Dark Red Roots

Chapter 36

Remus stopped spinning as the portkey was no longer in hand. He had landed in an open entryway with no door behind him. The great stone arch before him was the only way out. Walking forward, Remus followed the small steam of people into what was declared the immigration center. There were two desks with receptionists. Going to the one that said, 'New Entries', Remus waited in the mid-sized line.

It went quick with magic as everyone signed contracts before being sent on their way. Remus presented his papers. The receptionist looked through them all, cast a verification spell, and handed Remus the Contract. It just said that he'd abide by the laws of The Wizarding World. He was then given a pamphlet about the laws of the Wizarding World. It wasn't large but it was also a new country so it shouldn't be too large.

He read through the pamphlet to see that there was a lot more than it first looked. It showed you how to get full citizenship and how to register children at schools. Remus even found the sections for both Werewolves and Vampires. They also included other creatures too. Remus looked to the recommended locations for werewolves to shift and the towns heard by with Warnings about having curfews. It didn't look all too bad. After so many years of never being able to keep a job, Remus hoped this would change everything. Taking the last few steps, he left the building out into what was known as the Magical World.

Hades watched from a tree like a creep as a shirtless Bill Weasley cut up firewood. Now traditionally wizards would just use magic for anything the wood could provide but tonight was the summer solstice. Most people would be burning fires tonight as they celebrated in different ways. It was considered bad to use magic on the wood they were to burn for the celebration. Hence why Bill was shirtless, sweat covered, and chopping wood by hand.

Bill looked up at him with a tilt of his head. Hades didn't make himself hidden at all, just sat up in a tree. Shaking his head, Bill got back to work. Emyr and Morgan were laying at the base, waiting for his return. Bill had tried at one time to talk with the dogs only for them to just stare back. For all of five seconds Bill really did expect a response before realizing that they were dogs and not going to answer. That's when Hades started to smile. It hadn't left him even an hour later.

Bill stopped when he found that he no longer had any more wood to chop. He double checked, before turning back to Hades's tree, "You going to come down now?" He called up, "I'm making lunch." Hades nodded slowly, turning to climb down the multi story tree. Emyr and Morgan jumped to their feet, tails wagging. Bill just stood there and looked at him, "Any reason why you're here and not with your uncle?" When Hades just smiled at him, Bill turned around and led him inside, "How was your last year at Hogwarts?"

"Uneventful." Hades answered, "I can't wait to start at Drakon Academy. I'm going to be doing so many courses and start a few apprenticeships."

Bill looked over his shoulder to see the teen following him. He was far different from the kid he met only a few years ago. Hades was polite now unless provoked and was far less hostile. The kid also filled out and grew out of the street kid look. He was only a few inches shorter than Marvolo now. His shoulders broadened as his face was growing just the hint of peach fuzz. Shaking his head, Bill walked into the kitchen to start a light lunch.

"What do you want a Masters in?"

Hades pursed his lips thinking over his answer before telling Bill, "Necromancy."

Bill paused in his prep work of lunch, "I have never met a Master at Necromancy. I have met some people who could summon spirts but they could never master it." He looked over at Hades, "They never could meet the requirements."

"I meet them." Hades looked Bill right in the eyes, "I was going to get a few additional Masteries."

Bill nodded, turning back, "What else?"

"Runes. Wandless Magic. Spell Weaving. Warding. They're all required to know for Necromancy."

"That's a lot."

"It is." Hades agreed, "I almost already have a mastery on two and am working on the others. What are you normally doing here?"

"I keep maintenance on all the Wards in this area." Bill answered, "It's a lot harder than people know. I was getting an area set up for a small Drake for Charlie. He misses his dragons and has convinced your Uncle to let him have one."

"I give your brother credit for that." Hades smirked, "I'll have to ask how he did that."

"I think he got Lord Scmander in on it." Bill admitted, "Between the two of them, no one stands a chance."

Hades laughed, "Have you seen what my elder brother has been up to?"

"Running Cerberus Academy." Bill finished up the cold sandwiches and handed one to Hades, "I thought you would know."

"He moved in with his boy toy, so I don't see him much and he hates writing letters. Once they get cell phones working around magic, we'll talk a bit more."

"Well he took over as the youngest Headmaster ever heard of, at Cerberus Academy. He also teaches one class every week. It's about Muggles and everyone is required to take it. He said that forgetting what the Muggles are capable of is just foolish for wizards. He proved it by taking out a full grown wizard with no magic." Bill laughed, "You should have seen that Wizard's face. It was priceless."

"Sounds like something Jace would do." Hades bit into his sandwich with a delighted humm. He chewed and swallowed before asking, "I came here with a request actually."

"Oh?"

"I need someone who can tattoo runes onto my skin."

Bill paused mid bite, as his hunger went away in the face of such a request, "And you came to me?"

"Well, you have to have a mastery in Runes to be a curse breaker at Gringotts." Hades smiled, "And I saw the work you did on Charlie. Very nice dragon."

A sharp flash of Jealousy shot through Bill as he remembered the tattoo he'd given Charlie back when they were still in Hogwarts, "How'd you know that?"

"He told me then showed me part of it." Hades smirked, "It was magnificent. I never knew Wizarding Tattoos could move. I've seen many tattoos on muggles in the streets but none as grand."

Bill looked at Hades, "When did this conversation even come up between you and Charlie?"

Hades looked up with a frown. There was a sharp difference in Bill's voice that he'd never heard before, "I was out looking for Potion ingredients from the creatures in the surrounding forest. Charlie was making his rounds. We started talking. I asked him if he'd ever met someone who could tattoo runes. He mentioned you and then showed his dragon. Why are you so interested in that?"

Bill shook his head, "No reason. When do you want these tattoos?"

"Whenever you can give them to me." Hades pulled out a handwritten journal, "Here's all of it. It explains everything and what you have to tattoo."

Bill took the book and started paging through the thing. It was completely full with the endless amount of pages added to the book. Hades clearly wrote only the procedure and how it was to be carried out. It explained what each rune and rune sequence did. Bill looked at the order that they had to be done in and how long between each for the magic to settle and merge with each other. It would be a long and painful process but it would also require a lot of magic.

"I can get started now." Bill told him, "I have everything here. This place was build by the Goblins for me under the condition that they may need to use it. It's full equipped with all the things I'll need. Just need to enchant the ink I'll be using. Do you care if the runes are in any specific design? I can make them look and move like creatures or things."

Hades looked up surprised, "Now?"

"Yes now." Bill smiled, "You said any time. This is going to take well over the whole summer to complete and possibly into the new school year. It's going to be a lot of rune work and magic settling. The first few months are the most critical though. If you're ready to start now, then let's start."