Ch239- Like Apple
Ch239- Like Apple
As Dumbledore took his leave with the Aurors, Harry turned to the group who had arrived in response to the emergency. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. It appears there has been a breakout from Azkaban, and the Ministry wants me to relocate for my safety."
Cyrus's face contorted with disgust. "They can't even keep that rat locked up for a year before he escapes."
Augusta, with a fierce look in her eyes, asked, "Are you sure that bitch Bellatrix escaped as well?" Harry nodded, understanding the deep rage Augusta felt, knowing it was Bellatrix who had used the Cruciatus Curse excessively on Frank and Alice Longbottom, leading to their current state. Her fury was justified.
The group shared troubled looks. Bellatrix was insane, Rookwood was powerful, and Pettigrew was cunning. It was an odd combination, but one that could cause a lot of trouble. After thanking them all and sending them away, Harry looked at Hedwig and Crookshanks. "Looks like rat mean back in menu boys. I officially declare rat hunting season open. If you see one, kill it without hesitation."
After ensuring the wards were secure and his defenses were in place, Harry sent a signal to Misty. Within moments, she apparated back with Petunia. The moment she arrived, Petunia hugged Harry tightly.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Harry considered how much to tell her. "Peter Pettigrew and several other dangerous wizards escaped from Azkaban," he explained. Petunia's eyes widened with worry, but her concern was clearly more for Harry than herself.
She grasped his hands firmly. "Will you b safe?"
Harry nodded, trying to comfort her. "I'll be fine, Aunt Petunia. We have strong wards here, and we'll be okay. You should rest now."
Petunia, still looking uneasy, nodded reluctantly. "Alright, but be careful," she said before heading to her room.
Once she was gone, Harry settled in the darkened living room, his mind racing with questions. 'Bellatrix and Rookwood were in Azkaban for over a decade. How did they escape now? What is their plan?' He knew he had to prepare for any possibility, and that meant understanding their motivations and strategies.
Bellatrix Lestrange was known for her loyalty to Voldemort and her unparalleled ruthlessness. Augustus Rookwood, a former Unspeakable, had vast knowledge of dark magic and Ministry secrets. Their escape couldn't be a coincidence; it had to be part of a larger scheme.
Harry leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he considered the implications. The timing of their escape suggested that something significant was about to happen. Could Voldemort be planning a major move? Was he trying to regroup his followers? Harry knew that whatever the reason, it would be dangerous to underestimate them.
Harry entertained the thought of delving deeper into Voldemort's memories, then decided otherwise. He was truly afraid. He entered the Virtual Room and a book floated towards him, a copy of his previous research on the human psyche.
Inside the Virtual Room, Harry focused on the complexities of the mind, particularly the concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego. The book detailed how memories and experiences shape these aspects of personality. Harry knew that absorbing too much of Voldemort’s memories could alter his own Id, possibly turning him into someone else entirely. This was his greatest fear—that by assimilating Voldemort’s memories, he might lose his own identity and become a distorted version of both himself and Voldemort.
Harry had an idea. He knew that when he used Legilimency or a Pensieve, he viewed memories from his own perspective, which made them less likely to alter his personality significantly—more like watching a movie. This way, while they could influence his thinking, they wouldn't change him as deeply as merging with the memories would. But the challenge lay in how he could apply this to Voldemort's memories.
The problem was he couldn't view Voldemort's memories without first assimilating them. He could create a mindscape for his own memories, shaping them however he liked since they were already part of him. But pushing Voldemort's memories onto a screen without assimilating them seemed impossible.
Harry pondered this dilemma. "How can I create a space to observe these memories without letting them merge with my own?"
Harry sat cross-legged in the Virtual Room, focusing on a solution. The ethereal environment around him was calm and serene, a stark contrast to the chaos of his thoughts. He needed a way to isolate these memories, to watch them unfold without becoming part of them. It was like trying to separate oil from water once mixed.
A thought struck him. "What if I use the Memory Bank feature in the Technology System? Could it isolate Voldemort's memories for me to view them safely?"
The Memory Bank could record and play back memories, making it an ideal tool for this task. He entered the system to check about the Memory Bank, noticing that it listed various prices for different applications of the system. Unfortunately, Harry realized he didn’t have enough system points to immediately access the Memory Bank's full capabilities. Still, he saw potential in this tool, even if it would take longer to accumulate the necessary points than he preferred.
He took a moment to sit back and think, considering his options. While he couldn't yet afford the complete Memory Bank package, he could still begin to gather points through various tasks and challenges. Harry decided to prioritize earning points by focusing on smaller, manageable missions.
The house was quiet, with Petunia having gone to bed early. Harry took advantage of the silence to meditate, focusing on his Astral Soul. Since acquiring Voldemort's Soul Shape, he had gained some understanding of how to form his own. Even when he first started, he realized his Soul Shape was already in a nascent form, ready to be fully developed. Now that he was gaining mastery over his Astral Soul, this process accelerated.
As he sat there, he observed his Astral Soul, free from Voldemort's influence, and saw it taking on the desired shape of shapelessness. It was a tool he could mold as needed. Satisfied with his progress, Harry decided it was time to rest. He rose from his spot, stretched, and headed to his room.
The next morning, Harry woke up and helped Aunt Petunia prepare breakfast. They moved around the kitchen in a practiced rhythm, the familiarity of their routine bringing a sense of normalcy. After breakfast, they spent the day in the greenhouse, tending to the plants and enjoying the quiet companionship. Despite the alarming news about the escaped Death Eaters, Harry didn't let it dominate his thoughts. The house was heavily warded and secure, so instead, he focused on enjoying his holiday with his aunt.
Days turned into weeks, and soon it was mid-August. The peaceful days flew by, and the approaching school year loomed closer. On August 16th, Harry received an invitation to meet his friends in Diagon Alley to check out the new broomstick that was set to revolutionize the market: the Firebolt. Although Harry was already well aware of it, even before news of its debut was released. Having invested in the Nimbus Racing Broom Company since his first year, over the past two years, Harry's influence in the company had solidified, but he had realized that the monopoly was stifling innovation. While the company was generating substantial profits, it was using its dominant market position to slow down the development of new brooms, presenting only minor upgrades each year to force magicals to buy new models.
Harry had taken action by purchasing another company and assisting them in developing the Firebolt series. Although he didn't take full credit for its creation—the owner of the smaller company had already been close to a breakthrough—Harry had provided the necessary resources and support to make production easier. He knew that competition was essential for a healthy market, like an apple for one's health. Without it, the same product would be rehashed year after year, which wasn't honest business.
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