Bad Romance

Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Channeling the Violence

Rabastan was still feeling drained as he walked back into Grimmauld Place. Entering the library, he passed Grindelwald the blasting rod without a word.

"Well," the blonde asked, arching his brows expectantly.

Rabastan grinned. "There is one element I have yet to sort, but I think I have most of it figured out. As it happens, the fucker eventually runs out of blast, and you have to refill it. I am here to say that I nearly shit myself when I realized that at first, because I wasn't in the mood to come back in here, and tell you that you were not going home with a shiny new toy after all."

"He isn't Voldemort," Mag said quietly.

The look of open sympathy in her gaze took Rabastan by...well, by shock because it was more than by surprise. What the fuck? "Of course he isn't! Voldemort would've never allowed me to play with his new toy!"

"Not even to make more," Mag asked, and Rabastan shook his head.

"I don't think so. He's not at all the sort to share power. He'd never want others to know how to make one if he could help it."

Kreacher, Reg, Rod, and Bella all nodded their agreement at the same time and Rabastan grinned. Every fucker liked being supported.

"I didn't think Grindel would fuck me up or anything, I just thought I'd get shit about it, and that's a drag, you know." He gave Mag a slight smile. "I know he's no Voldemort."

"So I learned how to refill it, but it was stressful as shit," Rabastan continued with his story. "If I can refill it, I figure I'm two thirds of the way to making one. There's just this funny bit in the bottom that feels hollow, though I know it probably isn't due to the fact it's quite heavy, so I am stuck on how to make a thing hollow so I can store magic in it while leaving it solid..." He grinned. "One of those typical fucked magical riddles I guess, but I'll sort it eventually."

Grindelwald quirked a brow. "Why not just ask Merlin? As you also could've done about the refill that you got yourself so worked up over."

Rabastan blinked. It was that simple? "Well, fuck," he complained. "I never thought of that!" He flicked a glance to Rod who was giving him a pleased grin for some reason. "I never handle pressure well at all," he admitted. "Besides I never talked to Merlin or Nimue the way it seems most of you have, if not all of you."

"Yes, all of us by now, it seems," Mag said.

"I happened to have been working when Bella and Rod made their first contact with them through the crystal thingies at the Ministry," Rabastan said. "So mentally dialing in and asking Merlin just never fucking occurred..."

Grindelwald flashed a quick smile. "Fair enough, and you did well on your own. Sometimes figuring a thing like that out on your own gives you a deeper understanding of the process."

Rabastan considered that for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Yeah! I get that. So should we ask him about the hollow part at least? Shit may go faster."

Gellert nodded. "We can definitely try. At times communication between them and us on complex magical matters can be...a bit hazy."

Blaise frowned. "They seem to have the focus of distractible magpies, and it's rather vexing," he complained.

"Indeed, but even when the focus is there, the explanations are so different from what we understand that it can be tricky. Merlin has used the magic of a communication rune more than once and this has been helpful, though."

"So how do we ask him about the hollow spot in the rod that isn't hollow," Rabastan asked, and Grindelwald held up a hand.

"I already did, and he's answering," he murmured. "Hold on a moment while I attempt to understand what he is saying..."