"People speaking"
'People thinking'
Stonehenge, October 31, 1966
The moon hung high in the sky, shining ethereal light over the stone monoliths that were a symbol of England's earliest beliefs. As the sun shone brightly, a small pop sound was heard and two people materialized out of nowhere, gazing up at the small mound. Calling them people wouldn't be entirely accurate as one of the figures was a child, and the other was a creature, with bat-like ears and large bulbous eyes.
Hugo looked at the Stonehenge with eyes filled with awe. As a soldier, he had never had the chance to visit this monument. In his previous life, this was just a historical symbol, but his studies over the last year have crystallized its importance as a site of magic.
Stonehenge was the first place where human beings, of this country, came into contact with magic. It was the birthplace of druidism and the first leyline hotspot. Any ritual practiced at this place had a much higher chance of success.
Hugo whispered, "It's a pity, no one comes to this place for its magical importance. Purebloods hype on about tradition, but few ever follow traditions correctly. If I want to succeed, I would need the blessings of this place."
Miffy wrung her hands together, both with nervousness and awe, "The magic here is thick. It is even thicker than Hogwarts."
Hugo remarked, "It should be. This place has a lot of significance as the birthplace of magic in England. In the eyes of magic, this place is perhaps more important than Dozmary Lake, or Avalon. More importantly, this is the only site available to any Englishman."
Hugo looked at his watch, a shiny circle held by a worn-out leather strap. It was nine in the evening. Hugo turned to Miffy, "We must hurry. The witching hour will start in three hours. We must prepare the ritual beforehand."
Miffy nodded as the duo walked through the stone circle towards the five megaliths in the middle. Placing a cauldron in the middle, Hugo started adding his ingredients.
Miffy handed him five bottles of water. Looking at the moon in the sky, Hugo chanted, "Primordial waters of this world, the holiest rivers and lakes, the water that nurtures the great Yggdrasil, clear the obstacles in the path and let one reach the deepest root of magic."
With that, Hugo poured the water inside the cauldron, watching it bubble gently with soft pops. He looked at the monoliths and asked for the next items from Miffy. Miffy handed him a vial of ash.
Hugo answered, "Phoenix ash, death and rebirth, the one truth of this world, the closest thing to life."
As soon as the ash made contact with the water, a slight orange hue came to the cauldron. Hugo continued, "The blood of a dragon, the key to a higher world."
With that, the potion turned deep red, taking a slight goopy consistency. Miffy poured the potion into a bowl, as Hugo moved forward with a brush. Moving towards the center stone, and began drawing a magic circle, hoping to etch his very intent in the circle. Miffy looked at the watch as her master meticulously drew symbols for two hours straight, without taking any breaks. By the time he was done, the entire stone was covered with intricate symbols and connecting lines. Hugo turned to Miffy, "The witching hour is almost here, leave everything else and move back."
Miffy moved back as Hugo started laying out things in particular spots. In the center, he placed a small egg, almost glowing with fire. He chanted, "Egg of an Ashwinder, stand in for Tiamet, the first magical being, be the spark that lights the fire."
Moving towards a small spot in the north, Hugo placed a small piece of snake fang, chanting, "Fang of a Basilisk, stand in for Apep, command the path to open."
Hugo slowly walked towards a space in the west, placing a silver eggshell, as he chanted, "Shell of an Occamy, stand in for Jormungandr, the serpent that can encircle the earth. Be the vessel of potential."
With that, he moved to a spot in the east, placing a small piece of skin as he chanted, "Skin of a Runespoor, stand in for Sheshnaga, the divine law. Structure the power."
Finally, Hugo moved towards the final spot in the south, placing a tiny piece of horn in the place, chanting, "Horn of a Horned Serpent, stand in for Quetzalcoatl, the divine wisdom. With this, I stand at the cusp. United in mind, body and spirit with the world around."
As the last seconds ticked, Hugo sat in the middle of the circle, pulling out a blade for his pocket. Slicing deeply into his hand, with a slight hiss, he spoke, "With this, I create a medium to trade with magic itself. My blood forges the connection as the world witnesses this through the eyes of nature. Let it be known, in the eyes of magic, everything is just. For the duration of this ritual, I will be fair in my evaluation and true in my search."
With that, Hugo slowly dripped his blood on the Ashwinder egg. As the blood hissed, the magic accumulated at the stonehenge drew towards the circle, lighting it up. The Ashwinder egg glowed once, before turning to ash. This was followed by the basilisk tooth, the Occamy shell, the Runespoor skin and the Horned Serpent horn, dissolving into ash and circling the child in the center. Finally, the ash started to spark. As soon as the sparks touched Hugo, his mind went blank and he fell unconscious.
Unknown Space
Hugo opened his eyes.
For a moment, there was only light, brighter than the sun, as if the world had not yet learned how to cast shadows. It poured into him, through him, until he could no longer tell where his body ended and the brightness began.
Then the light dimmed. As he opened his eyes, he stood mesmerized on unfamiliar ground.
The air was thick, alive in a way unimaginable. Each breath tasted sharp, like crushed leaves and rain mixed with the slight tang of ozone. The earth beneath his feet hummed faintly, a vibration too deep to be sound and too steady to be ignored.
Hugo did not panic. This realm, filled to the brim with magic, filled him with awe instead.
Grass stretched in every direction, but each blade shimmered faintly, threads of pale radiance running through them like veins. In the distance, shapes moved between towering trees whose bark glowed as though lit from within. The sky above him burned softly, not blue, not black, but something vast and luminous, like a dying star illuminating everything for one final moment.
As he took in the magnificence of this place, he started to feel an itch in his eyes and a pressure on his body. He realized at the moment; this was not a place meant for humans.
Hugo bent down and touched the grass. His hand touched warmth never felt before, filling his heart with joy he had never experienced.
Without knowing why, he whispered, "Expecto Patronum."
Silver mist burst from his hand.
It gathered itself mid-air, limbs forming from light, until a tiger stood before him, immense, and otherworldly, its stripes flowing like liquid moonlight across its body.
The tiger did not roar, it looked at him silently. The tiger before him did not behave like a regular Patronus. It stood in front of him, tilting its head; like a guide who had been waiting.
Hugo rose to his feet. The tiger turned and began to walk, urging Hugo to follow.
They moved through the glowing wilderness in silence. Creatures watched from between the trees — tall shapes crowned with spiraling horns, winged silhouettes drifting between branches without sound, eyes that shone and vanished when he tried to focus on them. These shadows kept observing him, not scared or wary, but indifferent to his presence.
For some time, Hugo felt as if he were the intruder in a world that had never needed to notice humanity.
The air grew cooler. The hum beneath the earth deepened. Hugo's heart filled with slight anticipation. He seemed to know his destination was near.
Ahead, the trees parted. A lake lay before them, its surface perfectly still. No ripples. No reflection. It looked less like water and more like someone had poured the sky in a puddle.
The tiger stopped at the shore. It looked back at Hugo once more, its eyes unreadable.
Then it stepped forward.
The surface did not break. The light of its body sank slowly, silently, until only its head remained above the mirrored plane. For a brief second, the silver of the Patronus seemed to melt into the lake like moonlight dissolving into ink.
Then it was gone.
Hugo understood what he had to do. He slowly stepped forward, his tiny legs carrying him deeper into the lake. As the water reached his nose, Hugo took another deep breath, before dunking his head underwater, diving slowly. His muscle memory, developed through rigorous training for warfare, seemed to return as he swam deeper, reaching towards a glowing light in the lake.
Hugo didn't know how long he swam, but he had reached the bed of the lake, slowly walking towards the light. Not long after, he passed a barrier, before the water around him vanished. He took a gasping breath, trying to fill his lungs with air, before realizing a lack of shortness of breath. His head raised as he saw a figure, made up of countless stars, sitting at a throne, its surroundings filled with numerous, luminous fish, swimming in mid air. The figure looked feminine at a glance, masculine at others.
The figure looked deeply at Hugo, despite not having any eyes. It spoke in a strange, airy sound, as if countless people spoke with a single voice, "Who stands before me?"
Hugo was about to introduce himself, when suddenly, a sense of foreboding came to him. For some reason, the name Hugo Malfoy became alien to him. He realized, while he was Hugo Malfoy, he was Hugo Morrison as well. After taking a deep breath, he spoke, "My name is Hugo Morrison. I was a soldier in the year 2025, but after my death, I was reborn in this world. My name here is Hugo Malfoy, a squib."
The figure came closer. Its face looked at Hugo, with an unblinking gaze. For a second, Hugo felt naked, everything about him felt dissected and laid out in front of the figure.
Hugo answered, "I wanted to attain magic. According to a wizard healer, I have a very large magical core, but due to my strange birth, the magic was used up. I wanted to fix that, and attain magic."
The figure kept quiet for a minute before asking, "You do not belong here. The world will never let you have magic."
Hugo was taken aback. He had not expected this. He asked, "What can I give you? I will not survive without magic to protect me."
The figure seemed to consider something, "You can give up all the memories of Hugo Morrison. You will become Hugo Malfoy. Magic will come with it."
Hugo listened to every word, wincing with the voice. He was tempted, but he knew one thing; his knowledge of the future was the greatest asset in this world. Trading that knowledge for magic would diminish any advantage he had. He looked at the figure, "That will not happen. I came to this realm as both Hugo Malfoy and Hugo Morrison. I will not go back as just one."
The figure gave a vacant gaze and spoke, "Nothing can be received without a cost."
Hugo irritatedly said, "But the magic should have been mine. Why can't you just give it to me?"
The figure answered, "Magic is a boon of the world. You are not a part of this world."
Hugo gritted his teeth, his eyes lit with anger and frustration. It was clear to him, he will not get magic without sacrificing substantially. It kind of reminded him of Dr. Strange and other Sorcerers, who would sacrifice their sense of taste to get their power from Vishanti. Sacrifice was the essence of power. After all, this ritual that allowed him access to this realm required symbolic sacrifice. Only after giving something substantial can he get something of value.
Suddenly, something came to his mind. He asked, "What are my core and magical pathways worth?"
The figure looked closely before answering, "What do you want in return?"
Hugo contemplated for a minute, carefully formulating his trade. Finally, he spoke, "You gave Hugo Malfoy his magic, while I might be him, I am not completely him. I would have loved to be able to utilize magic, like countless people in my world. But maybe, magic was never in my fate. So take it away, strip it off my bones, burn it out of my blood. In return, I want a body that will never fear magic. I want to think and move faster than magic itself, endure things even the strongest magical beings could not, heal faster than magic ever could."
The being looked pensive, as if considering the wish, "I find this trade acceptable. This place will leave its mark on you. Your eyes have seen the very essence of magic in the sky. They will never forget it."
Hugo looked pensive, before facing the figure with determination, "I accept."
Stonehenge
Hugo woke up with a start, his eyes glowing sharply with power. He slowly stood from his awkward position. But something was truly different. He felt powerful, every muscle fiber tight with power.
Hugo turned to Miffy, watching the worry in her eyes melt away. He spoke, "Let's go. It is already late."
Miffy approached Hugo and placed a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, Hugo saw a wisp of magic extending from her hand, trying to bind to Hugo. But the wisp slipped as soon as it came in contact with him. Miffy vanished, leaving Hugo standing at the Stonehenge.
As soon as she popped away, she returned, looking scandalised, "I left Master Hugo. I don't know how it happened, please forgive me, Master Hugo."
Hugo consoled her, "Don't worry. I know why it happened. Just tell me where exactly London is."
Miffy pointed towards the direction of London, but trembled with worry, as she asked, "But how will you reach London, Master Hugo? It is quite far."
Hugo looked far into the distance. He knew that it would be a long walk, but he had to reach London after all. He took a deep breath and started running in that direction. Originally, he was hoping someone going to London would let him hitchhike, but as he ran, the world seemed to blur around him. He kept running, jumping over obstacles, sidestepping trees. Soon, a small pond appeared in front of him. Normally, he would have circled around it, but he felt like pushing boundaries at the moment.
Hugo increased his speed again, his feet stepped on the water, pushing forward before the water had the chance to sink him. The pond was quickly crossed as Hugo ran on top of water, the air cracking around him.
About thirty minutes of running, passing through towns and forests, brought Hugo to the outskirts of London. Taking deep breaths, Hugo looked at the city, his face alight with joy.
Finally, he was strong enough to protect himself.
AN: Hello once again. I haven't updated this story as often, so please accept this chapter. There was a delay this time due to some important work. Thank you for your patience.
AN2: I wish to thank all my patrons, who have supported me in writing this story. I hope you keep enjoying my work. Thank You