[Note: Read up to Chapter - 155 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Welcome, Mr. Minister, and Mr. Crouch, to Shafiq Castle!"
As the Ministry of Magic officials stepped into the grand halls of Shafiq Castle, a holographic figure suddenly appeared before them. The figure was so realistic that, had it not materialised with a flash of light, Fudge and the others might have thought it was an actual person.
Fudge's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the projection of the young boy in front of him.
"Mr. Shafiq? What's all this about...?"
"Hello, Mr. Minister," came the voice, smooth and polite. "These are just some of the tricks in the castle. I apologise for the unconventional greeting, but I'm currently entertaining very important guests. If I've been remiss, I'll make sure to offer a generous gift to make amends!"
Aris's voice echoed through the projection.
Fudge glanced at Crouch, who was looking at Aris's projection with evident curiosity. His eyes flicked from one side to the other, as if trying to puzzle it all out.
"This sort of magic isn't something you come across every day," Crouch remarked thoughtfully, his brow furrowing. He clearly couldn't place where he'd seen or heard of such a spell. Sure, he was familiar with some development spells, but they didn't produce portraits this vivid—this clear, even capturing facial expressions.
"It's impressive," Fudge said with a nod, clearly intrigued.
"If you'd like, I can explain the principle behind it," Aris continued through the projection, his voice light and teasing. "And as for that generous gift I mentioned, it's actually tied to this magic. I think you'll enjoy what's to come!"
Of course, the projection magic Aris mentioned was just a casual remark.
In truth, this projection was created by the clone of the magical light brain Moss, though it was displaying Aris's image instead.
The reasoning behind this? Aris wanted the Ministry of Magic to get a proper glimpse of the Shafiq family's power. After all, they'd been absent from the wizarding world for so long that most people still thought of the Shafiq family as a relic of the past, frozen in time from a decade ago.
But now, as Aris returned and the Shafiq family made its dramatic reappearance, they couldn't afford to be seen like those impoverished pure-blood families. No, they had to show themselves as a formidable force—one that was both feared and admired, perhaps even envied.
This had been Aris's plan all along. Every move, every detail, was carefully crafted to lay the groundwork for his grander schemes ahead.
He wanted the entire wizarding world to witness the Shafiq family's power, establishing their dominance in the shortest time possible.
"I must say, I'm surprised by the changes in the Shafiq family!" Fudge marveled as he surveyed the castle. His eyes wandered around, and he couldn't help but notice some unusual sights along the way. For instance, in a quiet corner of the castle, a giant dragon was lounging in the sun, basking in its warmth.
"Is that... a dragon? There's a dragon in Shafiq Castle!" Crouch exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Quick, everyone be on alert! We need to prepare for the dragon's attack!" he added, his voice growing more frantic.
"Mr. Minister, please step behind us!" Several of the strikers hurriedly positioned themselves in front of Fudge and Crouch, their faces tense with anxiety.
"Everyone, stay calm," Aris's projection interrupted, speaking smoothly to calm the situation. "She won't harm you."
He paused, allowing the tension in the room to ease before continuing: "This is a dragon, tamed by our family. It's a special breed with extraordinarily powerful magical abilities. As you can see, her physical strength is just as impressive. She's a remarkable companion."
That's right, the dragon was Iris.
The reason Iris had been placed in the yard was to send a clear message to those in the Ministry of Magic. Given that the existence of a Dragon being in his possession was already known to the pure-blood wizards, Aris saw no need to hide it any longer.
To showcase the Shafiq family's strength, Aris made a bold move—he let Iris revert to her dragon form and lie down in the yard for a nap. The sight alone was bound to make an impression.
As expected, both Fudge and Crouch couldn't hide their shock as they took in the view. Their faces betrayed their astonishment.
"A dragon that can perform magic?" Fudge murmured, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at the dark red dragon.
"I don't think I've ever seen a dragon quite like this!" Crouch stammered, his voice laced with disbelief. "She seems to understand what we're saying? Wait... oh my—what is she doing now?!"
His voice cracked with fear.
Just then, Iris suddenly raised her massive head and gave the group a quick glance, before soaring into the air with surprising grace. With a playful flap of her wings, a gust of wind strong enough to send Fudge and the others nearly flying was unleashed.
The force of the wind was so intense, it almost had them lifted right off their feet, sending their hats flying and hair whipping about. Thankfully, Iris seemed to be merely having a bit of fun and quickly controlled herself before things got out of hand.
If she had decided to get serious, though, the consequences could have been far worse.
Meanwhile, inside the castle, Dumbledore stood beside Aris, watching the spectacle unfold. He couldn't help but burst into laughter at the scene.
"Aris, aren't you worried they'll get upset with you doing that?" Dumbledore asked with a raised brow.
"I reckon after seeing a dragon, even if they do get mad, they'll probably think twice about the consequences," Aris shrugged nonchalantly, clearly unfazed by the prospect of angering Fudge and the others.
After all, it wasn't Iris under his control; it was the good old Minister of Magic, who was essentially throwing fuel on the fire.
"I see what you're up to now, but remember—don't push it too far," Dumbledore cautioned, his tone becoming more serious.
"I got it!" Aris nodded with a slight grin.
He then made his way toward the living room door, adding with a smile, "I'm just about to go and greet them!"
"I am starting to feel that you're too clever for your own good!" The old wizard chuckled, shaking his head as he settled back onto the sofa.
Fudge and his companions, having stepped out of the intimidating presence of Iris, finally made their way to the castle. Their faces still reflected the tension of the encounter.
As they approached, Aris emerged from the shadows, a calm and confident figure. The guiding light that had led them dissipated into tiny glimmers and vanished into thin air.
"Mr. Minister, Mr. Crouch, my apologies," Aris said, bowing slightly, his tone sincere. "I didn't anticipate that Iris would act so... rudely. I apologise on her behalf."
"Iris? Is that the name of the dragon?" Fudge asked, subconsciously patting his bald head. The gust of wind Iris had conjured earlier had blown his hat off, and now he was fussing to keep his hair in place, clearly more concerned with that than the dragon itself.
Noticing Fudge's discomfort, Aris drew his wand with a flick of his wrist, casting a charm to send Fudge's hat soaring back into the air. "There we go, Mr. Minister," Aris remarked with a smirk, "all sorted."
Fudge's hat, which had been blown away to who knows where, suddenly appeared in the sky and zoomed towards him with surprising speed.
"Mr. Minister, your hat!" Aris said, handing it back with a smile.
Fudge eyed the young wizard standing before him, the boy barely reaching his chest, and nodded with approval.
"Very impressive spell," Fudge remarked. "If I recall correctly, that's taught in the third year at Hogwarts, right? To see it applied so skillfully—your talent is truly remarkable!"
Just then, a voice from the living room called out, "Minister Fudge, if you knew a bit more about magic, you'd realise that Mr. Shafiq's abilities extend far beyond that!"
"At the start of this term, he'd already completed all the courses up to grade five, which even took me by surprise!"
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 155 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]