Impersonation!

The 'ceremony' was upon him.

Harry stood in the dim light, his sharp eyes flickering with a mix of determination and unease. His fingers flexed at his sides, an involuntary response to the weight of his thoughts.

"If you want to ascend to the next level," he murmured, his voice barely audible in the quiet room, "ritual is the surest path."

But even as he said it, the obstacles loomed in his mind. The sacrifices required by the Ritual of Life were becoming harder to procure. The turmoil caused by his clashes with the Black Council had plunged Malian City into a state of hypervigilance. The once plentiful supply of easy targets, fighters and rogues who wandered the streets unchecked, had all but dried up. Most had fled the city, while others sought refuge in the safety of Dojo.