Flight into Clarity

Sat inside the warm living room, Randolph looked out the window at the luminous night sky. He smiled to himself, musing in a rough voice;

"That boy is still flying around out there…".

When Randolph first met Axel, he was shocked seeing someone so young; wounded and broken so horrifically. Then as the months passed he started to notice Axel's maturity, which was a stark contrast to his appearance. Axel's disposition was a product of the experiences he had gone through which made him feel truly sorry for the boy and whilst he looked like a normal 11-year-old, he didn't act like one at all.

There were hints of childlike wonder, the occasional awe at a spell or broom yet smiles from Axel were sparse usually and if a smile was mustered it would be rigid, forced, and carry a solemnity that Randolph felt he'd never truly be able to decipher.

Most days, Axel's gaze was cold when he was by himself. He tried to offer Randolph as warm a gaze as he could but on occasion Randolph would catch the boy lost in thought, mulling over something deep within him; embedded emotions. The calculations behind his eyes, the seriousness and depth they held, would always give Randolph pause.

The boy was definitely troubled, it was apparent as soon as Randolph got to know the real side of him. Randolph wanted to help Axel, but it seemed the boy was coping in his own way. This was similar to how Randolph himself was coping now and finally starting to move on from losing his own wife and child those years back.

His was a wound healed with words, conveyed to Axel after years of being bottled up. Axel's wounds couldn't be healed with words alone though, he had to overcome more psychological warfare before he came out on the other end. Randolph had been fighting his war for a long time and being able to convey his feelings to Axels started to give him an edge in the war he fought in his mind. Axel's war however had only just begun.

Drinking his cold beer, he contemplated for a moment, wondering if there was anything else he could do for Axel. Nothing was coming to his mind currently though and he let out a deep sigh, stroking his thick greying beard in the process.

"No matter… It'll be something to work on step by step rather than forcing anything. At least he is enjoying flying on that broom".

The smile and joy on Axel's face as he levitated into the air on his broom shakily flashed in Randolph's mind, making him feel some comfort. He wanted to help Axel as much as Axel managed to help him. Thinking of that moment, when Axel lifted off the ground, made him feel as though he was taking steps in the right direction. The more good experiences Axel enjoyed from here, the more he would heal. 

Others would have difficulty chipping away at Axel's closed heart, which made Randolph worry about how he would fare in school away from him. At the very least, he had gained an entry to Axel's heart via a backdoor due to fate and wanted to give back the hope he had once lost. He didn't want Axel to live in total solitude down the line, blocking people out and avoiding every one that came his way.

This would be an extremely difficult task to accomplish as Randolph could never truly fathom the despair Axel had truly gone through in the forest.

His callus-covered hand set the now empty beer on the table beside him. Looking at the can, He debated for a moment going to get another drink, but he stopped himself. He used to drink as an escape and the allure of alcohol had a firm grasp for quite some time, but in this moment, he was able to stop himself. He laughed, feeling truly grateful for Axel's presence in his life.

He was content, content with the 'godson' he had brought into his home. As thoughts of Axel began to fade, leaving them to think of for another day, his mind returned to his work and the projects he still had to finish.

"When that broom is completed, I'll be able to rest a bit. I just can't seem to get it right… That also reminds me, I think I'm onto my last stock of goblin-iron…".

Thoughts of brooms and ideas started to envelop Randolph's mind as he looked into the crackling fireplace.

This Christmas was truly peaceful compared to those that came before…

.

I spent all day and night flying, the cold wind clashing onto my face gave me a sense of clarity I hadn't experienced in my arduous two years in this world.

Seeing the white landscape, watching the birds fly near me in the sky… I felt like something that was lost within me started to grow again, the flame of will that dimmed with Jason was now rekindling as I took in the sights of the world from a lofty position.

I had all these reservations up to this point. I worried about my role here, I worried about what was coming next, I worried about my father's fate and I worried about what my fate would be as I journeyed forth into the world I had been brought into. 

All I did was worry… but in this moment, in these skies above the land, I was able to feel free from those worries. They wouldn't just ebb away with this, but it was a start and it showed me deep down that I was capable of pushing on, pushing past these 'changes' around me to eventually arrive at the end of this world.

This story, the worlds story was not Harry Potters to keep. His story was just a passage within it. I could forge my own story here, with my own power. 

I think part of that realisation had initially spawned in the back of my mind as I decided to go to Beauxbatons over Hogwarts. Now that realisation was reinforced, fuelled by the thoughts of going 'my own way'.

I wanted something different, I wanted to grow how I saw fit. I didn't want to follow the whims of words on pages, I wanted to break free from the books I had read, to escape those lines of text into the blank pages beyond. That felt like the only way to get the answers I wanted, the answers of 'why' I was here. 

My heart steeled itself further as this first flight of mine awoke aspirations within me. a resilience to pave my own way and to discover the world as I saw fit. The situations that would occur with Voldemort were important and posed a potential threat but that story only lasted 7 years overall.

7 years was just a slight breeze compared to the winds of life. I would have to live beyond these years if I didn't find a way back to my previous world and if I poured my focus into a story that wasn't mine, I'd feel lost and empty when it came to an end. That's not to say I won't ever implicate myself after I grow my strength, but I wouldn't force myself to be a part of the 'Story of Harry Potter'

When the moon was rising up high in the sky, I landed on a hill that was a fair distance from Randolph's house. I held the broom with a tight grip, staring at it fondly. This gift had given me emotional clarity as well as the enjoyment of flight in one. Gazing at the broom, I spoke softly;

"Dawn-Surge… Yeah… that's a fitting name".

Dawn, a way to express that this moment and situation was a change within me, a step in the right direction and represented a path beyond the last 2 years I've suffered.

Surge, a way to express me pressing onwards through the world now uninhibited. Resolute in my actions and will.

It was a little cheesy in some ways… but the name stuck in my mind. It represented this day and night I broke a barrier that had been built in my mind, overcoming emotions I had buried and left to fester.

My mind trailed off from my emotions back to my current progression; the goals at hand. Thinking about how to apply my obscurus in more ways. Looking at Dawn-Surge, I played with the idea of imbuing my obscurus within it to see what would happen. Thinking of this idea made me click my tongue as I felt the ideas risky nature could harm this broom that I had now made an emotional connection with. 

As I contemplated the implications of using obscurus energy to imbue the broom, I shook the notion out of my head. Randolph placed numerous charms on his brooms, as did all broom-makers. Using the obscurus energy to imbue a broom with charms would end up eroding the charms rather than aiding or empowering the broom.

"Far too risky…".

I needed to remember; this power wasn't as simple as a catalyst for enhancing every magic tool I could get my hands on… it was a malevolent force through and through, and its application was unique and needed careful consideration. I learnt this after I nearly blinded myself a while back.

I breathed out slowly as I reminded myself of all this and mounted my broom again. Levitating up this time, my posture was steady and smooth, unlike earlier when Randolph watched me. It seemed I really did have some natural gift in flying.

As I zoomed down from the hill the cold air seemed to get more frigid in an instant. I felt fatigue wash over me as the constant flying had left me weary. I had definitely gone a bit too crazy flying all day and night…

As I was nearing Randolph's house, the consequences of letting loose appeared in full force as I felt my grip on the broom slip. Before I knew it, I was falling towards a sloped snow-capped hill.

"Shit!".

Plummeting to the land below I was prepared for pain. My mind sent warning signals all over my body as I screamed inwardly to stop falling.

As my intent reached my obscurus, it seemed to react to my will that wanted me to land safely. My back seemed to morph, as the obscurus energy burst out hitting the floor first then it slid me down the hill safely before retracting again. The obscurus had broken my fall and even compensated for the friction down the hill as well.

Standing up and brushing the snow off my body, I checked Dawn-Surge to ensure it hadn't been damaged. I breathed a sigh of relief as no visible damaged was inflicted on Dawn-Surge and after I looked at the snow where the obscurus broke my fall. The snow decayed away where the obscurus made contact and the grass underneath decayed a bit also.

Recalling what had just happened, I realised there was still so much to learn about this obscurus in me…

Looking over towards Randolph's house, I grabbed my broom and decided to walk instead.

I'd done enough flying for one night. 

.

A few weeks had passed since Christmas day and my relationship with Randolph became a lot warmer compared to the months before.

Randolph getting his emotions off his chest and accepting me in his mind as a 'god-son' made him look at me with a fatherly gaze. We spent the weeks after Christmas going back into our normal routine.

Making brooms in the day and then I would experiment with my obscurus at night. With each passing evening, I felt the control become more refined and profound. The process remained slow and steady, but I didn't mind as I could see improvements.

The snow that had graced us in December had moved on, replaced with cold winds and clear nights. As the new year came and went, me and Randolph were once again in the workshop.

"Ahh… down to my last bond…".

My gaze came off of the broom handle I was carving, looking over to Randolph in the corner of the workshop. He was looking at his supplies, specifically the 'goblin-iron' he used to bond the bristles and handle of a broom together.

He seemed to be murmuring something under his breath before he sighed deeply. He turned around to me and stated. "Axel, it looks like I'll have to go on a resource run for some bonds".

I nodded. "That's fine, don't worry about me, I can handle stuff here for a while".

Randolph smiled warmly hearing my words. As he went to head back into his house to prepare for the trip, his head suddenly turned.

"Actually… Axel, why not come with me?".

After carving off a little bit of wood from the handle I was working on, I turned to Randolph with intrigue.

"Come with you?".

Randolph nodded. "Yeah, why not? The goblin I meet for these materials is a bit eccentric but in meeting him, if you get on his good side, you could make a valuable connection. He has his own smithy hidden away in The Harz Mountains".

I stopped what I was doing and dusted off all the wood shavings on my clothes. I did feel interest towards seeing goblins with my own eyes now I was in this world. 

"I'll take you up on that offer then…. What's the smithy called?".

"It's called Eisenklau Schmiede… Oh yeah, you've not got the necklace on so you probably didn't hear the translation. In English, it is called 'The Iron Claw Forge'".

Eisenklau Schmiede… Iron Claw Forge. That definitely sounded like a goblin smithy's name. Seeing I was willing, Randolph got me to pack away my tools and brought me into the house the second he noted I wanted to go. We walked into the living room and stood in front of the big fireplace he had there. I looked at the fireplace and then at him.

Randolph grabbed a pouch that was hanging on a hook near the fireplace. Bringing the pouch down to my eye level, he opened it, letting me see what was inside.

"Floo powder. I do usually prefer broom flight personally but since you are coming with me Axel, it'll be easier for me and you to just go this way… it'll be quicker too. Just say the name of where you want to go and poof, off you go".

Randolph passed me some floo powder and I felt a bit nervous looking at the grains slip through my fingers onto the wooden floor. I had a flashback to how Harry went to Knockturn alley when trying to say Diagon Alley, and that was an English word…

A certain thought dawning on me, I asked Randolph. "Uhhh… will I have to say it in German".

Randolph thought for a moment and shrugged. "I'm sure you'll be fine".

Damn it, Randolph! you're setting up a situation where I'm sent to another country at this rate! 

I was so worried about ending up somewhere I didn't want to be, that I asked Randolph to repeat the goblin smithy's name in German to me over and over until it was ingrained in my mind. He looked exasperated seeing me so worried.

"You know Axel, I have never seen you so worried before…". He chuckled slightly as if my worry was funny to him.

I rolled my eyes at his comments and after some time, I felt confident enough to give this a go.

"Eisenklau Schmiede, Eisenklau Schmiede, Eisenklau Schmiede"

"You're getting it Axel!" Randolph mused.

I shot him a glare as I then threw the powder down onto the fireplace below my feet. This time I spoke loudly and clearly.

"Eisenklau Schmiede!"