I stood in the living room, waiting for my etiquette and dance teacher—Sophie Grey. According to the memories of this body, she was a good friend of my mother, whom she met regularly.
Green flames flared from the fireplace, and a twenty-year-old woman stepped out. She wore an elegant black dress that complemented her dark hair.
"Good morning, Aurelius."
"Good morning, Miss Grey."
She strode out of the fireplace, and with a flick of her wand, the ash on her hair and shoulders vanished.
"As your mother said, I will give you etiquette lessons today. On Wednesday, you will have dance lessons with my daughter at Grey Manor."
Surprised, I raised an eyebrow.
"Since my daughter and you are about the same build, you can learn from each other. But that's not why I'm here.
"Today is all about your etiquette lesson."
Two hours later, my etiquette teacher took her leave, giving me a brief grin.
Green flames erupted from the fireplace as she disappeared.
Sighing, I walked toward the dining table.
For two painstakingly long hours, I was taught proper posture, body language, table manners, and the culture of the wizarding world.
The only interesting part was the culture of the wizarding world and a tale of the past.
The three most important holidays:
Samhain – The Thinning
When the veil between worlds thinned and necromancy reached its peak, wizards gathered to honor the dead. This was banned by the Ministry, who deemed it a "dark practice," comparing it to the forbidden art of necromancy.
Yule – The Binding
Rituals were performed to honor the connection to Mother Magic. Sacred fires burned while wizards danced around them.
Beltane – The Awakening
The return of spring. Beltane symbolizes healing and reunion, a time spent with loved ones.
All these traditions were banned in Britain by the Ministry of Magic. However, the "old families" still practiced them in secret.
When Miss Sophie explained this to me, I asked how it came to be that their traditions were suppressed.
She replied:
"During the First Wizarding War, many of the pure-blood families joined Gellert Grindelwald. The Ministry argued that the situation escalated so quickly because many pure-blood families held so much power. As a result, most of their power in parliament was stripped away. The Minister of Magic and the Supreme Mugwump were granted most of the authority."
"When a group called the 'Death Eaters' emerged, most of the pure-blood families joined this extremist faction in hopes of regaining their influence in the Ministry."
"This led to a war across magical Britain. The Death Eaters, led by Lord Voldemort, a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, opposed the Ministry of Magic and the so-called 'Order of the Phoenix,' led by Albus Dumbledore."
"Outnumbered, the Death Eaters resorted to the Dark Arts to increase their power. A small portion refused, unwilling to use dark magic because of its inhumane psychological effects."
"Angered, the Dark Lord killed the few who revolted. Then, the Death Eaters—willing or not—performed a dark ritual to amplify their power."
"Corrupted and strengthened by the Dark Arts, they struck back."
"However, they underestimated the influence of the Dark Arts… Psychopaths were born who feasted on the bodies of the bleeding. They forgot their original goals, blaming Muggle-borns for supposedly taking their power. The movement became known as a racist faction, while the true motives were forgotten."
"The Order of the Phoenix, led by Albus Dumbledore, prevailed. Dumbledore rose as the leading wizard in magical Britain, gaining more influence within the Ministry."
"He used this influence to ban many sacred rituals and magical arts, labeling them as 'Dark Arts,' and thus the foundation for even darker arts."
"Therefore, he branded our sacred traditions as 'Dark Arts,' causing divisions among the population. Confused and grieving, most wizards chose the newly established political faction, the Light, trusting their savior over the pure-blood families that had terrorized them."
"Thus, we are forced to celebrate and honor our traditions in secret."
I wondered whether Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, led this movement out of inherent racism and had been a psychopath since childhood, or if his psychopathic tendencies developed later after corruption by the Dark Arts.
Perhaps Miss Sophie gave me a modified version of the true story, to raise me as the ideal "pure-blood."
Yet this account felt more realistic than the version in the Harry Potter books.
"This is the real world now; the books can't be compared to my current reality."
My thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched voice…
"Master Aurelius, are you ready for your lunch?"
I looked to the left and saw Billy, the house-elf.
"Yes, I am. Is the food ready?"
"Of course, of course. Billy has prepared your meal," he replied excitedly, disappearing with a "plop."
The meal appeared on the table with a soft "plop." I began to eat, finding it surprisingly difficult to manage the utensils with my uncoordinated child fingers. However, due to my previous experience with Miss Sophie, when she had demonstrated table etiquette, it was easier than my first attempt.
While enjoying the delicious food, I absentmindedly planned the rest of my day.
"Occlumency is my priority now. Then I can practice wandless magic and visit the library."
Finished with lunch, I thanked Billy, who blushed shyly, and retreated to my room with the book on the mental arts.
Once inside, I quickly closed the door, grabbed the book, and sat cross-legged on the soft carpet.
I opened the chapter on Stage One and devoured the pages in record time.
Ten minutes later, I closed the book with a grin, closed my eyes, let my arms fall onto my knees, and relaxed my whole body.
First, I focused on the magical core in my chest, letting the magic flow toward my head.
After about 2–3 minutes, I felt the magical flow reach my head. My body grew warm, and I lost all sense of physicality.
"This is the sign!"