[Seven-Apertures Heart talent detected. Claim reward?]
Theodore swallowed his snark.
Right—of course this was Chaoge, not London. He wasn't talking to a butler; he was trading philosophies with Bi Gan himself. Splendid eyesight, System. Keep it up.
He glanced at near-tearful Flanders.
"Rest, Flanders. I'll turn in shortly."
When the door clicked shut, Theodore drew the curtains, locked the study, and breathed once to steady himself.
"Claim Seven-Apertures Heart."
A bright chime.
The pane shifted:
[Current Connection: King's Uncle Bi Gan]
[Connection Tier: Life-and-Death Bond]
[Reward: Seven-Apertures Heart]
Something changed.
His mind cleared to crystal. Senses sharpened. It was as if dust had been wiped from the world.
"So this is Seven-Apertures Heart—know all things, see to the essence?"
Perhaps he couldn't feel the full grandeur yet, but he felt… smarter. Sharper. Almost like wearing Ravenclaw's diadem—only better.
Even his magic sat differently in him—like a river he could place a hand in and redirect at will.
He snapped his fingers, thinking, Restore the pen.
Before his eyes, the twisted fountain pen eased back toward its old shape under an invisible pressure. A few minutes later, it was serviceable again—scored, but whole.
"Slow and imperfect, but that's almost Reparo—and wandless."
Of course. Seven-Apertures Heart. A young witch or wizard usually wrestled for months to get a feel for their magic; now his control felt hand-to-glove.
A delighted voice broke the quiet.
"Ah! A young wizard—wandless casting. A prodigy!"
Theodore turned. The owl from earlier still perched atop the room's clock. He'd simply… forgotten it existed.
Then another realisation: he understood it.
"I can speak owl now?"
He grinned. "Brilliant. The Primordial talent does languages, then."
"Parseltongue, step aside," he murmured. "This is the real patch."
The pane flashed again:
[You encounter a spirit crane kept by a Chan Sect elder. Though a beast, its cultivation predates yours; treat it as a senior.]
[Attempt to befriend it; minor boons may follow.]
[Acquaintance → Talent: Night Vision (see the dark as day).]
[Close Friend → Talent: Windriding (greatly aids wind-arts and sword-flight).]
[Life-and-Death → Talent: Sun & Moon Essence (draw ambient essence from sun and moon with higher efficiency).]
Theodore blinked.
The Hogwarts post owl… a spirit crane, is it? Very well, System.
Practical magic: Night Vision for the Forbidden Forest, Windriding for broom control—Quidditch trials, maybe. Sun & Moon Essence is untested in wandcraft, but I won't turn it down.
He pulled a small bag of chef-made beef jerky from a drawer and offered it.
The owl had clearly flown long; despite a sniffy look for Muggle snacks, it took a strip, chewed, then brightened.
"What beef is this? Not fresh meat, but—very good!"
"House special," Theodore said, smiling. "Not your mass-market stuff. A bag like this costs a hundred pounds."
"If you like it, I'll pack more. Take it back to Hogwarts. Share with a lady friend if you've one in mind."
The owl's eyes went wide.
"Wait—you speak owl?"
"—No, wait—how much did you say that bag was?"
"How many Galleons is a hundred pounds?!"
Theodore waved that aside. "Money isn't the point. You can tell I'm not short of it. What I lack are friends."
He rolled up a thick wad of notes, tucked it into the owl's message tube, and patted the brass cap.
"You've flown hard. If you'll have me as a friend, accept the gift."
The weight settled. The owl shivered, then looked at him with unabashed warmth.
How many Galleons would that be? Should he… open an account at Gringotts?
More importantly—food.
The owl flapped closer and bumped its head fondly against Theodore's cheek.
"Little wizard, you have yourself a friend."
"In fact, you're my best friend."
The pane chimed:
[Bond with Spirit Crane: Close Friend]
[Talent gained: Night Vision]
[Talent gained: Windriding]
Theodore laughed under his breath. "Pleased to meet you, senior."