Library
Harry followed the group down the road, finally able to breathe on his own for the first time in days.
The various people on the street gave their group a curious berth, eyes flitting from one blue person to the next. Harry, after days spent around merrow, was copying the strangers in reverse. Everyone above water was so different from each other.
There was one person with light green hair, another with flames in their hair, many with marvelous wings out on show, and just so many colors and features it was making his head spin. It felt like his first trip through Diagon Alley all over again.
He was almost getting distracted from his plan but a look from Caspian's blue eyes and he centered himself.
Now wasn't the time to get lost in a completely new magical realm, now was the time to be on their guard and ready to run.
Today was the day the Ulyians had set to visit the main library of Nevarah to check to see if Voldemort was on the family scroll of the Rydel family.
Today was also the day Harry and Caspian had been waiting for to set their plan in motion.
Harry had been hesitant about asking Eris for her help in his escape, but Caspian had assured him that Eris would listen. And she had. Caspian had taken Harry to her last night and had Harry give a small summary of what was going on from his side and she immediately took him under her fin and started making plans for his escape.
Harry had never had an adult just listen to him as seriously as Eris had.
But now it was the next morning and the day of the plan and everything had to go perfectly.
And for Harry, that meant playing along at least for now.
“And this is the Main Nevarah Library,” Levi said, spreading his arm out in front of him to present the building with a flourish.
Harry's eyes caught on the strange dragons holding the building up. Unlike the dragons he had seen before, Norbert and the four dragons from the tournament who were awe inspiring for their wildness, these ones held a sort of refined mystical power in their forms that left Harry stunned.
“What are those?” he said, breaking character from The Plan, but he was too awed to care at the moment.
“Those are Nytura,” Nina said, as calm as she ever was, “They are a dragel made creatures to protect a circle. They are loyal and protective, due to their grim ancestors, and vicious from their dragon ancestors. A perfect companion for a dragel circle.”
Harry's eyes stayed glued to the closest Nytura, who turned its head down to stare at him with its large violet eyes. Harry was a little in love and had never understood Hagrid more.
“I want one,” he said decisively to Caspian.
Caspian paused, taken aback.
“You want a Nytura?”
“Yes,” Harry said resolutely.
Caspian tilted his head.
“My family has a small pack,” he admitted, “But there have been no rejected young, so I can't exactly get one for you...”
“Rejected?”
“It's how there's Nytura eggs at all. If a pack gets too big and one of the young are rejected, they are encapsulated in an egg. If my family had one I'd get it for you in a heartbeat, promise,” Caspian said desperately but Harry just waved him off. He believed him.
Levi, having heard Caspian's claim, stopped abruptly.
“You'd what, Caspian?”
Caspian, who had been rather cold to his grandfather since getting close to Harry, just blankly stared at the man as he replied, “I'd steal an egg for Harry if my family had one, of course.”
“Of course? Of course?! Caspian, what has gotten into you?”
Caspian just shrugged, uncaring. It's not like his family would actually care if he did. If anything they would be proud of his stealth ability if he went through with it and got away.
“Harry said he wanted one.”
“Oh, if Harry wants one, then,” Levi muttered sarcastically.
Voldemort, who had been listening to the whole conversation, decided to add in his opinion.
“They look like mighty protectors, indeed. Where would someone acquire one?”
Harry felt his mood souring at the man's interest.
“A Nytura egg is rather expensive,” Levi says, sarcasm gone to be replaced with that patient, eager helpfulness he always showed Voldemort, “It is easier to find one by going through family connections than to buy one outright.”
Voldemort hummed and the group moved on to heading into the library. Harry took a moment to pet the claw of one of the Nytura's, earning a happy huff of breath from the creature before he scurried into the building after Caspian.
Levi went and spoke with the librarian at the front desk who had them all follow her and showed them to a small wing filled with scrolls.
“And this is the storm family scrolls,” the librarian announced before bowing out and heading back to her spot at the front desk.
Levi sighed as he began looking through the scrolls for the families that started with an R.
Before long, a long scroll was sprawled out on a table in front of them with the name Rydel upon it.
Even Harry's curiosity was caught. If he really was related to Voldemort somehow, and he was on the scroll, Harry should be too.
A few minutes of searching and Levi exclaimed, “Ah! Here!” while pointing to a specific spot near the end of the scroll.
There, at the end for Harry to see, undeniable magical proof that one of his worst nightmares was real.
Harry James Potter was right at the end, connecting upwards to three names, James Charlus Potter, Lily Marie Evanson, and Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Voldemort really was his father.
A quick glance at Voldemort's face showed disgust and Harry briefly wondered if it was directed at the fact that there was proof of the parental claim until he took another look at the scroll. Above Tom Marvolo Riddle were three names, Tom Richard Riddle, Merope Gaunt, and Morphin Gaunt.
Considering his mother's name was Lily Evanson on the scroll and not Lily Potter must mean it goes by birth names, not married names. Which means Merope and Morphin were family at least.
Harry felt his own face twist up in disgust.
Another reason to be disgusted by Voldemort being his father.
“Well this is proof of relation to the Rydels. Now we need to reach out to the family through official channels. Time to go now,” Levi said, making a magical copy of the scroll before putting the original back in its place.
Harry looked to Caspian.
Caspian gave a subtle nod before looking into Eris's eyes, who winked, before subtly leaving her purse in the chair she was sitting in.
The small group walked out of the library before Eris, playing her part exclaimed, “Oh! I forgot my bag. Would you boys mind getting it?”
Harry and Caspian took their cue and politely shook their heads with a quick “No, ma'am,” before heading back into the library and retracing their steps back to the storm family scroll section.
Grabbing the purse with some important papers for their plans, the two boys booked it out of the library out of a side entrance and were now in the open street. Harry looked at Caspian.
“Lead the way,” he said, breathless with the feeling of finally being free.
Caspian gave a wicked grin before spinning on his heel and running down an alleyway with a cry of, “Follow me!”