The visit to St. Mungo's stayed with Edmund long after he returned to the Prince manor.
He could not stop thinking about the child in the Spell Damage ward—the blank face, the empty eyes, the dim flicker of magic that was barely there. Healer Strout had said some wake up and some don't. She had said they could only wait. But Edmund did not want to wait. He wanted to understand. He wanted to heal.
He spent the rest of July reading his grandfather's books on healing magic, the ones he had brought from the Edinburgh vault. The texts were old, the language dense, but he worked through them methodically, taking notes, practicing the small spells that the books described. *Episkey* for cuts and bruises. *Vulnera Sanentur* for deeper wounds. *Anima Cura* for magical exhaustion—a spell he had never heard of, one that his grandfather had developed himself.
The ring on his finger pulsed with warmth when he cast, guiding him when he faltered. But he did not rely on it. He wanted the skill to be his own.
**Progress – End of July**
*Healing Fundamentals: 35%*
*Third Year Curriculum (Self-Study):*
- Charms: 45%
- Transfiguration: 38%
- Potions: 42%
- Defence Against the Dark Arts: 35%
- Herbology: 30%
- Ancient Runes: 28%
- Care of Magical Creatures: 15%
He was not where he wanted to be. But he was moving.
---
The third-year booklist arrived in the middle of August.
Edmund opened it in the library, spreading the parchment across his grandfather's desk. The list was longer than last year's, with new subjects and advanced texts. He read it carefully, noting the additions.
**THIRD YEAR BOOKLIST**
*The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3* by Miranda Goshawk
*Intermediate Transfiguration* by Emeric Switch
*Advanced Potion-Making* by Arsenius Jigger
*Confronting the Faceless* by Quentin Trimble (Defence Against the Dark Arts)
*One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi* by Phyllida Spore (continued)
*Flesh-Eating Trees of the World* by Winifred Warbling (Herbology supplement)
*A History of Magic* by Bathilda Bagshot (continued)
*The Arithmancy of Divination* by Bridget Wenlock (Arithmancy elective)
*Ancient Runes: Advanced Theory* by Bathsheba Babbling (Runes elective)
*The Complete Guide to Divination* by Cassandra Vablatsky (Divination elective)
*Care of Magical Creatures: Intermediate* by Edwardus Lima (Creatures elective)
*Muggle Studies: Social Structures* by Wilhelm Wigworthy (Muggle Studies elective)
*Alchemical Principles for Intermediate Students* by Paracelsus (Alchemy elective)
He read the list twice, then set it aside. He had already read most of these books, or books like them. The third-year material was not new to him. He had been studying it for months. But seeing it listed, knowing that this was what he would be expected to learn over the next year, was a reminder of how far he had come.
He was not a prodigy. He was not Dumbledore. But he was ahead, and the lead was growing.
---
The last week of August, Edmund went to Diagon Alley.
He went alone, as he always did, walking through the Leaky Cauldron and into the courtyard, tapping the bricks with his wand. The Alley was crowded, as it always was before term, and he moved through the crowd with the ease of someone who had done this many times.
He bought his books at Flourish and Blotts, his cauldron supplies at Potage's, his robes at Madam Malkin's. He did not buy a pet—Perseus was waiting for him at home, and she would be with him for as long as she lived. He did not buy anything frivolous. He had gold, but not enough to waste.
He was leaving the Alley when he heard his name.
"Prince!"
He turned. Abraxas Malfoy was standing outside a shop, his white-blond hair catching the sun, his expression as unreadable as ever. He was dressed in robes that cost more than Edmund's entire wardrobe, and he was watching Edmund with the same assessing gaze he had worn at Hogwarts.
"Malfoy."
Abraxas stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "I heard you did well on your exams. Outstanding in Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and Defence. The professors are talking about you."
Edmund said nothing.
"My father was impressed. He said the Princes were not known for their academics. He said they were known for their healing." Abraxas's eyes flicked to Edmund's ring. "Are you following that path?"
"I'm learning."
Abraxas nodded slowly. "My father says the world is changing. The old families are circling, preparing for what is to come. He says the wizards who can heal will be valuable. Very valuable."
He paused, and for a moment, his mask slipped. Edmund saw something in his eyes—not warmth, but something like recognition.
"The Malfoys do not forget favors," Abraxas said. "Your family lent us gold when we needed it. That debt was repaid, but the memory remains. If you ever need something, Prince, ask."
He turned and walked away, his robes swirling behind him. Edmund stood in the middle of Diagon Alley, watching him go.
---
The train was crowded when Edmund boarded. He found his compartment near the back, where he had sat for the past two years, and settled into his seat. Perseus was in her cage above him, clicking her beak impatiently. He pulled out a book and waited.
Arthur arrived first, as he always did, his trunk levitating behind him, a bag of sweets in his hand. He dropped onto the seat opposite and grinned.
"Third year!"
"Third year," Edmund agreed.
Cassius came next, then Horace, then Astrid. The compartment filled with noise and laughter and the easy rhythm of friends who had known each other for two years and were ready for a third.
They talked about the summer, about the letters, about the things they had learned. Cassius demonstrated a partial human transfiguration he had been practicing, turning his hand into a claw and back again. Horace showed them a Draught of Living Death he had brewed, the color perfect, the bubbles rising in the steady rhythm that Professor Burke demanded. Arthur told them about the Quidditch Exhibition he had attended, the Canadian Seeker who could fly upside down, the vase his grandmother had thrown at him.
Astrid said nothing. She sat by the window, her rune stones in her hands, and watched the countryside slide past. But when Edmund looked at her, she smiled.
---
The castle was waiting when they arrived.
The carriages were drawn by Thestrals that most of them could not see, but Edmund could. He had seen them for two years now, and he did not look away. They were not frightening. They were simply there.
The Great Hall was the same as always, the enchanted ceiling showing a sky thick with stars, the floating candles casting their warm light over the four long tables. Headmaster Black rose to greet them, his voice as dry as ever, his expression as sour. The Sorting Hat sang its song, and the first years were sorted, and the feast began.
Edmund ate, and listened, and watched. He was a third year now. He had passed the halfway point. The years ahead were longer than the years behind, but they did not seem so distant anymore.
---
The next morning, he woke before dawn.
The Slytherin common room was empty, the fire low, the lake dark beyond the windows. He sat for a moment, letting the stillness settle over him, and then he went to find his timetable.
It was waiting on the table where the first years had gathered for breakfast, a small scroll tied with a silver ribbon. He opened it and read.
**THIRD YEAR TIMETABLE – EDMUND PRINCE, SLYTHERIN**
**Monday**
9:00 – 10:30: Transfiguration (Prof. Wainwright)
10:45 – 12:15: Charms (Prof. Marchbanks)
12:15 – 1:15: Lunch
1:15 – 2:45: Potions (Prof. Burke)
3:00 – 4:30: Herbology (Prof. Foley)
9:00 – 10:30: Astronomy (Prof. Sinistra)
**Tuesday**
9:00 – 10:30: Defence Against the Dark Arts (Prof. Merrythought)
10:45 – 12:15: Ancient Runes (Prof. Blackwood)
12:15 – 1:15: Lunch
1:15 – 2:45: History of Magic (Prof. Binns)
3:00 – 4:30: Magical Theory (Prof. Finch)
4:45 – 5:45: Arithmancy (Prof. Vane)
**Wednesday**
9:00 – 10:30: Herbology (Prof. Foley)
10:45 – 12:15: Transfiguration (Prof. Wainwright)
12:15 – 1:15: Lunch
1:15 – 2:45: Care of Magical Creatures (Prof. Kettleburn)
3:00 – 4:30: Potions (Prof. Burke)
4:45 – 5:45: Alchemy (Prof. Marchbanks)
**Thursday**
9:00 – 10:30: Defence Against the Dark Arts (Prof. Merrythought)
10:45 – 12:15: Ancient Runes (Prof. Blackwood)
12:15 – 1:15: Lunch
1:15 – 2:45: Magical Theory (Prof. Finch)
3:00 – 4:30: Herbology (Prof. Foley)
4:45 – 5:45: Study Period
**Friday**
9:00 – 10:30: Potions (Prof. Burke)
10:45 – 12:15: Care of Magical Creatures (Prof. Kettleburn)
12:15 – 1:15: Lunch
1:15 – 2:45: Transfiguration (Prof. Wainwright)
3:00 – 4:30: Charms (Prof. Marchbanks)
4:45 – 5:45: Arithmancy (Prof. Vane)
**Saturday**
9:00 – 11:00: Study Period
11:30 – 1:00: Flying (optional)
Afternoon: Free
**Sunday** – Free Day
The timetable was fuller than last year's, with more periods, more subjects, more demands. Edmund scanned the new additions: Ancient Runes twice a week, Care of Magical Creatures twice a week, Arithmancy as a new elective, Alchemy as another. He had chosen to continue with Runes and Creatures, and to add Arithmancy and Alchemy—four electives on top of the core subjects.
He folded the timetable and slipped it into his robes. There was work to do.
The system pulsed as he walked toward the Great Hall.
**System Notification: Third Year – Initialization**
*You have reached an important milestone. The roadmap you set for yourself is holding. Second-year mastery has been achieved. The goal for this year: third-year proficiency in your core subjects, with O.W.L.-level proficiency by the end of third year.*
**New Long-term Objective: The Path of Excellence**
*To be recognized as a wizard of exceptional ability, you must do more than learn. You must create, innovate, discover. This year, you will have the opportunity to begin that work.*
Edmund dismissed the interface and walked into the Great Hall. His friends were already there, gathered at the Slytherin table, their faces lit by the morning light. He sat down beside them, reached for the bread, and thought about the months ahead.
Third year. The work would be harder. The stakes would be higher. But he was ready.
---