Duty of the Magical

Reading Time: 8 Minutes

Title: Duty of the Magical
Author: Keira Marcos
Series: The Master of Death
Series Order: 5
Fandom: Harry Potter
Relationship: OMC/OFC, OMC/OMC
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate Universe
Warnings: Discussion-Suicide, Discussion-Murder, Canon-Typical Violence
Word Count: 1,900
Summary: Thaddeus Banner has a conversation with Ragnok Windrider, the king of the Dverger Horde.

* * * * *

“Your Majesty, Master Thaddeus Banner to see you.”

Ragnok put down his quill with a nod. “Send him in, Fyre.”

The dam glanced around the briefly as if she was verifying the security situation for herself, nodded, and left. Banner appeared in the doorway, shed a cloak as he walked, then promptly slouched down in the human-sized visitor chair in front of Ragnok with a little huff of what sounded like wounded fury.

“I told you taking that promotion would ruin your life,” Ragnok said dryly, and Thaddeus grinned briefly.

“Yes, well, Armand was ready to retire, and who can deny him such after so long? He ran the Protectorate for over a hundred years.” He tossed the cloak in the chair next to him and rubbed his face with both hands. “The ICW talked Potter into returning to Britain.”

“I heard,” Ragnok said. “It won’t work out like Dumbledore wants. I’ve got a few people monitoring the situation, and they all say the same thing. That old bastard seems to think that Harry Potter is responsible for the whole situation and therefore should sacrifice everything up to and including his own life to save Britain from itself.”

“Potter thinks he’s going alone,” Thaddeus muttered, and Ragnok sighed. “But I can’t allow that. You know that.”

“I do,” Ragnok said. “I heard your newest American operative finally got himself half-sacrificed. That’s all of them, right?”

Thaddeus laughed a little, then sobered. “Shut up.”

“I mean, seriously? What is it with those people?”

“They think they’re invincible,” Thaddeus muttered. “And unfortunately for the rest of us, they often get away with the foolish shite they do. Regardless, yes, Lucas Pierce nearly got sacrificed in Bulgaria, of all places, and Harry broke the ICW’s wards. Ito is still sending me ugly notes about it since the repair is ongoing.”

Ragnok nodded. “Potter will lodge with us. I’ll set aside a flat in the guest complex. It’ll give him a haven from the corruption, which has grown by leaps and bounds since he left the country. Fortunately, our dimensional space hasn’t had any intrusions as of yet. We’re prepared to retreat from the country at the first glance of a problem. I won’t have that shite impacting our children, Thaddeus.”

“Do you agree that he was, by his mere presence, keeping the corruption subdued?” Thaddeus questioned.

“No, it’s not him,” Ragnok said quietly, and Thaddeus leaned forward. “It’s the shroud.”

“Shroud?”

“It’s been with the boy since Sirius Black sacrificed himself in Azkaban,” Ragnok said. “There are many theories amongst the researchers in the Horde regarding the origin, purpose, and nature of the shroud. The only thing they agree on is that the shroud exists, it protects Harry Potter’s magic and soul.”

“Popular theories?” Thaddeus questioned.

“That it’s the Black Dragon himself,” Ragnok said. “But I’ve seen Master Potter several times over the years, and whatever shields that man is not Zirnitra.” He cleared his throat. “It could be Fate.”

“But you don’t think so.”

“No, and that’s despite knowing there is a prophecy about Potter. There were two, but one apparently burst into flame the near exact moment that Sirius Black sacrificed himself. The second one appeared in the Department of Mysteries a few hours after that, and no one witnessed it. It appeared already labeled—Tom Riddle and Harry Potter.”

“The ministry has tried to get him to view it several times, and the last time he was extremely rude,” Thaddeus admitted. “So rude, in fact, that they filed a complaint with my office.”

Ragnok grinned. “How did they respond?”

“I told that arsehole Cornelius Fudge that I proofread the letter Potter sent,” Thaddeus admitted, and Ragnok laughed. “And provided the French translation. He’s already written his next response and has prepared translations in French, German, Italian, and Japanese since Hiro Ito was in the office at the time. It’s a pity it probably won’t get sent since it would certainly be the documented cause of an international brouhaha.”

Ragnok nodded. “The report you sent to the ICW might very well cause one. Potter didn’t pull his punches.”

“He rarely does,” Thaddeus said. “Can’t say I blame him, considering. At the end of the day, if Dumbledore had wanted a more biddable Harry Potter, he’d have made sure the man had a proper family and home growing up. It’s clear he had neither. He doesn’t speak to or of the Muggle relatives who housed him as a child. In fact, he’d be hard-pressed to share any sort of memory with you about them—good or bad.

“The one time Pepper asked about his family, Potter hesitated for a full thirty seconds before telling her that his Muggle family let him live with them when he had nowhere else to go.”

“Let,” Ragnok said. “Like he was a guest.”

“Oh, he was certainly a very unwanted guest,” Thaddeus said.

Ragnok briefly considered figuring out where the humans lived so he could casually curse them with something that would ruin their lives, but keep them alive to suffer it. “Children are precious, Thaddeus.”

“Yes.”

“It’s clear that the last person to consider Harry Potter precious died on a dirty floor in Azkaban,” Ragnok muttered.

“Well, he was certainly the last person allowed to get close enough to develop that kind of emotional attachment,” Thaddeus said. “He’s relaxed over the years, since leaving Britain behind, but he still clearly prefers his own company, doesn’t date seriously, and treats sex like a physical necessity.”

“A physical necessity,” Ragnok repeated. “Do you think…I’ve heard some in the ministry consider him to be a sociopath.”

“No, he’s not a sociopath,” Thaddeus said. “I had Piper check.” He shrugged when Ragnok grimaced. “I had to know. He just doesn’t trust anyone intimately, and I have to wonder if he ever will. If you can’t trust like that, then romantic love is impossible—sex or not.”

“Granted,” Ragnok said and took a deep breath. “If you ever get a chance, I expect you to set Albus Dumbledore on fire.” He paused. “For the greater good.” He frowned. “Wait, are you sending one of your foolish American employees to Britain with Potter?”

Thaddeus grinned and shrugged. “Britain gets what it deserves.”

Ragnok sighed and activated a rune on his desk. Shortly, Rhys Sharprock appeared in the doorway between their offices. “Banner is sending us an American along with Potter.”

Sharprock made a face. “Is that wise? I heard your newest American hire already got himself half-sacrificed.”

“It’s a rite of passage at this point,” Thaddeus said, and Ragnok sighed.

Sharprock stared for a moment. “I’ll set up portkey access for the infirmary and warn Omis.” He walked away shaking his head.

“All jokes aside, yes, I’m sending Lucas Pierce to Britain with Potter because I can’t let him come back to this hellscape without someone I trust to watch his back. Potter isn’t going to like it, but he’ll follow orders. Pierce won’t be here as Potter’s official partner, but as an observer from the World Court of Magic. I’ve already set up the assignment with Louis Bertrand.”

“Dumbledore won’t appreciate that level of scrutiny.”

“I really don’t care. My responsibility in this situation is clear, and it’s my duty to protect my people as much as it is to protect magic. Sometimes, more, because I can’t defend our Lady if my vanguard is dead on the ground around me.”

Ragnok nodded. “I’ll set up space for Master Pierce as well—a separate space to further the illusion that they aren’t work partners. No need to give Dumbledore a pressure point, and he’s fond of such things—finding someone’s weak point and prodding it until it hurts.”

“It’d be grand if that old bastard would just go ahead and die already.”

Ragnok laughed and leaned forward to give his own opinion, but the magic of the room shifted then the door leading to his wife’s private salon opened.

“Oh, he’ll get his eventually,” Lenore said.

Thaddeus immediately stood. “High Priestess, as always, I’m honored to be in your company.”

Lenore raised an eyebrow and inclined her head. “Did you know those bastards in Bulgaria were trying to resurrect the spirit of some ancient dark lord?”

Thaddeus groaned. “Oh, come on. Why?”

“Fuck if I know,” she said and shrugged. “They’re all dead, so I didn’t bother to investigate fully, but the arithmancy is clear enough. Harry won’t have a problem figuring that out for you if you’re inclined to know their whole dumbarse plan. Though I think his response to this particular half-sacrifice might make others reconsider doing such a thing to your people again.”

“I finally asked them how he killed them,” Thaddeus said. “He said they just dropped dead around him when he apparated straight into their ritual circle.”

“Backlash perhaps,” she said. “Or his shroud took deep offense to the active necromancy.” She leaned on the frame of the doorway and waited.

“What’s your theory about the shroud?” Thaddeus questioned, as Ragnok had known he would.

Lenore stared for a moment, then pursed her lips. “Ask yourself, Thaddeus, what you would’ve given your life in exchange for in Sirius Black’s place.”

“In his exact place?” Thaddeus questioned. “The Protectorate found out from a young witch he was dating at the time that Sirius Black was a magical animagus—a grim, specifically. That’s not information we’ve shared broadly due to the implications. Magical animagus are very rare.”

“His exact place,” she said.

“I would’ve surrendered myself eternally to the God of Death in exchange for my son’s safety,” Thaddeus said plainly and took a deep breath. “Could it really just be that?”

“If such a request were granted, it would hardly be a small thing,” she pointed out. “If any magical god accepted such a tribute in full, then Harry Potter is the safest magical person on this planet, and becoming his enemy will only serve to hasten your death.”

Thaddeus frowned and looked away from them both.

“What are you thinking?”

“Just wondering how many other people have come upon this theory and if Dumbledore thinks it. If he does, what does he believe it will do for him?”

“There is another theory,” Ragnok said, and the human focused on him.

“I’m almost afraid to know it,” Thaddeus muttered, but then waved a hand.

“If he didn’t request a guardian for his son, perhaps Sirius Black bestowed on his son an ancient and heavy magical duty that would protect him body, magic, and soul,” Lenore said when Ragnok hesitated. “We don’t know exactly when because it wasn’t noticed until the reality of it was fully settled into the magic of our world, but sometime before 1985, someone on this planet reunited the Deathly Hallows.”

Banner paled and sat back down. “That insane son of a bitch.” He shuddered. “He made his baby the Master of Death?”

“It’d make sense, wouldn’t it?” Ragnok questioned.

“So, what you’re saying is that there is a genuine shroud around Potter—Death’s Cloak.”

“If the theory holds,” Lenore said.

The End