Part 1. Chapter 2

Ree involuntarily twitches at the sudden movement because before it was different and he doesn't have time to fully get used to such an innovation. Before he was transferred from the darkness into the gray mist where he was allowed to collect himself and only then he was switched on the memory scrolling or he carefully brought to memory if his viewing required broadcasting in normal time mode.

Such sharp, abrupt, unpleasant movement from the darkness immediately into the memories began after he became Ree having made his choice that he wouldn't accept any of the personalities – neither the one of the young man nor the Harry's.

On the other side I need to look for positive points in everything and there're two of them. One of them was that now I don't need to start my day together with Harry accompanying him wherever he goes following him like a shadow all day before his goes to bed. Though all this happened with a dizzying speed but still watching the monotonous days following one after another particularly stressed me out.

The second positive point was that they began to transfer me to fragments of only those memories that, in my opinion, contain the information I should know. That's why such change in the memory watching is useful for me; there's no need to litter my head with extra information.

This time he appeared in the Harry's room near the table where Harry is sitting. Only this time in the arm-chair standing opposite sits Alrus.

This time he's appeared again in Harry's office, near the desk at which he's sitting. Only this time, Alrus is sitting in the chair opposite the table.

Well, finally, because when Alrus is absent almost nothing interesting happens!

Ree becomes very glad and begins to listen to the conversation in the office.

"What can you tell me?" asks Harry his son.

"Everything is fine, father, I managed to do everything as I wanted so now I am at your disposal."

"I already understood that. I'm more interested in how much time did you manage to get?"

"One month."

"Ooooh! One month? I didn't expect you can have a month. Great, great!" he rubbed his hands in anticipation. "In that case, we'll have enough time for you to be able to first look at and evaluate the secret protection system I created. Maybe you can give some good advice or see some flaws."

Alrus laughed a low deep laugh, throwing back his head on the back of the armchair and looking at his father with admiration, he says:

"I knew that after learning about a month time, you'd come up with something else so that it for sure wouldn't be enough. Well, let's go meet with your ferocious-scary secret, along with its protection", having raised his arm-chair, he adds with irony in his voice. "Let's not waste the time when it's so precious."

"Yes, let's go now!" I need… a little… just a little bit…" Harry starts muttering unintelligibly, fussily trying to write something on the scroll.

Once again I feel that I 'm not quite the same as Harry, I wouldn't have been so worried and feel nervous because of some secret ...

Albeit stop! How can I judge something I know nothing about? As well as about my attitude, behavior if I were him? Because I completely don't know myself. I guess it would be better to make such decision. If I don't know myself than from this moment I begin to know myself. And in the future to try to stick to this decision.

Alrus, who is about to rise from his arm-chair, has heard his father's muttering, and has to sit down again but before he can sit comfortably his father throws back his feather vexedly, stands up abruptly and quickly heads for the exit from the office.

When he opened the door, he stumbles out of the office and at a brisk jogging speed heads down the hall. And only after running away at a reasonable distance he finally remembers that he isn't alone today, so he's stopped, turning around abruptly and rushing back. But when he's seen his son coming out of the door, he stops, turns around and only then freezes in place unable to understand what to do next. He stands like that until Alrus comes up to him, holding a vial in his hand. Passing it to his father, he says:

«Here, take a sedative, otherwise I'm afraid that in such an unbalanced state you can do something ... even harm yourself.»

Having looked his son in the eyes Harry gratefully nods to his son, takes a vial, drops three drops of his blood into it and drinks. They stay a bit, wait for the potion to take effect and move further down the hall.

***

Secrets can be different. Dangerous and not so one, material and non- material, but every secret share one thing- at all cost they try to hide it. Someone succeeds, someone doesn't. A lot here depends on imagination and mental flexibility of the owner, but luck plays an even greater role in concealment of a secret. If a fortunes turns a man than the secret even if it's poorly hidden wouldn't be found and on the contrary a well-thought-out hiding and all the complex protection would be broken down if a fortune doesn't turn the owner of the secret.

But still it's easier for the owner of the secret in the form of a small thing to hide it because you can come up with many options for hiding places, but if a secret is a stationary object then there're very few options for hiding it.

So it's not surprising that the passage to Harry's secret is in the basement of the house, in one of its branches, behind the door leading to the warehouse which is littered with old things from the category of those that are no longer needed, but it's a pity to throw them away.

Gently skirting around the things scattered throughout the room, Harry came close to a huge wardrobe standing near the wall. Taking out his wand, he began to tap an intricate rhythm on the wardrobe door, a short pause, three more quick hits and now the outline of the wardrobe changed, forming a passage to another room.

Ree has strained because at the moment of opening of the secret passage he has a slight feeling of recognition that immediately disappeared leaving him not even a small part of itself so that he could later try to remember it.

But pain has settled in his soul, and with it comes a belated regret that he hasn't accepted the Harry's personality. Having harnessed his willpower Ree discards unnecessary worries and hurried after Alrus.

The secret passage leads to a small square room in which all that is available are two similar doors. Harry makes a step towards one of them, stops and having turned to this son says:

"For realism we will play such a situation. You - it doesn't matter how- "convinced" me to show a secret. I've lead you to this door assuring that the secret is located behind this door. What will you do?"

"Somehow this is unexpected ...," - Alrus drawls distantly after a short pause, taking out his wand, continuing to think hard about something.

After that, tapping his wand on the shoulder, he walks around the perimeter of the room carefully examining the walls, a floor, a ceiling. Having returned to his father and standing in front of him, he says:

"You didn't quite right set the task."

"And how should I do it?" with interest in his eyes asks his father being extremely interested in this matter.

"You see, father, if I as you has said "convinced you to show me a secret", he emphasizes the last sentence. "Than you yourself must demonstratively switch off the traps set here so that they won't harm you if they go off."

"And why I must switch them demonstratively?"

"In order to show me now acting as an evildoer that you're ready for cooperation. Only I haven't seen when you managed to switch the traps off."

"Because I have no traps in this room," Harry says with irritation.

After these statement Alrus freezes for several seconds with astonishment looking at the father, then having shaken off the freeze he cautiously asks:

"Do you think the secret passage is a sufficient protection?"

"No, besides the secret passage I have traps and protection, just not in this room."

Having heard his father's answer Alrus nods showing that he has heard him and immerses himself in thoughts. Having emerged from them in some time he clarifies.

"I can do magic without fear for my life, can't I?"

"Yes."

After that Alrus begins casting various diagnostic spells, inspecting the entire room thoroughly. After the end of the examination he shakes his head and says:

"Really, there're no traps. But still I was able to detect something, and it's located here," he indicates with a wand on the wall near the door from the knob side at the eye level.

"And here!" he utters, going away to another door and pointing to the same spot on the wall, commenting:

"If we don't talk about the various spells on the doors, those are the only two places that stand out against the general background. But knowing your developments I may assume with confidence that there're the mage panels you designed."

"I can't even see the slightest hindrance that would indicate the presence of the mage-panels with my diagnostics spells. And you found them just like that, on the run. As I understand it, I don't know this version of diagnostic charms. What else don't I know about you, son?"

The father's question for a moment has made a son feel slightly embarrassed but he quickly recovers and calmly answers:

"A lot, father! And not just because I keep things from you but also because you don't want to know more. Yes, you don't know this spell because it's a new development of your grandson."

Because of the son's words Harry's face becomes gloomy. And in order not to allow his father to become even more upset Alrus swifts to distract him.

-"Without relevant information, I can't judge the traps set or the level and complexity of your protection. Nor can I speak for other evildoers, for their reaction to the fact that there're no traps in this room. But my intuition, if I were them, would immediately yell, warning of the danger."

"I don't quite understand what exactly would alarm you?" a father inquires.

"You see, father, for me everything looks like this. Even if you hadn't just told me that there're traps next door, the mere fact that there're no traps in this room would alert me, warning me that it's a nonstandard protection, hence the traps are non-standard too.

After that, I would think hard about whether I could disarm these clearly non-standard traps and break an equally non-standard protection. Maybe it's better to refuse from this secret and do a runner before it's too late?"

"And so what, you would leave everything not even trying?"

"Well, first I'm not going to rob and I haven't had much experience like this, so I can't say for sure what I would do in this or that situation. Secondly, the preliminary survey and information I would get before going out in the country would play a significant role in my decision to take the risk or not."

"Please try to imagine at least somehow, Alrus, what would you do next in this situation that," Harry has asked with a smile of a Cheshire cat on his face.

"All right, I would try. First of all I would first increase my vifgilance, then for reliability I would put on you an artifact suppressing the will."

"Yeah..."- Harry has scratched the back of his head,"but you... I'm shocked."

After a short silence and coming to his senses, Harry asks:

"Son, tell me, when you got into this room together with me how would you know that there're no traps? In the event I decided not to demonstrate you their switching off?"

"You forgot about the spell that shows magic traps, didn't you? It was invented a couple of years ago, we already spoke with you about it."

"I completely forgot about it," Harry repents. "But how would you discover them? Because today before using spells in this room you clarified about a possible threat in case of using magic."

"And what are you for?"

"?!"

Alrus has sighed heavily and explains:

"I would make you cast a spell on the room showing magic traps."

"And you wouldn't fear to give me a wand? And if I would attack you?"

"With spells of double slow-down put on you?"

"Damn, son, do you by chance experiment with crime?"

"No," Alrus laughs merrily. "It's just a hobby of my son. Once he asked for help in some matters and I helped him. So unnoticed for me it became my hobby also, to design protection and traps for exact tasks from the scratch.

First we develop protection and traps according to specified parameters, each of us separately, then we create a specimen, and then I, if we test my son's development, try to break the protection and neutralize the traps.

That's how we've been having fun with my son for many years, and in order to successfully break the protection created by my son and neutralize traps of varying difficulty, I had to learn to put myself in the burglar's shoes, learn to think and act like a burglar, so gradually I developed a criminal perception and thinking."

"Really? I didn't think it's possible."

On this Alrus just shrugs showing that he doesn't want to continue disputes on this matter which lead to Harry doesn't start to develop this topic and he speaks about the other theme.

"For some reason I thought that for the evildoer going with me would be completely unimportant if there're traps in this room or not."

And you're telling me, no, you're demonstrating me that if an evildoer would think like you, the absence of traps in this room would alert him and give him information to think about. And if that would happen, such an evildoer could become very dangerous to me. I have absolutely no desire to expose myself to unnecessary danger," and quietly, to himself, "I've had enough of it in my youth."

And already addressing to Alrus in a normal voice:

"I've felt what you want to tell me. Really, it's a remiss of me; in the near future we'll have to get busy setting traps."

"I will help you, father."

"Thank you, Alrus!"

"Don't thank me too soon."

"Yes, yes, you're right," Harry speaks too hastily, turning away from his son.

Alrus shakes his head sadly. Father often shows emotion, but there has never been he is embarrassed about it. Why does it manifest? He asks himself a question. Does it happen because of the appearance of a mystery in his life? Or because of his age? He will soon be eighty years old. By the way, it's a round anniversary, I need to think of something to present him, Alrus noted to himself. And continues his interrupted thought. But eighty years for a mage is not such a great age. Or maybe all together, the presence of a mystery and age led him to emotional instability? Or perhaps there's something I don't know? Anything is possible.

Harry, having mastered with his feelings returns to the son and in a deliberately cheerful tone asks:

"Is it all? Or you have seen some other drawbacks?"

"No, I can't think of anything," and in this moment his eye falls on the neighboring door. "Wait!" he stops the father willing to say something. "I didn't ask you about what's behind the second door?"

"There're two laboratories for artifact science and potion making."

"Laboratories for artifact science and potion making," echoes Alrus his father. "It reminds me of something, it certainly does. Ah, I remember! In one of the books I presented to you, there're calculations for plurality of rooms connected by a single door. Are you saying that you managed to make something like this?"

"Yes!" with a pride for himself and his achievements Harry says. "Both doors in this part open the passage in several rooms.

"I also thought about creating something like this, but never got around to. If memory serves, than any thinking creature can get in the first room and speaking about the rest – only theirs owner and those whom he allowed to do this.

"Yes, you're right, that's why both rooms are designed the same like a warehouse for artifacts. Along the walls the shelves are standing on which different material, defective articles, as well as artifacts that are unnecessary for various reasons, but haven't lost their value, are placed. Can you define that the abundance of things lying on the racks serves as a cover for laboratories?" smiling broadly father replies.

"Well, we have two doors that have the similar protection and lead to two similarly designed rooms. Yes, I don't envy the thief. Go and find out which of the two rooms to enter. Well, father, accept my sincerest congratulations!"

"Thank you," says Harry gratefully, smiling happily.

"How and what traps you have set in the warerooms?"

"Only one trap is placed in each room," somewhat confused says Harry, "so it turns out I've made here the same mistake?"

Alrus just shrugs his shoulders in silence and asks:

"What intricate trap you've set that you didn't cover it with the presence of other traps?"

"The trap is created on the basis of non-mages' technology, no searching spells can find it. I checked it," he's thought for a moment, then continues "I suppose a spell that manifests magic traps won't find it, either?"

On this Alrus just nods yes, his eyes encouraging his father to continue.

"It's triggered by the weight of a person stepping on one of the slabs, scattered randomly along the racks. The pressure activates the stasis artifact closest to the slab, which along with the other artifacts are on the racks."

"What about you?"

"These particular stasis artifacts were designed and made by myself," proudly states Harry a little bit protruding his chest but having seen that his son hasn't evaluated his humour fizzles out and already without fanfare adds:

"Everything is simple, these artifacts I made tied to my aura, so stasis won't affect me."

"Great. A nice trap. You figured out the rest."

"Yes, I can see that now!" he says irritably. "I invented a good trap but I didn't think about the fact that it should be covered in order not to alert the evildoer. Now that you've rubbed my nose in it, it becomes obvious. And I realize now that I would have been alarmed, too, by the fact that there're absolutely no traps in one room or the other. What kind of a secret is this that isn't hidden and protected? So I'm cheating him somewhere."

"The conclusion is that the secret is elsewhere," Alrus continues the father's line of thought.

Harry just shaking his head with sadness at his son's words.

"Don't be upset, father! Nothing happened; smart evildoer hasn't came to you. We'll handle with the rest."

On this the father beams and says:

"As they say you need to look at everything with a fresh look in order to see the defects. So you did it. I'm glad, very glad I decided to show you the protection system of the secret.

The son just nods agreeing with the obvious fact, and his father continues:

"Well, in that case let's continue! If the evildoer willing to know other people's secrets wouldn't buy into the artifacts located in the room or would be able to find the mage-panel hidden in the wall as you did and try to use it than in this case I have something else," Harry says and turning to face the door takes his wand and cast a spell on the wall.

The wall has shivered and the mage-panel protrudes in the surface. Resemblance with the non-mage's code-panel is that the vertical surfaces of both panels have buttons. If non-mage's panels have figures than figures of mage's panels are replaced with runes.

Nine runes individually selected by the customer and below the buttons there's a plate for cast recipient which the owner of a mage-panel chooses and records as an additional code. This is the second level of protection, and the third level is a small recess next to the plate, in the depth of which a barely visible needle sticks out to draw blood.

Harry as usual preses a code on the mage-panel and then reaches the door's knob to open it when his son stops him.

"Wait, you forgot to enter the spell and leave a drop of your blood for identification."

Pause. The puzzled look on Harry's face, coupled with a sly smile has made Alrus wary then snicker and after assessing everything correctly he speaks, his words confirming that he's understood everything from his father's clue.

"Since you've now missed the two operations required to be entered on a standard mage panels, there's a valid reason for that, right?

"Yes."

Having looked at the father once again Alrus shakes his head in agreement, then not aristocratically scratches the back of his head and says:

"Good thinking, father! If I didn't wait for a catch plus the absence of the trap In this room and if you wouldn't be smiling mysteriously now than all together lead me to suggestion that…"

Having stopped speaking Alrus begins to step the distance from wall to wall, reasoning aloud:

"If you execute the operations you've missed on purpose now, that's it! Good thinking, father, I'm thrilled! If I understand correctly, the second level of protection will be switched on. Which won't be so easy to break in the end."

"Impossible," he corrects his son.

"What?" Alrus doesn't understand the father.

"It would be impossible to break into the second level of protection. Because even I, who knows where and what to do, would need several days to switch it off. That's why I corrected you that the second level of protection is not simple, as you said, it's impossible to break. Because its components are hidden in different parts of the manor."

"Well, you're really paranoid! I can't wait to know what this mystery is that requires so much complex protection."

"You'll be paranoid too when you know it."

"It's good", Alrus says frowning, "but here's what I don't like. You can protect the secret, but who would protect you from the evildoer when he would understand that the secret has slipped away from his hands? What would l you do when you're near him without your wand?"

In reply Harry just fervently winks, and then decisively opens a door and steps into a dark doorway.