Flying out of the fortress with cheering soldiers waving behind them, Harry was glad to note that this time they were not being shot down at. Or maybe it was the house legionary that were both happy to see their liege lord for the first time in over a dozen years and sadden to see him leave.
What can he say, it felt good to be wanted and loved!
Turning around and waving at the soldiers on the battlements for one final time, Harry spun around in his broom and got back on course.
"Hey, grandpa," Hary called out to Sirius who was on a dreadfully awful broom since his firebolt was all but destroyed when he got struck by that lightning bolt. He was lagging behind Harry right now since the broom that the Commander offered him as a replacement for his old one was just as bad as the Hogwart's brooms.
"try to keep up," Harry said as he speeded off into the distance.
"Ah, you god awful brat," Sirius shouted back as Harry had him eating his dust.
Then once they were at a good distance away from the fortress so that their Apparition would not be distorted by the wards placed in the fortified structure. Harry started to slow down until he came to a stop and waited for Sirius who was faltering and swaying in the sky.
"Man," Harry teased, "if your flying is as good as that then I feel sorry for you. Even a simpleton could do better."
"Very funny," Sirius said once he landed on the ground. "We both know I had that race from before all but in the bag."
"Oh did you forget when you got struck by lightning?"
"Yea," Sirius said with a shrug, "that's because the gods themselves felt jealous about my magnificent flying."
"Arrogant, much?" Harry asked with a raise of his eyebrow.
"What can say," Sirius replied as he held out his hands in a frivolous manner. "Now," Sirius said as he turned more serious, "we best be heading to our next destination, the hour is starting to get very late."
Looking up at the sky, Harry had to admit that he was right, now dusk was settling as the sun was all but nearly gone from the sky, and darkness was encompassing everywhere. They really needed to get a move on if they wanted to finish up this round trip, right now they aren't even halfway through all the properties he had in Great Britain.
"So where to next?" Harry asked his godfather. Harry had to admit through this tour he learned a lot he did not know about his family and the real nitty gritty stuff as well.
"It's to the Wizarding Tower," Sirius answered as he held out his hand for his godson.
"Ah, I really did want to visit that place," Harry said as he clutched the item he brought with him in his pocket.
"Well it is an amazing place," Sirius affirmed thinking that his mind was wandering over there. "It was the researching center of your family where new invention, potion, magical items, and so much more was made."
"So you are saying that they know their stuff?" Harry asked as he just wanted to make sure before he brought forth his idea before these so called scientists of his family.
"Yea," Sirius nodded his head, "but as Barnott put it many must have left when the funds dried up."
"So I take it that they are not the most loyal bunch?" Harry wondered out loud as they sounded like rats fleeing from a burning building.
"They are eggheads," Sirius chuckled out loud, "they are not like soldiers who are staunchly loyal to their lieges. They have a more practical view on thing, if you could say."
Snorting, Harry was not buying it, he remembered well all the men and women who died for his family and those who reminded behind after all these years. Of course, there were some deserters, but they were better off without them.
On the other hand, as Sirius was putting it a lot of these so-called family scientists of theirs was ditching them left and right. All Harry had to say for them was, "they could do with a little bit of loyalty."
Chuckling, Sirius responded with, "Now that is something I could agree with you on," then holding out his hand, this time Harry grabbed on to it and they both disappeared off the snowy mountains in an inaudible pop.
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Appearing in a wide open craggy field with rugged shrubs and jagged rocks, Harry spotted a towering spire that reached high up into the vaults of heaven. The Wizarding tower sat snugly on top of an outcrop as its golden sheen lit up the surrounding from the darkness.
Behind the lofty tower was a clear blue lake with the mist slowly rolling in. Neighboring the place were snowy top mountains that lent the landscape a marvelous view.
"Wow," Harry whispered as he was blown away by the wondrous sight before him. Not only did the Wizarding tower have a wonderful golden sheen, but its immense towers were splendid to behold as they extended out.
Breaking him out of his stupor was Sirius who elbowed him while grinning down at him, he must have heard his breathless sigh because he said, "I know. It truly is a sight to behold."
"Well," Harry said, "let's go, we can't be standing here all day." With that, Harry started to walk down the beaten path that lead towards the waiting tower.
Once again Harry was quite thankful that they weren't shot at as they came up to the tower and climbed up the slight elevation. However Harry quickly noticed everything was too quiet and peaceful, there was no one to greet them, hail them over, or even stop them.
Now he was thinking it would have been much better to get shot at because at least he would know somebody was there.
Coming up to the tower giant doors the dwarfed him like they were made for giants, Harry ran his finger over the elegant patters then tore his eyes away after he got a good look at it. Rasing his close knuckles to the doors, Harry rapped against it to announce himself.
After a long while of no one coming to the door, Harry spun around towards his godfather and asked, "Is no one in right now?"
Squinting his eyes up at the tower, Sirius looked back at him and replied, "No, there should be someone here to welcome us."
"Well forget welcoming us, it looks like no one is here at all," Harry exclaimed as he tried to open the door himself but it physically refused to budge an inch.
Raising his hands in surround, Harry declared, "and it looks like there is no way in for us."
"Mhm," Sirius said as he gazed at the tower then looking back at him he said, "try overriding the wards in place. I think it should work since you are basically the owner of it."
"Same thing as last time?" Harry asked.
"Yep."
"Quick question," Harry said as he turned back to look at the older wizard.
"Yea?"
"What would happen if that does not work?"
"I..." Sirius tried to begin with but then honestly replied, "well let's just say you do not want to know about that."
Shaking his head, Harry grumbled under his breath, but still loud enough for his godfather to hear him. "What is it with wizards and deadly repercussions. It like you guys love seeing whoever crosses you burn in a glory of a thousand lights."
"What can I say," Sirus shrugged, "we do not like it when somebody crosses us."
Shaking his head, Harry took in a deep breath and shouted in a near chant-like voice,
"I," Harry said.
"Harry James Potter."
"As Master of this House and Family.
"Do allow myself and Sirius Black,
"Into my tower."
"So mote it be!"
Suddenly as if the tower was responding to him Harry watched as the door opened for him. Stepping back, Harry watched as the door fully swung open clearly letting them in.
Turning to his godfather, Harry inclined his head, "after you good sir. It is courtesy to let in the women folk the elderly, and children first."
"Well, why don't you go in first?" Sirius asked innocently, "you are after all a little child right!?"
"Oh, nice turn around," Harry said with a chuckle as he entered first.
Chuckling from behind him, Sirius took his small victory with a modicum of decency.
Walking into the tower, Harry was first to note the well-furnished rugs on the floor, the arches that stretched high up with fine decorations, and the suits and armors posted at each point in the hallway.
Suddenly the light came on as a blue glow lit the hall, basking the place in an otherworldly glow. Harry nearly jumped off his feet at the unexpected surprise, and Sirius must have noticed it because he commented, "Wizard light, it reacts to your presence and comes on by itself."
"Okay," Harry said as he looked about the hall once more, "It looks like I was right anyways. No one is here at all."
"Man now that would be very depressing indeed if all the researchers left."
"Is that all you have to say?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well good news is that there is one person I am 100% sure would not have left."
"And what's the bad news?" Harry asked as he turned to look at his godfather fully, "because I am seriously getting some bad news vibe."
"Ahh... well he is a tiny bit mad...."
"Great," Harry said as he really did not even know why he tried anymore, "Why wouldn't he be mad."
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"You know," Harry said as they got to the top floors in the tower, "I still can't believe that there was an elevator in this tower."
"That was called a magic platform," Sirius answered as he gave his godson a miffed look, "they were invented as far back as the middle ages. What do you think we are— savages or something?"
"No, no," Harry lied as deep down he had a lot of conflicting viewpoints in his head, "I was just surprised we had that sort of niceties here."
"Again with that attitude," Sirius said as he shook his head while continuing leading him down the hallway. "You think that we, wizarding-kind are backward compared to muggles, huh?"
"Come on," Harry said as he held his hands out in surrender, "I never said that."
"But you did think it," Sirius finished for him.
"Well... I..." Harry stammered out as he was caught right in the act.
Sighing, Sirius turned to face him and uttered, "See that is the thing with muggle-borns. I mean no offense, pup, but you all think very low of pure-blooded wizards and that makes it difficult for anyone to get along."
"I get," Harry said, "trust me. There is a bunch of conflicting slants going on."
"Yes," Sirius said then in a much more pleading tone he requested. "You will be surprised with all the stuff you could find in this world, if you look closely, pup. Us wizards have been at the cutting edge of progress and invocation for countless years."
"Alright, alright," Harry voiced, "I will make sure to keep an open mind from now on."
"Are you sure?" Sirius quizzed as he gave him a doubtful look.
"Yes," Harry said, this time a bit more firmly to emphasize his point. "But, all I think is that wizard could do the same with muggle technology. Keep an open mind and all that. You too will be surprised with what you find," he finished with as he gripped his pocket with the item he brought with him inside.
"Well, I doubt that," Sirius said as he waved it away, "but for you, pup, I shall."
Narrowing his eyes at him Harry said nothing at all but just kept his tongue, he could clearly see that there were a much of prejudices on both sides. Now that he was starting to get a firm foot in both worlds he could see that muggle-borns have a low opinion of pure-bloods, thinking that they are unclothed savages.
While pure-bloods think that muggle-borns are uncivil miscreants who have no respect for anyone and rather embrace the enemy.
However, as Harry saw it both of them could learn something for each other.
"It looks like we arrived," Sirius called out as they reached a forbidding door at the end of the hall.
Grabbing the door handle, Sirius was about to swing the door open until he paused as if something crossed his mind. Then turned to look at Harry he added as an afterthought, "Oh, and pup," he said.
"Yea," Harry said as he looked up at him.
"Do not share those opinions or that attitudes with other wizarding families. I might debate and discuss things with you but you will soon find out that Wizarding Houses have no patience for that."
"What do you mean?"
"Most Wizarding families whither they be Light, Dark, or Grey have a high opinion of themselves so they don't take it well if you start looking down at them like they are backward savages."
"I do not see anyone like that..." Harry tried to argue, but his guardian was having none of that.
"It doesn't matter, you will kill any prospects of alliances with other families if they sniff anything out. So tread lightly."
"Okay," Harry said as he saw that there was no point in arguing with his godfather since he had his mind set.
"Also," Sirius added which got a long grown from Harry, "this is the last advice I have for you. Make sure you be are patient with our mad genius. He might go off into a tangent or completely ignore you, but he isn't trying to be rude."
"Speaking from experience?" Harry asked as he saw the look of annoyance flitted across his face.
"Yes," Sirius growled as he finally swung the door open, "yes I am." With that being said they both walked into the waiting deep recess of the room.
Harry immediately took notice of how dark the whole place was and it felt like something could jump out of anywhere at any moment at all. Sticking close to his godfather for safety of course, and not because he was nervous or anything, Harry spotted a green sickly light coming from within.
"I guess we will be following the light, huh?" Harry whispered to his godfather, though he did not know why spoke in a low tone. Maybe it was the sinister atmosphere that called for it, but he sure as hell did not want to be heard by anything if it was learning right around the corner.
"When was that ever a good idea," Harry grumbled to himself as they came closer and closer to the eerie green light.
Finally, they reached an opening which opened out to a wide chamber and in the room where a bunch of strange machines that he never saw in his life that seem to be pumping blue liquid.
In the center of the room was a large liquid vat where a giant brain sat that had a bunch of tentacles arching and beating against the tank. Attached to the tank were two large electric rods that were shooting green lighting at the thing inside the vat which seem to be causing it a great deal of pain.
In front of the vat were two people, on the right stood a woman nearly the same age as Sirius, she was dressed in a white lab coat, high heels, and a pair of lab goggles to block the bright streak lights. She was noting everything down with silent observation and a critical eye.
Beside her stood a white-haired man who was also dressed in a white lab and a pair of goggles, however unlike the silent woman he was madly chuckling out loud. Both arms were raised up to the sky as he took in his experiment with mad glee. That was definitely the mad scientist that Sirius was talking about, the man just screamed it.
Regardless, Harry had no idea what to make about this, all he could do was silently watch with bated breath.
However, Sirius did not seem to have any of that inhibition as he made his way over while shouting, "Livia," in greeting.
Putting her pen down the woman turned around to face them and a look of surprise crossed her stony cold features. "Is that you, Sirius?" the woman asked as she met the animagus halfway.
"In the flesh," the wizard replied with a laugh as he gave the witch a bear hug.
Awkwardly patting him on the back, Sirius broke away not too soon as the magical scientist looked ready to break the contact herself. "Last I heard you were in Azkaban, right?" the woman inquired.
"There was no way that place would have contained me, I broke out last year and now am a free man."
"That good to hear," the woman said then turning to look at Harry she asked, "Who is the child with you?"
"Oh," Sirius said as he waved Harry over, "this is your sponsor and number one clientele, Lord Harry Potter."