Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Quantum Magic
Ostsee Markt
11 reviewsGrowing up under the Dursley's care has turned Harry into something different.Craving knowledge with an innate curiosity and virtually no morality will take it's toll. Dark/Intelligent Harry
5Original
Quantum Magic (German-English Translations at bottom of page)
Chapter Three: Ostsee Markt
Quantum Magic (German-English Translations at bottom of page)
Chapter Three: Ostsee Markt
Landing in a heap on the ground, Aldrych dizzily looked up at Nex who looked none for the worse. Standing up disoriented, he was glad he didn't have much to eat in a while.
'What kind of a madman creates a transportation method like that; it felt as if I was in the middle of a tornado,' he thought grouchily.
Looking around Aldrych noticed he was in a large garden, covered in lush plants and sturdy willows. Various types of flowers littered the ground, with a fountain glistening in the moonlight. Further down stood a noble manor of stone, with illustrious windows that would likely glint in the sunlight. Walking to the entrance, Aldrych felt a peculiar sensation go through his body as if being searched; receding once it found what it wanted.
Opening the door, he looked around and saw it was dark in the foyer, only illuminated by the pale moonlight. Elaborate and ornate furniture decorated the interior, with diverse paintings hanging up on the walls. In the living room a large fireplace sat in the middle, with logs ready to be lit. Aldrych smiled in wonder at the grandeur of the manor, which now belonged solely to him.
Remembering he was still hungry, he wandered around the manor looking for a kitchen. Finding one towards the back, Aldrych checked a few of the cupboards and saw that they were enchanted for an increased storage area. Assorted fruits and vegetables, as well as certain meats were magically preserved to remain fresh. Taking an apple, he bit into it and shivered as the delectable sour juices enveloped his tastes. Taking a few more fruits, he went off in search of a bedroom.
Finding a spacious room, his eyes took in the soft looking bed in the center of the room, looking back at him temptingly. Lying down, he let out a contended sigh.
"Finally a bed I can enjoy – Hmm, Nex I was wondering, how do you sustain your body?"
"I usually feed on the ambient energy around me, and Gringotts had vast amounts of it. When my reserves run low though, you can just send a small amount of your necromantic energy into me." Nex explained.
Aldrych nodded and looked around him to see if there was anything of note. Finding a small note on the drawer he decided to have a look at it, while continuing to eat the fruits.
Current Occupant of Potter Manor,
The Manor is self-sustained by the various wards put up by the descendants through the years. It is advised however to add whatever additional wards you can to the collection as it is a sort of tradition. The Ward Room is located in the basement, where a few jewels contain the keyed wards. As for food and other supplements, there should be enough to last a few years, though it is advisable to find a house-elf.
In Suggestion,
Charles Potter
Creating a mental note to find out what a house-elf is later, Aldrych turned to Nex.
"Master, rest for now, I shall look over the manor and inform you of anything of note."
Aldrych nodded and finished his food in silence. Lying back on the soft mattress, his eyes closed and his exhausted consciousness left him.
.-.-.
Early next morning, Aldrych was attempting to light a magical stove when a blue flame sparked up almost singing his eyebrows. Grinning sheepishly, he took a few pieces of bacon and dropped them on the warming pan. He had woken up in a deeply refreshed state, as his subconscious assimilated the information he uncovered yesterday. Getting some oranges out of the cupboard he sliced them in half and wondered on how to make juice. Shrugging, he summoned his magic and crushed the oranges into juicy slush, throwing the remains out. Taking a sip of the delicious nectar he turned to Nex.
"Freedom sure is nice…" Aldrych mentioned to seemingly no one, "So, what did you do while I was asleep?"
Nex appeared in a smoky entrance and answered calmly. "I organized and shelved the texts we brought; they are all now in the Potter Library. Though most of the books there are highly advanced and are meant for the experienced wizard, so you'll need a more rudimentary knowledge of magic before you can learn from those."
"Hmm, we'll have to pay a visit to a wizarding alley for the more modern knowledge and supplies, however won't most of the people in Diagon Alley notice the Potter features? I can't go around with a hood; they'd think suspiciously of me."
"There are other markets scattered across Europe that we can visit, though my knowledge is limited to the 13th Century – so it's best if we check the library for their whereabouts."
Nodding, Aldrych took the bacon strips off the pan and put them on a plate. Taking a few bites of the crunchy meat, he felt a slight twinge in his forehead. Remembering about his peculiar scar, he wondered what it was now that he knew about magic.
"Nex, do you have any idea what this scar on my forehead might be? I have had it since as long as I remember, and it occasionally gives off twinges of pain."
"Curse scar?" Nex contemplated, "Let me take a look, usually scars like that are a result of powerful magic."
Gliding over to Aldrych, the shade extended its clawed appendage against the scar. Embedding an inch of its spectral claw, Nex began to inspect the mark. Feeling as if though his head was immersed in freezing cold water, Aldrych was attempting to wait patiently when he felt a blunt strike against his mind. Gasping at the pain, he dazedly looked at Nex who was contemplating.
"Master, you have a soul fragment embedded in your mind. It does not pose much danger to your soul as it is nullified, but it can cause headaches and other various problems."
"Ghistok mentioned that I was attacked by a Dark Lord when I was younger, but why would he embed his own soul inside of me…?" Aldrych questioned.
"Whatever reason he had, he was surely an idiot. To rip a fragment of your soul away and embed it in an object or person is foolish. The soul is a powerful object, as it controls, and regulates one's magic as well their personality. Ripping it apart would make you half insane and weak magically." Nex answered chuckling, "This Dark Lord gave you a part of his most precious possession. With this you can manipulate and absorb the fragment to retain a part of his powers."
"Souls can be absorbed… if so why doesn't every necromancer absorb vast amounts of souls to heighten their own power and achieve immortality?"
"To assimilate a foreign soul requires a taxing ritual which would take many days, as well as vast amounts of energy. If done incorrectly, your own soul can be weakened and reduce your lifespan by several decades. It is why you are in luck, since this supposed Dark Lord completed most of the work for you. A fine example of why non-necromancers should not attempt advanced Soul magic." Nex smiled hauntingly.
"Hmm, how can I absorb the soul fragment?"
"Plenty of the books we brought will give you perfect instructions."
Finishing his meal, Aldrych proceeded after Nex to the library. Entering, he saw numerous shelves lined up against the wall, with countless books lined up in them. A comfortable lounging chair sat in the middle, with a small table beside it. While he was looking around, Nex came back with a decently sized book titled, Assimilation of Souls. Aldrych grasped the floating book and searched through it for the necessary chapter.
Soul Absorption,
To begin the procedure of absorbing a soul, one must first be in a state of perfect meditation. Inside your mind-scape, you shall see your magical core as well as your soul. Disregard the magical core as it is not needed and proceed to the soul. If the foreign soul is already inside, you shall see another smaller sphere next to yours. If it is not inside, you will have to absorb said foreign soul. First, start by latching tendrils of your own soul onto the foreign soul. You should feel a light pull on your body, and when it stops proceed forward. Secondly, picture your soul moving closer to the foreign one until they are nigh indeterminable from each other. Once they are together, focus and envelop the foreign soul fully, until you only see one. You shall feel immense pain during this part, but you must remain focused else it shall fail. Once the foreign soul has been assimilated, it should take several months for it to become fully part of you.
"This seems very complicated Nex, are you certain I'll be able to complete it with my current knowledge?" questioned Aldrych.
"Yes Master, as I mentioned before the foreign soul is already 2/3's assimilated into you, the most difficult part will be attaining the meditation required."
"Alright, let's get started." Aldrych said, "I've meditated before to calm myself, but not enough to actually see my mind's landscape."
"Proceed with what you already know, to calm your mind fully. After you have reached that state, imagine a deep falling feeling, as if you are jumping into a bottomless pit. Once you have reached your inner mind, you should proceed with the necessary steps."
Aldrych nodded and sat down in Lotus position on the carpeted floor. Breathing in and out slowly he started to clear his mind of all thoughts and emotions. Losing himself in the darkness of his mind, he began to feel at peace. Capturing his wits, he began to imagine himself falling. Deeper he fell, until as if he hit the ground, his consciousness stopped. Opening his minds eyes, he saw a vast nothingness intermingled with cyan energy, with two mesmerizing spheres in the middle. One was a pure, violet colored sphere, thrumming and vibrating in the boundless darkness, the magical core. The other sphere was shimmering and swirling constantly, with a snow white color, the soul.
Shifting his perception slowly towards the white sphere, Aldrych recognized a smaller white sphere next to his own, but slightly blackened. It was encased in a sort of nullifying orb, which the smaller soul kept trying to breach. Thin tendrils smacked against the defensive covering, desperately, though not making a scratch. Recalling the steps, he willed his soul to send thick threads of smoky energy to wrap itself around the soul fragment. The fragment which must have noticed Aldrych's intentions by now started struggling even harder to free itself from its bonds.
Proceeding to step two, Aldrych imagined his own soul reeling the fragment forcefully to it. Loud astral wails started sounding off into the emptiness, with caused sharp stabs of pain to go through his mind. Staying focused, he continued exercising his will to bring the souls closer. Once close enough, Aldrych forcefully enveloped the smaller fragment with his own soul. Louder wails started to emit around the mental landscape, causing slight vibrations. Then it hit him, a sharp condensed pain, more painful than anything he had ever experienced throughout his life, far exceeding the beatings he received.
It felt as if though he was covered in wreathing flames from the depths of Hell. Trying to remain focused, his mind retracting painfully against its bound, when it silently stopped. A thin black vapor emerged from his soul, which was immediately smothered by cyan energy from around the vast emptiness. Staring fixedly at the now slightly larger wispy sphere, Aldrych felt contended, as if he just finished a delicious meal. Exiting out of his mind, he let out a sigh and lay back on the carpet.
"I feel like I've just ran a marathon," Aldrych mentioned to Nex, "While eating a full turkey on the way to the finish line…"
"A typical reaction when one absorbs souls, Master. No need to fear," Nex said with phantasmal smirk.
Aldrych's body groaned in strain as he stood up, stretching languidly. Glancing around, he decided to search for the information on various markets. Walking up a shelf marked, Trade, Aldrych looked for a relevant text. Finding the perfect match; a thin book titled, European Wizarding Markets through the 20th Century, he began to read.
Britain,
Diagon Alley, London
Knockturn Alley, London
Margadh Gaeilge, Dublin
France,
Gascogne Marché, Paris
Camargue Marché, Marseille
Spain,
Ibérica de Comercio, Barcelona
Italy,
Roma Vicolo, Rome
Scambio nel Mediterraneo, Venice
Incanto Mercato, Sicily
Germany,
Ostsee Markt, Lübeck
Feuer Gasse, Berlin
[Austria,]
Zeit Markt, Vienna
Greece,
Αρχαία Εμπόριο, Athens
Νερό Αγοράς, Thessaloniki
Russia,
Холодный Pынок, Novgorod
Славянские Aллея, Moscow
Norway,
Nordlys Gågate, Oslo
Pondering on which market to choose, Aldrych thought back to the German lessons he got from his teacher. He had asked Mr. Kirsch, if he would be able to tutor him during his free time, to which he happily agreed yes. Learning German from a native speaker let Aldrych speak much more fluently than if he had learned himself. Choosing the first market from Germany, he skimmed through the book to find the section on the, Ostsee Markt.
Created in the 12th Century, by merchants who were interested in founding a main Baltic market. It grew to prosperity with the rise of the Muggle Hanseatic League, dominating both wizarding and mundane trade. Throughout the centuries, as the mundane trade decreased due to other interests, the wizarding portion had become more prosperous with the passing of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. To enter simply walk past the Holstentor, which will cause your magic to react and transport you to a pocket dimension of what the mundane now call, Altstadt.
"I've decided where we are going," Aldrych said looking up at Nex, "Though I have no idea how to get there – any thoughts?"
"My magic isn't strong enough shift us both to Germany, Master." Nex explained, "A Portkey however, will work well for this, look around for information on how to create one."
Turning back to the shelves, Aldrych searched out for a relevant section. Passing through, Battle-magic, Transfiguration, and Healing, finally coming across a section labeled Transportation. Finding only a few books, such as Apparition or Floo Networks, he picked up one titled, Portkeys. Finding a page on creation, he glanced at the picture of wand movements with the incantation, Portus.
He remembered than that he didn't have a wand.
"This incantation requires the use of a wand…" Aldrych mentioned frowning, "Also warns that, incorrect creation of one can cause fatal injuries or other maladies."
"There was a trophy room of sorts, which I found earlier. There were several wands there from your previous ancestors, should be at least one that you can use temporarily." Nex said exiting the library.
Aldrych shrugged and took the book with him, following the gliding shade out of the library. Entering the room, he noticed various awards ranging from an Order of Merlin, to Quidditch Awards scattered around. At the very end, there were small thin stands each holding up a variant of assorted wands. Each was labeled on what materials it was made of, who it belonged to, along with specified notes.
"Pick up any of them and find one that feels the most comfortable to you," Nex said pointing at the stands.
Aldrych walked up to the first one and glanced at the label.
Length: 12 ½
Wood: Ashwood
Core: Sphinx heartstring
Owner: Edlyn Potter
Notes: Crafted in Egypt, flexible and excellent for Charms and Enchantments.
Taking it gently, he sent a small burst of his magic through the wand. A sharp crack sounded off from the wand and it flew aloft, coming back down to hit him on the head. Glaring at the now harmless stick on the floor, Aldrych picked it up and put it back carefully. Moving on further he found wands of all sorts, from woods of cherry to powdered dragon claws as cores. Each new wand he tried either flew out of his hands, caused an explosion, or did nothing at all.
Coming across an intricate wand, with elegant lines spinning around it, shaded a deep silver color. Aldrych felt his magic's vibrations increase as he approached it. Taking it tenderly, he sent a spark of his magic causing vibrant silver and violet sparks to exit from the tip. It felt satisfying, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of something missing. Looking down, he read his temporary wand's origins.
Length: 13 ¾
Wood: Silver Birch
Core: Griffin claw
Owner: Renault Potter
Notes: Ollivander's, springy and neutral wand, great for Battle-magic.
"This one will do for now, Ostsee Markt should have a wandcrafter as well and it's always useful to have an extra if needed." Aldrych said absently.
Nex assented and floated the text on Portkeys over to Aldrych. Ripping off a piece from the back cover of the book, he skimmed to the instructions. Waving and flicking the wand experimentally a few times, he pointed it at the thick paper. Picturing the sketch of the Holstentor in his mind, he arched the wand upwards, in-canting "Portus"; shrouding the paper in an odd blue glow. After it subsided, he waved it around through the air a few times and turned to Nex.
"So how do we activate i–" Upon the word 'activate', Aldrych's world exploded in an array of colors and winds again.
Nex chuckled briefly before grasping the silvery satchel and latching on to the Portkey, launching them off to the Medieval city of Lübeck.
.-.-.
Crashing into a tree, Aldrych sighed deeply to himself.
"That was even worse than last time," He said, looking up indolently at Nex, "Being incorporeal would be nice about now…"
Massaging his bruised head as he staggered upwards, Aldrych noticed the Portkey brought him into the middle of a bunch of trees. Outside the leaves and branches he could see Muggles walking around and doing their daily business. Straightening his robes, he nodded to Nex and proceeded outside the leafy enclosure.
Squinting at the beaming sun, Aldrych stared up at the giant city gate, Holstentor. It had a powerful and crude feeling, with thick smooth bricks layered with the darker shades of color; a trade mark of Gothic architecture. Glancing imperceptibly to check if anyone was around, he stepped up to the entrance; gathering up his resolve. Walking forward, Aldrych felt a strange feeling go through his body, causing his magic to thrum violently until it suddenly unleashed a swirl of colors, enshrouding him. Opening his eyes, he gazed in wonder at the magnificent sight in front of him.
It seemed more like a town rather than a market, much larger than Diagon Alley in London. The sky was enchanted to present the illusion of a regular sky, covered in shifting clouds and luminescent sunlight. Stores and houses layered the vicinity of the magical market, with small rivers permeating the center. Ambient magic in the air literally felt alive as it sparkled around in a variety of colors. Aldrych felt his magical core stir in tune with the atmosphere around him, feeling at ease for the first time. Wandering forward, he just simply enjoyed walking through the streets, observing magical folk and their daily business.
Stopping by a store titled, 'Gérard's Qualitäts-Bekleidung.' Aldrych recalled back to yesterday's banking information, and realized he had 34% stock in this store. He contemplated as he needed an entire new wardrobe, and this could be the suitable place to acquire one. Entering the shop, he found the owner sitting at a desk, filling some forms out. Walking up to him, Aldrych cleared his throat causing the owner to glance up at him.
"Guten Tag, ich bin Herr Peverell. Ich gehe davon aus, dass Gringotts Sie über meinen Aktienanteil informiert hat?"
Gérard sat up straighter at the mention of Lord Peverell, and replied back respectfully.
"Ja, was kann ich für Sie tun, Sir?"
"Ich werde verschiedene Umhänge, sowie weitere Kleidungsdtücke für unterschiedliche Situationen aus den besten Materialien benötigen. Geld spielt keine Rolle."
Eyes widening at the profit that could be made, Gérard nodded exuberantly.
"Ich verstehe. Die Vertigstellung wird vier bis fünf Stunden in Anspruch nehmen. Soll ich nun auch Ihre Messungen nehmen?"
"Ich habe andere Besorgungen zu tätigen; die Wartezeit ist also egal," Aldrych mentioned, "Fahren Sie mit dem Messverfahren fort."
Gérard took out his wand, and started conjuring measuring tools and twirling them around. Measurements started piling onto a list next to Aldrych as every part of his body was calculated.
"Ich bin fertig, Herr Peverell. Ihre Bestellung wird für Sie bereit liegen."
Aldrych nodded. "Leiten Sie die gesamten Kosten an Gringotts weiter; man wird sich darum kümmern," he stated before walking out.
Outside, he noticed a shop across from him which sold wizarding sweets. Shrugging, he decided to try some and entered the eye grabbing store. A sweet delicious aroma filled the interior, as if it was dunked fully in cotton candy. He found an English product by the entrance named, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, which looked quite appetizing. Taking one out, he popped it in his mouth and bit softly. A delicious cherry juice escaped out of the bean with a taste that made his tongue tingle.
'This tastes like a real cherry… a chewy cherry,' he thought to himself in childish glee.
Though Aldrych could now be considered an adult due to his body, his mind never experienced the childhood joy of sweets. Taking as much different things as he could carry, he proceeded to the register. Piling all of the various candies such as Chocolate Frogs, Helada Aparece, Blut-Gummis, and Licorice Wands on to the desk, Aldrych turned to the female clerk.
"Wieviel bin ich Ihnen schuldig?" Aldrych said grinning.
The clerk a bit perplexed at an adult acting like a child, told him the price awkwardly.
"Das macht 1G und 15S. Werden Sie auch eine Tüte benötigen?"
"Ja," Aldrych answered passing the money over and putting his mountain of sweets into the bag. Bidding a good day to the clerk, he exited back outside and took out his box of beans. Popping one in his mouth once in a while, he enjoyed the exotic flavors that filled his taste buds. After a few minutes of walking, he put a peculiar brownish bean into his mouth and bit down. The taste of dirt and worms filled his mouth and he hacked it back out.
'Blegh, I guess it does mean every flavor,' he concluded thoughtfully to himself.
Clearing his throat he continued on until he noticed a large cedar building that looked more like a library than a store. On top of it was a large sign proclaiming, 'Nördlich Literatur.'
A reverberating finally went off in Aldrych's mind as he briskly walked into the book store, curiosity spurring him on. Inside it did look like a library, with countless books on various subjects piled on to the shelves, which sat in virtually every corner of the store. Rubbing his hands with a mischievous smirk, he proceeded to rummage through the store, taking out almost every book that caught his eye. The manager eyed the antics of the young man, and shrugged muttering, "Jugendliche."
Books on Charms, Transfiguration, Defensive Magic, Offensive Magic, Rudimentary Dark Arts, Enchantments, Arithmancy, Runes, Mind Arts, Herbology, Astronomy, History, Potions, Warding, and even Divination were taken. After an hour of that, Aldrych began to get off his sugar rush, calmed down a bit more, and decided to walk over to the manager.
"Es ist nicht zu viel, nicht wahr?" he asked sheepishly.
The manager looked at Aldrych for a moment, than shrugged and told the clerk to ring it up.
"Solange Sie alles tragen können, kümmert es uns nicht weiter." He told Aldrych.
Nodding, Aldrych continued to the clerk, and asked him for the price. The clerk stared at the amount of books, sighed, and started counting it all up.
Finally finished he announced, "Das macht 48G und 28K, Sir."
Taking out all the gold and bronze coins Aldrych set them on the desk, and started piling all the books into his satchel. After finishing he thanked the manager and proceeded onwards with his shopping. He stopped by an Apothecary and bought various Potions ingredients to experiment on, as he thought it sounded highly like Chemistry. Aldrych also paid a visit to a Quidditch store and purchased a broomstick, ruminating to himself that the ability of flight could perhaps advantage him one way or another.
Shortly stopping by a small pub to quench his thirst, he tried some butterbeer and found it delicious and smooth to the taste, an almost butterscotch quality. While enjoying his beverage, he softly incanted, "Tempus," causing silvery blue numbers to line up in order. Aldrych had seen the spell in one of his charm books, and the extra advantage of calculating time zones had made it more appealing than a conventional watch.
Having around an hour and a half left before he had to go pick up his clothing, left him enough time to seek out a wand-maker. Not having any luck, he questioned a native wizard to see if he knew anyone. He had told Aldrych of Gregorovitch and his location, but the wizard had also warned that the craftsman might have retired by now. Aldrych thanked him, and proceeded to the location the wizard gave him.
Arriving at a decently sized shop, with the plaque, 'Gregorovitch's Geldbuße Zauberstäbe,' on top, Aldrych proceeded inside. A dark but cozy atmosphere met him as he stepped inside, illuminated by a lonely flame on the left. Looking around at the empty workshop, he observed the various instruments that looked like woodcarvers, when a sound behind him alerted him to a presence.
"Ah, an Englishmen," Gregorovitch stated in a thick Slavic accent as he saw Aldrych's features, "I don't get many of the Britons around here, most of you set your sights only on Ollivanders. You are lucky that I am still around here, as I was about to leave for the Slavic lands in a month or so before retiring… I assume you know the difference between our craft though?"
Aldrych looked confusedly at the wandcrafter. "Not exactly, I simply needed a wand and you were a good choice."
Gregorovitch looked at him strangely, than shrugged and explained.
"From what I remember, Ollivander crafted his wands before the arrival of a customer, than let them try out the different wands until one reacts favorably. It's a short and effective way, but it will not be fully attuned to the wizard using it. I prefer to craft the wand myself with the help of the customer, as he picks out the materials best attuned for him. It is a longer process, but more suited for the wizard-wand relationship."
Aldrych listened and contemplated the difference, than nodded. "Alright, so how do we begin the process?"
Gregorovitch chuckled pointedly, and shuffled Aldrych to the woods in the corner.
"Walk around and feel each of the woods, sending out a spark of magic each. The most comfortable to your magic will be the correct wand wood, though be sure to check them all even if one feels good as another can react better."
Aldrych nodded and proceeded to walk around the woods touching and caressing them all individually, while letting his small sparks of his magic through. Most of the woods felt dead to his magic, though some felt decent and others satisfying. The best feeling he received was from a whitish peach colored wood, which resonated almost perfectly with his core. Calling Gregorovitch over, he pointed at the wood.
"Ah, Yew, a wood associated with death and resurrection, quite powerful as well," He mentioned, while slicing a long smooth piece of wood from the tree trunk.
Aldrych guessed that the wood reacted well to his necromantic energy, since they are both related to death closely. He was brought out of his thoughts when Gregorovitch came back with an array of jars. Each jar held either a variety of scales, claws, powdered objects, hairs, and feathers.
"Do the same with each of these cores, and find one that feels best for you"
Sending out his magic, Aldrych found only a certain item that resonated greatly with his core, a purplish scale that looked as if it came from a giant snake or dragon. He pointed at it, and Gregorovitch nodded minutely.
"A chimera scale and yew wood, hmm… an interesting combination. Oh and also, are you left or right handed?"
"Right," Aldrych answered, causing Gregorovitch to start measuring his right hand, everything from his fingers to bone width.
"Dah… Your wand shall be fourteen inches due to your extensive wing span, and a long wand would help you curve your spells better," He said absently. "This will take around thirty minutes for me to craft, so if you can wait…"
Aldrych nodded and sat down in one of the chairs, leaning back and relaxing his eyes. Gregorovitch took the specific items and went off to the back of the workshop. Sawing noises could be heard from the room, as well as sounds that sounded highly electric. Minute by minute passed, with Aldrych beginning to doze off by staring into the flickering flame in the fireplace. A throat clearing could be heard above him, and he snapped back his wits and stood up.
"It is ready… it's quite a powerful wand, a good wand for one of my last." Gregorovitch said serenely while holding up a wand for Aldrych.
It was a thin wand, pale peach in color with mesmerizing violet lines circling up the wand. The handle looked like scaly wood, but it seemed just as smooth as the rest of the wand. Aldrych reached for it, grasping it tenderly and sending his magic flowing through his right arm. Swirling winds came out of the tip, enveloping the room in its gusty whistling.
"It feels warm, and – euphoric, as if I had just seen a wonderful sight…"
Gregorovitch smiled at him warmly, "Dah, you can compare your wand to a companion. They are slightly sentient due to the living elements of both a plant and a beast imbued with magic."
Aldrych turned to Gregorovitch and asked for the price, who answered with a price of nine galleons. Paying him the nine golden coins, he remembered about a question he had wanted to ask.
"Do you know of any transportation services nearby?"
"There is an International Floo Network nearby, which only charges a small fee," Gregorovitch answered, "It is by the central fountain, a bit right ways from there. It should be easy to spot."
Aldrych thanked Gregorovitch and bid him a good retirement, before exiting out into the lighter outdoors. Sunset was arriving and it was soon time to end his trip, though he wondered where Nex had gone to.
"I am here Master, just in a more stealthy position. We cannot be sure who would be able to see shades and spirits and who wouldn't," Nex whispered to his mind.
Aldrych assented and headed back to the clothing store, as Gérard was most likely done by now. Seeing the familiar store, he walked inside and found the tailor making measurements on a paper.
"Sind die Kleider fertig, Gérard?"
Gérard looked up from his work and saw that it was Aldrych.
"Ja, Herr Peverell. Ich habe ihre Bestellung in diese Taschen verpackt. Für den Großteil der Garderobe habe ich natürliche Farben verwendet, da sie gut zu ihrem Teint passen."
Aldrych took the bags and looked through them. Most of the robes had a natural look to them because of the colors and their shading. The materials felt soft and comfortable as well, since they were made from silk or other fine cloth.
"Die Kleider sind hervorragend gemacht. Sie haben Ihr Geld von der Bank erhalten?" Aldrych asked.
"Ja, die Bezahlung ist erfolgt, und ich danke Ihnen für Ihr ehrliches Kompliment. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Tag, Herr Peverell."
Aldrych put the bags into his satchel, and exited the clothing store. Recalling Gregorovitch's directions he headed to the central fountain in the market, and looked right from there. It was a fairly large building, marked Floo Network. But what caught him off guard was that people were walking into fireplaces and disappearing in a green fire. Shrugging at the strangeness of magic, he went up to employees and asked them for some of the greenish powder.
Paying 2 sickles for a small handful, he watched as a Spanish wizard threw the powder into the fireplace as he proclaimed an address, so Aldrych decided to do the same. Clearing his throat and loosening his grip, he stated, "Potter Manor," and threw the powder just as he walked inside.
.-.-.
Green flames licked his body, though they felt distinctly warm and didn't turn him into a flaming crisp. The uncomfortable part was the spinning that reminded him of the dreaded Portkeys. The sensations abruptly stopped, and he skidded out of the fireplace, unharmed and only a bit disheveled.
"Aha! I have finally succeeded in not crash landing from a magical transportation." Aldrych proclaimed to himself proudly.
"I give you my congratulations, Master, such a feat is most impressive," Nex said in his usually spectral monotone while appearing in a splash of smoke.
"I can't tell if you are sarcastic or not with your tone, Nex. No matter, I still succeeded in my first magical goal."
Aldrych stretched his tiring body from the long day, and sat on a nearby chair. Taking out his newly crafted wand, he handled it in his arm with a few experimental flicks. Marveling at how perfectly it fit his grip, he decided to try an incantation from one of the spell books he read at the book store.
"Incendio!"
A small plume of smoke emitted from the tip, evaporating quickly as it went higher..
"Well that was a decent first attempt I suppose…" Aldrych said sheepishly, "Nex did you find any room I could practice in?"
"Yes Master, follow me, there is an adequate place near the basement."
Entering the damp room, he immediately noticed a thick slate of stone in the center, perfect for trying out different spells. Thoroughly used wooden dummies also littered the room, each with various scratches and burns on them. A few books lay open on the desks, with incantations filling their yellow tinted pages.
"Yes, I think this will work nicely…" Aldrych said with a smirk as he observed the room.
XXXXXXXXXX
Guten Tag, ich bin Herr Peverell. Ich gehe davon aus, dass Gringotts Sie über meinen Aktienanteil informiert hat? = Good afternoon, I am Lord Peverell. I assume Gringotts has informed you that I own stock here?
Ja, was kann ich für Sie tun, Sir? = Yes, What can I do for you, sir?
Ich werde verschiedene Umhänge, sowie weitere Kleidungsdtücke für unterschiedliche Situationen aus den besten Materialien benötigen. Geld spielt keine Rolle. (translation below)
I will need various robes, and other clothing for different situations. From the finest materials as well, since money is not much of a concern.
Ich verstehe. Die Vertigstellung wird vier bis fünf Stunden in Anspruch nehmen. Soll ich nun auch Ihre Messungen nehmen? = I understand, though this will take around four-five hours to complete. Shall I take your measurements now as well?
Ich habe andere Besorgungen zu tätigen; die Wartezeit ist also egal. Fahren Sie mit dem Messverfahren fort. = I have to buy other things, so the time does not matter Proceed with the measurements.
Ich bin fertig, Herr Peverell. Ihre Bestellung wird für Sie bereit liegen. = I am finished, Lord Peverell, It will be ready for you.
Leiten Sie die gesamten Kosten an Gringotts weiter; man wird sich darum kümmern. = Proceed all the costs to Gringotts, they will take care of it.
-- -- -- --
Wieviel bin ich Ihnen schuldig? = How much for all of this?
Das macht 1G und 15S. Werden Sie auch eine Tüte benötigen? = It will be 1G and 15S. Do you need a bag as well?
-- -- -- --
Es ist nicht zu viel, nicht wahr? = It is not too much - right?
Solange Sie alles tragen können, kümmert es uns nicht weiter. = As long as you can carry all of it, we don't mind.
Das macht 48G und 28K, Sir. = It will be 48G and 28K, sir.
-- -- -- --
Sind die Kleider fertig, Gérard? = Are the clothes finished, Gérard?
Ja, Herr Peverell. Ich habe ihre Bestellung in diese Taschen verpackt. Für den Großteil der Garderobe habe ich natürliche Farben verwendet, da sie gut zu ihrem Teint passen. (translation below)
Yes, Lord Peverell, I put the clothing in these bags. I used natural colors for most of the wardrobe since they go well with your features.
Die Kleider sind hervorragend gemacht. Sie haben Ihr Geld von der Bank erhalten? = The clothes are well made. You have received your money from the bank?
Ja, die Bezahlung ist erfolgt, und ich danke Ihnen für Ihr ehrliches Kompliment. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Tag, Herr Peverell. = I received the payment, and I thank you for your honest compliment. I wish you a good day, Lord Peverell.
-- -- -- --
A/N: I hope the German language and translations weren't too much of a bother. I thought it would add a more authentic taste, if the native language was used. For those who are wondering if I would be able to put the English translations in brackets next to the German, I tried and it looks terrible, by making the dialogue too cluttered. It was close to eligible that way. A good solution would be to open up a second tab of the story and scroll down to the translations, and just switch between to find out the meaning. It's annoying, but it might be the only option, since I can't seem to find a better way.
Chapter Three: Ostsee Markt
Quantum Magic (German-English Translations at bottom of page)
Chapter Three: Ostsee Markt
Landing in a heap on the ground, Aldrych dizzily looked up at Nex who looked none for the worse. Standing up disoriented, he was glad he didn't have much to eat in a while.
'What kind of a madman creates a transportation method like that; it felt as if I was in the middle of a tornado,' he thought grouchily.
Looking around Aldrych noticed he was in a large garden, covered in lush plants and sturdy willows. Various types of flowers littered the ground, with a fountain glistening in the moonlight. Further down stood a noble manor of stone, with illustrious windows that would likely glint in the sunlight. Walking to the entrance, Aldrych felt a peculiar sensation go through his body as if being searched; receding once it found what it wanted.
Opening the door, he looked around and saw it was dark in the foyer, only illuminated by the pale moonlight. Elaborate and ornate furniture decorated the interior, with diverse paintings hanging up on the walls. In the living room a large fireplace sat in the middle, with logs ready to be lit. Aldrych smiled in wonder at the grandeur of the manor, which now belonged solely to him.
Remembering he was still hungry, he wandered around the manor looking for a kitchen. Finding one towards the back, Aldrych checked a few of the cupboards and saw that they were enchanted for an increased storage area. Assorted fruits and vegetables, as well as certain meats were magically preserved to remain fresh. Taking an apple, he bit into it and shivered as the delectable sour juices enveloped his tastes. Taking a few more fruits, he went off in search of a bedroom.
Finding a spacious room, his eyes took in the soft looking bed in the center of the room, looking back at him temptingly. Lying down, he let out a contended sigh.
"Finally a bed I can enjoy – Hmm, Nex I was wondering, how do you sustain your body?"
"I usually feed on the ambient energy around me, and Gringotts had vast amounts of it. When my reserves run low though, you can just send a small amount of your necromantic energy into me." Nex explained.
Aldrych nodded and looked around him to see if there was anything of note. Finding a small note on the drawer he decided to have a look at it, while continuing to eat the fruits.
Current Occupant of Potter Manor,
The Manor is self-sustained by the various wards put up by the descendants through the years. It is advised however to add whatever additional wards you can to the collection as it is a sort of tradition. The Ward Room is located in the basement, where a few jewels contain the keyed wards. As for food and other supplements, there should be enough to last a few years, though it is advisable to find a house-elf.
In Suggestion,
Charles Potter
Creating a mental note to find out what a house-elf is later, Aldrych turned to Nex.
"Master, rest for now, I shall look over the manor and inform you of anything of note."
Aldrych nodded and finished his food in silence. Lying back on the soft mattress, his eyes closed and his exhausted consciousness left him.
.-.-.
Early next morning, Aldrych was attempting to light a magical stove when a blue flame sparked up almost singing his eyebrows. Grinning sheepishly, he took a few pieces of bacon and dropped them on the warming pan. He had woken up in a deeply refreshed state, as his subconscious assimilated the information he uncovered yesterday. Getting some oranges out of the cupboard he sliced them in half and wondered on how to make juice. Shrugging, he summoned his magic and crushed the oranges into juicy slush, throwing the remains out. Taking a sip of the delicious nectar he turned to Nex.
"Freedom sure is nice…" Aldrych mentioned to seemingly no one, "So, what did you do while I was asleep?"
Nex appeared in a smoky entrance and answered calmly. "I organized and shelved the texts we brought; they are all now in the Potter Library. Though most of the books there are highly advanced and are meant for the experienced wizard, so you'll need a more rudimentary knowledge of magic before you can learn from those."
"Hmm, we'll have to pay a visit to a wizarding alley for the more modern knowledge and supplies, however won't most of the people in Diagon Alley notice the Potter features? I can't go around with a hood; they'd think suspiciously of me."
"There are other markets scattered across Europe that we can visit, though my knowledge is limited to the 13th Century – so it's best if we check the library for their whereabouts."
Nodding, Aldrych took the bacon strips off the pan and put them on a plate. Taking a few bites of the crunchy meat, he felt a slight twinge in his forehead. Remembering about his peculiar scar, he wondered what it was now that he knew about magic.
"Nex, do you have any idea what this scar on my forehead might be? I have had it since as long as I remember, and it occasionally gives off twinges of pain."
"Curse scar?" Nex contemplated, "Let me take a look, usually scars like that are a result of powerful magic."
Gliding over to Aldrych, the shade extended its clawed appendage against the scar. Embedding an inch of its spectral claw, Nex began to inspect the mark. Feeling as if though his head was immersed in freezing cold water, Aldrych was attempting to wait patiently when he felt a blunt strike against his mind. Gasping at the pain, he dazedly looked at Nex who was contemplating.
"Master, you have a soul fragment embedded in your mind. It does not pose much danger to your soul as it is nullified, but it can cause headaches and other various problems."
"Ghistok mentioned that I was attacked by a Dark Lord when I was younger, but why would he embed his own soul inside of me…?" Aldrych questioned.
"Whatever reason he had, he was surely an idiot. To rip a fragment of your soul away and embed it in an object or person is foolish. The soul is a powerful object, as it controls, and regulates one's magic as well their personality. Ripping it apart would make you half insane and weak magically." Nex answered chuckling, "This Dark Lord gave you a part of his most precious possession. With this you can manipulate and absorb the fragment to retain a part of his powers."
"Souls can be absorbed… if so why doesn't every necromancer absorb vast amounts of souls to heighten their own power and achieve immortality?"
"To assimilate a foreign soul requires a taxing ritual which would take many days, as well as vast amounts of energy. If done incorrectly, your own soul can be weakened and reduce your lifespan by several decades. It is why you are in luck, since this supposed Dark Lord completed most of the work for you. A fine example of why non-necromancers should not attempt advanced Soul magic." Nex smiled hauntingly.
"Hmm, how can I absorb the soul fragment?"
"Plenty of the books we brought will give you perfect instructions."
Finishing his meal, Aldrych proceeded after Nex to the library. Entering, he saw numerous shelves lined up against the wall, with countless books lined up in them. A comfortable lounging chair sat in the middle, with a small table beside it. While he was looking around, Nex came back with a decently sized book titled, Assimilation of Souls. Aldrych grasped the floating book and searched through it for the necessary chapter.
Soul Absorption,
To begin the procedure of absorbing a soul, one must first be in a state of perfect meditation. Inside your mind-scape, you shall see your magical core as well as your soul. Disregard the magical core as it is not needed and proceed to the soul. If the foreign soul is already inside, you shall see another smaller sphere next to yours. If it is not inside, you will have to absorb said foreign soul. First, start by latching tendrils of your own soul onto the foreign soul. You should feel a light pull on your body, and when it stops proceed forward. Secondly, picture your soul moving closer to the foreign one until they are nigh indeterminable from each other. Once they are together, focus and envelop the foreign soul fully, until you only see one. You shall feel immense pain during this part, but you must remain focused else it shall fail. Once the foreign soul has been assimilated, it should take several months for it to become fully part of you.
"This seems very complicated Nex, are you certain I'll be able to complete it with my current knowledge?" questioned Aldrych.
"Yes Master, as I mentioned before the foreign soul is already 2/3's assimilated into you, the most difficult part will be attaining the meditation required."
"Alright, let's get started." Aldrych said, "I've meditated before to calm myself, but not enough to actually see my mind's landscape."
"Proceed with what you already know, to calm your mind fully. After you have reached that state, imagine a deep falling feeling, as if you are jumping into a bottomless pit. Once you have reached your inner mind, you should proceed with the necessary steps."
Aldrych nodded and sat down in Lotus position on the carpeted floor. Breathing in and out slowly he started to clear his mind of all thoughts and emotions. Losing himself in the darkness of his mind, he began to feel at peace. Capturing his wits, he began to imagine himself falling. Deeper he fell, until as if he hit the ground, his consciousness stopped. Opening his minds eyes, he saw a vast nothingness intermingled with cyan energy, with two mesmerizing spheres in the middle. One was a pure, violet colored sphere, thrumming and vibrating in the boundless darkness, the magical core. The other sphere was shimmering and swirling constantly, with a snow white color, the soul.
Shifting his perception slowly towards the white sphere, Aldrych recognized a smaller white sphere next to his own, but slightly blackened. It was encased in a sort of nullifying orb, which the smaller soul kept trying to breach. Thin tendrils smacked against the defensive covering, desperately, though not making a scratch. Recalling the steps, he willed his soul to send thick threads of smoky energy to wrap itself around the soul fragment. The fragment which must have noticed Aldrych's intentions by now started struggling even harder to free itself from its bonds.
Proceeding to step two, Aldrych imagined his own soul reeling the fragment forcefully to it. Loud astral wails started sounding off into the emptiness, with caused sharp stabs of pain to go through his mind. Staying focused, he continued exercising his will to bring the souls closer. Once close enough, Aldrych forcefully enveloped the smaller fragment with his own soul. Louder wails started to emit around the mental landscape, causing slight vibrations. Then it hit him, a sharp condensed pain, more painful than anything he had ever experienced throughout his life, far exceeding the beatings he received.
It felt as if though he was covered in wreathing flames from the depths of Hell. Trying to remain focused, his mind retracting painfully against its bound, when it silently stopped. A thin black vapor emerged from his soul, which was immediately smothered by cyan energy from around the vast emptiness. Staring fixedly at the now slightly larger wispy sphere, Aldrych felt contended, as if he just finished a delicious meal. Exiting out of his mind, he let out a sigh and lay back on the carpet.
"I feel like I've just ran a marathon," Aldrych mentioned to Nex, "While eating a full turkey on the way to the finish line…"
"A typical reaction when one absorbs souls, Master. No need to fear," Nex said with phantasmal smirk.
Aldrych's body groaned in strain as he stood up, stretching languidly. Glancing around, he decided to search for the information on various markets. Walking up a shelf marked, Trade, Aldrych looked for a relevant text. Finding the perfect match; a thin book titled, European Wizarding Markets through the 20th Century, he began to read.
Britain,
Diagon Alley, London
Knockturn Alley, London
Margadh Gaeilge, Dublin
France,
Gascogne Marché, Paris
Camargue Marché, Marseille
Spain,
Ibérica de Comercio, Barcelona
Italy,
Roma Vicolo, Rome
Scambio nel Mediterraneo, Venice
Incanto Mercato, Sicily
Germany,
Ostsee Markt, Lübeck
Feuer Gasse, Berlin
[Austria,]
Zeit Markt, Vienna
Greece,
Αρχαία Εμπόριο, Athens
Νερό Αγοράς, Thessaloniki
Russia,
Холодный Pынок, Novgorod
Славянские Aллея, Moscow
Norway,
Nordlys Gågate, Oslo
Pondering on which market to choose, Aldrych thought back to the German lessons he got from his teacher. He had asked Mr. Kirsch, if he would be able to tutor him during his free time, to which he happily agreed yes. Learning German from a native speaker let Aldrych speak much more fluently than if he had learned himself. Choosing the first market from Germany, he skimmed through the book to find the section on the, Ostsee Markt.
Created in the 12th Century, by merchants who were interested in founding a main Baltic market. It grew to prosperity with the rise of the Muggle Hanseatic League, dominating both wizarding and mundane trade. Throughout the centuries, as the mundane trade decreased due to other interests, the wizarding portion had become more prosperous with the passing of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. To enter simply walk past the Holstentor, which will cause your magic to react and transport you to a pocket dimension of what the mundane now call, Altstadt.
"I've decided where we are going," Aldrych said looking up at Nex, "Though I have no idea how to get there – any thoughts?"
"My magic isn't strong enough shift us both to Germany, Master." Nex explained, "A Portkey however, will work well for this, look around for information on how to create one."
Turning back to the shelves, Aldrych searched out for a relevant section. Passing through, Battle-magic, Transfiguration, and Healing, finally coming across a section labeled Transportation. Finding only a few books, such as Apparition or Floo Networks, he picked up one titled, Portkeys. Finding a page on creation, he glanced at the picture of wand movements with the incantation, Portus.
He remembered than that he didn't have a wand.
"This incantation requires the use of a wand…" Aldrych mentioned frowning, "Also warns that, incorrect creation of one can cause fatal injuries or other maladies."
"There was a trophy room of sorts, which I found earlier. There were several wands there from your previous ancestors, should be at least one that you can use temporarily." Nex said exiting the library.
Aldrych shrugged and took the book with him, following the gliding shade out of the library. Entering the room, he noticed various awards ranging from an Order of Merlin, to Quidditch Awards scattered around. At the very end, there were small thin stands each holding up a variant of assorted wands. Each was labeled on what materials it was made of, who it belonged to, along with specified notes.
"Pick up any of them and find one that feels the most comfortable to you," Nex said pointing at the stands.
Aldrych walked up to the first one and glanced at the label.
Length: 12 ½
Wood: Ashwood
Core: Sphinx heartstring
Owner: Edlyn Potter
Notes: Crafted in Egypt, flexible and excellent for Charms and Enchantments.
Taking it gently, he sent a small burst of his magic through the wand. A sharp crack sounded off from the wand and it flew aloft, coming back down to hit him on the head. Glaring at the now harmless stick on the floor, Aldrych picked it up and put it back carefully. Moving on further he found wands of all sorts, from woods of cherry to powdered dragon claws as cores. Each new wand he tried either flew out of his hands, caused an explosion, or did nothing at all.
Coming across an intricate wand, with elegant lines spinning around it, shaded a deep silver color. Aldrych felt his magic's vibrations increase as he approached it. Taking it tenderly, he sent a spark of his magic causing vibrant silver and violet sparks to exit from the tip. It felt satisfying, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of something missing. Looking down, he read his temporary wand's origins.
Length: 13 ¾
Wood: Silver Birch
Core: Griffin claw
Owner: Renault Potter
Notes: Ollivander's, springy and neutral wand, great for Battle-magic.
"This one will do for now, Ostsee Markt should have a wandcrafter as well and it's always useful to have an extra if needed." Aldrych said absently.
Nex assented and floated the text on Portkeys over to Aldrych. Ripping off a piece from the back cover of the book, he skimmed to the instructions. Waving and flicking the wand experimentally a few times, he pointed it at the thick paper. Picturing the sketch of the Holstentor in his mind, he arched the wand upwards, in-canting "Portus"; shrouding the paper in an odd blue glow. After it subsided, he waved it around through the air a few times and turned to Nex.
"So how do we activate i–" Upon the word 'activate', Aldrych's world exploded in an array of colors and winds again.
Nex chuckled briefly before grasping the silvery satchel and latching on to the Portkey, launching them off to the Medieval city of Lübeck.
.-.-.
Crashing into a tree, Aldrych sighed deeply to himself.
"That was even worse than last time," He said, looking up indolently at Nex, "Being incorporeal would be nice about now…"
Massaging his bruised head as he staggered upwards, Aldrych noticed the Portkey brought him into the middle of a bunch of trees. Outside the leaves and branches he could see Muggles walking around and doing their daily business. Straightening his robes, he nodded to Nex and proceeded outside the leafy enclosure.
Squinting at the beaming sun, Aldrych stared up at the giant city gate, Holstentor. It had a powerful and crude feeling, with thick smooth bricks layered with the darker shades of color; a trade mark of Gothic architecture. Glancing imperceptibly to check if anyone was around, he stepped up to the entrance; gathering up his resolve. Walking forward, Aldrych felt a strange feeling go through his body, causing his magic to thrum violently until it suddenly unleashed a swirl of colors, enshrouding him. Opening his eyes, he gazed in wonder at the magnificent sight in front of him.
It seemed more like a town rather than a market, much larger than Diagon Alley in London. The sky was enchanted to present the illusion of a regular sky, covered in shifting clouds and luminescent sunlight. Stores and houses layered the vicinity of the magical market, with small rivers permeating the center. Ambient magic in the air literally felt alive as it sparkled around in a variety of colors. Aldrych felt his magical core stir in tune with the atmosphere around him, feeling at ease for the first time. Wandering forward, he just simply enjoyed walking through the streets, observing magical folk and their daily business.
Stopping by a store titled, 'Gérard's Qualitäts-Bekleidung.' Aldrych recalled back to yesterday's banking information, and realized he had 34% stock in this store. He contemplated as he needed an entire new wardrobe, and this could be the suitable place to acquire one. Entering the shop, he found the owner sitting at a desk, filling some forms out. Walking up to him, Aldrych cleared his throat causing the owner to glance up at him.
"Guten Tag, ich bin Herr Peverell. Ich gehe davon aus, dass Gringotts Sie über meinen Aktienanteil informiert hat?"
Gérard sat up straighter at the mention of Lord Peverell, and replied back respectfully.
"Ja, was kann ich für Sie tun, Sir?"
"Ich werde verschiedene Umhänge, sowie weitere Kleidungsdtücke für unterschiedliche Situationen aus den besten Materialien benötigen. Geld spielt keine Rolle."
Eyes widening at the profit that could be made, Gérard nodded exuberantly.
"Ich verstehe. Die Vertigstellung wird vier bis fünf Stunden in Anspruch nehmen. Soll ich nun auch Ihre Messungen nehmen?"
"Ich habe andere Besorgungen zu tätigen; die Wartezeit ist also egal," Aldrych mentioned, "Fahren Sie mit dem Messverfahren fort."
Gérard took out his wand, and started conjuring measuring tools and twirling them around. Measurements started piling onto a list next to Aldrych as every part of his body was calculated.
"Ich bin fertig, Herr Peverell. Ihre Bestellung wird für Sie bereit liegen."
Aldrych nodded. "Leiten Sie die gesamten Kosten an Gringotts weiter; man wird sich darum kümmern," he stated before walking out.
Outside, he noticed a shop across from him which sold wizarding sweets. Shrugging, he decided to try some and entered the eye grabbing store. A sweet delicious aroma filled the interior, as if it was dunked fully in cotton candy. He found an English product by the entrance named, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, which looked quite appetizing. Taking one out, he popped it in his mouth and bit softly. A delicious cherry juice escaped out of the bean with a taste that made his tongue tingle.
'This tastes like a real cherry… a chewy cherry,' he thought to himself in childish glee.
Though Aldrych could now be considered an adult due to his body, his mind never experienced the childhood joy of sweets. Taking as much different things as he could carry, he proceeded to the register. Piling all of the various candies such as Chocolate Frogs, Helada Aparece, Blut-Gummis, and Licorice Wands on to the desk, Aldrych turned to the female clerk.
"Wieviel bin ich Ihnen schuldig?" Aldrych said grinning.
The clerk a bit perplexed at an adult acting like a child, told him the price awkwardly.
"Das macht 1G und 15S. Werden Sie auch eine Tüte benötigen?"
"Ja," Aldrych answered passing the money over and putting his mountain of sweets into the bag. Bidding a good day to the clerk, he exited back outside and took out his box of beans. Popping one in his mouth once in a while, he enjoyed the exotic flavors that filled his taste buds. After a few minutes of walking, he put a peculiar brownish bean into his mouth and bit down. The taste of dirt and worms filled his mouth and he hacked it back out.
'Blegh, I guess it does mean every flavor,' he concluded thoughtfully to himself.
Clearing his throat he continued on until he noticed a large cedar building that looked more like a library than a store. On top of it was a large sign proclaiming, 'Nördlich Literatur.'
A reverberating finally went off in Aldrych's mind as he briskly walked into the book store, curiosity spurring him on. Inside it did look like a library, with countless books on various subjects piled on to the shelves, which sat in virtually every corner of the store. Rubbing his hands with a mischievous smirk, he proceeded to rummage through the store, taking out almost every book that caught his eye. The manager eyed the antics of the young man, and shrugged muttering, "Jugendliche."
Books on Charms, Transfiguration, Defensive Magic, Offensive Magic, Rudimentary Dark Arts, Enchantments, Arithmancy, Runes, Mind Arts, Herbology, Astronomy, History, Potions, Warding, and even Divination were taken. After an hour of that, Aldrych began to get off his sugar rush, calmed down a bit more, and decided to walk over to the manager.
"Es ist nicht zu viel, nicht wahr?" he asked sheepishly.
The manager looked at Aldrych for a moment, than shrugged and told the clerk to ring it up.
"Solange Sie alles tragen können, kümmert es uns nicht weiter." He told Aldrych.
Nodding, Aldrych continued to the clerk, and asked him for the price. The clerk stared at the amount of books, sighed, and started counting it all up.
Finally finished he announced, "Das macht 48G und 28K, Sir."
Taking out all the gold and bronze coins Aldrych set them on the desk, and started piling all the books into his satchel. After finishing he thanked the manager and proceeded onwards with his shopping. He stopped by an Apothecary and bought various Potions ingredients to experiment on, as he thought it sounded highly like Chemistry. Aldrych also paid a visit to a Quidditch store and purchased a broomstick, ruminating to himself that the ability of flight could perhaps advantage him one way or another.
Shortly stopping by a small pub to quench his thirst, he tried some butterbeer and found it delicious and smooth to the taste, an almost butterscotch quality. While enjoying his beverage, he softly incanted, "Tempus," causing silvery blue numbers to line up in order. Aldrych had seen the spell in one of his charm books, and the extra advantage of calculating time zones had made it more appealing than a conventional watch.
Having around an hour and a half left before he had to go pick up his clothing, left him enough time to seek out a wand-maker. Not having any luck, he questioned a native wizard to see if he knew anyone. He had told Aldrych of Gregorovitch and his location, but the wizard had also warned that the craftsman might have retired by now. Aldrych thanked him, and proceeded to the location the wizard gave him.
Arriving at a decently sized shop, with the plaque, 'Gregorovitch's Geldbuße Zauberstäbe,' on top, Aldrych proceeded inside. A dark but cozy atmosphere met him as he stepped inside, illuminated by a lonely flame on the left. Looking around at the empty workshop, he observed the various instruments that looked like woodcarvers, when a sound behind him alerted him to a presence.
"Ah, an Englishmen," Gregorovitch stated in a thick Slavic accent as he saw Aldrych's features, "I don't get many of the Britons around here, most of you set your sights only on Ollivanders. You are lucky that I am still around here, as I was about to leave for the Slavic lands in a month or so before retiring… I assume you know the difference between our craft though?"
Aldrych looked confusedly at the wandcrafter. "Not exactly, I simply needed a wand and you were a good choice."
Gregorovitch looked at him strangely, than shrugged and explained.
"From what I remember, Ollivander crafted his wands before the arrival of a customer, than let them try out the different wands until one reacts favorably. It's a short and effective way, but it will not be fully attuned to the wizard using it. I prefer to craft the wand myself with the help of the customer, as he picks out the materials best attuned for him. It is a longer process, but more suited for the wizard-wand relationship."
Aldrych listened and contemplated the difference, than nodded. "Alright, so how do we begin the process?"
Gregorovitch chuckled pointedly, and shuffled Aldrych to the woods in the corner.
"Walk around and feel each of the woods, sending out a spark of magic each. The most comfortable to your magic will be the correct wand wood, though be sure to check them all even if one feels good as another can react better."
Aldrych nodded and proceeded to walk around the woods touching and caressing them all individually, while letting his small sparks of his magic through. Most of the woods felt dead to his magic, though some felt decent and others satisfying. The best feeling he received was from a whitish peach colored wood, which resonated almost perfectly with his core. Calling Gregorovitch over, he pointed at the wood.
"Ah, Yew, a wood associated with death and resurrection, quite powerful as well," He mentioned, while slicing a long smooth piece of wood from the tree trunk.
Aldrych guessed that the wood reacted well to his necromantic energy, since they are both related to death closely. He was brought out of his thoughts when Gregorovitch came back with an array of jars. Each jar held either a variety of scales, claws, powdered objects, hairs, and feathers.
"Do the same with each of these cores, and find one that feels best for you"
Sending out his magic, Aldrych found only a certain item that resonated greatly with his core, a purplish scale that looked as if it came from a giant snake or dragon. He pointed at it, and Gregorovitch nodded minutely.
"A chimera scale and yew wood, hmm… an interesting combination. Oh and also, are you left or right handed?"
"Right," Aldrych answered, causing Gregorovitch to start measuring his right hand, everything from his fingers to bone width.
"Dah… Your wand shall be fourteen inches due to your extensive wing span, and a long wand would help you curve your spells better," He said absently. "This will take around thirty minutes for me to craft, so if you can wait…"
Aldrych nodded and sat down in one of the chairs, leaning back and relaxing his eyes. Gregorovitch took the specific items and went off to the back of the workshop. Sawing noises could be heard from the room, as well as sounds that sounded highly electric. Minute by minute passed, with Aldrych beginning to doze off by staring into the flickering flame in the fireplace. A throat clearing could be heard above him, and he snapped back his wits and stood up.
"It is ready… it's quite a powerful wand, a good wand for one of my last." Gregorovitch said serenely while holding up a wand for Aldrych.
It was a thin wand, pale peach in color with mesmerizing violet lines circling up the wand. The handle looked like scaly wood, but it seemed just as smooth as the rest of the wand. Aldrych reached for it, grasping it tenderly and sending his magic flowing through his right arm. Swirling winds came out of the tip, enveloping the room in its gusty whistling.
"It feels warm, and – euphoric, as if I had just seen a wonderful sight…"
Gregorovitch smiled at him warmly, "Dah, you can compare your wand to a companion. They are slightly sentient due to the living elements of both a plant and a beast imbued with magic."
Aldrych turned to Gregorovitch and asked for the price, who answered with a price of nine galleons. Paying him the nine golden coins, he remembered about a question he had wanted to ask.
"Do you know of any transportation services nearby?"
"There is an International Floo Network nearby, which only charges a small fee," Gregorovitch answered, "It is by the central fountain, a bit right ways from there. It should be easy to spot."
Aldrych thanked Gregorovitch and bid him a good retirement, before exiting out into the lighter outdoors. Sunset was arriving and it was soon time to end his trip, though he wondered where Nex had gone to.
"I am here Master, just in a more stealthy position. We cannot be sure who would be able to see shades and spirits and who wouldn't," Nex whispered to his mind.
Aldrych assented and headed back to the clothing store, as Gérard was most likely done by now. Seeing the familiar store, he walked inside and found the tailor making measurements on a paper.
"Sind die Kleider fertig, Gérard?"
Gérard looked up from his work and saw that it was Aldrych.
"Ja, Herr Peverell. Ich habe ihre Bestellung in diese Taschen verpackt. Für den Großteil der Garderobe habe ich natürliche Farben verwendet, da sie gut zu ihrem Teint passen."
Aldrych took the bags and looked through them. Most of the robes had a natural look to them because of the colors and their shading. The materials felt soft and comfortable as well, since they were made from silk or other fine cloth.
"Die Kleider sind hervorragend gemacht. Sie haben Ihr Geld von der Bank erhalten?" Aldrych asked.
"Ja, die Bezahlung ist erfolgt, und ich danke Ihnen für Ihr ehrliches Kompliment. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Tag, Herr Peverell."
Aldrych put the bags into his satchel, and exited the clothing store. Recalling Gregorovitch's directions he headed to the central fountain in the market, and looked right from there. It was a fairly large building, marked Floo Network. But what caught him off guard was that people were walking into fireplaces and disappearing in a green fire. Shrugging at the strangeness of magic, he went up to employees and asked them for some of the greenish powder.
Paying 2 sickles for a small handful, he watched as a Spanish wizard threw the powder into the fireplace as he proclaimed an address, so Aldrych decided to do the same. Clearing his throat and loosening his grip, he stated, "Potter Manor," and threw the powder just as he walked inside.
.-.-.
Green flames licked his body, though they felt distinctly warm and didn't turn him into a flaming crisp. The uncomfortable part was the spinning that reminded him of the dreaded Portkeys. The sensations abruptly stopped, and he skidded out of the fireplace, unharmed and only a bit disheveled.
"Aha! I have finally succeeded in not crash landing from a magical transportation." Aldrych proclaimed to himself proudly.
"I give you my congratulations, Master, such a feat is most impressive," Nex said in his usually spectral monotone while appearing in a splash of smoke.
"I can't tell if you are sarcastic or not with your tone, Nex. No matter, I still succeeded in my first magical goal."
Aldrych stretched his tiring body from the long day, and sat on a nearby chair. Taking out his newly crafted wand, he handled it in his arm with a few experimental flicks. Marveling at how perfectly it fit his grip, he decided to try an incantation from one of the spell books he read at the book store.
"Incendio!"
A small plume of smoke emitted from the tip, evaporating quickly as it went higher..
"Well that was a decent first attempt I suppose…" Aldrych said sheepishly, "Nex did you find any room I could practice in?"
"Yes Master, follow me, there is an adequate place near the basement."
Entering the damp room, he immediately noticed a thick slate of stone in the center, perfect for trying out different spells. Thoroughly used wooden dummies also littered the room, each with various scratches and burns on them. A few books lay open on the desks, with incantations filling their yellow tinted pages.
"Yes, I think this will work nicely…" Aldrych said with a smirk as he observed the room.
XXXXXXXXXX
Guten Tag, ich bin Herr Peverell. Ich gehe davon aus, dass Gringotts Sie über meinen Aktienanteil informiert hat? = Good afternoon, I am Lord Peverell. I assume Gringotts has informed you that I own stock here?
Ja, was kann ich für Sie tun, Sir? = Yes, What can I do for you, sir?
Ich werde verschiedene Umhänge, sowie weitere Kleidungsdtücke für unterschiedliche Situationen aus den besten Materialien benötigen. Geld spielt keine Rolle. (translation below)
I will need various robes, and other clothing for different situations. From the finest materials as well, since money is not much of a concern.
Ich verstehe. Die Vertigstellung wird vier bis fünf Stunden in Anspruch nehmen. Soll ich nun auch Ihre Messungen nehmen? = I understand, though this will take around four-five hours to complete. Shall I take your measurements now as well?
Ich habe andere Besorgungen zu tätigen; die Wartezeit ist also egal. Fahren Sie mit dem Messverfahren fort. = I have to buy other things, so the time does not matter Proceed with the measurements.
Ich bin fertig, Herr Peverell. Ihre Bestellung wird für Sie bereit liegen. = I am finished, Lord Peverell, It will be ready for you.
Leiten Sie die gesamten Kosten an Gringotts weiter; man wird sich darum kümmern. = Proceed all the costs to Gringotts, they will take care of it.
-- -- -- --
Wieviel bin ich Ihnen schuldig? = How much for all of this?
Das macht 1G und 15S. Werden Sie auch eine Tüte benötigen? = It will be 1G and 15S. Do you need a bag as well?
-- -- -- --
Es ist nicht zu viel, nicht wahr? = It is not too much - right?
Solange Sie alles tragen können, kümmert es uns nicht weiter. = As long as you can carry all of it, we don't mind.
Das macht 48G und 28K, Sir. = It will be 48G and 28K, sir.
-- -- -- --
Sind die Kleider fertig, Gérard? = Are the clothes finished, Gérard?
Ja, Herr Peverell. Ich habe ihre Bestellung in diese Taschen verpackt. Für den Großteil der Garderobe habe ich natürliche Farben verwendet, da sie gut zu ihrem Teint passen. (translation below)
Yes, Lord Peverell, I put the clothing in these bags. I used natural colors for most of the wardrobe since they go well with your features.
Die Kleider sind hervorragend gemacht. Sie haben Ihr Geld von der Bank erhalten? = The clothes are well made. You have received your money from the bank?
Ja, die Bezahlung ist erfolgt, und ich danke Ihnen für Ihr ehrliches Kompliment. Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Tag, Herr Peverell. = I received the payment, and I thank you for your honest compliment. I wish you a good day, Lord Peverell.
-- -- -- --
A/N: I hope the German language and translations weren't too much of a bother. I thought it would add a more authentic taste, if the native language was used. For those who are wondering if I would be able to put the English translations in brackets next to the German, I tried and it looks terrible, by making the dialogue too cluttered. It was close to eligible that way. A good solution would be to open up a second tab of the story and scroll down to the translations, and just switch between to find out the meaning. It's annoying, but it might be the only option, since I can't seem to find a better way.
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