Harry Potter: The Artisan's Path Chapter 51

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. Harry completes his task, and heads to Gabrielle’s house to hand the item over to the unicorns.

Chapter 51

When Harry touched the vines, he felt a pulsating sensation beneath his fingertips, as if the vines had a heartbeat. The pulsating accelerated in response to his touch, beating rapidly against his palm. Withdrawing his hand from the vine, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. He slashed his palm and hissed in pain. Blood immediately welled up, and he pressed his palm against the vines.

Entering the grove appeared to be a simple process, but it proved extremely difficult, depending on the individual. The first condition was the simplest, as you simply had to donate some of your blood to the grove. It may appear dark, but only from the perspective of the Ministry's simple-minded idiots. Blood was the source of life. Blood was magic. What better offering could you make?

Harry could feel his blood draining from his body. The unicorns did not specify how much blood he had to sacrifice, so he hoped it wasn’t too much.

"What a greedy fellow!" Harry grumbled.

The vines drained his blood for an entire minute. He was lucky that the drain was slow, or he would have turned into a desiccated husk.

Although the vines had stopped sucking his blood, Harry kept his hand on them. The second condition was that he had no bad intentions towards the grove. Since all those who arrived were seeking to benefit from it, they were never granted access.

The vines retracted, revealing an entrance large enough for him to walk through. When he stepped into the grove, it vanished behind him.

It was a small clearing with a small pond in the centre. Unlike what it appeared from the outside, the grove was completely open, with dark grey clouds visible overhead.

Harry approached the pond and peered into its crystal clear water. He could see all the way to the bottom, which was surprisingly deep—roughly three times his own height. He kneeled by the pond's edge and searched its depths for the item that had brought him here. The bottom of the pond, however, was completely bare.

"You will not find it just by looking at it." A voice startled Harry.

He spun around, looking for the source of the voice.

"Look up!"

Harry looked up and noticed a small figure poised on a vine. The figure stood up and flew towards him. Harry raised his hand and let it rest gently in his palm. A pixie stood before him, delicate and ethereal, as if the slightest gust of wind could whisk her away. Her colouring resembled the forest itself—a fusion of greens and browns that would allow her to blend in with her surroundings.

“Who are you?” Harry asked.

"Ivy," the pixie replied. She spoke in a high-pitched tone, making it seem as though she had been breathing in helium.

“I don’t usually see pixies living by themselves.”

“I’m a dryad pixie. Not like those pathetically weak pixies with nothing between their ears."

"Do you reside in the grove?"

"I am the keeper of this grove." Ivy put her hands on her hips and pointed her nose at the sky. “I was entrusted with the sacred duty of looking after this place.”

Harry gave her a cold stare. "You are essentially a servant to the unicorns who live here. There is no need to be so arrogant."

“Servant?” Ivy exclaimed. “I don’t think so. Besides, the unicorns don’t live here. They only come here for one purpose and are only permitted to enter one at a time."

Harry had always wondered why the unicorns didn’t seek refuge in this grove, where no one could reach them. Ivy turned out to be a cruel landlord who refused to let them stay.

“What is the purpose of this grove?”

Ivy squinted. "Wait a second! How did you get in here? Are you a bad guy out to steal the stone?"

"Well, I wouldn’t say steal. The unicorns requested that I retrieve it because they had left the forest."

“What?!” Ivy flew off his hand and sped around the groove. "I suspected something was wrong because no unicorns had appeared here in several moons. Are they attempting to establish another grove somewhere else without me?"

Harry stood there watching her for a while, but the pixie didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. He refocused his attention on the pond. The unicorns had sent him to retrieve a Sigil Stone, but he knew nothing else about it. Looking at the water, he considered diving into it and conducting a more thorough search.

“Wait!” Ivy saw him take off his shoes and deduced his intentions. "You aren’t permitted to enter the purification pond."

“What’s a purification pond?”

Ivy landed on the water, her weight so light that she barely made a ripple. "Have you ever thought about why unicorns are always so pure?"

“Not really.”

"Because they have groves like these. Unicorns are especially sensitive to corruption, which exists everywhere in the world. Whether the corruption is as simple as dirt or as complicated as human emotions and magic, it accumulates over time and, if not cleansed, can have disastrous consequences for the unicorn."

“What do you mean?”

Ivy swooped down and landed on his shoulder. She whispered in his ear as if she were telling him a great secret. "They transform into nightmares. I assure you, they are one beastie you don’t want to come across."

"I have never heard of a nightmare," Harry said, his brow furrowed. "Are they really that bad?"

Ivy shivered. "They are the polar opposite of what a unicorn represents. They are the dark equines of madness and despair. They have the power to entrap you in an endless nightmare, rendering you a catatonic and empty shell of yourself. Killing them is also difficult because they are fast, strong, and magically resistant."

“How strong?”

"The last nightmare to appear in these woods was nearly two centuries ago. It took over thirty centaurs to kill it, and they lost nearly half of their numbers in the process."

Harry was taken aback and disturbed by how frightening the nightmares were. Centaurs, who are known for their strength, needed a large group of them to overcome a single nightmare. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if the entire herd of unicorns had turned into nightmares. They would have wreaked unimaginable havoc on the school. The seemingly harmless unicorns were potentially the most dangerous creatures lurking in the forest.

Did the sigil stone play a role in the purification process? If that was the case, he could see why the unicorns were so eager to reclaim it. They couldn’t take it for themselves, so they enlisted his help.

"Can the trauma of someone consuming the unicorn's blood while it is still alive turn them into a nightmare?" Harry asked.

Ivy recoiled in horror. "Why are you even talking about such a revolting act?"

Harry told her about Quirrell, who attacked the unicorns last year, forcing them to flee the forest.

"What a fiend!" Ivy exclaimed. "It’s no surprise the unicorns left the forest. In theory, harming a unicorn in this manner could turn it into a nightmare. However, it is such a heinous act against nature that it would be difficult to find any such incident ever occurring. The unicorns would know themselves better than anyone else. Perhaps that is why they left the forest so quickly."

Harry nodded. "So, where is this sigil stone? I’m in a rush because I have to catch the train back to London."

Ivy gestured to the pond. “It’s in there.”

“What? There is nothing in the pond unless I am blind."

"That is because your method was flawed. You must think about the item appearing and meet a specific condition before it appears to you."

“What’s the condition?”

“Secret.”

Harry groaned. Perhaps he will be lucky and fulfil the condition without having to do anything special. He looked into the pond, imagining how he wanted the sigil stone to appear. He slipped into a meditative state as time passed.

Harry awoke from his trance and instinctively plunged his hand into the water, grasping something. Pulling his hand out, he discovered a blood-red stone the size of his fist. It was perfectly round and felt heavy in his grasp.

"You actually managed to retrieve it," Ivy exclaimed, her eyes wide. "And here I thought you were a selfish human being."

Harry took a moment to respond, still shaken by the vision he had witnessed. "What are you on about?"

"The sigil stone will only appear to the person who doesn’t wish to use the stone for themselves. That was the hidden condition. Even if I had told you, it would have made no difference."

"What exactly does this thing do? Does it purify the water so the unicorns can bathe in it?"

"It keeps the entire grove running," Ivy explained. She waved her hand around. “Haven’t you noticed? The vines have vanished. It’s no longer a grove once the stone has been removed from the pond."

Harry looked around. Sure enough, the vine walls had vanished, leaving him completely exposed to the forest. So it serves multiple purposes? What exactly is a sigil stone? How is it made?"

"Hmm," Ivy said, rubbing her chin. "The simplest answer is that it is a type of wardstone, but it is formed naturally from magic to meet a specific need."

"Interesting," Harry commented. "Can it be used for something other than its intended purpose?"

"It’s possible," Ivy speculated. "Every sigil stone contains a great deal of magic. A ritual would be required if you wanted to change the nature of it. But it has limitations, as I don’t believe you could completely change it from its original purpose. Why do you ask?”

"A couple of wizards were trying to get their hands on it," Harry said as he rose to his feet.

"Someone has been hanging around recently," Ivy replied. "It was amusing to watch his bumbling attempts to get inside the grove."

Harry tucked the stone away in his pocket. He could finally leave now that he had finished his task. He considered asking her about the image he saw but decided against it. He didn’t know how real it was, but he could think about it later.

‘I need to get going. It was nice meeting you, Ivy.”

“Not so fast. I will be accompanying you. I am the keeper of the grove, and the unicorns require my assistance in establishing the new one."

"All right, hold on tight. I am going to move quickly."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Hogwarts Express arrived at the station, and the students began disembarking with their trunks in tow. Harry and his friends got off the train and started walking through the crowd of students, looking for their parents.

“There’s my father,” Daphne said, pointing. Her father was standing with her sister and Sirius. Hermione's and Hannah's parents were also present, chatting with one another.

“Harry!” Astoria squealed and dashed over to hug the boy. It was impossible to avoid her because he was carrying both his trunk and Daphne's. She squeezed him tight.

"Good day, midget," Harry said. "Have you shrunk? What a strange phenomenon."

“I haven’t gotten shorter,’ Astoria retorted. "You have grown far too much. Did you use a growth potion?"

“Do I look like a plant?” Harry placed the trunks down and ruffled her hair.

"Stop it!" Astoria cried, smacking his hand away. "So, who is your little companion?"

"Her name is Ivy," Harry introduced her. Ivy waved from her perch atop his shoulder. "She wants to live with the unicorns, so I am taking her there. It’s much easier for her."

He told his friends about the grove because he didn’t see a reason why he shouldn’t. They were astounded by the story but chastised him for venturing into the forest by himself.

Astoria smirked and whispered in his ear. “So, have you popped Daphne’s cherry yet? Please share all of the details."

Harry pushed her away from him. "Get away from me, you pervert. You have been spending too much time with Luna."

"Or maybe she has been spending too much time with me," Astoria winked.

Harry ignored her and stepped forward to embrace his godfather. "Hello, Sirius."

“Hey, pup. I have heard that your grandmother's hair is turning completely grey as a result of your antics, and your grandfather is going completely bald."

“You’re exaggerating,” Harry said. He turned and extended his hand to Daniel Greengrass. "Lord Greengrass."

"You know you can call me Daniel," the man replied firmly. "Your Order of Merlin ceremony is in a week. I’m sure you will have your speech ready by then."

"Actually, I was planning on avoiding the whole thing by infecting myself with a magical disease," Harry joked. "Perhaps dragon pox or spattergroit."

"I will make sure he writes a suitable speech, father," Daphne said, slapping his shoulder.

Harry turned to greet the other adults before saying goodbye to his other friends. He planned to pay a visit to Neville, and Blaise would be back in the country in August, so he might do something with him as well. The others would be on vacation or preoccupied with family matters, so he wouldn’t see them until the start of the new school year.

"You are coming with us, Susan," Sirius said. "Your aunt is swamped with work, so she will pick you up later this evening."

"All right," Susan said, smiling.

His grandparents would be busy at Hogwarts for a few days, so he would be staying with Sirius in the meantime.

"We are going to see Gabrielle first," Harry explained. “I have to give the item to the unicorns.”

They proceeded to the building after Daphne kissed him goodbye. He would see her in a few days after she spent time with her family. They took the floo to his house in France, and Harry unloaded his trunk in his room.

Nagini poked her way out of his sleeve, where she had been wrapped around his wrist. She returned to her normal size after slithering onto the floor.

“I don’t like travelling by floo,” Nagini hissed. "Next time, find me a better mode of transportation."

“Alright, grumpy. Do you want to come and meet Gabrielle?”

"I would rather sleep, so I will see her next time. It’s good to see you are collecting so many mates. I anticipate a large number of snakelets in the future."

“Not for a long time,” Harry said, blushing. He quickly changed the subject. “We haven’t really discussed it much, but are you okay staying with me? Is there somewhere else you would rather be?"

“Not really." Nagini slithered over to his bed and climbed the leg post. She lay down and closed her eyes, indicating that she didn't wish to discuss the subject.

Harry blinked. This wasn’t the first time he had brought it up, but she had always avoided discussing it. There had to be a reason, but he wasn’t going to force it on her. She had already been through enough trauma as a result of Voldemort. He didn’t mind having another companion around. Her dry sense of humour reminded him of Blaise.

He changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt before making his way back downstairs. Sirius and Susan were already waiting, so the three of them headed outside and crossed the grounds.

"Gabrielle will be delighted to see you," Sirius predicted. "The Delacours are hosting some guests, and she is irritated with some of them."

"Who are they?" Harry frowned, his mind already running through the worst-case scenarios. He had to restrain himself from storming over to her house to find out who was bothering her.

"A delegation from the veela conclave is meeting with Pierre," Sirius replied. "Some of them are also relatives, and they are the ones who irritate her the most." Her grandparents are also paying her a visit. Be wary of her grandmother, as she is a terrifying woman."

Harry recalled Gabrielle complaining about her relatives after visiting the conclave. They had said some deplorable things to her. He better not hear any of that nonsense, or he will pull out his bo-staff and inflict some punishment. Gabrielle had not warned him about her grandparents, so he hoped they weren’t part of the relatives that were bothering her.

"Does this have anything to do with the election later this year?" Harry asked.

Gabrielle's father was running for the position of French Minister of Magic this year. Elections were held every seven years, as they are in the United Kingdom. Unless the minister messed up royally, they could continue to run for and hold the position many times, though they rarely served more than two terms. In France, elections were held in September, but potential candidates campaigned for at least six months in advance to give themselves the best chance of winning.

"That is correct. They see this as a good opportunity to lend their support to Pierre because he is more open to supporting veela and other magical races than his opposition."

"Have there been any new threats to the Delacour mansion?"

Harry had been writing to Gabriele frequently, but the girl could be secretive about some things, particularly when it caused him to worry about her.

"Not that I am aware of," Sirius replied. "However, Pierre has increased his security significantly, and the veela have offered some individuals to patrol the grounds."

"Is it okay if we cut through their property?" Susan inquired nervously as they passed through the trees to the Delacour's property.

"We have permission," Sirius stated. “But they will likely have someone watching out for us.”

He was proven to be correct. They were met by a stunning blonde, veela, a few minutes later. She was not hostile, but she was curious about them. Amelie was her name, and she peppered Sirius with questions. Sirius appeared a little dazed by her allure, but he responded coherently enough. Harry was envious of Sirius’ ability to speak French flawlessly. He was gradually learning the language, but he was still a long way from being able to hold a proper conversation. Perhaps he could work on it during the summer vacation.

As they approached the mansion, Harry noticed Gabrielle by the corral where her bicorn was kept. She was surrounded by a group of veela, including a young man who was leaning in too close to Gabrielle. He frowned, feeling annoyed at the sight.

"Go protect your lady, pup," Sirius said. “Susan, I don’t think you want to get into the middle of that. Stay here and watch the show with me."

"The hell with that," Susan replied as she ran after Harry. “Gabrielle needs our help.”

Sirius' jaw fell open. "All of Harry's girlfriends are ferocious. I thought Susan was the meekest girl out of the three. She must get it from her aunt.”

When he heard a giggle from beside him, he turned to face Aimee. "I am glad to see Gabrielle has such fierce protectors."

“You can speak English!” Sirius exclaimed.

"Of course," Aimee replied. "I prefer not to speak English unless absolutely necessary. It is such a crude language. May I ask you a question?"

“Depends on the question.”

"Does Harry have veela ancestry? He is extremely attractive. Even more so than Henri over there, who is a full-blooded veela. If I had been ten years younger, I would have claimed him for myself."

Sirius was deeply offended. Why hadn’t she mentioned how handsome he was? He was far more attractive than his godson.

When he got close to the group, Harry slowed down and called out to Gabrielle. He noticed the relief on her face and she pushed her way through the crowd to get to him. However, the male reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. What a jackass!

Harry reached out and twisted his arm, causing the male to curse and let go. Gabrielle lunged forward, wrapped her arms around him, and passionately kissed him on the lips. They ignored the group's chatter and didn’t come up for air for at least a half-minute. Gabrielle tucked herself into Harry's side and smiled smugly at the man in front of them.

"Hi, Gabrielle," Susan said with a smile.

"Susan." Gabrielle reached out and took the girl's hand in hers. "It is good to see you. We can talk later, and you can tell me all about Harry's misadventures at Hogwarts."

"How much time do you have?" Susan asked with a wry smile before she stiffened.

She felt a wave of several allures crash over her, and even though she was a female, she couldn’t fight the effects of multiple veela at the same time. She hurriedly employed her occlumency to counteract the effects.

"Stop doing this!" Gabrielle shouted. "This is not how we treat our guests."

Harry's cheeks flushed as he became enraged. This wasn’t their passive allure. The veela were purposefully releasing their full allure in an attempt to entice them to submit. It was pointless against Harry because he was immune to them. Susan, on the other hand, was in trouble; she was sweating profusely and her eyes were becoming glazed.

Summoning his wand, he pointed it at the surprised group. “You have five seconds to stop before I start cursing you.”

“That’s enough." Aimee stepped forward and addressed the group. “If I have to ask you to stop, then I will be reporting this to Seraphine.”

The group stopped using their allure after the woman's name was mentioned.

“Isn’t that your grandmother’s name?” Harry inquired of Gabrielle.

"Yes," Gabrielle smirked when she saw his horrified expression. He didn’t want to meet anyone who could instill such fear in this group, especially since he was dating her granddaughter.

Sirius patted his shoulder. “It was nice knowing you, Harry.”

Harry ignored him and turned to Susan, who appeared to be more at ease. “Are you okay, Susan?”

"I am fine," Susan said, exhaling. "That was a lot of pressure. Another few seconds and I would have embarrassed myself."

"So, who exactly is this moron?" Harry inquired, his gaze fixed on the man in front of them.

The insult caused the man's sculpted brows to twitch, indicating that he could speak English. He appeared a little too effeminate and put together as if he spent hours getting ready every morning. Regardless of how he treated Gabrielle, Harry despised him for that reason alone. He had to be a male veela, given how attractive he was and how unaffected he was by the allure.

"His name is Henri," Gabrielle said, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "This is the man to whom my distant relatives advised me to give up my virginity. He has been bothering me because he cannot seem to take no for an answer."

“Aren’t you just a male gigolo?” Harry spoke to Henri. "Gabrielle has far too much self-esteem to sleep with you. How much are you getting paid anyway?"

Gabrielle and Susan giggled at his words, and Sirius released a bark of laughter. Henri's cheeks flushed and he took a step forward, but he was cut off when Thibault collided with the fence behind him, causing him to jump.

“I see your Thibault is lively as ever,” Harry remarked.

“He told me he has been missing you ever since your last visit,” Gabrielle grinned.

“You’re a riot,” Harry replied. “Why don't we head down to the unicorn's home? I have something to show you.”

“Does this have something to do with the task you were given?”

“Yes. I have finally completed it.”

“What’s with the pixie on your shoulder?”

"I haven't got a clue. How long has she been there?"

Ivy kicked his shoulder. “Stop joking around and take me to see the unicorns.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Harry was disappointed that he was not allowed to witness the new grove's birth up close. A unicorn had met him at the edge of the woods and took the sigil stone from him. In return, the unicorn gave him a sack with some ingredients. He learned that they regularly shed their horns as a result of the purification, so he would always have a steady supply of them.

Ivy told him to stay out of the woods while she went to meet the unicorns. When his girlfriends noticed his sad expression, they comforted him by hugging him.

"What exactly is this grove?" Gabrielle inquired.

Harry explained the grove's purpose to her, which he had revealed to his friends on the way back to London. She squealed with delight when she learned how Nightmares were created.

"Harry, do you realise how incredible this discovery is to the magizoologist community?"

"I have no idea."

"Nightmares are a scourge in any country, which is why unicorns are so closely guarded and monitored. It will keep people safe if it is known that a grove prevents the formation of a Nightmare. Although we cannot create a grove, we could potentially set up a unicorn reserve around them to ensure unicorns are protected and have constant access to the grove."

“Okay, that sounds important,” Harry said. "How do you make such information public?"

"There is a magizoologist magazine that publishes news about magical creatures," Gabrielle explained. "That is the simplest way to go about it."

"Then you can write the article," Harry suggested.

“No, this was your discovery!”

"I don’t have time or interest in writing it. I only discovered it by accident. You will be doing all of the research and writing for the article, so you should be given credit for it. I recommend speaking with Ivy to learn more about the grove."

"I do not have the experience to write such an article," Gabrielle said, biting her lower lip. "I need to be cautious about what information I reveal, as it could jeopardise the groves, especially if they learn about the sigil stones."

"I’m sure you are more than capable," Harry said. "But if you don’t want to do it alone, you could look for someone to collaborate with. I recommend Xenophilius Lovegood."

“Luna’s father?” Gabrielle tapped her chin in consideration. "I will send him a letter."

A loud bang cut their conversation short, and they turned to face the forest. Following the bang, there was a series of loud cracking sounds, as if the trees were being snapped in half.

"Look!" Susan pointed as she noticed something appearing above the top of the trees.

As the vines grew and twisted, they intertwined with one another, eventually forming a massive dome that towered above the surrounding trees. Because the trees were much shorter than those in the Forbidden Forest, the dome couldn’t hide its presence among them.

"Awesome," Gabrielle exclaimed.

"It is an incredible sight," a voice from behind them said.

They turned to see Pierre and Apolline standing there, along with another woman. Harry's eyes widened as he gazed upon her, as she was the epitome of a femme fatale.

Her hair was darker than her daughter's, more silver than blonde, but their clear blue eyes were uncannily similar. Seraphine used makeup expertly to exude a seductive charm. She was dressed in a crimson strapless gown with a bodice that accentuated her figure. Her assets were on full display, making it difficult for him to look at her without appearing rude.

Gabrielle nudged him playfully. “Stop ogling my grand-mere.”

“I’m not ogling her,” Harry hissed. “Does she always dress like that?”

“Yes,’ Gabrielle replied cheerfully.

“Is there something wrong?” Seraphine asked, smiling coyly.

Without warning, Harry was hit with the most powerful allure he had ever felt. He employed his occlumency immediately because he could hear a faint song in his ears, attempting to cloud his mind. He was furious and turned to see how Susan was doing, only to find her completely normal. Seraphine was somehow directing her allure only at him. When she didn’t get the desired response, she frowned, and the allure intensified.

Harry could hear the song even louder now, as if he were wearing headphones with the volume turned all the way up. He clenched his teeth and strained to silence the song. A few seconds later, the song abruptly ended.

“Will you stop that?” Harry growled, having finally overcome Seraphine's allure. "Aren’t you a little too old to try to make a boy drool over you? They have a word for people like you that begins with the letter "P."

Serpahine's mouth dropped open in surprise, and Gabrielle's parents laughed beside her. Gabrielle covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn’t hide her laughter.

"I told you he was mentally strong," Apolline remarked, her eyes twinkling. "Please forgive my mother, Harry. She felt it was necessary to put you to the test, and nothing we said could convince her otherwise."

"He is calling France's most famous witch a paedophile," Pierre chuckled as he wiped his eyes. "Ah, seeing my mother-in-law's reaction gives me a sense of justice. I remember when she did the same thing to me, and I ended up proposing marriage to her on my knees."

That took Harry by surprise. Pierre had always struck him as intimidating, and he had been wary of him. But at the hands of this woman, the man had been reduced to an idiot.

Seraphine eventually recovered from her shock and approached him. "Young man, you are quite impressive. I cannot remember the last time someone was able to resist the allure at full strength."

"Never do that again," Harry warned. "I dislike being controlled. So… it's finally nice to meet you. Gabrielle has spoken about you a lot.”

“Has she now?” Seraphine smiled. "She informs me that you wish to create an Artefact that completely inhibits a veela allure. Are you aware of the monumental task you have just undertaken?"

"I have a good idea."

"Before you can do that, you need to learn more about us." Why don’t you come to our conclave? I am sure it will be an illuminating experience.”

So, what do you think? I am kind of torn about what to do about Nagini. I know that she is revealed to be a human maledictus in the movies, but I don’t really consider them canon for the most part. Should she remain a normal magical snake, or should I follow the movies?

Thanks for reading.