FicWad

Alright, next chapter is out. Hope you enjoy it. Tell me what you think.

Attention: as of January 24, 2006 The end of the chapter had a rather large edit done to it, for those who read it before, you¡¯ll know what, for those who didn¡¯t, then it doesn¡¯t really matter to you anyway. Next chapter out hopefully relatively soon.

-Omni out

Disclaimer: I don¡¯t own Harry Potter, Warner Brothers, or this computer.


Chapter 9: Knocturn and a Wand Maker



¡°What?¡± Seraph asked, more by reflex then not understanding.

¡°I said ¡®Black alley-¡± but he was cut off by Seraph.

¡°Yes, I got that, but I have an entire alley here under Fidelius? Just how old are the places around here?¡±

¡°Yes, you have an entire alley here; it used to be very popular, back in the day, to have your entire family live in a private alley. They are actually quite spacious; you could fit several small manors in one alley. But I don¡¯t know if any one else had one under the Fidelius Charm, o¡¯course, you wouldn¡¯t know, would you, unless you were told by the secret keeper, me, or the owner of said property, in this case you. You had to be told of the property before you can pass on the location, it is a security feature so that not all of the Blacks knew about it¡­ but back to the other question. Have you looked at the signs, Mr. Black? Most will tell you how long they have been in business. The alleys themselves are more recent then the shops, but that is only by a few hundred years, they were actually built around the shops. That is one of the reasons why there are most of the twists and turns around here, creating those convenient hidden corners, especially utilized here in Knocturn.¡± Vulcan explained, as he began pulling the dragon hide off of the dummy.

¡°Here, you can put these on now, over in that fitting room there.¡± Vulcan pointed over his shoulder. ¡°The Cloak, pants and boots will resize to fit you, and the under vest will size within a couple of hours. Till then, it may be slightly uncomfortable, maybe a little tight, but you will get used to it and it will fit like a glove afterwards. Like I said, you don¡¯t need to wear the over vest now, but take it any way, put it with the clothes my wife will have done, since it would be better for you to wear these instead of regular clothes around here, but I would suggest wearing a shirt. Now get goin¡¯.¡± The old man said as he dumped the bundle of leather he was carrying into Seraph¡¯s arms and practically pushed him into the odd shaped cubicle like thing deemed a ¡®fitting room¡¯.

Seraph undressed and grabbed the pants, noticing that they were not nearly as thick, or as heavy as he would have imagined. Putting them on, they stretched to length and shrunk just a bit. They were loose and comfortable, and did not hinder any movements. Grabbing the boots, he put them on as well, and was amazed at the fit and comfort. He had never had a pair of shoes, let alone boots, that were his exact size, or close for that matter, another one of the simple pleasures denied to him by the lovely Dursleys. The boots were light and did not seem to make a sound as he walked around the cube-ish thing. Next was the under vest. The first challenge was getting his head in, but once that was accomplished, the vest seemed to try and accommodate him somewhat, though it was still difficult. A minute later he had it on and was trying to breath. Resting against the wall, he managed to get his lungs to work under the pressure and picked the cloak up, and put it on. On the dummy, it had looked like a work of art, something menacing and beautiful at the same time. On Seraph though, it just looked, well, right. It was like it was made specifically for him, and no one else. The cloak did not even have to resize. The sleeves were loose and slightly flared at the wrists, for the holsters, Seraph assumed, as he spotted them lying on the floor. The cloak touched to just above the boots ankle and were thicker then the pants, with an extra lining on the inside for comfort. He finally looked into the mirror that was hanging next to him, and nearly did a double take. He looked both intimidating and sophisticated, somehow, in what was really battle gear. Everything about that image just felt, and looked right. Seraph grinned at himself, put the wrist holsters on, which wrapped themselves onto his arms automatically. Seraph felt a light bite, as the holsters drew blood and glowed slightly, completing the bond. He then grabbed his wand and blades, and threw all of Dudley¡¯s cast offs into a pile and set them ablaze with a magnificent ¡®Incendio¡¯, which turned them promptly to ash before stepping out of the fitting room.

¡°Excellent ¡­ excellent!¡± Exclaimed Vulcan, as he took in Seraph¡¯s appearance. ¡°Exactly as I hoped it would look, even better, actually. Well, tell me. How does it feel? How does it move?¡± The old man asked excitedly. He really liked his work, apparently.

¡°It feels great. This has to be the best cloak I have ever had on, actually.¡±

¡°That is good. I believe that with this type of cloak it would be best to keep your sword sheathed on you back. There is a hole there, to fit just such a blade through, so as to keep the sheath protected inside the cloak. There are many pockets on the inside of the cloak, the space inside has been expanded to hold a little bit more then it should, and one should be perfect for you smaller blade.¡± Vulcan informed Seraph. Seraph put the sheath on his back inside of the cloak and it strapped itself in and readily took the Katana through the hole in the top of the cloak, where the handle shimmered for a moment before becoming invisible. Looking to the insides, he found several hidden pockets, and picked one for his Tanto that left just the grip poking out.

¡°And you said that this will lesson the effects some spells, and stop others?¡± Seraph asked.

¡°Yes, yes. It was created with offensive magic protection in mind, so it will lesson the effects of some curses, like bone shattering, bludgeoning, cutting, those types of spells, while nullifying almost all types of movement spells and low to medium-low powered magics. Physical blows will be slightly negated too. However, this is an aid in battle, it will not protect you from everything, and not all it protects against will be stopped completely, especially if it is a powerful caster. Do not rely on it too heavily.¡± He told him sagely, but then smiled.

¡°Now, here is the pamphlet on the holsters, they are already enchanted with the special summoning function, but it is set on the default of a wrist flick. The hood has some light obscuring charms, basic shadow haze, light notice me not, it all mixes together and is quite effective. You must put the hood on and activate it by saying ¡®conceal¡¯. The greatest thing about this hood however is the Mask feature. It is made out of a thinner dragon hide mesh and protects the face. The mask covers the face completely, but you will be able to see through it. The mask is the same color as the cloak, so with the hood being round and the mask black, you would not be mistaken as a Death Eater with their pointed hoods and half-skull masks(). Activation word is ¡®skirmish¡¯. Remember those, but they are also in the pamphlet if you forget.¡±

Seraph nodded and tried the features out. First he tried the holsters with his wand, which he completely missed the first couple of times, but got it right afterwards and did not miss again. Then he tried the concealing feature and the mask, both of which worked how they should. Vulcan informed him that the mask made him look like some sort of wraith-ish thing, not quite Dementor, but intimidating with only his eyes being slightly seen through the mesh.

¡°I think you should pick up a shirt at least from my wife. If your order was very large, you will probably have to pick the rest up within the next couple of days.¡±

¡°Alright, thank you Vulcan. You have been a great help to me today, and I think you will be again in the future.¡± Seraph said.

¡°Oh, it was no trouble at all young master, no trouble at all. Come back anytime that you need anything else or something repaired, or even just to talk. An old man likes company now and again, and I think you may benefit from it as well. The floo address to my wife¡¯s shop is ¡®Clotho¡¯s Apparel, Knocturn Alley¡¯¡± Vulcan said.

Seraph thanked Vulcan again and used his fireplace to floo to ¡°Clotho¡¯s Apparel, Knocturn Alley¡±

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¡°Can I help you¡­, oh hello again young sir. I have the things you asked for completed, though the rest will take another couple of days.¡± The Mistress informed him upon entering her shop through her hearth.

¡°Thank you. Your husband told me as much.¡± Seraph said

¡°You did not specify a color for the shirt you wanted completed so I made a black one, as you wanted the most of those, I believe.¡± She said, as she handed him a bundle of clothing. Seraph put the shirt on and enlarged his trunk, placing the rest of the bundle in one of the compartments.

¡°The shirt fits excellently, thank you. I will be back here within a few days to pick the rest up. How much do I owe you?¡± Seraph asked, taking out his money pouch.

¡°Oh, well let¡¯s see¡­¡± she said as she began making numbers in the air, after a moment she finally came to a conclusion and said ¡°That will be 1,800 galleons. The extra demiguise hair was an extra 400 galleons by itself, and Acromantula silk adds an extra 20 galleons to an articles price. But these clothes will be worth every Knut, I promise.¡± Seraph pulled out the correct amount and stacked it up on the table. The galleons came out in rolls, not unlike muggle rolls of change, though these were noticeably longer and much heavier, wrapped in a cloth like paper material with the Gringotts seal appearing periodically.

¡°I understand that you are the Black Heir?¡± She asked, her hesitation barely audible.

¡°Yes¡­¡± Seraph said slowly, as he saw her aura change to a cautious yellow.

¡°Then I suppose it is my duty to inform you that one of your late charges came through while you were talking to my husband earlier in my shop. Mrs. Mal-, well I suppose that would be Ms. Black now, anyway, she came through the muggle entrance of my shop seeking sanctuary. Apparently, she has been disowned and therefore does not have access to the stipends she received before. In the eyes of her husband, Lucius, this is enough reason to kill her. He will be punished for his lack of funds to his Master, and Lucius would take it out on her, slowly. So she came to me. I have sent her to stay at the Luna Argentum, it is an Inn that resides in the Knocturn sub-alley division. It is run by a friend of mine, Vesta. I tell you this because I believe that you have a right to know, and because I think that you can help her. She is not a bad person, really, just a victim of circumstance, for the most part. She has been a good friend for many years now, and I would appreciate it if you would at least speak with her.¡± Mistress Clotho asked with a pleading tone evident.

Seraph considered it for a moment. If what she said was true, then Narcissa was hiding out in the slums of Knocturn, and would be killed if sighted by her husband. ¡®She was married to Malfoy for years, so she must know things about the Death Eaters that not many are privy to. And if Malfoy found her worthy, then she may be talented in some way, ways that may help me perhaps? For the information alone, I would speak with her, and as she is disowned, I am not obligated to help her in any way. This may work.¡¯ Seraph thought.

¡°I will speak with her.¡± He said. She nodded, a strained smile showing though.

¡°I would suggest that you conceal that ring of yours though. Once word gets out that there is a new Black Heir, it will stir the public up. It was known that Sirius was the Head of the Blacks and thought to have not produced an Heir, and for one to show up out of the blue, with no ones knowledge, well, the public will not take it well, I fear. Not to mention that Lucius and Bellatrix will hunt you down for their perceived wrongs you have done to them.¡± Clotho informed him.

¡°Thank you, that is a good idea. But even if Bella and Lucy did come after me, I doubt they would succeed. They didn¡¯t before. Lets go, you traitor.¡± Seraph growled, as he shrunk his trunk and walked out of the shop, leaving a slightly confused seamstress something to ponder.

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¡°Some companion you are, jumping ship the first opportunity.¡± Seraph admonished. Cheleb whined for a second before sniffing some new scent and seeming to forget the ordeal.

¡°Come on.¡± Seraph said, as he moved into a small recess in the alley. ¡°Ring, is there a way for you to conceal yourself?¡± Seraph asked, as he could not remember a concealing spell, something he would remedy some time soon.

¡°Yes, Master Black. If it is your wish, then I can remain hidden.¡± The ring told him, as the crest of the ring slowly vanished, leaving a simple silver band on his finger. Satisfied, he began to concentrate on the changes he wanted his face to make. His eyes opened up more then were usual and changed into a clear orange outlined in black where the silver was before, slightly reminiscent of Vulcan. His facial hair suddenly jumped into a full beard, before he concentrated again and turned it into a smooth goatee. His hair shortened and grouped together to form full spikes which were the same deep auburn at the tips that was seen sporadically through his raven hair. ¡®I¡¯ll have to look into this. Tonks is a Black, which means that she must have a natural ability to be able to change, and she looks like she has to concentrate pretty hard before a change happens, and all I have to do is think about how I want to look. I don¡¯t think it should be this easy.¡¯ Seraph thought as he stepped out into the rest of the alley.

It was interesting to note the way that the people on the street regarded him as he stepped out of the shadowed corner. He was now looked at with caution, instead of disdain, which suited him fine. He didn¡¯t feel like socializing just now. ¡®Occhio¡¯s eye-care¡¯ came into view as he passed a hag who was trying to sell him rotten magpie liver for seven knuts a half-ounce.

Entering the store he was greeted by a bright room and a ringing of bells that were hovering close to the door. The room was set up much like the muggle Optometrists that he had been to once before, when the school made the Dursley¡¯s buy glasses for him when he could not see that there were written letters on the board. He was quickly enrolled into another school, but the damage had been done. The Dursley¡¯s were embarrassed, and they made sure he knew it.

¡°Hello, may I help you?¡± A cultured voice asked him from behind a counter.

¡°Yes, I saw the sign and figured that this would be the place to find out about eye correction.¡± Seraph answered.

¡°Well, as you can see, we have several styles of eye glasses to choose from. Each pair is made to be unbreakable and the lenses will be set to your prescription after you have purchased them. The prescription will last for a year before you have to have them set again or choose another pair.¡± The lady told him.

¡°Really, well I have used glasses previously; still do as a matter of fact. But I find them cumbersome and a weakness, something I simply can not afford. So, Ms. ¡­¡±

¡°Madame Occhio.¡± She supplied.

¡°Oh, so I do have the pleasure of speaking with the esteemed Madame Occhio. Your reputation in your business was heralded by a friend of mine. I am looking for something to ¡®let me see the world in a new perspective¡¯, so to speak.¡± Seraph finished, looking her in the eyes.

¡°Your friend, Mr. ¡­¡± Madame Occhio prompted.

¡°Noir, Sinistre Noir. And I speak of Mr. Vulcan. He holds you in high standing in your field.¡±

¡°Ah, Mr. Vulcan sent you, he was a good friend of my mother¡¯s. To have his trust says much about you. Very well, come with me.¡± She said as she tapped a pair of glasses on the right lens in an unintelligible pattern until a room opened up to the side. ¡°You, Mr. Noir, are one of the few to get to see this side of the store. This is where the ¡®magic¡¯, so to speak, happens. Magical advancements in eye enhancement have come far from say, Alastor ¡®Mad-eye¡¯ Moody¡¯s day. My mother actually outfitted him for that eye about twenty years ago, maybe less. Now though, we have other options, that is, dependant upon how much gold you are willing to part with for your ¡®new world perspective¡¯.¡± Occhio said.

¡°Money is no object, Madame I assure you. Tell me of these options.¡± And she did. Over the course of the next ten minutes Seraph learned about a type of liquid contact lens derived from the muggle equivalent that would adhere to the eye and could be made to give certain, advantages in eyesight. There was also a potion that would destroy the zonules ("threads" attached to the lens of the ciliary muscle that help the lens to change its curvature during movement), retinas (membrane that lines the inside wall of the eye, changes light into sight, tells the brain what you see), and the lens of the eye completely and restructure them until they were better then what they should be, slightly better then 20/20. Then there was total eye replacement, not unlike Moody¡¯s, except that there was an illusion of your eye remaining straight while it was behind your head. The eye replacement and liquid-lens could be charmed to see better at night, see through simple illusions and a few more advanced illusions, namely Invisibility cloaks. The reconstruction process could not be enhanced any further then it already was. One, because you cannot charm a real eye, it is much too sensitive, too much or too little power to the spell or an incorrect movement and you can have irreparable damage, and two, Madame Occhio was not willing to perform enhancement rituals on her self, let alone another. The reconstruction process included an amazing bit of potions, but no amount of gold would get her out of Azkaban for acts forbidden centuries earlier, the Madame told him.

¡°I¡¯ll take the Reconstruction Potion.¡± He informed her. He figured that if there were rituals for eye enhancement, then he could do them, and possibly get much better results.

¡°Are you sure now? Alright, but to warn you, it will hurt like a bitch. The first part will sever the connection of your eyes to your brain, rendering you blind. Then you¡¯ll feel the pain. The zonules will be burned out, and then retinas will be scraped off, then the really fun part. The lenses of your eyes will be ripped and disintegrate to nothing, leaving your eyes open for a moment. It is fast though, otherwise you would risk infection. After that, the process starts over again, only backwards. The lenses rebuild themselves, the retinas are developed and fill in, and then the zonules regenerate and attach themselves to your eyes. Finally the connection is reestablished and viol la, perfect vision for the rest of your life, regardless of age. Unless your eyes need to be replaced at some point, of course.¡± She reassured him.

Seraph studied her aura for a moment, and finding no hostility, agreed to the procedure. She walked over to a low hanging shelf and picked up a vile of a murky neon brown colored potion, as odd as it may sound, and handed it to him.

¡°Now, unless you have tried poly-juice, you won¡¯t find any potion that tastes as bad as this. And even then, it is in a class of its own. It has something to do with the dragon mushroom spores. They can only be harvested under dragon dung. Anyway, down it in one go. It should only last about a minute.¡± She told him, as she walked back up to the front of the store through the now illusion wall.

¡®Gulp¡¯, was the sound that he involuntarily made as the potion slid down his throat, fighting the whole way down. As Seraph felt the substance settle down in his stomach, his vision began to go blurry, before suddenly switching off. That¡¯s when the pain started. It was not all that bad actually. Of course, few who had not had the ¡®Cruciatus¡¯ could call this ¡®not all that bad¡¯. It was like a hot needle stuck into his eye, and then scraping with a dull spoon, before being punched in the eyes with a sledge hammer. During this time however, his scanning ability had expanded to take place of his vision, allowing him to almost ¡®see¡¯ the ambient magic in the room (A/N: think along the lines of ¡®The Matrix¡¯ and Frodo¡¯s vision when he puts on the ring), giving everything a misty grey and red color, like he was colorblind, though a few definite shapes and colors could be seen, more specifically, Madame Occhio who was colored brightly in warm hues. His vision returned after a moment, though the ¡®sight¡¯ still remained for a few seconds, making everything an odd shadow. The clarity of his sight now was unbelievable, and he wondered how he could have walked around being nearly blind all his life, even with the aide of glasses.

¡°All finished I see. Come up to the front, I¡¯ll ring you up there.¡± Madame Occhio told him.

¡°Okay, the total will come to 800 galleons. Steep, yes, but well worth it. And I am sure you would agree. I usually ask for payment up front, but with the potion, I feel better having not taken your money in the event of your death.¡± She told him in all seriousness. Seraph shook his head and handed her the money from out of his Gringotts bag and thanked Madame Occhio for her help.

¡°No problem. As a matter of fact, why don¡¯t you pick out a pair of those sunglasses over there?¡± She pointed to a rack near the door. ¡°Your eyes may be a little sensitive to sunlight for a couple of hours. Take them, no charge.¡± She said. Nodding his thanks, he picked out a pair of deep red tinted rectangular glasses that said that the tint could be changed if they were tapped by a wand, and walked out to an even dirtier Knocturn alley then before, thanks to his newly fixed eyes.

¡°Next stop, ¡®Borgin and Burkes¡¯¡±. Seraph growled to Cheleb who had been hidden beside him the whole time while in Occhio¡¯s.

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Entering the dusty entrance of ¡®Borgin and Burkes¡¯, Seraph concentrated on what he was seeing and tried to bring up that ¡®sight¡¯ again. He could sense someone, most likely either Borgin, Burkes, or some other clerk behind the counter, but he also felt a slight pull towards a jewelry cabinet. Following the feeling, he found himself in front of a large finger ring, clumsily made out of what appeared to be gold, though it could have easily been made of copper, set with a black stone engraved with an ancient looking coat of arms. The feeling returned, and now he recognized what it was, and it made him cautious. The ring gave off the same feeling that Riddle¡¯s diary had given off.

¡°Can I help you?¡± Came the annoyed voice of the clerk Seraph had sensed earlier.

¡°Yes, what can you tell me of this ring?¡± Seraph asked, feeling like the man was already getting on his nerves.

¡°That ring? No idea why any one would want it really. It was found in some destroyed house some time back. Fellow brought it in, saying that it was a Slytherin artifact. Don¡¯t know how he could tell, but I bought it off of him for a Knut just to get the man out of my store. We did have a Slytherin artifact at one point, quite a few years back, nice locket it was. That was bought by Ms. Somebody Smith not to long after it was brought in. Terrible what happened to her.¡± Mr. Borgin, for that was who he was, told him, not quite understanding why he should be so open to a stranger, of all things, in his shop.

¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Seraph told the man, thinking that even if it was a fake, something that felt that way should not be out lying around somewhere, and he still needed something to buy in order to do other business with this man. ¡°And the ¡®Man has been keeping me down¡¯, I would be interested in any way you may have in the purpose to get him off my back.¡±

¡°Why sir, I do believe that I could help you, and myself¡­¡± he mumbled the last bit, but Seraph still heard it. ¡°Just right this way.¡± The man said with a greedy glint in his eye and a greasy voice that would have put Snape¡¯s hair to shame. ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Borgin, by the way.¡± Borgin said, as he began waving his wand in a series of circular movements with some muttered words until a trapdoor opened up. Borgin shot a pale bolt at his front door and several locks could be heard slamming into place, as well as an odd slurping sound. Studying peoples aura¡¯s had become second nature to Seraph in the short time he had began to utilize the ability, and seeing an odd color he could only associate with feeling the man gave off, he discovered that ¡®greed¡¯ had a color, a ¡®muddy pink¡¯ of all the possible hues.

¡°Now what is it that you are looking for Sir?¡± Borgin asked.

¡°I want what the Ministry won¡¯t let us know. Like those neat different means of travel, that interesting charm to make people go away, and anything else of interest that you may have. Gold is not a problem.¡± Seraph told the greasy man.

¡°Gold is no problem is it? Well that is very, very good. Well let¡¯s see here¡­ ¡®Mezzi di movimento by Juan Libro¡¯, a book on Apparition basics and advanced techniques, not the hardest book to procure around here, but difficult to master. ¡®Travel, Tricks and Trade; Ministry banned spells, items, and knowledge, and how to make them work for you¡¯. This has everything else you might want to know, Portkey creation, Oblivation basics, hell of a hard spell to use let me tell you, muggle and wizard repelling wards, Flying carpet creation, you name it, if the ministry has banned it, this book will tell you how to use it or make it. I have the ¡®The Untraceable Book of Untraceability¡¯ somewhere, but I could never find it¡­ oh well. A couple of books that no one can decipher, no matter how powerful the translation charm they use, been in the shop for ages. One has squiggly text, the others text looks runic, but the words keep changing in different lighting, making it impossible to determine. I have amulets, protection jewelry, hell; I even got a time-turner someplace. Take a look around, I¡¯m bound to have whatever you want.¡± The man finished, stepping out of the way while rubbing his hands together.

Seraph picked up ¡®Mezzi di movimento by Juan Libro¡¯, the book on Ministry banned knowledge, a comprehensive genealogy book that was self updating, and an amulet that could be charged with up to three spells, in case you lost your wand, just because it looked interesting and it had the potential to be something more.

¡®Time-turner¡­I wonder how much time it would take to learn all that I wish to learn. I mean, three months is not a whole lot of time, especially when I want to perform a lot of rituals, and I don¡¯t know how long those might take. I will definitely need Occlumency to keep Bumble-Man out of my head. Damn. I wonder if there are alternate ways to get more time.¡¯ Seraph thought, as he picked up the books the man said he could not translate and added them to his pile. Maybe he could work them out later or something.

¡°Mr. Borgin, what do you have here in the way of making the most of time? You see, I find myself needing more then what is available to me at present. You mentioned a turner, but I think I will need more then the few hours that can offer me.¡±

¡°More time you say¡­ more then my twisting trinket can offer? There are ways of course, but the knowledge is rare, and valuable, hard to find. If I had such knowledge, why exactly would I want to part with it? There are many out there who might be interested, and you are just a boy, what can you possibly-¡± But Borgin was cut off when he found a blade at his throat, and a large dog he had not previously noticed bearing its rather large teeth at him.

¡°Why Mr. Borgin, I do believe you were doing so well, for a greedy bastard anyway. You see, I don¡¯t take well to being looked down upon, and I don¡¯t like condescending people, and Cheleb here doesn¡¯t like anybody that I don¡¯t like, so its understandable that they don¡¯t tend to live long around me. Now I was going to be nice, I was going to buy your items at whatever price that you named, no questions asked. But you had to push it. And now, you¡¯ll be lucky if I leave you with all of your limbs after this meeting.¡± Seraph threatened him, his current orange eyes flashing like fire. It was mostly a bluff, scare the man till he pissed his pants, get the books and such at a good price, and make him get rid of that damn glint of greed in his beady little eyes.

¡°O-of course, S-s-sir. I have a-a book, ancient it is, that may be what you a-are looking for. I-it is called ¡®Chrono Potentia¡¯. The n-name translates to ¡®Time Power¡¯. I my self have n-n-not read it, it will not open for me, but it has been in here since the store was established by my great Grandfather Borgin and his friend Burke. I do not know from where they got the book, and I-I really would rather not know.¡± Borgin said, trying his best to hide the fear that he felt.

¡°Very well, I will take the book and what I have here. I will meet you up front.¡± Seraph informed the man, as he began to climb the stairs to the main store. ¡°Cheleb, if he tries anything, make sure he thinks twice before pulling something again.¡± Seraph told Cheleb, as he put his Tanto back into its sheath. Cheleb nodded and melted away from sight, most likely going to keep an eye on Borgin.

A few minutes later found Borgin climbing up the stairs, Cheleb in tow, with a rather dusty tome in his dirty hands.

¡°Alright sir, I have the book here, plus the other items, lets see, amulet, ring and¡­ the books no one can read, well I suppose they may be worth something if you could figure them out¡­ okay, that will be¡­ 800 galleons.¡± Borgin said hand outstretched. Obviously, some time alone had given the man more of a backbone.

¡°I don¡¯t think so. How do you feel about 250 galleons?¡± Seraph asked the greedy bastard, though it was in no way a question. Really, they were an amulet, and a few books. Although the books were rare, but they were certainly not worth 800 galleons, and the ring looked it was wrought from something found lying on the ground, not some precious metal. And unless the Time book was exceptionally useful, he was asking a bit much.

¡°I am sorry sir. But the price is 800 galleons.¡± The dumbass insisted.

¡°Look Borgin, it is like I told you before, I don¡¯t like you, so the price is whatever the fuck I say it is, unless you want to lose you balls today. People like you make me sick; I¡¯d be doing the world a favor if I made sure you would not pass on any progeny. I will pay you 250 galleons, no more.¡± Borgin grumbled for a moment, before suddenly quieting and agreeing to the price. His aura outline, however was flashing danger in neon colors. ¡°Cheleb, he is going to try something. Make sure he regrets ever thinking about it..¡± Seraph growled, making Borgin look around to see where the dog was.

¡°Here, 250 galleons.¡± Seraph said, as he threw the money onto the counter and picked up his stuff which had been placed into a bag. Just as he was about to unlock the door, he heard a man stutter ¡®C-cruci-¡¯ before a deafening scream. It seams that Mr. Borgin will not be using his wand in the near future, as he had just lost several fingers on his right hand. Nor would he be procreating, as Cheleb had decided on following Seraph¡¯s threat. ¡°Nice one Cheleb.¡± He told the grim, as he began scratching the large animal behind the ears, as Borgin screamed on.

¡°You know Borgin, I think I¡¯ll try that spell you mentioned earlier.¡± Seraph told the screaming man as he quickly pulled out the Ministry book and turned it to the Obliviation Charm. Scanning it quickly, he pulled out his wand, concentrated on wanting to remove his face and any sight of Cheleb from his memory, and shouted ¡®Obliviate!¡¯ with all the force he could muster, remembering Borgin saying that the charm was hard to perform. The man looked blankly at his hand for, before his eyes darted around quickly, before his eyes settled for a second time on his bleeding appendages, before screaming once again. His job done, Seraph cast a quick ¡®Silencio¡¯ that shut the man up as he and Cheleb made their way back out to the alley, not knowing that the man couldn¡¯t remember his own name, let alone recall seeing a man and a dog.


OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO


¡®Eyes are fixed, I have what I wanted from ¡®Borgin and Burkes¡¯, clothes are taken care of. Wand, up to date books, potions and ritual supplies and appliances are all I think that I need now. The appliances can wait, as can the potions and such, I can get them later if I am going to be living around here, and I don¡¯t know what I need any way and I am sure they will need to be fresh. I need to find Knocturn Corner too. A watch would not hurt either. I don¡¯t know what time it is, I can probably find one around here or in Diagon.¡¯ Seraph thought as he began to wonder down the streets, wary of those around him. They stopped at a small, surprisingly sanitary canteen where they served dragon steaks and elf-drops, a drink made of firewhiskey and glacial tears. Seraph decided not to imbibe in the odd drink in favor of keeping his wits, something he could not afford to lose in this place. The steak was good, but Cheleb refused to eat it unless it was rare. Leaving the establishment, Seraph spotted a sign of what could have been a wand pointing down an alley to the side hanging above an empty shop. Not sensing anything bad down that way, he made his way down the alley to be met with a dead end and another sign. ¡®Dexter¡¯s¡¯ was all that it said. He opened the door and walked through.

¡°Who is it that does disturb my keep?¡± asked a wizened voice from a back room.

¡°One who wishes to do business with the keeper.¡± Seraph replied, wondering if there was some sort of password phrase that he was supposed to know for this man too. Several crashes could be heard from the back room as the man made his way to the front of the shop. The shop was dark, but not unclean. Not unlike Ollivander¡¯s, but slightly less inviting. The man that came out had to be a relative of Ollivander. He had the same demeanor, and those eyes. Those eerie, moon-like eyes were giving Seraph flashbacks of his first wand buying experience.

¡°My, my, now what do we have here? A Grim¡­ which makes you its companion,¡± The man said looking to Seraph. ¡°This in turn must make you the Heir of Black.¡± He stated. Seraph, though he fought hard not to show it, was surprised that the man had figured him out, and had seen Cheleb, who was behind him and currently blended into the shadows. He tried to see the man¡¯s aura, but he was unable to, which prompted him to grab his wand quickly and begin to back out of the shop.

¡°Now, now. No need for that. I have certain talents, talents which I see you possess, though they are untrained. You attempted to read my aura, but were unable to yes? I too am a Scanner, and as such know how to hide my aura. It is called Masking, an advanced technique that you can learn. Works well with Occlumency too¡­ Yes, now what is it that I can help you with?¡± The man asked.

¡°Yeah, I am in need of a wand, and I heard that you are as good as or better than Ollivander.¡± Seraph told him.

¡°As good as or better than Ollivander, eh? Yes, I suppose that would be high praise indeed, but I suppose my dear brother may well be better then me, if he was not limited to what he can use in his wands. It doesn¡¯t matter how much they give him, Unicorn tail hairs, Dragon heart strings, and phoenix feathers are too limited, no matter the diversity of wood. But he, like all of the Ollivander¡¯s that have worked in that shop adhere to the Ministries guidelines, though they use not to be so rigid. He likes the shop though, especially when the new first years come in to get their first wands. He said that that alone was worth the restrictions. Damn crazy I tell you. Having to deal with all those snot nose hooligans, and overly biased idiots, blah!¡± He said with a dismissive wave of his arm. ¡°And yes, that would make me an Ollivander. I am Dexter Ollivander, at your service.¡± The man, Dexter Ollivander, said. Seraph had thought as much so it was not a total surprise.

¡°Why are those cores too limited?¡± Seraph asked after a moment. After all, he had not had any problems with his wand, except the whole Voldemort thing.

¡°Because, even if you were to find a wand that was compatible with you, that ¡®chose you¡¯, as my brother would say, it can not compare to a custom made wand, a wand that your magic itself has choosen the components of. Close to thirty percent of the magic that is put into a spell is lost upon firing it from an already made wand, more if the wand was not theirs to begin with. The worst part is that the Ministry knows this. It use to be that those wands were known as ¡®Training-Wands¡¯, they were made to slightly inhibit the caster, forcing more power into spells, building up their magical core. After graduation, they would purchase their first custom wand with their first month¡¯s wages. It was a tradition that lasted up until the last century and a quarter, about 1870, when the Ministry decided that any one with more power then them was a threat, magical or otherwise. So they banned key components used in custom wand creation so they could not be made again, along with several of the legal dark spells and a slew of items and books that nearly ruined a couple shops under the ¡®Light Act of 1871¡¯.¡± Dexter explained.

¡°That sounds like something that the Ministry would do. I am just surprised that it was never mentioned before. I mean there are people that are old enough to remember, or even have a custom wand. Dumbledore is over 150 years old, surely he would know about it¡­¡± Seraph trailed off, while Dexter gave him a knowing grin. ¡°Just one more way Dumbles can make sure that everyone flocks to his banner, because no one can defeat them on their own because they are inhibited by wands that wont work as well as they can, making them weaker then their enemies from go. And even if some of them knew about it, they would not do anything illegal, or risk persecution from their overly judgmental peers.¡±

¡°Precisely. That is once of the many reasons that I don¡¯t like the man, and why a few of the older families who had been getting custom wands for countless years do not see eye to eye with him, or at least some of them use that as an excuse to disagree with him, as he is in a position to change laws like that. Now, you will want to get I wand, I gather from your earlier statement. The first thing that must be done is to choose a wood type. You feel each of the pieces I have, and you tell me the one that feels the best.¡± Dexter said as he went to the back room to return a moment later with a large box. Opening the box revealed several levels of cabinets, each holding a number of thin wood pieces. Seraph began picking up the pieces, one by one. The first few did nothing for him, a few after that made him mildly queasy, some felt better then others, some even shocked him, but none felt right. That is until he came to the last level. Seraph picked up a heavy piece of dark wood that almost looked like marble, especially with its light silvery veins and high sheen.

¡°This one.¡± Seraph told Dexter.

¡°Curious¡­¡± was all that the wand-maker said, annoyingly like the man¡¯s brother. ¡°Moving on, we must pick the cores. I never use less then two. Makes the wand more powerful and it helps to more efficiently use the magic that is given. Now over to the side,¡± He pointed to the wall across from him. ¡°Are the liquid cores, look through those while I take these back and bring out the other cores. Just feel them out.¡± Dexter told Seraph.

Seraph walked over to the shelves and began to concentrate on trying ¡®see¡¯ what he was looking for, the way he had before. After a moment, colors began to show up on some items and the magic could be felt from the substances before him. He felt a slight pull from one of the jars on the shelf and one from behind him. The jar that he felt the pull from was filled with a black gaseous liquid that seemed to still be alive. Picking up the jar, he turned around and looked to where he felt the second pull, expecting to see Dexter with the other cores. What he found was Cheleb sitting on the floor with his tongue out looking up at him.

¡°What have you found so far?¡± The Ollivander sibling asked.

¡°This jar,¡± he held up the jar to show him, not looking away from Cheleb, ¡°And I am feeling a pull from my companion. Why is that?¡± Seraph asked.

¡°Well let¡¯s see the jar first¡­ Lethifold blood, my, my. That is not something used often. And the reason why you are feeling a pull from your companion is because he is a magical creature, and as such, some part of him can be used as a wand core, crudeness aside. Though I have never seen a Grim be compatible for a core before. You will have to ask for something, as I doubt he would appreciate you taking something of him without permission. Take a look at these cores first though. It is not often I make wands with more then two cores, but it happens, and I love a challenge.¡±

Once again Seraph reached out to try and find another core from the ones Dexter had presented him. After a second he picked up a small container and gave it to Dexter.

¡°Japanese Shinobi Dragon heart-strings. This is shaping up to be a very interesting wand indeed¡­ Now for the Grim¡­¡± Dexter nodded towards where the overly large puppy was laying on the floor.

¡°Cheleb, can you give me something of yourself to use as a wand core?¡± Seraph asked him.

¡°Wand? Like your other one? I think so¡­ yeah, I can. I¡¯m just about to lose this big tooth here¡­ hold on¡­ got it!¡± Cheleb said triumphantly, as a rather large tooth fell out of his mouth. Picking it up, he handed it to Dexter.

¡°Simply amazing. A Grim¡¯s fang of all things. What combination¡­ what a curious combination¡­¡± He trailed off.

¡°Spit it out old man, your worse then your brother. ¡®Curious¡­ Very curious¡­¡¯ what is it with you Ollivanders and suspense?!¡± Seraph bit out.

¡°What? Oh, come back in a bout an hour, I¡¯ll be finished then, and I can explain my thoughts.¡± He told him.

Seraph left the shop grumbling about senile old men and wand cores, wondering what he was going to do for the next hour. His question was answered rather quickly as he looked up and saw an interesting sign.


OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO


¡°Hey mate! Welcome to ¡®Bozzy¡¯s Magical Tattoos¡¯. What can I do you for?¡± A man in his early twenties who was completely covered in tattoos every where visible up to his neck.

¡°I am interested in getting a tattoo. I know how the muggles do it, but I was wondering if the magical kind were different.¡± Seraph said.

¡°Yep, those muggles must enjoy them needles they use of somthin¡¯, our potions are much better. While there are certain tattoos that you can get placed on you and charmed to move, which is most of which I got, the ones with the most meaning will be from the tribal tattoos.¡± The man explained.

¡°Which is?¡± Seraph prompted.

¡°Oh, right. That¡¯s when you drink this potion, and it like, digs into you subconscious or something and pulls out something of meaning or something that meant something to you. Ah guy came in a couple o¡¯ days ago and took it, ended up with lyrics to a muggle song because he said it ¡®Changed his life¡¯, or something like that. Whatever you get, it will be symbolic to a certain extent. The Native Americans, the ones who created the potion, made it act with certain ¡®divinatory¡¯ properties, so you may not know what they represent, but you will eventually, got it?¡±

¡°Yeah, that sounds good to me, how long will it take?¡±

¡°Twenty minutes for the potion to take effect, the maybe half an hour for the coloring potion you take after words, then a healing salve, all in all, a little over an hour.¡± He told Seraph.

¡°Convenient. All right, let¡¯s do it then.¡±

The man went to the back and returned a couple of minutes later with two jars and a vile of an inky black potion.

¡°Now, take this one first,¡± he said indicating the inky potion, ¡°Then this one here, then we have to put the salve on. The potion feels like a burn, so be ready.¡± Seraph nodded and took the vile from him and drank it down. Fortunately it was not any worse then the man described. He began to feel a throbbing burning sensation all over his back, shoulders, and forearms so he took off his cloak shirt and under vest after checking the man¡¯s aura. A little after twenty minutes later the pain stopped and Seraph took the coloring potion, not bothering to look at the only tattoos that he could see which were on his forearms. The coloring potion was just as bad as the tribal potion, only it lasted longer and remained a constant burning instead of a throb. The tattoo guy came in just as the potion ended and began to apply the thick glowing blue healing salve, which lasted until it was absorbed by the body a couple of minutes later.

¡°Alright man, right over there is a mirror so that you can see what¡¯s on you back. And check out your arms mate, they are awesome!¡± Tattoo man said.

Looking at his forearm, he had to agree with the man. Instead of a picture, there were ancient runes in a gothic type writing that went from his wrist to his elbow on the inside of his arm in a deep green that looked black until it hit the light, or changed hues on its own, Seraph was not sure, outlined in silver on his right arm. On his left was a large angel with black wings spread, holding a flaming black blade under the Orion constellation. The fire would go out periodically and the angel would put the blade away in a sheath and walk around his arm, always alert.

He walked to the mirror and got a good look at his back by a charm on the mirror, instead of reflecting the image like muggles would. Taking up most of his back and shoulders was a huge bear-like dog that resembled a huge Rottweiler as much as Cheleb looked like a Labrador. The dog was facing forward in mid pounce, as if he was trying to jump out of Seraph, or on to something behind him. Its eyes were a glowing silver outlined in deep emerald. And its markings, usually a light brown in color were instead silver. Through out the Grims midnight fur, the same deep auburn that could be seen in his hair was present, if one looked hard enough. Below the Grim was a full moon with dark clouds moving over it. Under the moon were a large bear-like German shepherd, a Werewolf, and a big silvery Stag. The Stag had an overly large crimson lily tucked behind its ear. Padfoot was tackling Moony into a small stream that was next to them while Prongs reared up in laughter. Seraph gave a sad half-smile as he watched their antics. He looked up to see the larger grim wink and give a feral grin before it slowly disappeared into a shadow and reappeared behind Padfoot, tackling him into the stream which sent Prongs rolling into a fit of laughter, an interesting sight in a Stag. He looked to the clock and saw that over an hour had passed and his wand should be done by now. Paying the price for the potion, 3 galleons and a sickle, he made his way back to the wand shop.


OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO


¡°Mr. Black I am glad that you are back so promptly. Your wand is ready.¡± Dexter told him as soon as he walked through the door. The old man motioned to a beautiful wand lying on top of an aged purple cushion. Picking it up, Seraph felt warmth at his finger tips, and a cold, refreshing breeze that seemed to clear any weariness he had away. Giving it a sharp swish, a cloud of black mist shout out of the wand, forming foggy clouds, as bright silver sparks shot out and deep red sparks which rained down and danced on the counter top.

¡°Yes! Yes! Bravo, Mr. Black. Petrified Black Peach wood, Japanese Shinobi Heart-strings, Grim fang, suspended in Lethifold blood. A very interesting combination, as I said before. To know why it so curious, let me tell you the history behind that particular wood and its cores.


Mr. Black, the wood of your wand is the last suitable piece of Black Peach wood that I know of. This piece came from the great Peach wood tree on a mountain called Dusu in the East Sea. The tree covered close to 3,000 square miles and was said to be the gateway that evil must pass through to go down the mountain. When a great evil broke though, it destroyed the tree, scorching the wood, turning it into Black Peach wood. The wood was used to eventually kill this evil. That is why the Chinese people believed peach wood could be used to put down evil things and began to decorate their gates with two carved deity figures made of peach wood to keep evil spirits at bay. Over the centuries the wood petrified, augmenting the wood to be more refined, more powerful. The liquid core in your wand is that of Lethifold blood, the essence of the living shroud, the perfect assassin of the night, leaving no trace of its presence with few weaknesses. A Grim¡¯s fang. The weapon of a misunderstood creature signifying imminent death. It is said to be a guardian to the underworld, and fiercely loyal to their cause. And finally, Heart-strings from a Shinobi Dragon. A formidable dragon, noted for its concealment abilities and endurance. In fugal times they were ridden by Ninjas, those trained in the art of ninjutsu and their protectiveness of its kind and deadly temper when it is set off. Are you beginning to see what I am talking about?¡± Dexter asked him.

¡°Yes, I think I do. A powerful wand to bring the end to evil beings, though itself is not light. It seems that I can not escape my course, even if I wanted to. At least this wand will have no brother.¡± Seraph said.

¡°Brother Wand, Mr. Black? What has a brother wand to do with anything? That reminds me, I saw your wand earlier, a glimpse, but it was enough to identify it as one of my brother¡¯s wands, but if he sold one to a young Black, I believe he would have told me.¡± Dexter said.

¡°Do I have your Wizard¡¯s oath not to reveal anything you have heard or done for me to anyone, Mr. Ollivander?¡± Seraph asked.

¡°Certainly.¡± And with that simple agreement a small flare of magic flashed between them, sealing the oath.

¡°I will tell you then that this wand,¡± He said, pulling out his old wand, ¡°Is the brother wand to one Thomas Marvolo Riddle.¡± Seraph told the man.

¡°Now that I have heard. But that would make you¡­¡± Dexter stopped, slightly surprised.

¡°If such a person ever existed, I was Harry James Potter. But as things are, I am Seraph Orion Black. It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Ollivander.¡±

¡°Well now, that does make this wand special, does it not? Before I forget, that will be 17 galleons, 5 sickles, and 12 knuts. Remarkable, though it makes me wonder if this changes any prophecies circulating around¡­It matters not, I suppose. What will be, will be. It is not about what we wish to happen, but what we can do. It is not about what we want or desire, but what we can attain. Remember, a man can do great things, Mr. Black. And as I am sure my brother has told you, ¡®We can expect great things from you¡¯.¡± The old man finished, eyes glowing like moons, as if seeing something that no one else could, eerily reminiscent of his brother. Seraph nodded and paid the man and left quickly.


OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO


¡®I can get some more books, and find Knocturn Corner and Black Alley later from Vulcan, but I think I need to get back. Something does not feel right. Man, I really need a watch. I should have seen if there were any in the vault. Well, I still have to go back there at some point to check out the Potter and Slytherin vaults, I can look then.¡¯ Seraph thought to himself as he made his way out of Knocturn alley and towards the Leaky Cauldron. ¡®Or I can get one now. I¡¯ll make it fast.¡¯ Seraph thought as passed ¡®Time-Piece¡¯.

¡°What can I do¡­ for you?¡± A very sleepy voice asked from behind the glass display counter holding watches. The woman who the voice belonged to looked exhausted, a line of spit connecting her lip to the glass case below.

¡°Yeah, I need a watch that tells the time, maybe with some extra features.¡± Seraph told the lady. Now some would think that stating something like that would be mocking the woman, but this was the Wizarding World, and he did not want a watch that only told him lunar transition phases.

¡°Hmmm¡­ I got just the thing. Muggle design, so its main function is to tell time. Press this little button, and you get the lunar and solar phases, good for potion ingredient collecting. Anti theft feature, sends a small lightening bolt at some one who tries to take it from you. The watch is unbreakable, waterproof, fireproof, and always keeps the correct time, no matter the time zone. Comes in gold, silver, gold and silver, platinum, leather band or metal, with tinted crystal faces in any color. Costs 12 galleons and a knut, what do ya¡¯ think?¡± The lady asked.

¡°Sounds good to me. I¡¯ll take it. I want the platinum with solid band and smoke tinted crystal.¡± He told her, handing her the money.

¡°Okay, one second.¡± The clerk said, opening up a hidden drawer under the case. She found it and handed it to Seraph who put it on immediately.

¡°Thank you.¡± He told her as he left, noting that the time was now half-past six in the evening. He told Cheleb that to stay with Vulcan and Mistress Clotho for the night if he could, explaining that the house was small and he would pick him up the next day, or to find him if he didn¡¯t. He made it through the Leaky Cauldron and on to the Knight Bus with out incident, though he noted the absence of Stan Shunpike, as the ditzy flaxen haired conductor was a sharp contrast to the pimply young man. 11 sickles and A little over half an our later, he was back in Little Whinging, and had the bus stop at the park down the block, as not to alert any wizards or witches in the area. He decided that he did not want the Dursley¡¯s, or any guards to see him differently then what they remembered and concentrated on what he looked like before the charm had been completely removed, changing his hair, eyes and face, and covering up his tattoos. The final thing he had to do, though he loath to do it, was to put his scar back in its proper place, though he was able to make it lighten from its angry red to a paler pink color. He took off his cloak and put it into his trunk and made his holsters invisible, not wanting to explain them, but kept everything else.

His stroll back to Number 4 Privet Drive mildly pleasant, the thought of never having to come back here after this day making him happy. He was about to open the door when it was thrust open before him, and dragged into the house.

¡°Where¡¯s my ¡®hic¡¯ money, boy?¡± The drunken tub of lard called his uncle asked.

¡°You handle me like that again and you won¡¯t have any greedy hands left.¡± Seraph threatened.

¡°That uh¡­ thr-threat boy?! You threatening me? In my own house no less! You¡¯ll get yours¡­ Dudley is making sure of it, I can just smell it in the air. Can¡¯t you, freak? Good ol¡¯ Udders, -HA! Petunia¡¯s little Udders!- er Dudders is goin to fix you right up! Proud of that boy, ¡®hic¡¯, always knew he had it in ¡®em¡­¡± Vernon trailed off as he took another drink of his Johnnie Walker. Seraph did indeed smell something in the air though. Like something was burning, and it was coming from the kitchen. That feeling of something wrong came back to him full blast, and he ran to the kitchen, to find his own personal nightmare awaiting him.

The first thing he saw was the feathers. White feathers. No, not all of them were white, a good portion had a red tint to them. ¡®Blood¡¯ Seraph thought. ¡®Feathers¡­Hedwig! What the hell is going on here?!¡± The next thing he noticed was a large metal pan sitting on the table, the kind Petunia would use to make turkey in¡­ Beside the pan was a what looked like it had been a wing at one time. A severed wing that had been burnt almost beyond recognition.

¡°Nice, aint it?¡± a voice asked, and as the voice stepped into the room, Seraph saw that it was Dudley, his thundering walk ruining the entrance he had worked so hard to create.

¡°What have you done Dudley?¡± Seraph asked, eyes taking on the glowing of that dreaded curse, his voice a cold whisper, but Dudley heard it, and pissed himself. But he strengthened his resolve by remembering what the freak had done to his family, to him for all those years and especially recently.

¡°Not nearly as much as I¡¯m gonna!¡± Dudley shouted as he punched Seraph in the jaw faster then he thought he could and threw a lit lighter into the pan. This act sealed the fate of one Dudley Pinguis Dursley. The lighter landed in the pan and set off the fluid that had been poured in there on top of a scarcely conscious bird. The flames set off immediately and a desperate screeching could be heard from within. Seraph ran to the pan and saw to what he had feared, Hedwig¡¯s body covered in flames. He tried to put the fire out, but it was too late. Hedwig laid there, smoking and still. Dead.

He couldn¡¯t believe it.

Hedwig. Dead. His first true friend, his first companion. Gone. The only person -for Hedwig was no mere bird- who had always been there for him. Through the nightmares, and when his friends would not send him letters, when she was locked up with him in their own personal jails, when the wizarding world turned on him. Always there for an encouraging nip or a bite on the ear to set him straight. Always there. And now, nothing.

Everything slowed down at that point. The leaves moved slower, the sounds of the outside came a little bit deeper, and Dudley seemed frozen in time. Dudley. The one who killed her. The one who tormented him. The one who had taken the one thing he loved the most in his life, and crushed it, just because he could. A cold calm came over Seraph, relieving him of his pain, his hurt. Leaving only cold fury. His eyes were now glowing grimly, the killing curse green being overshadowed by molten silver as a shiver ran through his spin, ending at his fingertips, which now held a black flaming sword. Quicker then lightning, the blade was through Dudley¡¯s arm, severing the limb and incinerating it by the heat of the flame. Where his arm once was held only a cauterized shoulder stump.

(A/N: If you were looking for the change, ¡ý this is it.)

¡°Eye for an eye, Dudders.¡± Seraph said frostily, as he pulled out flicked his wrist and his new wand jumped out. ¡°Incendio!¡± he shouted, feeling the magic within him flare and shot out a dark blue fireball at his cousin¡¯s feet. It exploded and set his feet on fire. Dudly fell to his knees, while the fire slowly crept up his body. How he managed to stay on his knees until the fire reached his shoulders, Seraph did not know, nor did he really care. ¡°Exitium!¡± Seraph yelled, thinking about how exactly he wanted his cousin¡¯s body to be destroyed. The curse that he had read about earlier in the year stuck the target¡¯s chest and exploded on impact, turning his body into assorted smoldering limbs and burning entrails, blood splattering the walls and ceiling. The fury left him and he put away his wand and the Black Katana disappeared.



He walked slowly over to Hedwig¡¯s body to held her, still in disbelief. As soon as he touched her though, she fell into ashes. And he did something he hoped he would never do again. He cried. He cried silent tears for the injustice of it all. Because another loss made him feel that much weaker. And as the tears fell from his face, they landed on the ashes of his friend. His aura flared in response, showing a truly beautiful and deadly black and silver aura, thrashing wildly against anything it could find. Wind ripped through the house, blowing everything about or shattering it. Then a fire, a cold fire began to engulf him. The black flames licked at his flesh, but he did not feel it, but his surroundings did, as they caught on fire, still that black and grey colored fire. Then a sound. A sound the likes of which had not been heard for centuries. A music that would strike fear into enemies, and reassurance to allies. A sound that carried both victory and loss, of death and life, the fires of hell and the flames of comfort. As the sound reached its crescendo, Vernon and Petunia¡¯s screams could be heard easily, as blood seeped out of their ears. And with a mighty flash, the ashes that once were Hedwig began to float together, losing their tangibility and forming a dark misty shape. The mist was undeniably Hedwig, but it wasn¡¯t at the same time, it was like when he saw Cedric, his parents, and that old man come out of Voldemort¡¯s wand in the graveyard. It was her spirit. But it wasn¡¯t of an owl.

Seraph looked up at the spirit of the magnificent creature that was now floating before him. A phoenix. But it was unlike any he had ever seen before, black as night, tainted from her pain and that of her masters. She trilled a soft note, and then a louder one, before she began to become consumed by dark flames and flew straight into his chest. He gave a sad smile before passing into oblivion. This was the scene that met Remus and Tonks as they made their way through the entrance of Number 4 Privet Drive.

¡°What happened Remus? The burning, and the, the body parts! Was that his cousin? Where are his Aunt and Uncle? What the hell is going on?¡± Tonks asked faster then Remus thought possible, her head was spinning, trying not to look at anything but taking everything in at the same time.

¡°I don¡¯t know what happened Tonks. And I don¡¯t think we will get the answers until Harry is awake. That does indeed look like his cousin though. Like he was blasted apart and then set on fire. There are curses that will do that, but they are, well, less messy, more precise. I have a thought, but first I have to find Hedwig and see to Harry.¡± Remus told her, climbing the stairs to where he knew Harry¡¯s room to be. He found his trunk, still mostly packed with a few books strewn around his bed and nightstand. An empty cage and a cleaned cauldron were the only other things of interest.

Remus just sighed, knowing that with the lack of owl and large burnt up basting pot, his thought was probably correct. He went to Seraph and checked his vital signs, then tried to ¡®enervate¡¯ him, but was unable to. Tonks returned a moment later, saying that both Harry¡¯s Aunt and Uncle were dead, blood flowing out of their ears with looks of pain on their faces.

¡°Bloody hell I hate being right sometimes. Well, he smells odd, different, but that is Harry alright. He looks like he passed out from something, magical exhaustion perhaps, might explain why everything not burnt is destroyed and he will not wake up. I think that he left sometime today, the smell of the Knight bus is still strong, so he must have returned recently. I think that his cousin wanted to get some revenge or something and killed Hedwig. Probably right in front of Harry too.¡±

¡°So you think Harry did this?¡± Tonks asked disbelief evident in his voice.

¡°Yes, I am sure of it. I doubt anything less then Hedwig¡¯s death would set him off like this.¡±

¡°Even if he did this to his cousin, that doesn¡¯t explain his relatives though.¡± Tonks pointed out.

¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. But if I am right in my belief that this all a result of his cousin killing Hedwig, then it can be explained. We don¡¯t see Hedwig here. Harry may not have completed a familiar ritual, but their bond was just as deep, and when a familiar dies, their soul and body depart, staying only long enough to see there master, one last time. Where their soul goes from there is a secret only their master knows. Sometimes, if the familiar was killed, as we have here, they take their vengeance out on their killers or those who harmed their masters. Harry took his cousin out of that equation, leaving the rest of his relatives. You see the outcome.¡± Remus said, leaning heavily against the kitchen door frame.

¡°I need to get back to Grimmauld Place. I am sure Dumbledore will know that something has happened and will check on it immediately, then the rest of the Order will be here soon. He will most likely think it was a Death Eater attack. When were you supposed to be back on guard duty and how are your Occlumency shields?¡± Remus asked.

¡°In about half an hour and they¡¯re not bad. Why?¡±

¡°Because since you were to be on guard duty, they will probably ask you what happened. There were others leaving with us, they would tell Dumbledore that you left with them, and since you were scheduled, he will assume that you got here early, but were still too late to stop the attack.¡± Remus said.

¡°And Harry? They would have taken him if I was too late. What if Harry fought them off and they left when I showed up? That might explain the magical exhaustion to them, and I doubt that if it was an attack, that they would send too many. Probably a couple of inner circle members and a rookie or two.¡± Tonks said, still thinking.

¡°That might work. We will have to get Harry¡¯s story before they do though, and give him ours. I just hope that he has at least some occlumency shields, or he knows not to look him in the eye. You should alert Dumbledore for good measure. I gotta go.¡± Remus said as he popped out of existence.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO



End Chapter End Chapter End Chapter End Chapter End Chapter End Chapter End Chapter End Chapter

()- In the Goblet of Fire movie, the Death Eaters are shown as KKK, only in black suits. I had not seen the connection between the Death Eaters and them until then.

Alright! Done with that chapter. I don¡¯t think I will be able to top it again. Over 11,000 words. I would break it up into smaller ones, but I had already done that, otherwise it would have been close to 16,000. I hope you guys and gals enjoyed it. Finally, Knocturn Alley. Next chapter, I hope, will be Seraph meeting the council people a bit early.

To all those who wanted Hedwig to live, sorry. Especialy sorry since in the first version of this chapter, she lived. I hadn¡¯t planned on her living when I started, but I wanted to please my readers. Having done so, I find that I don¡¯t have a place for her in the story, so I went with my back up. Hope people aren¡¯t too disappointed, but my story, I¡¯ll write it as I see fit. I try to incorporate reviewer ideas as much as possible, when there given, but ¡®Pheonix Hedwig¡¯ didn¡¯t fit, and I think that I made a nice compromise their.

To the reviewers:

UldAses/ Heather/ AzureSky123/ schmanski/feartheturtle35 mauripendragon solar1/Maben00/ AlphaPhi/ Blue Werewolf Boy/ jbfritz/Kai Hiei Sasuke Bankotsu Ray and Matt are so all mine/ HarrygoestoHollywood/ Shadowed Rains/ gaul1/ Salena Snape/bandgsecurtiyaw/fanficfreak35/CirceVisigoth/Kaveman/gaul1/jbfritz/shadowwalker2/superb/Matt101/ThrainTalonwater/hilarydilarydoc/AzureSky123/Voldemortsunderstudy/Zaxxon/alen/bandgsecurtiyaw/RexMeino/SalenaSnape/DarkWolfYingFa/Zevrillion/imgonnadie/snowfox2000/richard a lake/Kazua/firelordeg/OdinMage ApocSM Phntm-Phnx yuiop jabarber69 Kyrissean Angelis Kai Hiei Sasuke Bankotsu Ra... Lady FoxFire prutser bandgsecurtiyaw darkgryffin MatTer79 dumblefck76 Never Odd Or eveN highbrass Heart Mind Soul Digi Bonds imgonnadie Zevrillion Silat'r fallenAngel_2389 Mcshnee the Triscuit Oxygen Kiss Schwinpt rlmess souls Shyposter Just Me Prime Xyverz Fear-of-Real-Life slashslut zafaran Queen of the Storms Helltanz98 Caddy94 WashedOut slayerstoryguy Maxennce
icedragon925 MysterioX Ravenfur TheWiseSirIvanTheShadowLord Eowyn23 ApocSM Barby-Black Anime-Ronin satyr-oh Killer916 Ugly Duckling the dark icon writers Neurotic Cat Goddess bandgsecurtiyaw jbfritz CastusAlbusCor xyvortex Zevrillion gaul1 FairyQilan Maxennce Sky 05 coldfiredragon Shadowed Rains shadow of the black abyss japanesegirl102 PsychoSpiff Marikili68 TenshiZujin Just Me Prime Tree Flower Akira Stridder DragonFoxx Dirbatua Theboss996 wavefunction Shadow King77 Zero Legacy ariachan85 v v Queen Victoria Rkhiara IrishLass6 Syfes Queen of the Storms Alexandria Lily Potter sirius009 WebGuy Caliko zafaran Jensindenial3516 Junky

Junky: Thanks

Lady FoxFire: Always a pleasure to hear from Miss Foxfire. I¡¯ll keep that in mind. The names of some of the god¡¯s and goddesses¡¯ fit what I want the characters to represent, in trade or personality.

Firelordeg: Thanks, and I¡¯ll try.

Shadowed Rains: Thanks

ivan the terrible: Yep, and you see what he got for messing with him.

Fear Of Apathy: Thanks, I try to be original, but some of the clich¨¦ just work to well. Fun to twist around though.

Saetan: Thanks, nice name.

snape504: Glad you like it.

Imgonnadie: My muse pulled through spectacularly. Well, if people like the chapter that is. Otherwise it is back in to the recesses of my mind for that muse.

Xyverz: Thanks, and it has been fixed, I am pretty sure.

Silver Pard: If it fits somewhere, I will definitely use that.

ThunderGod: She doesn¡¯t live. Sorry about that. I had to change what I had before, she just didn¡¯t fit where I was heading.





If any of you were wondering (especially if you see 'Omnis Potens' in the author notes, or you have read my story on ffnet, I am one and the same. I'd probably change my name at ffnet if I did not think it would cause problems