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Horus Goes Home	By : pmczarnecki711 Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > General - Misc Views: 46692 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
- 24
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Chapter 19: Some Soul Show Shadow's Secret

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Morning at Grimmauld Place was rather strange and had been so since the new additions had arrived. That the Order of The Phoenix had been left a blinking mass of confusion after the arrest of their leader was of no concern to the inhabitants. For the most part there were four or perhaps five beings living in the house and those were two wizards named Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, a house elf named Kretcher and two Pan Were children by the names of Felicia and James. The two children were rather young and were the newest addition to the house. That being said they fit in rather well and had promptly bonded with the two wizards by pranking them. Now most new parents with sort of adopted or at least being the long tern care givers for children would be rather annoyed at this, but these two were infamous pranksters in their school careers. What this meant for the little family was that pranks happened and that most of the recently demoralized and diminished order never showed up.

Sadly the one person none of them had thought would try something as he had been vouched for by the defunct and dethroned head was Mungus Fletcher. He was a petty thief and was the order's eyes in the less reputable areas of society. He had been ejected rather painfully for being caught snitching Black Family Heirlooms. That he had been beaten to a bloody pulp by two children had not helped the man's ego any. Still there was one good thing about it and that was that the incident had helped the two work their way out of the shells that the misfortunes in their lives had caused.

Fletcher was rather shocked to have two midgets suddenly become almost six feet tall and sporting rather sharp claws and fangs. It was a good thing that mystic based lycanthropy was not able to spread without deliberate measures. Well that and the thrall effect that had been utilized to turn comrades into converts had been sealed as well. Still the wounds were resistant to being healed with magic for a good reason as they had been created as soldiers for those who had magic and could heal the wounds of there soldiers so a way to make this no longer an advantage was needed.

What had resulted was yet another example of parallels historically and that arms races have occurred. Mystics had simply had to find ways around the resistance that certain types of wounds had and dealt with it as such. Creativity was a very important part of the game after all. Still potions and similar compounds were developed to get around the spell resistant wounds and most of them had yet to clear the FDA in America. Europe for reasons unknown had chosen longer studies to safeguard any alleged consequences even if the formulas and the chemicals had been tested for several thousand years.

Then again Spell Fresh Foods was becoming bigger and was rumored to rival Con Agra in the near future. Organic in the regard of having no chemicals used such as pesticides as MagicWare had improved and licensed bug repellers that actually worked without driving off beneficial species. With the added benefits of filtration crystals and enchantments added to the repellers, there was almost no need to even add potions to improve the plants. While wizards had dragon dung as a potent yet dangerous fertilizer, one had to wonder what species that mystics or even ht sensitives would use. The simple answer was that natural even if magical fertilizer worked well.

What this all meant was that despite Grimmauld place being a wizarding building the food was now being provided not from the wizarding farmers but from the mystic and sensitive as Remus was the one doing the shopping and he was spending a good deal of time with mystics and sensitives. He had even started to read the other papers and skimmed the Daily Prophet while he was engrossed with the Daily Discourse as it provided a different view for events including the mundane ones.

So as like any morning the kids were bouncing about their seats as they ate breakfast while Remus had his head in the paper as usual. Sirius was looking over the latest letter from the twins and he heard the mumbling of Remus alternate between the paper and why he didn't just send the twins the mirrors or even better a modern communication device. Remus had been dragged willingly into the modern mystical world and there was no going back.

Finally after the fifth mumbling with a low growl in it Sirius asked, "What is in the paper that has you in such a foul mood?"

"EU is dragging its feet in several important areas," Remus said. "Still won't allow purifier crystals to be mandatory in areas with heavy pollution. To make matters worse they are bogging down the new motors and all the better stuff. BT is making it worse as they are trying to get Mserve access blocked without paying taxes for a system they neither created nor maintain. Government mandated monopolies are bad when there is a competitive system that would do better."

"You do realize that I did not follow most of that," Sirius said. "How does it affect us?"

"Precedent actually," Remus said. "Magic solutions are being fought because the lobbyists are as bad in that government as ours. Despite the Ministry knowing, they are oblivious. It was shocking to find out that muggles know about actual magic and the Ministries and the International Confederation know nothing about it."

"How could that be though," Sirius said. "They are supposed to be experts with muggles?"

"The jobs require a NEWT of Muggle Studies and most of the stuff is so out of date or inaccurate it is funny," Remus said. "It would be like trying to explain the Secrecy Statutes to someone from pre-Roman times. They just would not get it and Muggle Studies is useless. Think about it you like your bike, but compared to some of the newer ones it would be like comparing an old Shooting Star to the Firebolt in the difference in how they handle and that was before Industrial Enchantments came into play. The Ministry outlawed enchantments as they violated the Statutes as they were too visible when they were being cast so we are left with charms. Charms despite their power eventually fade and have to be renewed. So they have vehicles that can outperform the Firebolt and almost all of our innovation has stagnated and most muggleborns leave since the Ministry does nothing to prevent the current hiring practices. You know how hard it was to get a job as a werewolf? It is almost as bad for a muggleborn as they do not have any connections to draw on and even if they do have friends and family to ask for help if they do not achieve top scores they are ignored. Even worse if they suggest too great of changes they are dismissed for foolishness and polluting things with muggle ideas."

"I didn't know it was that bad," Sirius admitted. "I just never thought to ask."

"How could you," Remus said as he shook his head. "Even when you left here you were still a Black and that carried things with your grades. Still there was your friendship with James covering what bias one would have as Blacks being Death Eater sympathizers."

"But we worked so hard to get into the academy," Sirius whined. "We busted our arses to get in then the training was hell."

"Yeah you did," Remus said with a sigh. "Still even I was suspicious due to things and you know how that turned out. Besides you suspected me because the werewolves were being recruited."

"Yeah," Sirius said as he set his fork down. "That was not one of my prouder moments, but you have to admit that it seemed so unlikely then that he would be the traitor he just didn't seem bold enough to do something like that."

"Hindsight is 20/20 and you know that," Remus said. "Though thinking back he more or less attached him to us because you and James were powerful enough to protect him. If he had thought someone else could have protected him better he would have gone there. That is why he went to him when he realized that despite His power, we were not doing anything of real success. Then all this has come out makes me feel a bit used."

"Yeah," Sirius said as he leaned back. "We trusted him and I thought that he was different. A three sided war where all the sides are run by manipulative bastards is not what we needed growing up."

"Language," Remus said. "There are children about."

"Kids that can handle themselves," Sirius said. "Still we are growing up I guess."

"You mean you are growing up," Remus said. "Took Azkaban and all the problems we have had for you to get this far."

"Still there was no reason to think otherwise at the time," Sirius said. "We were kids and you know how that goes."

"After teaching for a year I am amazed that any of our professors are still around," Remus said. "The kids were no where near as bad as we were and it was stressful."

"But we were pranksters so you should have known what to expect," Sirius said. "That had to help somewhat."

"Yeah it made the Weasley Twins so frustrated when their pranks backfired or missed," Remus said with a laugh. "Still that they didn't think I had been a prankster was quite humorous. Snape was still a bit of an ass then. Somehow Horus helped him with that."

"Still hard to believe that Anything would make Snivellius grow up," Sirius said. "He was still acting like a snobby bastard when I was there. How the kid could have changed him I will never know."

"What did I say about language, Sirius," Remus said in a firm tone. "Besides I don't know what he did, but some of it was that he is very good in potions."

"Yeah Lily was good at them and charms as well so I guess he got her talent then," Sirius said. "Just wish we had the time to help him be a prankster. I mean I am proud of him. Its just that he is so serious."

"And that is your job," Remus said with a chuckle. "Yeah he had a bit of a harsh life, but he does know how to have fun and he deals with things better than we did."

"Still just because he had a hard life training wise just allows him a better chance to survive all this mess," Sirius said. "At least we know that he was raised by someone that was better than the Dursleys would have been."

"Shame that things went that way," Remus said. "Funny thing is that Petunia outgrew her problems."

"How strange she was the type of muggle that would make the perfect posters for the Death Eaters," Sirius said with a chuckle. "Still it is nice that she changed, but what about Vernon? He was a right ass."

"He didn't change and he got sent to prison," Remus said with a smirk. "Then again, he did attack someone that has saved the Queen and had a Knighthood."

"I guess the saying is that he works in mysterious ways," Sirius said. "Or am I mistaken?"

"Yeah both of them work in mysterious ways," Remus said with a laugh. "Still I have been asking around and despite what I thought there is a community where the kids and myself can fit in rather well. There are even a few schools that take the more physically gifted."

"Shock that everybody knows about magic and stuff, but that they don't know about us and vise versa," Sirius said. "So, a place where the kids can fit in and have fun? That is a good thing. Still since he violated Horus's vaults I should definitely check mine and yours as well."

"You mean now that I am no longer a beggar wandering about looking for safe places for the moon," Remus said. "To think that there was another world hiding along side ours and that unlike ours they have become more tolerant over time. Still they went threw these types of things, but that was almost six thousand years ago. Even if they are a warrior culture to go that long without a civil war or revolt was enlightening. If only the Ministry could do so."

"The Ministry was designed by those in charge at the time and they have clung to their power even as the world changes around them," Sirius said. "Remember that a lot of spell creation and innovation happened because of those wars. It was an invention of the war effort similar to the muggles and their arms races only that we had spell races."

"To think you acting all educated like this who would have ever thought to see the day," Remus said as he fake a wounded hurt. "Still they had there outside wars that much is assured. They are paranoid and for a good reason because if you remember their history things always are the brightest before the night. Even if the dangerous creatures that they face are just scouts someday and they know this someone will succeed and then things will come crumbling down. They are warriors all of them in a manner similar to the Goblins. The Goblins may be bankers now, but deep down they are warriors who are just fighting on a different battlefield in a battle not measured in blood but in profit."

"Seriously, we should talk about lighter things at breakfast," Sirius said. "Then again the news in the prophet while looking good could change given how fickle people tend to be. They are making a big thing out of his fall from grace."

"As much as I would like to talk about lighter topics," Remus said. "There are far too many areas that are uncertain. Given that muggles or as everyone else calls them mundanes already know of magic the only reason that we seem to be hiding is that we like to be in our own little world. That and people like Malfoy wanted to feel superior. I wonder why Horus has not made moves for reintegration."

"It is not yet time," Felicia whispered. "The path is set and altering it is like trying to grasp the air around you."

"What do you mean Felicia?" Remus asked. 'I wonder what she is talking about,' eh thought. 'It almost sounded like a prophecy, but more as if there were other forces at work.'

"Didn't he tell you?" James asked.

"It is a secret after all," Felicia said.

"What's a secret?" Horus asked as he appeared behind them.

"What is yet to come," James said with a grin.

"Good to see you two loosening up," Horus said with a smile as he ruffled James hair. "So what is going on?"

"Shouldn't you know be in school or something," Sirius said in an offhanded manner.

"Yes school is important and all that," Remus said with a serious look on his face.

"Don't have any until later in the day," Horus said with a shrug as he grabbed some food. "Besides needed to see how everyone was settling in."

"Great attempt to change the topic," Sirius grumbled, "but it is not going to work. We did have a few questions for you though."

"Such as?" Horus asked between bites of toast.

"Well why with all the sway you have that you are not working toward reintegration?" Remus said. "Considering how everyone would benefit..."

"They are not ready for it," Horus said with a shake of the head. "Despite popular belief otherwise, the other groups were preparing for reintegration or at least had worked to find alternate methods to fix problems. For example, chemicals that have the same effect as potions so that they get the same level of treatment without the obvious magic. Scanning technology was something that was getting unnoticed prodding to aid in hospitals. Things like that went a good way to remove the fear that wizards would face. First off wizards had potions that even mundys could brew, but did nothing to allow that to remain. What most felt was worse would be allowing the Inquisition and such to get such widespread support of real magic users. I take it that was glossed over in History of Magic."

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked. "I don't recall Anything like that being mentioned."

"Ah the magical inquisition," Horus said in a dark tone that sent a chill of terror down their spines. "Well it was a time where the Ministries manipulated and aimed the so called witch hunters after the smaller groups that wanted nothing to do with the Ministries. Mostly it was because they did not wish to submit to Ministry control due to having an older tradition. There is a good reason that no one that knows the Wizarding World exists wishes you to be discovered. Old wounds run deep after all. Consider the Goblin and Giant Wars and how much fear still exists from them. Now imagine being raised knowing that a group of fellow magic users sicked the church on small communities and aided them in burning out the menace. They had to be evil as every single one of them spoke parsel and practiced magic that they could not monitor. So since they could talk to snakes and that they were well versed in magic that the Ministries had decreed forbidden that they had to die. Really that they provided non-magical potions that worked to the masses and that they healed them with questionable magic they had to die. Sure they were resistant to the Unforgivables so they had to be inhuman monsters."

"I... I..." Sirius tried to speak as Horus stood up and started an angry pacing.

"You didn't know," Horus said harshly. "You didn't know that they killed men, women and children. You didn't know that while witches had the flame freezing charm that innocent others burned! You didn't know that the Ministries led them to kill entire villages setting back magical progress centuries if not millennium? Really think how xenophobic the current Ministry is. Back then they were even worse. Hell half of the villages burned were the ones that found and trained werewolves so that they did not loose themselves during the full moon!"

"He didn't know," Remus said forlornly at how much damage the fools in charge had caused even to this day. "We didn't know. How could we with how Wizarding History is written?"

Horus slumped down in his seat and put his head in his hands before he said, "That is right. How could you know? The Ministries did a good job covering that up. Almost as good a job covering up the way that it spun out of control and then they turned them to remove political enemies as well as those using magic that they could not control. Tell me how anyone would trust the Ministries if they had seen there families killed. They were beheaded, Sirius. Then their bodies burned and the ashes spread to the four winds. You cannot believe how much knowledge was lost, Remus. The few survivors have hidden since then and if they got even a whiff that those that had betrayed them had survived... Well it would be bad. Most of them believe that you died out when the Ministries lost control of their puppets. It helps them deal with the guilt over what their having to hide resulted in. Before they were part of the pest control asking snakes to keep the rodent population down. How do you think you would feel knowing that millions died because a group of ignorant control freaks tried to exterminate you?"

"How did millions die?" Remus asked in a soft voice as if fearing the answer. "When was this that we didn't notice?"

"I said they were part of the rodent control," Horus said hoping they would see the connection. "Sure that kept the food from being eaten which prevented starvation, but it also limited the number of disease carrying vermin. The black plague was carried by infected rats harboring fleas. It would never have happened if they had not hunted down a group that mediated with the serpents. Then to make matters worse this left the only known parselmouths as the Slytherin family in England. So all these rats with disease are spreading it to the masses and the wizards of the time couldn't cure it. Yet more paranoia for Salazar Slytherin since there was a plague that effected wizard and muggle and so he felt isolate the muggles and the disease will not wipe out the wizards as well. The only reason they didn't go after the family was the political power they had, but the rumors they were evil was part of the propaganda of the time. It did set the tone for years to come as well."

"What about cats?" Sirius interjected in a rare moment of wisdom. "Don't they eat rats as well? So how come they couldn't limit the plague?"

"The witch hunts aligned any strange animal behavior so cats as well as normal familiars became something to hide," Horus said knowing that a simple foolish mistake had resulted in so much suffering and death. "Falcons became popular at the time because the nobility liked falconers so owls became less prevalent for a while. Those that had kept cats to hunt rats tried to use dogs so they were not accused of witchcraft, but dogs are not as agile as cats. No offense Siri. No this problem didn't occur outside Europe as much as Egypt still had pet cats and Asia had cats and foxes aplenty to hunt the vermin. So instead of treating them like pests they were used to keep the vermin population down. The reason that snakes were popular was that they kept areas clear and snake speakers were more common at the time than other kinds of speakers."

"You didn't pop in to discuss things like this so why did you pop in?" Remus asked wondering what would drag him all the way here when he had better and more important matters to deal with.

"Thought we could look at the various future schools for the kids," Horus said with a shrug. "I would invite you along Siri, but the areas are not very friendly with outsiders still. Even though mystics have integrated, far too many prefer to stay separated at young ages especially among shifters. So I was planning on dragging Remi around the community and maybe bump into the girl he is dating."

"I get to miss the teasing," Sirius said with a whine. "That is just not fair."

"You could always check with Gringott's," Horus said with a sigh. "You probably forgot to check to see what happened to your accounts while in Azkaban. I wouldn't put it past him to skim some money out of your accounts as well."

"I keep hoping I will wake up and it was all a dream," Sirius said. "I mean he was o nice to us in school..."

"He wanted something," Horus said. "Same reason that he let Remus in, he wanted you to feel indebted to him in the future so you would be less likely to disagree and in Remus's case he wanted a sympathetic werewolf that he could send to coerce the packs to align with him. That is after he had convinced the Ministry that werewolves were more dangerous than before. Before he started teaching most people only considered werewolves as dangerous on the full moon and things were less restricted. Most of the werewolf restrictions were things that he had backed."

"I suspected that there was something going on," Remus said, "but I always hoped considering he was the only one that would allow me into a school..."

"Not true," Horus said. "There are a few smaller schools that would have. Then again, most of those have enough connections where you would have been sent to a pack for training. The funny thing is when I was talking to Cornelius he let slip that Dumbledore had been behind not just the werewolf legislation, but also that when he asked around that Dumbledore had been the one to inform your employers about your condition..."

"The bastard!" Remus snarled in rage at the compounded betrayal. "To think that he used me so."

"You are not the only one," Sirius said. "He damn near pressured me into letting him use this house for his meetings. He tried to convince me to come here last year, but there was no need at the time."

"Let me guess," Remus said his eyes shifted slightly. "That if you had refused he could have accidentally let slip your location to the Aurors and that if you did help he would do everything in his power to get you cleared."

"Yes!" Sirius said. "That is exactly what happened."

"Thought as much," Horus said as he leaned back in his chair. "Kids hurry up we got places to go."

With that said the two began to return to eating having been distracted by the discussion going on in front of them. Soon enough the two were inhaling food as only kids and teenagers are able. That their plates had been stacked high with fried sausages and pancakes covered in pools of syrup made it an interesting sight to watch.

"So where are we going?" Felicia asked while James was still scarfing down a syrup coated sausage.

"Circle Court," Horus said with a smile.

The rest of them looked at him as they had never heard of it before. Horus just sighed as he tried to find a way to explain things. As they were in London they would need to get some things for around the house and not just from the local markets that Remus had been shopping at.

"Well think Diagon Alley only much better," Horus said. "Only there is everything you need in a short distance and unlike the Ministry it is all connected. Now as much as that seems unsafe in design, it is far safer than that. Besides it is more like the Ministry in its entrance than other places."

"Why does this give me a sense of foreboding?" Remus asked in a mutter.

"Because you know that you have forgotten to buy your girl a gift lately," Horus said offhandedly.

"That could be it," Remus said. "I just hope the prices are not too bad."

"They are not," Horus said with a chuckle. "However like wizards there is a different currency although it is not based on odd numbers, but similarly to most common currencies as based on tens and not the hodgepodge that is wizarding money."

"What do you mean y hodgepodge?" Sirius asked having grown in the system so it seemed normal.

"Why have twenty nine Knuts to a Sickle and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon?" Horus asked. "It makes banking annoying. Although there is an exchange counter similar to Gringott's, they long since decided not to get into our finances. We have our own for a reason although some people bank at Gringott's and do get the highest level of service. Though I think that is because of past actions."

"Past actions?" Remus asked in dread.

"Yeah during one of the Goblin Rebellions they tried to pillage our money," Horus said with a vicious smirk.

"Don't tell us we don't want to know," Sirius cut in quickly.

"Why ever not," Horus said still smirking. "I mean we only roasted a few Goblins in their armor."

"He said he didn't want to know," Remus said with a sigh. "I agree with him this once. I did not need to know that."

"Still after emptying a few hordes, they definitely learned their lesson," Horus said. "Still we should be off. Later Sirius."

"Later," Sirius said. "I will be out asking at Gringott's in case you get back before I do."

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While life was returning to abnormal at Grimmauld Place, things were not going a swell for those who had there perceptions shattered completely. While some people had suspected that Albus Dumbledore was less kind than his grandfatherly persona, almost none had suspected the failings and findings that had occurred. If Lucius Malfoy had not had been killed the year prior, he would have been rather pleased that the meddlesome old coot was gone. That he would have torn his hair out that his son was listening to muggle music would be amusing.

The current get of the Malfoy and Black families had changed in the past year. He had always been his mother's son at heart even if he had idolized the power and influence that his father wielded or that he had planned to eventually wield. The aftereffects of having lost his father had been less than depressing as he had gotten to come out of his image. Sure he still hug out with his Slytherin compatriots, but he had started to focus more on accomplishing things than relying on the image of being daddies little boy to be underestimated. He had thrown himself into his study of potions and had spent more time with his godfather who had become far less bitter in the past year. His mother was happy even if she was in a harem and she did still write to him before she had popped in to teach divinations while the planned teacher had taken a sabbatical until the old coot had left. Sure he no longer would be the head of the family in the foreseeable future but as a Pureblood he had been groomed to take the role but knew that his father should live along time. Although his father had died the new Lord Malfoy had not ejected him to prevent any risks for succession and had in fact aided his training.

Draco Malfoy had been told he was expected to accomplish things and that similar to other old families he still would have his allowance, but that his liege's family had the tradition to have the children prove their worth through action. That this allowed even second sons and daughters to increase the influence of the family was important. The wizarding society had through tradition limited the number of offspring to allow clear succession as well as prevent the family fortune from diminishing, but this had decreased the pool of marriageable candidates. What this meant for him was that he would be now devoting his time to potions making and had managed to become apprenticed to his godfather. Competent potions brewers were in demand and the pool for qualified potions masters was small and highly in demand. This was because potions were as integral to the wizarding world as chemistry was to the mundane or as much as it still was with technomagical devices permeating society.

For that matter the half giant named Hagrid had started to spend most of his free time at the Hogshead in a stupor. That he needed more alcohol to become tipsy had improved the demand for firewhisky a lot. Sadly he was joined by a rather large number of his generation and the following in trying to forget the betrayal that he had felt. Hagrid had idolized the man and to find out that his misfortune had been allowed so that he would feel indebted to the man had shattered him. He still enjoyed his creatures, but the spark that was there was gone.

In her chamber, the cat Animagus Minerva McGonagall was trying to stop sobbing as the betrayal stung more than she thought. All of the manipulations not only of herself but of her students had come to light. That the man she had so admired and aspired to be like had risked her students who were for all intents and purposes seen as her children had been reprehensible. He had been one of the most brilliant transfiguration masters there had ever been. To find out what he had done and that he had created the great divide between the houses that had so ruined not only her children but the others was almost enough to drive her to drink. Still she was Minerva McGonagall and she could not let her children down. She did not notice but one of her children that being one of her favorite's only son had left her a book that would change her life and expand her horizons.

While those that had been used and discarded by Dumbledore in his rise to power wept over the sadness of it all, things were happening elsewhere and they would spiral out of control.

Classes continued while Dumbledore rotted in prison. One of the more memorable events was when Binns had stopped being sleep inducing in his teaching. For once the students had responded or at least those that had missed the two deviant classes that had contained the Gryffindors. The two classes were the ones that had the Chamber of Secrets covered while the other was right before the dismissal of Dumbledore and had covered the rise of this centuries Dark Lords and how they differed from the previous centuries.

Most of the students were trying to explain to their parents that Binns was no longer boring. All this did was result in the arrival of many mothers thinking that the fall of Dumbledore had shattered their poor babies' minds and had subsequently arrived at Hogwarts intent to save them. Most had fainted when Binns had started talking in something other than the monotone that they remembered. Shortly after the ghost of Binns had informed the students that he had finally completed his task which Dumbledore had prevented him from completing. As such he was going to have to move on, but that he was looking forward to it.

Unlike during the tenure of Albus Dumbledore, the ascension of Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was met with firm approval. That she had been unbiased even when Snape had been proactive in his sheltering of the Slytherins had been a firm point in her favor. Then again, that she came down on her own students harder than the others and her positively maternal instincts on the students' part was met rather well.

Delores was rather put out and had hoped to use the dismissal to prove herself more so than she had. Lord Potter's actions while best for the Ministry and the current Minister did not help her gain favor. She had to be reminded of her place once and Horus hoped never to do that again. That she looked like a toad was the main reason that he had not simply just let Luna and the rest vent for her earlier behavior in the Play Room.

The main reason for her irritability was that while Cornelius had the highest approval ratings of his career; she had nothing to do with it. Delores was a Ministry toady and not just in appearances. She was for the most part barely more powerful than a squib except that she did have some ability to use curses.

As was typical of a multiply sided argument the various interests moved their alliances to further their own goals. Voldemort continued to try to find sympathizers and finding pure blood supremacists seemed to be harder nowadays as he had to actually recruit from the continent. He had been devastated to find out that most of his inner circle was dead and the loss of his forces interred in Azkaban was staggering. Then Fenrir had been killed by what he suspected had to be a rival dark lord as no one else should be messing about with soul magic.

With the way things were going he would have no one left from his first rise with him. It was bad enough that he was forced to possess a body, but at least this time he had done so in a manner that did not require the constant consumption of unicorn blood to survive. There were still plenty of sympathetic people out there he just had to find them and recruit them while he was the weakest he had been magically as well as organizational since he began his crusade.

The families of the formerly imprisoned and now dead Death Eaters had been in a bit of disarray. It had been rather shocking to find that most had been the last of their lines and had failed to propagate before being imprisoned. This had resulted in more consolidations among the remaining kin who had already been enfolded. A consolidation of power was not something favored by the Wizarding World in general or the Wizengamot in particular. Seats in that august body were a rare commodity and there were no muggleborns among them. It was a holdover from times long ago when the wizards had repeated the arrogance that had almost destroyed the sorcerers by ruling on high over the masses.

The sorcerers had at least had a compact with their subjects while the wizarding lords had no such bond with their subjects. The main difference was that at least the sorcerers had the common decency to aid their subjects and not just use them with as much indifference as they had for their house elves. That was not to say that sorcerers had been saints that was far from the truth. They had just had the common decency to actually protect them from natural and unnatural harm. In exchange for protection, the subjects worked in a far better state than the later serfs. Sure they had to work on farms and in times of war serve as soldiers, but when they were about they did not have the same squalor. Dying or sick people did not do the best of work after all so out of selfish interests there had been at least one person that would meet or exceed mediwizard or mediwitch standards in every village.

In addition to not living in squalor with disease and filth, the subjects of the time at least had a few artifacts charmed to help them. Sure those where in the villages that had gained favor, but it was an improvement over what they had without this cooperation. One of the main artifacts of the time was statues which had a simple spell that repelled vermin in the villages. Sadly, the statues were destroyed by later invaders and other sorts which resulted in villagers forgetting that atone time they did not have such problems and the stories degenerated into regional notions of what the afterlife for the dutiful was.

One would wonder why that wizards had never given such a courtesy to those under their control. The closest that they had ever done was on squib run farms. Wizards did not grow there own food for the most part at least not the well to do. The vast majority were from farms that had magical based charms and the like to facilitate the food production. Herbology was important even in the modern times because so much of the potions ingredients were easily homegrown. Family gardens were still typical although the harder to grow items were still done in larger farms.

What this all meant was that the different standards of living were understandable. The Wizarding economy was still for the most part medieval in its processing. There was little to no mass manufacturing at least not on scales of such. Even Zonko's and the like merely had multiple cauldrons being used where they had people overseeing the process as inexact as it was. It was part of the quality versus quantity debate. Wizarding clothing was still tailored for the most part so it had higher quality yet less numbers. This was yet another reason that muggleborns and halfbloods tended to consume less Wizarding products if they were frugal.

One does have to wonder why the less affluent families like the Weasleys did not go for this option as clothing them in factory produced jeans and t-shirts had to be less expensive then what they did. Sure there were things like charmed shirts with logos, quotes and the like, but they could be quite easily mass produced before being charmed. It had to be funny that a family ostracized for being muggle lovers was as ignorant as they were.

**********************************

While everyone else's lives seemed to improve except for the dead Death Eaters and the once more spectral Dark Lord, that was not completely true as Albus Dumbledore was sitting in a ministry holding cell. The only person that was doing worse was Cybil Trelawney who was whoring herself rather unsuccessfully in Knocturn alley. The only thing that was making his days less then hell was that the Ministry did not want him dying from an accident like would occur in Azkaban as he would have a most likely cell mate who would kill him in his sleep even with all the Death Eaters that had been there dead of a mysterious sickness.

'How could things have fallen apart so quickly,' he thought as he sat on his cot. 'The only good thing is that I am not in Azkaban. It is bad enough that I am here without my wand, but I get the feeling that if I ended up there an accident would happen.'

"Breakfast," the watchman said as he slid in a bowl of gruel. "Hey cheer up at least here you get gruel instead of moldy bread and as a guest of the Ministry you don't have the lovely Dementors about."

Dumbledore just sighed knowing that all his efforts to cultivate absolute loyalty and obedience had fallen. With his channels restricted he was able to use only the barest of magicks wandlessly, but he had shown that ability off far too often in the past so they used magical binding cuffs which were the sort that only the most foul of wizards had placed on them. The cuffs rendered him effectively a squib as he was still able to use magical devices.

'Before this had happened I would have been able to talk my way out of this,' he thought. 'They never would have thought to do this if Riddle was still a threat and they would never believe he is out there. No they actually believed the brat that he had been kidnapped to be made both an example of and a sacrifice for a dark empowerment ritual. To think they believed that Lucius Malfoy had what it takes to be the next Dark Lord. That is quite ridiculous as almost all Slytherins have been cultivated into followers with almost no will of there own. To think so close to having destroyed Slytherin's legacy. If things had gone to plan the house would have been dissolved within a decade and I could have set work on undermining Durmstrang as a source of dark wizards next. Why can't they see that dark magic is inherently evil and that they need to be protected from it?'

So Dumbledore ate his gruel as he sulked on how one lone brat had came so close to ruining his plans. The only one that had come as close before was that mudblood Lily Evans. She had sabotaged more of his plans as she had almost destroyed the schism between Slytherin and Gryffindor with her actions. He had come so close to having the Potters join the ranks of his dedicated puppets. He had long ago gotten the Weasleys there with a sympathetic ear and Molly Prewitt had been almost fanatical in his support after what happened to her family. The way he had set up her brothers weak wizards who had been far too close to neutrality to allow to be swayed had been brilliant and had tempered her firmly to his cause.

'It is a good thing that I never let them know that I have a resistance to Verisiterum or they would find out everything and that would be an even bigger disaster," he thought. 'I f only they would just do what I say things would work out better for them.'

Unbeknown to Dumbledore there was a monitoring spell that was recording all of this and that even with his so called Occlumency his thoughts were being recorded. The watcher sunk deeper into the shadows while still allowing it to observe as it heard footsteps coming down the hall. This was out of routine and had immediately set the watcher to edge.

The guard was walking down the hall with one Sirius Orion Black the new Lord Of the House of Black and he was not happy. Dumbledore was too lost in his sulking to notice the clicking that the boots made as they went down the hall. It was not like someone would visit him now so it was probably some other sap that he would have been normally trying to find a way to use.

"Hello Dumbledore," Sirius said full of spite and rage. "Guess what I found out this morning?" at the black look on his face he continued. "Why I was shocked to find out that besides looting my godson's accounts you have been stealing form me as well. It does not look like things are looking up. Why the Minister is planning on stating that you are the one who said and as everyone believe you to be infallible that I had to be the secret keeper. Why the moment that I was in custody you where not investigating, but violating the Potter Will which you witnessed while sending me after the rat. Imagine my surprise to see that you had been to Gringott's immediately after you left him on their doorstep with just a letter and that barely after giving witness that I had to be the secret keeper that you demanded access to the Black Vaults as his lawful guardian which you were not. So do you have Anything to say for yourself?"

"As I have said before I was only doing what I thought was right," Albus began before he continued he was cut off.

"Really stealing money by claiming that you were Harry Potter's Magical Guardian and having forged documents including a will that stated that you were his guardian until he turned seventeen by which you would have molded him into your tool and after dying while killing a revived Voldemort you would miraculously be left his inheritance including the Black Vaults as he is my Heir. You make me sick. How we were ever fooled by your act I will never know. Just so you know I am adding my own suits onto his in addition to the fact that the Wizengamot has stripped you of your titles and the Board of Governors has removed you and barred you from ever teaching at Hogwarts let alone becoming Headmaster. Oh one more thing, that surge you felt was your Fidelius Charm being removed."

"How could you," Albus began. "You are not safe without it any more than the others..."

"Did I forget to mention that they were not just removed but replaced?" Lord Black asked. "Silly me. They were replaced with a much better charm than what you put up. Why you won't remember where we were and to make things even sweeter you are not just getting a criminal trial but also a civil trial. By the time everyone is done with you, you will never see freedom again. To think even your staunchest supporters have turned their backs fro your backstabbing traitorous self. They even plan on suing you afterwards for wrongful suffering that you perpetrated."

'This cannot be happening,' he thought. 'Just when things cannot seem to get worse they do.'

"Oh I forgot to mention that Trelawney has been replaced by a real seer and that Binns has left now that he got his book published," Sirius said with a positively feral look on his face. "Yes all the world will soon know the true history of Slytherin and not the propaganda that you have festered on the innocent minds of the students."

The pure look of horror on his face was telling. His greatest hope and ambition had just been thwarted. Slytherin, how much he loathed them. They needed to be destroyed as almost none ever fell to his machinations and manipulations. Tom had only been his most visible failure. It had not been his most disastrous of failures oh no it had been something far worse.

"Well I thought I would pop in and tell you all this personally," Sirius said in a cheery tone. "Well I had best be going. I almost wonder how long you will last there. It has me positively giddy you see. You sent me to a living hell all the while knowing I was innocent and I will help send you there when these things must be the tip of the iceberg of your crimes."

With his peace said Sirius turned his back and started to walk away. He did not get very far before a rapidly recomposing Dumbledore regained his attention.

"Think about all the good things that I have done for you," Albus said. "How could you risk everybody's life like this?"

"What risk?" Sirius asked as he turned back to him. "Things are more secure now. I am no longer wanted for a crime you knew I didn't commit. My godson has a loving family and not the abusive home you planned on. Why I even heard that Hagrid was going to get an official apology and a new wand at the Ministries expense."

"Please," Albus said. "I did the best I could. Dippet would have never believed it was Tom. I tried to do what was best."

"It gets even better," Sirius said. "Filius hopes that they allow him the honor of killing you in a duel. It seems that someone used a memory charm on him in a manner similar to Lockhart and he wants to get even. You don't want to know what Minerva wants to do to you. She was talking about turning you into a rat and chasing you down. What makes it funnier is that she though that would be too good for you. All of your manipulations are going to come to view, Dumbledore. In the end you won't be remembered as you wanted. Oh no, you will be remembered as the greatest pariah ever. You will have plenty of time to ponder all that while you sit in your cell. Goodbye Dumbledore. I once looked up to you as everything the opposite of what I loathed in my own family and to think that you would have made them proud with the way you worked the public. Now I could be no more than disgusted with you."

With that he left leaving once Albus Dumbledore to think about his fall. He who had been so revered would soon be more despised than the Dark Lords had ever been. In the time that would follow instead of taking the place of Merlin in their mythology such as people saying, 'By Dumbledore', 'Dumbledore's Beard', or the like, he would be likened to the lowest of the low. His name would be treated with as much scorn and derision as would his behavior than any pure blood supremest had for blood traitors. He who had been haled as a hero was revealed to be no more than a villain. He who had been claimed as the savior and protector of muggleborns and the common folk was revealed to be a conqueror who had used them as his pawns.

**********************************

Meanwhile in an area of London that looked far more normal than even the areas around the Leaky Cauldron, there was a small group of people moving. A man, a teenager and two kids were walking to an entrance for London's Mystic communities shopping district.

"So how does one learn to spot things like this?" Remus asked.

"Normally you can feel it," Horus said. "Although most do tend to be near where people congregate anyways so that the traffic flow is less noticeable. Well that is with all the other people milling about no one would notice the odd group vanishing. "

So they continued to walk into the older and more historic part of town where plenty of tourists would mill about. Remus had to admit that having an entrance in a tourist trap made any oddness seem less. The kids were acting like any other kids going about touring and as such they oohed and aahed over the sights. They stopped near a small statue which seemed unimportant near the Thames River.

"Now the statue is a common marker in this part of the world," Horus said. "Like the Cauldron there is someone to keep watch in case a norm gets lucky," Horus said as he slipped into an obscured alleyway. "Now this bit has detectors in case one does show up this far. Repelling enchantments work rather well here. Now Remus you have been going to a shifter bar and there is some differences. Most entrances are not in bars, but every bar has one. The main difference from the Cauldron is that the connection is not physical and uses one similar to floo. Like the room is connected between my homes. I would have added one to Grimmauld, but not while Dumbles had access. He really wants to get access to some of this stuff."

So the group continued down the alleyway toward the bar. Above the bar was a simple sign saying 'Elly's Pub' with a caricature of a rather voluptuous lady carved into the wall. There were no outside signs of the bar being a bar beside the simple and sturdy door of a dark aged oak that would fit in an alley like this.

They entered the pub with nary a notice to them and as not a one was a mundane no one paid any mind to them as they walked in. Horus long since used to the amount of shopping that he had to cram in before appearing back at Hogwarts knew that while his time was short he had to make the most of it. So he simply wandered with his group to the bar and ordered a light drink for himself and Remus with a children's drink for the kids. More accurately he order the same drink just with his and Remus having a bit of alcohol to it.

Remus had not had that particular drink nor had the children. It was smooth and sweet without the slight syrupy flavor that butter beer had. The look on their faces was priceless though as it was a look of a chocoholic having that first sip of the best chocolate to exist.

"First time," the bartender asked.

"Aye," Horus answered while the other three were glazed eyed as their heads lolled back as they tried to coat their throats with the drink while saturating their taste buds with it. "They have only had mundy drinks and the odd bit of others. My friend here has been hanging at the Curved Crescent and has not been outside the scene."

"Ah and the kids," he said looking at them with an appraising eye wondering why they were there.

"Just in to London," Horus said as he resisted chuckling at the look on all threes faces. "Got caught up with that unrest down there."

"Hmm," he said. "So they need setting up then. Might as well get it over with and all that."

"Yeah not much but better than if some of the less reasonably found out," Horus said. "Might as well get the show on the road and all that."

"Come back any time," he said.

"Thanks," Horus said as he nodded in goodbye as he maneuvered his group with him now that they had finished their drink.

So they moved down the hallway past the bathrooms and into a small room. As was typical the walls had yellow circles with various patterns on it while the red circle was far more elaborate as it connected not in a private connection, but to the network.

"Well," he said, "we had best be off. Remus you paying attention?"

"Huh," he said. "What was that drink? I never tasted anything like it."

"The name never really translated well," Horus said with a sigh. "The closest translation would be 'Smooth Sugar Syrup Surprise'. Still it tasted good right?"

"Yeah it was awesome," Felicia and James said in a voice only sugar fried children can make.

"What they said," Remus said sounding just a bit buzzed.

"Well then to Circle Court," Horus said as he used the destination and not the specific location command.

Unlike the American Centers which were remodeled to look like open air malls, Circle Court was a circular open air multilevel tower with an atrium in the center. Then again, Circle Court had been there far longer than Diagon Alley had been around predating the Greeks even if it had cosmetic updates. The walls along the center were a light tan almost off white that had long been found to sooth the eyes. Several stories up was a floating water feature that went from the fifth to third level with a waterfall going through the fourth.

Need it to say that it was impressive and even Remus who had gotten used to the marvels of Hogwarts and the Ministry building. Needless to say he was not used to the open air and floating style that Mystics had favored since before Babylon. Then again it could be the floating elevator that was attached to nothing compared to the moving staircases that was common among wizards. Than again, even the ministry used a glass enclosed elevator.

"So what do you think?" Horus asked.

"Don't you mean where to start," Remus said with a laugh. "There is so much to see."

"Yeah it would take days if not weeks to look at everything," Horus agreed. "Still oh book fiend you will definitely stop at Treasures & Tombs. Then we need to pick up some of the other places to get things and remember we need to sign the kids up for school."

"Why here though?" Remus asked not getting it.

"Ah that," Horus said in a knowing tone. "Well that is simple. They will meet lots of kids there own age and better adapt to the new culture through immersion."

"While that makes sense," Remus said. "What about other things?"

"Plenty of their classmates will be just like them," Horus said. "Still there will be plenty of other kids around to get acquainted with. Better go there first as you will have to be dragged out of the bookstore and maybe even Technomancer's."

The group walked to the center and made there way up from the first floor to the third. The elevator came to a stop above the pool of water on the third floor. They proceeded to walk forward and they looked around a bit before heading to the left in a counterclockwise path passing clothing stores and missing the toy stores that were in the other direction. They stopped in front of Arete Academy which was the closest thing to a preschool that there was at least in England.

"Well this is Arete Academy," Horus said. "This is for those up to the age of eight when more choices are available. It was mostly set up for those that were mystic born and as such would not attend mundane schools as there were no records in their system."

"That makes sense," Remus said remembering that those that had no interaction with muggles and lived isolated enough from them had done likewise. "Still they are young..."

Horus cut him off by saying, "They may be young, but that is not the problem. Most of there classmates will b starting the same. Basic reading, writing, math and science will be covered in addition to being better prepared to deal with other events such as emotion surges. Accidental magic is not just a wiz problem. It is just more controlled and unlike when you were younger they shift at will."

"That could cause problems," Remus admitted.

"Besides the main reason is that it is unfair to allow them to compete in sports with mundys. It is actually illegal do to the unfair advantages so a separate league was set up. Remember how much stronger you are then factor in that with young kids. Also they heal quicker and what they could shake off would require extensive treatments to fix."

"Something bad happened," Remus said. "Didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did," Horus said. "Better than playing around and accidentally snapping someone's neck. There is a tier system in abilities so there is a somewhat level field to compete with skill levels. Still we are here now."

They entered the office that was for all intents and purposes lodged in a mall. This was the hub of England's mystic community as while there may be bars and smaller groupings around the country this was the center. For all intents and purposes it was the equivalent of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, Knocturn Alley, the Ministry of Magic and St. Mungo's all rolled into one. The only things not inside the mall, but were accessible from it was the Guild Chapter House, the Vampire Embassy and the Pan-Were Consulate. With the older and established shifter and vampire communities having offices dealing with issues in a manner similar to other agencies.

"Hello may I help you," the nice receptionist cat lady said.

"Yes, we were looking to enroll these two as soon as possible," Horus said. "We don't want them to get behind and they need to meet others of there own age."

"Of course sir," she said as her tail wagged back and forth. "You just need to fill out these forms."

With that said she handed him a spelltop with the forms on it and he started to fill them out. It asked the usual information that one would expect about such as name, age, contact information and the like. There was of course the added information such as abilities and things to watch out for, but then again this was a preschool for the gifted and such questions had to be asked. Finally it got to information on himself and Remus where he had to fill in Remus's information as he still was not in the system. He just used his account number and his information filled in.

'I just know I am going to get a once over more than Remus is getting,' he thought as he put his signature to it before passing over to Remus to add his signature to it. 'Maybe I should not have added them to the Stone registry and used the Lupin. Nah, where would the trouble be with that?'

"Horatius Stone," the cat girl said as she looked over the information. "Any relation?"

"Father," Horus said before the girl got the wide eyed look. 'I knew it,' he thought. 'This was a nightmare when I grew up having a famous father. Still I did have some of the best teachers because of it, not like they cut me any slack since the old man would get on both our asses for slacking if that happened.'

"Wow," she said as she shook his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you and just so you know James and Felicia will have the best service we have to offer."

He sighed before asking, "You hear about Fenrir?"

"Yes terrible that," she said with a sigh. "How they could let someone like that run around for so long I will never know. He almost got us exposed and to such a horrible light."

"Yeah it would have been worse," he said as he watched the two kids playing a bit aways. "Point is the two kids had the misfortune of being in his tender mercies."

"Oh my," she said. "The poor dears. We will have to work hard not to have that become a problem."

"Yeah," Horus said. "Well Remus here had the same thing only he lucked out."

"Bite and run," Remus said with a bit of humor in it. "Still beats what could have happened."

"You two are such dears to help them, but going so far as to adopt them," she said. Well that seems a bit much for most. Still they have a family know and we will make sure that they know that we are not like him."

"Hard to believe that anyone would earn as displeased a place as HIM," Horus said with a sigh. "Then again, the guy was worse in that he endangered us to appear in a very negative light."

"Yes at least every other group came out in a more dignified manner," she said even as she bristled a bit.

She walked away to get the needed records for them as well as dragging the two kids off to the ID photos. Horus just shook his head at how easily she handled the two to get them to take their pictures.

"Well this is going rather well," Horus said. "Still I am glad she glossed over my records. That would have been embarrassing."

"How so?" Remus asked. "I did wonder at the celebrity thing."

"I am famous and dad is famous," Horus said. "Famous people do things. Celebrities are different as they necessarily haven't done anything important and are just recognized."

"Your dad?" Remus asked. "She was acting like we did when we met the old coot."

"Dad has a bit of a reputation," Horus hedged a bit before relenting at Remus's look. "Right short answer is that dad did a lot and most of the things that he has done were scary."

"Define scary," Remus said. "You might have a different definition since you oh I don't know hunt demons."

"Big demons," Horus said. "Dad dealt with things that would make most demons puke. It began a while ago. I did mention that Sorcerers can live a very long time right?"

"Long like Flamel," Remus said. "So what six centuries?"

"I guess I didn't mention it explicitly enough," Horus said with a sigh. "The lowest level of Sorcerers live for about five centuries give or take a violent death. Right now the oldest well there has been a few that have lived over ten thousand."

"Months," Remus said. "You can't mean ten thousand years. That is just absurd."

"Remus," Horus said using his name to know that he was serious. "Dad is over six thousand years old. I have met people that predate the oldest recorded human civilizations. You need to understand that our culture is very old Remus. There are records that are over twenty thousand years old."

"Mind if I sit down," Remus said in a dead voice as he tried to deal with this. "You never mentioned this."

"Well it is a bit to tell someone," Horus said. "There is plenty that we have not revealed to the world and for good reason. They are not ready to know. Humans are not the brightest or the wisest of beings, Remus. After the rediscovery of nuclear weapons we were a bit leery."

"Rediscovery?" Remus asked in confusion. "I thought that was a recent discovery."

"No," Horus said. "Long ago technology and magic worked together. I am getting of track we were talking about the reason dad is famous."

"Fine, but later I would like to get the full story," Remus said. "You said it began a while ago."

"Right, it was a while ago as far as dad and his compatriots' measure time," Horus said. "The exact date alludes me do to all the calendar changes that have occurred, but it was about 2200 BC. They called themselves the Infiri and like most invaders they despised the natives."

"Inferi are animated corpses," Remus interjected.

"I said Infiri not Inferi," Horus said. "While they could inhabit dead bodies they preferred the living. Now where was I? Right invasion. As is typical of invaders the natives mounted an offensive. It was the first time in about eighteen hundred years that mystics fought a relatively open battle."

"Relatively open battle?" Remus interrupted by asking. "How does that differ from an open battle?"

"If you refrain from interrupting again I was about to get to that," he said. "Now a relatively open battle was one where wards and certain restrictions were set up first this was mostly so that neither mundys nor others noticed the battle and also so that mass destruction such as forests turning to deserts and mountains to seas occurred."

Remus looked very confused and disbelieving so it was not a real surprise when he blurted out, "forests to deserts and mountains to seas," with a shake of his head before continuing, "You must be joking there are no such spells to cause that."

"Remus, Remus, poor sheltered Remus," Horus said with a shake of his head. "Just because you haven't heard of spells like that does not mean they do not exist. Now you are interrupting again. Now open dueling unshielded has not occurred in almost fifty six hundred years. A continent was devastated when that happened so duels let alone battles of that level do not happen anymore. Damage greater than a ten kiloton blast is not a good thing."

"You are talking as if there are spells that can cause atomic bomb level destruction," Remus said. "There is no way that anyone can have that kind of power."

"There are but a handful on the planet that could," Horus said. "After the ban power became second to skill and creativity in dueling. Then again occasionally a mountain or a small obscured island goes boom. We really need to stop with the tangents so are you able to hold your questions for a while?"

"Fine," Remus said with a huff. "Be a spoil sport, but expect me to ask a lot of questions when you are done."

"Right let's see," Horus said. "There was a relatively open battle against the Infiri. They were for want of a better term parasitic spirits that looked a bit like a cross between a leech and a shrimp. They attached themselves to people's brains stems and wrapped their tails around the spinal column. For reasons unknown they did not and could not inhabit those with any magical abilities. That did not stop them from utilizing what enhancements that they could do. In general they possessed, but in a manner that removal was lethal to the host. For example the best of the records showed that the personality of the host was destroyed and that they leeched the energy they needed from the soul of the host whole using the body to shield and support themselves. You have to understand Moony that a lot of people died during this. Most of the fighting was confined to Eurasia and the records of the time are considered fairy tales and myths in India and other Asian countries."

"You are neglecting something important," Remus said. "I have to admit that despite finding myself in a brave new world that I have neglected to get more than a cursory interest in the history since I considered what I new as more accurate than it probably was."

"Yeah I let something big out," Horus said. Well two main things and that was it started on a Halloween and that the big five snuffed it in the fight."

"I am going to hate to ask this, but who were the big five?" Remus asked.

"Well since you seem to have neglected studying any of our history I might as well tell you," Horus said in a bitter tone grateful that they were being left alone and that there was no one nearby to hear this. "The deaths of the First King of the Vampire Nation Galcuth the Gargantuan, the first Alpha Pan-Were Primus, the loss of Lady Ama Des Sarta of the Triad and Alpha Pan-Were, Lady Ilyanna of the Triad and Grandmaster Sorcerer Raven or as most would dub them the Big Five hit rather hard."

Horus sat down with a heavy sigh as Remus sat down next to him. This was not the way to tell someone about these things, but Remus needed to understand. While this new world was better for him there was a tragic past that had haunted them even as they did there best to move on.

"Did I mention that I am related to them," Horus said in a dark chuckle. "They shaped our history Remus. More so than Merlin did with the Wizarding World. Hell they even shaped or influenced most of human history. Galcuth led the Vampires to independence and equality while Primus did the same for the Shapeshifters. The Triad was one of the most important thing to come out of the Mystic Wars as through a three way marriage peace was cemented and ended over four thousand years and four distinct wars that had left destruction across the globe. Man Raven was going to be the next Supreme Grand Master, but he died right before it leaving Ibis to take his place. Best phrasing would be the pinnacle of the times. Four thousand years later we still celebrate their deaths Remus that is how important they were."

Horus had a glassy look to his eyes as if remembering something he had seen. Remus wondered what could affect his so strongly as he had seemed carefree even with the things that had happened lately.

"Memories Remus," Horus said. "The things that have been before us shape who we will be. I accidentally found what could by comparison be called however inaccurately a pensive. He had memories in there of sights that you could not imagine. The best of times and the worst of times were present there was the rise and fall of empires that man have long since forgotten present, but the worst had to be the wars. Mundane wars were bad enough when almost all casualties were not from wounds, but the infections that spread in the wounds. Magical wars were far worse. He buried his father in-law, his wives of two thousand years Remus and then not even a year later his last father in-law. He was a kind and caring person before, but after when he had lost so much. You would not have wanted to meet him then Remus. It took two centuries to eradicate them. He did it with a ruthless efficiency that would put the most cruel of dictators to shame. He found every single one of them Remus and he killed them all. He hunted them down and there supporters as well. He hunted down people that made the Death Eaters look like complete pansy incompetent fools and he did it with a cold relentless fury."

Remus looked partially shocked, but he understood on some level that abandonment. The Marauders had been closer than blood and he had been planning to hunt Sirius down when he had heard. If he had not been caught he would have hunted him down even if he died doing so.

"I felt something even a pale reflection of that when your parents died," Remus said.

"I found out why I ended up with dad," Horus said in an offhand manner. "He was mum's godfather. I guess we lucked out that he was never informed what happened then because if he had I doubt things would have been left standing."

"Yeah," Remus said it would have been bad. "I did want to ask Raven?"

"The ancestor of Rowena Ravenclaw," Horus said. "Just like Salazar Slytherin was a descendant of Lord Snake. Its funny that dad was related to both of them or is it that they were both related to him. Sometimes I think he was related to mom somehow. It is possible though, but it is just not something I want to think about."

"Parents sex lives is something no one wants to ask about," Remus said. "Definitely not going to mention James or Lilies dating."

"There are somethings that one does not want to know," Horus said. "You are right that was one of them. Looks like the kids are almost done. Paperwork processing and such must have been a pain it never takes this long."

The cat lady receptionist sashayed back with the two kids following and a small package that would contain everything that they needed. A book list and item list like any normal school would be there and as long as they were here they would pick the things up.

"Well sir," she said. "That took a bit longer than I thought it would but everything is in order now. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"No problem," Horus said with a smile. "It gave me time to talk about somethings with my friend. Beside it is better to take longer, but do a better than rush and make a mistake."

With that the group left the school and headed back to the courtyard. Horus was reading over the information double checking and noticing the optional and recommended as well as the required items. Most of it was what he thought should be in there, but the added bit for self defense made sense with what had happened even though the kits recommended were for those a bit older.

"So what does it say?" Remus asked as he paid for a small ice cream for James and Felicia. "Anything to worry about?"

"Nothing to worry about," Horus said. "This will take a bit for some of the stuff if we want the better end specialty items, but most of it is at the bookstore. They double as a general purpose store as they have branches in areas far away and more accessible to those not on the network."

"Bookstore?" Remus asked as he started to get the twitch. He had been the bookworm of the Marauders and had only been out bibliophiled by Lily.

"Yes Remus. We are going to the bookstore," Horus said. "You can look around while I get the kits. Now remember that you can come back and even order at home so don't make me have to drag you out if you get involved."

With that said they made their way through the mall into the elevator like device rising up to the fifth floor. Horus walked forward and saw the sign and was grateful that while their were books in the windows that Remus had not seen the rows upon rows of books.

'I will probably have to stun him and drag him out,' he thought before gesturing to the store and saying, "Welcome to Treasures and Tombs, Remus. Do try to not get lost in the stacks."

Horus made a mental note not to bring Hermione here in the foreseeable future as he could probably drop her off for Christmas and pick her up at the end of the holiday and she still would not be ready to go. There were somethings that even he didn't want to deal with and that was one of them. Then he saw something even weird for him.

"Come here my precious," Remus cackled as he vanished into the stacks.

Horus shook his head before dropping the kids in the children's nook so that he would not have to try to keep them occupied while he went to the counter. A cackling werewolf bouncing around the books was just strange even for him and only the thought of a babbling witch bouncing from shelf to shelf made him realize that it could be worse.

"Hello," Horus said to the clerk who had Ryan scribbled on his tag. "I am looking for the Arete Academy first year kits."

"Of course," he said. "Mind if I double check the list they gave you. They have been adding additional books since they are experimenting again."

"No problem," Horus said as he handed over the list. "You mind if I go browse the stacks as you get the kits ready?"

"Course not," Ryan said waving it off. "Besides I think your friend will be a while so I will just stack the kits up for when you are ready to go."

"Back in a bit," Horus said as he wandered over into the stacks.

The clerk got the kits together while Remus was giddily grabbing books. Horus was going through the professional books and was looking over some of the higher level subjects. The kids were in the children's corner doing whatever kids do when they have distractions to play with.

'Well it looks like they are having fun,' Horus thought as he went deeper into the professionals only section after seeing the kids alternating listening to a children's tale and playing with the common toys that still have not yet passed unto the mundane market. 'Now let's see what they have right now. I haven't gone on a book buying spree since before I got promoted as I have been too occupied and I really need to start studying for my Masteries or worse my Master's Quest. Doing that unprepared would be bad. Hmm... A Guide to the Netherworld, A Complete Guide to Summons, Advanced Soul Magic, Restricted Blood Rituals, and Necromancy: Black and White, well that looks like some interesting research. Need to find something else, but what?'

He walked deeper into the more regulated section of the books. While less restricted than other groups, the Sorcerers and their fellows had long ago learned what happens to those that work magic that they are unprepared for. Certain magicks were not taught and the books were unable to be read by the unprepared so that similar disasters did not happen. Unlike certain books that had wandered the sensitive communities the warnings are always presented before any information as well as any precautions that have to be taken. So with a compulsion that was inborn as a part of development, Horus headed deeper into the sections that were maintained as part of necessity for on call situations.

'I am feeling a pull this way,' Horus thought. 'I didn't expect to develop that level of awareness for a few more years. There has to be something very important here that I must find. I just hope that all of what I have been doing does not cause me to start my quest sooner. I am just getting settled and I don't want to drag my family with me. They would not be ready yet. It looks like the books here are very old and most definitely restricted. If it was not for the pull I would think that I would be prevented from whatever book I am being drawn to.'

He felt the pull intensify as he reached a rather dank end that unlike most of the store was not well light. More as if the books were not ones that should be seen in the light of modern day. He stopped in front of a case that looked as if it should have had bars preventing access as this was not information that even a Journeyman should be privy to.

'This is not good,' Horus thought. 'The other books are advanced enough, but this is not something I should be messing with. I may be a bit reckless at times but some of these look too complicated even if I had a masteries. This section is the type one would normally find in a Grandmasters private collection. However, the pull is undeniable. I can feel the pull and my hand almost feels like it is dousing for what is hidden.'

His hand snapped to the top of the shelf and moved on its own grabbing specific books that he could not even focus his eyes to read the titles. A small part of the security to prevent those unready from reading the books. Some books were enchanted to prevent the unprepared from finding them and they could only be found when one was ready or almost ready. This prevented people from burnout or overload both of which could be catastrophic for sorcerers as well as other mystics as their cores were powered through a process that balanced conflicting energies by a void.

Overload was something that was not joked about as it could turn even an Initiate into a destructive disaster. With their great power came even greater responsibility. Overload was a greater risk if one used magic that they were unprepared to handle. Burnout merely cause the channels to constrict themselves preventing magic use or higher magic use until the body recovered. Overload was when too much energy was generated causing the core to go critical in the magic version of a chain reaction.

'I better be prepared for this,' Horus thought. 'Overload would be bad. I have limiters so that I don't suffer burnout, but overload would be worse. Thankfully no one had triggered a deliberate overload since the Demon Wars. To think that so many would be willing to sacrifice their lives so. While it does on some level seem similar to suicide bombers, they died taking true enemies and not civilians so that is the difference. Power was the focus then and overload was a far more destructive thing. Planets were glassed because of it. To think that reducing planets to be still uninhabitable was a necessary thing.'

He continued on his way as his right hand moved from book to book. A stack of books were cradled in his left hand as he moved on autopilot as he let his instincts pick which books he needed to get. Soon enough he no longer felt a pull from the bookcase and so he decided to look over the titles of the books.

'I might as well see what I need to learn,' he thought worried that this would be more advanced than the books he had consciously chosen. 'This is not good: A Master and their Avatar, A Master and their Bonded, Master Necromancer: Why, How, and When, Ascension: The Definitive Guide, Avatar: What It Really Means, Life and Death: Oaths, Decrees and Bonds, Elemental Lords, and Training Commanders. This looks like everything I would want to further myself and a good deal that is more than I want to know. It looks like I am going not just on a Master's Quest but to become a Master Necromancer. While the souls I have collected might count toward that the only thing that might tip the scale is dragging Riddles soul to the Netherworld while neutralizing his Horcruxes. I am going to be doing some serious reading this year. No slacking off in the future I can tell. Elemental Lords and Training Commanders feels and looks as if geared to train the Senshi specifically and it seems as if destiny wants me to train my soldiers more than I thought. I guess there are things about becoming a Master that I do not know and that there is more to having an Avatar than I thought. Dad always looked evasive when I asked about it.'

With that Horus walked out of the book stacks to the desk where he added his selections to the pile that was there. He looked over and saw James and Felicia hearing the Legend of the Twelve or at least the child friendly version. Similar to the difference between Modern tellings of Grimm's Fairy tales and the originals, they were mellowed a bit and that was because they were not in training. Once someone is between eight and fifteen they start to be treated less as a child and more like a young adult rather than the teenagers that mundanes do. A slightly different brain chemistry with the inborn imperatives helped to shorten the maturation process at least mentally.

Horus turned his senses to locate Remus and he had to resist groaning as it looked like he was balancing a stack of books as well. It was going to be a very good day for the store with how much they were going to spend.

'It looks like Remi is going to be playing tricks while his head is buried in his books,' Horus though before saying to Remus, "Come on Remus if you grab any more books there won't be any room for anything else."

"Coming," Remus said sheepishly. "It is just that there are so many books on so many topics."

"I understand," Horus said. "Just remember that you can mail order some books later once you are settled. Hey kids time to go."

"Awe... We haven't heard the end of the story," Felicia said. "Can we stay till the end?"

"Fine till the end of the story," Horus relented. 'Kids are making me way to soft,' he thought. "Was I really that bad when I was there age? Sure I cut them just a little slack from the whole horrible experience, but traditionally we are harder on our children then others.'

With that settled he settled down to read some of the books while he waited. As he did so he let his thoughts drift as he let instinct choose which book was the highest priority to read.

'Maker knew that I would in there place,' he thought. 'The Twelve was an important story. A shame that we have sacrificed so much to keep the ignorant masses alive. From a conclave of twelve Grand Masters we have three. Almost two millennium since a Supreme Grand Master has walked the Earth. So much knowledge limited since the security requirements may not, can not and shall not be lifted. Only someone who meets the requirements of a Supreme Grand Master would have access to those spells. Even the ones we have are frightening enough to the mundanes. If they ever learned that there are spells that laid waist to entire star systems, the results would be unpleasant at best and disastrous at worst.'

He felt himself drawn to read the books about an Avatar. This was in part understandable as he knew somewhat in general terms what it meant to have a presence in the world that acted on his behalf. What could a book possible have to change such an obvious connection?

'Well I have learned to trust my instincts,' Horus thought. 'So I might as well see what is in here.'

With that he started reading over A Master and their Avatar and Avatar: What It Really Means. As he read his eyes got wider at what had not been covered. An avatar was far more important than he had thought.

'Holy shit,' he thought in shock. 'I know that an Avatar is able to act on my behest and able to channel a fraction of my potential, but to think that it could be more than that. I knew that it would hurt since she was a mundy, but that it forced channels open I knew; however, that did not mention that an echo of my own core resided there. This would have been useful to know that the empathic link which allows her to feel for what I need can be deepened to such an extent.'

The emotional bond in some ways resembled the bond with one's imp or a wizard's house elf in that they always knew regardless of where their owner was what they wanted. It also let them know where and more importantly how to get to them where ever they were. This differed from the other bonds and control mechanisms that had been used as the Avatar was able irregardless of the ability to directly reach their Master to know what they would want almost as if having a compartmentalized instance of their owners reactions to stimuli.

'At least this explains why Avatars were normally also one's Voice,' he thought in shock. 'An Avatar could be easily possessed or more accurately act as an aspect. An Avatar also functions as a grounding to the here and now. If I ever got lost in this dimension or among the planes, she would act as an anchor. I mean I knew that even for a non necromancer that they could resurrect their Avatars, but to think that unless I am bound and sealed in the Netherworld that Trish is effectively immortal. I was unaware that the empathic bond allowed me to send and for her body to handle that level of stimulation.'

Horus looks over complicated diagrams that illustrate the changes that the process brings. It also illustrated why one could only have an Avatar and not legions which was why alternatives had been sought regardless of how that had turned out. That the side effect of being altered to handle the power that would pass through them while acting as a secondary remote focus was that their nerves were conditioned to much higher tolerances could be both a blessing and a curse to the recipient.

'At least there is a reason that Avatars were dispatched whenever wizards went wild,' he thought grimly. 'An Avatar is immune to the Unforgivables and unless cut off from their Master they will regenerate or resurrect from any damage given unless their Master decides otherwise. A lone Avatar could lay waste to armies without the risk a mystic would have. Now why didn't Avatars have a use in the Demon Wars as there abilities would have been useful and their Master could simply channel from safety unless there is lag or something. Now why did the development of Avatars come to exist? It had to be from a botched experiment or it would have been discovered far less recently than it was.'

With that thought in mind he quickly goes back to the contents to look up the history of Avatars. What he finds out shocks him. Not that he was expecting anything else for a reaction, but it would have been nice to know.

'Let us see.' Horus though. 'A Master develops a domain and settles down in what amounts to a dimensional pocket where they and their household does not have to worry, but this prevents direct interactions and dulls any bond outside of their domain. An Avatar acts as a bridge allowing the bond to be shielded from dimensional interference do to the strength and depth of the bond. An Avatar also tended to function as a supreme High Priest or Priestess during the time when gaining belief was typical. Man, utilizing all that ambient and waste energy to be used as ones own does explain why the protection practice remained after separation. As long as people actually believed then the items would have enough energy to draw on.'

He took a deep breath as he put the book down and let the collective repercussion soak in. None of what he had expected to find had been found, but the revelations that he had experienced was shocking.

'I was not expecting any of this,' he thought. 'It would explain why most Masters do not dwell in any Guild Chapter House and that most if not all of them become a bit strange. I probably should check the Ascension book as it would explain things a bit more for my point of view and not my Avatar's. Not like I feel like reading it now. The story should be over and I am going to do my best to keep thoughts about this from distracting me.'

"Hey Remus," Horus said in a gruff voice which startled the man from the books he was reading. "It looks like the story is over so we best get back."

"Sure," Remus said. "Just as I am getting involved the story ends. At least I have a bookmark to use so I don't loose my place."

With that said the group gathered their purchases and left the store. Arrivals are more monitored than departures unless something sets off the theft prevention system. So Remus was left a little confused as they seemed to move from the mall to Grimmauld place without a tell tale sign of any transportation method that he knew.

"I must be seeing things," Remus mumbled before he looked at the books as he almost believed everything had been a very strange dream. "Guess not."

"Later Remus," Horus said. "Kids be good for Remus and read your books. I will be stopping by when I can. Later."

With that he vanished without a trace. Remus blinked again as he shook his head wondering if he had silently apparated or did something else that was similar in result. He shook his head and helped the kids settle their stuff in before turning back to reading the book he had started.

'Never going to be able to say it is boring,' he thought. 'Now let's see. The Rise of Equality Among the Races began with...'

**********************************

Breakfast in the Great Hall was as always filled with people who were only half awake. Pumpkin juice while having a good assortment of vitamins and minerals was not a stimulant and it did nothing to help wake the students up. There was a new face up at the table and now that Binns had left they wondered which of the Black Sisters would be taking over History of Magic and which would be remaining with Divinations.

"Attention students," McGonagall said in her quite yet firm tone that echoed around the room. "Allow me to present Marissa True-heart your knew Divinations professor. The Professors Black will both be taking the place of Professor Binns now that he has passed on to new opportunities. That will be all."

The students soon started talking about this wondering what was going on and why she had not been announced the night before. That was until they overheard a few Ravenclaws commenting that she had probably arrived after they had gone to bed or this morning and as such was not there to be announced.

"So what do you know about her?" Hermione asked Horus as he took a bite out of an apple.

"Well unlike the Blacks who have minor precognitive ability, Marissa True-heart is form Devon and she is a minor seer who is able to recall what she sees," he said. "She did write that she would like to teach her, but not as long as Dumbledore was here as she saw nothing good happening if she showed while he was here."

"So she is better than Trelawney was then?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Horus said. "While the Professors Black did not have the sight, they were well versed in the theoretical and everyday application. As you know the future is not set for every action; however, the large events are linchpins and are inevitable events. Take for instance the discovery of a specific spell even if the person was killed who we know invented it that does not prevent the spell from being invented. It would be discovered normally concurrently and the one who first published is regarded as the inventor."

"So your saying things are not set and that if say Edison died someone would have discovered it," Hermione said. "So discoveries are not about the creativity of a genius thinking out side the box but more a dynamic move and they just were the first to make the mental leap to reach it."

"Yes," Horus said. "Even the greatest breakthroughs seem to occur in clusters where a single stray thought triggers an event."

"What about linchpins?" Lavender asked.

"Those events are ones that prevent things like the grandfather paradox," Horus said. "Despite what the Ministry thinks time is far more stable than most think. That being that paradoxes are dealt with in a reasonable manner and they are prevented from destroying the world. If say for example you went back in time to save someone with a time turner you would either fail or succeed in a manner that had every one believe that you failed. Normally one would use a simulacrum that would take the lethal damage that caused the death in the first place while the person is taken forward in time."

"So paradox cannot occur," Padma said. "Then why the regulations on time turners if they cannot destroy time-space?"

"Simple they would allow someone to learn more or do things that would be monitored with ease without the turner," Horus said. "For example one could use a turner to brew potions that take a lot of time and would in a way be seen as cheating all the man hours of work that went into the potion. An other example is that one can have duplicates wandering about through the use and as such have an alibi even if you did do something."

"Cheating," Katie said. "Train a team of Quidditch players in secret with one and they would have an unfair advantage if the opposition did not do likewise."

"Magical escalation," Angela said. "Once you start it would never stop."

"Back to less troubling topics," Horus said. "History where we learn things and divination where there will be homework. So thoughts on that or that it is less of a waste of time now?"

"The increased homework can be annoying, but the class is more useful now," Alicia said. "Still there are advantages what with not falling asleep and that the class will be more engrossing. I will admit missing a chance for sleep could be bad. Never enough hours in the day."

"True," Hermione cut in. "Never enough time to do everything that one needs to do let alone what one wants to do."

"Still we have to get to class soon enough," Horus said as he finished his breakfast. "We will see how things are after the first classes."

Before he got too far Katie whispered a quick question to him, "So when do we get to play with the Harpies?"

Horus grinned before whispering back, "Sometime over the holidays. Otherwise it would be on a weekend and none of us would have enough time to enjoy it with how busy we are."

Katie sighed before heading off to class. She had been hoping it would be sooner than later, but the important thing was that it would happen. The rest of the group wondered what that had been about, but on seeing the look on his face decided it was better not to ask and with that they all rushed to their classes.

**********************************

Halloween was approaching and while it was not yet Christmas Horus was planning something that would improve things. The potion for the Longbottoms was well underway and would soon be done. His attention turned to Luna and despite not being a member of his Harem that did not preclude any friendship with or without benefits that they had. He wanted to do something special but that did require asking around and despite her zone being Japan it was a good choice to find out the necessary information.

'Despite all my arguments to the contrary this is the least I can do after all that has happened,' Horus thought. 'Still I don't like to bother people that are busy and she is most assuredly busy.'

Horus took a deep breath and focused on his magic, his gift, his burden and his destiny. He reached deep into his core as he had kept his power contained so as not to be as obvious. People would have compared him to what they had felt when Dumbledore or Riddle had let their magic out only saying that this seemed more primal yet also more controlled.

The room was bathed in power saturating the air to a level that even Vernon would have felt a pressure from. The power coursed through him letting him feel complete again. The reason that Sorcerers even at Master level were mistaken as gods was the potency of their magic not just in use, but being in their presence seemed to dwarf ones own power. If the room had not been at least partially shielded, the effects would have been more apparent. The shadows in the room moved as if alive and if any ghost or spirit had entered the room they would have felt the difference immediately.

Names have power and at a certain point one becomes aware of their name being spoken and the person that Horus wanted to contact was no exception so that when he merely whispered, "Botan," the effects were evident.

Unlike normal people who had gained the ability to detect when people were talking about them but not who, Botan had not sneezed and instead had gotten a glassy eyed look as she felt a tug. While one would think that this could endanger her job or her charges, this was not the case.

Horus could have forced her to come, but that was not the sort of thing to do lightly. Before he had started he had listened letting himself sink into his power and let it whisper to him of things that were not known. There were reasons that older or more powerful mystics had adapted avatars as if they did not limit there interaction with the world there power would be intoxicating to those around them.

Letting himself sink that deeply into his power was a calculated risk on his part. It allowed a more immediate access to his power yet it was a heady sensation as while submerging ones mind in their power removed the physical limits on the mind of the speed limit of neurons it came at the cost of the emotional control. When one sunk ones mind into their power, they had a harder time controlling there emotions as they were closer to the source.

The tug was strong and felt to her as a similar sensation to being called by Koenma and yet she knew the source was different. That however did not decrease the strength of the pull and as Yusuke was asleep there was little chance of Anything happening while she was gone.

The resistance to the pull vanished at that thought and the next she knew she was in a stone room that screamed of power. She blinked as she realized that she had been moved without any effort on her part. She looked around the room and noticed the wards were designed to prevent the power from leaking noticeably from the room. Her eyes came to rest on the figure in front of her. To her eyes she saw the power there in front of her.

"Hello Botan," the voice came from the illuminated figure. "I have a few questions and it was easier to ask you than Koenma or any of my family. Mostly as you would be able to check easier than they."

"What do you want to know?" Botan asked as she wondered why this person seemed familiar.

"The location of a particular soul," the figure said. "More importantly wither they chose to reincarnate or not."

"Which soul?" Botan asked. 'Koenma would be better at asking this as he has the paperwork,' she thought. 'Still there has to be a reason to summon me instead of going there.'

"Luna Lovegood's mother," Horus said. "I wanted to let her daughter say goodbye and my normal methods would cause too much of a disturbance if I did so."

"She did not reincarnate," Botan said. "So why should I do this?"

"Consider it a favor," Horus said. "Besides I could do it on my own, but opening the Gates at this time of year would allow far too many a chance to escape."

"There is that," Botan agreed. "Still bringing a soul here. How would they interact? Most would not be able to see them if they did?"

"The girl in question is more than spiritually aware enough to see her," Horus said. "Not that it would be needed in this room or did you fail to decipher what the setup is set to do?"

Botan took a better look at the room and her eyes went wide at what the room was set to do. Any spirit entering the room would be rendered both visible and solid. She of course failed to notice the runes that prevented soul death and similar fates, but then again she was a relatively new boat girl so that is forgivable.

"Well I think we can set something up," Botan finally said. "Could you tone it down I can't see you though."

"Ah that," Horus said having forgotten that he was able to at the moment do something he was rarely allowed to do and that was going relatively unnoticed while actively embracing his power. "Sure why not."

With that said he reined his power in allowing Botan to see him without the near blinding brilliance that he had been generating. He took a bit of pleasure in seeing her shocked face that he had put that much power out. Then again, everyone should have a little bit of fun. He of course left as soon as things were settled and they had some casual after business discussion.

**********************************

One would wonder why Horus would rush his time visiting Botan after going to all that effort to call her. The reason was simple and that was that Necromancers were energized by this time of year in a manner similar to lunar cycles boosted zoanthropes and why magical werewolves shifted do to the surge of energy. Necromancy while dealing with the dead was also equal parts channeling life energy. This was different than channeling say chi for instance as the method was different. That people who channeled high levels of chi in the normal manner developed healthier bodies and an innate feeling of attraction by the opposite sex was a relatively accepted matter.

The difference was that necromancers channeling near Halloween had a different feel to it. It was rather like the effects one had during the period after using life energy to heal or resurrect. The main reason that elaborate ceremonies were preformed without sacrifices was that plainly a necromancer would on these nights be turbocharged not just in magic but in virility.

What this meant was that Horus was rushing back to his chambers because as much as the time of year increased his libido, it also increased the sex appeal. Even the older necromancers tended to sequester themselves after working any magic during this time of the year. Even ancient looking necromancers enjoyed the time of year as their bodies reverted to the peak of their development.

Last year Padma, Parvati and Lavender had not understood what this meant and had ended up bowlegged and sore. Horus of course had the disinclination for several days afterwards. That had been on a Sunday unfortunately this year it was on a Monday night which did not allow for much relaxing.

"Hello all," Horus said as he walked in looking a bit flustered. "How have you been?"

"Hello Horus," they chimed back.

Horus made eye contact with Lavender, Padma and Parvati as he really needed to know if they had told the others what this time of year did to him. It was embarrassing to go from professional to jackhammering sexual deviant that had a tendency to not notice when the girl he was with passed out. Well until they snapped out of it and almost threw him because of oversensitivity. That was truly embarrassing.

"So you didn't tell them huh?" Horus asked after the slight shake of their heads. "Hey Luna?"

"Yes," Luna said as she finished up some stretches. "Is there something you wanted?"

"More the opposite actually," Horus admitted. "You were talking a while back about borrowing Hermione for a night to get even..."

"Are you suggesting tonight?" Luna asked. "Would you mind if I borrowed Ginny as well there has been a minor issue that was not worth the effort to bring up?"

"Let me guess," Horus said with a sigh. "She has been peeping again."

"Yes actually," Luna said. "Although I would wonder why this night and not tomorrow."

"Well there is a surprise gift that I could not arrange on any other day tomorrow," Horus hedged. "Besides this time of year is not that good for me..."

"Because your birth parents died?" Luna asked as she sat net to him.

"Actually no," Horus admitted. "One of the types of magic I learned is stronger this time of year and it comes with a draw back. While the magic is easier to use this time of year, the reactions to using that type of magic is stronger. To be blunt I go almost feral sexually and if you think back to what those three were like..."

"They walked bowlegged for days," Luna said. "So you think the sessions would be more intense than mine?"

"Yeah at least you would be better able to gage there limits than I would," Horus admitted with great reluctance. "If we hadn't missed a couple of days and only cuddled things would have been bad."

"I understand," Luna said, "besides I have wanting to act a scene out with them that I know you would not like to watch."

"We all have our kinks and squicks," Horus said. "Besides last year I made sure not to use any of that magic. Sadly for your present I had to. Though it is something that you will enjoy, but I can't tell you what. It would spoil the surprise."

"Anticipation is the best kind of torture," Luna said with a giggle as she concealed a giggle. "It makes things sweeter."

"That it does," Horus admitted. "So if you wouldn't mind taking them over to the play room..."

"Hermione, Ginny," Luna called. "Could you come here please?"

The two walked over to the group wondering what was going on. Both of them were apprehensive. Hermione because she had not been the nicest to Luna before and she kept dreading a punishment session. Ginny was worried that she had found out that she had been peeping on her and she was not supposed to be peeping on people anymore. Not that she did so any less.

'Luna is smiling and that smile is never good,' the two girls thought. 'This is not going to be pleasant. Even if we end up pleading during and enjoying it.'

"Well as part of a belated birthday gift and because you two have been so naughty," Luna said with a smug smile. "I get to play with you two tonight."

The look of horror was palatable on the two girls' faces. Horus was trying to hide some of his amusement as he noticed that the fear that they felt was being slowly overtaken by excitement.

"Well have fun," Horus said patting ht two on the back. "Besides did you thing that I would not find out?"

With that he left as the two were led out with a look of dread on their faces by a smirking Luna. At least he wouldn't have to worry about them. They were safer with Luna as despite her appearance she would have a better line of boundaries than he would. The price of power had to be something after all.

"Well Padma," Horus said as he looked over who was left. "I take it you didn't mention the significance of this time of year has for me and I do not refer to the death of my parents or the Dark Tosser getting ejected from his body."

The looks of confusion was not settling until a few remembered that the three girls that had been in last year. The almost plastered on grin and flush had lasted for a week even as the bowlegged walk and strut had lasted almost as long.

"Right do to a particular branch of magic I practice," Horus began. "You have noticed that I am affected by lunar and seasonal shifts. Short answer is that for the most part I go a bit feral sexually. While you might enjoy long lengthy bouts the problem is that I tend to zone out during this and I would most likely not notice if you passed out or became to sensitive or even worse suffered from friction burns."

"The upside is that he goes at it like a cross between a Sybian and a relentless jackhammer," Lavender said. "You will be cuming a lot and you have to have the strength of will to tag out or you will have to wait till he goes which at this time of year takes longer than it should."

"Did I forget to mention the multiple Krakatoa orgasms?" Padma asked. "Seriously we will try to get you out if it gets too intense. However, expect to be in afterglow for a good long while."

"As we have been through this first," Parvati said. "We will be going first. However I would advise making sure you are ready and eager before you get close."

"Sadly, once I start," Horus said with reluctance at revealing this weakness. "I sort of go on autopilot. Get close enough and well just think wild animal."
*****************

Lemon Scene

*****************
Lavender was thinking fondly of this and was hoping that with the increased stamina that she would not pass out into drifting on a sea of orgasms so soon. She lay reclining on the bed naked with her legs spread as he got closer. She could see that he was straining not to act like a dog and start humping her immediately. He was standing over her at the edge of the bed. She was grateful that she was excited since she knew that once he started he would not stop until he eventually came. Normally he would have concerns, but this was a part of him as much as his other instincts.

Horus was looking down and appreciating Lavender for who she was. He cared about her even if it was slightly less than his three mates. He lined up and with his will dropping slid slowly into her. He was able to hold himself as he felt his body start to shift just a bit becoming larger without letting his animal side come to a visible surface. Near human without the added appendages. Then she touched his arm and he was gone.

The bed was not creaking as the rate that he was pistoning inside her was far faster than that. Squeaking would have been an understatement. Full stroke thrusts moving at the speed of a Sybian on high was what Lavender was receiving. Her first orgasm hit within moments. It was down hill from there as he moved like a literal jackhammer driving into her.

As had occurred when strapped to a Sybian, the constant stimulation quickly drove Lavender over the edge. That was not to say that she was just laying there leaning back and enjoying the ride, she was moving about while being rather vocal at the attention she was receiving. Sure he was running his hands up and down her thighs and he was being a bit more forceful as he suckled her nipples, but that did not mean that besides being rougher than normal that she was not enjoying herself. Far from it actually as she was writhing about like a live wire. Her legs were wrapped around him and her arms were trying to bury his head against her chest as the bed springs bounced her back with every thrust.

Those watching were rather turned on by the sight before them especially as Lavender was babbling like crazy between her shouts mostly being her saying, "Yes," "Cuming," "Harder," and "more". That her eyes had as wild a look as he had was telling. Most of the girls sitting around playing with themselves and each other were tempted to just muffle her, but they didn't feel like getting too close as neither participant was in that clear a state of mind.

Eventually Lavender stopped screaming and was reduced to panting as she tried to fill the air his thrust knocked out, groaning as he pulled back and moaning as he thrust in before sighing when she felt full. She had a plan and she hoped to last that long. Right now Horus was about as likely to cream as a practitioner of tantric sex that did not mean that his mind was any less cum addled than Lavender's was. Then again she was aware of her orgasms but not sure if it was multiple mixed with continuous or one or the other. The only thing she was aware of besides that was that her tits felt flushed and that her pussy was either empty causing a groan or full causing a moan.

Horus's mind was similarly blurred. A sex induced buzz was different than a drug or alcohol induced one. His nerves were pleasantly tingling continuously with a rhythm consistent with his heartbeat while most of the sensations he was aware of was feeling his dick being wrapped in a snug warmth massaging him and being cooled off by the air when he pulled back. Sure he ground himself into her with each completed thrust, but his mind was pretty much just ridding along in the almost drowning pleasure he was in. He should have remembered that he would not only have his libido at a level to make most nymphomaniacs seem prudish, but that he also was dealing with his nerves being both over sensitized and over stimulated.

Lavender was not unconscious as the fluttering of her eyes as she moaned and groaned disproved. No, she was quite aware of what was happening even if she was unable to move at the moment. Normally she like the others would be trying to focus on milking him with her pussy, but that level of focus was beyond her at the moment. Thankfully her body had practiced until it was an unconscious act. She was aware that he was starting to throb inside her, but she remembered from last time this happened that unlike a normal encounter the throbbing was not within moments or even minutes of him shooting; oh no, she had a while to try to ride out. She planned on being here when he did cum since she knew from experience that the orgasm would be frying, but that they would be able to pull him off in the moments after grinding into her. Otherwise he would just start up again and even with all of the practice she didn't think that Horus totally fuck crazy would be a good thing for a second ride. She remembered that last year she had been unable to have her pussy stimulated more than petting for days because she was that sore.

'Just a little longer,' was Lavender's sole clear thought among the muddled mess her mind was in.

She was grinning as she felt him start to throb quicker and with more force. The girls looking on saw his balls start to pull up. One moment he was all the way back with just the head of his cock inside her lips which they saw squeezing him and the next he was buried to the hilt. Lavender felt herself wrap herself around him just as her head was thrown back and her moans were replaced with an animalistic roar. His face was buried between her tits and her legs were wrapped around his knees. The bed was compressed as he was grinding downward even as she was pulling herself flush against him.

Horus was blinking for a moment as Lavender dropped to the bed. Padma and Parvati quickly pulled the shuddering girl out from him before one of them jumped into her place. It seems wrong that they played a one second game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who went next. Padma won and she had barely managed to slide in place when her pussy brushed against his cock and he started up again.

Padma was soon reduced to a shuddering writhing orgasm dazed state. While Horus was still as out of it as his mind was completely submerged in the effects of the male equivalent of multiple continuous orgasms that gained intensity the more the girl came, he did not notice that the slight empathy had had cultivated had upped the ante with the watchers as he was far too busy with Padma and the way the two were moving together.

Padma was starting to drift as a naughty idea dropped into her head. When Horus slid back she arched up and with a spin gripped his legs before the tables were turned. This was only a momentary distraction and she gripped Horus with her legs so that he didn't buck her off when he started thrusting upward. Now that there was no concern of supporting weight even distantly, Padma made sure that his hands were kept occupied roaming all over her as his mouth did likewise with her reciprocating as she moved about sliding around and with his thrusts. Soon enough Horus was throbbing inside the jerking Padma as she ground against him as he bucked beneath her. Suddenly they stilled completely with Horus arching back lifting Padma up as her body arched back far enough that her hair was touching the bed as she came hard while Horus let go again.

Parvati was quick to act taking her sisters place in bouncing on his lap. The main difference was that while he was thrusting up her grip on his legs made the strokes shorter if not slower and that that his hands were roaming from her bouncing tits to her pussy. After a rather strong orgasm, Parvati rested for a moment too long as she paused in grinding against him. This allowed for a quick rollover before Horus picked up the pace. In the end their coupling ended with Horus wrapping his arms around her as they ground against each other.

Padma and Parvati were the only ones otherwise to last until he let loose. The rest had needed Amber to swap in before they passed out again. So it continued with Hannah, Susan, Daphne, and Tracy until soon enough they were lying next to their friends along the bed. Their pussies looked like someone had been fisting them with how stretched and puffy their pussies looked.

Parvati, Lavender and Padma had only shuddered a bit as the other girls waiting their turns tried to lap his cum out of them. The only two girls that had not gotten a chance to do that were Katie who had been simply looking on with a lecherous look as she didn't want to risk passing out too early and Amber who had been too busy switching in before the other girls ended up with cloth burns as well as preventing Horus from fucking his cock until it was raw.

Katie had been the last to switch in and Amber had been panting after she had almost lost herself like the others had. Luckily that Katie was determined to outlast the others. Her single minded determination had allowed her to wave off the recovering Amber even after she had almost passed out twice. Each time she had snapped up from where she was shuddering and back to a full writhing participant even if she was unable to keep shouting.

Still even with a Quidditch conditioned body and the hellish training she had been subjected too she was only human and she soon reached the end of her willpower. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she lost herself even as he continued moving. It did take Amber a few minutes to notice that Katie was shuddering and that her eyes had started to roll up.

With a supreme effort, she managed to switch one last time after Katie snapped awake before passing out with her head lolled to the side as she went completely limp. This resulted in leaving Katie next to them as she felt the disappointment that he was throbbing, but that Katie had almost made it. This time the throbbing lasted a while longer and she noticed the slightly different movements in his thrusts. She smiled when she let herself fall as she felt him let go inside her before resting his head between her breasts as the last two drifted off.
*****************

End Lemon Scene

*****************
Caffeine laden and other wake up drinks would be a necessity even with the Halloween feast the next day cutting the school day short. Horus was going to be groggy until afternoon and things had been rather draining. He was sleeping in the center of the bed with the girls arrayed around him with their legs dangling off the bed and their hair splayed about with a very tussled look.

Luna had opted to sleep in the play room with her toys showing signs of well use. Her boys were nestled against her while the two bad girls were arranged with the two reforming girls. They would all be a bit tender in the morning, but nowhere near as bad as those that had been pistoned. Those girls would be doing anything physically intensive for a few days.

None of the room's inhabitants would be coherent during class the next day as they would be functioning on autopilot. Thankfully the separation of conscious mind allowed them to think about things while doing others. So while no one would notice any unusual behavior besides the slight sway to the hips that the girls had or the look on their faces, it was nothing unusual and little suspicion that anything unusual occurred would surface.
**********************************

Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Samhein, Fall Equinox the Harvest Festival, all were names for the same thing. It was a traditional time of the year where one thanked the bounty of the harvests and on the day that marked the coming of winter as the changing of the seasons. There had been tragedies on this day far too often and not just the results of mis adventuring kids, wanna be Satanists and deranged wanna be Dark Lords.

Long ago this was the time when the dead were said to walk the earth for one night and that to placate the recently dead sacrifices had been offered. In the time of the Druids this was so and instead of costumes of faeries and kings or vampires and princesses, it was a time where they dressed in the skins of animals to hide from the spirits presences.

Ghosts at Hogwarts were far less sinister than some seen in the world. They were not summoned by their pasts nor were they hungry nor angry ghosts which have their own problems. In fact the ghosts of Hogwarts were for all intents and purposes merely spirits that chose to not pass on. Somehow they avoided the pitfalls that follow most who defy the order of things. One thing that wizards either never knew or forgot was that ghosts were not invulnerable. While most magic was useless against spirits as it was known in the Wizarding World, other magic was far more effective and more importantly ghosts and other spirits were aware of certain forms of magic and could sense them. The more the magic could affect them the easier by which they could sense its use so as to avoid it in a manner similar to a deer scenting a predator.

What all this meant was that the wards in the room had to take into not just hiding what was going on from the living but also the dead. While precautions had been taken the day before when he had called for Botan to appear, they were significantly less complicated and developed as this night was one in which death magic was one of the strongest. Why else would wards that dwarfed the protections of the school have been erected around a small hidden room?

Horus was one of those people that did the most they could for their friends. He had helped Neville by reuniting him with his parents and he had thought long and hard before realizing this would be no different than when he had allowed Tsunade to say goodbye to her lost ones. He was not a fool and he knew better than to open the Gates on this day. He was no where near ready to control them with the surge of power that came on this day. There was a good reason that the wizards had astronomy as part of the curriculum while it would not make sense to those muggleborns and that simple reason was that the higher magicks were heavily influenced by the sun, moon, stars and other planets.

'Fall equinox was the night were the barriers between worlds and specifically the Netherworld was the weakest. Before the strengthening of the barriers the spirits were on this night quite easily able to return,' Horus thought. 'Nowadays that is prevented by a combination of things. While I could open the Gates With some effort, they are harder to control this day as once opened they would allow the cresting tide of power to flow through them and like the tides would wash things ashore so to would they. Still this is the night when the barriers are closer so that Botan is not breaking a rule doing this. Besides this room is for this night both a part of the living world and of the Netherworld. If I had not placed wards every ghost would come here as they would be able to interact with the living world.'

"Horus," Luna said. "Why did you want to see me here of all places?"

'For once she is without her friends and guides,' he thought before sighing and saying, "You were wondering why they couldn't come in the room huh?"

"Well there is that," she said in an inquisitive tone. "then I realized that there had to be a reason for that and this as well..."

"This room is guarded against spirits," Horus said simply. "Sadly that prevents your friends from entering, but this is for a good reason. I wanted to do something since you are my friend and besides providing the play room I feel I have neglected my duties as a friend."

"Why ward the room against spirits?" Luna asked as she walked around looking at the strange symbols that covered the walls. "On Halloween of all nights..."

"The old ways have there reasons," Horus said. "As much as we like to play games I might as well tell you. As you are aware Halloween was when the deceased who did not become ghosts could come back for one night. Now as things changed this became less common. I called in a favor and thought you might enjoy it..."

Before he could continue he was cut off by a cry of, "Luna!" as she was wrapped in a hug. Botan was standing to the side as mother was at least temporarily reintroduced with daughter.

"That was a nice thing you did," she said, "But why didn't you..."

"Call my own parents back?" Horus finished for her. "Simple I will see them soon enough. You know as well as I that unlike Luna I can go back and forth with relative ease. Despite her differences Luna does not have the ability to do that and this is the best that I can do."

"You care for them," Botan stated simply as she stood behind him.

"Yeah I do they are my friends and I do care. No more or less than you do for your charges," Horus said. "What is to come will be difficult for them and even with my help I am not sure that they will all survive it. Why else would I seem to be so obsessed with helping them than to assuage the guilt I feel knowing that no matter what I try things will happen."

"We do what we can," Botan said. "What else can we do?"

"Nothing," Horus said. "It is nice to see her so care free. Even with the improvements that have happened lately there has been a burden on her shoulders."

"No more so than yourself," she replied. "Still Koenma asked if you could come back and talk for a bit."

"Might as well," Horus said as he got up. "I don't feel like intruding and we can be introduced later."

With that the two faded away leaving the two to get reacquainted. Both of them had slight grins on their faces as they left. Things were looking up Horus felt as he had helped two friends to better there lives. Now he had to try to find a gentle way to break one more betrayal to his friends. He rather liked the twins and Ginny was getting over her issues while Luna had made Ronald get over his. He hoped they would not backslide when they found out what their mother had done.

**********************************

Koenma's Office was dull if one did not take into account the rather large individuals with bull horns and the like on their heads. Other than the odd looking workers it was a typical office with a desk and a very large stack of papers that the infant prince of the Reiki was stamping. One would wonder why he had to do all the paperwork unless one knew his dad was on a very long vacation.

"Ah Horus," the pacifier wearing middle manager said.

"You wanted to see me?" Horus asked.

"Yes," Koenma said. "Now as you know Botan here provided a service and negotiations should be dealt with."

"You do realize I could have just opened the Gates and bypassed you entirely," Horus said in a cold tone. "So what is it that you want?"

"There have been a number of souls going missing in England lately and I wondered if you were willing to investigate it for us," the infant entity said. "You would of course be compensated in addition to removing this favor."

"Any souls in particular?" Horus asked. "If they were the likes of Fenrir Greyback then it is a non issue."

"No," Koenma said. "Although there has been a flurry of transfer forms for a number of souls in England. Seems that they are getting sent to an even worse section for their various crimes. Although I do wonder where that particular individual had gone. I had been hoping to hear that he was accidentally misplaced in the Maiki."

Horus chuckled before saying, "Well he is not misplaced in the Maiki. Although he probably wishes that he was."

"So where did he end up?" Koenma asked in curiosity.

Horus removed his knife and let them see the souls reflected there before saying, "He had been such a naughty boy after all. Sadly I am not planning on delivering him immediately as some of the paperwork is still in process and he might get misplaced in the mean time."

"Soul keeper," Koenma said in shock. "I had thought they were lost and that only the demon artifacts were left, but a soul keeper blade is not what I expected."

"Different jurisdiction," Horus said. "They are to be delivered to the Netherworld and not the Reiki or the Maiki or one of the alternatives. The prison for them is still being built so they had to stay in this temporary accommodations. Although they might prefer to stay there when they see where they are going."

"Sir?" Botan asked having never seen such an artifact and the only similar one was a very rare object that had been stolen and Yusuke had returned along with the Forlorn Hope.

"Soul keepers are artifacts that can store souls," Koenma said. "They are few and far between within the Reiki. Although there are rumors that they are less rare in other domains."

"It is supposed to be part of my Master Quest," Horus admitted. "I had not planned to even start this bit so soon, but the opportunity had arisen."

"How can capturing souls be part of something like that?" Botan asked.

"Master Quests are trials by fire to see if someone is worthy of the added responsibility," Horus said. "The main soul I am to deliver is one Thomas Marvolo Riddle and his followers if possible. I really don't want to have to retrieve their souls from Dementors as that is a nuisance."

"I can see how that would be." Koenma said remembering the few times he had encountered the creatures. "Still there are a few souls that have been misplaced and I was wondering if you would look into the matter as there is a concurrent mission for Yusuke."

"Sure why not," Horus said. "Still need to check some things while I am in Japan even if it s for just a night."

"I don't see how that could be a problem," Koenma said. "Just try to avoid property damages."

"As long as nothing too strange happens why not," Horus said. "See you later."

With that said Horus exited the building before taking the nearest portal back to the human world. He did as usual leave a bunch of confusion in his wake.

**********************************

Japan is a land that clings to tradition while embracing the modern world. It is one of the greatest enigmas that there is in the modern world. There are plenty of places where the magical and mystical were still unobtrusively present in modern life. Then again the supernatural or as some called it the preternatural beings were still prominent in there presence when their European counterparts had hidden themselves. The only areas that were still openly recognizing of such things were the wild places where the modern world had at best a foothold on the areas.

'To think that despite the modern marvels,' Horus thought as he walked down the streets taking in the sights. 'That the highest concentration of sensitives, magical and mystical beings congregate here. Some districts had such high concentrations that the unusual was the usual. Normally such things are only prevalent in the wild places where life has not changed in thousands of years. The tribes in the deserts and forests still remembered and some even called upon the old promises when outsiders jeered at their superstitions. Now the modern world has adopted some of the old ways once more. Elementals sail with ships to prevent natural and unnatural disasters. No more will storms take ship, crew, passenger or cargo. Still it will be a while before the latent fear of cursed food fades. Some people are more frightened of magic being used in their food then pesticides. A shame that modern agriculture took so long to relearn how to not over tax the lands they farm.'

Some places the normal is still the normal and as such there was no reason to attract attention when in such places. So while he walked down the streets when other methods would be faster was both for relaxation and to avoid being noticed. It was relatively simple to find a shadow that was unnoticed and to vanish as traffic and other things obscured his passage. A simple flicker of shadow and he was gone when the light came back on and none were the wiser.

"Tadaima," Horus said in a soft voice as he rematerialized in his home. 'I never realized that I think of this more as my home than my apartment ever was,' he thought with a sigh. 'What is it they say; Home is where the heart is? Yes that was it, so this is my home since it is where my heart is.'

There was a sudden blur as the next thing he knew he was being hugged tightly. If he was a normal man with normal strength his ribs would have been bruised if not crushed from the tightness of the hug.

"Okaerinasai Ho-kun," the glomping forms of Kasumi and Nabiki said.

"It is good to be back, Biki-chan Kas-chan," Horus said as he grinned. "I've missed you." 'It has been far too long,' he thought. 'School is cutting way too much into my time lately and the Senshi have been unable to bring them by often.'

"We missed you too," Kasumi said. "It is good to have you back. I've missed you."

"Don't worry I got some time again," Horus said. "I so have to set up a pad at Hogwarts. Well now that Dumbles isn't there anymore I don't have to maintain as low of a cover."

What happened next was not something that Horus was ready for even with reading up on the topic. Trish came into the room. Their eyes snapped to each other. For a moment there appeared to be a golden shimmer in Trish's eyes while there was a silver in Horus's eyes. In that moment everything that had happened since they had last scene each other flicked past there eyes. The highlights staid visible as the shimmer vanished but the secondary effect remained if perhaps temporarily.

Horus said to Trish while the others wondered what was said while he seemed to be looking at himself.

Trish said in the same manner while standing firm despite seeing herself through his eyes.

Horus responded formally.

Trish replied before continuing, "It is good to have you back. Things are just not the same when you are gone."

"I see that you have been busy," Horus said with a smile. "I take it you found some thing out?"

"Yes," Trish said with a sigh not wanting to mention what had happened. "Then again, so have you. There is a matter that will need some attention soon, but..."

"I suspected as much," Horus said. "Still it is something that is best left for later at the moment. How have things been otherwise?"

"Personally it has been fine," Trish said. "Still we have missed you being around."

"Well with Dumbledore removed from the picture even if it might be temporary, there is a lot more leeway open to us," Horus said. "Even if I had the Minister being sympathetic and willing to rubber stamp everything I said, there was some things that were not a good idea to do as they would have tipped my hand so to speak. On the plus side things look like there will be a good deal of less resistance to my plans. Positively I should be able to set up a pad so that we can visit more."

The sisters were grinning at that because they had been unable to visit as often as the others could. The Senshi had been able to teleport so they could visit when they had time which normally was Sundays baring a new monster of the week. Kasumi thankfully had channeled her frustrations into her classes and Nabiki had channeled hers into expanding her business contacts and had invested heavily in the rising technomagical industry. While the need for money was lessened with their combined resources, Nabiki liked mental challenges and the business industrial complex provided for that. She was getting a rather thorough hands on training in the shadow structure that had been utilized by the longer lived to retain their standard of living.

"Still you should stay for breakfast," Kasumi said. "We have not been able to just be around..."

"... like any family should," Horus completed. "Yeah that can be an issue. Over the Holidays we are going to have to hold up somewhere and just spend time together. Talking, cuddling and the like. We are a family even if we currently have to deal with distances keeping us apart. I should have seen about setting a pad to the Come and Go Room. It is just that so many things keep popping up that we barely have any time for any intimacy and closeness. Next time we can get everyone together I plan on spending the entire weekend in bed. Not having sex, but talking cuddling and the like. We need to maintain the closeness as we are a family and family should come first. If it had not been for the fact that Dumbledore would have found a way to interfere, we should have spent time together even with the time zone differences coming into play."

"You were there when you could," Nabiki said. "Still the dreamscape has not been that active lately as we have all been too tired mentally to indulge. At least there we are able to keep the closeness between us."

"Morning," a sleepy Prue said as she sat down for breakfast draining her cup of coffee before continuing. "You could not believe how much I miss the light work load in San Francisco. On the plus side neither Phoebe nor Piper have had any worries. It is like every demon even those passing through have wised up and don't pull anything. It is nice not having to worry about random attacks and the like."

"That is mostly because they don't want to draw anybodies attention," Horus said startling her as she had yet to notice that he was there. "With the true warlocks finding out that a bunch of mafia want to be magic users had set up there and were ruining their name, they had to go to ground and most of them were shocked to find that they didn't have to just worry about the communities stopping them as jail time with their powers bound seems to be what is favored. Main result was that since they are all about self interest that they decided that all the plots and the like gave less return for their efforts so they went into business proper. After industrial enchantment and alchemy, the next biggest demand is weather control. The big shipping corporations and the like have offered very competitive wages for people that can ease the risk of weather damage."

"With shipping not having to worry about storms, they are able to get better times," Nabiki interjected as the implications sank in. "Why they could even have some assistance in speeding up the ships. Wait a minute commercial fishing and similar off shore industries would be interested as well. Imagine not having to worry about rough storms while fishing and if they are water elementalists they could improve catching. The monetary gains as well as the decrease in insurance do to decreased risk would be cumulative."

"Wind elementals working with water elementals could with enough effort lessen storm damage," Horus said. "The only problem before was scale. Most elementalists would be limited to a small area. Sure there are a few artifacts but the weather is a complicated system of balances so shifting requires cooperation to redistribute. The main problem has been that the big storms took to much power and skill to handle without merely relocating the effect because the balance is in a system. If it rains somewhere than somewhere else does not get that rain. Storms act as release valves for energy buildup. The problem is moving the release to uninhabited areas so that the devastation is less. For example if one rendered Japan to be without tsunami and the like the energy that should have been released has to go somewhere. The easiest solution would be to redirect the wind and utilize it in windmill turbines. Same could go with tidal generators taking the excessive kinetic energy from tsunami and the like. Coastal barriers could convert the excess energy from wind even if not diverted, but the problem is set up and upkeep."

"That sounds both complicated and profitable," Prue said. "So that type of setup is closer to the three fold rule in usage."

"Yes it is," Horus said. "Still localized weather control is easier than global where you have to balance the various buildups. So how have things been otherwise? It sounded like work was busy but the distance must be straining a bit with the family."

"Yes," Prue said. "Not enough time to go back and forth with the long hours. I mostly get in and crawl into bed. On the plus side I have been gaining a lot of practical experience even if I barely have time t think, but it should slow down once things are in order. If it wasn't for the massages and other stress relief, I would be hoping to crash on a beach and just enjoy the surf, sand and sea breeze."

"That is a problem when you have to deal with high pressure decisions and planning," Horus conceded. "Plan on spending a good chunk of break letting all the stress out."

"remember to pop in when you get the chance," Prue said. "It has been a bit long since we got to relax together."

"I was planning on it," Horus said. "Trish mind if we talk a bit after everyone leaves for the day?"

"Not really," she said. "Still there are some things we need to talk about in private."

Taking that as a cue to leave the others left as they had class or work in the near future. In addition they didn't want to worry about anything else that morning. Mostly that was because they didn't want the distractions as they need to concentrate in their activities. Nabiki and Kasumi were both grateful that school was going good even if they had ended up in a few of the same classes. Nabiki had already planned to job shadow Prue to help get a better view and official experience.

"So they are gone," Trish said as she leaned back a bit. "What is so important that we needed to talk in private?"

"My Master's Quest is going to start sooner rather than later," Horus said. "From all indications things will come to a head before the end of summer. I am not sure what is going to happen exactly just that they will need you around a good deal more."

"The bonds would be strained otherwise," Trish said with a sigh. "If I recall correctly, you would be unable to visit as often and that would have disastrous results. Especially as you have not formalized your bond with your mates."

"They would have to be around you often to keep the bond from acting up," Horus conceded. "Mating is very serious and unlike our bond the distance would be stressful as once finalized we would feel compelled to be near each other, but they cannot go with me as they would be at too great a risk. Conversely leaving them here would result in them withdrawing worse than they did after their mother died. Neither is acceptable, but we will have to plan for something to compensate. Despite my desire leaving a clone that would be closer to an aspect while the best option does not feel like it will work. Someone else is plotting and whatever they are doing is going to make that impossible. I am not sure how, but that is something that I know for certain."

"We are going to have to do something," Trish said. "If your quest occurs before the end of summer, the bond will need to be stabilized as much as possible which means that formalizing can occur no later than Winter Solstice."

"I was planning on asking, but that is not something to bring up today regardless of how much I want to," Horus said. "Besides you know the reason why..."

"The aftereffects of Halloween on a Necromancer," Trish said with a sigh. "As much as we would have enjoyed the play time, none of them would have been functional afterwards. As mates there would have been no way that you could have withdrawn until they were filled. Even with all the endurance and other training they would have ended up almost comatose and slept through today."

"I know," Horus admitted. "Still I wonder how they will feel about a winter wedding."

"While most girls dream about a summer or spring wedding," Trish said, "there is something beautiful and elegant about a wedding with snow. A different form of romantic to be sure, but it will be a good deal of effort to have it planned in time."

"It might be a bit rushed," Horus said, "but I know that you can do it."

"Of course I can," Trish said. "The only thing that will be interesting is planning on the styling. That is going to make it a truly unique wedding."

"I know," Horus said. "Still there will be a rather diverse crowd showing up. Sadly despite wanting a big public affair, we will have to be careful as a rather large number of the invitees are rather reclusive in the modern area."

"Gods, Goddesses, Spirits, Legends and Myths," Trish said. "and that is without taking any organizations into account. This is going to be difficult having such a large event while keeping from drawing unwanted attention. Any ideas where?"

"The Palace of Ice and Crystal," Horus said. "There is no better or beautiful place for a winter wedding."

"It will be a bit different as it will be a multiple bride wedding," Trish said. "Not suggesting Western or Shinto for this as neither seems to fit right and a blend doesn't fit any better either. What about a mystic tradition? Is there one in this instance?"

"Yeah," Horus admitted. "I was planning on modeling it after dad's wedding as even if it was a two bride affair, that did not preclude adding another without redrawing the ceremony to much."

"Well if we have Nabiki and Kasumi's family and friends in one section it makes the layout a bit easier," Trish said. "Is there any other complications?"

"Seras might want to formalize things with Nym," Horus admitted. "This might get rather complicated now that I think about it."

"Well we do have a little under two months to plan this," Trish said. "It is a good thing that I need less sleep and the other things."

"True," Horus admitted. "I am just imagining the seating nightmare with just that and that does not include all my pets wanting to show up."

"Let's just deal with that when the time comes," Trish said. "You need to get back in a few hours. Now while it is not night here and you left before moon rise so you didn't get rushed, there is still a bit of an excessive libido present."

"So what are you recommending?" Horus said. "While I do admit that we haven't had the same amount of skin to skin time that we should, that does not mean that I want to have to hope that your healing keeps up."

"Actually I was thinking about some of the other women that are not at work right now," Trish said. "Well that and giving the working women in this family a good hard orgasm for a nooner."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Horus said. "Without the added rush from the full moon rising, my libido isn't totally crazy. I will be a bit more enthusiastic, but not as bad as I would be at night."

"Add to that the revitalization that the day has had so far and we neglected girls can get some satisfaction," Trish said. "As much as we like our cuddling and toys, there is a difference between the real thing and simulations even if the lines blur a bit."

"Well I guess we got some people to call," Horus said.

"Right away," Trish said as he picked her up.

She started dialing as he carried her to the bedroom. She barely managed to call all of the women who were interested before he set her down on the bed.

Needless to say that some women who had been planning on trying to find away to have their daughters teleport them to visit made the most of their time. That afternoon had several women in a better mood than they had been in a while. Prue had gone back to work with a renewed vigor that resembled the extra care that Kaori had shown. Suffice it to say that the Senshi would be a bit irritable when they found out and would later take it out on the youma that had bothered them before teleporting away before being destroyed. That of course off set the happy mood that the women had as they walked with a sway that was normally not present in their walk in addition to the way their skin seemed to seem more youthful and that they seemed more playful than normal.

Most of the family that was there that night wondered why Setsuna kept muttering that she wished the Doom Tree would show up as that would at least be simpler and more rewarding. For reasons unknown and she would never answer the mutterings had caused Hotaru to blush. That probably had to do with the fact that Setsuna had muttered that if a kiss would power the tree as much as it had that they should just have an orgy near it. Kill two birds with one stone those being get rid of an enemy and a good romp to make up for missing the chance at the nooner today.

'Stupid meeting,' she thought. 'I guard the gates, but can I ever catch a break? No, of course not that just wouldn't be fair. Not like I could monitor him that easily nowadays. Just you wait one of these days I will get a room and let him work a good deal of frustration out of my system... or better yet prevent another buildup from occurring.'

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Continued in Chapter 20: Trials and Tribulations

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