Chapter 874 - 13

I sprinted down the hallway, took a sharp turn, and ducked into the nearest broom closet.

I froze, turning to stare at the other occupants of the enclosed space.

"Black," I greeted Andromeda, looking at the other member "Who is Perseus?"

"Fan of the Classics, Doom?" asked the third occupant of the room.

"They are the Classics for a reason, and it is von Doom," I corrected.

"Tonks, Ted Tonks," responded the boy, "Fourth Year, Hufflepuff. Who is the Kraken in this case?"

"Have you met Bella?" asked Andromeda, as we both turned in shock at the girl. "What? They are the Classics for a reason."

After a bit of quick thinking, I had an idea, "I was here the whole time, and I will cover for you," I said, overhearing the approaching footsteps as I pointed my wand at Tonks.

"Why would..." started Tonks, only to get entangled by ropes just before the door opened.

"Miss Black, Messrs von Doom, and Tonks did any of you three happen to be in the Defense Corridor a few minutes ago?" asked the Defense Professor.

"We were all here, Professor," responded Andromeda, covering for me.

"Really, even Mister von Doom?" asked the moron.

"Going for that complete set," I snarked, turning to Andromeda, and giving her a look.

"The Duffer over there thought he could be a proper match for a Daughter of House Black," Andromeda spoke with a sniff, as though the idea offended her. "Victor here was allowing me to prove a point."

"Detention, all three of you," responded the idiot, leaving with a huff after a while. "I do not want to care whatever teenage shenanigans you lot are into."

"Really?" asked Ted, as a wave of my wand vanished the ropes tying him up.

"Completing the set, von Doom?" asked Andromeda, sounding far less than impressed.

"Don't care who you snog, Black," I said, "But we both know it would have caused a headache if you were found in a broom closet with Mister Muggleborn."

"And this is better?" asked Andromeda, "Bella will strangle me."

"And probably forget Mister Tonks," I said, with a wink, "I am putting my reputation on the line, here."

A few minutes passed.

"So," spoke Andromeda, "What happened to the Defense Corridor?"

"Someone may have accidentally set it on fire," I explained, feeling embarrassed.

In my defense, I was using the Mirror Dimension to build a new Covenant with the Faltine.

I had inherited a Bloodline Contract from my mother for Balthakk, a covenant that she had made as any self respecting summoner of the Eldritch and Demoic that wished to survive the first few summons. Compared to that, the Faltine required a bit more delicacy as I had to forge a bond with the other realms on my own, trading deals, favors, and... bleh... service.

Needless to say, the negotiations had gone a bit south, and I was chased out of the Mirror Dimension by what was effectively a sentient ball of flame that I had to banish back into wherever it originated from.

"Really, von Doom, you are worse than Bella," said Andromeda, snorting.

"It was obviously not intentional," I added, "Or I would not have gotten almost caught. I would be more concerned if your family started asking what you were doing with Mister Tonks in a broom closet."

"Instead of owning up to the fact that you torched the entire Defense Corridor?" asked Andromeda, "What did you do, play around with Fiendfyre?"

I did not give a response but a smile.

Andromeda turned and left with a huff.

"I guess I should thank you, von Doom," I heard Tonks speak.

"Whatever, just promise me to name any future kids Nymphadora, especially if they show any Metamorphmagus talent," I responded, feeling a touch villainous, patting Tonks on the back.

"If this thing gets that far, I am naming you the godfather," muttered Tonks, clearly having it bad for the Middle-sister of the Blacks.

"Do you really want me to be a role model for your child?" I asked in turn, not willing to accept the responsibility. There was only one child in the multiverse who deserved such an honor as to call Doom her godfather, after all.

"Fair enough," nodded Tonks, leaving.

---

Later that evening, as I indulged in a more intellectual pursuit, I flipped through the very large tome I checked out from the Library.

"Rook to C4," I said, getting a yelp from the piece that I moved with my own telekinesis as practice instead of the enchantment of the Wizarding Chess Set, ignoring the screaming match between the Black Sisters going on in the background.

The Alchemy Almanac from 16th to 17th Century was a rather dry read, but one that was meant to provide more comprehensive information on what I was looking for.

Because I found that there were three main factors that made technology not work in Hogwarts.

The most obvious one was the lack of electricity to run the technology. Anything with batteries worked for as long as the battery lasted and stopped working afterward.

The hand-cranked radio and other methods worked since they did not rely on a battery, further supporting my hypothesis.

Given that even the experts in Muggle Artifact in the Wizarding World, like Arthur Weasley, had trouble understanding 'eclectricity' and the fact that a teenager had the attention span of a particularly dumb golden retriever, it was easy to see why people dismissed technology stopping working as a rule instead of a consequence of negligence.

The second reason was the isolation of Hogwarts itself. While a normal radio worked, it had trouble getting any signals because we were in the middle of Bumfuck, Scotland, with the nearest radio tower about ten kilometers away. Combined with the bad weather wards that indiscriminately blocked a broad range of electromagnetic effects, the result was a lack of signal within Hogwarts.

Those two explained why Ministry or Diagon Alley did not have any similar problems when it came to technology.

The third variable was the one that was still unknown.

It also was why I needed Alchemy.

Contrary to what I knew from Full Metal Alchemist, Alchemy was not just about transmuting one matter to another matter. While a lot of the focus of Alchemy was on the Transmutation of Magical Properties of Materials to permanently convert an item into another item like lead to gold, Alchemy was effectively a Science, one that studied the interaction between magic and materials.

Given that Potions studied the interactions between materials when in the presence of magic, the best comparison was that Alchemy was to Potions what Material Science was to Mechanical Engineering.

And why it was so complex, as it was connected to everything from Transfiguration to Potions to even Astronomy.

Alchemical Properties of base materials were recorded in the 17th Century by Flamel and his peers. The same study had not been conducted on more modern materials that only became common after the Statute of Secrecy. It meant that no one actually studied the Magical Properties of rare-earth minerals that started getting used to make semiconductors work.

And that was what I needed.

Because, no one actually bothered to model how electricity moved through a medium when exposed to magic, especially when in an area with high magical concentrations of whatever component that I was missing with Wizardry that Sorcery did not have.

It made sense; Wizards were long-lived, and electricity had only became common in the last century.

Not many in the magical world had a need to study the finer aspects of the combination of Magic and Lightning when all that they usually needed was the ability to smite that thing in that general direction.

My current hypothesis was either a form of EM Radiation or some sort of Quantum Effect that messed with electrons, leading to bits flipping or transistors failing when they should not, as it would only become a significant problem with more advanced electronics.

Strange and unexpected reactions of magic to those materials meant that the delicate electronics could fry in whatever Chaotic mess was left over from hundreds of students casting half-controlled spells all day long.

It would explain why the more advanced semiconductors actually failed within the presence of Magic unless ruggedized up to NASA specs for space. I was sure that Stark did not have any problem when fighting against Magic, at least in the comic books.

Hence, why the Almanac.

It was effectively the cumulative Alchemical works published in a single century and a part of a series that reached all the way to the 19th century.

It meant that I had to study Alchemy and complete a long range of experiments myself if I wanted to figure out how to use technology and magic together, and potentially even interface the two.

Once I could model the components, I just needed to get my hands on some sand and figure out a way to create advanced semiconductors to get a proper working computer.

"It has got to be the Cursed Vaults," Lily said, dropping a copy of Hogwarts a History and disrupting my alone time.

I barely spared Lily a glance as the weighty tome landed on the table with a resounding thud, sending up a small cloud of dust. The interruption was expected, inevitable even.

I turned a page in The Alchemy Almanac, utterly unimpressed. "The source of the Cursed Ice is irrelevant... but I shall entertain you. Malfoy, mate in seven, now get lost."

Lucius Malfoy looked at me and gave a nod, not making a fuss at the presence of Lily and actually gracefully accepting the out I gave his racist ass.

Seriously, what had gone wrong with Draco to make him such a dumbass in the future? Had Riddle cursed his own followers to never have the means to prove him a challenge?

Lily let out an exasperated huff. "Irrelevant?! Victor, the school is literally under siege by unknown magical forces, and you don't care?" She placed her hands on her hips, leaning over the table as though proximity might inject enthusiasm into me.

"Figuratively," I corrected, "and you are being a bit overdramatic there, Evans," I said with a smile. And it was I, future Doctor Doom, who was the one making that statement.

"Well, whatever it is is dangerous," said Lily before pausing. "Victor, you can probably fix the Cursed Ice, right? Make it safe for everyone else."

It was not really a choice, was it?

The Cursed Ice would spread, potentially contained by other methods, but still prove a problem. A single mistake, a single wrong move, and it was a risk waiting to hurt innocents... my friends.

"What do we know about the Cursed Ice?" I asked, deciding that it was a good learning experience for them. Given how much of an incompetent moron the Defense Professor was, it might as well be useful to give them some experience dealing with Dark Magic.

"There is no fixing or undoing the Cursed Ice," said Severus, coming to my help. "It adapts to any spell being used."

"Whatever Borg-like ability the ice has," I stated, "I think you should focus on the potential uses of an ice that does not melt on potions if you want to actually discover something new."

"What the hell is a Borg?" asked Severus.

"Ask that in about... fifteen years," I said doing the mental math. I hated the fact that I would have to wait for pop culture to catch up, but at least the Original Series was still around. Hopefully, Old Man Evans would not forget to record it.

"Well, what about the Cursed Vaults?" asked Lily. "It says here that they were some sort of a cache of magic that was hidden away by the Headmasters of Hogwarts."

I was pretty sure that was just the Ancient Magic Repository, which was separate from the Cursed Vaults.

"Victor, you are the expert in this type of magic, please help," said Lily.

I sighed.

"I do need to get the next book on this series anyway," I said, holding the book I was reading, "To the library."

---

We had barely settled into our research in the Library when an unwelcome voice broke the relative silence.

"Well, if it isn't three snakes poking their noses into the Cursed Vaults."

I glanced up from my book, already irritated. The girl standing before us had the self-assurance of someone who thought she was the protagonist of reality itself. Wavy red hair, blue eyes, a Gryffindor tie, and an expression that all but screamed 'I know something you don't.'

"Let me guess," I said flatly. "You're about to offer your help out of the goodness of your heart, and absolutely not because you need lackeys to do your dirty work."

Patricia Rakepick smirked as if my words confirmed something for her. "Oh, I see you've heard of me."

"No, but your type is predictable." I closed the book with a deliberate snap and met her gaze. "What do you want?"

"I'm putting together a group to investigate the Cursed Vaults," she said, lowering her voice slightly. "And from what I overheard, you three are already looking into the Cursed Ice. We can help each other."

"No, thank you," I said, already returning to my book.

"You don't even know what I have to offer," she pressed, stepping closer.

"I know you're a fifth-year who thinks it's perfectly normal to recruit first-years for dangerous excursions," I replied, flipping a page. "And I also know that's the sort of thing that tends to get people hexed, cursed, or buried in an unmarked grave."

I had not actually played the Hogwarts Mystery game, but I knew it in broad strokes to know that she was the Defense Professor and, not so surprisingly, the main villain of the game... I think.

She scoffed. "Oh, please. If you're really serious about this, you're going to need allies."

"I'll take my chances," I said coolly. "And if you're smart, you'll take the hint and leave."

"I..." started the girl.

"Leave," I stated, "Your help is not needed and not appreciated. Find some other first-year to throw into potential danger. You will not find any pawns here, and should you insist, I will string you up next to the Eldest Black."

Rakepick's face flushed.

Her smirk faltered for the briefest of moments, but she recovered quickly. "Suit yourself," she said, turning on her heel and definitely not bravely running away. "But don't come crying to me when you're in over your head."

The joke is on you, girl; Doom does not have tear ducts.

"Again?" asked Severus under his breath, his tone a mix of frustration and admiration.

"Made a fuss about her sisters. To be honest, I am beginning to suspect she likes getting my attention," I admitted with a shrug.

Managing Bellatrix was more of a chore than I had initially accounted for, but combined with the reputation she had from before, it made it easier for me to do whatever I wanted without being bothered... apart from a few terrified Hufflepuffs that thought that I was going to be the next Dark Lord.

Seriously, do you have any idea how much of my intelligence I have to sacrifice to qualify for the position of a Dark Lord? For all I cared, Riddle was welcome to it.

"Black is just a weirdo," said Lily with a huff and a blush at what I did to the annoyance that was Bellatrix, who refused to apologize or give up, potentially because she indeed liked getting treated like that, but to each their own. I was far too young physically to truly appreciate such attention.

"What do we need, some advanced magic?" asked Severus, eager to help.

"We are going to need a pickaxe, not magic," I said, making a decision. "We will collect samples from the Cursed Ice first, though we should grab Meggan on the way, she is good with fire magic if things get dicey. Then," I said, pointing at the book I was reading, "We will do some Science."

"Where is Meggan, anyway?" asked Severus

"She had extra lessons on Transfiguration. The project that we are working on is getting close," I explained, hinting at the potential for starting the actual Anti-Transmogrification Ritual soon, causing the two to look at me with shock.

"What, I keep track of important stuff," I defended.

"Glad you see your friends as important stuff," Lily bit back.

---

"Keep the sample in the cauldron," I said, watching it absorb the heat and get dissolved.

"So the solution is to not use magic," said Lily, sounding disappointed.

"Sometimes, the easiest solution is the one that does not need magic," I repeated. "But that is not the trick to it."

"It is not able to stand against heat, even if it can absorb magical energy," said Meggan, pointing her wand in the cauldron and speaking "Incendio."

The magical fire caused the ice to expand, only to shrink back.

"The intensity," Severus noted. "We need to be good at the Fire spell to contain it, or push it back, but make sure it is hot enough that any magic it absorbs is less than the heat."

I smiled, channeling my best Professor voice, "Get me a blackboard; I am gonna teach you some Thermodynamics and basic Chemistry."

---

The Cursed Ice recoiled, inch by inch, under the relentless assault of our fire spells.

The corridor leading to the Vault of Ice had been frozen over, but it had provided a decent practice on the more basic Fire-Making Charm for us.

While I had some concerns about dragging three eleven-year-olds into this mess, I was also confident that I could protect them if push came to shove.

The four of us pressed forward, our flames carving a path through the supernatural cold that was unable to replenish by absorbing the magical energy that was used as part of the start-up energy of the fire.

I noted how the three had their own preferences when it came to magic. Meggan's power was supplemented by her skill in Transfiguration, a way to change air into fuel. Lily's power was closer to psionics, her flame more in tune with her emotions and thoughts and controlled. Severus, on the other hand, used a more Darker approach to it, using 'other' magic as fuel.

I took to doing all three. The blue flame I unleashed flash-vaporized the ice as I poured my own understanding of reality into it, my spell slipping into the ice and changing its specific heat characteristics from that of water to something much easier to sublimate at lower temperatures as I simultaneously transfigured the Nitrogen and Oxygen in the air into Nitrous Oxides to provide a bit more heat into the mix.

It was not Eldritch Flames from Extradimensional Beings of Magic or more cursed variants of Wizarding Fire spells, but it was a starting point, at least.

Soon, the way to the Vanished Stairs was open, and we had an entrance to the Vault of Ice.

I noted how the entire corridor, while cold, was not frozen over, implying that the Cursed Ice did not really originate from the Vault but from someone else... or something else.

It did not help that I felt the Sling Ring around my neck warm up in response to the presence of some Eldritch Energies.

"You should head back," I spoke out. "There is a danger to it."

"I am not going away until whatever this is ends," Lily stood her ground, making me sigh.

So that is where Harry got it from.

I noted the glyphs around the room. They looked ancient, powerful, less Wizardry, and more Sorcery. It looked the be some sort of a binding from a casual glance, built around a pentagram that looked to be a summoning circle.

It was easy to note the two distinct runic scripts.

Someone summoned something, and another person sealed them in the room.

"The scripts look damaged," Meggan noted as I nodded.

"Differently," Lily noted, "The inner one is burned off; the other ones look broken."

"Two different sources," I noted as my breath misted over. "Stay close," I said, as we walked into the Vault, not willing to argue. "There is something..."

My left arm came over our heads, the Shield Bracelet activating with a thought as a dome appeared around the four of us, just in time to stop a large club made of ice from crushing us.

Attached to the block of ice was a statue, one that looked like a Knight of all things.

As the cold spread over the shield I cast, I watched it get covered in a layer of ice before shattering, taking out the shield with it.

I felt one of the seven shield charms dim, losing power.

"Ikthalon," I muttered, now finally identifying the Eldritch Power source.

Well, at least I had his attention.

Good news, the fact that I was not encased in ice meant that it was not actually the big guy himself, the Lord of Boreas, but rather a lesser Demon of the Dimension of Stagnation.

My wand snapped out, sending a bolt of Balthakk that threw back the Ice Knight, causing the large statue to crash to the wall in the back of the wall.

The knight tried to stand up, only to get three different sources of fire crashing into it.

A pulse of magic was the first thing I noticed, snapping up my Shield Bracelet and watching it get coated in ice once more.

"Victor," said Lily, "A Plan might help unless we are running."

"We are not running," I responded, "I will pull the magical energy from it while you three work on heating it up."

My hands moved in motions practiced for the last half a decade, ancient, arcane moves, that called upon Primal Dark Magic.

I had told Lily that Dark Magic was magic that took, but I had not explained the name truly.

Dark was the absence of Light, and Dark Magic, similarly was created from the absence of Magic.

It was a vacuum, a black hole, a Dark Spot in the senses of Magicals, letting energy flow from higher concentration to lower concentration.

Chi roiled off my hands, striking against the stream of cold.

Thumbs pressed ring fingers as I pulled the magic that made up the cold, while my companions unleashed a stream of pure magical flame.

It took less than a minute, the four of us working together, for the Ice Knight to stop moving.

"Did it work?" asked Meggan, a sheen of sweat covering her skin... skin that looked to have gained some sort of scales sometime during all this.

Lily was panting, her face matching her hair in color, while Severus' hair was damp with sweat, his skin far too bronze to be healthy.

I could feel the cold magic roil against the bindings within me. It was there, waiting to be called upon.

I held up my hands, a mist of cold roiling out of my fingers.

"Yeah, almost," I said, my eyes finding the immobile knight on the corner, summoning the pickaxe, using my Chi to encase it in a haze of white mist before bringing it down on one of its knees, shattering it.

Three more strikes got rid of its limbs, and another one fully shattered it, causing the ice to turn into water.

By the time I was done, I noted that Severus had approached what appeared to be some sort of an altar, casting detection charms over it.

"Anything useful?" I asked.

"A book was on here," said Severus, hands going through the dust-covered altar, pointing at the missing part. "Someone took it."

"Right," I said, "We should leave before the Professors come and give us another detention. I am getting double-booked at this rate."

The trio chuckled, making me roll my eyes, levity was better than the alternative.

Now, I needed to figure out why and how someone managed to or wanted to release an Eldritch Demon in a school full of children, and once I did, they were not going to have a pleasant time.

Before that, though, I needed to handle some unfinished business.

Now that I had a powerful source of Ice Magic... I was going to try out the Faltine again.

And this time, I was not going to be asking as nicely as before.

AN: Victor starts working on linking Magic with Technology while running into some Sorcery of his own, starting to build up his own power in the only way a Doom can, by bullying gods and demons and stealing their lunch money. I don't think the Cursed Vault storyline will survive the next chapter though, given how Victor is and how it might help out with his Sorcery.

I am motivated by discussions, feedback, and criticism. If you wish to enable my coffee addiction, I made a ko-fi account here if you wish to support my work. I can only promise to spend the time drinking coffee writing my stories, and you get absolutely nothing else in return.

Time flew, and Christmas break was upon us.

"Mister von Doom, why are you wearing the Sorting Hat?" asked Professor Sprout, given that McGonagall was looking at anything but my general direction and Flitwick was hiding his face, she seemed to have drawn the short end of the stick.

"He was bored, Professor Sprout," I responded, telling only the half-truth. "Figured I would take the hat for a walk, and it is Christmas."

The full truth was that I was using the Hat to work out my Occlumency... well, Mental Shielding in general. As an enchanted item, the Hat had a limited means of actually attacking the mind, but every bit counted.

Dumbledore seemed to be taking it all as a joke, enjoying the chaos that was the single merged table while guiding a pair of knitting needles to make what looked to be an abstract art that could pass for a sock on the side with a marvelous display of precise Wandless Magic, waving his fingers to guide the needles.

I had given every member of the staff a ball of yarn and needles transfigured from branches as a joke, given how Dumbledore wanted socks for Christmas, McGonagall moonlit as a cat half the time, Flitwick and I had talked about the use of Enchantment in the process of crafting something, and Spout had me explain how to use the Incarcerous charm so she can use it to tie up some plants in a detention.

Meggan, next to me, buried her face in secondhand embarrassment, given the fact that I did not really give a fuck about what others thought. Lily and Severus had both left, while Meggan seemed to not want to do so, despite the fact that Lily had offered to host her and I would be fine crashing on a couch.

To take advantage of two weeks of uninterrupted library time, I had also decided to stay.

Ensuring that Meggan was not alone for the Holidays was just a happy little coincidence, as Bob Ross would say.

Granted, this was also an occasion for me to look into some of the other information that I could easily confirm, but I, too, decided to stay as well.

Hmm... note to self, I should pick up painting.

I had gone through the entire OWL curriculum in a few months, learning and mastering the spells that I considered to be essential. Unfortunately, they were more along the lines of cantrips that I would have to learn to use both Silently and Wandlessly if I wanted them to be of any use to me in the long term.

A long stretch of time uninterrupted by classes was just the thing I needed to break through the mental barrier that would allow me to use the spells without yelling them out loud. There had to be some common thread, as having to practice each spell individually until I could use them silently sounded like a chore.

But the first thing I needed was to get rid of some time-sensitive issues that I needed to handle before school started.

And by that, I meant the Cursed Vaults.

A side mission to the Room of Requirements provided me with a broken wand... or half a dozen, most kept so I could study them at a later date.

I knew the Vault of Fear was somewhere in the Restricted Section, behind a bookcase, and tracking it by recognizing external influence on my own mind was something I could rely on.

With no one but a seventh-year Ravenclaw either throwing a temper tantrum or having a nervous breakdown, possibly from the stress of his upcoming NEWTs, this was the perfect time for this task.

Especially when I was armed with the means to handle a Boggart quite easily.

Riddiculus was a great spell for Boggarts, and if not, I had an axe to use, as the Patronus trick I found was quite useful for non-beings born of emotions, like Dementors, Poltergeists, and Boggarts, as proven when I decapacitated Peeves. He was nice enough to run away screaming of the "Oncoming Doom" whenever I walked close by, further boosting my reputation.

Fortunately, for the case of the Boggarts, who showed you what you feared the most, I knew what I would see... or at least I had an idea.

There are many things I could consider unpleasant to see, from a certain demon that was Essentially Satan for all purposes, to the variant of me that was able to enslave my other variants.

I did not really like to speak out either one's name in case it got some attention on me.

But while unpleasant and a chore to handle them, I did not really fear them.

Fear.

Funny thing, fear.

It is an instinct.

It was Evolution giving the means for a greater likelihood of perpetuation. One that humanity evolved to increase the odds of their survival, to propagate.

It was automatic.

But to a fortified mind, one that was expecting a mental strike that would drag out those feelings, it was easy to detect any mental intrusions and counter them by manipulating your own thoughts.

I did not do it. I wanted to see what my fears were.

But just in case, I came prepared.

To be frank, I was expecting to see myself or a variant of Doom call me out as a fake, pull a Doom on me somehow, and try anything from possession to opening a dimensional breach and pulling out another variant of Doom... you know, the works.

I had, of course, spent nearly two hours going over every potential way a variant of Doom could use the Boggart to jump from another dimension to this one.

My armor was obviously on me.

Rune Stones were in a sack, ready to be thrown to contain dimensional breeches, while sage burned from a bundle attached to my belt to ward off possession.

Next was a High Voltage Capacitor enchanted to be durable and charged with a Bolt of Balthakk to act as a localized EMP-cum-Banishment spell with some decent power circuitry built into it that still worked in the Magic of Hogwarts.

Last was my grandfather's Luger, disassembled and enchanted by both Impervious and Salvio Hexia enchantments to make it last longer and not be jammed by the Jamming Hex that I had used or any other variations of the spell.

Three Boggarts came for me.

Their vector attack was similar enough to the one that the Hat used that it was not really a significant effort to block it.

The three Boggarts started to swirl, forming a mess of non-living protoform that seemed to lack any substance.

But this was an opportunity for me.

I felt the sliver that was trying to make its way into my mind, looking for that which would feed them.

I let it pass my mental defenses, confident I could handle whatever they showed.

And I found three dead bodies before me.

Lily, Severus, and Meggan.

I also noted the compulsion to believe that this was real and not a Boggart.

"So, that is how you do it," I analyzed clinically. "You have to do better than that."

The three Boggarts transformed, forming into three familiar armored figures, each one clad in a green cloak.

"That is more like it," I said, looking at three adult Doctor Dooms.

One looked to have a skin of metal, and another had what appeared to have its suit fused with his skin.

"Pathetic," I responded. I did not need to hear them speak to know that they were judging me to be fake.

The nerve of them.

The one in the middle, however, was more what I expected from Doom, but I did not really fear this.

Then the three shifted, their armor rippling and starting to look less like metal and more like skin... hardened skin.

That variant of Doom was something I did not wish to face... but I did not fear the so-called Doom Supreme. I was not suicidal enough to face him at this point, but fear was not something I would feel when I saw an illusion of him; more wariness, like two predators facing off and judging if they could take the other.

"Warmer," I said, ready to banish them away.

Then the skin took on different faces... familiar faces.

Valeria, Borris, my parents, then Lily, and Severus, and Meggan, adding even the Evans family.

"You can do better than that, surely," I commented.

Then the face plates fell.

And I looked into the scarred face.

I felt revulsion. I felt disgusted.

The face was not mine, but different variants of Reed Richards that I recalled, instead of mine.

"You should have stuck to corpses," I said as the hilt of the axe slammed into my palm.

Fear is a natural reaction, one that triggers the Fight, Flight, and Freeze reflex. But if the fear became something inevitable... then people tended to stop fearing, and instead start feeling anger.

Unfortunately for the three non-beings before me, Doom did not freeze, nor did he flee.

And the thought that any variant of Richards would harm those under the protection of Doom or claim my identity filled me with rage.

I did not need to use the proper spell against the Boggarts; an Axe to the face would have to suffice.

---

By the time I was done, I was affronted...deeply disturbed... and partially nauseated.

Evil Richards... that was just an unpleasant thought to even consider.

An Evil Richards that went after those under the protection of Doom... that was just disturbing, if not suicidal.

The idea was that his interference would cause the death of those under my protection.

But, taking an axe to that idea, quite literally for this case, that was sort of cathartic, I had to admit, even therapeutic.

Alright, maybe I have some issues that I need to consider seeking some professional help with.

Really, an obsession with Richards without even having met the guy... that was just unhealthy.

Once the Vault was cleared, all I got were a map and the shaft of an arrow.

Right, this is the part where I have to find the missing part of the Goobler and put it back together.

The next day, I used a Locator Spell to find the tip of the arrow in the Forbidden Forest, modifying the original Sorcery into creating a butterfly of Eldritch Magic with some math and boredom, allowing me to track it by foot.

A quick Reparo ended with me having a complete arrow and almost at the entrance of the Forest Vault, according to the map.

I heard a ruffle, then, only for a couple of centaurs to jump in.

"We greet you, Knight in Green," the Centaur spoke, giving a proper bow.

And they said Centaurs did not show respect.

Granted, I was ready to unleash an icicle in the general direction, so self-preservation, I suppose.

"I was expecting that someone was tracking me," I said, as I had purposefully not covered my tracks, hoping whoever was looking into the Cursed Vaults, be it the Defense Professor or Rakepick, to follow me into a dark forest where hiding a body would be easy.

What? If you threatened my friends, someone was going to lose a limb at the least.

"I was, however, not expecting you lot," I said, turning to face the approaching group.

"We apologize, Knight of Green, for disrupting your hunt," said the Centaur, giving another bow. "I am Magorian."

"Cut the bowing, it is annoying," I said in the end. "How about a trade, information for something equal in value. First of all, Knight of Green, that is a new title."

"It is what you are, Planeswalker," said Magorian, "Clad in silver, Clad in green, a Knight of the Table, in Albion long unseen."

"Right, time-travel bullshit," I repeated, "So don't spoil it for me. You called me Planeswalker, so I suppose that secret is out of the bag."

"Not necessarily, Knight," said another centaur. "We see what is, what was, and what is yet to be. Your secrets are safe with us, should you provide aid in turn."

I held back on instinctively blasting the Centaur for trying to strong-arm me. I did not need that sort of attention yet.

"Be very careful, Centaur, on what you say next," I warned him. "A less patient man would perceive what you said to be a form of blackmail."

One of the younger centaurs stomped in irritation, notching an arrow to his bow.

I flex of my will caused the fallen branches around me to float and transform into extremely large needles, trusting my Shield Bracelet to counter their attack.

"It was not our intention to offend, Victor von Doom, yet we see aid in a conflict, one that is ravaging our forest. We are willing to offer trade-in return," said one of the older-looking centaurs, as Magorian stepped back, letting the leader take over.

"Spider Civil War?" I guessed.

Forbidden Forest was home to two different types of Acramantula.

One was older but rarer and not as organized.

The other, Hagrid, had introduced by sneaking in a mating pair from somewhere else.

"Nature will find balance," said the Centaur, "Yet it is the innocent who perish for it."

"Are we talking about the spiders still?" I asked, getting no answer.

Typical Divination Mains... no straight answers.

Instead, I held up the arrow. "Do any of you recognize this?"

"The Arrow of Torval, the foal of Torvan, the foal of Torvaq," said one of them.

"Let me guess, had a foal named Torvus?" I asked, getting a nod.

So, the arrow belongs to the current generation.

"Who did the arrow originally belong to?" I asked.

"It was given to Hogwarts when the herds first came to these lands," explained one of the Centaurs. "It is a pact, and the holder is the one who honors it."

"I will drop it to the Headmaster after I am done then," I said, not wanting to deal with Centaurs more than I should. "Until then, an alliance of convenience is possible," I added.

There were saner ways to divine the truth than asking the centaurs it would seem.

"May Fate shine upon you, Knight of Green," said the Centaur, "And you succeed in your task at hand."

I nodded, heading my way.

---

"Flames of the Faltine," I called out, pointing my hands at the Acramantula that was blocking the way, vaporizing it out of existence.

Once that was done, I used the arrow as the key, noting what appeared to be a Sleepwalking Curse of some sort, one that I was able to transfer into a sleep mask I transfigured from a few leaves.

With the arrow in my possession, there were not going to be any more incidents involving the Cursed Vaults, and I could investigate the Vaults on my own time, and I would know if someone triggered the Sleepwalking Curse by trying to enter the Vault.

I noted the portrait of a dragon in the Vault before sealing it all.

With that done, I could focus on some proper studies instead.

My research into building electronics capable of functioning in the presence of magic had hit a few limiters, mostly in the from of the lack of funding and tools to run the experiments. That issue, I would be taking care of soon however, but until then, I had a few wands that I wanted to study.

The conclusion was simple, wands were weird.

It was not just some random magic animal bit stuck inside a random magical wood.

It simply did not work like that.

There was something more to it than that, some sort of spells and materials involved, that made Wand Crafting almost ritualistic.

Luckily, I had contacts with an expert, and Ollivander was nice enough to answer my mail, even if sending them by owl made the entire process far too slow for my liking.

The old wand maker had hinted at some sort of a potion being used during the creation process, but he had not elaborated on the details.

That meant that I would have to reverse engineer the entire process.

The trick to reverse engineering, as it were, was to deconstruct the wood into a liquid form using a specialized Alchemical Potion and then use Specialis Revelio to generate the list of components that made up the combined potion.

Remove the materials used in the original deconstruction potion, and what remained would be the list of everything that made up the wand.

The main problem with this approach, however, was the lack of details on how the potion was assembled from the components, even if it was taught as part of Potions NEWTs in the Seventh Year.

Or I could just get an Apprenticeship with Ollivander and use a bit of Mind Arts to take any knowledge he had on the subject.

I was seriously tempted to do the latter and pull a proper Doom.

For now, I instead focused on what I had thanks to the wands... the Wand Cores themselves.

Two Dragon Heartstrings, Three Unicorn Tail Hairs, and a Phoenix Feather made up what I was able to recover from the broken wands, at least ones that were not fully snapped in half.

It also explained how the wand was powered.

Each Magical Animal had its own Sorcery, a unique Link to a specific dimension.

For the Phoenix Feather, I could feel the latent connection to the White Hot Room, even able to very slowly pull on that connection to amplify my Mind Arts and Force Spells.

When meditating with the feather, I could feel my Telekinesis power amplified, pieces in the room rotating around me in perfect harmony, even to the point that I could create Psychic Fire and let it join the celestial dance that had me at its center.

The Dragon Heartstring was a weird one that did not really pull on an Exocentric power, but rather the Natural Chi around me. It did not so much amply a specific spell as it amplified all spells equally. With the way Incantations opened links to Arithmantic Dimensions, the base Chi used by the wand was stronger with the Dragon Heartstring Cores, leading to a greater overall power output.

When used in my meditation, the added Chi did not so much pull on the Natural Energy around me as it assimilated and refined the power into what I would call a Dragon Chi, which was far easier to assimilate into my own Physical Energy than the Natural Energy ever was.

Note to self, pull a Sigurd, kill a dragon, and barbeque its heart. I needed the added Life Force for trading with other dimensions.

The Last One was a weird outlier.

Unicorn Tail Hair was linked to a specific dimension, one that felt like the Unicorns it came from. The energy itself amplified the healing of a person, as I had tested, as it was almost soothing.

As a wand core, the power from the Unicorns allowed for precision, control, and a great ability to heal.

It reminded me of a specific character in a way... Dagger.

It was linked to the Lightforce Dimension.

Then it dawned on me that those three dimensions were all linked to life itself; all were meant to amplify the Life Force that is used as part of the exchange.

Sure, there were other cores, but Ollivander chose those three cores for the power it provided and I had a feeling that he would know it better than others.

Of all the options, access to the Lightforce Dimension was one that I prioritized for the healing abilities it would give me.

"Lovely night for star gazing, Mister von Doom," the voice behind me said.

I did not turn around, sitting in a lotus position with the small Unicorn Tail Hair wrapped around my fingers.

I was using the Full Moon to empower the small ritual that I had devised, using the Unicorn Tail Hair that was freely given to reach into the Lightforce Dimension that I knew powered the Unicorns themselves.

"I have seen better," I noted, not getting up.

"It is past curfew," stated the Headmaster.

"This is the only night of the Full Moon where I can safely conduct this study," I stated, not pointing out Mister Lupin.

"It took you only a few months to figure out?" asked Dumbledore, chuckling.

"It took me a week to figure out," I responded in turn, "Remus smells like a wet dog when he gets caught in the rain... and we live in Scotland."

"I suppose I have you and your companions to thank for solving the Cursed Ice Mystery. I had hoped that it would provide the students some practical experience against Dark Magic," said Dumbledore, "I will leave you be, as I still have to drop by the Kitchens for some tea. Though do be careful, Victor, light may comfort for a time, but it does always illuminate. Do not spend the time you can with companions seeking power. You might find yourself far too lonely to enjoy it."

I hummed, fully intent on ignoring that bit of wisdom.

---

In the end, I was unable to ignore Dumbledore's words and decided to make a side trip.

Mostly because I was still not able to completely banish what the Boggarts had shown me.

The first was to get some Christmas presents.

A trip through the passage behind the One-Eyed Witch Statue, and a few jumps through the Sling Ring, some Mind Magic to get the required materials, and I had everything I needed.

Once that was done, on a whim, I returned back to Scotland.

"Come on, it will be fun," I said, dragging Meggan along. "Just don't mention the means of our travel; say that we apparated or took a Portkey," I said with a wink.

Next came another dozen jumps through Sling Portals; these meant to take me further away from Britain as I traced my journey back through Europe.

While Sling Rings handled Multi-Dimensional Travel well enough, they had similar limitations to Apparition when it came to distance.

The primary limitation being the fact that you had to account for the curvature of the planet if you wanted to do a long jump.

It was why people did not Apparate across continents, and Master of the Mystic Arts used the gates in the sanctums for longer-range travels.

There were other spells for travel, like the Pentagram of Farallah that required five people and could be used to transport them into any location one member had been in, a spell that would have been used to transport those stuck on Titan to the Avengers Complex in Endgame thanks to Peter Parker.

And even if I could do the math, it was an excuse to distract Meggan from the morose mood she was in and do some sightseeing.

After about a few hours, I was looking over the familiar hills and mountains of my Latveria.

I could spend time looking for the caravan, or I could use this nifty spell I knew. I pulled out my father's hand watch, taking out the piece of hair inside it to use the Locator Spell.

Another portal opened into my next destination.

We stepped through.

---

As a shadow I walked out of the woods, as Boris aimed his rifle in my way.

A hex jammed it without a thought or wand.

"Is that how you welcome me, old man?" I asked, putting my hand back into the pocket of my trenchcoat that was far too thin for the Latverian Winter.

Cold and Heat did not bother me, not anymore, now that I had made Covanents with Lords of both Lords of Boreas and the Faltine.

"Victor," said Boris in shock, lowering his rifle before passing it to me. "We were not expecting your visit," he said.

Meggan walked out of the woods.

"Is this how Latverians greet people?" asked Meggan confused.

"Only when we like them," I responded, going through the process of unjamming it, first magically, then mechanically. "Boris, this is Meggan; she is British-Roma, and a friend."

"A friend?" chuckled Boris, "the only person who had such an honor from the Mighty Victor von Doom was my grandaughter last time I saw you."

"Laugh it up, old man," I responded. "I brought gifts," I said, summoning the chest I was dragging. "Winter Coats and Medicine for everyone, toys for the kids, and toys of a different sort for the older kids," I added, giving him a look that got a nod of understanding.

It had taken me a day to shop for it all, funded by a complex network of accountants that were linked to the accounts of weapon merchants selling to the Sokovian Government and rainy-day funds of high-level Soviet officials in the Banks of England that were hidden rather well. A bit of creative accounting, sponsored by Mind Magic, had me bankroll the entire process, none of which could be traced back to me, of course, since I had access to some Polyjuice from experimenting with the final stages of the Anti-Transmogrification Ritual.

I had even ensured that I was not as broke as before, taking a cut from the money to bankroll my future plans.

While the clothing, medicine, and toys were easy to procure once I had the liquidity, weapons for the 'boys' had proven a bit more challenging, even if they would be needed more, as weapons were hard to come by, especially on the move.

For that, I figured I would raid a few Nazi museums and put the tools used to oppress my people to protect them instead, rather them letting them rot in some display.

"So you heard, huh?" asked Boris, straightening.

"Fortunov? Evans mentioned it in his last letter. How is everything?" I asked.

Vladimir Fortunov was bad news for the Zefiro.

That cunt had been a Major when Hydra and Strucker Senior had decided that camps were back in fashion, and he was part of the group that had survived my mother's initial rampage.

Given the bullet wounds she was buried with, I had a guess that he was responsible for more than that.

"We are doing fine," said Boris, "Have to keep moving through the countryside, but it is our land."

"Who are you talking to, old man," a girl's voice spoke.

"Hey Val," I said, giving a wave at my first friend.

"Victor?" responded a missile that slammed into me.

Then I got punched in the face.

Doom was going to let that one pass.

"And 'Hey Val?' that's the best you can do, you arsehole," I caught the follow-up slap. I let it connect, rolling with it so she did not hurt her wrist.

"One slap is all you are allowed, Valeria," I said, with my serious tone, getting the twelve-year-old to stop.

She tried to kick me instead, once more proving why she was my favorite.

"You look well for a person supposed to be dead," Valeria huffed, making me chuckle.

"How long did it take you to drag the truth out of your Grandfather?" I asked in turn.

"Two hours," she said with a self-satisfied smirk.

I turned to look at Boris with narrowed eyes. "I am judging you, old man," I said, getting a shrug from Boris.

"You look well as well," I said, "your roots need redoing though."

I stepped away from the kick that came as a response. "Is that what you say to a girl? You, self-absorbed... argh," she actually stomped, making me chuckle some more.

I reached out and pulled the girl into a hug, getting an "eep" from her.

The arms wrapped around me were enough for me to be just Victor for a few moments, dispersing the shadows hanging over me.

"Missed you too, Val," I said, as I was pushed away after a moment.

"So, who is the blondie?" asked Valeria, calming down and crossing her arms over her chest. "You go to Britain and steal away a Fae Princess, is that it?"

"This is Meggan, she is our friend," I stated simply.

"Is she now?" asked Valeria, looking over her. "I love the ears... is that what they teach in fancy British schools."

"You would be surprised," responded Meggan, "Victor learned to brutalize ghosts."

"Geists," I corrected, "Ghosts proved immune to physical attacks... for now."

"Right, well, I am going to hear it from her first, you suck at storytelling, and I don't want some lecture on how awesome you are again," said Valeria, approaching Meggan before looping her arm over the blonde and dragging her away.

That left Boris and I standing in the stow.

"I am not father," I said, turning to Boris, "but I wish to help where I can."

"I am sure everyone will be happy to see you again, Victor," said Boris, leading the way.

We walked to the caravan, as I spent the night using the power I gleamed from the Lightforce Dimension and the Unicorn Tail Hair to heal those that needed healing.

By the time the sun rose, the piece of hair had long since dulled, but it was no longer needed. My soul had gotten enough practice channeling the light for me to understand and be attuned to the process as I kept healing those who needed it.

---

The next day, we headed back to Scotland, as I was not willing to risk staying in Latveria too long so that Hydra may track me down again.

I felt... more at peace as I returned.

AN: Christmas chapter, and one that involves self-reflection. Victor speedruns the Cursed Vaults, probably breaks a few dozen Wizarding and International Laws, and has fun doing it.

As always, I am motivated by discussions, feedback, and criticism. If you wish to enable my coffee addiction, I made a ko-fi account here if you wish to support my work. I can only promise to spend the time drinking coffee writing my stories, and you get absolutely nothing else in return.

The Arithmantic Analysis of Animorphus Charm for Revealing the Animagus Form

By Victor Werner von Doom and Minerva McGonagall

The Animagus Ritual is one of the greatest achievements of Human Self-Transfiguration in existence. The primary limitation of the Animagus Ritual, apart from it's complexity and length, is the lack of information on what animal form an individual would take after going through the ritual. We present the Animorphus Charm, a new spell that allows one to gain greater insight into the form they might take, allowing them to make a more informed decision on whether or nor they wish to become an Animagus. In this paper, we present the Arithmantic Breakdown of our spell, allowing with extensive animal and human experiments showing that our spell can be countered by the already existing Homorphus Charm.

Derived from the standard Transfiguration Spell, Morpho, and the Human-to-Animal Partial-Transifiguration Spell, Animorpho using the components of the Animagus Transformation spell, Amato Animo Animato Animagus, the incantation for our spell is Animorpho Animus. The following is the complete Arithmantic Breakdown of our spell, showing that each segment represents a phase of revelation, transformation, and equilibrium. The spell does not force a transformation—it deciphers the encoded animal soul of the individual's familiar nested within the caster's magical essence.

Arithmantic Breakdown of the Incantation

Incantation: Animorpho Animus

Arithmantic Breakdown: 5-5 2-3 == 1-5 == 6

Language: Latin

Arithmantic System: Pythagorean Numerology

The incantation Animorpho Animus follows a numerological structure that encodes its magical function within a tightly interwoven Arithmantic framework. The complete sequence, 5–5 2–3 == 1–5 == 6, was derived through iterative refinement of symbolic components common to classical transformation spells, based on previous works, and modified to reflect the unique requirements of partial, reversible transfiguration. The linguistic structure—two Latin root words connoting "I change to animal" (Animorpho) and "soul" or "self" (Animus)—further supports the spell's dual focus on external form and internal essence through Linguistic-basis of the Pythagorean Arithmantic System that was developed to support Greco-Latin Languages.

Lower Arithmantic Analysis

The 5–5 Dyad of Animorpho: Activation and Sustainment of Metamorphosis

The sequence opens with a mirrored pairing of the number 5, which in Pythagorean Arithmancy represents transformation, motion, and flux. In the context of this charm, the first 5 initiates the core magical reaction: a catalytic alteration of the caster's material and energetic form. Unlike classical transfiguration, which imposes external change through force of will, the 5 here signifies a receptive unlocking of the latent Animagus form encoded within the subject's magical signature.

The repetition of the 5 serves not merely to emphasize transformation but to stabilize it during the spell's short-lived duration. Without the second 5, preliminary test subjects experienced chaotic and rapidly deteriorating morphs. The dyad thus serves as both ignition and fuel, ensuring that the form remains intact long enough to be observed, studied, and recorded.

2–3: Dual States of Animo, Anchored by Stability

Following the initial transformation phase, the sequence continues with the numbers 2 and 3, representing duality and structural integrity, respectively.

The 2 corresponds to the binaristic nature of the spell's function: the subject occupies both their human and animal forms simultaneously, without collapsing fully into either. This is not a binary switch, but a bifurcated overlay—one form superimposed upon the other. Furthermore, this number encodes the spell's reversibility, an essential ethical safeguard incorporated after the second human trial yielded unintended lingering bestial traits in the subject's posture and behavior for several hours.

The 3 provides the stabilizing triad essential for maintaining equilibrium during this liminal state. In standard arithmantic theory, 3 is associated with completeness and triune structures: mind, body, and magic; or, in this case, human, animal, and will. Without the balancing influence of 3, subjects became disoriented, unable to process sensory input due to the conflicting signals of hybrid perception. With 3 correctly embedded, the subject maintains full cognitive and emotional self-awareness throughout the spell's duration.

Higher Arithmantic Analysis

1–5: Volition and Self-Guided Revelation

The third segment, composed of 1 and 5, reflects the spell's capacity for introspective magical function. While 5, as already discussed, governs the transformation itself, the preceding 1 introduces the principle of individual agency.

Unlike forced transfiguration or polymorphic enchantments, the Animorphus Charm does not decide the subject's form—it reveals what is already there. The presence of 1 ensures that this revelation remains anchored to the individual's identity and self-perception. The form that manifests is not imposed, but drawn from the subject's own magical spiritual self. Notably, repeated trials have shown that the spell's output remains consistent across multiple castings, suggesting a robust internal logic to the Animagus potential that this spell merely illuminates.

The 1–5 sequence thus encodes a statement: "I am to become/transform." It is a declaration of will, as much as an invocation.

Complete Arithmantic Analysis

Resolution in 6: Harmonization of Dual Aspects

The final value, 6, serves as the culmination of the spell's internal arithmetic. Six is the number of harmony, balance, and integration in Pythagorean theory. It is the only number that is both the sum and the product of its parts (1 + 2 + 3 = 6; 1 × 2 × 3 = 6), and this mathematical uniqueness reflects the magical harmonization achieved at the spell's conclusion.

The inclusion of 6 ensures that the opposing identities—the human and the animal—are not merely juxtaposed but momentarily reconciled. This prevents psychological dissonance and magical backlash, allowing the transformation to revert cleanly and leaving the subject's mind and body undisturbed. The revelation remains in memory, but not in flesh.

Experimental Results

Following the acquisition of Approval of Experimental Spellwork by the Committee on Experimental Charms, with the presence of two Masters of Transfiguration present, we have conducted Animal Experiments on 100 animals, five for each of the twenty animal classifications as identified in the Principles of Motive Transfiguration by Dumbledore et. al. 1899, followed by 20 Human Subject experiments under the presence of two trained Mediwitches.

In our Animal Studies, we start by casting the Homorphous Charm to partially transform the animals into humans before using the Animus Charm to transform them back to their original animal forms. The original forms were judged by five different Transfiguration Experts to be identical, with them able to correctly classify the identity of the original animal within 1 Percentile in our Double-Blind Study.

In our Human Studies, we have cast the Animus Charm on 17 Non-Animagi and 3 Animagi Volunteers, leading to a 95% satisfaction in the knowledge of the study. No adverse side effects were observed on those already with the ability to become an Animagus, with partial transformation allowing them to acquire the capabilities of their Animal halves while retaining their human form.

Of the 17 Non-Animagi, 10 of them have stated their willingness to go through the 'hurdle of the [Animagus Ritual]' now that they are aware of their form, showing a significant increase from the initial 3 subjects

Conclusion and Future Work

The Animorphus Charm, as presented through rigorous Arithmantic theory and experimental validation, offers a groundbreaking advancement in the study and practical application of Human Self-Transfiguration. By revealing the latent Animagus form encoded within an individual's magical signature, the charm provides an unprecedented tool for self-knowledge, agency, and informed magical decision-making. Unlike the irreversible commitment of the traditional Animagus Ritual, this charm creates a safe, reversible, and ethically sound alternative that allows witches and wizards to explore their potential without permanent transformation.

Our Arithmantic breakdown demonstrates a coherent and intentional magical structure, culminating in a harmonious synthesis of self and form. Experimentation has validated the charm's consistency, safety, and psychological efficacy, with subjects reporting increased clarity, emotional resonance, and confidence in pursuing full Animagus transformation. Furthermore, its compatibility with the existing Homorphus Charm ensures both reversibility and containment, mitigating risks of unintended permanent transfiguration.

Future work will explore the use of the Animorphus Charm in therapeutic contexts, including identity-related magical dysphoria and post-traumatic magical stabilization. Additionally, cross-cultural Arithmantic systems—such as the Chaldean Numerology—may yield variant incantations better suited for non-Greco-Latin-based magical traditions. We also intend to investigate the spell's effectiveness across age ranges, magical species, and magical aptitude levels, including squibs and part-humans.

Ultimately, the Animorphus Charm not only enriches the discipline of Self Transfiguration but invites a broader philosophical reconsideration of magical identity, autonomy, and the soul's hidden shapes.

AN: The Doctorate will not going to be coming out of nowhere.

As always, I am motivated by discussions, feedback, and criticism. If you wish to enable my coffee addiction, I made a ko-fi account here if you wish to support my work. I can only promise to spend the time drinking coffee writing my stories, and you get absolutely nothing else in return.Last edited: Apr 13, 2025 Like ReplyReport Reactions:bddvil, captainloser, DarkLight140 and 994 othersGuldsdoneApr 12, 2025Add bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks Chapter 013: On the Blood of Fairies, Dragons and Doom View contentGuldsdoneWizarding WorksApr 17, 2025Add bookmark#1,377I dropped the Journal of Advanced Transfiguration on the desk, a self-satisfied smile tugging at my lips.

Getting 'The Arithmantic Analysis of Animorphus Charm for Revealing the Animagus Form,' published put my name out there and came with a bit more clout than I imagined. While it was mostly from Transfiguration Enthusiasts around the globe given the letter, I had incidentally placed myself as one of the people not to be messed with in Hogwarts by the student body.

It also meant that I was now a prime target for Slughorn's attempts to expand his network... not that they were not effective, as he facilitated the letters that Severus, Lily, and I were now exchanging with Belby.

Then, there were the more subtle lines being drawn, showing that Death Eaters were, in fact, a very small minority in the house. One of the Lestrange brothers tried making a fuss about my comment on allowing Squibs to become part-animal and supported cockroach antennae until they decided to go to Pompfrey.

And as expected, people compared me to Dumbledore, as if Doom would lower himself to such a comparison.

Inventing a spell with Arithmancy was mostly a way to learn spell-crafting, the methodology standardized by Agrippa along with the Celestial Alphabet used in the creation of Wand Movements.

Testing the spell until we had a clear sense of its reliability did not really meet the academic rigor I held myself to.

That being said, I had to admit that a part of Magic was closer to art than science, and it was not something that could be proven using math.

Alas, the paper was most useful as proof for Dumbledore that I knew what I was doing and that I was finally ready to take the next step and complete the Anti-Transmogrification Ritual.

That was my first goal for the second term of my time in Hogwarts now that I had a handle on the Cursed Vaults.

There weren't going to be any more Cursed Vault getting triggered since I had the only key to get through the third vault, and I could disable the Sleepwalking Curse now transferred over to a proper Sleep Mask instead of a transfigured one, as you never knew when you wanted someone kept knocked out.

That meant the first problem that I had to handle was going through an extremely dangerous ritual that would ensure that my body would never be forcefully transformed against my will and grant me the full potential for safe self-transfiguration, all at the cost of a small sacrifice of my Animagus form.

"It is the Alchemical Balance of things," as Dumbledore explained, "An exchange of one form for versatility."

Versatility.

That was the key.

Morgana was known for having many talents, including Self-Transfiguration. Of those, she was known for having multiple animal forms, stated to be at least a crow, a raven, and a horse at least on one occasion, though those theories were dismissed as impossible since a person had only a single animal form as an Animagus.

But we now knew that Morgana was not, in fact, an Animagus.

Leaving the conclusion that with sufficiently advanced self-transfiguration, the Anti-Transmogrification Ritual would allow a person to return to human form from any animal they transformed themselves.

It would be harder, of course. That level of self-transfiguration was in the domain of legends, but the idea of greater control tied to greater mastery appealed to me.

That meant knowing what we were sacrificing, of course... something easy to achieve with my Animorphus Charm.

Mine was obvious in hindsight.

Tyrant Lizard King

aka Tyrannosaurus Rex

aka T-Rex

If I were a child, I would say it is the coolest thing ever.

"Your arms are so cute," Meggan squealed, making me sigh. As is this case, I was not amused. Unlike the horse tail she gained, mine did, in fact, prevent me from using a wand for a bit.

"Reparifargo Homorphum" she cast, causing my arm to return back to the non-scaly human form.

Needless to say, Doom did not suffer the indignity of stubby arms.

T-Rex, while fascinating, was utterly useless as an animal form.

It was not really something that I would consider subtle or even useful apart from the intimidation factor. It would have turned me into a bigger target in a fight, making it just an embarrassing death if someone managed to hit me with the Killing Curse.

In the end, it was not useful for me, especially since the Animagus form couldn't be a magical creature—particularly a dragon— and any alternative wasn't acceptable, even the big predatory dragon-adjacents.

"Mine is a crow," deduced Severus after part of his hair turned into black feathers before he fixed it. I was not surprised, really, given the whole Poe-like fate he would have suffered had I not put his head back straight. "While I would rather become an Animagus than go through an experimental ritual, I shall accompany you through the common portions."

"Mine is a Wolf," said Lily, as her ears disappeared with the casting of the spell from Meggan.

"Canis Rufus, to be precise, also called the Red Wolf," corrected Dumbledore, "They are smaller than other wolf species and native to the Americas."

"I do not want to be confused with a Werewolf," said Lily, "so I am going to join Meggan and Victor."

---

"Bleh," Meggan made a face of disgust, "how do you stand this taste?"

"A mix of self-hypnosis, willpower, and stubbornness," I said with a smirk, resisting the urge to spit out the Mandrake Leaf.

The first step of the Anti-Transmogrification Ritual was the Mandrake Leaf, a step that was also shared with the Animagus Ritual.

Given that it was also the hardest step of the ritual, I understood Meggan's dislike.

Unfortunately, she also needed this, as it would give her full control over her Metamorphmagus powers and give Dumbledore and McGonnagal the means to keep the Ministry out of interfering with some excuse about the Statute of Secrecy.

"Can you not... I don't know, use a sticking charm on it?" asked Lily.

"Or transfigure a pocket inside your cheek... like a hamster or something?" asked Severus.

"First of all, that is not how their body works," I stated, "and second, Mandrake is the Anti-Transmogrificant, meaning any transfiguration would fail. Adding any charm similarly makes it extremely dangerous."

"So, we get nothing?" asked Meggan.

"Think of it like chewing the same tobacco for the entire month," I said with a smile.

"I think I am going to be sick..." said Meggan, turning literally green. "Alright, I give. Victor, mind whammy me."

"I am not going to mess with your mind, Meggan," I started, only to get a pout and very large anime eyes from the Metamorph. "I never should have let you meet Valeria," I said, meeting her eyes as I pushed.

---

"It took us three months, but you got it, Meggan," I said with a grin. I mean, I could have done it in a single lunar cycle, but solidarity and all that.

"I hate you," said Meggan, her hair permanently changed to green over the majority of the last three months of trying to keep a Mandrake Leaf in her mouth.

"Why are we also doing this again?" asked Severus, having finally caved in to join our group on the experimental ritual after I let it slip that Potter and Black would likely become Animagi.

"Because our friends are suffering-- well, Meggan was. I am pretty sure Victor swapped places with an animated statue sometime over the last year," said Lily, "And tell me you do not want to do the whole Sword in the Stone thing and change into multiple animals?"

I ignored the jab at me. The two had joined in on the fun after the first failure, mostly to get Meggan to keep going, and Lily was doing her hardest to get Severus to join us in being superior to any other Wizard.

Severus, while brave, had a self-preservation instinct that the three of us lacked.

That being said, it was the most fun I had in a while, even as I looked at the cloudy sky.

I watched as Dumbledore joined us in the Astronomy tower.

McGonagall was missing, keeping an eye on the current resident of the Shrieking Shack.

"I must say, your solidarity and friendship warms my old heart," said the Headmaster.

"Headmaster," Severus and Lily greeted.

"The weather will be an issue," I noted, skipping the pleasantries.

"It is nice to see you as well, Victor, how have you been?" asked Dumbledore, showing his innate Britishness. "Right, well that is where I come in," he added, pulling out his wand and swiping away the entire cloud cover with a single move.

I blinked, noting that my mouth was open.

Dumbledore twinkled at me, causing my eye to twitch out of reflex. "You should have seen Professor McGonagall's face when I pulled an electrical storm... it was so similar to what you four had. Anyway, here you go, four vials of Anti-Transmogrification Potion as promised."

Said potion was the work of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and me over the last term, with insight from both Severus and Lily that were rather helpful with some lessons from Polyjuice Potion.

It probably would have been faster and easier to do, but Dumbledore did not want to involve Slughorn, and I did not push.

While the original Animagus Potion used a specific set of materials, the Dew from an area untouched by humans or sunlight for a week and the Death's Head Moth Chrysalises to form a link to the animal within, the Anti-Transmogrification Ritual leveraged old school Alchemy, using the four elements to represent the purification of the body.

Unicorn Horn for Earth, Fairy Wings for Air, Tears of a Selkie, and the Ash of Phoenix.

Purification of the Unicorn, the Illusions of the Fairies, the Transformation of the Selkie, and the Rebirth of the Phoenix.

If it also created an underlying Magical Ritual that was linked to four different species classified under the Fae, I was not going to voice it out loud if Dumbledore did not give an indication that he caught on.

My eyes found Meggan, giving her a smile.

Happy little coincidences, as they say.

It also made this specific potion extremely rare and near impossible to get unless you liked next to a Village full of Selkies and had access to a Phoenix.

All four of us were rather eager to spit out the Mandrake leaf into the crystal vial just to stop chewing on the damned thing, adding a piece of our own hair that linked our thoughts to the ritual.

Mixing it all with a golden spoon, we watched the potion shift color, first into red, then into green as it was exposed to the Moonlight.

"So, we just drink it?" asked Severus.

"No," I said, sitting down, "we wait for the Dawn."

"The Animagus Ritual requires the potion to be consumed during an Electric Storm," explained Dumbledore, showing why he was a pretty good teacher, "However, the Dawn links the potion up through the Phoenix Ash and triggers reformation and the revealing of that which is hidden," he added, as all four of us sat down side by side, facing east. "Which brings us to the incantation."

"Are we really going to go Homina Homina Homina?" asked Meggan, surprised. "What? I watched Honeymooners."

The modified incantation was based on the Animagus Spell, 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus,' but modified to sufficiently allow for proper spell structure and leverage alliteration on the Transfiguration and the final form of Humanity.

"Habeo—to hold, to possess, to control," I started.

"Homeno—to become human," I added.

"Homorpho—a blend of homo and morpho, transformation into human," I explained.

"Homorphmagus—a hybrid of Animagus and Metamorphmagus, one who can retain their human form."

When in doubt, take inspiration from the originals.

I was good with Latin.

...

Fine, I was decent-ish with Latin and had to open a portal from the Forbidden Forest to the British Library to borrow a Latin-English dictionary.

"Got it, not addled, just coincidence," said Severus.

I raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"What? Father watches too much TV," defended Severus.

Pointing my wand to my heart, I started chanting the custom incantation that we had developed, "Habeo Homeno Homorpho Homorphmagus," as three more echoes started coming along.

We had checked the ritual and the incantation over and over again. Dumbledore confirmed the Arithmancy independently, along with the Arithmancy Professor.

As the dawn broke, I could feel the magic suffuse into my body.

"I will go first," I said, volunteering for it.

This was something that I had considered. Any mistake in the Ritual, I could counter by consuming the Magic that made it before it settled. It made me the only viable person to test it first.

Combined with my sensitivity to magic and mastery over the Sage Arts, I was the best person who had even the smallest chance of countering the ritual if anything went wrong and shunting the entire magic into the Dimensions of the Faltine to be unmade.

I blinked before doubling over, feeling something within me surge before settling, in a magic that was already there.

It was the Ancient Magic, that unique energy form that I had stolen from the protections around the Undercroft.

"Victor?" asked Lily with concern in her voice.

"I am fine," I said, "Cheers, as you lot say," I said with a grin, the mix of elemental magics moving through me, as I looked to see the creation of new links to new Dimension.

Dumbledore had called this ritual Morgana's Anti-Transmogrification Ritual.

The modifications I had added were as necessary as anything else in the ritual.

I felt the Ancient Magic I absorbed swell within me, attach itself to the incoming energy, and... not shift but settle.

That was peculiar.

---

"Meggan seems to be enjoying her control," I said, dropping my books to the desk and sitting down next to an annoyed-looking Lily, right across from a Meggan who was in the process of transforming her hand into various forms of animals.

With Meggan's problem solved and the Ritual completed, I could start doing some more questionable rituals without risking my physical body mutating into some half-demonic abomination or whatever Riddle had become.

Starting with a convenient dragon that I know the location of.

I dropped the portrait portkey from the Forest Vault as I walked through the Buried Vault.

I had a lunch date with a dragon... and the dragon was the lunch.

---

It took me three seconds to kill the dragon.

I mean... I could have tried outflying it, but I was not the best on a broom, as I found it useless as a method of flight.

A stick-to-needle transfiguration, followed by an "Occulus Oppugno," had the needles fly into the eye of the Hungarian Horntail stuck inside the Cursed Vault to guard it as my Shield took the dragon's flame.

"You are a persistent one," I said, holding up my wand and releasing a stream of lightning at the blinded dragon.

It did not help the Horntail that it had what could pass for lightning rods stuck to its eyes on a path to its brain.

It gave a roar of pain before keeling over.

I sent another blast just to be sure.

Once the dragon was dead, I had some time to study the spell wrought into the very place itself.

A part of me had noted how the Cursed Vaults were a few hundred years old at the least, leading to the question of how a dragon survived that long in an enclosed space.

The answer was a very persistent Stasis Enchantment, one that I would need more time to study.

Later, though.

First, I needed to do some Blood Magic... or two.

I used the transfigured spikes into knives, deliberately combining them with the blood left on each, to enchant them with a bit of Witchcraft.

Unlike Wizardry, which relied on numbers and everything, Witchcraft was mostly done through feeling, instinct, and symbols. A wood that was steel that had slain the dragon, drinking the blood, and bypassing the magic of the dragon.

The blades moved with ease, carving out the dragon's heart and removing a significant portion of the dragon's blood in the process as well, to be held in a tub transfigured from the ground.

Once the carving was done, I reversed the Transfiguration on the knives, using the wood to build a small fire to use as the means to cook it, closing the cycle in such a way that I was the only anchor to the act of dragon slaying.

The heart itself was gamy, undercooked, and not the most pleasant thing I had eaten.

It tasted of victory.

While I was letting the Life Force of the Dragon get absorbed and slowly change my body in a way that would not externally reflect, I got to the second step, taking off my cloak and entering the tub of dragon blood.

As I entered the tub, I started breathing rapidly, causing my blood to get hyper-oxygenated just before getting fully submerged in the acidic blood.

Before Dumbledore discovered the Twelve uses of the Dragon Blood, there was only a single way it could be used, making the total uses Thirteen in total.

Also called the Ritual of Sigurd.

Kill the dragon, eat the heart, drink the blood, and submerge yourself in the blood of the dragon.

In effect, it was a similar ritual to what Iron Fist would go through, but done on a lesser dragon for the whole body, potentially to amplify the body's ability to absorb and retain Chi, while also allowing the skin to resist magic more effectively.

There were not many Wizards skilled or suicidal enough to kill a dragon without using a spell, which was rather a shame.

Once the process was done, I used what remained of the blood, combining it with my own and using the mix to draw patterns on the walls, ancient Celtic Knotwork that would allow the cycling of magic through the pattern until it fused with the stone.

The dragon's magic had already infused the area, and I already had its magic bound to my blood, allowing the mix to further amplify the process.

Of the twelve uses of Dragon's Blood that Dumbledore discovered was on the nature of claims and ownership. It was not really useful for anything but fast but effective Wardcrafting that bordered on illegal due to the use of Blood Magic.

"Well, that explains how the old man knew how to craft Blood Wards," I muttered, before using the method to lay claim over the region.

Once done, I called out, "Alfie."

POP!

The creature that appeared beside me was a House Elf. One of many who worked for Hogwarts and dreamed of taking care of a home.

To be honest, I picked him out of all for the fact that he had the gall to ask for a knut for his services. It gave a squeak after seeing the dead dragon before setting.

"Is this satisfiable as a residence?" I asked, as the elf nodded, his ears flapping and slapping his own face.

"Ooh, Mister Doomy has done it in the Old Ways," said Alfie the House Elf inspecting the dead dragon. "This will do, sir."

And with that, I had a House Elf... and a House.

It was a fixer-upper.

"Render the dragon, sort everything out, clean around a bit," I ordered the House Elf, leaving him to handle the corpse and clean everything up, just enough to keep him busy with the new 'home' I claimed. I reached out to the Hogwarts portrait, triggering the portkey to return back to Hogwarts.

The entire Great Hall fell silent as I entered, a hush spreading like a ripple of instinct.

The presence of a predator among them.

The Hungarian Horntail, whose Life Force now mingled with mine, had left its mark—deep and unmistakable for anything but power made flesh.

The students did not understand it, of course, but they did not need to. It was like the subsonic purr of a tiger, something that evolved into the self-preservation instinct of the people.

Dumbledore's eyes did not leave me.

Then again, I had learned what I really needed from him. The principles of Ritual Magics and the means to prevent ritual-based mutations meant that I could figure out my own means after this.

I sat next to Meggan, who seemed unbothered by it.

"Food?" asked Lily, pointing at the pile on the table.

"Had a big lunch," I said, not really in the mood for more food at the moment.

AN: Victor gets a hint on the origins of Ancient Magic, and starts showing that he might have more of Doom than initially thought.

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