CHAPTER {321-323}

****ENEMIES-IN-SHADOWS (I)****

~~Malfoy Manor~~ (The next day)

Himera snarled as she attacked Harry with a flurry of Spells, but as expected he easily managed to dodge or deflect all of them. With how powerful he was, it was simply impossible to beat him, she knew that, but that didn't mean that she was going to give up trying. After all, it was simply a part of her training.

"You need to calm down, Himera" Harry chided her softly. "Raging is not going to help you" Harry added in a sing-song voice and his words seemed to have the desired effect, but not in the way he wanted.

Himera simply slumped down on the floor, looking defeated at his words. "How can I be calm? I can't even hit you! I don't even know if I am improving or not!" Himera snapped, looking frustrated and angry at her own inability. "Look-I am sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just… I am-ugh!" Himera groaned, unable to find the correct word to express herself.

Meanwhile, Harry simply smiled and sat down beside her. "Frustrated, angry, snappish?" Harry asked in an amused tone and Himera simply nodded before her shoulders slumped down. "I also felt like you when I started to train… Do you know how many times Jacky kicked my ass before I finally beat her?" Harry asked with a smile on his face.

Himera gave him a surprised look before she asked. "You used to lose to her? I can't see that happening" Himera shook her head in bewilderment.

Harry nodded his head at her question. "Yeah. Believe it or not, I was not always as strong as I am right now. I felt so weak and useless every time she beat me, but I still kept going knowing that I had to win. That isn't all though… You know how I took memories from Gellert" Harry slowly explained. Himera didn't know what to say after that so she simply looked away from him.

"...However, I will never be able to beat you" Himera mumbled under her breath.

"That is true" Harry admitted. He could have tried to console her or something, but that would have been useless. Both of them knew that Harry was never going to let her beat him, so it would have been cruel to give her false hope, especially when she knew that his sentiments were fake. "I am not training you to win. I am training you so you can become stronger" Harry paused and looked straight into her eyes.

"You are a Mutant, just like me. Your power is simply amazing, but you lack the skills to take full advantage of your power. You use your powers to act as a human sponge, but you can be so much more than that… Just imagine if you were as skilled as Jacklyn or Katerina, you would have been unstoppable with your power" Harry explained as he tightly grabbed her shoulders and stared straight into her eyes.

"You don't want to be kidnapped again, do you? You don't want to get caught with your pants down, literally and metaphorically, do you? You don't want to get humiliated like that again, do you? You don't want to be tortured again, do you? You don't want to be experimented upon, do you? You never want to feel that weak, do you?" Harry asked passionately as his eyes started to glow with power.

Himera frantically shook her head in denial, looking grim, but determined nonetheless. "Good! Then you need to become stronger" Harry said as he released her and patted her shoulder… "If there is any truth in this world, then it is power, believe me" Harry added with a smile before he turned away to look at the rising sun.

"Thank you… I suppose I needed that" Himera mumbled, looking more determined than ever.

"By the way, tell me, how much do you know about your power?" Harry asked and even though she was surprised by the sudden change of topic, she decided to think for a bit before she shrugged her shoulders. Harry simply nodded his head in understanding. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't disappointed by her lack of interest, but he could understand why she never paid much attention to her power.

"Isn't it just some sort of rapid regeneration?" Himera asked with a frown.

"No" Harry denied with a shake of his head. "Your power is not as simple as that. Instead of regeneration, I would call it Restoration. How familiar are you with Muggle video games?" Harry asked at her look of confusion.

"Don't know much about them" Himera admitted without missing a beat.

Harry seemed to think a bit at her answer before he started to speak again. "Then think of it like this. Your power has two points. One of them can be called Save Point, while the other can be called Load. You see, your power saves the state of your body and when it is injured, it loads the Save Point" Harry explained. "That is why your power couldn't heal you before you met me" Harry added.

"You were missing those body parts when you awakened your power" Harry elaborated at her confused look. Himera finally nodded her head in understanding. She didn't understand everything he said, but she understood that her power saved the state of her body at a given time and when her body was injured, her power would load the Save Point and her body would get Restored.

"I see…" Himera mumbled, but she didn't say anything more than that.

"Say, have you ever been to Russia, I mean after you escaped?" Harry asked suddenly after a couple of minutes of silence, once again surprising the older girl.

"No" Himera answered with a shake of her head. "At first, I was simply scared to go back. Afraid of what I am going to find or that I might get captured again, but now… I don't know. I am not sure" Himera revealed before she shrugged and pulled her knees into her chest, looking sad and thoughtful at the same time. However, Harry could clearly see that she was afraid. 

"Then why don't you take a trip back to your home? It might do you some good" Harry suggested and Himera didn't outright refuse his suggestion even though a part of her wanted to.

"You think so?" Himera asked.

"It might" Harry answered and after thinking for a bit she nodded her head in understanding. "There is a Muggle woman named Sylvia, she has recently joined our group. Take her with you when you go" Harry added and Himera immediately frowned.

"You could have asked me to take her instead of manipulating me" Himera scowled, but Harry simply shook his head.

"I didn't manipulate you so you would take her with you. I manipulated you because you are still afraid of going back. You need to overcome your fears" Harry explained and even though Himera glared at him, she decided to drop the matter and accept the responsibility.

"Fine… I will do it" Himera accepted with a sigh.

"Thanks" Harry smiled and patted her back as he got up. \Kate, there is something I need you to do. Himera is going to take a member of our group to Russia. I want you to take a couple of men and follow them\ Harry sent a message. The woman was fast asleep and he could feel her displeasure in waves, but the woman still decided to reply to him.

\Why? Do you think she planning to betray you?\ Kate asked.

\No, that's not it, but a Muggle group is after Himera. I want you to keep an eye on her from a distance\ Harry explained.

\Ok, it will be done\ He received another message from Kate and a smile bloomed on his face…

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****ENEMIES-IN-SHADOWS (II)****

"Hello, Carlson" Harry called out, surprising the man who was busy preparing his coffee. The man jerked around and pulled out his Wand on pure instinct and pointed it at Harry. "How have you been?" Harry asked, completely unbothered by the fact that an agitated person was holding him at Wand point.

The man stared at Harry for a few seconds before he finally lowered his Wand, looking relieved and worried at the same time… "Oh! It's just you…" The man sighed, sounding somewhat relieved. "How the hell did you get in here without triggering the Wards?" The man asked as he waved around his hands.

"I have my ways" Harry answered with a smile much to the man's frustration.

However, the man simply sighed and decided to drop the matter. Harry was not your random Joe… Harry could get past the Wards unnoticed, but that did not mean that the Wards had been compromised. "Coffee?" The man offered and Harry simply gave him a nod. The man poured some coffee for Harry and placed the cup on the table.

"Why the hell are you here? You know I can't be seen with you, right? You are an international criminal and I am a Headmaster of a prestigious school. It might compromise my position" Carlson pointed out, but there was no heat in his voice. He knew that there was nothing he could do to make the boy leave.

"It is good to see that you haven't changed…" Harry trailed off with a smile. "You are still the slimy opportunist" Harry added with a smile only to receive a shrug from the man. "And don't worry, I won't be a criminal for long. I will be known as a liberator or revolutionary if everything goes according to my plan" Harry explained.

"Really?" Carlson asked, looking intrigued.

"Uh-huh" Harry hummed with a nod of his head as he took a small sip from his cup. "Now, the reason why I am here…" Harry trailed off. "This can be the perfect opportunity for you to capitalize. You want to become the President, don't you? You won't be getting a better chance than this" Harry finally explained.

Carlson was already onboard, he didn't need to hear anything else, but he still needed to know if he had a part to play in the plan… "What do I need to do?" Carlson asked in a grave tone.

"Nothing much… You see, recently, I attacked the San Luis and the British branch of Gringotts. I emptied a few vaults from the former while I took over the latter and handed it over to the British Ministry… Now, the Goblins are going to go on a strike. The current President is going to try to negotiate and solve it peacefully" Harry paused.

Carlson simply stared at Harry like he had seen a ghost before he started to laugh like a madman. "The Goblins are never going to negotiate. They would be out for blood and they won't care about the fact that you have no connection with our country. They would simply want to make us bleed as much as they could" Carlson wheezed out.

"Yes, and that is where you come in… Goblins are not well-liked. Nobody likes them. If you start speaking against them, almost everyone is going to rally in support. Your job is to convince them that a Wixen takeover is the only option if they ever want to escape the Goblin tyranny" Harry finished and now Carlson was practically grinning like a loon.

"Yes. Yes… It won't be hard to convince the people to act against the Goblins, especially when the Brits have already done that" Carlson nodded his head frantically.

"However, wait for a day or two… Let the people become angry and desperate. It would be easiest to convince the people to agree with you when that happens, but start making contacts as soon as the Goblins announce the strike" Harry explained and Carlson nodded his head in understanding.

Carlson was not a man without connections… After all, he was the Headmaster of a premier school and he had been making connections for years in hopes of becoming the President. There were a lot of graduates who would happily spread his sentiments among the masses and that wasn't all, most of the old Families would simply support him on sheer principle.

"Can you get the Harpers on board?" Carlson asked excitedly. If he could secure their support then it would be great for his campaign.

"Hmm… It can be arranged, but they aren't going to support your campaign to become the President" Harry answered after thinking for a bit and even though Carlson was disappointed, he didn't show it on his face. "By the way, there is something I need you to do for me" Harry spoke up and Carlson sighed inside his mind.

Of course, nothing was free in this world. Carlson would have been more worried if Harry was putting him on the pedestal for free. "What do you want?" Carlson asked.

"You must hire Lost Garden to deal with the Goblins" Harry pointed out. "Reach out to Narcissa Malfoy, she is going to be our contact" Harry explained and Carlson nodded his head in understanding. It wasn't much… He was already planning to hire them in the first place. 

"There is a Muggle Organization I want to deal with…" Harry explained cryptically. "MACUSA is going to hire the Lost Garden to deal with them. For the time being, that's it, more will be revealed when the time is right" Harry added when it looked like Carlson was about to ask something.

Harry could attack SHIELD without any cause, but he did not want to cause any unnecessary tension, especially when he could wipe them out in a perfectly legal way… 

"That's awfully vague" Carlson mumbled, but it was a Muggle Organization so he simply shrugged his shoulders and decided to sacrifice them for the Greater Good. 

His own Greater Good…

"I know" Harry admitted with a smile on his face as he finished the coffee. "Alright, Carlson, I need to get going. I have other places to be, other people to meet… You know how it is" Harry said as he stood up and cracked his neck. He was on the cusp of becoming a 2nd step Martial Artist. 

He was progressing much faster than Hela had anticipated, which was a good thing since he could finally start learning Soul Magic after breaking through, and Soul Magic was what he needed to make a new body for his mother…

"Wait!" Carlson called out when Harry opened a Portal to leave. Harry stopped and turned around. "What about the ICW?" Carlson asked hurriedly.

"Leave them to me" Harry said and stepped into the Portal, leaving Carlson alone. The man stared at the place where the Portal was opened for a few seconds before a grin formed on his face and he started to laugh again. He kept laughing for at least a couple of minutes before he finally reached out for parchment and quill.

'I need to arrange some meetings' Carlson thought gleefully as he started to work on the first letter…

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****THE-FALL-OF-GOBLIN-NATION (IX)****

~~Somewhere in Europe~~

Zorgog was fast asleep when someone started to bang loudly on his door. The Goblin snarled in displeasure as he climbed out of his bed before he glanced toward the Muggle clock hanging on his wall. The sun was probably not even up yet so why was someone knocking on his door at such a goldforsaken hour? 

Zorgog decided that if it was something trivial then heads were going to roll…

He yanked the door open only to find one of his personal guards outside his house, dressed in full armor. Zorgog started to wonder if he read the clock wrong. The way his guard was dressed, it looked like he was ready for his shift. "What? Is it morning already?" Zorgog asked irritably.

"Forgive me for waking you so early, Your Majesty" The Goblin apologized, looking wary and nervous. Zorgog waved off the apology, after all, he was certain that his guard didn't wake him up at this hour only to apologize. Something must have happened.

"San Luis and Britain have fallen" The guard revealed and Zorgog thought his mind was playing tricks on him.

"Care to repeat that?" Zorgog asked in a dangerous tone.

The guard gulped in fear… He was quite aware of Zorgog's temper and he knew that he might end up becoming collateral damage. "San Luis and Britain have fallen and the Britishers have dared to take over the British branch" The Goblin revealed and Zorgog barely held himself back from the goblin standing in front of him.

While Zorgog was a ruthless king, he was also benevolent and the guard was simply a messenger… Zorgog would never raise his hand against his kin without a just cause. "Gather the Assembly and I want a full report ready by that time, understood?" Zorgog asked with a glare.

"It will be done, Your Majesty" The guard finished with a salute and Zorgog waved him off before he closed the door and decided to head inside. Zorgog was not happy with this development. While the Goblins were already preparing for another rebellion, they weren't ready for it, yet. 

The preparations were not anywhere close to complete and the loss of San Luis and Britain was a massive blow to their nation and their reputation… However, everything was not lost. The situation was still salvageable since they held the whole Wizarding economy in their palms. They could simply force the Wizards to do their job for them.

However, Zorgog wasn't planning to do that… He was going to make them bleed. He was going to leave a lasting mark on the whole Wizarding Community. A mark that would keep reminding them that they should fear the Goblins… 

<Line Break>

~~Aberdeen~~

"Do you know what you have-" Emanuel shut up when he felt a foreign pressure descend upon him. He barely held himself back from dropping to his knees. Harry was standing right in front of him, but the boy wasn't looking at him… He was simply staring at the sea or the beach. Maybe, he was watching the scantily clad Muggle women. Emanuel wasn't sure and Harry was a teenager, so he could understand.

"Do you know why I asked you to meet me here?" Harry asked without turning back. "I was planning to visit that bar of yours again, but I decided to go with something else. I realized that a change of scenery might do some good" Harry spoke softly as he continued to stare at the sea. It was still quite early, but the beach was already packed, and they were quite far from the crowd.

"I… I am not sure" Emanuel answered as sweat trickled down his face. The pressure finally disappeared and Emanuel internally sighed in relief.

"Look at them… Such innocence" Harry pointed at the people at the beach. "They are so blissfully unaware. They live under a democracy but they are blissfully unaware of all the corruption, the nepotism, and the lies, or they simply refuse to believe that democracy can have downsides too… Ironic, isn't it?" Harry asked as he finally turned around to look at Emanuel. 

He knew exactly what kind of man Emanuel was and that was the reason why he asked Emanuel to come here alone… "However, they have managed to do something good. Something admirable… They have managed to get rid of monopoly" Harry revealed with a smile. It wasn't technically a lie since they did have laws against such things, but in practice, it was easier said than done.

However, Emanuel didn't need to know that… The man probably didn't even know much about the Muggle world, much less about their laws and how their world really worked…

Emanuel seemed to frown at his words, wondering why Harry bothered to mention such a thing. "What do you think about Goblins?" Harry asked suddenly. 

"What is there to think about them? They have all of our gold-" Emanuel froze as he finally realized what Harry was trying to point out. The Goblins had already closed their doors a couple of hours ago, which meant the Goblins were holding all their gold hostage and they had demanded the people responsible for the attack to be handed over to them.

"So, now you finally understand. We have given them too much power and now our Community is simply paying the price for that" Harry smiled widely. 

"It was foolish of our ancestors to let them keep all of our gold, especially when they are so greedy and there is so much hate between us. It might have looked like we got the better end of the deal, but it was them who really won during the last revolution" Harry finished and Emanuel realized that his words were making a lot of sense. Capital was the foundation of any society and now their Capital was gone.

"They could have collapsed our economy any time" Harry said simply.

"...But they didn't" Emanuel protested weakly. 

"They were simply biding their time" Harry chided and pulled out a mini trunk from his pocket and handed it over to Emanuel. "Take this to your bosses. I might have pushed their timeline, but they were planning for a war and when they are ready to make a deal, be sure to reach out to me" Harry explained with a grin as Emanuel accepted the trunk, looking really worried right now. 

"Have a nice day, I suppose" Harry cackled as he disappeared with a soft pop…

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