Chapter 17: Dammit, I forgot Wizards are Assholes.

[Tavish POV]

Stretching out my neck muscles, I let out a sigh of relief.

One mind, back in one body. It was so nice and quiet.

"Dad! What the fuck is going on?!" I hear a squeaky sounding voice call out, and I glance down and almost bust out laughing.

A nine-year-old Eleanor was glaring up at me, tapping her foot impatiently, her previous clothes were draped around like she was playing dress up.

"I have no idea sweetheart. Give me a second. . ." I reply, barely holding in my laughter as I read Iris's prompt.

[Welcome to the Wizarding World!]

[I had to get a bit inventive with your backgrounds in this world.]

[You are the famed Tavish Byrne from the house of Byrne]

[World renown monster hunters and beast tamers.]

[The heiress of your house is two years out from attending the magic schools, and will] [coincidentally be old enough to attend at the same time as the heiress of house Potter.]

[You don't have any qualifications in this world outside of your monster]

[slaying abilities, and some of the monster parts you sell to various sources.]

[I recommend studying some magic and getting your qualifications in France.]

"Well good news Eleanor! Apparently, we are a renown wizarding house." I inform, as she continues to glare.

"And the bad?" she prompts, and I smile sheepishly.

"You've been aged down so you can go to school with Potter." I add, and she goes silent for a moment.

While she's silent, I start looking around at where we ended up.

I stood in the center of a massive lodge, several family crests lining the wall, with my surname, Byrne, overhanging the hearth. A massive tree sprouted up through the center of the massive lodge, extending high above the main building.

[Welcome to the Slayer's Lodge]

"I think this is our home in this world." I inform, which snapped Eleanor out of her contemplation.

"In that case, I'm going to find my room in order to get better fitting clothes." She comments, raising the sleeves of her jacket and wandering upstairs.

[Time Skip]

I found what was apparently my study and started reviewing many of the documents that were stored throughout the room.

The biggest thing of note, was the many licenses that I had to maintain in order to continue what was apparently my main source of funding.

The land we lived on was at the center of a massive beast sanctuary which contained all manner of creatures that were occasionally harvested for magical components, and it was my responsibility to periodically go and get this license just to make sure that I was able to run such a facility.

Judging by the maps I found, I could understand why however.

I had a lot of the more dangerous creatures that existed in this world. They rated their danger levels by number of X's and some of the creatures had a danger level greater than seven X's.

Dragon's, Nudu's, I even had a small area dedicated to a Basilisk that was warded to hell and back.

From what I read, it was one of the easier licenses to maintain, as I just had to keep an accurate accounting of every creature on the reserve, but I had several other licenses that were significantly harder to maintain.

Like this demon hunter license . . . that expires in a week.

I had to bring in proof to the ministry of magic that I was still actively hunting demons.

Or my bounty hunter license . . .

There were just a lot of licenses I had to complete quickly to make up for lost time.

I had to even submit NEWT scores so I had to take those tests.

Ironically, the cyberpunk world was less regulated than wizards were.

Or their units of measurement were a lot easier to understand.

The top drawer contained a ring with the house crest engraved on it.

[Head of House Ring: Byrne] (Unique)

A magical ring denoting the head of the house of Byrne. This ring allows you to control of the wards of the estate, as well as to notarize certain documents, detect poisons, pay for purchases, and doubles as a key for the family vaults. These rings can only be used by bloodline descendants and are bound to the wearer.

There was even an heir ring in the same drawer, which I was going to pass off to Eleanor later.

Slipping the head of house ring on, it resized to fit my hands.

Standing up, I make my way to our library, which is full of generations of books, I make a note to find someone to teach me a crash course on magic so I can pass those NEWTS.

Making a clone, and sitting him down at the table, I stare into his eyes, and make sure I have his full attention before giving him orders.

"I need you to read all basic material in here and get a good basic grounding of this worlds magic. After that, start reading through all the documentation in the study." I state, before spotting a family portrait up on the wall.

Eleanor was down in front, and I was behind with my arms wrapped around a redhaired woman, a beautiful raven standing on her shoulder.

"Macha?" I murmur, in confusion as I looked the woman over, the wind picking up through the study.

Nova's form started taking shape as the police box landed in the study, blowing papers around.

The door's open revealing the woman in question as she steps out her smile widening upon spotting me.

"Tavish, how's my favorite bartender doing this lovely afternoon?" She asked, as she surveyed the two of us.

"Um, pretty confused, considering this isn't your reality of origin. . ." I supply, and she giggles.

"Indeed it is not, but you'll find that a mutual friend needed some help to establish your backstory here." She commented, leaving even more questions.

Iris?

[So technically I "rented" a portion of Tír na nÓg for your ancestral home.]

[That enabled you to have such a large playground for your residency in this world.]

[The goddess kinda came part and parcel for the deal.]

And how does the Macha I know factor into all of this?

[The original Macha wasn't willing to work with my so I replaced her with one who would]

[She got to design the background story so you may have to be a besotted boytoy for a bit.]

So your pimping me out?!

[Look on the bright side! You are probably going to receive less marriage proposals as]

[ a married man.]

[I only say less because there are aspects of wizarding culture that are pretty backwards.]

"I do apologize for the shock my dear, but it probably would be beneficial to introduce me to my new step daughter. Its been quite a few centuries since I had a taste of the married life." Macha interjects, a cheshire cat smile resting on her face.

"I will get you back for this Macha, I promise that much." I sigh in defeat, and she pumps her fist in an uncharacteristic manner.

"Promises darling. Now go take care of your licenses. I set up a tutor to be here tomorrow. In the meantime, I wish to meet this Eleanor I've heard so much about.

"You are aware that I'm not exactly single right?" I ask and she waves it off.

"Oh my poor naïve husband, have you not quite grasped immortal relationships yet? I've already had three husbands over the course of my life, and I have no doubt that those young ladies that like to follow you around are aware of my existence. After all, one of us is not nearly enough to keep you in check." She replied, leaving the room before I could protest.

Switching my gaze to Nova, I glare at her as she chirps in a way I interpret as giggling.

"This is your fault somehow . . ." I accuse, and the phone booth makes some innocent sounding whistling noises.

You know what, fuck it.

A portal to hell opens on the floor, and I jump in.

[Eleanor's POV]

Straightening up, I hear a knock on the door.

"I'm decent Dad." I reply, glancing down at the graphic shirt and jeans I found in the closet for what was supposed to be my room.

"Not quite my dear. May I still come in?" An unfamiliar voice answers back, and I debate internally before opening the door.

A beautiful woman with crimson red tresses stood outside, her hands clasped gently in front of her.

She wore a pair of jeans and a leather jacket that clung to her frame. A tartan wrapped around her waist like a jacket, as she smiled gently down at me.

"Ah good, I'm glad they fit well. I must confess, I've never had to do modern shopping for a nine-year-old. Do you like the selection?" She offers, and I blink in puzzlement.

"Yeah, I expected a lot of frilly dresses and robes to be honest. Who are you exactly?" I ask and she grins.

I am Macha, Goddess of Death, War, Fertility, and a host of other things. Here? I am simply posing as your father's wife as part of a deal for setting up this reality." She answered and I stood there for a moment, processing the latest shock to my system.

I got over the age regression pretty quickly, I missed most of my childhood thanks to Rapture. So the new lease on my youth was a very welcome gift.

But what the hell kind of pact did Dad have to make in order to get it? And it wasn't even complete . . .

"What kind of deal did he make?" I ask, and the smile fell from her face.

"A deal with a being equivalent to your father himself, its hard to say if it is to his detriment as of yet. My deal is very much an exchange to spend more time with your father. Once upon a time, he was a rather charming undead bartender in a world full of gods and monsters." She started telling her tale, conjuring a table and chairs along with a tea set.

"I could see what he truly looked like, as the veil of the soul isn't hidden from my eyes, but I could see the man slowly ascend into the realms of gods without faltering in his pursuits. I imagine quite a few goddesses wanted the chance to have him on their arm after visiting his tavern." She continued, pouring us out a glass of tea, and adding some sugars to hers.

"But your father is quite distractible, so it becomes a matter of putting a bit of extra time if you want him to hang around longer. His childlike wonder remains one of his most attractive attributes, but I decided to make a bit of a deal to get his attention properly." She finished, and I took a sip of my tea.

"So, you set everything up so we aren't out of place here?" I clarify, and Macha winks at me.

"Yes. By the way, happy birthday Eleanor." She congratulated, and I nod in thanks as she sets her cup down.

"Now, while your dad is out, let's have a bit of a girl's day and explore around. I would like to get to know you better, and I imagine your dad is quite busy establishing you guys in this world." She offered, and I hesitate for a moment before Macha encouraged and I agreed.

She then took me on a tour of the estate and started telling me a little bit about the magics of the realm I had entered.

[Tavish POV]

The receptionist needed to hurry the fuck up.

You'd think it wouldn't be so hard to explain that I don't have a damn wand.

Yes, I can do wandless magic.

Yes, the bag that I'm holding is bleeding.

No, I'm not here to report a crime.

No, I don't need the aurors.

And yes, I could wait for him to get a supervisor.

I could only imagine the questions I'd get if I tried to do this at the British ministry.

The supposed supervisor just about keeled over in shock at the bag full of severed demon heads, but luckily, he knew just where to take me.

Thank god for Allspeak, otherwise I feel like this wouldn't be going so smoothly.

"Monsieur Byrne, this is your proof for renewing your demon hunting license?" The French auror asked, gently poking the head of a baron of hell, its tongue lolling out onto the table.

"Aye. I was under the impression that proof must be provided of the capability." I reply proudly, and the man shakes his head.

"Monsieur Byrne, most wizards struggle to bring in one, but you brought in twenty separate heads. Some from species that have never been recorded before." He tries explaining, causing me to frown a bit.

"Do they not count?" I can go find more . . ." I offer and he waves his hands frantically.

"My apologies, that's not what I meant. We'll reinstate your license immediately Monsieur Byrne. But we may need you to register these demon types before heading back home." He replied, and I relaxed.

"No worries. I can jot down a note or two for you folks." I comment, and start filing extra paperwork.

I walked out of there a few hours with a shiny new license.

This one was semi-permanent thanks to my "over the top" efforts.

Either wizards were abnormally weak, or they had a different type of demon that I wasn't accustom to.

My use of no wand stood out a bit, but I refuse to use a wand unless I absolutely have to.

Maybe a staff?

I might make a modification to Steel Blossom for it. That way if someone makes me cranky, I could just beat them with it.

Mulling over these thoughts, a scuffle broke out across from the café I was sitting at in the ministry atrium.

Some mages with a badge on their robes were trying to escort a suspect to their holding area, and he had broken loose and had grabbed a hostage, and was holding him at wand point.

It would be easy to diffuse the situation, watching panickily trying to back towards the entrance, the auror's not letting him out.

He switched tactics and started heading over towards the café, causing more people to notice the disturbance.

I glance down at my coffee cup, and drink the remainder of my drink before testing its heft.

Not quite the weight I'd like, but it'd have to do.

Infusing the cup with mana, I give it a quick toss to test its weight before throwing it, nailing the guy in the head.

Lunging over the table, I rip the wand from his hand, throwing it over my shoulder.

Separating his loosened grip from the hostage, I grab ahold of the man like a disobedient puppy, and drag him back over to the bemused auror's.

After parting ways, I glance around before opening a portal, revealing the outside of Gringotts bank.

Stepping through, I walk up the steps to the bank and push open the massive doors.

The goblins were scurrying back and forth carrying large sums of valuables, and making transactions, as I looked for an open teller.

Shrugging, I step in line behind a man holding a large coin purse, and the line moved right along until it was my turn.

"Name?" the ancient looking goblin asked, and I shrugged and showed my ring.

"Tavish Byrne, I have to deposit some bounties, and I'd like to visit my vault to take an accounting." Reply, pulling the bags of gold out of my jacket.

Turns out, the French ministry gives quite a bit of gold for killing a demon.

"Ah, this is from your latest achievements I take it? On behalf of Gringotts, I'd like to congratulate you on your accomplishments." He replied, scribbling a note onto a piece of paper, and it flew off down the hall.

"I've summoned the Byrne vault manager, so please wait over there for him." He thumbed over to a couple of chairs.

"Thank you kindly." I reply, and walk over to sit down in the chairs.

I didn't have to wait long before I was approached by a rather warlike-looking goblin.

"Greetings Mr. Byrne. My name is Steelfist, your account manager." He stated, and I nod and stand up.

"Well met Steelfist. How goes business these days?" I ask, and he snorts in laughter.

"Much better now that House Byrne is starting to engage in business again. My heart soared when I heard that you brought in the heads of twenty demons to the French. The magical world was running quite low on those ingredients, so it does my account good to see your money start to flow again. I assume you're restarting the rest of your enterprises?" He asked, leading me to the other room as we boarded a minecart.

"Aye, the only issue is that I've spent so long fighting in hell that most of them are expiring. So, I'm in the process of getting all the exams and ensuring that the contract for the sanctuary is maintained." I reply, and he breaths a sigh of relief as the cart takes off.

"Good. The only reason your sanctuary still exists is that its permissions were guaranteed by your ancestors. We really need to look at getting a permanent license or the magical world will lose the only legal source for certain parts. You are the only known source of basilisk hide that I can think of, since in most other places the practice of breeding them is illegal." He comments, the cart plunging into the depths of the earth.

"Stupid regulation laws. I take my eyes off the ministries for a few decades, and they've restricted the hell out of my business practices." I growl, and he rolls his eyes.

"Mostly it's the British wizengamot pushing for this. I believe you have a seat on their ruling body. So you do have a potential to fight back. Might want to reach out to the international confederation of wizards if you don't make enough headway." He suggests, as we plunge through a waterfall.

"Huh, that's odd. Those detection magics in the waterfall detected an abnormal amount of metal in your body." He comments, and I hold up my arm and activate my technomancy.

"That would be a branch of magic I was investigating for a while. Muggle tech is constantly advancing, and this is a love child of their technology and magic." I answer, revealing the nano blade and several other augments, and Steelfist looks at it with fascination.

"Quite an interesting concept. I might wish to explore this further with you later. There might be some money to be made." He stated, the cart slowing down to a stop.

"Don't let this surprise you Steelfist. Remind me to introduce you to cell phones, and I'll really blow your mind on how much money we can make off the wizards and their general refusal to accept muggle tech. It truly astounds me that the statute of secrecy hasn't been outed thanks to those little devices." I comment, as we get out and walk down the hall.

"The communication devices? I thought those were just like floo calling, just voice only." He questions, pulling a key from his pocket and unlocking the door.

"At one time maybe, but I hear that they will have the ability to take pictures within the next few years." I reply, and he looks up at me with wide eyes.

"How long do we have?" he asked, and I shrug my shoulders.

"Ten years maybe? But I can get a jump on the curve and set up a private network within a year or two." I state, watching his brow furrow in thought.

Personally, I had relatively high standards for what I wanted for my phones, and I didn't want to wait for the world to catch up, so I was debating on deploying my own satellite network, but he didn't need to know that.

The first door was opened, and I pressed my ring up against the imprint of the door, and the door glowed, and evaporated revealing the contents of the vault.

While there was a substantial amount of coinage left behind, the true value was in the weapons, armor, books, and monster parts and pieces preserved on the shelves.

If I remember correctly, the monetary system of wizards was quite odd.

One Galleon equaled seventeen Sickles, and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle.

I think there was a way to convert muggle money to this currency, but I'd much rather keep my money in more "tangible" assets.

Adding my bounties to the stack of coins in the corner, I start pulling some bars of gold, silver and mithril from my inventory and adding to the vault.

These were mostly the aftermath of my mineral tree's. It was mostly the raw byproduct that I had shaped into bars for convenient storage. I probably should have them apprised at some point, but the downside was that each world would have a different method of appraising minerals.

Now time to take a look at these items.

Walking up to the case of items, a text box flashes up in front of me.

[Welcome to the Hall of Challenge.]

[By completing special challenges, you can unlock the items in this vault.]

Walking down the rows, I spot some items that were familiar, and others that were simply odd.

[Gáe Bolg] (Iconic)

The Legendary Spear of Cú Chulainn, its abilities remain sealed until a user can be found.

Challenge: Defeat the legendary warrior Cú Chulainn in single combat.

Reward: Gáe Bolg, and the addition of Cú Chulainn to your wizarding ancestry.

Iris? Could I get some clarification please?

[The Hall of Challenge was added to expand your political power in the wizarding world.]

[Since bloodline is everything to those dipsticks, that's how the challenges are focused.]

[Every time you complete a challenge, a new famous figure is added to your bloodline.]

[Currently, the house of Byrne is simply a house.]

[People remember it being around for a long time, but its descendants haven't published]

[exactly how long you've been around.]

[It's up to you to reveal how much you wish to reveal.]

[These people are already a part of your bloodline, but the worlds memories have been] [sealed until such a challenge associated with them is completed.]

Browsing the shelves, I come across a chain whip with a metal flanged head.

[The Morning Star] (Iconic)

The weapon of choice of Trevor Belmont, this vampire killing whip thirsts for more monster blood.

Challenge: Kill Dracula

Reward: The Morning Star, the Belmont bloodline, ?

Man, the game was really encouraging me to stretch my legs today.

Picking up the weapon to get a closer look, I was instantly teleported into the depths of an ancient castle.

Dropping the whip in shock, I was suddenly hit in the stomach and thrown into a wall.

Rolling to my feet, I try to grab my footing, only for a set of claws to rake my face open.

[Sandevistan]

The world slows down long enough to catch sight of the assault, and I twisted out of the way of a fist that was attempting to obliterate my head.

Shit . . .

That was definitely Dracula alright, or at least a version of him.

The regal looking count's face was twisted in a snarl as his cloak swirled around him.

His eyes suddenly focused on me, and his speed increased trying to overcome the sandevistan's effects.

[Recall]

I make distance by reverting to where I had left the whip on the ground.

Nothing like the middle of combat to try and learn a new weapon.

Monster hounds lunge out of the shadows around me, and I lash out, my nanoblade extending out from my arm and slashing through the first and I catch the second's teeth in the chain.

Wrapping the chain around the dogs neck, I pin him to the floor and yank, ripping through his neck with the chain.

More creatures of the night emerge, as Dracula turns and faces me himself, observing my actions as my eyes widen.

He's getting faster by the moment, and my Sandevistan is still running!

[Byrne Invocation: Level 3]

Releasing the constraints on my power, I speed up to keep my temporary advantage.

Infusing holy power into the whip, I lash out, causing the shadow creatures to explode on bursts of fire.

The malorian 3516 made it way to my hand as I lashed out at Dracula again with the whip, interspersing shots in between slashes.

But old Drac wasn't idle during this time, trying to close the distance every time I'd blink away.

Before I surprised him by blinking into the old vampire.

"Got you!" I snarl, grabbing ahold of his neck and letting go of both whip and gun.

It was only later that I realized that I had unintentionally done something on a bucket list I didn't even know I had . . .

I beat the living tar out of Dracula.

[Indomitable Rage]

I broke his nose with the first punch.

And then it became a struggle between titans.

Drac would try to pull himself out of my grip, or stop my fist, but I hung on like a rabid dog, even when my blood drenched the floor from how much he was shredding my arms with his claws.

Even when he exposed the sinew of my muscles, my dwarf star alloy coated bones shone through as I continued to slam my fist into his face.

His feet suddenly became talons and started ripping into my stomach and I simply released another restriction as I slam him into the floor.

Slamming my forehead into his crushed nose, I blow a stream of flames into his open throat, before delivering a jaw breaking uppercut.

I could feel the blood pouring from the corners of my mouth, so I spat a mouthful in his eyes which immediately started burning, its acid properties take effect.

Unlocking yet another level of my restrictions, metal barrels sprout from my fists as it tries to form into a combat gauntlet.

[Shell Knuckles]

An augment that fires off two shotgun shells with every punch. A deadly augment for an edgerunner that loves fisticuffs.

The shotgun blast joins the cacophony as Drac remains locked in my grip, his magic attempting to slice off my arm.

[Magical Resistance] (2/100)

And he was making quite good progress. He had managed to flay off the flesh of the arm that had ahold of him, but the flesh continued to regenerate after every slash.

My fist suddenly passed through his head as he turned to a black mist and flew towards the window.

[Omni-psionics]

He slammed into a barrier, I threw around the room, locking the vampire in with me.

[Divine Chains]

Holy chains sprout from the floor, and force Dracula into a corporeal form.

Reaching into my inventory, I draw a souvenir I found on Corillia.

[Blackstone Spike]

A Material that has the unique property of nullifying or redirecting magical energies.

This one has been made into a spike.

Ramming the spike directly into Drac's heart gave me a sense of relief as he writhed on the floor. His claws were ridiculously painful, and not exactly an experience I wanted to continue.

He tried to lunge at me one final time and I slam him back into the ground.

Twisting, I slam my boot down through his ribcage, crushing his heart in a wet squelch of pulp.

I hope Eleanor is having a better day than I am.

[Eleanor POV]

Alright, my new step-mom is pretty cool.

She seemed more intent on making friends with me rather than be all motherly, which was a personal relief.

I'm not sure if I'm looking for a replacement for Sofia so soon, not that she was any sort of a mother to begin with.

She also realized that my mind was older than my physical body, so we were able to speak on relatively equal terms.

You can only be so equal to a goddess after all.

After our tour, we found dad's clone hanging out in the library, and decided that we needed to give him a makeover for this reality.

Dad is many things, but a fashionista is not one of them.

He was quite capable of dressing himself well, but he looked distinctly cyberpunk at the moment with his armored merc jacket and boots.

It was going to be hard to get him to wear robes, but I don't think a suit is out of the question.

Now all that is left is the hair.

When he lets it grow out long, it becomes almost a wild mane.

And there was also the side benefit of being able to grow hair on command.

The two massive pigtails either side of the clone's head was a testament to that.

Macha thought it was hilarious and snapped several pictures before we tried a few different hairstyles.

I heard the familiar sound of Dad's portal opening, and I turn to greet him, only to stop at the sight of his bloody clothes.

"Hi Dad, did you have a productive day?" I ask, watching him set a metal whip, and a vampire skull on the table.

"Why yes I did." He replied, and Macha, glanced him over.

"Tavish, did it ever occur to you just to dodge out of the way of whatever your fighting? You better not be ruining your new clothes like this. Eleanor and I spent a lot of time picking out designs." Macha commented, gently picking up a scrap of his sleeve.

"In my defense, I just picked up that whip. I didn't know I'd get in a fist fight with Dracula." Tavish protested, and I roll my eyes.

"Then take that as a sign to be more cautious when touching stuff, Dad." I comment, as Macha finishes checking him over.

"I'm inclined to agree my dear, otherwise we'll spend a fortune just replacing clothes." Macha stated, and I could see the cog's turning behind Dad's eyes.

"Yes dad, you can make a suit that can self-repair." I state flatly, and watching his eyes go wide.

" . . . I'll just get to working on that." He replied in a subdued manner, and slowly slinks out of the room.

"Now what was that about?" Macha asked giggling.

"He wanted to show them off tomorrow, once he came up with them. He's worried that he's becoming too predictable." I laugh.

I do have the little cheat code of being able to sense his emotions, but I'll keep that as my little secret for now.

[Time Skip]

[Tavish POV]

Adjusting the collar on my purple wizengamot robes, I walk into the British ministry for the first time.

It took a two-month crash course, but I got just about all the accreditations that I needed to operate at a basic level in this society.

But the lack of fucking wand, kept getting me stopped up in weird places.

If I wanted to participate in any sort of a higher education for magic, they wanted a recording of my magical signature.

And "wandless" magic supposedly didn't leave the traces a wand did.

This left me, yet again, held up at a security desk.

Our interaction finally came to an end, when I reached inside his dense skull and "suggested" that I just move along.

I don't like messing with minds. Human brains have so many complex thoughts, and it's an unfamiliar whirlwind that I simply have no desire to dabble with.

Something that others, didn't share a problem with, as I felt multiple probes against my mind.

New Skill Added!

[Occlumency]

The art of sealing your mind from outside intrusion.

I had no issues with picking up the skill, it was quite similar to utilizing data fortress's in cyberpunk, it was just fueled by imagination.

My personal mind defenses were fairly simple on the surface, but if you attempted to breach the surface barrier, your consciousness was dragged straight to hell.

Don't pass go, don't collect two hundred dollars . . .

Straight to hell.

It made it quite easy to find who was trying to breach my mind, judging by the abject horror on their face, or faces in this case.

Personally, I had no qualms with hell, but I realize that I've spent enough time there to leave me quite jaded, and normal humans don't have the mental fortitude to withstand what awaits in its umber plains.

Which brought me to my first meeting with the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Class – Arch-Wizard

Lvl – 623

Thoughts – Sheer Horror

"Good morning! You must be the illustrious Headmaster Dumbledore that I've heard so much about!" I greet enthusiastically, causing the old man to shake out of his stupor.

"Y-yes, that is one of my many titles. Unfortunately, I'm here for my capacity of Chief Warlock today." He recovers, a twinkle returning to his eye.

"Ah but a title none the less. Apologies for your little glance into my mind, but it is hardened against the forces of hell, Chief Warlock. Its not a place humans should be treading." I continue, giving a gentle prod against future intrusions.

"Oh? Then you must be the Lord Byrne joining this June body? I must say, it caused quite a stir to hear that House Byrne continues to hunt demons in this day and age." He continued as we walked through the atrium.

"Time means nothing to demons. I continue to stand ready as my ancestors did, and hunt daemons and monsters. It's a practice I'll pass onto my daughter when the time comes." I reply proudly, remembering Eleanor's first demon kills.

"Isn't that a hobby that is best left by the wayside Lord Byrne? Demonology is a quite dark branch of magic after all." An older woman wearing a set of purple robes much like my own spoke up, interjecting into the conversation.

"Unfortunately, it is. But it is one of the few magics that both magical's and muggle's alike can tap into. And one that is constantly worming its way back into the darkest corners of the world."

"If I can continue to use my knowledge to keep the demons to hell, then society can maintain a readiness should the worst come to past." I reply diplomatically, eying the newcomer over.

Augusta Longbottom

Class – Witch

Lvl – 536

Thoughts – intrigue

A surprisingly powerful witch, I don't know what I was expecting when I'd meet the Longbottom Matriarch, but she did have a certain presence to her.

Either that, or the vulture hat she was sporting provided that gravity.

She nodded in agreement with the statement before rounding on Dumbledore.

"See Dumbledore! That is the kind of necessary evil we should be keeping around, rather than the likes of that Fletcher character." She spoke, bringing up an obviously long-standing argument between the two.

Politely excusing myself, I made my way to the lifts and waiting my turn in line.

Finally, it was my turn to use the lift and I was thankful that no one set up any "coincidental meetings".

They were horribly cliché, and I wanted to get a lay of the land first on what wizarding politics were like.

Considering that most of my politicking was done with chainsaws and hand grenades, I'm guessing that it was going to be relatively boring in the grand scheme of things.

Stepping off on the designated floor, I glance down the hall as I realize this isn't the correct floor.

[Horizon Optics Activating!]

[Searching . . .]

[Illusion Magic Detected!]

[Thermal readings detect four entities!]

Looking down the darkened hall, I speak aloud; "I got off the lift because I was curious, please don't waste my time with chance encounters, and speak simply. I tend to get irritated if someone approaches me with some mindless drivel."

The corridor was dead silent for a moment as I could feel hesitation by the individuals hiding in the dark.

[Mithril Vocals]

"Now!" I whisper, the magic wrapping around the figures and giving me their approximate location.

"Wait!" I hear a voice call out, and a man with long blond hair and a cane, steps out of the dark.

Lucious Malfoy

Class – Wizard

Lvl – 493

Thoughts – apprehension, curiosity

"I apologies for the cloak and dagger Lord Byrne. I wished to speak to you before the wizengamot meeting." He said smoothly despite his apprehension.

"And the other three waiting in the dark?" I ask, the glow of magic running along the floor, illuminating the hall.

"Others who wished to meet, but I think it may be best for them to save their first meeting for another time." He started before inclining his head.

"I am Lucious Malfoy, current lord of the house of Malfoy." He introduced, and I released the weight of my magic from those in hiding.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Malfoy." I reply neutrally, eying the man up and down.

Little shit . . . .

Alright, I'll play nice for now, but lets see where this goes.

"Quite frankly, I don't like unknowns coming out of nowhere, and potentially throwing a wrench in things that myself and my associates have been working on for quite some time. So, what are your plans for resuming your family seat?" He asked, standing up to his full height in an attempt to look imposing.

I say attempt, because he was shorter than me, but it was interesting none the less.

"Preservation of magic. Some of its teachings and practices were arbitrarily labeled "dark", and I feel its in poor taste to lock away knowledge because its too difficult, or not common anymore. We need these benchmarks not only to build upon their teachings, but to prepare against them so we are not caught flatfooted should something occur that we aren't prepared for." I state firmly, seeing his eyebrow raise into his hairline.

"So you are here for academic pursuits? Some grand crusade to prepare against the next dark lord?" He asks skeptically, and I snort.

"No, as a general rule, dark overlords are bad for business. My aim is to ensure that our current population understands what actions our forefathers took, and to educate our new blood about the society they are joining. Lack of knowledge is a leading contributor to many of the rifts in our society, and I'd like to think if we had the chance to teach our children from repeating our mistakes." I continue, watching his expression.

"I'll be frank Lord Malfoy, you're not exactly a fan of the new-bloods, yes?" I ask, watching him start, and then slowly nod.

"The . . . muggleborns . . . come to our society attempting to make all sorts of changes to modernize the wizarding world." He stated distain heavy in his tone.

"But what if they got an understanding of what world they were actually getting into? Somethings can't change because of the magic involved, but in others, an outside perspective could revolutionize, and bring about a magical Renaissance." Suggest, watching a sneer curl onto his lip.

"But that's just an idea, I find monsters and demons don't care that much about blood purity when eating a mage. They just enjoy how much they can get us to tear each other apart over that one issue. Personally, I think that if we don't work towards some mutual agreement that changes something, we're going to be seeing a revolution in magical Britan within the next five to ten years." I finish, causing the sneer to drop, and a look of interest form on his face.

"Revolution? How would that come about?" he asked, and I smiled hearing one of the figures in the dark breath in sharply.

"A dissatisfied class of people that vastly outnumbers the ruling class. The last dark lord single handedly created the perfect environment for it by number one; wiping out multiple wizarding families, and number two; allowing most of the muggleborns, and their families to get caught in the crossfire between the two ruling classes. Most of your common wizard or witch doesn't particularly care about the war between the supposed light and dark. They are just looking out for their own self-interest. But you'll find when both sides drag them into the conflict as convenient meat shields, there is only so far they can be pushed before they push back." I continue before checking my watch.

"I'd love to continue having this discussion if you are interested Lord Malfoy, but I'd rather not be late for my first meeting." I comment, and the man hurriedly checks a silver pocket watch.

"Quite. You definitely have some interesting discussion topics Lord Byrne. I just may take you up on that offer. I don't think I've heard of a wizarding social culture analysis like that before." He replied, as the lift behind me opened, and we both stepped in.

"Sociology has been a small hobby of mine as I planned to rejoin modern society. If you ever get the chance to chat with someone who has lived for centuries, they always offer a unique perspective on the subject. My family keeps track of a small vampire colony in Egypt that has actually made it their mission to chart the rises and falls of various magical societies and the reasons behind their rises, and falls." I lie, as the elevator descends more floors.

"I thought you hunted monsters and beasts?" He asked, and I nod my head.

"Malicious ones, yes. However, this coven is supplied blood from the Egyptian ministry, and work in conjunction with the Library of Alexandria to record and preserve that particular treasure trove of knowledge." I answer, causing him to nod.

Fun fact, while the non-magical portion of the library was burned down, the magical portion of the library still existed.

It was on my bucket list for places to visit in this world.

"On a different topic, I hear your beast reserve is one of the few places allowed to maintain populations of questionable magical creatures, and one of your ancestors had basically grandfathered the right to breed basilisk's?" he asked, and a small smile made its way onto my face.

"Come now Lord Malfoy, family magics are meant to be sacred don't you think?" I state evasively, and he smirks.

"Where's all that talk on educating the masses about our magical world?" He mocks, and I snort.

"I was advocating that they be given the tools to develop their own magics. My magic's are mine to do with what I will, just as yours are yours alone." I counter, stepping off the lift and walking towards the meeting hall.

Stepping into the hall, reminded me of walking through the halls of the British parliament, and the meeting that soon followed was just about as dry as I expected it to be.

Their was a brief period at the beginning where I was welcomed to the assembly, and we quickly were dragged into a topic of caldron bottom regulation.

I took the time to actually read through the massive book of procedures that the court scribe had passed off to me.

It was a hell of a lot more interesting than the cauldrons anyway.

I derived particular pleasure in reading up on the obscure rights a member of the wizengamot could invoke for pushing through various laws.

Though I'm a tad disappointed that trial by combat wasn't allowed, I did find some interesting bylaws disallowing banana's from the court.

Because everyone knew, that bananas were some of the most lethal weapons one could lay their hands on.

After all, eating twenty thousand bananas in twenty minutes would cause you to die from radiation poisoning.

Silliness aside, why were they banned?

Boredom quickly sets in as the meeting drags on until late that night.

[Time Skip]

Gently lifting the lid off the container, I lay eyes on the creature snoozing inside.

[Naga – Worker]

A servant creature crafted by Tavish Byrne. Barley two feet tall, it can carry out menial tasks. It is a part of a small colony that takes care of some of the more cold blooded beasts of the magical creature sanctuary.

Lvl – 3

Thoughts - Sleepy

These naga's that I had crafted were little more than chubby little caterpillars with arms and wide eyes, but something in their genetics caused them to be ignored by many of the larger predators.

I had originally created them to help maintain the basilisk enclosure, but I quickly expanded their chore list when I saw one laying draped across a clutch of dragon eggs.

Whether he was stupid, unaware, or had no concern for his own wellbeing, I had no idea, but considering how the nesting dragon passed by, glanced down at the fat little naga, and then moved on to consume the cow I was providing it.

Once their nest was established, new colors and varieties of naga began to develop other than these chubby, dopey looking critters.

There undoubtedly was a lot of intelligence hidden away in these little guys, as I could have them complete some complex tasks.

A small team of them were organized, and went about harvesting usable materials that were created as byproduct of these creatures simply existing.

I also got to take a glance in the basilisk nest for the first time.

And promptly remembered why there was a restriction on breeding them.

The massive quarry that the four beasts were housed in proved to be an excellent hunting ground for them, and a death sentence for any critter foolish enough to wander in.

Allspeak could only take me so far in commanding the beasts, and this resulted in the death of one of their number as it tried to establish dominance over me.

This resulted in their current number, as I have yet to find an entity that can survive a blade of End energy.

I don't care how magically resistant you are, if you fuck with End energy, you're going to lose a body part.

On a side note, basilisk steaks are delicious.

However, due to the rarity of basilisk parts, most of their magical uses remains uncharted, so the slow resurgence of parts through legal means would no doubt be quite the lucrative venture.

That's not to say I didn't placate the basilisk's a tad.

I had the naga, and some of the drones install several massive heated gravel pits which helped placate the apex predators. They were at least ambivalent now when I entered their habitat.

One of these days, I'd figure out how to milk the venom without killing them, but they are still reeling a bit from the sudden death of their compatriot.

The dragons were comparatively, easier to handle.

Just feed them, and leave them alone.

It was my job to keep an eye on the population, and selectively cull them if they started over-breeding.

Dragon parts were highly useful in the magical world, most of their immediate value being realized in the dung they produce, as it makes and excellent fertilizer.

But other than that, I just had to wait to harvest them.

There were plenty of other creatures such as griffons, nifflers, fairies, even a troll or two, and that was just the results of exploring the immediate area.

Supposedly, there was some more exotic creatures deeper in the sanctuary, but I had to finish preparing for visitors.

The ministry decided that they could no longer hold off on their inspection, since the Byrne's were the only authorized breeders of basilisks, I was just tidying up and triple checking the wards.

Ultimately, I decided to separate out the magical creatures from this world, and any that I had collected on my adventures.

I easily cleared a field for some horned boars that I had been domesticating, and they roamed around the field, occasionally digging up some roots or edible thing they find in the field.

The Rock Bee's made a quick home, causing the local plant life to flourish, and I had some gourmet world plants growing in our greenhouses.

I couldn't do anything with the field right this moment considering it was late fall, but the ambient magic in the air would definitely help with growth.

Some of the creations I had in my lab were just about ready to be released into the wild as well, I just think it would probably be better to wait until after the inspection.

I doubt the official would appreciate the velociraptor/ horse hybrid that I was experimenting with.

Velociponies (patent pending) aside, I started a bit of genesplicing on the side to better accentuate some of the flavors I had discovered in the gourmet world.

I was originally just doing it with certain plants, before moving on to various creatures to mimic delicious flavors.

Some ramen tulips developing variety would be nice, but I really wanted to alter the flavor of those BBQ pigs.

Possibly so that they were precooked with a different type of smoke, or so that they produced other BBQ variations would be most excellent.

Wiping the drool from the corner of my mouth, I get back to the final preparations before the inspection team arrived.

[Interlude: The adventures of Ouro!]

[Ouro POV]

Flapping my wings, I gracefully glide over the extent of the new lands I call home.

The magics in the air tickled my scales pleasantly, as I survey my new domain.

I had such a plethora of new beasts to snack on, but Tavish had warned me against diving headlong into the buffet below.

That was fine . . .

However, the Basilisk's down below acting all high and mighty wasn't.

King of serpents my tail . . . little assholes couldn't even fly or shoot lightning.

Not to mention that not a single one of them, possessed a plumage as beautiful as mine.

Even if they can't grow feathers, it wouldn't kill them to polish their scales once in a while.

They were even gifted a bunch of big glorious gravel pits to accomplish this task.

Tavish already culled one of their number, but they still barely respected his requests despite the cushy life they were given.

These snakes had grown to their full size of fifty feet in length, so I'm certain they viewed themselves as the top of the local food chain.

But I had easily surpassed them with my hundred and twenty feet in length.

And I was still growing.

Satisfied with my course of action, I swirl above the basilisk enclosure, causing clouds to gather.

A storm brews around my body, as the lightning embraces my coils.

The storm continues to build until the storm is shaking the world below.

Everyone forgets that even as I'm a playful, often hungry snake . . .

. . . I'm still a Storm Couatl!

I hit the ground in the enclosure, shaking the basilisks awake as I loom over them.

"~Alright worms, time to set some ground rules.~" I hiss out, lightning arcing around me as the smell of ozone fills the air.

[Time Skip]

[Tavish POV]

Never in all of my travels, did I ever imagine that I'd see basilisk's standing at what could only be described as parade rest.

Each of the basilisk's had polished their scales till they glittered in the sun, which was surprisingly effective at hiding some very faint scorch marks.

Looking up at the smug Couatl sunning itself, my mind briefly drifts back to the sudden series of freak storms that occurred last night, and connected the dots.

"Clearly, I was the wrong person to handle this job. Well done Ouro!" I praise as my familiar preens.

"From here on out, your promoted to Head Interspecies coordinator for reptile related shenanigans." I state, and I watch him perk up.

His tail wiggled back and forth furiously, as he glances towards the dragon habitats.

"Yes, that does include the dragon's Ouro." I reply to his unasked question, as he lunges up into the air and wings his way to the next habitat.

I need to cook him something nice as thanks for sorting this out.

He seems to be quite fond of critters with avian characteristics, so maybe I should make a trip to the Gourmet world for him.

A Hungry-la bird would probably be right up his alley.