Chapter 107: Shot in the Dark
If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
I would like to thank my beta, Akisu, for his help in this chapter.
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21 December 1992, Hogwarts
It was finally the winter solstice and Harry was ready. It was two hours before midnight, and Harry could feel the energy of Yule slowly reach its peak, at which time, building the weapon would be optimal.
Despite what the high officials of the Ministry of the Magic chose to believe in their paranoid minds, Yule celebration rituals were in general very tame. It was well known that the night of the Winter solstice was the moment of the year when magic seemed the most willing to be chaotic, wild, and destructive.
You see, magic comes and goes like season. The closer the date is to the Winter solstice the more the magic is wilder and darker. Similarly, the more we approach the summer solstice, the more orderly and burning it becomes.
And it shows, very few people risked using this magic for any large ceremony in the Winter solstice due to the unpredictable nature of the magic, the same way that the magic is very limited and rigid in the summer solstice. There was a reason why most people preferred to use Samhain and Beltane for their preferred rituals.
Samhain rituals were already potentially dangerous; the celebrations happening at a time when the veil between the dimensions of the living and the dead thinned considerably, and more than one wizard or witch had met their rather painful end on this particular day because they were careless, but Yule rituals had a far more sinister history. There were countless tales of tragedies that wiped out entire towns and families, who had recklessly harnessed the power of the Winter Solstice for their purpose.
Of course, it is possible to use that power especially if you're some kind of specialist with an iron will and precise control over your magic, and in the case of people like Harry, if you also don't know what the actual end result is supposed to be specifically and are somehow following the flow of magic, guiding it, instead of controlling it. In Harry's situation, the only thing that guaranteed that the ritual would work was Harry's arcane hearing and the plans provided by his magical crest.
Harry went down to the ritual room in the dungeons, while wearing his special robes, took out a piece of chalk, and started to create the ritual circle. It wasn't anything fancy, just a way to absorb a fraction of the energy of the winter solstice and imbibe its destructive properties in the weapon.
It wasn't exactly necessary, but since the Potter scion aimed to create a weapon, destruction was a good attribute to have. Inside the ritual circle, was a second alchemical circle, which held the materials sacrificed for the ritual. There were seven in total, an ingot of Orichalcum that Harry had left over from his research into his Basilisk glare-resistant goggles. There was a pinch of Zouwu hair, which was a magical creature that was native to China. It was essentially a gigantic elephant-sized cat, that had some kind of scraggly main, and a disproportionately long, ruffled multicoloured tail. The main characteristics of this magical creature were the fact that it was very fast and could actually teleport while bypassing most apparition wards. These hairs cost him a pretty penny to buy.
Alongside the Zouwu hair, was a dragon heartstring. Dragons were creatures of power, and Harry definitely needed more of that for his weapon to be complete. Next to it was a plank of ash wood that Harry had bought from Ollivanders. Apparently, the wand maker sold certain woods and materials on the side, for a profit. Wands were obviously his passion but if you did the math, the man didn't sell more than fifty wands a year, which mostly happens during the summer. The wood Ollivander had provided was one from an ash tree that had grown underneath a magical nexus, an intersection of multiple ley lines. And since Yggdrasil itself was rumoured to be an ash tree in the legends, the symbolism would help.
Harry decided to also use one of his remaining magical rubies. It had proven to be up to the task in his testing, and it would provide a stabilizing effect on the thing.
But one of the main ingredients was a priceless locket with a familiar snake on it that radiated malice and darkness. It was far less subtle than the adaptive wards on the diary, and it was easy to tell that it was a Horcrux. Even the common ignorant wizard would know to stay away from the artefact, that it was probably cursed or maleficent in some way.
Kreature, the house elf that had it for a decade, had been very hesitant to give it to Harry and would have probably disobeyed if it wasn't for the Black Patriarch ordering him to give it away. Of course, the Potter scion had reassured the house elf that he was going to destroy the thing and not hide it away. Kreature was still doubtful of his claim, but he still had some hope in his eyes, nevertheless.
Finally, the final ingredient was a blade made of Goblin Silver. The handle wasn't there, only the metal itself was. This particular material was pretty hard to find, as Goblins didn't like parting with it and there was a reason, they were so zealous in getting back any artefact made with the metal the moment its owner died.
The thing about Goblin Silver is that it's regular silver that Goblin added their very essence into it. In an abstract way, they poured their very own spirit into it, which they forged with their own hands. There is a bond that always existed between a Goblin and his silver weapons, one that is said to even transcend Death.
The more magic is channelled through the weapon, the stronger its forger becomes. But their spirits will not rest even after their deaths until their bodies are salted and burned in the forge alongside every single weapon they forge.
Godric Gryffindor had bought a sword from Ragnok, who happened to be a goblin king at the time. Gryffindor's power and skill were so impressive that they propelled the goblin king into new heights, allowing him to unite the entire goblin nation under his rule. He forged the goblin nation out of hundreds of different clans and used the blood of his enemies to pave the way. He was the closest thing the goblins had to a messiah, and he was currently unable to move on to the afterlife because his descendants couldn't find the sword after Godric Gryffindor died.
The dagger that Arcturus had given away was worth a fortune, especially since it was illegal and not bought directly from a goblin. It's not like it would be recognizable in Harry's weapon, so Arcturus couldn't afford to use a legal dagger that would be demanded after his death since Harry would have used up the metal.
The man really showed him an absurd amount of trust, especially considering how little time they knew one another. Harry's musings were interrupted as he felt the peak of magic near. He carefully put each of the ingredients, and spoke up for the first time in hours, "I will begin now. Please do not disturb me and do not enter the circle under any circumstances."
The Black Patriarch nodded, "I have to say that I'm curious what you're going to do with the materials I gave you. You better impress me, kid."
"Don't worry, old man. This will be unlike anything you would have ever seen. I guarantee it."
With that done, Harry finally activated the outer ritual. Almost immediately, the circle was filled with the dark ambient magic of the winter solstice, making the chalk glow, the magic slowly started to fill the second circle, which became ready to power after a few minutes.
The Potter scion was still hesitant with alchemy, but since he wasn't giving away anything in the exchange, he should be safe. Well, relatively safe; the reaction could destabilize and cause an explosion, but Harry removed that image from his head. When dealing with magic, especially complex arcane aspects of it, confidence was key, and doubt was an easy way to get yourself killed by your own spells.
Without hesitation, Harry activated the second circle, and the ingredients floated in the air. The Goblin Silver divided itself into two pieces, one substantially larger than the other. The Dragon Hearting and the Zouwu hair were combined with the larger piece of Goblin silver, while the Orichalcum started to surround the magically treated ruby, like veins, which were pulsating with energy.
And yet, this was the best Harry's alchemical circle could do. He wasn't an expert, not even close, but his magic would have to do for what came next. Harry spread his arcane hearing and analyzed what was left. He was channelling his crest to follow the plans that it held for the weapon, and before he realized it, he started to sing.
It was a song of creation, illumination and creativity. The melodies he wove were ancient and profound, and it felt like it was resonating with the essence of life and the energies of the cosmos. It was unlike anything he had ever heard, and Harry didn't even understand what he was doing. If there was a way to describe it, it would be that it was like he was in a fugue, like he was hypnotized, and his body was moving on its own.
As the Song flowed from his lips, it took tangible form, weaving around the halfway assembled weapon. The goblin silver started to take shape into a cylinder, where thousands of minuscule runes surrounding it, making anything that entered it accelerate to an absurd degree. Some of the left-over Orichalcum into a cylinder willed with holes. He also created a small hammer that was connected to the veins of Orichalcum touching the ruby. The energy stored in the ruby could be channelled into the hammer, which would start the firing process.
Harry connected the hammer to the motion of a trigger, making it move when it did. Finally, the weapon was assembled into the familiar form of a gun, a colt to be exact. The wood finally moved like liquid and surrounded the handle. The moment it was assembled, hundreds of runes started to surround it, ones that Harry actually recognized. It was just some very powerful protection enchantments as well as using the wood as a focus to absorb ambient magic and store it into the ruby, to channel that magic later on.
Now, all that was left were the bullets, which were the most vital pieces of the weapon. After all, so far, Harry had only created a gun made of Goblin Silver and Orichalcum, that accelerated any projectile and added some magic to the target. What made this weapon special would be the bullets.
The remaining Goblin silver divided itself into seven pieces, taking the shape of a bullet. Slowly, the locket Horcrux started to move towards the bullets. Harry's voice intensified, and the locket started to shake open, revealing the black eldritch monstrosity inside that used to be a part of a soul. Voldemort was a fool for damaging himself so, and Harry was going to use that to his advantage.
Slowly, the soul started to be drained of energy, separating the connection to the Dark Lord, and letting it move on to the afterlife with a large scream. However, the energy remaining was a small crystal shard of energy that had the properties of a soul, but still wasn't one. It was a paradox that was only possible because of the fact that Voldemort made at least one Horcrux.
Normally, life force and the soul go hand in hand, but splitting a soul can make this energy leak. Of course, the rituals make sure that it doesn't happen automatically, or that it recharges it somehow. Harry wasn't exactly an expert on the matter, but long story short, Harry was able to separate the soul and the energy within, creating a pseudo-soul.
That energy was fragmented into seven pieces, each being absorbed into a bullet. To be able to contain it, countless runes that Harry couldn't make heads or tails of, started to spread around each bullet. However, the Potter scion had a general idea of what was happening. Sure, the bullets became unbreakable, the moment they housed his pseudo soul, but the main reason Harry had chosen to do what he did was the fact that the soul was connected to every single dimension possible in reality. It was a magical requirement for life to exist. Therefore, what Harry had essentially done is use this property to enchant the Goblin Silver to literally attack every dimension at once. Now, magical protections were useless against it. Hell, even physical shields wouldn't work. These enchantments, of course, would only be activated with a burst of magic, which would be provided by the revolver.
The only thing that could stop a bullet that is fired, would be a soul. What Harry had created was a weapon capable of killing literally anything. As long as it has a soul, Harry's colt would kill it.
Slowly, the bullets levitated towards the cylinder, filling each of the slots inside. With that done, Harry grabbed the gun by its handle and felt the power within it. It bonded with Harry and immediately accepted him as its master. Yes, this will do. This was worth all the trouble.
The Potter scion looked up at the man who had witnessed the creation of what was probably one of the most dangerous weapons in the world. Arcturus Black was gaping at him and the young Slytherin gave him a giant grin, "So, what do you think? Was it everything you imagined?"
These were the last words he let out before he felt really tired and woozy. Darkness followed soon afterwards.
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AN:
Before you say anything, this will be the only firearm that will be in the entire story, and it's limited to only seven shots. The bullets will work like Flechette's arrows in Worm. There won't be any more bullets, so Harry will be hesitant to waste them, and I am not planning on adding any. I could have made it into a sword or something, but I wanted to have some kind of evidence of Harry's previous life influencing the weapon.
If you think it's overpowered, then you're probably right, it is, but it's for a reason. I'm planning something in the next year that might necessitate it. You'll see a hint of it at the end of the second year.
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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.