Chapter 47: Home Sweet Home
Kaiser left the meeting in a sour mood. He hated the fact that he needed to be so cautious about everything, walking on eggs just so that he can ensure his safety. Only the knowledge of what can be achieved through magic kept him from giving up. Those fools had no idea how much potential it held, choosing to waste their time on their perceived illusion of power instead.
He will have to rectify this situation as quickly as possible. He already had Hogwarts' as an unbreachable safe haven, so as long as he didn't leave it, no one could harm him. But the problem is, he still needed the wizarding world for his endeavors, so he had to compromise for now.
Kaiser spent the rest of the day in the practice room, trying to take his mind off everything else, practicing his magic and trying to make advancement in his new theory. He had a good feeling it might work. Though progress seemed exceedingly slow, but he soldered on despite the lack of results.
The tournament began the next day, driving the excitement in the village to new heights. People flocked in thousands to Arena, which was expanded to house all the newcomers. Hotels were already full, and people started camping next to the village instead, creating a field of tents as far as the eye could see. Even the air above it was full of flying brooms, carpets, swords and god knows what else. Kaiser could swear he saw someone riding a giant spoon. Wizards had the weirdest ideas sometimes.
The tournament lasted four days, during which some gained a fortune while others gambled theirs away. Some participants basked in glory, while some returned home incomplete. Kaiser got the opportunity to witness several ingenious ways to use offensive and defensive magic, with the occasional genius displaying masterful non-lethal dark magic. From those who fought with enchanted weapons to those who made weapons out of their limbs, he saw all types of buffs and debuffs magic being used from the occasional skin hardening to the more used speed buffs.
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The trip back to Hogwarts was uneventful. Remus was checking some souvenirs he bought on the way for his colleagues and friends, while Kaiser was fangirling over enchanted weapons, annoying Remus and Karl over which one he should learn to use. Karl was thinking what he would have for dinner.
After portkeying to England, at last, and bidding each other goodbye, Kaiser apparated back to the Chamber Of Secrets.
"Welcome back, Master." a hissing sound greeted him upon his arrival.
"It's been a while, Amaru. How you doin', sweetheart?" Kaiser answered cheekily, earning himself the equivalent of a snake chuckle.
"I'm alright. Preys are plentiful this time of the year." She answered, while Kaiser patted her nose gently.
"Do you still have the bad habit of toying with them?" He asked with a knowing smile.
"Try sleeping for a whole year, we'll see if you don't get bored." She gave a snake-shrug.
"Do have fun. I have to go now. I'll try to bring you some of your favorite beef meat when I'm back." Kaiser made his way through the secret tunnel to the "real chamber of secrets", his quarters.
"Welcome back." As soon as he entered, he was greeted with Daphne's voice. She was sitting on the sofa, speaking to the portraits placed right in the middle of the room, if he guessed correctly. The portraits were of Salazar and Rowena, her tutors.
"I'm wounded, my dear Daphne." Kaiser said dramatically. "I've been away for such a long time, traveling through a sea of fire and a mountain of blades, yet I'm not greeted by any hugs nor shower of kisses…"
"Well, you're in a good mood." Daphne rolled her eyes at his antics, though she did approach him and gave him a hug, which he returned, albeit awkwardly.
"I think we should go no further, Daphne. I fear for my chastity." Daphne burst out laughing at his outrageous words, though the portraits seemed to enjoy the joke too.
"Greetings to you, my lord, my lady." Kaiser gave a bow to the portraits as he usually did.
"No need to be so formal, child. At ease." Rowena looked at her favorite disciple fondly. Salazar and Rowena considered Kaiser the child they never had, and taught him everything they could. Kaiser also saw them as a parental figure. He agreed with most of their teachings and values, so one can say they were highly compatible.
"Your travels were fruitful, I hope?" Salazar inquired.
"Very. It did open my eyes to possibilities I never considered before." Kaiser answered. "I also met with Mr. Krovius there. Not a pleasant meeting."
"I can imagine." Salazar said thoughtfully. "You are bound to clash with them, eventually. What is the Chinese idiom? … ah: 'One mountain cannot contain two tigers'."
"Indeed." Kaiser said grimly, though he didn't consider himself or his organization as a tiger just yet. "At least, we haven't drawn the Asian's interest just yet."
"It's only a matter of time." Rowena said. "While they might act detached, they follow everything closely. In fact, I have no doubt that their information networks are the best in the world, not to mention their divination abilities."
The problem with knowledge was that it needed to be accumulated over a long period of time, something ancient Asian families had in spades. The Asian stalemate has been ongoing for thousands of years, while the rest of the world constantly fought against each other, leading to the destruction of several noble bloodlines. People wondered why, for a culture that held fighting in the highest regards, they were the most peaceful out there.
"Oh yes. I know I just came back, but I would really appreciate your assistance on a little project of mine." Kaiser asked hopefully.
"Ask away, we're all ears." Rowena said.
"Part of the communication device I've been working on includes the ability to read and produce sounds. I've applied spell crafting theories to the best of my ability, and didn't find much problem. Once you consider sound as being a mechanical wave, and focus on creating a vibration, then adapt the frequency, the spell came out naturally. But when trying the same thing for another idea, I haven't found much success." Kaiser explained, while Daphne listened attentively to every word.
"What is this spell you are trying to make?" Rowena asked curiously.
"I am trying to convert heat to kinetic energy." Kaiser explained. "The idea is that while energy is categorized into different types, the main concept remains the same. In fact, it's already a proven fact that energy, no matter the type, can be converted to something else. For example, our body converts chemical energy from the food we digest to mechanical energy to be able to move. I am trying to bypass the process with a magical sequence."
"That's a very interesting idea." Rowena mused loudly. "It does open many possibilities." Even though she was merely a shadow of her past self, she still retained her knowledge, albeit she couldn't develop it further. "Natural spells are always tricky to handle. Dealing with runic based spells are much more straightforward." she remarked.
There were two ways to learn a spell: the first one would be the natural way, to just use intent, imagination and will. The second one was to create the phenomenon from the runic sequence. The latter does not require the caster to focus on anything but the spell's runes, except in the case of dark magic where emotions are also necessary.
"How do you picture heat in your case?" She asked.
"I tried different ways actually. From thinking of something as warm, to imaging the atoms' vibrations, which is what "temperature" truly represents. But I didn't find much success in neither." Kaiser shrugged.
Rowena had a pensive look on her face. She was quite aware that, as a portrait, the most she can do is guide him in the correct direction. She could not give him the solution to his problem.
"Generally speaking, the inability to reproduce a phenomenon can either be due to the wizard's flawed vision or comprehension, the theory behind the spell itself, or simply the fact that what you are trying is beyond human capabilities." She explained. "In order to eliminate all doubts about the process itself, you should try making a Sensory spell first."
"Sensory spell?" Kaiser tilted his head in confusion. "I never heard of that term before."
"Even though you already made one?"
"What do you mean?" Now he was even more confused, which earned a chuckle from both Salazar and Rowena.
"Well, you said earlier that you made a spell to detect sounds, based on the fact that sound is a mechanical wave. That's a Sensory or Perception spell. It is advanced magical theory: Perception Magic. You should look it up, it will help you greatly."
"I concur." Salazar added. "Perception Magic is crucial if you wish to go very far in your studies."
"Thank you for your guidance. I'll begin right away."
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Kaiser doubted he'd be able to finish the Ravenclaw library before finishing his Hogwarts education, let alone when it's combined with Slytherin's. Therefore, he has to choose subjects to focus on: he concentrated on enchanting and theory of magic, along with charms guided by Professor Flitwick. Though, the latter needed more practical application before learning more.
While he did read in his free time, he only read in subjects he had little knowledge in, like rituals, potions and transfiguration. His serious studies focused around what relates to his job. He was only one person; he cannot do everything alone.
Daphne, on the other hand, focused mainly on ritualistic magic, but that itself prompted her to learn other subjects, including Runes, basic Enchanting, Alchemy and potion making, as most rituals required it.
Flitwick was making use of the library to further his knowledge on charms, albeit he did not read about any other subject. Instead, he chose something nobody would've expected: he started learning muggle science. It all started when Kaiser explained to him how he modified the Lumos spell, something no one ever succeeded in before, which was weird according to Kaiser, since there were some books on the wizarding world that talked about diffraction and light related concepts, meaning that light was researched before. His desire to learn more was only amplified when he was taught fly magic, courtesy of Kaiser. It proved that "non magical science" had immense potential waiting to be exploited.
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Karl also did the same, though he focused on muggle chemistry and potion making. He was otherwise engaged managing the "empire" they were slowly building.
Right now, Kaiser and Daphne were sitting in the large sofa together, researching Perception magic in a stack of books they brought. The subject seemed very interesting to Daphne, as it would help her determine what kind of curse her family was afflicted with before she designed a ritual to dispose of it.
The reason they were doing it together is because they judged having two brains was better than one, so that they could exchange notes and findings, reducing their learning time exponentially. They also judged, albeit silently, that this would be a good bonding experience for them.
"The world is ruled by laws so profound we mortal can only dream of comprehending, yet it is mother magic's gift to its chosen ones to peer upon the universe's mysteries. It is its way to favor us above the others, by guiding us towards the right way…" Daphne read a paragraph from her book. "It basically says that what we perceive through sensory magic is absolute, holding no degree of error whatsoever. The only error possible would be one that's artificially made by another… "chosen one", as the author likes to call us. But it clearly disagrees with what your book says, correct?"
"Indeed." Kaiser confirmed with a pensive look. "Nothing is absolute. That vision leaves many loopholes, and even worse, it would halt a wizard's progress in magic, something the author clearly didn't account for. Not to mention he is based off a theory that magic is a sentient entity, and while I am not qualified enough to judge, I am inclined to believe otherwise."
"Now that you mention it…" Daphne seemed to remember something important. "I believe muggle science can already disprove it!" she exclaimed.
"Elaborate."
"Well, I remember a conversation we had before." She said, doing her best to remember the details. "You were complaining about the theory that everything is composed of different elements, saying that such vision has already been proved incorrect." she took a moment to catch her breath. "Now, you know for a fact that it's not true because it's been demonstrated that all matter is made of elementary particles… "Atoms", right?"
Kaiser nodded, but he still did not see her point yet.
"What if there was a sensory spell that uses that same concept of elements to perceive the world?" a blue gleam never left Daphne's eyes during her passionate analysis, which earned a silent chuckle from the portraits, something about being a true Ravenclaw.
"Then according to the first theory that sensory spell cannot be wrong, matter would indeed be made out of elements…" he murmured, his brain working beyond its normal capacity, thinking of the implications.
"but we already know it isn't!" Daphne exclaimed even louder. "yet if it still gives results, it would mean it holds some degree of truth. You told me that muggle science can only perceive the material world, remember?"
Kaiser's eyes widened in surprise. He never considered that angle, always dismissing that particular world's view as deprecated and primitive. However, if the book he read is any indication, there is another way to validate theories in the magical world, as their "experiments" are basically spells. If a sensory spell can be made out of a set of principles, then there has to be a degree of truth to them. Meaning that even though modern science rejects that theory, it doesn't mean it is completely false.
"You might be into something there Daphne, though it needs further research." Kaiser nodded. "But I have to say, I didn't know you were such a Ravenclaw. I always believe you to be a Slytherin at heart." he smirked.
"Oh, shut up." Daphne rolled her eyes. "I've always been a Ravenclaw."
"Now, now… don't say that, you might break Lord Slytherin's heart." They both turned to the portrait in question who merely chuckled, shaking his head.
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Time quickly passed by, while Kaiser busied himself with his ongoing project, which already produced a working prototype. They were only testing it for potential bugs and fixing any they came across. There was also the issue of how they were going to mass produce the wizarding equivalent of the "phone", but they already had the concept in hand. They only needed more time.
Kaiser was in the room of requirement, that currently took the form of a gym, working out.
He was alternating different series, from push-ups to squats to jumping jacks, he tried to fit as much exercises in a short amount of time while multiplying the series. Training was all about intensity will and the ability to push yourself to the limits with a calm mind that can withstand the amount of pain an efficient workout might have; it came out as no surprise that with Kaiser's Occlumency training, he held longer than any total beginner.
He engaged his whole body in all fields wishing to accomplish everything at once, which only resulted in his body burning up, his lungs aching and his muscles quivering from over exhaustion. It was time to call it quits.
"Why are you doing this again?" Daphne asked after he finished, handing him a towel which he gratefully accepted.
"To increase my stamina, speed and to stay fit. And to kill some time." he added. "Not to mention, studies have shown that fit people tend to last longer… in a duel." he added the last part hastily. If he wasn't already red from working out, his blush would have been glaringly obvious. 'That was a completely clean sentence! Is that all my mind can think of?! Stupid teenage hormones!' he raged inside.
"You hardly need it." Daphne denied, before her eyes widened in realization. "I mean… with the rituals and the potion… Your magic is on another level…" Kaiser quietly nodded, as they walked back to their home.
"My father told me to inform you about an event Hogwarts will be hosting this year." Daphne said after composing herself, observing his reaction very closely. "The Triwizard tournament has been reinstated."
"I see." Kaiser nodded, though he seemed to be thinking about something else.
"You don't seem surprised at all." Daphne remarked.
"Should I be?"
"Yes. Assuming this is the first time your heard about it." Kaiser stopped and turned to his blond friend. He frowned at her word that made no sense to him.
"What are you trying to say?" he believed they were past the point of beating around the bush.
"You already knew about it." Daphne said matter-of-factually. Kaiser didn't say anything.
"You're awfully sure of yourself." he said after a long silence.
"Maybe that's because this isn't the first time you know something you're not supposed to." Kaiser was to retort, but Daphne beat him to it. "Don't deny it. There many cases where you just happen to be conveniently prepared for whatever is about to come. In your first year, you extracted memories from Potter and sent it to the head of the DMLE, which means you spent an uncanny amount of time learning Legilimency for someone who just discovered the magical world.
"Second year you went to the Chamber Of Secrets where you found a Horcrux that you conveniently could identify. I have no idea what you were reading to stumble upon that knowledge, not to mention that you spent the rest of it practicing the killing curse." she said leaving Kaiser in a confused state. "Third year, you asked me to go with you to retrieve a lost broom, but that was obviously not what you were expecting."
Kaiser had already hidden behind his Occlumency shields, thinking about how to shake this accusation. His greatest secret …. nobody can know… it was too dangerous…
He was about to say something but Daphne beat him to it: "You don't have to say anything you know." Kaiser was once again shocked. Why did she confront him if she wasn't expecting an answer? "We trust you. My father believes that whatever it is, you must have a good reason not to tell us." Karl and his daughter had already discussed the possibility of him being a seer, but they dismissed it, simply because of his lack of interest in the subject.
Daphne retreated to her room, leaving him behind in deep thought rooted in place.
"You haven't told anyone yet, have you?" Rowena's voice interrupted his musing.
"Tell her what exactly?" it seemed that everyone was determined to confuse him today.
"That you are not from this world, of course." Kaiser's mouth hung open, eyes nearly popping out from their sockets. 'What the hell was going on?' he did not know how to process this anymore. There is only so much a person's brain can handle. Was everyone reading him like an open book? How could a portrait figure it out?
'Wait…' Kaiser raised his Occlumency shields, letting rationality take over. 'This was a Hogwarts' portrait… they were linked directly to the castle... And Hogwarts already knew his secret, at least the sorting hat, Hogwarts' spokesperson, did.
"I thought the sorting hat kept its findings to itself." Kaiser asked with narrowed eyes.
"Magical contracts are not absolute, child." Rowena said calmly, her demeanor never betraying the lifetime she spent witnessing the wonders of magic, proof that she wasn't called the wisest founder in vain. "There are always ways around them."
"And there are ways to void them as well." Salazar added.
"How?" Kaiser prided himself in his intelligence, and given the subject of magical contract was a quite straightforward one, he thought he already had a firm grasp of it. Alas, he was only deluding himself in believing so.
"The answer is quite simple really." Rowena said, clearly enjoying Kaiser's cluelessness and her own ingenuity. "If you were from this world, you would never have gained access to this chamber."
Needless to say, Kaiser's questions only increased in number at her supposedly simple answer. What exactly was that supposed to mean? How could a chamber distinguish whether someone was a native of this world or not? Unless it performed a Legilimency attack on him, which couldn't have gone unnoticed. The only time a full Legilimency probe was done was during the sorting ceremony, which means that they somehow found a loophole around the silent contract, but what?
Finally taking pity on him, afraid his brain might fry, Rowena explained: "The sorting hat is part of this castle. The castle merely allowed anyone she knew wasn't of this world to this chamber, which isn't a violation of the contract. The fact that we know this particular condition, and also happen to have access is merely a happy coincidence." she finished with a grin.
'Happy coincidence my ass!' this was obviously calculated. It seems that this room was designed to allow only those that satisfied a set of conditions, but here is the problem: To design such conditions, one needs to know they would be satisfied someday. Otherwise, why would Rowena waste so much of her time on a meaningless endeavor.
"So you were expecting me?" Kaiser only wanted to hear a confirmation, and Rowena's nod was all he needed. "Let me guess… a prophecy?"
"You're very close to the answer." Rowena praised. "A prophecy is usually met in the same century. The same millennia at worse. There are no records of prophecies that lasted thousands of years. There are also conditions for prophecies to be made." After explaining to him a few theories about divination, a subject he never took seriously because of how vague and absurd it was, she told him that a friend of hers who owed her a favor, was a very prominent seer at the time, made the prediction for her, though she refused to give him more details of the contents as that might ruin her efforts.
Kaiser made his way to the shower, where he spent a suspiciously long amount of time thinking about the coming year. This was the year where the war would start again. The rise of Voldemort was imminent. He needed to make sure it doesn't happen, at least not yet. He was not ready. No one was.
The dark faction was definitely the deadliest one among the others, for the simple fact that all families affiliated with it were renowned for their practice of dark magic. Meaning that in terms of raw power, they were the uncontested number one. Add in the fact that they are the second richest after the neutral faction, and it becomes a deadly combination.
The blood supremacy war was inevitable in magical England. As long as they did not eliminate the problem from its roots, it would always come back to bite them in the ass. While musing over the options available for him, he could only think of few.
To eliminate the risks of a new war, they could destroy the belief itself, that pure-bloods are the superior race. But it was never as easy as a simple belief. No, it was much more. They wanted to eliminate Muggle-borns not only because of their blood status, but also because of the job opportunities they take away from the pure-bloods. As for those in position of power, they wanted to eliminate them because of their rising numbers, and the shifting power balance. How can they maintain their power, when Muggle-borns are now becoming Aurors, Hit-wizards and ministry officials. In fact, several Wizengamot seats have been occupied by muggle-borns in the past century.
The second option would be to make the prospects of war hopeless. Dumbledore was currently the beacon of light, the man who defeated the worst dark wizard who ever lived: Gellert Grindelwald. It was rumored that Gellert once faced more than a hundred Aurors at once, killing more than fifty single-handedly. The man who defeated him in a duel was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Yet even with all that power, he was weak. At least in their eyes he was. Weak because of his inability to be ruthless. Weak because he preferred mercy over violence. His 'no killing' policy was one of their favorites during the previous war. Add Voldemort to the mix, an immortal who is ready to face him should the need arise.
The third option would be to eliminate them. Every single one of them. But that was easier said than done. Unless he could convince Dumbledore that this was the only way, which was obviously impossible, there was no way to pick this option.
Kaiser got out of the shower, feeling refreshed. He cast a drying charm all over himself, eliminating any need for a towel. He did not like this spell because of the feeling that comes with it. The drying spell is actually a variant of the summoning spell. It calls out a percentage of the water covering the skin (to avoid drying it completely), then the caster can dispose of the water anyway he sees fit. He would've used a towel if it wasn't for his sore muscles.
Kaiser laid down on his bed, thinking about his plans for this year over and over again. Until this moment, his life could be described as smooth sailing. His careful planning never failed him, armed with his knowledge of the future. But he had a feeling things wouldn't go according to the plan this time around. It didn't take long for him to drift to sleep.