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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 82: A Potential Solution
Morgan stared down at the broken sword resting on her shop's table. "What are you planning on doing with this?"
"The Lady of the Lake seems to believe that restoring the sword would be the best way to defeat Arthur and his Order. There is still much we don't know about what took place back then. About your half-brother's motivations and… the reason for his sudden betrayal."
"I don't think it was that sudden. You were just too occupied with other matters to notice it." Morgan saw the hurt in his eyes, and her expression softened. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like that."
"No. I deserve it. I was supposed to act as Arthur's advisor, but I became too preoccupied with my own studies and research to pay attention to what was truly important. Perhaps I could have put a stop to this before it went so far."
"No point in torturing yourself over that. Leave the past in the past." Morgan pointed back at the sword. "So… you are the new owner of Excalibur, huh? Does that mean you are the King of Camelot? Should I start calling you Your Highness?"
"Perhaps when I restore the sword, I will remind you of that." Harry took out the vial with the mysterious liquid he had obtained at the pond. "In the meantime, see if you can identify this substance." He handed it to Morgan. "It was the last gift from the Lady. I expect it will be something good."
"Mmm… let's see." Morgan removed the cork and gave it a sniff. "Smells really nice, but I don't recognize its source." She examined it further. "The color, consistency, and smell don't match any potions that I know of. I would need to do some testing with it. Can I?"
"Sure. Until I know what it does, there is no way to use it properly," Harry responded as he walked toward the large couch that Morgan always kept at her shop. "Uff…" He sat down and rested his tired muscles. "You haven't told me much about your conversation with the authorities." By the time he had returned from the pond, Morgan was ready to leave.
She stored the vial inside a box and left it on one of the shelves behind the counter. "There wasn't much to say. I answered a few of their questions, they thanked me for ridding them of a dangerous criminal, and they left me alone. If anything, they were more curious about you."
"Me?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't they? You are the famous Boy-Who-Lived. From their perspective, you disappeared for four years, and then you suddenly returned, with white hair and capable of wielding magic that killed an entire pack of werewolves with a tap of your staff. They want to know what happened to you."
"An explanation I cannot give," said Harry.
"Which is why I advised you to stay clear of the public eye," Morgan said.
"Don't forget that I did not choose this. The tournament's contract was something brought upon me without my consent." His eyes went to the sword. "Just as the matter regarding my reincarnation."
"Do you regret it? Being back in the world of the living?" Morgan asked. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Would you have preferred staying dead?"
"That is not what I am saying. Just that it is infuriating becoming some sort of chosen individual without my input, that's all." Harry tapped on the seat next to him. "I am very happy to have been given another chance to live and make things right. To fix the mistakes of my past, and to see you again."
"Hmph!" She crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks, but still walked to him and sat at his side on the couch. "You better."
Morgan rested her head on his chest, and he caressed her hair gently.
"Oh?… I almost forgot," she suddenly said.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"I received a letter before we left for the ball. Yesterday, I sent messages to several of my contacts. It was about finding someone who could decipher the book we found at the Argent Flame base."
Harry nodded. "Yes, the one that was written in code."
"Well, one of them responded. He believes there could be someone capable of deciphering its contents, but…"
"But what? Do they live too far away?" Harry said.
"The deciphering expert lives in Spain, but that's not the issue…"
"Ah, I see… it's very expensive," Harry guessed. Morgan was always complaining about money and how much they were always spending.
"It's not that!" She snapped at him.
"Well, then, out with it. I'm not exactly a seer, you know?"
"I know that person. Or… at least, I should say that I know her family. I am the main reason they had to leave Britain," Morgan explained.
"I see." Harry had learned about the many fights that Morgan had gotten into over the past 1500 years.
Perhaps calling them fights was a gross understatement. She had exterminated entire generations of wizard families who came to cause her trouble.
This is why the Ministry had to set laws in place to prevent further issues with her.
"So this is one of those old wizard families that you got entangled with," Harry said.
Morgan nodded solemnly. "Her name is Melissa Blackthorn. Her house was one of Britain's oldest wizard families. They were also one of the worst ones. I thought I had killed them all, but apparently a few of them were able to escape and left the country to get away from me. They wouldn't have known that I was unable to leave the city."
"Mmm… do you want to tell me about your feud with this family?" Harry felt there was something more to it. Something that was bothering her.
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