The cold mountain air bit sharply at Harry's face as he stepped onto the narrow ridge.
Snow-dusted stone crunched softly beneath his boots, the sound swallowed almost instantly by the wind howling through the peaks. The Alps stretched endlessly around them—jagged white mountains, steep drops, and untouched wilderness.
And yet…
Harry frowned.
"There's nothing here," he said quietly, scanning the empty slope before them. No buildings. No tracks. Just rock, snow, and silence.
Jason let out a dry breath beside him. "That's because you're looking at what they want you to see."
He raised his wand and traced a careful arc in the air. For a brief moment, the space in front of them shimmered—like heat distortion on a summer road—before snapping back into nothingness.
Cassia nodded. "Concealment wards. Old ones, layered on top of each other. Visual nullification, sound dampening, magical presence suppression."
Harry frowned. "So the estate is there… we just can't see it."
"Exactly," Jason replied. "And worse—this is a one-way ward."
Harry tilted his head. "One-way?"
Jason crouched and pressed his palm against the invisible barrier. Faint silver runes flared under his skin, visible only to trained eyes.
"They can see us if we linger too long," Jason said grimly. "Think of it like one-way glass. We're blind. They aren't."
Cassia glanced toward the ridge behind them. "And their patrol wards sweep this area every few minutes. If we stay too long, someone inside will notice disturbances."
One of the French Aurors stepped forward, his voice low. "Once they detect us, they'll move the girl. Immediately."
Harry's jaw tightened.
They didn't have time.
"Everyone," Harry said calmly, "invisibility. Now."
Wands moved in near-perfect unison.
A ripple of magic washed over the group as Disillusionment Charms layered over them—skin fading, outlines blurring, presence thinning until even footprints became faint distortions in the snow.
Harry felt the familiar shift as his own magic synchronized with the spell.
Jason and Cassia immediately knelt before the invisible barrier, eyes sharp, movements precise. This wasn't rushed work. This was craftsmanship.
Cassia traced the ward structure with delicate taps of her wand. "Primary anchor is internal," she murmured. "There's a keeper inside the estate. Living focus."
Jason's expression darkened. "Which means the moment we breach this ward in any meaningful way, they'll feel it."
The French Auror commander hissed under her breath. "So we can't just punch through."
Harry crouched beside them. "Can you make a hole?"
Jason hesitated. "A hole big enough for a person? No. Too much strain. Too obvious."
Harry met his eyes steadily. "I don't need a person-sized hole."
Jason blinked. "…How small?"
"Small enough for something that crawls."
Understanding dawned instantly.
Cassia inhaled slowly. "You're serious."
Harry smiled faintly. "Very."
Jason exhaled and adjusted his stance. "Then I can do it. But it'll take everything I've got to make it silent."
Cassia joined him, their magic interweaving—Advanced Goblin Warding Style meeting raw, modern precision. Runes flared and dimmed, bent carefully out of alignment rather than broken.
Harry watched the system react at the edge of his vision.
[Warning: External High-Tier Ward Detected]
[Stealth Breach Attempt Initiated]
[Success Chance: 68%]
Sweat beaded on Jason's brow.
Slowly—painfully slowly—a pinpoint distortion appeared in the air. No larger than a coin. The ward stretched, protesting silently.
"There," Jason whispered. "That's all you get. Thirty seconds before it stabilizes."
Harry didn't waste a single heartbeat.
His body shimmered, bones flowing like liquid as his form compressed violently.
[Skill Activated: Shapeshifter – Snake]
[MP Cost: Minimal]
[Stealth Bonus: High]
Where Harry had stood, a tiny snake now rested on the snow.
Barely thicker than a finger, dark scales dull and matte, perfectly adapted for concealment. Its eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence.
"Good luck," Cassia murmured.
The Bushwhiper slithered forward, body flattening impossibly as it passed through the microscopic gap in the ward.
The moment it crossed—
[Ward Perimeter Breached – Minimal Disturbance]
[Alert Level: Stable]
Inside the ward, the world changed.
Magic thickened the air, heavy and oppressive, like breathing underwater. The illusion shattered as the true estate revealed itself.
Harry shifted again.
[Skill Activated: Shapeshifter – Eagle]
[MP Cost: Moderate]
Wings exploded outward as the snake became an eagle mid-motion, feathers catching the cold wind. Harry surged upward just above the treeline, silently gliding.
The estate below was breathtaking.
A sprawling mountain manor carved into the stone itself—white marble walls, glowing windows, silver spires etched with protective sigils. Pathways wound through terraced gardens now dusted with snow.
Beautiful.
From above, Harry could see them.
Patrols.
Dozens of witches and wizards moving in rotating patterns. Watchtowers enchanted to scan the the ground. Wards layered so thick they pulsed like a heartbeat.
[Observe – Passive Scan]
Threat Count: High
Enemy Levels: 25–38
Non-Lethal Constraint: Active
Harry circled higher, committing everything to memory.
The moment Harry reached the highest ridge of the estate's roof, his wings slowed, and he circled once—silent, precise.
From this height, his eagle vision pierced straight through glass and shadow.
And what he saw made his brow crease.
"There's… nothing," Harry murmured to himself.
No internal patrol routes.
No layered interior wards.
[Observe – Enhanced (Aerial)]
Interior Wards: None Detected
Patrol Density (Interior): Minimal
They had placed everything into the outer defenses.
Harry realized it instantly.
The kidnappers had built the outer ward like a fortress and assumed that nothing—and no one—would ever cross it. Inside the estate, they behaved like nobles on holiday, not men guarding a hostage worth a political war.
"That confidence will be your downfall," Harry thought.
He descended onto a shadowed balcony, feathers dissolving as his form shifted once more.
A small boy now stood where the eagle had been.
Ten years old. Slight frame. Messy black hair. Green eyes too sharp for his age.
Harry chose this form deliberately.
If caught, he would not look like a threat.
Children are invisible to the adults.
He adjusted his cloak, letting it hang loosely, then slipped inside through an unlocked balcony door.
The corridors of the upper floor were quiet—carpeted halls, silver-framed paintings, enchanted lanterns glowing softly along the walls. Luxury without caution.
Harry moved silently, bare feet barely brushing the floor.
Each door he passed received a glance, then a subtle pulse of magic.
[Observe – Active]
Hidden Doors: None
Life Signatures: Low
He opened doors carefully, one after another.
Guest chambers. Storage rooms. Empty sitting rooms.
No Fleur Delacour.
Whenever footsteps echoed in the distance, Harry melted into motion.
[Skill Activated: Skin Changer – Snake Form]
A thin serpent slid along the wall's edge, disappearing beneath furniture, slipping through cracks no wider than a finger. Wizards passed within inches, laughing, arguing about card games, entirely unaware.
He resumed human form once they were gone.
Floor by floor, he cleared the estate.
The second level yielded nothing.
The first level—still nothing.
Harry's heartbeat slowed as his thoughts sharpened.
Ground floor.
That's when he saw it.
A single door at the far end of the corridor.
Locked.
Not magically sealed—physically locked.
More importantly…
He watched as a witch stepped out moments later, holding an empty tray. The faint smell of food lingered in the air.
She locked the door behind her.
And walked straight toward the main living room.
Harry's eyes hardened.
[Objective Update]
Target Location Identified: Fleur Delacour
Status: Confined
The living room sat directly opposite the corridor.
A wide, open space filled with noise and confidence—six witches and wizards sprawled across couches and chairs, bottles floating mid-air, enchanted cards slamming against a table as laughter echoed.
Too many eyes.
Harry could not simply act.
Not without triggering a fight—and that would violate the mission parameters.
Harry retreated into the shadow of the corridor and leaned against the wall, thinking.
I don't need strength.
I need movement.
I need emptiness.
A plan formed swiftly.
Harry closed his eyes and exhaled.
[Skill Prepared: Shadow Veil]
MP Cost: Reduced (Selective Area)
Harry released the spell—not as a blanket, but as a whisper.
A thin veil of shadow seeped down near the far fireplace, thickening just enough to trip enchanted sensors.
A loud crack followed as a glass decanter shattered on its own.
"What the—?" someone snapped.
At the same time, Harry flicked a second spell.
[Environmental Manipulation – Minor]
Effect: Noise Displacement
A sharp bang echoed from the opposite hallway.
"Did you hear that?"
"Intruders?"
"Check it!"
The room emptied in moments, boots pounding toward the disturbance, voices overlapping with irritation and confusion.
The corridor fell silent.
Harry dropped from the ceiling, reforming mid-fall into human shape.
He ran.
The lock shattered under a precise flick of wandless magic.
Harry slipped inside and closed the door behind him.
And there—
Curled against the wall, wrists bound in silver-thread restraints, golden hair disheveled but eyes burning with defiance—
Was Fleur Delacour.
She looked up sharply.
Her breath caught.
"Did they catch you too?"
Harry met her gaze, green eyes steady and calm.
"Don't scream," he said softly. "I'm here to take you home."
Her eyes widened.
Harry knew, the moment Fleur Delacour's restraints fell away, that simply grabbing her and running was suicide.
The estate grounds were crawling with enemies. Even if they made it past the living room, even if they slipped through the inner halls, one stray curse in the open could kill her instantly. And worse—those wizards he had lured away would realize the deception any second now.
Time was the real enemy.
"Stay close to me," Harry said quietly, already pulling Fleur to her feet. His grip was firm but careful. "No matter what happens, don't let go."
She nodded once, teeth clenched, fear burning behind her eyes—but she didn't hesitate.
Harry waved his hand.
The silver-thread ropes binding her wrists snapped cleanly, sliced by a razor-thin pulse of magic.
They ran.
Not toward the exits.
Up.
Harry had memorized the estate layout while scouting earlier. Two staircases led to the upper floor, both feeding into a long central corridor that overlooked the inner courtyard. A natural choke point.
A place you could hold.
They took the left staircase at full sprint. Fleur stumbled once, but Harry caught her before she fell.
"Almost there," he muttered—not to reassure her, but to anchor himself.
At the top, Harry didn't slow.
Instead, he reached inward.
[Inventory Opened]
Item Selected: Warding Stone (Pre-Inscribed – Emergency Lockdown)
Quantity: 2
Two small, rune-etched stones appeared in his hands.
Harry slammed one into the stone floor at the left entrance of the corridor, then sprinted across and planted the second at the right.
The moment they touched the ground—
[Ward Activated]
Type: Protection Ward
Effect: Entry Denial | Spell Dampening | Line-of-Sight Obstruction
Duration: Until Breach or Deactivation
The air hardened.
Invisible walls snapped into place, sealing both staircases in shimmering distortion. The corridor itself dimmed, magic settling into the stone like a held breath.
Harry pulled Fleur into the center of the passage.
"If they break through," he said quickly, eyes scanning, mind racing, "they come one way. I can fight here."
As if summoned by his words, a distant shout echoed from below.
"—THE ROOM'S EMPTY!"
Another voice followed, sharp with panic.
"WARD BREACH—CHECK THE UPPER FLOOR!"
Harry didn't wait.
He turned, raised his wandless hand, and drove raw force into the window at the far end of the corridor.
The glass didn't shatter.
It exploded outward in a cone of magic.
At the same time, the spell didn't stop at the window.
It surged forward—straight into the outer ward surrounding the estate.
[External Signal Triggered]
Ward Integrity: Disrupted (Localized Shockwave)
The entire estate shuddered.
Outside, Jason would feel it instantly.
Cassia too.
So would the French Aurors waiting beyond the perimeter.
That's the signal, Harry thought grimly. Now move.
He pulled Fleur back from the broken window as wind howled through the opening, her hair whipping around her face.
"Help is coming," he said, voice steady despite the pounding of his heart. "You're safe now."
Below them, spells slammed into the warded staircases. The protection ward flared, runes glowing as it absorbed the impact.
Cracks began to form.
Harry stepped forward, positioning himself between Fleur and the breach point, his body already bracing for combat.
[Status Update]
Hostage Secured
External Support Incoming
Hold Position Until Extraction
He didn't know how long the ward would last.
He didn't know how many would come through once it fell.
But one thing was certain.
No one was touching Fleur Delacour.
Not while Harry Potter was standing.
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