Chapter 6: Davis and Dobby
There were few things that Harry liked more than Quidditch when it came to riding a broomstick. But he had to admit that zipping through the Forbidden Forest full speed dodging trees and branches with hardly an inch to spare may come in as a very close second.
Broom Handling skill increased. It is now 54!
This was the 3rd time that he had gotten the notification since he set out that morning, but Harry tuned it out the same as before as he rolled through a thin break in the branches ahead. The click-clack of the pincers of the Acromantula that had just dived at him voiced the spider's displeasure when it wasn't quite so lucky.
Harry grinned as he pulled the broom up short and turned to the spider. He had been dealing with this persistent bugger for a while. A double shot of a Diffindo aggravated the spider into moving again but didn't seem to bother the spider much.
"All according to plan" Harry thought to himself as he shot off in another direction just fast enough to avoid the arachnid's attempts to pump him full of venom.
"Hagrid! Coming to you!" Harry yelled as he shot right over the half-giant's head. Hagrid chuckled and shouldered his crossbow. With practiced ease he shot the spider right in the center of the cluster of eyes and stepped to the side as the arachnid crashed down in a heap.
"Nice flyin' 'Arry!" the man yelled to the boy as he retrieved his bolt with a sickening crack-squelch. Wiping it on his shirt and depositing it in his quiver, Hagrid looked up at Harry.
"Wha' did ya fin'?" he asked as he unsheathed a hatchet and quickly disconnected the head from the abdomen. The head was deposited into a basket on the man's back that already had another head in it.
"They're still harrassing them, but now the numbers are a bit more even" Harry replied as he alighted on the ground next to Hagrid. Taking care to sidestep the growing pool of ichor beneath the carcass. "Why are we doing this again?"
"Well, normally I'd le' it be ya see. But since tha' business with tha' creature tha' was attackin' them unicorns in yer Firs' Year the herd had pulled into the western par' o' the Forest. This is the firs' I seen o' them since. But without them Aragog's brood has gotten a bi' ou' o' hand as you can tell. I fear 'e may be getting along in years and can no longer control as many o' the little un's as he might like to. So when I saw signs o' them strikin' a' the unicorns the other day I been thinkin' hard abou' how to get the unicorns a bit more breathing room. When you tol' me abou' your little run in yesterday it got me thinkin'. I'm no good on a broom but if you lead 'em to me we can take a few out nice an easy and hopefully let the new foals tha' jus' been born have a fightin' chance. Give them a week or two to get settled in and they shoul' 'ave no problem dealin'". Hagrid had explained bits of this before he requested Harry's help, with strict instructions to just get away as quickly as possible if more than 2 followed. During his explanation he had also finished harvesting the 3rd corpse of the day. He was harvesting the hairs from the backs of the abdomens, the heads along with the pincers and venom sacks, and the spinnerets and any raw silk from the backside. An added bonus he had said as Snape was often after the parts for producing a variety of potions. Harry had never thought about it before but he guessed it made sense that Snape might have worked out a lucrative deal with Hagrid for animal parts useful for potioneering that the Potion Master could then turn into potions to sell to various apothecaries and even St. Mungo's. The man was a Slytherin after all. It also helped that Hagrid was more than happy to explain useful tidbits about the anatomy of the large arachnids.
"Huh. You do a lot more around Hogwarts than a lot of people give you credit for don't you?" Harry said as he slipped the man 28 Galleons for their agreed upon deal with the Silk he harvested. Harry slipped the material into his backpack that he had brought along for the activities.
Raw Acromantula Silk x 7 added to Inventory.
Hagrid had protested about being paid as he argued that Harry putting himself at risk for Hagrid's own side-project was payment enough but eventually agreed to a small portion of the actual worth of the material. The raw silk was refined by professionals into much more thread than the initial slightly goopy bundle might indicate so even a small amount was worth a pretty Sickle or two.
The half-giant blushed and grumbled but shooed the kid along as they moved to another location for an ambush. Harry simply smiled but also grumbled a little inside as he felt the game duped him for lack of experience. Apparently according to the Player's Handbook that the Tyran Bracelet was dutifully reading as they strolled through the forest, since Harry did not land the killing blow or participate largely in the damage he did not get the experience.
Charms Skill increased! It is now 29!
Well at least the Diffindos were doing something Harry thought as he zipped through the trees again, spider close behind.
***Break***
Freshly showered after an unfortunate accident involving a hearty pat on the back and a nearby pool of ichor, a clean Harry Potter activated his Diagon Portkey and slipped back into the Alley to see what sort of trouble he could get into with his Invisibility Cloak. It was early evening and the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. Just enough time to pick up another few sets of potion ingredients after a quick talk with Madam Malkin, the alley's leading expert on Silk refining. A fact that still surprised him considering Twilfitt sold more of the materials in their clothing.
"Ah, yes it is true those snobs do sell more of the silk robes, but that is because I refuse to put the material into everything I use. There's a reason I'm the go-to for back to school robes you know" the Madam smiled at the charming boy as she explained some of what went into the process. There weren't many books on the process as it has always been a Master-Apprentice style of knowledge to prevent people from just cutting out the middle-man. Harry wisely neglected to mention that he intended to do just that but he was hoping she could explain enough of it to unlock the skill. He listened for a bit longer to her sprinkle tidbits of knowledge in between anecdotes about her tailoring profession before finally-
Silk Refining Skill Unlocked. It is now 1!
'Silk Refining? Dammit' Harry thought as he politely excused himself from what sounded to be another 15 minute talk about new parents bringing their kids by for robes. Harry quickly found a safe spot and pulled out his Player's Handbook before flipping it open.
"Refining" He stated in his mind, and watched in amazement as the book flipped to the appropriate page. A feature that he was constantly finding a use for.
"Read" was the next command and he felt the bracelet he wore on his wrist heat up in acknowledgement. The Invisibility Cloak slipped over his head as Tyran's voice started the slightly boring but nevertheless useful explanation.
"Refining. An art that has foiled many an aspiring Crafter. There are as many Refining methods as there are Materials that need Refining but each is governed by its own skill. Now to the Gamer this might seem annoying" Harry almost grunted in acknowledgement of that fact, wisely holding in his breath as a disgruntled looking drunk made their way out of a seedy establishment as the Boy-Who-Lived slipped into a seedier part of the Alley without quite being Knockturn "but this also serves to prevent the Gamer from needing to speak to every sort of Refiner out there to unlock the Refining Skill. Once the Skill has been learned the process that would normally take a practitioner months in some cases merely becomes a footnote on the path to Mastering a Craft. Higher levels of this skill will result in higher yields and less botched Refining attempts. Boons in these skills will also tend to correspond with the related Crafting Skills potentially leading to specialization in a particular Crafting Skill. Acromantula Silk is a good example of this as it can be used to create clothes via Tailoring, carpets via Weaving, or bags with Storage with relative bonuses to each"
Harry mulled that over as he checked off another 2 buildings for his quest to explore the Alley before the summer. Not a terribly difficult task but one that would probably take the rest of the summer, being done in bits and pieces. Heading to the Portkey area to head to the Three Broomsticks for dinner Harry checked off 2 more buildings on the pamphlet he had gotten from Tom just the other day.
***Break***
Home. That was the one thing that Harry felt he was missing and it was a situation that he should probably address sooner rather than later. He had the rental property for the rest of summer but it was not a long term solution. There was also the chance that if he stayed here too long he might get another surprise visit from some Voldemort sympathizers. Definitely not an ideal scenario. It was this line of thinking that had him flipping the Home Token through the air while he chewed on some dried venison that Hagrid had made for him from his first deer kill. It had been a week since he had made it to Hogsmeade and though he had gotten a half level from helping Hagrid around the school it was a far cry from the rate of progress he had enjoyed during the tutorial. Tyran's voice was reading the Handbook to him while he debated his options.
"Home Tokens. These are nifty little Tokens that designate an unclaimed building as a Home. The benefits of such are that the area accrues power much like warded homes do, albeit faster, and can eventually be very strong bastions against attacks though this process can take years. Crafting experience also is increased if relevant stations are installed into corresponding parts of the Property. Every Property varies in what can be installed and no property can have everything though the Gamer can have as many Homes as they have Tokens. A standard Property can hold between 3-5 stations, a large can hold 8-12 while a massive can hold 14-25. Stations are limited to Crafting, Training, Resting, and Travel. Designating an area as a Home automatically creates a Portkey that can transport the Gamer back there. Crafting and Training at a home produce increased yields and higher success rates than Crafting or Training elsewhere. There are exceptions to this of course such as a Master Potioneers lab will likely produce higher results than many Home labs. Training at home varies depending what Training area is installed. A Dueling Platform, Gym, Swimming Pool, Quidditch Pitch are some examples of viable Training installations. Resting areas are simply bedrooms and lounge areas that provide Resting benefits when utilized by the Gamer. These benefits are a 5% increase to Health, Stamina, Magicka, and Experience gain until the next dawn" Harry listened attentively as again he deftly caught the falling token. Kijani had already voiced his opinions that Harry should live in the Chamber of Secrets as that was a home befitting the Great One. Unfortunately as the status of that area was deemed an Instance it was invalid. Hogwarts was also claimed by Albus at the moment but maybe in the future Harry could find a way to list the Castle as his Home.
No what he needed was a fresh start. Potter Manor's old acreage had been sold when Harry was 10 to support the untended finances due to a bylaw of the Ministry that should a property go unlived in for a set period of time it would be sold to make room for other families to have properties. Grimmauld Place had potential but without Sirius it would do no good. Harry supposed that he could just buy some land and commission a house to be built. It would take a bit of time but if he found a large enough property it opened a lot of avenues for him.
Deciding that idea had the most potential he set off for the Ministry which handled most of the magically viable property. Wouldn't do anyone any good for a Witch or Wizard to just stop, drop, and open up shop willy nilly in the countryside potentially risking breaking the Statute of Secrecy. Grabbing another piece of the tasty venison, courtesy of a very fine marinade that Harry had whipped up for Hagrid, Harry activated his portkey to the Atrium.
***Break***
The Atrium was much less packed than it was at his last visit but his presence still turned a few heads and jump-started the gossiping for the day as it was early morning. Harry ignored it though and after checking in with the Auror on duty he made quick work with getting to the lift and getting to Level 5 for International Magical Trading Standards Body. This was the department that held the office for purchasing land as although Wizarding Britain was British, and therefore technically beholden to the Crown, it was for all other intents and purposes completely autonomous of Muggle Britain and therefore a separate nation. Harry disagreed with that but knew that as a Muggle-raised Wizard he was a bit biased.
Knocking on the door of the office, Harry stepped inside and was drawn to look at the large map on the wall. This map held … confusing information. It was the British Isles but large swaths of land were blacked out on the map and it looked misshapen. Even London had some irregularities.
"Ah, that map is a bit confusing if you're not sure what you're looking for. Between Unplottable plots of land, secrecy clauses in the paperwork, and Expansion Charms we wizards see a much different plot of land than Muggles" An older gentleman settled into the desk in front of Harry and gestured for the crimson-haired boy to sit "My name is Henry Davis. How can I help you Lord Potter?"
Harry glanced at his ring, figuring that was how he was revealed so easily "I'm looking into possible plans for my future. I've accepted my Inheritance recently but have nowhere to call home at the moment. I wanted to look at the possibility of starting fresh and carving out a new legacy for the Potter name"
"Of course, of course. The land that once held Potter Manor was an unfortunate sale, it was large with very desirable features and sold almost the next day. Are you looking to settle in the countryside, purchase a flat in the Alley, or to convert a Muggle townhouse into a wizarding property?" The man shuffled some papers and pulled some folders while Harry responded.
"Well… I'm not sure. I've very little experience with all of this" Harry admitted.
"Naturally. Most wizarding homes stay in the family for generations and there's hardly a need for many to change residences. You could start small and get a flat like many young witches and wizards, but that doesn't seem to be your goal judging from that face" The man chuckled at Harry's expression.
"No, its not that. I'm sure you've read the papers recently and I've been an unfortunate front-pager for far too many issues. I worry if I settle in the Alley I'll never get a moment of peace"
"Very true. Well what is your budget?" The man pulled a few more folders and started organizing them.
"I'd like to keep the cost below 1,000,000 Galleons" Harry threw a number out and started a bit when the man choked on the tea he had just sipped from.
"Merlin, Mr. Potter. That sort of money hardly needs to be bandied about so lightly" Mr. Davis adjusted his tie and recovered a bit of his decorum. Harry was wise enough to decline commenting that he was prepared to throw more into this than that.
Quest Started! Find a Home! Reward: 5 Skill points, 1 Permanent Portkey, 3 Stat points, and 2000 Experience points.
"With money like that you'd best be looking at land. Now there are a few options available. We have acreage available in Ireland, England, and Scotland. Do you have a preference on size?" There was an air of excitement in the man's voice that Harry picked up on.
"Sir… forgive me for asking this but you get commission off of this don't you?" Harry knew he had it right when the man had the decency to look sheepish.
"You are correct. Forgive me, I don't want to pressure you into anything you do not want but in … meager defense of my actions this sort of purchase happens maybe once in the odd decade" The teacup was brought up to hide the man's blush.
Harry could hardly fault the man for getting excited, he had merely been curious. He decided to stall for a bit more time while he debated further what he would want with this new information "Davis… Davis… Do you have a daughter about to be in 3rd year?"
Mr. Davis' eyes lit up at the mention of his daughter "Yes, Tracey, she's in Slytherin"
"I knew the name sounded familiar. School rivalries have prevented much talk but she seems nice. Smart enough to distance herself from Malfoy and his cronies" Harry turned to look at the map to decide where he might like to place his new property. His eyes caught the area designated Devonshire.
"Malfoy Sr. is a … I'd like to say reasonable man but he's honestly sort of a twit" The man side eyed the boy when a loud guffaw escaped Harry's lips.
"I've had the pleasure. Well let's see if we can send you home with a nice bonus. Tell me more about Devonshire. I know a few families live in that area" And thus the debating started.
***Break***
"Sign here and here. Press your wand here. Are you sure you want to go with the full array?" Mr. Davis asked, finalizing the deal. And what a deal it was. Just wait until he told his wife!
"Of course. Unplottable, Notice-me-not, designated areas for Portkeys and Apparition except for people keyed in? This all sounds incredibly useful." And expensive Harry noticed. But he also knew that once he got the hang of Crafting and Refining he would be making more than enough to recoup the loss. Plus the various wards and charms would apparently only be reinforced by the Home Token. "And you said the architects could get the home built in 3 days, with the wards installed over the next 4 days after that? I can have a house in a week?"
Negotiation Skill Increased! It is now 71!
"That is correct. Magic is a wonderful thing. It actually takes longer to convert townhomes with the arrays and … listen to me, rambling, I'm sorry Mr. Potter I'm not being the most professional" Mr. Davis settled behind the desk to proof-read the documents once more before filing them.
"Nonsense Mr. Davis. I've racked up quite a bill because of your rambling" Harry waved away the incoming apology "And it has all been absolutely necessary purchases. I'm reforging the Potter Legacy. A few thousand Galleons now prevents a descendant from having to fork that out for something I overlooked"
"I'm not going to argue with you Mr. Potter, you've given me quite the bonus for this month.. I may even take my family on a vacation this winter to celebrate" The man smiled warmly. He had only met Harry a few short hours ago but the boy was charming beyond his years and by all indicators very intelligent, not to mention well off.
"Actually let me invite you to my home office this upcoming Saturday. You mentioned you were interested in some other properties for business and travel. I'd love to discuss that further. Strictly off the record of course." Harry nodded to the request and they set a time of 2 PM, for afternoon tea.
"Perfect. I'll have my house elf bring by a formal invitation" The man said. The sound of pages flipping were the only sound in the office for a moment while Harry thought about that statement.
"Sir, you've been nothing but kind to me so I feel okay asking this. How does one go about acquiring a House Elf?" Harry asked as nonchalantly as he could.
"An interesting question. Most House Elves are passed down through generations, having been with a family for quite some time. They're interesting creatures. They can be bought from Houses that have too many or who are looking to get rid of any offspring for various reasons. Then you bring them by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to register them to your family. There they do a small ceremony to swear the Elf to your family. It's actually rather simple. I myself keep 2 within my employ. One to help me during my work and another to manage the household with my wife. Now, if you'll just stamp your ring here I can submit this paperwork and you can go visit your new land. The architects will handle everything else for the building of the home with you, including layout and payment" The boy did as requested and shook the man's hand, accepting a copy of the paperwork for his personal records.
"I will see you this Saturday Mr. Potter, perhaps you and Tracey can find some time to discuss some of the upcoming year away from the House Rivalries" Mr. Davis said with a wink. Harry chuckled and nodded, wishing the man a good rest of his day before leaving the office.
***Break***
"Dobby" Harry said with an urgent whisper. He had locked himself into the first single bathroom he had found, casting what few spells he could to ensure privacy. With a pop the excitable Elf appeared before the boy.
"The Great Harry Potter has called for Dobby! Oh thank you sirs, thank you. Dobby has been enjoying his newest freedoms!" Dobby said with adoration in his eyes. This soon changed to near tears when he saw the warm expression that Harry was eyeing him with. The boy's memories might not be his own any longer but how could he not regard this hero of a Elf with anything less for all the work and companionship that he had provided Harry's alternative self.
"Dobby. I'm glad to see you're doing well. Oh none of that none of that please. I actually called you to ask you if you would like to become my personal Elf, I just bought a ho-oof" Harry wasn't able to finish as Dobby through himself into the boy's stomach and squeezed him into a hug that had a surprising strength to it.
"Yes! Oh this is such a good day for Dobby. Is had almost spoke with Dumblesdores about possible employment with Hogwarts but this is much much better!" Dobby said with a wiggling in his ears as he practically vibrated with excitement.
Harry grinned and together they made short work at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures on level 4 of the Ministry. The ceremony was simply Harry reciting some formal request while Dobby pressed his forehead against the Lord ring. Harry made sure to introduce himself to Amos Diggory who headed up the department. They made small talk about Harry's recent life that Amos interrupted only 3 times to pepper in facts and brags about "his boy Cedric". They made loose arrangements to meet up near their homes as Harry was soon to be living nearby. The man was a bit of a tool in Harry's opinion but he was honest by it and was a respected Lord and Head of a department in the Ministry. It never hurt having a friend or 2 in the right areas, Harry thought to himself as he remembered Buckbeak.
***Break***
The hills rolled out into the distance, long wheatgrass waved in the light breeze. There was a few small streams that rolled through the area along with a medium sized lake. Harry was now the proud owner of a sizable stretch of land north of Plymtree. He knew that he was 2 hours walking distance from The Burrow and couldn't wait to tell Ron about it. He hoped the fellow red-headed boy wouldn't be too jealous of his new living arrangement. Lord Potter had just finished meeting with the architects about his home. He was going for a massive Property to maximize Crafting and Training areas. There would be an outdoor Quidditch Pitch, indoor Swimming Pool, Potions Lab, Dueling Platform, Loom, Enchanting/Ritual Room (Harry had been pleased when he realized the room would have dual purpose), Tannery, Blacksmith, Mechanic's Shed not unlike Mr. Weasley's, 3 Greenhouses that he knew he would be getting Neville to assist with, a Library that would likely take a while to fill up, and 10 Bedrooms with a bathroom/closet attached to each. It seemed like a lot, and Harry's bank statement definitely felt the purchases but he had a home. A place that was his. Or soon to be his, it had to be built first. Dobby was working with the architects to outfit each room as it was ready and then Harry would meet with the warding team in 4 days, with tea at the Davis' that afternoon. With 3 days to kill there was but one thing left to do. It was time for the boy-who-lived to try his luck in the Chamber of Secrets.
Game Saved! You may now access the Load Game feature. Don't Die!
Chapter 7: Grinding, Gearing, Gaming
Swimming skill has increased! It is now 13!
Harry almost regretted failing to use his broom again, if it hadn't been by choice this time. Frustration had made him swim again as even with everything he had accomplished in the past week and a half he hadn't been seeing many returns. So when presented with the choice of floating above the water in the pipe vs swimming against the current he opted for the harder path because why not?
Squeeeeelch.
Soggy shoes would normally be a great reason but he was a wizard after all. So in a weird sense of deja vu he clambered out of the water and switched clothes in his inventory screen. And what a full screen it was. Harry had diligently spent the morning preparing for his spelunking adventure. In his inventory was everything he thought he might need. Multiple ingredients for a variety of potions, extra vials, quite a few minor curatives and healing potions along with a few useful tinctures. He had his broom, potions, emergency Portkey to Hogsmeade, and 3 unused slots on his bar. His wand and sword of Gryffindor were in his hands.
Also in his inventory were rations made from the dried venison that he had collected more of from Hagrid on his way in. He hated lying to the Half-Giant but knew the curative feature of eating food might help him between fights down in the Instance. Kijani hissed words of encouragement from his hood. He had raw materials for Transfiguration, had bumped his Charms skill up to 35 to allow the use of Incendio. He hated only having 34 points left for skills after dumping 70 into Negotiation but then remembered he had saved quite a few Galleons on his home with those points.
Diffindo, Diffindo.
Charms skill has increased! It is now 36!
Loot: 1 Darkcloak Scrap
Harry had his light over his head and was going to take it slow and steady to see what he could do in here.
Dive into the Chamber of Secrets Instance? Yes or No?
Yes.
***Break***
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The monotony of the noise echoing through the dark tunnels was grating on Harry's nerves. Slow and steady was quickly becoming sketchy and nerve wracking. He had already dispatched 2 more Dark Cloaks on his way through the entrance of the Instance. Kijani had already slipped into his hotbar on his orders after an incident where the boomslang had accidentally licked Harry's ear. His heartrate still hadn't come down and he was sure the high pitched scream was still echoing through the sprawling tunnels. The save game feature, while minimally reassuring, wasn't something the boy-who-might-have-run-out-of-extra-lives didn't want to test so soon.
His mini-map feature was again becoming one of his favorite new additions to his life though. He had already spotted hidden alcoves that he might not have seen without being right up on them, twice. Nothing was in them but it was reassuring to his nerves that he might have a bit of pre warning on ambushes.
Finally the tunnel opened up into a medium sized hub of tunnels. Sure there was a skeleton standing in the middle of the room but what was a skeleton really? Just a hunk of- OH SHIT IT MOVED.
Combat Started!
"Diffindo. Diffindo's don't work. Lovely. And look! The skeleton pulled a sword out of its non-existent asshole!" Harry narrated to himself as he backstepped the luckily slow swing.
Clang!
Harry parried the next swing with his sword. Another 2 clangs echoed through the halls as he parried 2 more.
Sword skill has increased! It is now 11!
Harry nearly grinned when the notification came up. Getting a brilliant idea he Switched his wand back into the Hotbar and gripped his sword with both hands. Soon it was a game of cat and mighty mouse as Harry parried each sword swing that the skeleton used.
Sword skill has increased! It is now 12!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 13!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 14!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 15!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 16!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 17!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 18!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 19!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 20!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 21!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 22!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 23!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 24!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon available!
Pause!
Harry's grin had grown as he realized that he could totally use this skeleton to get his sword skill a little less crappy. And the Boons! OH the Boons! He had 3 options and he was very torn.
Bastard's Grip: 2 handed swings deal 50% more damage!
One handed Grip: 1 Handed Swings cost 25% less stamina!
Dual Wield: A Sword can be used in either/both hands with no penalty!
Deciding that Dual Wield was arguably the most useful Harry chose it, unpaused, Switched his sword to his left hand and brought his wand up to bear looking to test something.
Diffindo, Diffindo, Diffindo, Diffindo…
Charms Skill increased! It is now 37!
And then Harry got an even more brilliant idea. It was an annoying idea, but … holy shit fuck it.
Life is a game after all.
***Break***
Swimming skill has increased! It is now 13!
Squeeeeelch.
Diffindo, Diffindo.
Charms skill has increased! It is now 28!
Loot: 1 Darkcloak Scrap
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Combat Started!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon available!
Pause!
And in what was definitely the longest Deja vu of all time Harry had done it. Loaded his game like a true gamer, stopped himself from spending points on Charms, and abused the shit out of the first grindable enemy he had come across. Dual Wield was chosen, and it was time. Time to be the Gamer.
Unpause!
Slam! Harry brought the sword straight down onto the skeleton's head. And killed it. Crap.
Load Save 1!
Swimming skill has increased! It is now 13!
Squeeeeelch.
Diffindo, Diffindo.
Charms skill has increased! It is now 28!
Loot: 1 Darkcloak Scrap
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Combat Started!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sword skill has increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon available!
Pause!
Dual Wield
Unpause!
Now Harry could be called smart. His intelligence score was much higher than an average kid his age. But one thing Harry had never considered himself as, was a perfectionist. But when life decided to shit on his luck, as it often did, he had never had a chance to really, truly, do it over again. But now he had his new life. As a sword wielding, spellflinging, Level 7 Apprentice Wizard. With a Load Game feature that was-
"So fucking useful! HAHA! Diffindo BITCH!"
Charms Skill increased! It is now 35!
"INCENDIO!"
Combat Complete! You Gained 65 experience!
Loot: 3 Sickles, Rusty Sword, Bonemeal x2
"WOOOO! OH FUCK!" Harry celebrated then immediately regretted making so much noise as the hallways echoed with the weird groaning of more skeletons. 6 to be precise.
Combat Started!
One was easy enough. 6? Well that'd be a challenge. Luckily they weren't the fastest. And Harry was never called slow. Except by Uncle Vernon but bugger that guy right? Harry quickly dispatched 2 more with Incendio, then switched to a more mana conserving style in case more came. Parry! SLAM! Harry blocked the attack of one skeleton before using the same motion to whirl in place and crush the skull of the skeleton behind him. The Sword of Gryffindor hummed through the air as he took out the leg of another skeleton causing it to collapse in a heap. Protego! Harry narrowly blocked the swing from a skeleton and the Shield Charm held up to the blow. Using his free hand he dispatched another skeleton with a parry, parry, swing. Blocking the next swing with his wand side before dropping his shield he blasted the skeleton with a Flippendo to free up some room to twirl in place and crush the skull of the legless enemy with a strong kick when it tried to grab Harry's leg. Another Parry! SLAM! Took care of the final skeleton.
Sword Skill increased! It is now 26!
Combat complete! You gained 390 Experience!
Loot: 1 Galleon 4 Sickles, 3 Rusty Swords, 1 Rusty Flanged Mace, 1 Brass Bracelet, Bonemeal x 10
Checking the nearby hallway entrances Harry nodded to himself when he discovered no further enemies, being sure to also check the ceiling for any Darkcloaks. He settled in the middle of the room and decided to let his Magicka and Stamina regenerate on their own, which they were doing quite nicely. Incendio definitely took a bit out of his bar but it was a strong spell against these skeletons. Checking his inventory, he Dismantled the rusty mace into an iron ingot but left the swords as they were stacking in 1 slot. The bonemeal would make for some nice fertilizer, but was also used in a few potions so he perused those options before deciding there wasn't anything he needed out of those.
What a rush! Harry thought to himself when he caught his breath. His first honest to goodness fight in the instance and surveying the carnage around him filled him with a sense of satisfaction. Sure his alternative life had been riddled with near-death experiences, which he remembered vividly, but underneath the fear and risk he couldn't deny that those moments were where he felt truly alive. Death had never truly frightened him, the words of Dumbledore describing it as merely the next great adventure while ironically true for Harry had also stuck with him.
Now though? With a Load Save buffer? He could truly enjoy the thrill of an honest to goodness fight to the death. Within reason of course Harry reminded himself. Wouldn't do him any favors if he became nihilistic merely because he had a glorified redo option. Deciding to take advantage for now though the Boy-Who-Lived stood up and dusted off his butt. Picking a random hallway he set off further into the Instance.
***Break***
Ding! Level Up! You are now level 8! 16 Skill Points awarded. 58 Skill points unspent. 4 Stat Points unused.
Harry stabbed his sword one more time into the ghoul, using it as an armrest as he caught his breath. The hallway he had chosen had been full of enemies. It had been a run and gun scenario to take care of the crowd of skeletons before dispatching the ghoul with a lot of dodging and stabbing. The basilisk venom had helped but only seemed to affect the immediate area of his stabs on the fleshy undead. Once he had finally immobilized the shoulders to stop the freakishly strong creature from trying to make out with him, he had made short work of it.
Checking his watch, he saw that he had been within the Instance for a little over 6 hours. And secured a level! That had been some sweet icing on the cake. He had taken an hour to fiddle more with his settings, his minimap was larger now and his experience bar was now visible at the bottom of the screen along with his health, stamina, and magicka. A level was progress though and that felt good.
Stat points too. Apparently they were awarded every even level, half the value of his current level. That was… amazing. So at 10 he would get another 5. But much like his skill points it would bring diminishing returns after certain levels, in this case 2 points after 20, 4 after 40, and 6 after 60. There was a footnote that stated this was so that he wouldn't just max out a certain stat to the exclusion of all else. So his plan was to get everything to 20 first, then specialize. Therefore Harry brought Dexterity up to 20, and sunk the extra point in Strength as he was using his sword fairly often.
"Maybe I should get a tutor for swordsmanship, what do you think Kijani?" Harry asked his familiar, setting off down another hallway.
***Break***
The Chamber of Secrets was so much different as an Instance than it had been when Harry descended technically… 2 weeks ago? Wow. So much had changed. The largest difference is that he was very certain that the Instance was so much larger than what he remembered of the Chamber. There was also a distinct lack of undead before, Voldemort aside. And the antechamber was not this clean before. Harry had specifically remembered being very glad to take his clothes off after the incident, given how musty and stale everything down here had been.
There also weren't creepy dudes with gaunt faces milling about. The Statue of Salazar Slytherin was the same though.
Stealth Skill increased! It is now 31!
Not for the first time in the life of Harry Potter, either version, the boy was quite pleased with how useful his Cloak was. Currently he was sneaking around the edge of the large chamber as floating in the center of the room was the only reason he wasn't just patting himself on the back and leaving.
What was he supposed to do though when the same Basilisk that he was QUITE sure that he had killed was writhing in agony as crackling black-purple energy rushed through it? Leave and let them complete whatever foul experiment this was? As sorry as he currently felt for the magical beast though he was still a little glad that they had already taken the snake's eyes.
Time remaining to stop Ritual, 30 minutes.
There was also that. When Harry had first peeked into the room he had been quite ready to cut his losses and simply let the Instance reset. Fate however had a different plan. When the Quest had popped up that had been more than enough for Harry to risk over 12 hours of progress on what might very well be a suicide mission.
Timed Quest Started! Save the Basilisk! Reward: 20 Skill Points, 6 Stat Points, 2,000 Galleons, and 4,000 Experience. Warning! Failure will result in Instance increasing exponentially in difficulty for subsequent visits. Time Remaining to Stop Ritual, 35 minutes.
Harry floated yet another vial very carefully under one of the 7 crystals, securing it with a bit of string so that it dangled beneath the floating crystal, being very careful not to alert the gaunt men throughout the room. Luck was on his side as the room was dimly lit and the crystals were spread out evenly.
Stealth Skill increased! It is now 32!
Being very happy that he had the relevant ingredients for the Exploding Potions, even if he only had enough for 5, Harry got into position to launch what he hoped was a fiery awesome attack that would immediately swing the fight into his favor. Or it could blow up in his face, literally.
No time like the present, he thought to himself.
"Expulso" Harry whispered twice in quick succession. After the explosions rang out on the other side of the room, along with the tinkling of falling shards of crystal, Harry willed his cloak into his hot bar to avoid entangling or having an enemy pick it up once he started moving and used the distraction of the 2 explosions to fire 3 more Expulso's at the other vials. His aim was spot on luckily, and Harry dashed toward the nearest of the 2 remaining crystals.
"GET HIM!" Yelled the man at the podium that stood prevalent under the statue of Salazar. His 9 companions yelled war cries and dashed after Harry. Harry ducked under the red spell that one of the enemies had fired at him and with a roar swung his sword through the crystal, smashing it like glass.
"ARGH!" one of the men clutched his leg but was overlooked in the commotion by his allies, but not by Harry who marked the man with a color change spell and summoned Kijani who had slithered out of the man's pant leg. Best 30 points in Charms he had ever spent. The boon to increase the potency of charms by 10% was also extremely useful, especially for his next stunt.
"Defodio!" Harry intoned 6 times, whilst carefully dodging the spells, heavily taxing his reserves but putting enough damage on one of the pillars totip it over. The large pillar boomed off the floor but was tall enough that Harry could crouch behind it. Putting his cloak back on, the boy ignored the spellfire that splashed against the pillar next to him as he dashed away from the spot invisible to his enemies who were luckily directing their efforts to destroying the pillar they were sure he was behind.
His auburn hair matted to his forehead from the exertion he had already given, Harry quickly hid behind another pillar and ditched the cloak once more in favor of his trusty Nimbus. The next part of the plan relied heavily on the Basilisk being one pissed off snake, just hopefully a little less so at him. Taking a small moment to catch his breath Harry positioned the broom against the pillar and carefully used it to rise up parallel behind it, away from the watchful eyes of his enemies. Once he was near the top he kicked off of the pillar and fully mounted the broom. Time for some flying.
"I'm going to free you now, pleassse do not hurt me. I will be in the air!" Harry hissed out, praying that the Basilisk both heard and was able to comprehend him. The men quickly spotted the flying boy as he rounded the edge of the room, years of dodging bludgers being brought to bear as his broom went to and fro to dodge the spellfire. Harry returned fire and was able to clip one man with a Petrificus, but one of his allies was quick to reverse it.
Deciding to focus more on speed, Harry switched his wand back into his bar and dove towards the final crystal. With another roar he raised out his left hand, switched the sword into the hand and-
Pain! The sword of Gryffindor clattered against the floor as Harry lost his grip. The arm was brought to his stomach gingerly and he was forced to retreat as his wrist was broken by a lucky shot from the man behind the podium. Bonebreakers never get easier to be hit by.
Hissing as the gravitational force of breakneck turns aggravated the injury, Harry settled behind one of the pillars opposite his enemies. The pain was bearable thanks to his Gamer privileges but the hand would not take much weight. Bringing some cloth out of his Inventory and quickly wrapping the wrist tightly before hitting the makeshift bandage with a Fixing Charm to give it some stability was the best solution he had at the moment given the circumstances.
Spellfire smashed against the pillar and ceiling as the enemies finally got beneath where Harry had just been and had a good shot.
Time to remaining to stop Ritual, 28 minutes.
Not needing the reminder but still noting it, impressive flying was needed as the enemies started to get used to Harry's speed and movement. Alternating his speed helped a bit but also further aggravated his wrist. He would need to thin the herd a bit if he was to have any hope of getting his sword. Spells had proved ineffective already as the Defodio Harry shot had merely bounced off of the magical crystal.
It was at this moment that Harry learned why Lord Voldemort considered Dark Arts the greatest magic. Sectumsempra smashed through the shield the squat man he had picked out of the crowd had raised, and with a look of surprise the man's head was separated from his neck.
Shock and disgust at his own actions had nearly cost Harry his own head as he pulled up short at his first real kill. Quickly the feelings were quashed to focus on the task at hand, and Harry shot 2 more Sectumsempra's at the crowd. One missed but the other one cleaved through an arm of a man that had switched to more lethal spells, forcing them to drop their wand. Hard to hold a wand when you don't have a forearm anymore.
With a little less spellfire heading his way Harry summoned the Sword of Gryffindor in what was probably one of the riskiest stunts he'd ever attempt on a broom. Time seemed to slow down as Harry headed for the crystal. To his right the sword whistled through the air, Harry rolled instinctively to dodge a pair of spells. The world levelled out again and our hero switched his wand into his hotbar. Seeker instincts screaming at him, his hand came up and caught the sword by the grip. Spinning horizontally at the slight cost of momentum Harry swung the sword through a spell without thinking. And the spell bounced off! The excitement of the discovery was dulled as Harry focused even harder and brought the broom right around again, barely a foot off the ground. The crystal floated ahead at a mere 4 feet above the ground. Bringing the sword up to his shoulder, Harry gripped the broom as firmly as he could with his left hand and corkscrewed violently underneath the crystal, cleanly slicing through it with the sword.
The world seemed to speed up again as multiple things happened all at once. Harry shot up to the ceiling as soon as he passed the cascade of falling remnants of the crystal. The odd crackle of the energy had ceased and in its place there was a heavy thud as the Basilisk crashed to the floor. There was a cry of surprise as 2 men were caught beneath the massive creature.
"SECURE THE BEAST! THE BOY IS MINE! BOMBARDA!" the podium man as Harry referred to him mentally scored an amazing shot onto Harry's Nimbus. The explosion seemed to crack a few ribs, and shattered the broom beneath Harry who shot into the air with his remaining momentum. Like most things, what goes up must come down and Harry was no exception. Protego protected him from 2 follow-up spells, and Harry shot off a Fumos Maxima to obscure himself from the spellfire long enough to cast Arresto Momentum which gave him a small reprieve from the terrible feeling of falling.
Pause!
This stopped Harry in midair and he sighed in relief. A blessed moment to think Harry thought as he stared upward at his own fog. His descent was swift enough that he had already escaped its range. If he had to guess, yep, he was about 35 feet from the floor.
"Think Harry, think! Okay, podium man has a spell already on its way. Green in color, probably an Avada. Basilisk, eating someone. Add that to the nightmare bucket. 35 feet is probably going to be 2-3 seconds without the Arresto. I'll need to drop the Arresto to prevent that spell from hitting me, the sword probably doesn't work on Unforgivables and testing is a terrible idea right now. So I'll have about 2 seconds to block a spell, send one back, and Arresto myself again so I don't break any more bones. Piece of cake right? Ugh. I cannot wait to get back to Hogsmeade and eat some cake. I'm going to stuff myself after this. Okay. Let's get this showdown over with. Merlin, I really hope the basilisk doesn't eat me" Using speech to center his thoughts Harry concocted a plan of action.
Unpause!
Summoning a rock into the path of the green spell Harry returned fire with "Sssectumsssempra" as the parseltongue actually came out faster than most of his options.
Dark Arts Skill increased! It is now 20!
"Arresssto Momentum!" Using the slightly more powerful parseltongue option Harry slowed himself just enough to only thud kind of hard as opposed to really hard. Rolling to his feet despite the spear of pain from his ribs Harry dodged another possible Avada just barely. The Basilisk was doing a fine job of keeping the other guys busy so Harry opted to sprint over to the still remaining section of the pillar he had brought down earlier. Podium man was flinging spells left and right, trying to hit the boy but dodging was one thing that our hero had always had a knack for. At least until fate decided that he had had enough luck for one day. Harry shot another parseltongue empowered Sectumsempra which overpowered the podium man's shield and lopped off his head and wand arm. Gruesome but nice. The bad luck however was that the final pair of bonebreakers impacted both of his biceps. Damn that hurt! And his arm's wouldn't respond to his wishes. He gripped his wand anyways, more out of desperation than any real intent to use it.
The only option Harry had was to lean heavily against the pillar as the sounds of the Basilisk and the small crowd of men continued on. Trying to control his breath as he could feel his broken rib poking against a lung if he inhaled too hard Harry prayed that the Basilisk was winning.
As in in answer to his prayers the noises stopped. There was a dulled thud that was hard to hear over his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. Using what willpower he had left Harry managed to get onto his feet and peek over the edge of the pillar.
"Are you o-" Harry ducked under a Bonebreaker aimed at his head. Of course the Basilisk would lose. That was some shit luck. He had been unable to tell if the beast was still breathing but there only seemed to be one man still standing after the fight. There was no notification of the quest failing so there was still a bit of hope. Smaller stature was always a sore point for Harry Potter, but here it helped out as Harry crouched jogged around to the edge of the pillar. He needed to get away from this guy long enough to figure out a plan. Useless arms, no broom. Not good odds.
"Come on out! This has gone on long enough!" The man yelled.
"Are you sure? I still feel pretty good. Your boss probably agrees with me, but he seems to have lost his head" Harry did the best he could to mask the pain in his voice. Yelling with broken ribs was definitely not what the doctor ordered.
"Yes. Thank you for that. Now I lead the Cult of Darkness!" The voice was closer, and kind of towards the podium.
"The Cult of Darkness? That's the best you could come up with? Plus isn't a one man cult kind of just a weird dude playing dress up?" Harry taunted the man, but made sure to turn and jog the other way down the pillar.
Which the man seemed to expect, as Harry pulled up short at the wand in his face.
"Now I've got you. Your little stunt is over now. The beast is contained. Your little snake may have taken out Charlamagne, but really you were only able to kill 2 of us. And now your arms don't even work. Hahaha! You have no hope. And now, you-" The man monologued at Harry's face but pulled up short when Harry simply said Accio.
"DIE! Avada Kedavr-" The man's killing blow ended in a gurgle as the tip of the Sword of Gryffindor protruded from the man's chest.
"You were saying?" Harry asked smugly as the Basilisk venom quickly ended the man's life. Luckily Accio didn't require much in the way of wand movements, so Harry was able to utilize the spell with the barest of twitches from his wrist. His bicep screamed in protest but he ignored it all the same.
It was over.
Timed Quest Completed! Save the Basilisk! Reward: 20 Skill Points, 6 Stat Points, 2,000 Galleons, and 4,000 Experience.
Ding! Level Up! You are now level 9! 18 Skill Points awarded. 46 Skill points unspent. 4 Stat Points unused. 1 Feat Point unused.
*Fin*
A/N: Man, what a ride. This was a tough one to write as I wanted to build a scene and explore the dungeon a bit more but as I said at the beginning writing out grinding is… well grinding. I hope that the fight at the end was to everyone's liking, I tried to make it cool without making Harry mop the floor with those guys.
The Cult of Darkness is a really lame name, but I'm unsure if I will even be using them again or not so we'll see.
Character sheet below!
Harry James Potter
Age: 13
Class and Level: Apprentice Wizard 9
Health: 240
Magicka: 565
Stamina: 235
Stats
Strength- 11
Dexterity- 20
Constitution- 10
Perception- 1 (+10 with Glasses)
Intelligence- 20
Willpower- 10 (+5)
Magic- 20 (+15)
Charisma- 20
Luck- 31 (Locked)
Perks:
Fated Luck: +10 to Luck always, -40 to Luck in certain situations.
Magical Powerhouse: +10 to Magic, +5 to Willpower, +10 to Magicka Regeneration, +5 to Learning when it involves Spells. Magicka now grows at a 1.5 rate vs the standard .8 of most Wizards.
Flyer: +20 Broom Handling, +10 Creature Handling if creature has wings.
Parselmouth: +35 to Parseltongue.
Family Heritage: +5 to Broom Handling, +5 Transfiguration, +5 Charms, +5 Potions.
Puberty = Truck: Puberty is going to kick your ass and put hair in so many places. I won't go into details. Affects 3rd year Summer.
Linguist: +2 to Learning when it involves Languages.
Represent: +5% Reputation Gains, -5% Reputation Losses.
Disadvantages:
Poor Eyesight: -8 to Perception without glasses or similar device. +10 with them on.
Chosen One: -20 to Luck in certain situations. +5 to Magic. Certain events are unavoidable. +25% Reputation Gains, +25% Reputation Losses.
Feats
The Wand Chooses the Wizard but the Wizard Chooses the Spell: +3 to Learning when it involves spells.
Magical Aura: +5 Damage Reduction to Spells. +10 to Social Skills against sensitive targets.
Motion of the Potion: Potions no longer require a 3 second Drinking Action.
Crafty: +5 Learning if it involves Crafting or Harvesting Skills.
Magic Skills
Transfiguration – 29
Boon: Size conversion ratio of Transfigured materials increased by 10%
Animagus Transformation – 1
Herbology – 25
Boon: Flora and Fauna that are Magical will glow in the Player's eyes.
Charms – 50
Boon: Charms Spells cost 10% less Magicka to Cast
Boon: Charm Spells are 10% more potent
Potions – 27
Boon: Splash Radius of thrown Potions increased by 25%
Astrology – 16
Defensive Spells – 26
Boon: Maxima Variant now able to be applied to Defensive Spells.
Care of Magical Creatures – 14
Divination – 8
Ancient Runes – 8
Arithmancy – 10
Dark Arts – 19
Alchemy – 2
Enchanting – 1
Physical Skills
Quidditch – 7 Keeper, 7 Beater, 12 Chaser, 47 Seeker
Boon Seeker: You are able to track the Snitch more readily! Snitch will give an indicator when it is about to change direction.
Running – 16
Jumping – 1
Weightlifting – 4
Swimming – 7
Acrobatics – 19
Climbing – 15
Sword – 26
Cloth Armor – 37
Boon: Regular Clothes Shmegular Clothes. Any cloth is armor! +1 to armor per slot if equipped item is Cloth. Robes provide +2 per slot.
Social Skills
Diplomacy – 25 (+5)
Boon: Heir to an Empire. As the youngest Lord in recent years people are eager for your attention. +5% Relationship Gains.
Intimidation – 25
Boon: Flux. You may now consciously flare your magic to those around you. Doubles effectiveness of Magic Aura Feat. Cost 2 Magicka per second. Stops Magicka Regeneration.
Performance – 4
Etiquette – 25
Boon: Now you're forked. Your skill in formal settings is improved! Delivers notification prompts in formal dining.
Flirting – 26
Boon: Lost in your eyes. Making direct eye contact will improve your chances of success when engaged in Flirting. -5 to DR rating of target.
Sense Intention – 10
Negotiation - 71
Boon: Wheelin' and Dealin'. You're able to negotiate down all but the scroogiest of people. Receive a 5% better deal when negotiating costs!
Boon: What's the absolute best you can do on that? More people are open to negotiations!
Chess – 13
Pranking – 20
Stealth Skills
Disguise – 3
Sleight of Hand – 5
Lying – 6
Escaping – 21
Stealth – 31
Boon. Toe-to-Heel. Your steps are now 50% quieter!
Hybrid Skills
Dueling – 25
Boon: Magical Shields are now 10% stronger
Broom Handling – 51
Boon: You have a need for speed and your broom realizes it. +10 MPH to max speed regardless of model!
Boon: While on a Broomstick, gain +10 to Dodge!
Mental Skills
Parseltongue – 100
Boon: Snakes have a predisposition of +2000 Reputation when you reveal yourself as a Speaker
Boon: Spells with a 'Sss' sound may be cast in Parseltongue for +5 Difficulty Rating to overcome
Boon: The nuances of Parseltongue make other languages seem easy. +1 to Learning if it involves Languages.
Boon Mastery: May have a magical snake as a Familiar that does not count against your familiar slot.
English – 70
French – 4
Gobbledygook – 2
German – 8
History – 15
Science – 9
Mathematics – 10
Harvesting and Crafting Skills
Clipping – 7
Skinning – 2
Tanning – 1
Cooking – 52
Boon: Live and Learn. You may recreate most meals that you have tasted or modify it as you see fit. +2 to level of meal benefits
Boon: Eye for Quality. You have a discerning eye when it comes to the freshness of ingredients. Less like to find or use expired or stale ingredients.
Unspent 46
Class Specialization Apprentice chosen: +5% Exp Gain. +2 Learning. Unlocks Specializations Sorcerer, Mage, and Archmage at further levels.