Chapter 41

AN: Boom! Finally out. Beta'd by Sedition and Sam, who deserve a huge share of credit for the chap's quality.

My discord: discord .gg/9wpfysDGsz

My Pat reon: www. Pat reon com/ Robs511 (No spaces and a dot before com)

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[You Have Entered: Hufflepuff Dungeon] (𝗟𝘃𝗹 1)

[Temporary Immortality Granted: Revival System Activated]

It was a well-lit room, live torches sticking from the wall, lighting the corners of a room as massive as the Great Hall. A brazier was crackling with live fire towards the opposite end, warming the entire place. And in between the brazier and Harry stood a group of two dozen Hogwarts students, all motionless apart from an occasional head tilt.

Much smaller than him, they stood scattered around the room randomly; some staring at the wall like puppets, some gazing at each other with a dead look in their eyes, though everyone bar none clutching their wands; their only possession, as far as Harry's eyes could see.

'Observe'

Arkum Sylus

Age: 11

Level: 11

'As expected.'

They seemed not to notice him as he approached them, his own wand in his palm; ready to start reaping through the dungeon dwellers.

From the little that he'd read about dungeons in RPG games, his job wasn't to make new friends here.

Harry Potter

Age: 11

Race: Wizard

Level: 46 (4620/4700)

Mana: 820/820

Health: 610/610

Stamina: 560/560

Stats

Strength: 47 (15)

Speed: 49 (15)

Dexterity: 49 (15)

Vitality: 48 (15)

Endurance: 43 (15)

Intelligence: 67 (15)

Wisdom: 56 (15)

Points: 28

'Just eighty XP away.' His lips curled up.

It seems he was about to become the owner of two new perks tonight.

But first, he'll need to clear the room as efficiently as possible. It was time to let loose for the first time in two months.

[Gamer's Mind: Activated]

With feather-light steps, he started making his way towards one of the solitary puppets at the left-most corner of the room, away from the rest.

Interestingly enough, the target seemed entirely ignorant about his presence until Harry managed to sneak up about three meters behind it. Then, as if a switch was pressed, the boy spun around with a wand in his hand, dead eyes suddenly gaining light.

Too late.

"'Vada K'davra!" Harry whispered, his intent filling with traces of his immense hatred, unsuppressed by the Gamer's mind.

The green flash was out before he'd finished speaking, downing the boy instantly.

Ignoring the multiple rings of notification, he continued with his current strategy—picking off the isolated students one by one.

By the time he was done clearing off the low-hanging fruits—about ten or so—his mind had already calculated through several conclusions. One, these beings cannot detect him unless he was in their range, which was 5 meters. Second, if they did detect him, everyone around their vicinity seemed to magically become aware of his presence, so it was quite easy for a chain reaction to occur.

Thankfully the main bulk of his opponents—about fifteen—remained undisturbed by the time he was done.

Third, the amount of XP he received for killing seemed to have changed. The general formula that Harry deduced quickly was XP=Level of opponent x 10.

Fourth….these zombies were no match for him.

No longer caring about being careful and cautious, he unleashed himself upon his numerous foes.

There were fifteen of them—all slow and clumsy—and before they could properly coordinate their numbers—if they were capable—Harry tore through their ranks like a phantom wraith, his wand flashing green in one hand and a transfigured knife—shearing through throats—in the other. By the time their dead eyes gained light, Harry had already deported over half of them to Jesus.

….Or wherever these dungeon creatures went after dying.

Of course, Harry also couldn't keep casting the Killing Curse indefinitely, running into the same problem of the spell losing power and intent through repetition.

But his opponents were weak enough that he didn't need to keep up his most optimal speed, giving him a perfect opportunity to level up his other spells.

The remaining eight that still stood alive acted individually—showing no signs of being aware about their teammates. They traced their wands through the air slowly and cautiously, hollering out their spells with careful but loud incantations.

By the time a trio of spells finally headed towards him—the first attack from his opponents—Harry's knife had already drank blood from four more throats, while his wand—now casting slower—managed to land a perfect Diffindo upon the eyes of a fifth one.

The remaining three were so utterly incompetent that Harry let himself come to a halt—absently dodging the three spells with minimal movements—deciding to polish his magical repertoire.

He didn't cast this time, waiting for his opponents to form their spells, before finally swishing his wand, tracing the correct wand movements of Protego through the air.

He did not know how strong his magic was, but the pale blue shield that materialized in front of him managed to stop all the three spells with seemingly no trouble.

A combination of Diffindo-Reducto-Incendio later, the last of his opponents burnt away into motes of light.

'Well…that was easy.' Snorting, Harry let go of the Gamer's Mind skill, allowing the warmth and familiar satisfaction of killing helpless enemies to run free within him.

He closed his eyes, simply concentrating on the rush of hot blood coursing through his veins, feeling a slight pang as it slowly subdued.

Sighing, he focused back to the present, finally opening his notifications. Out of the numerous messages, two stood out to his eyes for their glowing status.

[Proceed to Round 2?]- Yes/No

[Automatic proceedings to Round 2 in]- 4:39 Minutes

'Ah, so the first level isn't complete yet?' His eyebrows rose up.

It would seem he must make haste with his perk selections.

[You Leveled Up: Lvl 47]

[Speed Threshold reached (50): Perk Unlocked]-

Choose one of the three options presented:

Pro Runner: When running, User's movement speed increased by 10%

Sprinter (1/10): When sprinting, User's movement speed increased by 25%

Skill duration: 5 seconds

Skill cooldown: 1 minute

Explosive Dash (Active): User can burst out in explosive speed to cover a short distance. Speed increased by 50% every dash.

Skill duration: Instant

Skill cooldown: 5 seconds

Note: One Dash is equal to User's two strides.

His lips curved in a slight smile, excitement pushing away the remaining traces of loss.

The options presented were different than before, he quickly realized. Instead of granting fixed stats per level, they seemed to increase his stats when doing something specific.

Abstaining from deciding just yet, Harry scrolled down through his notifications further.

[Dexterity Threshold reached (50): Perk Unlocked]-

Choose one of the three options presented:

Flexible as Rubber: User will be able to manipulate his body to an unnatural degree, achieving rubber-like flexibility.

Inhuman Acrobat: User shall become capable of performing incredibly complex gymnastics, achieving super-human balance.

Hawkeye: Weapons shall auto-aim at any target in a hundred meters range as directed by the User's eyes.

Harry rubbed his chin, eyes going back to the speed perks.

All three perks seemed to hold a unique advantage, while also having some sort of fault or limit. Out of them all, the Explosive Dash seemed to give the biggest increment to speed, yet it was limited in range and cannot be used continuously…which meant his momentum would come to a halt with each 'Dash'.

Sprinter looked to be the most useless of the three, but it held a lot of potential considering it was merely on its first level out of ten. And knowing how well Super Soldier had turned out to be, Harry was willing to bet the perk will show its advantage eventually.

The only Perk that did not seem to have any caveat was Pro Runner, yet it was also the weakest of the three in terms of increment.

Not having a firm decision in mind, and with the clock ticking away one second at a time, Harry thought back to his recent fight…

'Which perk would've been the most useful to me?'

…All three of them

The answer did not help calm his mind one bit.

'Why can't I have all three of them?' Harry frowned, feeling vaguely irritated.

The idea of possessing all the perks shot a sweet spike of warmth in his heart, and he couldn't help but desire them even more.

All the perks could help him in one way or the other…why can't the system just give them to him!?

He knew why, of course. The system never gave anything for free, and he would need to earn them to gain them.

'…One day.'

With the clock ticking away, Harry made a quick decision and selected Pro Runner, ignoring the dark pit of angst that brewed in his stomach as he watched the other two options disappear away.

It was the least uncertain Perk—with no true risks to speak of. And considering he hadn't quite consolidated his strength yet, he wasn't in a position to take risks right now.

'…One day.'

The second one was a touch more easy to select. While Hawkeye made his heart jump in muffled excitement, it couldn't stand against the simple question; what perk would be the most useful for him to clear this dungeon?

[Perk Selected: Inhuman Acrobat]

Harry's main defense against spells was his ability to dodge. When the Dungeon grew in difficulty—as it no doubt would—it would be his ability to dodge spells that would help him the most. His aim was almost perfect in an enclosed space like this, and while Flexible as Rubber promised some fun, Inhuman Acrobat was the least risky—yet quite rewarding—choice, when it came to clearing the dungeons.

Of course, this conclusion was based on the assumption that the next round will take place in this very room…

Thankfully, as the countdown finally trickled down to 0, he remained where he was.

He had no more time to see the rest of his notifications, and he felt no need to either.

His enemies materialized around him soon, and not just humans either.

The ground beneath him cracked apart, splintering away to create massive crevices which birthed out thick green vines and thorny branches—along with plants that he'd only ever seen the pictures of in Herbology—jutting from the ground like camel humps, looping in and out of the floor and walls. In no time, the entire Dungeon room had turned into a forest of vines, plants, and half-formed branches.

They didn't come out quietly either; shaking the entire dungeon room as if struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake, sending everyone sprawling upon the ground…except Harry.

For a split second Harry had trouble understanding why the kids were falling over such soft vibrations…then he realized it wasn't the vibrations that were soft, it was his sense of balance that seemed to have grown multiple folds.

[Gamer's Mind: Activated]

Never one to miss such an unexpected gift, Harry tore towards his fallen enemies, his wand raising up to aim at one….

…before being forced away as a green vine suddenly leapt out from a wall. Thick and thorny, with jaded green mucus glinting off of its edges, the vine snapped at him with inhuman speed.

And yet, Harry found himself vaulting over the vine with barely any effort, instinctively knowing what to do.

Inhuman Acrobat: User shall become capable of performing incredibly complex gymnastics, achieving super-human balance.

Become capable of performing incredibly complex gymnastics…

'So it did not simply enhance my body, but also gave me instinctive knowledge on how to use it?'

Interesting.

It was more than interesting, and without Gamer's Mind he would've taken a proper shot at experimenting with it.

As it was however, it simply provided Harry with another means of clearing the dungeon. And he did so with style and grace.

The new opponents—twenty in total—were much more aware of their surroundings than the last batch. They made sure to not get in the middle of vines, pushing themselves away.

Harry didn't give them a chance to do more.

Jumping, spinning, and whirling through the air, he slipped past the jungle of vines and attacking branches with unmatched balance and grace. However, the very best of his perk's abilities wasn't just the knowledge of acrobatics or enhanced athleticism, it was the absurdly advanced sense of balance that came with it, enabling him to shoot spells not just whilst running, but even when spinning through the air upside down in a summersault.

"Diffindo!–Flippendo–Incendio!" He cast the spells with quick and practiced wand movements, not stopping his forward momentum.

And his opponents never saw it coming.

Fueled with his murderous intent, the spells were much more effective than normal. The severing charm accurately sliced through the jugular of an opponent, spraying a shower of hot blood through the pseudo-forest. Flippendo blasted away another opponent, slamming him into his own allies. The fallen ones received no time to recover before they were hidden behind a curtain of red hot flames that engulfed them in its fiery embrace.

He was sure that this batch was much more competent than the previous one; the way their eyes tracked his figure—struggling but never letting go; the way they spread out to close on him from all sides—even as their allies died; the way their wands swished through the air with practiced surety….

Indeed, they were a level above his previous opponents. Yet, as he tore through them like a whirlwind of spells and knives, they might as well have been handicapped patients.

Harry always forgot how incredibly fast he was compared to normal humans…especially children. Add in the new speed perk, and he was simply a flickering image of red flashes and sharp steel, cutting through his opponents one by one.

Moving at a speed of almost 45 miles per hour—with the attacking vines and branches doing nothing save for providing him with a cover—he was too fast for a bunch of 11 year olds, real or not.

By the time the first wave of spells was launched by his opponents—he was moving so fast through the jungle, his path so unpredictable that he did not even need to dodge—Harry had already taken the lives of a dozen firsties, shearing through their numbers like cutting unwanted weeds.

There was simply no contest here. Even limiting his casting by performing careful wand movements and incantations, he was still on an entirely different tier than them.

Soon, the last of their numbers fell, and a muted sense of satisfaction spread through him as the familiar ding of level up hit his ears.

[Gamer's Mind: Deactivated]

'Status'

Harry Potter

Age: 11

Race: Wizard

Level: 48 (220/4900)

Mana: 520/880

Health: 650/650

Stamina: 523/600

Stats

Strength: 49 (15)

Speed: 51 (15)

Dexterity: 51 (15)

Vitality: 50 (15)

Endurance: 45 (15)

Intelligence: 73 (15)

Wisdom: 62 (15)

Points: 32

[Proceed to Final Round?]- Yes/No

[Automatic proceedings to Final Round in]- 4:43 Minutes

Taking a knee, he let his eyes feast upon his new status. It was a little surprising to see how quickly his Int and Wis were leaving the rest behind. But considering he now received 3 points per level for both the stats, it wasn't surprising.

He scrolled up his notifs, ready to choose his new Perk, this time for Vitality.

[Vitality Threshold reached (50): Perk Unlocked]-

Choose one of the three options presented:

Enhanced Healing (Passive): Allows User to regenerate 3 health per hour for every stat in vitality.

Second-life (Active): When Health reaches 0, User shall recover 10% of total Health.

Skill duration: Instant

Skill cooldown: 1 year

Rapid Regeneration (Active): Allows User to regenerate 10 Health per hour for every stat in Vitality.

Skill duration: 1 hour

Skill cooldown: 1 day

The first thought in his mind was to simply select Second-life and be done with it. It followed the principle of his other two selections; choosing lower risk Perks. The Second-life guaranteed a fool-proof option of flipping off death with impunity to live for another day.

And to Harry, his survival was the highest priority.

Yet, his eyes simply couldn't drop from the first perk.

'It will permanently triple my Health regen.' He couldn't help but take a deep breath.

His natural healing—that came from the Gamer's body—was already an overpowered ability. In just ten hours, he could heal from the most fatal of injuries, recovering all of his health one point at a time. That time was cut in half when sleeping, taking merely 5 hours to go from 0 to hero.

…A healthy hero, that is.

If he added the Enhanced Healing on top of that? He will need a little more than three hours to recover all his health.

And just 1.6 hours when sleeping.

Before his mind could come up with whispers of caution and overthinking, he selected the Perk with no further preamble.

Once again, he had to watch with bitter sadness as the other two options disappeared away into nothingness.

'Well…no point in regrets now.'

With that thought in mind, Harry clicked yes on the twinkling system message and proceeded for the final round.

The current room seemed to slowly melt away in front of his eyes. Everything from the floor, the walls, the numerous plant life and the jungle of vines, even the fireplace, all started to vaporize away in smoke, before transforming into something completely new.

The walls melted down to form trees around him, the floor turned to mud and soil, with a single dusty road cutting through the newly formed garden.

There was a gate made of ivy standing in the middle, covered in bristles, vines and thorns, that started glowing with an unnatural energy—pale misty white in color.

[Check Point Reached]

'Nice.'

Only five opponents were present this time—three boys and two girls—standing under the shade of a bright sun which Harry did not believe to be real.

The five that stood with unfocused eyes seemed to suddenly come alive; straightening their spines and looking around with visible emotions.

'Observe'

Theseus Scamander

Age: 11

Level: 15

Newt Scamander

Age: 11

Level: 15

Suddenly the five gave a startled laugh, their voices synchronizing together as one.

"This feels…different." One of the girls said, staring at her hands in awe. "I am…alive but not?"

Then the five spoke together again. "Is it all me? Am I the only one?"

Harry frowned, eying the five warily. 'Were they alive? They sure act like it. Why are they being so…unnatural then?'

Then they looked up, five sets of eyes falling upon him.

Their eyes turned kind and warm, just a hint of regret showing along their faces.

"Please come forth, child." The five kids spoke as one again, not raising their wands. "I know we're about to kill each other but that is no reason for rudeness."

Then they paused, turning to glance at each other with slight frowns. "Though I'll have to get used to this first. I have never taken form as five different entities, you understand? That seems more like Salazar's field of expertise. Or Rowena. That girl was always a touch too curious for her own good. Even then, I rather doubt she would have any experience in this."

It didn't take long for Harry to place their names upon the Slytherin and Ravenclaw founders. In his quest to find their secret rooms, he'd done his own self-study.

A little.

"You're…Hufflepuff?" Harry asked, feeling strange at saying the words.

"You may call me Helga, dear." The five figures gave a deep bow.

Right….so his System could also produce spirits of the dead. Good to know.

He scanned the rest of the garden, eyes flickering around the bushes to see if this was all a trap…

He didn't believe so, but it never hurt to check.

"You're a cautious one, aren't you?" One of the girls spoke this time.

She was strikingly beautiful, Harry noted absently. With a sophisticated jawline and high-cheekbones, she had a royal, aristocratic look. Raven-black locks of hair cascaded down her shoulders like an elegant waterfall. And all this beauty was topped by a warm pair of eyes that smiled at him kindly.

'Observe'

Nymphadora Tonks

Age: 11

Level: 15

'What.' His eyebrows shot up.

No, surely not. That clumsy, pink haired girl looked nothing like this. Not even close...

"And handsome too." The girl sighed, a teasing grin on her face. "What year are you in? Third? Fourth?"

Then she cocked her head to the side, frowning. "Is Hogwarts even the same anymore? Salazar always believed our descendants would tear the castle apart to build their own thing."

She gave a sudden flinch, jerking back. "Oww…it seems my…creator…does not like me talking too much. But I am nothing if not stubborn…hehe…go ahead and kill me, child. I won't raise a wand."

Harry stood stock still, mouth opening ajar slightly.

'Surely a trap….?'

But no, for the next moment all five figures threw down their wands. They spasmed for a second, clutching their throats, before going still again—though not dead.

"G-go ahead, Child." The five hissed out.

Grunting, Harry raised his wand, still a little incredulous but never one to deny a freebie.

"Before you kill…" The girl, fake-Nymphadora, whispered out.

'Oh here we go…' Harry sighed. 'Here comes the punchline.'

Blessedly, his predictions proved wrong this time.

"Will you tell me your name?" was the question asked instead.

Harry blinked, truly confused about the entity. He couldn't even begin to predict her thoughts as of this moment.

Nonetheless, he saw no need to hide his name. "Harry. Harry Potter."

She gave a jerky nod, showing her throat.

That was all the signs that he needed. Killing Curses fell upon the defenseless figures the next second, downing them one by one without fail.

"I may not be as lax the next time, Harry." The last figure still standing—Nymphadora's—warned a second before her death. "And never expect this from the other three."

"…Thank you." Harry inclined his head…and repaid her with a Killing Curse.

As the last body disappeared away in motes of light, a welcome message twinkled in front of his eyes.

[Hufflepuff Dungeon Cleared: Level 1]

[Proceed to Level 2?]- Yes/No

[Automatic proceedings to Level 2 in]- 14:43 Minutes

With a satisfied sigh, Harry sat down on the naked ground, feeling relieved and whole.

'What a wonderful day.' Sure the last bit was a little weird, and felt a touch sad for Hufflepuff now, but it wasn't enough to ruin the wonderful sense of progress and strength that filled his body.

Absently, he started scanning his notifs, still riding the satisfaction of a productive day.

…Well, night.

[Auto Loot Collection: Activated]

[Loot Collected]-

Magic Potions x4

Health Potions x2

Sickles x45

Galleons x5

Emerald Sigils x1

His eyes stared at the four items uncomprehendingly for a second, before a wide smile split his cheeks apart.

'Not only do I level up, I also get paid for clearing a dungeon!' He chuckled, feeling a little lightheaded. 'Well done Dungeon. You've redeemed yourself.'

'What's the last one though?'

[Emerald Sigil]— In-Game Currency enabling User to access the System Market.

Note: Reach Level 100 to unlock the System Market.

'Well…that's another reason to quickly level up.' Harry grinned, not fully understanding the Market's function, but knowing whatever it was, it was going to help him in the future.

Mana Potion (Common)

Gives 100 Mana points to the User.

Convenient.

His newly gained loot was waiting for him in the inventory, taking 4 more spots beside the Marauders Map and his wand. Harry absently wondered if he should store his broom in here as well…being able to fly on demand could prove most useful.

Suddenly another thought broke through his mind. 'Wait, does this mean I might get some magical equipment as loot too? Those DnD games involved equipment as well, didn't they? A Stat-enhancing shirt would be awesome.'

He browsed further, finally coming to the end of his notifs with spell level ups.

[Skill Leveled Up: Diffindo] Lvl 17

[Skill Leveled Up: Diffindo] Lvl 18

[Skill Leveled Up: Incendio] Lvl 18

[Skill Leveled Up: Incendio] Lvl 19

[Skill Leveled Up: Flippendo] Lvl 17

[Skill Leveled Up: Flippendo] Lvl 18

[Skill Leveled Up: Killing Curse] Lvl 40

….

…

Neat.

The list went on, but Harry didn't bother to read further, the time ticking down to 3 minutes.

"Tempus."

1:26 Am.

Almost an hour. Goddammit.

He still had enough Stamina and Mana to give this level another sweep, but he had no intentions of diving to the second level without being in top notch form.

'Status'

Harry Potter

Age: 11

Race: Wizard

Level: 48 (1640/4900)

Mana: 400/880

Health: 650/650

Stamina: 519/600

Stats

Strength: 49 (15)

Speed: 51 (15)

Dexterity: 51 (15)

Vitality: 50 (15)

Endurance: 45 (15)

Intelligence: 73 (15)

Wisdom: 62 (15)

Points: 32

With a last sigh, he pressed 'No', and waited for the timer to tick down to 0.

In the meantime he contemplated on how to spend his free stat points.

His original plan was to wait for them to accumulate further, before pushing all his stats to 100 in one fell swoop and unlocking the next bundle of Perks.

And now he had enough points to push Int into the 100s….

'No.'

One perk at a time wasn't enough. If he decided to unlock his perks, he would do so only when he could push multiple stats to the next threshold. Hopefully that'll keep away the sting of watching them disappear away.

The timer soon ticked down to 0, and smoky clouds slowly filled up his vision. When the mist finally cleared up, he found himself standing in front of Hogwarts kitchen's doors.

He returned to his dorm silently, using the map to avoid encountering Filch or his cat. By the time he changed clothes and threw his body upon the bed, it was already 2 am.

With a long yawn, Harry closed his eyes in satisfaction. 'Today was a fulfilling day.'

And he couldn't wait to clear the next level of the dungeon.

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The next stage of the dueling tournament was scheduled to start a week before Halloween. Amidst his classes, homework, spell practice, quidditch training, and his family get-togethers with Rose and Lily, he was kept quite busy.

He did manage to sneak a couple of Dungeon visits, earning the Check-point for Level 2 room. The opponents weren't any different than the level 1, the same dead zombies filling up the first round, followed by the semi-conscious kids in the 2nd room. The difference came in their spell mastery, level, and accuracy...and their age.

Most were able to consistently launch spells, and his progress was much slower than before. The only reason he reached the check-point was due to his Inhuman Acrobat Perk, enabling him to dodge the spells with a new dynamic.

Still, the first two rounds were enough to level him up once again, unlocking his Strength Perk.

[Strength Threshold reached (50): Perk Unlocked]-

Choose one of the three options presented:

Melee Monster: User's Strength increased by 10% when engaged in melee combat.

Herculean Strength: User's Strength increased by 20% when lifting an object.

Power Punch (Active): User's Strength increased by 100% when punching an opponent.

Skill duration: 5 seconds

Skill cooldown: 1 Minute

The Perks this time were much more straight-forward, and he didn't feel so bad about choosing Melee Monster. Yeah, the others would've come in handy as well, but they were too specific to really twinge his greed.

Time quickly passed for Harry, and the day of the Round-of-32 was soon upon him; ready to tempt him with another juicy quest.

He may not have started this tournament with thoughts of winning, but he surely wanted to complete the 'Terror with Wand' quest series.

He had a feeling the final one was going to bring him another level or two.

--------------------------

S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters, USA

Standing in front of a full length mirror, Steve Rogers adjusted his tie ever so slightly, staring at his suited up figure with a critical gaze.

He had to admit...he cleaned up quite well for a man in his nineties.

His skin hadn't grown wrinkly yet, his hair—though grey—showed no signs of balding with age. The only thing he would really complain about would be his inability to grow a healthy beard.

It wasn't often that Steve got the chance to dress up nowadays, not just for the fact that he had a certain image to maintain, but also because suits weren't very practical should he need to engage an enemy unexpectedly.

But today was a special day, and some leeway can be taken.

It wasn't a date, of course—though that would've been undoubtedly more pleasant.

No, it was the day he'd arranged for his meeting with the Minister of magical Britain.

...And honestly? Any chance to feel young again was a welcome one, especially at his age.

A glance at his watch revealed that it was just a few minutes past quarter to six.

'Almost time.'

His men were supposed to be present at MACUSA headquarters by 6 o'clock sharp in the evening. Their job was simply to pick up Mr. Dumbledore and deliver him here.

It was a little more than four miles of distance between them and S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, so while in the same city, it still gave Steve some time to prepare and plan…

Or so he thought.

It happened suddenly, the quietest whoosh of fire unfurling behind him with silken softness. Had he been someone else—a little less experienced, a little less cautious…a little less Super Soldier—he would've surely been caught off-guard, distracted in his thoughts as he was.

As it were however, he found himself whirling around instantly, his hand heading towards his trusty sword while he crouched low, ready to pounce...

Only for it all to come to a freezing halt as his eyes finally fell upon the cause of such disturbance.

Startling deep blue eyes peered at him from above an ancient pair of spectacles. Glinting with a sharp intelligence—and no small amount of amusement—they stared at the crouching director of S.H.I.E.L.D. with a bemused look and a raised eyebrow.

Clearing his throat, Ares slowly pushed himself straight—the rush of adrenaline slowly subduing—while his eyes flickered around the room for further threats, finally clocking the fiery bird of otherworldly beauty flapping behind the mysterious warlock.

"Mr. Rogers." The old man—for he was the very definition of old—nodded in greeting, his bird disappearing away in another quiet gust of flames behind him. "Always a pleasure...or so I would've liked to say had this not been our second time meeting."

Taking a deep breath, Ares pushed back a wave of annoyance, absently brushing the newly created creases on his coat.

"Mr. Dumbledore." He finally nodded, pinning the fancy robed wizard under his eyes. "I take it you found our pre-arranged plans lacking?"

"Oh no such thing, I assure you." The old man's eyes twinkled like little stars as he started gliding towards Steve. "I simply do not relish meeting the American Ministry again. While I do tend to enjoy their gratitude in small doses, they have a habit of parading me around every time I visit."

Steve wanted to hold onto some animosity towards the man for ruining his perfectly ironed suit, but he found himself more curious—and dreading—to find how exactly the man entered his office.

"My sympathies." Steve nodded, and not completely as an empty gesture either. He did know a thing or two about fame after all. "Though the bird…if I remember correctly, you didn't have it the last time. A recent acquisition, I take it?"

While outwardly he posed his question with general curiosity, inside he was mulling over ways to dissect the bird—or, well, let his experts do it—and unearth every secret behind it.

The fact that English wizards may now have flaming turkeys that can bypass their American wards was not just a worrisome prospect, but also a massive breach in their security.

The American wizards hadn't skimped on these wards, Steve knew. After all, they'd formed a blood-signed magical bond to provide S.H.I.E.L.D. with the very best defenses in their capabilities. And their very best, they'd assured him and Howard, was more than enough to stall even the most powerful of wizards... namely, Dumbledore.

'Well…that aged like ancient milk.' Steve grouched.

Though he did believe the culprit to be the flaming turkey.

"Oh no, Fawkes has been my companion for quite a long time now." Dumbledore answered, smiling.

"Why did you not show it around the last time then?" Steve asked, frowning.

"Him." The old warlock gently corrected. "And there was no need to."

Steve grimaced. 'So a man who holds his cards close to his chest then.'

In other words, a dangerous man hiding behind unpredictability.

Yet, this wasn't Steve's first time dealing with such men.

He opened his mouth to grill the wizard further, but found himself unable to get a word out before being interrupted...

"Though you need not worry." The old man assured, seeming to understand his concerns. "There have only ever been five Phoenix sightings over the last two centuries. Forgive my arrogance, but I have no doubt that Fawkes is the only Phoenix you will see for the rest of your life."

That was...almost reassuring. Still, ignoring this looming threat over empty reassurances was not something Steve would consider as smart.

But as the war-hardened warlock took a seat on the other side of his desk however, Steve's mind came upon another realization…

'He purposely chose his way of entry, and not just to casually reveal their weakness either...'

Was he mocking them?...No. Perhaps an offer of friendship then? Taking care of their problem before they even knew it was present…

But as he watched the absolute serenity in those wise old eyes, Steve realized he was facing a different breed of opponent altogether.

An opponent who can burn his hand to a crisp as easily as shake it in friendship.

'A threat hidden behind an offer of friendship.' He finally concluded.

Clearing his throat, Steve absently rubbed the pen-shaped miniature sword in his pocket.

It usually brought him comfort, knowing the gift of his late friend—and, as Howard had hailed it once, his greatest creation of the decade—rested close at hand, ready to leap to his defense.

Yet, today it brought him no such comfort. The warm assurance of safety was missing starkly.

What he did know however, was that he did not want Dumbledore—or his wizards—as their enemy. Ever since the old wizard took up the position of magical Britain's Minister, their country had been growing at a breathtaking pace in martial capacity. He did not know the more intricate details about their society, but he did know that Britain was now considered the most powerful magical country; and not just in Europe either.

Taking a seat, with his eyes fixed upon the ancient wizard, Steve decided to just run with the flow and hope for the best.

"I would've offered tea but you have caught us completely unawares." He opened their first true talks, ringing the bell on his table that acted as a summons of sorts. "It would take some time to readjust the arrangements."

"I'm happy to wait," Dumbledore replied amicably, his eyes back to their twinkling state. "Though I don't suppose you have a bowl of those excellent sherbet lemons?"

Steve blinked. "Sorry?"

"Oh no need for apologies. I understand my admiration for them is not shared by eve–"

"No," Steve interrupted, frowning. "I mean, what are they exactly? Drink? Cocktail? I doubt I've ever heard of them."

"Hmm..." Dumbledore's eyes sharpened, seeming to peer through his soul with crushing judgment. "Not once, you say? Truly a sad affair. Perhaps you've heard of their American ancestors...lemon drops?"

Steve nodded slowly, uncertain and sure at the same time. "Yes, I believe I've heard of them. They're a sort of candy aren't they?"

"Indeed!" Dumbledore exclaimed, happy as a peach. "I will have a bowl of those, please. And any other American delicacy. Only sweets, please."

"Very well."

After ringing the summoning bell again, and re-ordering for…a bowl of Sherbet and whatever unique sweets they may have, Steve finally decided to broach the subject for today's meeting.

He paused, his mouth open as he stared at the jolly old wizard with a suspicious gaze. "You probably also know why I wished to talk today, don't you?"

"No." The wizard chuckled. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage, I'm afraid."

"Well...I wanted to talk about a contracted agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.…Harry Dursley. Or so he named himself as. I believe you know him as…Harry Potter."

Dumbledore's twinkles gained a sharper edge. "Young Harry does indeed deserve all the talking about."

Steve gazed at the wizard cautiously, continuing a second later. "I don't know if counselor Hawley informed you of this, but before joining your country, he was here as a contracted agent...and I would like him back. With his agreement of course."

For the first time that evening, Steve felt he finally had the ancient wizard's utmost attention…and he felt his hair stand up at the back of his neck.

Area had only ever met one man like the wizard before...Charles Xavier. Yet, even the mutant telepath did not have the sheer swirling power and authority that seemed to revolve around Dumbledore.

Dumbledore seemed like a more competent and dangerous version of Xavier.

And he didn't relish trying to convince him of Harry's return.

'Well... at least these talks won't be boring.'