauders map. The mirrors would allow him to correspond with Harry and Rose whereas the map would allow him to track movements even if he isn''t at the school. Oz didn''t think the latter would still work out of Britain however it still seemed to be connected. Even whilst not being at school this year he''d still have it all in his grasp. Turning back to the tent Oz noticed that Alfreda was still sleeping which was rare. He decided to let the elf sleep as he exercised himself a bit, stretching his muscles so he was ready for the day. As he finished his exercise he sat down again against a tree and began to contemplate over the situation he was in still. ''This ''keyhole'' is still impossible to find... There''s no section of this ward that seems ''suspicious''... Will I have to keep walking into trees and jumping into puddles until I eventually find the entrance?''. Oz sighed as he hit his head against the tree behind him. A light smack of annoyance as he tried to rack his brains over what could be going on here. The light that pooled through the forest was changing direction as the sun rose. Looking towards the direction of the sun Oz felt the warmth of different waves of light hitting him. As he relaxed a bit he started to hear Alfreda wake up in the tent, it seemed she woke up and immediately started preparing breakfast. ''Such a caring elf... How the fu?k did you abandon such a kind person Merlin?'' If it was Oz before Romania he might have made an excuse in his mind for Merlin however now he saw Merlin in a truly negative light. The man definitely had flaws and that ''Obsession'' for knowledge obviously led to him becoming somewhat sociopathic. Helena Ravenclaw was another example of a victim of this nature of Merlin. Oz might be cold-hearted at times and even manipulative however if he truly came to like someone as he did with both Alfreda and Norberta, he couldn''t just abandon them for his goals. Both of them had become important characters in his journey in this life and his connection with them was the greatest out of everyone he had met thus far. He never wanted to allow his hunger for knowledge to overtake his emotional aspects as it did Merlin. He was already alone in one life until the end he''d rather not have the same happen in his second life as well. ''Although one thing I have to admit is that if that damn ancestor of mine was here instead of me I bet he''d have found a way through already... heck he''d have probably blown the ward up or somethin-''. As Oz was continuing his thoughts about Merlin his eyes locked onto a certain area in the forest in front of him past the tent him and Alfreda had set up. A normal wizard would never have noticed this incredibly small detail however Oz noticed something that seemed ''off'' with his heightened sight from his eyes. The light that pooled through the forest from the sun, the rays that pierced towards him. There was an area ahead where that light seemed to not reach... No, it''d be better to say that the light did reach the area but it almost looked fake in that area, as if it was refracting weirdly. Looking at the tent where Alfreda was still cooking, Oz put his cloak and and then cloaked himself also as he ran towards the area that seemed suspicious. His mind seemed to start to piece together why this specific location was so hard to spot before. The light that came from the sun through the forest had to hit the ''off'' area in a specific way for anyone to notice it was ''off''. The Illusion ward was practically flawless as nobody would usually notice the slight difference in light refraction however this was Oz we were talking about, not some normal wizard. He dashed through the forest and as he arrived at the area he got a closer look at the weird rays of light that were definitely strange. Sure enough as Oz got to the area, there was a tree within the ''off'' area. Oz stepped up to the tree and as he got closer and closer to it the tree seemed to grow in size. It was a strange phenomenon but it felt as though Oz himself was shrinking as he got closer to the tree that was in the ''off'' area in this illusion ward. When he finally was face to face with the trunk of the tree the tree itself seemed 10x bigger than it initially was. The trunk was as thick as a double-decker bus. Oz reached his hand out and placed it onto the now huge trunk of the tree and injected some magic into it. As he did the magic within him entered into the tree and seemed to follow the bark forming different runes. Each rune displayed on the tree seemed incredibly ancient. ''These runes... they are incredibly similar to the ones at Stonehenge''. Noticing this Oz took a deeper look at the runes as they formed from his magic power. Eventually all the runes lit up on the tree and the trunk of the tree seemed to fold in on itself, opening up a massive door. Looking through the door, Oz saw an incredible sight. ''I''ve finally found you tall bastards''. Within the door was a forest where the trees where as big as the one Oz was facing now in the Illusion ward. The giants within made the trees look normal however. Within this giant forest though were countless massive houses and areas where the giants seemed to reside. Looking through this door it was like looking into another world completely, as if this ward was cut off from the world in a more mystical way than Oz could have ever guessed. Oz really wanted to enter however he knew he shouldn''t just ditch Alfreda here. Stepping back the runes on the door seemed to dim and the tree unfolded closing the door to the Giant''s forest leaving just the big tree behind. Oz looked in the direction of the camp he and Alfreda had set up and could still see it there. Quickly he ran back towards camp to tell Alfreda the good news... . Oz arrived back in the ward just as Alfreda exited the tent with breakfast. Oz smiled at her as he began to explain what he had discovered. "Over in that direction is the tree that is the ''keyhole''... I would never have found it if it wasn''t for chance, luck and these eyes. I made sure to fully memorise the area where the entrance is alongside marking it a whilst running back". Alfreda smiled widely hearing that her master had solved this Illusion wards riddle. "That''s great master! However... you should eat first before we head there~". Oz calmed down his excitement as he saw all the food Alfreda had made. Although he was keen to go to the Giants Forest now, it''d be extremely rude to just ignore the food made for him. "You''re right, You''re right... thanks for the food". Quickly eating his breakfast along with Alfreda they both finished their meals and packed up their tent. Cloaking themselves as they destroyed the ward they were in. Oz grabbed Alfreda''s hand as he led her towards the direction. As the two approached the familiar tree Oz let go of her hand and spoke. "This here is the ''keyhole''... The closer you get to this tree the bigger it gets until you finally are face to face with its bark". Oz and Alfreda started to walk towards the tree and as Oz experienced the first time it grew and grew until the were face to face with its bark. Thinking on how complex this entrance was to find Oz had it on good authority now to believe that both the death eaters as well as Hagrid must have had help in getting into the Giants area. To put it simply, it was like they had the ''password'' in whilst Oz had to try to crack the password by force. Heck, there was a chance that they might have even just been apparated in by someone in the Belarus Wizarding Government considering their connections. Placing his hand on the tree, the runes that Oz saw before lit up once again. Alfreda looked at the runes in wonder and Oz noted that she was probably recognising that the runes were similar to the ones at Stonehenge. The trees bark folded in on itself and inside the tree was the same view Oz had seen earlier. They had both finally arrived at the ''Giants Forest''. =================================== A/N - Here''s an early Christmas present for you all. Probably one of the longest chapters I''ve written to date (4200 words). Includes some Oz back story, Alfreda and Oz talk, Riddle solving (not tom). I could have easily done 3 parts for this like the Romanian mountain however I''d rather not keep that a normal occurrence... so sometimes a chapter just needs to be bible length. I hope you all have a good Christmas. I''ll be back properly in the new year :) Chapter 129 - [Belarus] - Oz vs Golgomath As the giants counted down in their tongue, Oz braced himself for the fight ahead. He knew in some ways he was a bit in over his head challenging a giant like this even with his dragon physique plus augmentum running full throttle however this was the only way the him of right now could grow further, throwing himself into the thick of battle. ((("FIGHT"))) As soon as Ifum and the giants in the crowd shouted fight Oz darted forwards to Golgomath at a fast speed. Golgomath on the other hand stood still with a sly grin, looking down on the little wizard approaching him at such a speed. Throwing his arm out, Oz punched towards Golgomath who mirrored Oz''s actions, punching right back. *BOOOOM* The clash between Golgomath and Oz resulted in a shockwave that sounded out through the arena. Oz was forced back a few steps from the clash, his arm in pain due to the clash. Surprisingly though, Oz''s arm was still in tact despite clashing with a giant. As the giants in the crowd realised this, there opinions on the match suddenly changed. This was especially so for Ifum who seemed to all of a sudden hold a glint of hope in her eyes. Whilst the first clash seemed to show that Oz had the strength to be here to some degree it still showed how powerful Golgomath was. The prodigy giant hadn''t even budged a single bit. ("Impressive little wizard! This fight maybe somewhat interesting!"). Golgomath seemed to spit something out as he charged towards Oz, not giving Oz a moment of break. As Oz saw Golgomath charge at him he noted that the notion of giants being inherently ''slow'' was bullshit. ''How the fu?k can he move so fa-''. Before Oz could even finish his though Golgomath was on him unleashing a punch much more powerful than the one before. Oz''s intuition told him meeting this fist would be a terrible idea considering the force it was coming at him at. At this moment, Oz pushed augmentum to its fullest, forcing it to help his reaction speed instead of overall strength. With augmentum running overtime, Oz was able to dodge the punch by a hair''s breadth. Golgomath looked down at the little wizard stunned. It was very rare for an opponent, especially a frail wizard like Oz to dodge his ?ssault like that. As Oz dodged the ?ssault he immediately made some distance between them. Oz wiped the sweat from his brow as he tried to think of how he could get the upper hand in this fight. Sadly for Oz, nothing came to mind immediately. After all, it was Oz''s first time in a brutal clash like this, a hands to hands fight. Oz just so happened to also pick a giant as his first opponent in a fight like this which was basically skipping to the end boss instead of slowly working through the dungeon. ''All I can do is continue to fight and fight and fight until I see some sort of opening''. To everyone''s surprise after Golgomath''s ?ssault, Oz who had just gained distance charged directly back at Golgomath ready for another clash. Golgomath smiled as he welcomed the little wizard. This clash however went differently to the first. Oz who punched out wasn''t met with Golgomath''s fist but instead was dodged by Golgomath. ''Shit-''. This single bit of contact launched Oz towards one side of the arena, crashing into the floor. The giants around the arena roared seeing such a display. Ifum on the other hand seemed to lose the glint of hope in her eyes, regressing back to cheering and jeering along with the crowd. At the side of the stadium, the one anomaly in the crowd Alfreda looked like she was ready to charge into the arena. As a matter of fact she already had the plan in her mind that if her master was near death she would apparate both of them out of there. Golgomath looked sneeringly over at Oz who was picking himself up. Oz clutched the side of his stomach, blood coming out of his mouth as he looked at the prodigy giant. ''Another thing I didn''t account for... I thought giants were just brute force braindead idiots but in fact, they have experience in battle. They may even have martial experience to some extent. He exploited my dumb decision to charge right at him again''. The heat of battle was rising. The blood that poured from Oz''s mouth, the pain he felt to his side, the numbness he felt in his arm. They all felt vivid as day to Oz. Yet despite this position he was in, he looked at Golgomath with a cold smile. His blood was started to boil at this fight. Looking at Oz''s cold smile towards him, Golgomaths sneering look changed to that of confusion and surprisingly for him, even a slight fear. Feeling this fear he instantly shook it off and charged at Oz again in anger at his own fleeting emotions. Oz who b?r?ly had time to catch his breath prepared for another clash. Trying to find a weakness in a fight like this was next to impossible. Golgomath may be insufferable but he was a prodigy giant who had been fighting fights like this all his life. His experience was many times above Oz. All Oz could do was experience clash after clash, growing his own experience and hope an opening showed itself. Clash after clash after clash. Oz constantly went against Golgomath. The giants who watched the fight were in awe as they saw this little wizard constantly pick himself up again and charge in for another round. The most shocking thing was the little wizard visibly improved with each clash. Golgomath seemed to slowly be getting more and more enraged as the fight continued, his attacks becoming more ferocious and cunning. After one of many clashes Oz found himself standing up slowly again. His vision was slightly blurred from the continuous hits he was receiving at times. As the fight progressed he managed to dodge more and more attacks yet some still reached him. His body was covered in wounds, bludgeoned by a giants fist all over. Meanwhile Golgomath looked fine with only slight bruises appearing on different parts of his body where Oz had managed contact. Oz didn''t know how long he had fought at this point. He had fully absorbed himself into the fight neglecting his condition. He focused fully on improving his hand to hand combat capability. ''I need some sort of way to damage him more... but how!?''. Gritting his teeth, Oz charged at Golgomath again. However unlike when he first charged at him at the beginning of the fight he this time showed a lot more control and planning towards his movements, his overall ability compared to the beginning of the match had changed drastically. Golgomath dodged his ?ssault and tried to land a punch on Oz however Oz managed to dodge his attack jumping to the side. As Golgomath was open, Oz put all his strength, including augmentum aiding him, into his fist as he launched it at Golgomath''s side. His fist connected with the giant and indented slightly. Golgomath winced for a split second before throwing another fist at Oz. Oz seeing this fist coming his way quickly jumped back away from the fist. Looking at where he landed a hit Oz''s frustration grew. ''Theres no way for me to win this using my fists. On top of that ''Augmentum'' is nearly about to be used up... I wish I could just turn into a dragon and crush him but I have no experience fighting in that form either''. Oz was at his wits end in this fight. Without being able to use magic in this fight he was backed into a corner fully. If it wasn''t for ''Augmentum'' and his dragons blood improving his physique somewhat, Oz would have died in the first clash with Golgomath. Even with these two abilities aiding him though, he was accruing many injuries and soon he would be completely spent out. Golgomath didn''t give Oz any time to think of a solution as he continued to charge him. More clashes continued and it was become noticeable to the crowd that Oz was now getting more and more exhausted especially with the number of wounds on him. The giants in the crowd had all come to deeply respect this little wizard including Ifum. When he first arrived and asked to challenge their prodigy they thought him a fool. Yet watching his sheer determination in this fight, watching him constantly get back up clashing over and over again, they started to hold a deep respect for the little wizard called ''Oz''. After an unfortunate clash, Oz found himself launched out towards a side of the stadium, his face laid in the dirt. He immediately picked himself back up. Adrenaline marched through his body making the injuries he had gathered on his body feel like nothing. His mind was working overtime trying to find a way to turn the tide of battle before its too late. His perfect memory was running through nearly every event he''d been through hoping for a solution, maybe in a book somewhere was a giants weak point, maybe an internal spell Oz glossed over that could give him an edge. At this point he was desperate, searching for anything. As his mind worked overtime he suddenly remembered a scene with Alfreda one summer, within Merlin''s hideout. . "Master, how did you find out about your dragon form again?". Oz smirked as he put the book he was scanning through down, looking over at the curious Alfreda who was petting Norberta. Oz looked into the fireplace as he recalled that night. "Back then I was being tutored by Dumbledore... The plan was to go through an Animagus ritual to get my Animagus form. I don''t know how or why, maybe something within the Animagus ritual itself, but my ''blood'' reacted violently to the ritual and overtook it. I transformed into my dragon form then and there. When I transformed back to my original form my physique, my eyes and some parts of my appearance had changed... I''ll never forget that old mans shocked and fearful eyes looking at me when I turned back to my human form hahaha". "The only explanation that comes to mind is that my blood was dormant since I was... born. When the Animagus ritual tried to give me a ''beast'' form my blood responded violently as it had already laid its ''claim'' on me. In that moment it awoke and presented me with a dragon form instead of a normal Animagus form". Alfreda nodded at her masters words and silence once again filled the hideout. Oz looked at Norberta who was sleeping soundly next to Alfreda. A random thought spilled out his lips looking at the young dragon. "I wonder... if Dragon form is different to Animagus form in some ways...". . Oz didn''t know why he remembered this event in the heat of battle however those words he spoke near the end of the memory seemed to linger. ''Dragon form is different to Animagus form...'' Whilst Oz continued his thoughts he was still clashing with Golgomath again and again. The cycle of constant clashes felt endless. The only change was Golgomath''s face which was slowly becoming twisted more and more as the fight continued. ''Fuck if only I had claws or some-''. Oz''s mind stopped at that thought. An idea sprung to mind, something he never would have tried if it wasn''t for this moment of desperation. His memory interlinked with the thought he just had. ''Dragon form is different to Animagus form... If only I had claws...''. Oz was once again launched away by Golgomath and yet again he stood up. It was hard to see a part of Oz that wasn''t caked in blood at this point. Despite his appearance though, he still stood up every single time. Oz''s eyes gleamed a deep purple looking at Golgomath. A radical idea had formed in his head. ''It''s the only thing I can think of...''. A deep draconic aura spilled out from Oz as the giants who watched on shrunk back in fear. This included Golgomath who stopped his ?ssault to look at Oz deeply. Alfreda on the other hand who was watching the fight ready to grab Oz at any moment looked at her master in shock. "Masters... transforming?". This similar aura would spill out when Oz would turn into his dragon form. However it would usually only be present for a split second as the form change began. This time however, the aura was still spilling out despite Oz who should have transformed at this time. Oz''s eyes looked bloodshot and it seemed as though he was trying to ''control'' something within himself. Oz took off his right hands glove that was tattered from the fight anyway, exposing his bruised hand that had gone through many clashes. To the entire audiences surprise, the hand seemed to be bubbling weirdly. After some moments of bubbling, the skin on Oz''s hand started to turn black. black and scaly. "What is master doing!?". Alfreda was completely stumped along with the giants that stood by her in the crowd. Oz''s hand seemed to be morphing. Scales appeared, his hand turned black and his nails grew into claws. After a short period of confusion, the crowd looked at Oz''s hand in awe. Chapter 130 - [Belarus] - Death of a Prodigy Oz looked down at his right hand in glee. His gamble had paid off. As far as he was aware Animagus transformation couldn''t do something like this, the only similar instance would be what Tonks could do as a Metamorphmagus however even that wasn''t on the same level as this. This dragon claw was his hand, something he had perfect control over unlike something developed through magic. If it was before Oz went to Romania, this trick would be impossible to duplicate. With the disharmony between himself and his blood before meeting Arauthator, his blood would not have listened to him as it did in this instance allowing him to only transform a part of his body. Even with his blood now listening to him, keeping us this single claw was sapping a ton of energy out of Oz. However... ''It''s manageable''. Oz''s bloodshot purple eyes looked across at the stunned Golgomath who stop its ?ssault. Meanwhile in the crowd every giant that had gathered to watch this fight couldn''t fathom what had just happened. They felt a fearful aura from Oz and that aura was centered around Oz''s new claw. It was an aura of something at the top of the food chain, a dominating presence. Golgomath seemed to grow angry at his own fear as he yelled out. ("LITTLE WIZARD, THE RULES STATED NO MAGIC") As this comment was yelled out by Golgomath all the surrounding giants seemed to start clamouring as well. To them, it seemed as though Oz used some kind of magic for this to happen and the rules stated before the bout was for there to be no use of magic. Looking up at Ifum, Oz saw a conflicted gaze in her eyes as she then called out. ("Speak Oz, is that claw magic?"). Alfreda called out to Oz a translation as he looked up at Ifum. He already knew what she was saying to some extent. "This isn''t magic. This is my own power. You felt that aura I gave off right? It was completely different to magic in every way. This is an ability that comes from my own blood". Alfreda translated for everyone what Oz said and they all stared at Oz with complicated expressions. Compared to the magic wizards usually used Oz''s application was indeed incredibly different and they couldn''t deny that when his hand transformed the aura it gave off was nothing like normal magic. As a matter of fact it was more ''beast-like'' than magical. Ifum seemed to dwell on the matter for a while before declaring... ("What Oz says has substance to it Golgomath. I''ve seen those little wizards use magic a lot in my life but that was certainly completely different. From what I can tell, that claw is a ''part'' of him as much as our hands are a part of us. Its not produced by magic, its produced by his own ability. His own blood!") ("With that... The fight continues uninterrupted!") Golgomath seemed to sneer as he looked back at Oz''s right ''claw''. He shook his head as he roared out again. ("Those puny tricks wont get you anywhere anyway!"). Golgomath restarted his ?ssault on Oz, charging straight at him. Oz calmed himself down as the giant rushed at a great speed at him. A smile grew on his face as he relished in the situation he was in. This was a situation he could never have been apart of in Hogwarts. Putting himself on the line, pushing himself to his limits allowed him to be able to pull off this feat that even he before hand would have thought impossible. This was what this journey and year was all about, breaking the limits of his own potential through dire situations. In the birdcage that was Hogwarts Oz would have been limited in his growth however in the entire wizarding world Oz was like a carp that was jumping over the dragon gate. When the jump finished at the end of the year, he would be a dragon that would be feared by everyone. Golgomath swung his fist down towards Oz at a rapid speed. Seeing the oncoming fist Oz augmented himself with a burst of strength to dodge the attack. As Oz did so, he clawed at Golgomath with his right claw. Unlike before where his punches left only slight marks onto the prodigy giant, this time a gash was left in the giants stomach. It wasn''t deep but compared to the other injuries Oz had given to the giant this one stood out. Oz backed up from Golgomath with a cold smile on his face knowing he could damage this giant now. He had been tossed around by this fu?ker for too long. Bloodied, beaten and broken by this ''prodigy'' giant. He could now flip this fight on its head and turn the tide of battle. Golgomath looked down at the wound on his stomach with a look of shock which again turned into anger. It seemed as though with this giant whenever it felt an emotion of ''weakness'' it transformed that emotion into rage and anger, Suitable for a savage beast like this. Golgomath after seeing its own blood spilling from its stomach roared loudly and charged Oz again. Oz smiled as he charged forwards also. Clash after clash after clash. The two fought brutally. Unlike previously though with Oz getting constantly beaten this time it seemed as though Golgomath was the one that was getting scarred from each clash. The wounds on the giant grew in number with each clash, more blood pouring out each time. Ifum who watched from the crowd seemed to clench her fists as she stared at Oz with a glint of hope in her eyes seeing how Oz was actually injuring Golgomath. Golgomath was the ''prodigy'' of the tribe. It was fate that eventually her and Golgomath would have brawled and in her heart she knew that Golgomath would have been too much for her. Even though giants relished in battle and some even took honour in death having reached a position like she had just to have it ripped away so soon was something she couldn''t b?r?. After a few more clashes both Oz and Golgomath stood opposite each other once more, both worse for wear. Oz might look like he had the upper hand after his ''partial-dragonification'' but his energy was being sapped incredibly quickly alongside his magic. Oz could probably only go for several more clashes before his hand transformed back and his augmentum wore off. It was a point to be said at this point that Oz''s magic capacity was immense in comparison to others at his level. He was still at the peak of the second step, stagnated from breaking through. However despite not being able to get to the third step Oz''s magic capacity still seemed to grow and get denser and denser meaning the amount of magic Oz could use was much much more than any other peak second step wizard. Maybe it was a characteristic of those with dragons blood? Oz didn''t know at this point. ''The only way to win this is to look for an opening and take it... pour all my magic and energy into one strong attack to kill this damn giant''. As Golgomath''s wounds grew, so did his anger. Oz wouldn''t attacking the giant randomly either, his claw marks aimed for areas that were ''weak points'' on a giant. In doing this, openings on the giants body were becoming more and more easier to spot. Compared to when Oz was fighting him at the beginning of this fight he was a hundred times sloppier in his movements. An opening was bound to show soon and Oz needed to take it the second it did. In this split moment of thought Oz looked into the crowd at Alfreda and saw the elfs worried face. He gave a smile towards the elf showing her that he was capable of winning this, that he was confident. Alfreda''s face seemed to shift at Oz''s smile as she grew calmer. As Oz looked at Alfreda though he also noticed something else. ''Why is she recording this?''. Alfreda was holding a magi-cast in her hand. Oz had given her one when he finished creating them back in Merlin''s hideout telling her to ''capture some memories'' with it. He thought she would use it to film scenery or something not this kind of brutal battle. Oz let out a long sigh as his brain refocused back on the battle. ("I WILL KILL YOU LITTLE WIZARD! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA") Golgomath roared as he charged Oz for the umpteenth time. At this point Oz was getting sick of seeing this giant charge him like this. Regardless of his own thoughts though, Oz still stayed vigilant as he knew better than anyone this giants strength was not to be underestimated. The giant threw its whole body into a punch and as it did so its weight shifted too drastically. Seeing this situation happen Oz''s eyes widened knowing it was now or never. ''NOW''. Oz augmented himself fully with all the magic he could muster within himself. Launching forward Oz''s weaved past Golgomath''s fist and plunged his claws directly towards Golgomath''s ?h?st. In this instance, time seemed to slow. The sounds of the giants clamouring, the cheers and jeers all reduced to silence as they watched this major clash. All that could be heard as the clash finish was the sound of flesh being penetrated. ("UGHHHHH....."). As the dust settled a scene was shown to the crowd that would be etched into the hearts of every giant in this tribe for generations. Their prodigy, someone they believed to be the most powerful giant in this tribe had lost all colour in his face. Looking down at the little wizard that attacked you could see a claw going directly through the ?h?st of Golgomath and out his back. Looking at Golgomath''s back you could see Oz''s claw grasping onto the giants still beating heart. The light in Golgomath''s eyes faded as Oz pulled back his clawed hand with the heart still clasped. Golgomath slumped to the floor whilst Oz panted for air deeply. This fight had lasted hours, Oz had accrued multiple injuries, Oz was tossed around constantly however in the end he managed to win. The blood in him was satisfied with the brutal fight as it burned in tangent with his spirit. He held the heart above his head in his claws grip before falling to his knees pale and weak. The normally loud giants couldn''t even muster a sound. Silence filled the arena at the scene presented to them. When they first saw Oz appear and demand a fight with their prodigy they imagine that Oz would get knocked around and eventually die or get crippled yet instead it was the complete opposite. This little wizard they looked down on had actually killed their prodigy in a fair fight. With the collapse of Oz, Alfreda jumped into the arena and charged over to him. Crouching down she quickly grabbed some first aid materials from her own pouch and started to give them to Oz. Oz still held onto his consciousness as he smiled to Alfreda thanking her. His clawed hand transformed back, losing the scales that were once present. The beating heart of Golgomath however still stayed in his hand, soaking it in blood. "Put... this in your pouch...". Alfreda heard her masters weak words on immediately did what was asked. Taking the heart from Oz she put it in a container and placed it within her pouch for safe keeping. Seeing that happen Oz smiled. Another material had been collected. After some treatment from Alfreda, Oz was finally able to stand with her support. Picking himself up he looked around at the giants that stared at him in fear and awe. Looking up at Ifum he saw both those emotions alongside a deep gratitude in her eyes. Oz could guess why that gratitude was there to some extent. It took some time for the gurg to collect herself before she finally announced the outcome of the battle. ("The- The little wizard has beaten our prodigy!"). All the giants seemed to wake up from their stupors as they heard their gurg speak. Roars echoed out from all corners of the arena as they cheered for the little wizard that had won. Chapter 131 - [Belarus] - Demon in the East The cheers of the giant didn''t seem to cease after such a rollercoaster of a battle. Seeing the little underdog wizard overpower their prodigy was something they couldn''t have dreamed of seeing yet it happened before them today. Normally a tribe would be upset with such an outcome, losing a giant that had such potential however a giant''s tribe at its core was a tribe that centered around brutal battles and this battle was something the likes of which they had never seen, exciting everyone in the vicinity. Oz smiled weakly hearing the cheers around him after the gurg declared his victory. Up to this point as of coming to this world this was the hardest fight he had ever been in. Even compared to his fight with Dumbledore this was many MANY levels above due to the sheer brutality of it. There wasn''t a part of Oz that wasn''t bruised, broken or battered yet despite these injuries littering his body, he held his head up high with a prideful aura that both stemmed from himself as well as his bloodline that seemed ''satisfied'' with the fight he had gone through. ("Never would I have expected such an outcome to happen when you first arrived here Oz and declared your intent to fight our prodigy... Such a fight was a feast for the eyes!") The Gurg Ifum seemed to be in an incredibly jubilant mood after the battle where Golgomath was killed. Oz looking at the giants face knew exactly why she was so pleased with the outcome. The giants in the vicinity still were cheering and talking loudly to the point where it was hard to hear what Ifum was saying, Alfreda still managed to translate for Oz perfectly however Ifum seemed bothered by the noise so she stood up and silenced the tribe with a loud shout before speaking again. ("You''ve certainly gained our respect Oz. Feel free to stay here within our tribe for as long as you''d like... as a matter of fact, why not we have a feast tonight to celebrate Oz''s victory!") Hearing the word ''feast'' seemed to trigger the giants within the crowd again as they cheered in glee. Alfreda quickly translated again for Oz and Oz after understanding what Ifum was saying to him gave a nod to the Gurg who smiled back noting that Oz had accepted her offer. Ifum once again looked out at the crowd of giants and immediately told them to disperse. As they did they all ran off into different parts of the forest and clashes between giants could be heard within seconds. ("Hahahaha, It seems the blood within the tribe is boiling after that fight!"). Ifum let out a hearty laugh as she heard the clashes of battle in the distance after the giants finally dispersed from the arena. Looking down the only two people left were Oz and Alfreda, the latter of whom was tending to Oz''s wounds carefully yet quickly applying all sorts of healing herbs, medicine and giving Oz potions in order to heal him as quickly as possible. "There''s no need to rush Alfreda-" Alfreda blanked her master as she continued to tend to him at a crazy speed. Oz already noticed this before however it seemed whenever it came to his own health Alfreda seemed to go crazy trying to heal him. Seeing that she wasn''t listening, Oz simply sighed and let her do what she wanted. He had no energy at the moment to fight back anyway. Ifum scanned the two for a moment before smiling at Oz, telling him to turn up later for a great feast. As she told him these words, she departed quickly and the fighting noises within the forest surrounding seemed to grow. Some time passed and finally Alfreda backed off from Oz. Oz at this point in time was bandaged almost head to toe with enough potions in his system to heal anyone from the brink of death. After the healing session Oz was able to stand up on his own. Looking at Alfreda with gentle eyes he patted her on the head. "Thank you for helping me there". "It''s what im here for master...". Oz looked over to where Ifum departed from with a dazed look in his eyes. Alfreda noticing her masters gaze spoke softly. "Is there something on your mind?". Oz sighed as he began to voice his thoughts to Alfreda. "I''m just... confused as to how Ifum is the gurg is all. She seems to have some level of intelligence and im sure she has a decent amount of strength to back herself too however the way she leads, the way she speaks, none of what she does has the ''feeling'' of a leader. It feels as though she was randomly placed in that position. After all if she was a true leader of her tribe she would have trampled Golgomath at first chance however she instead let Golgomath get away with anything, seemingly scared of the ''prodigy''". Talking about Golgomath Oz looked over at the corpse of the giant he had fought so desperately. Even though Golgomath was set to be a follower of Voldemort, Oz was still grateful towards the Golgomath in front of him. Not just because of the fact he now had a giants heart in his mitts but also because of how much experience with fighting he gained during the bloody battle. Not only that, he also managed to discover how to use his dragon blood to partially dragonise a part of himself which down the line could become incredibly handy when he gets a better hang of it. "Alongside all this Karkus who I had heard to be the gurg was seemingly killed years ago and replaced with Ifum. It just all seems a bit weird...". Oz knew that somehow his existence in this world had led to this bu??erfly effect happening however he couldn''t pinpoint a ''reason'' for it at all. Ifum was a completely new entity which had never appeared in the Harry Potter series canon at all and with her qualities that displayed how she wasn''t the ''best'' leader it seemed strange that such a giant randomly took up the mantle of Gurg. "I guess what''s done is done though. No use thinking about it too heavily now... Let''s get back to the tent and rest before this ''feast''". Oz started to walk back towards the forest, Alfreda in tow, with his face still holding slight puzzlement towards the situation. However that puzzlement soon ceased and was replaced with a relaxed expression. He had done what he needed to do here, gathered what he wanted and even improved himself further beyond the limits of what he could do before. This trip to the giants tribe had been a success. . Night fell on the forest quicker than expected after Oz and Alfreda returned to camp. Mainly due to how long the fight between Oz and Golgomath actually ended up lasting despite how early it started in the day. Oz spent most of his time relaxing in his bed in the tent up to when it grew dark outside, allowing his wounds to heal. With his dragon physique alongside the careful yet speedy tending from Alfreda, he healed up much faster than any normal person would have and as night creeped over of the forest he was practically fully healed internally. All that remained from the fight were the bruises that littered his body. His tattered clothing was fixed up by Alfreda who handed it back to him. Even though he placed a lot of defensive enchantments and such on these clothes it seemed to b?r?ly nullify the impact Golgomath had whenever his fist managed to collide into Oz. Oz took off the spare clothing he had on and placed on the clothing he mainly travelled in. He thanked Alfreda for her work again and the two stepped out of the tent and out of the ward placed around it. As soon as they did they could hear the yells and cheers of giants towards the center of the forest. "Looks like we will be fashionably late". Alfreda giggled hearing Oz''s quip as the two headed towards the center of the forest, towards the same location where Oz had just fought Golgomath earlier today. As they reached the clearing they saw the crowd of giants gathered again however instead of being gathered around the center where the arena was they were scattered around the clearing eating different food, sparring each other and drinking strong smelling booze. ("The star of the show finally shows himself!") ("I brought my newborn to the fight and it saw your triumphant win! It only feels fitting that you name the baby, blessing it into being a fine warrior like yourself!") The giant didn''t seem to let up and was adamant about Oz naming her newborn baby. The father stood behind her with a smile on his face seemingly looking forward to the name Oz would give. Oz on the other hand who had just heard the translation from Alfreda seemed a bit distressed. "I suck at giving names to things let alone to a newborn giant... what the hell kind of name do I give it?". Alfreda couldn''t help but laugh seeing her master in such a plight. "Just name it whatever you feel fits right master... Most giants honestly don''t care about names unless its truly bad". Oz took a moment to think before telling Alfreda his first idea. "This little ones name should be... Zeke" Alfreda''s face instantly warped hearing her masters suggestion. Looking over at the expectant giant couple with their baby she bit her lip and decided to be honest with her master. "That name... is definitely not going to work". Looking at Alfreda''s face that seemed as though she had just eaten something incredibly bitter Oz felt a sense of defeat. He started to list of more names and each time Alfreda seemingly struck them down telling Oz they were no good. The surrounding giants that saw Oz and Alfreda nearby the giant couple seemed to start pooling in curious at what was going on. Before long there was a decently sized crowd waiting for Oz to finally come up with a name for this new-born. In the giants eyes it seemed as though Oz was thinking hard as they couldn''t understand him however Alfreda knew the truth, the truth being if she didn''t step in this poor giant babies name would have been ''Zeke''. "Fine how about... Cronus". Alfreda who seemed to be primed to make a rebuttal stopped herself as she heard the name. Cronus had a good ring to it and was a reference to norse mythology in which a giant was named Cronus. Such a name that was related to a powerful giant in mythology was bound to be widely accepted by the giants. She turned her head away from Oz and told the giants the name Oz had decided to give this newborn. ("Cronus... I... LIKE IT!") The couple seemed incredibly happy with their newborns new name and the cheers in the crowd erupted at the naming of the newborn giant. Oz heaved a sigh of relief as this name he gave finally landed with Alfreda and was good enough for the giants to be so jubilant... even if it did take many attempts. The crowd dispersed after that little event and Oz headed directly for Ifum taking no detours this time worried that he would have to go through an ordeal like that again. Finally they arrived in front of Ifum who turned her attention away from her food and looked at both Oz and Alfreda. ("You''ve finally arrived! Take a seat! Take a seat! There''s plenty of grub to go around!") There of course wasn''t actually a seat as Ifum was motioning Oz and Alfreda to both sit down on the floor like she was eating. They both obliged, sitting down and grabbing some of the food laid out before them. Alfreda picked out some raw meat and tapped Oz on the shoulder whispering in his ear. "Master... I don''t think any of this food is edible for us...". Oz took a long look at the spread and noticed that Alfreda''s words were right on the money. Literally the entire spread was raw beast flesh amongst an abundance of other weird substances that when smelt immediately made Oz feel sick to his stomach. Noting this, Oz and Alfreda both decided to refrain from eating and planned on cooking a meal when they got back to their tent after this feast. Ifum on the other hand didn''t realise these humans couldn''t eat this food and took their neglect to eat as a sign that they were ''already full''. Alfreda translated for herself and Oz stating that they weren''t hungry confirming Ifum''s ''suspicions''. As she heard Alfreda''s words though, a lightbulb seemed to appear on her head as her eyes flashed in remembrance over something. ("Ah, That reminds me!"). Ifum stopped eating for a moment as she reached down to her side and picked up a small device. She passed this device over to Oz who looked at it in confusion. Using his eyes he scanned the device and reading the runes placed on it he immediately realised what it was. "This is a... translator?! How the hell does Ifum have this?!". Alfreda asked Ifum about the origin of the translator and she simply replied. ("One time when that little group of wizards came they interrupted an important event in our tribe. We killed a few of them in retaliation and scared them away from our forest for a while. On one of the corpses, the one little wizard that seemed to understand and even be able to talk to us was this device") Looking at the device a bit longer Oz started to realise how intricate its design was. It simply slipped over his ear and when activated it started to translate Ifum''s words as well as his own. Sadly for Oz however this translator only seemed to include ''Giant''s lounge'' and no other languages. The runes inside the translator were already complex enough as it is so adding more languages to this device seemed impossible. Despite this though Oz was still pleased and thankful for this little device, with it he could use it as a reference to eventually craft his own. ''The ''little gathering of wizards'' that Ifum keeps mentioning has to be the Ministry here in Belarus. It''s not surprising that they would have a device like this developed considering how the giants reside so close to their capital and they need a way to form diplomatic relations with them...''. ("Finally I can talk to you properly instead of through Alfreda") The translator was truly a magical device as when activated it automatically changed the words coming out of Oz''s mouth to giants tongue despite the fact that he felt like he was speaking English. Ifum hearing Oz''s voice smiled. ("Yes, this is much better! Honestly I should have given this to you sooner however the thought slipped my mind during the excitement and anticipation of the battle"). Oz for some reason didn''t buy this line of thinking and thought instead that Ifum didnt gift him this because she expected him to die in the fight against Golgomath. Giants were a big fan of magical things and this translator was something Ifum would have wanted to keep safe no matter what. Giving it to Oz whilst he fought would have guaranteed it being destroyed so in Oz''s eyes he could guess she probably decided to refrain giving him this little translator so as to keep it free from harm. With Oz unexpectedly winning however and killing her ''rival'' to her position as Gurg, she now felt like she could give it to Oz with no repercussions. With no language barrier now the feast continued at a good pace with Oz now being able to talk to Ifum without having to ask Alfreda constantly to translate. Talks continued on for a while between Oz, Alfreda and Ifum and the feast continued in full. ("By the way Ifum, you mention this ''little gathering of wizards''. Are you referring to the ministry here in Belarus"). ("Ministry, Union, Tribe, Group whatever they want to call themselves its all the same. They always arrive here and act so cowardly, afraid of what we can do so I give them no respect"). Oz pondered for a moment before deciding to ask Ifum an important question. ("Do you know if anything has happened to that ''little group of wizards'' recently? Anything of note at all"). Ifum grabbed some more raw meat and sunk her teeth into it as she responded matter of factly to Oz''s question. ("They are out of the country at the moment from what I understand"). ("Out of country? The entire ministry?") Ifum swallowed a large amount of food and belched loudly as she looked down at Oz. ("Well I''d imagine its not the entire group... there''s probably some still skulking around this forest keeping tabs on my tribe. However the vast majority has apparently gone to India alongside other little wizard groups for something"). Hearing Ifum''s talk about how they could be monitoring outside the forest Oz realised then at that point his instinct in cloaking himself and Alfreda whilst looking for the true entrance to this place was a good move. If they didn''t cloak themselves they would have probably been spotted by the Belarus ministry remnants left here to survey this giant tribe. If that happened, a dispute or fight could have easily broken out. ("What happened in India for so many wizarding ministries to have to travel there together?"). Ifum lowered her food and looked at Oz solemnly for a moment. Her eyes grew serious as she spoke out. ("A demon has appeared in India. News has only just managed to reach here and will probably be snubbed from reaching any further west unless they are in dire need of more help. We only b?r?ly caught wind of what''s happening due to a giant tribe located nearer to India gaining information and sending it over to us..."). Oz and Alfreda looked at each other momentarily before both falling into contemplation. A demon was a broad term however whatever this demon was it was clear to them both that it was an incredibly dangerous being. Oz also found it interesting how there was a giant tribe located near India however hearing Alfreda''s words when they first arrived in the giants forest about beast tribes ''contacting'' each other and having a sort of kinship, he wasn''t all to surprised at the prospect of this specific tribe having connections outside of this forest in Belarus. As Alfreda and Oz both thought about all of this, Ifum continued on whilst eating. ("The tribe over there has only given us a few details however the Indian wizarding government sent out a plea of help towards all the countries located in a certain radius which is why most of Europe isn''t involved yet... If the threat isn''t quelled however I imagine this threat could end up becoming something worldwide") ("This so called demon is apparently supposed to be incredibly hard to catch. Its killing ability is immense and alongside that its even able to turn invisible at whim. All the little groups gathered in India are there to not only try and find this demon but also to discuss what to do in the event that this demon causes a worldwide panic if its influence spreads too far. Countless creatures and humans have already vanished due to this thing..."). Oz looked at Ifum with growing confusion due to multiple things. The main being that in the canon story this event never occurred at all. Such a worldwide event should have cropped up somewhere but it didn''t. Oz could write it off simply as another bu??erfly effect again much like how Ifum was sat in front of him instead of Karkus however his brain couldn''t help but ponder how for a moment. ''If this did happen in the canon world then maybe the threat was quelled before reaching into Europe. Alongside that this event coincides with Sirius black escaping Azkaban so the news in England would be more centered around that ''threat'' instead of this one. Also England is out in the ocean unlike these countries which are all connected so even if the threat got to that Fudge''s ears he probably decided it was not worth mentioning at all...''. ("Is there any sort of name given to this demon or is it just referred to as a demon by everyone involved?"). Ifum who finally seemed full after eating so much leant towards Oz slowly. ("I believe in India they are calling this demon a... Rakshasa"). =========================================== A/N - Apologies for being slow with uploads despite saying id try for weekly uploads. I''ve just been pretty busy is all.. Hopefully this long chapter can make up for it.