Harry Potter: The Mage's Path Chapter 17

Hi all,

I promised you a bonus chapter at the end of the month, so I will post another chapter on Sunday at around the same time.

The Matagot lunged at Harry. The creature just barely missed him by a few inches as he dived and rolled forward. He had no time to raise a shield, so it was the only thing he could do. Harry quickly got up and turned around as the Matagot attacked him again.

"Protego."

Harry slashed his wand, and a shield formed in front of him. Matagot hit the barrier with a thud, bounced off, and landed a couple of metres away. Celeste and Hedwig entered the battlefield at that exact moment.

"Don't use any offensive spells," Harry said quickly as he cast the shield again. "It will replicate itself."

"Then what do we do?" Celeste shouted.

Matagoot stared at the new arrivals for a moment before dismissing them and returning his attention to Harry once more.

"How rude. Don't ignore this lady, you ugly brute," Celeste shouted.

Celeste's Battle Dress Ability: Taunt has been activated.

After snapping its attention back to Celeste, the Matagot growled, an extremely loud, guttural, aggressive sound. It had a tinge of something completely alien and unhinged, sending shivers up Harry's spine. The Matagot leapt in the air at the fairy, who evaded with a startled yelp. With its attention focused on the Fairy at the moment, Harry used the time to use observation.

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Matagot ~ Type: Normal ~ Level: 10

HP: 94/94| Mana: 160/160 |

STR: 12 | END: 10 | AGI: 17 | INT: 10 | MAG: 8 | PER: 8

Defence: - Physical: 13 | Magical Defence: 23

Resistance: - | Shadow: 70% | Fear: 90% | Charmed: 70% |

Weaknesses - Light: 40% | Silence: 60% | Slow: 50%

Loot: Matagot Pelt (40%); Matagot Claws (40%); Shadow Essence (50%)

Harvesting: Matagot Pelt (75%); Matagot Claws (75%); Matagot Eyes (20%).

Description: Most Matagots are evil, but if well fed, some can be helpful and are said to bring wealth into homes. They are resistant to magic and will replicate if struck by offensive spells. They are, however, susceptible to status effects like slow and silence. As for the latter, they will lose their ability to reproduce if afflicted.

=====

"Celeste," Harry said. "When you get the opportunity, silence it."

"Alright," Celeste shouted as she flew through the air, dodging the Matagot. Eventually, the taunt ran out, and the Matagot returned its attention to Harry. He braced himself, and the Matagot charged him, hitting the shield even harder than last time, and cracks appeared, threatening to break it.

Celeste cast her Silence spell on the Matagot when it stopped briefly after failing to strike Harry.

Matagot has resisted the silence status effect.

Harry cursed and quickly cast his shield again. The situation made him feel as if he were a turtle hiding inside its shell.

"Cast it again," he called as he braced himself again. If the shield were to be hit hard enough, he would definitely be in trouble. Thankfully, it held, and Celeste cast the Silence spell once more.

The Matagot has been silenced.

Harry wasted no time and cast the Firespear at the creature before it could move again. The spear that was wreathed in flames flew through the air and impaled the Matagot, causing it to screech painfully as momentum threw it back a few metres. Because of its magical defence, applying damage over time was the only way that he would be able to deal damage to it.

1 damage has been dealt to the Matagot.

The burn status effect has been applied to Matagot.

The bleeding status effect has been applied to Matagot.

Burn has inflicted 4 damage to the Matagot.

Bleeding has inflicted 4 damage to the Matagot.

HP: 85/94

The Matagot was enraged and ran at Harry and repeatedly swiped at his shield with its massive paws. However, it was losing a lot of health rapidly due to the two damage over time status effects that was inflicted on it. 

As it focused its attention on Harry, Hedwig struck the beast with a sharp blade of wind to its flank, distracting it. Harry used the opportunity to cast another fire spear at the beast, resetting its effects and guaranteeing its defeat. When its health got really low, it suddenly turned around and sought to escape.

"Hedwig, let it go; it won't make it far," Harry said quickly, seeing Hedwig preparing to block its path.

Hedwig followed his orders and the Matagot disappeared around the corner. The owl swooped down and landed on Harry's arm, and he stroked her soft feathers.

"The silencing spell is really useful," Harry said to the fairy.

"Of course, I'm the best familiar in the world," Celeste boasted with a side glance at Hedwig, who ignored her completely.

'Do you think it's dead now?'

"Let me check," Harry said, noticing that he had notifications waiting for him.

=====

The Matagot has died.

Battle Report:

Harry Potter: 65% (71.5 exp)

• Shield Charm Level 2 ➝ 3

Celeste: 25% (27.5 exp)

• Unable to gain experience in the usual manner; Shadow Essence is created from experience.

Hedwig: 10% (11 exp)

Matagot added to the Bestiary: Data + 10%

=====

Objective Complete: ?????? (Defeat the Matagot)

Current Objective: Find Mr Tibbles.

=====

"Let's go find the loot before we find Mr Tobbles," Celeste said.

"It's Tibbles," Harry replied.

"Who cares?"

They followed the trail of blood and came across the corpse on the walkway a minute later. Thankfully, the Matagot didn't dive into the sewage water because there was no way he would dive in there for all the loot in the world.

Harry took out his skinning knife and carefully harvested the corpse. Because he didn't know when he would see the creature again, the materials were valuable. Because he had become proficient at the skill, he made fewer mistakes as he followed the lines on the body. The hardest part was extracting the eyes; since the odds were so low, there were fewer guidelines for how to extract them. He accidentally destroyed one eye in the process, but he managed to get the other one.

Harry acquired the pelt, claws, an eye, and the shadow essence when he looted the rest of the body. Additionally, he gained a level in his Harvesting skill.

"Let's go," Harry said as he stored the items in his inventory.

They retraced their steps to where they first encountered the Matagot. They followed the corridor to a small chamber, and Harry pointed the wand in the corners to illuminate the darkness. Then, in one of them, he found Mr Tibbles holed up in a small drainage pipe. It was big enough for the cat to fit inside, but the Matatgot would not have been able to fit in there as it was too narrow. His life was saved by it.

Harry crouched down, and Mr Tibbles peered up at him, meowing. There was blood on his fur, so he was obviously injured, but he seemed alert. He examined him, and Mt Tibbles did indeed lose some health, but the bleeding had stopped, so he wasn't in danger of dying.

Taking out a sweatshirt from his inventory, Harry wrapped the cat in it before getting up and heading for the exit. "Let's get out of here."

Harry paid Celeste her money after they had left the sewers. In a flurry of excitement, she grabbed it and then flew off with it.

"She knows that she can't spend it without me there, right?" Harry asked Hedwig.

'Leave her be. Her long imprisonment has obviously left her mind addled.'

Harry snorted. They made their way back to Mrs. Figg's house and were met at the door by the old lady.

"Mr Tibbles," Mrs Figg cried, her expression suggesting she was preparing for the worst.

"Mr Tibbles is fine," Harry reassured her. "He has a wound on his flank, but it has stopped bleeding."

"Thank you, dear," Mrs Figg ushered him inside. "What attacked him?"

"A Matagot," Harry replied, then elaborated when the woman gave him a blank look.

"How did it end up in Little Whinging?"

"Who knows?" Harry shrugged.

Harry laid Mr Tibble on the couch, and the woman fussed over him, grabbing some first aid supplies and tending to him. The other cats appeared and swarmed around the injured cat, staring at him curiously. Harry wanted to leave immediately, but the woman seemed to have something else to say. While he waited, he read the notification. He had completed the quest and received two charisma points. A nice reward considering the time he spent completing it.

"There, that should take care of any infection," Mrs Figgs said to the cat. "I bet you are hungry, so I will feed you something soon."

Mrs Figg turned to Harry. "I can't thank you enough. If I had known such a creature was responsible, I wouldn't have sent you out to look for Mr Tibbles."

"It all worked out in the end," Harry said, uncomfortable with the praise.

"Before you go, as a reward for helping Mr Tibbles, I want to give you some books on magic that I have stored away. You may find them useful."

"You don't have to do that," Harry said.

"They are of no use to me," Arabella waved her hand in dismissal. "Even though I can't do magic myself, I like to be a part of the magical world, so I like reading about it. However, it is time they had a new owner. Wait one moment."

Mrs Figg returned with a box filled to the brim with books and gave them to Harry. "Now, don't let anyone see those."

Harry nodded and headed for the front door. "Thanks Mrs Figg."

Now it was time to get back to his day of relaxation. Maybe he could practice his drawing? That sounds like a relaxing activity. At the same time, he would be levelling another skill... okay, maybe he was a bit too addicted to the game.

<====({owo})====>

July 16th

The next day, Harry donned his Face-Changing Mask and took the Knight Bus to Godric's Hollow again. Celeste and Hedwig were going to fly there, so he had some time to kill. He sat down next to the crypt and worked on increasing his fire affinity. Hedwig and Celeste arrived some time later, and they began preparing themselves to enter the Dungeon.

They all ate a serving of cottage pie, and both their Energy/Hp and their Magic were boosted by five for close to four hours. They equipped their armour and Harry checked that his Potion Belt was stocked with healing items. He wasn't planning on using the Aspen Shield he had obtained, as he had the Protego spell. Besides, he had no way to hold it without sacrificing his offensive capabilities. With his right hand, he held a wand, and with his left hand, he used his wandless magic.

They accessed the teleporter to access the end of the first floor where the entrance to the second floor was located.

"You guys ready?" Harry asked, and his familiars nodded.

Harry opened the gate and they descended the stairs to the next floor. In the same way as last time, there was a long corridor with small openings on either side, containing a single sarcophagi. He didn't send Celeste forward this time, but cast a shield on himself in case he got ambushed.

The sarcophagi were more lavishly decorated than the first floor, with elaborate details carved into each one, and a statue standing over them like a sentinel. Harry eyed them warily, but they didn't suddenly spring to life and attack him. All of the stone coffins had a Peverell name etched on them, so it wasn't a resting place for servants like the first floor.

They reached the end of the corridor without incident and they were once again faced with the option of two paths. Determined to explore every inch of the floor for loot this time, he didn't hesitate to take the left path to the dead end.

Harry cautiously approached the chamber, and kept an eye on his mini-map this time. It revealed that there was an Imp Minon waiting for them, and Harry crept closer so he could observe the monster. It was almost identical to the ones on the first floor, except it was level nine and had increased parameters.

The same tactic of blinding the Imp Minion worked just as well here, and the three of them made short work of the monster. Harry harvested and looted the corpse as the other two searched the chamber for loot. Coming up empty handed, they retraced their steps to the intersection.

The three of them proceeded to clear the rest of the floor. It became apparent that it wasn't exactly identical to the first floor, as there were a couple of new corridors branching off the main chamber. They had to deal with another Hungry Skeleton, but it was only the normal version, and so they had a much easier time defeating it. He was interested in obtaining the Soldier's Targe and the Level 2 Upgrade Stone. Well, mainly the latter. Thankfully, he could reset the floors he had already cleared and grind for them.

Harry discovered one treasure chest, which contained another Level 1 Upgrade Stone and some more Health Potions. The treasure wasn’t that exciting, but he wondered if it would get better as he progressed deeper into the Crypt. Beside, the loot that dropped from the monsters was the real treasure.

He tried to upgrade his wand, but he received a message stating that he needed ten Level 1 Upgrade Stones, which was a disappointment. So he decided to upgrade his Potion Belt, which increased its capacity from fifteen to twenty-five.

Harry cleared the entire floor of monsters before he entered the antechamber. It was similar to the one on the first floor, but slightly more spacious and decorated more lavishly. There were a few pennants displayed on the wall, with an image of a winged skeleton horse, and a snake wrapped around its middle, on a grey background. He inspected the stone monument, which had the names of all the Peverells that were laid to rest on this floor, but it meant nothing to him.

"Look, there's a book here," Celeste pointed out.

A book was lying on one of the wooden pews and Harry picked it up, but he couldn't even read the title because it was in a strange symbol-based language that looked like random squiggles. As he peered closer, the squiggles appeared to writhe like snakes, and he looked away from the disorienting sight.

To read this book, the player needs to know the Parseltongue language.

Celeste said, "you may be able to obtain it someday, so hold onto the book."

Harry paced it in his inventory and searched the rest of the antechamber, and found the key to the next floor, but nothing else. They made their way to the next gate, where he was asked if he wanted to enter the third floor. Since the recommended level was sixteen, he decided against it.

They used the teleporter to exit to the entrance where they sat down to take a break. Harry checked his notifications to see the gains they had made on the second floor. He had finally reached level eleven, and levelled a bunch of spells. Hedwig and Celeste also had some minor improvements as well.

Harry wanted to try something that had been on his mind for awhile. Ever since he first used accidental magic to escape the Treant in the Instant Dungeon, he had been interested in obtaining the ability to teleport. He looked at the Accidental Magic skill and wondered if it was worth the effort. At this point, he had a five percent chance of acquiring the ability, and the method was too risky. Essentially, you had to put your life on the line for it to trigger. Kind of ironic that he was trying to intentionally trigger something labelled as accidental.

The chance increased as he continued to level the skill, but it also affected his Control. However, it was above ninety per cent at the moment, and he could always grind his Meditation skill to make up the difference. Finally deciding to take the plunge, he turned to his two companions.

"I'm planning to run through the first floor again to try and get my accidental magic to trigger. I want to learn to teleport."

'You are willing to put yourself deliberately in danger to try and obtain a skill, hatchling?'

Harry winced when he heard the scolding tone in her voice. She sounded like a mother berating her child for being an idiot. "Acquiring it will greatly increase my chances of surviving any encounter."

"We can be on the sidelines in case anything happens," Celeste suggested.

'Fine, but if anything happens to you, I will be really angry.'

"Don't upset Mother Hedwig. I understand," Harry saluted.

Harry accessed the first floor again and made his way to the main chamber, clearing out any Imp Minions along the way. He planned to use the Hungry Skeleton to trigger his accidental magic since it was the hardest monster on the floor. It would be even better if he got the elite version.

For the next few hours, he spent his time sparring against the monster and trying to create situations where his accidental magic would trigger. It was much more challenging than it seemed, as the skill worked best when he was genuinely in danger. However, there were still moments where he was caught off guard. This is because he was fighting at close range. Therefore, he managed to trigger accidental magic on a few occasions.

Even though he hadn't learned the skill yet, he had levelled it twice. Another benefit of sparring was that he learned to move more effectively on the battlefield, and his footwork improved a lot. It was approaching evening, and he was about to give up on the day when he got lucky.

Harry teleported to a corner of the room once more, when the icon on his HUD informed him that he had a new notification, and it was related to a skill. "Guy, keep him occupied for a moment."

His familiars distracted the skeleton as he opened the notification and quickly read it.

=====

The player has learned the Warp skill as a result of Accidental Magic.

=====

Warp | Active | Level: 1 | Next: 1% | Cost: 15 Mana |

Description: Warp is a skill that allows the player to disapparate and appear in another location instantly. A very useful skill on the battlefield that can change the dynamics of a fight, but it costs a lot of mana. The player is able to increase his range as his skill level increases, as well as making less noise as he warps.

• Distance: 1 metre in any direction.

• -1% less noise when disappearing and arriving.

=====

Harry winced at the cost of the skill, but he knew that it was a small price to pay, considering how powerful it could be. However, he needed to level it up quickly, as the range on it was terrible.

Harry turned to his companions and cheered, "I got the skill."

Celeste yelled, "That's well and good, but can we finish this monster off?".

Harry hurried to help them finish off the Skeleton. They had a productive day, so they decided to call it quits and come back another time.

<====({owo})====>

Harry woke up the next day late, and he spent time once again in the Empty Dungeon grinding his newly acquired skill along with meditation. He made some progress, but it cost so much to use that he only gained a few levels in between meditating to restore his mana. His plan today was to grind it even more after he completed his daily quests.

His plan hit a snag, however, when he was about to leave for the gym. The doorbell rang, and Uncle Vernon shouted at him to answer the door.

"Hello, Mr Potter," Dumbledoor said, standing on the doorstep. Harry noted that the Headmaster was being more respectful in not using his first name without permission.

Uncle Vernon yelled, "Who is it?"

"The police, you moron," Harry shouted back. "They finally realised what a criminal you are and have come for you. They even brought a forklift to carry your fat ass to the station."

There was a moment of silence before Uncle Vernon came rushing to the door but stopped when he spotted the old man dressed in a purple suit. "Who is this? Where are the police?"

"Oh, you actually believed me?" Harry asked with surprise.

"Mr Dursley, I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Uncle Vernon slowly reddened, and Harry stepped outside, predicting an explosion. He seemed to calm down and have second thoughts as he stared at Dumbledore. It appeared that he was afraid of what the man could do, so he resorted to slamming the door in their faces.

"Don't come back, you freaks."

Dumbledore stared at the door with narrowed eyes before turning to Harry. "Did you have to wind him up like that?"

"Yes," Harry replied innocently. "Has there been some progress with the will?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling behind his spectacles. "It took more effort than I first imagined, but I managed to get your will unsealed. I'm here to take you to the ministry to view its contents."

"That's great," Harry exclaimed, his plans for the day instantly forgotten. "Do I have to read it at the ministry, though? I don't have any positive feelings about that place."

"I don't blame you, but there are good people there who are trying to turn it around," Dumbledore said. "The reason we have to read the will at the Ministry is that it was the condition that Minister Fudge demanded the will to be unsealed and read. Otherwise, I would just hire another lawyer."

"Why would the Minister of Magic make that a condition? Unless he will ambush me when I arrive at the Ministry?"

"Yes, he is definitely such a person that would try and get you on his side. However, he won't do anything too egregious, as you are very popular with the public due to being The Boy Who Lived. You have a lot of supporters."

"That title is a sham."

"Nevertheless, the perception that people have about you may be useful at some point, so don't dismiss it so nonchalantly."

"I will let my familiars know, then we can leave," Harry sighed.

Harry contacted his familiars over the bond and told them he would be at the Ministry for a while. Celeste wanted to come, but Harry didn't want her anywhere near the ministry. If Dumbledore could detect her, then there may be others who could do the same.

"Grab my arm," Dumbledore said. "I will take you through side apparition."

Harry grabbed his arm and felt the familiar sensation of being squeezed through a tube. He had experienced it once before with Tonks, and he still didn't like it. They appeared in the lobby of the Ministry, and Harry shook off nausea as he straightened. The place was crowded with people, and the floo network was constantly ejecting new arrivals into the building.

A lot of witches and wizards stopped when they spotted Dumbledore, but then their attention was drawn to the boy standing next to him. Some of them recognised him because he looked so much like his father, and word quickly spread like wildfire. He felt very much as if he was in an exhibit at the zoo, and he was the main attraction. Some wizards and witches began approaching, and Harry felt like running for the hills.

"Let's move quickly; we don't want to be held up here as we only have ten minutes before the reading starts. It's surprising we haven't been ambushed by Fudge yet."

Harry followed Dumbledore's long strides, which cleared a path through the crowd of people.

They approached one of the lifts, and the golden grille opened, and they stepped inside. With great jangling and clattering, the lift descended further into the depths of the Ministry.

"We have to go to the Department of Wills and Estates," Dumbledore explained.

The elevator stopped, and they followed the hallway to the door of the aforementioned department. Dumbledore ushered him inside into a reception area, and Harry paused as he spotted some people sitting in the seats, who turned as he entered.

He eyed them cautiously, as they seemed too interested in him. Four people were there, one of whom he knew. Professor McGonagall stood up and approached him, followed by the other three.

"Hello again, Mr Potter," McGonagall greeted him with a smile. "It is lovely to see you again."

"Hello, Professor McGonagall. You may call me Harry," he said. He liked the old woman when he first met her, so he didn't mind her speaking his first name. His focus turned to the other three individuals behind her.

"Only outside of school," McGonagall replied sternly, though the corners of her mouth lifted into a small smile.

"Let me introduce you," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the man who was obscured by a hood over his face. "This is Unspeakable Croaker, who works in the Department of Mysteries."

"Hello, Mr Potter," Croaker reached out a hand, and Harry shook it. "Oh my, you are impressive!"

Harry took his hand back, feeling as if he had been seen through by the brief contact. "Are you here for my parents will reading as well?"

"No, I am merely here to satisfy my curiosity," Croaker replied before turning to Dumbledore. "I will be leaving now. Look out for the Minister; I expect he will try and meet Mr Potter soon."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief after Croaker disappeared. That man made him uneasy.

"I wouldn't let him worry you too much," Dumbledore commented. "He likes to portray himself as mysterious. It's a persona that all of the Unspeakable cultivate. Now, let me introduce you to Madam Longbottom."

"Hello, Mr Potter," the old woman strode forward and held out her hand with it facing downwards. Harry looked at the eccentric old lady in confusion.

The last person stepped forward. "Madam Longbottom, he was raised in the muggle world. He doesn't know any customs of the Noble Houses."

"Of course, how silly of me," Madam Longbottom sniffed. "I will have to correct your appalling lack of education, it seems."

Harry wanted to ask the lady what gave her the audacity to make decisions for him, but the man shook his head subtly, indicating for him to remain silent. Harry regarded him with curiosity. The man looked like he had aged prematurely as if he had some illness. His face was pale with premature lines and light brown hair with a dusting of grey running through it. One of the man's most prominent features was the faded scars that ran across his face. He wondered how the man had got them.

"This is Remus Lupin," Dumbledore said. "He was best friends with your father."

"So why haven't I seen you before?" Harry asked heatedly.

"I'm afraid I don't have any excuses," Remus said with downcast eyes. "That night, I lost my family, and I spiralled into alcohol-induced depression when I learned of their deaths. It took me over a year to sober up and come looking for you."

"The rest of the responsibility lies at my feet," Dumbledore said firmly. "I refused to allow him access to you, although he argued most vehemently with me for months to see you. Of course, I now know that was a huge mistake not letting him see you."

"Okay," Harry said, unsure how he was supposed to feel about the man. He was leaning slightly towards giving him a chance. Besides, the man had such a dejected look, like a kicked puppy, that he couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

The secretary stepped out of the office and told them that the lawyer was ready to read the will. They filed into an office, where an old wizard dressed in stylish dark blue robes was waiting for them.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Henry Sutton, and I am a lawyer who works for the Department of Wills and Estates. Please take a seat, and I will read the will."

"You need to swear an oath first," Dumbledore said, "that you will not share the will's contents with anyone."

"Of course, how could I forget?" Henry laughed, but Harry could see the irritation that appeared on his face before he smoothed out his expression. Was he planning to share the information with someone? It only reinforced his ill feelings toward the Ministry.

The lawyer took out his wand and pointed it upwards. "I, Henry Sutton, do hereby swear on his life and magic that he will not knowingly divulge any information revealed today in James and Lily Potter's will to anyone. So mote it be." There was a flash of light, and Henry put his wand away.

"Harry, I believe something is about to happen here today that is about to set some things in motion," Dumbledore said. "I will explain it to you later, but there will soon be even more parties interested in you afterwards."

Harry stared at the man with trepidation. That didn't sound ominous at all. "A question. How do we know they haven't opened the will beforehand?"

Henry huffed, offended that the boy questioned his ethics.

"Most families will leave a copy of their wills in their Gringotts vault," Dumbledore explained. "They are linked, and you can tell if one has been opened by inspecting the other. Since it is easy to prove, not many would risk doing so, as the punishment is severe. It is considered line theft because the will's contents may contain family secrets."

Harry nodded and looked at the lawyer as he unrolled the parchment.

There was something in the back of his mind that bothered him greatly. Was magic able to determine when someone had died or was it the same as the non-magical world, where they relied on physical confirmation? His mother was potentially alive out there, so that would mean that part of the will would be invalid. Then he realised that everyone assumed she was dead and even had a proper funeral, so it must be the latter. The will was simply a piece of parchment, not a complex bit of magic that could determine when someone died.

Harry leaned forward as the lawyer began to read the will out loud. What was he going to discover inside?

So, what do you think? I know it’s a bit of a cliffhanger, but at least you won’t have to wait as long for the next chapter.

Thanks for reading.