While one of my clones dealt with the situation with Elise, the others were living their own experiences in different places.
One of them was at the Burrow, where I almost always kept one to avoid suspicion. Although they knew about my clones, they had no idea they had traveled all over Europe. That night, Fred, George, and Ron decided to take our father's car to find out what was going on with Potter. They woke me up to invite me, but I declined; I wasn't interested in joining them, and they could handle it without me. Besides, that clone in the Burrow was one of the few that slept, and I preferred to keep it that way.
The next morning, my mother's shouting informed me that my brothers and Harry had returned. I didn't come down from my room until the smell of sausages and fried eggs filled the air. When I arrived, there was my mother, treating Potter as if he were her favorite son, while simultaneously scolding my brothers.
"Good morning, Red," my mother greeted me with a different tone than the one she used with my brothers that morning.
"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Harry," I replied as I looked for a place at the table.
"Hi, Red," said Harry, glancing at me as if trying to see if there was anything different about the version of me he met at school.
Not long after I arrived, there were footsteps on the stairs. Ginny appeared, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She had been staying up late, studying magic with the wand I had gotten her. This year she was going to Hogwarts, so we had lied to our parents, telling them that during one of our trips to Diagon Alley with Xeno, Ginny had been excited to do magic, and we had bought her a wand. Thanks to that excuse, she could now practice magic at home without raising suspicion. Even so, I was surprised by her dedication.
Ginny stood for a moment, staring at Harry from the stairs in awe, until she fully woke up.
"That's Ginny," Ron whispered to Harry, "My sister."
"She must be surprised. When she was little, she was very interested in you. She's probably waiting for you to sign an autograph or something," Fred added.
Ginny, visibly nervous, walked over to the table and sat next to me. Although she tried to ignore me rather subtly, she still tended to stay close. My mother served her breakfast, but her attention was almost entirely on Harry, stealing glances at him as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words or the courage. Finally, she broke the silence.
"Harry?" she called with a hesitant voice.
"Huh...? Yes," Harry replied, a bit nervous about the situation.
"Do you remember anything about your mother?" Ginny asked, uncomfortable and embarrassed, aware that it wasn't an easy or pleasant topic, since talking to someone about their dead parents isn't common. She realized this when she saw the expression on my mother's face, which suggested she not pursue that path, but curiosity got the better of her.
"Hmmm, no… I don't think so," Harry replied, confused by the unexpected question.
"Oh..." Ginny said, clearly disappointed, "Well, sorry for asking."
"It's okay," Harry responded, still not fully understanding the situation. But since Ginny didn't seem to want to continue the conversation, he didn't push, and went back to talking with Ron.
After breakfast, Ginny went out with the intention of visiting Luna with me, as we often did from time to time. Fred and George tried to go to bed, having spent the night flying the car to bring Harry back, but my mother didn't let them.
"If you spent the whole night out, that's your fault. Now go de-gnome the garden," she ordered, interrupting their walk toward their rooms. It was her way of punishing them for what they had done, or more precisely, for doing it without informing her.
Fred and George tried to protest, but no one can resist our mother. In the end, they went to do their work, dragging Ron along, who was forced to help. Harry, for his part, wasn't that tired, thanks to the excitement of being there, and besides, he was curious to see what "de-gnoming" was like, as with any other magical process in a wizarding house.
"I don't know why we keep doing this," Ron complained as he walked with Harry. "For the last few years, the gnomes have been disappearing on their own from time to time. They come back after a while, but they don't last long. This job doesn't make any sense."
I overheard this as I sped up my pace with Ginny. I knew that the gnomes' disappearance was my fault. There were entire seasons when you barely saw one or two, which had made my father a bit sad since he had a fondness for them. He even investigated whether there was any predator or reason why they were constantly vanishing.
...
Elise lay on the stretcher, breathing calmly, though a bit more heavily than usual, perhaps because she was asleep. I had worked on her a lot during this time, so much so that I was extremely tense, which even affected my other clones, preventing them from performing their tasks as before. But now I felt calmer. Elise was no longer bleeding, convulsing, or growing random tumors.
The Archmage had been right: after a prolonged period of adding essences with my assistance to keep her alive, Elise's body began to assimilate them better, and the negative reactions decreased. It was a painful process, for both her and me. Not just because our connection allowed me to feel her suffering, but also because of seeing her in that state, not knowing if I could save her in the end. Fortunately, the situation improved. On several occasions, she was conscious, and we could talk, although at first, she was so weak she couldn't move without vomiting. Now, she seemed better, and the next time she woke up, we could probably take her out of the tower.
...
I visited the Delacour family, as I had promised, bringing them some small gifts, products from my [Fief]. They were intrigued, especially when I told them they weren't familiar products, but something I was developing in secret. Over time, they had figured out that I lived a life full of activities outside my parents' and the public's knowledge. They tried to advise me to stop doing such secretive things, warning that if I continued down that path, I could end up becoming a trafficker or getting involved in the black market, which was what they feared.
Despite their concerns, they enjoyed what I offered them, seeing it as a curiosity. Additionally, they mentioned that an acquaintance was about to open a restaurant where they would sell these products, promoting the business that Tenebrius and Tonks were setting up.
I spent a pleasant time at the Delacour house, an impressive, large, and exquisite residence, with very eye-catching decorations and art. As the girls wanted, we took a walk through the Cachée, but this time in a more peaceful atmosphere and without any kidnappings.
Apolline accompanied us up to a point but then allowed her daughters to be alone with me, something Alain had said shouldn't happen. I wasn't sure if she trusted me or if she was following us secretly. My [Life Sensing] ability is useful, but discerning people in crowded places is still tricky, even with its level-up, which allows me to distinguish the silhouettes of life forms. Either way, the situation wasn't bad, and both the girls and I made an effort to learn something of each other's language. Although our communication was somewhat lacking, it allowed us to understand each other a little better, and we would surely improve over time.
Gabrielle, the youngest, had short legs, which made it difficult for her to keep up with Fleur, who was excited. In the end, I ended up carrying Gabrielle, which she loved, as she felt safe in my arms, just like when I rescued her. Although this time, of course, it wasn't as warm without my fur.
We visited several places in more detail than on my last visit, as before I had only briefly entered some to update Merk's shop. Most of the stores we visited were familiar to Fleur: clothing, accessories, and alchemy shops. I felt a bit embarrassed when she insisted that I try on some fashionable French clothes, saying it with such confidence that she almost dragged me to the fitting room in front of other customers.
I had changed the clone's face a bit, the color of its hair and eyes to avoid being recognized, which gave me more freedom. Still, I didn't like being the center of attention, given that my stay there was illegal, but I went along. I followed Fleur and Gabrielle's suggestions, trying out various styles, which took us more time than I would have liked. Both enjoyed quite a bit playing with me as if I were a dress-up doll. I can't complain though—they ended up buying me the outfits they liked best. They were generous little rich ladies.
We also visited some flashy sites and had some snacks before returning to the house to chat a little more before saying goodbye and organizing the next meeting.
...
Elise had gotten up, and now I was helping her walk around the Archmage's Tower, trying to get her accustomed to her new state. Although she still felt a bit uncomfortable, she could already do several things as long as she didn't push herself too much.
"How do I look?" she asked me, with clear distress in her voice.
"How do you look?" I repeated, confused. She seemed on the verge of tears, but what I clearly felt from her wasn't physical pain but deep emotional anguish.
"I'm not pretty anymore, am I?" she said, turning her head away from mine. "I ruined myself. I'm no longer attractive… you don't like me anymore. The experiment left me horrible."
"Haha, silly. Even if you grew tentacles and fangs all over your body, you'd still be beautiful to me," I replied, gently holding her head and bringing it close to mine to kiss her.
She seemed to relax a little, enjoying our contact. Something I noticed in her way of communicating is that she seemed more articulate... maybe I could even say smarter than before, or that was the feeling she gave me.
"Am I really still beautiful?" she asked, still with doubts.
"Let's find out," I said. The reality was that there had been some changes in her appearance. I pulled out a mirror and enlarged it with an <Engorgio> spell until it was big enough for her to see herself fully.
Elise observed her reflection while I watched her. Since I knew her so well, I easily noticed the differences. Starting with her horn, which had grown a couple of centimeters. Her coat seemed more vibrant and shiny, and her body had grown in size. Before, she had the build of a common mare, but now she was as tall as a male horse, and not just any horse: she had the musculature of a draft horse, with well-defined muscles all over her body. The first time I saw her standing, I must admit I was a little scared. Additionally, her eyes were brighter and clearer, and her golden hooves had turned more silver or platinum. As for her stats...
[---Lys---]
[Lines]
[Unicorn: 100.0%]
[Super-Unicorn: 17.0%]
The "Super-Unicorn" bit was something I came up with. It originally appeared as [Mutation or New Unknown Lineage], and I had the option to name it. I did it in a moment of lack of creativity; maybe I'll change it later.
"See? You're still beautiful," I told her, as she continued to look at herself.
"Are you sure?" she asked, still seeking my approval, even though she clearly saw herself more beautiful in the mirror.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Elise moved a little closer and, with a defiant look, said to me:
"Then prove it. Do mate me like before."
"What?" I asked, surprised.
"Prove that I'm still beautiful," she repeated, as she walked toward the forest. She turned her head for a moment to glance at me before continuing, swaying her tail from side to side, revealing her intimacy, which now also had a subtle glow where there was moisture.
"Every man must eventually rise to his duty," I said, heading toward the forest.
---///---
2nd Additional Chapter