On the morning of the departure for Hogwarts, I naturally woke up at six o'clock as usual. I was fairly disciplined. Since I had nothing to play games on late into the night here, and I kept my reading in check so I wouldn't stay up needlessly late, I always fell asleep and woke up pleasantly relaxed.
The best part was that after the ritual with the troll parts, my regeneration was insanely strong. Even when I completely destroyed my chest muscles and triceps with push-ups—so much so that I couldn't push myself up even once and cramped with every movement, as if the next strain would tear my tendons—by the next day I was completely fine.
It was literally a cheat code. Not only did it help with my muscles and tendons, but I felt that my bone density was substantially better too. And since Vespera and I had been dueling all holiday, I could actually feel the difference when I got hit by her cutting or piercing offensive spells. And plenty of them hit me! Thanks to that, I gained a pretty accurate gauge of the magical power behind individual spells. My magic resistance had definitely improved as well. I didn't have it in black and white on stat sheets like in some game, but the difference was palpable.
Since I had such a proper cheat code for physical conditioning, I started every morning with an intense, explosive workout. The faster and more dynamic the movement, the longer and better I could function in real combat... not to mention what a great way it was to relax—to think about nothing at all. The only thing that could bother me was sweat stinging my eyes, which I experienced regularly.
And another benefit of the physical drill? Whenever I really pushed myself to the limit, I got a solid hit of endorphins, the happiness hormones. It was a great counterweight to my daily Dark Magic training. Anger, hatred, and the desire to cause harm were necessary for quite a few spells in my repertoire, and where they weren't directly required, I felt they at least empowered them.
Even neutral spells, like elemental magic, worked significantly better for me if I visualized a grim fate for my enemy... I had no idea whether this trait was unique to me or if it was the same for others, but I practically didn't care. Did it work better with hatred and a desire to hurt? Yes.
Sweating like a pig after a proper dynamic workout, I headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I was, so to speak, actively avoiding thinking... Today was Tuesday, and in three hours I'd be leaving for Hogwarts. Honestly, I was looking forward to it, especially the duels with more evenly matched opponents and training regularly with my friends again.
However, there was one huge problem that I had kind of ignored until now... Vespera Rosier, my beloved aunt. She was so incredibly attached to me that for the last three days she looked far too sad. Only her strict aristocratic upbringing and Occlumency managed to keep the tears from her eyes.
We had spent literally every day together for the past two months. She supported me even in my immoral antics—hunting a troll, slaughtering the organizers of illegal fights in Knockturn Alley, or raiding a drug boss. She had virtually no issue with anything I did, and that alone should have told me how deep it ran.
With a sigh, I stepped out of the bathroom groomed and dressed. Styrax was lounged out on the bed as usual. Naturally, he knew we were traveling to Hogwarts today.
"Any ideas on how to calm Vespera down?" I asked him, hoping he'd come up with some miraculous solution.
He looked at me in silence, as if checking whether I was serious. Immediately after, however, he ignored me and went back to licking his fur clean.
"I'll leave you at home!" I threatened him.
"Meow," he replied with a soft meow.
I sat down beside him on the bed with another deep sigh.
"What if I just act like nothing is happening?" I mused aloud. "She'll simply see me off at the train and that's it... or I could go alone. She already taught me how to Apparate."
Styrax suddenly looked up at me with bright green eyes. He stared intently into my face as if weighing the safety of Apparating with me. In the end, he just blinked and went back to grooming.
"Glad to see you approve," I remarked with a smile.
Practically speaking, Apparition was dead simple—substantially easier than wandless Legilimency. The principle of visualization combined with firm determination was essentially the same, so I wasn't even surprised why most wizards could manage it.
Vespera had taught me in a single afternoon just last week... And of course, along the way she didn't forget to pass down a few immoral, yet immensely useful pieces of knowledge.
For example, that it's possible to forcibly break through anti-Apparition wards. Everything depended solely on how much magic the protection contained and how it had been crafted.
With ancient wizarding manors and structures, like Hogwarts for instance, that was practically unthinkable, though. Over centuries, such places absorbed massive amounts of magic—more than even a group of the strongest wizards could gather combined. Attempting to punch through those wards wouldn't just be stupid; it would be outright suicidal.
With ordinary houses, however, the situation was completely different. A sufficiently powerful wizard could break through weaker wards, and I had no doubt that Lord Voldemort would be capable of doing so.
Even there, no simple rule applied. The more magic a person poured into Apparition, the greater their ability to overcome the ward's resistance.
The biggest problem was figuring out how much magic the ward actually possessed. Judging that from the outside was extremely difficult. You couldn't know how large a gemstone formed the core of the protection, how much magic it could hold, whether it drew energy from its surroundings, or if it required regular manual recharging.
Because with warding systems, it wasn't just the spell itself that mattered, but also the magical gemstone it was tied to. Diamonds, corundums, quartzes, and other suitable stones could serve as energy sources and magic reservoirs. The larger and higher quality the stone used, the more energy it could store and the broader the wards it could sustain long-term.
We also covered the approximate magic consumption of Apparition itself. It was determined mainly by distance, mass, and the number of people. The greater the mass and the more people involved, the higher the consumption and the greater the risk of Splinching. Conversely, a smaller mass allowed for faster, safer Apparition.
In the end, these were simple magical principles.
I let out another heavy sigh. Once again I was dwelling on irrelevant matters while Vespera was surely already waiting for me in the dining room for breakfast.
"The first thing you'll do is greet Vespera. Got it?" I instructed Styrax sternly.
"Meow?"
"Since we're leaving today... we need Vespera to be okay. Get it?"
Styrax kept staring at me blankly.
"I know you're anti-social... but if you let her scratch you, it'll trigger oxytocin in Vespera—the love and trust hormone. Which means she'll handle our departure for Hogwarts better, surrounded by positive emotions."
He slowly blinked at me casually and let out a soft: "Meow?"
I took that as "And what's in it for me?", so with another heavy sigh, I brought out an offer.
"At Hogwarts, I'll get you even bigger portions of high-quality food than you get here at home."
Styrax yawned, narrowed his eyes, and promptly came over to me with a quiet meow. He placed his feline paw on my hand in agreement.
"Deal," I nodded. "Ready?"
I stood straight up. Instead of answering, Styrax leaped smoothly from the bed onto my shoulder. Armed like this, I headed for the dining room with full determination—hoping Vespera wouldn't end up with tears in her eyes over breakfast.
When we arrived in the dining room, Vespera was already sitting at the table. As always, she had a feast before her that could feed a small army. The moment she heard us, she folded her copy of the Daily Prophet, finally giving me a clear view of her face.
To my great surprise, she didn't look anywhere near as sad and devastated as yesterday. A soft, pleasant smile played on her face, and although she had faint, visible dark circles under her eyes, it was nothing terrible.
"Good morning, Patrik, Styrax," she greeted us calmly. "How did you sleep?"
"Good morning, Auntie. Me, as always—great," I replied with a smile and sat right down in my seat.
Styrax instantly put our secret plan into motion. He jumped off my shoulder, gracefully wove between plates and serving dishes straight to Vespera, and stopped right in front of her with an accompanying meow.
"Oh? May I scratch you?" she asked in surprise, and when Styrax placed his paw on her hand, she immediately started scratching him. The tomcat instantly began purring loudly and contentedly, playing his part perfectly.
If I didn't know that I'd had to bribe him with the promise of extra food at Hogwarts, I might have actually believed he was snuggling up to Vespera of his own free will. After all, he'd only let her scratch him once before—and that was back on his very first day at the manor.
While my aunt gently stroked him, I poured myself some cold milk from the pitcher and took a big gulp. Right at that moment, however, she asked me with a smirk: "What did you promise him, Patrik?"
The milk instantly spluttered right out of my mouth onto the table, directly into the omelet in front of me. Styrax stopped purring that very second, warily retreated out of her reach, and strolled over to his bowl with an entirely deadpan expression, as if nothing had happened. Yet it was precisely his immediate attempt to act like he had nothing to do with it that convicted us.
Vespera eyed me with a smirk, patiently waiting for me to stop coughing.
"Nothing special, just lots of good food at Hogwarts..." I finally replied with a sheepish grin. "I just wanted him to cheer you up a little before we leave."
Her eyes softened noticeably, and her smirk turned into a small but genuine smile.
"I know I haven't been doing so great the past few days..." she admitted softly after a moment. "But I'm the one who's supposed to take care of you, Patrik, not you of me."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I resorted to the only activity that felt safe at that moment—I grabbed a clean plate and served myself a fresh omelet from the dish nearby.
"Elizabeth told me a few things yesterday that I needed to hear," she added after a moment.
"I'm glad you have a friend like Elizabeth," I admitted with a smile. "But if you ever want... I can sneak out of Hogwarts anytime. I already have a plan. And since you taught me how to Apparate, I can come visit you whenever you need."
"That's sweet of you, but no. You need to focus fully on school and your friends, Patrik," she shut it down immediately. "The Daily Prophet just reported Gilderoy Lockhart's arrest, so for now we have no idea who will take the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. According to Cissa, though, it's possible Bones will place Moody there... So you'll have to be extremely careful. He is definitely not our friend."
She paused briefly and then continued with an equally serious expression: "The Daily Prophet also reported the death of Maeve De Mille. Of course, it's no surprise to anyone; it was only a matter of time. Your friend Agnes will need you, though... even if I definitely don't approve of the De Milles as a family."
"If it's Moody, I'll definitely have trouble keeping myself in check," I admitted after a moment of silence. "Back at the Ministry after Mulciber died, he was incredibly arrogant and confrontational. I know he'd try to force a conflict at the first opportunity."
"In that case, ideally you must strike at full force with elemental magic. Moody is more powerful than I am. Even though I don't think his magical repertoire is quite as extensive, he definitely has more experience," Vespera stated. "The main thing is for you to survive and stay safe, Patrik."
I nodded in agreement. I certainly had no intention of holding back against him. Practically, I wouldn't have an issue ignoring what he did to the Rosier family in the past if he weren't so aggressive, at least temporarily. But after my brief personal experience with him, I knew he'd try to provoke me at every turn.
And with how fiercely blood and the thrill of battle burned in my veins... I was genuinely unsure if I could restrain myself. Especially when I was confident that at full power, I could probably kill him. He lacked mobility—standing stationary on one leg like an old pirate, and as far as I knew, he didn't use elemental magic.
Vespera cleared her throat quietly, bringing me back to reality.
"Agnes didn't exactly have the closest relationship with her mother. From what I know..." I informed her. "I think she'll manage fine."
Vespera looked at me as if I had completely lost my mind. Her eyebrows shot up and her lips parted in silent astonishment. She blinked almost incredulously and shook her head.
"Patrik, your friend is twelve years old, and until recently she grew up with only her mother." She paused briefly, but when I raised an eyebrow inquiringly, she continued: "Even if they didn't have the best relationship, you can be sure it will weigh on her. Especially when it's more than certain her own father killed her."
I had to sigh again.
"Aunt Vespera, you know emotional support isn't exactly our strong suit..." I said with a sigh. "So what am I supposed to do?"
Vespera slumped her shoulders and let out a heavy sigh, but then raised her face with a smile: "Elizabeth always hugged me when I was sad, or held my hand."
"She might take that romantically, though..." I shot it down immediately. "Let's rather not get into it, please. I'll just hope she'll be alright. The main thing is that they don't lock up her father... their alibi is definitely solid."
"Well, as you wish, Patrik. If anything comes up, we're here for you, and if needed, I can pop over to Elizabeth right away, you know," she offered with a smile and took a sip of black tea. I smelled the sharp, earthy, and subtly bitter aroma so intensely it felt as though the cup were right in front of me.
"Of course, Auntie. I know you're always here for me," I nodded. I certainly had no doubts about Vespera. "Do you think Agnes will already know about her mother's death, considering she and her father weren't supposed to return to England until this morning to catch the eleven o'clock train?" I asked curiously.
"Without a doubt. She likely died a week ago... so her father had plenty of time to inform her. The Daily Prophet wouldn't dare report on the death of a member of the De Mille family without their explicit permission. Even if Maeve was an Irish pure-blood witch..."
"Hmm, and who are the De Milles really? What are they like historically as a pure-blood family? At most, I know her father followed Voldemort and ultimately betrayed several Death Eaters to the Ministry," I inquired.
Vespera took another sip of tea, held it on her tongue for a moment, swallowed, and then answered with a quiet click of her tongue:
"An average old family, nothing special. As far as I know, they have no dark or bloody history behind them... They started out as merchants and subsequently invested in various enterprises across wizarding communities. So they have their fingers in many pies, if you could put it that way." She paused briefly and added with a smirk: "In short, finances—no powerful or ancient magic."
"Are you sure?" I asked with doubt in my voice. "I feel like Agnes is magically more powerful than everyone else in our year... she has enough magic for fire magic too."
"Of course I'm sure," she replied with a smirk. "You know yourself that a surname alone doesn't make you a powerful wizard. If she trains with you regularly, it's obvious she'll be powerful... The more you invest in magic, the more magic returns to you."
"Hmm," I nodded in agreement. "I'm curious to see how the school dueling tournament turns out, then."
"If you don't underestimate anyone, I'm sure you'll win against whomever... Although I doubt Flitwick will let you fight against seventh-years. School tournaments are usually split by year."
I immediately shook my head in disagreement.
"He won't have a choice. Since it's my money being fought for, my rules will apply... I have no doubt I can beat any second-year, just like the rest of our group. Apart from Potter and Zabini, I don't see anyone above average besides us."
I paused briefly and added: "I'll suggest splitting it... A mixed-year bracket for the grand prize in Galleons, and maybe a smaller sum for individual years."
"I think he might approve that," Vespera agreed with a smile. "Though it's possible Dumbledore will get involved. His pacifism and distaste for dueling in the wizarding world are quite well known. The Crossed Wands dueling club operated very prominently under Headmaster Dippet, but right after Dumbledore took over as Headmaster, it all collapsed almost overnight. Even Greyhaven School of Magic has a more active dueling club."
"Greyhaven?" I repeated curiously. "What's that?"
She raised an eyebrow, but then nodded understandingly.
"A school of magic, just like Hogwarts... It's not a traditional choice, though. There are more Muggle-born wizards, and they have a significantly more progressive system. But don't even consider it," she immediately shook her head. "Greyhaven doesn't have such high-quality teachers, such a vast magical library, or the funding... And since there's likely no one from the more prominent pure-blood families there, you wouldn't gain any useful connections either."
"Right, I understand. I'm just surprised... I thought Hogwarts was the only one in Britain."
"No... There are simply too many young witches and wizards for Hogwarts to accommodate them all," she said, shaking her head.
"Why didn't the Weasleys go to Greyhaven, then? They're visibly poor."
"Because Hogwarts on a résumé opens doors significantly more than Greyhaven... Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore are top-tier teachers, and at the same time, you never know what connections you'll make at Hogwarts. Someone like De Mille alone could drastically improve an ordinary person's life." She finished the rest of her tea and continued: "The Weasleys may be blood traitors, but they try to give their children the best possible start in life... even if a poor one."
Blood traitors.
"I don't get this, though. Why are the Weasleys considered blood traitors? Practically speaking, I talk to Muggles too—am I a blood traitor as well? I'm sure someone like Draco's father does business with Muggles too," I asked curiously.
"You have to distinguish between an insult and a fact, Patrik," Vespera smiled at me. "Your aunt Andromeda was insulted and labeled a blood traitor multiple times, just like Sirius Black. But they didn't actually betray their own blood. A blood traitor is someone who attacks, betrays, or murders their own direct bloodline. Blood is sacred in our world. The Weasleys are an old pure-blood family... Have you never wondered how it's possible they are so poor? That they don't have their own manor? Once, it was a large, powerful, and wealthy family. But this family ultimately continued through only one single branch—through Septimus, and through him, Arthur." She smirked amusedly, shook her head, and added: "That family slaughtered each other..."
"So Sirius and Andromeda aren't actually blood traitors?"
Vespera shook her head in disagreement: "No, they aren't. Otherwise, Sirius Black could never have become the Lord of the house."
"I see," I nodded.
It made total sense. Even why they didn't have much luck and why they were so poor despite being pure-blood wizards. It made sense that magic itself penalized the family in some way. But who knows... Maybe I was just crafting a theory that fit my narrative a bit too neatly.
"Do you have everything ready, Patrik?" Vespera asked after a moment. "We should head out in an hour."
"Yes, I have everything," I gave her a smile. "Styrax will go on my shoulder. When I tried to stuff him into a cage, he hissed and completely clawed up my robes..."
"Meow!" the tomcat meowed disapprovingly by his bowl, casually continuing to eat.
Vespera watched us with a soft smile and thankfully didn't look overly sad... Thank goodness for Elizabeth, seriously.
***
Author's note:
I honestly struggled to focus while writing this chapter, and I completely ran out of time... So, the beginning turned out to be a bit of an info dump. I really wanted us to finally be at Hogwarts already, but things didn't quite go according to plan... shame on me, guys!
Regarding the term blood traitors—using it strictly as a generic slur never made much sense to me unless someone actually harmed or betrayed their own bloodline. So, naturally, I tweaked the lore to fit my own worldbuilding, tying it directly to a sentient Mother Magic.
As for Apparition... Occlumency and Legilimency are far more mentally demanding disciplines. Because Patrik has such a disciplined mind and zero trouble concentrating, Apparition comes much easier to him—just as it would for anyone else with a finely honed mind. (Though people with ADHD would probably have a rough time with it.)
Just keep in mind that just because our MC says something doesn't make it absolute truth... he might simply believe it to be true. He might generally be stronger than an average seventh-year, but a single overpowered Diffindo could still slice his head right off. It's a cruel world out there!
Also, Agnes's mother managed to stick around quite a while, didn't she? What do you think, dear readers? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
***
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Upcoming Chapters – Already Written(15):
92. Before the Storm
93. Arania Exumai
94. Favors and Frustrations
95. Power and Glory
96. Morning Drills and Slytherin Deals
97. Thrill of the Fight
98. Calculated Risk
99. Flight and Fortune
100. Calculated Arrogance
101. GW: A Cunning Kind of Courage
102. GW2: My Best Friend
103. Pride Before the Haircut
104. Fire and Thunder
105. Better to Be Feared
106. A Serial Killer Under the Bed
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