Harry Potter : Bloodraven

Chapter 37 - 37: Foundations of Ambition (I) (CH -57)

A young man stood bare-chested in front of a desk, cluttered with vials of colorful liquids and strange herbs. The air was thick with the potent scent of these mysterious ingredients, filling the small room. Peculiar glowing objects lit up each of the four walls, casting an eerie glow over the space.

His body appeared to be badly injured, with cuts, gashes, and swelling on both his front and back, blood staining his skin. His muscles were lean, and his height was perfectly proportioned to his frame. He was massaging his right shoulder when suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the room.

His face twisted, but no cry escaped him as his shoulder—presumably dislocated—slotted back into place, a process that would have made any normal person at least gasp in pain.

Moments later, he pointed his left index finger at the shoulder, and a blue light appeared at the tip, gradually enveloping the area. His expression changed, slowly easing into relief, and a sigh escaped his lips.

He then moved both arms in different motions, as if testing their functionality, before a satisfied expression spread across his face.

After that, he glanced at the messy table, picked up some of the herbs, and popped them into his mouth like candy. It was clearly not candy, as his face immediately contorted in disgust. With quick hands, he grabbed one of the vials and downed it in a single gulp. He didn't stop at just one, drinking vial after vial until every last one was emptied.

He slowly turned around and glanced at the lone sofa by the wall. With slow steps, he walked over and slumped down, as if the weight of something heavy had been lifted from his shoulders.

Leaning back, he closed his eyes, only to open them again moments later, his gaze fixed on the only door in the room.

...

It had been over an hour since Maverick returned. What would normally take a single jump had taken him three, with short breaks in between to make it back to Egypt to the underground base.

That final use of illusion magic and Apparition nearly made him lose consciousness, but he managed to persevere and arrive here quickly.

Fortunately, rejuvenation potions, healing brews, and medicinal herbs had been prepared in advance before he and his party left, saving him the effort of

Soon, Maverick entered a familiar room, where there were three desks scattered with various items.

Edward, Ali, and Aisha remained outside at his instructions, and shortly after, they saw him come out carrying a bunch of things.

Edward raised an eyebrow, looking at his pupil. "Are those No-Maj cell phones?" he asked, noticing two hand-sized rectangular items in Maverick's hands.

Maverick nodded as he walked up to them. "Yes, exactly what you think it is," he said, handing one to his teacher.

Edward took it, showing slight confusion, but he didn't ask questions.

Maverick moved a few steps back and then glanced at his teacher. "Teacher, suppress your magic and turn it on..."

Edward did so without hesitation. This wasn't the first time he had used electronic devices.

Maverick dialed the other phone's number, and sure enough, after a few seconds, a ring echoed throughout the hall.

(Author's Note: If you think they wouldn't get a signal there in the underground base, normally, yes, they wouldn't. But let's just assume it does.)

Edward looked at his student, unsure of what Maverick meant, but waited for an explanation. He didn't believe Maverick would do anything unnecessary, especially now.

The young Great-Magus did not keep them in suspense for long. "Teacher, you taught me that this is how we magicals use electronic devices—by suppressing our magic so it doesn't interfere with electrical signals."

He shifted his gaze to Aisha and Ali before adding, "Unfortunately, 99% of the magical population can't actively or passively suppress their magic…"

"This isn't breaking news, you know," his teacher interjected.

Ali and Aisha looked puzzled. The topic of electronic devices had never crossed their minds. From school, they were taught that magicals simply couldn't use Muggle electronics, and that was the end of it. There had never been any further explanation, not even publicly. It was safe to say they hadn't even bothered using electronic devices in their entire lives.

Maverick's gaze moved from the puzzled witch and wizard to Edward. "I know it's a known fact, though not very public," he said, then reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a strange-looking crystal. It was about the size of his finger, flat and rectangular, with intricate patterns carved into its surface. "Watch," he added.

They all watched, intrigued.

Maverick smirked before focusing on the phone in his hands. He placed the finger-sized crystal onto the back, aligning it with the flat area carved. The distinct cut made it clear that it was hand-made.

With a subtle wave of his fingers and a flicker of magic, the patterns on the crystal's surface glowed for a brief moment, flashing for just an instant.

Now, aside from the strange rectangular crystal affixed to the back, the phone looked exactly the same as before.

Maverick turned the phone on again, then glanced at his teacher, before saying, "Dial the last number..."

His teacher didn't raise any questions and did as asked. After a while, the phone in Maverick's hand began to ring. This was still nothing unusual for the Arch-Magus, as he knew they were both masters of mana control.

However, his curiosity grew. He didn't ask, though, and chose to let his student continue.

"Alright... now what?"

Maverick chuckled. "Patience, teacher," he said, then glanced at Ali and Aisha. "Ali, come here..." he called.

Ali, looking confused, followed the instructions and became even more puzzled when Maverick stretched out his hand and gestured for him to take the phone.

The Magus, still unsure, pointed to his own chest and asked, "Me?"

Maverick nodded. "Yes! Take it, place this side against your ear, and the other end toward your mouth..." He handed the phone to Ali after pressing the answer button.

Ali took the phone and followed the instructions, though he was very confused. He presumed the phone would lose all power as soon as he touched it, but—

His eyes widened—and not just his. Edward and Aisha's expressions also turned to shock.

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Author's Note:

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 92 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic