The morning light barely reached the corners of the factory, falling in thin stripes across the floor. Harry sat at his workbench, elbows resting on the surface as his eyes traced the slow pattern of dust drifting through the air.
Dumbledore's visit lingered in his mind like a puzzle that refused to solve itself.
Magic, the man had called it. If it truly was a kind of world apart — a hidden from the ordinary with its own rules and systems waiting to be understood — then Harry wanted to see it for himself. But that didn't mean he trusted Dumbledore. The knowledge he could give, yes. Dumbledore him-self, no.
He spent the early hours checking everything he could control. Tools lined the table in neat rows — an iron sword, pickaxe, his shield and a few cooked mutton that never spoiled, and torches. Each item had a use of its own, the shield and sword had saved him before and would most likely save him again.
He examined each tool carefully — the edge of the sword, the grain of the handle, the faint metallic hum that seemed to breathe beneath the surface. Only when everything was perfect did he allow himself a quiet nod of satisfaction.
"Got to be prepared," he murmured, repeating the quiet rule that had carried him this far.
Soon, he would visit Dumbledore's "magical world." But before that, he wanted to grow stronger — a hidden world like the one Dumbledore alluded to will most definitely have dangers lurking, and Harry did not want to be caught unprepared in such a situation.
So far in the block world, better gear and resources came from the ground, that is the deeper down the better ores he can claim.
He closed his eyes and let the shimmer of transition wash over him. The air changed instantly. Cool, damp stone filled his lungs, and torchlight flickered weakly against uneven walls.
Harry exhaled slowly, steadying himself as he took in the familiar scene — the long winding tunnel stretching ahead, a maze of rock and cobblestone lit by the faint glow of torches.
He started moving, every few steps he'd place a torch, the light expanding in a small area from the flames, The deeper he went, the rougher the air felt — thick with dust and the faint scent of wet earth.
After several minutes of exploration and mining, he went on guard. A low, guttural groan rolled from the darkness ahead.
Harry approached slowly, sword ready. Another groan — closer this time, followed by dragging footsteps. From the shadows, a figure emerged: dark green skin, torn clothes, eyes completely blacked out the same as that skeleton from before.
Harry didn't panic. The creature appeared to be rather weak. Slowly with his shield raised he approached, the moment he got into range the creature lurched and started walking towards him. Harry prepared just in case it might have a special ability or weapon like that skeleton, but nothing came, the zombie just slowly approached Harry swung once the zombie being hit back, Harry quickly raised his shield but nothing happened, the zombie just continued mindlessly walking towards him and with a second hit, it exploded in a small cloud of smoke before completely disappearing leaving only a single piece of rotten flesh.
He lowered his sword but didn't relax. He did not know what this creature was and whether or not it was alone. The tunnel stretched deeper into the earth. Bits of gravel and coal lined the floor a few iron ore appearing on the walls every now and then, as he walked with the light clacks of stone softly under his boots. The silence felt heavy — too heavy — until a faint hiss cut through it.
Harry's heart clenched. He barely had time to turn before something green streaked out from a corner, moving too fast. Instinct took over. He crouched and raised his shield. The explosion ripped through the passage, deafening and bright. dust filled the air, and heat washed over his face, a small amount of damage struck him dealing about a heart. When the racing of his heart lowered he finally looked down, A new crater gaped in the tunnel floor where the creature had been. "Explosive," he muttered, wiping soot from his arm. "Don't let that thing get close next time."
He checked his tools — all intact though his shield did take a beating, Harry then set a fresh torch against the stone. Its light pushed the shadows back, revealing a narrow opening further ahead. He followed it down, the slope curving like a vein through the stone until it opened into a cavern wide enough that the ceiling vanished into darkness.
Lava glowed below, reflecting off the stone walls in rippling shades of orange and red. The heat made the air shimmer.
Harry stood on the ledge for a long moment, studying the pattern of the rocks. "If anything valuable exists," he whispered, "it'll be down there." He began carving a staircase downward, placing cobblestone to ensure his footing stayed stable. The deeper he went, the louder the bubbling of lava grew.
Halfway down, a faint clatter echoed. He tensed — the distinct sound of bone scraping stone. A skeleton stood at the far end of the ledge, bow raised, empty sockets staring at him. Harry quickly readied his shield, but his mind was already calculating. as the first arrow shot through the sky, the sound of bonk sounded as the arrow deflected harmless off the shield. The second came quickly — he shifted his stance, then waited for the pause between shots, and charged.
He swung once, the impact cracking bone. The skeleton stumbled, drew again, but Harry struck twice more, each swing controlled and precise. When the final blow landed, it exploded into the usual small cloud of smoke before completely disappearing.The fight had only lasted a few seconds, a massive improvement compared to the last time. Harry caught his breath, checked for injuries, and then turned his attention back to the walls. The deeper rock here gleamed faintly under torchlight — darker, richer, dense.
He mined carefully, chipping away at the stone — until something caught the light.
A glimmer, faint and blue, buried behind layers of gray.
Harry blinked, leaned closer, and brushed the dust aside. The light remained — faint, steady, almost alive. He raised his pickaxe and struck carefully. As the ore broke a small bright blue gem fell into his palm, cold and smooth, glinting faintly in the torchlight. This was not like iron or coal, it was a vary shiny gem. He didn't know the name, but he could tell just from looking at the gem it was valuable, He kept mining, slow and precise, until six of the glowing blue gems lay in his hand. Their faint light reflected in his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. This was exactly why he wanted to explore the deeper area of the cave, Harry tucked them away into the inventory, his mind already working through possibilities — perhaps they were used for tool or armor like iron or maybe they are even more useful then just tools, as Harry pondered this he slowly climbed back the way he came, marking his route with new torches, leaving the faint simmer of lava behind him.
Once back at his small home he let himself drift back to the real world, opening his eyes again, the block world had faded, replaced by the cold hum of machinery and the pale morning light through factory windows.
Harry sat up, looking around at the quiet metal and brick room. For a moment, he just breathed — feeling the stillness between worlds.
He reached into his inventory, the faint blue glow of the gems reflecting off his fingers. He turned one over in his hand, watching it catch the light. "Magic," he murmured softly. "Or maybe something better."
As Harry observed the diamonds in his hand he came to a conclusion, it was time to enter the magical world for the better or worse.