Year 1 Part 8

  ... ...

  With a groan, I opened my eyes and looked up at the ceiling of my room. Or more accurately, I tried to as the brightness of the room, even during, what I assumed was, the early morning was making it hard to focus on anything. Fighting back a grunt of anguish, I turned my head slightly and confirmed with some difficulty from the large, ornate wooden clock on the wall – one that thankfully didn’t make a sound even as the pendulum that hung down from it rocked back and forth – that it was barely past five.

  With effort, I returned my head so that I could see the ceiling of my room, mentally cursing both the early sunrises during the summer in Scotland and the pain that was still rampaging through my body. Every nerve ending and cell in my body reverberated with pain, making it hard to move. A pathetic attempt, that I was glad no one saw, of me trying and failing to lift my fingers confirmed that I would be remaining in bed for some time yet.

  The only upside to my enforced time in bed was that the mattress, sheets, and duvet were all charmed to be incredibly soft, comfortable, and regulated so that the temperature was optimal for resting. That said, given the pain flowing through my body, I suspected that Kadic had poured a sleeping potion, or at least something to numb the pain, down my throat before I was deposited in the bed.

  I closed my eyes, cutting off the visual sensory overload that was only adding to my problems, though that caused my other senses to heighten. The feeling of the duvet, thin and charmed as it was to be comfortable, pressed seemingly forcefully against my body while my ears detected sounds from beyond the walls of the room. Something that, given the runes engaged in the walls to ensure a peaceful sleep, shouldn’t be possible. At least not unless the castle was under attack and the war wards were active. All of that was, I assumed, another sign of what the new flesh array I hard carved into my body had caused.

  Delving deeper into my mind, I shut off my emotions, and with them, as much of the lingering anguish my body was experiencing and reached the early stages of my Mind Palace. Or at least what would be the Palace once I had full control of the psychic area.

  Near the end of First Year, I had finally managed to push to create a mental area to begin the building of my Mind Palace, shifting my Occlumens to Level 4, but as of yet there was little there. I had considered creating something otherworldly that no one, be they muggle or magical, had ever considered. Something like the Death Star from Star Wars – a franchise that was still almost a decade away from first premiering in cinemas – was an option, as were mental defenders from various other franchises such as Alien and Predator were being considered. However, I had yet to begin construction on the Palace, and in its place sat a simple house; one that wouldn’t look out of place in Hogsmeade or other wizarding towns and villages across the British Isles.

  I entered that house and settled into a chair in one of the rooms; one of the few pieces of mental furniture this area currently had. Normally I wouldn’t need to retreat this deeply into my psyche to find solace and comfort, but with the aftereffects of the second flesh-array still ravaging my body, I had little choice but to come here.

  I’d headed to the Ritual Chamber only a few hours after arriving back at Dunscaith. Just enough time to enjoy a full meal, and then let it settle internally. I’d been waiting to crave the second array since just after Spring Break when I’d cracked what the tome was trying to hint to me and formulated a stable array. My Ancestors had been concerned about my choice in applying the array so soon after returning, but I was certain it would work, and it had.

  The new array was attached to the base one, drawing strength from it and creating an enlarged tattoo. Or I assumed it did as I had yet to see the markings on my flesh, and given that area of my skin tingled the most painfully, I suspected it would be a few hours if not days before I could examine the combined array more carefully.

  What this new flesh array did, at least from the way I had melded the various runes involved in its creation together, was to enhance me physically. The primary focus had been on enhancing my agility, reflexes, and mental capacity to think clearer and quicker for longer than before to fully use the enhanced frame. It seemed that from the way my senses felt as if they were overloaded, the array had done more than I’d expected, and improved them as well as what I expected. As I pondered the matter, I wondered if the array had also enriched me in other ways, such as increased strength or muscle density, but until I was able to leave my bed and test myself I’d not be able to confirm that. Merlin, I’d likely have to take a few days just to adapt to the changes even if there were no more hidden extras to the array, never mind if there were.

  I knew that the array was working properly as beyond the still-present torment of my body, the moment I had finished carving it into my skin and connected it to the base array, my entire body had felt as if it was burning. Every nerve, fibre, muscle, cell, and minute other fraction of DNA within me had changed all at once, causing my body to shift. I could recall now, though I knew I hadn’t at the time, that before I had blacked out from the torture, the tiles on the floor of the Ritual Chamber had grown more vivid.

  Tiny markings under the polished stones had seemingly flared into existence while the breathing of my ancestors inside their Dealbhan Nas Motha had reached my ears even though those enhanced portraits were stored against the wall of the Chamber. What made it odder now that I looked back on it was that my ancestors didn’t need to breathe as they were not alive in a traditional sense. Instead, part of what made them who they were during their lifetimes – part of their souls perhaps – was contained in the portraits meaning they had no need for bodily functions. Still, I could clearly remember hearing the inhale sharply as I writhed in pain on the table in the Chamber. Something that would only have been made worse as the strong, coppery smell of my blood filled my nostrils.

  That assault on my senses and body had only lasted for a few moments before my mind had fallen silent, remaining so until I awoke in my bed, but as I emotionlessly reviewed the memory I could confirm that while what I had experienced when I awoke was bad, it was far less than when I’d endured once the second flesh array had activated. That pain was something few would enjoy and perhaps rivalled the Torture Curse, though I had no proof currently of that fact.

  Working through what must have happened once I lost consciousness, it was clear that Kadic had transported my body to my bed, no doubt giving me some form of draught to enable a deep, dreamless sleep. The effects of that had now worn off, and while I was still in pain, it seemed the worst was over. Assuming that it had just been one night that I had been under the effects of the draught, it should be June thirtieth, The first full day of the Summer Holidays. However, until I spoke to Kadic I couldn’t be certain of the date.

  In the coming days, whenever I was finally able to leave the bed and resume training, I would have to push myself and see what changes this array had brought on. Or more accurately, how I would have to adapt to the greater sensory input and boosted capabilities of my body. In theory, those changes would only continue to grow as I entered puberty. That was just a working theory for now but one my ancestors agreed with.

  While they didn’t know the exact arrangement of the array I’d carved, as the process was a personal matter, they agreed that any boosts I gained from physically focused arrays added while I was young would only grow stronger and more pronounced as my body matured. It would take me time to get used to the current changes, but those that came later for entering my teenage years should, in theory, be more manageable.

  Still, for all that my body should now be slightly beyond that of most if not all, other magicals, I could already sense weaknesses brought on by the changes. Enhanced senses would make me more susceptible to charms, runes, and the like designed to disorientate and distract. Hell, even muggle inventions such as flashbangs and high-powered flashlights could cause me issues if I encountered them. I should, in theory, be able to learn to adapt, and it wouldn’t take much to add protective charms to my body and clothing to counter that issue, but it would be a recurring issue I would have to face and overcome.

  Being able to sense a fractional movement before it happened, and then have a flickering moment more to react to that had the potential to be insanely powerful. Seeing a wand bearing towards me, or even the hand twitching before a wand was grasped, could be the difference between life and death. Particularly against wizards who were older, more skilled, and better trained than me. Still, that split-second in the moment of a life-or-death situation could be the difference in the outcome, and that was something I knew I would need in the coming years and decades.

  One thing I was glad of was that I hadn’t attempted to apply the array while at Hogwarts. Slipping out of the castle was insanely easy now I had the Vanishing Cabinets. However, remembering how long it had taken me to fully recover from applying the first flesh array, I’d feared being under the weather, or even weak, in the days after applying the second array. Something others in Hogwarts would’ve seen and exploited. There was also the chance – which given my condition was proven correct – that I’d need longer to recover, and end up under the care of the medical staff. That would alert Dumbledore and while he would likely not understand what had happened to me, the less he was probing into my business, the easier it would be for me to do what I needed for the coming war.

  I had until July the third to recover as that was when Bradley and the two muggleborn MacLeods would be coming over so we could talk and train. Since the trio couldn’t do so at their homes, I had opened the doors of Dunscaith to them over the holidays. At least while I was around as I knew Lord Arcturus wished for me to accompany him, Sirius, and Regulus later in July.

  The trio of muggleborns had a few others they wished for me to meet; ones that had been interested in studying with us during the last year at Hogwarts but how I had avoided taking on. All of them, from what I had learnt, had found others to tutor them on wizarding customs and to gain help with their schoolwork. However, none had shown the improvement of Andrew or Bradley during First Year.

  I wasn’t sure how I would handle these new muggleborns, as I had to be careful of how the purebloods and halfbloods who looked down on anything muggle would react if I started spending a large amount of time with muggleborns in Second Year. At the same time, however, if I could pull a large group of muggleborns from the clutches of Dumbledore before the war broke out, I could help to both weaken his forces slightly and give myself a wider pool of potential recruits.

  The one interesting thing about these five new muggleborns that Bradley and Andrew wished for me to meet was that all came from Ravenclaw. Amusingly, it seemed that the trope of those of the house of eagles leaning into learning one thing at the expense of other topics was holding true for these muggleborns. However, I would be meeting these muggleborns away from Dunscaith as it was probable that some would bring a parent with them, and I would not allow a muggle within the castle grounds. Both because of lingering issues I had from my short stay under the care of the Sisters in the Children’s House, and how it would permanently ruin my standing among most of the Clans and Houses if word ever leaked for a muggle being granted safe harbour under my roof.

  As I was considering Muggleborns in what currently passed for my Mind Palace, my thoughts turned quickly to Lily Evans. I spoke with her by owl regularly, though at least by the end of term her letters came every few days instead of each morning as they had after the Winter Solstice break. I did intend to spend some time with her and Severus over the holidays as time allowed, but I was less concerned about meeting them than I might otherwise have been.

  That was because Lily had bonded with my cousin áine MacDougall, along with her cousins Assa and Issa. All four had their letters for Hogwarts, and as áine latched a little onto anyone she liked who came into her orbit, Lily had been semi-adopted into the group of girls. Given the other three were purebloods, it was an interesting decision, but one that áine’s uncle and Chief O’Conor seemed accepting of. Mainly as Lily had, like Bradley under my tutelage, learnt how to behave in magical circles. At least enough that she was permitted to be present.

  From what I knew of áine, she wasn’t a firm believer in the superiority of purebloods, even though Clan MacDougall was like Clan MacLeod one of the Sacred Seventy-Seven. From what Bradley had told me based on his experiences in Ravenclaw, áine’s cousin Raghnall – who was a year above me and in Ravenclaw – was more aligned with those views, though not heavily enough that I’d lump him in with Amycus Carrow as a write-off for Voldemort already.

  From what I’d heard, Lily was fascinated by magic and everything it could do. Even asking me questions in her letters that I’d had to research before I could answer. That, along with áine being similarly inclined, had me wondering if Lily wouldn’t end up in Gryffindor, but with Ravenclaw instead. If that were the case, it would make it easier to interact with her at Hogwarts as I was about eighty per cent certain my cousin was going to be an eagle.

  Not only would I then not be seen, even on a rare occasion, interacting with a muggleborn Gryffindor – something only tolerated with Andrew MacLeod due to his family name – but it would keep her away from the house Dumbledore favoured, and perhaps most internally and usefully, separated from that prat James Potter. Now, if she still ended up in Gryffindor, I had plans in place to minimize any blowback from hanging around with Lily, but I’d prefer to not have those issues. As with why I’d not applied the second flash array while in school, the less Dumbledore was interested in me, and thus had his minions – meaning every other member of staff – watch me, the more I could conceivably get away with.

  With Severus, things were much simpler. Not only was he going to end up in Slytherin, but he was a boy and thus easier to speak with and understand. We owled about twice a week during school, and I felt that I was already gaining his loyalty and friendship. He had no other male role model or companion as his muggle father despised him because of magic. Something that wouldn’t take much effort to enhance so that the future self-styled ‘Half-blood Prince’ would be brought firmly under my umbrella of control. Hell, his mother was, if I was reading the underlying tone of some of Severus’ letters, all but pushing for him to swear himself to my Clan.

  I would spend what time I could with Severus and Lily, but they weren’t my primary focus of the summer. No, that honour – if one could call it such – belonged to Sirius and Regulus Black. Keeping the elder Black boy from Gryffindor was a lost cause. Not only was the rift between him and his mother bad – perhaps worse because of my presence in their lives – but I’d learnt that he had been spending an ever-increasing amount of time with James fucking Potter.

  Lord Arcturus was allowing it as while he and Lord Charlus didn’t agree on many matters, the Lord of House Potter was still a pureblood, and perhaps more importantly, had married a daughter of House Black. That meant James and Sirius were distantly related to each other and myself. However, I could already see the fracture between Sirius and Walburga – damn her soul to depths of the Otherworld for the insanities she sprouted – forcing the boy from his home. While I still had a sliver of hope he might choose to stay with me, I felt it was almost inevitable that he’d move in with the Potters.

  One other figure of note that I’d be interacting with over the summer was Aífe Mac Uidhir. I had promised her a visit to Dunscaith, though one I had made her give me a magical vow for. She wouldn’t attempt to enter the ward of the castle while here, nor access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna inside the grounds of the castle. We were both curious as to how her connection to the Realm of Shadows would behave inside the wards of my home, given its connection to her Clan’s ancient history, but I wouldn’t be allowing her to do so inside the walls. Even if she was the one instructing me on how to use the Fearann ????na Scáthanna and Shadow Magic, that level of trust was one she was a long way from gaining.

  I hoped that one day I might be able to visit her home, wherever in Ireland it was and whatever it was called, but I wasn’t expecting that to happen any time soon. Like not before she potentially became Chiefess of her Clan. Still, I wanted to see if I could gain, if not an ally, then a supportive figure in and without the Wizengamot for both the coming war and what would have to come after.

  Yes, my goals extended beyond simply defeating Voldemort and Dumbledore – though I currently had no idea how I was going to take down one of them, never mind both – and I would be foolish to not begin harvesting connections and resources now for when that day came. To not do so was foolish, though to many others I would come across as bad as, if not worse, than the two great wizards I had to defeat to survive and thrive in this world.

  From outside the Mind Palace, such as it was, I felt a shift in the real world. After bracing for the onslaught of pain that awaited me, I moved out of the depths of my mind. The pain was less than it had been before, though not by as much as I might wish. Slowly, I turned my head to the side, finding it a little easier than before, and saw Kadic standing there, a look of concern on his elvish face. It was easier to focus on him than focusing on anything that had been earlier, further suggesting my body was adapting to the changes it had undergone.

  “The MacLeod is well?”

  For a moment, I considered replying verbally. Fearful of how much that would hurt, and what state my throat might be in, I decided against it, and instead gave as gentle a nod as I could manage.

  “Kadic is happy. Two days The MacLeod has rested. Kadic very worried. Others worried as well. Ancestors said The MacLeod be fine in time, but Kadic still scared.”

  My eyes widened at hearing that it had been two days since the ritual, causing a small burst of pain from the various muscles needed to cause that reaction. I’d thought it had only been a single night that I’d been here, but it turned out to have been two. That was a sign that the changes my body had undergone because of the second flesh array were either more significant than I’d expected, or that as my body was still young it was struggling with the changes. Potentially even both.

  Two days stuck in bed wasn’t the worst outcome, but it wasn’t ideal either as I was now down a day of recovery before I had an engagement to keep. It did, however, confirm my caution about carving the array into my flesh until the summer holiday was wise.

  Kadic moved closer, and with a click of his fingers, a simple yet still elegant tray appeared. On it was a pitcher and a plain mug. Feeling my body react to the presence of what was in the jug – water I quickly deduced as the clean, crisp smell reached my nose – I lifted my arm. This time at least I was able to get my fingers and hand to move, though before my elbow was off the bed I had to stop as the pain was debilitating. Yes, I could probably suppress the pain with my Occlumens training, but I didn’t want to push my body beyond what it was capable of while I was recovering.

  “Kadic understands The MacLeod’s needs. The MacLeod must rest until healed. Kadic care for The MacLeod.”

  As he used his magic to lift the pitcher and I watched the water flow into the mug, I bit back a retort about not being a child. I was, technically, but it was more that I knew Kadic wasn’t treating me like this because he wanted to, but because I was recovering. Merlin, I still had half a year to go before I became a teenager, and thus had to face going through that but with magic flowing through my body. The part of me that had endured a full life in another world wasn’t looking forward to that experience, but the fact I’d slowly gain more and more independence and freedom to come and go as I wished – or at least beyond the fact I was already the MacLeod of MacLeod – wasn’t something to sneeze at.

  I watched as the mug floated towards me and felt the pillows slowly force my head up so that I wasn’t lying down. The movement caused fresh ripples of torment throughout my back, but it was bearable. The water slipped over my lips, causing me to flinch at the shivers of pain that rushed from my lips and tongue as the liquid flowed to and then down my throat, soothing the rawness there. I hoped that I’d soon be able to get out of bed and move along with my recovery, but I knew I couldn’t push myself.

  Still, once I was up and about, I was looking forward to seeing how the second flesh-array had altered my body, and how I had improved.

  … …

  … …

  Taking another cautious step forward, I moved deeper into the woods around Dunscaith, Xenocrates a little to my right and head of me. It was around ten days into the summer holidays, and after recovering from carving the second array into my flesh and testing myself in the training rooms beneath the castle, I wanted to see how things had improved outside training, which was why I was in the forests, moving away from the castle.

  From what I’d discovered during the training in the castle, my reflexes had improved significantly already, though it had taken a few days before I wasn’t moving around like a drunken fool. I’d been able to hide those issues when I’d met Bradley, Andrew, and the four other muggleborns they wished for me to be introduced to. I suspected Elieen Prince might have felt something was off when she and Severus visited yesterday, though they had spent most of the day in one of the minor potion workshops so she could instruct her son in the subject. Along with Herbology, that was by far my worst subject though not to the point I had failed anything during First Year. Just that it had taken far more effort and time than I would’ve liked in a subject I wasn’t particularly interested in to ensure I passed the end-of-term tests.

  During a training session yesterday morning before that pair had arrived, I had been doing one of my regular drills. That involved trying to strike Xenocrates with a Stinging Hex while he moved to avoid it. Before the second flesh array, even when using both my wands to dual-cast, I’d never come close to catching him with the hex, with my familiar often mocking me in his way when he easily avoided the spell. Since the array, he’d not been as condescending – well, at least for a feline – but I’d still not managed to come close to striking him. That had changed yesterday morning.

  I’d only been using my lordly wand, but the bolt of the hex had struck Xeno’s tail. He had mewed loudly and scampered away, shocked at the strike. After getting over my shock and managing to hit him, I’d moved closer and inspected him to confirm the bolt hadn’t caused him any permanent damage. While there was no hint the second array had made my spells more powerful, I was finding it easier to draw upon and direct my magic.

  Bar the wounded pride, Xeno had been fine, and that afternoon I’d moved to dual casting against him. Xeno had upped his game as well, which was something I was pleased to see. That said, when I’d started pushing with the hexes, he’d drawn on his innate magic, and seemingly shifted into lightning for a fraction of a second at a time. The first time that had happened, I’d stopped casting, choosing instead to watch in amazement had my familiar merged with the flickering dart of energy as he bolted across the room, and I still marvelled at seeing him use his magic when we trained.

  Casting with two wands was hard, as I needed two streams of thought that were equally important, and that worked in concert. The first few times I’d tried dual casting, I’d often stumbled or fallen over as it was hard to get the separate partitions in my mind to work on partnership. I still wasn’t great at it, but I could fire off my spells with both wands together faster than I could with a single wand. However, that came at the intent and focus I could place in a single spell, making two castings of any spell weaker than a single, more focused casting from one wand.

  I wasn’t sure if I would ever need to cast with both wands at once, but it was a useful skill to learn, and as I was ambidextrous, it was a good way to train each hand to cast spells. I only had a few charms and hexes that I could easily cast with both wands in sequence, but those and the base magical bolt that everyone could cast as a quick-fire spell were enough for now.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Because of how things had gone yesterday, and a desire that I’d had to deal with the issue this summer even before preparing to apply the second flesh array, we were moving alone through the forest around my castle, seeking out the Redcaps. Or Powries as they were known in Celtic lore. Now, with my body generally adapted to the second flesh array, and Xeno able to draw more comfortably on his magic, I felt it was a suitable time to if not destroy their Gathering – the name of a Redcap community – but at least find it and thin out the numbers of the pests.

  As sounds from far to my right and ahead of me reached my ears, I went still; cautious of what might be out there. From what I’d been told, Redcaps weren’t the only creatures in the forest, but they were all I felt ready to face. Just ahead of me, Xeno lowered his body, and his ears flattened back along his skull. He didn’t hiss, but the sparks of blue that danced down his spine made clear he’d heard what I had, and was prepared to either fight or flee depending on the source.

  There was no warming of the torc to suggest I was in any danger, but I didn’t want to rely on that all the time. There might well be threats and dangers that could hide their intent from the physical connection to Dunscaith’s ward core even within the range of the outer wards. It was just me and Xeno out here, with me only having my Hogwarts wand in its holster and an enchanted dagger – one I had found in a Clan vault and that had been forged by dwarven smiths on the continent decades ago for my grandfather – I knew that if faced with any great threat, or overwhelming odds I’d have to withdraw.

  Now, I could, if things turned particularly sour, call on Kadic or Aien for help. However, like with the torc, I was reluctant to do so. It was a crutch that only stunted my development and something I would only use as a last resort. If I remembered about it in the moment that was. There was also the fact that either elf apparating in would draw the attention of whatever threat I was facing, and as neither was built for combat, I feared they might suffer the same fate as Dobby had in the other timeline.

  I closed my eyes and focused on my hearing, trying to discern what was making the sound. The base, slightly unnerving and guttural sound of Powrie speech, or at least what passed for speech for those creatures, reached me. I focused harder, drawing on my magic to boost my hearing. There were three… no four of the buggers to my two o’clock and seemed to be moving away and towards my twelve o’clock if I was tracking their sounds accurately. I had no idea what they were saying, as learning Powrish wasn’t something I had any interest in doing, but they seemed in good spirits. Or as good a mood as such vile little beasts could have.

  Opening my eyes, I silently recast the silencing and smell-nullifying charms I had on myself. That way if I accidentally stood on something that could give away my position or the wind changed and allowed my scent to be carried towards the Redcaps, they wouldn’t detect anything. Or so I hoped.

  Moving forward, each step still mindful of anything in the underbrush of the forest that might give me away, I moved towards the beasts. I wanted to get closer to them, but I wasn’t going to risk giving away my location – my sounds were nullified, but if I caused something to fall from a tree or scrape against something else I might still be heard – to do so. I already knew the rough location of the Gathering, as Aien had scouted the woods from the edges in the spring months, but the exact location was unknown. Nor did I know if they had any areas they frequented in the woods where they might gather in larger numbers than the four ahead of me.

  Eventually, the sight of a darkened red object bobbing in the distance came into my sight. That would be the cap of one of the beasts, dyed in the blood of whatever they had killed. Soon the caps of the other three, two brighter suggesting fresh kills within my forest, were spotted as well, though I made sure to stay low and move from tree to tree for cover if they spotted me and I was forced into battle before I was ready.

  The beasts were about a metre tall at a rough guess, had large humps on their backs that wouldn’t look out of place on hunchbacks, and over their shoulders carried items. Two had weapons there, a club and a sickle that looked large for them, while the other two had sacks. The base of each sack was red, and as I moved cautiously closer, I saw trickles of blood dripping from the sacks and caught the scent of their kills. Those two had their weapons at their hips, again a club and sickle. Whatever they had killed was split between the bags, and looked to be heavy as the two with the sacks were moving slower and generating more sound from their steps as they moved. Given all four were jovial, or what I assumed was jovial, about the kills, the extra sound of their steps wasn’t a major factor. It did, however, help me track their path a little easier.

  The ground under their feet was flattened slightly, and as they moved towards one of two large hills in the forest – the one where Aien believed the Gathering was located – it became clear that they were moving back to their home. As I tracked along behind them, slowly inching closer, I saw other rough paths leading away from the track they were using, suggesting the Redcaps were more numerous and had been settled here longer than I’d realised. Perhaps taking out the entire Gathering today might not be doable, but I knew now that removing the pests was a minor priority as the longer they were settled in an area, the more troublesome they could be.

  Knowing that the closer we got to the hill, the greater the chance that other Redcaps would appear, and I might find myself under attack from multiple angles, I moved closer to this group of four. Xeno, sensing my intent, pushed out to the right, readying himself to attack if needed. He wasn’t massive, barely above what one would expect from a full-grown muggle cat at this point, but he was faster and hardier than such simple creatures and with his magic now just at his command, and claws sharp enough to do damage, he could fight if needed.

  I had hoped to head into the forest alone, but he had refused my demands that he stay behind, and as such I’d allowed him to come with the understanding he wasn’t to fight unless he had to. He might be a 4X-rated beast, but he was still an adolescent of his species, and not yet able to live up to his ranking. That said, by the end of First Year, he had assumed dominance over the other felines in Slytherin. Something Jason Flint was not at all happy about.

  I knew that once back at Hogwarts, and able to join the duelling clubs, he might well seek me out with the intent of claiming some revenge for his kneazle being treated like a bitch by Xenocrates. However, that was something I would deal with if it occurred, once back at school. For now, My focus was on the beasts before me, though as I caught sight of the face of one Redcap, I felt Flint would fit right in with the group. As would a few others.

  Once close enough to feel confident that my spells would strike the group before they could react, I lifted my wand. “Immobulus.” The whispered incantation caused flickers of blue to race from my wand. The spell was one that I would officially learn next year, and while I could cast it silently, I wasn’t certain I could do so and still impart enough intent to freeze all four Redcaps.

  Two of the Redcaps turned slightly, suggesting they heard my whisper, but before they or the other two could react, all four were struck. The two who had turned fell over because of their movement and the spell. I moved forward with a smile that some might consider partially vicious and flicked my wand. Bolts flew from the tip as the basic quick-cast spell was used, with the first volley striking one of the Redcaps that had fallen.

  Four bolts slammed into it, each striking near where its heart should be. The dirty clothing it wore darkened where my bolts had struck, suggesting I’d drawn blood; however, I didn’t focus on that. I was uncertain how many of these bolts, even infused with as much killing intent as I could manage, would be needed to kill a Redcap, and wanted to ensure all four were struck by volleys before the Freezing Charm wore off.

  My wrist flicked and swished as bolts raced from it, travelling in groups of three or four at the other Redcaps. Where I could, I aimed for the chest, neck, or face, seeking killing strikes. Even if the bolts didn’t kill them, the damage done in those areas might well ensure they couldn’t attack me once my first spell wore off.

  With each now having taken bolts to what should be critical areas, I began targeting them again, wanting to ensure they didn’t rise. Each bolt found its mark, causing the body of the beast it struck to shudder, and my smile widened as I saw blood gather on flesh, though none poured down as my first spell remained in place.

  A hiss from Xeno drew my focus from the downed Redcap, and as I turned, I summoned another bolt. The spell was fired off the moment I spotted something red moving beyond my familiar. Xeno leapt to his left, blue flickering light growing stronger over his fur, ensuring the bolt wasn’t a threat to him. The bolt raced towards the glimmer of red I’d seen, and I chuckled internally as it struck a new Redcap in its lower chest.

  The bolt wasn’t enough to take it down, but it did cause it to stumble, and in the process collide with another of the beasts racing with it towards me. A new bolt struck that second Redcap, taking him out of his stride before a pair of bolts slammed into a third Redcap, knocking it back into a tree. That left one of this new group of four – perhaps their standard hunting party size – able to close on me. Murderous intent danced in its eyes as it readied its oversized sickle as it approached.

  Blood slipped from the curved blade as the beast rushed towards me, and my eyes widened as I saw it was moving faster than I’d expected. What I’d read on Redcaps hinted they were only a threat to trained wizards in larger groups and weren’t particularly fast. This one, however, seemed to be moving faster than it should, making me wonder if what I’d read about the beasts undersold their threat, and if this was a slow threat, then I could only imagine what fast looked like, or just how quick Xenocrates would be once fully grown.

  I rolled to one side, avoiding the sickle as it slashed through the air, my wand already up before the roll had finished firing off a bolt. As I planted my feet, ready to move again if I’d missed, I saw the bolt had struck, and the Redcap had been knocked to the side, slamming into a tree. Before it could recover, a trio of bolts raced from my wand.

  The first struck the beast in the chest, the next two catching it – because it was partially turned by the first bolt – in the throat. The bloodied remains of its neck slipped down its chest as it slumped over from the blow; eyes wide in shock at its death even as I stood. I savoured the ease with which I’d defeated this Redcap but knew this battle wasn’t over.

  I’d barely turned back to the other three in the second party before I saw a club rushing towards my face. My wand came up, and a bolt shot out quicker than I’d thought possible. It struck the beast in the chest at the same time as Xeno, leaping from the side, flashed over the creature’s face.

  A pained, violent roar came from the Redcap at the dual attack, and as the club dipped slightly, I saw claw marks running from one side of its face, over its nose, to the other cheek. Blood poured freely from the wounds my familiar had caused. The Redcap turned with murderous intent, and I felt my rage flare at seeing it seek to hurt Xeno.

  My wand flicked forward, and a concentrated pillar of flame raced from my wand. I watched in partial shock as the simple flame charm caused the Redcap to be engulfed in fire, though as it screamed in terror, I swore I saw faint flickers of lilac and violet within the flames. Redcap fell to its knees, the flames filling the air with the scent of cooked meat, as the purple hints in the flames grew stronger, drawing louder guttural sounds from the Redcap before it fell over.

  I blinked at the sight, not quite believing how easily the simple Flame Casting Charm had worked in taking down a beast, and at the odd extra colouring of the flames. Not wanting the fire, which was still burning strongly as the Redcap’s body twitched on the ground, I silently cast the Water Generating Charm before turning to the final two Redcaps.

  The pair had untangled themselves, but before they could get close enough to strike me with their weapons, a symphony of bolts slammed into their bodies. Flesh jerked with each strike, and the sound of bone shattering and flesh being rendered from limbs filled the air for a few seconds as my bolts, carrying the lingering rage I’d felt at something trying to hurt Xeno, obliterated any threat the beasts might present.

  The bodies fell to the floor, adding to the carnage my onslaught had brought forth and I breathed deeply and quickly, seeking to regain control over my emotions. I hadn’t intended to lose control like that, but not only had it ensured the Redcaps had died for their sins, but I’d not been caught out when I’d focused too heavily on the two that had remained standing and thus left myself open to attacks from elsewhere. While the extra damage of my anger was interesting, and something I would have to experiment with in future spellcasting, the lack of control and focus was unacceptable.

  Looking around, I confirmed that the eight Redcaps were all dead, and with that, I moved towards the first group. As I got closer, I saw one of the sacks they’d been carrying was open, and stumbled back, my free hand coming to my mouth as I gagged. A person’s hand and forearm were hanging out of the sack.

  Cautiously, I pointed my wand at the sack and then used the Levitation Charm to lift it. I gagged again as the two legs, each severed rather bloodily at the thigh, fell out along with some organs that I’d rather not identify. I repeated the charm on the other sack and watched as impassively as I could as the remaining arm fell out along with a head. The face on it was frozen in terror from when it had died.

  I turned away, needing time to process internally what I’d just discovered. While the body was clearly that of a muggle, discovering such a thing in the sacks wasn’t expected. The nearest muggle village was a few miles away, and if the Redcaps were heading that far away, then I definitely needed to at least thin their ranks before the summer was over.

  Once I’d recovered, which happened faster than I’d expected, I turned back to the piles and the sacks that now lay over the tops of them. If I could cast the Vanishing Charm I would’ve used it, however, while I knew the incantation, casting it was far beyond my current ability even with the second pathway opened. I could burn the flesh, but the air was already thick with the smell from the burnt Redcap, and I’d rather not help draw the attention of any predator – be it magical or not – in the forest. There was, after all, something in here far more dangerous than Redcaps. Several things potentially.

  Pointing my wand at the piles, I used the Levitation Charm to lift everything into one large, gory pile. Once that was done, I focused my intent and willed everything there to shift. The sacks and limbs turned in on themselves, making me gulp back the urge to puke as the flesh crushed inwards, causing blood to squirt and seep out. Transfiguring animate to inanimate wasn’t something that I had attempted, but I knew the theory and as the body, or what remained of it, was dead, then it should be easy enough. Even a partial transfiguration would improve the situation and, I hoped, help the smell dissipate faster.

  I could feel the magic around me shift, uncertain if it should obey me. Or perhaps it was because I was doing something I’d not formally practised before. A grunt slipped from my lips as I willed magic to do as I asked and change the flesh before me into something else. A sickening crack filled the air as a bone shattered, and as I struggled to remain calm, more cracks and snaps filled the air as the other limbs slowly turned inward on themselves.

  I stumbled back, breathing deeply as the transfiguration finished and looked at what I’d created. Where there had been human limbs now stood a pile of thick branches. None of them looked entirely natural, nor did I think the spell would hold for long, but that was fine. At least they were gone for now, and once the magic on the transfiguration wore off, I’d be long gone.

  With that gruesome task completed, I looked at the bodies of the dead Redcaps. Blood seeped from all of them, soaking the ground beneath. If I had time or called for Kadic and Aien, the bodies could be taken back to the castle and then sold – either after the useful organs were harvested or wholesale. However, the value of such parts for potions and rituals was limited. Redcaps, for all the trouble they could cause, were not the most impressive of magical creatures.

  A weak, almost pathetic chuckle slipped from my lips as I realised that the bodies of the Redcaps would draw attention almost as quickly as the human remains. Not least as we were seemingly on a path that led to the Redcap Gathering. That meant the transfiguration I’d carried out on the human limbs was unnecessary. However, while I found the sight of the dead Redcaps – all of which I’d killed – acceptable, the presence of human flesh unnerved me. More so than even the realisation that I’d just killed eight creatures on purpose.

  Part of me, centred around the persona that had once lived an adult non-magical life in another world – was disgusted by the callous nature of my attacks. I had enjoyed the battle, short as it was, and revelled in my victory. Yet the larger section of my psyche understood that this was a fact of life here. Redcaps weren’t important, being little better than pests – violent ones as the muggle remains proved – and deserved death.

  Still, as I quickly looked back over how the battle had gone in my mind, I saw flaws in my approach. Ways I could improve myself for the next time I tackled Redcaps, or similar beasts, and methods that I could, perhaps incorporate into my duelling techniques. Those, however, could wait for later. For now, I intended to push forward and if not destroy the Gathering, then thin the Redcap ranks a little more. Doing so would also let me see if the rush of delight that had surged through me during the short battle was a one-off, or if it were a sign that I enjoyed battle more than I’d expected.

  “Come on,” I whispered to Xenocrates, who had sat calmly watching me deal with the muggle remains and then have a brief moment of introspection.

  I moved forward, down the path in the direction the first group of Redcaps had been heading, Xeno once more pushing out a little in front of and to the right of me. The path remained narrow, barely wide enough for me which made sense since it was designed for creatures smaller than I. Still, it was clear enough that I could follow it was relative ease, only once having to find another way around when a fallen tree trunk that the path went under was too tight for me to follow.

  Xeno moved with grace through the forest, his senses alert to danger while enjoying the exploration. He hadn’t been to this part of the forest before – thankfully given the Redcap presence – and like most felines, enjoyed wandering and discovering new places. If only for a new source of sustenance or a quiet place to lounge.

  My steps were taken slowly, mindful that while classed as beasts, Redcaps had limited intelligence and used crude weapons. As much as I was feeling confident that I could take on a decent-sized group of the little shites, I knew that I could easily be overwhelmed if I wasn’t careful. Particularly if they had any scouts in place closer to their Gathering.

  I stopped suddenly when I saw Xeno freeze. His ears flattened down against his skull while the hair along his spine stood. His gaze was to my right, deeper into the woods. I turned slowly and looked in that direction, though I failed to see or hear anything that would cause the Raiju to react as he had.

  A moment later, Xeno hissed quietly and turned to face whatever he had detected. His tail flicked from side to side, a sign of his concern and agitation. The torc on my arm began to warm, hinting at a danger shirring near me and I heard something deep in the forest shift. The sound wasn’t one you might expect from a forest, and whatever had caused the sound made Xeno hiss again, this time louder and with a hint of fear.

  With Xeno’s reaction clear to see, and the torc continuing to warm, I made a call. “Xeno,” I called out softly, not wanting to alert whatever was out there to my presence, “time to go home.” Yes, I wanted to take out more Redcaps, but I wasn’t going to risk doing that when something both Xeno and the torc considered a threat was nearby. There were many things, according to my ancestors, deeper in the forest that were a danger to adult wizards, never mind one with only a single year at Hogwarts under their belt.

  I moved as quickly as I dared back along the Redcap path, making sure to not alert whatever was out there to our presence. Xeno’s steps were as graceful and silent as ever as he moved nearby. I disliked having to run away from this unknown threat, and not prune more Redcaps from my forest. However, I knew that I had time to do that over the summer – both before I left with the Blacks and after I returned – and I wouldn’t pay for me to bite off more than I could chew. Not until my magic was more developed and my repertoire more diverse.

  One day I would discover what the true threats in the forest were, and hopefully remove them. That, however, was not today.

  … …

  … …

  I stood near the fireplace in Dunscaith that was linked to the Floo Network. At my side was my Lord’s chest, though unlike when I headed to Hogwarts, it wasn’t as fully packed as then. That said, with the Vanished Cabinet inside it – the other in a nearby room that was warded with the strongest spells the elves could cast, and linked into the Castle’s defences by me to ensure no one bar could enter through the Cabinet without the right passphrase being offered before the defences inside activated – I could return to the castle regardless of where I was. At least so long as I had access to the chest.

  It was the last week in July, and I was about to head off on holiday with Arcturus, Sirius, and Regulus. This would be the first holiday I’d had, at least a proper one since the Summer Solstice Massacre. That event had, in the eyes of many, defined who I was. The youngest MacLeod of MacLeod in the history of the Wizengamot. Merlin, I was the youngest member of that body in centuries. Yet while this was a holiday in the sense I was heading away for about a month, I suspected that it wouldn’t be just me and the Blacks relaxing wherever we were heading.

  Arcturus was not the type to waste time, certainly not a month’s worth, on something as frivolous as doing nothing. Given that we were heading beyond the shores of the British Isles, that fact only felt doubly true. He would have several motives for this holiday, though outside of knowing our destinations – the Greek Free States and the Egyptian capital of Memphis – and a suspicion that he wanted me to bond with his grandsons, I had little idea of his goals. Nor, I suspected, would I learn of them unless they directly involved me.

  Regarding myself, Sirius, and Regulus, I suspected that in the case of the former, the gap between us had grown too far for us to be anything more than ‘work friends’. At least if Sirius could ever mature into a man serious enough to be worthy of becoming Lord Black.

  Despite my many attempts, even during the holidays of my first year at Hogwarts, of trying to maintain a friendship with Sirius, I held out little hope of altering his path. At least while he was at Hogwarts. He might be the firstborn son of the heir of House Black, but he had continued to act like a spoiled, uninterested brat whenever I’d seen him, and I’d learnt that he was spending more and more time at the home of James Potter.

  While that was a problem, as I felt James Potter was the larger issue in the problems the as-yet unformed Marauders would cause, most of the distance that was forming between Sirius and his family lay at the feet of his mother. Walburga was, in the kindest words I could muster for her, a deluded moron who had to berate anyone who expressed an opinion that was different from hers. The fact her husband, Heir Orion, was such a weak-willed fool only made Walburga’s actions worse.

  I suspected that Arcturus was hoping this trip, whatever it entailed, was a last roll of the dice from him to both see if the bond of friendship between myself and Sirius could be reforged and to show his grandson how a proper young noble was meant to behave. For that latter idea, I knew it wouldn’t work. Walburga and others had pointed out how much of a well-behaved pureblood scion I was during my time visiting the Blacks, and each time had only hurt whatever budding bond I might have with Sirius. If Arcturus pointed that out regularly on this holiday, then any hope of a deep and trusting friendship would be destroyed.

  Still, as we would be visiting foreign countries, and be expected to conform to their rules and customs while there, perhaps the trip in general might help Sirius to, if not let go of, then at least learn to temper his need to act out. If he embarrassed Arcturus on the trip, particularly with any official or noble we met, then Sirius would be in danger of being removed from the line of succession. Or at least pushed below that of Regulus.

  Regulus’ presence on the trip was a bit of an x-factor, save my feeling that Arcturus was perhaps giving serious consideration to replacing Sirius with Regulus in the line of succession. The younger of Heir Orion’s sons was still a few years from starting Hogwarts, and as the spare not overly expected to obey the rules and customs of his position in a Lordly House in the British Isles. Add in that, unlike Sirius, Regulus listened to his parents and acted like a pureblood son, particularly one from the main line of a Most Ancient and Noble House, was expected to – at least for his age – and the idea that Arcturus would shift the order of succession was at least possible, if not probable.

  The more I’d pondered the idea that Regulus might replace Sirius, the more I felt it could benefit me. Sirius was all but certain to end up in Gryffindor in rebellion to his mother. From there, the rift between him and the other Blacks would only grow and as I was in Slytherin, would be taking Severus under my wing, and was liked by Arcturus and Walburga – as much as I hated that woman – I would be included in that rift. Regulus was both more akin to a proper noble scion and easier to shape. At least once he was at Hogwarts and out of his mother’s grasp.

  Bellatrix was one of my tutors at Hogwarts, and while me becoming one to Regulus while in my Fourth Year would be unusual, it would be an easy thing to spin as a reciprocal gesture between our families. If Arcturus approved that was, which I felt he would. Add in that while I didn’t interact with Regulus that heavily now, when I’d first taken up my title, and then started spending time at Le Domaine Noir, the younger Black boy had spent a lot of time following me around. At least when he was allowed out of his mother’s sight.

  “Kadic dislike The MacLeod being so far from castle.”

  I turned, drawn from my musings as I awaited Arcturus’ call, and looked at my head elf. “I know, Kadic, and I can admit to being nervous about the trip. However, Lord Black has made a formal declaration to the Wizengamot that I’ll be under his protection during this trip. As he is, from what little I know, travelling in an official capacity as a representative of the government, then we will also have the protection of the governments of the countries were visiting.”

  All that was reassuring, but I remained in the dark about Arcturus’ purpose for the trip. Add in that compared to the Greek Free States, and particularly Egypt, then the government of the British Isles was minor. Now, there were bloodlines and magic here dating back to almost the same time as the birth of the first Egyptian dynasty, but in global terms, Britain and Ireland were backwaters. If not for Dumbledore’s defeat of Grindelwald, we would still be viewed that way.

  That said, I was looking forward to seeing two cultures that were both older than the one that formally existed in the Isles, and types of magic that weren’t based around the Roman lineage of wands and incantations. From what I knew, neither culture used wands, and I was curious to see what they did instead, and potentially, learn new runes that I could add to any future flesh-arrays or other general runic arrays I created in the future. I had a new page in the fleshcarving tome to consider, and while so far I had yet to decipher even what it was hinting at, I already knew it would be extremely useful. Just as the first two had been.

  “Kadic understand, but Kadic still not like not going with The MacLeod.”

  I placed my hand on the elf’s shoulder. “I know, but don’t worry. It’ll only be a few weeks. It’s not like I'm moving away permanently, and I know that Dunscaith is in safe hands with you and Aien while I’m gone.” He straightened up, pleased at my faith in him. “Besides, if the worst comes to worst, I have the Cabinet in my chest. With that, I can be back here almost instantly.”

  Kadic nodded, accepting my stance on the matter, and I turned back to the fireplace. While I continued to wait – it was still five minutes to ten and Arcturus had said he would confirm my presence at ten – my mind went over what had happened over the last three weeks.

  Beyond heading back into the forest and exterminating nearly two dozen more Redcaps, though I had yet to take out the Gathering, I had spent time with various people. Bradley, Andrew, and the four Ravenclaw muggleborns they’d introduced me to had come over a few times, though that had stopped before last week as each had gone on holidays with their muggle families.

  Interestingly Bradley was the least interested in that, confiding in me that his parents were less thrilled about him being a wizard than they had been before he’d started Hogwarts. I’d comforted him about the matter while internally being pleased that the charms Kadic had cast to slowly make the Cooper adults wary of magic were working. While Bradley was away, Kadic would strengthen those charms, so that by next summer, Bradley’s parents would be against magic but not quite ready to turn on their son. That, I felt, should wait until the end of Fourth Year, after our OWLs, and at that point, he would have the choice to either formally join the Magical House Cooper, or become a vassal to me though I felt the latter was more likely as he had little interaction with anyone from House Cooper.

  Lily and Severus had been my other regular visitors over the last few weeks, and while they had been here, Kadic had applied the gentle-anti-magical charm to the Evans house. Like with Bradley, I wanted the process of Lily losing her connection to her muggle parents and that world to be gradual. I had considered doing the same for Andrew and the four Ravenclaw muggleborns but decided against it. In Andrew’s case, with his older brother being three years above us, their parents turning against magic now would draw attention. As for the Ravenclaws, I didn’t know if any would be worth adding to my plans, and the more families that turned against a magical child, the more it risked an investigation from the DMLE.

  Severus, when not here with his mother or Lily, spent most of his time speaking with me in the main library. The boy had a desire to learn that was only surpassed by Lily, and the three of us spent most of each day that they were here reading and discussing various facts about magic. I wasn’t withholding anything from them, but I was trying to subtly phrase things to make it clear that the magical world was better. Severus was certain to believe that in time, but Lily might require more focus.

  While I was away, Lily would continue to spend time with áine, and Assa and Issa O’Conor, further helping her integrate into the magical world. Severus, however, wouldn’t as he disliked being the only boy in a group of girls. An entirely logical reaction at his age.

  Aífe Mac Uidhir had come over as intended, and while she didn’t feel a stronger connection to the Fearann ????na Scáthanna inside the wards of Dunscaith, she had come back twice. Both to continue my training with Shadow Magic and to experience the castle with some sort of historical connection to her family lineage.

  The fireplace shifted colour, from the normal orange and red to the shade of green for the Floo, drawing my focus back to the present. I watched as Arcturus’ head appeared in the fireplace, now used to an enlarged and disconnected head floating there. “Good,” Lord Black commented as he saw me standing there. “Once I close the call, step through the Floo so we can depart. Our portkey time is in thirty minutes and being late is unacceptable.”

  I nodded and the head disappeared, returning the fire in the fireplace to its normal colours. I smirked, amused that it only took less than half an hour to get through customs for international portkeys, whereas a muggle airport took hours to get through the various stages needed. And that was before having to hope the plane wasn’t delayed.

  After tossing a pinch of Floo powder into the flames, and saying the name of the main Black residence, I used my wand and called my chest to me. I turned, wondering if Xeno was nearby but the raiju had departed; seemingly bored of waiting around. As much as I wanted to take him with me, I wasn’t sure where exactly we were going – I was expecting Athens in the Greek Free States – nor if he would be allowed. Since our bond was strong enough to enable him to remain at Dunscaith for the weeks I was away, then I was fine with him staying here. That said, I would use the Vanishing Cabinet in my chest to return home when I could to check up on him as it was odd to be going somewhere without him.

  I gave Kadic a final, reassuring smile, and then moved towards the flames. Stepping into them, I felt the now familiar tug of the magic in the Floo network and prepared myself to emerge on the other side. An adventure awaited me, and I was excited to see what it would entail.

  … …

  … …

  ...

  As always if you wish to join the community for the story and support my writing, you can find links here.

  Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.