Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Return of the Black Rose
Return of the Black Rose - Chapter 16
Harry finds out Dumbldore is using him - he meets Tom Riddle they come to an understanding. Harry becomes independent. Sirius'daughter, Harry's half sister comes home.
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Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned any part of the Potterverse. I just occasionally play in J. K. Rowling’s playground. I have not and have never made any money from my efforts.
Chapter 16 – The Ever Changing World
Tom watched Harry from the door… Harry was looking over some very old unique maps that he’d acquired from the True Elves. These maps were special in that they showed the magic lines (what some called ley lines) and power wells. It was interesting to him that Hogwarts was built not only on top of a power well but at the conjunction point of several ley lines.
Harry feeling like he was being watched looked up and seeing Tom smiled, “Hey Tom, just the man I was hoping to see today. I’ve a couple of questions for you if you have the time.”
“What’s on your mind Harry,” Tom says while taking a seat at the table.
“Well I started noticing a change in the magic around Hogwarts at the end of term last semester and I think I’ve discovered part of why,” Harry states slowly almost unwilling to share this knowledge.
“What’s changing the magic Harry?”
Spreading several maps across the table (not the ones from the Elves) Harry starts explaining, “I found these maps in your archives and out of curiosity I started looking them over what I found startled me. In muggle books about magic and some of their more esoteric religions I found a lot of references to ley lines or ley magic. They’ve too mapped these ley lines and pretty accurately too I might add but what they haven’t discovered is why they’ve been changing in power and moving their locations. ”
He waited a minute to see if Tom was going to sputter about Muggles then continued when he didn’t, “The Founders knew about them and studied them thoroughly and through this knowledge they knew to built their school on top of a well would eventually lead to it being nearly sentiment. In my research magic, muggle and other race everything states that they should be static or unmoving. I found it interesting that to start thousands of years ago magic was evenly spread over the entire world except for at well sites where it was concentrated up to approximately10 to 50 times more. Even the power moving in them should be steady kind of like electricity running through power lines, but you can see from these maps and the graphs that over the last 125 years a lot of the lines have had power fluctuations some even entirely emptying while others have over charged.”
Harry picks up another map and points to so faint lines, “Now look at this map from the Elves… see these wavering lines…”
When Tom nods, “These lines show that the ley lines have definitely moved leaving zones where there is basically no magic at all and other areas where it’s almost like new wells are being planned out and created to house and divert the power.”
Tom looking very worried asks, “Diverted it to where?”
Harry states simply and unemotionally, “Hogwarts!”
Sighing deeply Tom asks seriously, “How different was Hogwarts feeling? What’s your supposition about the changes in the ley lines and power wells?”
Harry sits back down and pulls his thoughts together so that he can give a coherent answer to Tom without sounding insane, “Hogwarts spoke to me telepathically. Tom I only have guesses about what I think is happening. I’ve tried to find a valid fact to base them on… what I have is centuries old data and a lot of speculation followed by gut instinct.”
When Tom nods in understanding Harry continues, “Firstly the influx of power will charge and magnify the budding sentience of Hogwarts herself and its inhabitants like the Portraits, Ghosts, Specters, and even the House Elfs. I think this is one of the reasons that the House Elf that I freed from the Malfoy’s at the end of second year, Dobby hasn’t declined. He’s been freed from servitude and bond from any family for over 4 years but he hasn’t declined at all in magic; although I am not too sure about him mentally. I think that even the creatures in the forest and possibly the lake are being affected by this as well. This trend is likely to increase their natural magic and possibly their intelligence. It may even give magic where there wasn’t any before.”
Severus and Remus who had been listening to the conversation from the doorway enter joining those at the table Severus asks, almost demands, “Who do you think is doing this?”
Remus asks almost at the same time, “Who could be powerful enough to shift the very essence of magic?”
Harry smirks almost in delight at that question, “You do know that Tom here has the most comprehensive magic library to be found right? Well I’ve done nothing but research since I’ve gotten here and I’ve come to the conclusion that it would take an elemental, and Earth Elemental Mage to be precise to do something like this.”
Severus looking totally blank asks, “How do you come to these conclusions?”
Harry stands up and walks to a shelf in the back corner of the room where all of Tom Riddle’s oldest tomes were housed. He pulls down a very large one that was entirely hand written including the illustrations. He carries it over and sits down with it cradling it almost reverently.
Harry asks quietly, “Have you ever read Merlin’s journals?”
“No, I wasn’t aware that we had access to them,” Severus replied softly.
“This journal covers about the last 25 years of his life… It was after Arthur, Avalon, the Grail and all of that. He had set out to find out what was oversetting the magic in Caerblaidd. He had received reports from other magic wielders human and non-human that there were mysterious storms in which wild magic just erupted and caused catastrophic damage to the country side and even occasionally small villages. He describes magically charged areas that when they can’t handle any more magic coming in and discharge it before it causes them to explode. He also mentions a keep Castella Blaidd. I believe from the descriptions in his journal that what he went to investigate is the same phenomena that we are dealing with here. His supposition for the storms was that when the area became overly supercharged the area would discharge the magic however it could… magic charged storms and wild magic. They had blizzards during summer and rain that burned trees even hail the size of bludgers. It explains the blizzards and magical outbursts that occurred during winter last term. There hasn’t been as many as were reported to Merlin because the forest, the lake, the creatures and Hogwarts and her inhabitants are absorbing a lot of the ambient magic and evolving into something stronger and new. I think that if you look at the list of students that had uncontrollable magical outbursts you will find that it was those that spent a lot of time outside of the castle on Hogwarts grounds and weren’t as protected from the ambient magic. These students started absorbing it themselves. I’ve haven’t been able to study it long enough though to determine any lasting effects to the student body.”
Remus asks his curiosity aroused, “What exactly did Merlin discover Harry? Was it someone or something or a combination of both that was doing it?”
Harry laughed quietly at Mooney’s intensity but quieted as he looked and saw the same intense interest on all their faces.
“Merlin started looking into what he called Mage Line and Power Wells. He found that most of those that would have traversed the bordering counties had been diverted creating a magic dead zone around the province of Caerblaidd; encircling it actually. He stated in his journal that casting magic in the dead zones took 3 times more effort and produced only very weak spells but upon entering the charged zone he had only to think and things would happen. He found that the Court magician for this area was a wizard named Seillean-mor and describes him as have hair of fire with eyes the color of a clear blue sky. It took him months of exploration, discussion, investigation and generally just pissing people off to figure out that Seillean-mor was not just a wizard but was in fact an Elemental Sorcerer who had control of the element of the Earth. He’d made a few friends but most people of the keep wanted him to leave. His friends told him though that King Blaidden use to actually listen to his people and help them through their troubles but that since Seillean-mor had arrived he had not only lost interest in his people he’d taken to brutalizing them for the least imagined slight or infraction of unspoken rules and laws. Sometimes even to death. Merlin was at a loss at first. He was just going to out and out kill the Sorcerer but then he’d be left trying to put the magic back where it belonged to right the changes to the Mother. He not being as strong in Earth magic as he was in other areas didn’t think he’d be able to do it. IT took years but he was finally able to discover exactly what the Sorcerer was up to. This Seillean-mor was obviously a Dark Lord but what exactly were his plans??? Well Merlin discovered thru a servant that Seillean-mor often left his notes lying about. He found out that the mean wanted to create this unnatural well of power so that he could do a ritual that would increase his magical core by 100 percent or more. OF course he didn’t take into consideration the damage that would likely occur to his body and mind not to mention the surrounding countryside when he did it. He was moving and holding the ley lines with crystals about the size of dinner plates in a specific pattern around the city.”
Tom asked almost in a whisper fascinated by the story that Harry had woven, “What pattern Harry?”
“The most ancient of all patterns Tom… the spiral.”
Harry looked over towards the door and seeing more people listening he invites them in noting that Rabastian, Diana and Lucius were looking just as fascinated as the three already in the room.
“Merlin did more investigating and decided that if he destroyed the holding crystals then the ley lines would move back to their proper places and return the balance to nature’s magic. What took him a while to decide on was exactly how to destroy those crystals as he’d also concluded that it should happen all at once. The sorcerer wanted to become the most powerful magic wielding being on the planet… I think we have the same situation here. Dumbledore has done everything in his considerable power to make himself indispensable and powerful, not just magically but politically.”
Remus states started at the direction Harry’s synopsis had taken, “That’s an awful big leap Cub… what makes you think it’s him.”
“Everything points to him Mooney, from his history in gaining position and power to the time frame. He would have been in his prime to start the transition. He trained with an alchemist for many years learning his secrets or at least some of them enabling him to find or create the perfect crystals to set this in motion. He moved himself to where he wanted his well of power. There was already one there enabling him to step up his plan a bit because Hogwarts and her surrounds were able to absorb and use a lot of the extra ambient magic keeping the increase in magic in the area from being too noticeable. He’s continued his bid for power with Grindlewald, then the first rise of Voldemort: Which we all know he pretty much orchestrated. I think we need to send in a team to check out Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest for the crystals. If he’s placed them properly they will be almost unnoticeable unless you know exactly what to look for and how to do it.”
Harry looking at Tom states seriously, “Do you have anyone that’s an expert in Merlin’s history? I know I read it thoroughly but it never hurts to have a second or third pair of eyes to see if you’ve translated correctly.”
“Rabastian here is something of a Merlin expert. I think the two of your should spend some time going over the journals and your translations… bring me a report in say 3 days… In the mean time I believe that Severus and Lucius will be doing some shopping in Hogsmeade and will likely need to spend several nights at Hogwarts. Lucius you will also help Severus in setting up his classroom for the return of students so he will not need to worry at the end of the month. While there you will follow Harry’s instructions and look for any sign of those crystals.”
Both answer simultaneously, “Yes Mi’Lord.”
Tom ponders a few moments, “I think you should take Diana with you. She needs to be familiar with the area and it will expose her a bit to more people. She’s also expressed a wish to do some shopping.”
Lucius smiles at his daughter, “Why didn’t you say so… of course it will be alright. We can bring Draco too… make it a family outing.”
ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR –
Notes:
Caerblaidd – loosely translated means Fort of Wolf
Castella Blaidd – loosely translated is Castle Wolf
Seillean-mor means Bumblebee in Gaelic (translation taken from http : / www . snh . org . uk publications reviews Naturallyscottish / bumblebees . asp)
Chapter 16 – The Ever Changing World
Tom watched Harry from the door… Harry was looking over some very old unique maps that he’d acquired from the True Elves. These maps were special in that they showed the magic lines (what some called ley lines) and power wells. It was interesting to him that Hogwarts was built not only on top of a power well but at the conjunction point of several ley lines.
Harry feeling like he was being watched looked up and seeing Tom smiled, “Hey Tom, just the man I was hoping to see today. I’ve a couple of questions for you if you have the time.”
“What’s on your mind Harry,” Tom says while taking a seat at the table.
“Well I started noticing a change in the magic around Hogwarts at the end of term last semester and I think I’ve discovered part of why,” Harry states slowly almost unwilling to share this knowledge.
“What’s changing the magic Harry?”
Spreading several maps across the table (not the ones from the Elves) Harry starts explaining, “I found these maps in your archives and out of curiosity I started looking them over what I found startled me. In muggle books about magic and some of their more esoteric religions I found a lot of references to ley lines or ley magic. They’ve too mapped these ley lines and pretty accurately too I might add but what they haven’t discovered is why they’ve been changing in power and moving their locations. ”
He waited a minute to see if Tom was going to sputter about Muggles then continued when he didn’t, “The Founders knew about them and studied them thoroughly and through this knowledge they knew to built their school on top of a well would eventually lead to it being nearly sentiment. In my research magic, muggle and other race everything states that they should be static or unmoving. I found it interesting that to start thousands of years ago magic was evenly spread over the entire world except for at well sites where it was concentrated up to approximately10 to 50 times more. Even the power moving in them should be steady kind of like electricity running through power lines, but you can see from these maps and the graphs that over the last 125 years a lot of the lines have had power fluctuations some even entirely emptying while others have over charged.”
Harry picks up another map and points to so faint lines, “Now look at this map from the Elves… see these wavering lines…”
When Tom nods, “These lines show that the ley lines have definitely moved leaving zones where there is basically no magic at all and other areas where it’s almost like new wells are being planned out and created to house and divert the power.”
Tom looking very worried asks, “Diverted it to where?”
Harry states simply and unemotionally, “Hogwarts!”
Sighing deeply Tom asks seriously, “How different was Hogwarts feeling? What’s your supposition about the changes in the ley lines and power wells?”
Harry sits back down and pulls his thoughts together so that he can give a coherent answer to Tom without sounding insane, “Hogwarts spoke to me telepathically. Tom I only have guesses about what I think is happening. I’ve tried to find a valid fact to base them on… what I have is centuries old data and a lot of speculation followed by gut instinct.”
When Tom nods in understanding Harry continues, “Firstly the influx of power will charge and magnify the budding sentience of Hogwarts herself and its inhabitants like the Portraits, Ghosts, Specters, and even the House Elfs. I think this is one of the reasons that the House Elf that I freed from the Malfoy’s at the end of second year, Dobby hasn’t declined. He’s been freed from servitude and bond from any family for over 4 years but he hasn’t declined at all in magic; although I am not too sure about him mentally. I think that even the creatures in the forest and possibly the lake are being affected by this as well. This trend is likely to increase their natural magic and possibly their intelligence. It may even give magic where there wasn’t any before.”
Severus and Remus who had been listening to the conversation from the doorway enter joining those at the table Severus asks, almost demands, “Who do you think is doing this?”
Remus asks almost at the same time, “Who could be powerful enough to shift the very essence of magic?”
Harry smirks almost in delight at that question, “You do know that Tom here has the most comprehensive magic library to be found right? Well I’ve done nothing but research since I’ve gotten here and I’ve come to the conclusion that it would take an elemental, and Earth Elemental Mage to be precise to do something like this.”
Severus looking totally blank asks, “How do you come to these conclusions?”
Harry stands up and walks to a shelf in the back corner of the room where all of Tom Riddle’s oldest tomes were housed. He pulls down a very large one that was entirely hand written including the illustrations. He carries it over and sits down with it cradling it almost reverently.
Harry asks quietly, “Have you ever read Merlin’s journals?”
“No, I wasn’t aware that we had access to them,” Severus replied softly.
“This journal covers about the last 25 years of his life… It was after Arthur, Avalon, the Grail and all of that. He had set out to find out what was oversetting the magic in Caerblaidd. He had received reports from other magic wielders human and non-human that there were mysterious storms in which wild magic just erupted and caused catastrophic damage to the country side and even occasionally small villages. He describes magically charged areas that when they can’t handle any more magic coming in and discharge it before it causes them to explode. He also mentions a keep Castella Blaidd. I believe from the descriptions in his journal that what he went to investigate is the same phenomena that we are dealing with here. His supposition for the storms was that when the area became overly supercharged the area would discharge the magic however it could… magic charged storms and wild magic. They had blizzards during summer and rain that burned trees even hail the size of bludgers. It explains the blizzards and magical outbursts that occurred during winter last term. There hasn’t been as many as were reported to Merlin because the forest, the lake, the creatures and Hogwarts and her inhabitants are absorbing a lot of the ambient magic and evolving into something stronger and new. I think that if you look at the list of students that had uncontrollable magical outbursts you will find that it was those that spent a lot of time outside of the castle on Hogwarts grounds and weren’t as protected from the ambient magic. These students started absorbing it themselves. I’ve haven’t been able to study it long enough though to determine any lasting effects to the student body.”
Remus asks his curiosity aroused, “What exactly did Merlin discover Harry? Was it someone or something or a combination of both that was doing it?”
Harry laughed quietly at Mooney’s intensity but quieted as he looked and saw the same intense interest on all their faces.
“Merlin started looking into what he called Mage Line and Power Wells. He found that most of those that would have traversed the bordering counties had been diverted creating a magic dead zone around the province of Caerblaidd; encircling it actually. He stated in his journal that casting magic in the dead zones took 3 times more effort and produced only very weak spells but upon entering the charged zone he had only to think and things would happen. He found that the Court magician for this area was a wizard named Seillean-mor and describes him as have hair of fire with eyes the color of a clear blue sky. It took him months of exploration, discussion, investigation and generally just pissing people off to figure out that Seillean-mor was not just a wizard but was in fact an Elemental Sorcerer who had control of the element of the Earth. He’d made a few friends but most people of the keep wanted him to leave. His friends told him though that King Blaidden use to actually listen to his people and help them through their troubles but that since Seillean-mor had arrived he had not only lost interest in his people he’d taken to brutalizing them for the least imagined slight or infraction of unspoken rules and laws. Sometimes even to death. Merlin was at a loss at first. He was just going to out and out kill the Sorcerer but then he’d be left trying to put the magic back where it belonged to right the changes to the Mother. He not being as strong in Earth magic as he was in other areas didn’t think he’d be able to do it. IT took years but he was finally able to discover exactly what the Sorcerer was up to. This Seillean-mor was obviously a Dark Lord but what exactly were his plans??? Well Merlin discovered thru a servant that Seillean-mor often left his notes lying about. He found out that the mean wanted to create this unnatural well of power so that he could do a ritual that would increase his magical core by 100 percent or more. OF course he didn’t take into consideration the damage that would likely occur to his body and mind not to mention the surrounding countryside when he did it. He was moving and holding the ley lines with crystals about the size of dinner plates in a specific pattern around the city.”
Tom asked almost in a whisper fascinated by the story that Harry had woven, “What pattern Harry?”
“The most ancient of all patterns Tom… the spiral.”
Harry looked over towards the door and seeing more people listening he invites them in noting that Rabastian, Diana and Lucius were looking just as fascinated as the three already in the room.
“Merlin did more investigating and decided that if he destroyed the holding crystals then the ley lines would move back to their proper places and return the balance to nature’s magic. What took him a while to decide on was exactly how to destroy those crystals as he’d also concluded that it should happen all at once. The sorcerer wanted to become the most powerful magic wielding being on the planet… I think we have the same situation here. Dumbledore has done everything in his considerable power to make himself indispensable and powerful, not just magically but politically.”
Remus states started at the direction Harry’s synopsis had taken, “That’s an awful big leap Cub… what makes you think it’s him.”
“Everything points to him Mooney, from his history in gaining position and power to the time frame. He would have been in his prime to start the transition. He trained with an alchemist for many years learning his secrets or at least some of them enabling him to find or create the perfect crystals to set this in motion. He moved himself to where he wanted his well of power. There was already one there enabling him to step up his plan a bit because Hogwarts and her surrounds were able to absorb and use a lot of the extra ambient magic keeping the increase in magic in the area from being too noticeable. He’s continued his bid for power with Grindlewald, then the first rise of Voldemort: Which we all know he pretty much orchestrated. I think we need to send in a team to check out Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest for the crystals. If he’s placed them properly they will be almost unnoticeable unless you know exactly what to look for and how to do it.”
Harry looking at Tom states seriously, “Do you have anyone that’s an expert in Merlin’s history? I know I read it thoroughly but it never hurts to have a second or third pair of eyes to see if you’ve translated correctly.”
“Rabastian here is something of a Merlin expert. I think the two of your should spend some time going over the journals and your translations… bring me a report in say 3 days… In the mean time I believe that Severus and Lucius will be doing some shopping in Hogsmeade and will likely need to spend several nights at Hogwarts. Lucius you will also help Severus in setting up his classroom for the return of students so he will not need to worry at the end of the month. While there you will follow Harry’s instructions and look for any sign of those crystals.”
Both answer simultaneously, “Yes Mi’Lord.”
Tom ponders a few moments, “I think you should take Diana with you. She needs to be familiar with the area and it will expose her a bit to more people. She’s also expressed a wish to do some shopping.”
Lucius smiles at his daughter, “Why didn’t you say so… of course it will be alright. We can bring Draco too… make it a family outing.”
ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR – ROTBR –
Notes:
Caerblaidd – loosely translated means Fort of Wolf
Castella Blaidd – loosely translated is Castle Wolf
Seillean-mor means Bumblebee in Gaelic (translation taken from http : / www . snh . org . uk publications reviews Naturallyscottish / bumblebees . asp)
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