The Obscurial Bunker

1st November, 2008

Sirius Black exhaled in frustration and annoyance as he looked through another report. His Senior Undersecretary was informing him of the situation, but he was barely able to concentrate.

"– the members of the Confederation have all been assigned rooms at the Pendragon Hotel in Diagon Alley, Minister. The meeting has been scheduled for this evening. We still have time to prepare for –"

"Time?" scoffed Sirius. "We don't have time. At this point, my main aim is to ride this shockwave out. Where's that report from Director Croaker?"

"Right here, sir," said the witch quickly. Having worked with the Minister for a few years now, she knew when the man was agitated. Hastily excusing herself, she left. Sirius closed his eyes and groaned. The Department of Mysteries too had not found any leads. Whoever they were dealing with was good ...

There was a vibrating noise and Sirius was highly tempted to destroy the mirror. Before he could do so, the ethereal female voice of the computer said, "Alpha priority message to the Minister of Magic from Lord Potter."

Taking a deep breath, Sirius casually waved his hand. The large mirror appeared out of thin air in front of him and the face of his oldest son was displayed on the screen.

"What is it, Harry?"

"Did Croaker find anything?" asked Harry.

"Nothing of value," sighed Sirius. "I'll be meeting the heads of the magical governments of Germany, China, India and the United States soon. With them on my side, Krum can't shift the blame on me personally. Really, what is it with that guy? Was Dumbledore so precious to him that he's willing to target me like this?"

"He won't stay popular for long if he continues to spout liberal propaganda during a time of chaos," observed Harry. "I wonder if he knows that."

"Nothing we can do for now. Let's see how the meeting this evening plays out. I've already stationed several teams of Hit-Wizards all over the city. Should the Obscurial choose to attack again, we shall be ready."

Harry's face was devoid of emotion. "Understood," he muttered. "Good luck, Dad. I'll see you later."

His face disappeared, letting the screen revert back to looking like a mirror. The Minister frowned at his reflection; there was something strange about Harry's tone. But he didn't have time to ponder over the issue as he quickly left for a meeting.

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"There's nothing here, Daph," he said through the mirror. "I've searched the place thoroughly."

"What about the surrounding area?" inquired Daphne. "Surely –"

"Trust me," interrupted Dylan. "There's nothing here. I've searched the entire neighbourhood."

She took a deep breath and exhaled. Her left eye was twitching. Gnarlak had lied to them. Interrogating him had proved to be useless. Clearly, he had not become the leader of the underworld without sufficient talent backing him. Daphne wondered if she should have been more forceful, but at the time, she had been under the delusion that Gnarlak had told Harry the truth about the location of the laboratory that housed the Obscurial.

"What should I do?"

"Come back home," replied Daphne. "There's nothing more you can do until we find the precise location."

Dylan nodded and the mirror went blank. She turned around, intending to inform her husband, only to spot him standing by the door to her study.

"He lied to us?"

Daphne grimaced. Harry's eyes darkened as he briskly walked down several flights of stairs. Ten minutes later, he was back in the corridor that led to the room that housed the castle's lone prisoner.

As soon as he entered, Harry extended his hand towards the goblin. "Imperio! You will answer my questions."

Gnarlak struggled with the Imperius Curse. The mental pressure made him scream, but he didn't succumb to it. Knowing that if he continued his attack, the goblin would most probably go insane, Harry reluctantly released the curse. It was unfortunate that attacks such as this wouldn't work without destroying Gnarlak's mind. Harry needed the goblin safe and sound if Ragnok was to overthrow the present goblin king. There were too many plots going on simultaneously. He would have to tread carefully.

Gnarlak chuckled softly. "Your attempts to control my mind or read my thoughts will be futile, Potter," he smirked. "Pitiful human mind magic does not work on me."

Harry turned his back on the goblin. His body seemed relaxed, his breathing calm and even. But those who knew Harry would know very well that he always appeared to be composed when angry. The more relaxed he appeared on the outside, the angrier he was. His shoulder muscles were stiff with tension, eyes as black as the cosmos.

"Mind magic?"

THUMP!

The goblin bodily crashed against the wall as the blow of Harry's punch made him whimper. "I don't need mind magic to extract information from you."

Gnarlak gasped due to pain, but the determined glint in his eye did not fade.

Is this all this wizard could do?

"I will never talk, Potter," spat Gnarlak. "You made a grave error in kidnapping me. Your mistake will cause the entire wizarding economy to collapse! By the time King Ragnuk is done, you'll be a pauper! So will the rest of the wizarding –"

The goblin couldn't continue his speech as a tight grip caught his throat. His eyes widened when he saw Harry Potter wandlessly choking him, bodily lifting him off the ground. Gnarlak struggled to breathe as he felt his windpipe slowly being crushed.

"We'll see about that, Gnarlak," snarled Harry. "I don't care about your activities in the underworld. I'm not an Auror, nor am I the leader of a magical government. But you should know that there are defenceless magical children out there who are suffering because of people like you and trust me, if there is anything that can rile me up, it is those who hurt children for their own selfish agenda. Tell me the location of this laboratory and give me names – NOW!"

Gnarlak struggled, but it was no use. The grip on his throat was too tight. Harry finally released him as the goblin fell to the stone floor with a painful thud. Gasping and spluttering, Gnarlak informed Harry of everything he knew.

"Barebone," muttered Harry. "Jackson Barebone."

Who was this person?

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British Ministry of Magic Headquarters, London

Director Croaker looked at the report that the young man had given him. The datapad was glowing a faint blue light, indicating that it was active. His office was filled with similar gadgets and magical computers, all displaying various runes and arithmetical formulae. There was a virtual map of London with several dots on it, all trying to find the missing Obscruial.

He tapped the screen of the datapad. Immediately, the larger glass screen to his left, showing the map of London, zoomed in. A circular reference point kept focusing on a place in a Muggle park.

Croaker frowned. "How did you compensate for the chaotic magic that is permeating the city? The laws of Charms and Arithmancy are in a state of flux! That's why we were not able to detect anything and our sensors constantly malfunctioned."

Harry smiled faintly. "You'll have to ask my wife for the specifics," he replied. "She created a crystal that is currently placed in several areas throughout the city. It compensates for the chaotic magic in the air. The crystal –"

"– absorbs the chaotic magical waves the presence of the Obscurus is causing, and then corrects the distortion and transmits that information here!" exclaimed Croaker. "Ingenious! Instead of correcting our scanning devices, we could have simply started from scratch and enchanted a new one!"

"You now have the location of the child. I'm not sure who this Jackson Barebone is, but he seems to be behind what is going on."

Croaker remained silent. He knew that name, but he also knew that there was more to the plot than the young Lord Potter realised. He contemplated the pros and cons of the scenario and finally came to the conclusion that it would be safer for someone outside the Department of Mysteries to get involved. Having worked with Harry Potter before, Croaker knew that the Boy-Who-Lived could be trusted.

Leaning forward, he spoke to the young man, whose eyes widened marginally in surprise when Croaker revealed the information to him.

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It was just past four p.m. in the city of London. The sun was beginning to set, its rays dimming every minute. A slight breeze ruffled Harry's moderately long black hair. Not letting his gaze slip, he gently ran his fingers through his hair, tying it in a low ponytail so that it wouldn't hinder his vision during the mission. He could hear the sound of motor vehicles nearby, but the neighbourhood around him was quiet.

They were on the roof of a building, in the middle of the capital city of Muggle and Magical Britain. Even after so many years, Harry still felt uneasy when he was in the Muggle world.

Some memories would remain scars forever, never truly fading away.

Daphne sat cross-legged on the ground, in a meditative posture. Her breathing was calm, but her magic had literally formed an aura around her body. Harry kept an eye out, letting his wife scan the area in peace. Another figure stealthily moved towards him.

"What did you find?" he asked quietly.

Dylan paused. "I located the entrance," he answered softly. "It's a bunker, but I'm not sure how big it is on the inside. It was built many years ago, from what I could gather, probably during the Muggle world war, now being used by these people. The entrance is a little further away, but it is heavily guarded."

"Magic or Muggle technology?"

"Both," grimaced Dylan. "There are wizards as well as Muggles patrolling the area outside the bunker. This is most definitely the place we are looking for."

"He's right," said a female voice. The brothers turned, only to spot Daphne standing up. "I can sense a lot of chaotic magic in the air. The Obscurial is here."

Harry tapped his ear with a finger. A magical hearing device that was placed inside activated, connecting several people at the same time.

"Sir, the cloak has been detected," he said. "Do you see it?"

Croaker's voice echoed in their ears. "Confirmed. Daphne's calculations are perfect. The chaotic magic is a cloak, powered from inside the bunker. Proceed with stage one."

"Director Croaker, I've identified the witch who is patrolling the area," Dylan injected. "It's Professor Albina."

The older man cursed under his breath. Professor Albina was one of Dylan's instructors at the Siberian Academy of Battle-Magic, a school run by the Unspeakables, affiliated to the International Confederation of Wizards.

"What is the status of the Aurors in the locality?" asked Daphne.

"They are stationed at the outskirts of the city. They should be able to provide help should you need it," came the reply. "Dylan, you may proceed."

"Acknowledged," muttered Dylan. Taking a deep breath, he took off into the air, flying without the help of a broom. It was a common misconception that broomless flying was impossible. While it was very difficult to master, a few witches and wizards did achieve the great feat over the course of their lives.

Harry and Daphne watched in silence as Dylan descended in the middle of the park, disillusioned. The couple then flew towards the entrance of the bunker. The magic in the air was stifling.

"We are proceeding with stage two," announced Harry. Daphne nodded silently in confirmation as she waved her wand in delicate movements. Harry, however, began hissing in Parseltongue.

Destroying the wards around the bunker would be simple. With the power they had gained due to being the Masters of Death, the enchantments would have crumbled with one magic-infused punch to the ground. But that was not their objective. They had to be subtle, for they didn't want to trigger another panic attack for the children inside. An Obscurial was dangerous. They had to tread carefully.

Daphne had just finished casting a silencing charm when they saw Dylan engaged in a heated duel with his professor. He had been detected. Thankfully, the Muggle and wizard security guards had already been stunned and bound before Professor Albina found him.

"Let's go," whispered Daphne as they entered the bunker. Harry silently followed her.

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Algernon Croaker watched their progress from floor-to-ceiling length mirrors that were in his heavily warded office, deep in the bowels of the Ministry building. The room was empty except for one woman, who was scowling.

"I can sympathise with your feelings, Amelia," Croaker said heavily. "But unfortunately, I'm out of options."

"Out of options?" asked Amelia incredulously. "You have the entire British Department of Mysteries who answers to your command! They could have handled this operation. The D.M.L.E. could have handled it as they should have. Forget the Ministry and I.C.W. red-tape, Algernon, I'm their mother! Why was I not consulted before you sent them there?"

"This has nothing to do with red-tape," he said quietly. "I'm out of options for one simple reason. The department has been compromised."

Amelia frowned.

Croaker continued. "Two months ago, my boss, Madam Nisaba, a witch from Mesopotamia, was murdered in her home. She was the Head Unspeakable, the woman who essentially ran the Department of Mysteries globally. Trust me, it is not easy to murder such a high-ranking witch. No one still knows how they infiltrated the wards around her home, not to mention managed to fool the patrols we had around the property. Within a week of her death, I was promoted to Head Unspeakable."

Had it been a more joyful occasion, Amelia would have been ecstatic for Croaker who was one of her closest friends. But right now, she was too worried and pissed to say anything. She remained silent, urging him to continue.

"The Department of Mysteries operates on the fundamental rule that it is our job to maintain the International Statute of Secrecy. Everyone in the world knows it. However, that's not all we do. Research is a key element, and so is protecting the world from harmful magical technology like necromancy and time-travel. I can't reveal more, but trust me, we've had some really tough situations over the years."

Amelia bit back the retort that was at the tip of her tongue. If the Department of Mysteries was really that dedicated to keeping the world safe from the ghastly effects of dangerous necromantic rituals, where were they when Lord Voldemort created one Horcrux after another? But she kept her silence. That was water under the bridge. The soul-piece in Harry's scar had helped him find each of the Horcruxes and the Dark Lord was dead. There was no point in discussing it now.

"Unlike the D.M.L.E., the Department of Mysteries does not really have a varied command structure," continued Croaker, his eyes not leaving the screen that was displaying the movements of Harry, Daphne and Dylan. "There is one person who acts as a global head and another as a deputy head. Then there are those who work in the various magical governments, acting as the regional head. All other Unspeakables are without a rank. Essentially, they are all equals. While that promotes equality among members, it also creates a problem. A power vacuum is created each time the head of the department retires or dies. The entire Department of Mysteries is filled with talented witches and wizards, and that means most of them are ambitious to a harsh degree. Should anyone betray the other, it is very difficult to find out since they cover their tracks very well. Rookwood, for example, was not discovered until Igor Karkaroff revealed it to the Council of Magical Law."

"What does that have to do with the Obscurial?" asked Amelia shrewdly.

Croaker took a deep breath. "I really have no idea," he confessed softly. "Since the day I became the Head Unspeakable, my life has been in constant disarray. There have already been two attempts on my life. Three of my bodyguards were killed in the skirmish."

Amelia gasped in shock. "Algernon, I'm so sorry, I didn't know –"

He waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine. I didn't want to trouble you and Sirius with this. Besides, there's nothing you can do. This is a global threat, Amelia. It's not limited to Magical Britain alone. We have a traitor in the Department of Mysteries, though who, I'm not certain. We have always been very weak at tackling such problems. That's why we try our best to maintain secrecy. The less outside forces know about the department, the safer we are. I'm so paranoid right now that I can't trust my own subordinates. That's why I wanted Harry to deal with this."

"What about Daphne and Dylan?"

"Dylan is one of my students at the academy," shrugged Croaker. "I know what he's capable of, to a certain degree. He still has a lot to learn, but for someone his age, he's very talented. As for Daphne ... we'll see."

"This traitor is the one who is causing so much damage? The one who unleashed Obscurials in four other countries around the world?"

"It's not just one person. There will be others working for them, I'm sure of it. Harry was able to identify the name of a Muggle who is working with these rogue Unspeakables – one Jackson Barebone."

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A dark staircase led them downstairs. Due to the amount of magic in the air, there were no electric lights in the corridors, but rather old-fashioned Muggle gas lamps. The place was eerie and silent. The couple carefully walked down the corridors. They stopped suddenly when they heard a scream, but the sound was muffled just as quickly. Their hearts were beating fast.

Daphne tapped a hand-held magical computer that displayed the readings to her. Harry flicked his wand, scanning the area. Both of them registered the presence of magical activity in opposite directors of the bunker.

"Let's split up," muttered Daphne. Harry hesitated. She picked up on it at once. Giving his hand a firm squeeze, she said, "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

He nodded. Taking a deep breath, he watched her disappear into the shadows.

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"They're splitting up?" asked Amelia, aghast. "She's pregnant with twins and he's letting her go alone in a hostile environment? Algernon, I'm this close to killing you with my bare hands!"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Croaker couldn't help but laugh. "Do I sense the traditional clashing of personalities between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law?"

Amelia huffed. "Nothing of that sort," she replied hurriedly. "It's just –"

"– you and Daphne don't see eye to eye," he chuckled. "Nothing unexpected; happens in most families, including my own. Just remember that you have two more to deal with. And one of them is the younger sister of your current daughter-in-law."

"Astoria is a lot easier to get along with and doesn't have a temper," she muttered under her breath.

Croaker smiled faintly, but his eyes narrowed when the screen blinked and distorted images were displayed. The crystal that was lodged in Dylan's clothing which was transmitting everything that was going on had been destroyed. They couldn't monitor the boy's movements anymore, and that meant they couldn't predict when he would need help. Unfortunately, there were several dots appearing on the glass screen, surrounding Dylan's position. Croaker tapped the communication device.

"Dylan, there are more Muggles approaching your position," he said quickly. "I'm sending reinforcements."

"No!" came the frantic reply. The young man was panting hard, making it difficult to understand his words. "A larger attack party will only make things worse and we'll be detected. Give me a few minutes, I can handle it!"

Amelia clenched her fists angrily. Without being able to sense what was going on, they were blind to Dylan's progress. They couldn't take the chance anymore. No matter how talented Dylan was, he was still a student. He wouldn't be able to manage a dozen armed Muggles as well as Professor Albina at the same time.

Croaker silently nodded to her, agreeing with her assessment. This operation needed to be swift and efficient. They didn't have time for a prolonged fight. The I.C.W. meeting had already begun in the Wizengamot chambers. They needed to move quickly in order to help Sirius, who would no doubt be targeted by Supreme Mugwump Ivan Krum for failing to stop the attacks by the Obscurial on the Muggle world.

"Aurors, begin attack," ordered Amelia.

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Harry, meanwhile, was carefully walking down the corridor. The air shimmered, letting him sense an enchantment in place. Silently destroying it, he unlocked the door. The room was filled with papers and notebooks. Conjuring a bag, casting an expansion charm on the inside, he waved his hand as the various notebooks flew into its depths. He was not surprised to note that there were no Muggle computers here. Such devices would have imploded within moments due to magic, chaotic magic, that rent the air.

However, just when he stepped outside, intending to move to the next room, the door to his left opened, revealing a middle-aged Muggle female dressed in white.

A doctor.

A red jet of light hit her squarely in the face. With another wave of his hand, the woman was transfigured into a quill. She joined the contents of Harry's bag.

He stepped into the next room.

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Daphne's breathing was ragged. She was simmering with rage, and she knew that was dangerous. Unlike Harry, she was not someone who could control her emotions. When she lost control, things usually went downhill.

It was her anger and lack of self-control that made her threaten Lord Voldemort to his face two and a half years ago. That stupidity had resulted in her and Dylan being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange for a month. The only reason they had managed to escape was due to the Animagus transformation. That had rejuvenated them slightly, enough to help them fight their way out. But this time, Daphne was worried that her rage would destroy the place, for she detested the environment she was in.

"Aurors, begin attack!"

Daphne froze as she heard her mother-in-law's voice in the communication device lodged in her ear. Suddenly, old-fashioned alarm bells echoed throughout the bunker. An intruder alert had been sounded.

Dylan's attack outside had been detected. Daphne cursed under her breath. Croaker and Amelia should not have sent reinforcements. That had proved to be a mistake.

And people wondered why she found it difficult to get along with her mother-in-law. At least her sister fared a lot better in that regard.

"Freeze, woman!"

Two Muggles with assault rifles were running towards her position. Daphne slashed her wand and there was a bang. Both men were thrown against the wall and soon collapsed unconscious, blood slowly dripping from behind their heads. Moving forward, she finally found the door she was looking for. Two more guards were neutralised. Unlocking the door, Daphne felt her face burn due to rage. Her eyes were glowing eerily.

The room was lit, as expected, by gas lamps. Various silver instruments, beds and chemicals dominated the floor. In four large cages were children, looking very sick and frightened. A fifth child, an eight-year-old girl, was strapped to a bed, screaming in pain as a man injected her with a needle.

"Get away from her!" snarled Daphne.

The Muggle doctor yelped in surprise and jammed a button. Since the bunker was already on red alert, the reaction was instantaneous. The door burst open, revealing a dozen security guards – wizards and Muggles.

Daphne waved her wand over her head in a circular motion. A shield materialized, protecting the children from harm, just as bullets rained down on her.

It all happened too fast for people to process.

Spells clashed against the other, but the security wizards were no match for Daphne's skill and raw power. With surprising swiftness, she danced around the incoming curses as she fired several hexes and curses at them, destroying their shields, decapitating her attackers. She had fought against some of the best Death Eaters in Voldemort's army. She had been trained by her husband since the age of eleven and had developed her own style of duelling since. These wizards were no match for her. One by one, their bodies fell to the floor in pieces.

"Stop, you evil freak!" said a frightened voice. "Or I'll shoot this girl in the head!"

Daphne turned sideways, only to spot the terrified looking Muggle grab the little girl, pointing a gun at her head, his fingers dangerously close to firing it.

Her eyes widened when she saw the girl's body release bursts of chaotic magic. This girl was the Obscurial!

And she was transforming, the parasitic magic of the Obscurus taking over.

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"Aurors, begin attack!"

Harry gritted his teeth in frustration when he heard the alarm bells. While he could understand Croaker's and his adoptive mother's concerns, sending the Aurors to assist Dylan was unnecessary. His brother could have easily handled it.

Unfortunately, many only saw Dylan as a sixteen-year-old boy, not as one of the three who was gifted the powers of the Deathly Hallows, and certainly not as the boy who was personally trained by him, Harry, since the age of eleven.

A stupid, vicious cycle. That's what it was, with the young scoffing at the experience of the elders which they considered redundant, and the elders scoffing at the talent of the young, claiming they were immature. It led to chaos.

"There is no point crying over spilt potion," muttered Harry under his breath. Before anyone to detect his presence, he hurried towards the last door at the end of the corridor, which, according to his scans, was where the magical activity was detected. Unlocking the door with just a flick of his wand, he entered the room.

He was aghast. This room definitely belonged to a wizard. That was not what horrified him. There were cages everywhere, magically enhanced. Inside those cages were magical animals. Some were dead, others mostly alive. Different instruments, scanning or otherwise, were all over the room.

"Lady Athena, be merciful," whispered Harry. How could they cage and experiment on such noble creatures? Phoenixes were considered sacred universally. The Unicorn was sacred in Switzerland and Welsh Green dragon in Britain. The Thunderbird was sacred in North America, followed by the Nundu in Egypt, the Manticore in Greece, the Chinese Fireball in China, the Occamy and Runspoor in India, the Re'em in Tibet ...

And yet ... Harry could recognise the Re'em, a large magical ox, its golden form trembling. Re'em blood bestowed properties to make one immensely strong for a limited time. He could also spot a Unicorn, also caged up and injured. The Occamy was sedated, no doubt for its eggs that were made from the softest, purest silver. There were several other magical creatures present, but thankfully, no Nundu or Manticore or Chimaera.

There was an angry, screeching sound originating from somewhere. Frowning, Harry moved to investigate. There was one more door at the end of the room. Scanning it, he found several enchantments placed on it that prevented anyone who was not keyed in from entering. Harry's fingers lit up as he placed his hands on the barrier. Literally clawing his way in, destroying the ward, Harry opened the door and stepped into the room.

Sheets of parchment were everywhere, but the amount of chaotic magic in the air was more than expected. There were various forms of magic. Chaotic magic was considered a state where the elemental laws that governed Charms and Arithmancy were said to be in a state of flux, known to have been produced only by an Obscurus. It was highly difficult to use any enchanted device in such an area. It was similar to using Muggle electricity or gadgets in Diagon Alley. They wouldn't work, and would probably implode due to the stress.

The D.M.L.E. and the Department of Mysteries, not only in Magical Britain but in other countries as well, had been unable to combat this problem until Daphne had brilliantly figured out a way to do it. Instead of trying to repair malfunctioning instruments, she created a new one that corrected the chaotic magic and transmitted the information to her computer. As Croaker had admitted, it was quite a feat of enchanting, but Daphne was hardly under-qualified to invent such a device. She was a Master and was currently pursuing a Sorcerer's degree in the field.

This room was clearly the command centre, for Harry could sense the wards being powered from here. However, it also seemed to serve as the rogue Unspeakable's private study. The place was littered with tomes of books and various sheets of parchment. The expanded bag automatically summoned it all into its depths.

With a flick of his wand, Harry cast a spell that bathed the room in light. However, he nearly stumbled in surprise when he saw a large avian creature in the room, flapping its wings threateningly. The bird was probably ten feet in height. Its fur was jet black, with orange flames at the tips. It had the body structure similar to that of a Thunderbird, but everything else was similar to what Harry remembered from seeing Fawkes.

Phoenixes were creatures that were considered rare, but many had spotted them in mountainous regions. It was a miracle, however, if one managed to befriend them as Albus Dumbledore had done. Dumbledore had found Fawkes' egg during one of his travels, being smuggled through the Swiss border. He had rescued the unborn phoenix and had nurtured it until its birth. That bond was very special for the late headmaster, which was why Fawkes too had been very fond of Dumbledore. He had studied and observed the behaviour of phoenixes and had later written a book on the subject.

According to Dumbledore, Fawkes was not the only type of phoenix seen in the world, though the red and gold coloured birds were the most common. They represented the element of fire. Thunderbirds, in fact, were considered the form of phoenix that represented the air element, with its ability with rain, thunder and lightning. While purists would never consider them phoenixes due to them having finite years of existence, Dumbledore stated that the connection between the creatures was undeniable. Since it was a bird, there was no creature that described the land element, but there were white phoenixes that thrived in water and on ice. They looked similar to swans, and were found in the Alps and Himalayan ranges, and also in the continent of Antarctica.

The last basic element of magic, according to ancient witches and wizards, was space – the abyss that had mystified and captivated magical humans for tens of thousands of years. A creature that represented this holy element was considered to be the most sacred of all. Dumbledore had only once, with the help of Fawkes, had caught a glimpse of a phoenix that represented this element, but there had been references to such a creature in various manuscripts of ancient witches and wizards in difficult cultures around the world. He had called this bird the Royal Phoenix. For without space, without the universe, how could the rest of the basic magical elements come into being? The vacuum of space was the mother of all elements, the womb that nurtured everything in the universe.

The royal phoenix's dark feathers trembled. Harry had no idea how these wizards and Muggles had caught the majestic creature, but from what he could sense, he knew why the phoenix was contained. A highly impressive, yet ghastly enchantment was powered to keep the creature from trying to escape. It was the source of the chaotic magic.

Harry gasped. There was a small boy, heavily contained, behind the royal phoenix. He had partially transformed into an Obscurial. The rogue Unspeakables were powering the bunker's protections by tapping into the chaotic magic the boy released. That was how they had evaded detection for so long. There was a cloak, a shroud of chaotic magic around the area that ensured that the Department of Mysteries would not find them – until Daphne found a way around it.

It was horrifying, and Harry felt his anger rise to dangerous levels. His body was sizzling, an aura forming around him, his eyes impossibly jet black.

"I'm here to help you," said Harry softly to the phoenix, raising his arms in surrender. The creature, however, didn't trust him. It screeched threateningly as he neared it. Its body trembled; the phoenix was obviously very weak, but it still tried to protect the boy.

"Please," Harry begged. Even the simplest movement got the bird very agitated, and a partially transformed Obsicurial needed to be handled very carefully. Taking very slow steps, Harry approached the barrier. He didn't draw his wand, for that would most definitely irritate the phoenix. Placing his hand on the magical barrier, he gritted his teeth and unleashed powerful magical lightning from his fingertips.

The reflection of the lightning could be seen in the dark eyes of the royal phoenix. Harry couldn't describe it, but he felt the creature's magical presence scan his own. When the bird didn't react unfavourably, with one punch, Harry shattered the enchantment that held the phoenix prisoner. When he tried to move towards the boy, the creature screeched once more, its wings still radiating power and orange flames. He simply stared into the eyes of the creature. From his experience with griffins and hippogriffs, he knew that eye contact was essential in order to gain their trust.

A minute later, the royal phoenix slowly moved out of the way. Harry didn't waste any time and kneeled down to help the boy. While he was not a healer, he could help the child stabilize his magic. Once they reached St Mungo's, they could help him with the Obscurus.

Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to go through with his plan. The door to the room burst open, revealing two wizards, followed by a dozen Muggles, all armed with heavy-duty assault rifles. One of the wizards was tall but not muscled. Dark complexion set off his light coloured robes. He had dark brown eyes and curly black hair, with a traditional white paint smeared on his face. Harry recognised him as a person from Australia, for that was the traditional look of the native wizards from the region. The second wizard was someone whom he recognized instantly.

It was Broderick Bode.

"Potter!" breathed Bode, halting in shock. His eyes narrowed in anger. It didn't take a genius for him to realise that Algernon Croaker had once more meddled in his plans, sending someone outside the department to deal with the threat. He had to hand it to the man; his boss was smarter than he gave him credit for.

Bode didn't speak. Instead, he simply nodded swiftly to the Muggle guards. Ten assault rifles were pointed at Harry in different directions, the room echoing with the sound of bullets being continuously fired.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

"Let her go," Daphne said through gritted teeth. Her eyes narrowed as her Legilimency probe easily slipped past his non-existent shields. "You're Jackson Barebone."

"Stay back!" shouted Barebone as beads of sweat trickled down his face. "If you attempt to use your freakish powers, I'll kill her!"

Daphne paused. She was not worried about the Muggle. A simple Compulsion Charm would take care of him. The little girl, however, was a different matter altogether. What was worrying was the way Barebone was using the chaotic magic the girl released to protect himself. They had been experimenting with the power of an Obscurus, powering shields and weapons with it.

What are they up to?

She tried a different tactic.

"It's ironic that you call me a freak when you chose to work with wizards for this little project," spat Daphne. "Stand down, Barebone. If you surrender, you'll be given a fair trial. Should you resist, you'll end up like your friends over there, with your body cut into several dozen pieces. Don't tempt me."

Barebone was not done. He whispered into the girl's ear, "If you want to live, you little freak, get us out of here!" The girl whimpered, her body being consumed with the chaotic magic of the Obscurus. Daphne inhaled sharply.

"You fool!" she snarled. "Get away from her!"

With a wave of her hand, Daphne summoned Barebone away from the girl, but not before the child transformed completely. The black and red magic shot upwards, destroying the roof as it escaped into Muggle London.

Daphne was beyond pissed, especially when more wizards and Muggles appeared from above the recently blown up hole in the roof of the bunker, trying to catch her.

She raised her hand. They all gasped for air, rifles and wands clattering to the ground, all holding their throats for some kind of relief. The sound of gasping and choking could be heard in the silent park as Daphne continued her attack, her eyes glinting with uncontrollable rage.

She dragged Barebone away from the scene, just as more than a dozen wizards and Muggles slumped to the ground, dead. Not far away, the Obcurial was destroying everything in its path.