Training Montage Year 4: Shadow Lover
For the rest of the year, I continued my training and learning. Fenrir and his pack completed their mission.
The one Horcrux in the series that was never found early on was Nagini. No one knew where that damn snake was.
I sent Fenrir to the Gaunt Shack, where Voldemort was sure to have visited with his snake never left his side.
Fenrir picked up the sent and traced the snake back to surprisingly enough a house in the woods near Hogsmeade. The fucker was hiding in plain sight.
The problem with a living Horcrux is that once it died, it's over. An object will become indestructible without a kind of mana eating item. But living flesh cant be set that way.
Fenrir and the pack ripped the snake to shreds and pissed on the ashes. (Not literally, shadows don't have a working bladder.)
*Line Break*
I removed Harry's Horcrux, it wasn't hard seeing as it was only stuck in his physical head, and it was not inside his soul. I just brought my Urn close to it, and it sucked it right up.
I left a medic and illusionist inside Harry's shadow, whenever anything happened, the illusionist would obliviate his relatives, and the medic would make sure he was healthy. I planned to get him out of there next year.
*Line Break*
I sent my trusty prideful owl into the Malfoy house to get to speak to Narcissa. That was an experience. My owl doesn't make the best introductions.
Flashback:
Malfoy Manor:
I rose from my owl's shadow. Turns out, she can use her Unit summon ability to summon me without having to switch locations with shadow exchange.
My first sight was to Narcissa nee black or Malfoy now, swinging a thick book at my head.
"Ah! What the hell woman! I come to help you, and you attack me?!"
"Help? I was just sitting here reading a book when this owl comes in and starts staring at me. Then it gets all haughty and started pecking me. What kind of owl does this? And why is it all black like that!"
Oh. I looked at the owl. She suddenly turned bashful and looked at the wall.
'I WASN'T GOING TO COMPLIMENT YOU, YOU DAMN BIRD!' I roared in my mind before turning back to Narcissa.
"Look I will answer all your questions, just please hear me out?" She gave me an unsteady nod. First, I did a quick scan, and while her defenses were intense, I was able to get out what I needed. Yup, she was a good person, just like Bella.
So, I began explaining everything to her. I told her who I was (not my secrets). I told her about Sirius and Bella, about what happened and their current states, and about how she can be freed. I didn't tell her to much about my abilities, she doesn't need to know that.
She didn't always believe me, so with her permission, I shared some of my memories with her.
"No wonder we all drifted apart. It was those elders in the family that forced us into things. We were all happy and connected as kids. They used us like bargaining tools, I bet you and Sirius didn't realize this, but when Sirius broke the contract, I wouldn't be surprised if everything the Lestrange's owned became the property of the blacks. It was probably someone's plan to sacrifice us."
She got angrier as she spoke, but eventually, she calmed down.
"Do you think I could see them? I..I would like to apologize if I could, same with Andromedia."
"That shouldn't be a problem, but let's wait for now. She is healing, and we need to free you before you come into contact with anyone. As long as your contract holds, you can't lie to Luscious. Thankfully. If he asks, telling him that you spoke with a child won't be a problem. Just mislead him and tell him you went out, and a child told you a story."
"Don't worry about me Magus, I have been dealing with him for years, and I'm a black, we have the sharpest mind's around.
Lucious was never a terrible husband, he never harmed me, but I was only a trophy wife to him. We didn't even have sex, our child was born through insemination. He is actually gay with Crabe and Goyle."
"No offense, but that was unnecessary information. I have to go and purge my brain of that mental image now."
She laughed at me for that.
"Now, now, Magus, it's important to respect others choices."
"Yeah, I respect it, doesn't mean I want to imagine it."
"Haha, fair enough. Send Bella my regards, I'll be waiting until April."
"Will do."
Flashback end.
And with that, my promise to Sirius was set. Now I just had to prove his innocence, which is not that difficult since I know where to find it.
*Line Break*
After Sirius went to sleep, I sent the kneazles out to track down that fat rat scabbers, which is with the Weasley house.
Using the owl express, or as she thinks after we got her permission to be graced with her talents, we got the Kneazle into the house. From there, it was a literal cat sniffing out the mouse situation.
Looking through my Kneazle's senses, I got to experience first hand how Tom felt when he went after Jerry. (Tom & Jerry, not my butler.)
And with the capture of one peter Pettigrew, I had him stunned, drugged with potions, and recorded under veritaserum.
Then I stuck him in a box with a letter attached to it explaining the situation sent directly to Amelia Bones desk. The letter demanded under the name of house black to have the man under veritaserum to be interviewed by Amelia Bones and Mad Eye Moody within an hour of arrival.
I also explained that Sirius never had a trial before being thrown into prison and that using an unregistered animagus form (for a lord, it's just a big fine) he was able to escape the prison when the dementors lost their shit and is currently in extensive care.
If it wasn't in the papers within two days, then I would release the recordings of it to the entire magical world and start a campaign specifically targeted to having minister fudge kicked out of office and be explicitly replaced by Amelia Bones.
To say it was in the paper the next day would be an understatement. It was in the paper practically the same day.
Sirius's name was cleared, and Crouch got the blame, Fudge loves his position and positive PR.
Sirius being in extensive care, stopped a lot of questions, but that's his problem to deal with when he wakes up.
*Line Break*
Aside from all that, I got the positions of all my remaining Magical beast targets, the place I want to go train with my team, a lot of hidden death eater operations, and ones that were laying low from the memories of some of the prisoners.
AND my learning speed practically tripled with the magical holy grail of this world. The book scanning spell.
I picked up spells, new subjects like enchanting, and with my age, my size began to increase faster, so I started picking up my physical training.
Finally, I focused a lot of my daily attention on healing my guests. Bella was a lot easier than Sirius because she was working with me to fix her mind, whereas Sirius was a dead fish.
Unfortunately, after she fell in love with my mansion's courtyard, she never stayed in bed, and she saw a lot of my daily life.
She never asked questions about my shadows, but the kneazles loved her, the Direwolves showed her respect after an intense staredown, and I could swear Erza was happy with another woman around.
There were some funny moments, though.
Flashback:
"Magus."
"Yes Bella?"
"Is that your house-elf (I eventually told her about them, not the whole truth but that they were released from their limiters) smoking weed?
"Yes, yes it is."
"I see….why is he smoking weed?"
"There are those who believe weed is not an addiction, I beg to differ, it is a mental addiction."
"Ah, so he can't stop because he loves how it affects his world view?"
"Exactly, it also gives everyone else a reason to make him the butt of all our jokes."
"Well, its good to have someone for it."
We both shared an evil chuckle.
Bron shivered.
Flashback end.
Aside from my pothead elf, we had a few other fun moments.
Flashback:
"So the great Lord Peverell, one of the oldest and most powerful magical houses, loves to cook?"
"To be fair Bella, I find it very therapeutic, and it allowed me to pick up potions with tremendous ease."
"Well then, why don't we get you some therapy and me some lunch."
"You're lucky your my patient."
"Keep telling yourself that Magus."
I gave her the stinkeye before entering the kitchen to the sound of her melodic laughter and to the smell of cooking food...
"BRON, STOP MAKING POT BROWNIES IN MY KITCHEN!"
Bella started laughing a lot harder.
Flashback end.
We had a great time, she really filled out and got her health back. She even kicked my ass a few times.
Flashback:
"Oof." I landed on my back.
"What's wrong Magus? Too much to handle?"
"Woman, I have been practicing martial arts for over two decades! What the hell just happened."
"I noticed you have a lot of skill, but your too rigid, it doesn't look like you had much real-life combat."
"Ok, fair point. I just had intense spars and won competitions. How did you get so good?"
"Ha, I could tell. And the reason I got to where I was in power was that I was one of the few witches and wizards to actually train my body. In real life or death combat, you learn, or you die."
"Fair enough, would you like to start sparring every day? It looks like your back in good condition."
"Magus~ if you wanted to get your ass kicked, you could have asked much sooner."
"That's it!"
Flashback end:
To be fair, without my shadow abilities and my magic, I'm still a 5'0 nine-year-old with a good deal of muscle, but I am not back to my prime.
And honestly, I never did have more than a handful of life and death battles. A couple bar fights, a mugging attempt once or twice, and that time I tried the underworld fighting tournament.
I took one look at the Lucha Libre chick with blonde hair and a cowgirl style kicking some serious ass with what looked like her brother, who was hulk sized, watching from the stand-up top and walked right out the door. (Author Note: If you know what anime this is from then props to you)
But hey, when it comes to getting your ass kicked, it's both annoying and delightful that it's a beautiful woman.
It took a few months before our odds started evening out.
We healed her mind, ate together, sparred together, researched and learned about magic together, talked about our interests together (it's different from reading someone's mind), spent time together, and even bathed and slept in the same bed sometimes.
I'm not exactly shy, and I have been in her head for a year, despite my secrets she didn't have many from me. I never went too deep into her healthy thoughts because that would be an invasion of privacy, I only healed the damage.
We had more fun together then I could have imagined I would. But the year came to an end, and she was fully healed.
I'm a laid-back guy, and I enjoy taking what I can in life when I can.
I made a choice.
*Line Break*
We had a picnic at the top of the small hill behind the mansion.
"Bella."
"Yes Magus?"
"I would like to tell you a story, a story about a man named Magus E. Mor and what that name really means."
....
It took a few hours, but I explained my situation to her. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. The sun was beginning to set by the time I explained it all.
There is a lot of crazy things in the magical world but the son of an actual god? And specifically, the son of death?
That's a lot to take in, but she didn't push me away.
"Bella, I have this ability. Its called 'Shadow lover.'"
She looked curious.
"Oh? And what does this ability do."
"Well, it does a lot of things." So, I explained it
Shadow lover: When the Monarch finds a lover, it is eternal. Bond lover's souls to your shadow. Lovers will be enhanced by the power of your shadows, gain immunity to mental debuffs, shadow element affinity, physical and magical enhancement. They can be reborn through your shadows if killed in battle. (no mana required) (Warning: Breaking the bond will result in massive backlash) (Warning: If Lover is physically older than the user, they will be de-aged to match the user.)
"Let me get this straight, if I accepted, I would match your age physically to go along with our mental age, I would be strengthened, I would gain a shadow element to my primary affinity, and I would be practically immortal as long as you stay alive? And you have to do this with at least two other lovers? Did I get all that?"
"Ah, don't forget its eternal, I don't know what will happen if I reach full adulthood, and I know its only been a year, but will you join me Bella?"
"Hmm, give me a few minutes Magus. I don't want to decide only based on my feelings of attachment to you for helping me."
I could understand that, she was just freed from a life slavery bond. It would be idiotic if she didn't think before jumping in again.
We sat in silence for a moment before she spoke.
"I want a better proposal." What?
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me Magus, your asking for an eternal bond. I want a proposal to remember for the rest of my life."
"That doesn't sound like a no." I couldn't help but smile.
"Is that the best you have?" She gave me a teasing disappointed look.
I decided to man up, cliché or not, I would remember this for the rest of my life as well.
With the sun casting a golden glow and a light flare of my mana for a dramatic effect, I got down on one knee and asked her.
"Bellatrix Nee Black, without you in my life, I can't say I felt empty, but with you, I gained something special, I gained a bond that I never want to let go of.
I can't say you will be the only love for me because that would be a lie, we can't give each other our freedoms because that is not real love, but I can swear to you to be there for you in every form I can, and I hope you can do the same for me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and explore everything that life has to offer together.
I am no saint, I kill when necessary and save when I wish to. We have been into each other's minds and seen the depths of what makes us, us. Will you walk in the light and shadows with me for eternity?"
I waited for an answer as the sun fully set. She grabbed me and embraced me, with our height difference of about a foot, I got my face stuffed into her bosom. I felt tears fall against my skin.
"Much better." That was all she said.
*Clap* *Clap *Clap*
We both turned around to see my House-elves standing with Tom in the lead. Gol, Sil, and Bron with my owl on his head. Behind them were my shadows. My elves spoke up.
"Congratulations sir, I will prepare a feast to celebrate." (Tom)
"Congratulations, my lord! I was waiting for this day." (Gol)
"Congratulations, my lord! I knew you to were meant to be together." (Sil)
"Congratulations, my lord! I'll make sure to bake the wedding cake." (Bron)
Everyone grew silent and stared at Bron.
"What…?" (Bron)
I sent an order to my owl to attack, she didn't need much prompting.
"Tom."
"Yes sir."
"Allow Bron to make the cake. It should be fun."
"Certainly sir."
"Now." I looked back at Bella.
"Are you ready?" She confidently nodded her head.
"Do it." (Bella)
"Welcome Bella, for eternity."
"Shadow Lover."
We were swallowed by my shadow.