Harry Potter: The Mage's Path Chapter 13

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. We are still with Dumbledore as he seeks to get rid of a Hag intruding on his school. In my story, they are a lot more dangerous. Enjoy.

Dumbledore apparated back to his office silently and took a deep breath to compose himself. Fawkes, who was perched on his stand, cocked his head as he sensed something different about his companion.

Instead of rushing off and confronting Trelawney, he slowed down and decided he needed a game plan. He needed to learn how entrenched the Hag was in the school and what defences she had set up to protect herself.

"Fawkes, I am going to need your help," Dumbledore said. "There is a Hag under Hogwarts roof, and I cannot even begin to imagine the damage she has done while she has lived here."

Fawkes cooed softly, flew off his perch, and landed on his shoulder. Dumbledore felt reassurance that his familiar would join him in exercising the evil creature from his castle. He stoked his beautiful feathers, and the phoenix broke out in a song, and he felt a calmness washing over him.

"I find it embarrassing to admit this, but I have been too under her evil spell."

On his shoulder, Fawkes rolled its eyes, though he was pleased that his silly companion finally figured out something was wrong. He would have told him if his voice could reach out to him. However, since his companion had become obsessed with the prophecy, they had lost the ability to communicate telepathically.

"The ramifications are immense," Dumbledore whispered. "If I have been following a false prophecy, then I have already done untold damage to one little boy. But I cannot think of that right now; I must eliminate the threat in front of me first."

Dumbledore summoned his wand and waved it over the portraits hanging on the walls. Their portraits unfroze, and some of the previous Headmasters blinked their eyes before turning their attention to the current Headmaster.

"Dumbledore, you steaming pile of Hippogriff dung," Armando Dippet, the previous Headmaster, yelled. "How dare you freeze us like common muggle portraits. You have a lot to answer for."

Dilys Derwent, the kindest of the lot and the one he looked to for advice, stared at him with raised eyebrows. "I'm going to assume that you have a good reason for your actions, Alby?"

Dumbledore winced at the nickname she only used when angry at him, and the other portraits chuckled.

He bowed his head. "Forgive me, but it seems I have been inflicted with a divination curse that Hag placed on me, and she now resides in these halls. My inexcusable actions stem from my attempts to follow my interpretation of the false prophecy."

Phineas Black spoke up, a sneer on his face. "How is that she got past the wards? Have you meddled with them, Dumbledore?"

"I have never altered them before," Dumbledore said. "As you know, there are so many layers of wards that it would take weeks to diagnose them thoroughly, which is time I do not have. There is potentially a breach in the wards. I will have to address it after I deal with the Hag."

Dilys Derwent nodded crisply. "What do you need us to do?"

"I need you to communicate with the other portraits to keep an eye out for Trelawney. She is usually in her living quarters, but that is an assumption based on the fact that she is just an ordinary witch with a fondness for the bottle. Who knows what she has done under my long crooked nose in the preceding years? Armando, can you summon Professors McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick to my office."

They were the only ones in the school at the moment besides Trelawney, which was fortuitous timing.

The portraits disappeared, albeit one. Dilys looked at him sternly. "You should be bringing in the Aurors for this. You are no longer a young man."

"I wish that I could," Dumbledore sat down in his chair and folded his hands under his chin. "However, upon discovering that I have been manipulated for so many years, elements of the Ministry may move against Hogwarts. I may be removed as Headmaster, which is not the most frightening thought since Mcgonagall would be a fine replacement. However, there's just one obstacle. As a member of the Board of Governors, Lucius Malfoy may be able to influence enough votes to get his own choice appointed as Headmaster."

"We need to go back to the old ways when Hogwarts had full autonomy," Dilys said. "The Ministry of Magic should not be interfering with the school. The Board of Governors is a disgrace."

"Be it as that may," Dumbledore sighed. "There is only one way that will come about, and the possibility is remote."

"There is one who could take up the mantle," Dilys said sharply.

"He is too young," Dumbledore denied. "I would not burden him with that responsibility."

"I'm sure he would be right pleased by your choices for him so far," Dilys sniffed. "If he is anything like his mother, he will not stand for you to control him."

"I am not—" Dumbledore began before he was interrupted by the door opening, and the three Professors filed into the room.

"What is this about?" Mcgonagall said impatiently, sitting down, her stern gaze staring at him behind her distinctive square glasses. "Have you investigated the forest?"

"I was busy brewing potions," Snape scowled. "This better be important."

Snape has been happier in the last year due to new ingredients appearing on the market. It was not a secret that the man hated teaching and would instead devote his time to inventing new potions.

He should look at hiring a new Potions teacher, Dumbledore mused. Snape could still stay in the castle, continue his experiments, and be supplied with ingredients that Hogwarts had in abundance. In return, the school would get a cut of the profits from any Potions the man patented.

The diminutive Professor Flitwick conjured a small chair sized for a child and sat down. "This must be serious if you had the portraits chase us down."

"The issue with the forest is under control for the moment," Dumbledore said, silently offering them the bowl with the lemon drops, which they refused. One day, he thought philosophically, he would succeed in persuading them to try the muggle sweet. He popped one into his mouth.

"What about the forest?" Snape asked.

"A Dungeon has appeared in the depths of the Forbidden Forest," Dumbledore replied. "It recently erupted without our knowledge, but it looks like most of the creatures have been slain."

"Where are the bodies," Snape leaned forward with interest, his annoyance disappearing.

"In a clearing a few kilometres inside the forest," Dumbledore said. "Get Hagrid to show you later if he isn't already harvesting the bodies."

"The great oaf will destroy them," Snape made to rise before being halted by Dumbledore's hand.

"Hagrid knows his limitations. He will not mess with any parts he cannot handle," Dumbledore peered at him sternly from over his spectacles. "He is more knowledgeable about magical creatures than you, after all."

Snape snorted but subsided into his chair.

"How have you already taken care of the problem?" Mcgonagall asked, surprised. "You haven't been gone for long."

"I had assistance," Dumbledore said. "However, that is not why we are here. I have a more pressing matter that threatens Hogwarts and its students."

"What are you talking about?" Mcgonagall questioned, suddenly looking like a protective lioness.

"This must not go further than this room," Dumbledore said seriously. "I trust you will not tell this to anyone."

"Just get out with it," Mcgonagall said coldly. "That you even have to ask is disrespectful."

"First, I need to tell you about the prophecy."

Snape looked at Headmaster in surprise. Usually, Dumbledore wasn't so forthcoming with his secrets.

Dumbledore told them about the prophecy before revealing what he discovered inside the forest. He got mixed reactions from the three Professors.

"You can't be serious," Mcgonagall raised a hand to her mouth.

"Hags are foul creatures," Flitwick snarled, his goblin ancestry rising to the surface. "How is it that she could hide among us so easily?"

It was Snape who looked the most furious; however, his black eyes glittering with emotion. "Are you telling me that Lily didn't have to die? That the entire prophecy is fake?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "I know this is shocking news, but it is a possibility."

Snape roared, springing from his chair and heading for the door. Hastily, Dumbledore waved his wand, locking the door with his own creative version of the Locking Charm.

"Let me out," Snape kicked the door. "I will kill that bitch."

"Get a hold of yourself," Dumbledore raised his voice. "We must not confront her lightly. She is a powerful and cunning witch if she could deceive the staff for so long. How she disguised herself from my senses has left me baffled."

"How can you even trust the man's word after meeting him for the first time?" Mcgonagall asked sceptically.

"Because it makes so much sense," Dumbledore said, as a fuming Snape began pacing the office with angry strides. "Tell me, have you noticed a decline in my mental facilities over the years?"

"There have been lapses," Mcgonagall admitted. "However, I just equated it to your advanced years."

"I always thought you a senile fool," Snape snapped.

Flitwick chuckled, almost falling off his chair. "I'm afraid I have to side with Snape on this one. You were always a bit barmy, although that is probably a very elaborate pretence to disarm your enemies, you old fox."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that one of the side effects of a divination curse is that it affects my mental facilities the longer that it goes on."

He rose from his chair and approached a shelf full of old books that housed a lot of wisdom he had consulted over the years. Finding the book he wanted, Dumbledore returned to his seat and opened it, flipping through the pages until he found the entry on Hags. As he read, he spoke aloud for the benefit of the other three.

"Hags are formidable magical creatures. They are created when a witch undergoes a dark ritual that sacrifices the life of an innocent and consumes their flesh. It gives them a boost in magical power, but they are forever tainted by Dark Magic, with all the cruelty and hatred it entails.

Above all else, they desire to spread chaos and confusion without regard for the consequences of their actions. Their primary residence is the Abyss, where they have taken refuge after being hunted down by hit wizards and bounty hunters.

They have the appearance of an ugly old witch with warts; however, they are incredible masters of illusion and can disguise themselves from most forms of magical detection. Their main modus operandi is to curse individuals with a twisted version of divination magic, which causes the individual to slowly lose their mind as they attempt to bring their interpretation of the prophecy to fruition.

When discovered, they must be taken care of immediately, as they can gain more power if they consume more flesh of innocents, primarily children."

Dumbledore closed the book and leaned back in his chair as a terrible suspicion registered in his mind. "Minerva, how many students have disappeared from Hogwarts since 81'?."

McGonagall paled even as she searched her mind for the answer. "There have been eight disappearances, all muggle-born students. The Aurors investigated the cases, but the Ministry wasn't too concerned with them since they had already passed their Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Do you think....?"

Dumbledore nodded grimly. "It makes sense."

"Smart, too," Snape admitted grudgingly. "If Trelawney had killed a pureblood, or even a half-blood with a powerful family behind them, there would have been much more scrutiny. Only targetting muggle-borns that had already completed their owls makes it look like they got sick of the discrimination and moved onto greener pastures."

"Why are we still discussing this?" Flatwork rose from his seat with a feral grin. "I know that you like to know all the facts before committing to an action, Dumbledore, but the time for passivity is over. She needs to be destroyed."

"What he said," Snape palmed his wand dangerously.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, turning to the returned portraits. "Have you discovered her location?"

"She just left her quarters," Phineas Black replied. "She is heading for the front entrance. She must have discovered that you were onto her somehow."

"No, she is not getting away," Snape yelled, turning to Dumbledore. "Unlock the door before I blast it off its hinges."

Dumbledore rose from his seat. "We must make haste. I will apparate to the front entrance. Fawkes, can you take them there?"

Fawkes bobbed his head, and the Professors were teleported to the front entrance just as Trelawney came running through the Great Hall.

Trelawney stopped when she saw the Professors waiting for her, and her demeanour changed lightning fast, returning to the same flighty look that she used to keep up appearances. "Do you need something, Dumbledore? I'm afraid my inner eye tells me I need to leave the castle, as a great tragedy will befall someone if I don't intervene."

"Spare us the lies, Hag," Snape raised his wand. "Why don't you reveal your true self?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Trelawney clutched her shawl. "I am afraid that your aura shows some signs of being confounded. Maybe you should get it checked out."

"If I am accusing you unjustly," Dumbledore replied. "Then I can only apologise after the fact. If you let me cast a spell on you to determine that you are not a Hag."

For a moment, Trelawney's expression was frozen, as if she had been petrified. Slowly, she lowered her hands and her face twisted into a sneer.

"What a bother," she snarled. "My little secret is out, and now I'm going to have to find a new feeding ground. Do you know how much time I have invested into this place?"

"So it's true," Mcgonagall whispered. "Did you kill those muggle-borns?"

Trelawney cackled as her features twisted into an ugly old woman with stringy hair and an ashy complexion. Her black eyes stared at them with a menacing grin, and the warts on her face stood out in disgusting prominence. "They were delicious. They filled me with such sustenance that I found it hard to restrain myself from feeding on more of them."

"You disgusting, foul creature," Flitwick hissed as he got into a stance. "You will not be leaving here alive."

"Spread out," Dumbledore commanded. "Minerva, you are on defence. The three of us will put her down as fast as we can."

There was a moment of utter stillness before the fight commenced. Trelawney stood in the middle of the Great Hall, with tables to either side of her. Her opposition was at the opposite end, beside the front doors. The Professors were separated by a few metres as they took cover behind each of the four tables.

The brief moment of stillness shattered. Trelawney screamed, raised her wand, cast a spell on herself, and three identical copies appeared.

"It's just an illusion," Snape scoffed before he dodged a magenta curse fired from the copy facing him. The curse impacted the wall behind him, gouging a chunk of stone out of the wall.

"This is no ordinary illusion," Dumbledore warned. "She has imbued the copies with a lot of her magic, and now they can physically act on her own."

"That means that she has lesser magic overall," Flitwick said.

"Fools. I have more magic at my disposal than all of you combined," Trelawney chuckled.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said. "But magical power is only one aspect. Can you use it effectively? Minerva, I'm afraid you will have to face one of the copies. Before that, let's transfigure the tables into walls to divide the battlefield. Otherwise, it will be pure chaos."

McGonagall nodded, and they transfigured the tables quickly as the four Trelawneys open-fired on the Professors. Snape and Flitwick kept them occupied as they worked, so the Great Hall was divided into four separate rows with thick stone walls in between.

Dumbledore was in the row second from the left, facing the real Trelawney, as far as he could determine.

"Corrupta Sagitta," Trewlawney pointed her wand, and a dozen sickly green arrows flew at Dumbledore.

He flicked his wand, and small sections of stone emerged from the wall, obstructing their path, and they exploded on contact. Dumbledore conjured seven small flaming birds that dived at Trelawny.

Trelawney snarled and cast a shield around herself as the birds arrived and dive-bombed her, exploding on impact and shattering the shield with the last bird. As Dumbledore cast again, an enormous hand appeared out of the stone floor, forming a fist before crashing toward her and landing with incredible force.

Moving surprisingly fast, Trelawney retreated from the strike zone before pointing her wand at him again. "Plaga fugit."

Dumbledore's eyes widened as thousands of flies appeared in a massive swarm that blocked his vision. The swarm pounced, and Dumbledore conjured a massive wall of flames that engulfed the multitude, and they were incinerated in seconds.

Dumbledore prepared his next attack but was surprised to find out what appeared before him.

The girl before him was his long-dead sister. "Albus, are you going to kill me again? Was I such a burden that you could no longer let me live?"

"Arianna," Dumbledore hesitated, despite knowing that it must be an illusion. His senses were on high alert; he heard a slight sound behind him and quickly sidestepped as a green curse flew by, barely missing him.

Dumbledore shouted, angry that Trelawney used his dead sister to try and kill him, and he turned and faced the woman as she fired another curse at his back.

He sidestepped the curse with clinical precision as he eyed her coldly. An aura pulsated out of his body, saturating the surroundings with his formidable magical strength. Dumbledore raised his wand and began casting a furious chain of spells, no longer holding back. Trelawney was overwhelmed, barely able to keep up with the ferocity, and retreated quickly. However, a bone-breaker curse managed to sneak by her defence and struck her wand arm. Trelawney cried out as her arm broke and her wand lowered.

Dumbledore stunned her when she was distracted, and she collapsed to the floor. The battling sounds ceased from the other rows, and Flickwick called out. "Have you dealt with her? I just managed to destroy her copy."

Mcgonagall called. "My copy disappeared."

The walls were brought down, and the Professors met in the middle of the room, standing over Trelawneys prone form.

"I say we kill her right now," Snape pointed his wand at the Hag.

"No, we need to question her first," Dumbledore commanded. "Go and get some Veritaserum."

Snape nodded before stalking off. Dumbledore searched her body distastefully but only found her shrunken-down trunk.

He conjured some roped and bound her tightly to a chair. When Snape returned, Dumbledore revived her, and the woman looked around in anger.

"Bastards," Trelawney spat, "you don't know who you are messing with, but you will soon find out."

"Give her the potion," Dumbledore said with an expressionless face.

Snape was about to feed her when she began to laugh hysterically. He paused uncertainly, looking back at Dumbledore questioningly.

"Abyss take you," Trelawney chortled. "Tick, tock. Tick, tock. You're all dead."

Dumbledore's eyes widened in horrified realisation. "Take cover. Now!"

They scrambled for cover as the woman laughed hysterically before it ceased when an incredible explosion rocked the Great Hall, sending tables and benches flying as the pressure wave expanded outwards.

The dust settled, and the Professors emerged from a giant shield that Dumbledore had conjured. In his hands was a different wand than his own. Such was the urgency in trying to protect the Professor's lives that he had pulled out the wand he was hesitant to use.

It was fifteen inches long, made of elder wood, and the core contained a single thestral tail hair—the Elder Wand.

A voice hissed in his mind. 'You have used me once again, wizard. One more time, and then there will be consequences. Return me to my lineage.'

Dumbledore stared at the wand for a moment. "Don't worry. I don't plan to make the same mistake the previous owners made. When the time is right, I will return you to the true owner."

"What the hell was that?" McGonagall stepped up beside him and stared at the carnage. A dozen house elves popped in and began cleaning up the mess without being asked.

"Someone who committed suicide and tried to take us with her," Snape said, his face twisted into satisfaction now that Trelawney was dead.

"She mentioned the Abyss," Flitwick frowned. "Do you think that's where she came from? The question is, was she working on her own or did someone send her?"

"I can answer that question," John stepped into the hall and surveyed the mess.

"We need to talk in my office," Dumbledore stared at the man with piercing eyes.

"Sure," the man shrugged. "In the interest of full transparency, you should know my real name. Astaroth."

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

Harry stared into the steely eyes of Andromeda Tonks as he sat in the living room of the Tonks' residence. After returning to England, they had dropped off Hermione, despite her protests, wanting to know what was going on. She only relented when Harry promised that he would tell her later.

Harry asked Tonks to apparate him back home, but instead, she had brought him here, which led to the current situation.

"So, will you tell me what is going on?" Andromeda asked. It was worded like a request, but the tone suggested it was an order.

"Don't scare the boy, love," Ted chuckled.

"He doesn't look scared to me," Tonks said doubtfully, poking his cheek. Harry squirmed away from the girl, but she followed him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him to her side.

"If I tell you, will you let me go?" Harry glared at her.

"Hmm....nope," Tonks chuckled.

"Nymphadora, let him go," Andromeda said sharply. "I want to know what's going on."

"Yeah, you nymphomaniac," Celeste grinned, perched on the back of the sofa. "He is mine to hug, and I don't share. Get your own."

Tonks swatted at the fairy, who flew off to join Hedwig on the stand next to the window.

Harry sighed, before repeating what he had discovered at the Potter's cottage, with some carefully edited-out details. Then he repeated their encounter with Angelica.

"Incredible," Andromeda breathed. "To think that all this time, Voldemort was already dead and wasn't the one responsible for the events of that night."

"It sure puts what is considered the established truth into a tailspin," Ted said. "However, it is worrying that the Abyss is involved. You can't catch a break, can you, kid?"

"If there is a chance that my mother is alive," Harry shrugged. "No obstacle will stand in my way."

Tonks squealed and glomped him again. "That sounded so manly. If only you were a little older."

Harry chuckled silently. If only she knew that he would be spending plenty of time in Dungeons in the foreseeable future, which would age him quite a bit.

Andromeda stepped forward and sat next to him. She stared into his eyes. "So, the only option is to get stronger to protect yourself."

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Thankfully, from what Angelica mentioned, the wards around Whinging are effective. So I can train in relative peace. Even though I'm angry at Dumbledore, I cannot deny that I may be already dead if I wasn't placed there. However, I will not be returning after I leave for Hogwarts."

There was the possibility that he still would be safe even outside the wards with his Face-Changing-Mask since it came from Gaia itself. However, he wasn't going to take the chance, and it wasn't really necessary for the moment.

"I can get you some more books to study," Andromeda reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's the least I can do."

"Thank you," Harry smiled. He was beginning to think of the Tonks as family, which is why it was easier to accept their physical touch. Hermione and his familiars were the only other ones who had that privilege.

"There is one thing that still puzzles me," Tonks turned his head so she could drill him with her eyes. "You said that space she created was like a dimension? How were you able to escape? Have you already discovered the method with your occlumency?"

"Eh," Harry rubbed his head sheepishly. "I may have lied about the accidental magic thing. It's actually an inherent skill, and I don't know how to replicate it."

Tonks slumped back into the couch and muttered. "Little brat. I bet you still have some secrets hiding behind those gorgeous green eyes."

Harry merely smiled.

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

4th July

=====

Harry was back in the Empty Dungeon and ready for another grinding session. He felt a sense of urgency to get stronger, not just because of the new quest he had received to reach level forty in the next six months, but

he was also beginning to understand that the world was a lot more dangerous than he had ever imagined. There were forces out there that could eliminate him with their little pinky, so he needed to pull his pants up and get to work.

Before he got started, he opened up his Status and checked his current progress.

=====

Harry Potter

Age: 10

Title: Elite Hunter [4%]

Level: 8 [Next; 3%]  AP: 35

Resources

Energy: 120/120 [100]  Regen: 5 per hour

Mana:    232/232 [310]  Regen: 16 per hour

Attributes

DEX: 11 [10]

VIT: 5

MAG: 12

INT: 13

WIL: 16

PER: 11

CHA: 10

Control: 89%

Physical Defence: 20 (10)

Magical Defence: 15 (10)

Resistances

Fire: 0.25%

Shadow: 0.25%

Physical Status Effects: 2.5%

Mind Status Effects: 8%

Perks

Apprentice Mage: + 1 to Magic, Willpower per level

?????? : ??????

Detriments

Malnourished: (removable)

Harry Potter is below his height and weight for his age due to poor nutrition. Increase food consumption by threefold for three months to remove this detriment. Long-term consequences may ensue if not corrected {-5 to Vitality}.

Wardstone Drain: (removable) - 25% to Magic.

=====

"You still have a lot of unspent AP," Celeste pointed out from atop his shoulder.

"I know," Harry nodded. "I'm thinking of adding some to my Magic Attribute. However, it will seriously affect my Control in the short term."

"You can still train your Attributes up to a certain point," Celeste said. "I would train it to twenty before you consider increasing it with AP. It allows you to level up your Meditation skill as well, which means you will restore more Mana."

"You're right," Harry agreed, a surprised look appearing on his face.

"Hey, what's that look for?" Celeste demanded.

"Nothing," Harry smirked before turning serious. "However, I think I need to go back into the Instant Dungeon to grind. It's more effective in levelling my skills, and I can also gain experience."

Hedwig flew over from where she had been practising her Meditation. 'So. what are we waiting for, hatchling?'

Harry hesitated, thoughts of the last time Hedwig was in a battle.

'You're being silly. We all need to become stronger and gain battle experience. The best way to do that is actual combat.'

"She's right," Celeste said. "Besides, we are better prepared to handle ourselves this time. Additionally, the Instant Dungeon will be an easier challenge than the Peverell Dungeon."

"Fine," Harry threw his hands up in the air. "Let's do a run-through of the Wandering Aspen Horror Dungeon."

They equipped their gear on themselves, and Harry

checked that his Potions Belt was stocked up on potions. Next, they all ate a breakfast burrito to get the buff.

He used ID Create to enter the Instant Dungeon.

=====

The player has entered the Wandering Aspen Horror Dungeon.

The dungeon is capped at level 5 due to the players' level being higher.

=====

"Woah, this place is still as creepy as ever," Celeste flew around the clearing in fascination.

'I don't like it.' Hedwig barked.

"You will get used to it," Harry said, opening his Mao to see if he still had the fully revealed map. Unfortunately, it was obscured once more. Harry checked his inventory for the Dungeon Map, but it had vanished. He would have to find it again.

Harry tried to recall the layout of the Dungeon from memory, and he managed to conjure a basic image in his head.

"Celeste, I need you to scout the area again," Harry said. He told her all he could remember of the monster locations from last time. She turned invisible, and they headed east.

The familiar forms of twisted trees were looming over them as they progressed. Celeste reported that the monster was in the exact location as last time. Harry crouched down and crept closer to the Sapling. When the monster appeared, he used Observation on it.

=====

Aspen Horror Sapling ~ Type: Normal ~ Level: 5

HP: 65/65 | Mana: 80/80 |

STR: 6 | END: 9 | AGI: 3 | INT: 3 | MAG: 4 | PER: 5

Defence: - Physical: 11 | Magical Defence: 6 |

Resistances: - Piercing: 50% | Blunt: 50% | Shadow: 25% |

Weaknesses - Fire: 50% |

Loot: 5 pounds (100%); Tree Sap (100%); Shadow Essence (25%); Aspen Horror Sapling Essence (10%); Aspen Buckler (3%).

Harvesting:  Shadow Essence (50%); Aspen Horror Sapling Essence (25%)

Description: It is a young sapling tree which has gained sentience after being poisoned by an unknown essence. It broke off from the central root system and searched the woods for prey.

=====

Harry decided to try out his new Spell from the Grimoire of Flames.

'Immolate'

A target appeared on the ground before him, indicating the area the spell would affect. With a thought, he moved the target until it was located right under the Sapling.

He released the spell, and a small geyser of flames erupted from the ground, engulfing the startled Sapling.

The Sapling has taken 14 damage.

The Sapling has taken 3 damage from damage over time (dot).

The Sapling has taken 3 damage from dot.

The Sapling rushed out of the flames, only to be bet with twin fireballs to its trunk.

The Sapling has taken 33 damage x 2.

The Sapling has been killed.

Battle Report

Harry Potter: 100% (15 exp)

Harry blinked. "Well, that was a lot easier than last time."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "If it wasn't, then I would be ashamed of you."

Harry harvested the corpse and collected the loot. Celeste grabbed onto the Shadow Essence with a frown. "I think it's better if only you and Hedwig participate in fights for the moment. There's no point in me fighting if I cannot gain experience conventionally."

Harry shrugged. "Sure. You might need to help with the Boss, though."

"Piece of cake," Celeste sniffed disdainfully.

They continued making short work of the monsters as they cleared the map. Even the Sentinels didn't stand a chance with Harry and Hedwig's teamwork. Harry picked up more Witches Caps and opened the treasure chests. Unfortunately, he didn't receive any more set pieces of equipment, but he wasn't too worried. He was going to run the Dungeon a lot.

Soon, they were underground again and facing the Shadow Horror Treant. Harry recalled the fight from last time and shivered. Last time, he had defeated the Boss by sheer luck, but it would be different this time.

"Let's do this."

So, what do you think? Writing fight scenes is hard, which is why Dumbledore's fight is so short. It's something I need to work on in the future.

Thanks for reading.