MTLNOVEL Chapter 115: Alert
Harry sat cross-legged in the cave he had carved deep underground, his hands resting in his lap in what looked like a peaceful meditation pose. Anyone watching would see the kind of serene composure you'd expect from someone with angelic nature and divine powers.
They wouldn't see the agony tearing through his soul.
Every few seconds, it felt like someone was driving red-hot spikes directly through his consciousness. Not his physical brain… his Source Soul handled all the body's pain reception, and that was working perfectly fine. This was something much deeper, much more fundamental. His Heaven-Earth Soul, the very core of his being, was screaming in protest at what he'd put it through.
Harry kept his breathing steady and his expression calm, just as he'd done when the Flamels had checked on him earlier. Nicolas and Perenelle were worried enough about him traveling to dangerous worlds and fighting alien invasions. The last thing they needed was to know that he had nearly crippled himself saving people.
The problem was that the Inner Eye had never been meant for extended use.
Harry was realizing that now, much too late to do anything about it. All those times at Hogwarts or in the bending world when he'd used it for a few seconds here and there, or maybe a minute during particularly dangerous situations, had given him completely the wrong idea about its limitations.
Apparently there was a massive difference between using precognition for brief moments and keeping it active for literal hours while dodging death rays and coordinating rescue efforts.
Who could have predicted that?
Harry thought bitterly as another stab of soul-deep agony disturbed the clouds of Heaven. It's not like there's a manual for "How to Use Your Prophetic Powers Without Destroying Yourself."
The worst part was that he'd felt it happening. About an hour into his flight to Colorado and killing any Tripods in his path, Harry had started noticing a strange pressure building in Heaven. By the second hour, that pressure had become a constant ache. By the third hour, when he'd been trying to save that last group of five thousand people trapped on the collapsed highway overpass, the ache had turned into pure torture.
But what was he supposed to do? Let them die because his Soul hurt? If there was any consolation here, it was that Flexible Soul ensured that soul damage could be rapidly healed.
Harry sighed, and tried to distract himself with something else.
The new Muggle World Texture was pretty much ready now.
Harry had poured enormous amounts of World Power into creating it over the past few hours. A Germany-sized landmass with fertile plains, fresh water sources, mineral deposits, and a climate suitable for agriculture. The Laws of Physics were established and stable. Everything the refugees would need to rebuild their civilization from scratch, and because there were no additional Laws of Magic or Fortune like in the Wizarding World Texture, it was a lot cheaper to expand than he had initially expected.
The faith he'd been receiving from the thirty thousand people he'd rescued had helped tremendously. Their genuine belief that he was an angel sent by God generated incredibly high-quality faith energy that converted to World Power at excellent ratios. Back in his original world, he could supplement his power by absorbing ambient magical energy from the environment, but this universe seemed to have no magic at all.
Every bit of World Power had to come from internal generation or faith conversion.
Harry took a deep breath and shifted his consciousness to his Human Avatar, who was floating high above an empty grassland several hundred miles away from where the refugees were currently housed in the Wizarding World.
Time to create some help.
Harry grasped the vial of house-elf blood and carefully removed the cork. He'd never actually created a sapient being before, but the process should be similar to creating the dragons and other creatures he'd experimented with.
He tilted the vial and let a single drop of blood fall onto his palm. The red liquid was absorbed instantly into his skin.
House-elf biology, magical abilities, instincts, social structures... everything that made them what they were. Their inbuilt desire to help those around them and their capacity for both fierce loyalty and crushing despair if they felt they'd failed their duties.
Harry opened his eyes and extended his hand toward the ground below. White clouds of World Power poured out of his palm, condensing and brightening as they took shape. The light grew more intense until Harry had to squint, then suddenly faded to reveal the completed creation.
Harry raised an eyebrow at what he saw.
The being below him was definitely house-elf sized, standing maybe three feet tall. But instead of the wrinkled, bat-eared appearance Harry was used to seeing at Hogwarts, this looked more like a miniature version of what muggles always imagined elves should look like.
She had delicate features with large expressive eyes and pointed ears that weren't oversized or drooping. Her skin was smooth and pale rather than wrinkled, and her hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders. She wore a simple white robe.
The house-elf looked up at him, then immediately dropped to one knee.
"Creator," she whispered. "I live to serve."
Harry floated down until he was standing on the grass in front of her. "Please, stand up. You don't need to kneel."
She rose to her feet, though she kept her eyes downcast. "As the Creator wishes."
"Look at me," Harry said gently. "I want to talk with you properly."
She lifted her gaze to meet his, and Harry could see curiosity in her expression alongside the instinctive deference of house elves.
"First things first," Harry said. "You need a name. What would you like to be called?"
"The Creator should choose," she replied immediately. "I am whatever the Creator wishes me to be."
Harry shook his head. "That's not how this is going to work. You have free will and individual identity. I'm not going to make every decision for you."
She looked genuinely puzzled by this. "But... I am a house-elf. Serving is what I am meant to do. It brings me joy and purpose."
"And that's fine," Harry said. "I'm not trying to change your nature. But there's a difference between choosing to serve because it fulfills you and being forced to serve because you have no other options."
The house-elf tilted her head thoughtfully. "I... understand the distinction, Creator. But my choice would be to serve you regardless."
Harry considered this. He'd grown up around house-elves at Hogwarts, and they'd helped raise him alongside the professors. Tippy, Mipsy, the kitchen elves... they all seemed happiest when they felt useful and appreciated. The problem had always been wizards who treated them as property rather than individuals.
"Alright," Harry said. "If serving is what makes you happy, then I won't try to talk you out of it. But I need you to understand what I'm asking of you."
"I am listening, Creator."
"I've rescued thirty thousand people from an alien invasion. They need food, water, shelter, medical care, organization... everything required to rebuild their lives. I'm planning to create about a thousand house-elves to help manage their needs."
Her eyes widened with excitement. "A thousand, all working together to care for so many people? That sounds wonderful!"
"It won't always be easy," Harry warned. "These people are traumatized refugees who've lost everything. Some of them might be difficult to work with. Some might be rude or demanding or ungrateful."
The house-elf's expression grew serious. "Creator, if I may... what are the boundaries of our service? If someone we are helping becomes abusive or threatening, what should we do?"
Harry hadn't expected such a question from a house elf, but maybe he shouldn't be too surprised considering she was born from his World Power.
"Good thinking. You and the other house-elves answer only to me. If anyone treats you poorly, you have my permission to stop helping them until they apologize and change their behavior. You are not slaves, and I won't tolerate anyone treating you as such."
She nodded firmly. "Understood. We serve the people because the Creator wishes us to, but our loyalty belongs to the Creator alone."
"Exactly." Harry paused, then added, "And if you ever decide you don't want to serve anymore, that's your choice too. I can create a place for you to live independently if that's what you prefer."
"That is very kind, Creator, but I cannot imagine wanting such a thing." She smiled. "Helping others is what brings meaning to my existence."
"Alright then. But I want to offer you something else as well."
"What is that, Creator?"
"I'm thinking about creating a House-Elf World. A world where you and the others can relax during your free time, or when I no longer need house-elves to help the inhabitants of a particular world. Somewhere you can develop your own skills and interests until the next time I need your assistance."
Her entire face lit up. "A world just for us? Where we could practice magic and learn new things and spend time together?"
"Yes. You'd still have your duties helping the refugees, but everyone needs time to rest and pursue their own interests."
"Creator, that sounds absolutely wonderful!" She clasped her hands together. "We could share knowledge about different types of magic, and maybe learn new skills that would make us even more helpful!"
Harry chuckled. Even when talking about personal time, she was thinking about how to be more useful. "I'm glad you approve. Now, before I create the others, I still need to give you a name."
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Creator, in my mind, I keep thinking of myself as... Tineth. Does that please you?"
"Tineth." Harry tested the name and nodded. "It suits you perfectly."
Tineth beamed at him. "Thank you, Creator! When will you create the others?"
"Right now, actually." Harry raised his hand again. "Stand back a bit. This is going to be quite bright."
Tineth took several steps back as Harry began channeling massive amounts of World Power. Creating a thousand sapient magical beings at once was going to exhaust a large majority of his reserves, but it was more efficient than doing them one at a time.
When the blinding light faded, Harry found himself looking at nearly a thousand house-elves scattered across the grassland. They all had the same general appearance as Tineth - delicate features, pointed ears, and simple white robes - but each one was unique in small ways.
The house-elves looked around in wonder, then immediately focused on Harry floating above them. As one, they all dropped to one knee.
"Creator!" they called out in unison.
Harry winced slightly at the volume. A thousand voices shouting at once was quite loud. "Please, everyone stand up. We have work to do."
With Tineth's help, Harry quickly explained the situation to the assembled house-elves. The thirty thousand refugees, and the need for food, water, shelter, and organization. The house-elves listened closely, their eyes growing brighter with excitement as Harry described the scope of their mission.
I'm definitely going to need to create that House-Elf World soon, Harry thought as he watched their eager faces. They're going to work themselves to exhaustion if I don't give them somewhere to rest.
"Are you ready to help these people?" Harry asked.
"YES, CREATOR!" came the thunderous response from a thousand throats.
Harry smiled and gathered his will, wrapping himself and all one thousand house-elves in his Space Authority. Folding space around them was effortless here within his own Heaven-Earth Soul.
In a single moment, they all vanished from the empty grassland and reappeared in the crowded refugee camp in the plains.
It was a bit of a mess, really. Lieutenant General Barrett and her subordinates were doing their best to maintain order, but thirty thousand traumatized people vastly outnumbered the less than a hundred military personnel she'd managed to gather. Makeshift shelters had been erected using whatever materials people could find, and Harry could see long lines forming around the few water sources and food distribution points.
That they hadn't fallen into complete anarchy was honestly a miracle, but Harry suspected most of the refugees were too afraid to anger the angel who'd saved them to cause serious trouble.
Harry spread his translucent wings and lifted himself above the crowd. The sudden appearance of a thousand house-elves had caused quite a stir, with people pointing and whispering nervously.
He needed to address this before anyone panicked.
"ATTENTION EVERYONE," Harry called out, his Thunder Speech carrying his voice clearly across the entire camp. The conversations died down immediately as thirty thousand faces turned upward to look at him. "I have gathered help for all of you. These house-elves are willing to assist with food, water, shelter, and anything else you need to survive."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep across the crowd. Some people looked relieved, others seemed confused by the appearance of the house-elves, but everyone was listening intently.
"However," Harry continued, "I want to make something absolutely clear. You will treat these helpers with respect. Do NOT demand anything from them. Do NOT threaten them or try to harm them in any way. If you do, the consequences will NOT be pleasant."
A few people in the crowd shifted uncomfortably at his tone, but Harry could see most of them nodding in understanding. He didn't want to have to make examples of anyone, but he wouldn't tolerate his house-elves being mistreated.
"At the same time," Harry stated, "I am transporting everyone to a different region. There are some predators nearby that I'd rather not have to deal with while you're all settling in."
Harry didn't bother waiting for questions or complaints. He simply raised his hand and activated his Space Authority on a massive scale. The entire refugee camp, all thirty thousand people, one thousand house-elves, and their various supplies and equipment vanished from the Wizarding World and reappeared on the fertile plains of the Muggle World.
At the same time, Harry transported himself high into the sky above the Muggle World and began opening countless miniature Spatial Gates between the Wizarding World and this new Texture.
He couldn't see the gates themselves, but he could feel the magical energy beginning to flow through them like invisible rivers in the air.
Without the Laws of Magic established in the Muggle World, this ambient magical energy couldn't be accessed or used by anyone. But those with an Origin Law Tether to the Laws of Magic - like his house-elves - would still be able to draw upon it through their connection to their home Texture.
This way they wouldn't need to worry about running out of magic while helping the refugees. Harry had learned from his time in the bending world that being cut off from your power source was extremely inconvenient.
Harry glanced at the mountain peak beneath his feet. The refugees were settling into the plains below, but he needed to establish a proper command center for managing this operation. After some thought, he used his Space Authority to teleport massive amounts of stone from kilometers below the ground up to the mountain's summit, then immediately teleported himself into the large chamber he had just created by removing all that rock.
For now, he established a permanent Spatial Gate here connecting the Muggle World to the Wizarding World.
This would serve as his primary access point between the two Textures. But once he had time to create the House-Elf World properly, he would disconnect this gate from the Wizarding World and link it to their new home instead.
Harry opened a small observation portal and watched the house-elves getting to work below. They were summoning clean water into makeshift containers, multiplying food supplies to feed everyone properly, and already beginning conversations with Lieutenant General Barrett about organizing the refugees into more manageable groups.
He had to admit, creating them with full free will had been the right choice. They were taking initiative and solving problems without needing constant direction from him.
Once Harry noticed that Tineth wasn't currently occupied with refugee management, he used his Space Authority to transport her directly to the underground chamber. She appeared with a small pop and looked around curiously at the darkness.
"Creator? What is this place?"
"Give me just a moment," Harry said, opening a portal back to his Treasury. He reached through and grabbed several ever-burning torches from his collection - he'd bought them from Diagon Alley the last time he'd built a Spatial Chamber to connect the Wizarding World to the Flamel cottage.
Harry mounted the torches on the walls, filling the chamber with steady light. "This is a Spatial Chamber that connects directly back to the Wizarding World," he explained to Tineth. "You and the other house-elves can use it if you want to leave for any reason."
Tineth nodded eagerly. "That's very thoughtful, Creator! Will we need to return to the Wizarding World often?"
"Probably not," Harry said. "Once I have some time to focus on it properly, I'll adjust this portal so it leads to the new House-Elf World instead. It will probably take… around a month for that World to be created though, okay? I need to make sure I have enough World Power reserves remaining to handle any emergencies."
"Of course, Creator! Should I inform the other house-elves about this chamber?"
"Yes, please do. And Tineth?" Harry paused. "You're doing excellent work down there. All of you are. I'm proud of how quickly you've organized everything."
Tineth's face lit up with pure joy. "Thank you, Creator! We live to serve, and helping so many people at once is... it's wonderful! Some of the humans seem confused by our appearance, but they're mostly very grateful."
Harry chuckled. "I imagine they are. They haven't seen magic before today, let alone house-elves. They'll adjust."
"Creator, should we inform the humans about magic? Some of them are asking questions about how we can summon water and multiply food."
Harry hesitated slightly. In his original world, the Statute of Secrecy existed for good reasons - muggles historically hadn't reacted well to learning about magic. But these weren't ordinary circumstances. These people had already seen alien death rays and been rescued by someone with wings and a halo.
Still, there was no need to complicate things unnecessarily.
"No," Harry said finally. "Just tell them it's divine intervention from the Angel who saved them. They've already accepted that explanation for everything else I've done. It's simpler and less likely to cause panic."
"Understood, Creator. Should I say that you blessed us with these abilities to help them?"
"Yes. That should satisfy their curiosity without raising too many questions about the nature of magic itself."
Tineth nodded eagerly. "I'll inform the others immediately. Is there anything else you need from me?"
"Not right now. You're doing wonderfully, Tineth. Go help your people."
Tineth gave him a bright smile and vanished with a soft pop, returning to help organize the refugees below.
Harry let out a long breath and allowed his Human Avatar to dissolve back into World Power. His consciousness returned fully to Heaven, where the white clouds still swirled peacefully despite the constant stabbing pain running through his soul.
It was time to create the House-Elf World while he waited for the Inner Eye damage to heal. The sooner he gave his house-elves a proper place to rest, the better they'd be able to help the refugees long-term.
Harry checked his current World Power reserves and winced slightly. Creating a thousand sapient magical beings had drained him even more than he'd expected. He had enough power left to handle emergencies, but creating an entirely new Texture from scratch would require more World Power than he currently possessed.
But there was a solution to that problem.
Harry summoned his Hero's Journal and flipped through the pages until he found the one representing the Muggle World. The page showed a detailed map of the new Texture, with small moving dots representing the refugees and house-elves scattered across the plains.
It was time to put his Time Authority to good use.
Harry focused his will on the Muggle World and began adjusting the flow of time within that Texture. He had to be careful not to push too hard since the World Power cost scaled dramatically with larger time differentials.
After a few minutes of careful adjustment, Harry settled on a ratio that felt sustainable. One day inside the Muggle World would equal one minute in the outside universe. That meant thirty minutes of waiting would give the refugees an entire month to settle in and establish some kind of order.
More importantly, it would give Harry time to accumulate enough World Power through Faith to create the House-Elf World properly.
Harry kept the Hero's Journal open on his lap, watching the page that showed the Muggle World. One of the features he'd discovered after his Heaven-Earth Soul transformation was that the Journal could now summarize events happening in his various Textures.
It saved him from having to constantly monitor everything personally.
The first few entries appeared almost immediately:
Day 1: Lieutenant General Barrett establishes basic command structure and organized the refugees into groups of 500 for easier resource distribution. House-elves demonstrate water summoning and food multiplication. Some humans express religious awe, others show suspicion of "unnatural beings."
Day 2: Three separate groups attempt to establish "leadership councils" claiming Barrett lacks civilian authority. House-elf named Pipkin accidentally creates minor flood while summoning water for Group 12. Barrett organizes work details for shelter construction using salvaged materials. Two families claim the same tent, leading to shouting match resolved by house-elf mediation.
Harry raised an eyebrow. Politics were already starting, apparently. He wasn't surprised that some people would challenge military authority in a civilian refugee situation, but he'd hoped they'd at least wait until everyone had proper shelter.
Day 3: "Council of Free Citizens" demands democratic vote on resource allocation. Barrett points out they're in a survival situation, not a town hall meeting. House-elf Mippy multiplies expired canned goods, several people get food poisoning. Medical supplies running low. Group 7 attempts to claim larger territory, blocked by Groups 6 and 8.
Day 4: Barrett establishes "Tent City Alpha" and "Tent City Beta" separated by half-mile to reduce territorial disputes. House-elves report to Tineth that some humans are hoarding food despite abundance. Three separate religious services held simultaneously, including one declaring the house-elves as "demons in disguise." Shouting match between Baptist minister and Catholic priest over theological implications of divine intervention.
Day 5: First successful crop planting in designated agricultural zones. House-elf Bobkin teaches Group 15 basic water purification after their assigned house-elf takes a break. Barrett implements rationing system despite magical food multiplication to prevent waste. "Council of Free Citizens" declares independence from military authority, establishes camp in agricultural zone, immediately tramples half the seedlings.
Day 6: Heavy rainstorm floods lower camps. House-elves work around the clock to redirect water and dry out supplies. Barrett organizes evacuation to higher ground. Council of Free Citizens demands house-elves prioritize their camp, told to "get in line with everyone else." Man named Mason begins preaching that house-elves are "unnatural abominations sent by the Angel to test their faith."
That last part made Harry sigh. He'd specifically warned everyone to treat the house-elves with respect.
Apparently some people needed reminders about consequences if this kept going much further.
Day 8: Mason's anti-house-elf sermons attract larger crowds. Barrett warns him about inciting violence, Mason claims "religious freedom." House-elf Tinny refuses to help Mason's followers after being spat on, causes minor uproar. Group 23 attempts to capture house-elf for "interrogation about demonic powers," stopped by Groups 19 and 24.
This Mason person was becoming a serious problem. The fact that people were actually preparing to capture his house-elves was completely unacceptable.
Day 10: ALERT - Potential violence detected. Mason organizing "purification march" to "cleanse the camp of demonic influence." Armed group forming around anti-house-elf sentiment.
Harry blinked in surprise. The Hero's Journal had never given him direct alerts before. But then again, its original function had been to provide hints for adventures and clues for current problems. After his Heaven-Earth Soul transformation, it made sense that it could warn him about developing crises in his Textures.
This was definitely a crisis worth preventing.
Harry immediately condensed his Will into his Human Avatar and used Space Authority to teleport directly into the Muggle World. He appeared on a small hill overlooking the main refugee camp with his translucent wings spread wide and golden halo glowing softly behind his head.
He raised an eyebrow at the crowd of maybe two hundred people gathered around a tall, thin man with wild hair who had to be Mason was arguing with Ray Ferrier. Barrett and several soldiers were positioned between the crowd and a group of house-elves who looked confused.
Ray Ferrier, the father from the diner who'd been trying to get his kids to safety when the Tripods first attacked.
Now Ray looked frustrated as he gestured at Mason.
"You're talking nonsense, Mason!" Ray was saying. "These... whatever they are, they've been helping us for over a week! They bring us food and water!"
Mason waved a kitchen knife in the air. "That's exactly what they want you to think! Don't you see? They're softening us up, making us dependent on them before they strike!"
"Strike with what?" Ray shot back. "They're three feet tall!"
"Size means nothing to creatures of darkness!" Mason shouted, loud enough that more people started gathering around them. "They appear from thin air! They create food from nothing! That's demonic magic!"
Harry could see Lieutenant General Barrett and her soldiers moving closer, but they were being careful not to escalate things.
Smart of them, really.
A crowd this size could turn into a riot very quickly if handled wrong.
What worried Harry more was the group of house-elves standing nearby. They looked confused rather than afraid. One of them, a female with short brown hair, was still holding a cleaning cloth. She'd probably been tidying up the area when Mason's crowd had surrounded her.
This is exactly what I was afraid of, Harry thought. Give people a crisis situation and some of them will always find someone to blame for their problems. It doesn't matter that the house-elves have been working around the clock to help everyone. Fear makes people stupid.
"They're not demons," Ray yelled back. "They're helpers sent by the Angel who saved us!"
"The Angel!" Mason laughed, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Don't you think it's convenient that the Angel shows up with an army of creatures right when we're most vulnerable? This is a test of our faith!"
"A test of our what?" Ray looked at Mason like he'd lost his mind. "My kids are alive because of that Angel! All our kids are alive!"
"Your children are in danger every second these abominations are near them!" Mason pointed his knife at the house-elf with the cleaning cloth. "Look at it! Those aren't human features… that's a mockery of human form designed to make us lower our guard!"
Harry had to admit that Mason had a point about the house-elves looking different. When Harry had created them, he'd used house-elf biology as the base template, but the World Power had refined their appearance into something more aesthetically pleasing. Instead of the wrinkled, bat-eared house-elves from Hogwarts, these looked like miniature versions of the elves from Muggle fantasy stories.
They were actually quite beautiful in an otherworldly way, but to someone already paranoid about 'demonic' creatures, that beauty probably made them seem even more suspicious.
"Mason, you need to calm down," Barrett said as she approached with several soldiers. "Put the knife away and let's discuss this rationally."
"Rationally?" Mason spun around to face her, the knife still in his hand. "General, you're a military officer! You should understand the concept of infiltration better than anyone! These creatures have inserted themselves into our survival operations. They control our food, our water, everything we need to live!"
"They're helping us survive," Barrett said firmly. "Without their assistance, we'd have lost people to dehydration and starvation by now."
"Or maybe that's what they want you to think!" Mason's voice was getting higher and more frantic. "Maybe the plan is to make us completely dependent on them, and then - "
He didn't finish the sentence.
Instead, Mason suddenly lunged toward the house-elf with the cleaning cloth, raising the knife above his head.
The house-elf stumbled backward, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid Mason completely.
Ray shouted "No!" and tried to grab Mason's arm, but he was too far away.
Barrett and her soldiers raised their rifles, but they were also too slow to intercept in time.
The knife came down toward the house-elf's chest -
And then Mason's wrist was caught in an iron grip.
The knife stopped inches from the house-elf's chest as Harry appeared directly beside Mason, his hand wrapped around the man's arm with enough force to make bones creak. Mason's eyes went wide with shock and pain as he found himself unable to move his arm even a fraction of an inch.
Harry's other hand plucked the knife from Mason's fingers and let it drop to the ground with a metallic clatter.
"That," Harry said in a voice that could have frozen fire, "was not a smart move."
The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees. Harry's golden halo flared brighter, casting harsh shadows across his face that made his emerald eyes look like chips of ice. His translucent wings spread wider, and for the first time since arriving in this world, he looked less like a benevolent angel and more like the wrath of Heaven itself.
Mason tried to pull his arm free, but Harry's grip was absolute. "You... you're one of them!" Mason gasped. "I knew it! The demons have corrupted you!"
Harry tilted his head slightly. "Demons. Is that what you think they are?"
"I resisted their temptations!" Mason's voice cracked as he spoke. "They tried to seduce me with their... their unnatural beauty! But I saw through their lies!"
Ah. There it was.
Harry's expression didn't change, but his grip on Mason's wrist tightened just enough to make the man whimper. So this wasn't really about religious paranoia at all. This was about a sick man who'd developed inappropriate feelings toward Harry's house-elves and was trying to justify his self-disgust by painting them as evil temptresses.
That made this so much worse.
"Seduced you," Harry flatly repeated. "These house-elves, who have spent every waking moment for the past ten days bringing you food and water and shelter, were trying to seduce you."
"Yes! They... they would smile at me, and their eyes..." Mason's face was flushed now, a combination of pain and shame and twisted arousal that made Harry's stomach turn. "But I'm a good Christian man! I saw through their deception!"
The crowd around them had gone completely silent. Even Barrett's soldiers had lowered their rifles slightly, though they kept them ready. Everyone could feel the change in the air, the sense that they were witnessing something far more dangerous than a simple refugee dispute.
Harry's gaze swept across the crowd until it found the group of people who'd been standing behind Mason when he'd made his speech. Group 23, according to the Hero's Journal. About thirty men and women who'd been nodding along with Mason's anti-house-elf rhetoric.
They were all looking uncomfortable now, shifting their weight and avoiding eye contact. A few of them had started backing away from Mason, clearly realizing that associating with him had been a mistake.
But not all of them.
Harry could see at least a dozen who were still glaring at the house-elves with disgust. People who'd genuinely bought into Mason's paranoid delusions, or worse, who shared his sick fixation on creatures they saw as somehow less than human.
They all deserved to be punished. Harshly.
Harry had saved thirty thousand people from alien death rays and transported them to safety in another dimension. He'd created a thousand magical beings to provide for their every need. He'd given them fertile land and clean water and everything they needed to rebuild their lives from nothing.
And this was how some of them repaid that kindness. By threatening the beings who'd been working around the clock to keep them alive.
The rational part of Harry's mind knew that trauma could make people act irrationally. He understood that being thrust into a world of magic and angels and alternate dimensions would be overwhelming for anyone. He could even understand, to some extent, why Mason's twisted psychology had latched onto the house-elves as a target for his self-loathing.
But understanding didn't mean forgiving. And it certainly didn't mean tolerating.
Harry released Mason's wrist and took a step back. The man immediately clutched his arm to his chest, probably checking to see if anything was broken. The knife lay on the ground between them.
"You think they're demons," Harry said conversationally. "Creatures of darkness sent to corrupt and destroy humanity."
Mason nodded eagerly, apparently thinking he'd found common ground. "Yes! Exactly! You see it too, don't you? The way they-"
"No," Harry interrupted. "I don't see it. Because I'm the one who created them."