NOVEL NEXT Chapter 333: A Job.
Loki reappeared in the room with a soft *pop*, but without being given any time to stabilise himself from the dizzying apparition, he found himself collapsing into an old couch full of dust.
"Damn…" Loki cursed rubbing the back of his neck that felt like it had sprained a little. "Could you not manhandle me like that? I get it you're excited to know more about this, but couldn't you like calm down?"
Laura looked at Loki with an unpleased frown that was partially annoyed and partially questioning if he was even British because of his words, forcing him to speak.
"Fine. I learnt from Helena Ravenclaw that the Chained God, the true god of the prisoner pathway, her dad, was corrupted by an outer god."
"And? What was the ritual that man was conducting? How was it related to 'Him' and the corruption?"
"I don't exactly know, but from what I deduced, which is likely the truth, is that that man, being of the Chained pathway yet still not corrupted by 'Her', was trying to sacrifice excess Beyonder Characteristics to the Chained God to strengthen him in his fight against 'Her'."
"But consuming excessive Beyonder Characteri-"
"-Causes loss of control, I know. But that's only because of the remnant wills in them are not like you. What if the Beyonder Characteristics are not only from Beyonedrs that have perfectly digested the potion but also in the same way you have? Following the same rules?"
"..."
"Exactly, then it is quite likely that you'll end up only strengthening your Beyonder powers. But it is extremely rare for such a thing to happen naturally, so I suspect all those Beyonder Characteristics belong to the man's friends who were eventually corrupted by 'Her' in a fight or something."
"..."
"And moreover, I think that they were all close to 'Him' at a certain point in time which is why they followed the same principles 'He' did to digest the potion."
A soft silence took hold of the atmosphere and caused Loki to feel a little uncomfortable but then Laura spoke again.
"How do you know so mu-"
"Everyone has their secrets Lady. I'm sure you have yours. Let me keep mine." Loki bluntly refused while looking directly into her eyes.
The atmosphere turned strangely tensed but after a few seconds, Laura averted her eyes and spoke calmly while moving to the only desk in the room, "I have a job for you."
"A job? Why don't you give it to Ethan to do?"
"....He's already working on it." Laura said picking up a file from the top of her desk. She tossed the file in Loki's direction and he snatched it from the air.
"I want you to find a person." Laura explained, as Loki opened the file and looked into it.
In it was a picture of a sharp man who had grey eyes and curly eyebrows. He was smiling in the picture as he saluted towards the cameraman.
Under the picture was a name, "Nathan Bones."
Loki's eyes dilated as he read the name and so he looked at Laura and asked, "Why're you dragging me into this?"
Laura *sighed* and poured herself a glass of water. She sat down in her chair and sipped on it for a few seconds before explaining.
"He is my husband." with a soft pause that she used to put the glass aside Laura explained, "He vanished after a mission related to the outer gods."
"....haven't you thought of the worst?"
"Because our contract is still active."
"Contract?" Loki asked with some confusion before he realised, 'Like mine and Helena's?'
Looking at him Laura said, "It seems you know. You know a lot."
"But why me? I'm just a student at Hogwarts. What do you want me to do about this?"
"...I don't want you to do anything. It's just…you know a lot. Maybe you'll find him eventually? People like you tend to get involved in a lot of weird things. So I was just thinking a little too much. Nate has been the most precious thing I have in my life. I only wish to meet him."
Loki looked back at the picture and then at Laura and then he nodded. "Sure, I'll keep an eye out for the guy. And if I find him, I'll do my best to inform you about him."
Laura nodded, "Thank you."
In a few more minutes, Loki was back at the Ministry of Magic waiting in Ethan's office for everyone to arrive after he had memorised the lines for summoning Laura's contracted spirit messenger.
And he didn't have to wait long. Not even minutes later, Ethan along with Daphne, Hermione and Harry arrived at the office. They were covered in soot from using the floo network and looked a little tired and frustrated.
"These are your bullets.", Loki said pointing at the bullets he'd stacked on Ethan's desk.
"Oh thank god you brought them back. I was scared I had to write down in the file that I used them and missed both my shots."
"Great. I hope I never have to go on such a stupid mission again." Loki nodded and left to go back to Hogwarts with Daphne, Hermione and Harry after Daphne finished filling her report.
Loki explained his thoughts on the matter and told her exactly what Laura had asked him to tell. He concealed any information about the Chained God's corruption from 'Her' and also concealed information about the coin box just being a demigod even though he'd already told them about it earlier.
Everyone except Ethan was confused about this, but they didn't question when he revealed that he was just following Laura's orders.
After the report was done, they arrived back at Hogsmeade from where they walked to Hogwarts.
"So Harry, you're a Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin?" Loki asked since he'd read up on Harry's exploits in the report Daphne filed.
"Ah…" Harry was a little embarrassed.
"Want to join me in duelling practice sometime?" Loki asked with a smile. "It'll help us both get used to magical fights."
Harry thought for a while and then nodded, "Sure. Just let me know about it beforehand."
Loki nodded happily, "Will do."
After reaching Hogwarts everyone split their own ways.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Come in Harry." An old voice sounded from inside the room.
Harry pushed open the door and walked into the Headmaster's office. "Good evening Professor."
"Tell me Harry how was your first job as a Beyonder working with the Unspeakables with everyone else?"
"Ah…" Harry didn't know what to say anymore, he didn't want to say it was good because he never wanted to be in a situation like that anymore and he didn't want to say it was bad to disappoint Dumbledore.
But thankfully, Dumbledore changed the topic.
"It is in times of need that a Guardian is born Harry. Remember this." Dumbledore said calmly as he stared out the window while Harry quickly nodded.
"Come here. You may drink the potion to advance to the next Sequence." Dumbledore said pulling his hand away from the table to reveal a potion as blue as Lapiz.
Harry *gulped* when he saw the potion.
Dumbledore had told him over the summer, when he'd met him and Sirius that he'd locked away Harry's Beyonder abilities, the ones that he'd gotten from his dad separating excess Beyonder characteristics like the other nobles, by locking it with a different personality in his mind.
It was what had protected him for most of his life and against Voldemort in his first year because it was what had decided to release a twilight shield to not allow Voldemort to touch him at the most appropriate time.
As such, when Dumbledore finally released the lock on the second personality, Harry had become a Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin.
Harry moved ahead as if entranced by the potion.
He walked slowly but steadily since he was afraid of consuming a strange potion, but trusting Dumbledore he did so anyway.
On another side of the castle, Loki froze in the dungeons.
"Wait a minute!"
"Didn't she say Nate was the most precious thing to her?"
"Then…the Chained God? No…Helena? Rowena made that crown to increase her daughter's ability to do magic!"
*SMACK*
Loki slapped his forehead.
"I'm so dumb!!!!"
Loki turned around his steps and began to walk towards the Seventh Floor, searching for Helena.
'How could I be so stupid!?'
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