Harry Potter: The Artisan's Path Chapter 49

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. Harry enters the enemy's lair and comes across another familiar snake, but this one might just be friendly.

Chapter 49

The Forbidden Forest at night presented numerous dangers, one of which stood in a clearing before him.

Sirius had shown Harry a photograph of Peter Pettigrew so that he could recognise him if he ever met him. Peter looked even more unappealing than his photo showed, as he had developed even more rat-like features over time. Was this the result of his animagus form? Similar to how a metamorphosis can affect one's physical characteristics, the prolonged use of his animagus form might have gradually altered his appearance, further accentuating his resemblance to a rat.

Harry lay prone on the ground in his demiguise form. He hid behind a thick shrub and observed the knight's interaction with Peter Pettigrew. Although he was not sure why they were meeting, there did not appear to be any animosity between them. He strained his ears and listened to them as they began to speak.

"Rupert, have you found the unicorn's grove?" Peter asked, his nose twitching uncontrollably.

The mention of that location immediately caught Harry's attention.

"I've found it," Rupert answered, "but accessing it is proving difficult. The entire grove is encased in a ward that I can't get past. I've exhausted all my methods to break through it, but unfortunately, I haven't succeeded."

"Dumbledore will not be pleased. He needs the item that is inside the grove, and since the unicorns are no longer there, this is the perfect opportunity to acquire it.”

Harry instinctively covered his mouth with his paw to prevent a sound from emerging. What the hell was going on? How did Peter know Dumbledore?

“I am aware,” Rupert said. "But I am not a great wizard like Dumbledore. If he wants the item, he must find someone else or come and get it himself."

A rustling sound emerged, startling the three individuals. Peter jumped in fright and spun around, his wand pointing at the trees. "Who is there?"

There was no response.

Rupert laughed. "You are jittery as a little rat. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Don't mock me!" Peter scowled. "This place frightens me. I wish I did not have to stay in such an abominable place."

"I almost forgot that you have two masters." Rupert sneered. “I wonder what Voldemort would say if he discovered that you were working for Dumbledore.”

"Sshh!" Peter whispered urgently, his eyes wide.

“I don’t have time for this,” Rupert sighed. "I am heading to the grove right now to make one last attempt to break the ward. We are being called back to headquarters soon, so I won’t get another opportunity.”

Rupert left the clearing, and Peter stood there watching him go. Harry was suddenly faced with a dilemma. Did he follow Rupert to the grove, or should he confront Peter?

He stared at Peter fiercely. The man who had betrayed his parents was standing right in front of him. He should not underestimate the bastard. Although Peter was a coward, he was also a survivor. If backed into a corner, he could be difficult to manage.

Harry needed to go to the grove himself to retrieve the item for the unicorns, but it appeared that he would face competition. What made it so special that Dumbledore wanted it? Given that he was already in the forest, it was his best chance to retrieve it, and he did not want others to take it. He only needed to avoid being noticed by anyone.

Thanks to the unicorns', he had a rough idea of how to reach the grove. He didn't need to follow Rupert. It sounded like he didn’t need to worry about the knight obtaining the item before he did.

Because Harry was focused on Peter's face, he saw the exact moment it lost all colour, which was visible even in the dim lighting. Peter's eyes widened in fear as he stared into a gap in the trees.

Harry was taken aback when he followed the direction of his gaze. Quirrell emerged from the trees, shuffling along with an awkward gait. His sunken eyes stared blankly, mingling with patches of exposed flesh on his face that appeared to be rotting.

Was Quirrell out of the unicorn blood he had stolen? He appeared to be on the verge of becoming a corpse.

“Peter,” Quirrell said softly. "What are you doing here?"

"Master!" Peter exclaimed as he fell to his knees. He whimpered as he crawled across the ground, attempting to kiss the hem of Quirrell's robes.

Quirrell kicked out at Peter, who scrambled backwards quickly to avoid it.

"I did not expect you to betray the Master in such a way,” Quirrel said, raising his wand and pointing it at Peter.  It is a good thing I persuaded him that we needed to follow you tonight. I always suspected you were up to something."

"Indeed," a voice hissed out of nowhere, making Harry jump in surprise. “I listened to every word you spoke to the knight. You have betrayed your master.”

“No, Master, I had no choice,” Peter cried.

“What do you mean?” Quirrell asked.

Peter opened his mouth to say something, but it was sealed shut. He tried unsuccessfully to pry his jaw open.

"I understand," the voice said once more. "Dumbledore has some tricks up his sleeve to prevent you from speaking. Quirrell, I want to confront Peter face to face."

"Yes, master," Quirrell replied as he started to unwrap the turban from his head.

As Quirrell finished removing it, Harry was confronted with a terrifying sight. A cruel, red-eyed face had been transplanted onto the back of Quirrell's head, its expression twisted with malice. The eerie juxtaposition of the malevolent presence and Quirrell's frail form sent shivers down Harry’s spine. Voldemort was here.

“Let me take a look into your mind, Peter,” Voldemort hissed.

Peter shook his head, but he forced himself to stand up, allowing Voldemort to look him in the eyes more easily. They stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity before Voldemort finally released Peter. Shuddering, Peter sagged to the ground, whimpering.

“More tricks from Dumbledore,” Voldemort said. “I can’t read Peter’s mind.”

“Master, perhaps we should ask him about the grove?” Quirrel suggested.

"I am already aware of it." Voldemort pursed his lips. "Do you think I am staying here because I enjoy being hunted by those knights? I am still trying to figure out how to get into the grove. Once I find the item hidden within, I will be able to reclaim my body at last."

Given Voldemort's interest in the item, Harry began to suspect he was looking for the Holy Grail or something equally priceless. The unicorns hadn’t told him what the item was, only that he would know when he saw it.

His senses tingled, warning him of impending danger.

"Your invisibility cannot fool me."

As soon as he heard a voice from behind him, he instinctively lunged to the side. A snake with its fangs bared landed on the spot where he had been lying. Harry's eyes widened as he realised he had been hearing the snake speak before being attacked.

The snake was big, with bright yellow skin and blue bands down its body. Big enough to swallow him whole. Harry squeaked and reached for a branch on the ground beside him.

The snake lunged at him again. He swung the branch down and hit the snake on its head. It recoiled, hissing at him. It coiled into a spring, preparing to lunge at him again, but with greater momentum this time. Harry threw the stick, and it struck the snake’s head again. The blow dazed it, and it shook its head drunkenly.

Harry grabbed the snake’s tail and whirled around before slamming it into the nearest tree. He repeated this a few times until the snake was no longer moving. Because he had been so focused on the snake, he forgot about the two men in the clearing.

"It appears that we have a visitor," Voldemort said, turning to face Harry. "A demiguise. He killed one of my scouts."

Harry froze and dropped the snake, realising that his invisibility had worn off during the fight. He dove into the nearest bush in order to escape Voldemort's calculating gaze.

He squeaked as he felt himself lift off the ground. In an attempt to escape, he wriggled desperately as he was pulled through the air. This was not good.

Quirrel turned around and grabbed Harry by the scruff of the neck as if he were a common house pet. "What do you intend to do with him, Master? It’s only a demiguise.”

"I am not sure why I have a strange feeling about this fellow," Voldemort replied. "They are known to be extremely sensitive to danger and can even predict certain events ahead of time. Perhaps if I keep him around, his ability will be useful to me."

"Master, are we going to the grove?" Peter approached him with a subservient demeanour.

"Not tonight," Voldemort said. "I do not want to run into your little friend. Fighting him will take too much out of this decaying body in its current state. I will try to get around Dumbledore's restriction and extract as much information as I can from you."

Peter cringed, backing up a few steps.

"I can hear what you are saying, master," Quirrel whined.

"What does it matter?"

Quirrel and Peter walked through the woods, the latter holding onto Harry. He was not completely freaked out. He realised that as long as he did not reveal himself as a human, he should be fine. Such reasoning was naive. He had no idea what Voldemort wanted from a demiguise.

He assumed they were taking him to their place of residence.

Once they arrived at their destination, he would plot an escape. But he made a point of noting his surroundings and recalling the path they took in order to remember the location of the hideout.

After a long trek that lasted a good forty minutes, the two men arrived at their destination—a tranquil, picturesque pond nestled amidst the surrounding lush greenery. At the far end of the pond, there was a massive boulder that cast a long shadow over the water.

Quirrell pointed his wand at the water. The once undisturbed body of water rifted apart, revealing the bottom of the pool. And there, nestled beneath the massive boulder, was a hidden entrance leading into an underground lair.

They entered the passage, which led them into a narrow tunnel. A stone staircase descended in front of them, taking a full minute to reach the bottom. Harry's eyes widened in awe as he took in the sight that awaited him there.

They entered the passage, which led them into a narrow tunnel. A stone staircase descended in front of them, taking a full minute to reach the bottom. The air grew colder as they ventured deeper into the tunnel, the stone walls exuding a damp chill. The flickering torches lining the staircase cast eerie shadows, adding to the sense of mystery that enveloped them.

When they reached the bottom, Harry's gaze fell upon an underground lake adorned with multiple small islands connected by rustic wooden bridges. Each island had a stone structure, with the bigger island in the middle holding several.

The place didn't resemble a Dark Lord's lair; instead, it bore the likeness of a secluded paradise belonging to a hermit. Did Voldemort stumble upon this place?

“Place him with the other creatures,” Voldemort hissed. "Give him a lot of space."

"I understand, master." Peter entered a building after crossing two wooden bridges and arriving on one of the smaller islands.

He was greeted by a cacophony of noise where various magical creatures were imprisoned. There were several Acromantula, a Hippogriff, Dugbogs, and a pair of trolls among them. Harry's eyes grew large when he saw a large cage holding a centaur. He was on his knees on the ground, his arms crossed, and his eyes closed. When they walked in, he opened his eyes and stood up on all fours.

"These are all the creatures that my master will be performing experiments on," Peter said, his tone turning cruel. He violently shook Harry and added, "I don't think you're any better. You're destined to become another lab rat, subjected to my master's experiments."

Peter laughed as if he said something amusing. He led him to a small caged room the size of a standard walk-in closet. Throwing him inside, he slammed the caged door shut and locked it with a key.

Harry waited until Peter had left before he walked up the door and grabbed onto the bars.

"I see that monster has taken another victim," a deep voice said. It came from the centaur, whose cage was directly across from his own.

Without saying a word, Harry transformed back into his human form. The centaur released a sound similar to that of a horse.

“Wizard, you’re a magical Animagus?”

“Please don’t share the information with my abductors,” Harry said, pulling his wand from his holster.

When he transformed into his animagus form, any item, be it clothing or a wand holster, would remain with him. His grandmother had explained that his body occupied a distinct space during this transformation, and his magic instinctively knew to retain any objects that were on him.

"Alohomora," Harry said as he traced a 'S' shape through the air before tapping the cage’s lock.

The lock clicked open, and Harry pushed open the door. Peter had no intention of using any other method to confine the demiguise because he did not believe it was capable of escaping the cage. He was correct, but he could not have known Harry was actually a wizard. Even Voldemort did not bother to investigate because the concept of a magical animagus was implausible.

“Are you going to escape, wizard?” The centaur asked. “It won’t be easy.”

The other creatures became more agitated as he moved into the centre of the room. The acromantula fiercely thrashed against the bars, every one of its eight eyes fixating on him with unmistakable hunger.

“Human, release us,” one of them chittered. "We swear we will not hurt you. We only want to get out of here and return to our family.”

Harry shuddered. There was absolutely no chance he would ever set them free. Plus, the knights had already eradicated most of the acromantula.

He moved towards the centaur’s cage but noticed that his shoes were sticking slightly to the ground. Looking down, he noticed the blood on the floor. A pungent metallic scent tickled his nostrils. He grimaced as he stepped out of the bloodstains.

"My name is Harry," he said, introducing himself to the centaur.

"I am Orion," the centaur replied, bowing with his forelegs slightly bent.

He bowed in return, assuming it was a custom among centaurs.

“You are an unusual wizard,” Orion observed. “Your kind don’t usually show that much respect to centaurs.”

“Maybe you have met the wrong wizards?”

“Perhaps. It’s a pity that you will not be able to escape from here.”

“What do you mean?”

"Did you enter through the pond's entrance?" Oreon continued after Harry nodded. "A specific spell is required to open the way back up to the surface. You might be able to force your way through, but that will result in thousands of litres of water pouring into the tunnel."

“Is there no other way to the surface?”

Oreon hesitated. “There is, but it is guarded by a fearsome creature.”

“I have some experience with those,” Harry muttered.

"Not this one," Orion cautioned. "The evil wizard who imprisoned me has been conducting experiments on the creatures. The abomination that emerged from these experiments is the stuff of nightmares."

“That doesn’t sound good.”

There was always the option of calling Fawkes. He was certain he would not mind flaming here because it was an emergency, as much as he disliked causing Fawkes any pain.

"Wait here for the time being," Harry told Orion. "I will scope out the area and figure out how to free you and the other magical beasts."

Orion clenched his hands around the bars. "Don't worry about me. Focus on finding a way to escape. Once you're free, you can reach out to my herd and let them know where I'm imprisoned."

Harry nodded before walking over to the exit. He cracked the door open slightly and peered outside. Seeing that the coast was clear, he slipped out of the door and closed it behind him. He transformed into his demiguise and surveyed his surroundings. The main island was further in, and he assumed that was where Quirrel and Peter resided.

There was another small island between here and the main island, which could be reached via a bridge that branches off the main one. Harry dashed across the bridge and headed for it.

Harry reached the island. His senses tingled, and he jumped to the side to avoid being bitten by a snake. He was used to their movements by this point, so he was able to grab the snake's tail quickly and slam it against the building repeatedly. After applying his invisibility again, he leapt up and opened the door.

He entered the room with caution, casting his eyes around to take in his surroundings. It was another prison, but unlike the other one, this one exuded an air of luxury and spaciousness. A sturdy steel gate divided the room in two. There were animal furs scattered across the floor, serving as makeshift carpets. Among them was a massive snake stretched out, measuring over ten feet in length and possessing a girth comparable to that of a man's thigh.

The snake raised its head, its tongue flickering, and stared straight at Harry. He approached the cage cautiously, and the snake copied him, slithering across the floor.

Harry dropped the invisibility since the snake was already aware of his presence.

"A demiguise," the snake hissed, sounding decidedly feminine. "No, you are much more than that. You are a wizard!"

Harry recoiled, surprised that the snake recognised him as a human.

“You can understand me!” The snake hissed, seeing his reaction. “This is incredible. I did not expect to find another speaker in this place. My name is Nagini.”

Harry regarded the snake with caution. Even though Nagini appeared to be just another prisoner, how much could she be trusted?

"Show me your true self, wizard. You do not have to be afraid that I will tell Voldemort. That conceited wizard thinks he can control me."

Harry hesitated for a moment before transforming back into his human form. “How did you end up here?” He hissed in parseltongue.

"It is a long story. Voldemort has an obsession with me for some reason, and he is looking for a way to permanently bind me to him. Fortunately, he has not been successful because he is nothing more than a wraith possessing a wizard."

“Do you have any information on how to get out of here?”

"I can assist you with the creature guarding the second entrance," Nagini offered. "Voldemort has come here several times, bragging about his creation, so I know a lot about it."

"Are you suggesting that I release you? We had only just met. Do I look gullible?"

"There is nothing I can say to make you trust me. It is up to you to decide whether or not to release me."

Harry frowned. Although he did not have any uneasy feelings about Nagini, that did not mean she could be trusted. Should he take the chance? Do I need to just unlock the gate?”

“No. The gate has a ward. It is nothing special, but it will not be easy to break. You might be able to break it open with a large enough explosion, but that will alert Voldemort."

There was no way he was going to alert Voldemort to his presence, as he knew he had to find another method to free her. He raked his hand through his hair, trying to think of something.

Nagini arched her back, her eyes gleaming with delight. “I have an idea. On the other side of the lake is a building where Voldemort stores his treasures. I heard that rat going on about how he used a ward breaker to kidnap the Artisan from his quarters.”

Harry leaned in closer, his voice strained. "The Artisan's name was Master Karlsson. I can't help but wonder... did he endure great suffering at the hands of Voldemort?"

“I wish I could lie and say he died peacefully. But I could hear his screams even from here. He did not go peacefully.”

Harry simply nodded and stood up. Dwelling on Master Karlsson's fate would only depress him. "I will go investigate the building."

He successfully navigated his way across the lake without incident and entered the building Nagini had mentioned. The interior of the building resembled Lewis' old junk store in its orderly chaos. Every available surface was adorned with various treasures and oddities. Shelves were straining under the weight of ancient books, ornate trinkets, and robes. The floor was equally cluttered, and he had to carefully step his way through the mess in order to find the item he was looking for.

A ward breaker was an item that broke through wards and could be considered an essential tool for any curse breaker. Although they were trained to break wards themselves, having a few ward breakers on hand made the job much safer. The only problem was that they were difficult to produce, had varying levels of quality, and were only marginally effective against more lethal wards.

Harry located the ward breaker after a brief search. He discovered three more and decided to take them as well. Before leaving, he couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate the fascinating items on display. Because of his trunk workshop, he now had access to a much larger storage space, allowing him to fit the entire contents of this room inside of it. He was aware, however, that time was of the essence, as the longer he remained in this place, the greater the risk of being discovered.

Returning to Nagini’s prison, he placed one of the ward breakers in front of the gate. After activating it, he stepped back. There was a soft whump followed by a flash of light, signalling that the ward had been broken.

“Hurry and unlock it.” Nagini butted her head against the gate. There is a small chance that Voldemort has a ward set up that will alert him to something being wrong here.”

Harry summoned his wand and unlocked the gate. He opened it, and Nagini slithered out of her prison.

“You have my thanks for freeing me. Now, let's make haste and head for the second entrance and confront the creature.”

Harry paused as he remembered the other magical creatures still trapped inside their cages. “What about the other creatures?

"Freeing them will cause a commotion. It is better to leave and seek assistance before returning to free them."

Harry nodded. He considered storing the creatures in his trunk but realised that some of the creatures would not fit through the entrance. To get into his workshop, you had to descend a ladder. It was a shame, as he could have kept his very own menagerie inside his trunk. He shook his head, dismissing the ridiculous notion.

He reverted to his demiguise form and they exited the building. Nagini led him to the island's edge, promising to protect him if any danger lurked within the lake. They slipped into the water and swam to the far end of the lake. There were no hostile creatures in the water to obstruct their progress.

Upon emerging from the water, they discovered the tunnel and proceeded to follow it upward. Harry's heart skipped a beat as a thunderous roar echoed from above, a bone-chilling sound that filled him with both terror and an overwhelming sense of sadness. The creature sounded as if it was in pain.

"We have to put this creature down." Nagini hissed sympathetically. "It is an existence that was never meant to be, and it cries out its desolation. It would be a mercy to put it out of its misery."

Voldemort's depravity tempted him to confront the psychopath personally, but he knew better than to attempt it. But he knew that was a foolish idea. It would be better to notify his grandfather of the situation. His grandfather and the remaining Runic knights were capable of defeating Voldemort and Peter. Not to mention dealing with Rupert, who worked for Dumbledore.

They reached the top of the stairs and entered what appeared to be an excavated cavern. Torches mounted on the walls provided some dim illumination, but much of the space remained in shadow.

Harry realised that the space had most likely been created by hollowing out the boulder he had previously seen.

His attention was drawn by a loud roar, followed by the sounds of heavy footsteps as something approached him. Harry's jaw dropped when a colossal troll suddenly appeared from the shadows. However, upon closer examination, he quickly realised that this creature was no ordinary troll. While it clearly had a troll as its foundation, there had been some significant and dramatic alterations made to it.

It stood taller and possessed an impressively powerful and muscular body. Its arm muscles visibly bulged as it tightly gripped the massive club. As the troll lumbered closer, it effortlessly swung the club, despite looking like it weighed a tonne. The most striking difference was that it had a pair of wings protruding from its back. They appeared to have once belonged to a hippogriff.

Nagini hissed. "You should be aware that this thing is more resistant to magic than a regular troll. Do not try to defeat it with offensive magic. And it’s—”

The rest of Nagini's words were lost to Harry as the troll exploded into action. The creature propelled itself forward at an astonishing rate with a sudden snap of its wings, as if they had granted him an agility boost.

Harry cursed as he quickly activated his Velocier, dialling it up to level five. He leapt to the side just in time, narrowly escaping the incoming attack. The troll swung its club, ruthlessly smashing the spot where Harry had been standing only moments before.

Tremors rippled outwards as the impact landed, causing Harry to lose his balance and almost fall over.

Nagini's body suddenly expanded to twenty feet in length and doubled in width in an instant. She coiled herself around the troll's legs just as he lifted his club off the ground. Raising her head above its shoulder, she lunged down and bit the troll in the neck.

The troll roared and grabbed Nagini by the head, ripping her off his shoulder and slamming her to the ground. Raising its club, it brought it smashing down on her.

Harry reacted quickly. He pointed his wand at Nagini and hissed. “Plexu Anguis Clypeus.”

A massive glowing snake burst forth from his wand and quickly wrapped itself around Nagini, just as the club came crashing down on it. The club rebounded off the glowing snake's body, which immediately dimmed. It wouldn’t be able to take another hit like that.

The spell’s name roughly translates to Coiled Snake Shield in English. It was his first taste of parsel magic, a protective shield that manifested as a massive snake that coiled around its target. Because of its long and sinuous shape, it was able to protect a larger area than a typical Protego. Furthermore, it only vanished after taking a certain amount of damage, which meant it could last longer against weaker opponents. The only disadvantage is that it significantly depleted his magical reserves, costing him approximately six hundred units of magic.

When the troll realised its intended victim had escaped being crushed, it let out a deafening roar. The creature pivoted towards Harry, its wings unfurled. Harry's instincts kicked in when he sensed impending danger and he wasted no time moving out of the way. An enormous gust of wind erupted as the troll's mighty wings flapped, causing the rock wall more than twenty feet away to fracture under its sheer force.

The troll staggered drunkenly, clutching the bite wound on its neck. When Harry noticed it was unbalanced, he cast another spell at it. “Ventus.”

He reciprocated by releasing a gust of wind and pouring a lot of magic into the spell. Although it was nowhere near as powerful as the troll attack, it was enough to knock it off its feet.

Nagini lunged at the downed troll and sunk her fangs into its flesh. With remarkable agility, she evaded the troll's clumsy swing. Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly attacked again. This time, she coiled her body around the troll's torso and arms, applying a tight squeeze.

The troll struggled valiantly to break free, but its efforts only seemed to worsen the situation. Nagini tightened her grip on the troll, causing its roars to gradually change into whimpers. Harry averted his gaze, unable to endure witnessing the scene any longer.

"It has passed on," Nagini said a minute later. "We did the right thing by putting it out of its misery. I suspect the wings were constantly hurting it, which is why it roared all the time."

Harry stored his wand back in his holster. "Let us get out of here quickly. I do not want to stay in case the commotion alerted Quirrel or Peter to our presence."

They exited through the exit and emerged onto a small shelf a dozen feet above the ground. The entrance was cleverly concealed by some trees, making it difficult to spot from the ground.

Harry and Nagini wasted time and hurried through the forest back towards the castle. They made good time and arrived back at the castle an hour later.

“You wait here," Harry instructed, indicating Hagrid's old hut. "If anyone in the castle sees you, they may attack you on sight. I will explain the situation to my grandparents."

“Very well.”

As soon as Harry entered the castle, he transformed into his demiguise form and turned invisible. He didn’t want to be caught by any patrols. He dashed up to the second floor and towards his grandmother’s apartment. As soon as he reached it, he changed back and banged on the door.

When the door swung open, Harry saw both of his grandparents standing there in their dressing gowns. When did they move in together? He shuddered, imagining what they got up to. It is best not to dwell on it too much.

“What are you doing here so late?” Minerva asked, frowning. "Is there something wrong?"

"I have found Quirrel and Peter Pettigrew's hideout," Harry blurted. "We need to go now and catch them before they have a chance to escape."

“What?!”

So, what do you think? Harry is going to call in the cavalry and see if they can be rid of Quirrell and Peter for good.

Thanks for reading.