Playing With Magic

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Reality: Bright

Shield Of Light Safe-House - Los Angeles, California

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They just needed more time. Her sister and her crew may have caught up to them, but there was still a chance. All she had to do was replenish her life force from the Pond. Unfortunately, Tikka wasn't so lucky. When had she ever been? Her freedom, taken away to serve a Dark Lord who wasn't even alive to appreciate it. Her morals tested as a measure of loyalty to a group and a cause she never truly believed in.

Now, with a blade to her neck, Tikka knew she would die. But she was glad she would die trying to do the right things. Trying to do something she chose to do herself at the cost of her life, not something others told her to do.

She was good, and she would die good. There was nothing wrong with that.

With an imperceptible smirk, she closed her eyes and readied herself for Leilah, her sister's killing blow. Pinned underneath Leilah as she placed the curved blade to her throat, having tried and failed to turn Tikka to her side, Tikka's thoughts went to the Orc and the Human. Both good. Neither deserved to die here.

But Tikka wasn't the only one that was unlucky. Now, the Human was too injured to be of any help, and the Orc was literally hanging from a cable tied to his neck, suffocating to death. It wasn't like Tikka was any better. With her overuse of the Wand, she could barely move, let alone fight back.

Then the world decided to pity her, if only a little. The Orc, Jakoby, cut himself free from his bindings, grabbed the shotgun and shot the wand out of her sister's hand.

"Nick, if you were aiming at the Wand, that was a really good shot," The Human, Daryl, praised. Before instructing his Orc partner, pointing at his head. "But shoot her in her head!"

"Like this?" Jakoby asked, cocking the shotgun and pulling the trigger. Only to hear a click due to a lack of bullets. "Oh shit, I'm out."

Daryl, seeing no other choice, reached out to pick up the wand Leilah had dropped. "No!" Leailah shouted, causing Daryl to pause. "You're not a Bright. If you touch my Wand, your insides will be all over the walls. You would have accomplished nothing."

"Yeah," Daryl agreed. "That's kind of the plan. It's best to kill everyone here than let you have it. Your plan is to resurrect a Dark Lord. What's one human death instead of one billion, huh?" His injured face smirked as he willed his exhausted and battered body to once again reach out, but just before his fingers could graze it, however, a strong, gloved hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Daryl looked up in shock to see an armoured figure standing beside him, cloaked in grey. "Oh fuck."

The armoured figure, who came seemingly out of nowhere, held Daryl firmly while levitating the wand just above his other gloved, armoured hand. A deep, baritone voice echoed from within the helmet. "Your death would be unnecessary, Officer Ward," 

Nearby, Jakoby cursed under his breath, his hand instinctively tightening on his weapon. Daryl froze, his eyes widening as he took in the unexpected figure before him. Leilah, despite her weakened state, continued holding Tikka at knifepoint, her gaze flicking between the wand and the armoured stranger. "Who are you?" she demanded, pressing the blade tighter against Tikka's neck. "What do you think you're doing here? You think the Shield Of Light will be enough to stop us?"

"The Shield Of Light?" The figure asked with a shallow shake of his head. "I am not a part of that band of Dark Lord preventionists. Though, I do think we have similar goals. Preventing the deaths of countless individuals due to the actions of a Dark Lord being the most important." 

The armoured figure's gaze remained steady, wand still hovering just above his palm. Only the highly skilled with magic could use it so readily without a Wand. Even Leilah spent years learning to move objects the size of a book just to be able to summon the wand back to her hand should it slip from her grasp. But here, this armoured figure was doing it like it was nothing. "It really doesn't matter who I am," He continued with calm authority in his voice. "What matters is my plan."

Slowly, the armoured figure rose to his feet, releasing the Daryl's hand. He seemed to be around Tikka's height, though that might have been the added height of the armour. He was most likely shorter on the inside. The fact that he said he shared the same goal as the Shield Of Light gave Tikka hope. He may or may not be good, but at least he wouldn't be as bad as the Inferni, trying to revive a Dark Lord.

Daryl may have been saved from a gruesome death by Wand contact, but he was sti alert enough, even in his battered state to be tightly holding a knife in his hand, waiting to see if the armoured figure was truly on their side. Despite the animosity toward him, the armoured man held out his free hand and Tikka watched in fascination along with Leailah as both policemen's injuries started visibly healing while a soft, golden light enveloped them.

They stiffened at first, Daryl almost lunging at the armoured man—which would have accomplished nothing unless the armour was fake, which didn't seem to be the case with how the glinting metal caught the faint light in the chamber. Then, when they realised they were being healed, they relaxed a little. Jakoby more than Daryl, having been through a similar healing process when Tikka revived him not so long ago.

"Oh, oh, this is nice," Daryl muttered, quickly getting over his disbelief as he felt his injuries healing while the golden light continued to pass over him. Looking over at Nick as he pats himself down and seeing the same soft, golden light covering his body, sealing cuts, easing bruises. The Orc sent him a nod as they both made their way to their feet. After making sure his partner was alright, he addressed the armoured man. "So, er, you say you're against the Dark Lord? It's kinda still illegal to have a Wand, you know that, right?"

Before the mystery man could respond, Leilah called out, holding the knife closer to Tikka's neck. "Hand over the wand, or I kill the girl!"

The mystery man turned his head slightly, cancelling the healing he had been administering to the two policemen. "And how, exactly, do you plan to do that?" His deep baritone voice rang out, barely above a whisper, but it reached every corner of the room. With barely a flick of his wrist, Leilah seemed to stiffen in place, only able to move her eyes and breathe. His armoured boots took a few steps forward as he clarified, "How exactly do you plan to kill the girl if you can't even move?"

Effortlessly, his armoured hand moved, and Leilah moved in the same direction, releasing her grip on Tikka. Like a puppet on strings, Leilah had her hands and legs spread, pressed against a wall, like a starfish. Soon enough, the same golden light that was covering the forms of the police officers was now on Tikka, healing her injuries.

Even as the cuts on her body knitted together, Tikka's mind was still on the armoured man's mastery of magic. The sheer weight he could move without actually holding the Wand, the healing. It was truly astonishing, but now he was levitating a body while also healing others.

"It won't do you any good. The wand is bound to me," Leilah spat with a sneer at the metal helmet. "You can't steal it. It can't get far from me no matter what you do."

Having finished healing Tikka, the metal helmet turned back to Leilah. His deep, baritone voice reverberated around the room once more, sounding almost indifferent. "The wand doesn't concern me as much as how it's made," he said, letting his tone suggest he had little interest in the artefact he casually levitated over his palm. Like it was a toy, and not something many would die to possess. Have died to possess.

Leilah's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, like it always would when she had an idea. "I can teach you how to make it," she offered, a sly smile starting to form. "You can have one bound to you. Ultimate power in the palm of your hand."

"You mean like right now?" The metal helmet shook slowly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Besides, I don't need your help for that. I have already analysed how the artefact is made. Mediocre craftsmanship, but wonderfully enchanted." He raised his hand, and with a casual flick of his fingers, a flash of red raced toward Leilah's struggling form. The spell struck her squarely in the chest, and her body slumped.

The man then slowly lowered his hand, Leilah's body lowering to the floor alongside it. The regular rise and fall of her torso and shallow breathing were the only things indicating she was still alive.

"Wow," Daryl broke the silence after a long few minutes, eye moving from the armoured man to the slumped elf. "So it was that easy this whole time?"

"For me, yes," The man replied, looking the officers healed bodies up and down. "Your previous injuries indicate a significant struggle to accomplish something similar."

Ward gave the man a dull look. "I hate magic so much."

Before the armoured man could respond, Ward's Orc partner placed a placating hand on his shoulder, speaking in a loud whisper. "Er, Ward?" The Orc glanced at the still levitating Wand. "Maybe it's not a good idea to piss off the guy with the wand?"

"Oh, er," Ward held his hands up in a joking manner. "My bad. We cool though, right?"

"We should leave," The man said, ignoring Ward's poor attempt at humour. "The authorities are already close by. It would be simpler to meet them at the entrance. Reduce the chances of giving them a jump-scare."

Without waiting for a reply, he began moving toward the exit of the safe-house, Leilah levitating off the floor again and now floating beside him in a telekinetic hold. Behind him, Tikka exchanged wary glances with Ward and Jakoby before they all followed behind the man's steps, which oddly made no sound even to the higher levels of hearing her species' physiology allowed.

Soon enough, they emerged into the open and were greeted by the blinding beams of squad car headlights and the flash of blue and red lights illuminating the street. Dozens of police officers, heavily armed and even some people in hazmat suits, aimed their guns directly at them. Voices shouting over one another, commanding them to get on the ground.

"On the ground!! Now!!"

"Put the Wand on the ground, now!!"

"Comply, or you will be fired upon!!"

Ward, Jakoby, and Tikka instinctively raised their hands and lowered themselves to the ground, complying with the officers' orders, with Ward trying to point out that he had already called and that they were the good guys. The armoured man, however, remained standing, completely unfazed by the weapons pointed at him, Leilah still limp and hovering beside him.

As the shouts and tension reached a boiling point, the ranks of police officers parted slightly, allowing an Elf dressed in a tailored suit to step forward. He seemed to be one of, if not the highest-ranked government official among them, if the choice of clothing and the lack of orders being sent his way was anything to go by. He walked past the armed officers and paused a few paces from them, casting a glance over the group as a whole before focusing on the man still in possession of the Wand.

"Quite the spectacle," The Elf said smoothly as he tilted his head. His expectant gaze moved to Leilah, the wand and back to the armoured helmet. "I am Kandomere fo the Magic Task Force, or MTF as some call us. I was called by the police officer, Ward. Would you care to hand over the criminals and the wand to us? It would be better for everyone involved if it were kept out of the wrong hands, as the events of the last few hours have proven."

"I am Dr Grey," The armoured man, Dr Grey, responded with a shallow nod. "You may retrieve the Wand and criminal. I have no need for them. Though, I would hope the individuals who stop the criminal's plans would be compensated rather than punished…it would be better for everyone."

A quiet tension filled the air as Kandomere processed John's words. His eyes narrowed slightly, moving to the Wand hovering above the armoured palm and back to the doctor's helmet—if he really even was a doctor. After a moment, Kandomere inclined his head in acknowledgement. "That won't be a problem," he replied. "I assure you, Officer Ward and his allies will not face any repercussions. I had personally made a promise to the officer earlier, and I plan to keep that promise."

Satisfied, Dr Grey gave the faintest nod. With a gesture from Kandomere, a man in a Hazmat suit approached cautiously, his gloved hands reaching out with forceps to carefully take the wand hovering over the doctor's palm. As soon as the Wand was placed in some sort of reinforced containment, Kandomere's shoulders seemed to sag in relief—though not completely.

Meanwhile, two other officers, also in protective gear, moved forward to secure Leilah. She was still unconscious while they snapped restraints around her wrists and carried her toward one of the police cruisers.

"Er, so you the guy I talked to over the phone?" Ward broke the silence, looking up from his position on the floor. "Can we get up now? Cuz the floor's dirty, not sure if someone made you aware—nice suit by the way…all nice and clean."

"Ward," His Orc friend chastised with a light kick to his leg.

"We thank you for your cooperation," Kandomere said as he gestured for them to rise, ignoring the verbal jab. Tikka, Ward and Jakoby slowly made their way to their feet while Kandomere addressed Ward again. "Officer, we would appreciate it if you could tell us exactly everything that has transpired tonight. Our phone call earlier was unfortunately cut short."

"Er, yeah. Sure," The officer shrugged. As soon as Kandomere turned his attention back to Dr Grey, Ward tried discreetly whispering to the Orc, but Elven hearing could easily hear him. "Don't say shit. Let me do the talking."

"If you would come with us, Grey, we would like your statement as well," Kandomere requested.

"...No," Grey's armoured head shook. "I'm sure the officer's statements will suffice. If you need us, however, then you can meet us at the Hospital, where we will be healing anyone who needs it."

"Us?" The MTF officer asked, tilting his head.

Grey ignored the question, turning to address Tikka. "You will see my methods of healing without a Wand. Then you will decide whether or not you want to learn or leave." He paused for a moment for her to truly understand the words he had just spoken before he continued. "Should you choose to accept the role as my temporary apprentice, I will teach you for 6 months before leaving you to your own devices."

He then held his hand out for her to take. No one except for the two officers tried to stop him. The others wouldn't dare. Everyone understood the importance of a person who could use so much magic without a Wand. Trying to stop him may well have been suicidal. With nowhere else to go, Tikka gave the officers a quick goodbye as she took the armoured hand. Then, along with Dr Grey, she started levitating, picking up speed as she got higher. Soon enough, they were flying with surprisingly little wind resistance.

It was exhilarating.

A short flight later, the duo stepped through the hospital's automatic doors, Tikka's clothing having repaired itself thanks to Grey's magic during the flight. Without hesitation, he casually lifted his hands, allowing the same golden glow of magic to flow over the patients in the waiting area. Cuts began to close, bruises faded, and the magic did its work. Patients and nurses alike watched in shock as the wounds visibly healed, this being the first time they witnessed actual magic in real life.

As the initial healing finished, the Doctor turned and made his way to the reception desk, where the receptionist stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief. She looked up at him, momentarily lost for words, and before she could respond, a man in dishevelled clothing built up the courage to approach, his face tear-streaked and desperate. "Can… can you help babies the same way?"

"I can," The deep baritone voice sounded gent as the helmet turned to him and gave him a shallow nod.

The man's expression didn't change. There wasn't even a sign of hope for his child. Whatever was wrong with his child must have been truly severe. "Can you bring my child back to life?….I'll do anything… just, please…"

Doctor Grey nodded once more. "Of course, I can revive the dead. However, I would not do so if the individual has been deceased for too long. If your predicament is a recent one, then I can definitely help you. Just lead the way."

The man's expression finally changed. His eyes widened, filling with a glimmer of hope as he nodded fervently and began leading both Grey and Tikka down the hallway. Once again, no one stopped them, much like at the safehouse. Tikka even heard the security guard's radio at the door telling him to stand down for everyone's safety. As they made their way through the corridor, Tikka took one last look at the entrance of the Hospital only to see police cruisers speeding to a stop. 

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"Up, general, up! This is no place to die."

—Black Panther, before turning to dust due to the snap.

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Autor Here

The Magic Task Force won't just try to arrest a person who is not doing evil until they recognise the extent of their magical capabilities or find out how much they need to prepare to kill them. They didn't Just let him go. They let him go until they find a guaranteed way to kill him. They must have learned from their failure to catch Leilah.

Also, He's back in the Harry Potter world in the next chapter. It will be a time skip of 6 months. This world was always supposed to be a short jump.

Our boy is reviving babies, healing the sick and possibly teaching Tikka while he's at it.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC and original ideas. All credit goes to their respective owners.

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Thank you for reading.

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As always, stay awesome.

Until next time, Light's out.