Harry Phenex 3
With a flicker of flames, Harry found himself somewhere else. Randol had sent him to meet with Rias at a place called Kuoh Academy. Apparently, it was in Japan: quite a change for someone who'd never left Great Britain before. Looking around, he saw that he was in an office. There were couches to the side and a desk near a large window. Sitting at the desk was Rias.
"Harry!" she said to him, smiling. Rising to her feet, she went up to him and gave him a hug. Again, he awkwardly hugged back, stepping away after a brief moment. She let him go, offering another smile, "How has the Phenex been treating you? Settling in? You're certainly looking good," she said, taking in his new clothes.
"I think so, and they've been fine," Harry answered, "Randol--er, grandfather--procured a lot of books on wizarding magic for me. I've found I don't need a wand anymore, which is weird. Ravel's been giving me basic instruction on devil magic as well." He chuckled, "I can't do much yet though. I seem to be very good at fire magic but I also seem to have a talent for thunder magic." He looked embarrassed, "I deafened Ravel when we were practising. Luckily, her powers healed her."
"Most devils have a strong preference for certain elements," Rias admitted. "My queen uses lightning and thunder magic, and a friend of mine prefers water and ice magic. It's not surprising you're good with fire magic and thunder magic. As a Phenex, you'll be also able to call Hellfire eventually."
"What about you?" Harry asked curiously. "And what's Hellfire?"
"I'm strange," Rias said with a teasing smile, "My mother was a Bael. I can use their Power of Destruction." She continued to explain when she noticed his confused look, holding up her hand to create a swirling black-purple orb of energy. "It's basically a magical force that tears apart anything it touches and removes it from existence. It's a familial talent, much like the Phenex Immortality and Hellfire. It's very good for destroying things, but not very useful for other tasks." Closing her hand to douse the magic, she told him, "Hellfire is an incredibly powerful flame. It can burn things that are normally immune to heat. It's one of the hottest flames in existence, comparable to the breath of a true dragon. It also does more damage to creatures such as angels."
"The Power of Destruction sounds absolutely frightening," Harry said with a shudder. He suddenly grinned, "If I ever needed more of a reason to listen to you, that would be it. Don't hurt me," he teased.
Rias swatted his arm, leading him to the couch and sitting down beside him, "Don't be mean. If you want to learn more devil magic, I'd be glad to help you," she offered. "I'm sure Ravel is busy. Between the two of us, we could get you a good grounding in it fairly quickly."
Harry perked up, "If you're sure, I'd like that. I kind of feel like I'm behind everyone. Ravel said that I should have been learning all this stuff since I was a child."
"That's true," Rias admitted, "But you'll learn much faster now than you would have as a child, so you'll be able to catch up a lot more quickly than you think. Children have a difficult time grasping many of the more esoteric principles. Nor do they have the fine control an adult does."
"I can understand that. Some of the theory involved in fifth year wizarding spells would have been really difficult first year," Harry said musingly. He nodded, "Should I come here, or would you like to visit me at Phenex Castle?"
Rias wrinkled her nose, "I'd prefer if you came here."
"Riser?" Harry guessed. "Ravel said you were engaged to him and that you didn't like him. I haven't met him yet."
Rias sighed, "Yes, Riser. My parents betrothed me to him when I was a little girl and I'm not happy about it. I have a way to possibly get out of it, but I lack a full Peerage. As my idea involves a Rating Game..."
"I can understand wanting to choose who you marry. Is he that bad though? Ravel said he was a little arrogant..." Harry trailed off.
"A little arrogant!" Rias was laughing, "More like 'So arrogant he makes my teeth ache.' He looks at me like a prize, not a person."
"Oh." Harry didn't know what to say. He ran his hand through his hair nervously, "Well, if you need help, I'm willing. I don't like the idea of someone being forced into marriage."
Rias smiled, touching Harry's arm, "I appreciate that. I just don't know how you could help." She shrugged her shoulders. "How about we work on your magic a bit? What has Ravel taught you so far?"
"Well..." Harry began to explain, and soon they were chatting companionably.
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Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, reading through reports. None of the Order had found Harry and he was quite worried. Suddenly he looked up, shocked, as he felt the castle wards shudder and buckle. Something was forcing its way through.
A glowing circle carved of flame slowly formed before him; he recognized it as a devil's magical circle. A tall man with blonde hair appeared within it and stepped forward. He appeared to be in his late thirties.
Considering the method of arrival, that wasn't saying much. He could be a thousand years old for all Dumbledore knew.
"Hello," Dumbledore greeted the man, "I'm afraid you have the better of me. Who might you be?" It was always best to be polite with devils.
"Albus Dumbledore." The man's voice was a low, soft baritone. "I am the Marquis Randol Phenex."
Dumbledore almost blanched. What was one of the Seventy-Two Pillars doing in his office? "It's a pleasure to meet you, my lord. What brings you here?"
That man looked amused, though his gaze remained cold. He clasped his hands in front of himself, "I am here to speak to you of the boy known to you as Harry James Potter."
Rising to his feet, Dumbledore said, "It was you! I sensed demonic power in his bedroom. You took him? Why?"
"Actually, the one who took him was one of the Gremory," Randol said with some amusement. "She sensed his power and investigated thus discovering him. She simply made me aware of him."
"Sensed his power?" Dumbledore asked in confusion.
"Yes. The one you knew as Lily Potter was born Rillian Phenex and was my daughter. She was kidnapped and banished to the mortal world by an enemy of our clan." Randol smirked, "That means that young Harry is my grandson and is now a devil. His demonic power awoke which led to our finding him."
Dumbledore's mind whirled. Harry was a devil? A Phenex? "But how?"
Randol seemed almost pleased at Dumbledore's obvious confusion. "It's very likely he was always a devil and that his nature saved him when he was attacked as a baby. According to Lord Lucifer, there was very powerful dark magic in his scar that was likely keeping his devil nature at bay and trying to feed upon him. That magic was finally expelled, and his demonic power surged forth once more."
The horcrux. "I must speak to Harry. It's of the utmost importance," Dumbledore demanded.
"You must do nothing of the sort," Randol stated. "Harry is a Phenex. He will speak to you if he wishes. If he doesn't wish to speak to you, he won't. I had some associates look into my grandson's life. And I am not happy with you, Albus Dumbledore."
Flames quite literally burned in the man's eyes, and Dumbledore took a step back. "What do you mean?"
"You placed him in an abusive home. Every year he attended this school, he nearly died," Randol said, voice growing harsh. "He will not be attending this school anymore."
"But he must!" Dumbledore said, whitening. "He must attend Hogwarts! Britain needs him!"
"That is where you are wrong. You are very lucky, Albus Dumbledore, that I do not kill you where you stand!" Randol took a step forward, voice rising, "Harry is residing with me in the Underworld. I have procured books for him and I will hire tutors for him in wizarding magic if he needs them. He is also learning devil magic. His education is not your concern. And Britain is not his concern."
"There is a prophecy involving him. Voldemort believes it and will find him!" Dumbledore stated. "The people will lose hope without him here."
Randol looked amused, "And so? Voldemort cannot get to the Underworld. Even if he somehow found a stray devil willing to take him there, he could not find or harm my grandson. Phenex Castle is quite well protected." Especially after Rillian's kidnapping. He shook his head, "No, Albus Dumbledore. You will leave my grandson alone. If the people need a teenager to give them hope, then I don't think they deserve to be saved."
Devils could be harsh.
Dumbledore sat down heavily, looking up at the man. How could have foreseen something like this happening? "What about his friends?"
"I already gave Harry permission to visit his friends," Randol stated. "He will have someone with him in case you or others decide to cause problems. I would not suggest it."
"And if they're hurt?" asked Dumbledore.
"I am not without compassion," Randol said dryly, "He's mentioned a Hermione, a Ron, and a Luna to me. Is there anyone else he cares for?"
Dumbledore considered, "Neville Longbottom for one. Ron's family for another," he stated, "are close to him. Why?"
Slipping a hand into a pocket, Randol removed what looked like a set of rings on a gold chain. He'd come prepared. He wasn't as heartless as he acted and didn't want Harry upset over his friends being hurt. "A fair number but not unmanageable, I suppose," Randol said musingly.
"Not unmanageable?" Dumbledore asked with a curious frown.
"Give them these. One ring per person. Don't try to examine them magically or you'll disrupt the spell cast upon them, rendering them useless. They will act similarly to your portkeys but cannot be blocked by standard wizard defences against such things," Randol stated. "In the event of danger, the activation phrase is Phenex Sanctuary. They will find themselves in a safe place. Do not use them unnecessarily as those using them will be unavailable for a time."
Dumbledore quickly counted the rings: fifteen rings. That would do. "Unavailable?"
"The rings bring their user to a safe location in the Underworld. They will be unable to leave until I or another Phenex go to release them and take them back here," Randol stated simply.
"Thank you," Dumbledore said after a moment. "I really do need to speak to Harry."
"I will mention your request," Randol said to Dumbledore, emphasizing the last word. "If he chooses to see you that's his choice." Without saying another word, a flaming circle appeared at the man's feet and he disappeared.
Dumbledore rubbed his brow. Things had gotten even more complicated.
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When Dumbledore arrived at Grimmauld Place that evening, he was immediately stopped by Molly, "Have you found Harry? Is he all right?"
"As far as I'm aware, Harry is fine," Dumbledore said. "Can you call your children and Miss Granger downstairs? We have certain matters to discuss," he added.
People slowly began to come into the room, including Moody, Remus and Tonks. When the Weasleys and Hermione filed in, Dumbledore took a deep breath before beginning, "Before we discuss the current situation, I need to provide a bit of background that most wizards and witches in Britain are unaware of." Hermione perked up at this and looked at Dumbledore attentively. "There are other supernatural beings in the world, many far more powerful than wizards and witches. The British Ministry doesn't like to acknowledge this. It's one of the reasons they are so determined to look down on werewolves, veela, and others as they can do so. However, the ICW interacts with them from time to time."
Hermione looked curious, "What sorts of beings, Professor?"
"All of them," was Moody's answer. "Just about every myth you've heard is real, if only in broad strokes. Why do you think I'm so paranoid, lass?"
Dumbledore gave Moody a stern look, "He's not entirely wrong. Angels, devils, gods, they're all real in some form or another."
"Gods?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"Yes. There are beings with power far beyond our own that are considered deities and have power on par with their mythical counterparts. There is a real Zeus. A real Hades," Dumbledore said. He added, "I met Zeus once while working as Supreme Mugwump. It was...vexing."
"All right. Why are we discussing this?" asked Remus.
Dumbledore took a breath, "Apparently, Lily Potter was not entirely human."
"What?" Remus asked, rising to his feet. "What do you mean? I knew Lily, she was a genius, sure, but she was a witch."
"Apparently not," Dumbledore stated with a sigh, "When Harry disappeared, I found a massive residue of demonic power in his bedroom. I thought a devil had taken him. Well, one was there but that's not why the demonic power was present. Apparently, Lily Evans was born Rillian Phenex. The Phenex are one of the Pillar Clans of the Goetia. She was kidnapped as a baby and had her demonic power sealed before being placed with the Evanses. Harry's demonic power was somehow released and a devil sensed it and came to aid him: one of the Gremory I'm told. Harry is now a devil."
"Wait." Tonks stared at Dumbledore, "So Petunia Dursley wasn't even really his Aunt. He didn't even have to be there when they treated him so badly? What about these protections you said you placed on the home? Didn't you check to make sure they were working?"
Dumbledore frowned slightly, deftly changing the subject, "At any rate, he is presently in his new family's hands in the Underworld and safe. The issue is... I have been told that I no longer have any say in the boy's life and he will not be attending Hogwarts."
"What? How can he not attend Hogwarts? He has to take his OWLs and NEWTs!" insisted Hermione. "And how can they tell you what to do, Headmaster?"
"Apparently, the Phenex family are going to provide him with study materials and a tutor. I daresay he will take the international tests." Dumbledore said with a sigh. "I don't know why, but the Marquis Phenex does not trust me." He didn't like the fact that the man knew about the events at Hogwarts during Harry's time there.
"Considering the Dursleys, are you surprised?" Tonks couldn't help but ask, still peeved. "They had locks on his bloody bedroom door."
"They what?" Molly blanched, "I thought Fred and George were making excuses back when they stole Arthur's car."
Ron immediately asked the most important question, "Are we ever going to see Harry again?"
"According to the Marquis, Harry will be able to visit his friends once he finishes settling in. Another devil will be present to protect him in case there's trouble."
"I don't know, Headmaster. What do you know about these Phenex people? They could hurt Harry. You should do something about the situation and bring him home," suggested Molly.
"Molly, I'm a powerful wizard," Dumbledore sighed. "But many devils could crush me easily. I was serious when I said there was a power differential. If I'd been born with a Sacred Gear it may have been different, but I wasn't."
"Sacred Gear?" asked Hermione.
"Sacred Gears are rare spiritual objects found within a human's soul. They give that human power such as the magical ability to heal even the most extreme wounds. Physical abilities are also possible. The biblical God gave them to humanity to protect themselves. Even a weak Sacred Gear can make a human the equal to some angels or devils. The strongest Sacred Gears can allow a human to face a majority of the supernatural on an even footing."
"I think the most important question is, well, is Harry still Harry? I mean, you said he was a devil," Hermione asked hesitantly.
"Devils are complicated," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "A thousand years ago, the Great War between angels, devils, and fallen angels stopped. It didn't end exactly, but it became something of a cold war. The Devil Kings died around that time. Their replacements are far more benevolent. Devils still make pacts with humans, but they don't take souls anymore, and most devils are..." He considered, "...relatively good people. There's a faction that wants to return things to the old ways called the Old Satan Faction, but they're a minority."
"Sounds like the purebloods," muttered Hermione, a bit relieved.
"To a degree," Dumbledore acknowledged. "At any rate, Harry will be visiting his friends. I thought I should apprise you of the situation before he arrived as the news is rather a shock."
Remus muttered, still trying to come to grips with Lily Evans as a bloody devil, "That's an understatement."
"Oh, one more thing," Dumbledore said. He slid a golden chain out of his pocket and started pulling small gold rings off the chain, handing them out to the Weasleys and Hermione. "These are something like portkeys, though I'm told that anti-portkey jinxes will not block their use. They were provided by Harry's grandfather in order to make sure Harry's friends were safe. I'll also be giving one to Mr Longbottom, Miss Lovegood, and your parents, Miss Granger. Do not attempt to examine them magically; I was warned if you do the ring's magic will be disrupted. If you're in trouble, use it. The password is 'Phenex Sanctuary'. You will arrive in a safe place in the Underworld, though you won't be able to return until one of the Phenex brings you back."
Molly frowned, though she accepted one of the rings, "Are you sure it's safe, Headmaster?"
"Relatively, yes. The Marquis seemed honourable and incredibly protective of Harry. Harry's the only remnant the man has left from his kidnapped daughter."
Molly nodded slowly. As a mother, she could understand that feeling.
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"Come on, Harry. You can do it," said Ravel as she stood with him in the training area of Phenex Castle. "You can feel the fire within you; it burns hotter when you get hurt. You need to take those flames and manifest them. Envision them outside your body. That is your Hellfire."
As she spoke, she gently cut his arm with a knife, watching as his flames appeared, closing and healing it.
Harry had been working on manifesting Hellfire for the past few days. It was tough and painful work as the best way to train the ability involved giving him minor injuries so he could feel his flames healing his body. According to Ravel, it took most Phenex months to learn but he had an advantage as he wasn't a young child. Harry pulled again, trying to grasp the flames he sensed within his being. For a brief moment, he felt something, but it was ephemeral.
His jaw firmed. He would do this.
Then flames manifested. Unfortunately, they were not what he was aiming for.
Verdant purple flames roared into being, slamming into the stone wall of the training room and blasting through it. They felt dangerous, and Ravel gasped in shock, taking a step back.
"Stop, Harry. You need to stop," she said urgently.
"What was that?" Harry asked Ravel, his expression worried.
"I'm not sure. But that wasn't Hellfire. Those flames were holy," Ravel said in shock.
"Holy?" Harry asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Yes, just like we devils have demonic power that hurts angels and similar creatures, there's a holy power that hurts devils, vampires, and the like." Ravel paused, "I have no clue how you managed to manifest holy flames, though. That certainly wasn't your Hellfire, though."
"Perhaps we should speak to grandfather?" Harry suggested.
She nodded and without a word headed into the house.
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"So when you were teaching Harry, he somehow summoned purple, holy flames instead of Hellfire?" frowning, Randol considered. "For some reason, that sounds familiar. Give me a moment. Come." He led them into his study, moving to the bookshelf and eventually selected a volume.
Harry and Ravel waited patiently, glancing between each other as they watched Randol look through the book. Ravel murmured to Harry, "It'll be all right."
"I hope so. How could I summon holy flames?" Harry smirked, "Was James Potter secretly an angel? That would so be my luck," he joked.
"He'd have to be a Fallen Angel if he had children," Ravel said with a shrug, "But...that is unlikely. The flames didn't look like normal holy fire."
"Ah hah!" When Randol spoke, Harry and Ravel looked at him. "Well. I have a surprising discovery. One of the traits of the Longinus known as Incinerate Anthem is its ability to produce copious amounts of purple holy flames which the user can shape and control at will. It can if the user becomes skilled enough to enter a Balance Breaker state, create creatures made of such flames to fight for its user."
"Harry has a Longinus?" Ravel asked, shocked.
"What is a Longinus?" came Harry's question, looking between his grandfather and Ravel.
"Sacred Gears are spiritual objects that are found in humans," Randol explained, "The Longinus are the strongest of the lot, able to provide immense power to the wielder."
A master of few words, all Harry said for a moment was, "Huh." Thinking it over, he asked, "So I can call holy flames? What's the difference between that and a spell?"
"A spell takes a lot more focus and is much slower. With the Incinerate Anthem, once you learn how to use it, you literally can simply will great quantities of flames into existence with a thought," Randol explained.
Harry nodded slowly, saying after a moment's thought, "I want to talk to Rias."
"Feel free," Randol said to Harry. Ravel looked at him curiously as he headed towards the doorway.
Once Harry left, Ravel asked, "He and Rias are fairly close. I don't think Riser will like that when he returns."
"Considering she was the one who found him, it's not surprising. Your brother should hope her parents don't give her the contract so she can't examine it too closely," Randol said with a shake of his head.
"Why?"
Randol just smiled.