《Còir Buaidh》 Intro Intro ¡­
¡°What?¡± I muttered as I blinked, trying to work out where I was. The last thing I remembered was taking shelter with my family, trying to ride out hurricane Edith as it smashed into the western coast of Scotland. The storm had been battering the country for several days, with large areas of the coast, including Glasgow, flooded so badly that even if the winds died down no help would come from the Government. And forget about help from outside the Isles, as the EU was barely functioning while the UN had fallen following the deployment of nuclear weapons in eastern Europe and the South China Sea more than a decade ago. That included my family, though we, unlike many, had managed to stock up in preparation after the nuclear disasters so we were just as prepared for hurricane Edith and lived in a semi-affluent area of the city that was on elevated ground. While that meant we¡¯d avoided the worst of the flooding, it had turned our street, or at least part of it, into an island in the storm. Yet as my eyes took in the sterile white roof above me, and adjusted to the bright light in the room coming in from a row of windows behind my head, I realized that I wasn¡¯t at home. I lifted an arm, turning over in bed with the plan to slide from it and learn where I was only for two things to stop me. One, and the more obvious issue, was that the arm that I lifted wasn¡¯t mine. It was shorter, thinner and clearly that of a child around Gwyneth¡¯s (my youngest daughters¡¯) age. And two, hanging from the wrist was a tag with something written on it. ¡°The fuck?¡± I muttered as I struggled to process what I was seeing. Time seemed to melt away as I mentally ordered my arm to turn and watched in horror as the child¡¯s arm in front of me did just that. ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± Somewhere far to my right, I heard a noise. I turned to see a row of beds running from me to a door. While most were occupied by children, all of them looked primitive. Like something I¡¯d see in a World War 2 movie. At the end of each was an honest-to-God clipboard, when I¡¯d expect to see some sort of electronic display. None of what I was seeing made sense, yet, as a figure appeared on the other side of the glass door, an urge to be cautious until I knew what the hell was going on came forth. As the handle turned, I brought my arm ¨C or whatever was pretending to be my arm ¨C back down and closed my eyes. I could hear clipped footsteps of someone walking into the room which reminded me of high heels, and then a faint hint of lilac drifted around the room. ¡°Hmm, now what caused that?¡± A female voice asked quietly, not wanting to disturb me and whoever was in the other bed. The woman moved around the room slowly. As her steps sounded as though they were heading away from me, I risked a peek through half-closed eyelids. The woman looked like a nurse, but just like the room I found myself in, she appeared ancient. Not in age, as that was impossible to tell from behind, but her choice of clothing. I¡¯d expected the all-blue gender-neutral worn by NHS nurses, something I was familiar with since my wife was a doctor. Instead of that, this woman wore a dress. It was light blue with a white collar and cuffs. Around her waist, and likely covering her front, was a white gown that was topped off by a small white cap. Again, like something out of a World War 2 movie or tv series. I closed my eyes fully as she turned back my way. I tried to stay calm as her heels clipped on the floor, heading toward me. Fingers gently touched my head and ran into my hair. ¡°Hmm, fever¡¯s broken, now if you¡¯d just wake up wee one, we can figure out who you are.¡± I almost gave the game up by frowning, but I managed to avoid doing so. Once her hand was off me, I stayed still, not moving until I heard her heels head toward the door and then pull it open and close as she exited the room. Even after that, I stayed still, on the off chance someone was still in the room, yet while I stayed still, my mind was racing a mile a minute. Nothing about this made sense. The last thing I remembered was the power going out late at night. Gwyneth crying out in fear and while my darling Leslie tried to comfort her, I¡¯d headed downstairs with a torch, needing to check the fuse box. I could remember opening the box when there¡¯d been an almighty flash of light, and the next moment I¡¯d woken up here. Wherever the fuck here was. Nothing made sense, and as I moved around in the bed, there was a shift of weight on my chest. I lifted a hand to see what it was, only to stop as I saw the tag around my wrist once more. And this time, the writing on it was clear to see. Name: (James) DOB:? (appears 6 to 8) Admitted: July 15th 1965 I¡­ But¡­ ¡°WHAT?!¡± I snarled out, barely managing to keep my voice down at the scant amount of information on the tag. What the fuck did it mean by July 1965! It¡¯d been January 2054 when I¡¯d gone to bed! Nothing about this made any sense. I flailed around, trying desperately to figure out what sort of sick, demented shit this was when the tag caught my attention again. Or more accurately, the other side of it. On that, there was a small blue circle, and inside that were the words. TOUCH ME FOR ANSWERS. I stared at the circle, not wondering if I should touch it, but instead what sort of deranged fucker was behind whatever was going on. I lowered my arm, stared up at the ceiling and started going over everything that I could remember from waking to the power going out. I kept replaying the series of events over and over, desperately trying to find something, anything, that might explain what the fuck was going, where the fuck I was and what the hell happened to my family! Yet, hours later, with the light from outside fading and being replaced by lights in the room that the nurse turned on about an hour ago, my thoughts turned back to the tag on my wrist. And the blue circle upon it. Seeing no other option, or at least having exhausted any beyond trying to talk to the nurse that¡¯d come into the room twice since that first time ¨C though the latter was only to turn on the lights ¨C I hesitantly reached out. As my finger brushed against the blue circle, I fell back onto the bed, unable to do anything as I felt a hundred white-hot spears slam into my brain. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ When I next opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a strange, dull, grey fog. I had no clue where I was, but this place felt hauntingly eerie and vaguely ancient at the same time. ¡®How?¡¯ The word didn¡¯t slip from my lips but instead rattled around inside my skull. ¡®What?!¡¯ I spun around, trying to figure out just where I was, and what the fuck was going on. ¡®Is¡­ is this the afterlife?¡¯ I asked myself as I stood, or possibly floated as there was no discernible floor beneath me, alone in this odd void. It shouldn¡¯t be, after all, I¡¯d come from a body that wasn¡¯t my own, yet for some reason that was the impression this was a place where life existed after death. Not quite. I nearly suffered a heart attack as the words appeared in front of my eyes while echoing through my soul. ¡®THE FUCK?!¡¯ There is no need to shout here, Donald Lauchlan. ¡®Where the fuck is here?¡¯ My heart was racing, yet when I brought my hand to my chest, I couldn¡¯t feel it beat. This is, in terms that you might understand, a waystation. Between one world and the next. Normally, when an essence is extinguished in one dimension, it passes through a waystation without knowing it. You, however, are returning here to help understand and begin your next Great Adventure. Where you can prepare for the next Great Adventure while remembering all that came before. Or forget all and start it anew without any burdens. I frowned as I read the strange words floating like small blue clouds in front of me. Something about that felt vaguely familiar. I felt I should know where I¡¯d read those words before, yet nothing came to mind. ¡®What are you?¡¯ I asked, feeling oddly calm even as I understood I was dead, and would likely never see my wife and children again. ¡®Where are we?¡¯ As we said, this is a waystation. As to what we are, for ease of mind, you may refer to us as Watchers. We see all that is, was and will be across every universe that ever was, is, or shall be. I blinked as I processed the words I¡¯d just read. Again, there was this feeling that I should know what these Watchers were. Or where I was. And yet, my memory failed me. ¡®Why am I here?¡¯ If this was the stopover before whatever the afterlife was, then I wanted out of here. Somewhere beyond, my wife and daughter may exist. Somehow, I might be able to find them again. Those you were connected to have already passed through. Though this may have been after your timestream ended. All that you knew of them, all that they experienced, has gone to the next great adventure. To become one with all that is. Yet sparks of their essence, their souls, have already slid over into new dimensions to experience new adventures. ¡®Can I join them?¡¯ Even as I asked that I knew it could never be. From what the text was saying, my darling Leslie and young Gwyneth were gone. Though the idea that they lived on still, in some form, brought me a strange sense of closure. You already know the answer to that. Their time as you knew them has passed, while a new adventure has begun for parts of them. Though that isn¡¯t why you were brought back here. I frowned, wondering what I¡¯d done to earn this ¡®honour¡¯. While we Watchers do exactly that, sometimes those above us grow¡­ interested in a spark of consciousness. Though this happens once for every quadrillion to the power of quadrillion sparks. So I¡¯d draw the interest of whatever controlled the afterlife, or at least entrance to it. ¡®Lucky me.¡¯ Indeed. You are most lucky. For you have been chosen to not only remember your previous adventure but to select elements for your next Great Adventure. Though those above us felt placing you there first, to give you some sense of when and where you would begin held more appeal before allowing you to make the choices to shape the world. I frowned, not liking being used for the amusement of others. I¡¯d had enough of that in my life, well former life I assumed, when those in power ¨C be they the supposedly democratically elected or financially powerful ¨C had spoken down to the general public about what was best for the country or the world. All while they did nothing to stop the carnage being unleashed on the planet by them and those who¡¯d come before. Those that only cared about the next ¡®quick fix¡¯ to any issue instead of correcting the underlying issues. While there were many of those, the most basic one was that we, as a species, had fucked over the planet with nukes and exploitation to such a degree that she was changing. And through it all ¨C be that the erupting of various volcanoes worldwide, the active use of nukes, or fault lines like the San Andreas fault shifting and unleashing devastation upon those nearby, or a mega-storm like Hurricane Edith that had been the fifth category 5 storm to slam into the UK this year alone ¨C the human race had suffered. Well, except for those with the power to do something, though instead of moving to help others, or negate the damage that their actions had caused, those with power ¨C be it political or financial ¨C had all but abandoned the rest of us for the safety of elite bunkers designed to weather a planet slowly becoming uninhabitable for humanity. Honestly, when I¡¯d looked at things from a macro level, and taken the personal out of it, it was clear that we were getting exactly as we deserved. Yet, as I realised that I¡¯d been inserted into some other version of Earth, one decades earlier in the timeline, I wondered if there was perhaps a way for me to change that path. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but maybe, just maybe, it could be attempted. Those thoughts were pushed from my mind as there was a faint shift of colour behind the text. The light darkened for a moment before, floating in the air in front of, appeared a book. Or more accurately, one of those old-fashioned style tomes. Very cautiously, I reached for the tome, finding the feel of real, honest-to-God leather against my fingertips a shock. Printed books had skyrocketed in price in the years before I¡¯d died, and the only place leather-bound books existed was in larger libraries. Or the private collections of the cunts responsible for the state of the planet when I¡¯d died. ¡®Why don¡¯t I feel angry about what¡¯s happened? Why can¡¯t I grieve for my family?¡¯ In this waystation, emotions are dulled. You still feel connections to all that¡¯s come before, but those above us prefer if the sparks they choose aren¡¯t encumbered by what came before when deciding on the new adventure they will experience. Yeah, that was all sorts of unhelpful. Fucking pricks denying me the right to grieve for my family! Yet even as I raged at the strange floating text my fingers traced over the tome in my hands. Gently I pulled at it, watching in amazement as the book came with my grip as if I was lifting it from a shelf and not from where it¡¯d been floating in the air mere moments before. ¡®Is this a joke?!¡¯ I thought with a snarl as I read the first page and saw images of not just Earth, but people summoning the elements from their fingertips. ¡®Do your bosses want to place me in a fucking story?¡¯ All stories have a basis in fact. What you, in the world that came before, considered entertainment, were glimpses into the infinite array of universes that we watch over. While those above us watch over us all. Your next Great Adventure has already been selected; however, those above wish to make things interesting, thus you can alter the world you wish to experience. This might result in subtle alterations to the world that you¡¯ve already seen, but the statistical probability of that is slim. ¡®But¡­ This¡­ Fuck me.¡¯ My focus returned to the book, wondering just what the hell I¡¯d somehow been dropped into. Turning the page slowly, I watched as more images of people fighting appeared, though this time they seemed to be creating weapons from the air and attacking each other. ¡®Magic¡¯s real?¡¯ Where you came from, it was not. In other universes, like the one chosen for you by the ones above, it is. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.And in some, it is all there is. ¡®Well fuck me,¡¯ I muttered as I kept flicking through the book. Only to stop as a familiar castle appeared on one page. ¡®Wait, what?!? That¡¯s fucking Hogwarts?¡¯ As was stated, what you see as entertainment are actually glimpses into other dimensions. Huh, this just got interesting. I continued to flick through the pages, until, when I was about a third of the way into the book, I reached a listing. One that, as I skimmed over it, I felt my heart leap into my mouth. ¡®What does this mean by a ¡®more magical¡¯ world?¡¯ There exist various dimensions that while close in design, have enough variance to be unique. On occasion, that might be the altering of the gender of one being at birth. In others, the rules of the very universe might be altered. With this guide, you can style the dimension your next Great Adventure will take place in, altering everything from your own body to the very nature of that universe, to suit your desires. However, be aware that altering the rules of a dimension affects all within it, not just you. ¡®This is insane.¡¯ No, this is the truth of what drives all dimensions. All universes. Those that came before. Those that exist now. And those that will come after. I stared at the floating text for God, or whatever, knew how long, trying to wrap my mind around what I was learning. Everything I¡¯d ever seen, ever read as fiction was, in all likelihood, real somewhere across time and space. And not only was I now aware of that, but I was being given the chance to enter one such world. ¡®Bloody hell.¡¯ My focus returned to the tome, looking through all the options available. Everything from making all humans have six fingers, to determining when, or if, I¡¯d become bald. Everything was at my fingertips to shape a world with more or less magic, other races or less, or even creatures that didn¡¯t exist in what I knew of Harry Potter. All in all, the list was frankly, overwhelming. ¡®How do I go about this?¡¯ I asked after some time ¨C an exact figure was impossible as I had no way to track time ¨C of flicking through the options. Beside each was a number, and at the top of each place was a number, the same one. 1000. You have however long you wish to have. Time, as you understand it, doesn¡¯t exist here. Your essence, your spark, is between dimensions. ¡®Huh.¡¯ With that now known I went back to the book. I selected a random option, one that made left-handers more common than right-handers and watched the number at the top of the page drop. Flicking the page, I saw those numbers had fallen as well. That meant there was a cost to everything, meaning I had to be much more cautious about how I wanted to design this new world. ¡­ What felt like hours, but could possibly have been weeks or months, later I reached the last page of the tome. There, a single word was printed. CONFIRM ¡®Once I press this, then my choices are locked, right?¡¯ Yes. Once the changes are confirmed, a dimension will be found for you. Your spark, as it is now, will be merged with one there whose time would normally have ended. From then on, you are alone. You will retain your memories of this waystation, and your previous adventure. However, unless you learn how to protect your memories, they will fade with time. ... Understand though, that once the choice is made, there is no going back. The next Great Adventure will begin instantly. I chuckled as I finally placed why this waystation felt familiar. It was the place between life and the afterlife where Harry had spoken to an already deceased Albus Dumbledore. Which, given the world that I¡¯d soon be journeying to, made all the sense in the universe. With that realisation in mind, I looked back down at the ¨C for lack of a better word ¨C alterations I made. Not just to myself, but to the entire world, if not the universe. The broadest changes I¡¯d gone for were A More Magical World and More Magic for All. Between the two they¡¯d increase the number of magicals in the world, both before and after the Statute of Secrecy came into effect, and add other magical races and beings into the world. While that seemed an extreme change to make, I felt that even with magic, the number of wizards in the UK during the canon events was simply too small to make a major change to the course taken by non-magicals. And that was if, somehow, unlike anyone else I knew of, I managed to get every single one of them to agree with my plans. Now, those plans were barely formed, but I was thinking that, given time and patience, changing the order of the world might not be a bad thing to attempt. Not like Voldemort ¨C he was just out for power ¨C but more akin to what Grindlewald felt. He was, after all, right in worrying about the carnage the muggles would unleash upon the world if given time. I¡¯d seen it happen in my former life after all. Still, taking these options had, oddly enough, granted me more points to spend, which allowed me to customize myself heavily. I focused first on special traits, choosing Emotionless Recall, Meta Lock, Brilliant Mind, Increased Stamina and Sleep is for the Weak. While that wasn¡¯t much, the first ensured I remembered everything I was taught before, and granted a natural boost to learning Occlumency if I so wanted. Now, while Occlumency should, in theory, have similar benefits to protecting my memories, I wasn¡¯t sure if that would apply to memories from before the power was learnt. And there was no way I was risking losing memories of Leslie and Gwyneth. Meta Lock would ensure no one could enter my mind and look through my memories from before my rebirth while also making it impossible for me to directly reference events from what I considered canon or the future. Though there was enough in the wording of that trait ¨C which was forced on me ¨C to suggest I might be able to suggest things to others. Brilliant Mind boosted my ability to learn new things to the point I¡¯d be considered by most to be a prodigy in whatever field I chose to study, while the last two enabled me to go longer than even a magical being could ¨C which would have more than a few uses as time went by ¨C and with less need to rest, which would hopefully increase the time I had to improve and learn. When it came to magical abilities, I took a lot more options, spending something like 700 points on the build. I¡¯d chosen to be a pureblood wizard of Scottish origin ¨C no need to mess with what I was too much ¨C though I¡¯d left the house selection on random. I had, however, ensured the family was known for a branch of magic that I¡¯d never heard about before, but upon reading its description I¡¯d been keen to learn: Flesh Carving. While its name sounded ominous, it was simply the ability to use runes, of any magical form, even ones I created, to empower your body. To help with this, I¡¯d taken an affinity for runic magic for more general abilities. I¡¯d also taken affinities for Transfiguration, Conjuration, wandless and non-verbal casting and spell creating along with elemental affinities for fire and lightning. Transfiguration and Conjuration were two forms of magic that, apart from being closely related, were from a branch of magic that¡¯d always intrigued me. Wandless and non-verbal casting were no-brainers. There would undoubtedly be times when I¡¯d not be able to speak or have a wand. Being able to cast in those situations could very well be the difference between life and death. My spell-creation affinity should, based on the description, make it easier to create my own spells. I¡¯d likely not stick to Latin as it was far too common, but since I¡¯d be able to remember languages from my former life, and had enjoyed learning High Valyrian and Sindarin ¨C among others ¨C then I had some interesting tongues to generate spells in. As for the elemental affinities, well Fiendfyre was a particularly impressive spell, and while I disliked the movies, the magical fire Grindlewald had used was something that¡¯d stuck in my mind ever since first seeing it. Lightning was more a personal choice, as the idea of being able to hurt, cripple and kill people as Emperor Palpatine had done had always sounded appealing. Even if it wasn¡¯t a thought I¡¯d ever voice out loud. However, all of those were just the warm-up for the main magical traits I¡¯d picked for myself. Parseltongue and being an Animagus were simple choices, though, for the latter, I¡¯d picked a magical animal. Or at least a Class XXXX one as I¡¯d lacked the points to pick a specific animal. As much as I wanted to turn into a dragon, the choices I¡¯d used the points instead were, in my mind, far more appealing for what I hoped to accomplish. I¡¯d pick the traits Death for Victory, Runes of the World, Bloody Touch, Embrace of the Shadows and Eradicator¡¯s Grasp. That made seven traits, which was the maximum number of traits allowed. While all of them dealt with advanced magic, these five were ideal for the conflict I felt was sure to come for how I wanted to shape the world. While each of them would need training to use properly ¨C which was true of every special trait ¨C once that was done, they¡¯d be invaluable for what I felt I¡¯d have to do. Death for Victory was, perhaps, the trait I hoped to develop last, but the ability to drain the magic and life force of another to heal myself was just too powerful to pass up. While I¡¯d considered taking a trait for necromancy, in the end, I¡¯d chosen Embrace of the Shadows. The description of what that magic could conceivably do ¨C from creating monsters purely made of shadow or even travelling through them ¨C was too tempting to pass up. Eradicator¡¯s Grasp, once I understood it, would grant me great control of destruction magic. That was magic that didn¡¯t just destroy or vanish something, but removed every trace of them from existence. People would remember whatever I¡¯d destroyed had existed, but nothing they did would bring it back. That would be insanely powerful, and might well allow me to destroy Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes without the need for Basilisk venom. Bloody Touch and Runes of the World were taken, not just because a more remarkable ability to use, understanding of, and ability to manipulate blood and runic magic sounded awesome, but because they had wonderful synergy with the family magic I¡¯d selected. With all those traits taken, I¡¯d had a handful of points left to spend. There wasn¡¯t enough for any other trait, at least not any that called to me, so I¡¯d used that last handful to alter myself physically. One small change made it possible for me to be truly ambidextrous, while others settled my maximum potential height ¨C at least without using Flesh Carving ¨C hair colour - for some odd reason, eye colour was locked and hidden - and made my body slightly more durable than the magical-norm. Now, as I looked over the build I¡¯d created, I could see how it would look like I¡¯d gone mad to anyone who''d known me before. However, to them, I¡¯d say two things. One, you try not wanting this kind of power after having just learnt that your family died because you¡¯d not been powerful enough to protect them, nor make those responsible for the destruction that killed them pay. And two, I was going to grow up and attend Hogwarts right on the cusp of Voldemort¡¯s first rise to power. Something I wanted to stop, along with stopping Dumbledore from continuing to lead Magical Britain down a road to continual civil war. With those two leading the major factions in the UK, I needed power quickly if I didn¡¯t want to become forced to serve one of them or be killed off as a threat. With all that settled, I reached for CONFIRM confidently, only to recoil in pain as my head erupted in pain. Once more, it felt as if someone was driving white-hot spears through my brain, though this time it felt like a thousand of the fuckers. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ D¨°mhnall/I woke with a start. He/I didn¡¯t understand what was going on, only that he/I could hear people shouting and the sounds of a thousand things exploding somewhere outside his/my bed. The door to his/my room in the expanding tent his/my family were staying in burst open and in rushed his/my oldest sibling; Tamhas. He, like Sine, was back from Hogwarts for the summer and had joined our family, and four others including his mother¡¯s, for a festival on the Summer Solstice. ¡°D¨°mhnall!¡± Tamhas called out, his hair a mess and his wand drawn in his hand. ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on?¡± D¨°mhnall/I asked as he/I pushed his/my covers off. ¡°Someone¡¯s attacking the clans!¡± Tamhas shot back, his eyes snapping around as somewhere beyond the door something made of glass shattered loudly. D¨°mhnall/I rushed out of bed, his/my thoughts still muddled from a lack of sleep. ¡°Wha?¡± Tamhas grasped D¨°mhnall¡¯s/my wrist and dragged the younger boy from the room. ¡°We have to get outside! Something is blocking our portkeys!¡± D¨°mhnall/I tried to reach back for his/my bed, wanting to grab the animated lion his/my mother had gotten for him/me on his/my last birthday. However, Tamhas was too strong, being twice D¨°mhnall¡¯s/my age. The older boy pulled his brother/me through the tent, pushing him/me down when one section of it, the passage that led to the bedroom of their/my parents, exploded in angry blue flames. As they/we reached the entrance, a body came flying back in; bending unnaturally as it impacted the upturned main table. ¡°DAD!¡± D¨°mhnall/I called out as he/I watched the broken body of his/my family slump to the door. Only Tamhas¡¯s grip stopped him/me from rushing to his/my father¡¯s side. ¡°Ah, the brats!¡± A voice snarled from the tent entrance. D¨°mhnall/I turned to look only for Tamhas to push him/me away. A ripple of green flew between us, hurtling down the corridor we¡¯d come from. ¡°D¨°mhnall! Get out!¡± Tamhas called as he pointed his wand at the stranger, a red bolt sailing toward the man. ¡°Is that the best you¡¯ve got boy?¡± the man called as he swatted away Tamhas¡¯ bolt with a flick of his wand. ¡°Crucio!¡± A red whip of energy shot forth from the man¡¯s wand. Tamhas blocked it by summoning a chair to intercept the whip. Sparks of a dozen colours erupted from the man¡¯s wand, slamming into Tamha¡¯s shield, and making the boy shuffle back. D¨°mhnall/I panicked; he/I didn¡¯t want his/my brother to die. Then, at his/my feet, he/I saw his/my father¡¯s wand. He/I picked it up, his/my hand shaking as he/I tried not to look at the broken body of his/my father. Pointing the rattling wand at the man, he/I called out one of the few spells he/I knew. ¡°Stupefy!¡± A bolt of red shot forth from the wand, making D¨°mhnall/me blink in shock at managing to get the wand to work. However, the man dodged the bolt, letting it sail harmlessly outside, joining the crescendo of colour occurring behind him. ¡°Little shit! Crucio!¡± Before D¨°mhnall/I knew what was happening, he/I felt pain, unlike anything he¡¯d/I¡¯d ever known. He/I fell to the ground, the wand forgotten as every part of him/me exploded in pain. He/I wasn¡¯t sure how long he/I shook, but eventually, he/I felt someone shaking our arm. Looking up, he/I saw Tamhas standing over us. There was a cut on his head, staining his dark locks red, but otherwise, he looked fine. ¡°Dom! Come on!¡± He pulled D¨°mhnall/me to his/my feet. D¨°mhnall/I stumbled, and would¡¯ve fallen if not for his/my brothers¡¯ support. He dragged D¨°mhnall/me to the tent entrance. D¨°mhnall/I saw the body of the man who¡¯d hurt him/me on the ground, a spike of soaked red stone bursting from his chest. D¨°mhnall/I coughed hard, not liking the smell or sight, but Tamhas pulled him/me past the body. ¡°Come on, we need to ge¡­¡± Whatever he wanted to say was cut off as a sickly-blue light hit his chest, sending him flying back into the tent and driving D¨°mhnall/me to the ground. ¡°Tamhas!¡± ¡°NO!¡± The pained scream of his/my mother, made D¨°mhnall/me turn, his/my head spinning from everything. His/my mother was stalking forward, her eyes glowing an unnatural red as the air around her seemed to pulse with life. Before D¨°mhnall/I knew what was happening, a dozen dark red spears rushed from his/my mother; slamming into and through a group of four others. Each exploded from inside, like an overcooked cake, showering the grass with blood. D¨°mhnall/I gagged at the sights and smells around him/me. Bodies lay all over the place, some in pieces, others burnt like an overcooked roast. Spikes of grey, black and green stuck out from the ground and trees in weird angles while the clouds above were unnaturally dark. ¡°Dom!¡± His/my mother¡¯s voice brought D¨°mhnall¡¯s/my attention to her. Her hair, normally full and almost alive with life, was a mess, and there was a dark red stain on her right arm. ¡°We have to get out of here!¡± ¡°F-father¡­¡± D¨°mhnall/I mumbled out, his/my thoughts mixed up like his/my favourite ice cream dish. ¡°We have to go.¡± His/my mother scooped him/up with her right arm, wincing as she did. In her other hand, her wand spat forth an array of colours that D¨°mhnall/I found oddly enjoyable to watch. Several times, his/my mother slowed, pushed us down, or otherwise moved, but soon we reached a forest. Once there his/my mother did something with her wand and it glowed a soft grey light. She turned to D¨°mhnall/me, and offered a smile, though D¨°mhnall/I didn¡¯t think it was a happy one. ¡°Rionnag dhubh.¡± Her face and the world around D¨°mhnall/me started to shift as he/I felt an odd pull coming from his/my chest. His/my mother and the world started to merge into a pile of colour, only for an odd purple flash to occur before everything faded away. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I blinked and groaned, my hands coming to rest on my head. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± It felt as if someone had driven a freight train through my skull. Once the pain had subsided, I removed my hands from my head, though as they moved back down, my fingers brushed against something on my chest. As I lifted it, I saw it was a necklace; one of exquisite quality. A metal snake coiled around an emerald with the eyes of the snake being tiny rubies. As I examined it closer, I saw faint markings along the scales of the snake, which unless I missed my guess, were runes of some form. A memory came forth from my mind of my father gifting this to me on my seventh, and last, birthday. He said it used to belong to my grandmother, being a wedding gift from the head of her family, Sirius Black ¨C not the one from the books ¨C which my father ¨C well Dom¡¯s father ¨C gave to me. I rubbed my forehead with the non-tagged hand, trying to process that I now had what D¨°mhnall, though that was me now, remembered of the last seven years. I¡¯d had five siblings, four older and one younger, and while I didn¡¯t know the fates of Sine, Torcull, Maire or Alisdair, I knew the eldest, Tamhas, was dead, along with my parents. With my external knowledge, I understood that what I¡¯d felt at the end of Dom¡¯s last memory was likely a portkey. Given the necklace was the only thing that I had from that memory, I took a chance. ¡°Rionnag dhubh.¡± There was a faint spark from the necklace, but nothing else. No odd pulling at my stomach nor the feel of something magical. ¡°Damnit!¡± With the faint hope that the necklace was the portkey gone, I stared up at the ceiling, going through the memories that were now part of me. Amusingly, I was a MacLeod and while I didn¡¯t know much about the family history ¨C not a surprise given that I¡¯m seven! ¨C I did know the family was old and pure and while they had, based on the home I remembered, a good amount of money, I couldn¡¯t recall any comments putting down muggle-borns. Still, I couldn¡¯t be sure of that. I knew where my family was based, Dunscaith Castle, but beyond that, I knew little else, that my mother had been from Clan MacDougall, and other small little details, but not much else. The disadvantage of being merged ¨C that was the word I was going for ¨C into a seven-year-old body. Still, it was better than being fully reborn and experiencing that. Plus, I now understood why I was here, and beyond unlocking my magical traits, had a rough plan for my future. Of course, since this was 1965, that meant while I was at Hogwarts, I¡¯d have to deal with the rise of Voldemort. Though given I¡¯d chosen a larger and more magical magic world, there was a chance, however remote, that Voldemort would never rise to power. Though I suspected the chance of that was slim, at best. However, that was a problem for the future. More immediate, was the fact I was in a muggle hospital somewhere in Scotland; at least based on the nurse¡¯s accent. I honestly didn¡¯t know how the UK handled orphaned children, but I had to find a way home. Or at the very least, learn to control my magic, but as I doubted wandless magic was easy ¨C even with a trait to help ¨C that didn¡¯t feel like a viable option. Otherwise, the next four years were going to be a shitshow. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 1 The Early Years 1 ¡­ "And this is D¨°mhnall." Those words came from the nurse ¨C Christine according to her nametag ¨C as she spoke to the Matron of the Children''s House I was being dumped at. It''d been about two weeks since I''d woken up and given the nurses at the hospice my name. They''d searched local records for any relative I might have, but as I''d expected, they''d not found any. Thus, with searches for my birth records sent to Edinburgh still unreturned, I''d been taken to a nearby children''s house. They were, provided they were like this one, the UK''s old equivalent to orphanages. Now, I knew that the UK didn''t have orphanages, at least when I''d died, but I''d always wondered where they placed children before they were adopted. Of course, I had the misfortune to draw a religious one. The one I was at was Nazareth House Inverness, which was at least helpful in telling me where I was. Though from the bleak expressions on the children I''d seen as the nurse had escorted me to the house, it was clear it wasn''t a happy place. Something made even clearer by the odd looks I''d gotten from several priests as I''d been let to the Matron''s office. The Matron stepped toward me, her eyes narrowing as she took in my appearance and one hand moved to grip a large cross adorned around her neck. Behind her, a Father stood. He was the religious head of this Children''s Home and I was raging internally at being placed in one run by a religious order. Ignoring the simple fact that I''d never been particularly religious in my former life, or that I could remember old reports I''d studied at school about the abuses suffered at many such homes across the UK in the 20th century, there was one major problem that was already rearing its ugly head. For the most part, Christianity ¨C along with other monotheistic religions ¨C considered magic demonic and satanic, which since I was a wizard, was a fucking nightmare. As was the fact that, once I''d revealed to a nurse that I was awake, there''d been some fuss over the colour of my eyes. Which, from an outside perspective, was understandable. It seemed that D¨°mhnall had the unusual feature of dark yellow eyes; ones that reminded me of Sith eyes from Star Wars which my father had loved when I was younger. Now, from what I understood, eye colours considered unusual or odd to non-magicals were semi-common in the magical world, but even among his family, he was the only one with yellow-tinted eyes. Sine and my mother had possessed pale green eyes but none since his great-great-great-grandfather had possessed yellow-tinted ones. Well, I suppose it was my grandfather now since I was D¨°mhnall. "His eyes¡­" the Matron said sternly. "There appears to be nothing wrong with them. Well, bar the colour," replied the nurse. That earned a sharp nod from the Matron. She turned and looked back at Father Bartholomew and they conversed without speaking. "The Lord takes all under his roof," Father Bartholomew said gently as the Matron returned her glare to me. "Even those with¡­ unusual conditions." "I will be keeping a close eye on you, boy," she all but snarled at me. I''m sure to most children she seemed intimidating, but having grown up with a strict military father, and survived the disasters that had seemingly destroyed my former world, it was hard not to simply laugh in her face. "We will take him from here, nurse. May the Lord bless you for bringing him into our care." The nurse nodded at the Father''s words, and after giving me one last look ¨C which seemed an odd mix of confusion and concern ¨C she turned and left the room. No sooner had the door closed than the Matron grabbed my arm and squeezed. "You have the mark of Satan upon you, boy! Step out of line and I''ll make sure we find a way to drive him from you." "Now, now, Sister Eileen, no need to scare the poor boy," the Father said as he took a step toward me. He knelt, smiling softly as he did though the effect failed as the Matron, Sister Eileen, continued to grip my arm tightly. "We here at the Sisters of Nazareth Home for Wayward Children try to guide all the lost souls that cross our doors into the light of the Lord. I understand you''ve suffered some recent losses in your family." I nodded slowly, trying to appear scared and suspicious about this stranger in front of me even as I was already trying to plot out a way to escape this place. "Good. Now, Sister Eileen will take you to meet the other children who should be enjoying their lunch as we speak. I will see you again for afternoon prayers. Until then, may the Lord light your way." He stood and after giving me what I assumed was a reassuring nod, walked out of the room. As soon as the door closed, the Matron''s grip tightened, and she yanked me into her personal space. "The Father has hope for you boy. I, however, smell Satan upon you. If you try to corrupt the other children, I''ll find ways to excise the evil from you. The Lord will not suffer a heretic in his midst." She stood and dragged me toward a side door. The grip she had on my arm was painful, but I didn''t call out. I knew she wanted me to do so to help prove she was right about me, and there was no way I was going to give her that satisfaction. No, what I needed to do was keep my head down, learn to cast as many first-year spells as I could wandlessly, and plot an escape from this place. While there was a chance I''d be adopted by a non-magical family, according to the nurse when she''d brought me here, they''d be holding off on that until records had come back from Edinburgh. I knew they''d never find anything though, not unless, by some miracle, my family had registered my birth in the non-magical world. No, if I wanted out of here, if I wanted to find out what happened to the rest of my family, then I was going to have to do it alone. Though first I had to get this deranged Matron to leave me alone long enough to begin learning the layout of this place. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ "Freak!" The word was whispered by an older boy as he walked past. Those with him laughed, which grew louder when one stuck out their foot. While I didn''t fall over, I did stumble, making me drop my lunch tray. "Who¡­ D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod!" I cringed as the voice of one of the sisters who ran the Children''s Home approached, her shoes clicking as she stormed across the hard floor. A hand grabbed my arm and yanked me around. "What sort of mischief are you causing now?" "It wasn''t me, Sister!" I protested even as the woman, an older lady with a glare that would intimidate a child, snarled. "One of those boys tripped me." "Lies! Tommy Davidson and his lot are good, thoughtful, God-loving children. No, this was simply you once more trying to corrupt the others. Come with me!" She yanked my arm, pulling me away from the remains of my lunch, and the light snickering from Tommy and his friends. This had been a regular feature of my first few weeks in the Children''s Home. The other children, particularly the older boys, had singled me out for abuse. Name-calling ¨C mainly centred around my eyes ¨C whispered comments and small pranks occurred with increasing regularity. And every time I reacted, or couldn''t stop the attack from succeeding, like now, I was quickly grabbed by a Sister and taken away. They never believed what I said, never seemed to care. Like the Matron, they''d all decided that because of my unusual eyes, I was nothing more than a troublemaker looking to corrupt others. So far, the punishments hadn''t been too severe, but if I had to peel one more fucking potato with a blunt knife, or - God help me - write another stupid bible verse, I was going to lose it. My free hand, the one whose arm wasn''t held in a death grip by the Sister, reached up and grasped my necklace. At first, I was surprised that no one ever brought it up and had asked a nurse about it. She''d waved my words away saying I wasn''t wearing any such thing; a line repeated by everyone I''d asked about the necklace. That had me suspecting the necklace had some form of magic upon it. Something that made non-magicals fail to see it. Probably some form of the Muggle-repelling charm. Sadly, that charm only applied to the necklace and didn''t extend to me, otherwise, I suspected my time at this home wouldn''t be so infuriating. "There," the Sister began after she''d dragged me through the kitchen, toward a room I was sadly familiar with. "You''ll stay here until they''re all peeled, or until you can convince me or another Sister that you''re truly sorry." Before I could say anything, not that anything I wanted to say would help the situation, the door slammed shut and I was once more left in a room full of potatoes waiting to be peeled. As I sat down on the crooked wooden stool, the only small silver lining was that I''d yet to be caned. The Matron had not been shy about showing that to me on my first day and had stated that if I showed any sign of the devil, she''d beat it out of me. Then again, if things didn''t improve soon, I knew I''d eventually get caned. Which gave my drive to cast wandlessly, renewed focus. Sadly for me though, I''d yet to make any spell work. Now, while I only knew the wand movements for a handful of spells, even those, or ones like Lumos that didn''t have any action, weren''t granting me any success. And if it wasn''t for the necklace, and how no one else could see it, I''d doubt if I really had magic. Though that didn''t stop me from wondering if those who''d chosen me for this dimension weren''t somehow fucking with me for their amusement. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ "Wingardium Leviosa," I growled out as I moved my hand in the motion of the spell: flick and swish. Yet, for the umpteenth time, nothing happens. Well, that''s not entirely true. I can feel something shifting around me, in me. Yet the small metal cup in my room doesn''t lift into the air. Hell, it doesn''t even shake even a touch. "Wingardium Leviosa", I all but shouted, my hands continuing to mimic the movement the spell needed, even as the cup did nothing. I just sat there, taunting me, judging me. Over and over, I said the words, move my fingers, and demanded the spell do as I wanted. And nothing happened. Nothing ever happened. "Argh!" I grunted in anger, lowering my hand. I managed to get Lumos to work, though it was only a weak blob of light that hovered above my palm, nothing else was working. Hell, I''d even tried using the Unforgivable curses, but nothing. Yes, it had only been a few weeks, but I was fast reaching the end of my rope. Yet, as I swung my arm around, something unexpected happened. At the tips of my fingers, I felt something shift, something change. The air seemed to ripple and before I knew what had happened, the cup was sent flying into the wall. And it wasn''t just the cup that was affected. The books on my table, the ones containing my homework were ripped apart, filling the air with sheets of paper. My pillow slammed into the door, which was blown open meaning the pillow, the only one I had, landed on the hard granite floor outside. Before I could process what had happened, footsteps stormed toward my door. "D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod!" A Sister bellowed, her hands on her hips as she glared into my room. "What did you do?!" She all but snarled. I felt my mouth open though no sound came out. While I knew I was in trouble with the Sisters and Matron for this mess - fuck, when wasn''t I in trouble as they blamed me for every little thing that went wrong, claiming because of my eyes that the Devil control of me ¨C I didn''t care. I''d made the cup move. And everything else that wasn''t nailed down. Not by touching them, but with magic. "Why are you smiling?!" I heard the Sister screech even as behind her, I could hear more heels clicking on the floor. Yet, I didn''t care, I''d managed to use magic. It had been uncontrolled, and violent, but I''d done what I wanted. "Get up!" The Sister yanked my arm hard, digging her nails into my arm. I growled as pain from her grip mixed with the residual anger of not getting my spell to work and joy at sensing my magic. She pulled me to my feet, and then spun me around, which was when I saw her face. Her cheeks were red, flushed with anger, and her lips were twisted, snarling at me. "Stop this demonic madness!" She snapped out. SLAP My head cracked round to one side. My cheek stung as her hand flew past my face. It took me a few seconds of blinking to process what she''d done, to realise what this dumb stupid bitch had dared to do, and when I did my head snapped back as my eyes narrowed. How fucking dare she lay a hand on me? How dare she try and ruin the moment I unlocked my magic? I could feel it inside me, swirling around. I could feel it around us, wanting to help, wanting to be commanded. Her eyes widened. Her hand released my arm. She stumbled back, fear dominating her face. "N, n¡­" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Don''t you fucking touch me!" I yelled. The air around me grew thick, and dark as I glared at this¡­ thing that had struck me. I wanted revenge, I wanted to hurt her, and magic was mine to command. Before I fully understood what I was doing, my arm, the one this bitch had grabbed came up. the air reacted and the Sister was sent flying. One arm caught the doorframe, making a sickening crack as it bent awkwardly. A scream roared from her lips as she left my room, though it ended soon as she slammed into the wall on the other side of the corridor outside my room. As her frame slumped to the floor, I stumbled. Suddenly I felt tired, more so than I''d ever felt before. I fell to a knee as my eyes fought to stay open. Every muscle in my body was sore as if I''d just run a marathon. I tried to lift an arm, tried to stand. Yet I couldn''t. My eyes grew heavy and as they closed, bringing forth wonderful darkness, I felt my body fall. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ CRACK "Nine!" The Matron called out with what sounded like ecstatic glee. I gritted my teeth, and bit the inside of my lips but made sure to keep looking forward, at the assembled masses of the Children''s House. The wood came down again in a blur. CRACK "Ten!" The bitch shouted again, seemingly enjoying the pain she was causing me as she lifted the wooden cane from across my forearms. My exposed, red, and swollen forearms. I wanted to pull them away, to strike the Matron, but I couldn''t. Apart from my arms being securely fastened to the table by leather straps at my wrists and elbows, I was still tired. Still worn out by using magic. I''d woken up about an hour ago in the nurse''s wing, tied down to a bed. The Matron had come in, Father Bartholomew and another older Sister behind her. They told me the Sister I''d hurt had been taken to hospital. Her arm was broken, and possibly other bones, but the paramedics couldn''t be sure. According to the Matron that had been two days ago, yet to me, it felt as if it had happened just minutes ago. Father Bartholomew had said that the only reason I wasn''t being sent to court was that the Sister wasn''t killed and that there were no witnesses to say what had happened. He asked me softly what had happened, wanting to understand how the Sister had seemingly been launched from my room. The Matron had claimed it was because I was possessed by a demon but he shut her down; reminded her that the Lord teaches us forgiveness, and tolerance. To not jump to conclusions. I was glad I was weak as I''d have likely offered a comment on how people claiming to be doing the work of their God were to blame for many of the world''s problems. Both in this time, and my former world, my former life. Men sought war and brought death and devastation while claiming it was because it was what their ''God'' demanded. As if that, somehow, granted them protection from the terror, panic and death that brought. When I couldn''t supply a reason ¨C since there was no way in hell I was telling these crazies that I''d used magic ¨C the Matron had considered my silence as an omission of guilt. Father Bartholomew had, after some frantic discussion that took place out of earshot of my bed, but was close enough to see he was struggling to not agree with the Matron, reluctantly agreed. Which was why I was now being caned here and now. In the main hall of the Home, with all the other children in attendance. There''d been no trial, no chance for me to offer my side as to what''d happened. I''d just been dragged from my bed, once I was healthy, to the hall. The Matron had screeched about my crimes, about my demonic inclinations, and about how they needed to be forced out of me. CRACK "Eleven!" I winced in pain as the cane came down again, sending another bolt of pain shooting up my arms. My knees buckled and I slumped, though because my arms were tied down, I couldn''t fall to the floor. Couldn''t escape the pain that threatened to overload my brain. "Stand still boy!" the Matron snarled as someone roughly yanked me up. "If you fall down, if you cry out, the punishment will begin again. I will force the touch of Satan from you!" I steadied myself and then glared up at her. I wanted to lash out, wanted to summon my magic once more. I could feel it now, coursing through my veins, flowing faintly around me, yet it refused to come forth. Denied my commands. Perhaps it was because I was still weak from what had happened, perhaps because I hadn''t learned to focus it, but regardless it wasn''t helping me now. Thus, I was forc¡­ CRACK "Twelve!" I ground my teeth together so hard I could hear them slowly being filed down. My arms were on fire. I could feel nothing from them but pain. Yet, as water started to fill my vision I knew I still had eighteen more to go. My eyes drifted to the other Sisters and children, hoping to find some compassion, some faint spark of humanity that didn''t want this to continue. Yet there was none to find. The Sisters were all watching steadfastly, a few even smiling in religious fervour. They probably all felt I deserved this for what happened to the other Sister. As for the children¡­ Those that I could make out through my wet eyes looked stunned into silence. As if they feared joining me if they spoke up. Yet, near the back I could see one or two grinning, enjoying my torment. I tried to focus on them, tried to burn their faces into my mind. When this was over, I''d¡­ CRACK "Thirteen." I slumped again, trying, struggling to push through the latest flare of pain exploding in my arms. My jaw caught the table edge, rattling my skull, and making it hard to think for a moment. Again, I felt someone drag me up, wanting this insanity to continue. I blinked, trying and failing to clear the blurriness, the flashes of odd lights and shapes from my vision. When this was over, once I''d healed, I was getting the fuck out of the crazed shithole. I knew where my family had come from, and no matter how far the isle of Skye was from Inverness, I was going to get back to Dunscaith Castle. These fucking crazed bible-thumping loonies would get what they had coming to them. I''d make sure of it. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ "Did you see what happened to that freak?" "Yeah, that was fun!" "I just wish the Matron had kept caning him. Did you see the way he was crying at the end?" The voices drifted away, seemingly not caring or realising that IU could hear them from around the corner. I growled, my nails digging so deeply into my palms I was sure they''d draw blood. That was Tommy Davidson and his lot, the group that had been picking on me. And of fucking course they were laughing and joking about the fucking caning I''d gotten last week. I''d spent three days in the nurse''s office, recovering from the caning, though only because Father Bartholomew wasn''t as sick and twisted as the Matron. Oh, he was still fucked in the head if he felt beating a fucking child with a cane until their arms were red raw and bleeding would help straighten them out, but he was a step above the Matron on the twisted scale. Perhaps two, but that would be pushing it as he somehow felt that, while I was in the bed in the nurse''s office it would help my ''salvation'' if he came and read passages from the Bible to me, focusing on the dangers posed by consorting with Satan and his demons. Argh, I needed the fuck out of this shithouse. Yet, without being able to summon and control my magic, there was no chance of that happening. And since the caning, it was rare for me to be left alone, almost as if the loonies in charge of this place worried I''d start talking in tongues or drawing demonic symbols on walls. Though to be fair, they were right about me talking in tongues as I could, in theory, speak Parseltongue. Not that I''d actively tried to use it as, without a snake or similar beast present, I''d likely not realise I was using it. Still, that was something I planned to practice with as soon as¡­ I turned the corner and slammed into something, falling back to the ground, and landing with a grunt on my arse. "Hey! Look where you''r¡­Oh, it''s you!" I looked up and grunted in annoyance. Above me stood Tommy Robinson and three of his group. "We found the freak," he said, a twisted smile creeping onto his face. I saw his hands slowly tighten, forming into fists. A move repeated by those with him. The smile on his face was mirrored by the rest of his group. The others started shifting, moving to my sides even as Tommy took a step forward, his foot moving between my legs. As the others reached my sides, I saw his leg tense and then pull back. Knowing what he was about to do, I pushed forward, launching myself at his leg. I caught him clean near his knee and, remembering my lessons in MMA when I''d been in college, turned and twisted. "AGH!" Tommy called out as he lost his balance, and I smirked as he fell face-first into one of his cohorts. I pulled myself forward, rolling to increase distance. When I came to a stop, one knee on the ground, Tommy and the boy he''d stuck had fallen to the floor in a mass of limbs. The other two were confused for a moment before their heads snapped my way. They then rushed at me, fists cocked to strike. I knew I was going to get beaten, my new body wasn''t up to winning a fight against four others, mostly because it wasn''t trained and fighting multiple attackers was a losing proposition even in the best of circumstances unless you were really damn good, no matter how superior to a normal person''s a magical body might be. However, if I was going down, I was going to make it fucking hurt. A fist flew in as I pushed myself to my feet, aimed square at my face. I shifted my weight, letting it fly in front of me. my hands gripped the arm then twisted in opposite directions. The boy lost his footing and I rammed his head into the gut of the other boy. "Oof!" the air slipped from that one''s lungs, meaning his attack failed mid-swing. I stepped toward the pair, driving my elbow into the small of the first boy''s neck. I didn''t hear anything break but a cry of pain slipped from his lips as he fell face-first into the ground. The other boy had barely managed to avoid going down with the first boy before I''d closed on him. My knee came up, catching him flush in the groin. He groaned in pain and as he sunk to his knees, I drove the base of my hand, just above the wrist, into his face. A smile came to my face as I heard his nose shatter and as he dropped to the ground, his hands caught between cradling his groin and nose, I drove my knee up into his jaw. His head snapped back wickedly, and he fell onto the first boy, leaving both in a pile on the ground. Enjoying the pain I caused them, I turned, planning to take care of Tommy and the other boy only for a fist to fly in and catch me flush on the side of my face. I didn''t hear anything break, but the blow caught me off-guard and I stumbled back, falling into a wall. "You little shite!" I hear Tommy snarl before a fist was driven into my gut, forcing the air from my lungs. I grunted in pain even as another fist struck my gut before a third caught me on my back. I fell to the ground, bringing my head low, behind an arm to protect it. Though that did nothing to stop a kick from connecting with my ribs. This time I did hear and feel something crack, and I groaned as pain erupted in my chest. That only increased as the foot came back in, doing further damage to the same spot. As I slumped to the ground, more feet came cannoning in, striking me each time. Pain coursed through my body as the blows rained down. Though they began mixing with anger, with a fury that these boys would get away with this. That I''d be the one blamed for this fight simply because I tried to defend myself. I could feel my rage boiling as the kicks continued, faster now, and then I felt it. My magic, which since the incident with the Sister, had been beyond reach was reacting to me. I reached inward, pulling on it, feeding it my fury. It was just there, right beyond my reach, and if I hadn''t touched it before I''d not understand what it was. But I had touched it, and I knew wart it was, what it could do. "AARGH!" I called out, pushing the boys off me as best I could. Around me, the air seemed to shimmer, and I heard many things slam into walls. Heard bones break and groans of pain fill my ears. The world felt dark and heavy. I lifted my head slowly, fighting through the growing fog. A smile came to my face as I saw Tommy Robinson slumped against a wall, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. My smile slipped slightly at seeing his chest still rising. I wanted him dead, wanted him to suffer. I lifted a hand toward him, pulled, demanded magic did as I wanted. I saw a shimmer of dull white gather around my fingers even as an odd sound grew closer, yet before I could lash out again; before I could finish these bastards off, my eyes grew heavy. My head cracked off the ground as, for the second time in a month, darkness engulfed me. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ "This is fucking bullshit!" I shouted as I struggled in vain against the bonds holding me down. "Let me fucking go you mother-fucking arseholes!" "Your language is but another sign of the hold Satan has upon you," said the priest whose name I''d still yet to get. Behind him, wearing a victorious smile, was the Matron while with her, arrayed around the table I was tied down upon, were various Sisters of the House; including the one whose arm I''d shattered with my first magical outburst several weeks ago. "You are possessed by a demon." The priest decided that was a good time to flick his wrist, sending the holy water he was holding into my face. Of course, some of it got into my eyes. I growled and shook my head. That shit stung suggesting it was more in that than just water. "See how the demon fights against the power of our Lord," the Matron commented which made me snarl. "No, it''s because this arsehole got that shit in my eyes you dumb bitch!" I was well aware that my continual cursing wasn''t doing anything to help my cause, but what they were doing was fucking insane. Just because I''d sent Tommy Robinson and his gang to the hospital a week ago, with one of them still being unresponsive, in a way none of these fucking morons understood didn''t mean I was possessed by a fucking demon! "The power of the Lord commands you," the priest, who spoke with a soft, slightly tinted accent said. That suggested he''d come up from Edinburgh. That would explain why it was over a week since the incident ¨C during which I''d been in isolation after another round of caning ¨C before this insanity took place. "Release the boy from your grip foul demon." "And the power that commands you fucking nutters needs to be taken outside and shot into space!" I snapped back. "I''m not possessed, and those pricks had it coming! Saying I deserv¡­" my words were cut off as the Matron came over and forced a rag into my mouth. "That''s enough foul lies from your lips demon," she said with almost sadistic glee as she pushed a cord into the rag. I struggled against her but given I was tied down and in the body of a child, there was little, in the end, I could do to stop her tying the cord around my head, trapping the rag in place. I glared at the Matron, trying to call on my magic to burn her to a crisp. Sadly, all that happened was her deranged, almost euphoric smile grew wider. The deranged fucking cow was enjoying this, was getting off on this! And they said I was the possessed one?! Utter fucking bullshit! "The power of the Lord commands you," the priest repeated, still splashing my exposed chest with his damned holy water. And why the fuck did I need to be in only my freaking long johns?! My glare turned to him, wishing he''d shut the fuck up even as another drop of that damn water landed in my eye. I spluttered and shook my head, trying to get out my bonds, but nothing was working. However, what I did start to feel, for the first time since taking out Tommy and his henchmen, was magic. I felt it react to my anger, sliding within my veins. I could feel the warm, delicious power of it slowly growing stronger inside as a plan came to mind. There was only one way I was getting out of this bullshit. I needed to intentionally lash out with my magic, not just accidentally do so as I''d done before. As the ''holy water'' splashed down on my chest, irritating my skin, I began to think about what I''d wanted when magic had bent to my will before. I''d been angry, yes, but there''s been more to it, I knew that, and I dove back into the memories, ignoring the chanting of the priest and everything else. I had to find the key, or at least the door, to access my magic. With that, I knew I could end this fucking farce. Time had no meaning as I wandered my memories, feeling the rage, the fury, the power that had coalesced before lashing out; first at the Sister and then at Tommy and his dickwad friends. I watched the scenes play out over and over, trying to pin down the exact moment, the exact reason magic had come to my defence; when it had blasted everything around me away. My eyes shot open as I found it. I knew how to command it, or at least bring it forth. I scanned the room, quickly finding the deranged gaze of the Matron. ''This is for you, you dumb muggle bitch!'' I thought as I let my anger loose, and flicked the mental switch that seemed to control my magic. I felt the power, the energy, radiate out from me. I watched in delight as the air around me rippled. Faint sparks of violet flickered and sparked, reminding me of white-water rapids, before a wave of pure, unrefined, barely controlled magic blasts from my body. The priest, the Matron and everyone else were sent flying. The wave slammed into the walls, cracking them. Smoke rose from most of the cracks and as my eyes struggled to stay open I see the cracks expand, covering the walls in crisscrossing chaos. I realised I''d gone too far, given magic too much release. The room I was in, the building housing it, was broken it was going to come down. I was going to die I realised as my eyes closed, though not before there was an odd, unexpected spark of light. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 2 The Early Years 2 ... ...
I groaned as my mind seemed to realign itself. I lifted a hand slowly, trying to piece together what had happened. The last thing I remember was the exorcism, the explosion of magic the building¡­ My eyes shot open as I bolted upright in the bed, only to groan in pain at the sudden, unexpected change in alignment. ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered as the world spun. My hand rested against my head and I closed my eyes until my breathing came under control. Once it was, and my head didn¡¯t feel like it was doing the tango, I slowly reopened my eyes, wondering where I was. Though once they took in the scene, they shot open in disbelief. I was in a large ¨C possibly queen-sized ¨C bed in a decent-sized room. The walls were coloured light blue while the floor was covered with a grey carpet. On the walls, at least the three that didn¡¯t have large windows, there were posters of various people or creatures, all of which had something magical about them. Hell, one of the images, which was of someone wearing purple while flying a broom, was moving. I blinked as I realised this was my room, or at least D¨°mhnall¡¯s room from before our merging. Hell, that poster was of the Pride of Portee, a Quidditch team that played on the Isle of Skye, where Clan MacLeod was¡­ ¡°Holy shit!¡± I spat out as I realised that I was in Dunscaith Castle; the home of Clan MacLeod in the magical world. However, before I could think about that further something appeared on the right of my bed with a faint pop. I shifted at the sound, drawing one fist back to defend myself only to relax as I saw who, or what, it was. ¡°Master D¨°mhnall awake. Good. Kadic was worried. Thought nasty muggles hurt you.¡± That came from Kadic, one of three elves Clan MacLeod had. From what I remembered, Kadic was the youngest of the three elves my family had and spent most of his time looking after me and my younger siblings along with my mother. ¡°Kadic? What happened?¡± I already had an idea in my head, but I wanted more details before linking everything together. Kadic looked down, which drew my attention to the clothes he was wearing. Unlike Dobby, he was dressed in clothes. He wore a simple toga that reached down to his knees with what looked like trousers underneath, though those were only obvious when he stood back up and the toga shifted around. It was a good thing he had trousers though as I had fuck-all interest in seeing an elf¡¯s groin. The toga was immaculately clean and over his right chest, where an elf¡¯s heart was located, there was the seal of Clan MacLeod. Amusingly enough, it was the same as that I¡¯d known from my former life, though instead of English the seal had Gaelic which read C¨´m L¨¤idir, which just meant Hold Strong/Fast in English. ¡°Family was attacked at the gathering,¡± Kadic began. ¡°Everyone but Kadic was gone. Kadic was sad. But Kadic not lost. Wards still up. Kadic know someone alive. But Kadic not know who. Kadic not know where. So Kadic sad. Then Kadic sense flashes. Spark. Family magic. Kadic search. Follow the sparks. Then Kadic feel big bang. Many feel it. Kadic find young master. Tied to bed. Kadic killed muggle master not kill. Then Kadic bring master home.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Apart from the odd speech pattern, which was thankfully better than Dobby¡¯s in my opinion, it was easy enough to piece together how I¡¯d gotten here. And it meshed with what I¡¯d suspected. Kadic had sensed my magical outbursts at the Children¡¯s Home. Once he¡¯d found me, he brought me home, though as I pieced what he¡¯d said into the timeline of events, I frowned. ¡°What did you mean by saying many felt the explosion of magic?¡± Kadic lifted his head. ¡°Magic people arrived. Kadic not know them. They tell Kadic to stay. But Kadic fear for master. So Kadic blast them. Bring master home.¡± Hmm, that was odd. Or perhaps not. In canon, The Ministry had a way of detecting underage magic, at least in muggle areas, so a large outburst at the Children¡¯s Home would¡¯ve set off all sorts of alarms. It would make sense if a rapid reaction force of Aurors were sent to investigate. Then, finding everyone else dead and Kadic standing over my body, they¡¯d want to arrest and question him. Yet, even as I laid out that chain of events, I wondered if there was more going on than I knew. ¡°Kadic, has anyone¡­ has anyone come to the castle since you brought me back?¡± I needed information, but I had to be careful. If I acted too mature Kadic might sense something was off about me. Without a wand or an ability to control my magic, and being trapped in a strange but familiar place, I¡¯d be easy pickings for the elf. The elf shook its head, sending its large ears flailing around. ¡°No master. Not since Kadic found you. Brought you home.¡± ¡°And before that?¡± ¡°Master¡¯s uncle tried to enter. Wards wouldn¡¯t let him. Old master dead, so wards locked down. Master¡¯s uncle unhappy. Angry. Kadic not know why he so. Man not return. Kadic was alone until master found. Kadic happy now.¡± Right, so I had an uncle or uncles. Both parents had brothers, though from what little I knew of the wards, any of my father¡¯s brothers should¡¯ve been able to enter while the wards are locked. They were MacLeod¡¯s after all. Though, perhaps they couldn¡¯t because the castle wasn¡¯t¡­ bonded to the clan chief. I groaned and shook my head. There was simply far too much missing information for me to risk speculating. D¨°mhnall was/is eight, so he hadn¡¯t had much of the workings of the castle and the wards explained to him. And Kadic wouldn¡¯t know either. ¡°Kadic, where are the other elves? Rubra and Yop?¡± Those were the older elves that spent time helping my parents and managing the castle and estate, respectively. Both had gone with us to the solstice festival. Kadic¡¯s shoulders slumped, his large eyes wettened. ¡°Dead master. Kadic left behind. Left alone.¡± He suddenly stood up straight. ¡°But master here now. Kadic not alone. Kadic can serve. Kadic will serve.¡± He clicked his fingers. I almost jumped from my bed as a bowl appeared on a table next to the bed. ¡°Master well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just¡­ the place I was taken, I got used to doing things the non-magical way. The bowl scared me for a second,¡± I got out quickly, not wanting to alarm the elf. ¡°Nasty muggles dead. Kadic made sure. Kadic saw the marks on Master. Kadic. Finished what master started.¡± I felt my brow rise, both at the venom in the elf¡¯s tone and the confirmation he¡¯d done something more than just bring me home. However, as my stomach grumbled at the smell of the bowl ¨C chicken soup unless I missed my guess ¨C that was a matter for another time. For now, I needed to recover my strength and learn more about my new/old home. And then work out just how this world was different from what I knew. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°Master is still recovering. Master should stay in bed.¡± I ignored Kadic¡¯s warnings as I made my way to the central stairs of Dunscaith Castle. The castle, or at least the main building we lived in, had four floors, with bedrooms, bathrooms and other rooms of that nature being located on the second floor. The third floor had been off-limits to me before the attack. It contained various rooms that my mother had disappeared into daily. I didn¡¯t know what she was doing up there, but the odd, faint bang that seemed to echo around the castle certainly hinted at something. Though those bangs could have come from the basement as that was where my father kept the indoor training ranges. I¡¯d been down a few times to watch him practise, and I was giddy now at the idea of getting my wand and heading down there myself to destroy targets. The fourth floor was less a floor than open areas on the roof which had included, among other things, a play area for me and my siblings, and a greenhouse that was larger on the inside, though I was only allowed into the first section of it. According to my mother, the deeper sections held plants that were dangerous for children that hadn¡¯t stopped me and my siblings from trying to enter, but every time we¡¯d tried, either mother had arrived to scold us, or one of the elves had collected us and taken us for a scolding. It was odd to smile at a memory that wasn¡¯t entirely mine, but I¡¯d have to get used to that while in Dunscaith. ¡°I¡¯ve been in bed for three days, Kadic. I need to move.¡± I needed to do more than that as Kadic had revealed that with the wards in lockdown, there was no way for me to leave the castle, at least without Kadic¡¯s help. I¡¯d managed to get Kadic to list the effects of the lockdown, and they ranged from the floor being sealed to the wards possibly wounding me if I tried to cross them. The only reason they shouldn¡¯t, though Kadic wasn¡¯t sure about that as he¡¯d been the youngest elf and only knew some defensive measures that were enacted, was that I was the last remaining MacLeod. What he was sure of though was that, for any but the most powerful of wizards ¨C which I assumed meant someone on Dumbledore¡¯s level, but I didn¡¯t know how such things were defined or measured ¨C the wards would reduce them to ash if they tried to fight their way through. That was a scary thought, but once I¡¯d moved past the idea of such powerful defences, I¡¯d seen the logic behind them. In a world where people could bring stone to life or alter the very rules of the universe on a whim, defences needed to have the potential to be lethal to act as a deterrent. That was why I needed to see where and how the wards were controlled, and figure out if there was a way for me to take control of them. In theory, as the heir ¨C or assumed heir as Kadic had said all my siblings were dead so control of the castle should pass to me ¨C I should be able to turn them on and off. However, Kadic couldn¡¯t tell me much about that process, other than it had something to do with my father¡¯s private study. A room I¡¯d never been allowed in, which occupied a corner of the ground floor but seemed to dominate the entire castle. ¡°Master still needs time. Wards are still strong. Master is safe.¡± I stopped about halfway down the stairs, which were wide enough for three people to walk on without rubbing elbows, and turned back to look at Kadic. He was still standing on the second-floor landing which overlooked the main foyer of the house. ¡°Someone killed my family, Kadic! They tried to kill me! If they learn I survived, that you brought me back here, how long will it be before they attack? How long before the wards fail?¡± ¡°Wards never fail. Placed long ago they were. Nothing can break them.¡± Kadir shot back with an odd sense of certainty. It wasn¡¯t enough to deter me from what I was doing, but it did make me curious as to how long the wards had stood; and how long my family had made their roots here. ¡°Nothing lasts forever,¡± I shot back before resuming the walk down the stairs. I used one hand to guide me simply because the stairs were large and winding while I was trapped in the body of a freaking kid. A faint pop came from behind me, which echoed a split second later from below as Kadic appeared there, having used his magic to get ahead of me. ¡°Master must rest.¡± ¡°I will. After I¡¯ve searched the study.¡± I knew that if he wanted, Kadic could force me back to bed with magic, but at the same time, I knew he was loyal to the family. So long as I didn¡¯t do anything truly stupid ¨C such as trying to jump from the window in my room to the rocks below ¨C I felt he¡¯d protest but allow me to do as I wished. That feeling was further enforced when he made no move to stop me as I reached the bottom of the stairs and moved past him. Thanks to my memories ¨C and I was still getting used to the odd nature of my new existence as D¨°mhnall and not ¨C I knew the way, and found the door with little effort. It was a large wooden door, one engraved with what looked like runes and symbols I remembered from my life in another world, though I¡¯d never learnt what any of them meant. While the ways of the Vikings and Celts had held some appeal, I¡¯d never bothered to do any reading on them; something that I planned to make up for here since unless things had changed massively, Nordic runes formed the base of runic magic. I reached out a hand for the door, for a black iron handle that oddly didn¡¯t seem to link to any lock, and as my fingers touched the handle, I felt a jolt run through me. One that seemed to shock every nerve in my body and forced me to slump with my free hand going to my knee for support. ¡°Master!¡± I raised the hand on my knee to stop him and took a deep breath to push down my breakfast. ¡°I,¡± I licked my oddly dry lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just¡­¡± I looked up at the door and felt my eyes widen. I swore, if only for a second, that I saw several of the runes on the door glow. ¡°There¡¯s magic on the door. But it¡¯s not stopping me.¡± I didn¡¯t understand how I knew that, but I did. I gave the door an exploratory push and was surprised when I was able to make it swing open. There was no sound from the hinges as I¡¯d expected for such an old and heavy door and as the light from the corridor slipped inside the room, I inhaled sharply. There was magic in this room, magic that called to me. As I took a step inside, light flared up from several points. I looked at one, expecting to see a candle but instead saw a crystal ball. As I stepped further in, that ball, and the half-dozen like it, grew brighter, illuminating the room in a light that seemed to warm my skin. ¡°Master, Kadic cannot enter.¡± I turned to see the elf standing at the doorway, trying and failing to take a step inside the room. ¡°Ho¡­ The wards,¡± I muttered to myself as I understood instinctively what was going on. That was further helped by the fact the frame of the door, at least on this side, was glowing a dull, hazy purple. There were runes carved into the frame, but I somehow knew this was the work of the wards and not a complex runic array. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Kadic. Just wait there.¡± ¡°Master,¡± somehow Kadic looked both worried and pathetic as he stood there, one short leg trapped mid-step unable to enter the room. I smiled. ¡°The wards know I¡¯m a MacLeod. I¡¯m safe in here. Trust me.¡± Kadic pulled back his leg and nodded. ¡°Yes, Master. Kadic will wait. Master will find Kadic here.¡± After giving him a nod of thanks, I turned back to the room. It wasn¡¯t large, being maybe fifteen by ten metres ¨C which was larger than it appeared from the outside ¨C but there was an overwhelming sense of power radiating around it. Power that was familiar, terrifying, and ancient all at once. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Suddenly the door swung shut. I rushed over and tried to pull it open, but it was stuck. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine Kadic. I think the room doesn¡¯t want me to leave just yet,¡± I replied quickly, though I was far from sure on that matter. ¡°This might take a while so can you go and make something for lunch?¡± ¡°Master is sure?¡± I rolled my eyes. Of course, I wasn¡¯t but I didn¡¯t want the elf standing around outside worrying. If he did, he¡¯d likely do something stupid and make this worse. ¡°Yes, Kadic. On you go.¡± After waiting for a reply but not getting any for a minute, I turned back to the room. My eyes were drawn first to the large desk. At a guess, it was made of mahogany or another dark wood and was about two metres wide. On my side, there was a single, simple chair for anyone my father had invited in, while there were several books on it along with a comfortable seat behind. Above the seat, on the wall, was a sword. It had an elaborate guard that, from what I could tell, would protect the wielder''s hand. The sheath for the blade was about a metre long. Above the sword was what appeared to be a flag. It was yellow with figures and images stitched into it with golden thread. There were also splotches of red, undeniably blood, on it. Something about the blood and the images in the flag felt off, foreign; possibly even non-human, but I couldn¡¯t place why. Only that there was magic in the flag. Still, while it and the sword were interesting, I knew it wasn¡¯t what I was after, and I turned to look at the other walls. Both sides had shelves, though while one side was covered entirely in shelves, the other was only half covered. I went first to the covered wall and lifted my hand to examine the spines of the books there only to stop. I could feel magic shifting around me, crackling out a warning. I couldn¡¯t examine these books, at least not yet. Nor the other things; including what looked to be a skull in a jar and a gem that seemed alive with shadows. Turning to the other side, I saw there were far fewer objects on the shelves. With one book having a place of prominence. My fingers moved over the cover, though not touching as I could still feel magic warning me not to. While it looked new, the words on it weren¡¯t English. At a guess, they might be Gaelic, but I¡¯d never learnt the language. My father had spoken of teaching me it before I left for Hogwarts, so perhaps this was something to do with Fleshcrafting; the magic I¡¯d chosen as a family magic when I¡¯d shaped my new life. Yet as much as I wanted to open the book, to see what forgotten lore it might contain, that wasn¡¯t why I was here today. I frowned as I looked around the room, trying to work out what I was meant to do here. There was nothing that hinted at controls for the wards; nothing that felt out of place. But then again, why should it? This was the inner sanctum of my father, and his father before him going back to the founding of our clan. I knew from stories he¡¯d told that we could trace our blood back to someone called Sg¨¤thach an Eilean Sgitheanach. The name meant little to either of my former lives, which meant it was another item on an ever-growing list of things I needed to research. ¡°Where is it?¡± I muttered as I gave the room another look. My eyes were drawn to the same objects as before, wanting to learn more about them, yet I knew that¡­ ¡°Huh.¡± A thought occurred to me. if I was drawn to those objects ¨C the sword, the flag, the various books, the old tome ¨C then what was I not drawn to? What had no pull upon me? I closed my eyes and went over what I¡¯d seen, using Emotionless Recall. I didn¡¯t know if the pull I suspected was in play affected my sight or my magic, but with my eyes closed it was easy to review my memories. Time seemed to slow as I dove into my mind, finding it hard to remember what hadn¡¯t drawn my attention; what had been easy to look past and ignore. ¡°Ah!¡± My eyes snapped open, and I turned to the partially-shelved wall. Beside the Gaelic tome, there was a small crystal; almost like one of those things fortune tellers used. The more I focused on it, the more it felt like it didn¡¯t belong; like it wasn¡¯t meant to be there. I moved toward it slowly, a fear that I¡¯d fallen for a defence of the room rattled around my head, growing stronger as I reached out for the ball. Yet, when I touched it, nothing happened. I wasn¡¯t blasted by some strange spell or teleported to who knew where. Instead, my hand rested peacefully on the ball. A frown came to my face when I tried to lift the ball only for it not to come. Curious, I stepped closer and examined it. Inside the ball, almost so small I could perceive it, a small spark of light ¨C something that shifted between red and silver ¨C shimmered. The patterns it generated were incredible, drawing my attention completely. The light called to me, wanted me to¡­ ¡°The fuck,¡± I muttered as I stumbled back, blinking rapidly. The ball¡­ the light in it, it¡¯d¡­ I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. There was magic there, but it wasn¡¯t the wards; wasn¡¯t the magic of my family. I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew that, but I did. Either this was a general thing because magic was more prevalent in the world, or because I was in the seat of clan MacLeod and possibly the new clan chief. With the way, it was going to take some getting used to. I still felt I was on the right track for finding a way to the wards, but there was more to it. This was going to take even longer than I¡¯d expected. I looked back at the desk and the chair behind it. A thought occurred that perhaps the chair was linked to the wards. I cautiously moved closer. It didn¡¯t feel like I shouldn¡¯t sit in the chair, but the same had been true of the crystal ball. Very carefully, I placed one hand on the armrest of the chair. ¡°Motherfucker!¡± I called out as I pulled my hand back, having felt a shock of something. At first, I thought it¡¯d been static, but the chair arm was made of the same dark wood as the desk and this room was soaked in magic. Yet, as I shook my hand to get feeling back in my fingers, I realised the shock hadn¡¯t hurt. No, it had felt¡­ as if the chair was testing me? ¡°Wish there were rules for this,¡± I muttered as I shook my head. In hindsight rushing into the master study and looking for a way to take control of the castle had been a bad move. However, after a week confined to my room, and the adjacent bathroom, I was going cuckoo. I needed to do something, so of course I rushed to do the most dangerous and difficult thing I could. ¡°Eejit.¡± I reached for the chair again, wondering if it would shock me again. When my hand touched the arm and no second shock came, I relaxed and released a breath I¡¯d been holding. Slowly I inched closer, worried something else would happen, but nothing did and soon I settled into the chair. ¡°Oh wow.¡± The chair seemed to shift beneath me, moving gently. When it stopped, I felt more at ease, more alive than I had in either of my lives before the merging. The chair had altered itself to suit me perfectly. Yet, for all the wonder the chair brought, it wasn¡¯t the key to finding the wards; to learning how to control them. Thus, once again, I closed my eyes and looked through my memories of the room, desperately seeking the path I needed to take. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I walked slowly down the stone steps, cautious that even though they appeared clean, the air was cold so I might slip and fall. The passage down had revealed itself after I¡¯d finally figured out what I was missing in the master study, and part of the floor in the corner near the exposed stone wall had shimmered. When the shimmer faded, a spiral staircase appeared. As I¡¯d moved down the steps, a ball of light had appeared, guiding me downward into the rock under the castle. The further down I headed the more I felt¡­ something at the edges of my senses. I had to assume it was the magic of the castle, of the wards, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Not until I discovered the wardstone. Yet, as odd as it seemed, whatever I was sensing felt comforting but with a hint of menace. As if it knew I was a MacLeod but wasn¡¯t sure if I was somehow worthy of taking control of the castle. I didn¡¯t know how deep I¡¯d gone, though I¡¯d counted over three hundred steps before the staircase gave way to a passage. The walls were lined with symbols; runes and sigils that I recognized from the study and door. They seemed to come alive as the light from the floating ball of light passed by them. I followed behind it cautiously, wary of any sort of trap or challenge. Yet, after only five or so metres, I arrived at a small chamber without incident. In the centre of the room, crackling with power that made the hair on my arms stand up, was¡­ an orb. Or at least a container of some sort. It was the only thing in the room, and as something shifted in the darkness of it ¨C almost as if hiding from the light ¨C I felt the urge to step closer. The magic I¡¯d felt the moment I¡¯d stepped inside the master study, which had grown stronger as I descended into the darkness, was all-encompassing here. And it was centred on the strange orb of darkness. No, it wasn¡¯t darkness, at least not in the sense it was evil. I realised now this was something to do with the magic traits I¡¯d selected before merging into this world. The orb radiated old, powerful shadow magic. Magic that was somehow linked to the dark without being Dark in the sense of the Unforgivables. And under that realisation, the urge to approach grew ever stronger. I fought that urge, not wanting to submit to the power. Suddenly, I was driven to my knees, the power emanating from the orb growing overwhelming. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± The words slipped from my lips as I pushed against the floor, not wanting to be driven further down. The orb, the magic within it, was trying to take control; trying to dominate me. ¡°No.¡± I grunted as I strained to stand again, not willing to submit to the magic of the orb; the magic that seeped through every stone in the castle above me. I was the one in charge here, the orb and the magic inside would submit to me. My foot slid forward as I struggled to remain standing. The energies rattling around the room bathed me in darkness, the magical ball of light consumed by shadow. Yet, I kept pushing forward, inch by inch. I wouldn¡¯t bend to the ward. Sweat rolled down my brow, forcing me to blink to clear my sight. Creatures danced in the shade that surrounded me. Whispers in tongues I didn¡¯t know filled my ears. Even not knowing what they said, I knew what they wanted. For me to fail, to prove I was unworthy and submit to them. But I would not. Time stretched as each movement seemed to take longer than the last. My clothes stuck to me, warm and wet. Vision from one eye was partially blocked as my hair clung to my head, yet still, I pushed on, still, I kept going. Finally, after however long it took, I was close to the orb and the dancing silhouettes of untold power that danced with. I lifted my arm, feeling as if I was pushing through the rock of the chamber. I had to touch the orb, I had to prove I was worthy. As my fingers neared, sparks of black power spat forth. I grunted in pain as my fingertips were singed and I was engulfed in darkness, yet still, I pushed my arm forward. And then, as I felt my fingers brush up against the orb, something slammed into my mind. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°Huh.¡± The word drooled from my mouth as I slowly opened my eyes, only to close them at the harsh, brightness that greeted me. ¡°The MacLeod is awake.¡± ¡°Wha?¡± I turned my head, recognising the voice. Once I¡¯d grown accustomed to the ling and regained my bearings I saw Kadic standing next to my bed; which I was somehow back in. ¡°Kadic?¡± I got out with a grimace as my throat felt like I¡¯d swallowed sandpaper. Hell, that was probably the least painful thing as my entire body was acting as if I¡¯d just played rugby singlehandedly against the entire New Zeeland team. ¡°The MacLeod needs water.¡± Kadic lifted his hand and a glass floated toward me. I tried to reach out for it, only to groan in pain. ¡°The MacLeod must rest. The Bonding is taxing. The MacLeod is young. Lucky to be alive.¡± Kadic continued as the glass floated up to my lips. I savoured the cool, clean taste as the first drops of water slipped past my lips. As the dry taste in my mouth was washed away, my mind turned back to how I¡¯d gotten into bed. I remembered finding the wardstone, though it was more like a crystal ball filled with shifting shadows. Then, when I¡¯d reached out to touch it¡­ Nothing. I could remember nothing from what happened after that. Also, why was Kadic calling me ¡®The MacLeod¡¯? ¡°Kadic,¡± I licked my lips, trying to soothe the cracked skin. ¡°What. Happened?¡± ¡°Young Master found ward core. Master became The MacLeod.¡± Kadic bowed deeply as he said that. ¡°Kadic honoured to serve The MacLeod.¡± Yeah, that didn¡¯t help much. ¡°Why do you call me the MacLeod?¡± I asked, finding it easier to get words out as the water seeped down my throat, bringing a cool, healing feeling with it. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t just water that he¡¯d given me, but that was an issue for later. ¡°Wards bow to you. The MacLeod you have become. You bear the torc.¡± Kadic replied, still bowing deeply. ¡°Wh¡­ Kadic, stand up.¡± he did as I asked so quickly that I worried he¡¯d hurt himself. ¡°What torc?¡± Kadic pointed at me, and I felt something ¨C Kadic¡¯s magic I realised ¨C lift my left arm. The covers I were under slipped back, exposing my bare arm ¨C as it seemed I was naked from the waist up ¨C save for something around my wrist. It looked like a large bangle, except one that felt ancient and powerful and somehow I knew it was torc. It was made of shiny, polished silver, which caught the light as I twisted my arm, reflecting a brilliant glow. The shifting gold runes, which were etched into the surface of the silver, seem to change and dance with every twist and turn, creating a mesmerising effect. At each end of the torc, crafted with incredible attention to detail, was a raven¡¯s head. They were carved from the same silver as the rest of the torc, with intricate feathers and a sharp, curved beak. The eyes of the ravens were made of gleaming onyx, deep and dark enough that for a moment, I got lost in their depths. ¡°Huh.¡± I turned my arm over, examining the beautiful piece of jewellery before realizing the opening between the raven heads was too small for my hand or wrist ¡°How do I take it off?¡± I asked as I kept turning my arm around, looking for a seam and finding none. ¡°The MacLeod cannot remove the torc. It is bonded to you. Only death of The MacLeod will remove it. So new MacLeod can rise.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± While that sounded ominous, the more I looked at the torc, the less concerned I was about it. It fitted me perfectly, and since it was infused with magic and had been worn by every Macleod chief before me, I suspected it¡¯d continue to fit perfectly. More than likely, there was more to it than just control of the castle¡¯s wards, but that was something for researching later. Along with the hundred-plus things on my ¡®research soon¡¯ list. I placed the arm on the bed and pushed myself upward, only to groan in pain. ¡°The MacLeod must rest. Bonding drains the MacLeod. New MacLeod is young. Youngest MacLeod Kadic has known. The MacLeod must rest.¡± ¡°Fine but can you at least bring me something to read,¡± I replied. My body still reeked of pain, and while the water was helping, it wasn¡¯t nearly enough. ¡°The MacLeod asks, Kadic obeys.¡± With a faint pop, Kadic vanished leaving me alone in my thoughts. As I closed my eyes and leaned back on my bed, I felt something tickle the back of my mind. Frowning, I tried to reach for it. Whatever it was pulled away until I grew annoyed. At that, it came to me instantly and I gasped. I could feel the wards, their strength, their range, and their power. Everything within five kilometres of the castle, in all directions, was covered by them, and as I felt my way through this new magic in my mind, I realised the wards were more than just a single bubble. No, they were concentric bubbles. The outermost layers were simple repealing wards to keep dangerous animals and non-magicals away. As the layers grew thicker and denser, the danger they possessed increased. All of them were up now and if anyone tried to breach the deeper layers of the wards, the castle would rend the flesh from their bones, turn the blood in their veins to oil and reduce whatever remained to their constituent atoms. It was terrifying the power that was now at my command. And intoxicating. While I wanted to bring down the wards, I realised now it was safer not to. Until I knew more about this world and learnt who had attacked my family ¨C and those with us ¨C it was better to keep them fully powered. I just had to hope that it didn''t draw unwanted attention, or that they ran out of power before I was ready to emerge into magical society. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Among the various passengers that disembarked when the overnight sleeper reached Inverness, was one man that stood. Apart from having a slightly darker complexion than locals, he was dressed in the clothing of the church with a cross showing Jesus upon it hanging from his neck. The man looked around and spotted a woman standing nearby in the frock of the church, he approached. ¡°I take it you are Sister Alieen?¡± His English was clear and clipped with a slight hint of a foreign accent. Sister Alieen lowered her head. ¡°I am. I must say it is a surprise to hear someone from the Church was coming. Still, it is an honour to meet you, Bishop Michaud.¡± Michaud smiled softly, forcing Alieen to break eye contact. ¡°When members of the Church die unexpectedly, and in such numbers, the Pope grows concerned.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± Alieen looked up, her vows to God were strong, but Bishop Michaud carried himself with a sense of purpose and faith that evoked odd feelings in her. ¡°F-follow me, Bishop.¡± Michaud gave her a soft smile and fell into step behind her. While it wasn¡¯t normal for a Bishop to follow a Sister, this was her city and she was his guide. They walked in silence, exiting the station. Michaud pulled his coat tight against him, disliking the cold wind of this small town on the edge of Europe. ¡°Please, tell me about the incident?¡± He asked once they were in a van bearing the logo of the Church. The driver, a man as it should be, kept his eyes on the road and was separated from them by a glass partition that was currently sealed. ¡°I¡­ It is strange, Bishop. There had been a troubled boy there.¡± ¡°This¡­ D¨°mhall?¡± Michaud tried to say the name in the report he¡¯d been given to study before being dispatched from Rome by Cardinal Di Antonio. The report had been troubling. Everyone present died in an explosion even though there had been no gas pipes near the centre of the blast. More concerning was the note that detailed a boy being present in the room before the explosion but no sign of his body being found in the wreckage. ¡°D¨°mhnall, Bishop. And yes, he was¡­ Sister Eileen, the Matron, had claimed he was tainted by the Devil.¡± At that, Aileen lifted the cross around her neck and kissed it. To ease her mood, Michaud made the symbol of the cross in the air between them. ¡°He had¡­ yellow eyes.¡± Michaud raised a single brow at hearing that, as that wasn¡¯t something in the report given to him. ¡°He was often in trouble with the other boys. Fighting, causing trouble.¡± Michaud pulled a notepad from his bag and started jotting down the new details the Sister was giving him. ¡°The report mentioned some odd occurrences before the attempted exorcism?¡± Aileen nodded. ¡°Yes. Twice the boy hurt others without seemingly touching them. As if a power not of this world had possessed him.¡± the colour seemed to fade from her face. ¡°I know this is troubling to relive, but the Church must know all the details before the Pope can offer a judgement in this matter. I need to hear, in your words Sister, every incident this boy was involved in to be sure he was not possessed by a demon or some other horrible fate.¡± Alieen nodded once more, seemingly drawing strength for her faith. As she detailed the incidents, Michaud made his notes. It was quickly clear to him that this wasn¡¯t a demonic possession, but one involving the heathen magicals. The aberrations. The Church, like many governments and other religions around the world, was aware they existed; that those heathens had gone into hiding just as the Church, the Order had been poised to strike against them. While others accepted this meant the threat posed by these aberrations was gone, the Order knew better. Magicals were only biding their time, waiting for a moment to unite and strike. To plunge the world back to the true history of empires like those of ancient Egypt or the Aztecs. Of making God¡¯s children their slaves and toys to rule over as false prophets and gods. ¡­ ¡°Hmm, this is indeed an unusual event,¡± Michaud commented as he knelt in the cleared remains of the Sisters of Nazareth Children¡¯s Home of Inverness. Most of the building had been knocked down to remove threats of further collapse, and the bodies had been removed, but Michaud could see the signs. What remained of the floor and walls were scorched in expanding rings. Those started where a bed had once been but it was now gone. Either removed when the bodies were taken for cremation or when the building was partially demolished. However, it was clear that the bed, or the boy that had been upon it, had been the epicentre. ¡°Do you perhaps still have a copy of the boy¡¯s records?¡± he asked as he turned to look at Sister Alieen. She was standing back near where the outer wall had been, unwilling to come closer as she believed the place to have been tainted by the Devil. ¡°Y-yes.¡± Michaud raised an eyebrow and she nodded. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go get them for you.¡± He watched her go, wanting to be sure she was gone. Once he was, he pulled two objects from his coat. To most, they would appear as simple rosary beads with a cross attached to them, but for the Order, they served other purposes. ¡°In Dei nomine, veritatem revela.¡± After saying that, he felt a power that he knew came from the one true God wash over him. A moment later, the beads began to heat up, though the cross did nothing. That drew a sigh of slight relief. Magic was involved here, but it wasn¡¯t from something else: just an aberration. Still, that a child had the unfocused power to do this amount of damage was troubling. The last ones the Church knew of with that power were Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore. There were stories of a new power rising in Eastern Europe, and whispers of dangers lurking in Asia and Africa, however, while the Church had some influence there, the focus was on the core area of Europe. Still, this boy, this D¨°mhnall would need watching. The raw power here could be a threat to all the Church held dear. It wasn¡¯t yet to take this to the Templars or Teutons, but the Order would ensure the boy was watched. Michaud knew the Order had some operatives within the ranks of the aberrations in these isles. And if the boy became a threat, the Order would do what it must to fulfil God¡¯s word. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 3 The Early Years 3 ... ... Two days after waking up in my bed ¨C again ¨C I was wandering the halls of Dunscaith Castle, getting reacquainted with the layout of my home. While I knew much of the castle from the part of me that had lived here before the attack on the summer solstice, much of it had been off-limits to ¡®Dom¡¯ before our merging. Yet now I held the title of MacLeod of MacLeod, or as Kadic continued to refer to me The MacLeod, I was able to wander into places that were entirely new. I¡¯d avoided taking the master bedroom even though Kadic said I could. The wounds of my new family¡¯s deaths were still fresh in my mind. As were the deaths of my wife and kids. Honestly, dealing with two conflicting sets of memories was awkward, but I was muddling through it. Mainly as until this morning, I¡¯d not been allowed to leave my bed and with little to do but lie around and think, I¡¯d worked on overcoming most of the issues regarding my dual memories. ¡°Come on D¨°m, if we don¡¯t hurry, Aunt Siobhan won''t make you any of your favourite lemon cakes.¡± I spun, wanting to see my mother as she called to me, only to find myself in the empty corridor near my bedroom. I frowned, wondering how much longer I¡¯d have to endure this. A fresh wave of despair passed over me as I remembered she, along with the rest of my family, was dead. I¡¯d had several moments like this while lying in bed recovering from my encounter with the source of the castle¡¯s wards ¨C whatever it was, wasn¡¯t a wardstone ¨C but they¡¯d been fleeting things. Now, as I wandered the corridors, the memories were coming faster, and with stronger emotions attached to them. Though at least they were only for my life here and not from my life from another time and Earth. ¡°Give it back!¡± ¡°Make me!¡± ¡°Torcull! Give D¨°mhnall his kelpie!¡± I pivoted at the sound of my voice and Torcull but again saw nothing. This time I knew what I¡¯d heard, and I was drawn into the memory. It¡¯d been about six months ago, during the winter break at Hogwarts. Tamhas and Sine had come home for the holidays, and while we¡¯d been waiting for Father to return from King¡¯s Cross with them, Torcull had grabbed a toy kelpie and ran off. I¡¯d given chase though I was too small and young to force my older brother to return my toy. Mother had forced him to do so, and as soon as it was back in my hands, the floor had turned, and Father had arrived with Tamhas and Sine. Sine had just finished her first year at Hogwarts while Tamhas had ended his third. At the time, I¡¯d not picked up on why they¡¯d had different coloured ties, or what it meant. However, with my second set of memories, I knew Sine had been a claw ¨C which made sense since her room was full of books ¨C and Tamhas was a snake. Neither of my parents had cared about them being in either house or at least I¡¯d not heard anything suggesting an issue. Either that meant my family tended to be in Slytherin, which was possible as I knew my grandmother on my father¡¯s side was a Black or the reputation that Slytherin held in canon hadn¡¯t yet reached a tipping point. My grandparents had died in Grindelwald¡¯s war as my father had mentioned, and while he¡¯d never told me how, or even who they fought for, the subtle comments I could pull from my memories with Emotionless Recall hinted my family was generally anti-muggle at least. If I¡¯d learnt that with my new combined memories before my time in the Children¡¯s Home, I¡¯d possibly have been repulsed. I mean, in my former life ¨C the non-D¨°mhnall one ¨C I¡¯d been a muggle. However, after what I endured at the hands of those religious whack-jobs, I found myself less concerned about my family¡¯s political leanings than I otherwise would¡¯ve been. Plus, from what I understood, it was the actions of Voldemort, and the inaction of Dumbledore, that made the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin as severe as it was by Harry¡¯s time. Being a Slytherin now, while still having a stigma to it, shouldn¡¯t be a major issue. Hell, I knew Merlin himself had been in Slytherin. Or at least the Merlin in the canon timeline. There were issues with when Merlin was said to have attended Hogwarts and when he was meant to have lived if the tales of Arthur, Camelot et al had a grain of truth to them. However, that was something for researching much later, for now, I had other things I wanted to learn. I paused outside Alasdair¡¯s room. He¡¯d been my youngest sibling, only having turned five a few days before¡­ before he died. I sighed as memories of him flooded my thoughts. Of him crawling around the main room, trying desperately to get one of Yop¡¯s cookies. Mother had lifted him to stop him, only for a cookie to float toward them. She¡¯d grabbed it before it reached my brother, but she¡¯d then given it to him after congratulating him on using magic. From what I understood, that was the first time Alasdair had used accidental magic. I didn¡¯t know when my older siblings had first displayed their aptitude for magic, but I did recall my first time. I¡¯d been a babe, still a few months shy of my second birthday, when I¡¯d grown angry at my father for ignoring me. I¡¯d cried and slammed my hands down on the floor. The next moment, the world darkened, and the ground seemed to shake. I started crying, scared of what was going on but after recovering, my father had scooped me up. A large smile had spread over his face as he held me, one mirrored by my mother when she¡¯d rushed into the room wondering what had happened. The pair had spoken of family magic and Father had passed me to Mother before he¡¯d raced off to talk with my grandfather. I blinked, trying to put that memory together with the fact I knew my grandparents had died decades earlier. It took only a second before I realised it likely meant. ¡°Kadic!¡± I called out and a second later a faint pop echoed in the corridor as the elf appeared. ¡°The Macleod calls Kadic?¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Yes. I know m¡­ mother and father are dead, but I remember them speaking of my grandparents. How?¡± I already suspected there were magical portraits of them somewhere in the house, and perhaps my parents as well, but I couldn¡¯t be too blunt about it. Kadic was loyal to the family, such as it was, but if he suspected I wasn¡¯t entirely D¨°mhnall, then there might be issues. Even with me now being The MacLeod and having the torc to confirm it. ¡°Old MacLeod¡¯s have portraits. In the family library.¡± I frowned. ¡°Kadic, I¡¯ve been in there. There are no portraits,¡± I remembered the rows of books and it had been where I¡¯d been planning to go; at least before I¡¯d gotten distracted by my memories. Kadic¡¯s head tilted to one side for a moment before he blinked and hit the side of his head. ¡°Kadic stupid. Kadic not tell The MacLeod of Inner Library.¡± I frowned, wondering what this inner library was, and at seeing him hit himself. It hadn¡¯t been hard, so it might only be him imitating something he¡¯d seen a wizard or witch do, but I¡¯d have to keep an eye on it to ensure he wasn¡¯t forced to self-harm himself when he made a mistake like Dobby had to do with the Malfoys. ¡°What inner library?¡± Before I realised it, Kadic had taken my hand and clicked his fingers. The world twisted in ways that made my stomach do somersaults while inside out as I was apparated by the elf. ¡­ ¡­ When we emerged in the library, I looked around, the older component of my combined mind salivated at seeing so many books. When that part of me had lived, books had fallen out of fashion, mainly due to a shortage of trees. Only those with money, real money, could afford to get books and even public libraries had ceased to exist in the decade leading up to my death. The room I was standing in now, was covered in books. Two floors existed, with a set of stairs leading to the upper level. Every inch of the walls, save where there was a door or window, was covered in bookshelves; each filled to the brim with books. The bookcases were made of dark mahogany, blending well with the dark red, almost like dried blood, carpet while the ceiling¡­ I blinked as it started to move. The air was alive with movement, as delicate forms twirled and swirled above me, enacting a story of their own. It was a scene I recognized, having been here before, yet the experience was different following my merge. The ethereal dance left me breathless, but my curiosity was piqued - I longed to know the meaning behind the performance, a mystery that my parents had never told me about. From the younger part of my mind, I knew which books had been aimed at children and instinctively I took a step toward them only to stop. I wasn¡¯t here to re-read them, even if the Adventures of Wenslop Wanderling were some of my favourites. No, I was here to see the Inner Library. I kept looking around, searching for the door, only to stop as I saw a large sofa; one that Mother had often read to me on. I blinked, finding my vision blurred. A hand reached up to my eyes, sweeping away the tears that streamed down my face. I vowed that if it was the last thing I did, I would hunt down those responsible for tearing my family away from me and reap a bloody vengeance. They needed to feel anguish, to understand the depth of pain they had caused. ¡°The MacLeod is well?¡± I turned and looked back at Kadic. Worry was all over his face and I wondered how he was dealing with everything. He¡¯s lived longer than me, serving the family for over a century. And then, in one fell swoop, he¡¯d believed the entire family had been wiped out. Yes, he¡¯d eventually found me, but that likely only made things worse. And explained why he hovered over me, always being nearby to keep me safe. ¡°As well as I can be,¡± I replied, looking down at my hand, seeing it wet with my tears. ¡°One day Kadic, one day we¡¯ll find who did this to my¡­ to our family.¡± I all but snarled as I clenched my fist, wanting to pull the tears back inside. Kadic nodded. ¡°Kadic will help The MacLeod. Kadic will make the bad ones pay.¡± There was something in his tone, something that promised violence, that made me smile. Kadic was incredibly loyal to my family, and to me, and to hear him agree with me warmed my heart. I gave him a nod of thanks, not wanting to voice the rage I felt. I had to maintain that I was seven and immature, not something more. For now, I had to find the door to the Inner Library. It only took a moment as, near the back of the room, a bookcase I¡¯d seen father frequent, shifted as if it were composed of countless tiny particles that shifted and swirled, creating a mesmerising display of shimmering light. Through it, I saw¡­ an archway. ¡°I love magic,¡± I whispered as I walked closer to the strange bookcase. A warmth spread across my wrist, as though the torc on my arm had been basking in the sun. I paused, taking in the unexpected sensation, and glanced down at it. To my surprise, some of the runes etched upon the torc were glowing with a molten gold hue, emanating a soft light that bathed my skin. I recognized some of the Nordic symbols- or thought I did, but others were composed of intricate patterns that were entirely unfamiliar to me. ¡°Kadic, can you find me some books on basic runes?¡± I asked as I remembered I needed to learn what I could about the torc, the Master Study and the strange runes covering both. Plus, those in the odd tunnel that led to the magical heart of the castle. ¡°And any books that Tamhas might¡¯ve had from Hogwarts on the subject?¡± I doubted the schoolbooks would tell me anything those stored in the library wouldn¡¯t, but I wasn¡¯t prepared to leave any stone unturned. With the family magic being called Flesh Carving and having taken Runes of the World, I wanted to get started on this branch of magic as soon as I could. What also helped is, at least for learning the basics, there was little need for a wand. Or so I assumed. Still, even if a wand was needed for basic rune work, there was no harm in learning as much as I could before I was old enough to get a wand and attend Hogwarts. The same was true of other branches of magic, and not just those I had taken affinities for, but runes were a more pressing issue with the torc that was on my wrist that refused to be removed. ¡°Kadic obeys The MacLeod.¡± I saw a dozen books lift off one of the shelves to my right, though I put that aside as I moved forward toward the shimmering bookcase. As I approached the shimmering bookcase, a strange sensation buzzed at the edges of my mind, as if trying to lure me away from my goal. The torc warmed further, and the sensation faded. That must mean the torc was what allowed me to enter the Inner Library, or at least overcome the initial defences the Inner Library held. As my fingers brushed against the partially-there bookcase, a jolt of energy surged through me, causing me to recoil. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before - not a mere static shock, nor anything like being struck by lightning. Instead, it felt as though I was being judged by a primordial force beyond my comprehension. The Torc on my wrist warmed even further, bordering on starting to hurt. Not enough to burn me, but enough that if I could remove it, I would. Before I could really think about what was happening, the strange sensation faded and the torc cooled. I felt myself being pulled forward and stumbled. When I looked up, I gasped. The room had changed, or I¡¯d moved. There were still bookshelves lining the walls, though most only held a few books. The rest of the space was taken up by¡­ things. On one shelf I saw a skull of something that, judging by the elongated fangs, was not quite human. On another, I saw a horn, one that offered a sense of warmth and comfort, unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt. Other shelves were covered in things I couldn¡¯t even begin to describe, yet my focus was quickly drawn to the centre of the room. There, on a pedestal that towered above me and exuded an aura of danger and power, sat a book. It was elegantly bound in dark red leather, its exterior otherwise unremarkable. And yet, I knew that this book held secrets that were anything but mundane. Like a moth to a flame, I drew nearer to the book on the pedestal. Its cover glowed in parts, and the torc on my wrist heated up once more, emanating a deep crimson light that was both natural and otherworldly. This tome, it radiated power not just from its contents, but from its very being. Once I was close enough, I reached out to touch the book. A surge of unfathomable energy coursed through me, throwing me back as if struck by a primordial force. I tumbled head over heels, disoriented and dizzy until I slammed into the wall.. The shelves nearby shook, and as I regained my bearings, I feared something irreplaceable might¡¯ve fallen and shattered. Yet as I looked around, I saw that wasn¡¯t the case. Save for me, nothing was out of place. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I stood slowly; my eyes locked once more on the book. It had challenged me, I knew this, and had deemed me¡­ unready. Not unworthy, but not yet ready for the knowledge it contained. That was odd as fuck, but I was quickly coming to accept that odd as fuck was normal for magic. Or at least the magic contained within Dunscaith Castle. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here child.¡± I spun, my body moving me into a fighting stance to face whoever else was there, only to see nothing there bar a row of paintings. ¡°Unusual but impressive, but what¡­¡± ¡°D¨°mhnall!¡± I blinked in shock as an elderly, though not old, lady in one painting turned and slapped the gentleman beside her. ¡°Can¡¯t you see who it is?¡± The man in the painting rubbed his cheek and glared at the woman. ¡°What?¡± My jaw almost hit the floor as I saw the pair converse. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that woman?!¡± ¡°Look at him D¨°mhnall,¡± the woman replied, an arm in the painting pointing at me without ever leaving the canvas. As the man turned, I understood I was seeing a magical painting, and I felt I knew who these people were. ¡°Grandfather?¡± I asked slowly as I drew on memories of paintings ¨C at least ones that couldn¡¯t speak ¨C that were around the house. Those held paintings of family members going back several centuries and the more recent, as in about two hundred years or younger, could move. Silence stretched between us as the man in the portrait, my grandfather, D¨°mhnall MacLeod''s eyes remained fixed on me, searching for answers to the impossible. I could feel the weight of his unspoken question hanging heavy in the air, begging for an explanation. "How?" he finally managed to utter, his voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Huh?¡± My reply lacked grace, but given I was now in a conversation with people who¡¯d died decades ago, it was hardly a surprise. ¡°D¨°mhnall, what happened?¡± The woman, who I knew was called Cassiopeia, asked, one of her painted hands coming to rest on my grandfather¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We know your father died, but that¡¯s all we know.¡± ¡°How?¡± How could they know this? That made zero sense. ¡°Whenever a MacLeod of MacLeod dies, any portraits of the former MacLeod of MacLeod''s return here,¡± my head snapped to the painting next to my grandparents to see another couple there. Both had features similar to my grandfather, so I assumed they were his parents or grandparents. ¡°At least, if they were moved by the former clan chief.¡± The man leaned forward: or appeared to since he was just a painting. ¡°As the heir, you should know of this.¡± ¡°D¨°mhnall wasn¡¯t the heir, father,¡± my grandfather said slowly. ¡°He was third in line.¡± The eyes of my grandparents and great-grandparents ¨C and several other sets of ancestors ¨C focused on me. ¡°What happened?¡± "We...we were ambushed during the Summer Solstice," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Traitors!¡± ¡°War!¡± ¡°QUIET!¡± My grandmother¡¯s shout silenced the roar of indignation and rage from my ancestors, ones I realised had been The MacLeod before me. ¡°Let him speak!¡± She smiled softly at me, ¡°Please, continue.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember much,¡± I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. ¡°Tamhas found me. He said we were being attacked. We saw Father¡¯s body. I¡­ I saw Tamhas die. Mother saved me, sent me away with this.¡± I held up the necklace that I refused to remove even when bathing. There was a stunned silence, broken only by the occasional murmur from the portraits. ¡°After that,¡± I continued, ¡°I woke up in a hospital. A muggle hospital.¡± The grumbles grew louder, and curses were muttered about placing a MacLeod in the hands of muggles. ¡°Go on D¨°mhnall,¡± Grandmother urged with a smile, though it looked like water was gathering in her eyes. I blinked, shocked to see a painting cry. ¡°I was sent to a children¡¯s home. Th¡­ they didn¡¯t like me because of my eyes,¡± which earned a comforting smile from my grandmother and my grandfather seemed to swell with anger. ¡°Th¡­they tried to do something to me. Something to do with their God.¡± ¡°They did WHAT?!¡± Grandfather roared; his voice was soon joined by others. I took a step back, the fury in his posture seemingly making the painting ripple with anger. ¡°D¨°mhnall!¡± Grandmother snapped at him, her hands moving over his arm. ¡°Let him tell the story. All of it. Then we see how to respond.¡± My grandfather''s rage subsided at her words, though the painting still seemed to crack with tension. Eventually, he growled. ¡°Finish the story, boy.¡± I gulped, feeling small under his piercing gaze. The Matron had never scared me, but this man, this painting of my grandfather... he was on a whole different level. He had once wielded power that could level cities with ease, and I couldn''t help but feel a deep sense of fear in his presence. ¡°When they¡­ tried what they were doing, I¡­ I lashed out. I¡­ killed them. Then Kadic found me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my grandson,¡± the painting settled as my grandfather smiled down at me. ¡°Teach those¡­ things, they shouldn¡¯t mess with their betters.¡± I ignored him and looked around. ¡°Wait? Where¡¯s Kadic?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t get in lad,¡± I turned back to my grandfather. ¡°Only the chief, the heir and the head elf can enter this library. I suspect that with the deaths of Tamhas and Torcull, you¡¯d be the heir now.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± I began before holding up my arm. The sleeve of my pyjama top had slid down to reveal the torc in all its intricate detail. Grandfather''s eyes zeroed in on the torc, his expression shifting from surprise to something more intense. ¡°How?¡± he demanded, his voice low and intense. ¡°How old are you boy?¡± That came from my great-grandfather. ¡°Seven,¡± I replied, making him blink. A moment later he started laughing. ¡°Father! This isn¡¯t funny!¡± ¡°No D¨°mhnall, it¡¯s incredible,¡± my great-grandfather replied. He looked over to where my grandparents were, though I doubt they could see each other due to the frames on their paintings. After rolling his eyes, he returned his gaze, one that carried with it, experience and power that demanded respect, to me. ¡°That torc, as Kadic should¡¯ve told you by now, means you are now The MacLeod; chief of Clan MacLeod ¨C in both the magical and muggle worlds ¨C and lord of Dunscaith Castle. And other things, though those will come later. Come here,¡± he knelt in his painting as if that would give him a better look at me and the torc. I did as he asked, keeping my arm up so he could see the torc. His eyes wandered over it more than me before he chuckled and stood. ¡°You don¡¯t realise what you¡¯ve done, do you?¡± He shook his head again with another laugh. ¡°If you weren¡¯t all that remained of our clan, and still missing a wand I¡¯d be arranging betrothals for you.¡± ¡°Alasdair!¡± My grandmother barked sharply. ¡°Quiet girl. You may have married into our clan, but there¡¯s much you never learnt of our history.¡± Alasdair shook his head. ¡°As it is, I almost pity you, boy.¡± I frowned, my confusion deepening as he spoke, and I couldn''t help but feel a sense of foreboding. "No MacLeod has ever claimed the title of MacLeod of MacLeod before reaching their maturity. Not since the founding of Hogwarts, at any rate. You have now entered a world that you are wholly unprepared for, where men far wiser and more powerful than I or your grandfather will fight to gain control of you." I swallowed, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of his words. Taking control of the wards suddenly felt like a grave mistake, and I couldn''t help but wonder if I had doomed myself. "Wodin, you may have even-" he paused, his hand hovering in the air before he waved it dismissively. "No, there''s no chance of that." I stared at him, wondering just what could be worse than having older and more powerful wizards and witches fighting over me. A cold chill ran down my spine as if someone had walked over my grave. Whatever he was speaking of, I hoped never to discover what it was. At least not until I was far older, wiser, and more powerful. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ My head snapped up as my great-grandfather, Alasdair, mentioned something several hours after I¡¯d first entered the Inner Library. ¡°Wait? What?!¡± I whipped around, drawn toward the tome that sat in the middle of the room. ¡°Aye, lad. That tome holds the family magic; the ability to carve runes and the like into the skin of yourself and others of our bloodline.¡± I shifted a hand, planning to head back to the book, any interest in my ancestors gone upon learning the tome was linked to Flesh Craving. ¡°D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod! Don¡¯t even think about touching that thing!¡± Cassiopeia, my grandmother snarled, freezing me mid-turn. ¡°You''re decades away from being ready to learn that!¡± ¡°Perhaps not decades as my darling Cassie suggests, but it certainly isn¡¯t something to touch until you¡¯ve gotten a good base in runic magic.¡± That came from my grandfather, D¨°mhnall, and as I turned back to their portrait, I saw Cassiopeia had turned her wrath on him. ¡°He is The MacLeod my darling. The tome will be opened eventually, and as my father said, others will look to control him, to gain access to that very tome. Just as your uncle did by arranging our betrothal.¡± ¡°I chose you, ¡®Nall. The betrothal simply kept those harlots away,¡± Cassiopeia replied as she patted his arm. ¡°Or are you saying you regret our years together?¡± ¡°Of course not," D¨°mhnall said after a moment of silence. "Please forgive my overreaction. I am simply concerned for the well-being of our grandson." After a smile and nod from Cassiopeia, he turned back to me. ¡°I need you to promise me boy that you¡¯ll not try and open, not even bond with the tome until I, my father and others agree you¡¯re ready?¡± From the way he looked at me, it was clear he was worried for me, but I felt as if there was more to it than that. ¡°My son only wishes to avoid seeing another member of our clan punished for reaching too far, too quickly,¡± my great-grandfather chimed in, his wife, ¨¢ine, held his hand, her gaze falling to the ground. ¡°D¨°mhnall wasn¡¯t born my heir. His brother convinced he was ready, attempted to open the tome. It¡­ It extracted a fatal price for his arrogance.¡± My head turned, taking in the tome. The power I¡¯d felt from it since entering the Inner Library now held a sinister edge. ¡°Oh.¡± The words slipped from my mouth with ease. I had no interest in dying young. Not after being granted this rare opportunity to live a new life in another world; one not yet irrecoverably ruined by the actions of non-magicals. ¡°Yes, the tome extracts a toll on those who use it, to prove they are worthy.¡± There was a pause and I turned back to the paintings to see him rubbing his chin. ¡°Still, if you can become The MacLeod at such a tender age, I have little doubt that one day the tome will reveal some, if not most, of its secrets to you.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it reveal all of them? I mean not right away, but given time won¡¯t I, wouldn¡¯t you and grandfather have read it from cover to cover?¡± The two men shared a laugh. ¡°The tome isn¡¯t just from where we learn flesh carving, it is magic. The leather it is bound in comes from the skin of selkies whose descendants still roam the seas near this island. The pages pressed from the flesh of fallen enemies of our clan and written in the blood of our distant cousins.¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve learnt from those who came before me, the book hasn¡¯t revealed all her secrets to any single MacLeod since the birth of our clan. The best most can hope for a third of the pages to not be blank.¡± Alasdair added in agreement with my grandfather. ¡°Though legend states that the founder of our house learnt all that was written within the tome. That he used it to shape the elves that serve our clan into something¡­ more than other house elves. There is even¡­¡± he paused and shook his head, ending the sentence oddly. I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, only for a loud rumble to fill the room. I blinked and looked down at my stomach. ¡°I, uh.¡± My mumbling was cut off by a gentle laugh. ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve eaten?¡± Cassiopeia asked, her smile matched by her husband. ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure. Kadic?¡± I called out for the elf, only to frown. That faded away quickly as I remembered he couldn¡¯t enter the Inner Library. ¡°He can¡¯t enter here, child.¡± I turned and looked up at Alasdair as he reminded me of that fact. ¡°Only you, your wife, heir and those you name as your closest confidants can enter. And even then, only after reciting an oath. Repeat after me: An seo agus an-dr¨¤sta, togaidh mi Kadic o a ghl¨´inean romham, mar a dh¡¯¨¨ireas mi ann an cumhachd, mar sin bidh esan, far an coisich mi, leanaidh e, far an cog mi bheir e d¨¬on dhomh, nuair a ghairmeas mi, freagraidh e, nuair a chailleas mi, bidh e dean dioghaltas agus caoidh orm.¡± I frowned, not at why Kadic couldn¡¯t enter this room, as that made sense. If the castle¡¯s core and the tome controlling the family magics were in the master study and here respectfully, then access to the room should be restricted. No, I was frowning at the words he said. They sounded similar to what my mother had said before I¡¯d disappeared from the campsite where my family had been murdered. ¡°An seo agus an-dr¨¤sta, togaidh mi Kadic o a ghl¨´inean romham, mar a dh¡¯¨¨ireas mi ann an cumhachd, mar sin bidh esan, far an coisich mi, leanaidh e, far an cog mi bheir e d¨¬on dhomh, nuair a ghairmeas mi, freagraidh e, nuair a chailleas mi, bidh e dean dioghaltas agus caoidh orm.¡± As I spoke the words, I felt the torc heat up, and when I finished and looked down at it, I saw a new set of runes on it glowing in a soft, dark red light. However, I didn¡¯t have time to contemplate on that, nor ask what I¡¯d said as a faint pop sounded, and Kadic appeared at my side. ¡°The MacLeod summons¡­¡± Kadic stopped mid-sentence, his eyes almost growing larger than his head. ¡°Kadic has failed The MacLeod¡¯s of before,¡± He started as he fell to his knees, one hand going to his chest. ¡°Kadic must pay.¡± ¡°Kadic NO!¡± Alasdair¡¯s tone stopped whatever the elf was doing in his tracks. ¡°You haven¡¯t failed Kadic; you have saved our clan. And are rewarded for your actions.¡± He glanced lower and Kadic followed his gaze. ¡°Ah!¡± Kadic jumped to his feet, his hands patting at his toga, specifically where the sigil of Clan MacLeod was. However, unlike earlier, the sigil was now a deep red. His eyes locked on me, tears forming in them. ¡°The MacLeod names Kadic head elf?¡± I looked at the paintings to see my ancestors nodding. ¡°Um, yeah. I did.¡± Before I knew it, Kadic snapped to attention. His posture lost all the looseness it¡¯d had before. Almost as if Kadic was a new elf. ¡°Kadic serves The MacLeod. Kadic dies for The MacLeod. Kadic kills for The MacLeod.¡± I blinked at his words, confused by them. He¡¯d already killed to save me if I understood what he¡¯d done in the Children¡¯s Home. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He is confirming his place as the senior elf of the clan,¡± I looked up at Alasdair to see a smile dancing on his lips. ¡°Though given he¡¯s the only elf left, it¡¯s not much of a promotion.¡± ¡°At least until D¨°mhnall here purchases new elves,¡± ¨¢ine added, patting her husband¡¯s hand. ¡°However, there shouldn¡¯t be much need for that for many years.¡± ¡°Kadic, D¨°mhnall is hungry,¡± Cassiopeia said, ¡°perhaps you might take him for a meal.¡± I looked at her, feeling as if I was being dismissed. ¡°Once you¡¯ve eaten, you can return. Unless you wish to bring crumbs into this library?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± While there were tables to sit at, eating or drinking anything but water, in there felt wrong. As if I was disrespecting the castle and the family. ¡°Right.¡± I turned to Kadic. ¡°Can you take me to the kitchen?¡± Kadic smiled and placed a hand on my arm. A moment later, the world twisted in a now familiar way as I was side-apparated away by the elf. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Might I ask why you sent him away?¡± Alasdair asked. While he couldn¡¯t see his daughter-in-law, he could hear the gears in her head turning. While he¡¯d never been particularly close with her uncle, he was glad ¨¢ine had convinced him to accept the match between her and D¨°mhnall. ¡°He¡¯s not ready for what we need to discuss,¡± she replied, earning a nod from ¨¢ine. ¡°I know I¡¯m not a MacLeod by blood, but even I felt his power." ¡°Aye, she¡¯s right.¡± That came from Alasdair¡¯s grandfather, Seumas. ¡°The lad¡¯s got power in his blood. More than any of my progeny have ever had.¡± Alasdair rolled his eyes at that. His grandfather had always put down everyone who came after him. Merlin, he¡¯d put down everyone everywhere. Which might be why his sons had killed him during a family vacation in Norway. ¡°More than that. He¡¯s alone in the world,¡± ¨¢ine offered. ¡°There¡¯s no one to warn him of the dangers that are brewing in our world. The problems that have existed for centuries grow worse with each passing year.¡± ¡°I¡­ I have an idea,¡± Cassiopeia began slowly. Alasdair suspected he knew what she was about to suggest but wished to hear what the others thought before offering his opinion. ¡°I have a painting at my family¡¯s main manor. One which isn¡¯t hidden like we are here. I could reach out to my cousin¡­¡± ¡°NO!¡± D¨°mhnall cut in. ¡°NO! We don¡¯t need his help!¡± Alasdair shared a look with ¨¢ine. While they were related by marriage, D¨°mhnall had never liked Arcturus, blaming him for Alasdair and ¨¢ine¡¯s death in Grindelwald¡¯s war. While they didn¡¯t have the memories of how they died - the painting they were having last been imparted with knowledge half a year before their deaths - neither felt Arcturus was responsible for their death. No, this was more linked to Arcturus blocking D¨°mhnall¡¯s move to become Minister of Magic. ¡°Then who should we ask to teach him?¡± Cassiopeia¡¯s tone was sharp and lethal. ¡°Your brother perhaps?¡± Alasdair was glad his son couldn¡¯t see his face. Ruairi, D¨°mhnall¡¯s younger brother, was the one regret he kept even decades after his death. Ruairi had always blamed D¨°mhnall for the death of their parents; and the last any had heard, the younger son had left Europe after a failed attempt to kill D¨°mhnall and become The MacLeod. ¡°I¡­ No. It would be unwise to ask Ruairi,¡± D¨°mhnall replied to his wife, making Alasdair nod. It seemed his son hadn¡¯t softened in his later years as Alasdair had feared he might. ¡°But Arcturus?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say we could ask MacDougall¡¯s to teach our grandson, but Aonghus and Kara¡¯s portrait isn¡¯t here.¡± Alasdair regretted that. His great-grandson and his wife had a painting commissioned, but finding it unnerving to talk with themselves, Aonghus had placed it in a vault in Gringotts. A decision that now left the paintings with a problem. ¡°While I have no doubt Arcturus will try to manipulate the boy, he is our best choice,¡± Alasdair said slowly. ¡°Ruairi will have heard of the attack on his nephew and his family. If he hasn¡¯t already returned, he soon will and attempt to gain control of the castle. Young D¨°mhnall isn¡¯t capable of stopping him and we cannot allow my lost son to become The MacLeod. Thus, we are left with little choice but to trust The Black. However, when you speak to him, make it clear we will be advising D¨°mhnall to not trust anything he says, nor will any attempt at betrothing one of his nieces to the boy be allowed.¡± If one of the Black girls did turn D¨°mhnall¡¯s head later in life, Alasdair might not complain. Cassiopeia had been good for his son, and history did love to repeat itself. The issue might be, that from what Cassiopeia had said, only the youngest was the same age as the boy. Though it was the eldest, Bellatrix, who was regarded as the most powerful of the three. ¡°You know this will backfire somehow? Arcturus always has an angle.¡± Alasdair shared a look with ¨¢ine before she replied. ¡°Yes, but he is the best choice. The Blacks are more connected and politically powerful than our family, especially now. While there are issues where we might disagree, our interests have aligned more often than not.¡± He smiled and kissed his wife on her cheek. Arcturus would try to use young D¨°mhnall, but everyone uses everyone. It was the way of the world, with the strong leading the weak. Controlling them if they couldn¡¯t be trusted to act in the interests of the Greater Good. And one thing Alasdair was sure of was that young D¨°mhnall had power. The boy had become The MacLeod at seven. Something he¡¯d never seen in the family history. Not since the Flag of the Fae was given to¡­ Alasdair chuckled. History did enjoy repeating itself. The Flag of the Fae - one of the clan¡¯s most sacred relics - had been given to D¨°mhnall, son of Leiod, founder of the clan, by his mother. According to family legend, she may have been a Fae princess and the one whose blood was used to write the tome of Flesh Crafting. It was unlikely the young D¨°mhnall would match their line¡¯s progenitor for power, but he would be powerful. Alasdair needed the boy tested, the potential size and depth of his magic examined. Arcturus would have to arrange that, but it would place the clan in a position of weakness against the Blacks. Now, they weren¡¯t enemies, far from in fact, but Alasdair hated owing anything to anyone. Save, perhaps, his darling ¨¢ine. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ t will be a while before this story gets a dedicated Discord server. Until then, if you wish to join a server to discuss the story with me the options are as follows: Heart of the Force A server dedicated to my Star Wars story (which isn''t currently on Royal Road) where most discussion about this story takes place. Shiro''s Gaming Omniverse A general story server with a focus on Gamer-styled stories (The entire server is classed as NSFW). Emerald Library Another general story server. (I''m not as active there, but it''s SFW). Also if you wish, you could support my writing (and gain access to 2 chapters in advance): USSExplorer ... Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome. The Early Years 4 The Early Years 4 ... ... I recoiled, almost dropping my fork, and the roast chicken that was attached to it, as the torc suddenly heated up. Whereas previously it had merely warmed in select runes, this time the entire torc shimmered with a newfound, all-encompassing heat. ¡°Someone touches the wards.¡± I turned at hearing Kadic say that a frown coming to my face. ¡°Who?¡± I asked, wondering who would be trying to enter the castle. I hadn¡¯t even tried to lower the wards yet, mainly as I didn¡¯t know how, so unless it was just a general attempt by someone looking to gain entry to the castle, no one should be there. ¡°Kadic not sense clan blood.¡± The elf turned and looked at me, a glint in his eyes. ¡°The MacLeod wishes Kadic to remove them?¡± ¡°No,¡± I replied with a shake of my head. ¡°Go see who they are.¡± Kadic vanished with that now familiar popping sound, and I resumed my focus on savouring the delectable roast chicken before me, relishing in its tantalising flavours and succulent tenderness. The exact combination of sauces and spices that Kadic had infused into this culinary masterpiece remained a delightful mystery, but it was delicious, and I was enjoying the meal. Though sitting alone in the kitchen was weird. The table here was large enough to sit six with ease, something I remembered from my memories. Still, it was better than using the main dining room. The tables there were meant for upwards of thirty people, though I only had a handful of memories of such meals, and just being in the room with only Kadic for company was unnerving. As if the ghosts of the past were somehow judging me unworthy to be seated as The MacLeod. Hence why I was eating a proper meal in the kitchen. The heat in the bracer shifted, though not in any way that I felt meant something had happened to Kadic, and a moment later the faint pop echoed in the room. ¡°The MacLeod has a guest. Claims he is distant family. Kadic not trust him.¡± ¡°Did he give a name?¡± I asked as I took a sip of water. If someone was wishing to speak with me, it was better my breath didn¡¯t smell too much of my dinner. ¡°Lord Black.¡± The water in my mouth went down wrong as I heard that, and I started sputtering. Kadic clicked his fingers, pulling the water from my throat before it then floated over to the sink. ¡°Th-thanks, Kadic,¡± I muttered as I wiped my mouth. ¡°Kadic serves The MacLeod.¡± I offered him a small smile as I stood. Even before naming him the head elf, he¡¯d been loyal. Since then though, it was clear. Kadic would if I asked him to, kill anyone. Or at least attempt to as I doubted an elf could take out a properly trained adult wizard. At least when away from their home wards. I placed a hand on the elf¡¯s shoulder, not wanting to walk all the way to the entrance to the castle. While I knew the way, why bother with the long haul when I had Kadic by my side? He knew the ins and outs of the castle like the back of his hand, navigating effortlessly while skirting dangerously close to the impenetrable defensive wards. Sure, I had a good sense of their whereabouts too, thanks to the torc that seemed to infuse knowledge directly into my mind. But knowing where they should be and actually standing at their edge were two different things altogether. I wasn''t about to risk overstepping and leaving myself exposed to a mysterious wizard whose very name I remained ignorant of. After the familiar twisting of my insides, I found myself standing at the end of a road a little under two miles from the castle proper, flanked on either side by a dense thicket of ominous woods. From within those arboreal depths, a symphony of sounds emerged, hinting at the presence of creatures taking refuge under the protective embrace of the wards. But the nature of these creatures and the extent of the wards'' coverage would have to remain enigmas to be unravelled another day. For now, my focus was on the man standing about twenty metres away, at the point where a tarmacked road ended. An innate intuition washed over me, affirming that the spot where he stood marked the precipice of the outermost defensive enchantments. These particular wards possessed a rudimentary nature, primarily aimed at dissuading unsuspecting muggles and certain fauna from breaching the sanctity of the estate. Whether Arcturus possessed an astute awareness of this fact or had simply chanced upon that precise location remained an open question, though the latter possibility seemed rather improbable, given the circumstances. Arcturus stood with an imposing stature, his height nearing the vicinity of two meters, though such dimensions proved elusive to gauge from my vantage point. He presented himself with meticulous elegance, every aspect of his attire meticulously curated. The outermost layer, a cloak of deepest black, billowed gracefully in the gentle zephyrs swirling around us, unveiling glimpses of its blood-red inner lining. As my discerning eyes glanced beyond, I noted the inner garments he wore, an ensemble that, while evoking a sense of antiquity, resonated with memories of my father donning similar attire for momentous occasions, such as his attendance at the esteemed Wizengamot. His dark tresses, meticulously combed back, intermingled with strands of silver that gracefully crept near his ears, bestowing an air of distinguished wisdom. But it was his gaze, his penetrating eyes fixated upon me, that held the allure of a man attempting to fathom the essence of the boy now standing before him, searching for truths hidden beneath the surface. ¡°Greetings, Chief MacLeod,¡± the man began, his voice deep and instantly commanding. ¡°As your elf has no doubt told you, I am Lord Arcturus Black. While I doubt you know of me, we do share a faint blood connection.¡± I frowned, trying to place where that might come from. My father¡¯s sisters hadn¡¯t married into the Blacks, though I knew one was married to a Greengrass and another to an O¡¯Leary. Now one of my great-aunts might have married into the Blacks, but given the naming convention they used, I felt I already knew who he was talking about. ¡°My grandmother.¡± There was a faint twitch of Arcturus¡¯ lips. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m impressed you were able to determine that.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be a boy on either side, or the family names wouldn¡¯t hold. I know who my aunts married, so the next logical choice was my grandmother. Plus, I heard House Black likes to use stars for names.¡± ¡°Quite.¡± Arcturus went silent for a moment, his eyes once more wandering over me. ¡°I do hope that her reaching out to me doesn¡¯t concern you. She, along with your grandfather and others are concerned that as the last MacLeod, or at least the last of the main line, it would be wise to find someone they can trust to educate you in the ways our world works.¡± He took a step forward, and I felt Kadic tense. I shifted my stance, readying myself to move if he turned hostile. Arcturus raised his hands, showing he had no wand in them as his eyes widened for a moment. ¡°All I wish to do is talk, lord to lord.¡± I glanced down at my arm to see my shirt had shifted enough to reveal the torc. ¡°It seems my niece neglected to mention certain critical information. Even in death, she enjoys her games.¡± I blinked, wondering what I was missing and just why my grandmother had reached out to her birth family. I hadn¡¯t talked to them since before lunch, and while the paintings had seemed intelligent ¨C more so than the lore I knew suggested they should be ¨C I was in the dark as to her motives. And those of my grandfather and great-grandfather. ¡°Forgive me for not following expected graces, but why are you here?¡± I asked, my stance still not relaxing. ¡°I can guess as to why my grandmother reached out to you, but what do you want from this?¡± Arcturus'' lips curled once more, this time sculpting a semblance of a smile upon his countenance. "Your... lapses in etiquette are forgivable, given your tender age, though they remain inexcusable considering your esteemed position as the chief of Clan MacLeod," he remarked, his voice laced with a measured tone. "It is precisely for this reason, among others, that I find myself here today. Your grandmother, in her wisdom, divulged fragments of the predicament that befell your lineage. Extending on reports that have circulated within the circles I grace. And now, in witnessing the scene that unfolds before me, it becomes evident that you are alarmingly unprepared for the tumultuous realm you shall soon encounter." With a graceful gesture, Arcturus extended his arms, granting a glimpse of his inner cloak, its edges adorned with a gilded trim that seemed to ripple with a life of its own. "I approach you now unarmed, driven by a fervent desire to aid your navigation through the labyrinthine world of lords, ladies, chieftains, and all the intricacies that accompany such elevated ranks. Together, we shall resurrect Clan MacLeod from the edge of the abyss and restore it to its rightful eminence," he proclaimed, his arms gradually descending, his gaze scanning the surroundings. "Might we proceed with our discourse within? It has been many a year since I last graced the threshold of Dunscaith Castle, and I find myself piqued by the prospect of witnessing the changes wrought by my great-nephew before his untimely departure." I stood there, considering his offer. ¡°No. At least not today,¡± I replied slowly, being careful of how I spoke. While my grandmother had reached out to him, he was clearly one of those people my ancestors had warned me about. ¡°While I am grateful for your offer, I need time to consider it. And learn why my grandmother made it without asking me first.¡± I mentally frowned. I wanted to speak more eloquently, but I was seven. If I spoke like an adult, I¡¯d give away that I was smarter than I truly was. Arcturus inclined his head in a gesture of acknowledgement. "A prudent decision, indeed," he affirmed, gracefully receding a step while maintaining a steadfast orientation towards me. "In three days, or sooner should you convey your grandmother to summon me, we shall reconvene to resume our dialogue. Until then, on behalf of House Black, I extend our heartfelt condolences for the abhorrent tragedy that befell your family. Moreover, I extend our unwavering support in not only unearthing those responsible for the execrable deed but also in aiding Clan MacLeod''s resurgence, restoring it to its rightful position as the paramount force within the realms of the Highlands and Islands." ¡°On behalf of Clan MacLeod, I thank you for the offer of support and friendship, Lord Black. In the coming days, I hope that we might find common ground to restore the links our houses once shared.¡± A gruff chuckle escaped his lips. ¡°Well spoken, young chief. Impressively so.¡± With that, he swirled his arm and vanished. I waited, wanting to be sure he¡¯d gone, which I somehow knew he had. The torc cooling now that he¡¯d left. With that confirmed, I turned to Kadic. ¡°Take me inside.¡± As he placed a hand on my arm, I resolved to have a long, detailed conversation with the portraits of my ancestors. There was more going on here than I knew, and I hated being in the dark. First though, I wanted to finish my lunch. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°Why did you reach out to Arcturus Black?¡± That was the first thing I said as I stepped back into the Inner Library after lunch. Having taken the time while eating my roast chicken, and complimenting Kadic on his culinary skills, I¡¯d gone over reasons why my grandmother had done what she¡¯d done. Thus, I wasn¡¯t angry about things, but I wanted a clearer picture before making a decision on Arcturus¡¯ offer. "Education is of paramount importance," Cassiopeia replied with a serene composure. Her response emanated an air of expectation, as though she had anticipated my inquiry, and while I had taken the time during our midday repast to contemplate her motives, she and her confidants had likely utilised that interval to prepare for the volley of questions that would surely ensue. ¡°There exist perils, dear one, simmering within our world," she continued, her tone steady and measured, "Once word spreads of your ascendance as The MacLeod, there will be those who shall vie to assert dominion over you, seeking to either manipulate your actions or eliminate you entirely. My uncle, though stern in nature, perceives the undeniable advantages that lie in forging a bond of friendship with you, envisioning the potential for a powerful alliance between our houses that far outweighs the potential hazards posed by those who would dare to challenge your authority." ¡°However, you cannot trust him,¡± my grandfather cut in. ¡°He is The Black and, like any lord or clan chief, will seek to use you for his benefit. Arcturus might not be the Minister of Magic, but he is the power behind the throne. Or at least enough to counter the growing influence of that fool of a Headmaster.¡± ¡°Albus Dumbledore?¡± I asked, wondering what sort of man he was in this world. In canon, at least that of the books, he¡¯s never seemed to be manipulative. At least not in the sense of being evil. No, it always appeared he did things that he felt were best, though our narrative for that came from children. I¡¯d read enough fan fiction to know that there was a wide range of opinions on why he¡¯d done what he¡¯d done to Harry, and what his true motives were. "Aye, that man claims to have vanquished Grindelwald," my grandfather spoke with a hint of scepticism laced within his voice as if harbouring doubts about the true demise of the notorious dark wizard. Such reservations aligned with my recollections, for I remembered my father mentioning that my grandparents had fought valiantly on the opposing side during the Wizarding War. Once I unravelled their true intentions, I might divulge to them the unsettling truth that Grindelwald may not have met his ultimate end, or at the very least, the possibility loomed. However, such matters could only be broached in due course, as they required the confirmation of Grindelwald''s confinement within the impenetrable walls of Nurmengard Castle, an endeavour reserved for the far-off chapters of my life yet to unfold. "Instead of ascending to the position of Minister of Magic or assuming leadership within the International Confederation of Wizards," his voice echoed with a tinge of incredulity, "he opted to remain ensconced within the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, eventually ascending to the mantle of headmaster in the latter part of the previous decade." ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive your grandfather, he sees plots everywhere,¡± Cassiopeia said while gently patting her husband''s arm. ¡°He thinks that Dumbledore chose to stay at Hogwarts to manipulate the minds of the children that passed through its halls.¡± ¡°The idea holds merit,¡± remarked Alasdair. ¡°Dumbledore, for all his faults, is a powerful wizard. If he¡¯d become Minister his legacy risked being tainted by the position. Better to step back from the limelight, but stay close to the corridors of power as a trusted advisor; something he can do as headmaster of Hogwarts.¡± ¡°I believe we¡¯ve drifted off-topic. Young D¨°mhnall here doesn¡¯t need to concern himself with Hogwarts, the headmaster, the Minister or anything like that just yet.¡± I gave ¨¢ine a smile of thanks. I did want to learn more about the world I now lived in, starting with the situation in the British Isles, but other things came before that. Such as getting a wand and learning some magic. Something I couldn¡¯t do without help, which my ancestors believed Arcturus Black could offer. ¡°Yes, Arcturus.¡± Grandfather huffed, crossing his arms and avoiding his wife¡¯s attention. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but he is our only option.¡± ¡°What about my aunts? Or Uncle Fergus?¡± Fergus was my mother¡¯s brother and head of Clan MacDougall. Any of them felt like better choices than Arcturus Black. ¡°All of which would make sense; however, we have no way to contact them, at least not without lowering some of the wards. Others would learn of that and therefore that you or at least a new Macleod was within the castle. People who are a threat to our line.¡± There was something in my grandfather¡¯s words that made it clear he was holding something back. I wanted to know what it was, but I could prod about that later. ¡°Your father, in his wisdom,¡± the way my grandmother said that hinted she didn¡¯t think it was wise, ¡°felt that keeping the portrait for him and your mother in Gringotts was safer than leaving it in this room. Otherwise, your mother would¡¯ve reached out to her birth family instead of me.¡± ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve met the Black children if I remember.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± I said to ¨¢ine. The last time had been for a winter dinner held by the Ministry. I hadn¡¯t interacted with them much, preferring to spend time with my cousins in Clans MacDougall, MacMillian and O¡¯Leary, but thanks to Emotionless Recall it was easy to remember the brief interactions with Sirius, Regulus and the Black sisters. Sirius had been about as happy as me to be there, and Regulus was too young to do much but cling to his mother ¨C who I disliked simply for how she was portrayed in canon, though there was nothing in my memory that suggested this version of her held the same views ¨C however, it had been the sisters I¡¯d remembered most clearly. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Bellatrix was a friend of my sister Sine, and through them, I¡¯d met the other two Black sisters. It was hard to read much into their behaviours as Bellatrix was the oldest at eleven. Though that stood out as, from what I recalled of canon, she was meant to be significantly older than Sirius. Perhaps it was an alteration that resulted from my choices, but she and her sisters were younger than they should be. ¡°Good. That means when you study with Arcturus, you¡¯ll have children your age around you.¡± ¡°If I learn, grandmother, if.¡± That made her smile and earned a chuckle from Alasdair. ¡°Smart lad. Not trusting us even though we¡¯re portraits imbued with the memories of your ancestors.¡± He smiled and kissed ¨¢ine on the cheek. ¡°I believe this lessens the need for his first lesson, aye son?¡± ¡°Aye, Father, though I¡¯ll still give it.¡± My grandfather looked at me with conviction. ¡°However, this will take time, so you¡¯d be wise to settle in.¡± I nodded and sat down on the carpet. While I could learn from these portraits, their usefulness ended at the boundaries of the castle¡¯s ward. I wasn¡¯t crazy enough to attempt entry to Diagon Alley with a painting under my arm. No, for that I needed a flesh-and-blood wizard or witch to guide me. And it seemed that had to be Arcturus fucking Black. Still, it was better to hear all the warnings from my ancestors before I spoke to him again. And then assume they only knew part of the picture when it came to Lord Black. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I stood in front of the fireplace in the main living room of Dunscaith Castle, looking at it curiously. I¡¯d travelled by the Floo network with my parents, and yet, like many things now, this was also entirely new to me. The adornment that graced my person, an emblematic sash donning the vibrant hues of Clan MacLeod and emblazoned with our ancestral crest, held a certain peculiarity. Anticipating a traditional kilt, I found myself surprised to learn that such attire only gained popularity subsequent to the enforcement of the Statute of Secrecy. Instead, it was customary for a clan member to don a sash that elegantly draped from the right shoulder to the left waist, proudly signifying their affiliation. Typically, the crest badge would be affixed to the sash or perch atop their bonnet, yet as the newly appointed clan chief, I possessed the privilege of displaying the crest upon the sash itself. In truth, the badge itself held minimal magical properties, as my grandfather elucidated, consisting primarily of rudimentary defensive wards and similar enchantments. The true reservoir of power and protection resided within the torc gracing my arm, for it bore the inherent might reserved solely for The MacLeod. ¡°Remember, the phrase you want is Le Domaine Nior,¡± my grandmother said. The portraits of her and my grandfather and my great-grandparents had been moved by Kadic to this room. While I had spent a lot of time in the Inner Library over the previous week, most of my time had been spent here instead. That time had been split between lectures on social normalities I was expected to know as The MacLeod, learning what the portraits knew of the current political situation in the UK. My parents had only mentioned a handful of major events from the past seven months ¨C the calendar had trickled into August yesterday ¨C which left all of us at a loss for news of other major events. Though what we did have was a small backlog of The Daily Prophet and The Northern News. The former didn¡¯t appear as filled with innuendo and rumour as it had in canon while the latter covered events within the smaller community of Scottish magicals. The backlog went back about a month and a half, to when my family, and others it turned out, were attacked. Twelve clans had been at the Summer Solstice, and of them, only leaders or heirs of Clans Glengarry, MacKinnon, MacDonald, and MacLean were known to have survived. MacLeod was believed to have been wiped out, at least in the male line, while there were rumours Clans MacGregor, MacDougall, MacKenzie, MacKay, MacNeil, Campbell, and Cameron had lost at least most or all males. The other Scottish clans, be they Lowland or Highland based, were up in arms, considering it an attack on their magical heritage and the Ministry had promised to investigate. However, over a month later there was little information on who was behind the attacks. My grandmother had wailed upon hearing that as her stepdaughter, Kara, had been from clan MacDougall as had Uncle Fergus, so the clan would be of little use in helping me prepare for my emergence into Wizarding Britain. My grandfather and great-grandfather had ideas of their own. Those ranged from a move by the Lowland clans ¨C which they raged were more English than Scottish ¨C to remove the influence of the Highland clans on Scottish and British politics, to moves by English houses to weaken the Celtic influence ¨C normally most of the Scottish, Irish and Welsh houses voted as a bloc on matters, though not always ¨C on British politics. There had been a suggestion the attack had come from a rival Highland clan but was shot down as Clan MacDonald, our clan¡¯s biggest historical rivals, had suffered in the attacks as well, with their chief being one of the victims and his heir surviving though losing an arm in the process. From what I was told, the MacLean, MacDonald, and MacKinnon were elder clans of Scotland, being the only three Highland clans who were regarded as Most Ancient. Interestingly our clan, along with Clans MacDougall, MacKay, Campbell and MacKenzie were a generation or two from rising to Most Ancient status. From what Alasdair said, that would grant us slightly more voting power in the Wizengamot and influence among the Scottish clans. He never said it, but I suspected he felt the attack might¡¯ve been orchestrated to ensure that didn¡¯t happen, and thus keep those three clans as the only Most Ancient clans while MacDonald also retained their added position as the largest and most financially powerful. Regardless of if that was the reason behind the attack or not, the event had greatly weakened the power of the clans in the Wizengamot, further dampening the voices of houses not from England. That irked me as it seemed even in the hidden magical world, the need for everything to be England-centric in the Isles remained. However, while I and my ancestors wanted more information on the status of the other clans, that would have to wait for another day. Today, I would be travelling to the Black estate ¨C somewhere in Cambridgeshire my grandfather had informed me ¨C to meet with Arcturus. Kadic wouldn¡¯t be travelling with me as he couldn¡¯t enter the wards of another magical house, but to ensure my safety, Arcturus¡¯ son and heir, Orion, was currently being watched by Kadic in the sitting room next door. I was honestly surprised Arcturus had agreed to these terms, but he¡¯d not argued against them too heavily when he¡¯d spoken with my grandfather¡¯s portrait two days ago on the matter. Arcturus had entered Dunscaith Castle twice since our first meeting. The first time he¡¯d spent with my grandparents and great-grandparents portraits speaking on matters I wasn¡¯t allowed to overhear. The second time had been to negotiate my coming to the Black Estate today and explain some of the expected protocols I¡¯d have to endure upon my arrival. I¡¯d already seen them displayed by Orion when he¡¯d arrived, though there was something off about the man. While none of my ancestors commented on it, they seemed to agree as I saw them sharing glances before I turned my attention to the fireplace. ¡°Are you ready?¡± There was a hint of annoyance in Alasdair¡¯s voice, which made some sense since I¡¯d been staring at the fireplace for a minute now. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just concerned I will get the name wrong and get lost in the network,¡± I replied slowly, trying to cover my concerns about this method of travel and my wandering mind with a possible worry. ¡°Every time before Mother said the words.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine sweetling,¡± ¨¢ine offered with a reassuring smile. ¡°Just remember, it¡¯s Le Domaine Nior. Since it¡¯s not English, just be mindful of the pronunciation and off you go.¡± I took a breath, steadying myself, and then tossed Floo powder into the fireplace. ¡°Le Domaine Nior.¡± Once the flames turned green, I closed my eyes and mouth and stepped into them. A moment later, after feeling the familiar but new sensation of the Floo network as I travelled along it, I stumbled. My eyes opened just in time to prevent me from falling face-first to the floor. Which was when I noticed I was no longer in the main room of Dunscaith Castle. The floor here, at least near the fireplace, was wooden as well, but I was no longer in my sitting room, instead, I found myself in a long, exquisitely decorated corridor. ¡°Chief MacLeod, on behalf of The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, I, Arcturus Black, welcome you into our home and offer you protection while under our wards. No harm shall come to you, from within or without, so long as you offer no harm to us.¡± I looked up at Arcturus as he stood there with who I assumed was his wife. ¡°I, Uh¡­¡± I paused and cleared my throat. ¡°Lord Black, on behalf of the Ancient and Noble Clan of MacLeod, I thank you for the offer of protection on this day and graciously accept it. May this lead to a long and prosperous alliance between our two great houses.¡± When I finished I bowed, as not only was the House of Black above Clan MacLeod ¨C simply for being a few hundred years older ¨C but Arcturus was the host and I the guest. When I lifted my head, I took in Arcturus and the woman beside him, both dressed resplendently in garments that undoubtedly cost a small fortune. Their clothing exuded opulence, highlighting impeccable tailoring and an unmistakable sense of refinement. The fabric, adorned with intricate patterns and rich hues, spoke of timeless elegance. From the fine embroidery on the cuffs to the ornate clasps securing their attire, every detail reflected meticulous artisanship. Their ensembles were a testament to their noble bearing and projected an air of authority, radiating an aura of refined grace. Delicate lacework added an ethereal touch, enhancing the allure of their attire. It was evident that no expense had been spared in crafting these exquisite garments, which epitomised a fusion of elegance and sophistication. ¡°May I introduce my wife, Melania.¡± I stepped forward and bowed to her as she offered her hand. ¡°My lady,¡± I said as I kissed her knuckles. All this felt extremely odd as I was seven and both of them were far older, but as I was a standing lord ¨C or clan chief in Celtic terms ¨C this was expected. ¡°Chief MacLeod, it is an honour to welcome you into my house,¡± Melania began as I lifted my head and released her hand. "When my husband imparted the news of not only your miraculous survival but also your ascension as The MacLeod, I experienced a conflicting surge of relief and distress." A furrow formed on my brow, betraying my confusion. "I was born into Clan McMillan, you see," Melania revealed, her words imbued with a sense of nostalgia. "Though we may have deviated from the ancient traditions of the clans, my father held your father and grandfather in the highest regard, considering them to be paragons of honour as esteemed chiefs. If not for the veil of secrecy that shrouded your survival, I would have already approached him to share the astounding revelation of your existence." ¡°I, uh, thank you for your kind words, Lady Black. I can¡¯t say how my father felt about yours, though provided today¡¯s meeting goes as planned, it may be possible to inform him of my survival. However, that would come with the promise of him not mentioning it to any other family. Until I can learn what happened on the Summer Solstice I¡¯d prefer to keep the news of my survival quiet.¡± ¡°Quite understandable and agreeable, Chief MacLeod.¡± Melania turned and gave Arcturus a small smile. ¡°I see you were truthful in how wise he was for one so young, husband.¡± Arcturus nodded, his countenance displaying a tender affection as he gently clasped Melania''s hand. "When I recounted our encounters to her, she found it difficult to fathom the depth of maturity that emanates from you," he explained, a hint of intrigue lingering in his voice. "Although I am indeed curious to uncover the origins of this exceptional trait, I deem it fitting to reserve such inquiries for a more opportune moment." Turning their gazes towards the corridor enveloping us, both Arcturus and Melania gestured towards the array of four doors adorning the passage. "Might we adjourn to the main room for further deliberation?" ¡°By all means,¡± I replied with a smile. Arcturus slipped from his wife¡¯s grasp and moved forward. As a guest of close to equal stature, I was expected to walk beside him. Thankfully for me, he took shorter steps than he normally would otherwise I¡¯d be forced to jog to keep pace, which would be unsightly. Or so my ancestors said. Melania fell into step behind us, and I wondered what the situation between the McMillan¡¯s and MacLeod¡¯s was. Neither my grandfather nor Alasdair had mentioned her, but they should¡¯ve known about her as, since Orion had children of his own, she and Arcturus would be in at least their fifties. That meant that either my ancestors considered the clan McMillan as beneath us, or they wanted me to not go into this meeting with preconceived notions. The room we entered was large, able to seat about a dozen in the various seats and sofas dotted around it. The floor was darkened mahogany while the walls, like the corridor, were covered in a dark green wallpaper, one that reminded me of a forest. On the walls were various portraits of older men, which I assumed were deceased members of the Black family. On one small table beside what had to be Lord Black¡¯s chair ¨C it was the one with the highest back and had gems inlaid in the arms and legs ¨C was a decanter filled with a dark orange liquid. ¡°Please,¡± Arcturus indicated a seat on the other side of the small table. As I sat, he slid into his chair while Melania took one nearby, but far enough away that it didn¡¯t feel as if she was intruding on us. ¡°You are too young to fully savour this, but it is a tradition of mine that when a fellow lord, or in your case clan chief, visits, we share a glass of firewhisky before any discussion.¡± He turned the bottle to allow me to read the label. It was a bottle of Ogden¡¯s Old Firewhisky, and my eyebrows rose at seeing it was produced in 1850. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t believe a sip would kill me,¡± I said slowly, trying not to betray my eagerness, which drew a smile from Arcturus. Ever since being reborn here, a part of me had been looking forward to sampling firewhisky, I just didn¡¯t think that would happen before I was ten! Arcturus poured me barely a mouthful of the drink into a glass. As the whisky swirled around, a gentle melody played from the glass. ¡°A simple enchantment to confirm the purity of the alcohol poured into the glass,¡± Arcturus explained. The glass he used for himself played a longer tune, which made sense as more whisky was added to it. ¡°Sant¨¦!¡± ¡°Sant¨¦,¡± I replied as I lifted my glass. After raising it in salute, I moved the glass to my lips cautiously. While I doubted Arcturus would attempt to poison me, there was still a chance he might. As the first drop of firewhisky touched my lip, I closed my eyes. To him, it would look as though I was bracing for or savouring the taste. However, I was waiting to feel any build-up of heat in the torc. When none came, indicating the drink was safe, I let the sip slide into my mouth. Coughing erupted almost instantaneously as the fiery liquid coursed down my throat, engulfing it in a searing blaze. My vision blurred as tears welled up, cascading over my eyes like a gentle stream. But then, to my astonishment, a sudden surge of heat engulfed my chest, radiating through my body. Gasping for air, I involuntarily opened my mouth, and to my utter disbelief, a flicker of flames burst forth from within me. A spray of fire, albeit small and short-lived, escaped my lips, dancing in the air for a fleeting moment. My heart pounded in my chest as I gazed at the residual wisps of smoke swirling around me. After the small fit of astonishment had passed and I had wiped my eyes clear, I cautiously turned my attention to Arcturus. His lips curved in the faintest upward twitch, betraying a trace of amusement. Yet, he remained composed, seemingly unphased by my unexpected display. "Th-that is certainly different," I muttered, the burning sensation now transformed into a fiery warmth coursing through my veins. "With time, you shall become more accustomed to the effects of the firewhisky," he remarked, his voice laced with a mixture of intrigue and assurance. "However, until you reach the pinnacle of your maturity, I would advise exercising caution and not indulging in more than a mere sip." As he placed his glass back onto the table, Arcturus reclined in his seat, exuding an air of serene control over his surroundings. "Now, let us attend to the pressing matters that lie before us." ¡°To business,¡± I replied as I placed my glass next to his. ¡°Regarding your offer for educating me on the customs of our world, I feel there is little harm in accepting. Though I would prefer it if such lessons took place at Dunscaith. My grandparents are¡­ concerned about allowing me to leave the castle too often. Whoever was behind the attack on my family and the other clans will surely move to strike if they learn I still live.¡± ¡°Understandable and acceptable,¡± Arcturus replied with a nod. ¡°However, I wonder if perhaps my wife might be an acceptable substitute for me. While I look forward to helping with your education, I am often occupied with other business. I would suggest one of my brothers, or even my cousin Pollux, however, you haven¡¯t yet met them, and Melania is from a Scottish clan; even if it is no longer considered a Highland clan.¡± ¡°I would have to speak with my ancestors, but I can agree provisionally to that,¡± I replied. One thing that had been drilled into my head by my grandparents and great-grandparents was to not dismiss any offer or counteroffer out of hand. I was to defer to their judgement on most matters. The few I was allowed to make independently were those regarding times and regularity. Mainly as I was free at almost any reasonable time and lessons with my ancestors could work around those with Arcturus. ¡°Excellent. Now, since you are now The MacLeod,¡± there was a sharp intake of breath from Melania hinting that Arcturus hadn¡¯t mentioned that to her, ¡°I should inform you that you are required to present yourself before the Wizengamot at the opening of the new session, which is the first Monday after the new year at Hogwarts. This year, that is the fifth of September.¡± I frowned as I¡¯d rather not get drawn into wizarding politics just yet. ¡°While I can tell you are reluctant to do so, the sooner you present yourself, the less chance there is that a cadet branch of your family moves to gain control of your political and business power. Even if they do so, the vaults in Gringotts are protected by magic that only a lord or chief can cancel,¡± he glanced at my torc indicating that was what would allow me full access to the family vaults, whatever might be in them. ¡°The Ministry is less¡­ restrictive in how it defines lordships. However, even if another comes forth to claim your seat, the fact you bear the MacLeod torc would counter most of their arguments.¡± ¡°But not all?¡± Arcturus nodded. ¡°Indeed. There would still be a need for blood proof. That is a simple matter to arrange with the goblins, as Gringotts is the only registered entity in the isles that can conduct a blood confirmation ritual. Or at least, the only ones whose results the Wizengamot will accept.¡± ¡°So, before I reveal my title to the Wizengamot, I first have to go to the bank? Wonderful.¡± I didn¡¯t even bother to hide my disdain for this, as it seemed that even in this world, to do one thing, you needed another. ¡°Quite. However, there is another matter that must be handled first. As part of the agreement we have with the Goblins, no wizard or witch may take a blood confirmation ritual without either first having a wand, or having someone who has graduated from Hogwarts present with them. Normally, this would be a family member, or a teacher in the case of any muggle-born,¡± his mouth twisted just a touch as he said that word. ¡°However, in this case, that would be problematic.¡± ¡°Would it be wise to assume you would be willing to do this for me, for a favour or reward?¡± I already knew this was how deals often worked between the older families, so making it clear I understood the rules was something Cassiopeia had been insistent on. From how she phrased it, to a Black, going into combat ¨C be it with a wand or your wits ¨C without knowing the rules proved you were unworthy of their time and effort. ¡°That would be the expected outcome. The size of such favour is something we can agree upon now, or I can discuss with your ancestors.¡± ¡°I feel it would be wisest to do that with them present,¡± I replied slowly. ¡°While that isn¡¯t the standard way of conducting business between houses, I am far from a normal case.¡± ¡°No, you certainly aren¡¯t,¡± Arcturus agreed as he picked up his glass. After taking another sip he spoke again. ¡°The other issue for the ritual is your lack of a wand. The Wizengamot is quite insistent that no child not attending Hogwarts or one of the lesser training centres in these isles or beyond can obtain a wand. However, due to your status as The MacLeod, there exists a loophole in the laws that we can exploit. Provided, of course, you would be interested in learning magic early?¡± ¡°I do believe that is a trick question,¡± I said with a smirk. Melania laughed behind her hand and Arcturus¡¯s lips shifted into a proper smile. One that seemed to reach his eyes. ¡°Though I suspect there are issues with even a clan chief gaining a wand before they¡¯re a student at Hogwarts.¡± ¡°It is, shall we say, a grey area in the current laws. Ones predating the Wizengamot by centuries.¡± My brow rose, wondering about that. ¡°Lords, chiefs or even ladies if the house¡¯s laws allow it, have the right to purchase a custom wand. This wand is never registered with the Ministry, nor can it be examined by Aurors without a majority decision by the Wizengamot ¨C something that few lords are willing to allow as to allow one such case to occur places all at risk. Normally, this wand is never revealed in public, however for you to confirm your status as The MacLeod with the Ministry, a wand is required.¡± I leaned back in my chair, marvelling at how it seemed to shift as I moved. It was so comfortable that I almost wanted to sink into it and relax, which might be why Arcturus had guests sit in it. Something so comfortable would place most at ease, and more likely to agree to his propositions. ¡°If that is the only option, then so be it, however perhaps there is another,¡± I began as an idea to root in my mind. ¡°I know little of how wands work, but shouldn¡¯t the wands of my grandparents and others be available? If not at Dunscaith Castle, then in a vault in Gringotts?¡± Arcturus rubbed his chin. ¡°Yes, in theory, they should. For example, I know where the wands of my forebearers are. However, you¡¯d first have to locate the wands and then find one that is suitable for your soul. I don¡¯t believe much of the lore the Ollivanders put forth regarding wands, however, they are correct in saying a wand chooses the wizard. At least in the sense that there must be a connection between the magics involved.¡± ¡°That does bring up another matter dear,¡± we both turned and looked at Melania. ¡°Once young D¨°mhnall has a wand, he will need tutoring in magic. The moment he reveals himself to the public, challenges will emerge to his power. Even if he cannot accept them until he reaches his majority, that doesn¡¯t stop less honourable individuals from attacking him. His clan, and others, were after all, almost wiped out less than two months ago.¡± ¡°My wife¡¯s point, as normal, is accurate. Both of us would be willing, for a favour, of course, be willing to help instruct you in spell work that you normally wouldn¡¯t cover until you entered Hogwarts. Or if you prefer, we could direct you to others that would be willing to tutor you at a pace of your choosing.¡± ¡°Once I have a wand, I¡¯ll be taking that offer,¡± I replied with a large smile. ¡°However, as with anything major, for the time being, I will of course, be speaking with my ancestors before making any final decisions.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± A chime rang out around the house, and the adults shared a look. ¡°We can continue our talks later. For now, we would be honoured if you would stay for lunch. I believe our grandsons would welcome a new face at the table. Provided, of course, that you are willing to speak with them.¡± I nodded. ¡°Certainly, though I think it best to inform Kadic of this first. I¡¯d rather not have him pacing around worriedly when I fail to return.¡± The pair laughed softly at the image. ¡°Certainly. Melania can escort you to the fireplace. I will speak with my grandchildren and inform them we have a guest.¡± He stood and I followed suit. ¡°And I think speaking to someone closer to your age might do you some good. While you are remarkably fluent today, you have been deprived of friends for too long.¡± I nodded in agreement and then followed Melania back to the corridor. While this hadn¡¯t been expected, I couldn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t looking forward to meeting Sirius and Regulus. Sirius had always been one of my favourite characters in the books, and since being reborn here ¨C at least when not thinking about the chaos that had erupted around me ¨C I¡¯d wondered if I could gain the friendship and loyalty of one if not both, Black boys. There were many moving parts in play for the future, but gaining the support of House Black, both in the current generation and future ones, would alter the game board dramatically once Riddle started to make his move. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 5 I suppressed a scowl as I watched Sirius and Regulus, six and four respectfully, make a mess at the table, their mother Walburga fussing over them. The pair were young. Like really fucking young and frankly I had little interest in interacting with them. Give them a few years, and that would change, but for now, the pair could be molly-coddled by their bitch of a mother all she wanted. My opinion of Walburga - Arcturus¡¯ daughter-in-law - which hadn¡¯t been very high to begin with, was close to the gutter after the first meal I had at the Black Estate. Even though Arcturus had explained that I was The MacLeod, and thus a lord in my own right, she¡¯d tried to not only feed me directly but mother me. Thankfully, Melania -Arcturus¡¯ wife - had stepped in and made her stop before I¡¯d lost control and embarrassed myself. However, since then, Walburga had kept her distance, though I¡¯d heard more than one comment about me being ¡®an uneducated Scot¡¯ or something similar. While I¡¯d love nothing more than to not see her again, as I was coming over at least once a week now, I had to endure her comments and less-than-subtle glares. Oddly, the only upside to all this might come when Sirius started acting out against her and the rest of his family. If his mother, who he grew to despise, hated me, then he might well gravitate to me instead of James Potter. Still, at least meals were the only time I had to see her. The rest of my time at the Black Estate was spent with either Arcturus or Melania. Arcturus spent what time he could spare teaching me the current political situation in Britain, or at least to a level a child ¨C even one that appeared smarter than average ¨C could understand. I had little doubt he was trying to subtly colour my opinions on certain people and factions, but I wasn''t just taking everything he said at face value, checking it against what my ancestors knew, and then doing my best to reserve judgement. He was also teaching me the basics of swordplay. Unexpectedly, even though wizards and witches had wands, the art was still common among the older families, and it explained the sword I¡¯d seen in the Master Study at Dunscaith. I hadn¡¯t yet picked that up, as I¡¯d only had a handful of lessons on stance and form, but I was oddly looking forward to the time when I could begin fencing for real. I doubted I¡¯d ever be in a sword fight as a wizard, but I could see how the skills of being constantly moving and thinking needed for fencing would carry over to duelling with wands. Melania was teaching me more about the customs of the Scottish clans. While Clan McMillan had dropped many, they still followed them when interacting with the other clans. And not just the Scottish clans, as it seemed the Irish and about a third of the Welsh magical families still followed the old ways and had clan systems in place. She was also teaching me dancing, as even though I was young, once it was revealed I was The MacLeod, I¡¯d receive invites to formal events. I wouldn¡¯t be expected to dance often, at least not until I was in my teens, but there was a decent chance that the daughters of other houses would approach me, seeking a dance. ¡°Hard to believe he will one day be a lord,¡± I smirked and glanced to my right to see Andromeda Black as she sipped at her orange juice. She, and her younger sister Narcissa, were here as Melania had said I needed a partner closer to my height to practise with. Now, I could see the plan she and Arcturus were cooking up. The more time I spent around Andromeda and Narcissa, the more likely that, as we grew up at Hogwarts ¨C Andromeda was three years older than me, Narcissa a year older ¨C the more likely it was that I¡¯d eventually end up with one of them. Or at least there was a higher chance of that. ¡°Luck of the draw, unfortunately,¡± I replied to her. ¡°Still, at least Sirius doesn¡¯t take things too seriously,¡± I smiled amusedly at using that line before Sirius was able to, and that turned into a smile as Andromeda groaned. ¡°That was really bad,¡± Narcissa whispered from the other side of Andromeda. Unlike Andromeda or most of the Blacks actually, Narcissa took after her mother and had long blonde locks that she kept tied back in an intricate braid. While the design changed each time I saw her, the braid was always there. ¡°Thank you, thank you. I¡¯m here every Wednesday,¡± I said with a mock bow. That earned me a slap on my shoulder from Andromeda and the faintest of giggles from Narcissa. As I looked up, I saw Melania watching us, a slight smile on her lips. While I knew her plan, it didn¡¯t mean I was opposed to at least getting to know the two. They both had some role to play in future events and even if they came from a cadet branch of the Blacks, they were still Blacks. I¡¯d met Bellatrix twice before, however with today being September first, she had gone to Hogwarts to begin her first year. It was hard to get a read on her as she already carried herself with an air of superiority, which I¡¯d learnt was well earned as she was considered the best wand duellist in her year and a top five student; something made more impressive when I¡¯d learnt her year had around three-hundred and fifty students. Well, I had expected a larger number of wizards and witches compared to the original canon, but the actual increase was staggering, surpassing the mere forty students in Harry''s year. It was a remarkable revelation during my lessons with Arcturus when I discovered that the revered Sacred 28 had expanded to a remarkable Sacred 77 in this alternate reality. Notably, the MacLeod¡¯s, along with seven of the twelve clans involved in the tragic event known as the Summer Solstice Massacre (as named by The Prophet), were included in this extended list. Even the clans not on the list were still regarded as Pureblood houses, due to their ancient lineage and their historical association with nobility predating the enactment of the Statute of Secrecy. The politics of the Wizengamot was also far more complicated than I suspected it had been in canon. While there were three basic parties within it, there were other sub-factions that could intermingle through those main three. The main three were called the Builders of the Future, the Scholars of Knowledge and the Seekers of the Truth, or more commonly the Builders, Scholars and Seekers. In the simplest of terms, the Builders sought to be a safe and clean world for all magical beings, the Scholars felt that knowledge, be it dangerous or not, should be preserved and respected, though they understood some spells, incantations and the like shouldn¡¯t be taught to any, while the Seekers felt that all magic was equally important, and that no distinction existed between differing spells, just how one used them. In essence, the trio of factions seemed to align with the more common fan theory factions of Light, Neutral and Dark respectfully. Yet within each party - which drew its name from a Latin quote though Arcturus hadn¡¯t told me what those were - were several factions which often crossed over with the other parties. The two largest factions were the Progressives and Traditionalists. While those two generally congregated in the Builders and Seekers respectfully, there were large numbers of each faction in all three parties. An example Arcturus gave of this was Lord Prewett who was a member of the Builders, yet much like Arcturus, was considered a Traditionalist. There were other, smaller factions as well, however, Arcturus explained that I wouldn¡¯t need to know them quite yet, as while I would be recognized as the MacLeod, and have a seat in the Wizengamot, since I had yet to pass my OWLs, I couldn¡¯t vote on any matter. I could, in theory, appoint a representative, however, they must be someone who was either within two generations of me - such as a cousin - or have sworn an Unbreakable Oath to follow my intentions in the Wizengamot to the letter. I was relieved by this as it meant Arcturus wasn¡¯t trying to gain the votes Clan MacLeod held - which was five for being Ancient and Noble (by virtue of being a powerful clan before the Statute came into effect) - for his own devices. Still, since he and Meliana were the ones tutoring me in the way politics in wizarding Britain and Ireland worked, I suspected they hoped to bring me into the Traditional Seekers group. However, before that could happen, or I could appoint a representative, I had to travel to Gringotts and gain a wand. Arcturus hadn¡¯t explicitly mentioned Ollivander, which had me wondering if perhaps there was another wandmaker that handled custom wand construction. Though it might be that Ollivander was the only game in town, so there was little need to mention him directly. I¡¯d find that out this afternoon, or so I hoped. ¡­ ¡­ I stepped out of the Floo and looked around. While the Floo point was called Gringotts Bank, the exit I and Arcturus had emerged at was just outside the bank. I knew we weren¡¯t inside since I could see the sky, a reasonably clear day for London in the sixties, and that we were close as the wall in front of us matched the description of the bank. Tall white-marble walls stretched upward, rising possibly five stories high. "Follow me and keep in mind my instructions," I acknowledged Arcturus with a nod and fell into step behind him. The robes I donned had been discovered in Tamhas'' room, skilfully adjusted by Kadic using magic to ensure a better fit. Although they did not quite match the exceptional quality of Arcturus'' attire¡ªcrafted from luxurious Acromantula silk, as he had informed me¡ªthey were deemed suitable for the occasion at hand. Wearing a robe akin to Arcturus'' would undoubtedly draw undue attention to myself, which was precisely what we aimed to avoid until the upcoming opening session of the Wizengamot next week. It only took a dozen steps until we reached the imposing entrance of the bank. Unlike in the books, two goblins, resplendent in silver armour, chased through with gold and holding rather sharp-looking halberds guarded the doors. The massive silver doors, now wide open, commanded attention as they glistened brilliantly in the sunlight, their surfaces immaculate and polished to perfection. The pristine white marble of the bank''s facade resembled freshly driven snow; inhumanity perfect. Yet, etched upon those impressive silver doors, the warning I remembered from canon was etched. Enter, stranger, but take heed, Of what awaits the sin of greed, For those who take, but do not earn, Must pay most dearly in their turn, So, if you seek beneath our floors, A treasure that was never yours, Thief, you have been warned, beware, Of finding more than treasure there. We stepped inside, and I flinched at the number of people inside. I¡¯d expected this, as Arcturus had mentioned the bank was rarely quiet, however, it was still far more people than I¡¯d anticipated. At least when compared to canon and not taking into account the fact this was a more magical world with a greater number of wizards and witches, furthermore, considering my sheltered past and my lack of previous visits to this bustling place, it was no wonder the throngs of people took me aback. ¡°I require a private teller,¡± Arcturus stated to a goblin in a suit behind a barred stand. The goblin looked up, a disinterested expression on its face that fell away as Arcturus lifted a hand and a ring appeared. ¡°Of course, Lord Black. Should I summon Account Manager Kragnar for you?¡± ¡°Yes, and I also require a goblin that can perform an inheritance ritual.¡± Arcturus pulled back his hand as my eyes wandered to the ring. I only caught a brief glimpse of it, but that was sufficient to discern the unmistakable House Black sigil adorning it, accompanied by faint engravings etched delicately into the gold before it disappeared from view. I rubbed my wrist, where the torc was as I wondered if there was a way to make it invisible. I inhaled sharply as I felt a small rush of magic and as I looked down at my wrist, I saw the torc was gone. No, I could still feel it, could sense the magic in it, and through that, a faint connection to the wards of Dunscaith Castle, but I could no longer see it. ¡°Come along.¡± I snapped out of my confusion and followed Arcturus. In his hand was a tag of some sort, and we headed toward one corner of the bank. A set of magnificent doors made of the same white marble as the bank and inlaid with silver, opened as we approached. Inside the now-revealed corridor were two more armoured goblins, though these had shields and axes, who stood aside when Arcturus showed them the tag. As we walked, I saw the corridor was lined with doors, each with a number upon them. The odd thing was the numbers weren¡¯t ordered as the first three on my left were 6, 2, and 10 while the right gave 3, 5 and 1. Arcturus led us into room 7. Inside was a large ornate desk crafted from exquisite hardwood, its dark wood gleaming and freshly oiled. The surface of the desk, expansive enough to accommodate two individuals with ample room to spare, highlighted meticulous craftsmanship. Intricate carvings depicting mythical beasts and intricate patterns adorned its edges, adding a touch of mystique and enchantment to the already impressive piece of furniture and it was wide enough that I felt we could both lie on it and not worry about personal space. On the far side was a raised chair, more of a throne to be honest, that towered over the desk while on our side there were three chairs. The central chair was closer to the table while the other two were slightly further back. As the doors to the room closed behind us, I turned and saw two padded benches against the wall that looked large enough to seat three people each. The walls were made of the same white marble as outside but here the white marble acted as a canvas, enlivened by flowing veins of shimmering silver that traced elaborate illustrations. These ethereal currents breathed life into the walls, their graceful movement forming a mesmerising display of artistry. The silver threads seemed to weave and dance, conjuring vivid tableaus of courageous warriors engaged in epic clashes, their forms constantly playing out the scenes for eternity. ¡°Enchantments are layered into the silver to ensure that none outside the room can overhear. Among other things.¡± I turned back to Arcturus to see he¡¯d taken the centre seat on our side of the table. ¡°Sit.¡± He added as he patted the seat at his right. Only a moment after I¡¯d done so, a door appeared on the far wall and a goblin walked in. Under his arm, he held a large book, but it was his clothes that drew my attention. They looked on par with what I wore, though in a style that reminded me of a bank teller in one of those high-class banks I¡¯d seen in movies in my former non-magical life. ¡°Lord Black, I am curious why you owled saying you wished to meet today,¡± the goblin said as it slipped into the raised chair on the other side of the desk. ¡°We weren¡¯t due to meet regarding the accounts of your house for another month.¡± Arcturus lowered his head. ¡°Forgive me for taking up some of your valuable time, Kragnar. However, an issue has arisen that I feel would interest Gringotts.¡± Kragnar¡¯s brow rose, and his eyes drifted toward me. ¡°This isn¡¯t a Black.¡± Arcturus chuckled at the comment. ¡°Indeed. I am curious if you heard of the disaster that the clans of Scotland suffered over the summer?¡± ¡°I have. The account managers of those clans are frantic. Only three clan chiefs have come forward, leaving the accounts and holdings of the other clans in limbo until either a new chief arises or your Wizengamot reaches a determination on who should be placed in political control of those accounts.¡± Kragnar¡¯s face seemed to snarl as he spoke of the Wizengamot, suggesting he either disliked politics, or how that body went about its business. ¡°Then today I am pleased to bring a fourth chief to Gringotts attention.¡± He turned to me and nodded. I lifted my arm and willed the torc to appear. Kragnar¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw the torc and the sigil upon it as it turned my arm around. ¡°How old are you boy?¡± ¡°I am seven, Account Manager Kragnar. And while I am a child, I am the MacLeod of MacLeod.¡± I spoke calmly, trying to not feel angry at the dismissive tone Kragnar had used. Arcturus had explained that while the goblins had a reputation for disliking wizards, this was simply an air they used to achieve an upper hand in negotiations. If your business with them was regularly profitable, and you treated them with the respect that their position as bankers of Wizarding Britain and beyond required, they were generally amicable. Though like wizards, they had different personalities and motivations meaning encountering one who disliked humans was possible, though unlikely as such a goblin was often reassigned from wizarding accounts. ¡°Indeed, you are.¡± Kragnar pulled what looked like a stone from his jacket. ¡°O quipaoqui accuams memefiqu remkuqu om quuul ritim.¡± The stone glowed red for a moment after whatever Kragnar had said, before he placed it back in his pocket. ¡°I was made to believe that the entire main branch of Clan Macleod was murdered.¡± ¡°I was only recently made aware of this through my niece, Cassiopeia. Apparently, young D¨°mhnall survived the attack. Though because of it, he was left in the care of muggles for some time before he was discovered.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Kragnar grunted. ¡°My condolences. Non-magical humans are, overall, an irritable lot. While we have some dealing with them via their banks, they generally lack culture and manners.¡± I nodded. ¡°Thank you. My time with them was¡­ unpleasant.¡± I could see Arcturus¡¯s hand tighten as I spoke. While I¡¯d rather he didn¡¯t hear of what had happened to me, Cassiopeia had insisted Arcturus and Melania be made aware. She was, she claimed, concerned I might have lapses where my thoughts would return to what I¡¯d experienced with the muggles. Arcturus had maintained his calm as I detailed the attempted exorcism to him, though Melania had growled darkly. The air around her had grown heavy and only a firm hand on her arm from Arcturus had stopped her from rushing from the room after I¡¯d finished my story. Once I¡¯d added that Kadic claimed the muggles responsible had been killed by my accidental use of magic, she¡¯d calmed slightly, but she¡¯d still muttered a few choice words about muggles and their beliefs. An odd silence fell over the room as Kragnar didn¡¯t press further, which felt a little odd. At least until I considered that asking such questions might be outside his purview. He was the Account Manager for House Black, not Clan MacLeod and asking more might be overstepping his boundaries. The door Kragnar had used swung open and an irritable-looking goblin stormed in. ¡°Why have you sum¡­.¡± The goblin slid to a stop as his eyes saw me. ¡°Gold be good. Are you...?¡± I held up my arm, showing the torc and the goblin sighed loudly. Then, unexpectedly, he started laughing. ¡°Thank the Ancestors!¡± He proclaimed before his whole demeanour changed. ¡°I mean, Chief MacLeod, I am Ranlor, Account Manager of Clan MacLeod. I must say it is a relief to see you have claimed the chieftainship and revealed yourself to me this day. I was growing irritated with cadet branches overstepping their bounds.¡± ¡°Cadet branches?¡± Ranlor looked at me as if I¡¯d grown a second head before blinking. ¡°Ah, you are not Anoghus¡¯ original heir.¡± His eyes wandered over me. ¡°If I might ask, how old are you?¡± ¡°Seven.¡± Ranlor¡¯s brow rose, and he looked at Kragnar for confirmation, which came with a nod. ¡°And you have claimed control of the wards of Dunscaith Castle?¡± I nodded again and Ranlor stared at me. As he continued to stare, I grew concerned my age would be an issue. ¡°Ah. Forgive me. It¡¯s just¡­¡± he waved a hand in the air. ¡°Not something that concerns us for now.¡± Kragnar gave Ranlor a look that hinted he knew what Ranlor was thinking about, yet Ranlor ignored it as he turned to Arcturus. ¡°Lord Black, on behalf of Clan MacLeod and their accountants, you have my thanks for bringing The MacLeod to me. I will speak with the board about granting you highly favoured status for future transactions for at least the next year.¡± Arcturus nodded, accepting the thanks and offer as Ranlor turned back to me. ¡°Before I can allow you access to the accounts of your clan, I must insist on an Inheritance Ritual. Has Lord Black informed you of this?¡± I nodded which earned Arcturus a smile. ¡°Excellent. Lord Black, might I impose on you to escort Chief¡­¡± ¡°D¨°mhnall.¡± ¡°¡­Chief D¨°mhnall to Examination Room 3?¡± ¡°He is my only reason for taking up your valuable time today,¡± Arcturus replied, which earned him a toothy smile from the goblins. Though I suspected the offer of favoured status was something he might have hoped for. I¡¯d have to ask him later about what it meant. ¡°And Gringotts thanks you for your help today.¡± Ranlor turned back to me. ¡°With the torc, the Ritual is a mere formality, however, it will remove any chance certain¡­ wizards in the Wizengamot would have to challenge your claim as chieftain of Clan MacLeod. And allow me to penalise the false pretenders who seek to claim your holdings.¡± A vicious smile came to his face as he spoke and if I cared or knew who he was talking about, I¡¯d be concerned for them. ¡°I will meet you in Examination Room 3 as soon as I can corral the healer needed. Until then, Hold Fast and may your transactions with us remain profitable.¡± ¡°Thank you and, uh, may those who cross you pay with their money and blood,¡± I replied, unsure of how exactly to respond. Ranlor chuckled. ¡°While in the old days, we might have required their blood, we tend to take their gold instead now. It is a bit less messy.¡± I chuckled nervously, wondering if the opinions on the goblins I¡¯d read about in my former life were accurate or not. ¡­ ¡­ I rubbed my hand even as the small wound there started to heal. As I¡¯d half-expected, the ritual had involved blood, and a goblin healer had drawn that with a stylised blade ¨C one inlaid with markings similar to some on the torc ¨C over my palm. The cut stung, but after the blade had moved away, the goblin had lifted my hand over a bowl and had nine drops of blood before moving my hand away. As he had applied some dittany to the wound, which had started healing it and numbed the pain, the runes ¨C or what I assumed were runes ¨C around the rim of the bowl started to glow. Slowly the light grew brighter until I was forced to lift my arm and shield my eyes. A flash followed soon after and when I looked again the blood and bowl were gone, replaced by a sheet of parchment. The goblin healer lifted the parchment and handed it to Ranlor, who was the only other being in the room with me. Arcturus had been asked to wait outside as he wasn¡¯t a member of Clan MacLeod from any of the previous three generations. ¡°This is¡­ unexpected,¡± Ranlor said slowly as he read the parchment. His eyes then drifted to the torc. ¡°Or perhaps not.¡± As the healer collected the bowl and left the room Ranlor showed me the parchment. The text was written in dark red, suggesting it had formed from my blood. D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod January 10th, 1958 Father: Anoghus MacLeod [July 6th, 1933 -> June 26th, 1965] Mother: Kara MacLeod (nee MacDougall) [February 8th, 1934 -> June 26th, 1965] Magical Potential: AKROS Potential Titles: MacLeod of MacLeod [1st in line] [Taken] MacDougall of MacDougall [5th in line] [Unclaimed] Lord Black [17th in line] [Occupied] O¡¯Neill of O¡¯Neill [Minor] [ Occupied] I looked up from the paper. ¡°Akros?¡± Of everything mentioned there, that was the oddest. Or at least the most unexpected. I mean, I knew I¡¯d picked several perks and abilities before being merged into this world, but there hadn¡¯t been anything back then dealing with Magical Potential. Ranlor sighed. ¡°That is a topic perhaps best discussed with Lord Black present.¡± With that, he turned and walked toward the door to the Examination Room. I fell into step slightly behind him, finding it easier to keep pace with the goblin than Arcturus. ¡°Are there any issues?¡± Arcturus asked as we exited the room and he rose from the padded bench outside. ¡°He is the MacLeod of MacLeod. Even your Wizengamot cannot deny that,¡± Ranlor began as he kept walking. ¡°However, there are other matters that I suspect Chief D¨°mhnall wishes to discuss in a more secure location.¡± I watched as Arcturus glanced my way and then nodded. ¡°Of course. Would it be preferable to speak on these matters here, or elsewhere?¡± ¡°Since Accounting Room 7 is still booked for you, it is free to use. That will grant me time to collect the overview of Clan MacLeod¡¯s accounts.¡± He paused at a larger set of doors, ones that would lead back onto the main floor of the bank. ¡°Due to your age, I am uncertain how detailed a report you wish to receive. For today, might I suggest a basic overview of clan holdings, cadet branches and investments? The exact figures would, with respect, likely be far too complicated for you.¡± Part of me was insulted. Even if what he said was polite, he was dismissing me as if I was a child. However, I understood he was right. The old D¨°mhnall wouldn¡¯t understand ninety per cent of what he likely had to report. Hell, even with a more mature section of my mind, I doubted I¡¯d understand even half of it. ¡°That would be acceptable. Unless anything particularly jumps out, I will leave the details of my clan¡¯s holdings in your hands. I would, however, wish to visit the main vault of my clan. I am led to believe that my parents may have stored something of importance there.¡± Ranlor nodded. ¡°That can be arranged once we have looked over the holdings.¡± He turned to Arcturus. ¡°While I prepare, I can trust you to explain certain details of wizarding society that it seems The MacLeod is sadly lacking.¡± Arcturus offered a nod and Ranlor turned back to me. ¡°From this point on until you reach Accounting Room 7, I would advise caution. While no employee of Gringotts would reveal anything you discuss to others, I cannot say the same of any other customer. Since you and Lord Black have worked to conceal your survival, it would be bad for business if such a reveal slipped to others before I can use it to secure clan holdings.¡± After I agreed to that with a nod, Ranlor slipped through an undecorated door. One that, behind it, I saw a goblin guard standing. ¡°Shall we?¡± I turned to Arcturus and followed him out onto the main floor of the bank. ¡°Ah, Arcturus, what an unexpected surprise.¡± We were about halfway back to the Accounting Rooms when someone called out. Arcturus turned toward the voice, stopping our momentum. ¡°Charlus, indeed, it is.¡± A man around Arcturus¡¯ age approached, dressed in clothing as fine as his. Though Arcturus¡¯ robes had tints of silver, Charlus¡¯ robes were fastened with gold and had a bright red lining along the midnight black, reminding me heavily of the colours of Gryffindor. The two shook hands, exchanging pleasantries about their families before Charlus glanced down at me. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve met this young man before. A nephew of yours?¡± ¡°Indeed. He needs to buy a few gifts for a family affair and his grandmother was most insistent that I help.¡± Arcturus used a hand to gently guide me into sight. ¡°Boy, this is Charlus Potter, Lord of the Ancient House of Potter.¡± ¡°My Lord,¡± I said as I bowed slightly. Charlus chuckled and shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that young man. While Arcturus and I aren¡¯t close, we are cousins via my wife Dorea.¡± He reached out a hand and I shook it. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I caught your name?¡± ¡°Donald, My lord.¡± I avoided using my current name as I was trying to keep it hidden, and by using the name I¡¯d once used in another life, it would be harder for Charlus ¨C who may well be James Potter¡¯s father or grandfather ¨C to sense I was lying. Or so I hoped. Charlus looked me over, searching my face. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Donald. How old are you, eight?¡± ¡°Seven, my lord.¡± Charlus¡¯ face lit up. ¡°Ah, about the same age as my eldest, James. And around Sirius¡¯ age. Though I can¡¯t say I recall seeing you at any formal events or family gatherings.¡± ¡°His parents prefer to remain distant from public affairs,¡± Arcturus cut in, saving me from having to bullshit. ¡°It is only recently that I had reacquainted myself with the boy.¡± ¡°Ah, that will be why.¡± Charlus stood up. ¡°Since you are busy, I won¡¯t keep you, but when you have time perhaps, we might speak in the motion put forward by Lord Maynard.¡± Arcturus lowered his head. ¡°Would Saturday be suitable?¡± Charlus smiled. ¡°It would. Perhaps we might even make it a family meal. I would be interested in meeting young Donald¡¯s parents; provided of course, they are amicable.¡± ¡°I will speak with them later and owl you before the day is through. However, I do believe Melania would enjoy speaking with Dorea again.¡± With that said, and after he gave me a final nod as a way of saying goodbye, Charlus moved away. Arcturus turned and resumed walking toward the Accounting Rooms, a hint of urgency in his steps. When the doors to Room 7 closed behind us, a sense of relief washed over him. ¡°I would have preferred to avoid meeting another member of the Wizengamot today, but the chance of that was always low. Still, you handled yourself well, even managing to hide your name, well done.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied as I moved to sit in the same chair as before. ¡°Since you will soon be having a meeting with your Account Manager, and I will be asked to leave, perhaps it makes more sense for you to take the lead chair.¡± I gave Arcturus a nod of understanding a few seconds after realising that. ¡°Now, Ranlor stated you have some questions about the ritual you just completed?¡± I pulled the parchment from my pocket. ¡°Aye. Most of it makes sense, but these two bits confused me.¡± I placed the parchment on the table and pointed at the Magical Potential and Potential Titles sections. To be honest, I could understand the reasons it listed House Black and Clan O¡¯Neill of Ireland there as I had links to them through my grandmothers, but it was better to get confirmation. Arcturus leaned forward to read the details, and I watched as his eyes widened and some colour slipped from his face. He schooled his features quickly, but because I was watching him for a reaction, I saw the slip. ¡°The reason you¡¯re listed as an heir of House Black is due to your grandmother on your father¡¯s side. At seventeenth in line, there is little chance you might inherit the house, but it is still listed. From O¡¯Neill, the reason it says minor is your claim is more than twenty from the title.¡± ¡°That makes sense, but what does it mean by Magical Potential?¡± This had to be why he and Ranlor reacted to the parchment as nothing else stood out. I expected a semi-detailed explanation as he had to know I¡¯d run this by my ancestors for confirmation. "All witches and wizards have magic of course, but as with all things no one is created equal, this is measured in two different ways, size and depth." He paused to collect his thoughts. "They are closely related of course but a simple explanation is size is how much magic you have access to and depth is how potent your magic is, someone with great size but horrible depth may be able to cast an immense amount of low-level charms but they shall never cast a great working on the level of warding around Hogwarts, whereas someone with small size but great depth may cast a few potent spells but shall exhaust rather quickly" ¡°So how does Akros enter into it?¡± I already had an idea but wanted to be sure. ¡°It means you have immense size and depth to your magic, or you shall when fully matured. The specifics of which can be determined with special rituals. However, Gringotts require time and considerable cost to perform such a thing. Therefore, most Houses and Clans have ways of determining this for themselves, though they are not considered official by the Wizengamot.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Well, so much for getting that sorted out today. ¡°I¡¯m sure your ancestors can explain it in greater detail, though I should warn you that very few wizards or witches are classed as having Akros, or in modern English, Extreme magical potential. Hogwarts, for example, will generally only take a Pureblood or half-blood wizard with at least, in English terms, Decent potential. Muggleborns are given slightly more leeway on this, due to their lack of understanding of our world, and exceptions are made for the heirs of any sitting house in the Wizengamot; provided that there isn¡¯t an alternative heir with acceptable potential.¡± Arcturus paused and glanced toward the door the goblins used. ¡°So, the size and depth define a wizard¡¯s core?¡± I asked, taking advantage of his silence. Arcturus chuckled. ¡°A rather crude term for it, though not entirely inaccurate. More commonly it¡¯s regarded by researchers as a reservoir of a sort. The maximum capacity of the reservoir is determined by one''s Magical Potential. However, how we can use that reservoir depends on the size and depth of our potential. For most, there is only a minor difference between a larger size or larger depth to their potential.¡± He paused again. ¡°Think of yourself like a sink and the overall potential as what determines its size. Refilling the sink once it¡¯s drained depends on the flow of water into it. Someone with a high size potential has multiple smaller faucets funnelling water into it. This makes it easier to use the water for different things. Someone with a great depth potential has a faucet that allows more water per second to flow; thus, allowing for greater usage of the water in larger ways.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That wasn¡¯t what I expected, nor did it fit with what I¡¯d expected of a magical core, yet there was logic to it. And it felt familiar. However, I couldn¡¯t recall quickly what it was, meaning I¡¯d have to dive into my thoughts when I had time later. That was the one downside of Emotionless Recall; if the memory wasn¡¯t at the forefront of my mind, I couldn¡¯t easily review it. If the memories were all there, but it took considerable effort to find them. That was why Occlumency was high on my list of skills to learn as it was meant to help one easily sort and access their memories. ¡°What, um, is it allowed to ask someone their potential?¡± Arcturus smiled. ¡°Technically no, though that has never stopped children from asking each other, or boasting about theirs.¡± He took a moment before continuing. ¡°While I won¡¯t go into further detail, as that would take more time to explain, I will simply state that within the members of my family that you are aware of, myself, Sirius and Bellatrix are all considered to have Hyperypsilos or Very High potential. Every other member of the family that you¡¯ve met has at least Euprep?s or Decent potential.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± So, if Hyperypsilos was the level of Bella and Sirius, and they were considered powerful, and I was listed as Akros¡­ Was I on the same scale as Dumbledore and Riddle? Fuck, that was something I¡¯d not contemplated and honestly found a little exciting. ¡°How common¡­¡± ¡°From my understanding, someone with an Akros potential is only born once for every five million magical births. The only two I am aware of in Europe in the last fifty years - though this is speculation as neither has confirmed it - are Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.¡± ¡°Fuck me,¡± I muttered before I could stop myself. I looked at Arcturus, worried I¡¯d get in trouble for the curse; particularly as it wasn¡¯t, as far as I knew, a common one in the magical world at the current time. ¡°Perhaps not how I would describe things, but an understandable reaction. However, I would advise you to be more mindful of your words in the presence of others. While I will permit such a slip due to what you¡¯ve just learnt, others would consider you to be¡­ unworthy of your status because of such things.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Silence fell over the room until, perhaps five minutes later, the goblin door opened and Ranlor walked in with a binder under his arm. ¡°On behalf of Clan MacLeod and Gringotts, I thank you for your service today Lord Black. However, as this is a private business for the eyes of Clan MacLeod only, I must request that you leave.¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± Arcturus stood, turned, and then placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I will await you in the main lobby. To avoid any undue curiosity from others, I would advise that, for today at least, you keep the meeting short.¡± I nodded in response, and after glancing at Ranlor, Arcturus exited the room. The doors glowed, which I had to assume signalled something with the runes. ¡°Now, before we begin, I must ask. Have you touched your family magic?¡± I frowned, wondering why Ranlor would know of that, before shaking my head. That drew a sigh of relief from the goblin. ¡°Good, good. While Gringotts would be interested in purchasing certain enchantments from your Clan, on a personal level, I hope that any such transaction doesn¡¯t occur until the future of your clan is secured.¡± My frown deepened, wondering why the goblins would be interested in flesh-crafting ¨C though I had a few ideas ¨C why they¡¯d expect my clan to offer them family magic as a service. I could, however, understand his wariness about me learning flesh crafting early. The warning of the fate suffered by my grandfather¡¯s older brother hadn¡¯t left my mind even half a month since I¡¯d heard it. Oh, I wanted to read the tome, but I was sticking to elementary books on runes with a focus on Tamhas¡¯ second year schoolbook as that was when classes in the subject started. ¡°Now, regarding the primary holdings of Clan MacLeod. Beyond Dunscaith Castle, there are Dunvegan Castle, where the muggle puppet of Clan MacLeod sits, Knock Castle and Duntelm Castle, which are currently lived in by cadet branches of Clan MacLeod who pay a stipend each year to maintain residence. There is a chalet in Switzerland, along with an estate in the Magical Union of North America.¡± ¡°Regarding business, at least within the Wizarding World, your major holdings are a fifty per cent ownership stake in Pride of Portree Quidditch team, a twenty per cent share in Highland Kelpie Farms, five per cent share in The Daily Prophet, and a twenty-two per cent share in The Northern News. There are other holdings, both in the Wizarding World and the Muggle world, however, those can be discussed at a later date.¡± ¡°Currently there are three cadet branches of Clan MacLeod, two of which reside on the Isle of Skye in the aforementioned castles, while the third resides near Horizon Alley in Edinburgh. There is a fourth cadet branch within the Magical Union of North America, however, they haven¡¯t sworn fealty to the MacLeod of MacLeod in thirty years, and as such, have been cut off from support from the main accounts. There are also four septs, or magical houses based in Scotland predominantly, that have sworn oaths of fealty to Clan MacLeod. Of those, Clan MacAskill is the largest, standing at eighty-seven members.¡± ¡°Within Gringotts, Clan MacLeod holds three vaults while, as The MacLeod, you have access to a further two. With your rise to becoming the MacLeod of MacLeod, all five will be detailed by Gringotts, for a nominal fee of ten Galleons per vault, within the next month. However, I would advise that Vaults 243 and 343 are excluded from the detailing as your family holds several important objects within them.¡± ¡°Lastly, borrowing the figures from the last report submitted to your father on January first of this year, your estimated financial holdings are four million Galleons. Are there any questions, or will this suffice as the basic overview?¡± I blinked as Ranlor finished, trying to process everything he¡¯d just stated. From cadet branches of the family to houses loyal to us, through holdings and vaults and Galleons. ¡°Uh, no. That will do for today,¡± I mumbled, coming to terms with what I¡¯d just heard. ¡°Four million?¡± Ranlor nodded as he started placing the sheet he¡¯d read from back in the binder. ¡°Yes. I am sorry it seems low, but your grandfather and great-grandfather depleted most of the vault financing, let¡¯s call them bad investments. Your father had begun to restore your capital but was still some way from returning your clan to their former position. He did, however, invest significantly in muggle enterprises, as many of your family have done, and so far, those investments have shown regular and impressive growth.¡± ¡°OK. Uh, thanks.¡± I stood slowly, taking in everything I¡¯d just heard. It sounded as if Clan MacLeod was a powerful clan in Wizarding Britain. However, I had nothing to compare my figures to, so I couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Oh,¡± I muttered as the doors to the room opened. ¡°What is a Galleon worth in muggle terms?¡± Ranlor frowned. ¡°I haven¡¯t examined the current figure, but I recall the last time I checked it, which was at the beginning of the year, the exchange rate stood at one Galleon to nine Pounds fifty pence.¡± I blinked, quickly doing the calculations in my head. In Muggle terms, I was insanely rich, yet from what Ranlor had said, my accounts at four million Galleons were low. A stray thought went back to my old life, remembering a talk I¡¯d once heard that the price of gold only rocketed up from the nineteen-seventies onward. If that was the case here, then I¡¯d have to return and talk with Ranlor to see if I could convert a few thousand Galleons into Muggle gold reserves. If it paid off, it would be very, very useful once I finished Hogwarts and had to deal with Voldemort. While money wouldn¡¯t win me a war, it would help in other ways. ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± With that I exited the room, still working through everything Ranlor had just revealed. It was a lot to take in, and I knew I¡¯d have to go through things more thoroughly with Ranlor at some point in the future. However, I needed to clear my head and focus. Arcturus still had several places we needed to go, and I had little doubt I¡¯d need my head focused and clear. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 6 The Early Years 6 ... ... When we¡¯d entered Gringotts, I¡¯d been distracted by the walls, the door, the goblins¡­ well everything really. Thus, I¡¯d not paid much attention to the street we¡¯d been on. Yet, as we exited the bank, and the sun shone down on us as Arcturus took the first step toward the street, I almost stumbled as I took everything in. I mean, I¡¯d been here once before as a child, so it shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise, but it was. The street was nothing like how it was described in the books, nor anything like the movies. Instead of the narrow, busy alley that I¡¯d expected, what greeted my sight was a wide thoroughfare. The street ¨C calling it an alley would be an insult ¨C was paved with dark marble to the side with a lighter marble in the middle. Brightly lit stores lined each side of the alley as wizards and witches moved around. In the windows of one store, I saw some sort of magical animal ¨C a lizard though I couldn¡¯t tell what breed ¨C moving around, almost stalking those passing by. On the other side of the alley, miniature images of people on brooms raced around in the air, exploding in a kaleidoscope of colours that instantly drew one¡¯s attention. Yet only a moment later my eyes drifted lower, seeing the road, which was made of marble so highly polished ¨C and likely kept that through magic ¨C I could see my reflection in each tile. Patterns moved and flowed in the marble, and as I stepped down I saw that not only were faint ripples of colours shifting around in front of those walking on the darker marble, but the lighter marble showed images, that were, from the words I was catching as my eyes danced around in amazement, advertisements for various shops. ¡°Have you not visited Diagon Alley before?¡± I looked up at Arcturus, and catching the slight frown on his face hastily came up with a reason for my amazement. ¡°Yes, and no. I¡¯ve been before, but my mother always carried me, so I never saw the ground. It¡¯s¡­ incredible.¡± A small smile bled through to Arcturus¡¯ face. ¡°The enchantments on the alley¡¯s floor are but a hint of the wonders of what magic can do.¡± He moved to one spot on the alley, away from the general hustle and bustle ¨C though it wasn¡¯t anywhere near as busy as I¡¯d expect for late morning ¨C and pulled his wand from a hidden holster. After moving it around, a pane of glass appeared between me and the marble tiles. No, it was a mirror as the tiles were now larger and clearer to see. At the edges of each, I saw faint inscriptions; ones that I remembered seeing in books in my family¡¯s library as I¡¯d studied under the watchful gaze of my ancestors. ¡°Runes?¡± ¡°Yes. Each tile is inscribed with a fairly common, though slightly complex, rune system that links to those around it.¡± He moved his wand and twirled it over the mirror, bringing the edge of one tile into clearer sight. ¡°Tell me, can you understand any of this?¡± I moved closer to the conjured mirror and examined the runes. He wasn¡¯t kidding when he said the system was complex as, initially, it looked little more than a collection of scribbles and scratches. Yet, as I looked closer, I saw several started to become clearer. ¡°Raido,¡± I muttered half-pointing at one section of the system, ¡°Ehwaz, Gebo, Ansuz.¡± Those were four basic Elder Futhark runes that meant travel, friendship/travel, gifts, and communication respectfully. ¡°Impressive.¡± I looked up at Arcturus as he swished his wand and the mirror vanished. ¡°While magical children are taught runes from eight, few are able to detect even a single rune in such a system until they¡¯ve started Hogwarts. Let alone four.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more than four, but those are the ones which repeat the most.¡± That turned the hint of a smile into a genuine one, though it only lasted a moment before he schooled his features. ¡°Indeed. It seems you may have some skill with runes, which is no doubt due to your family¡¯s magical speciality.¡± My brow creased, wondering how he knew of Fleshcrafting, or if, perhaps, he just thought that runic arrays and systems were what the MacLeods were known for. Sadly, instead of explaining his meaning, he turned and looked one way down the street. ¡°If you are unsure of where you are going, simply name the shop you wish to visit, and the street will guide you. Show me Ollivander¡¯s Wands: Lord¡¯s Private Room.¡± I watched as the tiles in front of us glowed faintly. Then, an image rose from the tiles. The banner that formed showed the sign for Ollivander¡¯s along with the tagline ¡®Makers of fine wands since 382BC¡¯. There were other words under that, but I couldn¡¯t make out what they said. ¡°Every display has that blurred section, for those of us with true status, however, it becomes clearer.¡± Arcturus looked back at me over my shoulder, though as he did, I saw his wand move subtly. ¡°Use the words I did, and don¡¯t worry about being overheard. I have cast a small muffling charm to prevent others from eavesdropping.¡± ¡°Show me Ollivander¡¯s Wands: Lord¡¯s Private Room.¡± I watched as the tiles shifted in front of me, and the banner rose, though my eyes were drawn to the bit just below the banner, as this time it wasn¡¯t blurred. ¡®Ollivander has been informed of your request for a private audience, Chief MacLeod¡¯. Even as I stared at the floating text, a faint purple glow overtook the tiles, leading down the alley toward, I assumed, Ollivander¡¯s. When I looked up at Arcturus, my shock must¡¯ve been highly visible as his lips once more twitched into a short smile. ¡°The magic of the street is tied to Gringotts¡¯ recognition of your status. If you had tried that before we confirmed your position, the text would¡¯ve stated you weren¡¯t able to request such a meeting. And before you grow concerned, the magic of a Lord¡¯s private room, in shops that have such a thing, prevents the owner from speaking to any bar the lord they meet about what is discussed in the room; and only when they are once more in said room. An owner, many centuries ago, once tried to use what he learnt from private meetings. He, his shop, and his immediate family were¡­ removed by the magic inherent in the alley.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ effective.¡± Horrible might be a better word to think that oaths could be so efficient in enforcing their intent, but I suspected Arcturus would consider me saying horrible to be a sign of weakness. ¡°Indeed, it is. Now, since you can see the path, perhaps you might lead us there.¡± I nodded at him and moved forward, marvelling at how the faint violet light stayed a tile ahead of me. This was incredible, as it would help me find any store I wanted, though something told me that if I ever wished to visit a store on Knockturn Alley, the magic might only extend to the alley¡¯s entrance. With my excitement at getting a wand slowly growing, and encompassing all else, I followed the violet path laid out for me, though not too fast as I didn¡¯t want to seem childish to Arcturus. ¡­ ¡­ It took about ten minutes for us to reach Ollivander¡¯s, though about half of that was me getting distracted by the magic in shop windows, or in two cases, by advertisements for other shops. Both those shops revolved around books, and Arcturus after I stopped at the second advert ¨C this one for Obscurus Books ¨C promised that, provided we weren¡¯t delayed with Ollivander for too long, would take me there before we left. While that was certainly something to look forward to, catching sight of Ollivander¡¯s drew my attention back to the moment. Yet, as we approached, the purple path laid out by the marble tiles moved away from the main door, toward a small building next to it. This building wasn¡¯t marked with any sign, and at first glance, I was sure I¡¯d ignore it entirely while passing the main door to Ollivander¡¯s. I turned back to Arcturus and frowned, which judging by the mirth in his eyes, he expected and was amused by. ¡°If all knew where a Lord ventured to gain his wand, all would want to enter.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Yes. Though others can gain a custom wand, only the heads of families of at least Established rank can gain one without permission of the Chief Warlock and Head of Magical Law Enforcement. At least from a registered shop with access to officially licensed components.¡± I nodded, understanding what he was saying without doing so. I¡¯d expect senior Aurors all had second, custom wands which were legal, while many others would also have one ¨C at least ¨C though the quality would be lacking. Assuming that every possible opponent once I was older had a second wand would make things difficult. Especially, if, as I suspected, they had them holstered, disillusioned, and protected from summoning. Arcturus stepped in front of me and moved toward the nondescript door. ¡°Come along.¡± I followed behind, though I almost stumbled as, once we were but two tiles from the entrance, and off the main thoroughfare of Diagon Alley, the door shifted. Gone was a simple, unassuming door of darkened wood, and in its place was a door of highly polished dark wood. Inlaid in the door with shimmering silver were the words ¡®Ollivander¡¯s Wands for Lordly Pleasure¡¯. Near the handle, which was carved from a shining white wood, hung a sign: ¡®Entrance is only allowed with an appointment. Do not attempt entry otherwise.¡¯ Arcturus paused a tile from the door. ¡°Lord Black and The MacLeod for a private viewing¡¯.¡± I watched in wonder as the letters on the sign flowed like quicksilver, shifting into a new phrase. ¡®Lord Ollivander will be with you shortly, my Lords.¡¯ Before I could wonder how that enhancement worked, the door clicked and then swung open without a sound. Arcturus stepped forward and as he passed through the frame, shimmered out of sight. I paused, shocked at what I¡¯d just seen before realising it must be an enchantment to hide what was inside while the door was open. I glanced back at the street and watched as several people walked past, though none seemed to see me. Hell, one was even looking toward the main entrance of Ollivander¡¯s yet seemed unable to focus upon me. ¡°Magic fucking rocks,¡± I muttered before moving after Arcturus. As my foot pierced the boundary of the frame, an eerie tremor surged through my being, an arcane force cascading upon me. It caressed my flesh with tingling tendrils of power, while the torc clandestinely enshrouded upon my form experienced a tender surge of heat. The enigmatic essence of the frame''s magic momentarily embraced me, yet in relentless pursuit, I pressed forward, my journey unabated. ¡°Fuck me,¡± I muttered as what was beyond the frame come into view. The room exceeded my expectations, its true size defying the unassuming exterior, being nearly double the size of my bedroom. A polished, dark-red wood floor stretched beneath, accentuated by a substantial carpet adorned with captivating, animated imagery. At the heart of it all, a counter of the same deep-red hue stood resolute, flanked by shelves reaching a towering ten meters. These shelves were lined with countless enigmatic boxes, beckoning curiosity and inviting exploration. I took a step toward the counter, wanting to see what was behind, only for Arcturus to place an arm in my path. ¡°You will see what is there soon. For now, we must wait until Lord Ollivander arrives.¡± He gestured to my right, and I saw four chairs waiting. Each was large and made of dark hardwood with intricate carvings in the wooden frame and a deep blue cushion set into the seat and back. ¡°And later we shall discuss your lack of decorum,¡± he added as he moved to the chairs. I grumbled in understanding that at least one of my recent comments had reached his ears. One thing he¡¯d made abundantly clear in our lessons on manners was that swearing was highly uncouth, and not something a noble-raised child should do around elders; and certainly not in the company of Lords and Ladies of the Great Houses of the Wizengamot. My concerns about my forthcoming revision on manners faded from my thoughts as I slid into a chair next to Arcturus. ¡°Ah,¡± I sighed contently as I felt myself sink into the cushions, a gentle, relaxing warmth spreading through my body. Before I could ask about the chairs, part of the wall on the far side of the counter shimmered, and through it walked a man. He looked older than Arcturus, with silver hair pulled back into a simple tail that was held in place by a strap of red fabric. On his nose rested a set of very old-fashioned glasses that should¡¯ve fallen the moment he moved, yet didn¡¯t, which I had to assume was because of magic. The man carried himself with grace, yet his clothing was far from the finery that Arcturus wore, though it still appeared more expensive than the clothes I wore; which wasn¡¯t a huge surprise as while my clothing was made from fine cotton, clothing for growing children wasn¡¯t made as delicately as the expansion charms to allow them to last longer while their wearer grew decayed finer material like silk. ¡°Ah, Lord Black, a pleasure to see you once again,¡± the man began as Arcturus stood. ¡°I do hope nothing has happened to your wand. Black walnut with a chimaera heartstring core bound in orichalcum and capped with an emerald, if I recall correctly?¡± Arcturus lowered his head and pulled a wand from up his sleeve. ¡°You do, and it has yet to be anything less than a perfect partner for me.¡± That wasn¡¯t the wand I¡¯d seen him using around Dunscaith Castle, the Black Estate or today in Diagon Alley and Gringotts. No, this one looked far more ornamental. The dark wood was inlaid with gold-looking streaks of metal weaving sinuously through the wood while the end held an emerald as if it was a pommel of a sword. While Arcturus¡¯ other wand looked nice, this one made it look like a toy to be scrapped. That had been the wand of a wizard, the one he wielded now was that of a Lord. The man¡¯s gaze turned to me, and his eyes narrowed. He leaned forward and as tapped his glasses; I felt a wave of magic wash over me. ¡°Hmm, this isn¡¯t a Black. At least not one of your line, Lord Black. His magic¡­ I sense.¡± The man paused and looked at Arcturus. ¡°A MacLeod?¡± I frowned, wondering how he could sense that so easily even as Arcturus nodded. ¡°Not just a MacLeod.¡± He gave me an expectant stare. Understanding, I lifted my arm and willed the torc to appear. The old man inhaled sharply before leaning forward further, almost as if he was bodysurfing on the counter. ¡°If I might ask, Chief MacLeod, how old are you?¡± ¡°Seven, sir,¡± I replied slowly. The man tapped his glasses twice, and I felt magic wash over me again, though this was something different. It prodded at me, at the magic that flowed in my veins and even as I tried to push the probes away, I felt the torc warn and when I looked down at it, I saw it glow gently, taking on a dark, threatening green. The man stumbled back, pushed away by some unseen force and I felt the air grow thick around me as the torc pulsed dangerously, and his face rippled with surprise. The man waved a hand and the pressure I¡¯d felt, one that I knew would kill me if I wasn¡¯t careful, vanished between the ticks of a clock. ¡°Forgive my actions, Chief MacLeod. I was¡­ overcome with curiosity at meeting such a young lord.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. I looked back at the man even as Arcturus watched us quietly. ¡°You are forgiven, though it seems you have me at a disadvantage, Mister¡­¡± The man laughed gently. ¡°Ollivander, Lord Gervaise Ollivander.¡± He lifted a hand and a bronze ring appeared, one bearing a sigil inlaid upon a sapphire that looked like three wands forming a triangle. He lowered the hand and the ring vanished even as he turned to Arcturus. ¡°I admit, when the request for a private viewing came in from The MacLeod, I thought perhaps something was amiss. I see now it is not. At least not in any improper manner.¡± Ollivander turned back to me. ¡°Your father was Aonghus?¡± I nodded. ¡°Hmm, I know only of his heir, Tamhas, so it seems you now have me at a disadvantage Chief MacLeod,¡± he finished with an amused smirk. ¡°D¨°mhnall, Lord Ollivander. An honour to meet you.¡± I extended my arm and then as he returned the gesture, grasped his forearm. I willed the magic in me outward, letting it greet his magic, showing my respect for his position and title as Arcturus had instructed me to do. ¡°Likewise Chief MacLeod, though within this room, all are free to call me Gervaise provided their intentions are pure.¡± I nodded in understanding as we released each other¡¯s arms. ¡°You are well taught for a spare. Lord Black¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°Yes. He and Lady Black have been preparing me for the role I now hold.¡± Ollivander nodded and then his face turned solemn. ¡°My condolences for what happened to your family this past summer. That a group would strike at so many families of note is a crime against magic itself.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lo¡­ Gervaise. What happened haunts my sleep nightly and I won''t stop until I find out who did it and make sure they get what they deserve. Ollivander chuckled. ¡°Now I see Anoghus in you.¡± He looked at Arcturus once again. ¡°The Wizengamot is aware of his presence?¡± ¡°Gringotts is, and proof of his lineage has been secured.¡± He pulled a roll of parchment from his robes, one bearing the seal of the goblin bank. ¡°However, before the Wizengamot is made aware of his title, there is one matter of importance that he requires. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°¡­ they might not accept him, and place his life in danger from line theft by a cadet branch,¡± Ollivander finished, which earned a nod from Arcturus. I¡¯d been informed that while my uncle ¨C the one who¡¯d tried to enter the castle ever since the attack, though I still wasn¡¯t sure which uncle it was ¨C was unlikely to have been behind the attack on my family, he could potentially challenge for my title. Without a wand to help confirm my status before the Wizengamot, I¡¯d be defenceless if he chose to challenge me for the title of The MacLeod. Hence why we were here today. Ollivander moved along the counter, away from us. ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t permit this, you are far too young, not even having entered Hogwarts.¡± He tapped a section of the counter and it vanished. ¡°However, you bear the regalia that marks out The MacLeod, and to confirm that for those¡­ slower-minded individuals in the Wizengamot, you require a wand. Therefore, it will have to be a Lordly one.¡± He smiled and moved to unblock the new gap in the counter. ¡°Now come. It is time to choose what will be combined into your wand.¡± I moved forward slowly, curious how this would work. From what the books and movies suggested, he was meant to bring wands to me to try, yet Arcturus had said the process for a Lord¡¯s wand was different; that the wizard was much more involved than the wand simply choosing them. ¡°Come, come,¡± Ollivander waved me through the counter and guided me to the shelves. He paused and looked from me to Arcturus, a wide smile spreading over his face. ¡°This may be the first time I¡¯ve done this for one before they gained their first wand. How refreshing.¡± Arcturus didn¡¯t respond even as Ollivander looked down at me. ¡°Give me but a moment as the normal speech I would use would only confuse you.¡± I nodded and waited as he looked at the shelves for a moment. ¡°When you come to gain a wand for Hogwarts, or another school within these isles or beyond, you are told that guided by magic, the wand chooses the wizard.¡± He paused as his smile grew, and he glanced toward where he¡¯d come from. ¡°My son enjoys saying that more than I, but he is young and not yet numb to repeating the speech for hundreds of children each year.¡± He shook his and then turned back to me. ¡°However, for those of title, power or the right connections, in this store, it is different. The wizard brings into being the wand. How perhaps, do you think one might do that?¡± I stared at the shelves, deep in thought. "Um, maybe the answer is that we somehow feel which wand is meant for us," I said, trying to figure it out. "I''ve seen Lord Black''s wand, and it''s not like any ordinary wand." I turned to Arcturus, observing the elegant wand in his hand. He nodded, giving me a reassuring look. "It''s got more than just wood and a core, there''s metal and a jewel and there are four rows of shelves," I explained, turning back to Ollivander. "So, maybe I''m supposed to pick the parts that will create my wand?" Ollivander stared at me for a moment before laughter that reminded me of a dog filled the room. ¡°Yes! Bravo!¡± He looked at Arcturus. ¡°He is a bright young one.¡± ¡°He is indeed, though after what he has endured, he has been forced to mature before his time.¡± That cut Ollivander¡¯s laughter off at the root and forced the smile from his face. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± He shook his head and sighed. ¡°They say a man is forged in fire, but no child should be denied their childhood nor see what you have no doubt seen.¡± A smile returned to his face, though it lacked any humour. ¡°You are right to say you choose the components of your new wand, though to do so you must draw upon your magic and extend it over the room.¡± ¡°How?¡± Arcturus had spoken of being able to do this, and how learning to do and meditating with my magic would help me reach my full potential. However, I hadn¡¯t been able to draw on it yet, though the lessons had only been going on regarding that for a few weeks and he had explained that it wasn¡¯t something explained or encouraged to take place until one reached Hogwarts. ¡°You remember earlier when you reacted ¨C rather bluntly ¨C to magic shifting around you, and I stumbled back?¡± I nodded. ¡°That was you doing so. And while there was more power than I expected from a child,¡± his eyes shifted to Arcturus for a second, ¡°it lacked the refinement and finesse an adult would possess.¡± He closed his eyes, and I shuddered, feeling the magic in the air around me shift. It grew¡­ warmer, reminding me of the feeling of entering a forest on an early spring morning. The feeling ended and Ollivander opened his eyes. ¡°That is how you will find the components of your wand.¡± He stepped back, moving toward the opening in the counter. ¡°Normally, a wizard or witch will take between ten and thirty minutes to find their components. However, the process can take far longer, and with your age and lack of training, I would be surprised if this came quickly or easily.¡± He moved over to Arcturus, settling into a free chair. ¡°Just take your time, close your eyes, feel the magic within you, and then slowly, as if exhaling the first breath after a long slumber, release it into the air.¡± I did as he asked and closed my eyes. Yet I felt nothing. No matter how I slowed my breathing as Arcturus had shown me, nor tried to look inside me, I couldn¡¯t feel anything. ¡°Easy there, lad. Relax. Take your time and¡­¡± Ollivander chuckled. ¡°Have you ever done accidental magic?¡± I nodded. ¡°Anything you remember?¡± I frowned which he must¡¯ve seen as he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re a strong one, lad. I''d be shocked if you hadn''t.¡± I nodded as I remembered quite clearly what happened at the orphanage. ¡°Good, then focus on that, on how you think it worked and how it made you feel.¡± I nodded and brought images forth from when that happened, frowning as I felt a spark of anger ignite once more. Slowly, in the darkness of my thoughts, I saw something move. A faint spark of something. In the recesses of my mind, I raced toward that spark, only for it to move toward me. Flames raced around me, sparks of purple dancing ominously within the white-hot swirls of fire that moved around me as if alive. I stood amidst the engulfing inferno; my breath caught in awe as the searing flames caressed my outstretched arms. Astonishingly, the scorching touch failed to elicit pain; instead, an exhilarating surge of power surged through my veins, as though a profound metamorphosis was taking place within me, transcending the very essence of my being. The flickering sparks, imbued with an unmistakable purpose, danced gracefully across my skin, yet left no lasting marks, transforming the hairs on my arms into a mesmerizing, iridescent hue akin to the shimmer of violet lightning. As the enigmatic white fire coursed through the channels of my limbs, it bestowed upon me a warmth so unfamiliar, yet so enlivening. Suddenly though, I gasped. From where the flames and sparks had come, I sensed something moving, shifting in my mind''s deepest, darkest recesses. In the murkiness, I sensed something moving, sliding around, holding at the very edges of my senses, yet inevitably moving closer. I reached out, feeling an instinctual connection to whatever was moving in the darkness. ¡°Remember, once you can feel your magic, push out slowly with it.¡± Ollivander¡¯s voice drew me away from what was moving in the recesses of my mind and when he finished speaking whatever had been there was now gone. ¡°How do I do that?¡± ¡°Your magic is yours to command. It obeys you and bends to your will.¡± Arcturus cut in, reciting the same words he¡¯d said each time I¡¯d tried to touch my magic during our lessons. ¡°Think of it as a tap and slow¡­¡± I gasped as I felt my magic rush from me, surging outward and slamming into everything. Around me I felt things react, some well, others violently. Panicking that I¡¯d gone too far, I reacted and tried to pull the magic back to me, but that only made it worse. I felt the magic in me flood outward, overwhelming me, surging so rapidly that nothing else came to mind, that I couldn¡¯t even¡­ ¡°AH!¡± I gasped loudly as I felt two strong thrusts against my magic, driving it back, back into me. ¡°Relax D¨°mhnall. You command magic. It does not command you.¡± Arcturus¡¯ words cut through the otherworldly sensations burning all over my skin and throughout my body as my magic was aggressively forced back. ¡°Rein the surge in, temper it, control it.¡± As he spoke, I felt the two thrusts draw closer and I realised one was familiar. It was Arcturus¡¯ magic as I¡¯d felt it often enough in our sessions. The other had to be Ollivander¡¯s. Taking the words to heart, I imagined grasping the tendrils of magic that surged from my body, fighting against the demands being placed on it by the two other wizards. The tendrils struggled to slip from my grasp, wanting to escape, to be free, yet they were a part of me. Without me, they were nothing. Slowly, painfully, I held the tendrils and dragged them back within. Only once I felt them return and settle once more, did I risk opening my eyes. The sight that greeted me was a disaster. The chairs were shattered, the legs and backs thrown all over the place while the shelves were tipped over, and the woods, stones, gems and other objects ¨C some of which seemed to be glowing ¨C covered the floor so much that not a hint of the wood could be seen. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡± I mumbled, shocked at the chaos I¡¯d unleashed. ¡°No, no. The fault was mine for not guiding you better,¡± Ollivander said. As I turned to face him, and saw he appeared unperturbed by the chaos around him, a slight shimmer dying from around him, he flicked his wand. I watched as the pieces of the chairs moved, carried by magic to re-join together until the four chairs looked brand-new and untouched by my magic¡¯s lashing out. He flicked his wand again and the shelves groaned, righting themselves. ¡°D¨°mhnall,¡± Arcturus began, drawing my attention to him as he approached. ¡°You touched your magic, and with that, I am impressed. However, the¡­ unhabituated nature of its release was unbecoming of your house, to say nothing of your status as Chief.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Oh nonsense,¡± Ollivander cut in before Arcturus could continue. ¡°Yes, he made a mess, but can you say you didn¡¯t do the same when you were his age? Or older?¡± Ollivander moved toward me, his wand still pointing at the shelves as I heard things moving behind me. ¡°You have great power within you, young D¨°mhnall. Great power indeed. However, as you¡¯ve realised, you¡¯ve yet to learn how to control it. How to harness and shape it to your wishes.¡± He placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Now, try again, but this time, only allow the tiniest sliver of that power to slip out.¡± As he spoke he turned me until I once more faced the shelves, letting me see everything was back in place. I closed my eyes and once more reached out for the magic within me. It took a few moments, but I soon found it and gasped as once more flames of white with dancing strands of purple sparks rushed toward and into me. ¡°Good, good. I can sense you¡¯ve found it. Now, slowly, carefully, allow the faintest sliver of it to pulse from you.¡± In my mind, I reached out with my hand, marvelling at the shifting flames racing through it, and cautiously pushed against it. I clenched my fist bar my index finger and demanded some of my magic leave under via the finger while fighting to prevent the flames swirling in my fist from joining in. ¡°There, that¡¯s it. Now, a little more.¡± I extended another finger, and then another, slowly allowing more magic to flow from me. As I did, I felt¡­ tingles from somewhere around me. No, in front of me. ¡°A fraction more.¡± I extended my pinkie, keeping only my thumb clenched tight against my palm. ¡°There. Perfect. Now, at the very edges of your thoughts, you can sense other things?¡± I nodded. ¡°That is the magic in the objects used to make wands. All of them will resonate with your magic, though in vastly diverse ways. Some might push back, or even explode as you near. Those elements will not work for you. What you need to find, no matter how long it takes, are those that not only welcome your touch but seem to grow stronger the nearer you move. As if your magic and that inherent in them is empowering each other.¡± I felt a gentle push on my back. ¡°Now go, walk toward the shelves, but keep your eyes closed. Trust your magic to guide you to those components that resonate best with your magic.¡± I moved forward slowly, unsure of where I was going. I knew where the shelves were, but that was it. Yet, after taking my first tentative step, I felt the first reaction to my magic at the edge of my thoughts. I pushed my magic toward it gently, only to recoil as whatever was there seemed to snarl and snap back at me like a rabid dog. ¡°As I said, most components won¡¯t resonate with you,¡± Ollivander offered after a brief laugh at my expense. ¡°Don¡¯t be put off by your first attempt being unsuccessful. You may have a thousand such moments before finding your first match.¡± That was both encouraging and disheartening as if as he said I only had a one-in-a-thousand chance of finding a part for my wand, this could take hours. Still, there was no way I wasn¡¯t going to leave this shop with my wand. Or at least the components for it selected. After a dozen more rejections, all of them violent, I felt a reaction that didn¡¯t lash out. I moved closer, wondering if this might be the one, yet as I did, the source I was sensing vibrated rapidly, and I took a step back. ¡°There. That one wasn¡¯t a match, but it was close. Search around it, find the ones nearby that react better and focus on them, hone in until you find one that comes willingly to you.¡± I ignored the almost sensual way Ollivander spoke and did as he asked. A dozen sources were near the one that had rejected me more gently than anything before, but each vibrated aggressively when I focused upon them. All save the last. It still vibrated, yet it was gentler. Still a rejection, but one that had me hoping I was close to finding my first component. Over a hundred more attempts passed, and with each meeting with slightly less rejection than the one before it, I was rapidly getting more excited. And finally, on what was the one hundred and forty-seventh attempt, I reached out for a source. As my magic closed on the source, I felt myself being pulled inward, drawn towards it. My heart raced as I pushed more magic into the probe, and it raced faster still when the source accepted and drew in my probe. I blinked as I felt my fingers brush against something and opened my eyes. in my hand was a block of wood. It was reddish-brown with a knot about a third of the way along. ¡°Hmm, fir, an interesting choice.¡± I almost jumped at Ollivander¡¯s voice, not having realised he was beside me. ¡°A wood that favours survivors and those with a leaning toward Transfiguration. If you are indecisive, the wood will not obey, yet in the hands of one strong of heart, character and conviction, there are few wands more dependable and powerful.¡± His hand came out toward the wood. ¡°Here. Now we have one component of your wand, but others remain. Continue.¡± I let him take the short branch of wood from me and closed my eyes again. My hopes of finding what I needed renewing with my first success. I turned, planning to move toward the next shelf, assuming they contained the cores, metals and gems that I¡¯d need. Or that I¡¯d thought I¡¯d need going by Arcturus¡¯ wand. Yet as I reached out with my magic once more I felt another source resonate nearby and moved deeper into the shelves filled with wand woods as if in a trance. Nearly a hundred attempts later, I felt another acceptance of my magic. Though where the fir had accepted my touch, drawing me in, this wood seemed to challenge me. As if demanding I prove myself. For a moment, I thought perhaps I¡¯d made a mistake, yet when I accepted the challenge, it allowed my touch, and I felt a surge of strength rush through my bones. When I opened my hand, I found a deep ebony wood in my hand that seemed to suck in the light around it. ¡°Hmm, a second wood, and blackthorn at that. While unusual to have two woods wish to work with you, it¡¯s not unheard of. Blackthorn is a wood suited to one with conviction, and a willingness to see it through. To fight and, if needed, die for a cause they believe in. However, before it truly yields a wizard needs to bond with it through hardship.¡± ¡°Can two woods merge?¡± I asked, curious about how it would work even as I handed him the wood. Ollivander smiled. ¡°It depends on the woods selected and how balanced the blend will be. Often one wood has more of a resonance with the wizard than the other. Occasionally, the two woods simply cannot accept each other. However, for you, I feel they will complement each other.¡± I smiled at hearing that before he gave me a gentle tap on my shoulder. ¡°Now go. While I doubt you¡¯ll find another wood to add, you still have a core, focus and channelling metal to discover.¡± I turned a smile on my face, and closed my eyes, wondering just what the other components would be. ¡­ ¡­ About thirty minutes later ¨C which was far quicker than I¡¯d expected when I¡¯d first started searching for components that accepted me ¨C I was standing beside Arcturus on the other side of the counter. Ollivander was across from us and between us on the counter were the components of my wand. Joining the woods, was the primary feather of a thunderbird, deep grey like a storm and arcing with small bits of lightning, a shimmering silver ingot of mithril ¨C which was a shock to discover existed ¨C and, the biggest surprise, a black opal. I knew from my former life that such a gem was rare as fuck. Still, for all its rarity, I knew there was more to the opal than just that. While it was mainly black as I¡¯d expect, inside, almost as if caught at a moment of an intricate dance, streaks, swirls and sparks of red, purple, orange, white and green existed. Ever since I¡¯d found it, I¡¯d struggled to keep my thoughts on much more, with even the shock of discovering mithril, the last component I¡¯d found, doing little to divert my attention. ¡°Well, this was unexpected,¡± Ollivander said, breaking the silence. I reluctantly looked away from the opal at the wandmaker as he smiled. ¡°Yet this will be something special once made.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Arcturus agreed. ¡°From what little I know of wandlore, two kinds of wood in a wand is rare enough, but mithril and an opal¡­ Have you ever constructed such a wand?¡± Ollivander stroked his chin. ¡°Personally, no, but I recall my grandfather speaking of one such wand, though the woods differed, and I do believe it was basilisk heartstrings for the core and bound in hihi''irokane.¡± He chuckled as his hand moved from his chin. ¡°Still, this will be a masterpiece once completed. However, it will be expensive; even compared to your wand, Lord Black.¡± ¡°I would expect nothing less given the materials. However, we require the wand within three days due to the opening of the Wizengamot.¡± Ollivander nodded. ¡°Yes, I had expected as such. Though that will include a premium.¡± I gulped, wondering just how much this wand was going to cost. The components alone were rare, and now it was to be rushed. Ollivander chuckled. ¡°Just because I will need to focus on your wand, don¡¯t doubt its quality.¡± He looked back at Arcturus. ¡°Will you be paying, or will the young chief?¡± ¡°Gringotts cannot grant him access to the main family vaults until the Wizengamot accepts him. As you well know. Therefore, I shall be bearing the cost with a promise to have it repaid at the first opportunity.¡± I nodded, accepting that. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me until now that, even though Ranlor had mentioned there were at least four million Galleons in the MacLeod vaults, he hadn¡¯t given me a way to access them. Hell, because I wasn¡¯t even a student at Hogwarts yet, my parents hadn¡¯t yet created a vault for me to draw from. Thus, I was stuck relying on Arcturus¡¯ help to purchase anything. Something, now that I thought about it, he no doubt planned to use to further ingratiate himself with me. And something I¡¯d have done in his place. ¡°Including base price, the value of components and the hurried nature of the wand, I¡¯d say nine hundred Galleons should cover it.¡± I felt my jaw fall open. Harry¡¯s wand, which admittedly had come from the main shop and only had a single wood and core, had cost seven Galleons. The wand I was about to have made was going to cost over a hundred times as much. ¡°Acceptable.¡± Arcturus reached his hand out and they shook on it as if such a price was nothing. That had me wondering just how rich the Black were. I mean, I knew from the MacLeod vaults, nine hundred Galleons wouldn¡¯t even dent accounts, but I remembered seeing my father haggle over the odd hundred Galleons here and there with others. Yet Arcturus didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid at the price Ollivander had quoted. I was still in shock as he led me from the store, though as we stepped outside, I blinked. After shaking on the price, Arcturus willed a ring to appear. It bore the sigil of House Black, yet I didn¡¯t think it was his mark of Lordship. He¡¯d then pressed that into a sheet that Ollivander had placed on the counter. I wondered if that was some form of magical way to pay directly from the vaults, sort of like a credit card for magicals. ¡°Now, with that taken care of we have several other matters to attend to,¡± Arcturus began as we returned to Diagon Alley, which was now quieter than when we¡¯d entered, and the sun sat lower in the sky. ¡°I did promise you a visit to Obscurus Books. However, before then I feel an owl is required. While I have no doubt there are some within your home, you need one for personal correspondence. Something you will have to deal with starting from next week.¡± I nodded and fell into step behind him. While getting an owl was important, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to focus on that, as my thoughts were still on Ollivander and the wand that he¡¯d make for me. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 7 The Early Years 7 ... ... ¡°You really should be paying more attention to this, D¨°mhnall. While it will be years until you can take your seat, or even nominate someone to speak on your behalf, you can learn much about the workings of those in power even now.¡± I looked up from The Elements and You: A Concise Understanding of Elemental Magic ¨C which I¡¯d picked up from Obscurus Books the same day I¡¯d gotten my wand ¨C to look at my companion in this private waiting room underneath the Wizengamot chamber. ¡°What? About how many here seem to enjoy doing nothing but listening to the sound of their own words? Or how they jeer and jest when arguing over matters that seemingly have little importance to them?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯d rather continue to read my book.¡± Melania sighed, her eyes wandering over the book in my hand, and the pouch at my expanded waist that contained five more books. However, those were Tamhas¡¯ first-year school textbooks that I¡¯d read a dozen times each already and I¡¯d only brought them with me on the chance I was told to not read a book on elemental magic in the Wizengamot. With this world being vastly different from my former one, I¡¯d hoped that observing the workings of the government might offer me some insight, but it seemed the habit of most politicians ¨C be they elected or hereditary ¨C of grandstanding and droning on and on was a universal constant. The banging of a gravel drew my eyes up from my book, and I looked at the entrance of our waiting room into the Wizengamot hall. While the doors were closed, they were working as a magical TV screen allowing us to watch events in the chamber. Yet, several hours later, filled with meandering discussions and debates on things ranging from the price of pixie dust through the current funding of the national Quidditch teams to a debate on educating Muggleborn children before they attended a magical educational institution, all I hoped, for now, was to get my piece done and get the fuck out of dodge. ¡°I now call to order a report from the Auror Division regarding events that took place on June twenty-first of this year; or as the newspapers have dubbed it, the Summer Solstice Massacre.¡± The statement came from Nobby Leach; the current Minister of Magic and the first muggle-born to hold the post. While it wasn¡¯t quite why I was here, I wanted to hear what was said. As an old figure in dark red robes ¨C marking them as a member of the Ministry ¨C stood, I marked my place in the book and slid it into my pouch. "Minister, in the months following the heinous attack on twelve clans, all of whom held seats in this esteemed assembly, my office, in collaboration with a unit of Unspeakables, has conducted a thorough examination of the massacre site, scrutinising every inch. While we have verified the identities of the victims, the ongoing investigation prohibits me from disclosing the identities of the suspected attackers," causing a growing discontent among those present. "However, I can confirm that among the nineteen bodies associated with the perpetrators, eight are definitively traced back to foreign origins. Specifically, three from the Magical Union of North America, two from the Magical French Republic, and three from the United German States." This announcement not only amplified the murmurs but also ignited a palpable undercurrent of anger in the chamber. As I processed what the head of the DMLE had said, and he let the chamber simmer for a moment, I considered the fact the magical world I was in was nothing like the muggle world; nor that seen in Harry Potter. That made perfect sense as there was no logic in countries formed after the Statute of Secrecy came into effect in the muggle world being mirrored in the magical world. The Magical Union of North America was, in real-world terms, an amalgamation of most of what was the USA and Canada, with the centre of the continent under the control of native tribes. It seems that in this world when the colonisation of the Americas took place, magicals there fought against the invaders far more effectively than their muggle counterparts did. Thus, while states like Ohio and Wisconsin existed in the muggle world, they didn¡¯t in the magical one; instead, swathes of land remained under the control of the native tribes. However, over time, those tribes joined the MUNA, with the current leader being from the Sioux. The Magical French Republic occupied almost the same area as real-world France, though they also controlled some of what would be Belgium and Luxembourg in the Muggle world. The United German States, meanwhile, was formed from the former magical members of the Holy Roman Empire that bound together to resist threats from the French to the west, a unifying Italian peninsula to the south, Austrian and Poland-Lithuania Empires to the east and a semi-unified Norse League ¨C which still followed the old ways and worshipped Odin and the Norse Pantheon ¨C that stretched from the Black Sea and the gates of the Great Prussian Republic to the shores of muggle Canada. And that was only the situation in Europe and part of North America. The rest of the world was just as radically different as one would expect with a world diverging at the end of the eighteenth century and with magic thrown into the mix at a time when the muggle world¡¯s opinion of it varied dramatically. ¡°And what of the other perpetrators? Have no leads been discovered regarding who they were, or what drove them to commit this atrocity?¡± The Minister demanded, aided by cheers of support from around the chamber. ¡°There are leads, Minister. However, some of those bodies found are connected to the various houses that were attacked, so we cannot be sure if they were there as guests of their lord, or somehow involved in arranging and orchestrating the attack.¡± The chamber erupted in another chorus of shouts, and it was evident that the assembled lords were unhappy with the insinuation that cadet branches of a house had orchestrated the attack on a fellow lord and their family, viewing it as a direct threat to their own status. Such circumstances had previously sparked at least one brief civil conflict within magical Britain since the implementation of the Statute, and similar incidents had unfolded in other nations as well. ¡°As for those bodies not linked to an attack house, they were mainly fringe members of our society, not seen in civilised circles for many years. Thus, tracking their movements before the attack is proving difficult to determine.¡± I furrowed my brow, contemplating whether the head of the DMLE possessed additional information that he was choosing not to disclose due to the current audience. As far as my knowledge goes, there had been longstanding animosity dating back to the era preceding the Statute between the clans of Scotland. The Island clans harboured resentment toward the Highland clans, and to some extent, the Irish ones, although my ancestral records suggested that the MacLeods might have been an exception. Furthermore, both the Island and Highland clans frequently found themselves at odds with the Lowland clans. However, it was a common thread among all of them to hold a deep-seated historical aversion to English lords and houses, mirroring to some extent the sentiments in the non-magical world. ¡°This information does little to calm the concerns of the esteemed members of this body,¡± the Minister commented, before turning his ire upon the Head of the DMLE. ¡°We hope that a full report can be submitted to us before the Winter Solstice.¡± Cries of ¡®hear, hear¡¯ and ¡®indeed¡¯ rang out around the chamber as the Head of the DMLE nodded in acceptance of the order and then sat. When he did, the Minister turned their attention to the full chamber. ¡°It is almost time,¡± Melania commented as the Minister''s gaze swept over the gathered lords and chiefs. ¡°The first order of official business will be swearing in of new lords and chiefs. After that, which will include your reveal as the MacLeod, the Wizengamot can begin.¡± I fixed her with a withering glare but held back the comments running around my head. If the last three hours had been discussions regarding old business, I feared how long they would go when new business was brought before them. Plus, I was glad I wouldn¡¯t have to attend these meetings regularly and was already making plans to find someone ¨C anyone ¨C to sit as my voice in the chamber. Losing a day for each session of the Wizengamot ¨C something Arcturus told me occurred once a week while in session ¨C felt like a willing submission to torture. The Minister banged their gravel once more, though this time a loud gong sounded. As the members present stood, music echoed around the chamber. Melania dragged me to my feet just before it started playing and I had to suppress an eyeroll at the fact that even in the magical world, anthems had to be played. I mean, it wasn¡¯t as if anyone here swore allegiance to the Queen, nor followed the will of a Prime Minister or President, yet still, there was an anthem. Once the thankfully short piece of music ended, everyone sat again. Save for the Minister. "Before we proceed to our planned agenda, I wish to address the events of June twenty-first this year. Although those actions were undeniably abhorrent, they do not compel us to inscribe all the names onto the roll of The Fallen," declared the Minister, raising a clenched fist emphatically. "No, these cowards will not fracture our unity or push our people toward oblivion. Today, as we mourn our losses, we also welcome those prepared to step forward; to fill the void, and help guide our people into the future." I saw two people ¨C older boys who barely looked old enough to shave never mind become clan chiefs ¨C step through doors that led to where the various lords were sitting. From the sigils each wore on a tartan sash, I knew instantly they were from clans MacDonald and MacKinnon. ¡°Chief Seumas MacDonald and Chief Fearchar MacKinnon step forward and recite your oaths.¡± I watched as the two young lords moved to the front of the chamber, reaching the edge that looked down onto the black marble floor I would soon step onto. Chief Seumas stood out as his left arm was a construct, one made to replace the limb lost in the Massacre. Together, the pair recited an oath in Latin to swear to uphold the laws of the Wizengamot and abide by its rulings. I felt magic shift around me as the chamber, according to what Arcturus explained was a magical contract ¨C though one with several loopholes that no lord ever sought to close ¨C reacted to accept their oaths. ¡°Your oaths are heard and accepted. Please be seated.¡± The pair moved to seats in the chamber which held no indication of their political views and were instead a simple designation of their clan¡¯s status. Fearchar MacKinnon took a seat in the lowest near, closest to the light illuminating the chamber while Seumas MacDonald ¨C whose house was only Ancient and Noble compared to the Mackinnon¡¯s who was Most Ancient ¨C sat in the row behind. That was the row I would one day sit in. Provided I lived long enough to take my seat. ¡°Heirs MacGregor and MacKenzie, please step forth.¡± The light illuminating the chamber grew brighter as two children, one boy and one girl though both of school-age stepped into the centre of the room. ¡°The Wizengamot, in conjunction with blood rituals performed by Gringotts, recognizes you as heirs to your clans. Let it be known that any who move against you, move against all in this chamber. Until you are of age and have passed your OWLs, your enemies are our enemies.¡± The Minister raised his wand and brought forth a sphere of white light signifying his agreement with this pact. An act copied by every member of the chamber. Again, I felt magic move in the air of the chamber, proving the vows were genuine. Even if there were blood feuds between the clans of the two students and another lord in the chamber, no move could be made against them until they were of-age. Additionally, according to Melania, no move would be made until an heir was born and over the age of five. The destruction of any house or clan that was considered Established ¨C that is, it had produced ten straight generations of wizards or witches ¨C was considered an act against the Wizengamot itself. Hence why the Summer Solstice Massacre was such major news. As the magic in the chamber receded, everyone lowered their wands. ¡°Until you are ready, your seats will remain empty; waiting for the day you can join us as a peer.¡± The two students nodded and turned, letting me see their faces, and moved out of the chamber floor. The girl ¨C from clan MacKenzie ¨C had long blonde hair tied back in an intricate braid, and, under the sash, she wore her clan¡¯s sigil, wore her school robes, though they were devoid of any house colours. The MacGregor boy similarly wore his school uniform along with the sash and sigil, but there was something in his walk that irked me. An arrogance that was unearned if the way the girl glared at him was any indication. ¡°Sadly, of the twelve clans that were so attacked, only these four have confirmed lords or heirs of age that¡­¡± ¡°Minister,¡± Arcturus¡¯ voice cut in, ¡°I wish to call a point of order.¡± The Minister sighed. ¡°We recognize Lord Black.¡± I watched as the screen I was observing split, showing both the Minister and Arcturus as he stood. ¡°Minster, members of the Ministry, fellow Lords, Ladies, Chiefs and Chiefesses, I, like everyone here, agree that the events of this past summer are reprehensible and the act of those with no understanding nor appreciation of the rules and order that govern our world. That is why, it gladdens my heart to announce to all that there is a survivor of another clan.¡± Arcturus pulled a sheet of parchment from his robes; one I knew was my blood confirmation ritual. ¡°This blood ritual performed by Gringotts not only confirms that an heir exists, but they have already claimed their title as chief.¡± The minister frowned, and I wondered if he¡¯d been caught unaware of Arcturus¡¯ ploy. Since I didn¡¯t know the interplays going on though, that was only a feeling. ¡°Then where is this chief?¡± That came from another member of the Ministry. ¡°Amice Lufkin,¡± Melania supplied with a clipped tone hinting at issues between the Blacks and this lady. ¡°Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and something of an irritant to many bills sponsored by Arcturus and his allies.¡± I nodded in understanding even as Arcturus seemed to focus on Lufkin. ¡°With the Minister''s permission, I would ask him to come forth.¡± The Minister nodded and just before Melania stood and tapped her wand to open the door into the chamber ¨C thus making the screen we were watching through seemingly vanish ¨C I swore I saw the Head of the DMLE smirk. ¡°Go on,¡± Melania said with a soft smile, ¡°and remember what you were taught.¡± I nodded my thanks and stepped into the chamber. Immediately, howls of derision and ridicule raced through the chamber. Many commented on how I was a child without a wand, or a ploy brought forth to allow someone ¨C Arcturus obviously, but they didn¡¯t openly state that ¨C to gain control of Clan MacLeod¡¯s votes. I ignored the comments even as I marched to the centre of the chamber, keeping my eyes locked on the Minister. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Once there, I lifted my arm and willed the torc to appear. That shut up the chamber quicker than Grindelwald appearing amongst them, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I watched as the Minister seemed to freeze and choke as his eyes locked on the torc; an action mirrored by others I assumed. ¡°Might we know your name, Chief MacLeod?¡± The question came from the head of the DMLE, who wore a small, amused smile suggesting he knew this was going to happen. From the way the Minister was still struggling to process events, it appeared he¡¯d failed to pass said information on to his superior. ¡°D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod. Son of Aonghus Ewan Macleod and Kara MacLeod, nee MacDougall.¡± ¡°I see you bear the torc signifying your status as The MacLeod,¡± I lowered my head to confirm that to the man, ¡°However, the law is quite clear on the matter. Unless you also have a wand, then this august body cannot recognize you as chief, and grant you our protection until you are of age.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The Minister jumped in, agreeing with his department head. A wide, almost vindictive smile crept onto his face. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is the law, therefo¡­¡± I was barely able to keep a manic grin from my face as I pulled my wand from my robes and held it aloft. The expression of the Minister as he realised his still developing plan to deny me protection ¨C whether because of bad blood with my father, Arcturus or both, I couldn¡¯t say ¨C died on his lips. ¡°Lumos,¡± I said softly and a ball of radiant light, one that bore tints of green that reminded me of the ward core of my castle, appeared from the tip of my wand. It''d only taken me about twenty minutes to learn this spell, and that was mainly time taken up by Melania¡¯s teaching and Gervaise Ollivander taking me proper wand care and maintenance. I already knew the theory of the spell, both from my memories and my sibling¡¯s schoolbooks. Plus, as possibly the simplest charm that existed, it was all I needed to learn to prove I could cast magic. Of course, the first day of casting involved me shouting it every time I wanted to cast. Now, just a day later, I¡¯d gotten it down to a whisper, which according to the Blacks was impressive, even if it was insanely simple to cast. ¡°As you can see, Minister, Chief MacLeod does have a wand and can cast magic,¡± Arcturus commented. His tone was relaxed but carried an air of amused superiority. ¡°The wand was commissioned with Lord Gervaise Ollivander, who can confirm the construction and delivery of said wand.¡± ¡°That I can and do,¡± Gervaise said without standing, his voice laced with amusement. Another round of murmurs ran through the chamber, though these grew louder and louder until something akin to thunder echoed around the chamber. ¡°Order!¡± The voice came from a station above where the Minister and his staff sat. As I looked up a new box was showered in light, exposing an old wizard in robes that reminded me of those worn by Jedi. ¡°There will be order!¡± The man, who given his location and robes must be the Chief Warlock and thus the lawkeeper of the Wizengamot, glared down at the gathered wizards and witches, and silence quickly fell over the chamber. ¡°Chief MacLeod, step closer.¡± I did as he asked, ending the Lumos charm as I moved. ¡°By the laws set forth in the days predating even the Wizarding Council of these Isles, you are recognized by magic as The MacLeod. However, due to your age, there are various rules and statutes imposed by this body that, for the first time in nearly two hundred years, come into effect.¡± I stayed silent, remembering what I¡¯d been taught by Arcturus and Melania. ¡°Your seat is open, however like Heirs MacGregor and MacKenzie, you cannot sit until you are of age and have passed your OWLs. Nor can you appoint anyone to sit in your seat. However, in the direst of circumstances, such as war with another magical country, or Merlin preserve us, with the muggles themselves, you will be called upon to vote.¡± I really hoped neither of those happened as I wanted to enjoy my time at Hogwarts, at least before Riddle rose to power. ¡°Also, as you haven¡¯t yet begun your education, this body cannot grant you our protection. Therefore, I must ask for Houses willing to stand with Clan Macleod; to protect and guide its young chief until he is of an age to defend himself.¡± ¡°House Black stands willing,¡± Arcturus spoke, as I knew he would. Not only was he investing time in training me, and no doubt trying to bind me to his family, but he¡¯d brought the matter to the Wizengamot. ¡°House Ollivander stands willing.¡± Gervaise¡¯s support right behind Arcturus¡¯ was unexpected. ¡°Clan MacDonald stands willing.¡± ¡°Clan MacKinnon stands willing.¡± The two newest lords, from two of the most powerful Scottish clans, were the next to add their voices in support. As I listened, more and more offered me their protection. Every clan from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland did so, along with ten from the lowlands, plus over half the Irish clans joined in after Clan O¡¯Neill ¨C with whom I shared a distant connection through my maternal grandmother ¨C spoke out. Several houses that had sided with Riddle in canon, such as Lords Carrow, Malfoy, Lestrange and Nott also stood willing, which was no doubt because they were close, or wanted to be, to House Black. The biggest surprise though was when Charlus Potter stood. ¡°House Potter stands willing, and may I say you played your deception last week most ably,¡± Charlus added with a smile and a nod to me. I returned the nod even as I wondered when I¡¯d run into his grandson James. After Charlus sat, a dozen other houses stood, including Longbottom and Greengrass. By the time the roll call was finished, just over half the Wizengamot had offered their support and protection. I¡¯d been warned that many would do so, as it was a matter of pride ¨C for the Scottish clans ¨C and alliances ¨C in the case of those close to House Black, but the extra support felt odd, and no doubt something I¡¯d have to speak with Arcturus about later. ¡°Chief Macleod,¡± I looked up at the Chief Warlock as he spoke once more. ¡°It gladdens our hearts to know a magic lineage as old and renowned as yours hasn¡¯t been struck from our community. We thank you for coming forth today, removing your protection via anonymity. Lord Black, we offer our gratitude for your actions in finding and protecting the young chief until he could step forth today.¡± I and Arcturus bowed after the Chief Warlock spoke to us in turn. With his piece finished, the Chief Warlock sat and the light illuminating his position faded. ¡°Chief MacLeod,¡± I turned my gaze back to the Minister, ¡°we are all glad of your return, and look forward to the day you may sit among us. Until then, however, you are dismissed and asked to study and prepare for your future role.¡± I bowed deeply, pivoted and walked back to the room I¡¯d emerged from. Once inside, Melania placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. ¡°You did well today,¡± she said slowly, ¡°your parents would be proud.¡± I smiled, accepting the praise. ¡°So, can we go now?¡± Melania laughed. ¡°Yes. Your part in today¡¯s proceedings is finished. Unless you wish to stay and observe how the Wizengamot works, we can leave.¡± ¡°Good. While I understand this place is important, I¡¯d rathe¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m Marcas MacDougall,¡± my head snapped back to the display of the chamber as someone spoke. ¡°Uncle Marcas?¡± I blurted out in shock. Marcas was one of my mother¡¯s older brothers ¨C possibly the only one now with Heir MacDougall dead and my place in line to inherit the clan ¨C but I had thought he¡¯d died at the massacre. To see him now was a shock to my system. ¡°While I, like The MacLeod, survived the Summer Solstice Massacre, I don¡¯t stand before this body today looking to claim the title of Chief MacDougall,¡± Marcas said slowly as I remembered how much he detested public gatherings. The man was, according to my mother, something of a recluse who hated attention and crowds, so to see him here today ¨C and alive at that ¨C was doubly shocking. ¡°No, that honour goes to another.¡± Marcas pulled a sheet of parchment from his robes. ¡°I have here, confirmed by Gringotts, proof of the heir to clan MacDougall; my niece, ¨¢ine, daughter of Aodh.¡± A girl who I immediately knew was my cousin, ¨¢ine, came into view. She was a year older than me and had been close friends with my sister Maire. I thought, like my sister, she¡¯d died during the attack, but she obviously hadn¡¯t. I moved toward the door, only to be stopped when Melania gripped my arm. ¡°You cannot go out there now. To do so would shame both your house and theirs.¡± I grunted in annoyance, but heeded her words, focusing on the screen displaying what was going on in the chamber. ¡°Does she have a wand?¡± The Minister asked slowly, as if worried about a repeat of what had happened to me. ¡°She does not, minister,¡± Marcas responded slowly, which meant he¡¯d not known about how to get the second wand for her. Already my mind was whirling, planning to speak with ¨¢ine and take her to Gervaise to gain a wand. After all, she was the closest living relative I had left and already I felt the urge to burn any who¡¯d dare threaten her. ¡°Then, we cannot recognise her as Chief, nor can we open your seat or offer our protection. I can however call for others to offer¡­¡± ¡°Clan MacLeod stands willing!¡± I called out as I rushed through the door and returned to the chamber. My eyes sought out ¨¢ine and as I found her in the stands above and behind me, I saw a weak, pained smile stretch over her face. ¡°Chief MacLeod,¡± I reluctantly turned back to the Minister. ¡°While we are grateful for your offer of support, I had not yet opened the floor to offers. Nor, sadly, can you do so as you aren¡¯t currently a sitting chief.¡± He offered me a slightly sad smile. ¡°That said, it gladdens my heart to see you so ready to protect a friend and fellow magical.¡± ¡°Yes, Minister,¡± I turned and prepared to leave the chamber floor, only to stop and look back at him. ¡°And my sincerest apologies for acting out of turn. I was simply¡­ very happy to see my cousin again.¡± I looked up at ¨¢ine and smiled. The girl returned the smile even as tears formed in her eyes. ¡°Your lack of decorum is both understandable and excused, Chief MacLeod,¡± the Minister said as I walked from the chamber. ¡°Now, I must ask for Houses willing to stand with Clan MacDougall; to protect and guide its young chief until she is of an age to defend herself.¡± ¡°House Black stands willing.¡± I slowed my walk and glanced up at Arcturus, surprised he was the first to come forward. From what I¡¯d been told there was some bad blood, though nothing serious enough to ignite a feud between the Blacks and MacDougalls. Thus, for him to be first to speak was surprising, unless, as I realised, he hoped to use it to further secure my allegiance while, possibly, ending the bad blood and gaining the support of a future chief. ¡°House MacDonald stands willing.¡± House MacKinnon Stands willing.¡± ¡°Clan O¡¯Neill stands willing.¡± I left the floor as the clans of the Highlands and Islands and Ireland lined up to offer their support to ¨¢ine, and as the door closed, saw Melania standing, waiting for me. ¡°I¡¯m both impressed and disappointed in your actions,¡± she said slowly. ¡°You showed a stout heart to rush to your cousin¡¯s aid, though in doing so, ran the risk of potential embarrassment,¡± she said slowly, her arms crossed over her chest. She then sighed and shook her head, allowing a small smile to appear. ¡°That said, your reason for doing so was understandable, and you remembered to apologise for your miscalculation without appearing either flippant or arrogant. Good job.¡± ¡°Thank you, and I understand,¡± I replied as I turned and watched as the screen reactivated, once more showing us the workings of the chamber beyond. ¡°Heir MacDougall,¡± the Minister began, meaning the offers of support had ended, ¡°we are all glad of your return and look forward to the day you may sit among us. Until then, however, you are dismissed and asked to study and prepare for your future role. Marcas MacDougall, until such time as your future chief is ready to assume her mantle, the Wizengamot names you guardian of your clan. With this title, you may be present in all but private sessions of the Wizengamot, but you cannot cast a vote. Nor are you allowed access to the vaults or holdings of your clan without the express permission of your future chief. And only when she has begun her education at Hogwarts. Until then, expenses incurred on her behalf will be covered by loans from the Ministry or Gringotts of no greater than a million Galleons in total.¡± I frowned as Marcas nodded. I then turned to Melania and muted the feed for a moment. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean he could financially ruin the clan before ¨¢ine is old enough to assume her role?¡± Melania sighed. ¡°In theory yes, however, that rarely ever happens. If a Guardian ever makes a house or clan destitute before the heir can come of age, they may be brought before the Wizengamot, or, in the most severe cases, given to Gringotts ¨C along with their dependents ¨C to work off the debt. Though since clan MacDougall is an old clan, a million Galleons shouldn¡¯t come close to bankrupting them, but simply allow the heir, and by extension, the guardian¡¯s family, to live as their status expects.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Arcturus take that role with me?¡± I asked as the thought came to mind. ¡°Because he lacks a close blood connection to you. And also, if by some act of fate, an heir under the protection of a Guardian ever died before they could claim their title, then the life of the Guardian and their family would be forfeit.¡± I gulped as I nodded. Those were some serious penalties for failure of a Guardian. Still, I had little doubt there were ways to exploit the laws and statutes covering Guardians. While it would be hard, I wanted to look into the matter, perhaps to see if there was any way I could protect ¨¢ine if our uncle made a move against her that, while legal, was immoral and unjust. I turned back to the screen and saw that Marcas and ¨¢ine had stepped away. ¡°Is there time to meet them now?¡± I asked. Of course, even if there wasn¡¯t, I¡¯d find a way. ¨¢ine was the closest remaining family I had left, and I already felt the urge to protect her. ¡°Yes, though do mind that if we move to the gallery where they are, we will be forced to face journalists and various curious individuals looking to learn more about you. Possibly even exploit you in some way.¡± I smiled, exposing my teeth. ¡°Let them try.¡± Melania laughed, obviously amused, before she turned and moved to the far wall and the exit of our waiting room. ¡°Come along then. Let us save your cousin from the vultures that gather.¡± I fell into step at her side as we exited, noting the Aurors who¡¯d guided us to the room fell in with us. One took point while their partner ¨C gender and identity were impossible to see with the robes and cloaks they wore hiding their features and distorting their voices so they looked and sounded the same ¨C brought up the rear. The corridor we walked through was quiet, since the Wizengamot was in session, though as we neared the stairs leading to the public gallery, the sound of voices could be heard. ¡°Miss MacDougall, how did you survive the Massacre?¡± ¡°Mister MacDougall, where have you and your niece been hiding?¡± I emerged behind Melania, the lead Auror into what would best be defined as a feeding frenzy. Unlike us, the MacDougalls didn¡¯t have an escort and were thus at the mercy of a rapid, braying crowd of hornets trying to press them into revealing everything. I could barely see my uncle, never mind ¨¢ine, and as the shouting from over two dozen reporters ¨C some with foreign accents ¨C grew ever louder, I felt my anger grow. This was my family they were verbally assaulting. ¡°LUMOS!¡± I screamed, bathing the room in bright white light within which ripples of shifting, swirling sickly green moved. ¡°Get the fuck away from them now!¡± While I was still a child, the fact the light emanating from my wand was almost blinding seemed to do the trick and the crowd stopped shouting and several moved back. Just enough that I could see my cousin. ¡°D¨°mhnall!¡± ¨¢ine called out before racing through the narrow gap between us. As she leapt at me, I stopped the spell and wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. ¡°I¡­ I thought¡­¡± ¡°Shh,¡± I whispered back, my head as buried in her neck as hers was in mine. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m real.¡± My wand hand rested against her hair while the other pulled her close, scared to lose her again. Around us, I heard murmurs and then flashes of light. Flames of rage boiled inside, wanting to snap at those buzzards that felt the need to try and interfere in my moment with my cousin. Yet, that rage was buried by the sheer joy and relief I felt from holding a close family member for the first time in months, and the gentle sobbing of my cousin into my shoulder. ¡°While he lacked any decorum in his statement, I remind you that he is Chief MacLeod, the girl with him is heir to Clan MacDougall and I am the wife of Lord Arcturus Black,¡± Melania¡¯s voice rose behind me, a steel and coldness creeping in as she continued to speak. ¡°If you do not step back, I will consider it an affront to House Black, and suggest my husband ¨C and my father, Chief MacMillan ¨C take steps to remind your employers and families of the grievous nature of your transgressions in assaulting the heir to a most Ancient and Noble of houses.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how long I held her, yet when we finally pulled back, I used my free hand to gently wipe away the tears on her cheeks. ¡°I missed you,¡± I said slowly, feeling a smile grow wet with my tears. ¨¢ine gave a single laugh, almost burping in the process. ¡°Same. But how¡­¡± her words trailed off, I saw her eyes leave me and then grow wide. ¡°Perhaps not here,¡± I commented, earning a weak nod from her. I turned, my hand taking her and moved toward Marcas. ¡°Uncle,¡± I spoke slowly, though anything else I might¡¯ve said was lost as the large man fell to a knee and pulled me and ¨¢ine against his chest. ¡°Magic be damned! I thought you¡¯d died with everyone else,¡± he said as he held me tight. ¡°Seeing you walk out into the chamber¡­¡± ¡°Aye. I felt the same when you spoke,¡± I replied. He loosened the hug enough that I could look up at him, his dark green eyes wet as he ran a hand through my hair. ¡°How though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Not a matter for public discussion,¡± Melania cut in as she moved to stand over us. ¡°Mister MacDougall,¡± she extended a hand. Marcas stood, releasing his hold on me, took her hand into his and kissed her knuckles. ¡°Lady Black,¡± he spoke after the gentle kiss and stood to his full height, dwarfing her. ¡°I know that issues between your husband and my father were tense, but for whatever you and he have done to help D¨°mhnall, you have my gratitude, and on my word as Guardian, I consider all issues between us settled.¡± Melania gave a single nod. ¡°My husband will no doubt be happy to hear that. While he and the former Chief MacDougall often disagreed, he spoke in glowing terms of his admiration for your father¡¯s determination for a cause he believed in.¡± I cough to hide the snort of laughter her reply brought on, as it sounded as if Arcturus heavily disliked my maternal grandfather. ¡°Though perhaps it would be wise for us to withdraw to another location. One not¡­ invested with curious onlookers.¡± I looked around and saw that while the crowd that had been around ¨¢ine and Marcas was still present, it was keeping a respectful distance. Something they were no doubt helped to do by the presence of two Aurors with wands drawn standing nearby. ¡°Yes, I do believe that would be best. Perhaps Fortescue''s so we can allow the children to further savour the unexpected good news of the day?¡± ¡°So long as D¨°mhnall and ¨¢ine agree, that would be acceptable.¡± I looked at my cousin, and after getting a nod, turned my attention to the adults. ¡°That¡¯s fine for us,¡± I said with a smile. Melania smiled back, and then with Marcas at her side, turned and moved toward the crowd. Even without an Auror there to clear a path, I had little doubt the crowd would¡¯ve split like the sea of Moses. Melania carried herself with an air that left little in doubt that she was the one in control of the room; a feature Arcturus had as well and one I planned to learn before I went to Hogwarts. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 8 The Early Years 8 ... ... ¡°Wingardium Leviosa,¡± I said, my wand pointing at the cup on the table. I swore I could feel magic shift around me and flow through me and my wand before the cup shifted. However, that was all the cup did. ¡°Wingardium Leviosa,¡± I growled out, annoyed at the cup not obeying my will. ¡°While using anger will grant power to your magic, you need to remain the one in control.¡± That pearl of wisdom ¨C one I¡¯d heard in several different ways ever since getting my Lord¡¯s wand ¨C came from Melania as she stood about a metre behind me. Ever since the Wizengamot session a week ago, I¡¯d been having regular lessons covering first-year topics with either her or the portraits of my ancestors. Of those lessons, Melania handled those that required practical supervision, such as using charms and incantations or making potions, though I¡¯d not reached that stage in my tutoring so far, mainly as Melania admitted it wasn¡¯t her strongest subject and a suitable tutor hadn¡¯t yet been vetted by Arcturus and my ancestors. Still, she was helping me with today¡¯s session, which covered charms, in particular the Levitation charm. Of those charms, Incendio had been the easiest to use, so much so that when I¡¯d first tried to ignite a sheet of paper with the charm, I¡¯d instead turned the sheet to ash and burnt the ground around it. Melania had quickly cleaned it up, noting that such a display was unrefined but showed promise. My great-grandfather though had smiled widely at the display, though I wasn¡¯t sure why. While they and others had reacted to my rather explosive demonstration of the fire-making charm, I¡¯d struggled to hide my delight. Whenever I used a spell, I could feel magic reacting, flowing to obey my command. Yet with Incendio, it had felt as if I could hear the flames as if they wanted me to do more than simply summon them. No doubt that had something to do with my affinity with fire, but I couldn¡¯t truly experiment with it yet. The same went for my lightning affinity, though that was more because spells, charms and incantations that invoked it weren''t first-year work. I took a deep breath, calming myself and trying to sense the magic within. Everyone said I needed to meditate, as it helped focus the mind for spellwork. While I wondered if that also helped with Occlumency, I hadn¡¯t yet had any instruction in that. ¡°Wingardium Leviosa.¡± As I felt magic react to my words and the movement of my wand, I sensed something slightly different about it. As if magic was suddenly willing to agree with my demand, and a second later the cup rose into the air. It was still shaking slightly, but the action was clear and obvious, which was a massive improvement over how things had gone so far. ¡°Excellent. Now, return the cup to the table without it falling over.¡± I wanted to glare at Melania, as that wasn¡¯t something the textbook suggested a first year should try. Yet, she¡¯d done this with the other basic charms once I¡¯d shown I could use them. She seemed to find an odd delight in making me do more than I should with a charm. I felt there was more to it than simply pushing my education, but for the time being, I couldn¡¯t tell why that was. Nor was she, or the portraits of my ancestors, willing to divulge the reason behind her action. My focus remained on the cup, holding it steady in the air, removing as best I could, the slight wobbles it was having. That wasn¡¯t something I needed to do, but I¡¯d discovered with the Hover charm that removing the wobbles made it easier to exert my will over magic and offered finer control. Once the cup was steady, I slowly brought my wand down, the cup responding to the wand¡¯s movements. I moved slowly, not wanting to lose control and have to repeat the exercise. Oh, I knew I would be as, even without more words from Melania or my ancestors, I understood that spells became easier the more they were used. I¡¯d proven that to myself by only taking a week to cast Lumos without having to verbalise the spell. I still needed my wand to cast it though, however, I swore I could feel magic trying to react to my demands. I wasn¡¯t sure why it wasn¡¯t, but with the affinities I¡¯d taken before my merging, I felt the trick was a combination of growing older and stronger and having greater skill with specific incantations. Eventually, the cup returned to the table with only the gentlest of rocking. I sighed loudly as I released my control over magic and relaxed. While the Levitation charm was a simple one, holding and using it with control was far more taxing than I expected. A hand came to rest on my shoulder, and I turned to Melania. ¡°Well done. Many struggle to keep an object stable when using the charm for the first time, more still with moving and returning it to its location without it falling over. That you can do so now is a sign that while the road ahead of you is long and arduous, you have great potential.¡± I smiled, accepting the praise even as she removed her hand. ¡°That will be enough for this lesson. Collect your copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and head to your grandmother." I nodded accepting the instruction as I bit back a grunt of annoyance. While I understood the value of Herbology, and how useful many of the plants were in making potions and other things, I lacked the green thumb to make the subject enjoyable. Potions was a little better, though while I could manage it, it wasn¡¯t something I truly enjoyed. That said, it could be because I¡¯d only been studying the textbooks for both subjects so far instead of doing something like with Charms. That logic failed me though when it came to Transfiguration. Like Herbology and Potions, all I¡¯d done so far ¨C and for the foreseeable future I felt ¨C was study the textbook, learning the rites that governed this branch of magic. Yet even though some of the calculations and concepts within the First Year textbook were complicated ¨C at least for someone not having excelled at Math in secondary school ¨C they made perfect sense. Altering the nature of something required an understanding of multiple things, to a degree that I was impressed by how much wizards and witches understood of the sub-atomic world and how it affected everything. Oh, they didn¡¯t consider transfiguration in those terms, but I could link much of what was discussed with what I knew from my former adult life. Sadly for me, today I wouldn¡¯t be pushing on in those lessons, or any of the others like Runes or History, instead having to go over Herbology. At least it should be my least favourite First Year subject, though that might only be because Divination wasn¡¯t covered until Second Year. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Arcturus stood before me, his eyes going over me so clinically I felt like I was standing before the gate of heaven, my very soul being weighed for worthiness. Of course, if it was the pearly gates, I¡¯d never get in, not after what happened at the orphanage. ¡°Acceptable,¡± Arcturus said slowly. ¡°While the tailor had to rush the work, it is of sufficient quality for a Lord. Especially for one as young as yourself.¡± I sighed in relief, glad the clothing I was wearing met his expectations. After spending over a hundred Galleons to get a suit made just for today, it bloody well had better. Currently, I was standing before him in the main hall of Dunscaith Castle. A deep green shirt made of acromantula silk was covered by a set of robes made of dragon skin taken from a Welsh Green. My trousers, made by a tailor exclusive to the families of members of the Wizengamot tapered down to a pair of black shoes that were polished so well I felt they¡¯d reflected the sun brighter than it shone. The shine on them, along with a dozen others for protection and care of the materials, guaranteed by charms woven into the leather. The reason I was so immaculately dressed was that today I¡¯d be greeting the heads of the cadet branches of Clan MacLeod, the chiefs of the Septs sworn to Clan MacLeod and my uncles and aunts from my father¡¯s side of the family. My ancestors had informed me that this Gathering was meant to happen within a week of a new MacLeod of MacLeod claiming the torc. However, due to my age, and the lack of training I had in literally everything to do with this, the Gathering had been delayed almost a month. With the help of my ancestors, I had owled each of them to inform them of the delay, while none had outright been upset in the responses, and claimed to understand my logic for the delay, several ¨C including both my father¡¯s brothers and the head of two of the cadet branches of the family ¨C had been as passive-aggressive as they could in their replies without being downright insulting. While I did question if any of them could¡¯ve been involved in the attack on my family, while going over the order of events for today, my great-grandfather informed me that none of them should be able to. All would be swearing an oath with magic on the torc of loyalty, and in the case of the sept houses, servitude. Though for most of the septs, those oaths were slightly different as they held a seat in the Wizengamot. Clan MacAulay was the oldest of the trio, being considered an Established House ¨C placing it one tier below Clan MacLeod who were Ancient ¨C while Clans MacAskill and MacWilliam were Registered Houses, the lowest of the five tiers of age for Houses. Clan MacDuncan didn¡¯t have a seat yet, but when the current Chief died, their eldest would become the tenth consecutive Chief and thus raise their house to Registered status. Honestly, the rules on how ranks ¨C and thus votes ¨C worked in the Wizengamot were more convoluted than needed. There were five ranks of age for a House, Clan or whatever they called themselves. Those went from Registered House to Established House, followed by Ancient House, and then Most Ancient. There was a fifth tier, House of Antiquity, but a house either had to have existed with the Isles for over two thousand years, or be raised to that rank by a vote tallying over ninety per cent of the total possible Wizengamot votes. Any house could also be lowered from its current tier for doing something unspeakable, but again that would take a vote with over ninety per cent of the possible votes to achieve and had never happened. Not even with the precursor to the Wizengamot, the Wizard¡¯s Council or anything that existed before then. Each tier had different voting rights, going one, two, four, six and ten for Registered, Established, Ancient, Most Ancient and House of Antiquity. Plus, there were also extra votes depending on the Noble rank of a House or Clan. Most of the Houses in the Wizengamot had formed sometime after the Statue of Secrecy and thus didn¡¯t have noble connections, though there had been a few who¡¯d come from muggle noble families that were granted the rank if their magical founder would¡¯ve been the heir had they been born muggle. There were only three ranks of nobility in the Wizengamot, going from nothing to Noble to Most Noble. Those granted zero, one or two extra votes. From all of this, and the fact a full session of the Wizengamot, as I¡¯d witnessed, could have over two hundred people present ¨C which included the Minister, the heads of eight departments, and the Chief Warlock, all of whom had votes as well ¨C made things insanely complicated. Thankfully, neither my ancestors nor Arcturus had gone into further detail, but given there weren¡¯t parties as much as ideals that a Lord or Chief could shift from depending on the vote brought forth, I had little doubt that magical politics put the insanity of muggle politics to shame with its sheer complexity. All I had been informed of was that as Chief of the Noble and Ancient Clan MacLeod, when I was able to wield them, I¡¯d have six votes at my direct command, with four more coming from the Sept clans. Arcturus held eight votes directly and votes of seven other houses tied to House Black, including one Ancient House. However, those lower houses, in theory, could vote how they wished. What the rules governing such freedom was not something anyone would tell me, possibly because it was a private matter between houses, or because it ¨C Magic help me ¨C might be even more convoluted than how the Wizengamot and Ministry worked. All of that, and the lessons in how today had to go, was making me regret my choices to end up in this merged consciousness and longing for the ease of attending Hogwarts and enjoying being a simple student. However, I somehow felt things there were going to be just as convoluted and twisted as the rest of the magical world felt. A loud chime rang through the house, one I¡¯d not heard before. Frowning, I turned to Kadic. The elf, looking cleaner in his clothing than he normally did, looked back at me with a small smile. ¡°Visitors arrived. Kadic go greet them, Master?¡± I nodded and Kadir disappeared after clicking his fingers. ¡°While they are guests in your home, remember that they are subservient to you,¡± Arcturus spoke once Kadic was gone. ¡°Even simple gestures like who arrives last departs first or the order of seating and speech is of importance.¡± I nodded and sighed, not looking forward to this. ¡°I understand that all of this can seem overwhelming, however, your elf will be on hand to ensure your safety, as will the wards of this ancient castle. While I will also be present, I am but an interested observer, much like your ancestor¡¯s paintings, invited by you to offer advice if you so require it. I cannot in any way act as your elder or superior or it would undermine your position.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± I replied and with that he fell silent, leaving me with just my thoughts to consider the upcoming meeting. This would be, at least until the Winter Solstice, the last time I should have to act as a Chief. It would also, according to my ancestors, allow me to judge who I could appoint to my seat. However, that couldn¡¯t occur until after I¡¯d passed at least five OWLs. Time dragged on as I waited for Kadic to return. As The MacLeod, while this was my domain, I was expected to enter the room last as none of those present were my equal. If someone of equal or greater rank was present ¨C say Arcturus in his official capacity as The Black and not as a distant family member and tutor ¨C I would be expected to greet them as they arrived. The same was true whenever I hosted events within the clan¡¯s domains. A familiar and reassuring pop filled the room as Kadic reappeared about five minutes later. ¡°Guests are ready, Master. They await The MacLeod.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kadic.¡± That earned me a small smile and nod from the elf. While I wasn¡¯t required to be friendly toward him, Kadic had saved my life and was the only living connection I had to my family. Hell, in every way bar blood, he was family as far as I was concerned, and such would be treated so by me and my guests. I moved forward, my first steps unsure as I felt the tremors of worry gather in the pit of my stomach. However, by the time I reached the door that led to the hall, I¡¯d pushed that worry aside. This was my castle, my home, and these guests ¨C even if some of them had grown up here ¨C were here to respect me. To do otherwise was a mistake they¡¯d regret. With a flick of my wand, the door separating the smaller study that I¡¯d been in from the main hall opened. A small smile crept onto my face at being able to use the knockback jinx silently. While it wasn¡¯t a powerful spell compared to some of those mentioned in the later textbooks, the fact I could use it silently within a few weeks was something that everyone was impressed with. Some of it I suspected was down to how well my Lord¡¯s wand worked for me, but I knew it was a hint that the magical potential I held was starting to grow. Now, it wouldn¡¯t grow too rapidly, a spell having been entwined in every child at birth to prevent this, something I understood after lessons with my grandmother and great-grandmother, as that could place a child in danger, but from how everyone around me behaved, it seemed my potential was growing faster than most. Which played into the Extreme potential the Inheritance Ritual had revealed. The room my guests were gathered in was lavishly decorated. The walls were decorated in a dark burgundy wallpaper upon which animals printed with gold moved around. The columns supporting the room were engraved with elegant, rippling patterns that always drew my attention. Buried within them were runes though most were beyond my understanding, so much so that I suspected some weren¡¯t Futhark, which, as the light caught them, seemed to flow with power that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°Chief MacLeod.¡± The words came from one of my aunts as she saw me enter. She and everyone else stood and lowered their heads. ¡°It¡¯s both an honour to meet you and a relief to know you survived the heinous attack on our family.¡± ¡°Here! Here!¡± The others agreed. ¡°And I am honoured to welcome you all inside my hearth,¡± I replied to Aunt Katrina. ¡°I also thank you for your words of comfort and support. Please, be seated.¡± As one they all did as I asked, and I moved toward my chair. While the table was round, my chair was easy to tell apart. Every chair was finely carved from deep mahogany with velvet cushioning, the padding filled with feathers from swans. While my chair has the same cushioning, the back reached higher than me, almost to the height of a fully grown man, and was inlaid with gems, silver and gold with the metals used to place runes of protection and comfort on the chair. I did my best to not sigh as I sank into the chair and the power used in its creation over five hundred years ago reacted and shaped itself to my presence. Magic was fucking amazing, almost to the point if I could spend the rest of my life dealing with politics in this chair I might be willing to put up with all the bullshit that would bring. The table we were seated around was carved of the same mahogany, though its surface was black marble shot through with brilliant silver, and the edgings once more bore gold inscribed runes that seemed to move if you stared at them too long. The seats to my direct left and right were empty, as I had neither a wife nor a steward. After that though, they were filled. On my right were the heads of the four septs ¨C Ewan MacAulay, Donald MacAskill, Angus MacWilliam, and Duncan MacDuncan ¨C in order of seniority. To my left sat my father¡¯s siblings, who were ¨C from eldest ¨C Katrina, Moire, and Fiona. Katrina was the closest to me on the family tree - and also one of my guardians as appointed by my parents, though I¡¯d only discovered that after my appearance before the Wizengamot - and as I lacked a steward or wife, that was why she had been the one to greet me. My other guardian had been Lauchlan MacGregor, who died along with my family, including both my uncles and most of their families, and others during the Summer Solstice Massacre. The last three at the table, and those that joined the septs with my close family, were the heads of the three cadet branches of Clan MacLeod. Finn MacLeod of Camus (Knock) Castle, Murdo MacLeod of Duntelm Castle and Paul MacLeod whose family lived close to Horizon Alley in Edinburgh sat in the gap between Fiona and Duncan MacDuncan. None of the cadet branches had been present at the Summer Solstice as their families were considered too minor to be invited, which did, in my opinion, suggest one or all of them might have had something to do with the attack. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Before we begin, I must state that while I am The MacLeod, as you can all plainly see, I¡¯m rather unprepared for the role.¡± Most everyone at the table either chuckled or smiled at the remark. ¡°As such, I will have observers present. Some of you may already know Kadic,¡± I gestured at my elf. His chest thrust out as everyone looked his way as he stood at my right side. ¡°If not for him, I would have died at the hands of muggles.¡± ¡°For saving any MacLeod from such an ignoble fate, you have our thanks, elf.¡± That came from Aunt Moire, who sat one seat to my right. ¡°To lose any magical to a muggle is an insult, but to lose a clan member. That would require a response many in our world would not approve of.¡± ¡°Kadic is happy to serve. Kadic serves The MacLeod for all his days.¡± I smiled at the elf; glad he was getting the recognition he deserved. ¡°As I lack training in the laws and customs of our lands, Lord Arcturus Black will be observing this Gathering. Though only so far as we refrain from speaking of clan-only business.¡± Arcturus stepped into the room, though my attention was on the faces at the tables. Most kept their expressions schooled, but I saw that Chief Ewan MacAulay appeared less than happy about his presence. ¡°While this is a break in tradition, Lord Black has, along with others, been educating me in how our world is governed. Both written and unwritten laws.¡± ¡°I request an oath,¡± Murdo said slowly. ¡°One that Lord Black will not speak of anything discussed here today to any but yourself, Chief MacLeod.¡± ¡°An acceptable request,¡± Arcturus replied. He moved toward the table slowly, though made no move for his wand. That was because such a gesture could easily be interpreted as a threat towards me or those around the table. ¡°Would a simple oath on my magic suffice, or do you require an unbreakable vow?¡± I watched Murdo carefully. According to Kadic, One of my uncles had tried to enter the castle back when he had first found me, or possibly even before, and had been angry that they couldn¡¯t get in. While none of the cadet branches would be considered close, they all could technically be considered my uncles. They might have hoped to claim my title, which based on the rumours I¡¯d read in the Daily Prophet was going on in various clans that had lost their main branch at the Massacre. However, there was no hint of distaste or surprise at Arcturus¡¯ offer, instead, he seemed entirely unconcerned. ¡°A simple vow will suffice, Lord Black. That you are willing to offer an unbreakable is a sign of your great character. For that, and your help with educating my nephew, you have my thanks.¡± ¡°While it was unexpected to learn of young D¨°mhnall¡¯s survival, I have to say I¡¯ve found tutoring him far more rewarding than I would have expected.¡± From the corner of my eye, I saw Arcturus reach into his robes, yet my gaze remained on Murdo and the other cadet family heads. While it was unlikely, any of them might have had a hand in the attack that killed my immediate family, I couldn¡¯t be sure. They might have given oaths to my father and would give them to me, but I wouldn¡¯t trust them until they earned it. ¡°I, Arcturus Black, Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, swear upon magic, that nothing I hear here today will be discussed with anyone but Chief D¨°mhnall MacLeod of the Ancient and Noble House of MacLeod, or any he deems worthy to learn of today¡¯s words. Magica vivimus, magica morimur.¡± A sphere of white light sprouted from the tip of his skyward-pointing wand. It expanded slowly to cover the entire wand and his hand and then dissipated into a silvery most with a loud, musical chime. That signalled that magic had accepted his vow, though I did wonder how magic judged a vow broken if the wording was vague. Undoubtedly, that was a reason that Arcturus¡¯ choice of words here was clear and concise. ¡°On behalf of all loyal to Clan MacLeod, I thank you for the oath, Lord Black, and for the guidance you have given our chief in this trying uncertain time.¡± Arcturus bowed slightly, with a regal grace that I swore I would one day be able to duplicate. ¡°All magicals should work to protect each other,¡± he replied. ¡°And while the connection is distant, your new chieftain has some Black blood within him.¡± ¡°Can we assume that it was the connection to our mother that brought you into contact with Chief D¨°mhnall?¡± That came from Aunt Katrina, who reminded me heavily of Melania with how formal she was in her mannerisms. ¡°If I might, Lord Black,¡± I said, cutting in. While there was insult intended by my relatives speaking with Arcturus, I¡¯d been warned that if I didn¡¯t step in quickly after an oath was given, I risked showing weakness to those I¡¯d summoned. Arcturus lowered his head and took a step back, surrendering the floor to me, as custom demanded. I turned to my aunt and smiled. ¡°You are correct Aunt Katrina, in that the reason that Lord Black has been serving as my primary tutor since returning to the magical world. However, the reason for that relates to a second point I wish to reveal before we move further.¡± I gave Kadic a nod and he clicked his fingers. I smirked, enjoying the look of surprise that came over the faces of most of those gathered as the paintings of my grand and great-grandparents were revealed. A few startled and shocked gasps slipped from the lips of my guests as my ancestors looked at them. However, what stood out was that there wasn¡¯t a portrait of my parents. Supposedly they were in one of the Clan vaults in Gringotts, yet when I¡¯d received the report from Ranlor on the holdings of all vaults bar 243 and 343 there¡¯d not been any mention of portraits. While the portrait of my parents might have been in one of those two other vaults, I hadn¡¯t been able to access them yet. The Goblins could remove their locks, however, there was spellwork added to a secondary door that was beyond me. I¡¯d spoken with my grandfather and great-grandfather, and they¡¯d informed me that I needed to learn how to counter those runes, which they weren¡¯t willing to teach me currently. ¡°Hello children,¡± Cassiopeia said, warmth in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± ¡°Mumma?¡± Aunt Fiona asked, disbelief clear in her voice and face. Which was understandable as she was the youngest of my aunts, and had been four when her parents died. While there were some paintings of my ancestors throughout the castle, those hadn¡¯t been imbued with the magic that had gone into the portraits I¡¯d found in the Inner Library. While those other paintings could interact with me, and shared a connection to these paintings, there was something different in the way the ones from the Inner Library behaved. Almost as if more than just the memories of my ancestors had been added to the paintings. I¡¯d asked my grandfather and great-grandfather about it, but they revealed that wasn¡¯t something I was ready to learn about. While I wasn¡¯t happy about having knowledge kept from me ¨C as was the case with the book on Fleshcrafting and the Ward and the MacLeod¡¯s Grimoire, which was the book I¡¯d discovered in the solar before gaining control of the castle ¨C I understood enough to know that knowledge without wisdom was a dangerous thing, and was willing to wait. For a time. ¡°Yes, sweetie,¡± Cassiopeia replied, a warm, tender smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°You seem¡­ oddly vibrant, Mother,¡± Katrina said slowly. I suspected she thought these were just general portraits of her parents and grandparents, which would make sense as those paintings did exist. Indeed, I¡¯d added them around the castle so I could talk with my ancestors more readily than having to rely on these particular paintings. My grandfather chuckled. ¡°And if we are, what would that mean, hmm? Perhaps we could tell everyone present about the time you came to us, seeking our permission to marry Andrew, and how much you sweated and seemed unable to find the voice to do so? Or perhaps the way Moire acted when she told us she was pregnant for the first time?¡± Katrina stared at the paintings as if seeing them in a new light. Slowly, after watching them for almost a minute, she turned to me. ¡°How?¡± ¡°While I don¡¯t know the exact spells used, I¡¯m informed that it is a family magic known only to the sitting Chief,¡± I said slowly, aware that for my uncles and aunts, this was a shock. ¡°One that grants these paintings more intelligence than what is commonly seen with other magical paintings.¡± ¡°I can confirm that they are far more, for lack of a better word, alive than any other imbued painting that I have ever encountered,¡± Arcturus offered. ¡°To the point that my talks with D¨°mhnall senior reminded me heavily of the debates we often found ourselves in. Both at Hogwarts, and in later years in the Wizengamot.¡± ¡°Aye. As much as I disagree with you on a great many things, I have enjoyed our talks,¡± my grandfather replied, earning a small smile and nod from Arcturus. ¡°Though before any of our children inquire about how such paintings are made, it isn¡¯t family magic, but magic linked to The MacLeod and no one else.¡± ¡°However, provided that today¡¯s meeting goes smoothly, I¡¯m willing to allow you to speak with your parents,¡± I added, knowing the offer would help the meeting go smoother. ¡°Though, that will only come after I can be assured of your loyalty.¡± ¡°If these paintings are somehow more than standard magical portraits, you would hold the chance for us to speak with our parents over us?¡± Moire asked, an edge slipping into her tone as she leaned onto the table. ¡°I would. That I have revealed their existence to you is a break with tradition,¡± I replied slowly, not caring that the woman glaring at me could kill me before I¡¯d even drawn my wand. ¡°However, I won¡¯t break with all traditions.¡± Moire held my gaze, her eyelids twitching and for a moment, I wondered if perhaps she would not accept my terms. In a surprise to me though, she started chuckling, which soon evolved into full-blown laughter. I, along with everyone else, watched and waited until she regained control of herself. ¡°Forgive me. I mean no disrespect. You may be young, but you have my brother¡¯s iron will.¡± I nodded, accepting her praise only to tense as Murdo MacLeod stood. At my side, I felt Kadic tense as well, and I grew nervous as he moved silently around the table toward me. As he reached me, he dropped to a knee. As I watched, he slowly pulled his wand from a holster and then turned it, facing the handle toward me. Understanding what he was doing, I extended my arm and exposed the torc. He reached up and placed his free hand upon the symbol of our clan. ¡°Leis an fhuil agus an draoidheachd a tha a¡¯ ruith trom fh¨¬onain agus a¡¯ chridhe bhuille an taobh a-staigh dhiom, tha mi a¡¯ mionnachadh gu s¨°laimte, le diadhachd gun stad, gun gealltainn chan e a-mh¨¤in mi-fh¨¬n ach cuideachd mo theaghlach dhutsa, mo cheann-cinnidh.¡± The words were spoken slowly, carefully, but loud enough that everyone in the room could hear him as he pledged his fealty. As he spoke, I could feel a shift in the air, as if the magic of the castle, however old it might be, understood what was happening, and the torc grew warm. Yet this warmth wasn¡¯t a warning like I¡¯d felt when Arcturus had first approached the castle, but one that seemed to be wishing my magic responded. I placed my free hand upon his and replied with the words my ancestors had taught me. ¡°Leis an fhuil agus an draoidheachd a¡¯ dol tro na veins agam, tha mi a¡¯ gabhail ri do bh¨°id s¨°laimte agus gad thoirt fh¨¨in agus do theaghlach fo mo dh¨¬on.¡± My words accepted his oath and brought him and his family under the protection of our Clan. When I finished he smiled warmly at me, and then after slipping his hand free of the torc, stood and took a step back. ¡°You are MacLeod of MacLeod, and my wand is at your command.¡± I gasped as a wave washed over the room, vibrating through my bones, and rippling my blood. For the first time since I earned the torc, I felt the castle¡¯s magic shift around me, accepting my uncle¡¯s oath and recognizing his place within the clan structure. A moment later, Murdo stood, and after offering me a smile, turned, and moved back to his seat. As he did, Katrina, Moire, and Fiona followed after him offering their oaths. However, theirs were slightly different since their children belonged to other families, and as such the parts of the oath covering their family were removed. They were then followed by the heads of the other two cadet branches of the clan. Two lived on the Isle of Skye within walking distance of Dunscaith Castle while the third was based in Edinburgh, or at least Horizon Alley which was, from what I¡¯d seen, a smaller area than Diagon Alley. Given the Diagon Alley in this universe was larger than canon, I was curious if Horizon Alley was the same size as the canon Diagon Alley. Finally came the other four Septs: Clan bound by blood oaths to Clan MacLeod. Chief Ewan MacAulay was the first to step forward, and while he seemed reluctant to do so, he did swear his oath. I could understand that reluctance as he looked to be in his fifties, and his clan outnumbered mine ¨C including the branches from my uncles and the three cadets ¨C with Clan MacAulay being eighty-seven members strong. None of the other chiefs of a Sept clan was as uncertain to swear their oath, and after Duncan MacDuncan had given his oath and returned to his seat, I looked over the group. While it seemed impressive that I had three cadet branches, four septs and the families of my uncles sworn to me, I knew it wasn¡¯t. Other Scottish Clans had more septs or cadet branches ¨C Clan MacDonalds was the clan with the most cadet branches and Clan MacKinnon had the greatest number of Septs ¨C to say nothing of the number sworn to some of the English Houses. That said, from the little information I¡¯d been able to dig up or get revealed to me, while the Ancient and Most Ancient Houses of magical England had more Houses tied to them, there was less formality about it. At least compared to the Scottish, Irish and Welsh Clans, though for the latter, only two Ancient Clans existed as most had been destroyed or broken during the conquest of Wales by England. ¡°Since you have all re-sworn your oaths, I shall withdraw,¡± Arcturus said in that deep, regal tone he favoured for official business, yet there was an air of permission in his voice. While his house outranked mine, as he was a guest at these proceedings, he had to appear subservient, otherwise, it would undermine my authority. ¡°On behalf of our clan, I must express my gratitude for your assistance in this matter. Provided, there are no concerns that delay either of us, I shall speak to you at our next meeting.¡± Arcturus lowered his head to me and then gave the rest of the table a quick nod before departing the room. ¡°I must express my distaste for your turning to House Black for assistance,¡± Murdo began as soon as the door closed. The room was protected by charms that ensured no sound from within would slip outside and any attempt to listen on, or otherwise disrupt a meeting in this room ¨C which was signalled by my sitting in my chair ¨C would affect the torc. ¡°Neither my family nor those of your sisters or the other cadet branches are unknown to you.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t. However, the decision to contact Lord Arcturus was taken by my grandmother,¡± I replied, which had everyone looking at the portraits. ¡°The events of the Summer Solstice were an attempt on our family and clan,¡± Cassiopeia began, having expected this question to be brought up early on. ¡°Sadly, any portraits Aonghus and Kara may have completed are not stored in the castle. Based on the lack of facts, and the revelation from Kadic that an uncle of D¨°mhnall¡¯s came and tried to breach the wards, my cousin was the safest choice. While my husband and cousin have rarely seen eye-to-eye, D¨°mhnall ¨C agreed that Arcturus was highly unlikely to be behind the attack on the Clans.¡± ¡°I assure you, Mother, that while I attempted to floo into the castle after learning of the attack, I did not attempt to breach the wards.¡± ¡°Nor I,¡± Fiona added in agreement with Katrina. While their words sounded genuine, I placed more faith in the torc, and when it failed to react in any way to a perceived threat, I was willing to accept their words. Didn¡¯t mean I was going to trust them though straight-up. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. However, the fact someone Kadic could only identify as my uncle ¨C which suggests a reasonably close blood connection between me and them ¨C tried to breach the wards, further played into my allowing Lord Arcturus to tutor me in the ways of our world.¡± ¡°While I¡­ dislike that Lord Black was the one responsible for your introduction to the upper echelons of our society,¡± Chief Ewan said slowly, ¡°I must praise him with how successfully he and others handled the reveal.¡± A small smile crept onto his face. ¡°The reaction of Minister Leach was something I will treasure for some time.¡± ¡°Aye, he looked as if he was about to lose it when you cast Lumos,¡± Donald MacAskill added, his smile matching Ewan¡¯s. ¡°That said, I must ask if Lord Black will continue to supervise your education.¡± ¡°Lord Arcturus and his wife, Melania n¨¦e MacMillan, have been my primary tutors for the last month. That said, both have other duties to attend, and as such with their support, I have been examining applications for private tutors.¡± Finn, the head of the cadet branch based in Knock Castle, chuckled. ¡°That sounds fun.¡± ¡°Perhaps not the word I¡¯d use for it,¡± I replied, earning some laughter and smiles from the rest of the table. ¡°Forgive me if this seems callous,¡± Katrina said once the moment of levity was over, ¡°but you sound remarkably mature for a boy of eight.¡± I smirked, having expected that topic to come up reasonably early in the meeting. ¡°Putting aside the events of this summer, including my short stay with muggles, most people I¡¯ve been around over the last month have been adults. That and¡­ what I¡¯ve experienced did force me to grow up faster than I probably should.¡± With Arcturus, Melania, and my ancestors and others, I¡¯d played off my odd maturity as how I¡¯d often be, but pushed on by events over the summer. That wouldn¡¯t quite work with my uncles and aunts who I had memories of from before the Solstice. ¡°That is the second time you have mentioned muggles, Chief MacLeod. If it isn¡¯t too painful, might I ask what exactly happened?¡± I lowered my head to Donald MacAskill, showing some thanks for him using my title. While I¡¯d not expect those gathered to do that from our first meeting, it was still nice to hear them showing my title the respect it was due. Hopefully, over the coming decades, I could work on ensuring that respect extended to me as well. ¡°It was after the attack over the summer. My¡­ my mother had given me a portkey, though I¡¯d not known that at the time. However, during the¡­ events of that morning, it was damaged and while it saved my life, it hadn¡¯t returned me to Dunscaith Castle.¡± As my extended family waited, I slowly ran them through the chain of events that had brought me into Kadic¡¯s care. My ancestors had already heard this before, and all of them had sworn if they still lived, they¡¯d have sought out the orphanage and -Statute be damned ¨C removed it and everyone inside from existence. Piece by piece. Somehow I suspected that feeling would be shared by my extended family once they heard the story. Which would, I hoped, help me build trust with them. I might have their vows of loyalty, but I wanted them to want to protect me not because of duty, but a sense of family and friendship. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°Fuck!¡± The curse slipped from my lips as I raced toward the ground. My arm came out and as the blades of grass became clearer, I dropped my shoulder, let go with my other hand and let myself slip from the broom. I grunted as I slammed into the ground shoulder-first, and then bounced and rolled. I felt dirt slip into my mouth as my arms, legs and back clipped and bounced off the ground until I finally came to a stop. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I cursed again as I blinked. The world was upside down, though as my body fell over one final time, everything shifted, and I realised I¡¯d stopped upside-down. Yet even though I¡¯d hit the ground with enough force that I should¡¯ve broken bones, nothing felt out of place. Oh, I was hurting all over, but as I slowly moved my limbs, no spike of pain came suggesting everything was working reasonably well. Now, I¡¯d been told that magicals were more durable than muggles, but I¡¯d not had proof of that. Not until the first time I¡¯d come over to Le Domaine Noir and spent time with Arcturus¡¯ grandsons. And of course, the first thing Sirius and Regulus had wanted to do was fly on brooms, and of course, I discovered that broom-flying wasn¡¯t something I was either good at, or enjoyed. ¡°You ok?¡± I blinked and looked up, seeing Magnus MacLeod hovering nearby. ¡°Aye. Just enjoying the view.¡± He chuckled and flew off, rejoining the others in the sky. Magnus was the only surviving child of one of my uncles - Cian, who had died at the Massacre - and Magnus was my defacto heir. While he hadn¡¯t sworn an oath to me, as he was far too young - and wasn¡¯t even at Hogwarts yet - I was willing to bring him into my circle of friends, such as it was, as he was the closest male family member I had. And a good possible ally to build for the future. Now, since I was still spending time with the Black children, that had resulted in everyone gathering on the weekends to get acquainted with me. For most of the boys, at least those old enough, that involved flying around on brooms and having friendly games of Quidditch. Sirius was considered old enough to join in with us at six, but Regulus was too young, which was giving me time to get to know the future Lord Black. At least if he wasn¡¯t removed from the family tree because of his mother¡¯s actions. Honestly, that had to have happened after Arcturus had died as while he wasn¡¯t a fan of muggles, he seemed accepting of muggleborns. At least up to a point. Though there was the odd comment here and there about how they ¨C muggleborns ¨C needed to understand that the magical world was not the one they¡¯d come from. Given the glimpses of what I¡¯d seen and learned so far, I could understand that opinion. Yet, for all of it, since Sirius ¨C at least in canon ¨C hadn¡¯t done something as drastic as marrying a muggle-born, removing him from the family tree, and order of inheritance felt like an odd choice. Still, gaining time with Sirius, and all the various cousins I had, was fun, even if I fucking hated flying. Some of the girls did play with us, but most chose to simply sit around and talk. I had spent time sitting with them, but after one afternoon, when I¡¯d seen Melania and Aunt Katrina watching me with a certain sort of interest in their eyes, I¡¯d felt the need to keep my distance from the girls. That said, I did enjoy talking with some of them. Erin Montague, who¡¯d be starting Hogwarts next year, was interested in Transfiguration while Andromeda and Adele Lambert were curious about Charms. Though given that only Erin and I had wands, we were the only ones who could cast spells, but we were instructed to not do so on the chance we accidentally injured someone. I pulled myself to my feet, ignoring the giggles of the girls, and boys too young to be allowed to join us, as I brushed the clumps of dirt and grass off my clothes. Once that was done I stalked toward my broom. It was a Comet 180, though it had been enchanted to limit its speed due to my age. I pulled the shaft out of the ground and brushed the clumps that were stuck to it even as the lawn shifted, filling in the hole the broom had made. I glared at the broom as the sound of laughter rippled in the air above me. Looking up, I saw those flying ducking and diving around each other, chasing one boy who had control of the large training quaffle we were using. ¡°You¡¯re not very good are you?¡± I turned to see Narcissa had come toward me. Regulus was a few feet behind along with some of my younger cousins and some of the girls Narcissa¡¯s age. ¡°Seems so. Either that or this broom wants to kill me.¡± A few of those with her gasped, making me wonder how much they knew about what had happened to my family. Narcissa though, smiled for a second before schooling her features. While the youngest of the Black sisters, she kept a tighter lid on her emotions than Andromeda. I couldn¡¯t tell which one Bellatrix was more like as she was at Hogwarts ¨C though I would see her, and my older cousins during the Winter Solstice break ¨C but I suspected she¡¯d be closest to her youngest sister in behaviour. ¡°What brings you over to me?¡± ¡°I thought you might like to play with us. Perhaps a game of Name the House?¡± I bit back a groan. Name the House was set up as a game to teach magical children to race against each other to recognize the badge of a house, and remember their words, ranks and, for older Houses and Clans if any were known to have family magic. While the game, if one could call it that, made it more interesting to learn about the various houses, it was entirely uninteresting to me. I had weekly lessons on not just everything covered by the game, but on the heads and heirs of each house, and which House historically was allied with who from Melania. The lessons were beyond boring, and while most of what I was learning was unneeded currently since I wouldn¡¯t be joining the Wizengamot anytime soon, learning about the heirs would have some benefit once I started Hogwarts. Of course, because of Emotionless Recall, the lessons were often unnecessary. Not that it stopped Melania or my grandmother from reviewing me endlessly about every major House in the Isles. But it did make the idea of playing a ¡®game¡¯ to learn the same thing extremely unappealing. ¡°That might be something less fun than flying.¡± Behind Narcissa, some of the others giggled. ¡°However, I think I¡¯ll watch while you and others play. The less time I spend in the air, the longer I suspect I¡¯ll live.¡± Narcissa gave me an odd look, one that was hard to place for a child, and then after nodding, turned and moved away. The group with her followed along, though a handful, like Regulus, hung back. Once I started to move, they followed, slipping in behind. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 9 The Early Years 9 ... ... I moved around carefully, timing my steps with the music, a piece by an Italian half-blood from the seventeenth century, while doing my best to mirror the actions of my partner. Andromeda seemed far more at ease with the movements we were making, her hands close enough to mine that she could tap them if I was slightly out of sync, but far enough away that we weren¡¯t touching. Apparently, while more modern muggle musical styles had been adapted into magical society after the Statute came into effect, the older Houses and Clans were expected to observe older styles of dancing at formal events. This was why, instead of something like the foxtrot that I¡¯d expected when Melania told me I would begin dancing lessons, I was instead learning the Cotillion: a dance style that had originated in the courts of France in the late eighteenth century. This and other older dance styles from before the Statue, such as the waltz and minuet, were expected to be known by Lords and Ladies of the Ancient and Most Ancient Houses and Clans for official gatherings. And, since I was expected to attend the Winter Solstice Ball held by the Ministry this year, I was forced to endure dancing lessons with Andromeda and three of my cousins who¡¯d already started their lessons, Erin Montague, Adele Lambert, and Talulla MacLeod. Those were the daughters of Fiona, Katrina and my dead uncle Angus. Unlike Magnus and me, Talulla had a surviving sibling in her younger sister, Tegan. The pair had been taken in by Katrina and her husband; while Magnus was being raised by his mother¡¯s family, one of the various branches of Clan O¡¯Neill of Ireland. Typically, I wouldn¡¯t be forced to attend such an event as I was far too young. However, the rules regarding who should attend required that any newly raised Lord, Chief, or Chiefess, including in those rare cases where the figure was underage, attend the first Winter Solstice Ball. As it was something written into law to have new Lords and Chiefs ¡®announce themselves¡¯ to society, I had to attend. My cousin ¨¢ine was saved from this as she hadn¡¯t become Chiefess of Clan MacDougall, but I and the others who¡¯d stepped forward at the opening of the Autumnus session of the Wizengamot did have to. To do otherwise was considered unacceptable even if the law didn¡¯t enforce attendance. Thankfully, Arcturus had assured me that this would be the only time I had to attend until after I¡¯d passed my OWLs. However, no Lord, Chief or Chiefess was expected to attend alone. Due to my age, that presented quite a few problems; not least that attending with someone much older or younger than yourself was generally considered unacceptable unless they were the noble¡¯s spouse. I pivoted with Andromeda, her fingers millimetres from my palm, ready to tap me if I was slightly out of step. I wasn¡¯t sure if she or one of my cousins I was practising with, would be my date, but I knew whoever did would gain some honour for their house. The only thing I was glad of was that there were no marriage contracts in place for me. Now, while those did exist within the magical world, they could only be signed once both parties were thirteen, and could be delayed until one or both were out of Hogwarts. It turned out that one had been signed for my oldest sibling, Tamhas, but thankfully, the wording clearly marked it was him alone. I¡¯d met his betrothed, a lovely girl named Elspeth Douglas, at my family¡¯s official funeral, but it was clear she had no interest in me, which was a small mercy. As was her father, Chief Duncan Douglas, not being able to push to have me betrothed to his daughter. Betrothals could only be for two specific people. Or at least the official announcements at any rate. Melania had hinted just enough to suggest that agreements were often reached between Lords if the unfortunate happened, however, those could never be official; therefore, there was little the aggrieved party could do through official channels. The music stopping meant, thankfully, that this dance was over. I stepped back and bowed to Andromeda, who curtsied in response. At the sound of gentle clapping, we turned to face our tutors. ¡°While your form is adequate, it lacks the comfort of experience,¡± My Aunt Katrina offered as she, Melania Black, and Aunt Fiona approached. While the first two wore stern expressions, Fiona¡¯s was far more expressive. ¡°I¡¯d say he¡¯s doing very well for someone who¡¯s only had a handful of lessons,¡± Fiona said, a wide smile on her face. ¡°And Andromeda is an excellent guide for him for the Cotillion.¡± She paused and turned to the others who were there. ¡°However, I feel another should help D¨°mhnall with the other dances. We can¡¯t have Andromeda being his only training partner.¡± Melania¡¯s expression stayed calm as she turned to my Aunt. ¡°That is entirely agreeable and understandable.¡± I felt my shoulders slump at the idea of more formal dancing. I mean, I knew it was required, but it was far from enjoyable. Especially when the three ladies were dancing around the fact that I had to pick my partner for the Ball. ¡°However, that will have to wait until his next session,¡± I felt a rush of energy surge through me at learning the dancing was over, ¡°my husband and your sister are waiting to begin his lessons in the Arts of the Mind.¡± That energy dropped slightly as she finished. While learning Occlumency and Legilimency were things I had to learn ¨C and I had a small boost in learning the former due to Emotionless Recall ¨C Arcturus was a hard teacher, a man who expected only the best from those he took under his wing. That might also have played into why Sirius rejected his family in the canon timeline as, even now, my distant cousin was something of a wild child. Not a future lord of one of the oldest and most powerful Houses in magical Britain. As for Moire, I knew little of her abilities with mind magic but, given she was a member of the Auror department and was to be my primary tutor for the subjects, I doubted she wasn¡¯t skilled. Though I also knew she wouldn¡¯t go easy on me as, while she was no longer a MacLeod by name, she was born one and surely didn¡¯t want the Clan to fall into ruin as had happened with Clans MacKay, MacNeil, Cameron, and Campbell. There the main branches, including any unwed female who could potentially become Chiefess, had died in the Massacre, which left those Clans in a precarious position. Married ladies of the main lines were excluded unless their children were wed into another clan and were not of the main line of that clan. Those males, if old enough, could claim the title of Chief if they so wished, but they¡¯d face challengers from any other males in a similar position. They could also be challenged by the heads of the Cadet branches of the clan ¨C where they existed ¨C duels that would be approved through the Wizengamot and then officiated within the family. Said duels would take place sometime in November as there were formal protocols that had to be observed before challenges for the head of a House or Clan could take place. When they did take place, which was already a topic dominating the pages of the magical newspapers, they might well be to the death. The other issue was that if a Cadet branch became the new main branch, then the House would lose some status. However, each would lose some status within the Wizengamot, however since all were solid Ancient Houses none were at risk of dropping a tier in rank. What there was a risk of was that any Sept that was regarded as Established, could break from the Clan if the new chief came from a cadet branch with only a minor penalty. Now, Septs and Affiliated Houses ¨C as they were referred to in England) could break from the senior Clan/House whenever they wanted, but the penalties for doing so were, frankly, exorbitant. So much so that few Septs of Affiliated Houses had been able to break free outside of the senior Clan/House falling on troubled times. ¡°While I cannot comment on Lord Black¡¯s competency with Mind Arts, Moire is known to be a natural Legilimens and is more than capable of ensuring The MacLeod is prepared.¡± Katrina turned to me, a smile that felt oddly concerning on her face. ¡°It would be wise to not keep your tutors waiting.¡± I bowed to her and the other ladies, before turning and moving off. As I left the ballroom in Le Domaine Noir, I glanced at the time on a grandfather clock that dominated the hall I¡¯d emerged into. Like everything else in the house, not only was it in pristine condition, but looked to be both antique and valuable. Seeing I had about fifteen minutes left to make my next lesson, I moved toward the Floo point within the Black estate. While the dancing lessons were taking place here, I was unwilling to have anyone looking into my mind, even someone I could nominally trust to teach me the Mind Arts, unless it was done inside the wards of Dunscaith Castle. ¡­ ¡­ I stepped into the main sitting room of my castle and suddenly felt oddly uncomfortable. Nothing about the room had changed, nor had the temperature. Yet, as Arcturus and Moire turned to face me, I felt as if I¡¯d suddenly stepped in front of some kind of Ice demon. Normally Moire had a warm, outgoing personality. One that made it easier to trust her than her sisters, yet the woman who¡¯d looked at me ¨C and made me stop in mid-step as our gazes met ¨C wasn¡¯t the same person I¡¯d gotten to know over the last month. ¡°Ah, Chief MacLeod,¡± she began, her tone clipped, precise and clinical, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see your previous lesson hasn¡¯t run long, nor that you have arrived late for our session. I dislike when recruits step into a room at the exact moment a session is to begin, thinking that is somehow acceptable.¡± ¡°I, um¡­¡± I paused and took a moment to collect myself as Arcturus watched the interaction between me and my aunt. ¡°I was taught that if anything is worth doing, then you should do it well, and when required to attend any meeting, arrive with time to settle in and collect one¡¯s thoughts before it is to begin.¡± Moire stared back at me; her eyes locked on mine as I moved slowly to a chair at the same table she was sitting at. As I slipped into the chair, I began to think I¡¯d somehow done something wrong only for the torc on my arm to warm suddenly, drawing my attention. The heat was a new one, close to the warnings I¡¯d received when someone had come close to the wards, but different enough that it wasn¡¯t from that. ¡°Why did you look away?¡± Moire asked. I lifted my head, ready to respond only to pause before meeting her gaze. ¡°You¡­ you tried to enter my mind.¡± Even though I was meeting her gaze I saw one of Moire¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°The torc warmed up. I know that is a warning, but it wasn¡¯t one I¡¯ve felt before,¡± I said slowly, measuring my words. ¡°Based on the warning, and what you are here to teach me, then it makes sense that you attempted to either read my mind or at the very least, brush up against it.¡± Moire¡¯s lips twitched at the corners. She turned to Arcturus who I saw was sitting further back and had a faint smile on his face. ¡°It appears you were correct about his intelligence, Lord Black,¡± Arcturus responded with a simple lowering of head to accept the praise as Moire returned her attention to me. ¡°And yes, I did brush up against your thoughts, which was done to show you that while the torc of Clan MacLeod will warn you of attempted intrusions, it can only do so much to prevent a full-on attack.¡± I nodded, accepting her words. ¡°What would happen if you forced your way into my mind?¡± Moire smiled, though there was no warmth in it. ¡°I haven¡¯t even considered forcing my way into your mind, young Chief. With the rather limited defences you have, if I chose to enter your mind, there is little you could do to sense my presence, to say nothing of detecting what I am doing.¡± A cold shiver raced up my spine at how certain her tone was. ¡°However, because we are within the wards of Clan MacLeod, then any attempt by me to enter your mind for anything more than the simplest of surface scans would trigger that alert from the torc. At the very least, Lord Black and I would be trapped in this room until such time as we either breached the wards or you decided upon what to do with us for our transgressions. Having seen the wards of this castle deployed for war, even with the decades of experience I and Lord Black possess, I would rate our chances of escaping at less than ten per cent.¡± ¡°If the war wards are similar to those around Le Domaine Noir, then I feel you are being overly generous in your assessment Inspector.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± She leaned forward. ¡°What I did there was nothing more than the most basic of probes designed to get a sense of your surface emotions and thoughts. An ability that every magical is expected to possess long before they graduate from Hogwarts. Or at least those raised within our position.¡± She paused and leaned back. ¡°To be clear, I¡¯m not saying that those born in the muggle world cannot be skilled with magics of the mind, simply that they begin at a disadvantage. Now, any who wish to work within the Ministry, regardless of their background, must be certified at Level 3 with both Occlumency and Legilimency.¡± She stopped there and I frowned, feeling there was more she wasn¡¯t revealing. ¡°How many levels are there?¡± ¡°Officially there are nine levels, though there are few officially recognized individuals ranked above Level 4,¡± Arcturus offered. ¡°And from what I believe, the certifications of all within the Auror department are restricted to a file that only the Head of the Auror Department, the Minister of Magic, and the Chief Warlock can access. And only if they do so together.¡± Moire stayed silent, which only confirmed Arcturus¡¯s statement, and left so much unanswered that I, once again, was left in no doubt that for all the perks and boosts I¡¯d gained before being merged into this world, there were people far more skilled than I at everything. For some, that might make them scared, or want to crawl into a hole, however, I knew when I¡¯d made my choices ¨C for myself and this world ¨C that I was entering a dangerous period, so I wouldn¡¯t be backing down. Not only that I could feel a slight tingle of anticipation at the thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll tell me your level, aunt, however, I¡¯m curious enough to ask.¡± Moire¡¯s smile grew, though it still lacked any warmth, instead making me feel as if I was standing before an apex predator. ¡°Even if you asked me on my oath, I wouldn¡¯t reveal it. While the magic linked to our home is ancient and powerful, that tied to the Ministry and other Ministries worldwide is more so. What I will tell you is that I am a senior investigator for the Auror Department, and often must speak with witnesses and suspects to determine the truth within their words, thoughts, and emotions.¡± I gulped hard, sure now that Moire was an incredible Legilimens. ¡°How,¡± I paused as my voice sounded several octaves too high. I gulped again and then took a long, deep breath to centre myself. ¡°how can I be sure that anything you teach me today, or in the later sessions, won¡¯t somehow be used against me or the Clan?¡± At that, Moire laughed, and while it was over within a single breath, there was some warmth in it. ¡°You are far more paranoid than I had expected. Even after speaking with Lord and Lady Black.¡± Behind her, I saw the faintest of smiles come onto Arcturus¡¯s face. It only stayed for a moment, but there was pride in it. Yet what replaced it held some distaste or sourness. ¡°To assail you of your concerns, before each session, I will give you an oath; one that ensures that not only will I not reveal anything discussed to any but you and only when we¡¯re in private, but that if any should attempt to enter my mind to access the knowledge it would be lost in the attempt.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± My reply was slow as I was uncertain how exactly I was meant to react to such a promise. ¡°Where Mind Magic is concerned, vows taken by tutors must be severe,¡± Arcturus offered, having sensed my uncertainty. ¡°They are being brought in to train, among others, the heirs of powerful families. If they cannot be trusted to teach without using what they¡¯ve discovered in their lessons, then they would be without legal work.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°I also have, beyond vows to you through our blood, ones I¡¯ve taken as an Auror Investigator. The extraction of memories without consent, beyond carrying punishment right up to life in Azkaban, is inadmissible before any court in the magical world. Except under the direst of circumstances.¡± ¡°Then, if you can give a suitable oath, and both Lord Black and I are accepting of it, I will accept your tuition.¡± Moire smiled again, though this one was perhaps the worst of the lot. No longer was I facing an apex predator, as somehow I felt as if I was stepping into the den of something much, much worse. ¡°I, Moire O¡¯Callaghan, n¨¦e MacLeod, Senior Investigator of the British Auror Department, do hereby swear upon my magic that anything I discover within the mind of Chief D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod during this lesson, or any subsequent lessons, whereupon I teach him the arts of Occlumency and Legilimency, shall not be used by me in any way other than the teaching of D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod. Nor shall I act in such a manner as to alter his mind or thoughts in any way that grants me or anyone I have connections to, any undue influence upon him. If, for any reason, I fail in this oath, then my life and magic are forfeit. Magica vivimus, magica morimur.¡± From the tip of her wand, a bright blue light emerged and slowly spread outward. Given neither Moire nor Arcturus were reacting to it, I stayed still and let it move toward me. As it passed over and through me, I swore I felt the magic in the air shift, as if accepting her oath and forming some sort of bond between us. The, for lack of a better term, pulse, passed over us, dissipating as it reached the walls, ceiling and floor of the room. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°The oath is sufficient,¡± Arcturus said as he stood. ¡°With it taken, and my purpose as witness served, I shall leave you to your lesson. D¨°mhnall, while I will be occupied with official business for the next few weeks on behalf of the Wizengamot, if you have anything you wish to discuss, be it regarding your new lessons or some section of lore and law, do not hesitate to owl me or my wife.¡± I lowered my head, accepting the offer. ¡°Unless anything does arise, I shall see you again in November.¡± I waited in silence, letting Arcturus leave the room. While my lessons with him would go on hold, I knew the dancing classes would continue and others would handle furthering my education in the manners and customs of magical Britain, Europe, and the world. Though to be honest, I hoped there wouldn¡¯t be too much of a deep dive into the history of the magical world. From what I¡¯d already read, things were vastly different from either canon or my former life. The easiest places to see that were in Europe and North America as the countries that existed in the magical world had evolved from what had existed when the Statute of Secrecy had come into effect, and not followed the muggle world. While that made sense, it meant having to learn the names of new countries, cities, and governments which was a pain in the arse. ¡°Now,¡± Moire began as the door closed behind Arcturus, ¡°before we begin, I must be clear. You have less than three months before the Winter Solstice Ball. Even if you were a natural with either Occlumency or Legilimency, I doubt you could be certified as a Level 3. Because of this, our session over the next month will focus almost entirely upon Occlumency to grant you some way to, in combination with the torc, be able to sense a mental intrusion.¡± I stayed silent, letting my tutor speak. Moire leaned to one side and picked up a book, as she turned it around I saw the title: The Enigma of the Mind: A Beginner''s Journey into Occlumency. ¡°This is the standard guide for introducing Occlumency for coursework in Hogwarts. While a particularly useful book for the introduction of the topic, it takes a considerable amount of time for one to learn. And even longer to understand.¡± She placed the book down on the table and, with a flick of her wand, it slid frictionlessly across the table. I stopped it once it was close enough, though when I turned it toward me, I saw it was as thick as my wrist. ¡°I expect you, before our session tomorrow, to have read, memorised, and, ideally, understood, the first two chapters,¡± Moire continued, drawing my attention back to her. ¡°Occlumency is the magical ability to control and shape your mind in ways most can only dream of. At its most basic, it will improve your recall, and grant clarity of thought and emotional insight that can unlock mysteries and difficulties that would otherwise plague you for months if not years. At what is considered intermediate levels, you can construct palaces within your mind to allow complete easy access to your memories while developing defences to ensure that anyone who attempts to breach the walls you¡¯ve built must delve into the deepest, most deranged elements of your mind to learn even a Knut of knowledge. With true skill, dedication, and craft, it is said that one can create entirely fictitious personas to both defend a mind and provide a secondary perspective on key events. And for those with a true gift for the art, the ability to simply cease to be present to any form of psychic detection, rendering themselves as a blank spot which Legilimens simply cannot comprehend and many more abilities.¡± I blinked as she gave the run-down of the various things one gifted at Occlumency was capable of. On one hand, those abilities sounded incredible, yet my thoughts dwelled on what sort of attacks would require someone to develop such intricate and elaborate mental defences. ¡°That is a very valid concern.¡± I blinked again and leaned back, my hand falling from the book and drifting toward my wand. ¡°There is no need to concern yourself young D¨°mhnall. I simply wish you to understand just how open your mind is. Even the most junior Investigators under my command could delve into your mind and sieve through your thoughts without you ever being aware. Though only the truly skilled can do so without alerting the torc. Though I will admit that due to my oath, and our familial connection, it is far easier for me to do than others.¡± As I stared at her in wide-eyed shock, scared to allow anything to pass through my thoughts for fear she might read them, Moire leaned forward. ¡°Attempting to create a blank mind only allows easier access to deeper, more private thoughts.¡± She leaned back, a small smile creeping over her face. ¡°Now if blanking a mind is not a suitable defence, what might be?¡± ¡°Misdirection.¡± The words slipped from me without much consideration. ¡°Find a way to think about random things to hide your true intent.¡± Moire nodded. ¡°That is one method that can be used. However, against experienced Legilimens, such a technique often fails as people struggle to not think about the topic of conversation. A slightly altered method would be to flood your thoughts with as many odd answers or suggestions that are only tangentially related to the topic.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°However, a more effective method begins from learning to develop natural shields. They¡¯ll generally always be active on what some refer to as a standby level, though when around others, those are always raised as high as one can manage. That is where we will begin our lessons today. ¡°Now, there are several methods that can be used to develop elementary mental shields, and often it is the requirement of such lessons to gently assault the outermost edges of a mind to have shields develop on a reactionary level. However, due to your age, I feel it would be safer, at least for the first week or so, to simply work on stilling your mind. Now, close your eyes and relax.¡± I did as she asked, and a moment later the gentle sounds of the sea echoed softly around the room. ¡°I have magnified the sound because it is something that you hear every day.¡± Moire¡¯s voice was quieter now. The regal tone was still there, but it had been softened, making it less threatening or disruptive than the sounds of the waves breaking against the rocks far below the castle. ¡°A sound that your mind knows is both familiar and comforting. That will help with what I need you to do next. Now, focus on the sea, on the sound of the water being carried against the cliff by the tide. On the familiar, repeating pattern that brings with it.¡± ¡°Good. Very good. Now, let other thoughts, other concerns slip away. They don¡¯t matter, all that matters is the sea and cliffs. The gentle, constant ebb and flow as the Minch pushes water around Skye and the other islands.¡± I did as she said, letting the sound be the only thing I cared about, letting everything else drift away, and finding it an oddly comforting sensation. I knew this was the most basic lesson I¡¯d have, but so far it was enjoyable. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t believe you asked me to do this.¡± That comment came from my ¡®date¡¯ for the Winter Solstice Ball, Bellatrix. She stood beside me in a private gathering room at the site of this year¡¯s Winter Solstice Ball. While we¡¯d arrived early with Arcturus and Melania, we had to wait as everyone was expected to be presented to the room with Lords presented in reverse seniority. Then the head of the various departments of the Ministry would be introduced followed by the Minister and Chief Warlock. The last to be presented were the new Lords, which this year included me. ¡°Or why I agreed to it.¡± I met the eldest Black sister''s gaze, a sly grin curling on my lips. Despite the four-year age gap, her height advantage was inconsequential, given my prolonged exposure to adults. Her gown, a luscious emerald green, adorned with intricate silver embroidery, seemed to possess a life of its own, shimmering with every subtle sway of her form. It was a clever homage to her Hogwarts house, but surprisingly, it harmonized perfectly with my attire. What set it apart were our eyes. While mine held a deep, almost golden yellow, Bellatrix sported a pair of irises as extraordinary as mine. Her left eye, a gentle shade of green, contrasted with her right, which was a piercing blue. Depending on the whims of the light, they could both transform, like chameleons, casting an enchanting spell upon those who beheld them. ¡°I asked you because I didn¡¯t want to go with your sisters,¡± I replied softly, a slight smile on my face. ¡°Andromeda would¡¯ve worked but it was clear she didn¡¯t wish to go, and as for Narcissa, I just didn¡¯t feel comfortable.¡± Truthfully, I didn¡¯t want to go with Narcissa as I¡¯d seen enough signs to hint that Arcturus and Melania were doing their best to ensure that she and I were often near each other. I didn¡¯t know if they were doing that because the other two were spoken for, or if they simply felt Narcissa was the best choice due to our ages, but it was irritating me. As for Andromeda, while she was friendly and didn¡¯t seem to care too much about my title ¨C at least as openly as Narcissa and a few of my cousins did ¨C I wanted to go with Bellatrix because of the three, she was regarded in canon as the most powerful and dangerous. ¡°Yet you feel that with me?¡± Bellatrix asked as she looked down at me. A smirk crept onto her features, one that, if events played out the way they had in canon, would one day terrify all but the most powerful of wizards and witches. ¡°Morgana no,¡± I said quickly. ¡°Honestly, you scare me a little, but what¡¯s the point if I can¡¯t play with danger?¡± Bellatrix stared at me for a long moment, and I wondered what was going through her head. ¡°You¡¯re not what they think you are.¡± I frowned, wondering who ¡®they¡¯ were. Most likely, she was talking about her friends and housemates at Hogwarts. While I was young, I was sure my existence, and the fact, unlike their fellow students who¡¯d stood before the Wizengamot, I was the Chief of my House made me a topic of discussion. However, I¡¯d be surprised if I was still talked about as it¡¯d been months since my public reveal and school life always had something more interesting to become the focus of attention. ¡°Thank you. I think.¡± She laughed happily, which was only the third time I¡¯d heard her do so since I¡¯d met her over the Winter Break from Hogwarts. She wasn¡¯t serious in the sense that she didn¡¯t seem to enjoy herself, but there was an edge to her. One that, knowing what I did, hinted at a sadistic streak. Or, having seen her interact with her mother, a distinct lack of interest in the gossip and questions she was seemingly expected to enjoy as a young lady of a noble house. A trait she shared with Andromeda. ¡°I¡¯ll give you that my sisters are beneath me, but wouldn¡¯t one of your cousins have been a better choice?¡± I shuddered in an overly dramatic manner. ¡°Hell no. If I¡¯d chosen any of them, even Talulla, then it would¡¯ve likely caused my aunts to shift their opinions of me. I know they, like Lord and Lady Black, want me to pick their daughter ¨C or niece in your case ¨C to suggest I might be open to marrying that girl once I¡¯m older.¡± Bellatrix scowled, and thinking I¡¯d inadvertently found a sore point for her, I kept going. ¡°With you, I don¡¯t have that worry. I¡¯m far too young for your liking.¡± Bellatrix¡¯s smile grew and she leaned closer. She took a deep breath of my hair before leaning down further. ¡°Are you so sure of that?¡± she whispered. I froze at her tone yet relaxed when she pulled back and laughed freely again. ¡°Merlin! Don¡¯t be so scared. I won¡¯t bite you. Not on the first date.¡± ¡°What about a second?¡± I shot back without thinking. She blinked rapidly, seemingly caught out by the question before throwing her head back and laughing loudly. ¡°Bellatrix!¡± the hissed warning came from Melania who along with Arcturus was standing in the waiting room, waiting for their summons. While Melania¡¯s tone was firm, and her gaze hard there was a slight twitching of her lips that concerned me. I¡¯d hoped that choosing Bellatrix would save me from questions and glances from Melania and my aunts, but it seemed since Bellatrix was seemingly enjoying herself, that it was giving Melania ideas. As Melania turned back, her head leaning toward Arcturus, I had the sudden sinking feeling that my plan may well have backfired. At least the plan was to avoid them trying to set me up with someone in the hopes of a future marriage. Oh, I knew none of them would push the topic, not least as betrothals could only be announced when both parties were thirteen, but I felt that discussions for them often began not long after the children reached Hogwarts. As far as I knew, Bellatrix wasn¡¯t betrothed to anyone yet, but I also knew Arcturus would be fielding offers and discussing the matter with her parents. Since she and her sister weren¡¯t from the main branch, I felt they¡¯d have a little more leeway in their options, but would still be used as fodder to build alliances. If that was why Bellatrix had been forced to marry Rodolphus Lestrange, then it did go some way to explaining her behaviour as what little was covered about him and his brother in canon suggested they were arseholes. A chime drew me from my thoughts, and I looked toward the door. Or more specifically, a plaque beside it. When Arcturus and Melania¡¯s names appeared on it, I sighed in relief. House Black was one of the oldest houses in magical Britain which meant I wouldn¡¯t have to wait much longer in this room. Of course, the downside was that I¡¯d soon be forced to face every Lord, Lady, Chief, Chiefess, senior figure from the Ministry, the Chief Warlock, and Merlin-knew how many dignitaries from foreign nations. ¡°Kill me now,¡± I muttered as the door closed behind the Blacks. ¡°If you want.¡± I looked at Bellatrix, and seeing an impish smile on her face, laughed. ¡°As much as it would get me out of this¡­ event, I think killing a Chief would result in a long stint in Azkaban for you.¡± I paused and looked into her eyes. ¡°Somehow that feels like a waste of talent.¡± Bellatrix shivered when I mentioned Azkaban but hid it quickly behind another smile. ¡°Yes, I do think I have a higher purpose in life than that.¡± I turned back to the door. ¡°Oh, I was meaning me. You there might not be a bad thing.¡± Her shoulder slammed into my side, and I stumbled away. As I recovered, my hand moved toward my wand, only for my body to freeze. ¡°Now, now. I know you¡¯re young, but didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you it¡¯s not nice to attack a lady.¡± The spell holding me in place ended. Caught off-guard, I fell to the ground, my knee slamming into the hard floor. I ground my teeth to avoid grunting in pain, and then pushed myself up. As I brushed down my robes and ensured the slash of Clan MacLeod wasn¡¯t ruffled, I glared at Bellatrix. She smirked in response, her wand held gently between her thumb and forefinger. ¡°You know, I think I might enjoy this after all.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m regretting my choices,¡± I replied, making her smirk shift into a smile. As she slipped her wand back into a holster that I couldn¡¯t see as it was disillusioned, I moved back to her side. ¡°Though I still think you¡¯re more fun than what awaits us beyond those doors.¡± ¡°No comment.¡± Her response made me chuckle, and when I stopped, the room fell into an oddly comfortable silence. The chime sounded again, and I looked at the plaque. As it displayed my name along with a notice to my guest. Since we weren¡¯t betrothed, never mind married, it wasn¡¯t required for me to say who I was bringing. While I¡¯d have preferred to not have any date, that would be unseemly. Even, apparently, for a not-quite eight-year-old Chief. As the doors opened, I offered my arm. With a sigh, Bellatrix placed her hand, covered in a black silk glove that reached to her elbow, on my arm. ¡°Once more unto the breach, dear friends.¡± ¡°I prefer MacBeth,¡± Bellatrix commented as we stepped through the doors and arrived in a lavishly decorated corridor. My eyes were drawn to shifting platinum stylings and blinked at seeing a miniature wizard wave at us and then point to our right. Turning, we moved down the corridor, the platinum wizard moved with us, suggesting he was there to act as our guide. The corridor banked to the left after about a dozen steps, and as we rounded the long turn, I saw a possibly young couple step through the large wooden doors. Beyond them, I could see the banquet hall, yet no sound reached us meaning the doors were charmed to ensure the sounds in the hall didn¡¯t echo down the corridor. The wizard at our side sent sparks into the air, making us stop. Those continued until the doors closed and it then waved us on. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they don¡¯t just use elves,¡± I muttered as we neared the doors. They looked to be over two metres tall, were a soft reddish-brown and had intricate patterns engraved into them, inlaid with what appeared to be onyx, lapis, and jade. ¡°Sure, they have a reason for not doing that, though if they¡¯re anything like your elf, I think they should.¡± I smiled, glad to see Kadic getting some respect. If not for him, I¡¯d have died when I brought down the orphanage. He then nursed me back to health and ever since has been the one I trusted above all else. ¡°Names.¡± I almost stumbled as what I thought was a platinum semi-circle on the door moved and spoke. ¡°Uh¡­ Chief D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod and my date, Bellatrix Black.¡± The lips merged back together, reforming the semi-circle of platinum and if it had not just spoken, I¡¯d never have known it could do that. The doors then swung open, revealing the banquet hall. Most people were gathered in the centre of the room, on what had to be the dance floor. It appeared to be a single giant tile of glittering white marble with shots of red, yellow, green, and blue racing around seemingly at random. Around the sides of the room were large tables, each seating sixteen chairs. Everything was expensive, well-maintained, and lavish, which is about what I¡¯d expected after seeing the furniture at Dunscaith Castle and Le Domaine Noir. ¡°Presenting Chief D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod and Lady Bellatrix Black.¡± The door spoke as we stepped through and the soft, gentle music suddenly reached our ears. I couldn¡¯t instantly place the piece, but it wasn¡¯t fast-paced and seemed to serve only as background music. Around the hall, several people on the floor looked up from their discussions and glanced our way as the door announced us. However, my attention was on the small group waiting at the base of the stairs that led down from our entrance point. The stairs were wide, made of the same wood as the door we¡¯d come through and covered in a lush burgundy carpet. One that, as I took my first step down, seemed to all but caress my shoe. Arcturus and Melania were standing near the base of the steps, and with them, I saw Charlus Potter and several other older Lords. All had turned to face us, and from the group of elder statesmen stepped a younger man. That was Nobby Leach, the Minister of Magic. His robes were a wild, garish blue with patterns shifting in them in ways that made it hard to not be distracted by them. As he moved, two older men moved to his sides. Those I recognized as the Chief Warlock and head of the DMLE. ¡°Chief MacLeod, I¡¯m honoured that you are able to attend this Ball,¡± Minister Leach said as he approached. His hand was aimed low, making clear he expected me to reach up to shake it. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t feel out of place surrounded by all these old stuffy men.¡± While his tone was polite, I still remembered how he¡¯d reacted to my appearance in the Wizengamot, and how he¡¯d seemed to not want me to become Chief. With that in mind, I stopped a few steps from the bottom of the staircase, and as Bellatrix stayed at my side, reached out and shook the Minister¡¯s hand. Minister Leach paused, seemingly unsure of why I¡¯d stopped, though behind him I saw faint hints of amusement on the faces of several, including Arcturus and the head of the DMLE. Eventually, the Minister realised why I¡¯d stopped, and ¨C in my opinion ¨C slightly reluctantly, moved closer to shake my hand. ¡°And I thank you for the invite, Minister, even if my presence is a little odd.¡± While I was still below him, the two steps granted enough height that I wasn¡¯t at a huge disadvantage. While I¡¯d likely irritated the Minister, his behaviour at the Wizengamot had irked me, as had the move to have me come to him and reach up dramatically to shake his hand. ¡°Yes,¡± the Minister said as we stopped shaking. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ve met Chief Warlock, Augustus Colvin, or the head of the DMLE, Richard Edevane.¡± I moved off the steps and shook hands with both older men. ¡°A pleasure, Lord Colvin, Lord Edevane.¡± The Minister had chosen to miss out on the fact both men were Lords of Ancient Houses, which I took as another slight in the hope I¡¯d make a fool of myself. However, thanks to months of lessons with Arcturus, Melania, Katrina, Moire, and others I knew the names of every Lord, Chief and Chiefess present, along with their spouses or betrothed and House words. Emotionless Recall plus basic Occlumency was a rather broken combo, even if one of the first things Occlumency allowed me to do was exactly what Emotionless Recall did, that of recalling every memory I had emotionlessly. While that did make the trait slightly redundant, the boost it offered when learning Occlumency had been picked up on by Moire who¡¯d remarked that I appeared to have a natural skill with the art. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Chief MacLeod,¡± Lord Edevane replied, hints of his accent confirming his Welsh heritage. ¡°While I can¡¯t say I was close with your father, your grandfather was once a good friend, and I hope in future that I, or my heir and grandchildren might rekindle that friendship with your Clan.¡± ¡°I hope that as well, Lord Edevane. I¡¯ve read some of my grandfather¡¯s journals, and while he wasn¡¯t always polite in his opinion when you disagreed,¡± Edevane grinned, ¡°he did respect your passion for various matters. Including the security and safety of our world.¡± ¡°Yes, Richard is very much a believer in a strong Auror force,¡± Augustus Colvin said as I moved to shake his hand. ¡°Something that often places him at odds with other members of the Wizengamot and the Ministry.¡± ¡°The line between security and surrendering our freedoms is a fine line. One, like many other issues, I¡¯m happy to say I don¡¯t have to concern myself with for a good few more years.¡± The older men chuckled in agreement, though I noticed the Minister seemed irked that I was seemingly ignoring him. However, before anything else could be said, the doors at the top of the stairs spoke. ¡°Presenting Chief Fearchar MacKinnon and his wife, Lady Alexandria Douglas.¡± Understanding that my moment to meet the Minister and the two department heads was over, I stepped away. Seeing Arcturus and Melania nearby, I moved toward them. ¡°He¡¯s an ass,¡± Bellatrix muttered once we were clear of the Minister. ¡°Why did he get elected?¡± I kept quiet, not wanting to discuss politics, though as we neared her uncle and others, I made note of the fact she clearly disliked Minister Leach, with an implication that it was because he was Muggleborn. For me, the issue was that he had chosen to be an arse from the first moment I¡¯d met him which had soured me on him, not his status. However, if he was one of those who felt that just because he was from the Muggle World he was somehow better than those who were born, raised, and lived in the Magical World for centuries, then that would be another mark against him. I would, however, reserve judgment on him until after I was older and had time to observe the policies he pushed. ¡°Very well handled,¡± Arcturus said once we were close enough to speak without it being unseemly. ¡°Indeed, it was.¡± That came from Charlus Potter, who had turned to face me and Bellatrix with Arcturus as we¡¯d approached. ¡°While I don¡¯t think any insult was intended, your reaction was well within your rights as a Chief.¡± He paused, a wide smile coming to his face and clicked his fingers. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m confused by your appearance. You look remarkably like a young nephew of Lord Black¡¯s I met several months ago outside Gringotts.¡± ¡°An unexpected occurrence, though since my grandmother was a Black, I can¡¯t say it isn¡¯t possible that I share a similarity with some distant Black scion.¡± I chuckled at the reminder and extended my hand. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Lord Potter.¡± ¡°And you, Chief MacLeod.¡± He broke the shake and looked at my date. ¡°Though this is the first time we¡¯ve officially met, I cannot say the same for your date. Hello Bellatrix.¡± ¡°Uncle Charlus, Aunt Dorea,¡± Bellatrix replied rather stiffly as Charlus took her hand and kissed her knuckles. I did the same with Dorea Potter, n¨¦e Black. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you here dear,¡± Dorea said after the greeting had taken place. ¡°From what I recall, your distaste for these events has been clear ever since Lord Arcturus¡¯s Summer Ball three years past.¡± I looked at Bellatrix, wondering what Dorea was speaking about. Bellatrix went still, as if embarrassed by the event, though she recovered quickly. ¡°I still do, Aunt Dorea. However, after meeting Chief D¨°mhnall at the start of the school holiday, I found myself curious about him and accepted his offer to attend.¡± She turned and smirked at me. ¡°So far, I¡¯ve found him better company than my last date.¡± The adults chuckled at that, and I knew I was missing the story. However, any chance to ask about it was pushed aside as more Lords, Ladies, Chiefs and Chiefesses came closer. Some I recognized from the Wizengamot session I¡¯d attended, but others I didn¡¯t. Steeling myself for the attention I was going to have to endure for the rest of the evening, I turned with Arcturus and Charlus to greet the approaching nobles. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 10 The Early Years 10 ... ... I sat cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by no light save from one source. In front of me, swirled the dark, almost pulsating orb that served as the core of the various wards and defences of Dunscaith Castle. As with every time I was near it, there was something strangely hypnotic about the way shadows shifted around inside the orb, radiating power and potential that simply waited for me to grasp. Yet, while the urge to do so was ever-present, I knew not to give into it as the magic cascading from the orb threatened to overwhelm those it deemed unworthy of its presence. The only saving grace I had now, at least compared to my first time here nearly six months ago, was that I now had the torc designating me as The MacLeod. That, for reasons I had yet to determine beyond them being linked to the magic within my bloodline, was preventing the ancient, powerful, almost terrifying, and enticing - all in an equal manner ¨C magic of the orb from attempting to overwhelm my senses as it had done when I¡¯d first sought control of the wards. Now, back then, I¡¯d not understood what was happening, or why I was drawn here, but after months as The MacLeod, and half as long coming down here at least once a week to meditate, I felt I had an inkling of why. Having spoken with my ancestors, I¡¯d learnt that every MacLeod of MacLeod was drawn to the core, trying to truly prove their dominance of it and gain access to the deep, almost forgotten magic it contained. My great-grandfather had been clear in that, from his time speaking with his ancestors, or at least their Dealbhan Nas Motha - or Greater Portraits in English - that the stronger the magic within The MacLeod, the harder it was to approach the orb. Conversely, the stronger one¡¯s magic was, the more they could, with time, effort, and determination, learn secrets from the orb. The portraits of my older ancestors were housed in a deeper section of the Inner Library, with the oldest painting being of William MacLeod, who was The MacLeod sometime in the fourteenth century. While I¡¯d met with each of those ancestors, I¡¯d not spent much time around them. The sheer number of ancestors meant dealing with all of them would be a fucking handful. Thankfully, William¡¯s great-great-grandson had devised a system where only the previous three generations of The MacLeod and their spouse would appear in the Inner Library. Any MacLeod of MacLeod could, in theory, bring the painting of another ancestor out of what I termed the Memory Vault, but to keep things relevant, only recent ancestors were placed in the Inner Library. If I had children, then when my eldest succeeded me, my great-grandparents would head to the Memory Vault. While having access to knowledge going by six hundred years was fucking insane ¨C and going to make learning magical history interesting ¨C having part of yourself trapped forever in a painting that would never fail, at least so long as magic ran through the galls of Dunscaith Castle, was concerning. In essence, you would never die, and instead spend eternity trapped inside the frame of your portrait. Indeed, some ancestors had chosen to not have themselves denied the chance to fully move to the Next Great Adventure, with the last such person being my great-great-great-grandfather. Regardless of whether I chose to be encased in a portrait when my time came or not, the fact I had that resource was something I planned to use as I grew older. While the knowledge that many of my ancestors might contain could be invalid due to changes that happened over the centuries, learning why one House or Clan had a longstanding feud with another from someone alive when the feud started had the potential to be extremely valuable. However, I was warned that Clan MacLeod wasn¡¯t the only magical family in the Isles with such a resource. To say nothing of Europe and beyond. However, that was not why I was meditating near the orb-core of the castle. No, I was doing this for two reasons. The first being that I wanted to learn the deep, possibly forgotten secrets the orb contained. And if I could, how it was made and by whom, as none of my ancestors truly knew where the orb had come from. That knowledge had been lost in the time before the Greater Portraits started being used by my bloodline. The other reason that I meditated here was that I found it an oddly calming place, one that seemed to help me connect with my magic in some instinctual way. After the Winter Solstice ball, which I was glad I¡¯d not have to attend again until after at least my OWLs, Arcturus and my great-grandfather had explained further about how Magical Potential worked, and critically, how it took time, effort, and a great understanding of the nature of the person, their connection to magic, and what sort of person they were, before they could unlock their full potential. For most magicals, unlocking their full potential took place around their sixteenth birthday. Now, they¡¯d been clear that this wasn¡¯t the case for all magicals. Or that someone before unlocking their full potential couldn¡¯t defeat an older, more experienced magical. Just that, this was the median point where the majority of magicals unlocked the magic within themselves fully. Both felt that, even with my earlier start as a Clan Chief, and access to the teaching of my ancestors, it was unlikely that I¡¯d unlock my full potential before I was sixteen. However, they agreed that, if I progressed at even the normal rate of unlocking, I¡¯d start to separate myself from my peers long before then. While everything they said made sense, I felt I could unlock every pathway, every thread of magic that ran in and through me before that median date. And since the magic of the orb was, I felt, linked to Embrace of the Shadows, then by meditating here, I might well be able to kill two birds with one stone. So far, there¡¯d been no hint I¡¯d gained any insight into Shadow Magic, but I had felt my connection to magic, both within myself and the wider world, become clearer. With years to go until I attended Hogwarts, I hoped unlocking my potential would continue to progress, and perhaps I might gain the first insight into how to manipulate shadows. Time passed without meaning down here, which was another thing I enjoyed. I enjoyed my classes, be they with my ancestors, Arcturus, Melania, my aunts and uncles or the small number of trusted tutors that I now had. However, the strict, formal structure of every day wore on me. While my mind was a combination that had over forty years of knowledge within it, I was physically immature and found enjoyment in being young. Now, I did enjoy time spent with the Black children and my cousins, but most of them were far too interested in either goofing around ¨C Sirius being the obvious example there ¨C or in trying, in their childlike manner, to worm their way into my confidence. Narcissa, Adele and Magnus were the worst for that. I also had Kadic hovering around me. I knew why he was doing it, and was grateful for the protection, but sometimes I just needed private time, which meant going to the Master Study or coming down here to the core. While the Inner Library was an option, my ancestors preferred to be situated there, so on any day bar those they wished to speak with my uncles or aunts, that was where they rested. A shift in the orb, as if something dangerous ¨C but not, in my opinion, malevolent ¨C was moving around inside caught my attention. The shifting, swirling nature of the shapes that moved but never quite came into focus was oddly calming and enticing. The orb, or at least the magic inside, felt alive, and I wondered if that was true for other sources of magic or places that had been steeped in magic for centuries. However, since most such places were, like Dunscaith Castle, home to Ancient, or older, Houses, it was unlikely I¡¯d ever learn if that was the case for them. Hogwarts, and perhaps the Ministry, might be the best places to discover that. However, I was only eight now and still had nearly two and a half years to go until I could enter the Great Hall of Hogwarts for the first time. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°What are you doing for the Solstice?¡± I turned and looked at Sirius as if he had grown a second head even as he continued speaking. ¡°My mum wants us to go to see our family in France,¡± he made a face indicating how unappealing that idea was, ¡°but I¡¯d rather stay home. Well, maybe not if Kreacher is there,¡± he added as we sat at the kitchen table of Le Domaine Noir, waiting for said elf to finish making breakfast, which smelled delightful. Since I felt safer around the Blacks now, and to get me out of Dunscaith Castle where I lived with just Kadic, my ancestors had insisted that during the holidays I spent time with my friends and relatives. So far I¡¯d spent time with the families of aunts Fiona and Moire and was now staying with the Blacks at Le Domaine Noir. From tonight though I¡¯d be returning home, as I wanted to spend the next few days around only my closest family. Magnus, Talulla, Tegan, and ¨¢ine MacDougall would all come over and spend the next few days with us, with aunts Fiona and Moire along with Marcas MacDougall, my uncle and ¨¢ine¡¯s Wizengamot-appointed Guardian. ¡°Sirius,¡± Andromeda snapped, annoyed at her cousin before offering me a soft smile. ¡°Sorry. My cousin, for all his energy, seems to dislike thinking before speaking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied, ignoring the reminder that the Summer Solstice, and the anniversary of my family being murdered, was a few weeks away. I turned back to Sirus, ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯ll be spending the day with my cousins, including ¨¢ine MacDougall.¡± ¡°But why?!¡± The future Lord Black whined, sounding so much like a dog about to be dragged to a vet that I had to fight back a chuckle. ¡°Why would you want to hang out with a girl when you¡¯ve got me? Oh, and Reg,¡± he added, gesturing at his younger brother. Regulus had started hanging around me whenever we were together, and I wasn¡¯t speaking with Arcturus, Melania, or other adult members of House Black. However, as time passed, that was happening less and less. I suspected the adults didn¡¯t want to bore me with too much information about the comings and goings of the Wizengamot and the Ministry, but perhaps they simply wanted me to bond with the children. We were still years from Hogwarts, but I understood the value of having connections before attending the school, to say nothing of graduating and taking my place alongside the other Lords and Chiefs. ¡°Because, you unintelligent ignoramus, the Summer Solstice isn¡¯t a happy event for him anymore.¡± The reply came from Bellatrix as she walked into the kitchen. Her hair was pulled back, held in place by an ornate clasp, keeping it from swishing around as she walked into the room. Under one arm she held a book that, as she moved closer, I saw was A Beginner''s Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch; one of the textbooks used by First-years. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you have to spend time around this stuttering buffoon,¡± she added as she approached the table and took a seat beside Andromeda. Between me and the pair was the youngest sister, Narcissa, while Sirus and the Regulus sat to my left. Since the table was circular, and like everything in Le Domaine Noir made to the highest possible standards, I was easily able to see everyone. That included Altair, Antares, Corvus, Lyra, Vega, and Ursa. Those six were from branches of the family that I¡¯d only met this summer and descended from Lycoris, one of Arcturus¡¯ two brothers. Both brothers ¨C Lycoris and Regulus ¨C had died, with Lycoris passing away last year because of Dragon Pox. Altair, Corvus, Lyra and Ursa were the children of Draco, Lycoris¡¯ first son, while from his second son, Scorpius, came Antares and Vega. Lycoris had also had a daughter, who was married to the current Lord of House Yaxley. Regulus (brother of Arcturus) hadn¡¯t married, devoting himself instead to the Department of Mysteries, and he had died at some point in 1959 in a research project. I suspected there was more to that story, but I¡¯d not pushed for more information as it felt like a personal matter between House Black and the Department of Mysteries. The extra Black children - which would, provided he was born, push Draco Malfoy far down the line of inheritance ¨C had their ages spread around fairly. Altair was the same age as Andromeda, while the youngest, Corvus, was two years younger than Regulus (brother of Sirius). If not for being able to organise my memories now due to Emotionless Recall, I¡¯d struggle to instantly remember which person went where in the family tree as the Blacks enjoyed recycling names through the generations. Though I didn¡¯t have much ground to complain about that, as there¡¯d been six former Chiefs of Clan MacLeod before me named D¨°mhnall. Once I was certified as a Level 2 Occlumens, I¡¯d be able to organise my memories better, without any emotional attachment to them. That would make it easier to pull on the various memories quickly without the effort it took now to focus properly. According to Melania and the tutor she¡¯d arranged for those lessons, I should be able to pass the examination before All Hallows Eve, if not sooner. While I was young, I had, in the words of my tutor, a remarkably organised mind for one so young, which helped with the lowest levels of occlumency. Sirius gave me a wide smile, one that I knew he was planning something, before looking at his cousin. ¡°Merlin, Bella. Why so serious?¡± He asked, and everyone at the table moaned before glaring at me. ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered even as Sirius started laughing, though it reminded me more of the yapping of a small, annoying dog. ¡°If Lord Arcturus would allow it, I¡¯d pay for a Legilimens to remove the memory of the day I taught that to him.¡± I¡¯d taught him that line and other wordplays for his name in an attempt to build bridges with him. However, he was, to put it mildly, abusing them so much that I feared it was affecting my relationship with the rest of House Black. ¡°Perhaps it would be better to simply wipe his entire mind?¡± Altair asked. ¡°I¡¯ve considered that many times,¡± Bellatrix remarked as she pulled her wand from a holster on her arm. Since I¡¯d not seen it as she¡¯d walked in, I suspected it was held in a disillusioned holster, just as I did with mine. Though since she wasn¡¯t a Lord, Chief, married or betrothed to one, it wouldn¡¯t have the range of protective features mine did. At least not officially. ¡°However, Father was quite insistent that I not attempt such magic until at least my fifth year.¡± I paused and tapped my chin. ¡°Perhaps there is another way.¡± I held the look, keeping my narrowed eyes on my distant cousin. The others at the table seemed to sense I was up to something, and all watched, curious as to what I might be considering. Eventually, Sirius stopped laughing and looked at me, concern slowly spreading over his face. ¡°Yes, I believe that will work.¡± ¡°What will work?¡± Sirius asked slowly, hints of fear creeping into his voice. After giving him the most sinister smile that I could manage ¨C which was a challenge as I was eight ¨C I slipped from my seat. ¡°Kreacher, where can I find either Lord Black or Heir Black?¡± ¡°Master be in the Master Study. Does Little Chieftain want Kreacher to take you there?¡± ¡°No, no. You stay and look after the other children.¡± I turned, giving Sirius another long, hard stare. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Lord Black myself.¡± I turned and walked from the room, mirroring how I¡¯d seen Arcturus move when dealing with a situation he seemed uninterested in. ¡°Dom, Dom! DOM!¡± I ignored Sirius¡¯ screams for fear and slipped from the room, making my way toward the Master Study. While I knew the way, I was aware that I¡¯d not be able to enter without permission from Arcturus or Orion granting me entry. While I had some Black blood, I was from a maternal line and had several restrictions on where I could go, and what I could do in the Black Manor, much as was the case for my cousins from Aunts Fiona and Moire and ¨¢ine MacDougall. Once I¡¯d passed from sight of the kitchen, I slowed my pace wondering if Sirius would run after me, hoping to stop me from doing whatever it was I planned. Hearing footsteps I moved to one side of the hall, slipping behind a statue of Lord Scorpius Black who¡¯d been The Black at some point in the twelfth century. As the person chasing me slipped passed, I blinked, surprised to see it was Bellatrix who had come and not her cousin. ¡°You are not who I was expecting,¡± I said, slipping from my hiding spot. I¡¯d made no move to surprise her, yet Bellatrix showed good instincts. As she turned, a hand moved to where her wand holster was. While she had to know she was safe in her family home, she still reached for a wand when surprised. That was interesting and had me curious as to what would cause her to act that way, and why ¨C if as I assumed, it was caused by something or someone at Hogwarts ¨C it was allowed to continue by the staff and parents. ¡°Merlin! Are you trying to get stunned?!¡± She snapped after realising it was me. Her hand stayed near her holster, but she made no move to draw the wand. ¡°No, simply stating the fact I expected Sirius to chase after me,¡± I replied, ignoring that the older, and theoretically better-skilled witch, was standing near me; one hand ready to draw her weapon. Now, I knew that while she was only a First Year at Hogwarts, she¡¯d been tutored in her spells as soon as she was old enough to get a wand. However, I felt that, if it came down to it, I could give a good showing of myself. While my range of spells and incantations might be lacking in comparison, my wand was one designed specifically for me, and that mattered. In addition, I was far from the young boy she saw, which would result in her underestimating me, while I knew what she would one day become, and was, perhaps overestimating her abilities. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. I felt the faintest brush up against my mind and instantly raised my shields to their highest levels. ¡°You think that highly of me?¡± She asked, her anger at my surprise slipping away as she caught the faint hint of my thoughts, and how I regarded her. The fact she¡¯d so easily read my surface thoughts was a clear indicator of how far I still had to go with Occlumency before I was ready for Hogwarts. To say nothing of what lay beyond school. ¡°You are from House Black, and when I asked Lord Black about Magical Potential, he referred to you as the most powerful of your generation.¡± Which was the truth, so long as I ignored that Arcturus had also mentioned Sirius had Hyperypsilos or Very High Magical Potential. My comment drew a smile from Bellatrix, though there was a spark of something else there; something I knew had, in another world, developed into insanity after years of fighting and then decades in Azkaban. Yet oddly, I found that spark interesting. I wondered how I might gain the loyalty of Sirius and Regulus before James Potter and Voldemort did, however until the Winter Solstice Ball, I¡¯d not considered the idea of taking away any of the other players of power. Part of that was, I admit, a failure to expand my thoughts beyond the heirs of House Black. Though given Narcissa¡¯s apparent early interest in me ¨C something I blamed her parents for ¨C I¡¯d done my best to keep my distance from the Black Sisters. Something that had extended to my female cousins once I learnt they were alive and started mingling with them. Yet, during and after the Ball, I¡¯d realised there was, perhaps, a chance to if not turn Bellatrix away from Voldemort, then to create a friendship that might prevent her diving off the deep end into insanity serving Voldemort had brought. However, not long after she had returned to Hogwarts, and this sleepover with the Blacks was the first chance I¡¯d had to continue getting to know Bellatrix. ¡°Truly?¡± I nodded and she smirked, amused at the knowledge. ¡°I knew my potential, obviously, but I was unaware of anyone else in my family. Thank you for that juicy morsel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Now,¡± she leaned closer, a mischievous, possibly dangerous, smile dancing on her face. ¡°What exactly are you planning to do to get back at our insane cousin?¡± ¡°Honestly, nothing.¡± She blinked, entirely unprepared for my answer. ¡°I was just going to wander close to the Master Study, hang around for five minutes then go back to breakfast.¡± Bellatrix blinked again, and then slowly, as the intent of my prank sunk in, started to make a sound somewhere between a giggle and a chuckle. ¡°Oh, that is simply brilliant!¡± she said after recovering from the moment of understanding. ¡°Sirius will grow concerned about what he did, so much so that when you fail to tell him what Grandfather said, he may well go to him directly. And once there, he may well walk himself into trouble by admitting how his puns have been irritating the rest of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my hope, yes.¡± ¡°Merlin! That¡¯s¡­¡± she paused, searching for a word, only to start laughing. Before I knew it, she¡¯d moved closer and started rubbing my hair. ¡°HEY!¡± I complained, trying to slip from her grasp. However, Bellatrix was taller, and stronger, and had caught me off guard, so I was unable to slip away until my hair was well and truly messed up. ¡°Do you have to do that?!¡± I snarled, not liking the reminder of how young I was. ¡°Oh behave,¡± Bellatrix responded with a smile that turned oddly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I did what some of my friends said I should.¡± ¡°Wait, what?!¡± I blurted out, causing her smile to turn into something that somehow, even coming from a twelve-year-old, scared me. ¡°you know what,¡± I said, turning and moving back to the kitchen, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡± Behind me, Bellatrix started giggling, and while it wasn¡¯t a deranged sound, I felt a shiver run down my spine. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re probably right.¡± She moved closer and placed an arm around my shoulder. ¡°Now come along. It¡¯s time to not reveal what my dear cousin¡¯s punishment will be.¡± I allowed her to half drag me back to the kitchen, marvelling at the fact I was pranking Sirius Black with the help of Bellatrix. Sometimes my life was fucking surreal. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°Today, as we stand on this sacred ground, let us cast our minds back to the dark chapter that unfolded exactly one year ago,¡± Minister Leech began as he stood on a podium and spoke to those gathered. Mainly, that was families and friends of the various clans that had been present at the Summer Solstice Massacre, but there was also a large contingent of reporters, from what I could gather, the majority coming from across Europe. ¡°What transpired here was not merely an act of aggression; it was a vile and despicable assault orchestrated by those who sought to undermine the very essence of our society. These families, revered as the bedrock of the Scottish magical community, stand not only as guardians of our heritage but as living embodiments of the profound history and rich culture that courses through the veins of these cherished Isles.¡± While the massacre of my family and the other Clans was a local event, the fact that twelve elder magical families had been attacked was newsworthy across a good chunk of the magical world. As many members of the clans had married into foreign families over the years, dozens of prominent magical families had some tangential interest in the massacre. ¡°In the dead of night, these pillars of our community were mercilessly targeted, their tranquil slumber shattered by the malevolence of faceless perpetrators. For reasons unfathomable to us, these individuals believed that annihilating entire families, subjecting mothers to the horrific sight of their innocent children meeting a tragic end, and forcing young ones to confront the grisly spectacle of their parents drenched in crimson, could ever be deemed acceptable. Let me make it unequivocally clear: it was not, and it shall never be.¡± Because of that, the Ministers of Magic and or other officials from the Magical French Republic, The United German States, The Lowland Confederation, and the Norse League ¨C which was composed of the landmass representing the muggle countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and sections of Canada including Newfoundland ¨C were present. Ambassadors from various other magical governments, including the Magical Union of North America, the Greek Free States, the Russian Winter Union, and the Glorious Magical LongHua Dynasty. ¡°We, the noble citizens of this land, refuse to descend to the level of mere beasts. We are a people united by our resilience, our unwavering commitment to justice, and our steadfast belief in the inherent goodness that resides within each and every one of us. I solemnly pledge to you, in the presence on this hallowed ground, that those responsible for this reprehensible act shall face the full might of our justice system. Hear my words, for they carry the weight of an unyielding promise.¡± I¡¯d met each governmental representative before the service had begun, and all had expressed their sadness at the tragedy that occurred a year ago. Most were impressed that I, as a boy of seven at the time, had managed to assume control of the wards of my family¡¯s ancestral home, with some noting that such an event was extremely rare. Several had also mentioned wanting to speak with me privately after the service, with a few hinting at them having held connections with my family that, perhaps, were not to be discussed in public. ¡°Let it be known that we shall not rest until every stone has been turned, every clue unravelled, and every ounce of truth has been unearthed. We shall pursue the path of righteousness with unwavering determination, guided by the unwritten laws of compassion and righteousness that bind us together. The perpetrators who dared to disrupt the harmony of our existence shall soon realise the futility of their actions, for justice will find them wherever they may hide.¡± I¡¯d thanked the various dignitaries for their words of sympathy and support in finding those responsible, but each time it did, I struggled to not glare at Minister Leech. For the first few months after being revealed as The MacLeod, I¡¯d received regular letters regarding the progress of the investigation into who was responsible for the Massacre. Yet, since the Winter Solstice Ball, those letters had stopped. Or at least the ones from the Minister had. ¡°Today, as we gather amidst the echoes of the past, let us remember the indomitable spirit that courses through our veins. Let the memory of this fateful event serve as a rallying cry, reminding us that in the face of darkness, we are capable of conjuring the most radiant light. Together, let us forge a future where peace reigns supreme and where the acts of the malevolent few are drowned out by the resounding chorus of unity, justice, and unwavering resolve. May the spirits of the fallen find solace in our determination. May their memory guide our every step. And may we, the guardians of the sacred tapestry of our people, prevail in our unwavering pursuit of a world where no act of darkness can ever tarnish the brilliance of our collective spirit.¡± Lords Colvin and Edevane, in their positions as Chief Warlock and Head of the DMLE respectively, had both continued to keep me updated. Yet when I¡¯d asked them gently as to why Minister Leech wasn¡¯t responding to my inquiries, or at least in anything beyond a typically curt and bland response of the matter still being investigated, the pair hadn¡¯t responded. ¡°I pledge to you, my magical brethren, that justice will be served, for we are the embodiment of a nation undeterred, unyielding, and unconquerable.¡± Along with everyone else, I clapped as the Minister finished his speech, which while sounding more like a campaign address than one focusing on the events that happened here a year ago, was impressive. However, given that he¡¯d gone silent on my questioning of the status of the investigation, I had little faith he would carry through on his promise. A flaw that seemed to run through many political figures, regardless of when or where they came from, what their ideology was, or what their power base wanted. I¡¯d listened for decades to similar meandering drivel in my former life as the world slowly broke around us. Promises for leaders from across the political spectrum of help for those affected by disasters, displaced by wars, and threatened by the scarcity of critical resources almost always meant nothing. The majority were too interested in their personal issues, their self-worth and wealth, to the point that by the time I¡¯d been merged into this world. ¡°What a crock of shite.¡± I turned to my right, just catching the whispered words from Callum MacGregor, Heir to Clan MacGregor. This was the first time I¡¯d seen the boy since I was confirmed as Chief MacLeod by the Wizengamot. I¡¯d discovered from Bellatrix and other cousins who were at Hogwarts that the boy was in Ravenclaw. From what I¡¯d heard, he¡¯d always been a pompous arse but had become almost insufferable since becoming Heir MacGregor. Something that the muttered comment, which may well have been caught on camera by the reporters present, proved. The other side of him, Iona McKenzie gave him a side-eye glare. When she saw me also looking at Callum, I rolled my eyes, drawing a hint of a smile from her. From what I¡¯d heard, Iona was in Gryffindor, however, she was supposedly close to Kenneth Lambert, my cousin through Aunt Katrina, who was in Slytherin. I¡¯d not spend much time with Kenneth, or any of my Hogwarts-attending cousins, however once this memorial, and the accompanying gala, was over, I¡¯d get the chance to know them better. All my first cousins, whether they had the MacLeod name or not, would be spending a week with me at Dunscaith Castle. Kenneth¡¯s older brother Fergus, along with Ciaran O¡¯Callaghan were the heirs to their houses, so this would give me the chance to meet them. According to what Arcturus had told me, it would also allow me, if things went well to forge a bond of friendship with them and the rest of my cousins. Though given that Fergus and Ciaran would be starting Fourth Year at Hogwarts after the summer, and thus were around eight years older than me, I wasn¡¯t sure how easy that was going to be. However, even if the week was spent trying and failing to get to know them and the rest of my cousins, there was no way it would be any worse than this memorial service. While the idea of it was valid, and I was glad to be here to remember my family, Minister Leech had, thanks to that speech, made the entire event about himself. Amusingly, Arcturus had helped Leech become Minister three years ago, however, it seemed he regretted the decision and, from what I understood, was shifting his considerable support to a challenger. While the election wasn¡¯t due until the end of this year, Leech was in campaign mode, and since he was doing so at the memorial for my family, I¡¯d give what little support I was allowed to display to another figure. Minister Leech turned and approached Chief Finlay MacLean, one of only two Chiefs to survive the Massacre. Since he¡¯d lost a leg, along with his wife and three of his five children, I didn¡¯t suspect him to be behind the attack. Indeed, with every clan suffering badly during the Massacre I didn¡¯t feel any of the Chiefs or Heirs who survived the Massacre were involved in arranging it. The same belief didn¡¯t extend to the new Chiefs of Clans Cameron, Campbell, and MacKay. All three had been a brother of the former Chief of their Clan. With the former chief, along with everyone else in the line of inheritance before them, the New Chiefs were logical suspects. However, since they all had ¨C according to the DMLE ¨C valid reasons for not being at the SSM, and had been sworn in as Chiefs since then, it was hard to pursue them. Any sitting Lord or Chief had inbuilt protections that prevented the Wizengamot and Ministry from delving too deeply into anything they classified as Family/Clan business. Theoretically, the Wizengamot could overrule that protection, and suspend the House from the government, but it required over three-quarters of all possible votes to do so. Additionally, Arcturus, Ewan MacAulay, and Donald MacAskill had explained that few Lords were willing to support such a measure as it might one day be turned against their House or Clan. All of which meant that the most viable candidates or at least those with the most motive to arrange the Massacre, were now protected by the very laws meant to bring them, potentially, to justice. ¡°Chief MacLeod,¡± Minister Leech said as he moved on from Seumas MacDonald and shook my hand, having to lean down significantly to do so. I nodded back at him, giving him as little approval as I could. While I wasn¡¯t the only new Chief to come out of the Massacre, due to my age, I seemed to attract more attention from the press. Or at least I had ever since the Winter Solstice Ball of 1965. While I gave no voice to the gossip spewed on the pages of the Daily Prophet, The Northern News, or the handful of other publications in the Isle, they seemed content to bring my name up whenever the Massacre was mentioned. The Minister released my hand and moved to Callum MacGregor. The Heir to Clan MacGregor seemed to swell with pride at having the Minister¡¯s attention, and I had to bite the inside of my lip to avoid making a face. I had no idea if Callum was a skilled wizard, but it was clear he was an arse and not someone I wanted to interact with if I could at all avoid it. There was an urge to glance at my wrist or pull a phone from my pocket to check the time, but I was able to suppress it. While I¡¯d generally adapted to my new world, there were moments where the thoughts from the mind that had lived before the merging, in a magic-free world, slipped to the forefront. Almost as if forgetting that I wasn¡¯t that person anymore. Just as I wasn¡¯t the D¨°mhnall MacLeod who¡¯d been woken a year ago to find his father dead, and then watched his brother and mother die protecting him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be much longer,¡± I glanced at Seumas as he whispered to me. ¡°The Minister¡¯s only going to keep this up while the cameras are on us.¡± I gave Seumas the barest of nods, thanking him for the advice. Traditionally, our Clans had been rivals, but the feud between us had been forced to end about a century before the Statute came into effect. In recent centuries, while there was often a dislike between the various Chiefs, our clans generally worked together with my grandfather having been a member of Chief Donald MacDonald¡¯s honour guard at his wedding to my grandfather¡¯s cousin. I¡¯d only spoken a few times with Seumas, but we kept in touch and it had been him to inform me that in August there would be a Gathering. That was when the leaders of the Clans, be they from the Highlands and Islands, or the Lowlands, came together to discuss matters relating to Scotland. From what he¡¯d told me of the Gathering last year, little was done, but given tempers were still running hot after the Massacre, that was understandable. I was curious if I would be able to have any sway in the Gathering, as not only was i the youngest Chief present, but I¡¯d yet to start Hogwarts, to say nothing of passing my OWLs which seemed to be a marker for what someone could and couldn¡¯t do in the Magical World. ¡°Thank Merlin,¡± I whispered back, drawing a smirk from Seumas. I wanted to comment on the Minister¡¯s need for attention but decided not to. The cameras were still watching us, and I didn¡¯t want my face to end up beside Callum MacGregor¡¯s for committing a faux pas. The less people thought of me beside that prick, the better and I was glad that by the time I reached Hogwarts, he¡¯d be gone. No, if only this farce of a ceremony ended, and the gala banquet afterwards could end, then I could also go. Spending time around the Minister, and the cadre of wizards and witches that served him, made me miss time around those my age. Well, perhaps not Sirius, but I had a few more years to smooth his rougher edges. Or at least direct his need to irritating habits toward those I didn¡¯t like. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I looked out at the sea, marvelling at magic as I followed my cousins down to the beach near Dunscaith Castle. ¡°Magic fucking rocks,¡± I muttered as I watched the waves gently lap up against the clean, golden sand. The sky above us was clear, something not faked by magic as it was one of those rare days of clear, blue skies with only a gentle wind in the Hebrides. Yet, while it was a cool fifteen degrees on Skye, thanks to magic the beach was set at a refreshing twenty-two inside the wards of Dunscaith Castle. I could change that, but I felt the current temperature was ideal, particularly since most of those with me were, like me, children. I didn¡¯t know how, or even if, things like skin cancer were an issue for magicals, but I suspected it wasn¡¯t. I hadn¡¯t delved too deeply into books in the library about wizarding afflictions, but I¡¯d yet to come across any disease that carried over from the muggle world. Already my cousins were setting out their plans for the beach. Aunts Fiona and Moire, along with Fiona¡¯s youngest Gabriel, had already settled onto several large blankets with the ladies resting in elegantly made white deck chairs, a large parasol granting them shade. From what I understood the chairs and parasol were all enchanted to allow the user to alter various factors to make them, for example, softer or larger. The rest of my cousins had gathered in gender groups. The girls were together under another, much larger parasol, discussing animatedly something that I suspected I¡¯d not want to know anything about. Erin Montague was the oldest, and I suspected Talulla MacLeod and Aisling O¡¯Callaghan were peppering her with questions about what to expect at Hogwarts. However, given the way the girls seemed to giggle incessantly about everything, I suspected they were talking about something else, and whatever it was, I didn¡¯t want to know about it. As I turned back to the boys, I saw Nairn Montague speaking. He was also due to start Hogwarts this year, and he might have been asking the older boys about what to expect. From the smirks worn by the Lambert and O¡¯Callaghan boys, they were planning to prank him somehow about what to expect. What stood out though was that, at least when with extended family, there was no hint of house rivalries. When I¡¯d learnt that Fergus was in Gryffindor, while his brother Kenneth and cousin Odhran were in Slytherin, I was worried about it. However, there¡¯d been no issue between them, something likely helped that their brothers were together in Ravenclaw. Perhaps that meant there was less friction between the houses as in the canon timeline, or perhaps the issues hadn¡¯t yet raised their heads because, as far as I knew, Voldemort hadn¡¯t yet started moving openly. Thinking of Voldemort, my mind returned to thoughts of how he might be, in some small way, responsible for the Massacre last year. I didn¡¯t have any proof, but from what I¡¯d learnt, the wards deployed for the Summer Solstice were put in place by all Clan Chiefs. That meant taking them down, in a way that wouldn¡¯t alert anyone, took skill and power on a level few possessed. Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald most certainly would. Grindelwald, if events here had followed canon, was locked away in Nurmengard while Dumbledore ¨C for all my ancestors seemed to dislike him, which given my grandparents fought for Grindelwald, made sense ¨C was busy at Hogwarts. That left, from my limited knowledge, one person who could, potentially be responsible for the attack. Now, there was every chance that I was entirely misguided about that, and the attack had been the work of disgruntled members of the Clans, and perhaps some of the Sept Clans. However, without any proof, I couldn¡¯t make a definite decision. Something brushed against my legs and I looked down to see a small wooden cat walking over my feet. Picking it up, I saw Tegan walking toward me, a hand outstretched for her toy. Handing it back to my younger cousin, and one of the few here to bear the name MacLeod, I turned back to once more look at the groups gathered on the beach. I¡¯d spent time with each of the boys at, or soon to be going to Hogwarts, with a focus on Fergus, Ciaran, and Nairn as they were the heir to their family. However, it was hard to bond with the older boys, as in some cases they were almost double my age. That meant, even though I was the senior family member, and only Chief, present, I often took a backseat to Fergus and Ciaran regarding what to do. To help with controlling the others, I had to turn to my aunts, who rotated which ones were present due to family or work commitments. Aunt Katrina, for example, wasn¡¯t here as she was working at the DMLE, though her youngest Flora ¨C who only Gabriel Montague was younger than - was here. Flora was spending time with Gabriel, Tegan, and Aunts Fiona and Moire under their parasol, the adults having transfigured various stones into toy animals for the youngest children to play with. The cat, having decided it didn¡¯t want to spend time with the others and instead moved toward me for attention, though as Tegan came running over, chasing the cat, I picked up the animated toy and handed it back to her. After a smile of thanks, Tegan turned and raced back to the other young children, leaving me again alone. Thanks to the Massacre, I had few cousins left, and while I treasured all of them, and planned to slowly develop friendships with all of them, I was oddly alone. The only ones close to me in age were four of my aunts¡¯ daughters, while the boys were generally older. Only Gabriel was younger, and he was younger than even Regulus Black. Still, while that was unfortunate, as I could¡¯ve worked on having a trustworthy friend for when I entered Hogwarts, I was glad my cousins and aunts were here this week. Yes, it meant no lessons as having them would either annoy my cousins that I was studying instead of playing, or they¡¯d bother their parents or guardians to hire them tutors as well. Amusingly, the only time I¡¯d been able to study was when speaking with Kenneth. He¡¯d been having trouble understanding some of his First-year charms. Since I¡¯d already mastered them, and knew more than he¡¯d get from his teachers of textbooks ¨C the benefits of private, one-on-one tutoring ¨C I¡¯d helped him with the homework. Seeing Fergus and Ciaran pull their wands, though thankfully not in anger, I moved closer. Perhaps they might reveal a spell from their year that I could learn earlier. While I¡¯d mastered most of the First-year curriculum already, Arcturus, Aunt Katrina, and my tutors were insistent that I not attempt anything beyond that until at least after the summer. Which meant that while I could read the various Second-year textbooks my older siblings had left, I couldn¡¯t check if I was casting them properly. Or, when I failed to get a spell to incantation to work, seek guidance to fix my issue. However, that was an issue to deal with after the summer. For today, and the rest of the week, I could enjoy my time with family. And perhaps, make some sort of inroad toward friendship with my siblings. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ The Early Years 11 The Early Years 11 ... ... I slipped from the Floo, emerging into the main foyer of Dunscaith, and after taking a few steps forward to get my balance, I sighed. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± The curse slipped from my lips with a sigh of relief. I unsheathed my wand from its holster. ¡°Tempus.¡± I watched as a faint, ethereal clock appeared in front of me. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I repeated. It was now past seven pm, and I was only now getting home from the Gathering. A meeting that had begun at ten in the morning, and baring the thirty-minute break for lunch, had run for nine freaking hours, without a sodding thing of any importance being agreed upon. I¡¯d been warned going in by Seumas MacDonald and Ewan MacAulay to not expect much beyond various factions in the Gathering getting into shouting matches, however, what I¡¯d just endured had been little better than a bad joke. Sixty-eight Chiefs from across Scotland spent most of the time arguing about matters that, to put it mildly, were trivial. I understood that many clans had grievances with others, such as MacLeod had with Clans MacKinnon and MacDonald. However, ninety per cent of those grievances predated the Statute of Secrecy, and had, in theory, been settled either before it by the crown, or afterwards by the Wizengamot. Yet, Chiefs who¡¯d been born during the reign of Queen Victoria couldn¡¯t seem to let go of their grudges and focus on relevant business. Of course, there¡¯d been no direct slandering, name-calling, or insulting going on, as that could have led to honour duels being called. However, every phrase, every statement and reply, every single piece of dialogue had been, if aimed at someone from a rival clan ¨C or in the case of a sept Clan, at the rival of their overlord Clan ¨C dripping with contempt at best, downright hostile at worst. During my lessons about how the Wizengamot and Ministry worked with Arcturus, he had commented on the oddly fractured nature of the Scottish Clans. He didn¡¯t fully understand why, as most of the issues were kept out of the Wizengamot, but he knew there was bad blood between many of the Clans and had warned me about it. Yet, hearing it from an English Lord was entirely different from experiencing it firsthand! Hell, the Chiefs of Clans Douglas and Stewart simply couldn¡¯t stop themselves from offering (what they termed) constructive criticism of anything the other suggested whenever business did turn to matters concerning present-day business. Honestly, if not for the fact that within a decade, I¡¯d have to be more than just a spectator at a Gathering, I¡¯d have found the seemingly pointless bickering amusing. What didn¡¯t help was that, on top of the ancient hatred between certain Clans, there were long-running issues between the Highland and Island Clans, and the Lowland and Border Clans. From what I¡¯d learnt beforehand from Seumas and Ewan, the former Clans, which included Clan MacLeod, kept to the old ways and were fiercely proud of their ancestry and history. They felt the Lowland and Border Clans had sold out on their country and ancestry, something not helped by many of those clans choosing to be referred to as Lords and not Chiefs. On the other hand, the Lowland and Border Clans felt the Highland and Island Clans were stuck in the past. Those from the Highlands and Islands were unable to grasp that, within Magical Britain and Ireland, to say nothing of the wider Magical World, they were antiquated relics unable to adapt to more modern issues. Something made clear by their distaste for the Sept system, which they¡¯d abolished. Even if I was unsure about the concept, I felt that was a mistake. The Irish Clans, along with the English Lords, all had septs or vassal houses, though the Irish septs lacked the voting powers of the Scottish septs. That was because they were more akin to cadet branches of the main Clan than separate clans in their own right, and were often just versions of the same name such as Murphy being a sept of Clan O''Murphy. While it was perhaps an older concept to place one house or Clan in servitude to another older, and in theory more powerful one, there were laws in place to allow those in servitude to separate from their overlord. The more common, but more dangerous, route was for the Sept Clan or vassal House to reach an equal rank as their overlord, defeat the overlord Chief or Lord in a duel that wasn¡¯t allowed to end in death, and if victorious, petition the Wizengamot. The Wizengamot would then vote on the matter, with a simple majority being enough to secure the sept Clan¡¯s or vassal House¡¯s independence. The second method was for the overlord Chief or Lord to state publicly to the Wizengamot that they were releasing their vassal from their vows. Over the last century, those two ways had only been used seven times, with five being via duel. Since the Overlord had lost the duel, and was thus in the eyes of many diminished, the votes each time had been near-unanimous. The two where the vassal had been granted their freedom had come from Clan Fergusson releasing the last of their sept Clans. Every time I thought about how a sept could gain their freedom, my mind drifted to concerns about the status of Clan MacAulay as they were four generations from becoming an Ancient Clan. Which was the current rank of Clan MacLeod. If not for the fact that my son ¨C or that of my cousins if they inherited after me ¨C would be the fifty-first MacLeod of MacLeod, and thus have the Clan raised to Most Ancient status, they¡¯d have profited greatly from our deaths at the Massacre. Without myself or my cousins, the titles would¡¯ve had to travel back up the family tree to a free MacLeod, which from what I understood, was Murdo MacLeod of Duntelm Castle. Though since he wasn¡¯t in the direct family line, every MacLeod of MacLeod from where his branch of the family descended would be stricken from the age-count of the Clan, pushing the elevation of our Clan to Most Ancient back five generations. Ewan MacAulay couldn¡¯t move against me as he¡¯d sworn his life on the MacLeod torc. As had his brothers and children. However, that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t help arranging for me or my cousins to have accidents, or that he might not have, in some indirect way, helped to arrange the Massacre that cost me my family. Sadly, I had no proof of that, nor any way to investigate it without calling his loyalty and honour into question. If I did that, he had every right to challenge me over the insult, and even though I wasn¡¯t yet in Hogwarts, I couldn¡¯t avoid that duel. Since he was the aggrieved party, he could set the terms, which I knew would be that if he won, his Clan would be granted their independence. I shook my head, clearing that train of thought from my mind once again. Neither of us could move against the other, or in my case, even investigate him, until I¡¯d passed my OWLs. The protection of over half the Wizengamot, including those of every Highland Clan meant he also couldn¡¯t attempt anything against me. Any action by him would result in the magic inherent in the Wizengamot ¨C and the predecessor Wizarding Council ¨C marking the betrayal of his oath, so I didn¡¯t have to focus on the matter for a good number of years. ¡°The MacLeod is well?¡± I sighed as I realised Kadic was present. ¡°Yes, Kadic, I¡¯m fine. Just tired after a wasted day.¡± ¡°The MacLeod before The MacLeod often dislike Gathering.¡± Kadic paused before standing taller, his ears perking up. ¡°Would The MacLeod like firewhisky? The MacLeod before The MacLeod liked firewhisky when The MacLeod came home.¡± I smirked, amused by Kadic¡¯s inability to refer to my father as anything except the MacLeod before me. ¡°No, thank you Kadic. I think I might wait a few years before taking up my father¡¯s habit. Could you make me some lemonade?¡± ¡°Yes, Kadic do that.¡± He clicked his fingers and the familiar sound of an elf apparating away echoed in the hall. The first few times I¡¯d come back from a meeting or tutoring session, Kadic had fussed over me. While I understood his need to do so, given I was the last member of the direct family, I¡¯d found his behaviour annoying. After speaking with him about that, he¡¯d promised to relax, and so far, he¡¯d done so. Once I reached the main sitting room, I collapsed happily into the chair that had quickly become my favourite. The Gathering for this year was over, and I could finally relax and enjoy the last few weeks of the summer. Tomorrow, Magnus, Talulla, and Tegan would come over to spend more time at their ancestral home. With only a few weeks until the start of school, it would be about the last time I see the older two before they started at Hogwarts. Of the three, Magnus was the one I got along with best, which was hardly a surprise, but there was just enough of an age gap that I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer that would last. A small voice in my head always reminded me that, if the wrong people got into his head, he might well challenge me for control of Clan MacLeod. Thankfully, that, like threats from Ewan MacAulay and others, was years away, but it still danced around in my mind. And was, perhaps, part of the reason I went out of my way over the summer to spend more time with my cousins than any of the Black children. As much as I¡¯d prefer to simply enjoy my childhood and learn magic, the world I¡¯d chosen was far more hazardous than I¡¯d realised. And, for now, I only knew of the political threats. The more dangerous ones, such as Voldemort, had yet to appear on the horizon. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I gave the weapon in my hand an experimental shake. When Arcturus had talked about Lords and Chiefs duelling for sport, I¡¯d thought he¡¯d meant with magic. Something that I¡¯d seen when Arcturus took me, Sirius, and Antares with him to watch the British Duelling Tournament of ¡®66. Yet here I was, a month after my ninth birthday at the start of 1967, holding a sword. Now, a sheathed blade hung above the Chief¡¯s chair in the Master Study, one that I¡¯d taken down several times, but I¡¯d thought it was just an heirloom: A relic from back before the Statute when a magical may have to duel a muggle. Yet here I was, in one of the various training rooms of Le Domine Noir, holding a blade in my hand. Or at least, a shortened version of the blade in my study. ¡°You seem confused.¡± I looked up at Arcturus. Unlike most times I saw him, he wasn¡¯t wearing expensive and exquisite robes, instead, like me, wearing relatively tight-fitting clothing. When I¡¯d first been handed the padded shirt and trousers, I¡¯d simply thought they were to protect me when we started duelling. A thought made stronger as I picked out various runic patterns inlaid in the stitching that provided protection, warmth, and comfort. I had wondered why I¡¯d not been given any sort of helmet, but when we¡¯d entered this training room, I¡¯d spotted two sitting on a nearby bench, both made of similar material to our clothing. After he¡¯d helped me secure the protection for my skull, he¡¯d turned and revealed the sword I¡¯d be using today. ¡°I thought we would be learning duelling,¡± I replied, pulling the blade from its cover cautiously. The edges looked razor sharp, so much so that when I rolled my wrist, the light coming from sources in the roof flashed as the edge caught it. ¡°We are. However, while you may have expected to begin training for wand-duelling, we will instead be learning the art of duelling with a blade.¡± In a move more majestic than a river cascading over a waterfall, he pulled his blade from its sheath, moved his arm, and the blade danced through the air with such grace that my eyes instinctively followed the weapon. Suddenly, the blade¡¯s movement shifted, and as I felt the torc on my arm warm in warning, I stumbled back. My feet caught each other, and I fell, the blade in my hand clattering to the ground as my back impacted the mat we were standing on. ¡°The first lesson, and easily the most important, is to watch your opponent; not their weapon,¡± I grumbled as I looked up at Arcturus, his blade parallel to the ground and perfectly still; the point where I¡¯d formerly been standing. ¡°That said, your reflexes, boosted as they are by your torc, are acceptable.¡± As he stood over me, his blade perfectly still as he held what looked to be a perfect fencing position, I had the urge to lash out. To strike at him with magic for trying to attack me. Thankfully for me, I ignored the urge. Ignoring the sheer gap between our magical repertoire, with mine only being up to Second Year in Hogwarts whereas he was decades old and with full access to whatever the family magic of house Black was, it was beyond stupid to lash out. He was older, armed and in position whereas I was exactly the opposite. He looked down at me, and I saw a faint twitch of his cheeks. A moment later, he leaned back and lowered his blade to a relaxed position. ¡°Good, you are controlling your anger,¡± he said, both hands resting on the hilt of the blade. ¡°The choice you now face, and will face throughout your life, is how you wish to use that anger. Will you choose it as a burning hot, flaming blade to strike at your enemies with? Or will you harness it, focus it; refining the fury within into a cold, hard edge with which to strike at those who threaten and challenge you?¡± I blinked, confused as to where that challenge had come from. While I understood the lesson he was trying to teach, or at least hint at, it was an odd place to have it brought up. Staying quiet, I pulled myself back to my feet, considering his words. My plans for the future, for post-Hogwarts were still, I would freely admit, vague. Beyond changing the world, and trying to make it a better place, I wasn¡¯t concerning myself with that too much. Yet, Arcturus¡¯ question was as valid when I was an adult as it was now. And the actions, the choices I made now would shape the man I would grow into. Staying quiet, I walked over to my blade. There was a moment where I considered summoning it to my hand. While I knew the charm, and could almost cast it without speaking, I¡¯d not attempted anything like that without my wand. Hell, I¡¯d barely attempted any magic without one. Yes, I had chosen a trait to help with wandless casting, but knowing I could do it and doing so were vastly different concepts. Hell, just getting to the point where a simple spell like Stupefy could be cast silently had taken months of dedicated training, casting it over a hundred thousand times. As I picked up my blade, I shifted my feet. I¡¯d never held a blade before, in either life, yet I¡¯d seen enough movies and I¡¯d learnt, in my non-magical life before the merging, how to fight. From all of that, I felt I understood the very basics of the stance that was needed. From the way Arcturus¡¯ clinical eye looked me over as I moved the blade into position, I did not. ¡°Shift your body to only present the side, you want to present as small a target as possible, now spread your legs further and lower your centre of gravity, it will help stabilise you, better¡± He said slowly before moving as well. He lifted his blade, bringing it up, the tip pointing toward the roof. ¡°Before any duel, regardless of the stakes, one must salute their opponent.¡± I lifted my blade, matching his position. ¡°However, the moment both blades drop, the lesson begins.¡± I paused, realising I¡¯d been tricked into starting the lesson. Arcturus was a strict tutor, expecting the best, and accepting nothing less. Our lessons in wand work, be it charms, incantations, transfigurations, or hexes had involved clear reminders ¨C often in the form of painful stinging hexes ¨C when I made a mistake. Even those that I didn¡¯t realise I was making. As I looked up at Arcturus, his eyes watching me for the slightest movement, I realised that this lesson would be no different. Suddenly, the odd clothing we were wearing brought me comfort. Which would be the only comfort I¡¯d get for the next few hours. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ As Spring turned to Summer in 1967, and my ninth birthday far in the rearview mirror, I found myself, as I often did, entering the Master Study of Dunscaith Castle. There was no one else in the castle bar Kadic, if one excluded the enhanced magical portraits of my ancestors, and I found myself heading to the Master Study at least once a week. Beyond the various objects, books and memorabilia that were collected here, I found the place oddly relaxing. As if the magic of the castle, the torc, and what flowed through me found a sense of balance, of alignment in this room. The only place where that balance felt stronger was in the core, but at the same time, as odd as it might sound, there wasn¡¯t as much alignment between the magic within me and that of the sphere that controlled the wards. I knew that one day I¡¯d have to align myself with that core, but I instinctively understood that I was far from ready. That didn¡¯t stop me from spending time down there meditating on the magic moving through me and that of the mysterious, shifting ball of shadows, but I knew the time wasn¡¯t right to attempt to gain true control of the core. Something my great-grandfather had warned me repeatedly every time we spoke. He would prefer that I didn¡¯t head down to the core, but he and my grandfather understood the (for lack of a better term) pull that came from the shadow core of the castle. The tall, elegantly engraved velvet-cushioned chair reserved for The MacLeod sat behind the impressive desk that seemed to dominate the room without even trying. Like the chair, the desk was inlaid with runes. While some were Futhark runes, others were unknown to me. My great-grandfather, Alasdair, had explained that the other runes were from other runic languages. While he knew what most of them meant, there were several that he didn¡¯t. Those were easy to pick out, as while most of the runes, regardless of their source, had sharp, well-defined lines, there were sections along the inside of the desk ¨C where only The MacLeod could see them ¨C where the runes were vastly different. Those runes, which were also on the chair, the faded, worn flag that held a position of prominence above the sword behind the chair, and a handful of other locations in the castle, with the largest concentration being in the passage to, and the chamber containing the ward core. Those runes seemed to flow, as if engraved by a master calligrapher, merging into a series of unique, entrancing markings. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. As I walked around the desk, my fingers, as they always did, drifted over the flowing, ethereal carvings, and the faint hints of power they contained brushed up against the magic within me. There was power in these runes, power that I knew was beyond anything I¡¯d learn in Hogwarts, or studying under a master runesmith. These engravings tasted of something wholly foreign, and yet distantly familiar. Everything about them, and where they lay in the castle, felt important. It galled me to know that I was far from ready to learn their purpose, to say nothing of their origin, but I had to accept it. I wanted to know, I needed to know, what they meant, where they¡¯d come from, and what power they linked to. Yet I knew that power taken or learnt before one was ready only led to disaster. The lesson, even if I understood it better than many would realise, had been drilled into me by my ancestors, Arcturus, my Aunts, tutors, and others. Slipping into the master chair, I sighed in acceptance that the otherworldly runes were beyond my understanding. At the same time, I felt the magic in the chair react to me, shifting the cushions around, finding the location that provided the right amount of comfort without making me too comfortable. This room was a place of work, or business and planning, and while I was far from ready to begin preparing for the future beyond Hogwarts, I still enjoyed coming here. As often happened once I was settled, my eyes drifted around the room, taking in the mysteries that inhabited it. To my right stood the wall of shelves. Magic coursed through the books, tempting me with what they might contain. Yet, much like understanding the unusual runes carved into the desk and other places, I knew the time to learn what those books contained wasn¡¯t yet at hand. Not least as, of those that had names upon their spines, few were in English. While I¡¯d begun lessons in Scots Gaelic, it was a difficult language to learn. Far more so than the German I recalled from the adult part of me that had existed in another world before the merging. However, with my Occlumency now progressing to the stage where I could easily recall anything I knew with ease, I could easily access memories of lessons I¡¯d had decades ago. That was slightly frightening but insanely useful. Beyond the books, there were a handful of objects that continually drew my attention. The skull in a jar turned to watch me as I moved around the room and the strange gem the size of my fist being the two most obvious. The skull was, thanks to magic, alive in some way and the jaw moved as if trying to speak. I had once moved the jar to the desk and watched it for several hours. Yet, for all my curiosity about where the skull had come from ¨C it wasn¡¯t the correct shape to have been human though it was, roughly, about the right size ¨C or what exactly it was saying or wanting, I¡¯d not opened the jar. While some of that had come from a fear that whatever the skull was might be dangerous, the biggest reason for my reluctance was the runic seals on the lid. Like the desk, not all the runes were Futhark, but what I could understand warned of danger, or fire and pain and I feared that opening it might release some form of unspeakable evil into the world. The gem was another object I¡¯d spent time watching, though that was because, somehow, it seemed as if it had come from the ward core. When I¡¯d realised the connection between the pair, I¡¯d first examined the core as closely as I dared, seeking a point where the gem might go. However, the core was perfectly smooth across its unerringly ideal shape. I was certain the gem was connected to the core, as they both had shifting, mesmerising shadows inside, yet I was at a loss for how. Turning to the other side of the room, and where the hidden passage led to the ward core, I looked at the shelves there. There was barely a third of the storage space on that side, and everything stored there was spaced out and given positions of prominence. A dagger inlaid with the same runes I¡¯d seen in Gringotts, and stained with something black, he a place of prominence on one shelf, while on another a ruby-fronted circlet drew the eye every time I looked at it. However, for today, my focus was on the book that sat in a central location on the shelves, resting on a raised pedestal. While my lessons with Gaelic were slow going, I now knew enough to understand the title of the book: Grimoire of The MacLeod. Since learning that, the mere presence of the book continued to tease me. The knowledge within it was spells, charms, hexes, and all manner of magic created by my ancestors that were known and taught only to The MacLeod. I lifted my wand and pressed it against the torc. ¡°Thabhairt amach mo shinsear Alisdair MacLeod agus ¨¢ine MacLeod, nee O¡¯Leary.¡± I felt the magic flow through my wand, touching what was within the torc, and then interacting with the magic imbued in the walls of the castle. A second later, the frame containing my great-grandparents appeared in the room, resting comfortably on the guest chair on the other side of the desk. It was at an odd angle for looking at, but as I¡¯d been more focused on making sure it arrived in a stable position than one ideal for viewing, I could live with it for now. The pair seemed to stumble inside their painting as if the magic of the wards summoning them had been unexpected. It shouldn¡¯t have been since this meeting with Alasdair was planned, but it was still odd to see. ¡°That is not something I enjoy, but it is what it is,¡± Alasdair said after recovering from the summoning. ¡°And thank you for including ¨¢ine in the summons. While she would only be frozen if she came without permission, I recall my grandmother complaining about how unusual and unnerving that had felt when I summoned my grandparents.¡± ¡°Yes, from speaking to her, that isn¡¯t something I wish to experience,¡± ¨¢ine added with a smile. ¡°Now, as this is business for The MacLeod only, I will leave you two to it.¡± She moved to the side of the portrait and walked away as if simply stepping behind the frame. I knew that wasn¡¯t the case, and she¡¯d instead move to another portrait of her in the house, one that wasn¡¯t as enchanted as this one was. While that would limit her intelligence, in a way, it did seem a better option than being frozen in time with no memory of what had happened but knowing the time had passed. Once she¡¯d done that, I stood. The painting had to be moved so that looking at my great-grandfather didn¡¯t take place at such an odd angle. I pointed my wand at the painting and tried using the charm I wanted silently. As the frame drifted upward, caught in the field of effect of the levitating charm, Alasdair smiled. ¡°While only a First-Year charm, that you can now use it silently is impressive. I assume this skill is due to the aggressive tutoring you¡¯ve undergone in the last year.¡± I nodded, accepting the praise as I lowered the portrait, placing it at a more advantageous angle. ¡°Colloshoo.¡± That was the temporary sticking charm and would hold the frame in place for, if I¡¯d used enough intent in the charm, for a few hours. Since it was a Second-Year charm, I hadn¡¯t yet practised it enough to consider trying it silently, and certainly not with Alasdair¡¯s portrait. Once I was happy the frame was secure, I moved toward my chair. ¡°No.¡± I stopped at Alasdair¡¯s command. ¡°The Grimoire, bring it here.¡± I frowned, wondering why he was asking that of me. Yes, the book continually had my attention when I was in here ¨C at least if I wasn¡¯t otherwise distracted by the other objects inside ¨C but I¡¯d been warned to not touch it. While the torc and my blood would mostly shield me for the protections on it, the magic inside was, according to my ancestors, far beyond me currently. Given that the last time I¡¯d placed my hand over the book, I¡¯d felt simmering of something within, I found myself agreeing, though that didn¡¯t mean I hadn¡¯t been curious about what might be contained within. I moved toward the book, its position of importance always obvious by the small, tilted pedestal it sat on; nothing else on that shelf to distract from it. My hands came up, the magic of the book reacting to the magic flowing through me and the torc. The air seemed to thicken as my hand neared the cover, almost as if the book doubted I was worthy of touching it, never mind opening it. Yet, I knew this book, and what it contained, belonged to me. Its secrets are mine to discover and learn, even if today wasn¡¯t the day that began. A grunt slipped from my lips as it felt as if I was pushing through quicksand with faint, invisible vines reaching out to pull my palm away from its target. Time seemed to slow as I pushed forward, my magic crashing against the protections of the grimoire, demanding its subservience. Each millimetre toward my target brought greater resistance, greater strain, and greater challenge, yet onward I pushed. Eventually, as it felt as if I¡¯d been doing this for hours, I felt my hand crash against the cover. The magic blocking me ceased as my palm pressed against the odd rough surface of the book. I frowned as I picked it up, turning it over in my hands. The cover was different, made from the skin of something, but nothing like the leather seen on other book covers. Not even the rarer books I¡¯d seen in the Inner Library, at the library of Le Domaine Noir or in any bookstore in Diagon Alley or Horizon Alley. ¡°Before you ask,¡± I turned to Alasdair who I couldn¡¯t see due to the portrait facing the main chair, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the cover is made from. The colouring and texture match nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before. Even books bound in dragon skin are smoother to the touch than whatever was used to bind the grimoire.¡± I turned, my hands still running over the cover, as if trying to memorise every little nook and cranny of it. ¡°How old is this?¡± I asked as I walked back to the desk. ¡°If you can, open the cover.¡± I paused mid-sit to look at Alasdair. For the last six months, ever since learning the name of the book, I¡¯d been warned to not open it. To not even touch yet. Yet here was my great-grandfather telling me, from essentially beyond the grave, nonchalantly telling me to open it as if I¡¯d not just had to fight the magic inherent in the book to even touch it. ¡°You have proven yourself to the grimoire, and it will allow you to open it. However, it will sense when the spell on the following page is beyond your current ability to cast. The spells inside have, in the hands of one powerful enough and with an inclination toward the required magics, the potential to wipe all life, be it magical or muggle, from these isles. If not the entire continent.¡± I gulped. Hard. That kind of magic¡­ was almost beyond comprehension. I mean, I¡¯d seen clips of nuclear explosions from World War Two and watched videos of conventional weaponry with similar destructive capacity dropped during wars of the mid-twenty-first century. Yet, the spells Alasdair was suggesting this book contained made those seem irrelevant in comparison. ¡°Do not concern yourself. The first few pages contain no spells, nor wards that, as The MacLeod, you need to concern yourself about.¡± Slowly, as if trying to disarm a bomb ¨C which was an apt description ¨C I gently lifted the cover. The odd-feeling material continued to brush against my fingertips as I cautiously revealed the first page. Yet, as that came into view, I frowned, wondering what I was looking at. Hearing a grunt, I looked at Alasdair, keeping the cover grasped firmly between my fingers. ¡°Yes, there is that,¡± he said slowly, and I returned my gaze to the first page of the book. There was writing inside, however, it looked like nothing I¡¯d ever seen. There were enough repetitive movements of whatever hand had placed it on the page, but the styling of the symbols, the odd ways some lines cut back, and the markings above the alien words meant nothing to me. Yet, the more I looked at the characters, and as I traced a finger over them, I felt as if I should understand them. ¡°What does it say?¡± I asked with the need to know more about this odd, mystical language. He smiled broadly, amused by something. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I blinked, uncertain if I¡¯d heard him clearly. That made him start laughing. I glared, annoyed at the reaction. Yet, I only seemed to make him laugh harder, so I was forced to wait for him to recover. ¡°Forgive me, but I had thought my time enjoying this moment had passed. The foreword of our grimoire, and what message it carries to every MacLeod of MacLeod has been lost to magic.¡± I frowned, wondering how such a thing could happen. ¡°Centuries ago, in the days before the Wizarding Council had the power to force Clans to seek peace and forgive grievances, back when we faced raids from the Norse and the English, our Clan was attacked by another. That day, the chief, his children, and many of his grandchildren fell in the attack, and while our Clan continued, the torc passed to the third son of the third son; one never brought in on the secrets of the grimoire.¡± ¡°He, the first D¨°mhnall to be The MacLeod, sought his revenge and wiped our rival Clan from the pages of history. While he was successful in wiping out those responsible for the attack on our Clan, he never recovered any knowledge of what language was used in the grimoire¡¯s foreword. While the spells within can be read, even those written in archaic forms of Gaelic, the foreword, and the handful of spells in that language, have been lost to the annals of history. At least until one comes along and locates something akin to the Salmon of Knowledge.¡± I stood there numbly, wondering when this attack had taken place, and just how old the grimoire was. ¡°Wait!¡± I called out as an idea came to me. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t his portrait know?¡± Alasdair chuckled. ¡°That was the same question I asked my father when he told this story. And the same your grandfather and father asked when they heard it too.¡± He sighed and shook his head. ¡°Alas, while there are Dealbhan Nas Motha going back ten generations before me, they came centuries after your namesake.¡± I nodded, accepting that, though the mention of the Dealbhan Nas Motha ¨C Greater Portraits ¨C turned my thoughts back to them, and what knowledge they might hold as they rested in the Memory Vault. From what I¡¯d learnt the room they resided in, which had never been named to not have it diminished into just another location, had a status effect in play. While stored within, time didn¡¯t pass, which, it was theorised would prevent the painting from developing any issues with seemingly living long enough to watch your children, grandchildren and those that followed grow up, grow old, and die. Even with that taken into consideration, there had been MacLeod of MacLeod¡¯s who¡¯d chosen to not have a Greater Portrait created. I wondered if perhaps my father had been one such MacLeod of MacLeod. He had told my grandfather that his painting was in Gringotts, as he considered it off-putting to speak with a copy of himself. Yet, the more I considered the matter, the more I wondered if, once I gained entry to Vault 243 or 343, I would find the portrait of my parents. ¡°Now, with that out of the way, close the book. For what you are to begin to learn today, it is no longer needed.¡± I frowned, caught out by the sudden change in topic, and the fact the book that he¡¯d promised to begin my training with today, was to be discharged. Still, trusting him, I did as asked and then sat in the Chieftain¡¯s chair. ¡°Good, now. Tell me what you felt when you tried to reach for the grimoire?¡± ¡°Magic. That of the book, the torc, and what flowed through me.¡± Alasdair nodded. ¡°Good, and how did they react, how did they feel around each other?¡± ¡°The protections around the book resisted. They tried to prevent me from moving forward, from touching the cover.¡± ¡°And the magic within you?¡± ¡°That worked to let me reach the cover. The torc helped too as if it was drawing on the ambient magic in the castle.¡± Alasdair smiled. ¡°Yes, it did. Which, when combined with the magic that flows through you, as it did for all those who came before you, is what the book sensed. If it had not, then the resistance you mistook for protection would¡¯ve lashed out.¡± ¡°What you felt was the book and the magic that helped create it, challenging you. It recognised the magic that flows through you, and wished to deem you worthy.¡± He paused and looked at the now-closed grimoire. ¡°The magic of the ward core, that flows through the torc, meant it also had to ensure you were worthy to lead the Clan. It also, though I doubt you realised it, helped you see how to pull your magic in a way not taught within your textbooks. To summon it instinctively and harness it, and that the sliver of the ward core¡¯s power that the torc currently grants you access to, to your will.¡± I looked down at my hand and the torc that rested around my wrist, processing his words. ¡°This is how I can, one day, use magic linked to our clan?¡± ¡°Yes, though I will warn you now to not expect results for years. The MacLeod of MacLeod can choose to teach it earlier, or later, to any of their bloodline, when they feel they are ready, but generally begin until after a young witch or wizard has started Hogwarts with an expectation they won¡¯t learn to use it for anything but the most basic, almost instinctual magical outbursts until they turn fifteen. This helps to ensure they are mature enough, and close to realising their full potential, by the time they grasp the magic within themselves properly to be able to learn the basic magics created by our Clan.¡± ¡°Then why now for me?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not because I think you¡¯re ready to learn anything within the grimoire,¡± Alasdair replied with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s because, ideally, your father would¡¯ve been here to guide you, to help show you how to sense the magic within you and teach you how to focus, harness and control it. However, he is no longer with us, and it falls to me and your grandfather to educate you in this matter.¡± ¡°Your progression with spells from Hogwarts is impressive, and as we will be unable to help truly guide you into harnessing the magic within you properly, we felt it best to reveal the reasons why these lessons were needed early.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± I replied with a nod. ¡°So how exactly does this work?¡± While it was annoying that I¡¯d have to wait at least half a decade to learn whatever I started today just to be able to use the spells within the grimoire, I accepted it. And I was glad that I¡¯d be getting some guidance. This was one of those instances where ¨¢ine MacDougall had an advantage as our uncle, and her Guardian, Marcas, would know some of whatever magic the MacDougall¡¯s had in their grimoire. And while I was starting this lesson early, other heirs and children from other Houses and Clans would have the support of their sitting Lord or Chief, and their parents and relatives to help with this. Alasdair smiled, pleased I wasn¡¯t going to wallow in pity of the loss of my parents nor complain that I¡¯d lack the training he and others couldn¡¯t give. ¡°Meditation,¡± I groaned and rolled my eyes at that. ¡°Lots and lots of meditation. As with learning to tap into your potential, and slowly unravelling the mental and spiritual blocks that you have, you need to focus on how the magic in you felt when you reached for and eventually touched the grimoire. From there, in perhaps two years, just before you depart for Hogwarts, we will see if you can draw your magic out and create a simple, instinctual spell that needs no wand nor words.¡± My brow rose at hearing that. The idea of having a spell, even a weak one, that required only calling on the magic that flowed within me was intriguing. Beyond the defensive uses of that, it would, I hoped, help with my ability to use magic silently and wandlessly. To say nothing of how I hoped the spells within the grimoire aligned with the affinities and traits covering various branches of magic that I¡¯d chosen before the merging. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ It was a few months after my tenth birthday, and spring was supposedly near, but until the last few days, it had been hard to tell as the island had been lashed by rain. Thanks to the wards covering the castle and grounds, the worst of the weather missed us, though the rain still came down, offering the forest and other areas moisture. The only area unaffected was the beach, which was covered by wards to prevent it from being anything but usable regardless of the weather. I found that oddly amusing but the idea of sunbathing in the middle of winter, as the snow falling evaporated against the wards ¨C which were hidden behind muggle-repelling and disillusionment charms ¨C was an odd concept I¡¯d yet to get my head around. It hadn¡¯t stopped my cousins, including ¨¢ine, and the Blacks from enjoying the beach to play around. Or bugging me to let the wards allow the snow to fall inside the walls of the castle and the lawns beyond. I¡¯d enjoyed the day of simply being young and enjoying snowball fights with everyone who¡¯d played. That said, getting pelted with snowballs sent by those who had their wands, with Bellatrix delighting in having hers chase me around, hadn¡¯t been fun. At least until I¡¯d returned fire with spellwork of my own. That I had the wand wasn¡¯t a surprise to any, as they all knew I had one, but the fact I could just about hold my own in a magically powered snowball fight against those in Hogwarts was. Well, those who were in their first or second year. Those in the higher years, like Bellatrix who was in her Fourth Year, and Fergus who was in his Sixth, even when working with the other with wands, we were overwhelmed, with Bellatrix seemingly delighting in tormenting me. When the Winter Break had ended, I¡¯d been once more left by myself in Dunscaith. Oh, my cousins not in Hogwarts came over at least once a week, or I went to their family estates, including Dunollie Castle, the ancestral seat of House MacDougall on Oban, which was only a few hours away by Raven. My lessons in everything continued, and I¡¯d begun receiving missives from other Clans. While I had no intention of accepting their proposals, mainly as I was too young to confirm them to the Wizengamot, I did consider them with my ancestors. Or at least the ones that didn¡¯t include hints toward marriage agreements. That had confirmed the hints Melania had given me years ago about how, while a betrothal couldn¡¯t be officially submitted to the Wizengamot and Ministry until both named parties were thirteen, informal agreements were often reached before then by Chiefs and Lords. Those that suggested marriage agreements, or even considerations, were given polite, but blunt replies ¨C which I could just about get away with due to my young age and supposed inexperience ¨C saying I wouldn¡¯t be considering any such thing for several years at least. I¡¯d also, far more politely than I¡¯d replied to the letters, confirmed to my aunts and Melania that I wasn¡¯t interested in girls yet, and as such the subtle suggestions regarding my cousins and Narcissa were unneeded. The only missives I¡¯d truly dealt with had been from Ranlor. Slowly, I¡¯d moved over a hundred thousand Galleons into muggle gold. Even with the ten per cent cut the Goblins took for converting the Galleons into muggle currency, since the price of gold had gone up nearly fifteen per cent since I¡¯d gained control of my accounts, I was out ahead. Plus, as the rush in gold prices wasn¡¯t due to really begin until 1970, I knew my investment would continue climbing. At least more than it ever would by investing in projects that might not pay off, or leaving it sitting in Gringotts. Still, today was one of those days where I had little to do, and with the skies having stayed clear for the day, after lunch I found myself wandering into the forest that surrounded Dunscaith. At least to a degree. As I entered the forest, everything seemed fine. The weather was fine and the temperature, controlled as it was by the wards, was warm without being hot. Yet, after twenty minutes of moving deeper into the trees, the sunlight was all but gone with the only light available to me being that generated from the Lumos spell I was generating from my wand. This was as far as I¡¯d gone before, the torc then, as it was now, warming to warn of potential danger. Yet, as I peered into the shadows of the dense forest, I failed to spot whatever was concerning the torc. I knew that creatures lived in the forest, but I¡¯d barely ever gone far into it. While it wasn¡¯t, in theory, a large forest, with magic hiding its true size, it could possibly be an area equal to a quarter of the island. Kadic and my ancestors were insistent I didn¡¯t go any deeper into the dark, foreboding forest than the point I was at now. The gentle warning of the torc acted as a marker of how deep I could go. Yet, in the various trips I¡¯d made into the forest, I¡¯d discovered that the warning of the torc came a little later each time. Sometimes it was perhaps another metre or more. Yet, as I grew and learnt more, the torc seemed to scale when it would offer a warning. That meant that at some point, in theory, I¡¯d be able to go to the darkest point in the forest and confront whatever creatures were lying in wait in the shadows. I knew that day was, like much of the things I¡¯d learnt, or had been hinted at by others over the last year a long way, but it didn¡¯t stop me from entering the forest. I pushed on, a belief that I¡¯d be safe inside the wards of Dunscaith, at the forefront of my mind. Yet, after only a few more metres, the torc warmed to an uncomfortable level. However, my attention wasn¡¯t on it, but on the faint, indistinct shapes I swore I saw moving in the depth of the darkness that radiated throughout the forest. Someone, or something, was moving deeper in the forest. Faint sounds of movement as whatever it was scraped against the brush and trees sent shivers down my spine. Whatever was there was dangerous, perhaps even to a fully trained wizard. Yet, as I stayed still, wondering what it was, and the certainty that I was being watched, I realised that whatever was out there wasn¡¯t coming closer. That suggested intelligence, and possibly an understanding that I was The MacLeod: That if I didn¡¯t go deeper, I wasn¡¯t a threat, but if I did, it would be a challenge from the chief of the land. Taking a small step back, my eyes, keeping watch on the shifting figures in the shadows. Whatever was out there would have to wait, but I knew now that I¡¯d be back. Not just to discover what it was that lived within my domain, but to prove my dominion over them, and test myself against whatever threat they presented. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 0 Part 1 Year 0 Part 1 ... ... It was early September 1968. Narcissa had joined her sisters at Hogwarts at the beginning of the month, and now, two weeks later I was walking behind Arcturus in Le Domaine Noir. Sirius was with us, but whereas I was walking quietly, waiting until we arrived in whichever sitting room of the estate Arcturus was leading us toward, Sirius was struggling to contain himself. The future Lord Black was struggling, as he often did, with controlling himself. He needed to constantly move around, explore, and seek attention: Traits often associated with dogs. Something that had me constantly wondering if there was more crossover between an animagus form and the person than I¡¯d realised. Of the Black children, Sirius was one I was most interested in befriending, yet it seemed I was failing at that. I¡¯d agreed with him, when I could, about his complaints about his mother, Walburga, though whenever we were at Le Domaine Noir his issues about her were less pronounced. Given the amount of bullshit she loved to spout at Grimmauld Place, and how Arcturus and Melania had little time nor patience for it, that was hardly a surprise. However, due to my more mature mentality, everything I had going on as a Chief, and my tutors to prepare me for the political machinations I¡¯d begin to endure at Hogwarts, I didn¡¯t have as much time to spend with Sirius as I liked, and certainly not doing the things he enjoyed. While I was better at flying than I¡¯d initially been after the merging, I found I didn¡¯t enjoy it. Nor did I have any interest in Quidditch; at least not to the level Sirius did. And as much as I enjoyed pranking certain members of his family, his general lack of decorum was something that stood out like a sore thumb. The only common enjoyment we shared was lay in our training with a blade, though Sirius¡¯ lack of patience remained an issue even there. Still, as much as I wanted to express my concerns regarding him as a future head of House Black to Arcturus and Melania, I didn¡¯t. The suitability of Sirius as a future Lord Black was a family matter. That said, I did offer a few comments that I hoped hinted at my concerns. What possibly might not help matters was that he had begun spending time around James Potter, which was understandable. The pair were the same age, future Lords of their Houses and had similar interests. I¡¯d met James and other children due to start Hogwarts in the next year or two, including Anders Abbot, Christine Greengrass, Margaret Longbottom, Penelope Parkinson, Amycus Carrow, and Lovell Selwyn. While only Amycus was another name I knew, the others came from prominent Houses, and all were listed ¨C like the Blacks, MacLeods, and MacDougalls ¨C as part of the Sacred Seventy-Seven. The Potters were also pureblood, though were excluded for political reasons along with other Houses and Clans. That said, Arcturus considered Charlus Potter, the current head of House Potter and James¡¯ grandfather, a good acquaintance; even if he had the occasional, in Arcturus¡¯ opinion, lapse in judgement. It was through their friendship that, back in August, I¡¯d gone to the Potter Estate and spent time with James Potter. However, it seemed I had less in common with James than Arcturus had with Charlus. From what I could gather, through snippets from the pair and reports in the various wizarding media, in this universe, the Daily Prophet was a semi-serious newspaper and not some flashy headline-grabbing rag with bullshit stories that paper had been in the other timeline. I¡¯d long understood that Arcturus was, in political terms, a Traditional Seeker, whereas Charlus was a Progressive Scholar. However, I also realised that there were times when, even with their positions generally being different, they found common ground. While both were young, it was clear already that neither Sirius nor James would be a Traditionalist. For James, as far as I could tell, that was fine, and it should be for Sirius unless he strayed too far from the traditional position taken by House Black. If he did, then it was plausible that Arcturus, or possibly Orion ¨C Sirius¡¯ father ¨C when he became Lord Black, would remove Sirius from his position as Heir-Apparent. If that happened, then it might not be the worst thing for me regarding my closeness to House Black. While he was several years younger than me, Regulus liked to follow me around. He was much more malleable and, as much as it pained me to consider this a good point, listened to his parents. Or at least Walburga, as it was clear that she wore the trousers in that relationship. Still, regardless of if Sirius was removed from his position or not, I didn¡¯t want Regulus falling into Voldemort¡¯s hands. Thus, while I disliked playing with someone younger than me ¨C or even, at times, someone my age ¨C I spent almost as much time around Regulus as I did Sirius. Arcturus and others hadn¡¯t commented on that, but I knew they were aware of it. As they would be of my seemingly seeking out Bellatrix if the opportunity arose. Of the pair, she was the one I¡¯d rather not end up under Voldemort¡¯s sway. However, as she was older, female, and only home for the holidays, it was difficult to find time to interact with her. Then there was the concern that Melania might show interest in how I sought out Bellatrix, though that was also true of my Aunts whenever I was around my female cousins. Since marrying cousins wasn¡¯t considered a concern ¨C provided, I assumed, that at least half the grandparents were different ¨C in this world, I had to be cautious of how and when I dealt with them. Since the beginning of this summer though, I¡¯d spent more time around Iona O¡¯Callaghan and Adele Lambert. They should be starting Hogwarts with me, though I doubted I¡¯d end up in the same houses. Adele was very much a people person, and keen to make others happy, which suggested she¡¯d be a Hufflepuff. Iona could be either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and the former was the one house of Hogwarts I had no interest in entering. There was also the chance that they¡¯d not be accepted to Hogwarts. With the much larger magical population in this universe, Hogwarts had to be picky about which students it would take. As had been proven with Genevieve Montague and Antares Black. The pair had been filtered to a smaller, less prestigious magical school called Wirmorth Academy of Wizardry. While Genevieve hadn¡¯t, as far as I knew, had any pushback from her family or House about not entering Hogwarts ¨C bar, from what I¡¯d been told, her spending several days in her room crying about it ¨C Antares had become a sore subject for discussion in House Black. He might come from the second son of the second son, but it seemed they still considered that a disgrace. Though not to the point he was removed from the family. From what I¡¯d learnt, due to the large magical population, only an Heir, Heir-Apparent, or Chief or Lord-Apparent of a Clan or House with a seat in the Wizengamot were guaranteed a place at Hogwarts. That meant that because I was the MacLeod of MacLeod, I didn¡¯t have a guaranteed position at the school, as when Hogwarts had been founded, it was virtually unheard of for a child to become a Chief or Lord. Thankfully, Arcturus had spoken to the Board of Governors and the Headmaster to ensure I received a place. Apparently, even Dumbledore was reluctant to deny a future member of the Wizengamot a position at the premier school in the Isles. Still, because of the odd situation I was in, I¡¯d received recruitment offers from various magical schools across the world. Well, mainly Europe and North America, yet even there the list of premier schools had been larger than what I¡¯d known of before the merging. I¡¯d politely replied, indicating I wasn¡¯t considering that yet, and had denied any request to meet. Just as I¡¯d done with interview requests from wizarding media. At least those had died down after the first anniversary of the Summer Solstice Massacre, though they did flare up again each year near the anniversary. ¡°Be seated,¡± Arcturus said as we entered a smaller sitting room; one I couldn¡¯t recall visiting before. His tone had been firm, though not as if we¡¯d done something wrong. Sirius¡¯ shoulders slumped in relief making me wonder if he¡¯d come here before to be scolded over his behaviour. While his pranks were generally harmless ¨C mainly as he didn¡¯t yet have a wand of his own ¨C they could be annoying if he convinced one of the Black elves to assist him. I slipped into one of the empty chairs ¨C not the one with the highest back and finest embroidery as that was reserved for Arcturus ¨C and felt the magic of the charms and runes within it react. The fact I¡¯d grown so comfortable with such things, and that I no longer marvelled at such casual displays of magic, was slightly disappointing. Magic was meant to be, pun intended, magical. Yet, after three years of being able to enjoy seats so comfortable that you could sleep in them and never feel sore, or decorations inlaid and embroidered exquisitely with the finest of materials, I no longer reacted to them. They¡¯d become commonplace. That might be why I was looking forward to Hogwarts. While the chairs and alike probably wouldn¡¯t be as comfortable, the magic of a thousand-year-old castle with untold secrets ¨C even beyond the ones I expected to find ¨C would, I hoped, reignite my marvelling at all things magical. Hogwarts should be something more than it was in the media I¡¯d seen, even that which had existed in the game I remembered playing when a child, as this world was more. Yet, I had just over a year to go before I could confirm that. Small, jerky movements from my right drew my focus to Sirius. While I could sit comfortably, not fazed by the gaze Arcturus sent us as he sat, the Heir-Apparent of House Black couldn¡¯t. His need to constantly move, to explore, flaring up under his grandfather¡¯s gaze. Though the moment Arcturus raised a single eyebrow and stared at his grandson, Sirius froze. I knew that wasn¡¯t magic, but it was still impressive to see. If not a little amusing, though I kept that internal. Medusa herself would¡¯ve been proud of how still my second cousin was being. ¡°Before I begin,¡± Arcturus started, turning his focus to me, ¡°I wish to preface this by saying that this discussion would traditionally be handled by Chief MacLeod at some point over the next year. Or at least that is what your grandfather has told me. Since you are The MacLeod, and this is a lesson better handled by a living person, then with your ancestor¡¯s permission, I will be teaching this to you today alongside my grandson.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± While there was much my ancestors could teach me, the lack of a physical presence meant many topics were beyond them. Which was why, for the last few years, I¡¯d had an almost school-like schedule of tutors covering everything I might need to know in Hogwarts for the first few years, and about the wider magical world. Arcturus nodded, pleased with my response, and returned his attention to us equally. ¡°Then we shall begin.¡± His wand slipped into his hand, appearing from his disillusioned wand holster, and flicked toward bookshelves behind him. I watched, amused as two books ¨C the same thing judging by the colours of their covers ¨C slipped from their positions and gently hovered toward us. Once close enough, Sirius and I took them. Well, Sirius snatched at his, which resulted in a faint twitch of Arcturus¡¯ brow. My fingers travelled over the soft, red cover, sensing magic within it, as was normal for a book in a magical household. Turning it over, I inhaled sharply as I saw the title. Becoming an Animagus: A Witch or Wizard¡¯s step-by-step guide to Animagus transformation. I felt my heart race as my fingers traced the title, a desire to know whatever secrets the book held rushing through me. I¡¯d often wondered what my magical animagus form might be. A 1X-rated creature was only possible for one in every hundred wizards or witches ¨C or at least of those capable of becoming an animagus. Each increase in Class increased the odds by at least a hundred, meaning only one out of every ten million magicals could turn into a 5X animal. For a long time, I¡¯d considered trying to discover my form before I reached Hogwarts. I knew the process from the other timeline. Yet, I¡¯d always backed away. As if my instincts were telling me that to attempt the transformation now was inherently dangerous. As if I wasn¡¯t strong enough ¨C be it physically or magically ¨C to ensure the transformation was successful, I¡¯d asked Arcturus and my ancestors about the process on occasion, and they had confirmed my suspicion that it wasn¡¯t something to be attempted while a child. Although they¡¯d failed to go into why. Which had left the constant, unscratchable, itch of wondering what my animagus form was. My fingers reached the edge of the cover and slowly pulled it upward. I stopped, however, as the edges of the pages inside slipped into view. I frowned, feeling that something about this meeting was off. My great-grandfather had mentioned that no attempt to become an animagus should take place before one had reached their 2nd magical maturity, but I knew that, in the other timeline, Sirius, James and Peter Pettigrew had achieved the change in their second year. Still, if the idea was to warn us of the dangers of the transformation, why give us a book that, according to its title, taught one how to bring about the change? ¡°It¡¯s blank!¡± Sirius¡¯ almost shouted statement answered the question I¡¯d formed almost as soon as I¡¯d thought of it. Looking over at him, I saw the book sitting open on his lap, about halfway through, and the pages were indeed empty. ¡°It is,¡± Arcturus replied slowly, his tone cool and full of almost unrestrained disappointment. ¡°And it appears that, much like the book, you lack any ability to have the knowledge of today¡¯s lesson inscribed upon you.¡± I grimaced slightly, feeling for the harsh put-down Arcturus had just given. ¡°However, you are ten, and as only the Heir-Apparent, allowed some leeway in how you conduct yourself. Even in the presence of favoured guests such as your distant cousin.¡± Arcturus shifted his focus to me, the cold expression cooling as he did so. ¡°Your ancestors didn¡¯t enlighten me as to how they conducted this test, but since there was no family magic involved in the method used by House Black, they were comfortable with me using our method to test you.¡± I nodded, accepting his words, which drew an appreciative look from Lord Black. That though, had Sirius fix me with a glare; at least until Arcturus turned back. At that, Sirius looked away, once more annoyed at how I appeared the favoured child of the family when I was anything but. There¡¯d been moments like this over the years when I¡¯d acted maturely and inadvertently made Sirius look like a child ¨C which he was ¨C or drawn praise from Arcturus. While Sirius¡¯ reaction each time made sense, he was raised in a powerful, Most Ancient and Noble House, so he should be aware of how he was expected to behave. However, if he shifted his dislike of his mother to Arcturus, it would only lead to him being ostracised by his family. When he acted out around Walburga, I might¡¯ve helped and encouraged it at times. That woman had some deranged notions of who should or shouldn¡¯t be considered a witch or wizard. Positions that I doubted even Voldemort considered useful for the world he wanted to build. Magic was magic, and those with it, regardless of birth ¨C and potentially species ¨C should be welcomed in our world, and in the case of Muggle-borns, warned of the dangers presented to them by their families and supposed friends. People feared what they didn¡¯t understand, and from my brief foray into the muggle world, it appeared this one was far less open-minded than the one I¡¯d inhabited before the merging. Which, given the vitriol and abuse thrown around without thought or sense, was saying something. Perhaps it was possible to educate the magical and muggle worlds on the strengths of the two working together, however, given that the intelligence of a group seemed to be inversely proportional to the number of people ¨C be they magical or muggle ¨C I wasn¡¯t holding out hope on peace between the two worlds lasting. However, while acting out around Walburga was fine, doing so with Arcturus was fucking stupid. Not only was Arcturus his grandfather, but he was Lord Black; one of the most powerful men in the Isles. Arcturus had already banished one of his cousins for marrying a muggle, and if Sirius wasn¡¯t careful, he might go the same route. It hadn¡¯t happened in the other timeline, but I understood that expecting everything that happened there to happen here was folly. Merlin, I¡¯d started laying ¨C I hoped ¨C the groundwork for Andromeda to not be outright banished if she ended up eloping with Ted Tonks. I didn¡¯t know how receptive Arcturus was to my suggestions regarding muggle-borns, and how they needed to be educated on the magical world, and be shown how unlike the muggle world it was, but I hoped when the time came, that he¡¯d not outright banish Andi, and instead grant Ted a chance to prove his worth. ¡°Why are we here then?¡± I closed my eyes to avoid rolling them at Sirius¡¯ blurted-out question. Not only had it derailed my train of thought, but it was a further example of his impatience. When I opened my eyes, I saw Arcturus staring at his grandson, with a cold, focused look that, if it could, might well have shattered whatever passed for a brain inside Sirius¡¯ skull. ¡°You are here, as you are ten and, for the moment, the Heir Apparent to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black.¡± As Arcturus spoke, I swore the temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees. The only time I¡¯d heard his voice that cold was when discussing the Former Minister, Nobby Leech. That man, and I used the term loosely, had resigned in the Spring after contracting a potentially fatal disease that left him unable to fulfil his duties as Minister. While I had no proof on the matter, I suspected that Arcturus had been involved in the former Minister falling ill, though perhaps in the most circumspect of ways. ¡°Your status, however, can be altered if I feel you are unworthy of it and the responsibilities it brings.¡± Sirius looked as if he wanted his chair to swallow him whole. That at least meant he understood he was in danger of royally fucking up his life. ¡°It would behove you to observe and imitate D¨°mhnall in how to show restraint and display appropriate manners for any given situation.¡± That had Sirius¡¯ head snap my way, his eyes narrowing so much I thought they might be crushed. ¡°Such as learning how to avoid directly displaying your displeasure with an acquaintance. Nor revealing a weakness others will undoubtedly exploit.¡± Sirius turned back to Arcturus, the glare he¡¯d been giving me landing on him. Lord Black was entirely unimpressed by the display, and after holding Sirius¡¯s gaze for a split-second, my cousin looked down. While Sirius was a child, I suspected that the expression on Arcturus¡¯ face would stop many in their tracks, and I couldn¡¯t help but imagine how former Minister Leech would¡¯ve reacted when faced with such casual disinterest. Sirius lifted his head a moment later, recovering from his mistake to hold Arcturus¡¯ gaze, which seemed to please the older wizard. ¡°Now, unless you have any other need to behave like a muggle, perhaps we might continue?¡± Sirius stayed silent, which Arcturus took as agreement. ¡°Excellent. Now, I have summoned you here to speak about a branch of magic that while you will not be studying for several years, is one that I, and your ancestors, D¨°mhnall, feel that every witch and wizard should learn. Official records of those who had learnt this branch of magic suggest it is an extremely rare ability, though I understand that many choose not to inform the Ministry that they¡¯ve done so. They will, if they discover that you have done so, fine you, though for those from families with the resources ours possess, it is more a nuisance than a deterrent.¡± He leaned back, his fingers interlacing as his eyes examined us almost clinically. ¡°Perhaps you might have already deduced what we will be discussing today?¡± Given the trick book still in my hands, and the way Arcturus had bounced around the topic just now, it was reasonably clear to me what we were here to discuss. I looked at Sirius from the corner of my eye, wanting to see if he understood, and hoping he might be able to partially redeem himself. He looked at me as if wondering if I might answer first. Instead, I gestured first to the book and then to him. While Arcturus was my mentor, we were in the home of The Most Ancient House of Black, and Sirius was the heir of the heir to the House. It was expected that he would respond to Lord Black first. ¡°You¡¯re here to teach us how to become animagi.¡± He spoke with certainty, proud of himself for working out the answer. I smiled, glad to see the confidence applied to something other than his pranking or swordplay. Said pranking was no longer directed at me since, with the ability to cast all First Year spells silently, and most of the Second Year ones verbally, he¡¯d realised that I¡¯d respond to his pranks accordingly. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°You are partially correct,¡± Arcturus said as if he¡¯d not seen the interplay between me and Sirius. ¡°However, as I just stated, we are only here to speak about becoming an animagus; not beginning the difficult process that is required to achieve it.¡± He leaned forward, commanding the room. ¡°Becoming an animagus is something many wizards choose to do, for a multitude of reasons. Some lack the patience or dedication,¡± his focus fell on Sirius, ¡°or they wish to know more before they are ready,¡± there his focus shifted to me, ¡°some, however, also chose not to. For reasons as varied as they simply have no interest in learning to turn into a beast, to not feeling it is anyway worthwhile. Those individuals are, frankly, fools.¡± The image of former Minister Leech rushed through my thoughts when considering a foolish wizard, though I knew not to chuckle at the idea. My mind then instantly pulled a memory of a news report from two years ago. The then Minister had introduced legislation to make the failure to reveal an animagus form to the Ministry a serious infraction of the law; one that had, at a minimum, a month in Azkaban for each year of failure to register. The proposal was struck down with about eighty per cent of the possible votes going against the measure. That little incident, beyond potentially accelerating Leech vacating his office, had all but confirmed that the Lords and Chiefs of many Clans and Houses had no interest in the Ministry interfering in what they considered Clan or House business. Which, from their point of view, it was. As well as an attempt by the Ministry to exert more control over Clans and Houses that predated the Ministry. ¡°Becoming an animagus is a difficult process, yes, but it reveals things about the wizard that most might never realise. The animal you shift into is a reflection of your psyche; one removed from the civility of magical life. For a wizard to fully embrace who they are, and what they are meant to be, they not only need to discover their animal but understand the traits and flaws it reveals about themselves. Failure to do so, means they are less than they should be.¡± ¡°Does the animal we¡¯ll one day become depend on culture?¡± I asked slowly when it was clear Arcturus had finished his short speech. ¡°From what I¡¯ve learnt, animals, be they ravens, snakes, lions, or most others, have differing meanings depending on the culture in question.¡± ¡°A wise question. Yes, the animal reveals differing things about a person depending on their cultural and spiritual beliefs. Take, for example, ravens. To those of the Greek Free States, or those that still offer respect to Zeus and that pantheon of deities, ravens are seen as symbols of bad luck. Yet, to those of the Norse League, and worshipers of Odin, ravens are a good omen. Or, to use the legends of your ancestors,¡± he continued, gesturing at me, ¡°ravens are associated with the Morrigan; the goddess of war and fate, meaning they signify that a great challenge, or even battle, lies in one¡¯s path.¡± ¡°Also, certain cultures, such as those based in the Americas, place importance on one¡¯s spirit animal. From what I know of those cultures, spirit animals are more generalised guides to an animagus form. Such as two people having an owl as a spirit animal, but being of differing breeds with differing personalities and behaviours.¡± As he spoke I listened intently, understanding the wisdom in his words. Even without the mention of the Morrigan, and their connection to Gaelic/Celtic culture, it was an interesting thing to consider. However, my mind struggled to focus on that, and not once more wondering which magical creature I¡¯d become. While a dragon or another Class 5X was unlikely ¨C and frankly, something I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to become ¨C I was struggling to contain my curiosity about what I would one day become. Though at least I was safe thinking about this, at least when discussing events from my other life before the merging, and the selection or traits that had taken place, around others. At least with anything short of a deep, concentrated scan of my innermost thoughts. I¡¯d tested this concern with Aunt Moire, though only after extracting an iron-clad vow that anything she sensed would never be discussed, or even hinted at, with anyone bar myself and only when we were alone. It was a risk to test if my external knowledge could leak, but I had to be sure before heading to Hogwarts. I didn¡¯t know if Dumbledore regularly scanned the thoughts of his students, or if other students attempted to do so to gain something of worth for their Clans and Houses, and had to know for sure. Moire had failed to sense anything when I concentrated on my other life when I thought about it, stating my mind seemed entirely at rest with nothing of interest in my thoughts. Now, she could sense my emotions when I thought about those events, but not the linked memories. That had piqued her interest, wondering if I¡¯d somehow discovered a way to defend against Legilimency scans. I¡¯d covered my arse there, saying it was an old, and seemingly forgotten, piece of family magic that I¡¯d discovered during my time reading the family library, and that I wasn¡¯t willing to share it with others of our blood until I could extend it to all my thoughts. While she¡¯d accepted that answer, I knew it hadn¡¯t ended her interest in what I¡¯d done. However, the vow she took meant I was, I hoped, safe from her ever revealing what had happened to others. Potentially, she could rip the knowledge from my mind, but doing that would break me, and thus wasn¡¯t something we tested. And if I was ever in a situation where someone might be stealing my memories, I suspected I¡¯d be dead soon after, so the loss of information wasn¡¯t a concern. Not that I intended to go down without a fight. ¡°What are you?¡± I blinked, caught out by Sirius blurting out that question. Recovering, I looked at him and watched him once again wither under Arcturus¡¯ piercing gaze. ¡°All I shall reveal to you, for now, is that I, along with other members of our family, have an animagus form. However, until you master your transformation, you will not learn of my form. Nor will any member of the family reveal theirs. While both of you are skilled at Occlumency, though only D¨°mhnall has been officially recognized in that regard, information on the forms of others is a highly personal, and private matter. A truly skilled Legilimens could, even with the defences you have, acquire that knowledge.¡± Sirius seemed upset about that, but I understood the importance of protecting your thoughts. Aunt Moire had drilled that lesson into me over the last few years. ¡°As Lord Black, I¡¯m aware of the forms of every member of this House, be they born a Black, or married into the family. If you become Heir, then the sitting Lord Black, be that myself or your father, will, at their discretion, reveal the forms of those closest to you.¡± That seemed to settle Sirius, though I wondered if he caught the hint that he was in danger of being removed as Heir. Arcturus focused on me. ¡°D¨°mhnall, as The MacLeod, you can inquire as to the forms of your family members, even those who have married out, or from a cadet branch. However, I cannot say how much, if anything, a Sept Chief is required to reveal. That is a private matter between the clans involved, and I suggest you speak with your ancestors for clarification on the matter.¡± I accepted that with a nod, already planning to speak with them once I returned to Dunscaith. ¡°Can one become a magical animagus?¡± I asked. While I knew the answer, I was curious as to how Arcturus would phrase his answer. ¡°They are possible, and for one-X class creatures, not entirely rare. However, I would suspect that many wizards who could shift into a flobberworm would prefer even a muggle beast such as a cat or domesticated dog.¡± That I could agree with. ¡°However, for creatures in the four-X class, they are rare. There are, theoretically, around five or six within the entirety of the Isles. For a five-X class, then perhaps less than that number across all of Europe.¡± I accepted the answer, finding it lined up with what I already knew. ¡°While both of you are potentially powerful wizards, that is not in any way a marker to how dangerous or interesting a beast your animagus form will be.¡± ¡°Now, unless there are any further questions, I believe we can begin today¡¯s discussion.¡± I leaned forward, my excitement momentarily getting the better of me. ¡°To be clear, you shall not be beginning the process to bring about your first shift into an animagus today. That step is far beyond your current skill, maturity, and power. Sirius, if I discover that you have attempted the change before your fifteenth birthday, I will have to heavily consider your position as Heir-Apparent.¡± Sirius gulped loudly before nodding. I wasn¡¯t sure how much care he had about becoming Lord Black ¨C blame Walburga for that ¨C but it seemed he had enough that, at least for now, the threat worked. ¡°D¨°mhnall, I cannot make such a statement to you, and have no recourse to punish you if you attempt the transformation early, I advise you to heed caution. History is littered with tales of those who attempted to become an animagus without the skill, power, or maturity, and spent the rest of their admittedly short lives, as grotesque creatures often found in a travelling circus.¡± That was my cue to gulp. While I¡¯d read ¨C and seen ¨C such things, the images continued to haunt my thoughts at times, though only when I dwelled on the chance of failure, or someone mentioned it. ¡°For today, we shall only be discussing the rewards and hazards of beginning the process of becoming an animagus.¡± His wand flicked out and two new books came floating toward us. I placed the trick book to one side and collected the new one. Fought off a smirk as I read the cover. What Not To Do: The dangers of improper attempts to become an Animagus and the life it can lead to. The title was foreboding, with the artwork of some deranged half-man, half-bird hinting at the dangers of failing to become an animagus. However, I¡¯d already read the book from cover to cover, and so was aware of that artwork, and other images inside, though the way they moved in jerky, unnatural ways still toyed with my dreams. ¡°Please, read.¡± Ignoring the trepidation I sensed from Sirius, I turned the page. While it was unlikely there was anything new that Arcturus could add to what was inside the book, it was nice to finally have a proper, if not lesson then discussion on the topic. However, I was already committed to not attempting the process until I was at least thirteen. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°D¨°mhnall! You made it!¡± The words reached me even as the green flame of the Floo network faded. Before I¡¯d had any chance to brush soot from my clothes, a familiar mass slammed into me, and tried to swallow me in a hug. I returned my cousin¡¯s hug, chuckling at her exuberance. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d miss your birthday?¡± I replied as we pulled back, and I saw the familiar face of ¨¢ine MacDougall. The young girl smiled and returned to hugging, going so far that, if not that as a wizard I was more durable than a muggle, then she¡¯d have likely cracked a rib. Then again, with the minor trait I¡¯d taken before the merging to be more resilient and durable than other magicals, I suspected that even if she succeeded, the damage would heal itself without much need for wand-induced magic. ¡°¨¢ine.¡± The gentle, warning tone came from our uncle ¨C and ¨¢ine¡¯s Guardian ¨C Marcas. He was standing further back in the foyer, leaving me to fend off the attention of one excited, and possibly sugar-fuelled, younger cousin. ¡°Uncle,¡± I said as a greeting as ¨¢ine slowly released me from her death grip. ¡°Nephew.¡± Once I was freed of ¨¢ine¡¯s attention, I shook his hand, which was all the greeting I required here. Normally, when visiting the home of another Clan or House, especially one seated in the Wizengamot, there were procedures to be followed and decorum to be met. Thankfully, Marcas disliked that formality, and as ¨¢ine refused to engage in it, even though I knew she was being instructed, as I had been, in the ways of our world, I could avoid that every time I came over. That might be why I visited Dunollie Castle more than every other location ¨C including Le Domaine Noir, Diagon Alley, and Horizon Alley ¨C combined. As with Dunscaith, Dunollie Castle appeared as a small, abandoned ruin on the west coast of Scotland to muggles. Though, it was far from that. The muggle castle was, from the one time I¡¯d seen the wards generating the image of it along with the various charms to dissuade muggles from approaching, a simple, single-tower castle. The true Dunollie was about twice the size of that ¡®castle¡¯, and like many magical locations, made use of the wards to power space enchantment charms and runes. Though the true size of Dunollie was further hidden by the fact it extended, according to what I¡¯d been told, down several hundred metres underground. Now, I¡¯d only gone to the first basement level, as that was where the castle¡¯s training areas were and ¨¢ine enjoyed watching me train with my wand, but my ancestors spoke of how the castle was supposed to extend at least five levels down, below sea level. Legend has it the castle, or at least the domain there, had existed for thousands of years, possibly built by wizards before the Roman conquest of most of the Isles. To a muggle-born, or even one not knowledgeable of the castles used by many older Clans and Houses, the idea of living underground might be off-putting. They¡¯d assume the place was damp, cramped, and squalid. However, from spending hours each day on the various sub-levels of Dunscaith, and having seen the runes and spells used in the construction and maintenance of my home, I knew that wasn¡¯t the case. Still, it would be years, perhaps even a decade, before I was ever to be allowed in anything more than the most public lower levels of Dunollie. ¡°How¡¯s Raghnall doing?¡± I asked Marcas as I removed my overcoat. While I¡¯d be inside here, as I was in Dunscaith, the soot from the Floo was a nuisance that I¡¯d rather not have on my regular clothes. Raghnall was Marcas¡¯ youngest son ¨C and the only child of his to survive the Massacre, and he¡¯d started Hogwarts this year along with Narcissa and Lyra Black among many others. ¡°From his first owl, he¡¯s fine. Sorted into Gryffindor though.¡± Marcas made a face at that. My uncle had been a Hufflepuff, though he¡¯d developed an issue with the House of the Lions while a student and never entirely let go of it. ¡°Unfortunate.¡± I had no issues with Gryffindor, but provided the sorting was handled the same way here as in the other timeline, and the idea I¡¯d heard of that a house was chosen for one based on a preference, then I was torn between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Both houses had advantages and disadvantages, for both my time in Hogwarts and potentially my life beyond, but I wasn¡¯t set where I¡¯d like to go. However, if I had to rank them, I¡¯d prefer even Hufflepuff over Gryffindor. While I wouldn¡¯t shy away from a fight and had started a few during my short stay in the muggle Children¡¯s House, I¡¯d prefer to avoid direct confrontation unless I absolutely must, no matter how much I was coming to enjoy my duelling practice. ¡°Aye, though at least it¡¯s not Slytherin,¡± Marcas added with a smirk. Since my family had leaned toward that house with Ravenclaw the next most common, I knew it was a gentle tease. ¡°I remember how full of himself Anoghus was. At least until Kara started softening the edges.¡± The smirk fell away, and his mood darkened for a moment as he became lost once more in the memories of all that we¡¯d lost. It had been three years since the Massacre, yet the pain was still there and would be for a long time. Since I could compartmentalise my emotions, I had fewer issues dealing with the memories; I was able to disassociate the emotions linked to them. However, Marcas didn¡¯t seem able to, which suggested either he wasn¡¯t skilled at Occlumency ¨C unlikely as he came from an Ancient Clan ¨C or he simply chose to not separate the emotions from the event. I¡¯d reviewed those memories extensively once I¡¯d learnt to remove the emotional attachment, looking for any hint as to who they were, where they came from, and why they¡¯d attacked. Doing that revealed a few small things of note. The man that had stormed our tent, and probably killed my father, had marks on his exposed forearms. They weren¡¯t the Dark Mark that Voldemort created ¨C which was a fucking relief ¨C but they meant something. I¡¯d allowed Aunt Moire to view the memories in my head, letting her learn of the marks to pass along to whichever members of the DMLE were still investigating the matter. The faces were also passed along, though the DMLE already had one of those, and he and the others I remembered seeing had come from outside the Isles. While Moire had revealed that, she¡¯d not been willing or able to tell me more. I¡¯d owled Lord Richard Edevane, head of the DMLE, for more information, but he¡¯d not revealed any. The matter was still an open investigation, and while he claimed they were closing in on those that helped bring about the Massacre I felt the case had been pushed to the backburner this year with Nobby Leach leaving his position as Minister. While I¡¯d have liked to probe further, I couldn¡¯t. I might be recognised as Chief MacLeod, but I was still a child and didn¡¯t have the weight of my position that I should. I knew Arcturus was pushing on the matter as there were comments every so often about that in the Daily Prophet and media. All of which meant I was no closer to determining the mastermind behind the attack, or why the Clans had been targeted. ¡°Come on!¡± ¨¢ine said, dragging me deeper into the foyer and pulling me from my thoughts. Marcas smiled in amusement as I shrugged in resignation at denying my cousin¡¯s attention. I¡¯d barely leaned out to pass my overcoat to one of the MacDougall house elves before I was dragged into the main hall. The walls were lined with magical portraits of various events in Clan MacDougall¡¯s history. Battles against the English, the Irish, the Vikings and others moved as we passed, and the eyes of figures of note in the family turned to watch us; often with a small, resigned smile suggesting that even if they weren¡¯t enhanced portraits like that of my ancestors, they had enough capacity to understand what had befallen their clan. The frames of each painting, regardless of what they displayed, were made of mahogany, and inlaid or lined with precious metals and gems. At a guess, those alone were worth a small fortune and suggested the MacDougalls were a richer clan than mine. Though the display of casual wealth was something Arcturus had remarked was common for any Clan or House that sat in the Wizengamot, particularly those of Ancient or older status. ¡°D¨°mhnall¡¯s here!¡± ¨¢ine called out as she finished dragging me, and we arrived in the main sitting room of the castle. Inside, once free of ¨¢ine¡¯s control, I saw that most, if not all, of her family on her mother¡¯s side were present. The older cousins at Hogwarts or another institution, and one of her aunts that worked for, I believed, the Department of Mysteries, were also absent, but the rest were there. Clan O¡¯Conor was a Most Ancient Clan, one close to being over two thousand years old, and thus raised to the status of a Clan of Antiquity. Due to the Clan¡¯s age, they had at least a dozen branches in Ireland alone, with from what I¡¯d learnt, three or four more in North America, and about double that in sept Clans. Like the other older Irish Clans, when The O¡¯Conor spoke, he represented a considerable portion of the island. Only Clan O¡¯Neill, which I and ¨¢ine held a faint link to through my maternal grandmother, was larger and more powerful. However, that should, in theory, change once the O¡¯Conors rose to become a Clan of Antiquity. ¡°Aye, we can see that.¡± The childishly cold tone came from Ruarc O¡¯Conor, the third son of Heir O¡¯Conor. His bright red hair, which he kept cut short, had me mistaking him for a Prewett ¨C which made sense as his grandmother had come from that House ¨C but the moment he spoke, and that thick Irish brogue slipped out, his parentage was clear. ¡°D¨°mhnall,¡± he said, stepping closer, a hand outstretched. I clasped his forearm. ¡°Ruarc.¡± The boy, who provided he got his letter, would be going to Hogwarts next year with me, had an issue with me, and always became cold whenever I was in his presence. Since I only met him at ¨¢ine¡¯s birthdays, I wasn¡¯t sure what his problem was, but I had a few ideas. ¡°Come on!¡± ¨¢ine resumed dragging me, taking me toward a large table in the centre of the room; one covered in lavishly wrapped gifts of various shapes and sizes. I could already tell one was a broom, which made sense as ¨¢ine adored flying. Almost as if she was born in the sky. ¡°If you were that desperate to open them, you could¡¯ve done so before I arrived,¡± I said with a smirk, my free hand slipping into the pocket of my trousers. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been angry.¡± ¡°Uncle Marcas says I can¡¯t open any until everyone is here,¡± ¨¢ine said as I pulled a box from my pocket, the size of it hidden as the pocket was enchanted to store more without leaving an indication of any contents. Her eyes lit up as she saw the box, slightly larger than my hand, and watched as I lifted it toward the table. While the other gifts were all immaculately wrapped, mine wasn¡¯t, nor had they ever been. For any birthday of a cousin, I¡¯d chosen to wrap them personally, feeling the touch would be appreciated. While the boys hadn¡¯t seemingly cared, the girls liked it; as did their mothers. ¡°And now that D¨°mhnall¡¯s is there, you can.¡± I turned to see Marcas enter with the two parents who had been missing. Cr¨ªost¨®ir and Annabelle O¡¯Conor were Ruarc¡¯s parents with Cr¨ªost¨®ir being Heir to Clan O¡¯Conor while Annabelle came from a prominent French House with powerful standing in Le Noble Conseil Magique de France ¨C their equivalent of the Wizengamot ¨C and thus a member of La Noblesse Magique Fran?aise: the magical French nobility. They, unlike their muggle counterparts, had never experienced the Cultural Revolution as the Statute of Secrecy came into effect a hundred years before then. The sound of rustling had me turning back to the table. There I discovered that ¨¢ine had wasted no time in picking out her first gift; mine. The paper, which had taken me nearly thirty minutes to wrap by hand and had unicorns dancing on it, was torn off without the slightest amount of care. When my gift came into sight, she paused, and as she turned to me, a wide smile on her face. Several of her female cousins made pleased sounds as the small box was revealed to all. It was a relatively simple-looking thing, the crests of Clan MacDougall and Clans O¡¯Conor were engraved with silver on the lid. Silver also ran around the rim where the box opened, creating an intricate vine structure which ended at the lock. That was a small turquoise gem held in place by a pair of kelpies. ¡°Press your finger to the gem for a few moments,¡± I said gently, figuring she¡¯d want to know how to open the box. ¨¢ine did as I asked without hesitation, only to hiss and jerk her finger back a few seconds later. ¡°OW!¡± she whined, shaking her finger before slipping it into her mouth. ¡°That hurt!¡± the words were mumbled slightly due to her finger, but I knew there was no blood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the lock had to be keyed to you,¡± I explained, repeating what the designer had told me, ¡°Because of that, the box will only open to your touch, and only when you do so with a clear and calm mind. Any attempt to force it open by others will be sensed by the alert-stone, which you¡¯ve left in the paper and can be used to find the box if lost. So, you¡¯ll know if anyone tries to steal the contents from you or you misplace it.¡± I stepped closer as she opened the box, the vines pulling back to unlock it, and looked inside. ¡°There are three compartments that you can summon by thinking on them. For now, they¡¯re simply named one, two, and three, but I¡¯m sure your aunts can teach you how to rename them.¡± The box was also runed with a space enhancement charm, meaning the only limit as to what could be stored inside was getting it to pass through the opening. I¡¯d seen such boxes and chests in Dunscaith ¨C particularly my parent¡¯s room ¨C and had learnt they were common gifts for young ladies to have. From what I¡¯d seen the last time I¡¯d entered ¨¢ine¡¯s room, while she had several such boxes, none were meant for anything more than a child. This one was designed for a lady of standing and importance, and I felt it would be a suitable last gift I could personally give her before heading to Hogwarts. ¨¢ine would arrive the year after, but this was her last birthday we¡¯d spend together at her home, and she¡¯d just turned ten, so I wanted to mark the occasion. ¡°Oh,¡± ¨¢ine said softly as she opened the box. ¡°Oh!¡± that one was louder, and she reached inside to pull out the locket inside. It was a simple thing, at least in comparison to most magical jewellery and finery, but I knew she¡¯d like it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± her words trailed off as she opened the locket. ¡°¡­ our parents,¡± I finished. ¡°My elf found it in my parent¡¯s room and, after showing it to me, I knew you¡¯d like it.¡± The photo inside was preserved by magic and showed my mother and ¨¢ine¡¯s father when they were in Hogwarts. The only way to tell their houses was the blue and bronze ties they wore. ¨¢ine was on me in a flash, her arms tight around my neck. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered. As I heard a faint sniffle slip from her lips, I put my arms around her, gently patting her back. Behind her, I saw her cousins watching. While most seemed amused by the reaction, Ruarc glared. As if somehow, he disliked me getting attention from ¨¢ine over him. Since it was my gift she¡¯d opened, that was fucking stupid, but he was a child and I had to remember that logical thinking wasn¡¯t a strong suit of many pre-teens. Even those raised in magical noble households. ¡°Thank you,¡± ¨¢ine said again once she¡¯d recovered and pulled back. Before I could reply she gave me a light kiss on the cheek, which made me scowl. That had her laughing as she turned back to the table. While I¡¯d expected her to love the locket, perhaps more so than the box, I disliked getting kisses. Particularly from my cousins. ¨¢ine knew I disliked kisses, which was probably why she¡¯d done so, but she couldn¡¯t understand why. Since the merging, and having the memories of an adult ¨C and married with a daughter ¨C male, the annoyance/awkward factor for getting kisses of any kind had increased beyond that of how boys generally disliked them. The only upside of ¨¢ine¡¯s insistence to kiss me because I disliked it was that she¡¯d not passed the trait onto her cousins, or Merlin-help me, the Black girls. While I doubted Narcissa or Andromeda would do that to annoy me, I feared Bellatrix gaining another tool to torment me with. That girl seemed to enjoy finding new, imaginative ways to tease me. She found the pranks she unleashed on me funny, but after spending a week with yellow skin so bright it hurt for anyone to look at, I was glad she was back at Hogwarts, and I was safe from her attention. ¡°Ours next!¡± that cry came from Assa O¡¯Conor, another of ¨¢ine¡¯s cousins. Along with her twin sister Issa, Assa gestured toward the largest box on the table, and the one with the most outlandish, garish shade of green that I¡¯d ever seen. And hoped to never encounter it again. As ¨¢ine moved back toward the table, the locket clasped in her hand, I moved back, getting some distance from the other children. While I knew all of them in passing, they were here for ¨¢ine, not me. For today and only today, I¡¯d act my physical age as much as I could and ensure ¨¢ine enjoyed her birthday. Well, so long as she didn¡¯t decide to braid my hair again. I didn¡¯t mind the braids, as the way ¨¢ine and the others did them I looked like a Viking, which was cool. What I disliked was people playing with my hair. Of course, that was why ¨¢ine did it, and why she¡¯d told others. Thank Merlin Narcissa was at Hogwarts as she kept suggesting the most outlandish ways to alter my hair. Though I found myself fearing when she returned, and had some spells under her belt to enforce ¨C or at least attempt to ¨C her suggestions. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 0 Part 2 Year 0 Part 2 ¡­ ¡­ I was walking down the hall of Dunscaith Castle, heading toward the Master Study. Outside, the weather was calm and, thanks to the wards around the castle and grounds, far more comfortable than would be typical for late November in the Hebrides. It was now 1969, meaning my eleventh birthday, and all that would entail, was less than two months away; which was why my grandfather ¨C the sixth D¨°mhnall to be The MacLeod ¨C wished to speak with me privately. He''d spoken about how, as I was nearly ready to enter the magical world at the correct age, it was time I understood how far I had to go to reach my potential. I¡¯d been a little confused by the need for that as, while I was powerful and skilled for my age, I understood I was at least a decade removed from being able to make a real mark on this world. Now, my other ancestors also knew what this was about as they¡¯d worn a variety of expressions when Kadic had entered to collect my grandfather¡¯s enhanced portrait. However, neither they nor my grandfather were willing to explain the matter in the Inner Library, therefore I was heading for the Master Study. Behind me, my grandfather¡¯s enhanced portrait was levitating with Kadic a step behind it to ensure its movement through the castle. While apparating was fast I¡¯d chosen to walk instead, I found it disorientating; or at least the elfish form of it. The few times I¡¯d been side-along apparated by other magical humans it hadn¡¯t felt as nauseating, so it was perhaps an issue with how elfish magic interacted with a wizard. Which was why, until I could determine the reason behind it, I avoided letting Kadic or Aien apparate me around the castle. Aien was a female elf I¡¯d purchased who, according to the breeder, specialised in flora and fauna. She allowed Kadic to focus his attention on the castle and the direct grounds which made him happier as he appeared uncomfortable about heading into the forest around the castle. Although, he was elated when I¡¯d formally made him the Head Elf of Clan MacLeod after purchasing Aien. Dealing with an Elf Breeder has been odd. It was explained to me that while elves could wield magic in their own way, they needed a connection to either a large number of other elves or a magical location to enjoy long lives. Neither he nor anyone I¡¯d asked about the matter understood why this was, with Arcturus even wondering ¨C in not so many words ¨C why this was concerning to me. I¡¯d dropped the matter, but it was something I¡¯d added to the very, very long list of things I wanted to investigate whenever time allowed. I flicked my wand, saying the necessary incantation in my head and the door to the Master Study slid open; no sound coming from the ancient door. Not that any sound ever had. I moved around the desk and then settled down in the Chief¡¯s chair while Kadic gently lowered my grandfather¡¯s portrait onto the visitor chairs on the other side of the massive, rune-covered desk. ¡°Thank you Kadic, you may leave us.¡± Kadic bowed to my grandfather in deference. Once the elf exited the room, the door closed behind him, and a faint vibration of the torc let me know the room was secure. ¡°Now, before we broach today¡¯s topic, I think perhaps some background on what I wish to reveal to you is needed. While all will be clear once we¡¯re finished today, actions taken during my lifetime might well colour many toward you in Hogwarts and beyond.¡± I sat quietly, wondering if he would continue even as I realised I¡¯d barely felt the chair I was in shifting to accommodate my presence. The fact that after several years such things were now commonplace was something both incredible and depressing. I knew there was far, far more about this world that would amaze me, but knowing that, if given enough time, many simple wonders would barely register to me was oddly worrying. Still, I knew there would be parts of this world that would truly never grow commonplace and unremarkable. The ward core of this castle and how being home, especially in the Master Study or down with the core, always put a spring in my step. When my grandfather didn¡¯t continue, I considered what I knew of his life, including actions taken throughout it, and what led to his death. ¡°You mean that you, our Clan, and others allied with us, supported Grindelwald?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± My grandfather replied with a small smile, though it faded as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°And other things.¡± He took a moment, staring off at some point behind me before continuing. ¡°Including my thoughts about how I and your grandmother died.¡± ¡°You mean murdered?¡± He chuckled, possibly at how quick I was to ask that. ¡°The reports regarding the death of myself and Cassiopeia were, and still are as far as I know, vague. However, given our prominent status as supporters of Grindelwald, among other issues, I have little doubt that we were attacked and killed because of that support. Even though, by the time we died, the war had been over for years and everyone was granted immunity by Albus Dumbledore,¡± his tone twisted at saying that name, as it had every time he¡¯d had to mention or think about the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, ¡°for the actions taken during the war. In the years that followed Grindelwald¡¯s death, I ¨C and other prominent figures across Europe ¨C continued to warn of the dangers to our world the muggles presented with their rapid and, in some cases, terrifying advancement. While I refrained from publicly repeating Grindelwald¡¯s position that wizards should rule over muggles; I never withheld my contempt for them and the devastation they brought to the world through their actions. That is, in my opinion, another factor behind why your grandmother and I were murdered.¡± ¡°Was the case ever solved?¡± Even as I asked, I knew the answer. My grandfather sighed and shook his head. ¡°No. The head of the DMLE, the Minister, and the Chief Warlock had all backed Dumbledore during the war and had no interest in investigating the deaths of known Grindelwald supporters. We weren¡¯t the only ones to suddenly die under mysterious circumstances, but ¨C no matter how many Chiefs and Lords of old and prominent Clans or Houses, nor members of those families were found dead ¨C the Ministry refused to look deeply into the matter. Which, given the dozen or so attempts against me and your grandmother each year after the war, I can understand. By only paying lip service to the traditions and laws of the Wizengamot, at least regarding the various attacks on ourselves and others, the Ministry managed to keep a fragile peace. A peace that, from what I have heard from Lord Arcturus Black, is barely any more stable today than when I died several decades ago.¡± Even if I didn¡¯t like that, I had to nod in agreement. I was surprised that Dumbledore didn¡¯t push for those murdering supporters of Grindelwald to be brought to justice, but I could see the logic in not delving too deeply into the matter. Doing so ran a great risk of stirring the pot again, possibly even reigniting the issues that had led to Grindelwald starting his war. However, it was those issues, and the Ministry¡¯s inaction over things like my grandparents¡¯ deaths, that I felt Voldemort was likely drawing on to build his forces in preparation for his war. The other part about this was that it further soured me toward Dumbledore. I¡¯d had issues with him before the merging regarding his treatment of Harry; although much of that could, possibly, be excused due to a faulty narrator, and the Dumbledore of this world being more observant of important individuals under his care. But, in my years being tutored by my ancestors and others, I¡¯d yet to find many who spoke admirably of Dumbledore concerning anything beyond his power and ability to influence the Ministry and Wizengamot. That was going to make next year interesting as until I was sure, I had to work from the assumption that any staff member at Hogwarts was loyal to the Headmaster and, thus, not someone I could ever fully trust to not be monitoring me on Dumbledore¡¯s orders. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t bring you here to discuss at length the choices I made in life nor what fate befell me due to them,¡± my grandfather continued, drawing me from my thoughts. ¡°At least when it pertains to how they affected me. No, I brought you here to help illuminate how my actions, and those of other members of our Clan, will affect how others see you. Even something as simple as which house at Hogwarts you are assigned into is going to colour perceptions, though that is a discussion that can wait until after your letter of acceptance.¡± He paused and took a moment as if resetting his thoughts. ¡°As I just hinted at, the situation in the magical world today hasn¡¯t improved much beyond how it was when the war ended. Nor have the issues that gave rise to the war been resolved. Grindelwald may be gone, but his legacy and all that entails remains. That includes the thoughts many have regarding our Clan because of my actions during the war. However, as you were never raised to become The MacLeod and were instead thrust into the role, others may be more, shall we say, tolerant of your choices. At least initially. You won¡¯t be a blank slate to those in positions of power due to your open and obvious closeness to Lord Black, but many will wait and see what actions and choices you make. With that in mind, I want to teach you a simple, but important lesson. ¡°You¡¯re aware you have great potential as a wizard, D¨°mhnall. However, that doesn¡¯t mean your future is secured nor that others with less potential cannot challenge or even kill you simply because you are a possible threat to their plans. Everyone starts at the bottom of the pile and only through hard work, dedication, courage, cunning, and a multitude of other traits; they scratch, fight, and crawl to positions of power. For those with the desire to be something great, the power to back it up, and the determination to do what they must for their beliefs; the chance to make their mark on magic in these Isles, Europe, or even the entire world is there for the taking.¡± He leaned forward though, because he was inside the painting, he didn¡¯t actually come closer. ¡°I know by my magic that you have the potential to stand alongside names such as Grindelwald and Dumbledore. Perhaps you will rise above even them to be placed beside figures such as the founders of Hogwarts. But before you can do so, you need to understand; you need to see. Wield the power, the will, the determination you need to turn that potential into reality.¡± Even as I felt a little intimidated by his words, and the suggestion that he expected great things from me, I nodded in understanding. I knew that while I was good ¨C very good, even ¨C for my age, I couldn¡¯t take on or defeat someone like Bellatrix, to say nothing of an adult and experienced wizard, or those that rose above the masses to be something impressive, if not extraordinary. ¡°Now, touch your wand to the torc and repeat after me: Foillsich Talla nan Cuimhneachan.¡± I played the words around in my head, but the only word I knew was the one meaning ¡®hall¡¯, however, that left me uncertain as to what I was revealing or summoning. However, knowing the wards would protect me, I did as asked. ¡°Fuck me!¡± the words slipped from me as I felt the magic of the castle react, congregating in me. My head whipped around as the magic that had been building rushed away, and a section of the wall shimmered for a few moments before fading away entirely. ¡°Bloody hell.¡± The behaviour of the wall reminded me of how the wall in the Leaky Cauldron pulled back to reveal Diagon Alley, though there was less delay in the action and a more impressive disappearance over the wall folding back. I moved to stand, wanting to see into the newly revealed room, yet halfway up, I stopped. Remembering how badly things had almost gone when I¡¯d discovered the ward core, and how whatever in the forest around the castle reacted to me whenever I pushed a little deeper into the trees, I knew I shouldn¡¯t enter alone. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to levitate me inside. However, before you enter the Hall of Memories, place your hand against the wall next to the entrance.¡± I moved toward the entrance slowly, whatever was inside hidden in darkness, yet the faint hints of age and power radiated from within the hidden depths. Cautiously, I placed my hand on the stones beside the new gap. ¡°Now, think about illuminating the room.¡± Around my hand a dull, greenish-grey light built. As it slowly spread, sliding toward the entrance to the Hall of Memories, I understood it was the magic of the core flowing through the castle. Once the entranceway was lit, the light slid into the hall, slowly illuminating the room. The Hall wasn¡¯t large, perhaps twenty to thirty metres square. The walls were full of shelves, most full of small objects ¨C vials ¨C held in racks, and I was reminded of a chemistry lab. Yet the object in the centre of the room made clear this wasn¡¯t a muggle lab: a white marble pedestal dominated the place without really doing anything. Hundreds of runes ¨C with only a third of those in languages I recognized, and barely a tenth of which I knew. Even knowing what little I did of Elder and Younger Futhark, and Ancient Gaelic ¨C which for all but the first wasn¡¯t much at all ¨C I understood that I could spend decades, perhaps more, trying to decipher the meaning of the runic arrays that flowed majestically around and up the pedestal, toward a silver basin that rested at the top of the pedestal; sitting so smoothly that the edge of the basin merged into the pedestal when it simply shouldn¡¯t. Inside the basin, at one corner of the pedestal, faint wispy grey shadows shifted; calling to my curiosity. Yet before I entered the room, I turned back to my grandfather¡¯s portrait. A flick of my wand had me silently casting the Levitation charm and with him behind, I stepped into the Hall of Memories. ¡°This is a pensieve, is it not?¡± I said as I approached the basin, the portrait floating just behind me. ¡°It is indeed. Every Ancient or older Clan or House claims to have one, as do many of the others, though the exact details of these halls are closely guarded. I¡¯m led to believe that at least House Black has something similar to this Hall. However, no one will ever confirm the existence of, or possession of, a pensieve to anyone outside their Clan or House. By Ministry law, possession of one is meant to be regulated, but as most Clans or Houses are far older than the Ministry, we choose to ignore several of their rulings.¡± As he spoke, I moved the portrait around and then placed it gently against one section of shelving that was empty. ¡°The ability to view and analyse the memories of those who came before you and to understand how and why certain events ¨C be they meaningful moments of a government, the birth of a firstborn, or the incidents that started blood feuds ¨C is critical to help those who come later understand why their ancestors made the choices they did. To deny oneself access to this power, this knowledge, is foolish in the extreme, which is perhaps why those who might be so inclined often meet fates that are violent, amusing, or oftentimes both.¡± I listened as he spoke, though my gaze remained on the pensieve. The runes on the pedestal ran around the edges of the silver basin, and even though they were in, perhaps, a half-dozen different runic languages, seemed to flow more naturally than water. ¡°I¡¯ve read about them in some of the books in the castle library,¡± I said slowly, my eyes picking out a handful of smaller runic arrays built into larger ones. However, even knowing those small sections did nothing to help me understand how the various runes worked together. ¡°Most warn of the dangers of using one: that only the most powerful and skilled wizards and witches should toy with magical memories.¡± ¡°For a public pensieve, or those used by the Ministry and DMLE, or when viewing the memories of one unwilling to give them, or taken by someone lacking in the skill to extract them, then that is certainly true. However, Ancient Clans and Houses tie much of their possessions to the wards of their homes, and in the case of our Clan, it¡¯s also linked through the torc you bear. That greatly mitigates the risk involved with viewing any memory placed inside the pensieve.¡± A frown appeared on his forehead. ¡°However, before I show you how to use the clan pensieve, I require a vow that until you graduate Hogwarts with at least four NEWTs of Exceeding Expectations or higher, or that you have produced an heir and two spares, you don¡¯t ever attempt to enter this room without either myself or my father present. Not even to simply admire the multitude of memory vials or the pensive contained in this Hall.¡± I pulled my wand from my holster, which was disillusioned and attached to my hip, and gave a vow to that extent. Since I¡¯d had magical vows explained to me, I knew that if the vow demanded wasn¡¯t worded sufficiently carefully, then there would be wiggle room. However, my grandfather¡¯s words left little hint of such a grey area, nor did I wish to toy with memory watching until I was far more skilled with magic. I did want to know what the vials contained, but I understood knowledge without wisdom was a dangerous thing; to others as well as yourself. ¡°Good,¡± my grandfather said, a smile suggesting he was pleased I hadn¡¯t tried to change the wording to create ambiguity. ¡°Now, head toward the shelves on my right.¡± I did as he asked, getting a better look at them. Each shelf contained around three dozen racks ¨C more than the shelves could hold without magic expanding the size of them ¨C and each rack held a half-dozen vials, each several inches from the others. Each shelf here bore a name, with the two bottom shelves ¨C those being mine and my father¡¯s ¨C being empty. ¡°On the shelf bearing my name, locate the rack marked 1943 and then find the vial for July of that year.¡± I moved a finger around, using it to guide me to the correct rank and then vial. Cautiously, I lifted the vial out of the rack. The vial appeared to be simple crystal and contained a wispy silver-white liquid while the rack had runes upon it. I recognized the runes for water, stability, and wisdom in arrays for protection and safety, but those weren¡¯t my focus. Moving slowly, I carried the vial toward the pensieve, one hand underneath it in case it slipped from the grasp of the other. ¡°Now, in the corner of the pensieve between us, there is a small indentation. One large enough to secure the vial. Place it inside that indentation.¡± I did as instructed, though I almost leapt back as, once the vial was inside the small gap, the runes around the pensieve¡¯s rim lit up, and the liquid inside started to glow. Recovering from my shock, I watched as the liquid in the basin slowly turned colour until it matched that of the vial¡¯s contents, which by then had flowed out of the vial. Turning back to my grandfather, I saw an amused smile on his face. ¡°The colour shifts mean the memory is now ready for viewing. However, before you view the memory, you need to understand you are merely an observer there; seeing what I saw at that time. With a thought, you can exit, stop, rewind, or slow down the memory. This allows you to examine certain moments in the memory more closely, seeking to find details that, while it was happening, the person the memory came from might have missed.¡± ¡°Useful.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. Though to many, the viewing of a memory from another without their express permission is considered an invasion of privacy. You are seeing and experiencing something personal to them. That is another reason why pensieves are rarely used in public settings. Even their usage in trials before a Council of Judgment created by Wizengamot are rare things, used only for the most serious infringements of the law. That said, such a Council cannot force a sitting Chief, Lord, or Heir to provide memories without the support of seventy-five per cent of the total votes in the Wizengamot. That has, to date, only occurred twice in the history of the Wizengamot and the precursor Wizard''s Council.¡± ¡°What about other members of powerful families such as Regulus Black, or my cousin Tallula?¡± Both were spares to their families, with Tallula currently being the spare for Clan MacLeod with our cousin, Magnus, being my direct heir until I produced one of my own. So far, neither Magnus nor Tallula had hinted at challenging me for my position once I was older and had given oaths to serve me as The MacLeod but until I was entirely assured of their loyalty, I remained cautious. ¡°Any witch or wizard, even a Chief or Lord, can offer up a memory to a Council of Judgment if brought before it. However, the Ministry can force those without the previously mentioned protections to provide the memory with a vote in the Wizengamot. For those that are blood members of a Clan or House, it requires sixty per cent of Wizengamot votes. For all others, a simple majority is needed.¡± That was easy to see and was one reason many half-bloods and muggleborns, even those adopted into a Clan or House due to lineage had issues with the Wizengamot: they lacked the power, influence, and money to force through changes. I suspected many of the Chiefs and Lords wouldn¡¯t allow that to change without making it harder for members of their families to be forced to provide a memory. ¡°The request of memories,¡± my grandfather continued, ¡°and other such methods of determining truth, are only used in the direst of cases. Generally, if a witch or wizard offers an oath upon their magic, that is sufficient to believe their words are true. However, a refusal to provide a memory when requested by the DMLE for a trial reflects poorly on the defendant. Even Chiefs and Lords can suffer a fall in opinion from failing to provide a memory when it is requested.¡± I could see why that was, as a memory should, in theory, be an easy way to confirm someone¡¯s innocence or guilt. However, I could see ways to, in theory, trick the system. ¡°What about if someone¡¯s memories had been altered by a powerful Legilimens, or they created false memories to share? And what about those with little to no protection against the usage of mind magic?¡± My grandfather gazed at me for a moment before chuckling. ¡°If you were older, I would wonder if perhaps you were interested in studying Law, however, I can see your questions are simply another sign of your proclivity for wanting to know as much as you can. Which is a relief. As The MacLeod, you have no need nor requirement to study for occupations that are, in most cases, beneath your position. Unless, perhaps, you wish to use them as a way to acquire greater power or higher office. Which, given your current age, is highly unlikely. ¡°Regarding your questions, for all but the most skilled at Occlumency and Legilimency, it is possible to detect the faint hints that a memory has been altered, or fabricated to fool others. For those with little to no understanding of the magics of the mind then, even if a memory drawn from them is deemed false, their inability to protect themselves from such alterations is something many feel should be a crime in of itself; though that is generally only an issue for those not raised into our world.¡± And there was another reason those muggle-raised were disadvantaged in this world. I suspected there was more to this than he was revealing, but knowing it wouldn¡¯t be explained today, I added it to the long, long list of things I had to research whenever time allowed. ¡°Now, with your curiosity at least partially sated, perhaps we might return to the memory.¡± I looked at the basin, seeing the wispy sliver-white liquid move around in ways more akin to fog than water, and the temptation to dive in and seek what was inside the memory formed in my mind. ¡°Before you do that, these are the rules, simple as they are, over how to use the pensieve.¡± He smiled when I blinked, understanding he knew what I¡¯d been thinking. ¡°Beyond how to control the memory, which I already mentioned, to access the memory you simply place your head in a basin; as if washing your face in a sink. To leave, regardless of where in the memory you are, simply consciously choose to do so.¡± I blinked, my eyes then going between my grandfather and the pensieve. ¡°That feels remarkably simplistic for something so incredible.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Aye, it is,¡± he replied with a chuckle. ¡°Yet often the simplest answer or method is the correct one.¡± ¡°Occam''s razor.¡± ¡°Yes, for a muggle-born, he was remarkably observant of both the magical and muggle worlds.¡± I blinked again, surprised to learn that the creator of that idea was a wizard. However, my curiosity about that, and seeing if any other famous muggles from my world and this were actually wizards or witches would have to wait. My focus, my desire for knowledge was drawn to the pensieve and whatever was contained within my grandfather¡¯s memory. I moved toward the basin, my hands touching the pedestal. ¡°Nothing ventured,¡± I muttered before dropping my head into the odd, magical fluid that filled the basin. ¡­ I blinked, my mind struggling for a moment to process that I was no longer in Dunscaith Castle. Instead, I found myself in what appeared to be a muggle city. The buildings were old, several damaged by what looked like explosions, and the place was empty. Given it was nighttime, that made sense though I blinked as I saw a poster on the wall of one building. ¡°Well, he did say nineteen-forty-three,¡± I muttered as I recognized a German World War Two poster, though I hadn¡¯t expected the memory to drop me in the biggest conflict of the twentieth century; or at least not the muggle war. Grindelwald¡¯s war had taken place concurrently, or at least the latter years as Grindelwald¡¯s actions had begun the Global Wizarding War in the mid-1920s. A sound behind me had me pivot and attempt to summon my wand. However, nothing came to my hand, and I frowned. It took me a moment to understand that I was unarmed in the memory then another to realise that, as the dust slowly shifted around the ground as if someone was walking there despite me being unable to see them, that whoever was there was disillusioned. That meant they were magicals, and given whose memory I was in, I had to assume that at least one of the wizards was my grandfather. I knew others were here, as the dust was moving just enough to suggest three, perhaps more, people moving slowly, cautiously. The sounds of sirens in the distance caught my attention and had me process that my grandfather and those with him were also silenced. If they were hunting muggles ¨C something that was possible ¨C then I wasn¡¯t sure they needed to go to such extremes, which had me wondering who they were hunting; or who might be hunting them. It was the start of the memory, and as such I knew it wasn¡¯t yet time for the reason my grandfather wanted me to view this memory to be revealed, but the silence that dominated the area near me started to irritate me as it stretched out. If not for the faint shifts in the dust and debris on the ground, I¡¯d not know where to look or walk. I jumped to one side, once more trying to summon my wand, as one of the buildings in the general direction we were heading creaked: a large section of the upper floor crashing down. Behind me, another building shifted. Turning I watched in horror as it fell toward me. My arms came up, pathetically trying to protect my body, yet the building fell around me without doing damage. Everything went dark, and I looked around, wondering what had happened. ¡°Right. A memory,¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°Glad no one saw that.¡± A hopeful thought to pause the memory had it do so, and I walked back toward where I¡¯d been, and soon the world around me shifted, parts slowly coming back into focus. Looking around, trying to find the movement, but with the new dust thrown up by the collapsing buildings it was impossible to tell where anyone or anything was. Wondering if I¡¯d done something wrong, I closed my eyes and willed myself out of the memory. ¡­ ¡°Something amiss?¡± My grandfather as I lifted my head from the basin. I blinked, wondering why I wasn¡¯t wet, my mind taking a split second to adapt to being back in my body again. When I turned to face the portrait, my grandfather was wearing a wide grin, suggesting he knew why I¡¯d come back. ¡°You might¡¯ve told me I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you,¡± I replied. ¡°Or that I¡¯d be in the muggle world and buildings would soon explode around you.¡± ¡°And deny myself the amusement of your expression? Merlin forbid!¡± He chuckled merrily when he finished speaking, the volume increasing as I glared at him. Knowing he wasn¡¯t going to offer any help, not if it spoiled his fun, I placed my head back in the basin and returned to the memory. ¡­ Finding myself back in the memory, I looked around, taking in the scene. Everything was exactly as I¡¯d left it, dust and debris paused in mid-air, or as it tumbled around. Taking time to move around, and work out the edges of where the memory seemed to end, I worked out roughly where my grandfather would be standing, moved toward that point and then had the memory resume. The stationary debris and dust resumed falling as faint whispers of wind blew through the area, gently adding to the chaos. Around me, many of the buildings were gone; destroyed by whatever had struck them. Some looked like they¡¯d been in ruins for days if not weeks. The only thing that was hard to determine about this warzone was if the damage around me had been made by muggle or magical means. Another building exploded, this time seemingly from the inside. My hand once again tried to summon my wand. As the new dust cloud swarmed over me, I remembered once more that I was inside a memory; the instinct of drawing a weapon when in danger was now ingrained so heavily that I was doing so whenever anything happened. That was something I¡¯d have to watch when I went to Hogwarts, as others might take it that I was looking for trouble. As the dust began to move past me, I inhaled slowly, calming my instincts, and waited for my vision to fully return; the kaleidoscope of chaos going on around me made it impossible to determine what was happening. Curious as to why the building had exploded, and who was there, I paused the memory. Moving to the side, I eventually started to see flickers of odd lights inside the dust. Those weren¡¯t natural, and while I didn¡¯t know exactly what they were, given their movements and shades, I suspected they were spells around in the chaos. I shifted around, trying to escape the dust cloud, yet as I neared the edge of the cloud, the world became duller and darker. That, I realised, meant this was the limit of what my grandfather¡¯s mind had understood. Accepting this, I returned to where I felt my grandfather was and slowly rewound the memory. Watching things move rapidly backwards was an odd sensation, but it only took a moment before the memory returned to just before the latest building had exploded. Once there, I resumed the memory but willed it to move slower, at around half-speed. It did as I asked, and while that didn¡¯t reveal what exactly had caused the explosion, it allowed me to see the faintest flicker of purple from inside the building just before it erupted. The fact there was no sound suggesting a muggle explosive further confirmed the destruction was brought on by magic; likely as a way to target my grandfather and whoever was disillusioned with him. Once the memory was back to where I¡¯d rewound it from, I let it continue, keeping it at half-speed. That let me watch the streaks of colour racing in the dust. Most were heading toward my location, but a good number of them veered away, which confirmed my grandfather wasn¡¯t alone as it was impossible, even if dual-wielding wands were somehow a thing. The dust slowly cleared, bringing into sight the spells racing around. Shapes began to rise from the ground, summoned by transfiguration if I had to guess. Yet before they fully formed, the dust returned, swirling around my location rapidly, seemingly hardening as it accelerated. A moment later, the dust raced out, spreading like a shockwave away from where I, my grandfather, and his companions were. Whatever had been forming from the ground was blown apart, along with the handful of buildings still standing nearby. Dead trees that had somehow remained standing were torn from their roots as the hardened dust crashed into them, ripping them to shreds even as their roots failed to hold. Yet, as the dust cloud raced away, I saw flickers of blue in some places. Curious, I paused the memory and looked around. Other flickering domes of colour appeared, and I realised the cloud had not only pushed back incoming attacks but had revealed the rough locations of the various groups attacking my grandfather. Six domes of various colours were visible to varying degrees, and in the brightest one, I was just able to make out three figures inside. One was holding the dome active, granting protection, even as the others seemed to be working on their next assault. I considered resuming the memory at even slower speeds as I wanted to understand everything that was being cast, yet I decided against it. Unless those at distance shouted out their incantations, I¡¯d not hear their words and I doubted those with my grandfather would do anything more than whisper their spells if they spoke at all. Thus, I resumed the memory at half-speed, hoping that would be enough to follow the carnage and chaos that I knew was about to fully grip this battlefield. The dust cloud passed, the domes fell, and spells raced toward where I was standing. Fighting the continual urge to draw my wand and attempt to defend myself, I watched as spells beyond my understanding ¨C save that they¡¯d be crippling at best ¨C filled the air, turning it into a crescendo of colour. In some places the ground rumbled or shifted, shapes once more rising from it. In others, plants ripped through the paved paths, widening to twice my body, only to be cut down by splashes of light. Debris swirled around, coalescing into forms that, if not for their mismatched colour, might appear alive. Water in the air froze, turning razor-sharp, and raced toward targets like arrows from a bow. In some places these summoned creations simply fell, the power holding them together nullified by another spell, in others, they turned on the spot and raced back to where they¡¯d come from. Dragging my sight from the symphony of destruction erupting around me, I looked at the figures appearing around me. While I didn¡¯t know who they were, or what they were casting, as they were now visible, I could just about make out the movements of their wands. That, in theory, would give me a base to hopefully learn what spells they¡¯d used, though I doubted any of these spells would be covered in Hogwarts. However, it was hard to keep my focus on any single caster; each new spell drew my attention before I¡¯d had time to process the various wand movements I¡¯d seen. I noted that my grandfather, unlike those with him who were engaging those attacking them, was staying low. I moved closer, just catching him chanting something as he swirled his wand near the ground. Before I could stop the memory and rewind to hear what he¡¯d said, six giant golems rose around his team. Each was the size of the nearby buildings, their surfaces glowing an odd grey. As the golems started to move, I made out faint runes running over their surfaces which glowed with the same oddly bright darkness that the ward core of Dunscaith Castle had. Spells from the attackers now focused on the golems, yet nothing seemed to faze the golems; the runes simply glowed brighter with each spell that crashed into them. Curious about that, I paused the memory and moved closer to one golem. The arrays of runes that covered it were either ones I¡¯d never seen before, or in places where I did recognise them ¨C such as those for durability and strength ¨C I didn¡¯t understand the changes my grandfather had made to the arrays. What was clear was that whatever he¡¯d done, it¡¯d made the arrays stronger as I didn¡¯t think the base version could take the abuse these ones had even if they had time to recover between the spells slamming into them. This was, I felt, what my grandfather wanted me to see. While I knew basic rune arrays, and could even create them on random objects, I was years, if not decades, away from being able to create something like these golems. To say nothing of learning the multitude of spells being shot around with reflexes and speeds that appeared fast even with the memory moving at half-speed. If I tried anything in the wider wizarding world as I was now, or even after a few years of Hogwarts, I¡¯d be squashed faster than a bug on a windshield. Taking that blunt, and scary, realisation onboard I stepped back, and once back next to my grandfather let the memory resume at half-speed. The golems resumed their slow, unrelenting march toward the nearest groups of attackers. The runes glowed brighter as more spells slammed into them, crystallising my thoughts that they were drawing on the spells impacting them to grow stronger. One golem reached a group of attackers, one of those wizards erecting a shield charm over themselves and the other with them. The golem started pounding on the dome, and I smirked as the wizard casting the shield grunted. After perhaps a half-dozen strikes against the shield, he brought his free hand up to brace the wrist that held his wand. I could see the other wizard chant something, but over the din of battle, the sound never reached my grandfather, and the exact movements of his mouth were blurred whenever the golem smashed down on the shield. Two of the other golems had reached their targets and began smashing on the shields deployed there. However, my focus stayed on the first golem; or more specifically, the wizard inside that was up to something. Suddenly, he thrust his wand upward, and he, his companion, and the golem were engulfed in a light so bright I had to shield my eyes. As the light faded I blinked, trying to clear the bright spots in my vision. As they did, and I saw the golem there was now gone; reduced to atoms. That had me pausing the memory. While I knew I¡¯d not see what exactly happened, as the light would still be there, I turned slowly, seeing how the other golems were doing. A fourth had reached its target, and the last one was just about there as well. It didn¡¯t appear as if the other wizards under each dome were chanting like the one under the first, now disbanded, dome, but they¡¯d be up to something to counter the golems. Resuming the memory, I frowned as I saw the golems were moving slightly slower, the runes covering them duller because of the blinding white light. Wondering what my grandfather and those with him would do, I turned to see them, only to blink. Pausing the memory again, I looked around, finding they¡¯d moved, heading toward one group of attackers that appeared cut off from the others. Letting the memory play again, I watched as they moved, spells racing from their wands toward any nearby attackers, especially the pair now free of a golem¡¯s attention. A second golem fell, or more accurately, flew away as it was carried upward insanely fast by a flickering, sky-blue spell. As a third golem fell ¨C this time swallowed by the ground until all but the arms and head remained clear, my grandfather¡¯s group neared the ruins of a building. Yet as they slid inside, seeking cover, a spell struck the leg of one of the team. A feminine grunt came from the wounded magical, though before she could get into cover, or someone could help her, a narrow, twisting cone of purple slammed into her back. Blood and guts were sent flying as her mouth opened in a silent scream, and I doubled over, clutching my mouth to fight off the need to puke. I¡¯d never seen people shot or killed in my former life, at least outside realistic movies and games, and was thoroughly unprepared for watching the woman¡¯s insides be sprayed over the building and another member of my grandfather¡¯s team. I hacked violently, trying to not think about what was going on around me, though nothing came out which was a relief. Recovering slightly, I paused the memory again, and taking my time in the silence, recovered fully. Once I felt I was ready, I stood, and looked at the woman, or what remained of her. Another cough came forth, my hand covering my mouth again as I saw the remains of her body slumped against the building, everything inside five metres covered in a sheen of blood. I kept staring at the scene, knowing I needed to accept it wasn¡¯t real, and that anything that might happen going forward had already happened and I could do nothing about it, but it still took time to feel ready to resume the memory. Before I did, and once I¡¯d reached the point where I didn¡¯t feel like being sick at the woman¡¯s remains, I moved closer, reminding myself with each step that the blood underneath my feet wasn¡¯t real; that this was simply a memory. Eventually, I reached the cover my grandfather had slid behind and took in the face of the others with him. Neither of the other men stood out, nor could I place them against faces I¡¯d seen in the news, my brief time in the Wizengamot, or at the few events I¡¯d attended at the request of Arcturus in the years since the Summer Solstice Massacre. Since one of the men appeared to have darker, light brown skin, I suspected he came from abroad, so it was possible the other man did as well. Now, there were a handful of magical Houses that weren¡¯t Caucasian in the Wizengamot, and, from what I¡¯d seen and read, a decent number of half-bloods and muggleborns that had non-British ancestry, but adding all those together ¨C along with the small number of foreign dignitaries from outside Western Europe or North America ¨C only a small percentage of the magical population of the Isles was non-white. There was a good chance that these two men, regardless of where they came from, had died in this battle or even in the years since, so there was little point in focusing on them. That said, I¡¯d have to ask my grandfather about them in case they and their families were important figures and potential allies I might develop as I started making my mark on the wider wizarding world. After steeling myself for whatever carnage was still to come, I resumed the memory at half-speed. I couldn¡¯t tell how many of the attackers remained as my grandfather was staying behind cover with his companions, but given the volume of colour splashing around us, it appeared some had died to the golems or in the initial battle before those animated statues appeared. The cover my grandfather¡¯s team were using went through a constant cycle of damage from incoming spells and repairs from the wandwork of the men behind it, yet as time slowly passed, it became clear my grandfather¡¯s team was slowly losing the battle to keep their cover. However, just as the cover grew small enough that the men were forced to press against each other, a massive explosion erupted on the battlefield. I wanted to know what had caused it, but with my field of vision limited to what my grandfather saw, I couldn¡¯t do so. At least not until he risked emerging from cover. More explosions came, and they were joined by screams of terror. Eventually, my grandfather dared to look, and I gasped at what he saw. A single man had appeared, and unlike my grandfather¡¯s team, not only wasn¡¯t he taking cover, but he was taking the fight to the attackers. Bodies lay strewn around the place, all clearly dead but the ways they¡¯d fallen were vastly different. Two were simply slumped over as if their strings had been cut, another was buried under debris. One had been blown apart, and while I was able to stomach that, the sight of another thrashing around as his body bubbled and boiled had me pausing the memory to recover. I closed my eyes, and took long, deep breaths, bringing forth my training in Occlumency. I felt my emotional reaction to what I was seeing slip away; being locked behind a door so secure that looking at the man dying as his body boiled only brought forth questions about which spell had done such a thing, and how effective it was on a battlefield. With my emotions now under control and locked down, I resumed the memory and focused on the newcomer. His wand flashed around so fast that my grandfather missed many of the actions it took, yet the stream of spells, in almost every colour imaginable, made clear that this person was on a level far beyond my grandfather. His movements, at least what I could observe, were almost hypnotic: as if I was watching a composer lead an orchestra of devastation. Yet, it was also clear that the man wasn¡¯t impressed by those attacking him, almost dismissive in how he fought. Every attacker present was focusing on him, yet nothing came close to striking him. Merlin, he didn¡¯t need to even move, his defensive and counter-attacking spells so utterly effective and brilliant that he ruled the battlefield. Shapes rose from nothing as debris swirled and rushed toward him. Spells of unimaginable power flashed, yet nothing came close. His wand danced around, bringing forth spellwork the likes of which I¡¯d never considered possible before, taking out every attack with ease before something countered. Even though I understood this man was beyond anyone else here, seeing the attackers slowly pull back was a sight to see. They outnumbered him eight to one but were unable to even draw a bead of sweat. It became seven to one as another attacker fell, their skin peeling away from where the spell had struck them causing them to drop to the ground from the pain. Then, as if truly bored with this battle, the man started moving faster. His wand swished around in ways that even after I slowed the memory further, I couldn¡¯t track; my grandfather¡¯s mind was just not capable of following the movements. Red light grew around the man¡¯s wand, drawing forth something powerful, dangerous, and almost malevolent. An outward flick of the wand had the light racing out, becoming a corrupted form of lightning with how it moved; darkness seemingly created as the powerful light raced toward its nearest target. I considered stopping the memory to take a step closer, to examine the spell, yet I knew it would do no good. Whatever was cast was something I doubted my grandfather knew. And as the thought passed, the red lightning shattered into seven veins. The remaining attackers moved, trying to defend themselves ¨C one even beginning to raise a shield ¨C yet when the spell crashed into them, and after the colour faded, all that remained of the attackers was ash in the wind. ¡°I believe I asked you to just scout their lines,¡± the man said softly with a faint Eastern European accent, ¡°not engage them.¡± The man turned, letting me see him for the first time. His robes were odd as while their quality was impressive and they were clean, they felt old; as if the man had been born with them and they¡¯d aged with him. His face was sharp, well defined with a world-weariness that came with, I suspected, seeing too much during this war. Yet, there were also hints of amusement, as if the brief slaughter he¡¯d engaged in had lifted whatever dark thoughts clouded his mind. ¡°You did, but it seems the ICW expected our presence and was ready for us,¡± my grandfather replied as he and the other survivors emerged from their protection. ¡°Degataga and Juilya both fell before your arrival.¡± The man paused, his eyes finding first what remained of the woman who¡¯d died painfully near the cover my grandfather and his team had hidden behind. He then glanced at another body; one I¡¯d not spotted in the initial chaos of the battle. This man was just as dead as the woman, but he¡¯d suffered from having parts of his body ¨C including most of his chest ¨C turned to stone. The man took a step toward my father and those with him. ¡°That is unfortunate, and I¡¯m sure their families will mourn their deaths.¡± He placed a hand on my grandfather¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I am relieved that you are alive, D¨°mhnall. I would have hated to inform Cassiopeia of your dem¡­¡± His words trailed off suddenly as he turned, the tip of his wand glowing as he summoned a spell. Where the attackers had fallen new figures appeared. Almost all arrived via apparition, and by the time the last faint crack of the magical transportation method sounded, nearly a hundred wizards and witches were present. While they wore a variety of close-fitted combat robes, from what I could tell, there were similarities to their clothing, as if different versions of the same uniform. One man at the front, dressed in blood-red robes that swirled around behind him in ways that couldn¡¯t be caused by the wind blowing around the battlefield, stepped forward. ¡°Gellert Grindelwald,¡± my eyes snapped to the man who¡¯d saved my grandfather, ¡°by order of the International Confederation of Wizards, you are under arrest for crimes against wizard and muggle-kind.¡± The newcomer spoke with a vaguely southern European accent and carried himself with an air of authority. Yet, as he spoke, Grindelwald stayed stationary, a faint hint of a smile just visible from my grandfather¡¯s perspective. ¡°Lay down your wand and surrender! This is your only warning!¡± The southern European said, his cloak billowing unnaturally but in a way that made him look imposing. ¡°What should we do?¡± My grandfather asked as he moved to Grindelwald¡¯s side. ¡°Nothing,¡± Grindelwald replied, not taking his eyes off the leader of the opposition. ¡°I have been expecting Auror Corti to eventually locate me in this accursed muggle country.¡± He stepped forward, his wand¡¯s movement beginning to increase as the colours around its tip grew more vibrant. The group with the now-named Auror Corti reacted. Most shifted into a defensive stance, all readying their wands as light flared around the tips. I had no idea what spells were about to be unleashed, but I was greatly looking forward to seeing Grindelwald in action. An army of creatures rose from the ground, and the dust swirled up, growing rapidly in intensity. Pieces seemingly appeared from nowhere without the growing, thickening, cloud. Yet, Grindelwald didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t react to the threats growing in front of him. Instead, he took a single step forward. That was the signal for those with Auror Corti to unleash their might. The creatures that had risen from the ground, rushed forward, some taking to the air. The dust cloud swirled around them, blocking sight of those casting, even as bursts of colour ¨C of which a half dozen looked like the Killing Curse ¨C raced through the cloud. Grindelwald¡¯s wand flicked, and a wall of fire, glowing a vibrant green, rose between him and the attack. Nothing, not the spells, the transfigured creatures, or the dust cloud broke through the flames. Since it was impossible to block the Killing Curse without a physical object, then I knew he¡¯d done something to the flames, or cast something else with them. Regardless of what it was, the wall of fire not only kept every attack at bay but slowly moved forward, like the crest of a tidal wave preparing to crash against the coast. As it moved, I started to see shifting shapes in the flames, though if those were caused by Grindelwald or those casting against him, I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was that the power, the skill, the focus needed to create this wall of flame was beyond my grandfather. Never mind ten-year-old me. ¡°I suggest you leave,¡± Grindelwald said calmly as the flames started to spread around us, encircling us in their protection. His wand moved as if conducting a symphony of destruction. Though the climax was yet to arrive. ¡°Are¡­ are you sure?¡± My grandfather asked, awe in his tone as the flames rose, slowly sealing us inside a dome. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t wish for you to be caught in what I am about to unleash.¡± All that remained of the night sky was a small, rapidly closing circle. ¡°I will be along momentarily.¡± The slowly forming dome pushed outward, and just before the memory ended, I saw it pass over where I knew buildings were. Yet instead of those structures, all that appeared on this side of the flames was ash so black it swallowed the light of the fire. Now standing in a darkened, empty area, I blinked. What Grindelwald had just unleashed was a spell of incredible power and intensity. And yet, when it finally came down to it, Dumbledore had defeated him. Or at least, it was claimed he had. Like with the main universe, here the stories and reports only talked of how Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, not killed him. That had me curious if he was imprisoned in Nurmengard. That was something I¡¯d have to investigate in later years, though I doubted the castle-turned-prison would be undefended by wizards, curses, and all manner of traps and dangers. Putting those thoughts aside, I exited the pensieve. ¡­ I blinked, re-orientating myself with the real world once again. As I stepped back from the pensieve, I ran a hand over my brow and discovered I¡¯d been sweating. I couldn¡¯t be entirely sure of why, but I suspected that my emotional responses while viewing the memory had had a physical effect on my body. Turning, I looked at my grandfather. He was watching me carefully, a faint smile on his face. ¡°What did he do?¡± I asked, needing to know how that battle played out. I knew Grindelwald had escaped, as it wasn¡¯t until 1945 that he¡¯d been defeated by Dumbledore, so one of the most powerful wizards in the world must¡¯ve done something beyond impressive to escape the force arrayed against him. ¡°Like you might¡¯ve seen with the buildings at the very end, he turned them to ash.¡± I blinked, processing that, and wondering why Corti and those with him hadn¡¯t apparated away. Now, I remembered seeing something like that in the sources from my other life when he¡¯d unleashed a spell that, supposedly, hadn¡¯t been contained and would¡¯ve consumed muggle Paris, but there the wizards outside the flames had been able to escape easily enough. Or at least fall back and then contain the flames. ¡°Wh¡­¡± I paused and licked my lips, finding them oddly dry. ¡°Which city?¡± ¡°Hamburg.¡± My grandfather grinned as he spoke. ¡°After the war, I accessed the muggle records from their war that ran concurrently. They attribute the devastation to an attack by the winning side, saying that from a city of nearly half a million muggles, only ten thousand escaped the flames. However, that battle took place on the twenty-third. The muggles ¨C likely because of work by the ICW to hide the truth ¨C claim the bombing, whatever that is, started the night of the twenty-fourth. A day after Grindelwald released his spell. I had heard of him using it once before that, and know it was a slow-spreading flame; one that grew in intensity the more it consumed, so I have no doubt the true cause of the deaths of nearly half a million muggles was Grindelwald after he killed those that attempted to arrest him.¡± I blinked again, struggling to process what I was being told. Using my Occlumency, I was able to find the memories of my studies of World War 2 in my former life in another world. Around forty thousand had died in the bombings of Hamburg there, so I agreed with my grandfather that Grindelwald was the true cause of the devastation in this world. Now, while I knew his opinion of muggles was lower than mine, the fact he¡¯d bothered to learn how devastating the attack had been spoke of his admiration for Grindelwald, and from a purely magical perspective, I had to agree. And now I had a level to aim for, since from everything I¡¯d been told, like myself, Grindelwald was supposedly someone with an Akros level of magical potential. ¡°Can you understand why I have shown this memory to you?¡± ¡°Yes. To show me that, as great as my potential is, I have years¡­ decades to go before I¡¯m at the level of people like Grindelwald or Dumbledore. While there is a chance, perhaps a good one, that I¡¯ll be the most gifted wizard in my year at Hogwarts, I¡¯m not special. At least not yet. in the grand schemes of the Isles, I¡¯m nothing more than a chick freshly hatched from an egg.¡± My grandfather chuckled. ¡°Perhaps not the metaphor I¡¯d have used, but an apt one, nonetheless.¡± He beckoned me closer. ¡°You have the ability to, with time and effort, achieve great things. Perhaps, if you so wish, shape the world as Grindelwald and Dumbledore have done. Others might one day call you evil, or despicable for your beliefs, but that is just the fears of lesser wizards. Whatever you do, I know that with the dedication and focus you have, it will be great. Yet you are as far from that time as you were before our Clan was massacred.¡± A grim determination covered his face as he spoke. ¡°Those responsible targeted us and the other Clans that follow the old ways for a reason. They know you, and others, survived the attack and will have had years now to prepare for their next assault. And this time, the might of our Clan, and those allied to us might not be great enough to prevent our destruction.¡± He paused, a wide, slightly deranged smile spreading over his face. ¡°However, with focus and effort, you will show them that Clan MacLeod is not to be trifled with, and if you ignite the spark my father and I sense within you, you may possess the power to change the world into one reflecting your desires. However, always remember that for every great fire that starts from a spark, a hundred others have been snuffed out.¡± ¡°What would you have me do?¡± I already felt I knew, but most of my plans for this world could only start to take shape at Hogwarts, and perhaps not until I was in the later years. I¡¯d not spoken of those plans to any, or even considered them when around any living person, as even with my Occlumency ¨C at least according to Aunt Moire ¨C having reached the fourth level, I knew my thoughts weren¡¯t safe from discovery. ¡°For now, continue as you have been. Learn, study, and grow your abilities. At Hogwarts, however, you will need to find others who either share your desires or could be useful in bringing them forth. Understand though, that they will have their own desires, and that no matter how powerful, or how skilled you become, threats will always exist seeking to snuff you out. Do not give them the opportunity. When the time comes and you are forced into making a choice, be ruthless, and merciless in achieving the outcome you seek. Turn their intentions, their power to your cause; bend them to your will, and remind them, in these Isles and beyond, of the power our Clan truly wields.¡± ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 0 Part 3 Year 0 Part 3 ... ... I paused as I followed Arcturus into a smaller room in Le Domaine Noir and saw that not only were most of the Blacks present, but that the table in the room ¨C which the Blacks stood on either side of so as to not impede my view ¨C was covered in wrapped gifts. There wasn¡¯t a large number of them present, though one at the back, covered by a simple black cloth ¨C or at least as simple a cloth could be for House Black, had my attention instantly for the fact it wasn¡¯t wrapped anywhere near as elaborately as the other gifts. ¡°Why exactly are you giving me these gifts now?¡± I asked as Arcturus moved to stand with his wife. It was a few days in 1969, and while that meant it was almost time for my birthday ¨C this being my eleventh ¨C that was still nearly two weeks away. In two days, the older Black children would return to school. The Black sisters were all there, though Antares ¨C who was standing near the back of the family present ¨C and Ursa Black weren¡¯t at Hogwarts. Both hadn¡¯t been accepted and attended Wirmorth Academy of Wizardry. What was interesting was that, like with my cousin Genevieve Montague, Ursa wasn¡¯t shunned or looked down upon for failing to attend Hogwarts. At least not to the level Antares had been. While the older boy hadn¡¯t been ostracised and was from a minor branch of House Black that was only two generations old, it was still something of an embarrassment for House Black. The only saving grace, or at least what I thought was a saving grace, was that Antares wasn¡¯t of Arcturus¡¯ bloodline. Antares was the firstborn of Draco Black; firstborn of Lycoris Black who was one of Arcturus¡¯ younger brothers. Like the other brother, Regulus ¨C who I assumed Sirius¡¯ brother was named for ¨C Lycoris was dead. Since neither was of any true importance, and with the line save with Orion, Sirius, and Regulus (the younger) all alive and well ¨C to say nothing of Scorpius and Altair Black ¨C Antares¡¯ failure to enter Hogwarts wasn¡¯t, in many ways, a major incident. However, it seemed even if it wasn¡¯t major, it still mattered heavily to the Blacks. I¡¯d not probed any of them about it, but from speaking with my ancestors, it was rare for a Black ¨C particularly a male ¨C to not attend Hogwarts. That seemed odd given the limited number of places at the school when taken against the magical population of the British Isles but for a family as old, powerful, and connected as the Blacks to not have all their male children there held importance. As for those at Hogwarts, Bellatrix was in her fourth year, Altair was in his third, Andromeda her second, and Narcissa was in the middle of her first. Lyra Black ¨C Ursa and Altair¡¯s sister ¨C would be starting Hogwarts with me, having received her letter back in November. ¡°We are here,¡± Arcturus began, drawing me from my thoughts on the Black family dynamics and magical schooling, because, unlike in previous years, this year you will be celebrating your eleventh birthday. A date of significance beyond the fact that it is when you shall receive your letter for Hogwarts.¡± I saw Antares flinch as his father¡¯s eyes flickered toward him which made me consider the way the Blacks were arranged. The two groups contained many of the Black family members that I¡¯d met over the years. With Arcturus and his wife stood his son and heir, Orion, his wife Walburga, and their children Sirius and Regulus; the latter struggling to remain still even with his mother resting a hand on his shoulder. The side of the table contained the other lines. Draco Black, his wife, Audrey, and their children ¨C Altair, Ursa, Lyra, and Corvus ¨C had the closest point. Scorpius and his family were next, with the Black sisters and their parents having the furthest position from the table. That signified their lack of importance to inheritance, but given those three girls were all important in differing ways in the other timeline, I doubted they would remain far from positions of power for long. Well, save perhaps Andromeda if she still ended up with Ted Tonks, but I already had plans for that if it still came to pass. ¡°While not a Black by name or birth,¡± Melaina continued for her husband, ¡°you are one by blood. Normally, your family would have a private custom for your eleventh birthday and your acceptance into Hogwarts.¡± Again, Antares flinched, though this time his eyes narrowed as well. ¡°However, the heinous assault on your Clan and others, meant you would be deprived of that.¡± ¡°With that in mind,¡± Orion said as he took over, ¡°and the close friendship you enjoy with many of our family, we felt it would remind you that you are not alone if we extended a family tradition to you.¡± ¡°Then, on behalf of myself and Clan MacLeod, I offer my thanks.¡± As I spoke, I dropped into a deep bow, showing my reverence for their actions. I had memories of how important the eleventh birthday was, remembering how each year it had occurred for my older siblings we¡¯d gone to a location elsewhere on Skye for a special ceremony; one that, now I knew Gaelic, meant I understood we¡¯d been offering thanks to magic, the Fae, and others for the point when a child began their journey to adulthood. I had considered trying to continue the tradition by roping in my aunts and Uncle Marcas MacDougall but decided against it. None of them were meant to lead the celebration, and doing that for myself felt extremely odd. It had also meant that Magnus and Talulla had missed out on the celebration of their acceptance to Hogwarts, but I felt I¡¯d made up for it with them both with the gifts I¡¯d given them. Magnus had been given a new broom, and while he¡¯d not been able to take it as he was a First Year, he had adored it. For Talulla, I¡¯d bought a Great Grey owl which she¡¯d named Skydancer and had taken to Hogwarts with her. ¡°There is no need for formality today,¡± Arcturus replied as I finished my bow. ¡°Though before we get to the majority of presents, I believe our nieces have something they wish to present to you.¡± At that, Bellatrix led her sisters, Lyra, and Ursa, toward the table. I watched as they moved to the rear, and saw the largest object, the one covered in a black cloth, shift. Bellatrix then led them out, the other four carrying whatever was covered with them. As their families moved to allow them access, I guessed the object under the cover was maybe fifty centimetres cubed, though there was no sound coming from it. As they came closer, I saw that the cloth had runes around the rim. I couldn¡¯t make out what exactly they were as the cloth was fluttering slightly as it moved, but at guess they¡¯d be to quieten and protect whatever was inside. ¡°Traditionally, many witches and wizards have a familiar,¡± Bellatrix explained as the group reached the front of the table. ¡°For most, this is a simple creature, or even one with some magic such as my Kneazle, Pixie. From what I¡¯ve learnt, your grandfather had a lynx as his familiar, with other members of your family often having a familiar from the feline genus.¡± Her lips twitched as if enjoying some private joke. ¡°In his wisdom, Lord Black felt a gift in that line would be suitable for your eleventh birthday and acceptance to Hogwarts.¡± She moved to the side, letting her sisters and cousins bring whatever was covered to the forefront. ¡°As such, to signify the bonds of friendship between the Most Ancient and Noble House Black, and the Ancient and Noble Clan MacLeod, we present you with this gift and hope you find it most pleasing.¡± When she finished, the other girls had placed the covered object on a small table ¨C one that had popped into existence a moment before ¨C and then Andromeda and Narcissa pulled the cover back. ¡°Whoa,¡± I muttered, taking a step toward the cage that was revealed. Inside I saw a small black kitten. It turned its head slowly, revealing crystal blue eyes that seemed to sparkle. Around them and the kitten''s head sparks of what looked like lightning crackled. This had to be some form of magical beast, but it wasn¡¯t one I¡¯d studied so far, which meant it came from outside Europe. That said, there was something about the kitten, and the power it held, calling to me, and I took another step toward the cage, my hand slowly rising. ¡°I would advise caution, D¨°mhnall,¡± I heard Arcturus say as I continued to approach the cage. ¡°Raiju can be very prickly about those who may approach them. Bellatrix was the only one able to feed the creature since it was purchased and received several minor burns for her actions.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t hurt,¡± the girl in question mumbled as I neared the cage. ¡°For now. When fully grown, a raiju has the potential to kill an adult wizard or witch. Indeed, the export of them outside of Japan is highly restricted.¡± Barely anything that was said registered with me as my focus remained on the cage, and the adorable kitten inside. The power it radiated felt familiar now, and I realised that was because of my lightning affinity. As I lifted a hand to the bars of the cage, the kitten¡¯s head shifted, its eyes locking on my fingers as they neared. The sparks around the raiju grew brighter, and I felt my magic shift as my fingers came level with the cage. The feeling was coming from the cage as I saw faint runes in the frame, yet even with the warning there, I still pushed my fingers slowly through the gaps in the bars. The kitten watched intently, curious about the intruding limbs. I stayed still once they were in, wanting the next step to come from the kitten. Having had cats in the life I¡¯d lived in a non-magical world before merging, I knew cats did things in their own damn time. Its legs shook as it stood, indicating just how young the kitten was, and it moved closer. A pause came when I sensed someone moving around behind me, the action drawing the kitten¡¯s glare; making the sparks darken, taking on a slightly purple hue. My eyes widened as those sparks grew larger, hinting at the power the young creature held, yet I kept my fingers still. A sudden movement might alarm the young beast, and result in it attacking me which was the last thing I wanted to happen. As its gaze returned to my fingers, I felt something shift in the magic that flowed through me; as if it understood that the kitten was meant for me; that our magic was meant to complement each other in some way I didn¡¯t fully understand. As the kitten sniffed my fingers, I fought the instinct to flinch; a stray spark of magic from the kitten clipping a knuckle. Yet, almost as soon as the pain of the magic rushed through my system, it faded away. I couldn¡¯t be sure, but as the kitten leaned into my touch, it felt as if its magic had soothed my pain. If not healed any damage it had inadvertently done. A gentle purr reverberated through me as the kitten leaned fully into my touch, enjoying the slight movements of my fingertips scratching it behind an ear. The flickers of power it was emitting danced over my fingers, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain. Whether that was because of the raiju accepting me, my affinity for lightning magic, some combination of the two, or another unknown reason, I couldn¡¯t say. Regardless of why, the flickers of magic that brushed against me felt warm, inviting, and safe. The purring grew louder as I felt someone shift behind me again, though this time the kitten didn¡¯t care, enjoying my touch more than the approach of another. ¡°It appears the raiju had bonded with you,¡± I heard Arcturus say though my focus remained on the kitten. ¡°While that is what I had hoped for, I must admit that it happening so soon is unexpected.¡± As he continued my fingers moved, one managing to reach the spot between the kitten¡¯s ears. ¡°Something might need to be examined in detail later.¡± Knowing the kitten wouldn¡¯t react to my action, I turned my head. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to him with a smile that probably looked a little dopey. ¡°The thanks should go to Bellatrix. It was her that found the animal at the back of one particular shop we visited looking for a suitable familiar for you.¡± The answer came from Bellatrix¡¯s mother, Druella who looked understandably proud of her daughter¡¯s choice and the reaction it had brought out of me. Bellatrix shrugged when I looked at her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to find it,¡± she said with a smirk that others might find scary, but I found amusing, ¡°just that when I saw it, it reminded me of you.¡± ¡°Cute and friendly?¡± I shot back, unwilling to not take the shot. ¡°Hah!¡± Bellatrix barked out in laughter. ¡°As if you could ever measure up to that level of cuteness!¡± She shook her head, her eyes moving to the kitten. ¡°I¡¯ve just always had a leaning toward felines.¡± Her lips twitched as if enjoying some private joke. ¡°And I wanted to pay you back properly for taking me to that dreadful Winter Solstice Ball several years ago.¡± ¡°Given the number of jinxes and hexes you¡¯ve sent my way, I believe you already have. Or at least I hope you have,¡± I replied as I continued to scratch the kitten, my words accompanied by the constant pleased purring of the young raiju. ¡°I don¡¯t jinx you nearly as often as others,¡± her eyes darted to where Sirius and Regulus were standing, and the older boy flinched as if re-experiencing one of Bellatrix¡¯s tricks. ¡°And, as much as I detest such formal events, I can admit I enjoyed the ball. Or at least the company I was forced to keep when surrounded by so many people more interested in preening like peacocks than having fun.¡± I chuckled at the image of the former Minister of Magic as a peacock, and my laughter had Bellatrix smiling. That brightened up her entire demeanour, driving away the appearance of someone bored of pretty much everything, and making her look far more friendly and sociable than she normally appeared. I wasn¡¯t sure if the change in her took place because of Voldemort or Rodolphus Lestrange ¨C who was a year above Bellatrix while his brother, Rabastan, was a year below ¨C but whoever caused the change in her ruined an amazing and powerful young lady. One that I was sure would soon have her pick of suitors. ¡°Regardless of why, you have my everlasting thanks for discovering this unique and special gift. I¡¯ll treasure him forever.¡± I did my best to bow to her, though, with one hand stuck through the bars of the raiju¡¯s cage, it was difficult. Based on the laughter that came from Bellatrix and others, and the amused smiles worn by the adults I could see, it was clear I¡¯d failed to have anything approaching a socially acceptable action. ¡°Since you both approve of the gift and that the raiju has seemingly bonded with you, perhaps you would be interested in opening the cage and holding it?¡± Melania suggested a smile brought on because of my badly attempted bow still present. I nodded my agreement and then looked at the kitten. ¡°Yes, though I¡¯d suggest having an elf nearby ready to stun him if he decides to bolt.¡± The bad pun, unintentional though it was, drew a barking laugh from Sirius, who gave me a thumbs up even as his mother turned and glared at him. ¡°If that is, it¡¯s not too much of an inconvenience,¡± I added, remembering I was a guest in their home. ¡°You are a guest, a friend and, however distant, family,¡± Melania replied as Arcturus stepped toward the cage. ¡°You and your new familiar will always be welcome under our roof, though I understand your caution. Renkler! If the raiju runs away, stun it gently,¡± she called out to the air as Arcturus approached the cage. I knew the elf ¨C who was the Head elf of house Black ¨C would hear her commands, and obey them as she intended. The kitten pulled back slightly from my touch as Arcturus neared the cage, just enough that only the ends of my fingertips could continue to scratch it. Arcturus placed his wand against the cage on the other side from me and gave a silent incantation as a moment later a section of the cage near his wand folded back in itself, leaving a perfectly smooth, but apparently lacking in method to close it, gap in the bars. Keeping one hand near the kitten, I withdrew the other from between the bars. Moving slowly, scratching the kitten as it eyed the hole, I shifted over and then slid my free hand into the gap. Once it was there, I gently pushed the kitten back with my other hand. The raiju was reluctant to move, enjoying the attention far too much, but I was eventually able to convince it to head toward my other hand. Once it started to move, I pulled the fingers through the bars and moved that hand to join the other inside the gap in the cage. The kitten stopped its approach as I did that, seemingly confused about my actions. Slowly, it resumed its approach, its tiny nose sniffing the tips of my fingers. A small twitch of pain raced from one finger as the kitten gave it an experimental nibble. I ignored the pain and the kitten, happy that my fingers weren¡¯t a threat, cautiously lifted a paw onto the palm. I stayed still, letting it advance slowly, sniffing as it went until eventually, it decided it liked this new spot and began to settle. As it turned around, its claws slipped out, prickling my hands, and while I frowned at the flurry of small jolts of pain, I stayed still until the raiju was happy and had settled down on my hands. Once it was there, I slowly lifted my thumbs up, rubbed the raiju¡¯s side, and then raised my hands. The kitten¡¯s head snapped up as it felt itself move, and before I could slide it from the cage, it¡¯d leapt off. That had me chuckling and I reset my hands and resumed waiting. It seemed magical cats were just as content, if not more so, than regular ones to do things in their own damn time. ¡°Why won¡¯t he come?¡± The question came from Regulus who had moved close behind me. That had the raiju hissing, the lightning around it growing more potent and darker. The shuffling from over my right shoulder meant Regulus had pulled back in response, which made me smirk. ¡°Because he¡¯s a cat,¡± I replied as the raiju stopped its hissing. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter about the breed, they do things when they want, not when you want.¡± A soft amused chuckle came from one of the girls, Bellatrix, I thought. ¡°A trait shared by certain witches and wizards I know.¡± That wasn¡¯t her, but I thought it was Andromeda. I didn¡¯t turn to see though, my focus remaining on the kitten. Once it was sure neither Regulus nor anyone else would approach me again, it started moving forward toward my hands. As it sniffed my fingertips I braced for another nibble, but that never came. Instead, its tongue ¨C coarse but small ¨C flicked out and ran over the spot I¡¯d previously been bit. The raiju lifted its head, meeting my eyes and in that moment, I swore it understood I wouldn¡¯t hurt it. A second later, the eyes dropped, and it sauntered ¨C a cat never simply walks as that was beneath them ¨C onto my palms, not a care in the world. Like before, it circled around, though thankfully for my palms this time it didn¡¯t feel a need to fluff its resting spot. Once it had settled down, I stayed still, not wanting to risk it leaping from my grasp again if I lifted it too quickly. The sound of a gentle, content purr rippled through my hands which I took as the sign I could lift it. I moved slowly, barely an inch every few seconds to avoid disturbing it. Even with the slow movement, the crackle of its magic still rippled around my hands and the kitten as I eased it toward the gap in the cage. Its head lifted as it neared the bars, possibly as it could sense the magic in them, but it stayed still and allowed me to ease it from its confinement. Pulling the raiju to my chest, I shifted it around slowly, settling it fully onto one forearm and palm; the other coming around to protect and scratch it. It leaned into the hand, happy to be scratched, and emitted a loud but soft purr as the lightning crackling around it turned a light blue. ¡°Aww.¡± That sounded as if it came from every girl in the room, and when I turned to see the others, I saw the girls all struggling to not rush forward and see the raiju. The older ones were doing a better job of maintaining their composure, but even Bellatrix looked as if she wanted to pet the kitten nestling against my chest. As the first few ¨C Narcissa and Lyra ¨C came near, the kitten¡¯s head came up. A hiss accompanied by a darkening of the lightning had them and the others stopped, and I bit back a grunt of pain as the lightning flickered against my skin. The pain from that faded soon after though. Either the raiju was doing that instinctively to protect me ¨C which was unlikely but possible at its young age ¨C or my magic was naturally trying to protect me. As the hissing died down again, I found Bella ¨C who was at the back of the pack of children ¨C and offered a warm, heartfelt smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. She smiled back and offered a nod. ¡°What are you going to name him?¡± Andromeda asked, cutting Bellatrix off from whatever she was going to say; I knew that as the elder sister glared at the back of Andromeda¡¯s head. ¡°D¨°mhnall should take time to consider that,¡± Melania cut in before I could answer Andromeda. ¡°While any name he likes is suitable, he should consider that as Chief MacLeod others will offer opinions on the raiju if its name is lacking in gravitas. Or is too Muggle.¡± I nodded at her words, accepting them, before offering Andromeda a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once I¡¯ve picked one I¡¯ll owl you and your sisters.¡± That made the middle sister of the trio smile even as Narcissa crept closer. The raiju spotted her movement and hissed, though this time it and the lightning weren¡¯t as potent as before. That suggested it was more interested in remaining comfortable in my arms and enjoying the gentle scratching of its neck. ¡°Why does he only like D¨°mhnall?¡± She asked her parents as she turned to them. ¡°The raiju has bonded with him,¡± Cygnus, her father, replied. ¡°As a magical beast, particularly a feline and a predator, raiju generally only allow their owner to touch them. This marks the pride they¡¯re forming. In time, and when the witch or wizard is older, the raiju might allow others who are close to their companion, such as their husband, wife, lover, or child, close to them. However, that isn¡¯t a certainty.¡± Narcissa turned back to me and smiled; one mirrored by Lyra. I, however, kept my face as blank as possible. While the attempts by mothers to have their daughter ¨C be it a cousin or some random girl I¡¯d met at the handful of parties, balls, and feasts that I''d attended over the last few years ¨C get close to me had decreased, Narcissa and Lyra hadn¡¯t pulled back. I knew that Arcturus would approve of me taking either as my wife when we were older, as it would secure our friendship through marriage, however, I had fuck all interest in that stuff for now. I wasn¡¯t even at Hogwarts yet, never mind having graduated from the school or taken my seat in the Wizengamot. Merlin, if I could, I¡¯d avoid all of that until at least my last few years in Hogwarts, though I knew the letters suggesting possible pairings with a daughter of other houses would increase once it was confirmed I¡¯d be attending Hogwarts. ¡°Perhaps we might look at the other gifts,¡± Melania said, mercifully shifting the topic as the two daughters of House Black who wanted to sink their hooks into me smiled at me. ¡°While the raiju is settled now, I suspect it won¡¯t stay that way for long.¡± I chuckled at that, knowing how kittens or non-magical breeds could go from sleeping to hyper in seconds if allowed. There was little doubt in my mind that a raiju would be just as bad, if not worse. Turning slowly to the table and the remaining gifts, I saw that Sirius had already picked one off the table. As he approached me, I saw the gift wasn¡¯t wrapped as immaculately as the others; the paper wasn¡¯t even moving, suggesting it wasn''t a magical birthday paper. That had me taking a step back, concerned about what he was carrying. ¡°I hope that isn¡¯t any sort of joke gift,¡± I said as he continued to approach, ¡°or something that might upset the kitten.¡± While I wasn¡¯t the normal target of Sirius¡¯ pranks ¨C which had grown more common in the last few years ¨C hints of the person who¡¯d appeared in the other timeline were slowly emerging. Normally, the pranks were aimed at things that would embarrass his mother or cousins, but this was the sort of place he might try something. Normally I didn¡¯t mind the pranks, sometimes even finding them amusing and an improvement on the various stodgy formal events, and even laughed off most of the ones directed at me ¨C and may have suggested a few muggle ideas that he could try ¨C this wasn¡¯t the place for such things. Any attempt to anger the raiju would anger me as well and would embarrass his grandparents. My words had him stop mid-step, which was all the proof I needed of his intent. And was enough for his mother as well, as I saw Walburga¡¯s face shift to looking like a cherry. ¡°SIRIUS BLACK!¡± She screeched as she moved toward her eldest child, ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!¡± The woman¡¯s screaming had the raiju reacting. As I held on tight, lightning surged from the kitten¡¯s body. My arms convulsed as the magic travelled up them. I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth together to stop myself screaming in pain as the lightning travelled over more of my body. every nerve in my body felt as if it was on fire as my vision turned a dark shade of purple. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Wanting to protect my eyes, I closed them even as I stumbled back. I felt myself crash into something and fell onto whatever was there. Oddly, I didn¡¯t keep falling though I could barely keep my wits about me as the raiju¡¯s magic assaulted my skin, never mind trying to work out what was happening around me. I could feel the magic within me wanting to lash out, to strike at what had hurt me, but I forced it to not do so; forced myself to grunt and bear the assault I was facing. Time seemed to slow as I focused my efforts inward, using my training and skill with Occlumency to attempt and dull my emotions, to regain control of myself. While I was able to lessen the pain I was experiencing, and the reaction it was causing, I couldn¡¯t entirely remove the pain; I couldn¡¯t detach myself from my emotions while under an unintended attack. Eventually, though I wasn¡¯t sure how long had passed even though it felt like days, the anguish, the pain resided enough that I no longer had to crunch my teeth together. As my eyes slowly opened, an odd, cooling feeling rippled through my body. Taking in the sight around me, I saw that everyone present was looking at me, concern and fear etched on almost everyone¡¯s face. A larger figure stepped closer, and it took me longer than it should¡¯ve to understand it was Arcturus who was approaching. The kitten shifted, and my protective grip on it strengthened even as I saw hints of concern in the corner of his eyes. Behind him, Melania shifted and as I focused there, I saw her wand was drawn, a gentle wisp of pale blue light glowing at the tip. As the pain continued to ease, I started placing names to the others present. Orion, Cygnus, and the other adults were standing protectively in front of the various children. With the pain almost gone, I realised that Walburga was gone, as was Sirius and Bellatrix. Movement on Arcturus¡¯ face had me blinking and trying to refocus on him. I could see his lips shifting, but I couldn¡¯t make out his voice. Thankfully, I could lip-read well enough ¨C and had sufficient situational awareness ¨C to get what he was asking. ¡°Gfhl,¡± I tried to speak but the sound that came out of my throat was akin to that a dying animal might make. I gulped hard, drawing what little moisture was in my mouth down my throat, which caused me to grimace. ¡°I-I¡¯m o-okay,¡± I barely managed to get out. Arcturus drew his wand, and with a simple swish, a glass floated slowly toward me. As it neared, I slowly pulled back the hand that had held the raiju in place from above. Once I was sure the kitten wouldn¡¯t bolt when my hand slipped away, I used it to grasp the glass. The cool, refreshing sensation of water sliding down my throat, easing the dryness was a relief. I stopped sipping when I felt the kitten shift, though instead of trying to leap away, it pushed into me further. Almost as if it was annoyed I was no longer scratching it. Understanding that, and with my throat no longer hurting, I placed the glass on a small coffee table that was beside the chair and returned my hand to scratching the kitten. As it resumed purring, I looked around the room again. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, wondering how I¡¯d ended up in the chair ¨C it hadn¡¯t been behind me before the raiju had reacted to Walburga¡¯s screeching ¨C where the coffee table had come from as well, and where Sirius, Bellatrix and Walburga had gone. ¡°The raiju reacted badly to our daughter-in-law¡¯s tone,¡± Melania responded, her tone more measured than it normally was, indicating just how unimpressed she was. ¡°When it lashed out with its power, you kept hold of the beast. While that kept the magic contained, it exposed you to everything the young raiju could produce. My husband summoned the chair for you to rest in until the raiju calmed itself while I attempted to heal the damage. Though once the kitten had calmed itself, its magic seemed to realise the mistake and worked with mine to accelerate your recovery. That, however, didn¡¯t mean it restrained itself with relation to the room at large.¡± I looked around and saw the chaos the raiju had unleashed. The gifts were slowly being lifted back onto the table, Kreacher and Renkler working to repair the wrapping as they moved them back into place. Kreacher was glaring as he worked, though it wasn¡¯t, as I first thought, aimed at me, but at the raiju in my arms. I caught sight of a few books sliding back into their slots in the various bookcases in the room and a painting on the wall settlings suggesting it too had been knocked from its position. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, holding the raiju slightly tighter. ¡°You have nothing to apologise for,¡± Arcturus countered, earning a nod of agreement from his wife. ¡°Our daughter and grandson are to blame, though I believe Bellatri¡­¡± his voice paused as one door to the room swung open and the oldest of the Black daughters sauntered in, her wand twirling in her fingers. ¡°As I was just about to say, I believe Bellatrix was ensuring Sirius remembers that his form of humour isn¡¯t suitable for usage at most times. Particularly while a guest is present.¡± Bellatrix laughed at that, her enjoyment of whatever she¡¯d done was easy to catch. ¡°Oh, that I did, My Lord,¡± She said with a partial curtsey while wearing a wicked, devilish grin. She turned to me to continue. ¡°Even after his mother has finished with him, I believe he will remember my lesson more clearly.¡± As she finished, she gave her wand another twirl before sliding it into her holster. While I couldn¡¯t see that, given the wand vanished around her hip, it seemed she had her holster in roughly the same place as I had mine. ¡°On one hand, I do hope you haven¡¯t hurt Sirius too much,¡± my comment drew an amused snort from the teenager. ¡°On the other, thank you for your help in handling this matter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that this means I¡¯m getting soft on you,¡± she replied, jabbing her now thankfully empty wand hand toward me. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let that¡­ my cousin¡¯s stupidity hurt the little guy.¡± ¡°Regardless of why, still thank you,¡± I added. That made a small smile on her face grow larger. She took a step toward me, and I tensed, wondering what she was planning, but after seeing my reaction she paused. The smile grew larger still before she turned and headed toward her sisters. ¡°With the unexpected moment of concern now concluded, perhaps we might return to the reveal of the other, genuine, gifts.¡± I nodded at Arcturus¡¯ words; understanding his time was limited. I stood slowly, being mindful of the kitten now purring contently in my arm. Before I could move toward the table, the Black children did. Thankfully, they were quiet, but I barely suppressed a groan as Narcissa and Lyra raced to be the first to collect their gift and present it to me. Displaying such irritation when a guest in another house, even one considered a friend of the family and current Lord, was the height of ill behaviour. As the pair turned, wrapped gifts in hand, I wondered if, as I hoped, things would get better once I was at Hogwarts. Though knowing my luck, it would get worse; perhaps even from the first day. That would distract, to some degree, from my enjoyment of Hogwarts, and since I was sure I could already pass tests in the first three years of school, it might be a struggle to remain interested during those formative years. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I woke to the gentle, familiar sound of the sea lapping against the beach near Dunscaith Castle. While I was far from the beach and inside the Master Bedroom ¨C having moved in after a few years of reluctance ¨C magic ensured I could have any sound I wanted for my alarm. Most mornings it was the sea I used as I found the soft, repeating pattern a soothing way to wake. Lifting the covers slightly, I saw Xenocrates curled up about halfway down the covers near my hip and purring. As usual, he was leaning against my side, enjoying the warmth from myself and the magic that kept the bed at a constant and comfortable temperature. The charmed nature of the bed might be why I often found him lazing away on or in my bed, much to Kadic¡¯s annoyance at having to fix the duvet after Xeno left for a wander or food. Thankfully, that, along with generally cleaning up after Xeno as he behaved like a normal cat, was about all Kadic had to do now. For the first week since I¡¯d gotten him, Kadic, Aien, and I had spent hours each day either hunting for Xeno or discovering what new hidey-hole Xeno had discovered. While he was my familiar, he couldn¡¯t enter either the Inner Library or the Master Study, nor able to dislodge various decorations and ornaments from their pedestals. That didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t still try, but he¡¯d come to grumpily accept that certain things just weren¡¯t possible for him. The reason so much of the house was cat-proof was because as I¡¯d been informed, my ancestors had often had felines as familiars. Kadic remembered a time my grandfather¡¯s lynx had knocked over a gift given to his grandfather by the then Great Prussian Republic¡¯s Ambassador to the British Isles. Ever since then, the runes and charms to protect everything in the castle ¨C and at other places on the grounds ¨C were constantly kept active. What all that didn¡¯t do was stop Xeno from using my bed and various chairs through the castle to nestle down and enjoy the warmth. So far, none of them had been destroyed, but several minor chairs had needed repair after Xeno reacted badly to Kadic¡¯s attempts to remove him from the chair in question. Since then, I¡¯d just said to let Xeno rest where he pleased, so long as it wasn¡¯t a room with too many valuable ornaments. Kadic had accepted that, though he had cautioned that if the raiju had a major reaction, particularly when older, the charms and runes protecting the furniture and decorations in most rooms Xeno could enter would be insufficient to protect them. Xenocrates had not had any reaction to me trying to shift him, which I put down to the new but strengthening bond I shared with the raiju. He had reacted to the elves, but after a few days, had chosen to start ignoring them, and generally lazing around the castle. I¡¯d yet to let him out beyond the courtyard, but generally, he preferred to stay inside. The forest was off-limits, and Kadic and my grandfather had helped me ensure the wards would guide Xeno away from the trees should he discover a way to slip out of the castle grounds. Eventually, I knew Xeno would want to venture into the forest, but until we were both older, and I knew what lurked in its depths, I wasn¡¯t giving the raiju free reign to explore. ¡°Morning Xeno,¡± I said, giving him a gentle scratch between his ears. That had him lifting his head slightly, the eyes opening just enough that the first sparks of his magic appeared. That had me considering the links between raiju, lightning, and their owners. One of the other gifts given to me by the Blacks ¨C coming from Cygnus and Druella ¨C was a book on raiju. Beyond the more interesting comments on the differences between them and regular felines, it confirmed that there was meant to be a link between the raiju¡¯s ability to harness lightning and the witch or wizard it bonded to finding such magic easier. So far, I¡¯d not tested that, mainly as I¡¯d avoided much training with lightning-styled spells, but I hoped the raiju would improve my affinity toward that particular small branch of magic. The other really interesting thing the book mentioned was that, once they were around a year old, raiju could begin to alter their size. Initially, they¡¯d only be able to grow to perhaps twice their base size, but after a few years of training, some raiju were capable of growing the size of a large tiger. The idea that before I finished Hogwarts Xenocrates could potentially be taller than me was amusing. As was the face of others when faced with a sabre-tooth-tiger-sized cat with the ability to harness lightning. I would deny it to my death, but when I¡¯d first had that image enter my head, I¡¯d cackled like a deranged madman for so long that Kadic and Aien had come to see what was wrong. By the time I¡¯d finished remembering all that, Xeno had stretched out and moved up the covers, poking his head out into the morning air. After nuzzling against my chin, he plopped down on a spare pillow and presented his belly to me. With a chuckle, and as I swung my legs out of the bed, I gave him the scratch he wanted, drawing a soft, comforting purr from his gut. My feet touched down on the rug next to my bed, the charms in it ensuring I didn¡¯t shiver from touching the cold wool it was made of. I scrunched my toes into the wool, smiling as I did so. While it was a now common effect of magic in my home, I always enjoyed the feeling of the warm wool against my feet first thing in the morning. Standing, I moved over the rug to a chair at a desk near the bed. Over the back of the chair, having been placed there at some point during the early hours but Kadic was one of the dozen morning robes I had. Since the castle was warmed permanently at a comfortable temperature, I didn¡¯t need a robe and had for a few years simply walked out of my room in nothing but my underwear. Kadic had prodded me daily that such behaviour was unbecoming of The MacLeod, and when I¡¯d moved to the Master Bedroom, I¡¯d started wearing the robes to appease him. Kadic hadn¡¯t commented on my actions, but the regular nod he gave when he saw me in them at breakfast meant he approved. After sliding into a pair of slippers that were under the chair ¨C and matched this morning¡¯s robes ¨C moved toward the door. It swung open before I reached it. ¡°The MacLeod is awake,¡± Kadic stated, standing there as he always did each morning when I woke. He bowed deeply, which he did no matter how much I insisted he didn¡¯t have to, before continuing. ¡°Does The MacLeod know what for breakfast? Kadic reminds The MacLeod today is the MacLeod¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°Yes, Kadic, I¡¯m aware of that,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°And no, I don¡¯t have any preference. It¡¯s entirely up to you, but just not too much,¡± I added remembering how each year he would make enough breakfast ¨C and lunch ¨C for five adults. To me, it was a waste, but he kept doing it and I didn¡¯t have the heart to make him stop, as he¡¯s spent his life until a few years ago making meals for an entire family. Now, it had to be said that I ate more now than I did in the non-magical before the merging, but that was, from what I¡¯d read and been told because using magic burnt more energy than most other activities. A witch or wizard¡¯s Magical Potential helped determine how much and how finely one could use magic, but the body still needed its energy to do so. That explained the odd fact from my external knowledge about students at Hogwarts always seemingly eating far more than needed without any issues. ¡°Kadic remembers The MacLeod¡¯s words. Kadic reminds The MacLeod that today is special day. In many ways.¡± ¡°Right, my letter,¡± I muttered with a chuckle. The smile that followed spread rapidly to engulf my face. ¡°The MacLeod is correct. A persistent and annoying owl awaits The MacLeod in the kitchen.¡± Kadic stepped further out of my wand, extending an arm toward me. ¡°Would The MacLeod like to travel there now?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s ok, Kadic,¡± I replied, making him withdraw his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take my time and savour the anticipation,¡± I added. While I wasn¡¯t able to apparate myself, Kadic or Aien could move me around the castle and grounds quickly. Though to say I wanted to enjoy the anticipation was a bit of a lie. I already knew ¨C both as Chief MacLeod and having an Akros Magical Potential ¨C that I was going to Hogwarts. The reason that I didn¡¯t want to apparate was that side-along apparition was never enjoyable. At least for me. Meow I stopped a single step outside the bedroom and turned around. While he hadn¡¯t moved from the pillow, Xeno had lifted his head to look at me. ¡°Up to you if you want to come,¡± I said, ¡°though if you¡¯re not hungry¡­¡± I left the statement open, and a second later the raiju leapt from the bed and waltzed toward me. ¡°Okay,¡± I added as I bent down, letting the young feline leap into my arms. As I turned and resumed walking, my free hand came over and started scratching Xeno behind the ear. He leaned into the contact and began purring. He remained there as I headed down the large flight of stairs that led to the ground floor, and until I reached the kitchen ¨C there was no need to use the dining room for just myself ¨C he barely even lifted his head. When the door to the kitchen swung open, his head snapped around, and the sparks of magic he normally generated grew stronger and darker. A hiss slipped from his maw as he laid eyes on a large owl that was perched nonchalantly near the sink. ¡°Easy Xeno,¡± I said as I grasped him at the small of the neck. ¡°He¡¯s just visiting and will be gone soon,¡± I added, trying to convince the raiju that the owl wasn¡¯t a challenger or prey. If he slipped from my grasp, Xeno would chase the owl around the castle ¨C possibly managing to do damage I¡¯d rather avoid ¨C and delay me getting the letter. Xeno didn¡¯t seem as if he wanted to cooperate, but when a bowl of bacon floated close to us, his attention shifted. As the bowl moved to one side ¨C and away from the owl ¨C Xeno¡¯s scrambling to escape my grasp which eased slightly. That was enough for me to let him leap down just as Kadic placed the bowl on the floor in a small area set aside for the raiju to eat. Watching the raiju drop his head into the bowl, I wondered how much longer it would be before I¡¯d make Xeno work for his meal. While he was my familiar, Xenocrates was a predator, and just giving him food when he wanted would result in him not developing the skills he should. While I¡¯d never deny him a meal, the ability to move small strips of meat or bowls full of food around while he chased it would help hone his hunting instincts and allow me to practice using my magic in simple spell chains. The owl lifted its leg when I approached, revealing a small pouch that looked to be made of velvet. My fingers slipped inside the pouch, finding it ¨C as expected ¨C bigger on the inside. Grasping the only object there, I pulled my hand back and drew the letter the owl had carried into the light. The envelope quickly expanded to its original size, which was bigger than the pouch appeared to be, and my smile grew as I read the front of it. D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod Dunscaith Castle Isle of Skye Scotland The owl flapped its wings as I read the address, my smile widening to an almost painful degree. While I¡¯d known I¡¯d be attending Hogwarts for years now, holding the proof in my hand made everything feel real. Kadic opened a window, letting the owl escape the kitchen, and Xeno devoured his breakfast as I watched the bird fly away. Through the window, beyond the wards covering the castle, I could see snow falling. None fell on the castle or courtyard though as the wards were set to prevent it. While I could allow it to fall everywhere or nowhere within the range of the wards, I generally ensured it was only the castle and courtyard that had controlled weather. Elsewhere in the estate was left exposed to the elements, at least those not covered by greenhouses or other buildings, as that was what, according to Kadic, my father and grandfather had done. Turning the envelope over, I saw it was sealed with wax, the imprint of Hogwarts used to mark it. I had a formal seal for Clan business, but I¡¯d rarely had to use it over the last few years. While I was Chief MacLeod, much of the correspondence I had to deal with was of a personal nature. When combined with my age preventing me from handling most formal Clan business, the seal barely saw use. The wax cracked apart as it broke it, and a moment later I had the letter inside in my hands. HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards) Dear Mr MacLeod, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on the 1st of September. We await your owl confirming you wish to attend our institution by no later than the 31st of July. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress Turning the letter over, I read the back. UNIFORM First-year students will require: 1. Three sets of basic enchanted robes (black). 2.One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear. 3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar). 4. One plain enchanted cloak (black, with silver fastenings). Please note that all pupil''s clothes should carry name tags. COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling A Beginner''s Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble Magic: A Look at the Origins of Our World By Eleanor Clifton OTHER EQUIPMENT 1 wand 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) 1 set of glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set of brass scales Students may also bring, if they desire, a pet so long as it is an owl OR a cat OR a toad. PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK. Yours sincerely, Augusta Pelham Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions. Everything there was about what I¡¯d expected, though I could admit that seeing the list of books was the same as canon was a touch out of place. Bar the extra book on the origin of magic ¨C a book I¡¯d already read from cover-to-cover three times ¨C not only were the books for the topics I expected, but they had the same authors. I had expected that, at the very least, they¡¯d use different books here. Now, I could easily just use the books left over by my dead siblings, but I wouldn¡¯t. As a child of a prominent Clan, and the Chief to boot, using second-hand books ¨C bar, perhaps those belonging to my father, which I¡¯d never seen ¨C would make many question the status of Clan MacLeod. Which meant brand new books. However, I would be adding notes made by my siblings to the margins in appropriate places if those notes were helpful for the subject. Amusingly, the rules on pets would, in theory, allow me to bring Xeno to school. That had been something I¡¯d been worried about, and I¡¯d half expected a rule regarding magical beasts not being allowed, yet the rules didn¡¯t say they weren¡¯t allowed. Now, they didn¡¯t say they were allowed, but since Xeno was my familiar, it shouldn¡¯t be a major issue. The statement about one wand at least now made sense. Seeing it in the original letter for Harry Potter had always seemed weird as there¡¯d never been any mention of anyone having more than one wand. Now, in this universe, I knew it was possible to hold at least two, if not more, wands at a time. Technically, my wand as Chief MacLeod wasn¡¯t allowed, nor would I use it at Hogwarts, but by the laws of the land and based on my position, I¡¯d not be leaving that at home. Nor would, I suspected, any older heirs who had their second wand. And brilliantly, there was nothing Dumbledore could do to force me to not bring it as any attempt to take the wand linked to my position would bring the matter to the Wizengamot. something I knew Arcturus wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do. I placed the letter down on the table as I sat down. The food Kadic had prepared was less than last year, but I knew I¡¯d still struggle to eat it all. Once the meal was over, I¡¯d have to put plans for getting my supplies for school to one side. A little after lunch, my cousins ¨C or at least those not at school ¨C aunts, and uncles would arrive for my proper birthday. The Blacks would be there, though I didn¡¯t expect anything from them as they¡¯d already given me Xeno and other gifts in a private session about two weeks ago. Still, it would be nice to see them, and I was curious if Sirius was out of the doghouse ¨C so to speak ¨C because of his attempted prank. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Later that day, I was in the main sitting room of Dunscaith Castle. In front of me were various gifts from my cousins and extended family, including, rather unexpectedly, some from the Blacks. I¡¯d not asked Melania or Orion ¨C Arcturus was unable to attend due to House business ¨C about the extra gifts, but at a guess I assumed it had to do with maintaining public appearances. Like every year, the gifts were wrapped immaculately, the various images on them moving around in patterns imprinted with magic. All that, however, didn¡¯t stop me from ripping the paper apart when I picked a gift from the pile. The pile this year was larger than the last few, with all the extra gifts coming from people I only partially, or simply didn¡¯t, know. Since this was my eleventh, and I¡¯d soon be attending Hogwarts, I felt those gifts were attempts for the various Lords and Chiefs to worm their way into my good graces. Every gift that hadn¡¯t been brought by my extended family had been examined carefully by Kadic before being placed at the back of the table holding my presents. When she arrived, Aunt Moire had also examined the pile, wanting to make sure there was no threat to me or my guests. I¡¯d not opened any of those gifts so far, but given the various shapes of the gifts, I suspected many were books, small trinkets of decent to good value and the like. For now, I was focusing on the gifts from my family. ¡°Kadic, remind me later to write a note to Cousin Magnus,¡± I said as I finished removing the last of the paper from the gift I was currently attacking and confirmed it was a broom. It wasn¡¯t the same model as I¡¯d given him for his eleventh which was fine as while he adored flying, I only did it enough to be comfortable with it. My early issues with riding a broom had passed, but I didn¡¯t particularly enjoy it. Yes, the rush of the wind through your hair and over your face was exhilarating, but I simply didn¡¯t have the desire to be good at riding a broom or playing Quidditch, like Magnus and others, I preferred the duel, magic and sword both. Kadic nodded, confirming he heard my instruction, and when I turned to him ¨C broom in hand ¨C he levitated it away. It would join the pile of other unwrapped gifts on a row of long, narrow tables at the far side of the room. Each gift from my family was given its place of importance, though I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d do that for the gifts from random Lords, Chiefs, and their various family members. The paper I picked up and placed into a pile, which Xeno was happily playing with. His claws and teeth were ripping the paper apart; the moving images tempting his instincts and I swore he smirked every time he destroyed an image. Since he was enjoying himself and staying out of the way, I¡¯d asked Kadic to ensure Xeno didn¡¯t choke on the paper, though given the moment any section became too small it vanished, I didn¡¯t have to worry. My eyes turned back to the table with the unwrapped gifts, only for me to stop. ¡°Huh,¡± I muttered as I saw a small gift had shifted to the front. Unlike every other gift, this one lacked moving wrapping paper, instead ¨C rather concerningly ¨C appearing to be simple muggle wrapping paper. Turning to Kadic, I pointed at the gift. ¡°Who is this from?¡± The elf moved forward, his magic activating as the small package started levitating. His eyes narrowed as the object started turning in mid-air, and I waited for his examination to finish. ¡°Kadic not know. Kadic failed The MacLeod,¡± he said once his examination was concluded. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± ¡°Kadic not sense a threat. But Kadic not sure.¡± ¡°If I may?¡± Aunt Moire asked, stepping forward. After nodding she could, she drew her wand. While she didn¡¯t say anything, the tip of her wand glowed several colours in sequence ¨C purple, yellow, green, and then orange ¨C with the gift being engulfed in faint clouds of those colours. ¡°Unless the sender is someone of incredible skill, I feel safe in saying this gift, from whoever sent it, is clean of any dangers.¡± I nodded my thanks, and she floated the gift back to the table. Curious about what was inside, and who the sender might be, I slowly moved toward it. Unlike with the other gifts, I didn¡¯t attack the paper to get inside. Instead, I took my time, seeking a gap to slowly unravel the conundrum in front of me. When Kadic had examined it, I¡¯d looked at my gathered family. While the adults kept their faces calm, it was clear none of them knew who had given the gift. The children with them were far easier to read. Most, if not all, should¡¯ve had training in schooling their emotions and thoughts, but Lyra was the oldest, and only a few months older than me. The rest were still a year or more away from attending school. Those who might have the ability to mask their emotions were not present, having returned to school ten days earlier. Finding a gap in the wrapping, which was amusingly ¨C or, depending on your opinion, concerningly ¨C being where the sellotape used hadn¡¯t sealed, I eased my finger in. It took longer to unwrap this gift than any before, but eventually, the unremarkable paper gave way to a simple box. It was made of high-quality wood but lacked runes or engravings one might expect of something made in the magical world. My fingers ran along the seam, brushing against an almost inconceivably small latch. The box clicked and opened, though not enough to reveal what was inside. Easing the top back, I discovered a locket was held within. Like the box, it was remarkably plain, even if it was made of what appeared to be white gold. While the metal was expensive, the lack of engravings or markings made it, like the box and wrapping, stand out from the other gifts. Turning, I presented the box to Kadic and Moire. The pair understood my intentions and cast various spells and charms on the locket. ¡°It appears clean, though there is magic on whatever is underneath. It isn¡¯t a threat, merely what appears to be an alert to inform it has been viewed,¡± Morie said after about a minute of examining the locket and whatever was underneath with magic. ¡°Kadic agrees with Daughter Moire.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Feeling confident that the locket and whatever else was in the box weren¡¯t trapped in some way, I placed the box back on the table. Carefully, I lifted the locket exposing a small slip of folded paper underneath. Curious about that, and hoping it might reveal the sender, I slid it clear of the locket ¨C which I placed back in the box. ¡®A memento of happier times, and a reminder that from every darkness, light can emerge.¡¯ I frowned as I read the words on the note, not understanding the message and that it was unsigned. I turned to Moire and passed it to her. She frowned as she read in while several of the other adults present came closer. Moire pulled her wand again, using magic to try and determine the sender. While she did that, I returned my focus to the locket. A small clasp holding it shut was easy to find, and it opened with a click. Inside was a simple, moving picture of a girl. At a guess, and based on the robe, she looked to be in her late teens and at Hogwarts. The blue inside of the hood, along with cuffs and silver trim made clear she was from Ravenclaw with the extra decoration marking her out as someone from at least Third Year upwards. I knew that from then the robes changed, which given the enlarged size of Hogwarts in this universe, made sense as it helped mark out students in varying years when height alone wouldn¡¯t suffice. However, I didn¡¯t know enough to be sure of which years she was in. The robes didn¡¯t reach all the way to the ground as they were meant to in the books, but it was clear she wasn¡¯t wearing muggle clothing underneath as in the movies; instead wearing what appeared to be a slightly ¨C in my opinion ¨C old-fashioned shirt. That meant she was either raised in the magical world or had changed her style during her time at Hogwarts. The girl had a wide smile as the photo was taken, a brilliant smile failing to detract from the light in her eyes that spoke of intelligence and amusement. The image only lasted a few seconds before repeating, but it was more than enough to show a joyful young lady. ¡°That¡¯s Kara.¡± My head pivoted at hearing Uncle Marcas speak. ¡°Hard to be sure when it was taken, but the uniform suggests sixth or seventh year.¡± Marcas wore a sad smile as he looked at the picture, and placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know who sent this, but she¡¯d be glad you have a memento of her time at Hogwarts to help remember her by.¡± I smiled at hearing this and turned back to look at the picture of my mother. She wasn¡¯t the older woman I remembered from my memories, but I could still see my mother in this girl. I could also, as odd as it sounded, see hints of ¨¢ine. Since ¨¢ine was my mother¡¯s cousin by blood, that made sense, but it was still a weird connection to make. ¡°The gift is from Albus Dumbledore.¡± My head snapped back to Moire when she said that. ¡°Heir Black confirms the handwriting is one he¡¯s seen on official documents from Hogwarts and I¡¯m certain the magical hint I can detect in the parchment is from the Headmaster.¡± ¡°Why would he send me a gift?¡± I asked, though already I was formulating reasons as to why. Moire and Orion shared a look before the Heir to House Black replied. ¡°I believe, after lessons with your aunt and my parents, that you¡¯re more than able to determine why the Headmaster has sent this to you. However, discussions about the gift¡¯s meaning and the logic in sending it can wait for another day. For today, you should treasure the gift and enjoy your birthday.¡± ¡°I will, but could you, Aunt Moire and others examine the locket, box, and padding more carefully? While I doubt there¡¯s anything here to be concerned about, I¡¯d rather not take the chance.¡± ¡°A sensible precaution,¡± Moire remarked. I reluctantly placed the locket back in the box, and a moment later it floated out of my hands toward a small, empty table. ¡°This one¡¯s from me!¡± That statement came from ¨¢ine as she appeared in my face, holding a gift about the size of her head in front of her. I had to lean back as she thrust the gift toward me, but the proud, happy smile she bore meant I¡¯d not be rejecting her request to open her gift next. Her smile grew as I took the gift and placed it on the table to unwrap. Yet, even as I did, my thoughts struggled to not turn to Dumbledore. I didn¡¯t know his reasoning for sending a gift to me now, on the day I got my letter to Hogwarts, and while it shouldn¡¯t be nefarious, there was animosity between him and my Clan. Well, Dumbledore would think that had ended with the death of my parents, but I knew it hadn¡¯t. I had been trying to keep an open mind about the motives of the Headmaster, reminding myself regularly that this Dumbledore wasn¡¯t the one from the other timeline. However, with very few people around me willing to trumpet the man¡¯s accomplishments, it was hardly surprising I already had a coloured opinion of him. That said, I¡¯d reserve judgment until after I was at Hogwarts, possibly even for a few years. Most people around me weren¡¯t in the pro-Dumbledore camp, but few were openly against him, so it was better to wait and see what sort of man the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and the man who vanquished Grindelwald was. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 0 Part 4 Year 0 Part 4 ¡­ ¡­ As I stepped back onto Diagon Alley, I smiled widely, twirling my wand around between my fingers, getting a feel for how it felt. The wand in my hand wasn¡¯t the Lord¡¯s Wand that I¡¯d gotten to help me be confirmed as Chief MacLeod, however. This wand was my wand for Hogwarts, and while it wasn¡¯t on par with how natural it felt in my hands compared to my Lord¡¯s Wand, this one was what I¡¯d be using at school. Hogwarts, as I¡¯d learnt from my history books, had been built as a castle, intended to help defend the Wizards of Britain against invaders from across the continent who came with their muggle counterparts to conquer the isles. Over time, as magicals slowly withdrew from directly involving themselves in muggle affairs, though long before the Statute was even a consideration, the castle had been converted into a school. There had been an earlier school for magicals in the British Isles, which amusingly, was called Avalon, but its location had been lost ¨C or hidden ¨C during wars with Norse and mainland European magicals. When the change had taken place, young Lords and Chiefs were common in the isles; a side effect of different morals and more constant, violent wars. As a Lord¡¯s Wand granted the user it was built for a distinct advantage when used, the Founders of Hogwarts, who had been the ones to build the castle and were still alive when the conversion took place, nearly two hundred years later, it had been determined that all students would use the same style of wand. That was one with a single core and wood. Over the centuries, various wandmakers had come and gone, using various woods and cores from all over the world, but through it all, the House Ollivander, one of only two Houses of Antiquity with active seats in the Wizengamot, had remained. And it was from their shop that I¡¯d just emerged from. Now, nothing said that a Chief, Lord, or Heir ¨C who could get such a wand when they turned sixteen ¨C couldn¡¯t bring their Lord¡¯s Wand to Hogwarts, only that for all spellcasting and the like on school grounds, the school-approved wand must be used. I wasn¡¯t sure how that was enforced, as the registering of a Lord¡¯s Wand wasn¡¯t something that even the Wizengamot allowed, but perhaps it was something to do with the castle¡¯s wards, which given its original purpose as a location for war, would be insanely impressive if ever fully raised. If an Heir used their Lord¡¯s Wand in class, then the wand would be confiscated and returned publicly, during a session of the Wizengamot to the Chief or Lord in question. That hadn¡¯t happened in several centuries as the disgrace of such an event was extreme, and the poor sod it had happened to last had not only been stripped of their position as heir, but expelled from their family. If a Lord¡¯s Wand was used elsewhere, then not only would a similar event occur, but depending on the spells cast and the reason for using it, the student in question could be suspended, expelled, or even sent to Azkaban in the hopes that would avoid creating feuds between powerful Clans or Houses. As I continued to twirl my new wand, and the door to Ollivander¡¯s shop closed behind me with the tinkling of the bell over the door, my mind returned to a story I¡¯d read the day of my birthday in the Daily Prophet and other newspapers. Apparently, I would be the first Chief or Lord who was recognized by the Wizengamot, to attend Hogwarts in centuries, and the first to ever hold my position before at least beginning my studies at the castle. The story had passed, my existence no longer a thing of interest to the masses as I kept out of the public eye, but the fact my name would now be a nugget of information added to Hogwarts: A History was something that amused me. Hopefully, before my time in this world was over, my name would be remembered as something more than a footnote of trivia, but it was a start. Plus, it would be a nice way to introduce myself to others as I grew older, perhaps even opening a few doors that I might otherwise struggle to prise ajar. All that, however, was a matter for the future. For now, my focus was on getting my school supplies today, and with that, I looked carefully at my new wand. It was about a foot long, and rigid, being made of ebony with the heartstring of a Hungarian Horntail. Heir Garrick Ollivander had explained that ebony was a wood seen in those with resolute convictions and intentions that would never waver, though it was the comment he made about the heartstring that drew my attention, along with an amused smirk of interest from him. Apparently, he had used heartstrings from that dragon in several other wands, including the one used by Bellatrix Black. I¡¯d not reacted visibly to the comment, or at least I didn¡¯t think I had and instead muttered how it was nice to have a friend with the same core. For a child, that would seem innocent enough, but I knew Heir Garrick felt it meant something else. Before I could turn my thoughts to Bellatrix, a paw flashed out from my left shoulder, and I pulled the wand to my right. ¡°No, Xeno! That¡¯s not for you,¡± I said, glaring at the raiju; or at least trying to as it was hard to turn and look at the creature as he was resting on my shoulder. I used my free hand, and flicked him on the nose, making his head snap back and an annoyed spit emerge from his mouth. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t hiss, whine, or draw on his magic as he¡¯d done in the shop. Heir Garrick had been amused by the raiju¡¯s actions, though when I¡¯d suggested paying for the small amount of damage Xeno had caused, Garrick had waved me off. Apparently, the raiju¡¯s reaction was on par with how some wands reacted with prospective owners and the ship was charmed to ensure any damage done wasn¡¯t permanent. ¡°If you behave for the rest of the day, then we¡¯ll get you a treat. However, act out again like you did in there, or try to chase an owl, then and no treats for a week.¡± While Xeno spent almost all his time with me, whenever he was near an owl ¨C be it one from the castle¡¯s owlery or others that arrived to deliver mail to me ¨C he tried to chase them. The various owls always got away, and most ignored Xeno¡¯s behaviour though a few had hooted angrily at me for letting Xeno attack them. If I could, I¡¯d have left Xeno at Dunscaith Castle under the watchful eyes of Kadic and Aien, however, the bond between us was still new and weak, and being that far from him risked damaging the bond and hurting him. However, I¡¯d already delayed getting my school supplies for nearly two months, both to ensure the bond could strengthen and to keep my family ¨C or extended one at any rate ¨C happy. It had taken three weeks before Xeno reached the point where he could be without physical contact for more than a few minutes, which was a relief as having to take such short, sharp showers was a nuisance. After those three weeks, Xeno was capable of being away from me, though he never left the room I was in, which was how things remained after around two months. That had meant that, for most of the last two months, I¡¯d had to limit what I did. Many of my tutoring sessions were cancelled, and trips into certain areas of the castle were limited at best. While it was unlikely he¡¯d cause any issues, I was erring on the side of caution. The jiggle of the door to Olivander¡¯s caught my attention, and I turned. As expected, I saw Aunt Katrina emerge with my cousin Adele. Adele had a wide smile and was happily swishing her wand around. Hers was made of pear and had a unicorn core. Her mood dropped slightly when she saw me, which I assumed was because she was still annoyed that I was getting a second wand. That issue had come up when she and Aunt Katrina had come to Dunscaith castle to collect me and act as my escort, but Katrina had explained it, for what I suspected was the dozenth time, and the matter was settled. At least enough that Adele hadn¡¯t brought it up again. Adele¡¯s birthday was about six weeks after mine, so waiting for her birthday to come to Diagon Alley and collect my supplies, when coupled with Xeno¡¯s issues, made sense. Plus, it allowed Aunt Katrina to accompany me. While I should be safe in the Alley, my aunt and others felt better when there was someone with a connection to me to keep watch. Aunt Moire had also insisted that I inform her whenever I was heading to the Alley, and because of that a DMLE Enforcer was assigned as my guard with Today¡¯s escort standing on the other side of the street. It was impossible to know who the enforcer was, or even their gender, as their robes were charmed to hide such things, but I suspected whoever they were, Moire knew them or at least this superior, personally. I also suspected that there was at least another Enforcer nearby but disillusioned. The Auror core, of which Enforcers were just one rank, was known to work in equal numbers at all times, to ensure every operative ¨C their word, not mine ¨C had backup on hand. This was all done because my aunts, ancestors, and others feared that someone might make an attempt on my life, trying to correct the mistake of me surviving the Summer Solstice Massacre nearly four years ago. Normally, I¡¯d have dismissed that concern as over-the-top, however, the previous summer Heir MacKenzie, who I remembered from when I¡¯d been recognized by the Wizengamot, had been attacked while at the magical district in Dublin. She¡¯d graduated last year, so didn¡¯t have any DMLE members with her, but had been lucky in that others nearby had stepped in to help. That made it clear that, while those responsible were still unknown to the Ministry, they remained active. That was a black mark against the government for me, as no leads had led anywhere, and while the Minister had changed, it still felt as if part or all of the Ministry was dragging its feet over the matter. While I was glad for the protection, I knew there¡¯d be times I wanted to head to the Alley over the next few years without it being known I was here. For that though I¡¯d be able to use glamours and potions to alter my appearance. That should be enough to allow me to move around, and enter some shops in Knockturn Alley, without drawing too much attention. ¡°Where should we head to now?¡± Katrina asked as she walked closer, her eyes darting for a moment to the Enforcer. ¡°I¡¯d lik¡­¡± ¡°I want my owl!¡± I rolled my eyes at Adele cutting in. It wasn¡¯t rude or anything, but it felt as if Katrina was asking me for suggestions. ¡°I think, perhaps, we should leave that to last. Xenocrates here has, from what I¡¯ve seen, issues with owls, so it would be better to handle your owl without D¨°mhnall present.¡± ¡°But I want to go!¡± Adele said, her heel slamming into the cobbles of the Alley. ¡°How about this,¡± I said, speaking before Katrina could argue with her daughter and make a scene. ¡°We do everything else first, and then you head for an owl with your mother. Afterwards, I¡¯ll treat you to something from Fortescue''s.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± She said brightly, the annoyance fading away instantly, which given the quality of Fortescue''s ice cream, wasn¡¯t a surprise. They were, from their claims and my own ¡®research¡¯, the best place for ice cream in wizarding Britain. I¡¯d yet to explore any muggle places for flavours and had little experience to draw upon from my other life as ice-cream parlours were long gone by the time I was a child, but I expected Fortescue¡¯s claim was accurate even if muggle parlours were brought into play. Their location and parlour were certain to be the best as they had moving images on the wall to entertain and cater for witches and wizards of any age. ¡°Now that is settled, might I suggest we head to Madam Malkin¡¯s?¡± Katrine offered hints of a smile on her face. Like my other aunts, Melania Black and a handful of women I had interactions with, whenever I was nice or spent time around their daughter or niece, they had a similar look. While it annoyed me to have them trying to plan out my future, I couldn¡¯t do much about it so had to ignore them instead. ¡°While not the most glamourous of supplies, your school robes are important and we need to ensure not only are they purchased, but the required extra enchantments are placed upon them.¡± I nodded to my aunt and then turned to Adele. ¡°After you,¡± I said with a slight lowering of my head. Anything more was an issue with Xeno resting on my shoulder. Adele giggled at my behaviour and then moved to her mother¡¯s side. I fell in behind them and the DMLE Enforcer moved along behind us, keeping a few paces back. Wherever their partner was, they¡¯d be, if I understood things correctly, taking point though not getting too far ahead in case someone slipped past them and attacked us. Diagon Alley was about as busy as usual, though given I wasn¡¯t here that often, I couldn¡¯t be certain of that. Generally, when I had business here, such as with Gringotts, I took the Floo to the nearest exit. I¡¯d been to see my Account Manager, Ranlor, earlier today before we¡¯d moved to collect my wand. Once more I¡¯d headed down to Vaults 243 and 343, however, the magics protecting them were still far beyond me. I knew the incantations needed to lower those protections, as my grandfather had taught them to me. The issue was that my magic, or at least the control of it as it flowed from me, wasn¡¯t sufficiently powerful or fine-tuned to allow me to overcome and disable the protections around the vaults. I wasn¡¯t sure when I would be able to enter those vaults, and from how my ancestors spoke, doing so was a test they weren¡¯t going to help me with. Unlike my attempts to enter the vaults, the meeting with Ranlor had been much more successful and profitable. Gold had slowly increased over the last few years, and my investments there were growing. I knew, however, that the drastic changes would take place in the seventies, and so had increased my investment in muggle gold to around half a million Galleons. I¡¯d also, remembering more from my history classes at school and university, invested the same amount in oil. Like gold, it too would take off soon as the muggle world began to change, and by the time I left Hogwarts, I¡¯d expected the million I¡¯d invested to be worth five to ten times as much. I¡¯d also, taking advantage of my potential future knowledge, moved to acquire small but impressive holdings in various muggle companies. The Goblins had several front companies that managed investments for magicals in the muggle world, but according to Ranlor, few if any bothered to play the stock markets. The knowledge needed to make that work required detailed knowledge and understanding of muggle business and politics. The obvious choices, for now, were the energy companies, and Ranlor had done as I¡¯d asked with the investments, even going so far as to set up an account with Coutts in London so, if I ever needed to, I could access my muggle currency from the muggle world. While those were useful investments, I was curious if making moves, once they existed, for the companies that had dominated in the twenty-first century was worth it. The chances of this world having the same shape as the one I¡¯d come from were slim. That said, I¡¯d instructed Ranlor to look into companies that were involved in computers, automated production, and so forth. Those fields wouldn¡¯t begin to become important until the last few decades of this century, but keeping an eye on them just in case. Ranlor had asked why I was investing so heavily in the muggle world. While my family did not deny interest in their world, we¡¯d generally kept our interests focused on the magical world. My answer had been vague, hinting at a possible prophecy my family held, and how I felt it might be about to come true. As the investments were steadily growing and showing returns, he accepted my explanation. Though that, and the fact the Goblins had companies for investing in the muggle world meant that even if the majority of magical families didn¡¯t do so, they and a small number of families did. One other possible avenue of making cash, though it was far riskier and less scrupulous, was the drug trade. Again, from my studies, I knew that cocaine and marijuana were very popular in the seventies and eighties. However, I wasn¡¯t sure about investing in those, or if, perhaps, I¡¯d step on the toes of far less respectable wizards as myself. It was also, by and large, controlled from South America, where Gringotts didn¡¯t have much of an influence. Instead, the magical world¡¯s banking there was controlled by creatures called Duende. There was some form of bad blood or dislike between them and the goblins of Gringotts and other banks, but sadly the few books that focused on the goblins never went into detail about their relations with anyone other than wizards. ¡°I wish we could wear more than black at Hogwarts,¡± Adele said, taking me from my thoughts. After blinking, it looked to my right, seeing she¡¯d slowed so we were walking together. ¡°Why can¡¯t we wear other colours?¡± ¡°I assume it¡¯s because the houses have colours linked to them, so the school wants everyone to have the same starting colour.¡± Honestly, discussing clothing wasn¡¯t even remotely interesting, but Adele was interested in this and as she was the only person I could talk with, I had to endure it. Plus, if I ignored her entirely, then it might insult her and Aunt Katrina. ¡°OK.¡± There was a moment of silence before Adele leapt and spun my way. Xeno hissed at her, though he was on my other side, and my hand grasped my wand tightly. ¡°Kimberly told me that when she went to get her robes before the Winter Solstice break, there were some lovely sweaters there. She showed me the one she bought, and I want to get one as well.¡± Kimberly was, from what I remembered, one of Adele¡¯s closest friends and would be starting Hogwarts with us next school year. Beyond that, and that she had blonde hair and a very irritating voice ¨C as in, it reminded me of claws on a blackboard ¨C I didn¡¯t know anything about the other girl. ¡°Okay,¡± I replied slowly, pushing down my irritation at spending longer than necessary in a clothing shop. ¡°We¡¯re not here for you to buy clothes, Adele,¡± Katrina cut in, ¡°particularly since, with winter soon to end, there is no need for a new sweater for the colder weather." That had me sighing in relief. ¡°However, if you behave while being fitted for your school robes, then I might permit you to browse Lady Malkin¡¯s spring collections.¡± There went my relief. ¡°Perhaps D¨°mhnall might even be willing to assist you.¡± And now the relief had turned into dread. ¡°Oh, will you? Will you?¡± Adele asked, pulling incessantly on my sleeve. On my other side, Xeno¡¯s hissing grew louder, and for a moment, I considered letting him scratch her. The moment passed quickly, however, without me acting on the idea. ¡°Perhaps,¡± I said slowly to my quickly becoming annoying cousin. ¡°But if we dally too long there, and struggle to get the rest of our supplies, and other supplies I need for my lessons, then there might not be time to head to Fortescue¡¯s.¡± Adele¡¯s mood fell at her mother¡¯s words. ¡°Okay,¡± she muttered, and I bit back the urge to chuckle at how easily her emotions swung around. Yes, she was young, but it was amusing. We kept walking, passing by Gringotts, and I wondered how long today would take. While I didn¡¯t have any other plans for the day, I¡¯d rather not spend the entirety of it with my excitable cousin and her mother. Especially if she felt a need to try on every item of clothing in Malkin¡¯s, or wanted to wander into every shop that caught her eye. Then again, if there were a few shops she wanted to go to that I didn¡¯t, I might be able to get away and head to a few places that I wanted to visit without the pair as an escort. There was no way I was losing the enforcer, but I could live with that as so far, he¡¯d remained outside when I¡¯d entered anywhere. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ In the end, we spent about an hour and a half in Madam Malkin¡¯s. Getting robes fitted and ordering them, along with a host of enchantments that I¡¯d not known were options, for both myself and Adele had only taken about thirty minutes. The extra hour had been dealing with Adele as she browsed the spring clothing collections, for both herself and me, and continually asked for my opinion or suggestions. While it had been tolerable, I found myself missing the simplicity of jeans, a t-shirt and a sweater as being fine to wear for ninety per cent of the day and occasions. I knew that world was gone from me, but being forced to endure clothes shopping with very regal and formal stylings with an eleven-year-old girl had me missing my old life. Still, that was finally over, and after Katrina had bought some of the clothes Adele wanted, and I¡¯d been convinced to purchase some new clothing for myself, that I never intended to wear unless dealing with Adele, I¡¯d been allowed to choose where we headed next. That was why I now found myself on the second floor of Flourish and Blotts, searching through the various books here. My school books were already in the basket floating beside me. It was charmed to follow me via my wand and was charmed to both not spill over ¨C in case someone walked into it ¨C and seemingly bottomless. My school books, which had all been on the first floor, were inside, as were several new books on various new ideas and branches of transfiguration, charms, and runic arrays and concepts. While I might not understand the majority of what those books were discussing, having the knowledge in my head might give me another advantage when it came time to push beyond my school work. On the second floor, while Adele was dragged around by Katrina through the potions section on the floor below, I was browsing the vast array of history books on offer. The changes that had taken place in this world after the Statute had come into effect had always held my interest, which was a carry-over from my other life. While I¡¯d not majored in it, History had always held a fascination for me, so much so that it was what I¡¯d minored in at university. Now, in this world, I was learning everything I could about not just the changes in the magical world that had occurred since the Statute, but how the muggle world had, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, been slightly different due to the presence of magic. Since I¡¯d retained an interest in history, which was serving me well with investments, a lot of my focus was on learning about the differences between this world, both magical and muggle, and the one the other part of me had come from. Just as in the world that part of me had come from, most of the various empires that had risen and fallen had done so here. However, some either didn¡¯t last as long as their counterparts in the other world or had not grown to the size the other variant had. The best example of this, at least in Europe, was the Ottoman Empire. It had risen to replace the Byzantine Empire, but due to the strength of magic in the Greek City States, Egypt, magically-boosted Holy Roman Empire, and the united but isolated from their muggle counterparts even before the Statute magicals governments of the middle east, the Ottomans had never become as powerful in this world¡¯s history. They weren¡¯t the only example of a change that had existed in history from before the Statute came into effect, but one of the larger examples of such a change within Europe. Egypt was much as it had been in its glory days and controlled vast swathes of land in Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The magicals living there had, with the rise of Islam and then the Crusades, withdrawn from muggle affairs, and had been separated from the muggle world for nearly a millennia. Technically most of the Middle East were independent states, but in reality, they were client states of the Magical Kingdom of Egypt. It should, however, be noted that Egypt, like much of the magical world, no longer had a royal family. Instead, it was ruled by the Seven Families, all of whom traced their lineage back to the pharaohs and viziers of old. Western North Africa, encompassing everything from Tunisia, through Morocco and down to Mauritania, was called the New Carthaginian Domain. Much like the Middle East, the magicals here had pulled back from the muggle world with the rise of Islam, which had shown, unlike other Abrahamian religions, a great distaste for magic almost from its founding. Because of that, they did not support the Moorish invasions and conquests of the Iberian Peninsula. While those had gained some ground, Iberia had less African influence on its architecture, and now, in the magical world, was united in the Iberian Federation. The Federation was made up of modern-day Spain, Portugal, and Andora, along with a small number of overseas holdings. To its north was the Magical French Republic, which was one of the few countries that aligned with a muggle-world compatriot almost perfectly. Britain could almost be included in that, save that the Republic of Ireland in the muggle world didn¡¯t exist in the magical world, though there was less issue about that here as the entire isles had united to defend against various invasions over the millennia. The Lowland Confederation and the United German States had formed from smaller countries there seeking common protection against larger threats. The northern threat came from the Norse League, while the other threats in Europe came from the Austrian and Polish-Lithuanian magical Empires and the Italian Trade League. The latter was dominated by magical centres in Venice, Naples, Genoa, and Rome. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Further to the east lay the large, and to many in Europe, threatening the presence of the Russian Winter Union. The Union was ruled by a Council that was supposedly elected, but from my research, the same dozen or so names kept coming up about who sat on this Council which suggested, much like Egypt, it was ruled over by a group of powerful, dominating families. Asia, at least once beyond the Middle East and ignoring Russia, was dominated by two powers. The Mughal Empire controlled most of the Indian sub-continent ¨C though it wasn¡¯t called that in the magical world ¨C and the Glorious Magical LongHua Dynasty controlled everything eastward of Tibet, including modern-day China. The LongHua Dynasty was the single largest country in the magical world, yet its birth had been, perhaps, the most bloody of the countries that rose after the Statute. When the Statute came into effect, the Qing Dynasty lost control of magical China as none from the main line of Emperors had magical blood. The magical advisors to the Emperor had gone to war with each other to assume control of the massive empire. And in the end, while the war had been short, it had been bloody, with estimates placing between twenty and forty per cent of the population being wiped out. When the LongHua Dynasty emerged, it did so with four client-states, which granted it an overly large, though not dominating, presence in the ICW where things worked on a one-country, one-vote system mixed with extra votes based on the overall population. That war for control and power had broken out in the magical world after the Statute, as it had continued to do so in the muggle world wasn¡¯t, unfortunately, a huge surprise to me. Those with power always wanted to protect what they had and sought more thinking it made them safer from threats. The only upside was that wars in the current magical world were unusual, and when they were fought, they were often short and not focused on mass casualties. With the magical world being far smaller than the muggle one, and that gap growing daily, then wiping out entire families and bloodlines was so fucking foolish I struggled to find words to express my rage against it. And that was before I considered what my family had endured. The world, be it magical or muggle, was slowly being damaged and ruined by the excesses of the masses. The damage might not be as obvious in the magical world as it was in the muggle one, but both sides had to do better. Not just to ensure the planet, and all that lived on it survived, but that we retained our honour and traditions in doing so. Otherwise, we were no better than animals. ¡°Um, hi.¡± The unexpected voice drew my attention from the book I was flicking through ¨C one detailing the rise of the LongHua Dynasty ¨C to its source. Standing to my right was a boy around my age. His clothing, a bright yellow sweater and flared jeans made it clear he was muggleborn, as no wizard would wear anything like that. Though a few, too many in my opinion, worse robes that made anything in the muggle world seem positively tame in comparison. ¡°Yes?¡± I said back, wondering why this boy had approached me. I wasn¡¯t going to dismiss him simply for being muggleborn, nor the lack of decorum as most muggles lacked understanding of that, but I disliked being interrupted while with a good book. ¡°Uh, why is there a cat on your shoulder?¡± I chuckled at the question and, after closing the book in my hands, lifted on hand to scratch Xeno under the chin. ¡°That¡¯s because Xenocrates here isn¡¯t a cat per se. At least not a normal one. He has magic and was a gift for my birthday. Because of that, he needs to bond with me, which means keeping him with me all the time.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s¡­ different.¡± The boy replied, caught unprepared for my answer. ¡°Are all animals around here magical?¡± ¡°Most, yes, though not all,¡± I answered with a chuckle. ¡°And not all magical creatures are good pets. Xeno here is good. Normally.¡± The boy chuckled. ¡°Is it because he¡¯s magical that he has such a name?¡± ¡°More or less,¡± I answered slowly, bringing my hand away from Xeno, much to the raiju¡¯s annoyance. ¡°I wanted to name him Flash, but I was told it was a bad name.¡± ¡°Why?¡± A small urge appeared to ignore the boy and return to the book I¡¯d been browsing. However, I ignored it. The boy, who had still to introduce himself, appeared simply curious and while the lack of manners was irritating, it was understandable. For now. ¡°I come from an important family and have an important position in it. So, I have to pick a regal name,¡± I made a funny voice as I said that to see how he reacted, ¡°for my companion.¡± As I¡¯d expected, the boy chuckled at my tone, but he seemed to move past it quickly. ¡°Ah, then I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t introduce myself.¡± He extended a hand. ¡°I¡¯m Bradley Cooper.¡± As he spoke, he lowered his head, indicating some understanding of manners and protocol. ¡°D¨°mhnall MacLeod,¡± I replied as we shook hands. ¡°And I guess you¡¯re new to all this?¡± I added, gesturing at the shop around us. The fact he¡¯d at least remembered to introduce himself was a small plus for him, but I¡¯d need to know more before I considered what, if any, use there was in maintaining contact with him before we started Hogwarts. ¡°Yes! Magic is wicked!¡± He all but shouted as we stopped shaking hands. ¡°Sorry.¡± I smirked. ¡°It''s fine. I¡¯d expect learning that the world you¡¯d lived in wasn¡¯t the world meant for you would be a shock. And yeah, the Alley is something special.¡± ¡°I know! I mean, having that strange man come to the door and give me the letter was odd.¡± He looked around before he continued. ¡°I thought my parents were joking with me, but then he used his stick to turn my mum¡¯s favourite vase into a horse. She screamed in shock when it started running around the room.¡± I laughed gently at the image. ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s how most muggles would.¡± Bradley¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°A muggle is someone without any hint of magic. I would¡¯ve thought that the man who brought your letter explained this?¡± ¡°No, no he didn¡¯t. He just made Mum¡¯s vase into a horse, said magic was real, turned it back to a vase, and left the letters with me.¡± I felt a frown forming upon hearing that. ¡°We took the train from Bristol to get here.¡± ¡°And no one met you at the Leaky Cauldron?¡± That someone went to explain what was going on to muggleborns was good, but everything else I was hearing was concerning. There was no attempt to explain and integrate new witches and wizards into our world, and that was beyond fucking stupid. I could, with a bit of thought, see why both Traditionalists and Progressives wanted that, but it didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t a stupid decision. ¡°No. I mean, the wizard left another letter telling us where to go and what to do and told us to go to Gringotts for money help, but that was it.¡± I barely held back a sigh of annoyance. I had no idea if Bradley would be one of those muggleborns who¡¯d want to change our world or one of those who wanted to settle into it properly, but the sheer, blatant, lack of interest in even attempting to integrate him and other muggleborns into the world was fucking insulting. ¡°Which school were you invited to attend?¡± ¡°Hogwarts.¡± I nodded at hearing that. For a muggleborn to get into Hogwarts they had to be powerful, so that meant Bradley might be of use to me in some way in future. ¡°Have you got your school stuff yet?¡± I asked, sensing an opportunity to at least see how easy it would be to convince and control muggleborns. While I wasn¡¯t sure yet what I wanted from them, next year Lily Evans would attend Hogwarts. As she was regarded as the brightest witch of her age, getting her friendship had the potential to be extremely useful. The same also applied to Snape, but I was unsure of how to handle his developing infatuation with Lily. Bradley here would allow me to test some ideas I had about gaining the friendship of a muggleborn without coming across as a sycophant of Dumbledores. ¡°Some of them,¡± Bradley replied, and he reached into his pocket. ¡°We went to the bank, with those weird things, and were given these magic coins.¡± I chuckled at hearing someone calling Galleons magic money. ¡°My dad can¡¯t seem to see them but I can, and I was told I need to get a vault to store my money in.¡± ¡°Unless you have a lot of Galleons, you shouldn¡¯t need a vault,¡± I replied, understanding quickly what the goblins were doing. It made sense from their perspective, but it was another little sign that the Ministry or Wizengamot, for varying political reasons, wasn¡¯t moving to help and teach muggleborns. ¡°How much exactly did the goblins give you?¡± ¡°About a hundred and fifty Galleons,¡± Bradley replied with a wide smile, his fingers rubbing over the edge of the coin in his hand. ¡°Along with this nifty bag that can hold all the coins and you don¡¯t even feel it.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I knew the law stated that new muggleborns were to get two hundred galleons when they first entered the magical world, and a further hundred each year while attending school. The bag, if it was a standard bottomless satchel, would cost somewhere between five and ten Galleons while the setting up of a vault cost a further ten Galleons. That meant for every muggleborn, Gringotts was skimming ten to twenty per cent of the money for themselves. A fair scheme and one the Ministry likely knew of and allowed to happen. The Ministry didn¡¯t want trouble with the goblins, not after the last rebellion around a hundred and fifty years ago. Still, all this just fed into my disgust at the way muggleborns were treated. Now, I wasn¡¯t saying that muggleborns were perfect, and the lack of manners and decorum ¨C Bradley¡¯s yellow sweater deserved to be introduced to the Incendio charm ¨C but this exploitation of them served to keep a significant element of our people isolated from the rest. Merlin, if the worst ever happened and there was war between muggles and magicals, muggleborns were a key resource both sides would want to either control or remove. Yet, from the moment they stepped into this world, muggleborns were exploited. Which they only helped continue when many of them tried to import what they considered superior muggle ideals and concepts into the magical world. ¡°It is nice that the Ministry helps you get settled,¡± I said, not wanting to linger too long and have Bradley wonder what was wrong. ¡°And that Gringotts can change Pounds to Galleons. Which supplies have to be grabbed?¡± ¡°My dad made me get the uniform first. He thinks it¡¯s girly.¡± Well, the father was now getting jinxed as soon as I saw him. ¡°And then we came here. I love reading!¡± I sighed and pulled my Hogwarts wand from its holster. ¡°So you don¡¯t have this yet?¡± I asked and before he could ask what it was, or why I was holding a stick, I silently cast the levitation charm and lifted several of the books on the shelves next to us into the air. ¡°Whoa! That¡¯s wicked!¡± He moved closer only to stop when Xeno hissed. ¡°Is that your wand?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I replied as I returned the various books to their correct positions. What I¡¯d just done was beyond where a First Year should be, to say nothing of someone not yet at Hogwarts, but that was the point. I wanted to make an impression on Bradley so that, if he proved skilled, I might be of use to me in the future. ¡°Your wand, which should¡¯ve been the first thing you collected after sorting out your money, is the single greatest thing about being a wizard it lets you cast spells of almost any kind.¡± ¡°Is there a spell to kill spiders? I hate spiders!¡± The image of dropping Bradley off in the Haunted Forest to see an acromantula popped into my mind, making me chuckle. ¡°Yes, there are spells to remove spiders and a great many other things. However, from what I know, we won¡¯t be learning those in our first year.¡± I flicked my wand and Bradley stumbled back as his hands changed to match his sweater. ¡°Your wand is the gateway to the world you were born for; not the one you were born into. In the hands of a truly skilled witch or wizard, a wand lets you do great and wondrous things.¡± Yes, I was borrowing Garrick¡¯s line, but it was a good line and worthy of being reused. Bradley was going to Hogwarts, so he had potential, and while I couldn¡¯t say yet if that potential could be of use to me, I felt making as good a first impression as possible was warranted. I¡¯d have to examine in detail the rules regarding muggleborns to see what, if any loopholes existed for me to gain their loyalty and support. While it was unlikely, those like Lily, or Ted Tonks, might be of use to me whenever I started building my support base. After all, for all his faults, Tom Riddle had been smart to build a group of loyal, resolute followers while at Hogwarts so why shouldn¡¯t I do the same? I didn¡¯t have the same goals as he now styled himself, Lord Voldemort, or Dumbledore, and I had to find another path forward. Voldemort wanting to exterminate all muggleborns and muggles was an extreme that only appealed to those of a similar mind. Or those who were meant only to follow blindly as sheep. Dumbledore¡¯s position was less obvious, but it appeared he wanted strife from the new ideas brought forth by muggles. Neither of those goals were logical and would only lead, in the short or long term, to the death of the magical world. While the middle ground between them was vast, it was hard to defend as I¡¯d be threatened by both. However, it was, from what I could tell, the safest path to take. It also, thankfully, aligned with my opinions on the matter that magic, be it pureblood, half-blood, muggleborn, or from any of the myriad of magical beasts and creatures, was superior to that of the muggles. Grindelwald, for all his crimes, hadn¡¯t been wrong in saying the muggles were a threat to the world. He simply lacked the future knowledge I did of just how great that threat was. A flick of my wand had Bradley¡¯s hands return to their proper colour. ¡°Now,¡± I said, regaining his attention, ¡°before I offer any further help, we must find your father. After that, and with my aunt¡¯s permission, I will escort you and him to Ollivander¡¯s.¡± ¡°But the books,¡± Bradley whined as I turned. ¡°They will be here when we return,¡± I said, offering him a smile. ¡°And so long as you don¡¯t ask too much, I¡¯ll be happy to help show you what books you might like.¡± It seemed Bradley had that spark to read that Hermione did, though thankfully, without the insufferable know-it-tall mentality. It was early to say, but I felt Bradley would make a good Ravenclaw. Perhaps, if he had a smidgen of cunning, Slytherin, though I¡¯d not want to drop a muggleborn into the house that, in theory, was the least receptive to them. ¡°Okay.¡± Bradley fell into step just behind and to my right, as if it was natural for him to follow, which was an encouraging sign. My thoughts, as we reached the stairs, were on how Aunt Katrina would react. She¡¯d not displayed any clear signs one way or the other regarding muggleborns in general, but her feelings on former Minister Leech were easy to detect during our lessons. She might not be intentionally hiding them, but even if she was I sensed her dislike for the former Minister. The question would be if it extended to other muggleborns, or simply fools and idiots regardless of background. Whatever her feelings on the matter, I knew she¡¯d mention this to her husband, her sisters and my ancestors. While the first wasn¡¯t someone I interacted with much, I knew my ancestors would question my motives. Hopefully, my answers would be acceptable to them. Ideally, they¡¯d give me advice for my experiment with Bradley, and when it worked, be receptive to me seeking out other muggleborns and those raised in the muggle world to take them under my guidance. Merlin, if it went well, then when it became time for Andromeda to elope with Ted Tonks ¨C if that still occurred ¨C then I might be granted permission to shelter the couple. I doubted there was anything I could do to prevent Arcturus from expelling her from House Black, nor would I try to as that was House business, but if he was willing to let me take the pair in, then I might help shift opinions of him and others within House Black. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ All told, meeting Bradley¡¯s father, talking with Aunt Katrina, and then returning to Ollivander¡¯s took about an hour to finish. The extra time wasn¡¯t spent on waiting for Bradley to sort out his wand, but from dealing with various questions he peppered Aunt Katrina and myself was ¨C at least until my aunt gently reminded him of expected behaviour ¨C and then heading with Bradley so he could purchase an owl. When I¡¯d last seen him, he¡¯d been fighting between shock at the owl that rested happily and safely on his forearm, and his father dancing around like he had wasps in his trousers. He didn¡¯t, but the jinx that I¡¯d cast upon him made him think there were. That was the third jinx I¡¯d placed on Bradley¡¯s father, and not just because he seemed unimpressed, or perhaps concerned, about magic. He¡¯d also expressed annoyance at how primitive the Alley seemed and a distaste for the goblins. While the latter was not uncommon among magicals, calling the Alley primitive made it hard to not dismiss him as an unimportant pion. However, because of that, a plan had formed in my mind the longer I¡¯d been around Bradley. The boy had some potential, but it was clear he adored his father. While it was underhanded, if I could engineer a situation where Bradley no longer felt a strong attachment to the muggle world, instead, through our friendship, feeling a kinship toward the magical word, I might be able to convince him that the problems lay in both worlds and both needed fixing. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was a wise plan, but Bradley was the perfect target to work with. At least so long as, when we reached Hogwarts, we didn¡¯t fall into the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry. With Bradley now gone, but promising to send me a letter via his owl before the weekend was over, I found myself down one of the three side streets of Diagon Alley. Knockturn Alley, as in the other timeline, existed here, but so did Stardust Way and Enchanting Exchange. The latter was not much more than a market square, where witches and wizards sold various items from stalls set up around the cul-de-sac, or one of the smaller buildings there. However, it was the former, which focused on rarer, or more expensive items, that I found myself in. Adele had drifted into an importer of foreign sweets and delicacies, Katrina going with her, while I¡¯d made my way toward Arnold¡¯s L''apothicaire D''¨¦tonnement. The shop was, as the name in French said, an apothecary, though it was one that specialized in rare, highly restricted imports of potion, medical, and ritual supplies. The only people allowed to enter the shop were those who were recognized as Chiefs or Lords with seats in the Wizengamot, an heir accompanied by their Lordly parent or if a member of a seated Clan or House had a signed letter from their Family¡¯s leader. Even though I was young, and had no need of any of the supplies inside, I headed here regularly ever since Arcturus had introduced it, and many of the shops in Stardust Way, to me. The door opened as I approached, the bell above on the inside alerting whoever was working to my arrival, though it thankfully didn¡¯t rouse Xeno who had decided to snooze around my shoulders. Walking over the threshold, I felt a wave of magic wash over me, which drew a reaction from my torc. That was a common feature on the various shops in Stardust Way, and while the check ¨C however it worked ¨C didn¡¯t stop anyone from entering, the fact it reacted to my torc, and the marker that other Chiefs and Lords held, meant it was easy to sense when a non-noble entered the premises. Behind the counter, an older man, whom I knew was Mathis Arnold, the owner of the shop. His family was a branch of the French House of Arnold, who¡¯d moved to Britain a few centuries ago. Mathis¡¯ father held a seat in the Wizengamot, much like the Malfoys, who also had a branch in France, though they¡¯d come over when William the Conqueror had taken the English throne. Mathis gave me a look, wondering why a child was entering his store, but relaxed when I held up my arm and had the torc appear. After that, he returned to whatever he was reading on the counter and, after collecting a basket, I moved to examine the various items in this apothecary. While none of the ingredients in this shop would be useful for my First-Year classes, and probably not even until NEWTs if I took potions, they had other values. These were rare ingredients, the sort that most people couldn¡¯t acquire without permits, or for which limits existed. Outside of Hogwarts, places like the DoM and the magical hospitals, the only ones able to purchase these items in anything more than minuscule portions were Chiefs and Lords. Thus, there was a small, but useful, potential market for them in Hogwarts. I wasn¡¯t intending to involve myself in politics in my first year, but the chances of me avoiding it were slim. My position ensured that many would want the measure of me, with some likely wanting my support, or the promise of it once I was old enough to take my seat. While I wasn¡¯t going to give any that if I could avoid it, there would be those at Hogwarts and beyond who wanted rarer items that were hard to acquire for them. Using these ingredients, and others to curry favour and influence in the early years was something I intended to do. My ancestors, though my aunts, had a chest commissioned for me for Hogwarts. It had dozens of compartments, all of which were basically bottomless, and with the whole chest being charmed to be virtually weightless, and with only a small amount of space being needed for my school supplies and anything else I thought I would need, I¡¯d descended to put the rest of it to use. While most of the extra supplies would be items I could use to curry favours or sell at inflated prices to purebloods and half-bloods, I also intended to bring decent supplies for muggleborns. Sweets, chocolate, general supplies and the like from the muggle world would be worth, to muggleborns at any rate, far more than rare magical ingredients. While I didn¡¯t know what, if any use, acquaintances with muggleborns would bring, I wasn¡¯t going to discount a sizable portion of the student population for ways to gain influence and power. I¡¯d have preferred to not have to play the game, so to speak, from the moment I stepped onto the train to Hogwarts for the first time, however, I knew it couldn¡¯t be avoided. Beyond comments and remarks from my cousins, over the Winter Break, Bellatrix had been quite forthcoming regarding the move being made in her house. Rodolphus Lestrange, who was a year above Bellatrix, had made clear his intent to seek her hand in marriage. While house Lestrange was an Ancient one, it wasn¡¯t, in comparison to Clan MacLeod and the other Ancient Houses, impressive. Yes, they could trace their ancestry back a long way, but through several generations of mistakes, they¡¯d fallen, relatively speaking, on hard times. A marriage to a Black, even one not descended from Arcturus, would grant them increased influence and prestige. Bellatrix was clear in her distaste for Rodolphus, but in the end, there was little she could do about it. As a child of a powerful family, any pairing for her required the approval of Arcturus. The only upside for her, and possibly myself as I wondered if Rodolphus was the reason Bellatrix had fallen under the sway of Voldemort as what I knew of Bellatrix didn¡¯t suggest a desire to grind all muggleborns and muggles beneath her heel, was that there was nothing official yet. Bellatrix wasn¡¯t sixteen, so even if private negotiations were taking place over the betrothal, nothing was official as of yet, though it would only be a few years before it became so. As much as I might dislike the pairing, and Rodolphus, though that was based on Bellatrix¡¯s opinion of him, there was little I could do to help in the matter, not with vastly intruding on the business of other Houses. Nor was I going to suggest anything as insane as a betrothal between myself and Bellatrix. Ignoring the gap in age between us ¨C which was large currently, but wouldn¡¯t be such an issue once we were both adults ¨C I wasn¡¯t even at Hogwarts yet, and as such had fuck all intent of dealing with such matters for as long as I could. I knew that, at some point, I¡¯d have to face up to the fact I needed a betrothed, but that could wait until, if I was lucky, my fourth year, and when the time came, I had the unique ability to have full control over my choice. The sound of the bell at the door drew my attention from a glass of glowworms from the Himalayas, and I saw two people enter. The man looked to me in his mid-forties, but with magic, it was hard to be sure of age, and he had a boy with him. The child looked to be about my age and bore a clear resemblance to the man. It only took a moment for me to place the man as Lord Fredrick Bickerstaffe. His house was, like Clan MacLeod, an Ancient one, though they were a far younger House than my Clan. I quickly pulled up what I knew of Lord Bickerstaffe, remembering things Arcturus, Melania, and my Aunts had said about him, and the odd snippets where his name was mentioned in a newspaper. The previous Lord Bickerstaffe had died a few years ago from Dragon Pox, and his son was still a slightly unknown quantity. From what I could gather, he might possibly be a Progressive Builder, but he wasn¡¯t one to blindly support the bills that I or Arcturus felt were guided by Dumbledore. Lord Bickerstaffe gave Mathis a nod and displayed whatever it was that marked him as a Lord, which I couldn¡¯t see from my location, before turning. His eyes found me, and he offered a nod though it was clear he didn¡¯t know who I was. I returned the nod and then resumed my shopping. The glowworms were placed inside my basket, alongside some hair from a wendigo, feathers of a rainbow crow, and fangs from an El Cadejo. After adding a pint of blood from a Persian Ironmaw ¨C a rare and highly restricted breed of dragon ¨C I move toward the counter. While there was far more I could purchase, even a Chief or Lord had to limit themselves to a small number of items each trip, and they could only purchase something once a month. As I rounded the corner of a large display near the counter, I saw someone else moving. While I stopped and attempted to backpedal, they were engrossed in whatever was in the jar they were carrying and walked into me. ¡°OW!¡± Xeno hissed loudly at the boy¡¯s cry, and things grew worse as the jar fell to the floor. While it didn¡¯t shatter, likely due to charms, the lid came ajar, and a small swarm of beetles rushed out. ¡°What?¡± Even as the boy tried to figure out what was happening, my wand was already out. ¡°Immobulus.¡± The second-year charm was one I could cast, but not silently, nor it seemed, over a large number of targets. About half the beetles froze in place, though others kept scurrying around. ¡°Xeno!¡± I called out as the raiju leapt from my shoulder. Sparks danced around him as he pounced on the first beetle, only to hiss and wince in pain, pulling back from the sharp jaws of the beetle he¡¯d concerned. ¡°Immobulus,¡± I called again, pushing more magic into the spell. While it worked to freeze the remaining beetles, or at least the ones that hadn¡¯t slipped under the display shelves, it also managed to freeze the boy. Xeno, seeing his chance, smacked the now-frozen beetle that had hurt him, sending it careening into a nearby display of Incan Firewings. The bug didn¡¯t knock any of the vials containing various sections of the magical butterflies, instead making a racket as it pinged off the various vials and jars. ¡°Xeno! No!¡± I snarled, even as I looked at the various beetles on the floor. Placing my basket down, I picked up the jar the boy had dropped and, with the critters still frozen, began lifting them back into the jar. Xenocrates watched intently, and I knew he wanted another of the bugs to play with, though I wasn¡¯t going to let him do so. While nothing of value seemed to have been damaged or lost, bar the few beetles that had scurried away before I could freeze them, that this had happened at all was an embarrassment. As I lifted more of the beetles into the jar with a silently cast levitation charm, I spoke to the boy. ¡°I do hope tha¡­¡± my words trailed off as I saw he, like the beetles, was frozen in place. ¡°Ah,¡± I mumbled as I realised that my spell had caught him in its area of effect and that he was Lord Bickerstaffe¡¯s son. ¡°What exactly is occurring here?¡± I turned at the voice, keeping a few beetles floating in mid-air as I did so, and saw Lord Bickerstaffe. ¡°Lord Bickerstaffe,¡± I began, lowering my head and allowing the torc to appear on my forearm. ¡°My apologies for how this looks, but I assure you that the status of your son was entirely unintended.¡± As I spoke I dropped the last few beetles into the jar. After resecuring the lid, I stopped the magic within me flowing into the spell, and the beetles and boy unfroze. ¡°How dare you!¡± The boy began, taking a step toward me, a hand raising. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± I kept my focus on the father, but I couldn¡¯t stop some annoyance from slipping onto my face, nor Xeno from hissing angrily enough that sparks of lightning flickered along his spine. ¡°I do not, though I do know that you would be wise to both know who I am and to keep your focus on where you are heading instead of whatever shiny object you have in your hands.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± ¡°Francis!¡± Lord Bickerstaffe called out, taking a step toward me, his hand close to where I assumed his wand was holstered. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°This, this ignorant cumberwald is moving above his station, father,¡± the now-named Francis, shot back. While I could turn toward him, given Xeno¡¯s reaction and the fact I held the jar he¡¯d dropped in one and my Hogwarts wand in the other, I felt it was wiser to not provoke the boy further. Even if, with a name like Francis, he had it coming. ¡°That is enough Francis!¡± Lord Bickerstaffe snapped, his tone deepening as his anger seeped out. ¡°Regardless of how exactly this unfortunate accident occurred, it is you who is acting out of their station.¡± Bickerstaffe turned back to me. ¡°My sincerest apologies for my heir¡¯s uneducated comments, Chief MacLeod.¡± ¡°It is quite alright, Lord Bickerstaffe,¡± I replied lowering my head in accepting his apology. ¡°In Francis¡¯,¡± I fought to keep a smirk from forming, ¡°place, I may have reacted the same. Though, I, perhaps more than any other child that might enter this exclusive store, would have cause to display misdirected importance.¡± Bickerstaffe¡¯s lips twitched, suggesting he caught the faint joke in my words. ¡°Yes, you probably would. That you haven¡¯t is an indication of the quality of the emergency teachings given to you by Lord Black... That said, I must say, your skill with formality, and your apparent ability to cast beyond your years, is a most impressive sight. As is the beast upon your shoulders.¡± ¡°Xenocrates here is young and easily agitated,¡± I said, lifting my wand hand upward to scratch the raiju. ¡°A failing common in many, both beast and wizard.¡± ¡°Indeed it is, though I expect better of a witch or wizard, even one born to muggles.¡± That dig, along with a hard stare, was aimed at Francis. ¡°I do hope that, however, this unfortunate incident occurred, you won¡¯t hold the aftermath against myself, my heir, or my House.¡± ¡°Certainly not, Lord Bickerstaffe. Children will, as is their wont, behave inappropriately on occasion. Something that, with age, most can overcome.¡± I turned and faced Francis, noting the lack of colour in his face and the wilderness of his pupils. ¡°Heir Bickerstaffe, might I presume that you shall be attending Hogwarts next year?¡± ¡°I,¡± Francis paused and licked his lips. ¡°I will indeed, Chief MacLeod. And on behalf of myself, I offer my sincere apologies both for my unacceptable outburst and my lack of awareness that led to this accident.¡± ¡°Your apology, while unneeded, is appreciated,¡± I said, tilting my head downward. ¡°I do hope that, when we next meet to board the Express, we might begin again on more adventitious footing?¡± ¡°I would prefer that as well, Chief MacLeod.¡± ¡°Please, if we are to be yearmates, if not necessarily housemates, then you are free, outside of formal occasions, to call me by my name.¡± I extended my hand to offer a handshake, only to remember that I was holding the jar. ¡°I believe this is yours?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Francis reached out and took the jar. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Chief MacLeod. You are, as much as you might dislike it, a topic of much debate among myself and my friends.¡± ¡°As I am, I¡¯m sure, with many. While I would prefer to be left to my own machinations, I can understand the curiosity my position brings,¡± I replied as we shook hands, formally greeting each other. ¡°I look forward to speaking with you once we are at Hogwarts?¡± ¡°If it might not be an imposition,¡± Francis began as we broke our greeting, ¡°perhaps we might speak before then? My father is hosting a formal dinner to celebrate my mother¡¯s birthday. I understand if you would prefer to avoid such events, as I do,¡± a smile flickered onto his face hinting at his distaste for acting so formally, ¡°but as recompense for my mistake, I wish to extend an invitation.¡± ¡°I will, of course, consider the invitation, though until I know the date I cannot confirm if I would be able to attend.¡± I¡¯d rather not go at all, but blowing this heir off might sour relations between me and his House. I just hoped I wasn¡¯t expected to find a date as my options were extremely limited because it was during the school term. Though, if it was possible, perhaps one of my elder cousins at Hogwarts would be willing to spend an evening of torture with me. It would cost me, but taking someone more mature than those my age was always preferable. ¡°Then once we have returned to our manor, with my parent¡¯s permission, I shall dispatch an invitation.¡± ¡°Please. Until then, Heir Bickerstaffe, Lord Bickerstaffe, I bid you adieu,¡± I offered both a bow of my head, which they returned. Francis¡¯ bow was lower as he was beneath myself and his father in the hierarchy of our world. ¡°If I do not hurry up, I fear my aunt, who is escorting me today, will enter these premises and attempt to drag me from the store ear-first.¡± That drew an amused smile from Lord Bickerstaffe, and as I walked forward, he moved to allow me to pass. While Aunt Katrina wouldn¡¯t make such a social faux-pas, Adele, in her desire for ice cream from Fortescue¡¯s might. Plus, after the long-than-expected day spent in the Alley, I wouldn¡¯t deny that a large bowl of ice cream, topped with the right assortments, held a certain appeal. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 0 Part 5 Year 0 Part 5 ... ... I sat as calmly as I could behind my desk in the Master Study. On the other side were the Greater Portraits of my grandfather and great-grandfather who were inspecting what I¡¯d arranged on the desk for them to examine. It was near the end of May 1969, and I was only a few months away from beginning my education at Hogwarts. It had been nearly four years since the Summer Solstice Massacre and the merging of two distinct lives from massively different worlds into who I was now, and I was finally at a place where I felt comfortable, if not confident, in what I knew. After seeing the memory of Grindelwald during the Wizarding World War, I doubted I¡¯d ever be comfortable with what level I was at and would always strive to reach a greater height. It hadn¡¯t taken me too long to reach a point where I was on par or beyond any First Year ¨C at least those who didn¡¯t have the same intensive tutoring schedule I had ¨C and felt I could cast all the charms and jinxes covered in Second Year as well. Certain subjects, such as Potions, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures hadn¡¯t been studied as diligently as subjects such as Transfiguration, Charms, and DADA, but that was fine. Since I¡¯d helped shape the new me, I knew my talents lay in other fields of magic, which was why I was here today with my ancestors. Once I was secure in my First-Year classwork, I¡¯d pulled back on the subjects that I didn¡¯t have an interest or inclination toward except for History. That subject was an odd one, as what was covered by tutors in reference to my schoolbooks didn¡¯t align with what I¡¯d read in Dunscaith¡¯s library, nor what my ancestors or others had told me. At least regarding history, they¡¯d lived through such as the Wizarding World War. Now I understood that the opinions of my ancestors, and those such as my Aunts, Arcturus, and Melania Black, were clouded by personal opinions and familial loyalties. But the discrepancies, while seemingly minor, were regular enough that I was questioning everything my schoolbooks told me. The older part of me had always been a touch sceptical, and it seemed that a general sense of distrust of what everyone was told to believe ¨C and think ¨C had carried through the merging. The same issue arose with more ancient history, such as when History of Magic spoke of the founders. I found many conflicting opinions within the books kept in the library, with the few I¡¯d browsed in the Inner Library on such subjects showing ever greater inconsistencies. Given the books in the Inner Library were far older, I felt it meant the schoolbook was a recent ¡®retelling¡¯ of events that aligned with the opinions of the Ministry and the ICW, though that could just be my scepticism showing through. While not needed for First Year, and probably not for Second Year either, learning more about the Founders, and the differing opinions on their lives and what caused Salazar Slytherin to leave, was illuminating. As was learning that Merlin, Morgana, Arthur, and even Avalon had all existed. I mean, I¡¯d half-expected that, but having it confirmed, and learning that the legends were true ¨C with some new ones suggesting some or all of the Founders had studied under Merlin ¨C was another thing entirely. Thanks to Occlumency and the choice I''d made before rebirth, I could recall everything I¡¯d read from any of those books, though it took time to roam through my memories. I¡¯d begun the very basics of creating a Memory Palace to allow me to access them easily, but Aunt Moire didn¡¯t expect me to complete its creation until I was at Hogwarts. Not unless I devoted every spare minute I could toward the creation of the Palace while ignoring my work on learning how to simultaneously focus on multiple trains of thought at the same time and how to hide important memories from others. That said, since most of my thoughts and ideas pulled on knowledge from the part of me that wasn¡¯t born in this world, and any memories or thoughts that focused on external knowledge were undetectable by Aunt Moire ¨C who, in confidence had explained her Legilimens rating was far higher than what most could ever hope to achieve ¨C then the odds on anyone learning of my plans were slim. That said, I suspected that once my external knowledge wasn¡¯t foreknowledge, then those plans would be exposed to anyone in the know, such as Headmaster Dumbledore. One thing that had come up when browsing all my memories from before the merging, was lining up much of the extended media of Harry Potter with what existed in this world. The biggest example of that had been when I¡¯d seen a photograph of Hogwarts and discovered the castle looked more akin to what had been seen in an old computer game than anything in the movies, or suggested in the books. I¡¯d yet to delve further into that, as it was a minor matter and one that didn¡¯t draw my attention as other things, but the idea that Ancient Magic might exist had me regretting not considering the concept when I¡¯d designed my form before the merging. That said, with my Akros-level Magical Potential, the various affinities I had, along the Traits allowing me the ability to wield and more easily learn Shadow Magic, Destructive Magic, Blood Magic, and Runes, I was comfortable in the choices I¡¯d made. Of those, only Runes of the World felt as if it was unlocked. The rest still felt beyond me, but I suspected I was growing closer to Embrace of the Shadows simply because of the amount of time I spent in meditation near Dunscaith¡¯s Ward Core. That swirling, tantalising ball of shifting shadows was linked to Shadow Magic; something I was only surer of after learning of the castle¡¯s links to the legendary figure of Sg¨¤thach, and how the name of the castle translated into English as ¡®Fortress of Shadows¡¯. It was because of those traits that I was here today, or why I¡¯d altered my tutoring schedule as soon as I was certain I¡¯d pass First Year. No, that was because of Fleshcarving, and my desire to gain access to the tome that had been denied to me for several years. To help with that, I¡¯d focused heavily on learning runes, which was only introduced in Second Year at Hogwarts, yet I¡¯d known I had to go far further than that to gain access to the tome before I started my education. To that end, I¡¯d sought out a Rune Master from Europe. While there were some in the British Isles, approaching any of them ran the risk that the Ministry or others might learn of my intentions. While they could still monitor Rune Masters further afield, it was easier to avoid suspicion by expanding my search. In the end, I¡¯d located one of the best in Europe, if not the world, in Gunther Durchdenwald. He was a citizen of the United German States and had attended Adlerberg Schule der Magie which was the premiere magical school in the UGS. Herr Durchdenwald had been reluctant at first to consider tutoring a child, and one not even at Hogwarts. However, upon meeting me, and then learning that I was the Chief of Clan MacLeod ¨C which, it seemed, was known across Europe as one of the high-tier families that focused on runes ¨C he¡¯d changed his mind. It turned out that Elder Haus von Durchdenwald, while not as old as Clan MacLeod, were another of those high-tier families, and my grandfather and great-grandfather had spoken admirably of the Graf of the Haus. Gunther wasn¡¯t Graf or Erbe ¨C Lord or Heir ¨C of the Haus but was the younger brother of the current Graf. Herr Durchdenwald¡¯s lessons had been intense, so much so that there¡¯d been more than a few mornings when I¡¯d woken up with a page of a book covering runes stuck to my face. As much as I could push myself, I kept forgetting that I wasn¡¯t mature, and thus pulling all-night research sessions was beyond me. At least without access to potions that Kadic and my ancestors insisted I didn¡¯t take until I¡¯d turned fifteen as they could harm my development. Several of Herr Durchdenwald¡¯s lessons had touched on runes and topics I¡¯d known next to nothing about, though thankfully the Inner Library had an insanely extensive selection of books on the subjects. So much so that I¡¯d, when time allowed, pulled out books on runic languages from every corner of the world to see how they worked, and what they could do. I knew it would be years, if not decades, before I could attempt adding those runes to any arrays I created, but I did like several of the ideas that came to mind from my investigations. Now, after a little over two years of lessons with Her Durchdenwald, I was presenting my progress to my ancestors. Regardless of their opinions, I planned to attempt to open the tome on Flesh Carving today, but I¡¯d feel better if they approved of my intentions, hence why they were here to examine my work. ¡°These are impressive arrays,¡± my grandfather said, his eyes examining the various examples of my work that I¡¯d arranged on the desk. ¡°This one in particular, blends the runes for protection and defence almost flawlessly and in a way I doubt any student at Hogwarts would consider.¡± He lifted his gaze, a small smile on his face. ¡°The work of your tutor?¡± ¡°Yes. Rune Master Durchdenwald offered insights that weren¡¯t in any of the schoolbooks, or other manuals, commonly available in Britain. While there were books in the libraries that held examples of this approach, the ones I¡¯d browsed didn¡¯t offer insight into how such combinations might be achieved.¡± Several of the books Herr Durchdenwald had suggested I examine hadn¡¯t even been in any library in the Castle, and I¡¯d had to order them directly from publishers. A few didn¡¯t even come in English, as it was claimed something was lost in translation. Thankfully, Herr Durchdenwald had helped me understand what those books were explaining; at least in reference to what he was teaching. ¡°About what I expected,¡± my great-grandfather commented as he scratched his chin. ¡°The Durchdenwald¡¯s are almost on our level of expertise, and I can recall several conferences where I spoke with the then Graf Durchdenwald about new ways to blend arrays. Much of what you¡¯ve been taught will clash with what you¡¯re expected to do at Hogwarts, but Herr Durchdenwald¡¯s approaches are superior. At least to those taught to children.¡± He chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still impressed you secured him as your tutor, when I last heard of the House, they had slipped into semi-reclusion following Grindelwald¡¯s war.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t asked about politics and the status of his house, but I could inquire for you if you¡¯d like?¡± ¡°No. Better to avoid that, and the questions it might generate for an eleven-year-old, even a Chief, to be interested in such matters.¡± I lowered my head, accepting his advice, and returned to silence as they continued to examine my displays. ¡°Do not think we don¡¯t understand the reasoning behind displaying your progress to us, nor the location where you¡¯ve chosen to present your work,¡± my great-grandfather said after perhaps another ten minutes of them looking over ¨C as best they could given they were paintings resting on the arms of chairs on the other side of the desk ¨C the various arrays I¡¯d shown them. I¡¯d used a variety of materials that could be used in crafting such arrays, as well as a wide range of reasons for the creation of the array. What I hoped was that it would show I was ready to open the tome and apply my first flesh carving array. I did have questions about how I was meant to apply such a thing to myself, but I suspected my ancestors would have the answers, and that it would be painful. I kept my eyes on my ancestors, though it was hard to not subconsciously glance to where the tome rested with a place of prominence. The only item with similar status was the ward and spellbook for Clan MacLeod. That held significant interest, though I¡¯d already been permitted to examine its contents. What was listed inside was an almost dizzying selection of spells and ward schemes that were far beyond what I was capable of, though some of the ideas in the book had me almost salivating at unleashing them. ¡°We know that, if you so choose, we cannot prevent you from opening the tome,¡± my grandfather took over, ¡°however, we are pleased that you¡¯ve committed the time and effort to achieve your desire. Based on your presented work,¡± he gestured to the selection of arrays I had out for display, ¡°and knowing the dedication that you¡¯ve placed into your studies, we find no reason to argue against you attempting to open the tome. It, however, may decide otherwise.¡± I stayed quiet, not wanting to display my excitement, but under the desk, I gave a small fist pump. My great-grandfather chuckled, suggesting he¡¯d seen the movement. ¡°However,¡± my grandfather continued, ¡°before you collect the tome, you need to understand something. The tome is no mere repository of knowledge like a standard spellbook, nor a collection of spells and runic arrays developed over the centuries by those who came before you, as with the Ward and Spellbook of Clan MacLeod. The tome is magic, in much the same way the Ward Core is. You will not be able to simply flick through the tome, selecting an array that catches your fancy. The leather, as we once told you, was skinned from selkies, while the pages were crafted from an ancient beast and the ink imbued with magic. The tome is alive, and it determines, based on what it senses of your magical ability, both present and future, what it shall reveal.¡± ¡°It must also be understood that the tome doesn¡¯t generally provide arrays or instructions on how and where to carve them. Instead, it provides suggestions and ideas that, from what it reveals, you are free to adapt and alter as you choose.¡± I listened carefully to his words, my mind wondering how the tome determined that a MacLeod was worthy and of what knowledge. I was also curious as to how carving runes into others would go. Though that was something to ponder on another day, for today all that mattered was opening the tome. I found myself in my seat only a few moments later, the tome in my hands. While my ancestors would no doubt insist I¡¯d sprinted to collect the book and then return to my seat, they were mistaken. I¡¯d simply bent time around me to appear as if I were running when I¡¯d really walked regally to collect the ancient repository of my Clan¡¯s knowledge. As with every time I touched the book, there was a familiar yet unknown spark of power that caressed against the magic that flowed within me. That power crackled, hinting at the extent of what it could offer. The front cover of the tome was blank save for a collection of symbols. I had little idea of what they meant, or what language they were written in, but I knew they were more than just the tome¡¯s proper name. My fingers brushed against the markings, that crackling power once more brushing against the walls protecting my mind. The spine and back cover all radiated the same sense of wonder, though my eyes, as was often the case when I gazed or touched the tome, were on the bands that sealed the book. They reached around from the rear cover, covering the pages, and touched the front, yet there was no hint of a seam or edge on either side. The bands simply became part of the cover creating a continuous, and I suspected unbreakable without the right magic and method, seal. Those seals had been examined carefully by, as they were now, my fingers as I sought out the latch, depression, or magical key that would remove them and reveal the tome¡¯s secrets. Yet to this day, I¡¯d yet to find the method to open the book, though, it should be said that I¡¯d not attempt to push my magic into the tome, or draw its magic into me. Whenever my fingers brushed over the tome, the torc reacted. It wasn¡¯t to warn me of danger, but, I felt, instead to hint at something that was a part of it, the Ward Core, and myself. That feeling was there again, though I noted that it had shifted subtly; the faint but unmistakable warnings were now gone. ¡°How does it open?¡± I asked as my fingers continued to fail to find a method to pull the bands from the cover and allow me access to the tome. Before either of my ancestors could answer, I wrenched my hand back, shaking my fingers as I saw a faint wisp of hazy yellow smoke rising from a fingertip. Looking at the cover, I saw the same smoke filtering away over the bands. ¡°The tome will determine if you are worthy. How it does so is something you have to discover for yourself, which in of itself is another way to prove your worth.¡± I frowned at my grandfather¡¯s non-answer and returned my focus to the tome. My fingers returned to the tome, brushing against the rough, yet comforting leather. I flinched when there was a spark, and saw a new blast of the odd hazy yellow smoke, but kept my fingers over the book. Tracing out the strange characters did nothing more than bring forth another few sparks, though by the time the fifth jolt lashed against my fingertips, I realised something. The torc was reacting to the sparks, however, it wasn¡¯t to warn me of danger. Instead, the hint that it wasn¡¯t a threat but something that was part of the magic it filtered and that flowed through me was growing stronger. Curious as to what was being hinted at, I lowered my palm toward the cover, grimacing slightly as sparks began to erupt between my palm and the cover as if we were generating a miniature thunderstorm. Yet, at the same time, I swore I saw the bands begin to shimmer and felt that unknown but familiar magic brushing up against my senses. Closing my eyes, I looked inward seeking the magic that flowed in and through me. After years of practice meditating and learning to understand the magic that radiated through every cell in my body, it took almost no time at all to find that sliver of something otherworldly and grasp onto it. Once I had the connection established, I moved to the edges of my mind; to the defensive structures I¡¯d created there. I wasn¡¯t ready yet to create a Mind Palace, or the various forms of mental traps, illusions, and distractions that Aunt Moire said I needed for a true Palace, but I¡¯d created strong shields around my mind. The entire thing was encompassed in a wall that drew inspiration from media that didn¡¯t exist in this world yet, and possibly never would. Reaching the edge of those defences, I saw the indistinct shifting form of something waiting for me. Unlike any of the times that my aunt had tested and breached my defences, whatever was producing this presence wasn¡¯t attacking or even probing. Honestly, if I had to describe it, I¡¯d say it was caressing the defences; as if it felt they wouldn¡¯t hurt it, yet knew it couldn¡¯t go beyond them. Feeling I knew what this shifting form was, I reached over the defences and pushed the tendril of my magic that I¡¯d brought with me against the shadows. ¡°Aargh!¡± I screamed in the depths of my mind as the floating mass rushed forward. I was knocked back, falling behind the mental defences that instantly rallied to protect me. However, what had been outside the defences had rushed past them with me. Around my mental projection, various shapes and forms rose and moved in the shadowy mass that had slipped into my mind. Most were fleeting, disappearing before I could truly see them, but a handful were clearer, going so far that even hints of where they were formed. Of those that I could identify before they faded back into the swirling mists, I saw gnomes, banshees, pixies, and house elves. The backgrounds that appeared with some of them were also an eclectic mix. Forests, deserts, marshes, deep water, grasslands, and mountains all appeared before fading away to nothingness. The only common link between the various creatures, at least from what I could tell at the moment, was that everything was magical. That had to mean something, yet it was hard to concentrate on what that meaning was when the shifting mists swirled around me, threatening to overwhelm what meagre protections I had after the mist had slipped through my mental defences. However, before I was overwhelmed, the mist surged forward, pushing against my mental skin. Before I could react and attempt any form of defence, the mist was gone, and I was once more alone within the confines of my thoughts. Unsure of what had happened, I looked around, examining every memory and fleeting thought of my merged consciousness, however, no matter where or how I looked, I found no trace of the mist. Knowing I¡¯d not get the answers from myself, I opened my eyes and looked at my ancestors. However, before I could ask them what I¡¯d just experienced, my eyes caught sight of the book, and I saw that the bands hadn¡¯t just de-merged from the cover, but were no longer present. I moved my hand toward the edge of the cover, only to stop as my fingertips slipped around the cover and brushed against the pages within. ¡°This is too easy,¡± I muttered. I looked up when my ancestors laughed at my comment, with their amusement increasing at the confused stare I gave them. ¡°Being allowed to open the tome is but the first step to learning the mysteries contained within it, my boy,¡± my great-grandfather said once he¡¯s recovered from laughing at my confusion. I frowned, my confusion only growing at his words. However, that ended once I linked his comment to others he and my grandfather had given to me about the tome. They¡¯d spoken of how the tome didn¡¯t reveal everything it held to every Chief of the clan, nor was all that would be revealed to a Chief done so at once. While that explained his words, it irritated me. I understood the need to be cautious, to not push too far, or try too much before I was ready, but I disliked that the choice over what I could or couldn¡¯t do was controlled by someone, or in this case, something else. I pushed my annoyance aside and settled my emotions. I needed to see what was inside the tome, and as my fingers slowly eased the cover back, I wondered what it would reveal to me. Seeing the first page, I blinked, suffering another bout of confusion. While I hadn¡¯t expected an obvious array that would unlock all my potential and power, I¡¯d expected something more than what I found. The same markings as on the cover were lined up on what had to be a foreword. ¡°The f¡­¡± I bit off the curse as I processed new symbols and markings and understood I was looking at a foreword. What it said was beyond me, as the language was still unknown, with none of the symbols, be they ones from the cover or new ones, looking like anything I¡¯d ever seen before. Not that I expected it to help decipher the puzzle I now confronted, but I ran my fingers over the markings. They were written in a deep crimson ink while the page was rougher than I¡¯d expected and thicker as well. ¡°What¡¯s this made of?¡± I asked even as my fingertips continued to traverse the page. ¡°Leather of some magical creature, though what beast specifically has been lost to the annals of time,¡± my great-grandfather replied. ¡°All I know of it is that thanks to my grandfather, the beast no longer resides on the Isles.¡± I frowned, wondering which creature had been hunted for this leather. I knew that the cover came from the hides of selkies, many of which still lived in the waters around the island, so hearing that another beast had been skinned for the pages made sense. Doubly so when the tome was about carving runes into living flesh. Still, not knowing the beast they were taken from was another little mystery to add to the exceedingly long list of things I didn¡¯t know the answer to but hoped to discover one day. The only thing I could be certain of, at least so long as what I¡¯d been told was accurate, was the beast had once lived in the British Isles. That would, I suspected, limit the number of creatures I had to consider, as, unlike muggles, magicals were less prone to driving species to extinction. Mainly because doing so would deprive the magical world of access to the creature¡¯s body and thus remove certain potions and concoctions from existence. Putting that mystery, and the growing one of what language the cover and foreword were written in, to the side, I turned the page, only to blink at what was then displayed. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected this,¡± I said to myself as I examined the runic array that covered the page. While there was, as I¡¯d expected, more of the strange writing, discovering an array so clearly displayed so early in the book was unexpected. However, as my eyes examined the array closely, it was easy to see it wasn¡¯t a standard one. Only about half the array was composed of runes I knew. Other parts of the array used what appeared to be runes from outside the Futhark language, and while I couldn¡¯t be sure of their exact source, a few appeared to be ancient Latin or possibly even Sumerian. I¡¯d only encountered those runes when Herr Durchdenwald had shown me arrays from other countries that used different schemes than those created with Futhark runes, but I¡¯d yet to dive into learning those runic languages. Herr Durchdenwald expected that if I maintained my studies while at Hogwarts ¨C at least outside the classroom as none of the other runic languages he¡¯d shown me were taught at Hogwarts ¨C then I¡¯d perhaps know how to use them by the time I was sitting my NEWTs. The runes in the array that were composed of Futhark runes were semi-standard combinations. Ideas for resiliency, strength, and protection made it clear this array was a general base of some form; probably a way to fortify the body for the more complex and aggressive arrays that would be added to the flesh. However, the fact most of the array was beyond me wasn¡¯t encouraging, and with no clue as to the language used in the tome, I¡¯d be struggling to determine what the true purpose of it was. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± I asked, hoping I¡¯d get an explanation from my ancestors, even if deep down I suspected they weren¡¯t going to offer one. ¡°That is for you to determine, though if your runic skill is as impressive as the works you displayed for us, you should have some idea already as to its function.¡± ¡°I do, but I dislike not knowing what the full array does, or what the main language used in its creation is.¡± My great-grandfather grunted in amusement. ¡°The name of the language, like much of the tome¡¯s origins, has been lost to time. By the time the first Dealbhan Nas Motha was created and imbued with our ancestor¡¯s knowledge and wisdom, the Clan had already endured several centuries of warfare. During that time, while knowledge of the tome wasn¡¯t lost, its history wasn¡¯t fully transferred between generations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s inconvenient,¡± I remarked, keeping my emotions in check. I could feel my irritation shifting into anger, but with my Occlumency training, I was able to suppress most of the issues being too emotional could bring. Particularly in a situation such as this. I disliked being in the dark over the history of the tome, but as it seemed that there was little I could do about that currently, I had to accept it. That said, I knew that as soon as I was finished here, I¡¯d be heading to the Inner Library. My ancestors should¡¯ve if they¡¯d been interested, compiled notes and records on research to identify the language used in the tome. Since neither my grandfather nor great-grandfather knew the truth, it would suggest the work was incomplete. Still, if I could discover the notes taken by previous Chiefs of our Clan, then I¡¯d gain a jump in beginning down the path to the source of our Clan¡¯s unique magic. ¡°It is, but it also serves as another challenge to prove your worth,¡± my grandfather countered. ¡°We accept you opening the tome, and the tome considers you worthy to learn the only full array within it. However, before we show you where or how to apply the array, you have to determine what its primary purpose is. We know,¡± he continued as I pushed aside a spike in anger, ¡°that you¡¯ll be unable to discover the full truth of the array, but we expect you to trust your intuition and instinct. Something that many people fail to understand is that while the creation and inscribing of arrays requires intelligence and skill, there is a personal component. Much like how one artist moves a brush in a slightly different way from another, so too is the way and style of every Rune Master different.¡± ¡°So, I spent nearly three years of excessive studying simply to reach the point where I could open the tome. However, access to its knowledge is still considered beyond me by you and the tome?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I assume to prove my worth I have to begin research into the language the book has been written as well as determining the function of the array?¡± My grandfather nodded, which was slightly irritating. Yes, there should be notes from my ancestors but there was no certainty they resided in the Inner Library, or that any book there held information on the source of the alien language used in the tome. ¡°We understand if this upsets you, but this is the method by which every Heir has been tested by their Chief. While your situation is unusual, there is no reason to alter methods that have existed for centuries simply for the sake of convenience. Doing so would place you, and what remains of our Clan, in jeopardy. The tome is a curiosity to many and an incredible source of power. However, attempting to use and wield such power before one is ready ¨C physically, emotionally, and intellectually ¨C will only result in death.¡± I nodded, accepting his words though my mind was already shifting to determining hints about where the language had come from. The obvious place to start was with the various creatures I¡¯d seen when the tome had accepted me by flooding my mind with visions. There had to be some common thread between those races ¨C beyond them being magical ¨C which, I somehow knew, was important toward determining the language of the array and the tome¡¯s foreword. ¡°You have an idea where to begin?¡± I nodded to my grandfather even as my gaze returned to the tome. ¡°Possibly.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°Kadic reminds The MacLeod of time.¡± I looked up from the book in front of me, one detailing the history of several of the magical creatures I¡¯d seen in my mind when I¡¯d opened the tome on fleshcarving and smiled at my Head Elf. ¡°Thank you, Kadic.¡± With only two elves in my employ, I didn¡¯t really need a Head Elf, but because only the Head Elf was allowed into places like the Master Study and Inner Library, it was a position I¡¯d given Kadic even before I¡¯d acquired Aien. Turning, I looked at the person sharing the table in the library with me. ¡°Sorry about this,¡± I said to Bradley Cooper who¡¯d lifted his head when Kadic spoke, though he was working through the books for First Year at Hogwarts. Unlike me, Bradley had an interest in potions, and I was encouraging it as if he turned out to be of use to me, then his interest and proficiency there could help counter my failing with the subject. At least until, if it were possible, I could acquire the loyalty of someone like Severus Snape or Lily Potter. ¡°I have a meeting with someone that I can¡¯t cancel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Bradley replied with a smile as he closed his book. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy being a Lord and all¡­¡± ¡°Chief.¡± ¡°¡­ but at least you¡¯re not acting like one,¡± he finished, ignoring ¨C again ¨C my attempt to correct him regarding my title. While being a Chief was comparable to being a Lord, I and the other Scottish and most of the Irish Clans placed importance on indicating our difference with the English Houses, with even the Lowland Clans preferring to be called Chiefs. Only the majority of the Welsh Clans ¨C which had been anglicised long before the Statute ¨C and a handful of Irish Clans based around Dublin accepted being referred to as Lords. ¡°It¡¯s just unfair that I can¡¯t practise magic at home.¡± ¡°Technically I can¡¯t either,¡± I replied, closing my book. ¡°The Trace is designed to help the Ministry monitor and react to misuse of magic by a child. For those born into the magical world, the parents or extended family are expected to handle the matter. At least so long as any damage caused by misuse of magic doesn¡¯t pose a threat to life or the Statute. For those, like yourself, who are born into the muggle world, then it helps the Ministry monitor the child. Muggles have no way of countering or stopping magic, so even a simple spell, such as the Levitation Charm, if used for more than lifting something like a textbook, runs the risk of causing alarm and threatening the Statute.¡± I smirked when I finished as I glanced at Kadic and what I¡¯d learnt from the book rushed to the forefront of my thoughts. Bradley was using his time here to prepare for Hogwarts. Most days he was here, he spent down in the training rooms, testing out the various spells, however today he¡¯d been focusing on potions. Since I already knew enough to pass all of First Year and most of Second Year, I¡¯d split my time between determining what the array shown in the tome was truly for and delving into the lore of every magical creature I¡¯d seen in my mind when I¡¯d opened the tome. I¡¯d yet to get far with either project, but given it¡¯d only been a week since I¡¯d opened the tome, it was understandable. What wasn¡¯t, was my inability to find any notes created by the former Chiefs of Clan MacLeod regarding their investigations into the tome and its history. My ancestors found this amusing and refused to help, which suggested the same project was one they¡¯d, along with every Chief that had come before them, carried out. Still, while I hadn¡¯t found those notes to work with, I felt I was making progress. The book I¡¯d just closed, along with several others in the Inner Library, detailed the history of many of the creatures I¡¯d seen. All of them came from Irish or Scots lore ¨C indeed, all were types of Fae ¨C so that played into what my great-grandfather had said about the pages coming from a creature that no longer resided in the Isles, and suggested the language of the tome was linked to Celtic myths and lore. The most amusing part of my research so far, and the reason I¡¯d smirked at Kadic, was that House Elves were nothing like the Elves described as being Fae, but instead were an almost perfect match for Brownies. There had to be a reason for that re- or misnaming, but I¡¯d yet to read a book old enough that provided it. Still, for all my deep diving into Fae lore, I¡¯d yet to find proof of their language; at least of anything written. There were hints and suggestions, mainly showing up in the older books I¡¯d so far browsed, that hinted many of the Fae could communicate with each other, and even hints that once, before the rise of wizards, they¡¯d had a written language. Sadly, there was no proof of this, and such suggestions were dismissed as ¡®attempts to elevate beasts into something equivalent to wizards¡¯ or something like that and ignored the old legends of the higher courts. Most of the races of the Fae appeared, at least to my research, to lack the higher functions needed to be capable of intelligence on par with a wizard, to say nothing of developing civilization. However, I wasn¡¯t dismissing the possibility that there was a Fae language as House Elves (or Brownies if that¡¯s what they really were), Gnomes, pixies and a few other species were capable of conversation with a wizard. While it was perhaps a leap in logic, I wondered if the same process that implied goblins were beneath wizards was at play with the Fae. Goblins weren¡¯t unintelligent and had waged war on the Wizarding World several times over the last millennia, but the more recent books spoke of them as sub-intelligent creatures barely above muggles. That was, at least to me, sheer propaganda as if they were little better than beasts, and had lost ¨C as the books implied ¨C every rebellion, then why did they control wizard currency in many, but not all, countries? ¡°That¡¯s crap and you know it,¡± Bradley shot back, though without any real venom. I knew he wasn¡¯t happy that he was restricted in where and when he could practise magic, but it was what it was, and I agreed with the Ministry on the reasons for the Trace. There should, however, be a place for muggleborns to practise their magic, which was why I allowed Bradley to come over to Dunscaith every weekend when he was free. ¡°If I used my wand,¡± or at least my school wand, but I didn¡¯t trust Bradley enough to mention that I had a superior wand available to me, ¡°outside the wards of Dunscaith ¨C such as in the centre of the nearest muggle town ¨C the Ministry would dispatch members of the DMLE to discover and end the chaos that would cause. I¡¯d also, as a Chief, be hauled before the Wizengamot to explain my actions.¡± Most of the Wizengamot wouldn¡¯t care about what I¡¯d done, or any chaos and mayhem I¡¯d unleashed on muggles, but the public reprimand would be an embarrassment. ¡°The system has mistakes, yes, but it works to protect us from discovery by the muggle world.¡± I felt that more than just the leaders of various muggle countries would know of the magical world, but the fewer people that did, the less chance of a war breaking out. One that, while I felt the Wizarding World would win, would devastate us as we were a fractured and ¨C in the case of at least the British Isles ¨C very insular world. ¡°It¡¯s just not fair!¡± ¡°Life rarely is,¡± I replied to Bradley and glanced toward a picture that hung behind him. Bradley turned and saw it was one taken not long after my younger brother, Alasdair, had been born back in 1960. He turned back to me, his shoulders slumping and the hints of anger at the injustice of the world gone from his eyes. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled as my book was lifted back to its place by Kadic. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve accepted what¡¯s happened and moved on.¡± That wasn¡¯t entirely true. When the chance to discover and then confront those responsible for the SSM arrived, I¡¯d be first in line for vengeance. The problem was that, as things stood, there was fuck all I could do about getting my revenge. I¡¯d kept in regular contact with Lord Richard Edevane regarding the investigation. He was no longer head of the DMLE, having been forced from office when a new Minister had been elected to replace Nobby Leach. He¡¯d kept himself in the loop regarding the investigation into the SSM and a handful of other matters ¨C not that I knew which, only that he had such interests ¨C and made sure I knew what was going on. He had little skin in the game regarding the deaths, but that so many sitting members of the Wizengamot and their families, including a handful of friends, had died in the Massacre, meant he wasn¡¯t going to let the matter be brushed under the carpet by the Ministry. However, the investigation had ground to almost a halt. All the leads that had been discovered in the year after the SSM had dried up without producing anything substantial. That was concerning as it meant those behind the SSM had expected reprisals and ensured they weren¡¯t at risk of being discovered. It also meant they¡¯d be gunning for me, but until I passed my OWLs, I had the full protection of the Wizengamot and the Ministry; for whatever good that would do. ¡°Um, look,¡± Bradley began, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I know you know nothing about the o¡­ the muggle world, but my cousin¡¯s having his birthday at the end of the month. If you¡¯d like, you could come and spend time with us and other kids.¡± My brow rose at the offer. I had little interest in hanging around with children, especially muggle ones, but that he¡¯d make the offer was surprising. ¡°Your father is okay with this?¡± I¡¯d only had a few interactions with Bradley¡¯s parents and while his mother seemed fine with her son being a wizard, his father was unsettled. I didn¡¯t know if he was particularly religious, or simply saw magic as something abhorrent, but the man was an example of why wizards had chosen to withdraw from the muggle world. That said, the father¡¯s issues were ones I planned to exploit. For a muggleborn to succeed in the Wizarding World, they either had to be something exceptional, or gain the support of a powerful family. That was done by, where possible, marrying into the family, or swearing allegiance to a Chief or Lord. That was termed vassalisation, which was a holdover from the mediaeval era, but was an accurate description of what was involved. The only positions that muggleborns weren¡¯t held back were jobs that those born into the Wizarding World, particularly those born to the Chief or Lord, weren¡¯t interested in. Professions such as potion making, herbology, caring for magical creatures, and medicine had large percentages of muggleborns in them. Though even there, it required incredible skill, or understanding of politicking, for a muggleborn to rise to the very top of the pile. At least without backing from someone powerful. I knew I needed a way to draw Lily Evans and Severus Snape to my side and while the latter should be manageable with little effort, Lily was going to require a different approach. Which I planned to try with Bradley. Not that, so long as things didn¡¯t go astronomically wrong, he¡¯d know anything about it. ¡°He said you could come.¡± I grunted, not believing Bradley¡¯s response since he seemed unwilling to meet my gaze. ¡°I assume he¡¯d expect me to act and dress like what he¡¯d term a normal boy?¡± Bradley nodded and I sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know next weekend if that¡¯s alright?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And regardless of whether I go or not, thank you for the invitation,¡± I finished with a small bow. Bradley frowned, confused by my action for a moment before returning the bow. He didn¡¯t, as he should¡¯ve, bow lower than I ¨C as would be expected in a formal location given the differences in our ranks, but that he returned the bow was enough for now. ¡°And I thank you for considering the offer, Chief MacLeod,¡± he said, showing the lessons I¡¯d given him ¨C along with a handful of books on etiquette ¨C hadn¡¯t been forgotten or ignored. I wasn¡¯t sure how important such behaviour would be at Hogwarts, but I knew some would instantly treat him differently if he showed respect for their status as members of old, powerful houses. First impressions mattered greatly in the Wizarding World, and that was something few, if any, muggleborns seemed to understand. ¡°And with that out of the way,¡± I said as I ended the bow and smiled, ¡°let¡¯s get you ready to leave.¡± ¡°I can do it!¡± Bradley called out before I gave Kadic an instruction to prepare Bradley¡¯s things. The boy smiled widely as he pulled his wand from his holster. I was pleased he was using that, as after the first time I invited him over to study, and he arrived with the wand sticking out of his pocket, I dragged him to the Floo and took him to purchase a holster. On the way to the ship, I¡¯d explained, in detail, why placing something as critical to being a wizard in a pocket like some common garden stick was contemptuous to everything a wizard should be. After explaining what ¡®contemptuous¡¯ meant he¡¯d understood his mistake and right after he¡¯d asked about what else he¡¯d need for Hogwarts that wasn¡¯t on the school list. By the time we¡¯d returned home, having taken all the time he had available, he¡¯d bought an expandable and magically weight-limited chest for his school supplies along with a smaller expandable pouch and a large collection of wizarding candy, though he¡¯s not gone overboard with the Galleons he had, which was an encouraging thing to see in a child. Every meeting we¡¯d had since that first one he¡¯d arrived with his holster and pouch, with the wand always holstered properly. While I was uncertain if the change in his behaviour that I was affecting would alter the opinion of the more ¡®blood purity¡¯ minded witches and wizards, it should help him integrate with others at Hogwarts better. While his naming me as the reason for him showing a better understanding of the customs of the Wizarding World, it would improve my standing with those who didn¡¯t believe in Blood Purity above all else. Or at least I hoped it would, as anything that granted me influence with a majority was worth cultivating at school, as I could use that influence to shape things as I moved forward. That was also why I¡¯d purchased the rare potion ingredients, at least the ones not available to the majority of those outside with true power. Even heirs to the Most Ancient or Most Noble houses couldn¡¯t enter the same shops as I could as Chief, and I planned to use that to my advantage. I had considered preparing a selection of holsters and other common things that muggleborns might not know they should have, but I¡¯d dismissed the idea. It was far too obvious a choice to make, and one that others would already be exploiting. The same went for chocolates and sweets ¨C muggle and magical, at least for the most part. Hogsmeade was available to older students, so magical candies could easily be purchased there and brought into school for sale to the younger years. Yet I wondered if the village near Hogwarts carried everything that the students might want. Any witch or wizard could have deliveries via owl, but there were limits as to what could be sent. At least to those not the Heir, Chief, or Lord of a Clan or House of at least Established rank, who had access to an elf of their Clan or House who could come and go as they pleased. There were only two other students who could exploit the same loophole as me, and while Chiefess Iona MacKenzie would only have access to the loopholes for Heads of House at Hogwarts from my first year, Chief Callum MacGregor would¡¯ve had two years to exploit them. I knew little about either of them, bar when a Gathering took place, but from my limited encounters with them, Chief Callum was an arrogant prick, who thought himself more impressive than Chiefs four or five times his age. Which was why I¡¯d enjoyed watching the other Chiefs remind him that he was in over his head, even going so far as to suggest he learn from me, as I¡¯d taken control of my Clan¡¯s holdings without outside help and knew when to listen to those who knew the laws and customs of our worlds better than I. As for Chiefess Iona, all I could be sure of was that her head wasn¡¯t as far up her own arse as Chief Callum¡¯s. That said, I had no clue if others weren¡¯t exploiting her position for their benefit as I expected many ¨C including my cousins and the Blacks ¨C would with me once I was at Hogwarts. Regardless though, even if that were the case, I had plans for Kadic of my own, which I¡¯d activate once at Hogwarts, such as an ability to slip out of the castle without permission. At least so long as the wards allowed an elf to side-apparate someone through them. By the time I¡¯d run through those thoughts, Bradley had used the Levitation charm to place his books in his pouch, and I moved toward the door. Several of the tables were still covered in pages of my notes, or ideas Bradley had scribbled down and left along with our food and drink. I knew Kadic would clean them up after we left, and then, once we reached the fireplace connected to the Floo network, he¡¯d rejoin us. Ideally just after the person due to arrive stepped out of the Floo. Bradley wasn¡¯t going to travel home via the Floo as the only connection point close to where he lived was in the private domain of an Ancient House. I¡¯d not interacted with that house, nor did I have any faint blood connection to them, but even if I did, it was unlikely they¡¯d allow a muggleborn to come and go from their grounds without demanding something in return. Even if, by some miracle, they didn¡¯t extort a price for regular use of their Floo connection, the exact location of their residence was obscured, which was a frequent practice for many magical estates near muggle population centres. Therefore, Kadic, as he had done since we¡¯d first arranged these get-togethers, would side-apparate Bradley close to his home. He wouldn¡¯t be directly apparating him into his home, as there was the probability the Trace, or something else the Ministry did, alerted them to magic being cast near the home of muggleborns. To confirm this, once we were closer to leaving for Hogwarts, I¡¯d have Kadic apparate ever closer to Bradley¡¯s home each night, waiting around for an hour to see if the Ministry responded. Ideally, they wouldn¡¯t, which would confirm the Trace was linked to the wand only, but if they did, then Kadic had orders to time their response. I¡¯d need to know what sort of time delay I¡¯d be looking at if I ever used magic at Bradley¡¯s home. ¡°Thanks again,¡± Bradley said once we¡¯d reached the room where the fireplace was located. ¡°I think I¡¯d have been good at Hogwarts, but learning how this¡­ how our world works, is going to save me issues.¡± He¡¯d mentioned that he¡¯d gone to a private school before getting his letter for Hogwarts. The issue was that he didn¡¯t come from an old-money family, so he was looked down upon by many there. The same was going, to a degree, to happen at Hogwarts but at least now he understood what was expected of him when meeting a supposed better. ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for,¡± I replied with a smile, happy he was starting to see the Wizarding World as his world. That would make ensuring his loyalty to it, to me, easier to handle by driving a wedge between him and his parents. I knew it would be several years before I¡¯d enact that part of my plan, but the greater his trust and respect for me, the more he¡¯d turn to me when the muggles turned against him. Just as Sirius, in the other timeline and possibly here, would turn to the Potters because of his mother. ¡°See you next weekend?¡± I asked, knowing that while he¡¯d lost interest in his final year at muggle school, he still had to attend to keep up appearances. I had considered having his classmates slowly turn against him, or at least behave reactively to odd, seemingly magical occurrences at the school, but I¡¯d not felt safe in my actions or skill to pull off such things without getting caught. Bradley nodded as he slid on his coat. ¡°Yes, bu¡­¡± His words died on his lips as his eye turned to the fireplace, widening as the flames sparked to life with, for him, an unfamiliar green colour. I, knowing who was coming, turned to face the fireplace, gesturing for Bradley to step back as well. Arcturus¡¯ eyes shifted from me to Bradley, and while Lord Black¡¯s face remained impassive, I could already see gears turning in his head, wondering why a muggleborn ¨C no wizard would wear what Bradley wore ¨C was doing in Dunscaith. ¡°Lord Black,¡± I said, capturing his attention as I lowered my head in acknowledgement of his position. ¡°On behalf of the Ancient and Noble Clan MacLeod, I, D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod, the MacLeod of MacLeod, welcome you to my hearth and offer you the full protection of my Clan while you are here. No harm shall befall you, from within or without, so long as you present no threat to my Clan.¡± Arcturus watched me silently as I carried out a formal greeting, which hadn¡¯t been done between us in several years. There was the more informal, though still important, greeting and offer of protection that was given every time one of us visited the other¡¯s domain, but that was all that was needed. While not allied in marriage, we were close enough that such formality was unrequired. I¡¯d not told Arcturus about Bradley, so his presence was a surprise, but I felt that after a few months of education, it was time I revealed the muggleborn to Lord Black. I knew already where the coming conversation would go, but I felt this was, perhaps, a chance to show him that muggleborns had some use, and potentially, open the door if Andromeda still chose to elope with Ted Tonks, that she could remain as a minor cadet branch of House Black instead of being outright expelled. At my side, as I raised my head, I saw Bradley¡¯s eyes widen, though he quickly shifted his stance, adopting the resting stance of one schooled in nobility or military circles. That seemed to please Arcturus as there was the slightest twitch of his cheek that I¡¯d long since learnt to understand was his way of showing acceptance of a situation without making the position clear. ¡°Chief MacLeod,¡± Arcturus began in his regular, regal tone as he dropped his head lower than I had as he was the guest here. ¡°On behalf of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, I thank you for the offer of protection, and accept it with grace and humility.¡± ¡°My apologies, Lord Black, for not being ready for your arrival. Another meeting ran overdue.¡± I gestured with one arm to Bradley. ¡°Might I introduce you to Bradley Cooper, a fellow new student at Hogwarts? I met him when I visited Diagon Alley to gather my wand and since then we¡¯ve cultivated a friendship.¡± ¡°Lord Black,¡± Bradley began, dropping into a deep bow. ¡°Do... Chief MacLeod has spoken highly of you, and your House¡¯s importance to our world, over these last few months. He has deep admiration and respect for you for the help you gave him while he recovered from the horrible attack on his family and others several years ago.¡± Arcturus¡¯ eyebrow rose and his eyes darted to me even as Bradley continued. ¡°I know that, as a muggleborn, I¡¯m new to the magical world, but it¡¯s a deep honour for me to meet someone my friend considers a mentor.¡± I was impressed that Bradley managed to get all that out with only the slightest of slips regarding how to refer to me, Bradley¡¯s years of studying at a private muggle school had paid off. I¡¯d spent time drilling him on the need for manners and respect when dealing with purebloods, but this was his first test. I¡¯d say he¡¯d passed it, though with the caveat that he should¡¯ve waited for Arcturus to address him first as he held the higher position in society. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet one of Chief MacLeod¡¯s yearmates,¡± Arcturus said after a slightly uncomfortable pause. ¡°I do hope that, when you are at Hogwarts, you do not allow things such as petty rivalries, jealousies, and the general misdemeanours of children to sour your friendship, or others that you might acquire.¡± I assumed that the pause was Arcturus¡¯ way of pointing out Bradley¡¯s mistake, but I couldn¡¯t be sure of it. ¡°I¡¯m aware of many of the common issues that exist with our world, Lord Black,¡± Bradley replied, once more referring to the Wizarding world as his. ¡°While I wasn¡¯t born in this world, I understand the importance of honouring tradition and thinking before I speak.¡± ¡°A wise choice to take with any topic,¡± Arcturus responded, offering Bradley a nod of approval as he examined the boy clinically. ¡°One that is sadly all too often absent in those new to our world. I¡¯m pleased to see that at least you are willing to consider why our traditions and culture are the way they are before offering an opinion.¡± ¡°You honour me, Lord Black.¡± ¡°I merely state the truth from what I can see,¡± Arcturus countered, dismissing Bradley¡¯s pleasure at Lord Black¡¯s earlier words. ¡°Whether you are worthy of honour is a matter that will be determined by your actions and deeds. Chief MacLeod has done for you what few of his standing would in choosing to educate you. Others, from Houses older and younger than Clan MacLeod, will be far less understanding of your status and unwilling to allow you room to recover from any mistake.¡± Bradley nodded, accepting Arcturus¡¯ words. ¡°Yes, Chief MacLeod has already warned me of this, Lord Black.¡± A few months ago, when I¡¯d first explained this to him, he¡¯d been annoyed, even angry about it, but he¡¯d had time to process and accept how the Wizarding World worked. ¡°Such behaviour is common in not just the Wizarding World, but the muggle world as well. Even extending to my family.¡± Arcturus¡¯ brow rose slightly at Bradley¡¯s words, though he made no effort to respond. Knowing that was as far as he was going to take the conversation, I spoke. ¡°Lord Black, my Head Elf has already prepared a suitable room for our meeting.¡± Arcturus lowered his head, accepting my words understanding he wouldn¡¯t have to interact with the muggleborn any longer. ¡°Bradley,¡± I continued as I turned to my friend, ¡°I¡¯ll send you an owl during the week regarding your invitation, and I¡¯ll see what books are available in the library for furthering your studies.¡± ¡°Of course, until then,¡± Bradley replied, bowing to me, and then turning to Arcturus and repeating the gesture. ¡°Lord Black, it was an honour to meet someone of your standing and prestige.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± I bit the inside of my lip, making sure to keep any hint of pleasure at how the first meeting between the pair had gone, and Arcturus¡¯ casual dismissal of Bradley¡¯s final comment. The Blacks were clear on their position regarding blood status and how it could enter their family. However, I knew a handful of Blacks had married half-bloods without being stricken from the family tree. I doubted they¡¯d ever accept a muggleborn into their mist ¨C at least not until Sirius if he turned out similar to the other timeline, became Lord ¨C but I hoped that I could show those new to our world had some value that could be harnessed. For Bradley, who¡¯d flinched at Arcturus¡¯ dismissal but not verbally responded, it was his first taste of what awaited him at Hogwarts and elsewhere in the Wizarding World. While I¡¯d warned him of what to expect, a physical example would drive the lesson home better than me warning him of it a thousand times. I offered Bradley a nod, and then turned, walking with Arcturus toward the room where we¡¯d be talking. It wasn¡¯t the same one I used for studying with Bradley, and I knew Kadic had already prepared the room with tea and biscuits. ¡°I hadn¡¯t realised you were cavorting with muggleborns.¡± ¡°As I said, I met him when I was in Diagon Alley collecting my school wand,¡± I replied, my face away from his to ensure he couldn¡¯t read anything in my expression. While I was far better at controlling and managing my reactions and emotions, it was still easy for someone of his skill to detect the minute hints that gave away my opinions. ¡°His dress sense alone made clear where he came from, however, he displayed what appeared to be a genuine interest in our world that I felt had potential. Muggleborn he might be, but magic flows through him as it does us.¡± Arcturus made a small sound, not liking the comparison. ¡°However, like all muggleborns, he needs guidance in the way the Wizarding World does and should work. Not the misguided ideals of those who think that we should follow muggle ways, or that the current system should be torn down, and our history trampled on. That is why I decided to guide his education on what is expected of him, and how those of higher standing ¨C such as yourself ¨C would react to his very presence. If he isn¡¯t integrated into our world, taught the rules and how to use them, then the potential that marks him as worthy of attending Hogwarts alongside myself and others will be wasted.¡± ¡°It is rare to meet a muggleborn that doesn¡¯t cause issues within our world.¡± ¡°Yes, and that, I feel, is a failing of the Ministry, and the leadership of our educational institutions. Though not always of the headmasters,¡± I added, as one previous Headmaster of Hogwarts had been Phineas Black, Arcturus¡¯ grandfather. ¡°Methods need to change to not squander whatever potential, however minor it might be, that muggleborns possess, or allow them to be corrupted with ideals that only undermine and weaken our world.¡± ¡°A minor nuisance at best.¡± ¡°Yes, but one that still needlessly diverts resources that could be put to other, more effective use. I don¡¯t deny that most muggleborns have flawed ways of thinking, but that, sadly isn¡¯t a condition unique to them or the world they come from.¡± Arcturus grunted, indicating an agreement, and likely thinking of members of the Wizengamot and beyond that he felt were flawed. ¡°If given proper instruction and education, then I feel muggleborns might serve some purpose within our world; and we don¡¯t have to be concerned about them becoming an irritation, or returning to the muggle world and working with whatever forces exist there to destroy our way of life.¡± ¡°Many would consider it wiser to simply remove them permanently to end the potential disruption they represent.¡± ¡°That is the easier path, but, as we are both aware, the easier path is not always the correct one. Nor the one that can reap the greatest rewards. Discarding a resource without attempting to harvest it is a fundamentally flawed position unworthy of higher beings such as ourselves.¡± Some of what I was saying I might not entirely agree with, though I did agree that magical beings ¨C regardless of what type ¨C were superior to muggles. However, my words were chosen with my audience in mind, and what I felt would convince him to at least allow me to continue my experiment with Bradley. Arcturus didn¡¯t respond before we reached the sitting room prepared for our meeting, and when the door swung open on its own, he stepped back as Xeno came running toward me. I bend down, offering my hand to him which he used to leap onto my shoulders, a loud purr sliding from his throat as he nuzzled against my neck. ¡°Hey there boy,¡± I said as my hand slipped under his chin. ¡°I see Xenocrates is capable of spending time away from your company.¡± ¡°Yes, though if I go too long ¨C say a few hours ¨C he can become angsty,¡± I replied as I gestured for Arcturus to enter the room first. ¡°I just hope that by the time I attend Hogwarts, he¡¯s capable of surviving most of a day without my direct presence and that his more special features don¡¯t display themselves too openly.¡± ¡°I have spoken with my grandfather¡¯s portrait on the matter, and consulted the relevant books regarding the rules on familiars at Hogwarts.¡± As he spoke, we moved toward the main table in the room. There Kadic had arranged, as expected, a pot of tea ¨C which was charmed to ensure the contents remained hot ¨C and several plates of biscuits for us to enjoy while we spoke. ¡°If he were simply a pet, then even with you being Chief, he wouldn¡¯t be permitted. Indeed, creatures, such as the raiju, which are classed at 3X or higher, are forbidden at Hogwarts outside very specific conditions.¡± That had me concerned as raiju such as Xeno were 4X classed, and capable once fully grown, of killing a witch or wizard. ¡°However, one of those conditions is that the beast is the familiar of a witch or wizard with a direct blood connection to the Lord or Chief of this family. Since you are Chief, then this applies to you. Now, you will have to owl the Headmaster regarding the specifics of Xenocrates'' situation, however, there is nothing Dumbledore can do to prevent you from taking the raiju to Hogwarts without petitioning the Wizengamot. I am sure that such a petition would fail as it would counter rights belonging to every House or Clan above Established Rank; including House Dumbledore.¡± ¡°That is a relief to hear,¡± I replied as we reached the table and took our seats. ¡°While Xeno would be coming with me, I¡¯m glad that I won¡¯t instantly find myself at odds with the Headmaster. At least any more than I might already, given my Clan¡¯s proclivities toward opinions he might disagree with.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± We settled into a comfortable silence as we poured and enjoyed the tea. While I wasn¡¯t a huge fan of the drink, the brands available in the Wizarding World were superior to any I¡¯d have before the merging, and since I was too young to enjoy anything stronger, it was the only acceptable drink for meeting such as this. ¡°Returning to the muggleborn,¡± I said after we¡¯d each had a few sips of the tea ¨C one imported from the Far East. ¡°I¡¯m uncertain if he will amount to much importance, but as I stated, the fact he had been accepted to Hogwarts suggests he has potential that should be investigated and nurtured. Choosing to not do so, is a waste of the effort placed into his education, and a gift to those who might use him, and others like him, against the foundations of our society.¡± Arcturus stayed silent as I spoke, and continued to do so by sipping further at his tea. ¡°And if he shows worth, what will you do? Offer vassalisation?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not. It shall depend on his skills, though he shows an interest in potion making that I lack, and has a thirst to know more than what is provided in our textbooks.¡± ¡°A Raven?¡± ¡°I expect so,¡± I replied with a nod. ¡°He isn¡¯t, from what little I¡¯ve seen, one with a strong sense of right and wrong, nor thankfully, ulterior motives.¡± Arcturus nodded, accepting that. Bradley wasn¡¯t going into Slytherin, as he¡¯d be destroyed there. From what I knew, there hadn¡¯t been a muggleborn in the House in nearly fifty years, which was what, in time and based on history, gave rise to it being the house of the blood purists. While they did tend to congregate there, they existed in all of the Hogwarts houses. ¡°However, until his sorting, I cannot be certain.¡± ¡°Indeed, and nor shall I reveal how you¡¯re sorted.¡± I snorted, used to that response from the adults I knew. I already knew how we were sorted, but none knew that. ¡°If the muggleborn proves his worth, will you grant him patronage or vassalisation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m uncertain. The rulings regarding vassalisation are clear, and I cannot do so as I¡¯m not a sitting member of the Wizengamot. Patronage might be doable. It depends on the exacting of the rules brought forth by the Ministry to allow that and on the Wizengamot permitting me to do so.¡± ¡°For the latter, I see no issue. The rule only requires that the head of a Clan or house informs the Ministry of the arrangement and that the one seeking patronage countersigns the document before a Ministry official. The age requirements for Patronage are far lower due to it being something that has existed since before the founding of the Wizengamot. The contracts signed also heavily favour the Clan or House offering patronage, with many such contracts placing the one who signed in a position little better than a House Elf.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a surprise,¡± I responded, earning a nod from Arcturus. ¡°While some Chiefs and Lords would ensure the contract was fair,¡± at least to their family, ¡°many others would feel nothing wrong with all but enslaving the muggleborn, and potentially their offspring, in the process.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°For the time being, I intend simply to guide Bradley and see where it leads. If he proves himself unworthy of my investment or displays attitudes unsuitable for a wizard, I shall, of course, distance myself from him. However, I find that unlikely to happen, and even less so that he will choose to leave our world and return to the muggle one once his education is concluded.¡± ¡°Many would consider such a position foolish.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but I¡¯d say it was less foolish than simply eliminating muggleborns ¨C something that would anger the largest portion of the Wizarding World ¨C or force them back into the world they¡¯d come from.¡± Half-bloods formed the majority of the Wizarding World and occupied most of the posts in the Ministry. The senior positions were generally held by purebloods, but by sheer weight of numbers, half-bloods were the dominant faction. ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting that muggleborns are more important than purebloods, or the Clans and Houses. Simply that they¡¯re, like many other things, a resource to cultivate. While forcing them into servitude is one way to control them, eliminating them another, would it not be better if they felt more desire for our way of life than that they¡¯d come from? A motivated worker is better than a conscripted one.¡± ¡°This opinion isn¡¯t a common one in our world, and if openly discussed, could see you targeted by elements from across the various political spectrum.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that. And how, for your House, my ideas seem heretical. Toujours Por.¡± He lowered his head when I quoted back his house saying. ¡°However, the other paths, to me, lead to nothing but war between groups of wizards. This is something I cannot accept as anything more than a path toward our eventual extinction. Either at our hands or that of the ever-improving muggles.¡± I raised a hand, knowing he was planning to dismiss my words and wanting to continue. ¡°I¡¯m not, in any way, stating that even a thousand muggles are worth one competent wizard. I¡¯m simply making clear that, with the improvements the muggles have made in the last century, they now pose at least a minimal threat to our way of life. While most in our world choose to dismiss muggles as something to be pitied or ignored, I don¡¯t. They are a potential threat, and choosing to target muggleborns, by elimination or enslavement, only risks them and the muggles allying against us. While I feel we would win such a war, the destruction unleashed runs the risk of us only achieving a pyrrhic victory.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t share your concerns about the threat posed by muggles,¡± Arcturus responded once I finished my speech. ¡°However, I can see why you fear an alliance between them and muggleborns. I will also agree that muggleborns are a key issue to resolve. That said, I would suggest that bar those you consider trustworthy,¡± he lifted his cup slightly, indicating he was pleased he was amongst that group, ¡°you keep such thoughts to yourself. While yours, they bear a similarity to many common opinions that gave rise to the Wizarding World War. There are forces in our world that would move to ensure you didn¡¯t rise to be a problem to the current status quo, to say nothing of another Grindelwald.¡± ¡°Ignoring the flattery of being compared to such a powerful wizard,¡± I began, not missing the comment on my potential that was hidden in his words, ¡°I¡¯m aware of your concerns. You are, so far, the only one I have broached this subject with.¡± ¡°Ah. So that was why you engineered that little display? To ensure my most recent interaction with a muggleborn was favourable before we discussed the matter.¡± ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± I replied with a smirk. ¡°As I said, I know the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black has a clear opinion on blood status. However, I simply wanted to observe your reaction to a muggleborn with some schooling and understanding of his place to display that while unworthy of marrying into your House, some have potential.¡± My thoughts drifted once more to Andromeda and Ted Tonks. I knew nothing about that muggleborn, but if he was at Hogwarts, then had the same potential as Bradley. ¡°Your opinion, even above those of my ancestors and extended family, is the one I value most, and I hope that I retain it after today.¡± ¡°You do. I do not believe your plan has much chance of success, but even if only one in a hundred muggleborns prove themselves worthy, then there is worth in considering your idea. However, House Black will be refraining from supporting your position currently.¡± I lowered my head, accepting that. I knew things would get worse when Orion became Lord Black, simply because Walburga had him by the balls, but if Sirius wasn¡¯t expunged from the House, then things should improve, or so I hoped. If Sirius was expunged, then I¡¯d begun to influence Regulus as best I could. He was good enough to go to Hogwarts, and for Voldemort to make him a semi-important Death Eater, so he''d serve a purpose in the group I hoped to form while at Hogwarts. ¡°Now,¡± Arcturus resumed, ¡°to the purpose of my presence today.¡± He placed his cup down and leaned back into his chair. ¡°While you are unable to sit in the Wizengamot, either to vote or offer an opinion, an issue has been brought before our esteemed body and I¡¯m curious as to your thoughts on the matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m unsure how I can offer advice as I lack the wisdom and clarity that comes with age.¡± Arcturus snorted in amusement. ¡°I assure you that, compared to many of my colleagues in the Wizengamot, you are wise and mature enough to offer opinions. So much so that I regret you cannot sit currently as I would enjoy seeing how you dissected those who dismissed you because of your age.¡± I lowered my head, accepting the praise, even as my mind wondered what matter had brought him to my castle. Voldemort wasn¡¯t due to begin his rise to power, at least officially. However, in his place, I¡¯d engineer events to push those who believed the ideals he pursued of blood purity were ready to support him once he emerged into the public domain. I¡¯d also, assuming he had created a loyal group at Hogwarts and in the years since, move to ensure those people, or members of their close family, were in positions of importance that could be exploited. I knew that for the early years of his rise, there was little I could do to stop or delay him, but if I could work to undermine his efforts with the next generation, then I felt I had a chance. That didn¡¯t just mean turning powerful pieces from the war ¨C such as Bellatrix, Sirius, James, Lily, and Severus ¨C to my cause, but finding new pieces to use. Which was where Bradley came into play. ¡°Then what matter is so critical that a child of eleven can offer clarity that members of the Wizengamot seem unable to provide?¡± ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net and Archive Of Our Own. Year 0 Part 6 Year 0 Part 6 ... ... I watched quietly from my perch on a rooftop high above the muggle street below. Down there a group of muggle children were playing, boys and girls playing some game that must¡¯ve either never existed in the world I¡¯d come from, or faded from the culture as parents stopped allowing their children to play on the streets outside their home. Beside me was Kadic, and to avoid questions, both of us were under disillusionment charms, though if discovered by another wizard, then they¡¯d have wondered what in Merlin¡¯s name we were doing here. Of course, those wizards didn¡¯t know what I knew, and so wouldn¡¯t be paying particular attention to a young girl with bright red hair. ¡°Is the MacLeod sure this one is important?¡± ¡°Yes, Kadic, I¡¯m sure,¡± I replied as down below, Lily Evans ran around with her friends. After pulling the town where she and Severus Snape were born to mind, I¡¯d had Kadic borrow a phone book from a muggle home in the town. Evans was a fairly common family name, and the town of around eighty thousand was located close to the Welsh border and contained over a hundred listed families with that name. After travelling with Kadic each day for a few weeks to observe those families, I¡¯d discovered the only one with a girl around my age with red hair and vibrant green eyes. Further observation, including spells to enhance sounds from far away and act as binoculars, confirmed the name and look, meaning I¡¯d located one of the more prominent figures from this era of the timeline. Or at least she, along with Snape and the Marauders, had been important in the other timeline. In this timeline, I couldn¡¯t be sure of that. However, if she and Snape attended Hogwarts, then they had excellent potential and not attempting to exploit that for my benefit was foolish at best, to downright stupid at worst. ¡°You know your instructions?¡± I asked my elf as I pulled back from watching the girl play with her friends, glad that this little project had finished its first stage. ¡°Kadic knows the MacLeod¡¯s orders, though Kadic is still uncertain over why the MacLeod is interested in the muggle.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s a muggleborn, not a muggle,¡± I replied with a chuckle. ¡°One that, I believe, will grow into a very powerful and important witch. Earning the friendship of her and the wizard that lives nearby, if both attend Hogwarts, will be helpful for my plans.¡± Severus had been easier to locate as Snape was an unusual name and with only a handful in Cokeworth, and working from the understanding that they¡¯d lived in Spinner¡¯s End, one of the more destitute areas of the city, it hadn¡¯t taken long to locate him. The issue had been his mother, Eileen Prince. While an outcast from the Ancient House of Prince, and choosing to live in a muggle city, she was still a pureblood witch from an old and powerful family. Kadic had detected several wards around the house where she and Severus lived, meaning directly approaching the location hadn¡¯t been possible. That had meant arriving before dawn to watch the house for Severus going to school, which was the same one that Lily attended. I¡¯d felt a little stupid for not considering the pair might attend primary school together, though given they¡¯d known each other before attending Hogwarts in the other timeline, it did make sense. That would¡¯ve saved me some effort for locating Lily, but given I was enjoying practising spells that I might not otherwise get the chance to use, I wasn¡¯t complaining too much. As a bonus, it got me out of Dunscaith, and away from the various books I was reading for hints as to the language used within the tome. It¡¯d been over a month and while I was all but sure of the intentions of the array the book had provided, I was getting almost nowhere in determining what language was used. I shifted around, my legs growing stiff from sitting on the roof, while making sure to not slip. I knew Kadic would stop me from falling, but I¡¯d rather not have the tiles on the roof loosen and fall, drawing attention from any muggles below. Even if they¡¯d never be able to see me, the less anyone knew of where I was and what I was doing the better. As a child of a similar age to Lily and Severus, it was odd as fuck that I was watching muggle kids play. If anyone knew I had memories of being an adult, then this would verge on downright fucking wrong. Thankfully outside of Kadic, and Aien, if she had to monitor these two kids for their Hogwarts letters, no one would ever know of my actions. Or so I hoped. While I¡¯d told Kadic that Lily and Severus were important, I couldn¡¯t be sure of that, but I was going to assume they were. Just as the various members of the Marauders, and other members of Dumbledore¡¯s and Voldemort¡¯s circles. I¡¯d already spent years getting to know the various Blacks, though my focus had been on Sirius and Regulus. Those two, along with Narcissa, were in my age group ¨C give or take a few years ¨C and held the keys to House Black once Arcturus and Orion passed away. The problem I was having was that, while he might not be showing it, Sirius was drifting away. Because I¡¯d taken on what I¡¯d been taught during Arcturus¡¯ lessons, it meant I was used as an example by Walburga about how Sirius should act. While, when we were away from his mother, I made clear I only acted the way I did around adults because as Chief MacLeod I was expected to, it was clear I was losing ground. Even introducing Sirius to Bradley one day when I¡¯d had both of them visit Dunscaith Castle wasn¡¯t helping me restore the slowly growing distance between us. Bradley understood and accepted the way nobles and those of certain social classes behaved, whereas Sirius was rebelling against everything to do with his heritage because of fucking Walburga. So much so that, so far this year, when he had the choice, Sirius had spent more time around James Potter than his family. While it made sense for the pair to spend time together, given they were going to be future Lords of their houses and would be in the same year at Hogwarts, it irked me that I seemingly wasn¡¯t able to stop the division between Sirius and his family. I¡¯d only dealt with James Potter in passing, but from the very beginning, he seemed to dislike me. James liked being the centre of attention, and the fact he was the first-born son of the heir to the Ancient House of Potter whereas I was Chief MacLeod seemed to annoy him. I didn¡¯t rub my title in his face, but whenever I was around his parents and grandparents, they¡¯d ask my opinion on matters James knew nothing about. The only thing that seemed to refocus his parents¡¯ attention was when he and Sirius ¨C and a handful of other wizards ¨C flew around dangerously enough that it drew the focus of his mother. It was also clear that James held a dislike for me because of the perceived loyalties of Clan MacLeod. Most, though not all, of my family ¨C at least those born of the Chief or Heir ¨C had ended up in Slytherin. The Potters were very much a Gryffindor house, and James seemed to think that meant we couldn¡¯t be sociable. Even words from his grandmother, Dorea ¨C who was born into House Black ¨C did little to dismiss James¡¯ apparent loathing of Slytherin even before he attended Hogwarts. Because of that, and other personal traits I¡¯d observed in the brat, I felt that it was because of him that the animosity between him and Severus became what it did in the other timeline. Thankfully, while it seemed I was losing influence over Sirius, Regulus was far easier to ingratiate myself with. The younger brother lived forever in Sirius¡¯ shadow ¨C along with that of his cousins ¨C and unlike the future Marauder, Regulus could not stand up to his mother. Because I was often at Le Domaine Noir, over the last year or so I¡¯d started tutoring Regulus whenever Sirius wasn¡¯t interested in studying, which was most of the time. Regulus, like Sirius, had an old family wand that he could practise on, and while he¡¯d yet to show strength in any particular branch of magic, gaining his loyalty would remove it from Voldemort. Yes, that could mean that the Horcrux that he stole before his death, Slytherin¡¯s Locket, might end up elsewhere, but that was a matter for further down the road. Plus, if Sirius was removed properly from the Black family tree, then that would place Regulus in a position to inherit the position of Lord Black. Having his friendship would grant me influence through one of the most powerful magical families in the British Isles. As I had interactions with James and Sirius, and with time running down until I attended Hogwarts, I¡¯d sought out the last two members of the Marauders. The foursome were, even ignoring the biased perspective the information came from, powerful wizards who¡¯d stood against Voldemort, or at least had been in the other timeline. Gaining the support of some, if not all of the group would be greatly beneficial as I moved forward in this world. Sadly, while I¡¯d located Remus and Peter, meeting the pair hadn¡¯t occurred. Remus should, if I had the timeline correct, have been bitten by Fenrir Greyback about five years ago. His father, Lyall Lupin, who was a minor member of the Established House Lupin, was reasonably well-known in Wizarding Britain, having helped the Ministry during the Wizarding World War. However, he had withdrawn from the magical world around the time Remus would¡¯ve been bitten. Peter Pettigrew was easier to find, as his house was a Vassal of the Ancient House of Bones. However, any meeting with the boy or his father was hard to arrange. As they were vassals of House Bones any attempt at meeting them, at least in an official capacity, required the approval of Lord Rickard Bones. Since I had no logical reason to meet the Pettigrews, as they¡¯d never interacted with Clan MacLeod, asking for such a meeting could easily cause issues between myself and House Bones. I had little interaction there either, having only met Lord Rickard at a few official functions that I¡¯d had to attend, which meant I¡¯d have to wait until Peter was at Hogwarts to see what, if anything, I could do about him. While there was no guarantee he or Remus would attend Hogwarts in this timeline, I was working with what knowledge I held to plan for the future. That did, in a small way, bring my attention to House Bones. Far into the future of another timeline, Amelia Bones had become head of the DMLE. Here, she was the youngest of four children of Lord Rickard. Amelia was in Bellatrix¡¯s year ¨C that being Fifth Year from next term ¨C and like many of her family a Hufflepuff. Her older siblings had all graduated from Hogwarts, meaning I¡¯d struggle to have much interaction with House Bones, or at least the main line that controlled the Lordship. There was a good chance that, like with many other Houses and Clans, I¡¯d interact with cousins and children of cadet branches instead of children of Chiefs, Lords, and Heirs. That was true of Frank Longbottom. The potential father of Neville was a few years older than me, being in the same year as Andromeda, while his younger brother was going to start Hogwarts the same year as the Marauders, and his sisters a few years after that. I¡¯d met the boys a few times at events, as I had with many other nobles and their families, but it was unlikely I¡¯d have much interaction with the Longbottom¡¯s until I took up my seat in the Wizengamot. Or at least with the main branch as Franks¡¯ cousin, Margaret would be starting alongside me this year. That was provided she received her letter, as I¡¯d not spoken to her since around March. The same was true of the other children of Houses and Clans, both those on and off the Scared Seventy-Seven, as I¡¯d pulled back heavily from interactions with them to focus on other matters. Merlin, the only reason I had spent as much time around Margaret as I had, and many of the daughters of other Clans and Houses, was because their parents, Chiefs, and Lords were likely angling to gain my attention for marriage. While that was something I¡¯d known of for a long while, and sadly just accepted as something I couldn¡¯t avoid until I was older, along with having to ensure that any food I was given was checked for love potions ¨C something that I felt should be regulated because of the danger they posed ¨C I¡¯d discovered something in my research on the language of the tome that had concerned me. Apparently, back before the Wizengamot was formed, and Scotland and Ireland wizarding communities had their separate governing structures, it had been accepted for a Chief to have multiple wives. The practice had fallen out of favour not long after the founding of the Wizengamot, and then all but disappeared after the Statute came into effect. Before then, many Chiefs had taken muggleborn witches as secondary wives, though some had also taken half- and pureblood witches who were far from the line of succession of their Clan or House to foster relationships between the Clans. I¡¯d been upset to discover that was possible, as I firmly believed that marriage was a commitment to each other and no one else, and complained about it to my ancestors. While my grandmother and great-grandmother hadn¡¯t liked the concept, they had agreed with their spouses that, in theory, it was a way for me to restore the Clan¡¯s numbers in a generation or two. The problem was, and one of the reasons it had gradually faded from happening, was that there were often issues between the wives and their children over which child should be Chief. While a duel to determine control of a Clan was acceptable and had, at least back then, been a semi-regular occurrence, the continual fighting between branches of the Clan risked weakening a Clan greatly, leaving them exposed to attacks from rival Clan. Dorea had also mentioned that while most of Wizarding Britain might look down on a witch becoming a secondary wife, the position held greater influence and power than marrying some minor wizard of a spare branch of most other Clans and Houses. She¡¯d also spoken how, outside of mainland Europe and the Isles, multiple marriages were common, though the vast majority were multiple wives to a powerful wizard than the other way around. My grandfather had mentioned that the practice was why many in Wizarding Britain looked down on the Norse League even though the League had a larger number of magicals, and carried more influence than Britain or the ICW. That might be why so many daughters of second sons and cadet branches of other Clans and Houses were showing interest in being my friend. They, or more likely their parents, might see it as a way to elevate their status for the cost of a daughter with otherwise limited prospects. I was trying to ignore that issue, and courtship in general, for as long as I could, but I suspected things would grow worse once I was at Hogwarts. And not just with witches in my year, as I¡¯d even have Abraxas Malfoy introduce me to his nieces, one of whom should be starting Hogwarts with me this year. I had little interest in getting to know Vesta Malfoy but did use the meetings with the Malfoy children to spend more time getting a read on Lucius. Since he was already a student at Hogwarts, that meant I¡¯d only met him this summer at a few functions that Arcturus had held. Until this summer I¡¯d avoided those, but seeing as I was heading to Hogwarts, I felt I should attend, and thus through the Blacks met Lucius. On the surface, he seemed cordial toward me, but I felt like with many pureblood heirs, and sons of heirs, he carried some dislike of me. As if they could only focus on me becoming the MacLeod of MacLeod at an early age and not the reason why that was the case. Of course, with Lucius, it could also be that he felt I was beneath him, as he carried himself with an air of someone who felt everyone, bar his parents, was beneath him. While nothing had been confirmed, I¡¯d heard enough suggestions that Arcturus and Abraxas were working on having a daughter of House Black betrothed to Lucius as soon as both were of age. The obvious choice would be Narcissa, as she was in the same year as Lucius, however, given the fact that it was Narcissa who seemed the most intent on spending time near me of any daughter of House Black, I wasn¡¯t sure about that. Regardless, it was something I¡¯d have to keep my eye on as whoever was betrothed to Lucius, I¡¯d gain some connection to the Ancient House of Malfoy because of my friendship with House Black. Meeting all of those figures had been relatively easy to at least locate, if not meet. Lily Evans and Severus Snape were harder as I¡¯d meant exploring the muggle world. This place was so different from the world I¡¯d once known, which did make sense as not only had one part of me come from another world without magic, but it had been around three-quarters of a century later. Still, it was jarring to see things such as post boxes and public phone booths all over the place, though hopefully, this might be one of the few times I had to enter the Muggle world. I wasn¡¯t anti-muggle per se, it was just that I held resentment for what had happened in my former life, and disliked how primitive this world was. Yes, many of the customs and methods of doing things in Wizarding Britain were odd, using appearances and styles that, to a muggle, would seem centuries out of date. However, because of magic, they could achieve so much more than a muggle ever could. ¡°Kadic will obey.¡± I blinked, snapping my thoughts back to where I was, memories of watching Lily play down below with her friends for the last few minutes merging with those where I¡¯d gone through recent events and actions. The ability to have two streams of thought at the same time was something I¡¯d picked up from my Occlumency training. It was an odd ability, but one that had its uses, such as when something caught my thoughts, but I wanted to remain aware of what was going on around me. That said, when the simultaneous streams of memories merged it was always a little jarring. ¡°Good. If I¡¯m right, the pair should get their letters in January, but I can¡¯t be certain of that. Which is why you and Aien have to monitor the pair each morning from September.¡± According to my knowledge, the pair had birthdays in January, like I did. However, I was leaving nothing to chance in arranging the best opportunity to meet one or both before they boarded the train at the end of next summer. Kadic nodded and then clicked his fingers. ¡°Kadic will know when owls come.¡± I nodded, accepting that he¡¯d done something to monitor the pair without alerting others ¨C such as Severus¡¯ mother ¨C that they were being watched. Elf magic was different from wizard magic ¨C be that with or without a wand ¨C and it created loopholes in the way the Wizarding World, or at the very least, Wizarding Britain could be exploited. The wards around Dunscaith Castle had specific layers to prevent elves not linked to me from entering without permission, and to weaken any that visited to avoid them being a danger. The same was true of the wards around Le Domaine Noir, but according to how Kadic spoke of other places he¡¯d visited when my father had been The MacLeod, most of those places didn¡¯t have restrictions on what elves could do. That was something I¡¯d have to investigate as if it were even semi-common that wards didn¡¯t monitor and weaken outside elves, then potential avenues to exploit would be available to me in future. ¡°Good,¡± I said, shuffling back, up the roof. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± I added, holding out my hand. In theory, I could attempt to apparate. I knew the theory and understood, or so I felt, the principles involved. However, given the threat a failed or unstable apparition could cause, I was unwilling to attempt to apparate by myself. That placed it alongside several more advanced spells, charms, and jinxes ¨C such as the Unforgivables ¨C that I knew of but had not attempted to cast or use. The only downside was that side-along apparating, be that with Kadic, Arcturus, one of my aunts, or the handful of other people I¡¯d done so with, was discombobulating. Still, even for how much I struggled to contain whatever was in my stomach after apparating with another, it was safer than losing a limb. As Kadic placed his hand on mine, I took one last look at Lily Evans. There was always the chance that she, and any of those I knew from her year ¨C bar Sirius and James ¨C wouldn¡¯t end up at Hogwarts. This universe wasn¡¯t one based on the one my knowledge came from. However, until it was confirmed that she, Severus, Remus, and Peter weren¡¯t powerful pieces in the war to come, I¡¯d keep my eyes on them, seeking ways to ensure their loyalty to whichever path I chose. It was perhaps a rather blunt approach to life, as I was talking about children around my age, but if I wanted to survive what was to come, and affect the changes I planned for further along the timeline, then I needed to treat everyone and thing as a possible resource until it became an enemy. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ A flick of my wrist sent a bolt of magic flying from the tip of my wand. In the distance, the bolt, crackling with intent, surged toward Xenocrates. As usual, Xeno leapt away from the bolt before it reached him, the tip of my wand tracking his movement and as he gracefully finished his leap, I sent another bolt, keeping him on the move. I wasn¡¯t actively trying to hit him, nor was the intent behind the bolts one to harm. What I was doing was testing out a basic attack spell ¨C one that was something that First Years were taught in this universe ¨C that relied entirely on intent while getting more comfortable with my Hogwarts wand. The bolt, in theory, could do considerable damage if it struck someone not prepared or had enough power pushed into it, and with intent if the caster to cause damage, but generally, the bolt was more akin to a stinging hex. What I¡¯d learnt from my ancestors though, and it wasn¡¯t mentioned in the textbooks, nor taught to me by my tutors, was that it was possible to embus the simple bolt with other forms of magic. For houses whose Family Magic tended toward more outwardly displayed abilities, then it was possible to grant some of that magic into the bolt. In theory, Fleshcarving couldn¡¯t be channelled into the bolt, however, I wondered if there might be a way to design a runic array that empowered all spells cast, granting them increased power. I¡¯d not mentioned that with my ancestors, mainly as I still had to determine the setup of the array the tome had provided, but it was something I¡¯d designated as a low-priority research project. While Fleshcarving couldn¡¯t be applied easily to enhancing the bolt, my ancestors ¨C specifically my grandmother ¨C had suggested that I might have some affinity toward more destructive forms of magic. That was something Clan O¡¯Leary ¨C my grandmother¡¯s birth Clan ¨C was known for. She¡¯d said it was unlikely I¡¯d have the inclination her birth Clan did, as family magic generally flowed through the paternal line, but it wasn¡¯t impossible that I could grant a small sliver of extra power to my bolts. That had me wondering if perhaps I could apply Eradicator¡¯s Grasp to the bolt, at least once it was unlocked. Without any way to determine that, I had to trust my instincts and I didn¡¯t feel I¡¯d yet reached a point of unlocking that Trait. Nor had I had much luck with Bloody Touch, however, I felt my affinities toward fire and lightning were beginning to show; the latter helped by my bond with Xeno. Xeno, as always, was moving before the next bolt reached him even as my arm tracked him, readying another attack. I¡¯d never hit him, nor did I want to, though I had come close. Instead of being angry about it, Xeno seemed to take it as a challenge, and since the one time a bolt had caught his tail, he made sure nothing touched him. That said, he always waited as long as possible before moving as if taunting me for my inability to strike him. The raiju seemed to enjoy this training, though I felt he considered it a game, as it helped me with my casting speed, kept him on his toes, and acted, in an odd way, as a way to further strengthen the bond we shared. At times I could sense when he was going to move just before he did, and I suspected he could do the same regarding my casting. While this was fun, it wasn¡¯t the only combined practice/bonding game we played. On other days I¡¯d levitate an object around the training area ¨C which was where we were currently -for him to chase. That helped me with finer control over the Levitation charm, and other spells that could be used to do something similar while helping Xeno work on his tracking and hunting. While I¡¯d yet to see him fully draw upon the magic raiju were known for, when we played the chasing game, sparks were beginning to dance around his fur, and his movements were accelerating; sometimes to the point where I struggled to separate the feline from the lightning. Actual movement by shifting into a bolt of electricity didn¡¯t generally occur in raiju until they were three or four years old, but I and others felt that due to him being my familiar, and thus able to draw magic through me, he may show such an ability sooner. What had amused me about the spell I was using today, though I missed Xenocrates again as he dismissively rolled away from one bolt, and then leapt over the next, was that it bore a striking similarity to the basic spell from the Hogwarts Legacy. I¡¯d played that game, and other games and media based on the universe I now found myself in when I¡¯d been a teenager, but by the time the part of me that had come from a non-magical world had died, I¡¯d forgotten about it entirely. Even with Emotionless Recall activating once here, I¡¯d not thought about it over the first few years, not until I¡¯d learnt the spell I was using today. After spending a few days cursing myself for not drawing on those memories ¨C or even considering taking an affinity or trait for Ancient Magic when I¡¯d shaped this new life ¨C I¡¯d dove into the history of the games, seeing what, if any, of that story was true here. While many of the professors at Hogwarts during the time Phineas Nigellas Black and Matilda Weasley were Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress respectively, weren¡¯t the same ¨C which made sense since we were talking about nineteenth-century Britain not, as when the game came out, early twenty-first century, the general lore was in the history books. There had been a short battle ¨C it wasn¡¯t termed a rebellion ¨C by a faction of goblins led by Ranrok, which had resulted in an attack on Hogwarts. The exact details of why he¡¯d attacked the school weren¡¯t in any of the history books I¡¯d read, but because I could remember the game clearly, I knew the truth. Perhaps better than any bar the handful of Ministry officials with the position to potentially browse the restricted files on the incident. Still, learning that Ranrok had existed and that the attack on Hogwarts had taken place, opened up several new ideas for what I could discover at Hogwarts. As I considered these thoughts once more, my arm continued to move, sending out bolts for Xeno to avoid. On one occasion, the bolt struck with enough force to damage whatever it hit. Thankfully, the magic enchanted into the room meant that any damage was quickly undone. Bar a few spells, which I took to mean ones like Fiendfyre and others with similar damage potential, my ancestors had assured me the room would recover. I was warned not to learn spells beyond my abilities currently, but once I had the power and ability to cast more aggressive spells, Kadic would provide me with access to a chamber designed for casting such chaos. Returning my thoughts, or at least part of them, toward Hogwarts, and other sources of information about the school/castle, I felt the Hogwarts I¡¯d seen in Hogwarts Legacy would be a closer representation than the one I¡¯d seen in the movies. Not only would it need to be bigger ¨C at least on the inside ¨C due to the increased student numbers in this timeline, but if it was closer in setup to Legacy, then there¡¯d be more than just the Room of Requirement and the Chamber of Secrets for me to consider as a place to create a secluded location for research and practising. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The Room of Requirement was the most obvious location to pick, as it had the potential to be multifunctional, and it would contain the first of Voldemort¡¯s¡¯ Horcruxes in the Ravenclaw Diadem. The problem was, with the sheer number of students in the school, the odds that it wasn¡¯t a semi-open secret were slimmer than I¡¯d like. Plus, with only one known entrance, it meant it was easier for others to discover where I was going. The Chamber of Secrets, while having far more entrances, and then only allowing those like me who could use Parseltongue to enter, was far more dangerous. Even if the basilisk was dormant, getting anywhere near that any time in my first few years was just asking for trouble. Or more accurately, trouble that there was a good to excellent chance I¡¯d not survive. The idea that the crow of a rooster was enough to defeat such a mighty beast had always struck me as odd, and the books I¡¯d read that mentioned this claim were sceptical of its efficiency. Because of that, I¡¯d pulled apart every memory of Legacy I had, and the obvious choices from that source were the Undercroft and Hall of Herodiana ¨C or one of her puzzle rooms if they existed. While both had the same issue as the RoR, there were other options to consider. The Undercroft, with the entrance being in a less obvious place, certainly held more interest. However, another idea for allowing me to have a secluded location in the castle, in theory anyway, had come to mind. The vanishing cabinets that Draco had used were certainly options. The damaged one should, in theory, be in Borgin and Burkes, provided that shop existed. If it did, and I planned to at least determine if the store existed before heading to Hogwarts, then grabbing the other one in Hogwarts. Yes, one of the cabinets would need repairing, but it was a way to allow me to create a private location for my studies, and fix another issue of how to come and go from Hogwarts without relying on Kadic. While Dumbledore couldn¡¯t stop me from using Kadic to leave the castle, due to my position as Chief MacLeod, I¡¯d learnt, in a letter he¡¯d sent a few days ago, that he expected me to at least inform him when I left the premises. The urge to destroy the letter had taken some effort to resist, as I felt Dumbledore was stepping on my feet. However, after calming myself and speaking to my ancestors, I learnt that the Headmaster was required to be informed when a student left the grounds to go somewhere beyond Hogsmeade ¨C which was a town in this universe ¨C or one of the nearby magical villages. While the reasons given by my ancestors made sense, as I was under the Headmaster¡¯s supervision while at Hogwarts, I disliked the intrusion. However, Dumbledore had only insisted that I was to contact him if I left via apparition ¨C be that with Kadic, others, or once I learnt the ability myself ¨C or Floo. There was no mention of other methods. Either he didn¡¯t know of any, which I felt was unlikely, or he wasn¡¯t going to mention them in case it made me consider alternate approaches. Which I had. The stream of thought regarding Hogwarts, and plans for getting out and private locations within the caste, ended when, as Xeno dodged a flurry of bolts I sent at him, a faint pop sounded. At the same time, as the memories of training with Xeno merged with those about Hogwarts and were filed away in my memories, I turned to see Kadic had appeared. ¡°Already?¡± I asked, knowing why he was here, and having lost track of time. ¡°Yes. The MacLeod¡¯s aunt had arrived. She awaits The MacLeod in the Main Study.¡± I sighed, slightly annoyed at myself for losing track of time. Aunt Moire was here for another lesson on Occlumency. I¡¯d passed the official grading to be regarded as a Level 3 Occlumens ¨C which was where the ability to have simultaneous thought streams was taught ¨C a while ago, but Moire wanted me to have the basics, if not more, of Level 4 before I headed off to Hogwarts. Given that was only a little more than a month away, it meant our lessons had increased to one a day. While I didn¡¯t mind the training, I disliked having to protect my thoughts; or more accurately, fail to do so. Moire was a far higher level Legilimens than I was an Occlumens, and with her training working as an Investigator for the Aurors, she never had any issue breaking my defences. The lectures that came after, which went over everything I¡¯d done, or not, in our session, were far from enjoyable. Getting picked apart in such intricate detail was never great for my confidence. However, it did, as much as I might not always like it, drive me to become better. ¡°Fine.¡± I slid my wand back into its holster. ¡°You coming?¡± I asked as I looked at Xeno even as I patted the holster for my Lordly wand. While I¡¯d spent most of the year using my Hogwarts wand, I felt as if part of me was missing when I was without my Lordly wand. Xeno tilted his head, looking at me as if I¡¯d suddenly grown a dozen arms, and then after a moment, turned and sauntered away. ¡°Traitor,¡± I called out without any venom. Since our bond was strong enough that he could go most of the day without being around me, he now chose to avoid me whenever I had lessons. While that was a relief as it meant he¡¯d be fine at Hogwarts while I had classes, I disliked him not being present. I found it comforting and relaxing to have him resting nearby, if not, as he preferred, on my lap. I walked toward the door, choosing the slow method of reaching the study over asking Kadic to apparate me around the castle. While I didn¡¯t dislike the sessions with my aunt, the sooner I was on my way to Hogwarts the better. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°This¡­ it isn¡¯t what I expected,¡± I remarked as I walked into the Ritual Chamber of Dunscaith Castle. The Chamber was located on one of the basement levels, not far from the training rooms I visited daily, but until today ¨C and after saying an incantation my grandfather had just taught me while placing my hand on the torc, I¡¯d never even known the room was there. I knew I shouldn¡¯t keep being so easily impressed by magic, but when rooms could appear from thin air, and be far larger than they had any right to be, I always felt a little giddy at getting to experience all this. Thankfully, after years of training, I knew how to keep most, if not all, of that enjoyment hidden if I so wanted. Still, discovering another new room, even one I¡¯d expected existed beforehand, in my home was amazing, and had me once more asking how much more was there to the castle, and just what secrets I¡¯d never considered might exist elsewhere in the magical world. Most of that focus was aimed at Hogwarts, which given I was less than a month away from boarding the train, wasn¡¯t unexpected, but there were still mysteries closer to home that held my interest. The most obvious one there was whatever lay in the depths of the forest that surrounded Dunscaith. It was dangerous, that was clear from the way my ancestors made clear I shouldn¡¯t venture too deeply into the forest, and the torc warning of danger whenever I entered the woods. So far, I¡¯d not seen the source of that great danger, but I had spotted a group of Redcaps. Those little creatures, which were called Powries by my ancestors, were common around abandoned castles, dungeons, and larger caves. The group I¡¯d seen might have been permitted to stay in the forest to act as a deterrent, but frankly, I felt they were a problem. Redcaps had few, if any, redeeming features, bar perhaps, the use of certain parts of them in some more unusual and exotic potions. I didn¡¯t know any of the potions personally, but that was what was mentioned about them in the various books I¡¯d read after the encounter. The issue was that, while I felt I could handle a small number of them, it was unlikely the group of four I¡¯d seen were the only Redcaps in the forest. If I failed to take that group out, or when hunting them encountered a far larger party, I¡¯d be in trouble. Yes, Kadic would come to my aid, but I would be embarrassed to need to be rescued because those creatures had overwhelmed me. Also, Redcaps had some general resistance to magic, meaning many of the basic spells I knew might not work well against them. While all that meant I was ignoring the group of them for now, I planned to remove them, and the rest of their gathering ¨C the name for a Redcap nest ¨C next summer, once I had unlocked more of my magic and had a year of formal education under my belt. In the meantime, I¡¯d left an order for Kadic and Aien to monitor the creatures, and if any ventured too close to the castle, to drive them back, and see if they could determine the Redcap¡¯s base. At least without risking themselves as I wasn¡¯t willing to sacrifice one of my elves to clear the creatures. Especially not Kadic who was the only link to my family from before the Summer Solstice Massacre. ¡°And what were you expecting?¡± My grandfather asked, snapping my focus back to the Ritual Chamber. ¡°Something more akin to a dungeon that one would find in a castle?¡± I turned, looking back at him as he and my grandfather floated in their Greater Portraits. Kadic was just behind them, keeping them afloat as I led us into the Ritual Chamber. ¡°No. Something older, perhaps similar. Like Stonehenge,¡± I replied as I returned my attention to the Chamber. It was, amusingly, a stone wall-lined room, one circular in nature. Those walls were engraved with glowing shifting runes, and from what I could understand of the arrays, they were safety measures, designed to protect the room and its occupants. That didn¡¯t fill me with confidence that Fleshcarving was safe, but it did make sense as the more powerful an array was, the greater the risk that if it were created even fractionally incorrectly, the more devastation the blowback could be. In the case of Fleshcarving, that would, gruesomely, mean blood and guts lining the walls. There were a few ornate tables around the walls, though most were bare, and in the centre of the room, dominating proceedings, was a, by comparison, simple wooden table. On the floor around that table was a circular inscribing of runes. Like those on the walls, the circle was designed to contain whatever happened inside while also enhancing any magic cast. ¡°While Stonehenge has a purpose, it isn¡¯t for fleshcarving,¡± my great-grandfather replied as I moved toward the central table. ¡°The shape of this room, the materials used in its construction, the arrays carved into the walls, tables, and floor, and the very instruments needed for Fleshcarving, were designed to extremely specific standards. A standard that outside of the Wizengamot, the foundations of Hogwarts, and a handful of other locations, I¡¯ve rarely seen in the Isles.¡± I reached the central table as he finished, my hand moving out to brush against the dark stained wood. It was warmer than one might expect of a table in an underground room, but that would be the work of the runes carved into it. Here, unlike the rest of the room, the runes were mainly those of the tome, suggesting that the table had been created at the same time as the tome. Perhaps even by the same person. The room would¡¯ve been added later, more standard runic languages used in the arrays that encompassed it. The wood the table was made from was another oddity. It appeared at first glance to be hazel, but the colours of the wood were too bright and intense to be from that tree. The majority was a brilliant, though not overpowering, burnt orange while the knots where branches had once extended outward from the tree were a darker, almost the colour of blood, red. ¡°What tree was this made from?¡± I asked as I turned to face my ancestors. I¡¯d not studied wood in much detail, but there was something about the table that suggested it might even be difficult for the Ollivanders to indemnify the source material for this table. ¡°As with the tome, the tree used for the table is unknown. The knowledge lost to the ravages of time.¡± I bit back a sigh of annoyance at my grandfather¡¯s response. ¡°Yes, we feel the same as you. However, there is little we can do about it. The knowledge of the exact source of where our Clan¡¯s unique magic comes from was lost in the generations between the Clan¡¯s founding, and the creation of the first Dealbhan Nas Motha.¡± I turned back to the table and bit my tongue, not wanting to curse at another mystery of my Clan to add to the small, but important list I held in my mind. As with learning the truth of the tome, it would be a mystery I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d learn the answers to for a long time, if ever. In theory, I could use the Resurrection Stone to summon the Clan¡¯s founder ¨C the first D¨°mhnall MacLeod ¨C back to the land of the living and question him. However, there were several issues with that idea, the greatest of which was that, was the location of the Stone. In theory, it should be in a Gaunt family ring, and by now passed into the possession of Tom Riddle. The soon-to-become Lord Voldemort would use that ring as a Horcrux, and thus keep it well hidden and protected in the home where his branch of House Guant had lived. The issue was that, when researching Voldemort¡¯s family, I¡¯d discovered that the Ancient House of Guant wasn¡¯t extinct. The branch Voldemort came from had been ostracised for some time, and was now dead as Voldemort didn¡¯t carry the family name. However, the main branch of the family was still around, and in theory, the ring might never have passed to Voldemort¡¯s grandfather and uncle. The Ancient House of Gaunt was regarded as the weakest and poorest of the Ancient families in the Isles. Given the status of my Clan, which consisted of only three underage members in the main branch and, according to Ranlor were far lower than expected of an Ancient family, we were still considered more powerful and influential than House Gaunt was an indicator of how low they¡¯d fallen. While all that made the exact location of the Resurrection Stone an issue, the other problem was that the founder of Clan MacLeod might not know the language the tome was written in. The more I dove into the Clan¡¯s history, and other old magical histories for Scotland and Ireland, the more I¡¯d grown to suspect that the language wasn¡¯t one designed by Humans. Something about the runic language felt different, and far more powerful, than any other runic language I¡¯d encountered. If that was the case, and the legends about the First D¨°mhnall MacLeod having been married to, of the child or, a Fae princess, then the odds on him knowing anything of use regarding the tome¡¯s language were limited at best. All of that, however, was a matter for another day; one far into the future. Turning again, I looked back at my ancestors as they waited ¨C their paintings floating in the air in front of a silent Kadic ¨C for my next question. My grandmother and great-grandmother weren¡¯t present as, while they were aware of the Clan¡¯s magic, they weren¡¯t of the blood. In theory, that shouldn¡¯t have stopped either of my male ancestors or those that came before them, from granting flesh-carved runes to their wives, however, it wasn¡¯t something either had done. I¡¯d wondered if some taboo or rule was preventing them from granting the same benefits they had to their spouses but hadn¡¯t asked either about it. That was a topic for far into the future once I was either betrothed or married. ¡°Why exactly am I being allowed into this room today?¡± I asked. That question had been in my thoughts ever since learning they would be revealing the Ritual Chamber to me. ¡°I haven¡¯t deciphered the core language used in the array.¡± ¡°No, but you have deduced its intentions,¡± my grandfather replied with a knowing smile: As if he¡¯d expected that question and was surprised it had taken me this long to ask it. ¡°That, along with you soon heading to Hogwarts, we felt was enough to allow you the opportunity to apply your first flesh array. Otherwise, once you left, your mind would remain here, on what you hadn¡¯t done, instead of building bridges with your house and yearmates at Hogwarts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hear any comment on that distraction causing an issue for my studies,¡± I said, not bothering to deny they were right. There were less than two weeks until the end of the month, at which I¡¯d be boarding the Hogwarts Express and not deducing the meaning of the language behind the runes in time. That fear had been growing daily, and continually gnawed at me no matter what I was doing. ¡°D¨°mhnall, you could¡¯ve gained Outstandings in all your First-Year exams by the time you were ten. Merlin, we suspect you could, at this very moment, enter the Third-Year runes class and emerge with at least an Exceeds Expectations. Your skill is beyond where many, though not all, of your yearmates are, and will be in a year¡¯s time.¡± I nodded, accepting the praise, though I did note that my great-grandfather was suggesting that even with all the tutoring I¡¯d received over the last few years, I wouldn¡¯t be far above everyone in my year. That was oddly encouraging, as it meant I¡¯d have some challengers in my classes, which should push me to work harder, even if the coursework was beneath me. There is also the fact, as you should understand, that no MacLeod of MacLeod knows the full details of the language used in the runic arrays the tome suggests. If it was required that a MacLeod could read and understand perfectly the language used by the tome, then none since the founding of our house would have been able to flesh carve.¡± ¡°Then telling me I wasn¡¯t going to apply the array until I understood the language was what? A joke at my expense?¡± I wasn¡¯t overly angry, but annoyance did slip into my tone. ¡°A joke that has been played on every heir to the Clan since the tome was written. One that, in time, we expect you to play on your children.¡± I ignored the jibe about me having children from my grandfather. That was far, far into the future, and no amount of hinting that I should get married young and have offspring as soon as I was able from my ancestors was going to change that intent. I had things other than securing the next generation of the Clan to handle first, such as simply surviving the coming decades as Voldemort rose in power and Wizarding Britain drifted to the brink of war. ¡°How exactly am I meant to have this array applied to my skin?¡± I asked, drawing a line under any discussion about the future of the Clan. That could wait for a long time, or at least until my grandmother and great-grandmother decided to subtly ¨C or not subtly ¨C hint at the matter. ¡°Traditionally, the first array is applied by the MacLeod of MacLeod to the children of the Clan when they turn sixteen.¡± My great-grandfather glanced at the table, his eyes seeking out a small metal bowl ¨C likely forged by goblins ¨C that rested slightly under the edge of the table. Given the way thin strips of metal flowed toward the bowl, I suspected it was designed and runed to gather any excess blood that came from the carving. ¡°After the first array, which as you understand, is one every MacLeod gains as a base, any future arrays are added by the child. Generally, to ensure the safety of the main branch, only the children of the current MacLeod of MacLeod can apply more than three arrays, and only the current MacLeod and their direct heir have the right to apply as many arrays as the tome suggests, though only when they are capable of understanding those suggestions.¡± ¡°I see an issue with that approach,¡± I muttered, looking at the table with a small pit of anxiety forming in the base of my stomach. ¡°Yes. Without your father, or either of us, holding the title of MacLeod of MacLeod, you will have to apply the array yourself.¡± ¡°Look on the bright side,¡± my great-grandfather cut in, offering a weak smile, ¡°because you are The MacLeod, you¡¯re beginning your understanding of the tome, and what power it contains and offers, years before you otherwise would.¡± ¡°Lucky me,¡± I grumbled as I placed my hand on the table. There was magic in it, and it flowed through me via the torc meaning the magic of the room was linked to the ward core. That, in theory, should make it easier to apply the array, though given it was designed to be placed at the base of my spine, there was still the issue of figuring out how I was meant to see myself applying the room. The obvious answer was to use a charmed mirror, or some combination of them, to see what I was doing. However, in that same growing pit of concern, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. ¡°The process, on the whole, while sounding concerning is relatively simple.¡± I didn¡¯t even attempt to hide my disbelief at my grandfather¡¯s words. ¡°The magic of the room, through the various arrays, and as part of the ward core, is linked to you. The magic imbued into the table, while not connected as fully, shares a trace of blood magic, meaning it recognizes and accepts your connection to it and the instruments under its control. The torc adds another layer of safety, as the magic of the castle understands you are its master, and without it, entry to this room isn¡¯t even possible.¡± He paused and glanced toward one of the tables at the far side of the room. When I¡¯d entered I¡¯d seen that table held a handful of vials and bottles of what I¡¯d hoped was pain numbing or cancelling potions. ¡°The only minor issue is that, as you are the one controlling the magic to carve the rune into your flesh, you cannot be under the effects of any potions or charms.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± While I¡¯d been expecting that, I¡¯d hoped I would be proven wrong. Even with magic involved, cutting into my flesh was going to hurt, but I¡¯d already accepted that it was needed. Anything that, in theory, could grant abilities beyond the base level for a wizard ¨C which was above that of a muggle ¨C was worth enduring pain for. That said, I hoped that because this first array wasn¡¯t anything seemingly major, it wouldn¡¯t be excruciatingly painful. ¡°So,¡± I continued, lifting my hand from the table, ¡°how exactly do I go about this? I mean, I know that I have to lay face-down on the table, but do I have to remove all my clothes, or just my shirt to expose my back? Also,¡± I continued before my ancestors could answer, ¡°is there a way to hide the array, and any that come after it, or at least some charm to cause others to ignore the array if they see it?¡± My grandfather chuckled and gave a rueful shake of his head. ¡°Once again you display the need to understand shines through. A legacy of your mother and grandmother.¡± I smirked, aware that the two women had been Ravenclaws. While my Clan, or at least the main branch, tended toward Slytherin, many had appeared in Ravenclaw. Strangely, children of the cadet branches leaned more toward Gryffindor than Slytherin, though since those children had to have the drive to make their way in the world without the backing of The MacLeod, I guess that was understandable. ¡°Regarding your questions, you will have to remove all your clothing or at least everything that is in any way charmed.¡± ¡°Which is everything,¡± I muttered with mild annoyance. I¡¯d seen that coming but had hoped I was wrong about it. Turning back to the table, I pulled on the drawstring of my shirt. Over the last year or so, I¡¯d transitioned to ghillie shirts, finding something about the traditional shirt of the Celtic Clans more appealing than the formal style worn by most English nobles. I¡¯d probably keep wearing them at Hogwarts, as a student¡¯s year and house were determined by the robe and the markings upon it, with what was worn underneath entirely up to the student. Still, I hoped that by the time I reached fourth or fifth year, I¡¯d have bulked up enough for the shirts to stop hanging from my shoulders. ¡°Once you have undressed,¡± my grandfather continued, ¡°you will lay face-down on the table. For other arrays, how you lay on the table will depend on where the arrays are to be added, but often they are intended to merge into the base array you shall be adding today. Once the array is applied, it must be left unencumbered for a minimum of twenty-four hours.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll be walking around naked from the waist up for a day?¡± I rhetorically asked as I fiddled with my belt. ¡°Good thing the castle is charmed to be comfortably warm.¡± ¡°Indeed. As for hiding this array, or any you apply later, there is little concern. While you live, you can channel some of your magic into the array to ensure others cannot see it, or that it appears indistinct. However, this comes at the cost of weakening the effectiveness of the array in question. It is possible to add a section to an array to ensure this is the case, though again it will weaken the purpose of the array. Along with requiring you to alter the arrangement of the various glyphs and runes used in the array. And before you concern yourself, the arrays cannot be discovered by others upon your death. When it is time for you to leave this mortal coil, the arrays, due to magic that I and my ancestors do not fully understand, burn away; leaving nothing for others to examine in the hope they might discover the purpose of any flesh-carved arrays.¡± ¡°Morbid, but useful,¡± I remarked as I pulled down my trousers and worked on getting socks off my feet. I¡¯d already expected the arrays to be hidden, otherwise capturing any blood member of the Clan, and examining their body would reveal the secrets of the Clan¡¯s magic. The fact it was also apparently impossible to determine the arrays used after death was another advantage, though one I had little intention of testing or using for a very long time. ¡°Aye, and it¡¯s a question that, from what I understand, every child of the Clan has asked a similar question when it was time for their first array to be applied.¡± I nodded, having expected that. ¡°Now, up you go,¡± my great-grandfather added as I pulled down my underwear. ¡°This would be awkward if you weren¡¯t dead,¡± I muttered as I turned and climbed onto the table. ¡°probably still is,¡± I added as I lay face-down on the table. The table warmed slightly, adjusting to my presence, and ensuring I wouldn¡¯t feel uncomfortable lying on it. ¡°Good, now take your wand.¡± I reached over and grasped my Lordly wand, which I¡¯d placed on the table while undressing. I knew I¡¯d need it for carving the array into my flesh, and had placed it on the table before I¡¯d begun undressing. I could summon it to me, though I¡¯d rather not do that and reveal I had some skill with the Summoning Charm before attending Hogwarts to my ancestors. The spell hadn¡¯t been covered in any of my tutoring sessions, however, knowing the spell from my metaknowledge meant it and other spells were already part of my repertoire. At least where I had the skill, unlocked potential, and capacity to cast them. It was unlikely my grandfather and great-grandfather would betray my trust, but my concern lay with their spouses. Cassiopeia had already proven she could contact House Black through other paintings that existed of her, and in theory, ¨¢ine could do the same with Clan O¡¯Leary. As I didn¡¯t want Chief Kyran or Lord Arcturus aware that I knew spells required for OWLs, if not NEWTS, I kept the truth of my abilities hidden from my family. Shifting slightly, I saw the table generate a hole where my face rested over it. The edges of the hole were softer and understanding why it was there, I placed my head onto the padding, my gaze now locked on the floor below. ¡°What now?¡± I asked, expecting a series of magical mirrors to appear so I could see the base of my spine and thus carry out the carving. ¡°Close your eyes and lock onto the magic within you,¡± my grandfather replied. ¡°Find that spark that forms the root of your connection to magic.¡± After years of meditating on just that, using the practice to better understand myself and how magic worked through and around me, and to slowly open pathways to help me move closer to fully unlocking my potential, it was easy to find the spark. The only difference that had occurred this year was that the spark had altered slightly. That had come from the tome and when I¡¯d first opened it. As if somehow, it had merged in a small way with the spark of magic that was rooted deep within my soul. ¡°Good, now, keeping your focus on our magic, reach out. Feel the magic that flows through the table, the circle surrounding it, and the very room. Ease your way into their designs, spread your influence through them until they bent to your will.¡± It was odd doing that, as the magic that lay in the Ritual Chamber, or more specifically the table and circle of runes around it, was part of the ward core and tome, and yet wasn¡¯t. It was as if whoever designed them wasn¡¯t a MacLeod, and yet was. Still, the magic I could feel flowing around me easily accepted my supremacy, and soon I could feel my presence encompassing every part of the Chamber. ¡°Impressive. It seems your lessons on unlocking your pathways have advanced further than we¡¯d expected.¡± I heard my great-grandfather¡¯s voice, but my focus was on the magic that I now controlled. The odd, familiar yet not, ripples in the runes of the table and circle array around it. The similarities to the tome were clear, and yet, somewhere deep in that new, ancient magical language, I swore I heard something. Almost as if someone or something was singing or calling to me. ¡°Now, with the magic under your control, think about what you want to achieve. Don¡¯t concern your thoughts on the exact process. Instead, think about what you want to achieve. Intent, as with almost all magic, matters more than specifics here.¡± I faintly heard the sound of something metallic moving, dragging itself across the stone. I understood the magic of the table was summoning a blade, one likely covered in runes and made by goblin metal or some other magically imbued metal, with which to carve my flesh. There was a small part of me that feared doing this, that felt cutting myself was a mistake or a step too far. That part, that tiny voice, was drowned out by the understanding I held that without access to my Clan¡¯s magic, without learning everything I could and using it, my intentions, goals, and dreams would never come to pass. I could sense the blade, no blades, coming closer, their purpose controlled by my intent. What I was about to do would hurt, I was sure of that, but I accepted that. If one wanted power, one had to be willing to endure hardships to grasp and control it. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I rolled over slowly, not wanting to wake Xenocrates who was curled up nearby, a stray thought wondering about my flesh array. It didn¡¯t hurt any more, the pain having passed, as I¡¯d been told it would, inside of a day. Still, I was cautious about laying on my back whenever I thought about the array. I¡¯d spent some time using mirrors to see the array, it only appearing when I wished it. It was hard to judge exacts even with a magical mirror that zoomed in on the array, but it appeared that I¡¯d done an excellent job carving it into my flesh. The changes brought on by the array were minor at best, as I¡¯d only felt slightly stronger, faster, and more durable, but as this array was designed as a base for later ones, that made sense. Still, even a slight increase on the base physical standards of other wizards ¨C which were considerably above a muggle¡¯s ¨C wasn¡¯t something to sneeze at. The tome had when I¡¯d next opened it, revealed a new page. However, unlike the first page which contained the array now carved into my flesh, there wasn¡¯t anything clear-cut on this new page. Instead, there were sections of an array. On their own, the small combinations of runes the tome suggested didn¡¯t seem important, yet I suspected that combined they created something far greater than the sum of their parts. The issue was, apart from them not being joined to indicate how that array would work, the notes on the new page were entirely in the language of the tome; something I¡¯d not made any real headway in discovering where the language came from, to say nothing of translating the pages. Merlin, even some advanced translation spells I¡¯d discovered in books in the Inner Library, or in books I¡¯d ordered from suppliers, failed to provide insights. It was almost as if the language used in the tome was inherently magical itself, and thus was able to resist attempts to force it to reveal its secrets. Still, while the lack of progress on the new page, even going so far as to have a clear indication of what was being suggested rankled me, I accepted it. The knowledge of the book had to be earned, and that felt right. The idea of simply being granted what I wanted or desired had never appealed, so working to determine what the tome was suggesting, and how to create the array, called to my need to understand, for the sake of both knowledge and power that knowledge would grant. The other upside to the tome working this way was that, while there was a good chance the page I could read was one other members of my Clan had seen, the way I created the array being hinted at, and how I applied it, was entirely my creation. Each member of Clan MacLeod used what the tome provided differently, in ways that benefited their desires and needs, which was something I could approve of. Even if it meant asking my ancestors for advice brought less than I might¡¯ve initially hoped for. Yet, for all the time I¡¯d spent over the last two weeks scouring over books, scrolls, and other sources of older, possibly ancient knowledge, the knowledge the tome was hinting at wasn¡¯t why I was unable to sleep tonight. That honour, as had been the case the last few nights where I¡¯d also struggled to enter Mobius¡¯ domain, belonged to what day tomorrow was. September first, and all that pertained, awaited me in¡­ well, it was already here according to the clock in my room as the face revealed it was about twenty minutes past midnight. Today then, was the reason I¡¯d been struggling to sleep for a week. After breakfast this morning, and after several of my cousins, including Iona O¡¯Callaghan and Adele Lambert who were starting at Hogwarts at the same time ¨C would arrive, I¡¯d head to King¡¯s Cross to board the Hogwarts Express. Those cousins would be those who were in the first three years of Hogwarts, along with the prefects from Years Five through Seven. Due to the sheer number of students at this Hogwarts, which was somewhere between two thousand five hundred and three thousand ¨C the start dates were staggered. New students and those in the lowest years started on September First, while Years Four through Seven ¨C bar the prefects ¨C returned the following Saturday with classes beginning on the next Monday. The idea there was so that the younger years could settle in first, with the First Years needing time to acclimatise to the school, and during the first few days would have introductory classes with the staff for the subjects covered in the first three years of school. That made sense and would allow me to get a read on my year and younger housemates before the older students arrived, and reestablished whatever hierarchy existed in the school. I was clear on which house I wanted to join, and if given the chance to convince the Sorting Hat, would do so. However, there was always the possibility that I¡¯d not have the same freedom to choose as had seemingly existed in the other timeline. Regardless, a week ¨C September first fell on Monday this year, so I had six days before the senior students returned ¨C to determine the hierarchy of Years Two and Three and locate a prominent place in the Year One system, was something I felt I¡¯d need. An average of a hundred students per house per year meant time was needed for those with the will, power, and skill to rise above the rest. Each house would have different standards on how someone would gain influence in the house, but I felt I was ready to exploit whichever house I was placed into. Though if the Hat sorted me into Gryffindor, I¡¯d probably spent the next seven years seeking a way to turn that thing to ash. The week or so of introductory classes, along with ¨C I hoped ¨C time to explore the castle and grounds, meant I¡¯d be able to locate the entrances to the Room of Requirement, Chamber of Secrets, passage to Honeydukes, and other such hidden features. Along with, perhaps, discovering others that existed only in this version of Hogwarts. The challenge was going to be slipping free of the prefects, especially Bellatrix Black and Fergus Lambert. While Bellatrix was likely to not care what sort of chaos I got up to, if Arcturus had instructed her to monitor my progress during the first month or so, then she¡¯d have an eye on me whenever she was free. The same might be true of Narcissa, Andromeda, and Lyra, who along with my cousins, Magnus MacLeod, and Genevieve Montague, were in the first three years. However, with most of them having classes during that first week, it was unlikely they¡¯d be much of a challenge to avoid. My thoughts returned to my room as Xeno lifted his head, his sleep-addled eyes glaring at me for disrupting his rest. ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered, lifting a hand to gently stroke his fur down his spine. The raiju lowered his head as I petted him, accepting my apology, and my attention turned to how he¡¯d spend most of his time in either my sleeping quarters or the house common room. Other students would have pets, probably even familiars for the older years, so it would be interesting to see what creatures Xeno would be around, and how he¡¯d handle the increased number of people and animals. I¡¯d spoken with Deputy Headmistress McGonagall about Xeno, and she¡¯d assured me he would be fine. Normally, younger students didn¡¯t have familiars, but the groundskeeper ¨C which I expected to be Hagrid ¨C and Professor Kettleburn who was head of the Department of Care of Magical Creatures, were aware of Xeno and would help ensure he settled into the castle. Sighing, though not loudly enough to disturb Xeno who continued to enjoy my pets, I looked up at the ceiling of my room. Tomorrow would be a long and interesting day, and I¡¯d prefer to face it at least partially rested and not needing to rely on Pepper-up potions or similar magic to be sharp and alert to everyone and thing I¡¯d encounter. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 1 Part 1 My eyes gazed over the forest that surrounded Dunscaith Castle and acted as a deterrent to most approaching the place by foot. Whatever creatures (beyond the Redcaps) existed in there, as well as whatever threat the torc warned me of whenever I moved too deep into the forest, would have to wait to be discovered. My time exploring was on hold until at least the Winter Solstice. Turning, I took in the sight of the castle while standing on the short bridge that led from it to the grounds and nearby forest. This was my home and always would be, yet for the next seven years, I¡¯d be spending most of my time away from here. While I was excited ¨C almost beyond belief ¨C to finally be attending Hogwarts, a part of me disliked having to leave my home. Unlike most other students, I¡¯d be able to return almost whenever I wanted, as I had leave to do so to handle Clan business. The issue was that to do that, I was meant to inform Dumbledore. As a Chief, I didn¡¯t have to give him a reason for it, unlike an heir would have to, and while there was nothing Dumbledore could do to stop me from leaving, the fact he¡¯d know about it was a concern. Another was that, while my mental defences were good for my age, Moire had confirmed a feeling that I¡¯d had that the Headmaster was a Legilimens. Now, if he tried to browse anything more than my surface thoughts, then the torc would warn me. However, even if I were aware of that, there was little to nothing I could do to stop him from forcing his way into my mind and then, in theory, altering my memories of the event so I¡¯d not remember it. Admittedly, that was a minor concern, but it was why I¡¯d likely not use the logic of ¡®Clan Business¡¯ to explain why I was leaving Hogwarts when I needed to. At least not all the time. While I couldn¡¯t be certain how he¡¯d manage it, Dumbledore would have someone watching me, making sure I was attempting to sneak out of the castle, though I¡¯d only begin to figure out how it was being done the first time I was caught. The same went for returning to both spend time studying the fleshcarving tome and for observing the Ward Core. For the latter, I felt it was the key to discovering how to fully unlock Shadow Magic. I¡¯d seen hints and mentions of it in books in the Inner Library ¨C both regarding previous members of the Clan and from others ¨C but I¡¯d yet to unlock the pathway that led to it. That said, I hoped that there might be something ¨C either in the Restricted Section or the Room of Requirement ¨C that might offer a new insight into the magic. As for fleshcarving, while the tome would remain at Dunscaith I had the memory of the page it had revealed to me. Some of what was there remained unknown, but I had a good idea now that the suggestion was one designed to increase my physical capacities, or at least my stamina and resilience. Those would be extremely useful, and while I planned to carve the rune into my flesh at the Winter Solstice at the latest, I was concerned that adding it while I was still growing might in some way impair my development. My ancestors couldn¡¯t offer much help as fleshcarving didn¡¯t generally happen until the subject was older, wiser, and prepared for what needed to be done. While I could cover two of those, it was my age that remained the issue. As for what could be termed actual Clan business that might need my attention, there should, in theory, be little of it. While I couldn¡¯t speak with my ancestors without actively returning, I could have Kadic deliver a message to them and return with a reply without leaving school. The Clan¡¯s finances were seeing slow but steady growth, and while it was still a few years until the gold and oil investments I¡¯d made would begin to pay off to the levels I was expecting, they¡¯d already seen decent growth. Because of that, and a bet I¡¯d made on the muggles reaching the moon this year, Ranlor was listening to my instructions to monitor certain industries in the muggle world while ensuring the accounts didn¡¯t drop from any upkeep of Dunscaith and the various other properties under Clan ¨C and thus my ¨C control. If anything came up, Ranlor would send me an owl, as would Arcturus if there was any matter in the Wizengamot that he felt I needed to be made aware of. Since I couldn¡¯t take my seat, or even appoint someone to speak on my behalf, that was highly unlikely to happen, but the channel was there if needed. While I did not need to be made aware of the comings and goings of the Wizengamot, Arcturus had introduced me to several Lords he was familiar with, and that, from what I could tell, held similar ideals to him. Lords Abraxas Malfoy, Ellsworth Nott, and Eldric Harcourt ¨C along with a handful of others ¨C had been, to varying degrees, dismissive towards me, which given my age made sense. However, since children and grandchildren of those Lords and Chiefs would be attending Hogwarts in my year, the meetings made sense, at least to open doors of friendship between the generations of their Houses that aligned with me. Seeing the benefit of that, I¡¯d arranged a few social gatherings of children of the Highland and Irish Clans that had children attending Hogwarts alongside me. Bar Amycus Carrow and Francis Bickerstaffe, I¡¯d yet to meet any child that was the direct heir to their Clan or House. That said, there were a few who were firstborn children of the heir, meaning there was a good chance they would inherit their Clan or House, though Sara O¡¯Sullivan was the only female in line to inherit. A gentle pop to my right drew my thoughts away from politics, and turning my head I saw Kadic had apparated to my side. ¡°Is it time?¡± ¡°Yes. Kadic has greeted the family of the MacLeod. They await near the fireplace.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± I walked forward, heading toward the main entrance to the castle. While Kadic could apparate me to my aunts and cousins, I wanted to take one last walk through my home before we left. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss this place,¡± I said as we reached the large oak doors that were, like much of the castle, engraved with runes to add an extra layer of protection on the chance the wards ever fell. ¡°The MacLeod can return when he wishes. Kadic stands ready to serve.¡± I paused and turned to Kadic, placing my hand on his shoulder. ¡°I know I can, and that you do,¡± I said, wondering how much longer I¡¯d be able to do this without having to stoop. ¡°You and Aien have my complete faith in keeping the castle maintained and secure while I¡¯m gone.¡± Kadic¡¯s chest rose, pleased at the praise. ¡°Kadic serves The MacLeod, from his first day until his last.¡± ¡°For both of us, I hope that day is a very, very long way away,¡± I responded with a chuckle. With my piece said, I resumed walking, making my way toward the room containing the fireplace connected to the Floo. While Le Noir Domaine had the Floo in a fireplace in the foyer, one of my ancestors had decided to place the connection in a sitting room. It wasn¡¯t the largest sitting room in the castle, but given its location near the main foyer, it was regarded as the primary sitting room. Reaching the final door to the room, I found Xenocrates moving through the hall. ¡°Hey there boy,¡± I said, stopping down. The raiju leapt up, landing on my arm. While he¡¯d grown some since I¡¯d first bonded with him, he was still small enough that I could hold him in my arms, though if I didn¡¯t grow soon, that would start to be an issue. At least until he gained the ability to control his size and density. I had considered placing Xeno in a cage ¨C as pets were supposed to be transported ¨C or in my chest, but had decided against it. He was my familiar, and while his being unlocked might upset some, they could get stuffed if I were going to apply the standard rules regarding pets to him. The chest I was taking had, according to my ancestors, been in my family for several centuries. While old, it was more impressive than anything offered to prospective students in Diagon Alley. Not only was it designed to be far larger on the inside ¨C so much so that I could, when using the right settings, enter it via a ladder ¨C it was made specifically for the MacLeod of MacLeod, and could only be opened by pushing magic through the torc and into the chest. The best feature of the chest, at least beyond the insane amount of storage space it contained and that I¡¯d yet to fill up even a tenth of no matter everything I¡¯d brought to help gain influence and allies, was that it had a special room that, through the torc and a Gaelic incantation, allowed me access to almost every book stored in Dunscaith. The Clan spellbook and the fleshcarving tome were, sadly, two of those nooks that the room couldn¡¯t connect to, but almost everything else was accessible. That meant I didn¡¯t need to bring a ton of books with me and then risk having them lost if the chest was somehow stolen or destroyed. ¡°I hope I haven¡¯t kept you waiting,¡± I said as I entered the room containing the fireplace and saw Aunts Katrina and Moire, along with their daughters waiting. My aunts were sitting in two chairs, enjoying some tea while my cousins were trying to remain calm, but it was clear the pair were desperate to go. The pair had been standing together gossiping in one corner, though when they heard my voice they spun as one and if not for Katrina holding out an arm, might¡¯ve rushed forward and dragged me to the fireplace. Since Adele and Iona were starting Hogwarts as well, my aunts and ancestors had insisted that we travel there together. Normally, I¡¯d be taken by my parents, but that simply wasn¡¯t possible. While I was generally fine with this, as it gave me someone to escort me that I had a connection to, I was uncertain if I¡¯d enjoy the journey, or the trip on the Hogwarts Express because of my cousins. The pair had, as was common for young girls, the tendency to gossip and prattle on about so many mundane and boring topics that I¡¯d spent the trip fighting the urge to silence them, struggling to follow as they bounced around their discussions, and doing my absolute best to not arrive at Hogwarts with a head-shattering migraine. Those concerns were another reason why Xeno would be kept out of a cage and nearby, as his rhythmic purring was incredibly soothing. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, D¨°mhnall,¡± Katrina responded as she and Moire looked up at me. ¡°I remember well how life-changing it was to first attend Hogwarts, and have gone through this twice before.¡± The girls¡¯ volume increased, their excitement at going to Hogwarts starting to show even as Moire glanced at my chest, which I saw had been joined by chests for my cousins. ¡°I see you¡¯re using the formal chest?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t need the space inside, but it¡¯s always better to have and not need,¡± I replied, drawing a nod from both aunts. ¡°Indeed, it is.¡± Moire raised her cup slightly, showing approval of my choice. ¡°Particularly with your status as the first student of Hogwarts to be a Chief or Lord before starting schooling in centuries.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not have that pressure or focus,¡± I responded as I moved closer, one hand casually stroking Xeno as he curried into my chest. ¡°And I know that my title will count for nothing with my professors.¡± ¡°As it shouldn¡¯t,¡± Katrina said after taking a sip of her tea. She placed the cup down and then stood. ¡°Now,¡± she continued as she gently pushed down her robes, removing the creases that had formed from sitting, ¡°perhaps we might consider being on our way? The train isn¡¯t due to depart for over an hour, but it¡¯s better to be early than exactly on time.¡± ¡°And the sooner D¨°mhnall is through security, the sooner Director Hawthrone might refrain from constantly asking me for an update,¡± Moire added, which made me grin. My aunt projected this air of calm to most but I¡¯d yet to see her anything but alert and aware of everything going on around her. Which, given she was a DMLE Auror Investigator, made perfect sense. It was because of her that the DMLE¡¯s Director was in contact with her. While there were chances that anyone would try to attack me when I headed to board the Express, it was my first confirmed in advance public appearance since being acknowledged as Chief MacLeod. Or more accurately, my first when not attending a Ministry function that already had insane levels of security. Now, the odds were very slim at best that those behind the summer Solstice Massacre might try and take me out today, but given it was when I¡¯d be my weakest ¨C since, officially, I didn¡¯t know anything but the Lumos charm ¨C it was a possibility. The new Minister of Magic hadn¡¯t liked it when I¡¯d submitted my request; especially as I had the backing of Arcturus and every Highland Clan. The Wizengamot had no direct control over the Express as that was Ministry business, but the implication was that if the Minister didn¡¯t provide increased security then those Chiefs and Lords who¡¯d backed my request might delay and oppose any motions she and her Ministry brought before the Wizengamot had ensured she¡¯d agreed to the request. I had little doubt that my request, and the support I had of the various Chiefs and Lords, had cost me influence with Minister Jenkins, but given she was likely to be out of office by the time I graduated, I didn¡¯t mind expending any political goodwill to provide myself with increased protection and make clear my loyalties lay, for now, with the Wizengamot. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t want to annoy the Director,¡± I said. While officially less powerful than the Minister, Director Hawthorn controlled the Aurors and other magical law enforcement branches. It was never wise to anger the chief of police before you¡¯d done something to warrant such anger. A gentle flick of my arm had Xeno leap down, and as he landed silently I pulled my school wand from its holster. My Lordly wand was secure in its holster, but that was in a quick-draw duellist holster around my wrist. The rules might be clear about me not using it at Hogwarts, but there was zero chance I wasn¡¯t taking it with me. I shouldn¡¯t face any threat in the first few years that might see me unarmed, but I wasn¡¯t going to chance that I might find my school wand removed from me by someone wishing me harm. Plus, the Lordly wand was easier to use, and I¡¯d found that casting a new spell with it first made it easier to sense how magic was shifting and behaving, which made using the spell or charm with my school wand simpler. With a flick of the wand, my chest levitated into the air, drawing a grunt from Iona. ¡°That¡¯s so not fair!¡± She whined, once more displaying dislike that not only had I had far longer to practise my spellcasting, but that I could, at least for a handful of spells, cast them silently. Adele also disliked me having had the extra time to practise, but since she was less inclined toward needing to know as much as she could, she rarely vocalised her frustrations. The Levitation Charm wasn¡¯t the only spell I could cast silently, but it was the only one I¡¯d displayed to anyone. The less people knew about what I could do, the more likely they were to underestimate me. Which was something I wanted others to do as much as possible until I felt I could trust them implicitly. ¡°All it takes is practice, patience and time,¡± I replied as I moved toward the fireplace. My chest remained where it was, though there was a slight shaking to it when Xeno leapt up onto it. So long as a Floo connection was open, almost anything could travel through it, however, those who controlled the network insisted that any object travelling through the Floo was in contact with someone. That way, when it arrived, it didn¡¯t tumble and potentially damage itself or anything or anyone on the other side. ¡°Something that I¡¯ve had an abundance of for the last four years.¡± That was blunt, but I was fed up dealing with Iona¡¯s dislike of me being further along in my education than she was. I¡¯d have traded most of that to have my family back, instead of having to live in a castle with no company bar Kadic, and then Aien and Xeno. ¡°While the reason behind you having the time to practise so diligently is tragic, the fact you cast even one of the easiest First Year spells silently is a testament to your skill and dedication.¡± Katrina¡¯s counter was valid and when I looked at her, I caught her giving her daughter a slight scowl. ¡°While being able to cast at least the Levitation Charm silently by the end of First Year is expected of those from old families, that you can do so now says good things about your own diligence.¡± I lowered my head, accepting my aunt¡¯s praise even as Moire moved to the fireplace. ¡°Ministry of Magic, Locus Collectio,¡± she said after tossing the powder into the fire. The flames turned green, signifying the connection was active, and she turned back to face us. ¡°I shall enter first. After that, Iona, Adele, and then D¨°mhnall shall come through in that order.¡± I nodded, accepting the orders of the DMLE Investigator. My cousins did likewise, though the frown on Iona¡¯s brow was another hint ¨C in a litany of them ¨C that she disliked when her mother became all business. I had no issues with it, as while not on duty today, she was in contact with the Aurors and other DMLE officials involved in today¡¯s events. Moire turned and then walked briskly into the flames. They swallowed her up in a swirl of green. A moment later Iona and then Adele followed her through. their chests had been levitated by Katrina and both girls, like me, kept a hand on their chest as it moved through the flames. ¡°Ready for this?¡± I asked Xeno as I moved toward the fireplace. The raiju disliked travelling through the Floo, often emerging with sparks dancing around his eyes. So far, that had been all the reaction he had, but it was clear he¡¯d prefer to not travel through the Floo when it could contact his fur. Placing him inside the chest would¡¯ve mitigated this issue, but I didn¡¯t want to do that, fearing that there¡¯d be a moment when the chest would be out of my sight. While everything inside was important, Xeno and my wands were too important to ever be so casually secured. After Xeno confirmed he was, though I did see the beginnings of sparks within his eyes, I moved forward, bringing my chest with me. The magic of the Floo grasped me and pulled me into the flames. For a few moments, everything was the usual mess of swirling shades of green, before things cleared. When my foot touched solid ground, I continued forward, aware that not doing so would cause me to tumble when emerging from the network. I blinked, adjusting to the brightness of the room I¡¯d entered. However, as the muffled noise of hundreds of voices reached my ears, I saw that it wasn¡¯t a room. This was a chamber that, in sheer size and scope, dwarfed almost everything I¡¯d seen in the Wizarding World so far. People were moving everywhere inside the chamber, and looking to my sides I saw rows of Floor points nearby. Each was about five metres from the next, granting those who emerged room to gather without crashing into each other. The row extended for at least three dozen Floo points each way, though there were likely more as anything further away was blocked out by the sheer number of bodies that seemed to merge into each other the further away they were. The sounds of their conversations were diluted by those of others, but I realised that some spellwork had been done to ensure that voices didn¡¯t carry too far; otherwise, the chamber would be painful to move around with everyone present on days like today. Taking a step aside to let Katrina emerge from the Floo, my eyes caught Moire standing with my cousins. Yet, their attention was not on her, nor on me. They stared upward, their gazes transfixed, and with a growing sense of wonder, I followed their line of sight. "Bloody hell," I breathed, the words slipping from my lips as the chamber''s ceiling came into view. It soared above, a vast expanse that seemed impossible to measure, a hundred metres or more. The entire surface was alive with movement, a tapestry of mythical creatures in perpetual motion. Everywhere I looked, magical beasts roamed, each one more captivating than the last. A herd of unicorns galloped gracefully across one section, pausing to lower their heads as though grazing on an unseen meadow. Nearby, nifflers scurried about, their noses twitching as they searched for hidden treasures. Above them, a flock of hippogriffs performed an aerial ballet, their movements fluid and intricate, far beyond the understanding of any mundane creation. My attention was then drawn to a group of Pegasi soaring majestically above, their wings cutting through the air with effortless grace. Their flight was so smooth it seemed as if they were merely gliding through a dream. "Fuck!" I cursed, as the Pegasi scattered in all directions, making way for a colossal shape that dominated the ceiling. A dragon, but not like any I had ever encountered¡ªits scales gleamed with a brilliant white-silver sheen, and its wings stretched wide, consuming the very essence of the chamber as it passed. ¡°If we¡¯ve finished gawking.¡± My head snapped down at Moire¡¯s words. While there was a hint of a smile on her face, her hand hovered near her hip; near where I believed she kept her wand. ¡°Perhaps we might move forward so that you can head through security and arrive at Sorcerer¡¯s Stop?¡± A faint chuckle slipped from behind me, though if it were because of Moire¡¯s strictness or our reaction to the wonder of the chamber, I couldn¡¯t say. Moire gestured to a trolley that had appeared beside us, though as I turned toward it I saw it lacked wheels. ¡°Place your chest on the trolley,¡± she said to me. I did as she asked, guiding the chest there and then cancelling the spell. While there was hazing of the air to state that I¡¯d been controlling the chest as it levitated along, the tip of my wand glowed with a faint grey light. ¡°The hoverboards are required to carry your chests to the Express, and once a chest is added to a board, security in the chamber is aware of it and logs the board so that the chest isn¡¯t lost.¡± As Moire explained the reason for the hoverboards, Katrina added my cousins¡¯ chests to it. I nodded, accepting the explanation only to pause and frown. ¡°Wait, can they see what¡¯s inside the chest?¡± That shouldn¡¯t have been possible with mine at least, as it had some powerful runes engraved into it which protected it from discovery and searching by anyone but me. Moire¡¯s gaze fell upon me, and I felt the gentlest of pressure brush up against my mind. Not wanting to hint at anything being wrong, I let the thoughts nearest the surface focus on mundane things regarding Hogwarts, such as which house I¡¯d be sorted into, and how the Express worked. The resumption of Xeno¡¯s purring, suggesting he was over the ordeal of travelling by Floo, also kept my thoughts away from my chest, and a second later I felt my aunt¡¯s scan pull back. ¡°For non-magical chests, the board is runed to examine the contents. That way we can ensure that nothing muggle that might pose a threat to a student is taken to Hogwarts,¡± Moire replied. That made me wonder if, in the past, any muggleborns had tried to sneak guns into the school. While it was unlikely, given the ¨C seemingly well-placed ¨C distrust the magical world held for the muggle one, it made sense that muggleborns were more carefully monitored. ¡°However, for most magical chests, the protections on them prevent scrying their contents.¡± ¡°Still, the fact you asked about that has me curious laddie.¡± I whirled at the sound of the new voice, my wand instinctively aiming at the source but held low, cautioning against any rash action. Xeno hissed at the abrupt movement as my eyes settled on the speaker. He was a man of formidable presence, not towering in height, yet exuding a confidence that suggested he could vanquish any adversary. His age was difficult to pinpoint¡ªwitches and wizards aged more slowly than Muggles after twenty¡ªbut he appeared to be in his thirties or forties. His face was rugged, chiselled like it had been hewn from stone, with a hardness that spoke of battles fought and won. ¡°And you shall remain curious about that, Captain Moody,¡± Moire replied with a large fond smile. I looked down, pretending to be interested in Xeno as I heard the name, and understood this was Alastor Moody who stood before me. I¡¯d not been able to recognize him as the various wounds he¡¯d suffered in his life had seemingly yet to happen. ¡°The contents of a chest from any family in the Wizengamot are off-limits without the approval of the Director, and as you well know, for an heir it would require the permission of Wizengamot.¡± ¡°Aye, but this here isn¡¯t an heir, is it?¡± Moody replied, gesturing toward me. ¡°I know I can¡¯t look inside the chest, but I¡¯ve found it''s often those who quickly ask about rules that have something to hide. So, Chief MacLeod, do you have something to hide?¡± I lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s for me to know, and you to never find out.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Moody barked and then shook his head. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re not what they say you are,¡± He added, which made me frown. Who was talking about me, and what were they saying? I wasn¡¯t going to push the topic, as that might just draw Moody¡¯s attention toward me more than I wanted, and I let him turn his focus back to Moire. ¡°Inspector,¡± He said, tipping his head. Moire returned the gesture. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that you were handling security today.¡± ¡°Normally, I¡¯d not be. Hit wizards aren¡¯t guard dogs after all. However, after the Wiz requested increased DMLE presence,¡± his eyes darted to me, ¡°the Director handed me operational control. He didn¡¯t give me the resources I requested,¡± Moire smirked, as if aware of some inside joke, ¡°however, what we have is sufficient that only the most brain-dead wizard would attempt anything here or at the platform.¡± He looked down at me.¡± It¡¯s also why you¡¯re not facing any reporters in the chamber, laddie. Security risk.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, glad to avoid that potential issue. While I wasn¡¯t, Thank Merlin, a major topic of public discussion for the last few years, the fact I¡¯d be heading to Hogwarts today had meant there¡¯d been regular articles about me in the papers and over the Wizarding Wireless Network. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Moody replied with a grin. ¡°Though next time don¡¯t expect to be so lucky.¡± I nodded, taking the warning onboard and adding thoughts on how to handle or avoid the reporters when I returned for the Winter break to a mental list of things to do. ¡°We shall leave you to your work,¡± Moire said, ending any further conversation with Moody. ¡°Come along,¡± she added without looking back. A glance at the hoverboard confirmed that my cousins¡¯ chests had joined mine upon it, and as we moved the board floated along beside us. In my arms, Xeno settled in, though there were a few moments where he seemed to glance elsewhere: either seeing a challenger or threat or sensing possible prey. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t leap from my arms. Behind me, Iona and Adele started another round of their incessant whispering, and I turned my attention elsewhere, not wanting to be bored to death by whatever meaningless prattle they were spreading. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Around us other students and their parents were moving, the various DMLE officials floating around the chamber ¨C and there were a respectable number ¨C directing everyone to one end of the place. That was the same end the white dragon on the ceiling had flown to, and it flew by again, heading for there. I couldn¡¯t see clearly what was there, as the mass of bodies was blocking clean sight, but I was able to determine that First-Year students ¨C marked by their simple black robes ¨C were being directed toward the left side while those returning for second and third year, along with their parents, were heading to the right side. That side was moving quicker though I didn¡¯t yet know why that was. Moire stopped as the mass of bodies grew thicker, and as she turned I saw a sign that said parents couldn¡¯t go any further. ¡°This is as far as we can go,¡± she said, speaking to her daughter more than the rest of us. ¡°Remember what we and others had told you, and be mindful of how your behaviour reflects upon you and your family. But above all else, listen, learn, and become strong.¡± I nodded at her words, though I also stepped back, letting Iona run past. She, like Adele and many other children around us, was hugging and saying goodbye to her mother. Not wanting to focus on the moment, I looked toward the gaggle of older students. A sudden wave caught my eye, and I saw Narcissa and Andromeda there. Returning the wave, I offered them a smile and then made a reluctant Xeno wave as well. That had both girls and a few others around them, grinning. Those other girls leaned closer, no doubt asking the Black sisters about Xeno. Unlike every other animal, he wasn¡¯t caged, and I was sure that was going to be an issue with whatever security we had to pass through before boarding the Express. Turning further around, I saw Lyra Black and Margaret Longbottom about a dozen people behind my group. They were also hugging their parents, so I let them be and looked away, not wanting to dwell on the fact that unlike probably every other kid going to Hogwarts, I didn¡¯t have parents to say goodbye to. The white ceiling dragon flew over again, my eyes following it as it raced toward where I was heading. At least before we¡¯d reached the point where adults had to stop. As the crowd in front of me parted, and the parents moved to one side, I saw that the First Years were forming into three lines, each separated by barriers. At the end of each line were three adults, along with two booths. Beyond them, against the wall, was a large archway; one marked as, rather amusingly, the mouth of the white dragon that flew on the ceiling above. The Hogwarts school motto ran above the open maw, and I chuckled as I understood the purpose of the dragon. ¡°D¨°mhnall,¡± I turned at hearing Aunt Katrina¡¯s voice and saw her and the others had ended their farewells. Or at least ended their hugs. My cousins were off to one side, near the hoverboard, hands dabbing at their faces. ¡°I understand you feel upset, possibly even alone, but know that you¡¯re not. While they aren¡¯t here in body, their spirit, their spark resides within you, and wherever they are, your parents are proud of you.¡± I nodded, not trusting myself to respond verbally, though that allowed Moire to speak. ¡°You are only beginning your journey into magic, but already you¡¯ve done much to secure the Clan. However, remember that while you are skilled, possibly more so than any in your year, you are but a child. The road ahead is long, difficult, and full of terrors that you might not even understand yet.¡± She stepped toward me, with Katrina on her shoulder. ¡°You are The MacLeod of MacLeod, but the moment you travel through that archway, none of that matters. All that does is your ability, your drive to keep getting better, and the dedication that we¡¯ve seen you display over the last few years. You have the potential to do great things, and it is time to begin the voyage that will turn that potential into ability.¡± As she finished, she placed her hands on my shoulders while Katrina moved around me and gently patted my back. ¡°I¡­¡± I paused, licking my lips to take a moment to settle my emotions and gather my thoughts. ¡°Thank you.¡± Moire offered me a rare, honest smile, before releasing her hold. Turning, she called my cousins over. ¡°While it is unlikely that you will be in the same house or classes, I expect you to look out for each other.¡± I knew we¡¯d not be in the same houses. The girls had far different goals and drives than I did. ¡°The same goes for your siblings and cousins who are already students at Hogwarts, or will join you in future years.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°Yes, Auntie.¡± ¡°Yes, Aunt Moire.¡± We responded as one, though each of us used different wording. ¡°Good,¡± Katrina said as she stood next to her sister,¡± now go.¡± She gestured behind us. ¡°The first chapter of your adventure begins today. It wouldn¡¯t do for you to be late for it.¡± I smirked, wondering if any student had ever arrived late for the Express. I didn¡¯t ask that question though. Instead, I gave my aunts a nod and then turned. After sliding my wand back into its holster, I placed the now-free hand on Xeno, drawing strength from the raiju. Moving forward past the marker where adults had to wait, I moved to one of the lines, the hoverboard at my side while cousins stood behind me. The boy in front of me turned, his eyes drifting down to Xeno. ¡°I thought pets had to be caged?¡± ¡°Xenocrates is my familiar,¡± I replied, drawing a loud, happy purr from the raiju. Lifting my hand from him, much to his annoyance, I extended it to the boy. ¡°D¨°mhnall MacLeod.¡± The boy chuckled as he shook my hand. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that. Your picture was a regular feature in the Prophet for the last week.¡± I offered a small smile at that reminder. ¡°Franklin Weasley, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I replied, wondering at the odds of running into a Weasley here. I knew the family had more members than in canon, but I had no idea if he was the son of Lord Septimus ¨C and thus the younger brother of Arthur ¨C or if he was from one of the various cadet branches of House Weasley. While a poor House, as an Ancient one they probably had two or more cadet branches. If he was the son of Lord Septimus, then we shared some blood as the Lord¡¯s wife was a former daughter of House Black. Cedrella had been struck from the family tree for marrying Septimus, as while the Weasleys remained a pureblood House, to the Blacks they were considered blood traitors for Septimus¡¯ full support of the Ministry and closer ties with the muggle world. We stopped shaking hands and Franklin looked down at Xeno. ¡°What kind of cat is he?¡± ¡°A Japanese breed,¡± I replied, fudging the truth. This boy had no reason not to know that, nor did I want attention brought to me because of Xeno before I was on the train, if not until after I¡¯d been sorted into a Hogwarts house. Franklin accepted that with a nod, and then turned back to the line. We moved forward slowly but steadily, and after about ten minutes I reached the front of the line. The three people standing there ¨C two men and a woman ¨C all wore badges signifying they worked for the DMLE, but I doubted any of them were Aurors. This felt like a job for someone lower on the totem pole. ¡°Travelling together?¡± the man at the idle of the trio said, likely because there were three trunks on the hoverboard at my side. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re all starting this year.¡± He nodded at that and the other two moved forward. The woman gestured for my cousins to come to her while I headed to the other man. The one who¡¯d spoken moved toward the hoverboard, and if not for knowing he couldn¡¯t access the chest, I¡¯d be reluctant to let him near it while it was out of my sight. ¡°You head with this man,¡± the central man replied, gesturing to his right, ¡°girls, one at a time, head with the lady.¡± I moved as instructed, entering the booth with the male officer. Inside was, as I half-expected, larger than it appeared. Two chairs were placed on either side of a decent-sized desk. On the desk was a container about the size of A4 paper, while in the air a clipboard and quill floated. ¡°Have a seat,¡± the officer said as he moved around the desk. I sat opposite him, unfazed by the fact that even sitting down he towered over me. It was a simple psychological trick, but I couldn¡¯t understand why the Ministry felt it appropriate to use it against eleven-year-olds. That said, it aligned with the warnings that I¡¯d received from Melania Black and my ancestors, even though Moire had defended the Ministry for needing to carry out checks on new and returning students. While Hogwarts itself was under the control of the Headmaster, the surrounding area ¨C which included Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and a handful of other locations nearby ¨C was Ministry territory. The Ministry and the Wizengamot generally tolerated each other, but there was always friction between them. The general handling of how students could attend Hogwarts and the method of getting there was one such area that caused tension. Most of the tension relating to Hogwarts had come when the Express had been created. There¡¯d been an uproar among almost every Ancient or older Clan and House at the need to use a muggle creation to transport students to Hogwarts. The Ministry had defended themselves by saying that muggleborns didn¡¯t have easy access to the castle, and so the Express was needed. Since education was a matter controlled by the Ministry there was little the Wizengamot could do beyond making it difficult for the Ministry to pass any law that required their approval. Things took a turn for the worse when, about a decade later, the Ministry established a new rule that only students who took the Express could attend Hogwarts. This resulted in many witches and wizards born in the magical world not attending school for several years. In the end, the Wizengamot, even after taking the matter to the International Confederation of Wizards, had to relent as education was the purview of the Ministry; a relic of when the Ministry had been a section of the muggle government. With that victory in hand, and after a rash of self-proclaimed Dark Lords and Ladies rose to challenge them, the Ministry brought in the chamber where I now was, along with the security checks to ensure the safety of students. ¡°All pets should be secured in a cage or inside your trunk,¡± the man said, his eyes locking on Xeno once I was seated. ¡°Xeno isn¡¯t a pet. He is my familiar,¡± I replied calmly, warned by Moire that this would come up. ¡°Both the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress are aware of him, and provisions have been made for his presence at Hogwarts.¡± As we spoke, the quill moved, noting what was said. I could only hope that it was recording everything fully as I couldn¡¯t see what was being written. ¡°It appears to be an unsanctioned animal to take to Hogwarts,¡± the officer responded dismissively. ¡°Without a thorough examination of the creature, I cannot allow it to enter the platform or board the Express.¡± ¡°Xenocrates is my familiar,¡± I shot back as calmly as I could. ¡°As a familiar, and one that has only recently bonded to me, he cannot spend any significant time out of my presence. As I stated, Headmaster Dumbledore is already aware of the Xenocrates, and has made arrangements for Xenocrates¡¯ presence within the castle.¡± The officer frowned, not liking me challenging him. ¡°What species is your familiar?¡± ¡°The familiar of any witch or wizard is outside the purview of the Ministry,¡± I drawled, drawing on what I¡¯d been told to say when this matter arose. ¡°If you wish to learn more, then you can file a request with the Wizengamot for permission to categorise him.¡± The officer¡¯s expression darkened, and I knew he knew such requests were very rarely granted. ¡°Also, as Chief of the Ancient Clan MacLeod, even if the matter was brought before the Wizengamot, they would never permit the request.¡± As I spoke, I held out my arm, willing the torc to reveal itself for a moment. After the officer saw it, I willed it to vanish. ¡°The species and details of my familiar are a private matter for Clan MacLeod, and not for any Ministry official.¡± The man glared at me; one eye twitching. ¡°Very well,¡± he said slowly, his tone deep; almost guttural. ¡°Please place your wand in the tray.¡± I did as asked, though only with my school wand. This man had no right to even consider asking for my Lordly wand, though he might well not realise that I had such a wand. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said after about five seconds, though there was no warmth in his tone, and I picked up my school wand from the tray. ¡°That will be all.¡± He stood and gestured to the back of the tent. I moved that way, emerging behind it and away from the checkpoint. The hoverboard with the chests was waiting there, along with Iona. ¡°Everything ok?¡± I asked as I moved closer. ¡°They¡¯re so rude,¡± she replied, glancing at the booth she¡¯d emerged from. She didn¡¯t attempt to lower her voice, ensuring the two male officers heard her though neither reacted to her comment. ¡°They¡¯re just doing their job,¡± I said with a slight smile to help put her at ease. ¡°Still, it would help if they remembered they were talking to children and not prisoners bound for Azkaban.¡± I looked at the men, letting a smile slip onto my face. ¡°And you know this lot are probably the lowest rung in the DMLE. Merlin, I bet they only finished DMLE training yesterday.¡± The officer who¡¯d I¡¯d dealt with paused. He didn¡¯t turn, but the tensing of his shoulders made clear he¡¯d heard my remark and not liked it. Before Iona could respond, the other booth opened, and Adele walked out with the female officer. She walked over to us, and for the first time, I saw one of the DMLE workers smile. ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡± She raised her arm and pointed at the archway. ¡°Head through there and you¡¯ll emerge at the platform.¡± While her tone was blunt, she was at least trying to be polite, and so I nodded in thanks. After checking Adele and Iona were ready, I pivoted and moved toward the archway. There were no First Years in front of us, though glancing to my right I saw a group of Second Years ¨C a mix of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws ¨C step up to the archway. As they touched it, it shimmered like liquid, and they walked through it entirely unconcerned. A few still in conversation as they did so. Stepping up to it, I placed my hand near the surface. I felt the magic shift around me ¨C along with confirmation of that from the torc as it warmed slightly ¨C as faint ripples appeared around the outline of my hand. A smile spread over my face as I moved forward. ¡°Allons-y,¡± I said before closing my eyes and entering the archway. When I opened my eyes a step later, I found myself in a large area. This was a train station, though it appeared to be styled on one from at least a century ago, and critically wasn¡¯t King¡¯s Cross. Now, I¡¯d already known that the Express didn¡¯t use the main muggle train station in London ¨C not least as that was built after the Express was created ¨C but until now I¡¯d wondered where the station was. Moving forward and looking around, I looked out the windows. While none allowed me to see the ground outside the station, the tops of trees could be seen, along with a handful of birds flying around. The sky was clear, though since most of the UK was enjoying a sunny day, that didn¡¯t help narrow down where the station was. A few more steps took me to the edge of the area I¡¯d emerged into, and down below, at the bottom of several flights of stairs, were several platforms, though only one had a train waiting. ¡°Wicked,¡± I muttered as I saw the brilliant red of the Hogwarts Express, and spotted the name of the engine along with the school¡¯s crest on the train. Behind it were four carriages, which while appearing too small to handle the over a thousand students due to board, I knew magic was involved so the outward size wouldn¡¯t be an issue. A screech from behind snapped out of the moment, and I barely had time to brace before my cousins were at my side screaming in delight. ¡°We¡¯re going!¡± ¡°YES!¡± Adele shouted in agreement with Iona. ¡°So excited!¡± The pair backed off abruptly when Xeno, bless his soul, hissed angrily as he pulled his ears right back, flattening them into his body. ¡°Whoops! Sorry,¡± Iona said, holding out a hand toward the raiju while Adele nodded in agreement. Xeno looked at the hand for a moment, and after a glance up at me ¨C to which I nodded ¨C he relaxed and leaned his head forward, letting Iona give him a quick scratch under the chin. ¡°We¡¯ll try to stay quiet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you I¡¯m worried about,¡± I said, gesturing with my head toward the train down below. Students were gathered on the platform, and while their voices weren¡¯t reaching us ¨C no doubt due to magic ¨C it was clear they were all extremely excited. Understandable, and something I was as well, though I was keeping greater control of my emotions than most students, because of my training in Occlumency, the fact I part of my mind was that of someone far older, and because I was concerned for Xeno. ¡°You can¡¯t linger here.¡± The voice caught us by surprise. The girls both leapt, short, sharp screams slipping from their lips while Xeno hissed again. The speaker, a Hufflepuff boy in robes that marked him as a Fifth Year and who wore a bronze badge over his heart, was focused on me. Or more accurately, the wand that was now in my hand. ¡°Impressive,¡± he said, totally unconcerned that I was pointing my wand at him. ¡°You may do well in the Dueling Club, though given who you are that¡¯s not a surprise.¡± While I¡¯d been in the papers recently, I¡¯d not expected a student to recognize that quickly. ¡°Shawn MacDuncan at your service, Chief MacLeod,¡± He said while giving me a slight nod. I looked at him carefully, my wand still in hand. ¡°Chief William¡¯s son?'''' The MacDuncan¡¯s were the smallest of the four septs sworn to Clan MacLeod, and the only one yet to be granted a seat in the Wizengamot. That wouldn¡¯t happen for at least two generations, but given the Clan was only four members strong, it was possible they¡¯d not make it that far. That was true of many other smaller Clans and Houses that didn¡¯t have seats in the Wizengamot, especially those not taken on as septs or vassals of older Clans and Houses. ¡°I hadn¡¯t realised you¡¯d been made a prefect.¡± ¡°It was only confirmed a few weeks ago by McGonagall,¡± Shawn replied as I slowly re-holstered my wand. ¡°My father considered informing you, but I didn¡¯t know where I¡¯d be assigned today so we decided against it.¡± His smile widened slightly. ¡°Yet, when we arrived this morning, the Deputy Headmistress insisted I be assigned here on the chance I might catch you once you¡¯d cleared the Ministry¡¯s security.¡± ¡°That is something she also did for me.¡± I didn¡¯t turn at the new but familiar voice, not wanting to give the speaker the wrong impression. ¡°I¡¯m reasonably sure you can¡¯t hex students for breaking a rule before they¡¯ve been assigned to a house.¡± Turning there, I saw Bellatrix standing nearby, her wand in hand but not pointed toward me. Bellatrix¡¯s eyes narrowed, and a thin, slightly concerning smile crept onto her face as she stepped forward. ¡°Perhaps, but you¡¯re far from the average First Year.¡± She took a step closer, twirling the wand around between her fingers. ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d hex you from behind?¡± She asked as she slid it into her holster, which was disillusioned on her hip. ¡°¡­¡± My mouth opened but I stopped myself from snapping off an answer. ¡°Er,¡± I started, after taking a moment to consider my response. ¡°I¡¯d rather not answer that.¡± Bellatrix¡¯s smile grew wider as she approached. ¡°And why is that?¡± Shawn moved to slightly block her approach, but a glance accompanied by her narrowing her eyes at the half-blood ensured he didn¡¯t move further and fully obscure me from her sight. For myself, I stayed still. While the number of interactions I¡¯d had with Bellatrix had decreased ever since the Ministry ball not long after I¡¯d been recognized as Chief MacLeod, the exchanges we¡¯d had at Le Noir Domaine often resulted in me getting hexed or jinxed. Now, I wasn¡¯t her primary target ¨C that honour went to Sirius and Regulus ¨C but she didn¡¯t avoid taking a shot against me when one presented itself. I¡¯d not brought the matter up with Arcturus, as I knew that if she went too far he¡¯d step in, but it meant that every holiday when I visited I was on edge. ¡°Because no matter how I respond, you can turn it into an insult,¡± I replied, ignoring the way she was approaching me. It was intimidating and reminded me of a lioness stalking its prey. ¡°He¡¯s got you there, Bella.¡± The new voice had Bellatrix stopping, and as she turned to face the speaker, I looked around her. Like Bellatrix, the speaker wore Fifth Year Slytherin and had the same bronze badge as my distant cousin and Shawn. I was eternally glad that puberty had not hit me yet though as while Bellatrix was attractive, this new girl was stunning. Her hair was a brilliant red and pulled back into two braids that ran down over her shoulders ¨C there might well be a third at the back of her head ¨C while her eyes were a deep blue that seemed to burn with cold flames. ¡°I still remember the hex you used on Ernie Thornheart.¡± Bellatrix scoffed at that. ¡°He had it coming.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s who it was.¡± Shawn¡¯s whispered comment was ignored by the girls, though it had me wondering what this Ernie had done to anger Bellatrix enough that her hex was known throughout their year. ¡°D¨°mhnall here hasn¡¯t done anything to earn that, Ali,¡± Bellatrix added. ¡°Thank Merlin,¡± I said loud enough for everyone to hear me. The now-named Ali, smiled at my response though Bella remained focused on her fellow Slytherin. Ali moved closer, her eyes on me. ¡°So, you¡¯re D¨°mhnall MacLeod,¡± she said slowly, ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re how they¡­ how Bella describes you.¡± ¡°Ali,¡± Bellatrix said, stepping between me and Ali much as Shawn had attempted to do to her a few moments earlier. Bellatrix¡¯s tone was low, much of the amusement gone as she faced off with her housemate. ¡°Relax Bella,¡± Ali said, stopping and turning her attention to the other girl. ¡°I only want to get to know the young Chief.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I blinked, having all but forgotten Adele was there as I¡¯d been engrossed in the interaction between the two Slytherins. ¡°Leave him alone!¡± As she spoke, she stepped in front of me. While cute, that would do nothing to deter anyone from coming closer. ¡°How sweet,¡± Ali said, giving Adele a smile that might freeze the blood of a dragon. She turned her gaze to Shawn. ¡°Looks like this might be one of yours, MacDuncan.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see at the sorting.¡± A look at Shawn showed he¡¯d drawn his wand, adding to my belief that this Ali was dangerous as well as attractive. Shawn placed a hand on Adele¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now off you go firsties,¡± he said as I saw that others had come through the archway, with most having stopped to watch whatever was going on. ¡°Head to the platform.¡± I took his advice and backed away quickly. After a few steps, I turned and walked toward the nearest set of stairs leading down to the platform for the Hogwarts Express. ¡°What was that?¡± Iona asked once she and Adele caught up with us. Nearby other students were moving, heading toward the platform though I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to them. My focus was on the stairs, and making sure the hoverboard didn¡¯t slant and thus drop our chests onto the steps. ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care,¡± I replied before sighing in relief. While the hoverboard came down the stairs with me, it remained horizontal. In retrospect, I should¡¯ve known it wouldn¡¯t tip over, but with my thoughts distracted by the run-in with Bellatrix and her friend ¨C or possible adversary ¨C I¡¯d not considered the matter. ¡°What I do care about is getting on the train,¡± I added, giving Xeno another pet to reassure him. He¡¯d not been around so many people before, and with everyone moving around excitedly, I didn¡¯t want anyone bumping into me and thus scaring the raiju. While he¡¯d yet to display much of the magic of his species, the crackles of magic that formed around his skull when angry might have others mistaking his annoyance for a threat. Reaching the platform, I looked around again, my excitement about our upcoming departure growing, but not distracting me from observing every one of the other students. Returning students were boarding the middle two carriages, while I saw several older students ¨C easy to differentiate by their robes ¨C gathered at the front carriage. The prefects were directing the new students to form a line for the rear carriage. My gaze drifted upwards, to the clock that hung above the Express. We still had over half an hour to go before the train left, so we had plenty of time to board and find a cabin. Hopefully, one without too many people so I could enjoy the journey in peace. ¡°Come on!¡± Adele called, grasping my arm as I dallied too long and pulled me toward the rear of the First-Year line. As we moved forward slowly, my thoughts turned to Hogwarts. The Sorting should still be handled by the Hat, but as no one would confirm how the Sorting was handled, I couldn¡¯t be certain that this little detail remained unaffected by the altered world. If it was, then I already knew which house I would be joining, and while my choice would create issues, the same was true regardless of where I ended up. I then wondered about the castle itself. There had been pictures in books and the papers, but all were taken from the same angle, and thus it was impossible to be certain if the castle was closer to the book¡¯s description, or if the movies or games held more accurate representations of my home away from home for the next seven years. I was hoping it was more akin to that of Hogwarts Legacy, as that would mean far more locations for me to explore and use, but even if it weren¡¯t, I knew I¡¯d be searching the place as fully as I could during my first week. At least when not in a class or given tours of the grounds, if they even did that. My gaze and thoughts returned to the carriage in front of us. While much of it was blocked by my fellow First Years and their chests on hoverboards, enough remained that the windows were visible. Interestingly, some of them were hazed out. That meant there was a way to prevent those outside from seeing what was going on inside. For the younger years, it would be nice if they didn¡¯t want to be seen by others, but I could see ways the older years might exploit that for less civil reasons. ¡°Shame it can¡¯t time travel,¡± I muttered as, from the windows that I could look into, the cabins inside were bigger on the inside than the carriage was on the outside. In front of me, Iona and Adele were talking excitedly with each other, a scene repeated further forward in the queue and behind, yet I kept my emotions in check. While my title might not carry weight at Hogwarts, I wasn¡¯t going to allow myself to act my age all the time, and showing maturity might help open doors with older students that would otherwise remain closed. Plus, with Xeno in my arms, I was conscious of those around me so that they didn¡¯t disturb my familiar. The line moved quickly, and soon a group of eight prefects, their robes similar to those worn by Shawn and Bellatrix though with gold trimming, came into sight. There were two prefects from each house, and amusingly the Slytherin and Gryffindor prefects were standing next to each other. No hint of animosity showed in their expressions or postures, but given these were likely Sixth or Seventh-Year students, they should be mature enough to keep their rivalries hidden and focus on the task at hand. ¡°Please remove your chests from the hoverboards.¡± That came from one of the Ravenclaws, a boy with cropped blond hair and brown eyes. ¡°If you need help lifting your chest onto the Express, please raise your hand.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong if you need help. The Levitation Charm is one of the first you¡¯ll learn, so come the Winter Break you¡¯ll be expected to lift your chests by yourselves.¡± About half the students in front of us raised their hands, though my cousins didn¡¯t. Instead, they turned to me and gave me pleading looks. ¡°Fine,¡± I muttered as I pulled my wand from its holster. ¡°I could¡¯ve sworn someone complained about me being able to cast this,¡± my chest floated off the hoverboard as I spoke, ¡°earlier today.¡± Iona blinked and rubbed her chin. ¡°Did that happen, Adele?¡± Adele scrunched up her face as if trying desperately to remember something that happened less than two hours ago. ¡°No. I don¡¯t remember it.¡± The pair looked at each other, nodding. They were pleased with their denial, and when they turned back to me, they wore matching innocent smiles. ¡°Won¡¯t you help us cousin?¡± ¡°On one condition,¡± I said, seeing a way to turn this to my advantage. ¡°When we find a cabin, neither of you nor anyone with you, is allowed to disturb me until we reach Hogwarts station. If you do, then I won¡¯t help you with getting your chests off the Express.¡± Behind me, I heard a light chuckle, though I didn¡¯t know if that was because of my statement or not, nor did I care. My gaze remained on my cousins. I¡¯d promised my aunts that we¡¯d share a cabin today, and this gave me a chance to manipulate that into something useful, at least for me. The idea of spending several hours all but trapped in a room with those two, and whoever else was there, as they engaged in whatever mindless prattle they thought of was something I considered more terrifying than any tutoring or training session I¡¯d endured to date. Given how aggressive Moire had been in our last few Occlumency sessions, that was saying something as if not for recovery potions, the migraines those sessions had brought on would still be with me today. While I knew charms for preventing sound from reaching me, or my words from reaching others, since the cabins likely weren¡¯t massive, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could use them without trapping others inside a cone of silence. This vow I was extracting from my cousins might help mitigate that issue. ¡°We promise.¡± The pair spoke together, and while their tone was soft there was a look in their eyes that made clear they didn¡¯t intend to keep their word. ¡°Swear it.¡± Iona blinked, understanding what I was demanding. While I wasn¡¯t pushing for an unbreakable vow, by swearing to my terms, they¡¯d be duty-bound to honour them. Since we were children and they weren¡¯t heirs to their Houses, nothing would happen if they broke their vow, but it would prove they couldn¡¯t be trusted to honour their word. That was something that might if I chose to use it, cost them their position in the magical world. ¡°Fine,¡± Iona finally said when I refused to lift their chests from the hoverboard, even moving to one side to let other students pass. ¡°We swear we won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Adele nodded in agreement. Ideally, I¡¯d have liked them to swear others wouldn¡¯t also, but that was something that would be hard to control. Thus, I took my small victory and with another swish of my wand, their chests rose from the hoverboard. As the trio of chests floated calmly near my head, the hoverboard moved away, heading to a pile that rested at the back of the platform. Around us several other students, including a few of the prefects, had taken note of the interaction with my cousins, and then me casting silently the Levitation charm. I ignored them and moved forward, Xeno resting on my arm and my cousins just behind us. It only took about five minutes for us to reach the front of the line and step up into the carriage. As we passed over the barrier, I felt another familiar tingle from the torc, alerting me to the presence of magic as I entered. My focus, however, was on the carriage. While the gap we¡¯d stepped through was about the standard size for a train door, the area I was now in was on par with the sitting room at Dunscaith that contained the Floor connection. About a dozen First-Year students were moving around, talking excitedly to each other, while a few prefects moved with them, levitating chests above everyone¡¯s heads. As we boarded at the back of the carriage, there was only one way to head, and standing between the small area and the corridor that ran down the carriage two students stood. Unlike those outside, their prefect badges were gold and their robes, unlike everyone else¡¯s, were fully in their house colours. The pair, one Slytherin and one Hufflepuff offered everyone wide smiles, gesturing down the corridor. ¡°Please don¡¯t linger,¡± the Slytherin girl said politely to one group of students ¨C muggleborns if I had to guess ¨C pointed at literally everything while talking animatedly. ¡°Head down the corridor and either find a cabin with friends inside, or an empty one to occupy.¡± ¡°Students are expected to mingle in the cabins,¡± the Ravenclaw boy added, ¡°though once the Express is underway, you are expected to remain in the cabin unless you need the toilet.¡± ¡°Why are your robes different?¡± The question came from the group of muggleborns, and the pair of prefects exchanged a look suggesting they were sick of that query. ¡°It is because we are the Head Boy and Head Girl of Hogwarts,¡± the girl replied. ¡°My name is Serena Rowel, while my companion is Augustus Rackham. These robes are those worn by any Seventh-Year, of which the other prefects are in the corridor.¡± ¡°The gold of our badges indicates our status as Heads,¡± Augustus added, tapping his robes next to the badge. ¡°Perhaps, if you do well at school, stay out of trouble, and impress your professors, you might become a prefect. If you¡¯re really good, you might even become Head Boy or Girl.¡± I rolled my eyes at the remark even as several students resumed animated discussions. I sure as Merlin didn¡¯t want to be the Head Boy. That would take away from time both preparing for exams and whatever else I might be getting up to in my final year of study. Being a prefect was something I was less certain of, as while it would carry extra work, it would give me access to areas restricted to all other students. Serena smirked, having caught me rolling my eyes, and there was a hint of recognition in her gaze. House Rowle was an Established house with the current lord having similar leanings as Arcturus, and, as my memory confirmed, at least one of the House had been a Death Eater. Before I could think on the matter any further ¨C or anything else for that matter ¨C Xeno hissed as Iona pulled at my sleeve. ¡°Come on!¡± She called as she and Adele moved in front of me. ¡°I see Rowena up ahead!¡± I didn¡¯t even attempt to hold back a growl of annoyance at that. Rowena Wheatcroft was, without challenge, the most annoying child I¡¯d met in this world. That girl had an ability to talk that would drive even a saint to consider suicide simply to get away from her. What she spewed would, if I were charitable, be considered drivel, and her inane prattling made my cousins sound like distinguished statesmen in comparison. The idea of spending the entire trip stuck in a cabin with her was as close to the bottom of the list of things I wanted to do, as the only thing below it might be attending a Ministry ball as Dumbledore¡¯s companion. ¡°Iona!¡± Rowena screeched, making Xeno wince. ¡°Over here! I¡¯ve saved you some seats!¡± As I was dragged down the corridor of the carriage, one of the Seventh-Year prefects giving me a sympathetic look, I wondered which of the various hexes and jinxes I could cast on her without getting caught. Sadly, since I¡¯d be in the cabin with her, most of the more amusing ones weren¡¯t doable, but a few ideas came to mind even as Iona pulled me toward the cabin of doom. Once we arrived, the pair started jumping and chattering like hyenas. Not wanting to deal with that, but knowing I had to endure It, I stepped in. I breathed a sigh of relief to see that Rowena¡¯s twin brother, Linden, was present. While the boy was far too bookish to be a great conversationalist, he was as different from his sister as magically possible as was capable. No doubt he was looking forward to Hogwarts simply because, unlike him, Rowena wasn¡¯t going to be in the same house. Linden was a born and bred Ravenclaw whereas Rowena was bound, I assumed, for either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. Giving him a nod, which he barely returned ¨C the book he was reading proved too engrossing ¨C I moved forward and then lifted the chests into one of the racks designed for them. Like much of the train, that was bigger on the inside and a space that only looked big enough for a single chest took all three with room to spare. The rack then closed itself, ensuring the chests wouldn¡¯t fall while the train was in motion. With that handled, and the trio of girls still outside chatting, I took the seat opposite Linden and gazed out of the window. There were far fewer students outside now, and as Xeno shifted and Rowena laughed at a pitch that would shatter muggle glass, getting comfortable in my lap, I prayed to magic itself that the trip wouldn¡¯t be as long as it was in canon and that I arrived at Hogwarts without having committed my first murder. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 1 Part 2 Year 1 Part 2 From my seat, I gazed out the window, watching as we finally emerged from the oppressive darkness of the tunnel. It felt like we''d entered near Stirling, and the endless stretch had swallowed nearly thirty minutes of our journey. The one mercy of that dark passage was the silence it imposed on my cousins, especially Rowena Wheatcroft. Normally, her chattering would¡¯ve grated on me by now, but the tunnel had mercifully stilled her tongue. To their credit, Rowena and her friends had been relatively well-behaved for most of the trip, settling down after we left the station an hour south. Still, with Hogwarts looming ahead, I knew that peace was temporary. Though I''d never say it aloud¡ªleast of all to her¡ªI did owe Rowena one thing. She¡¯d managed to secure us a cabin with sweeping views of the countryside surrounding Hogwarts. Below, the vast valley stretched out, cradling the ancient castle. The river winding toward the Black Lake was clear in the distance, its banks lined with three villages¡ªlarger than the hamlets I''d read about in Hogwarts Legacy. These settlements hinted at a broader world to explore beyond the castle and Hogsmeade, making me wonder if the famous village itself had grown in size despite its reputation as a quaint outpost. Yet, it wasn¡¯t just the visible landscape that piqued my interest. There were patches of the valley my eyes seemed to slide over, places hidden by enchantments, suggesting buildings or secrets veiled by wards. Were they homes of old wizarding families or something more? Either way, they were mysteries I¡¯d need to unravel once I was free to venture beyond the castle grounds. Unfortunately, being a First Year meant those trips would have to wait. Not that I''d lack for things to keep me occupied within Hogwarts itself. The castle was immense, further expanded by magic, and its corridors and secrets would be enough to consume my attention through the first term. And that was without even considering the tangled web of politics I''d inevitably have to navigate. Officially, Hogwarts was meant to be free from such matters, but with so many students from ancient Clans and Wizengamot families, it was naive to believe that the school wasn¡¯t steeped in power struggles. Bellatrix had already briefed me on the key players among the older students, while her sisters¡ªbegrudgingly, I imagined¡ªhad compiled dossiers on the younger years. Unsurprisingly, the information leaned heavily towards Slytherin, with far more detail on that house than the others combined. It was useful, but I knew to take the Black Sisters¡¯ opinions with a grain of salt. Their upbringing coloured their view of Hogwarts, and while the knowledge might be valuable, it wasn¡¯t infallible. ¡°I can see the castle!¡± I winced as Rowena leaned closer and all but shouted into my ear. In my lap, Xeno stirred, a faint hiss slipping from his mouth. It was only because he¡¯d had to endure Rowena¡¯s voice for the entirety of the trip that I suspected he hadn¡¯t leapt up and attacked her; be that with claws or the slowly emerging magic he could wield. Still, as I soothed the raiju, I glared at the girl, wishing that it were possible to reduce her to atoms with the look. Sadly, that didn¡¯t happen, and she paid no attention to my look, nor the warning I¡¯d given when the Express had departed the station about not annoying a 4X class animal while trapped in a small compartment. ¡°Sorry,¡± Iona muttered as she moved toward the window with Adele and the others in the compartment. Well, all bar Linden who was on the other side of the cabin, and able to lean back and keep his head in his book as the girls all piled toward the window. Not wanting to be buried under the six girls clamouring for a sight of the school, I shifted along the seat on my side, moving toward the door. Xeno stirred further, not liking me doing so, but once I was safely away from the window, he started to settle down once more. As much as I knew I¡¯d enjoy seeing the castle as we approached, I wasn¡¯t brave or stupid enough to risk pushing past the gaggle of girls to do so. I glanced at the door, wondering if I could slip outside and find somewhere quiet and escape the chaos at the window. However, I knew that the corridor would be full of other First Years, especially those on the other side of the carriage, who wanted to see Hogwarts as we approached. I was excited about it as well, but I wasn¡¯t going to risk my safety, or that of Xeno¡¯s, for the view. Baring something insanely unexpected, I had seven years to take in view. One problem I anticipated, and one that I predicted would only grow more dangerous over time, was the inevitable rise of Lord Voldemort. The canon never clearly stated when exactly he ascended to power, but by the time the Marauders left Hogwarts, he had already become a major threat to Britain. The only clues to his early activities were an uptick in attacks by giants and werewolves, though nothing concrete had been reported in the Daily Prophet or any other papers. Still, whispers grew of unrest among several magical sub-species. I could only hope that the larger magical population in this world, compared to the other timeline, would slow Riddle¡¯s rise. Even so, I doubted I had more than two, maybe three, years of peace before the chaos began to spread throughout society. However Voldemort chose to make his presence known, it would be grandiose and public¡ªof that, I was certain, drawing from what I knew of the other timeline. He thrived on fear, and I doubted that he would be any different here. My concern, however, was the magical population in the Isles, which according to the papers, numbered over one hundred and seventy thousand. If Voldemort''s actions were too chaotic and destructive, it could ruin the plans I was trying to set in motion at Hogwarts. I didn¡¯t believe he¡¯d target the Ministry or the old, powerful Clans and Houses immediately¡ªthat would unite too many strong opponents against him. More likely, he would prey on smaller, weaker groups, or Muggle-borns and those advocating for the adoption of Muggle customs, instantly setting himself apart from Dumbledore and the Ministry. As my clan, while Ancient, was insanely small, there was a nagging fear that he might target me directly. The only protection I had, which I didn¡¯t trust for the most part, was the public declarations from various Clans and Houses made in the Wizengamot to shield me until I passed my OWLs. An issue brought on by the supposed extra protection the larger magical population in this world granted to delay his plans, was that it would generate far wider grounds from which Voldemort could recruit. The Chiefs and Lords wouldn¡¯t get involved, not until the established order was threatened, but members of their house, bar perhaps Heirs, likely would. Many of those who would flock to his banner would do so seeking fame, fortune, or a way to step out of their family¡¯s shadow. Others would join simply for the chaos and violence they could unleash and while the former group was one I hoped to recruit from, the latter would be better off removed from the world. The trick I was going to have to master while at Hogwarts was determining, without tipping my hand, which students were in which group ¨C or other groups that I had created for people in my planning ¨C and then see who I could convince to follow me. Even though I planned to get as strong and powerful as possible while at Hogwarts, I knew I¡¯d never be able to take on Voldemort or Dumbledore alone; never mind the rest of the Isles or the world. I needed a powerbase built among those in my age group who would be loyal to me and support my cause. The obvious place to start would be those who, like my grandparents, had backed Grindelwald. However, if I was too open about espousing similar views to Grindelwald, then Dumbledore would come down upon me long before I was ready. I wasn¡¯t going to fade into the background and just let the years pass by, but I wasn¡¯t going to, if I could avoid it, try and do something that would bring me attention that I wasn¡¯t ready for nor wanted. ¡°Oh!¡± The excited call from Adele drew my thoughts back to my current location, and I turned back toward the window. I couldn¡¯t see anything out there, as the six girls were pushed up against it, half-whispering to each other with excited giggles, but it didn¡¯t take a muggle to know they were talking about something they¡¯d seen at Hogwarts. The fact there were empty bags of magical sweets and chocolate strewn over the cabin, would ensure they remained on a sugar high for some time to come, only making them more excitable, and thus annoying. While they had gorged on those snacks ¨C which had come from a trolley lady a few hours into our journey ¨C I hadn¡¯t. There was more than enough in my chest to keep me supplied while in Hogwarts, in both muggle and magical treats. What stood out was that the treats in the Express were about fifteen per cent more expensive than if bought in a magical shop, or ordered via owl. That suggested the Ministry used the kids going to and from Hogwarts as a way to gather funds without raising taxes on magical business. Sneaky, but exactly what one would expect of a government that served its own interests, and it had me wondering if there was a comparable price hike on goods for students in Hogsmeade and the rest of the valley. The incessant prattle of the girls grew louder as I heard and felt the Express begin to slow. Knowing it was close to time for us to depart, I lifted Xenocrates¡¯ head and scratched him under the chin. ¡°Come on sleepyhead, time to wake up.¡± The raiju opened his eyes reluctantly and stared up at me. He might not be able to speak, but the expression was a clear ¡®let me sleep¡¯ one. ¡°No can do. I know you¡¯re comfy, but we have to get off soon. If you behave, then when we get to my bunk, I¡¯ll give you a treat.¡± That got through to the raiju and, after a few blinks to clear the sleepiness, his head lifted, alert to what was going on in the room. He started stretching, using me as a scratching post, though thankfully my trousers ¨C if not my robes though I was keeping them clear of his claws just in case ¨C were charmed to prevent damage from him. I¡¯d lost a few items of clothing not long after getting him as while the clothes were enchanted to be durable, as a 4X beast, Xeno could overcome such simple protections even as a kitten. Now everything I owned, bar perhaps the school robes as I wasn¡¯t allowed to add extra charms to them, had increased protections. ¡°Aww.¡± The gentle cooing drew the attention of both Xeno and myself. Turning our heads we saw that Eloise Buttonwood, one of Iona¡¯s Friends, had turned and seen my interaction with Xeno. ¡°What?¡± I asked, not liking the way the daughter of Lord Buttonwood was looking at my familiar. ¡°Nothing,¡± she replied, though a smile spread across her face. ¡°ATTENTION!¡± The shouted word that seemed to come from everywhere had everyone tense in surprise. My free hand pulled my wand from its holster, ready to strike at any threat while sparks began to ripple along Xeno¡¯s spine. ¡°We will be arriving at Hogwarts Station shortly. All First Years are reminded that you are to remain in your cabin until a prefect arrives to escort you from the Express. Thank you.¡± ¡°Brain-dead moron,¡± I muttered as I holstered my wand. The hand then went down to Xeno, easing his annoyance, however, that was hard to manage as the announcement had given the girls a rush of excitement and their voices had risen to painful levels. So much so that Linden had lifted his gaze from his book ¨C a rarity on the trip here ¨C to glare at his sister. As the sound stretched out, the thought of drawing my wand and hexing the six, or failing that, letting Xeno express his displeasure crossed my mind. The thing that stayed in my hand, beyond having to explain to whichever prefect arrived to escort us, was facing howlers from their parents on the first morning of school. That was not how I wanted to make my mark upon Hogwarts. Eventually, the screaming lessened, and things returned, for them, to normal levels of insanity. At the same time, the Express continued to slow, and after a gentle shudder, I stood, careful to keep Xeno nestled against one arm. That meant the train had stopped, and while magic should allow the train to do so without the action, I wondered if perhaps it was left in effect to alert the students to our arrival at Hogwarts Station. I pulled my wand, readying myself to bring down the chests that were stored above us. ¡°Why are they getting off first?¡± I turned just as my wand tapped the lock of the rack, allowing me access to the chests within to see what Iona was talking about. The girls were still gathered around the window; however, I couldn¡¯t make out what had drawn their attention. ¡°If you used your eyes, you would see that those are the Second and Third years,¡± Linden stated with a hint of irritation. ¡°Since they know where they¡¯re going, they don¡¯t have to remain in their cabins. Something that I would expect anyone with a grasp of the obvious to realise.¡± I smirked as Iona sent Linden a glare. While he was a clear Ravenclaw, the boy had a sharp tongue. At least when he bothered to display it, which was often only when. From what little I knew of him; he was annoyed at being distracted from his reading. Realising her glare wasn¡¯t having an effect, Iona turned back to the window and when Linden¡¯s eyes saw me, I offered him a sharp nod. His lips twitched in amusement, but that was the only response he gave. Turning back to the rack, I silently cast the Levitation Charm on each chest in turn, bringing them down and placing them upon the seats, and then when there was no more space, the floor. That left the cabin remarkably cramped, but also, by pure coincidence, created distance between me and the girls. Technically, I shouldn¡¯t have brought down my cousins¡¯ chests, as they¡¯d broken their promise to not disturb me during the trip. However, I¡¯d known they¡¯d never keep their word on this matter, and if I didn¡¯t help them now then they¡¯d whine and whine. The less I had to deal with their childish behaviour and the sooner we were at Hogwarts and sorted into different houses, the better my life would be. The girls settled once the chests were down and moved enough that I could see something through the window. The students there, as Linden had stated, were Second and Third Years, and were moving away from the Express. Nearby there were two rows of bright stalls where merchants were no doubt flocking wares to students who may have forgotten something before departing, or who wanted something they¡¯d not been allowed to purchase before leaving for Hogwarts. The crowd was large, but given there were eight hundred students across two years that had to pass by, that wasn¡¯t a surprise. That said, I could only imagine the chaos at the end of term when all seven years had to board and depart the Express. There had to be some form of filtering in play, but until I experienced it I couldn¡¯t be sure as to what it would be. Not knowing how long we¡¯d have to wait; Linden¡¯s head fell back to the book he¡¯d been reading. I amused myself, after holstering my wand, by scratching Xeno behind his ear. The raiju leaned into the contact, emitting a soothing purr that seemed to vibrate through my bones. The girls slowly started shifting around, getting angsty at having to wait. A pattern that was likely repeating in every other cabin in the First-Year carriage. Thankfully, before the girls got too fidgety, there was a knock at the door. As I was closest, I reached over and pressed the small button that unlocked it. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a surprise,¡± Ali ¨C I didn¡¯t know if that was her full name, nor what House she came from ¨C said as her eyes met mine. Xenocrates hissed lightly, disliking the girl because of the apparent animosity Bellatrix had shown her before we¡¯d boarded the Express. ¡°What an unusual kitty,¡± she added as she looked at Xeno. ¡°He¡¯s my familiar,¡± I replied, knowing there was no point in hiding the truth in that regard. ¡°Headmaster Dumbledore and Deputy-Headmistress McGonagall have assured me that he will have the protection of the school while I study at Hogwarts.¡± That wasn¡¯t quite how McGonagall had stated things that way, but Ali didn¡¯t know that, and while I didn¡¯t want to rely on Dumbledore for any protection, the threat of his attention was more likely to make Ali and others reluctant to attempt anything than do so. ¡°How unexpected for a Firstie to have a familiar,¡± Ali said, her gaze shifting back from Xeno to me. ¡°But then again, you are something of an enigma that Bellatrix will not help me unravel.¡± Her eyes moved to the rest of the cabin, offering them a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°I am Alihandra Montague, and I¡¯ll be your escort to Hogwarts.¡± She offered a picture-perfect curtsey, and as she did so, my mind quickly processed the reveal of her name. While I had some connection to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Montague through my aunt Fiona, her husband was the grandnephew of the current Lord, Avis. Lord Avis was, while not a rival of Arcturus, someone he wasn¡¯t particularly close to. The Lords and Houses shared similar values, at least from what I¡¯d learnt, but from what I had gathered, the two Lords often vied with each other for influence and power. While there wasn¡¯t any hint this rivalry extended to anything more than a political one, the animosity that Bellatrix had shown for Alihandra suggested they weren¡¯t as accepting of each other as their Lords were. That meant I¡¯d have to be on my guard around Alihandra and any family she had at Hogwarts, not least as she was a Slytherin perfect. ¡°I see you managed to get your chest down already,¡± Alihandra continued, her gaze returning to me. ¡°Your work I presume?¡± she asked softly but with a dangerous look in her eyes. I nodded, not seeing any need to hide that I could cast one of the first charms taught at Hogwarts. Every child raised in a magical household was expected to know the basic charms before attending school. The difference was that I¡¯d learnt to cast them all silently, which was something I wouldn¡¯t be revealing to anyone unless forced to. ¡°Impressive.¡± The danger in her eyes sparkled for a moment, and I was fucking glad I was protected by members of the Wizengamot, had Xeno in my arms, and that I was far too young for her to be interested in as anything more than a passing curiosity. She was dangerous in the same way that Bellatrix was, and if I wasn¡¯t careful, I was going to develop a type that, once I was older, was going to get me in trouble I might not be able to handle. Alihandra leaned back, looking along the corridor and as she did so, I saw students moving to the left, chests floating above their heads, or trailing behind as a prefect carried them for the First Years. ¡°Come along,¡± Alihandra said before stepping back to allow us to exit. I let the girls and Linden exit first before audibly casting the Levitation Charm. As I emerged with all eight chests afloat, I saw Alihandra and several others looking my way. Many of the first years whispered to each other, but the expressions of the prefects were what I was watching. Carrying so many chests at once was a clear statement of potential power, and I could see many taking note of it. I wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d react to my actions, but the display was the first step in standing out for the right reasons while I was at Hogwarts. The corridor was busy, but thanks to magic it wasn''t as crowded as one would expect of a train corridor. Much like how the cabins were bigger on the inside, like many things in the magical world. I followed at the back of the group, keeping my eyes on the back of Alhandra¡¯s head as she led up toward the rear of the carriage. Once she got there, she stopped and turned, repeating a pattern that I¡¯d seen a few prefects ahead of her ¨C including Bellatrix and Shawn MacDuncan ¨C do. This was done, or so it seemed, so the prefect could be sure their charges were following before they exited the carriage. The other students were generally keeping quiet, but there was a nervous energy around me. Everyone, even me, was excited to get to Hogwarts, but uncertain of what we¡¯d experience there and how we¡¯d be sorted. Well, so long as things hadn¡¯t changed drastically, I knew how the Sorting took place, but there was still that kernel of doubt that the Hat wouldn¡¯t be there. As we moved closer, Alihandra leaned toward another prefect, one that was standing near the exit without students of his own to speak to. His eyes found me quickly as she spoke into his ear, and as I came closer he gave me a nod. ¡°Chief MacLeod,¡± the sixth-year Slytherin said with a bow of his head, ¡°I¡¯m Heir Finn Dalcassin. Might we speak for a moment?¡± He gestured to the rear of the carriage opposite where everyone was exiting. Behind me more students filtered off the carriage, all of them excitedly whispering about Hogwarts and the Sorting. ¡°Perhaps later,¡± I replied, gesturing toward the chests floating along behind me. ¡°It would be better if I exited the carriage with these instead of having them float around while others try to exit. While the other chests should be capable of another to take, mine carries protections so that only I can interact with it.¡± Finn smiled and offered a nod. ¡°Of course, of course. Perhaps we can speak after the Sorting, then? While the Headmaster dislikes politics occurring within his walls, there is little he can do to stop those from powerful Houses such as ours from forging bonds that can shape the world in which we live.¡± I nodded in agreement and then moved to exit the carriage. Alihandra had led the others off already, and as I stepped down, I added this new piece of information to my memory. Clan Dalcassin was one of the oldest Irish Clans, so much so that most Clans in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales ¨C at least the Clans there and not the Houses founded after 1066 ¨C could trace some lineage to them. They were another of those Clans and Houses that honoured the old ways and were close to House Montague. That suggested Chief Ruarcc and Lord Avis were looking to see if they could, via their children, either pull me away from Arcturus or failing that, gain some influence and connection to me for when I assumed my seat in the Wizengamot. One upside was that because Alihandra pointed me out to Finn, I didn¡¯t have to worry about her interest in me being anything but political. At least for the time being. Merlin, if I read the body language between them, I suspected that she and Finn were close, perhaps even betrothed. I could admit that I¡¯d never bothered to read that section of the papers, but now I wondered if that had been a mistake as it might¡¯ve granted me some insight into the alliances forming among the older years at Hogwarts. I¡¯d have to send my owl to Arcturus and Aunt Moire to ask for such a list, and by doing so I could see if either missed a pairing from theirs and the order in which they listed them. That might well show preference toward certain Clans and Houses that could provide insight into their opinions. Yet, while Alihandra¡¯s interest in me was now confirmed to be political, I felt there was more to what was going on between her and Bellatrix beyond a simple rivalry. I wasn¡¯t going to ask Bellatrix or her sisters, but it was something else I¡¯d have to keep my eyes and ears open for. ¡°What was that about?¡± Iona asked as I caught up with my group. ¡°Nothing important,¡± I replied, trying to watch our Prefect escort from the corner of my eye. Alihandra seemed unconcerned by my dismissal of Finn¡¯s attempt to speak, but I knew the matter wasn¡¯t over. Nor would Finn¡¯s approach be the only one I dealt with over the coming weeks. My grasp of Xeno tightened as I sensed a burst of excitement from him. He wanted to leap away and explore, either to find new spots in which to rest, or prey to hunt. With so many people around, there was a good chance someone would step on him by mistake, and I¡¯d rather not have to explain why I had a 4X creature at school in such an open location. ¡°Where to now?¡± I asked Alihandra, shifting things on before Iona or the others could ask more about what Finn wanted. She took a moment, glancing back toward the train before replying. ¡°This way,¡± she said before spinning on her heels and walking off. My cousins looked at each other, as if surprised at the brusque behaviour. I, however, had no issue with it and fell into step just behind her, the chests following along. The sound of a single set of shuffling steps behind me told me Linden was following, and then the increased muttering of my cousins and others confirmed they were coming as well. The slight delay generated by dealing with Finn had ensured that most of our fellow new students had already departed the carriage, and we found ourselves near the rear of the lengthy line of new First Years. From what I could see the queue that we¡¯d joined seemed to be heading forward, toward a darkened area that, as it was set into the hillside of the station, was likely a tunnel. As we came closer, and the girls'' incessant chattering grew louder, this was confirmed. However, their voices, and those of those around us, were starting to annoy me and irritate Xeno. Because of that, I slowed down. Linden and the girls did likewise though it took a few moments before Alihandra realised what had happened. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± She asked as she moved back to us, letting others pass her by. ¡°Xenocrates is uncomfortable in crowds and I¡¯d rather no one accidentally bumped into my chest,¡± I said. ¡°The chest is warded to prevent anyone but myself from touching it, and some of those wards are rather¡­ efficient in protecting my property.¡± ¡°Ah, a Lord¡¯s Chest.¡± I nodded. ¡°Normally a student wouldn¡¯t have such an item, but given your status, I should have considered that being an issue. And that your familiar, given his relative youth, might prefer smaller gatherings and quiet places.¡± I smiled, glad to see that, if needed she could place her political interest in me to one side. ¡°Perhaps it would be best if we wait for the other students to head down the passage first.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, offering her a slight bow; something Xeno¡¯s presence made difficult but not impossible. ¡°But..¡± Rowena started only to stop when I pivoted and let Xeno hiss in her direction. ¡°Never mind,¡± she continued, deflated. I smirked and turned back around, seeing Linden shifting so his twin wouldn¡¯t see him smirking. Alihandra made no such move to hide her response, and a wide smile spread over her face. ¡°How delightfully manipulative of you,¡± she said quietly, though her voice would¡¯ve still carried to Rowena. ¡°I suspect that if placed in the right house, you shall quickly be coveted by those in power.¡± I didn¡¯t reply verbally, not wanting to hint at my preference in the matter, and instead just offered a nod to thank her for the compliment. The line of students moved around us until no more passed, at which point Alihandra turned and resumed moving forward toward the tunnel. Our group fell into step behind, as when we reached the top of the stairs I saw that it was a tunnel, though one widened and tiled to create a staircase that descended into the hillside. If not for the torches that ran along the walls and bloomed with almost ethereal light, the descent would likely invoke fear in those first experiencing it. Merlin, even with the light of the torches, I could hear a few concerned whispers carrying up from those who¡¯d gone down before us. As we moved down the stairs, I made sure the chests didn¡¯t brush against the ceiling of the tunnel. While it was, like the stairs, tiled, I¡¯d rather not have the chests catch on any tile and thus have one of the others arrive at school with a damaged trunk. Once I was sure that wasn¡¯t going to happen, I moved close to one side of the tunnel, wanting to examine the torches. The runes engraved upon the wood were partially hidden by the flicking shift of the light, but I recognized enough there to see they were using only Elder Futhark. Arrays for continuality were joined to those for light and protection, and while they weren¡¯t ones I didn¡¯t recognise, new, the way they were blended together was artistic, almost regal. After about ten minutes in the tunnel, I saw the end, the slowly decreasing light from the sun doing enough to highlight where the tunnel emerged. As we were at the end of the long train of students, I chose to remain on the last few stairs, granting me the ability to see over the mass of bodies. In front of us was a large platform. It was made from wood, with the four animals representing the houses of Hogwarts shifting around in repeating patterns. My focus, however, was on the trio who were standing on the platform and the absolute giant of a man who, even though he was standing on the ground beside the platform, was almost as tall as those upon it. ¡°Who¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the groundskeeper, Hagrid,¡± Alihandra offered before Adele could begin her question. ¡°His mother was a giant and his father a wizard. According to the school rumour mill, he never graduated from Hogwarts, having his wand snapped by the Ministry. Headmaster Dumbledore had him hired as groundskeeper not long after.¡± Alihandra spoke gently, but I felt I caught a hint of something in her tone. It might¡¯ve been my imagination, but I suspected the issue was that she was a Slytherin while Hagrid was Dumbledore¡¯s man, and thus someone who might have issues with many of the ideals espoused by those from Slytherin. I¡¯d known that Hagrid was tall, and been preparing myself for it, but knowing something and seeing it were two different things. The half-giant was massive, and if not for the wide almost innocent smile he wore, his height along with his slightly dishevelled and dirty clothing would make him appear threatening. ¡°Why are we here?¡± Iona asked, drawing a sweet, yet slightly sinister to my ears, chuckle from the prefect escorting us. ¡°Patience Firstie,¡± Alihandra responded, and I glanced her way revealing she had one of those familiar and annoying smirks. The sort that made clear they knew something you didn¡¯t and weren¡¯t going to tell you what. Now, I was reasonably sure I knew how we¡¯d be arriving at the castle, as I¡¯d not heard anything suggesting we¡¯d not travel over the lake, but I couldn¡¯t, like with anything, be a hundred per cent certain, and thus had to attempt to prepare for the unexpected. ¡°If I might have everyone¡¯s attention¡± The speaker, who was the central figure of the trio on the platform, drew my attention to her. Even as she continued, I knew who she was. ¡°I am Deputy Headmistress McGonagall. On behalf of Headmaster Dumbledore and your soon-to-be professors, and other staff within Hogwarts, it is my genuine pleasure to welcome you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.¡± A cheer went up from somewhere in the crowd, and while others ¨C such as my cousins and their friends ¨C joined in, many, including myself, remained silent. McGonagall''s hand came up, sparks dancing from the tip of her wand, and the cheering quietly died away. She didn¡¯t seem annoyed by the reaction, and along with one of the others up there, wore a wide smile. The third person stood resolutely, almost as if they were irritated to have to be there. ¡°While I understand your excitement, and even would encourage it in the right situation, you have not yet arrived at Hogwarts, nor begun your classes.¡± She gestured to the two at her side and the pair moved forward. ¡°These are Professors Juniper and Inkwood,¡± Juniper nodded with a warm smile while Inkwood¡¯s eyes scanned the crowd as if seeking out a threat, ¡°and the Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Hagrid.¡± At that introduction, the half-giant lifted a hand and gave a wave. A few students shuffled back as if shocked to see him there, and Hagrid¡¯s smile slipped slightly. ¡°They shall escort you to the castle where I will meet you again before we begin the Sorting.¡± McGonagall stepped back, her robes swishing in the air, and as she walked away, Professor Juniper moved forward. ¡°Well, hello there young ones,¡± he said in a friendly tone. I smirked at his choice of words, remembering another fanon that shouldn¡¯t exist for another decade. ¡°As Deputy Headmistress McGonagall has just said, I¡¯m Professor Juniper and this is my colleague, Professor Inkwood.¡± Inkwood didn¡¯t even nod at the second introduction. ¡°Alongside teaching Defence against the Dark Arts, I¡¯m also head of Hufflepuff. My colleague here is a Transfiguration Grandmaster and head of Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are two of the four houses where you might spend the next seven years as a student of Hogwarts. The others are Gryffindor and Slytherin. Which house you will be sorted into will be determined once we arrive at Hogwarts, but first, we have to get you all to the castle.¡± ¡°Prefects,¡± Inkwood cut in, sounding annoyed at Something ¨C possibly at Professor Juniper¡¯s prattling, ¡°please ensure that all chests are placed in the designated area. Students, follow us.¡± The pair turned and moved to step down from the platform, Hagrid moving to join them. As the throng of children moved to follow, Alihandra placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Best you come with me first,¡± she said, gesturing to the chests floating behind me. ¡°the rest of you wait by the platform for our return.¡± With that, she turned and headed off to where the various students and chests were gathering. After giving my cousins a nod to assure them I was fine, I followed along behind. We had to slip through the edges of the crowd of my fellow First Years, but as I emerged from it, I saw Bellatrix. Xeno shuffled in my arms, recognizing her as well as I nodded to her; something she returned with only the faintest hint of a smile. ¡°Already found yourself a new toy, Montague,¡± an older boy in Sixth-Year Gryffindor robes said as we approached the point where the chests were being deposited. ¡°I would¡¯ve thought a Firstie would be too young for your particular machinations.¡± I couldn¡¯t see Alihandra¡¯s expression, but the snort she gave, along with the narrowing of Bellatrix¡¯s eyes from a few metres away from the boy, made clear this prefect wasn¡¯t popular with the Slytherins. ¡°Once more you display the complete and utter lack of intelligence one would expect of your upbringing, Bronson.¡± Alihandra shifted to one side, using her right hand to gesture to me. ¡°This is Chief D¨°mhnall MacLeod, head of the Ancient and Noble Clan MacLeod.¡± Bronson¡¯s eyes widened even as Alihandra continued. ¡°Unlike the chest of his fellow First Years or any you will ever own, his chest is protected by magic linked to his bloodline meaning that only he, or those sworn to his Clan, could ever hope to control it.¡± Around us, several of the other prefects had turned as Alihandra had spoken. Most seemed barely bothered by my presence, instead focusing on Bronson and his reaction. Recovering quickly, the boy scoffed. ¡°Rank and privilege count for nothing, Montague. Something you and your boyfriend should be well aware of.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Prefects Montague and Dalcassin are well aware of how Hogwarts works, Bronson, but need I remind you that we aren¡¯t currently within the grounds of the castle.¡± The new speaker was a voice I recognized, and I worked out who it was, I saw Head Girl Serena Rowle step closer. ¡°Regardless of that, if you were foolish enough to attempt to control the chest of a Chief or Lord, then how it reacted, and the removal of your presence, would not be something many would mourn.¡± Around us, several of the other prefects chuckled, while others smirked. Even those from Gryffindor. That suggested Bronson was not popular even among his housemates, suggesting someone who¡¯d gained their position by brown-nosing with the professors. ¡°Chief Macleod,¡± Rowle continued, offering me a partial curtsey, ¡°on behalf of those who should know better, please accept the apology of myself and those who understand the position you hold within our world.¡± Several of the other prefects displayed some surprise at the Head Girl displaying civility toward me, but as those were mainly from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff I had to assume they were muggle-raised. ¡°Is there one who is permitted to transport your chest inside the boundaries of the castle?¡± She asked after the curtsey. ¡°Of course, Lady Rowle,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t know what her relationship was to Lord Rowle, but since she understood the rules of society, granting her the honorary title of Lady in this situation was permissible. It also might, if I was lucky, gain me some points with her and those who respected tradition. ¡°Kadic!¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. A moment later, there was the familiar pop of someone apparating, and my Head Elf appeared. ¡°The MacLeod summoned Kadic?¡± he asked, ignoring the looks some of the prefects gave him. ¡°Yes. It seems I cannot take my chest with me into Hogwarts. Would you be able to do that for me, and then wait until my Sorting to determine where the chest has to be placed?¡± ¡°Kadic serve The MacLeod,¡± the elf replied with a bow. I turned back to Rowle, seeing her and a few of those who hadn¡¯t been surprised by her behaviour towards me, watching carefully. I knew some Clans and Houses treated their elves badly, but most didn¡¯t. The fact that Kadic had clothing of high quality ¨C for an elf ¨C and that I spoke to him with respect would further colour the opinions many of them held about me. Hopefully, it would result in those that I felt were worth working with being open to, in a few years, listening to my plans. ¡°Droopy,¡± Rowle called out, and a moment later another elf, this time wearing a shirt emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest, appeared. ¡°Can you escort Kadic as he takes his master¡¯s chest into Hogwarts? Before you concern yourself, the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress will be aware of Chief MacLeod¡¯s arrival as a student and know the chest in question isn¡¯t a threat to the Castle. I¡¯ll need you to stay with Chief MacLeod¡¯s elf until the Chief is sorted, and then take the elf to the relevant house and sleeping chamber.¡± Droopy, which was an amusing name for an elf, nodded and then moved toward Kadic. The pair didn¡¯t say anything, but I know that elves were able to communicate non-verbally with each other. I¡¯d picked up some of that from Kadic, wanting to understand what I could of their language, but learning more than the basics was difficult for me as I lacked the refinement of my magic, and an ability to interact with Elf magic. With that sorted, I lowered the chests I was moving, placing the eight of them gently on the ground at the same time, none touching each other or any other chest. Rowle¡¯s eyes widened slightly at my display, which I was doing intentionally, and the small smile she gave before turning away was something I took as respect for my display of control. The Levitation Charm was elementary, but what I was doing was beyond where a First Year was expected to be when the year finished. ¡°Come along then,¡± Alihandra said once the chests were down, and Kadic had moved toward mine. I fell into step at her side, half a stride back since she was the one in charge here. ¡°Might I inquire as to what else you have already learnt?¡± ¡°You might, but I¡¯m under no requirement to answer.¡± Alihandra chuckled. ¡°Good answer. I look forward to seeing what you achieve for us while in Hogwarts.¡± I didn¡¯t respond to her, nor wonder what she meant by ¡®us¡¯ because, as we came closer, Adele and Iona moved toward us. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Alihandra said before either could speak, ¡°I haven¡¯t harmed a hair on your friend¡¯s head. He¡¯s far too unthreatening for me to do that.¡± I ignored the barb about my strength ¨C physical and magical ¨C as it was well-justified, and instead just gave my cousins a nod of confirmation. They and the rest of the group moved with us as we passed the platform, and once around it I saw another tunnel, though this time my focus wasn¡¯t on that, or what magic it might contain, but the massive figure standing in front of it. ¡°Ah, there yeh are.¡± The booming voice of Hagrid said as he waved one of his massive arms to get my attention, not that he needed to as he towered over the last few First Years heading down the tunnel ¨C and the roof of said tunnel ¨C with ease. ¡°I was wonderin'' where yeh''d gotten to.¡± ¡°Sorry for the delay,¡± Alihandra replied, her tone cooler than a moment before, ¡°This Firstie needed special treatment for their chest.¡± While Alihandra seemed fine with seeing the half-giant, I and those with me weren¡¯t. Merlin, he was huge. Easily over nine feet, and broad as a magic-damned fireplace! He might be insanely gentle, but his sheer physical presence ensured everyone had to be cautious around him. At least if they had any reason to fear him. There was a moment as Hagrid looked at me, where I swore I saw the wheels turning in his mind. ¡°Ah, Right. Yeh''re the one tha'' Dumbledore told me about.¡± I blinked, having to adjust to his speech pattern. Again, I¡¯d known what to expect, but experiencing it was massively different from knowing about it. Hagrid¡¯s eyes widened as he moved closer to me. ¡°And this must be your familiar. I''ve never seen a raiju before. Has he displayed his magic yet?¡± There was an urge to step back as he did so, but pushed it aside. I wasn¡¯t going to show fear toward the groundskeeper as not only would that be a sign of weakness, but it might discourage the one person in the castle who¡¯d protect Xenocrates almost as much as I would. Hagrid stopped as, while I stood my ground, those with me didn¡¯t and they shifted back or cowered slightly. Xeno also tensed at the approaching monstrosity of a man, which seemed to affect Hagrid more than the reaction of the others. ¡°Sorry. I didn'' mean to scare him,¡± he added, the excitement on his face fading slightly. I scratched Xeno behind one of his ears to reassure him. ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I said to Hagrid offering him a warm smile, ¡°It¡¯s just you¡¯re new and well¡­¡± I let my eyes travel up and down his frame to make the point. He took a moment, chuckling to himself. ¡°Aye, I am that. OH!¡± His head rushed into his coat and, in response, mine snapped to summon my wand. I stopped myself before I drew it, but the action didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Alihandra. ¡°Give me a second,¡± Hagrid said, his attention on whatever he was searching for. ¡°Ah! Here we are!¡± he proclaimed as he pulled something from the coat. His hand came out, opening to reveal what looked like jerky. ¡°Some treats fer the wee beastie.¡± Xeno leaned forward, his nose sniffing the air as the waft of meat reached him. I shared a smile with Hagrid as the raiju started happily eating the jerky. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to Hagrid as one hand scratched gently at Xeno¡¯s back. ¡°Good to meet yeh,¡± Hagrid said as he lifted his other hand, using one finger to gently pat the happily eating raiju on the head. Xeno paused, looking up at the finger, and the massive hand it attached to, more interested in the food, and not sensing anything from me, he resumed eating. The acceptance seemed to please Hagrid, and after he pulled his petting hand he chuckled. ¡°Pretty wee thing.¡± We stayed like that until Xeno had finished the jerky, and when he looked up at Hagrid, begging for more, the half-giant laughed. ¡°Maybe later,¡± he said before turning his attention to the rest of us. ¡°If yeh''ll follow me,¡± he said, waving an arm toward the tunnel behind him, ¡°wouldn'' want yeh missin'' the boat to Hogwarts.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a boat?¡± Rowena asked excitedly, the girl ¨C from what I¡¯d heard - enjoyed sailing with her family. That had Hagrid stop and look back at us sheepishly. ¡°Blimey. I shouldn'' have said tha''.¡± I chuckled, amused at the absentmindedness of him was still there. While I had no intention of exploiting that currently, it was something I could use; at least if Dumbledore didn¡¯t provide Hagrid with false information to confuse others who¡¯d try what I was thinking of doing. ¡°When we get down there, pretend to be shocked, eh?¡± ¡°But of course,¡± I replied with a lowering of my head. With that, Hagrid turned and moved forward, ducking so he could enter the tunnel. As I entered after the rest of my group, though Alihandra didn¡¯t come, the sounds of excited murmurings from the other First Years echoed up to me. The sounds didn¡¯t carry out of the tunnel, but now that I was inside it, I could just about make out what was being said, though not quite as clearly as I¡¯d expected. At least if I was in a non-magical tunnel. The descent only took five minutes, with most of that being us having to wait for Hagrid to move down carefully, and as we reached the end, we stepped out into a large, natural-looking cavern. ¡°I was beginning to think you had gotten lost with the last group of students, Hagrid.¡± The comment came from Professor Inkwood who was standing between us and the short docks in the middle of the cavern. Behind her, boats big enough for eight were slipping away, with new ones appearing at the two short piers as soon as a boat had moved away. The boats were moving through an opening that led out onto, I presumed, Black Lake, where the last embers of a sinking sun blazed across the water. The cavern had nothing of importance bar the fact the boats for students were appearing from seemingly nowhere, but I knew there was more to what my eyes could perceive. Not least as the torc had warmed up slightly, letting me know I was in a magically strong location. Normally, that warming served as an early warning of potential issues, but I expected that once inside Hogwarts proper, if not just the grounds, it would stay warm all the time, removing that minor function as one I could use for protection. ¡°Sorry, Professor. I had to wait fer this student, an'' then meet his creature.¡± Realising I was the one being talked about, my attention returned to Inkwood as she refocused her attention upon me. Her eyes narrowed, and while I didn¡¯t feel any presence pushing up against my mental barriers, the gaze reminded me immensely of Aunt Moire during my Occlumency training sessions. ¡°Ah yes, our young Chief and his familiar,¡± her gaze shifted to Xeno as she moved closer. Xeno pulled back, hissing slightly as flickers of light formed around his eyes. ¡°I must admit that after learning about your familiar, I was curious to examine it. Raiju are highly restricted creatures with some rather fascinating properties.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises, Professor,¡± I replied slowly, measuring my words. That others would be interested in Xeno was something I¡¯d expected as he wasn¡¯t a magical creature native to the Isles, but I¡¯d not expected that interest to extend to the professors. At least not before I¡¯d even officially started my schooling. ¡°Xenocrates needs to first settle into his new dwelling. However, provided that there are no issues with that, and I¡¯m present whenever you or other Professors wish to examine him, I don¡¯t see any reason to allow you the chance to observe him.¡± To one side, Hagrid gave what amounted to an excited, if muffled, squeal. I¡¯d known he¡¯d be one of those seeking to spend time with Xeno, and he was more emotional than most witches or wizards, so his response wasn¡¯t a surprise. My focus, however, remained on Professor Inkwood. One eyebrow rose slightly when I finished my reply. ¡°Understandable and acceptable,¡± she said before pivoting and extending an arm toward the docks. ¡°Now, if you and your friends would please board, Hogwarts awaits, and I, like other professors, look forward to seeing into which house all of you are sorted.¡± The girls all but rushed toward one of the two remaining boats, while Linden and I were more cautious. For me, that was because Xeno was not a fan of water, and I knew I¡¯d spent a good chunk of the voyage easing his anxiety. For Linden, I assumed his mind was wondering how the boats and the magic in them worked. ¡°Patience is a virtue,¡± I muttered to myself as the girls all piled into one boat, only whatever magic was imbued in it stopping it from capsizing from their rapid, frantic movements. ¡°Indeed,¡± Professor Inkwood replied, indicating my muttered comment had reached her ears. ¡°A fact few remember when they enter the boats, to say of other times during the school year.¡± I let Linden enter the boat first and then took a step after him. ¡°Easy there,¡± I said to Xeno as I held him tight against my chest as his issue with water began to raise its head. If not for the fact his magic helped keep him clean, I wondered what sort of chaos would be unleashed if I ever tried to bathe him. Xenocrates tensed as I stepped fully into the boat, and as I sat, I wrapped my other arm over his body, holding him tight and letting him know he was safe. ¡°Here,¡± I turned as Hagrid spoke and saw him holding something in his hand, ¡°this should help ¡®im.¡± I used one hand ¨C without removing my arm from securing Xeno ¨C to take the extra jerky. The small caught Xeno¡¯s attention and he turned to see what I had. ¡°A wee snack for him that¡¯ll keep ¡®im distracted.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as Xeno¡¯s head dove into my hand. Hagrid moved to get into the other boat along with Inkwood as the boat I was in slipped forward, moving so gently that if I¡¯d not been looking at the dock, I might¡¯ve missed the initial motion. The girls, once they realised they were moving, began chattering excitedly while Linden was looking around with wide eyes. Ahead of us, at least as best as I could see from my position at the back of the boat, the other students were leaving the cavern, many gesturing excitedly to whatever they were seeing outside. Their voices, however, didn¡¯t carry to me, suggesting some sort of muffling charm was in effect, which given the number of students that would be in the cavern, made perfect sense. As we slipped forward, I could feel my excitement rising. I knew what I would see, but the idea that I¡¯d finally get the chance to see Hogwarts and the Black Lake for real was overriding my ability to control my emotions. Near the mouth of the cavern, faint oohs and aahs from the boats ahead of us reached me, though any exact words were still being muffled. As the last remnants of daylight poured over the sleek curve of our boat, we emerged from the mouth of the cavern, and I couldn¡¯t help but draw in a sharp breath. The valley before us shimmered under the retreating glow of the setting sun, bathed in hues of amber and rose, transforming the landscape into something otherworldly. My gaze instinctively searched for Hogwarts, yet the towering cliffs obscured its majesty. Instead, my eyes wandered to the vast Lake, its glassy surface reflecting the heavens above. Somewhere in those depths, the Merpeople stirred, alongside the legendary giant squid. Normally, the thought of such creatures residing in a lake that seemed too small for them might have puzzled me, but in this world¡ªwhere Nessie herself had revealed her serpentine form to me last summer during another tedious Gathering of the Clans¡ªI questioned nothing. There was no fear, no threat; if such beings were allowed to exist within these waters, they were as much a part of its charm as the stars above. Far across the lake, I could just discern the distant shoreline, a patchwork of fields and groves bathed in twilight. Tiny pinpricks of light flickered from what I imagined was another village, though I couldn¡¯t be certain until I had the chance to explore this valley in all its splendour. Though I had always disliked flying, the idea of soaring over Hogwarts Valley stirred an unfamiliar thrill within me. While the rules clearly forbade First Years from bringing brooms, I had one secreted away in my chest. It was mine by birthright, and as The MacLeod, there was little even Dumbledore could do to take it from me. Still, I wasn¡¯t keen on attracting detention in my first term. Suddenly, the boat veered slightly to the right, and like my fellow companions, my head whipped around. We all gasped in unison as the silhouette of Hogwarts finally revealed itself. There, perched upon a towering outcrop of stone, stood the castle¡ªits spires and towers reaching towards the heavens like the fingers of giants. The Great Tower, Gryffindor¡¯s, and Ravenclaw¡¯s turrets were bathed in the soft, fading light of the sun, casting an ethereal glow that made the entire scene feel like a painting brought to life. Magic radiated from the stone walls, the ancient structure whispering of the centuries of wonders and secrets. My eyes traced the familiar outlines of the castle, comparing it to the blueprints I¡¯d memorised from countless books and stories. The light spilling from a grand greenhouse affirmed that this version of Hogwarts bore more resemblance to the one from Hogwarts Legacy than the adaptations I¡¯d grown up with, confirming many of my schemes for early exploration. As I was still processing the awe of the castle¡¯s appearance, we drew closer, and a new light captured my attention, flickering ahead on the water¡¯s surface. It was the boathouse¡ªsmall, unassuming from this distance, yet as we neared, I could make out the students ascending the long staircase that wound toward the castle¡¯s main entrance. Like so many magical places, it was larger within than it appeared without, a mystery waiting to unfold. Leaning forward, eager to see every detail, I heard a soft hiss of discontent from my lap. "Sorry," I murmured, glancing down at Xeno. The treats Hagrid had given him were long gone, so I stroked his head, my fingers gently scratching behind his ears. He leaned into my touch, momentarily soothed, even as the boathouse loomed ever closer. The boat glided toward the dock with a grace that belied the speed of our journey. Before I knew it, the building towered before us, and the winding queue of students ascending into the heart of Hogwarts was now clearly visible, drawing us toward the school¡ªand all the magic that lay within its walls. As we moved closer, the girls getting increasingly excited, I turned my thoughts inward, deciding on a few plans for the first week. With no student about Third Year ¨C bar prefects ¨C present, and us only having a few introductory lessons, there was lots of free time. While the library was one place I knew I¡¯d be spending a lot of time, there were other places I needed to seek out. The Room of Requirement was the only given before I¡¯d seen the castle, but now other places, such as the Undercroft, and Map Chamber for ancient magic, and other hidden locations, were now targets for my explorations. Those, along with a few hidden passages from the various sources, needed to be located and plotted so that I knew what I had to play with. Now, it was possible that many of them, such as the various puzzle rooms, might not exist here, as those felt very much like game mechanics. But until I searched for them where they should be, then I¡¯d not know for certain. Even if they didn¡¯t exist, there was more than enough for me to try and find already, and that was excluding anything else that might not have been mentioned for other versions of Hogwarts that existed at this one, such as the supposed private chambers of the Founders. I knew of Slytherin¡¯s Sanatorium, so if that existed, then it certainly suggested other such rooms might exist. Locating them, especially if they were near or in the restricted areas of the various houses, would be an issue but what was life without challenge? As our boat turned to enter the boathouse, my thoughts returned to more pressing matters, such as the Sorting. That was going to be interesting with four hundred students to handle, but first, we had to exit the boat. The boathouse was, as expected, bigger inside, and there was room for eight boats to dock at one time even though from outside it didn¡¯t look big enough to even store that many. To help with that, once each boat was empty, it rose into the air and moved to one side of the boathouse. There, much like with the cabin in our carriage, the boats slid into racks that seemed infinitely deep. Of course, that might just be an illusion to hide the elves using magic to transport the boats to another location for easier storage. The girls moved to rapidly exit the boat. ¡°Careful now.¡± The remark from a new professor who was standing on solid ground had them all stop. The Professor moved closer to the front of the boat and offered a hand, helping us depart one at a time. I was the last to exit, wanting to make sure Xeno wasn¡¯t disturbed by the gentle rocking of the boat as the others exited, and by the time I stepped onto solid ground, Hagrid and Professor Inkwood had exited their boat, which had trailed along behind us. Xeno lifted his head and offered a gentle meow. ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I said, scratching his head. ¡°While the raiju is your familiar, he is not allowed to attend the Sorting. Therefore, you will have to pass him to another to hold until after your Sorting when he can be returned to your side.¡± I turned to Professor Inkwood as she spoke. ¡°Is there another in the castle that you feel would be suitable to hold the raiju until after your Sorting?¡± Beside her, I could see Hagrid getting excited, eager to hold Xeno. While I had no fear about him doing so, there were a few more obvious candidates for the role. ¡°As he was a gift from The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, any of the three sisters would be acceptable.¡± One of Inkwood¡¯s eyebrows rose, likely filing that information away for Dumbledore and others. While she gave off an air of class and nobility, since she worked at Hogwarts, the odds were good that she, like all the professors, was loyal to Dumbledore. ¡°Very well,¡± she pulled her wand from a hidden holster, ¡°Expecto Patronum.¡± The spell, which was one of several I¡¯d not had any great success with so far, generated the expected silver light from the tip of her wand. According to what I understood, that was because while I had Akros-level potential, I¡¯d yet to unlock most of that, due to my age and physical development. That was annoying, but it made sense as having First Years capable of using the more powerful charms and hexes before they were ready was a recipe for disaster. As the others looked on with wide eyes, that light coalesced into some form of fox and Inkwood spoke to it. ¡°Bellatrix Black, you are summoned to the entrance of the Great Hall to help with Xenocrates.¡± The fox nodded, dashing, off and diving into the wall of the boathouse that faced toward the castle. Outside, several students squawked and squealed, no doubt at the appearance of the ghostly animal, while inside those with me all turned to the Professor with varying degrees of surprise. ¡°Wh-what was that?¡± Rowena asked in a half-whisper, making clear she¡¯d never seen the spell before. ¡°The Patronus charm,¡± Inkwood replied. ¡°Among its many uses, if one is able to master it to the point where it forms into an animal, it can be used to deliver messages to others.¡± Inkwood¡¯s tone was less formal now, suggesting she¡¯d shifted into teaching mode. ¡°The charm, however, is not one you shall learn until your final years at Hogwarts. Even then, simply being able to summon a mist with the charm is considered to be above expectations.¡± The suggestion that the charm was taught in the last few years ¨C probably Seventh Year if I had to guess ¨C was interesting and aligned with something that had come up in my tutoring. Many of the later First Year spells and alike that I¡¯d learnt hadn¡¯t been taught until early Second Year in canon. Or at least they¡¯d not appeared until such time. That suggested the array of spells, charms, and alike that was taught at Hogwarts was more extensive than at variants of the school, which was going to be an interesting chance, and one that would keep my interest. At least once the First Year was over as there was nothing, according to my books and tutors, that I had left to learn from the syllabus. ¡°With that handled, perhaps we might consider heading to the castle?¡± The professor who¡¯d helped us exit the boat suggested, and offered a wide smile as she rubbed her hands together. ¡°I¡¯m sure none of you wish to miss your Sorting, hmm.¡± The girls took off at the suggestion without any comment. Linden rolled his eyes at the behaviour even as I turned to the professor. ¡°Forgive my cousins and their friends for their lack of decorum, Professor¡­¡± my voice trailed off since I didn¡¯t know her name. ¡°Carina Allwright, young one,¡± she replied, taking my hint to supply her name, and offering me a wider, friendly smile, ¡°and based on your companion, like my fellow Professors, I am well aware of who you are, young Chief.¡± I nodded in acknowledgement. My title wouldn¡¯t be used at Hogwarts, but the staff would be aware of it, and while it might not grant me any favours, it did carry some weight. Even in a place where, officially, politics weren¡¯t meant to exist. All I could hope was that, at least for First Year, there was little political intrigue among my yearmates for me to contend with. It was clear already that it existed among the older years, as displayed by the prefects I¡¯d met so far, I expected that First Years wouldn¡¯t be expected to assume any sort of power base or standing until at least the end of the first term. With that introduction out of the way, Professor Allwright gestured for me to leave, and I moved off hastily, though not too quickly, after my cousins and the others. With so many stairs to climb, the path being narrow, and many students stopping to enjoy the views, I¡¯d caught up to the rear of the long line before I reached the first small landing. Linden offered a nod that I was there, but nothing was said as we climbed. As we neared the top of the stairs, I noted that the others seemed tired from the exertion, whereas I felt unbothered by the climb. Magicals did have, according to what I¡¯d read, higher tolerances than muggles in physical and mental capacities, but I wondered if this were me seeing the first signs that the base flesh-carved rune, one that ran almost the length of my spine, was offering me slight boosts that, in theory, would grow greater as I matured. Those thoughts, along with almost every other one, slipped from my mind as I reached the top of the stairs, and found myself standing just outside one of the courtyards of the castle. It was enclosed by parallel rows of archways between which, under a roof, lay a paved area with a respectable number of benches. Beyond that, I could see the other students gathering in the courtyard, marvelling at the castle. While I knew I could do likewise, I was eager to get inside and get sorted. There would be time to explore the castle and grounds in the next few days. Moving forward with the line, I headed around to the entrance to the courtyard, my eyes like everyone else¡¯s wandering to the large garden that existed in the gap between where we were and what appeared to be the main entrance. In the distance, a wall ran out around the grounds, acting as a break between the castle and the surrounding valley. That, if it followed what I was using as a base, would extend to the Quidditch pitch but I¡¯d only be able to confirm that tomorrow at the earliest. Entering the courtyard, even though I was at the very back of the group, the large crest of Hogwarts drew my attention. It appeared to be made of gold with inlaid gems that suited the colours of the four houses that each formed a quarter of the crest. On either side of the massive crest were alcoves in which suits of armour rested. My mind instantly turned to when those had been used in the castle¡¯s defence, and I wondered how many of my fellow students understood that the suits of armour, even those charmed to speak, could do more than just stand there and look impressive. The doors to the castle swung inward, the hinges groaning almost in exaggeration, and the front of the crowd moved inward. I kept back, not wanting to get dragged into the group, and to ensure I was safe if someone stumbled or fell. Soon enough though, I was through the doors without incident and found myself in the entrance hall. Twin staircases rose to either side of another crest of Hogwarts, this one like that outside seemingly composed of gold. The difference was this one was smaller, the gems glowing brighter under the light of chandeliers that hung high overhead, and the fact the school¡¯s motto ran underneath the crest. Everything about this hall reminded me of regal entrances to residences of powerful families in both the magical and muggle worlds. After climbing the stairs, and stepping through another set of large doors, I found myself standing with the rest of the students before yet another set of doors. These were larger than even the external doors and just to one side of them, upon what I assumed was another platform, Professor McGonagall stood. Once the doors behind me creaked closed and I saw Professors Inkwood and Allwright appear, McGonagall flicked her wand, generating a ball of bright white light. ¡°Now that you are all here, I can formally welcome you into Hogwarts.¡± She paused there as the group emitted various sounds of excitement and agreement. While I was as excited as the others, I wasn¡¯t going to overreact. ¡°To your left,¡± she continued as he used her wand, the Lumos spell now discontinued, to point there, ¡°you¡¯ll see what appear to be four large timers. Beside each of them are other smaller ones, with them all being one of four colours. Those colours are the base colours of the four houses of Hogwarts. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.¡± As she said each house, the main glass lit up in the colour of the house, drawing a sizeable number of oohs and aahs. ¡°These are how we track the performance of each house throughout the year. ¡°The largest timers are used to determine the overall house champion at the end of each year. The smaller timers are for various other awards. Such as best house in each year, lower and upper Quidditch champions, lower and upper duelling tournaments, and other clubs linked to various activities and classes. While many of you might be interested in these clubs and activities, First Years are generally excluded from them. This is done to ensure that you are ready, with at least some basic training, before you compete with others. Both for your safety and your fellow students.¡± There were murmurs from the crowd, and I caught a few whispered complaints about not being able to join this club and that, but overall, everyone seemed relaxed about it. Or more likely, they wished to get on with things and get sorted. ¡°If you will follow me,¡± McGonagall turned and walked down from the platform even as the massive doors behind her swung open. The crowd surged forward, wanting to see what lay inside, though I already sensed it wouldn¡¯t be the Great Hall just yet. And as I gazed through the doorway, that thought was confirmed. As I moved into the new chamber, I saw the banners of each house on either wall. They lay in the same order as the timers outside had been placed with Gryffindor having the position of prominence. Given both Dumbledore and McGonagall had been students in that house, it was understandable, but I felt it would¡¯ve been wiser to randomise the orders instead of subtly suggesting any house was better than another. Each, based on the traits they claimed to prize, had strengths and drawbacks, and failing to understand and admit that only fed into issues between the houses. ¡°Beyond these doors lies the Great Hall of Hogwarts,¡± McGonagall spoke with said doors now behind her. ¡°Inside here, your fellow students from Second and Third Year along with the prefects and the Hogwarts Staff await you. Inside you will see four long tables each decorated in the colour of one of the Houses of Hogwarts. Even if you see a friend or family member at one of these tables, you are not to sit. You are to remain standing near these doors.¡± ¡°I shall leave you there and head to the front of the Hall. Once there, the Sorting will begin. You are to come forward when your name is called and once you are sorted, you are to head to the relevant table. Your house will be your home and family for your time at Hogwarts.¡± McGonagall stopped there, letting her words sink in. I already knew which house I wanted to be sorted into, and so long as the idea that one could choose their house was accurate, then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to ensure that. However, if it wasn¡¯t, then I would simply have to focus on the traits that said house ¨C and my backup choice ¨C prioritised and see how things go from there. Beyond that, I hoped that the rivalry between the various houses, especially Gryffindor and Slytherin wasn¡¯t as rapid as it had been in the other timeline when Harry and his friends had attended the school. Instead of, as I¡¯d expected, going into detail about what each house sought out in prospective members, McGonagall turned and waved her wand. The doors swung open and somewhere trumpets played to announce our arrival. That was, in my opinion, a bit too much, but given some of the things that I¡¯d seen in my new life that magicals enjoyed doing, it was remarkably restrained. Excited whispers and murmurs came from the crowd as they moved forward into the Hall and took their first look at it. Knowing a bit of what to expect, and once more wanting to remain clear of the crowds, I waited until even my cousins, their friends, and Linden had reached the doors before advancing. The hall was, to put it mildly, cavernous. Each table seemed to stretch for a mile, yet I could easily make out everyone sitting at them along with the staff of Hogwarts who were gathered at the front of the hall. The roof, as the books had stated, showed an amazing display of the night sky, so clear that features that muggles couldn¡¯t see without the use of orbital telescopes like the Hubble and James Webb were visible in amazing clarity. With Hogwarts being on roughly the same latitude as Dunscaith, I had no issues picking out the various constellations one would expect to find on an Autumn night above Scotland. ¡°Welcome, Welcome!¡± I looked forward at the speaker, only to slam my eyes closed at the downright hideous robes Dumbledore wore. That thing made the Technicolour Dreamcoat look positively regal by comparison, and that was with me being at the furthest point in the hall from the Headmaster. ¡°Please, come in.¡± I opened my eyes but made sure to not look at him, those robes were something I wanted to reduce to their constituent atoms if I ever got the chance. My gaze, now that the crowd I¡¯d followed into the Hall had spread out to the side, took in the various tables and I saw Andromeda and Narcissa at the Slytherin table, while their cousin was at Ravenclaw. My cousin, and technically my heir, Magnus was also at Ravenclaw as was Raghnall MacDougall. ¡°Another year, another intake of new students,¡± Dumbledore continued as McGonagall moved toward him, however, my focus was taken away from the Headmaster when I felt something jab into my side. ¡°Tsk tsk,¡± Bellatrix all but whispered into my ear as I realised it was her wand or finger that was pushing against my kidney. ¡°Lowering your guard simply because someone is talking? Whatever would my Lord say of such a display?¡± ¡°Hello Bellatrix,¡± I said, ignoring her comment as I knew she wouldn¡¯t even attempt anything. Not with two professors standing behind both of us. ¡°I thought you¡¯d meet me before I entered the Hall.¡± Whatever it was pressed against my side. ¡°By the time I received Professor Inkwood¡¯s Patronus, I was too far away from the Hall to make it in time,¡± Bellatrix explained as I turned to face her. Xeno¡¯s head lifted as he caught her voice, and he leaned forward as his eyes found her. ¡°Hello there little one. Have you missed me?¡± She asked, extending her hands. I lifted Xeno from the crook of my arm and handed him to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, D¨°mhnall will be back soon. He just needs to do it without you.¡± The meow Xeno emitted sounded feeble, but it drew a wide smile from Bellatrix. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll stay with you until he¡¯s finished.¡± Xeno turned back to me even as he began to settle into Bellatrix¡¯s arms. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll be back soon and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s got something for you to eat.¡± Xenocrates¡¯ head turned back to Bellatrix who offered him a nod. Knowing he was safe, I turned back to the hall as I didn¡¯t want my gaze to linger on Xeno, nor the fact he was settling into Bellatrix¡¯s bosom. I was just in time to do that as McGonagall reached the staff stage, though my brow continued to twitch as I was forced to observe Dumbledore¡¯s crime against wizardkind that he called a robe. A gasp went out from the group of First Years as she pulled a cover off of a stool revealing, to my relief, the Sorting Hat. ¡°Oh,¡± the Hat began and some in the group jerked in shock, and I swore someone squeaked in fear, ¡°and what do we have here?¡± The First Years all fell silent as the Hat continued, and I fought to keep a smirk from my face as I didn¡¯t want to hint that I knew this was coming before the Hat had been revealed. ¡°Another new intake of students? How simply marvellous.¡± It paused and coughed. ¡°No doubt you are all wondering what I am. Well, I am the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts; imbued with the magic of the Founders to determine which house each new student should join. But how I hear you ask; do I do that?¡± I braced myself for what was to come. ¡°Well, allow me to illuminate the matter: ¡°In Hogwarts'' halls where magic reigns, Before the storm, before the pains, A Sorting Hat with wisdom old, Sang words of fate, both brave and bold. ¡°Oh, listen close, ye students fair, To secrets whispered in the air, Four houses strong, united still, Against the dark, on Hogwarts'' hill. ¡°In days of peace, the Hat did sing, Of courage, kindness, every spring, Gryffindor, with hearts ablaze, To face the challenges of future days. ¡°Oh, listen close, ye students fair, To secrets whispered in the air, Four houses strong, united still, Against the dark, on Hogwarts'' hill. ¡°Hufflepuff, with loyalty true, In friendships forged, in gold and blue, Embrace the warmth, the earth, the sky, For love and laughter, never die. ¡°Oh, listen close, ye students fair, To secrets whispered in the air, Four houses strong, united still, Against the dark, on Hogwarts'' hill. ¡°Ravenclaw, with minds so keen, In wisdom''s halls, where thoughts convene, Seek knowledge deep, let wisdom soar, In every challenge, seek for more. ¡°Oh, listen close, ye students fair, To secrets whispered in the air, Four houses strong, united still, Against the dark, on Hogwarts'' hill. ¡°Slytherin, with cunning grace, Ambition burning in every place, Embrace the shadows, dance with fate, For power''s call can''t be late. ¡°Oh, listen close, ye students fair, To secrets whispered in the air, Four houses strong, united still, Against the dark, on Hogwarts'' hill. ¡°But shadows loom, the tempest nears, A time of darkness, fuelled by fears, Hold fast, young hearts, to bonds so true, For unity''s strength will guide you through. ¡°Oh, listen close, ye students fair, To secrets whispered in the air, Four houses strong, united still, Against the dark, on Hogwarts'' hill. ¡°In Hogwarts'' halls, the Hat does sing, Of hope and courage on the wing, In unity, the light will thrive, As long as students, true, arrive.¡± When the Hat finished, the Hall fell silent. Clapping came from the tables, some more enthusiastic than others, and was soon joined by most of my fellow First Years. While I went through the motions there, my mind was abuzz with the song, or more accurately, the last verse the Hat had offered. I wasn¡¯t sure how, but it seemed as if the Hat had some ability to sense what was coming. Shadows looming, and tempests nearing was a clear warning of danger. Based on the look Dumbledore and McGonagall shared even as they clapped at the Hat¡¯s song, it was clear they caught the warning as well. Several of the professors were also sharing glances, but I wondered if any of the students, outside, perhaps the senior Prefects who¡¯d be aware of things happening in the world around us, had caught the hint of danger. ¡°Now, let us commence with the Sorting!¡± The Hat called out, cutting through the clapping for its song. McGonagall stepped forward, moving to stand next to the stool that held the Hat. From her robes, she pulled a sheet of parchment. ¡°Abbot, Anders,¡± She called out and I wondered if the parchment was charmed to scroll through the names as to get all four hundred names on that would mean making them painfully small. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy,¡± the Professor added when there was no movement from the group. Eventually, Anders moved forward. He walked forward cautiously even as someone at the Hufflepuff table gave him a thumbs up. As he slowly walked toward the Hat, I moved back, finding a section of wall. It was going to take a decent while to get to me, and I¡¯d rather not stand stationary waiting for it. Professor Inkwood watched me from the comment of her eyes, to which responded with a shrug and then gestured toward the students in the group. She turned her attention back to the group as Anders reached the stool. He hopped on it cautiously after McGonagall removed the Hat, and as that was placed on his head, seemed to brace himself. Anders was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff, and the next student Liara Anderson, was called forward. The process repeated and watched, noting where each student was placed, either adding a new name to the list of those for the year I held in my mind or simply updating the information. Amycus Carrow, the heir to House Carrow, was sorted into Slytherin, as was Francis Bickerstaffe meaning the two heirs in the year had been placed in the same location. Bradley Cooper was placed, as I¡¯d expected, into Ravenclaw alongside Adele and Linden. As Laura MacLean was called forward, I pushed myself off the wall. Unless there was a muggleborn with a Highland name that lay between MacLean and MacLeod, I would be getting called up next. ¡°Ravenclaw,¡± the Hat called out, and I moved closer to the front of the group of unsorted First Years. ¡°MacLeod, Andrew.¡± I almost stumbled at hearing another MacLeod called forth. There were no members of one of the Clan¡¯s cadet branches with children starting this year. The boy that rushed forward, showing a complete lack of decorum, had curly brown hair. Once he reached the stool, he hopped on excitedly and turned to face the Hall. Taking in his face, and seeing him wearing a style of clothing under his robes that wasn¡¯t fashionable in the wizarding world confirmed that this was a muggleborn with my Clan name. That was an issue I¡¯d have to handle in the coming days as the rules of the Wizengamot ¨C though it predated that, going back to before the unified Wizard¡¯s Council of the Isles ¨C made clear that when a muggleborn entered our world with the name of a Clan or House that held a seat in the Wizengamot, then their care fell under the purview of that Clan or House. Either they were formally adopted into the Clan or House and established as a new cadet branch, or if they were denied the opportunity or it wasn¡¯t offered ¨C a common occurrence for Houses like the Blacks ¨C then they were forced by law to change their name to Nemo. The name change was forced upon them in the wizarding world until they graduated from Hogwarts or another school, at which point they could choose a new name and remain a part of the wizarding world, or leave it entirely and return to the muggle world. The former was how several unusual family names had developed, while the latter was, in my opinion, a waste of resources and was chosen by around forty per cent of all to whom the name Nemo was forced upon them. ¡°Gryffindor.¡± I scowled at hearing that, knowing it was going to make interacting with the muggleborn a hassle. Off to one side, as she petted Xeno, Bellatrix¡¯s glare followed the muggleborn as he moved toward the Gryffindor table. Her opinion on the matter was clear, but I wondered how the other prefects from older Clans and Houses felt about this, and how they would judge me for whatever choice I made for Andrew. ¡°MacLeod, D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh.¡± I pushed thoughts of Andrew aside and walked toward the front of the Hall. I¡¯d have preferred if McGonagall hadn¡¯t used my full name, but at least, being a fellow Celt, she was able to pronounce it correctly. Moving forward, several whispers came from the tables I was passing ¨C Ravenclaw to my right, Hufflepuff to the left with Slytherin and Gryffindor at the far sides. Andromeda, Narcissa, and Magnus all looked my way, but I kept my gaze ahead. I wasn¡¯t just a student or heir to an important family; I was the MacLeod of MacLeod. After nodding at McGonagall, I slipped onto the stool and the Hat was placed upon my head. ¡°Hmm, impressive mental defences for one so young,¡± the thing said, irritating me for revealing that to others, ¡°Though if I am to sort you correctly, then it is easier if you lower your defences slightly.¡± Wanting to test a theory, I spoke inside my mind. [Can you hear me?] [I Can and I must say how nice it is to encounter a student that understands communication can take place this way. Most years, I have but two or three students who have the mental maturity and discipline to do this. Your mental state is, I have to say, far more refined than what I have generally encountered in new students over the last several decades.] [Thank you, I think.] I replied, pushing aside the need to know who the last student was to have such refined mental facilities as I feared I already knew the answer. The hat chuckled internally. [There¡¯s no need to be concerned. A structured mind at such a youthful age is a sign of impending greatness. The trick you shall face is determining if your path will see you revered or vilified. Now, let us see what house would be best for you.] I lowered my defences slightly, allowing the Hat to peer into my mind. At the same time, I pushed memories and thoughts aligning with my preferred house to the edges of my consciousness. [I see you already have a preference, though the full truth of your reasoning for this choice is well hidden.] [Is that an issue?] [No. Nor is having a preference uncommon. Children are influenced by the role models in their lives. Be that parents, guardians, tutors, or distant relatives who have shown an unusually focused interest in a child¡¯s development.] The Hat hummed as it browsed the memories I wished to show it. [It appears that you would do well in any house in Hogwarts. The traits that the founders valued are strong within you, though¡­. Oh, now this is interesting. A First Year Fleshcarver, how unique.] [I hope that information isn¡¯t something you would tell others.] [You have nothing to fear from me regarding that information, young flesh-shaper. That is familial magic, older than even I. When they created me, the Founders made sure I understood that there were some matters about which I was never to speak with any bar those it involved. Even the Headmaster invoking the magic of the castle can¡¯t force me to divulge such information, not even if it threatened your fellow students of the castle itself.] [I hope it never comes to that.] [As do I. Though I do hope that one day we might speak again. A fleshcarver is something I have rarely encountered, nor one aware of Ancient Magic. How thoroughly perplexing.] [Sorry.] [Don¡¯t be, young one. A riddle of the mind is something I have not encountered in an exceptionally long time. Perhaps in later years, once you have developed your magic, we might speak more about what you know that you shouldn¡¯t?] [Perhaps.] [Trying to be mysterious, hmm?] [Perhaps.] The Hat chuckled. [Yes, I can sense that. I do hope that, in the years to come, we might speak again so I can learn how you are aware of things few know of. Now, back to your house.] I felt the Hat¡¯s presence pull back from the edges of my mind. ¡°Slytherin!¡± A cheer went up from the Slytherin table, though one muted and reserved to the more boisterous responses that had come from the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables. As I slipped from the stool, I noted that the prefects from my new house seemed happier about my presence than the lower years. Given they were more likely aware of wider issues in our world, that did make some sense. Still, as I approached the green-and-silver-themed table, I put that out of my mind. It was time to meet my new yearmates and made a beeline for where Amycus and Francis were sitting. The three of us would be the likely figures to lead our year group, and it would behove me to either determine which of the pair was a threat or preferably, see if I could gain their allegiance and support. As I reached the head of the table, Bellatrix came up to me, and Xeno leapt happily from her arms into mine. ¡°Welcome to where you belong,¡± she said even as I heard a slight increase in murmurs from my table and the nearby Ravenclaw. ¡°Now go and meet your new housemates, though prepare yourself for what will come after the feast.¡± ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 1 Part 3 Year 1 Part 3 I moved forward slowly, intentionally staying near the back of the large group of students as we were led through the corridors of Hogwarts. The Welcoming Feast had ended about ten minutes ago, and the prefects of Slytherin, led by Head Girl Serena Rowle, were guiding the First Years to the Slytherin Chambers. While I had stayed near the back, wanting to keep Xeno from getting jostled, Amycus Carrow and Francis Bickerstaffe had rushed to the front; no doubt in an attempt to project that the crowd was following them in a rather vain attempt to seem more important than anyone else. Others, including my cousin Ruarc O¡¯Conor and Damien Blackwood, had moved near the front as well, possibly in an attempt to follow the two heirs, but most seemed willing to let the crowd move as the prefects directed it. Staying near the back allowed me to watch the movements of the figures ahead of me. At the feast, I¡¯d talked a little with a few students including Angus MacLean and Lovell Selwyn, but generally, I¡¯d kept to myself. There would be more than ample time in the next week to get to better know my housemates and for now, I was interested in matching faces to records Arcturus and Aunt Moire had provided on my yearmates. The issue there was that while there were faces for all the important boys in my years ¨C meaning sons of Chiefs, Lords, and Heirs ¨C information on the others, including the girls, was lacking. Now, I understood why that had been done as it was expected I¡¯d spend more time around my gender, with a focus on those who might be important allies in Hogwarts and beyond, but it still left me with little more than names for faces. Or at least those I¡¯d seen sorted and that I¡¯d seen move. The most interesting of that group, beyond those who held names for Ancient or higher Clans and Houses, was that Vesta Malfoy was in my house. From various events in the last few years, I knew she was Lucius¡¯ younger sister, but I hadn¡¯t realised she would be in my year at Hogwarts. In the other timeline, Lucius had been allied with Voldemort, but there was a chance that I could shift his allegiance to me. I just had to determine what motivated this version of Lucius and see how I could help with those goals without appearing to be subservient to the older boy. Xenocrates shifted in my arms, taking my attention from the children around me. ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be much longer,¡± I said gently as my free hand ¨C or at least the one that he wasn¡¯t lying on ¨C scratched him behind an ear. The raiju purred at the touch, drawing a few glances from others. During the Welcoming Feast, Xeno had drawn a lot of attention, particularly from the girls. A few had asked to pet him, and after checking with Xeno and doing what I could to judge them, I allowed such gestures. At least until one boy, Weland Brinsop, attempted to touch Xeno without permission. Beyond pushing past Barbara Bones, he had a scowl on his face as he moved that concerned me. Xeno had sensed that, and sparks had begun dancing around his eyes even as I¡¯d moved to draw my wand. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten it out before Weland grasped Xeno, but thankfully the boy never had the chance. Bellatrix had been watching me, no doubt under orders from Arcturus, and had struck the boy with the knockback jinx. Interestingly, Finn Dalcassin had also reacted, striking Weland with a stunner. The boy had been knocked over the table, sending dishes flying. As they were covered in food by the tumbling boy, several of my housemates had snarled and screamed in shock, which had drawn the attention of a stern-looking professor. The Professor spoke with the two prefects, getting details about the incident before asking me to confirm the report the prefects had given. When I gave that confirmation, Professor Morgan had turned to Weland and deducted twenty points from Slytherin for ¡®failure to observe expected norms¡¯ and thirty points for ¡®causing an unacceptable ruckus¡¯ at the Welcoming Feast. Every prefect and many of the students had glared at Weland after Professor Morgan turned away, and the boy spent the rest of the Welcoming Feast at the far end of the table, ignored by our yearmates. Now, I wasn¡¯t happy about Weland¡¯s attempt to grasp Xeno, but his social exclusion might be something I could use to my advantage. Weland wasn¡¯t from the main bloodline of House Brinsop, but he had enough potential even as a likely child of a cadet branch to attend Hogwarts, meaning he could be a useful associate: If he showed remorse for trying to grasp Xeno and humility to accept his mistake. ¡°Chief MacLeod.¡± The softly spoken use of my title had me shifting my focus from Xeno to see a boy had moved toward me. I already knew who this was, his face matching one in the files I¡¯d been given before Hogwarts started, but I let him introduce himself formally. ¡°I am Lasadh Astra of the Established House of Astra.¡± He lowered his head a fraction. Not as much as would be expected given the differences in our ranks and titles, but about as much as he could probably get away with inside Hogwarts. ¡°If I might enquire, is your pet a raiju?¡± Several people at the table had asked about Xeno, but none had seemingly realised he was anything but a cat. At least not before Weland¡¯s mistake. After that, the others had, for whatever reason, kept back and left Xeno and me alone. Lasadh was the first to speak to me since then. At least about Xeno. In front of us, I saw several students cranking their necks back, having caught Lasadh¡¯s words, and the general volume of conversation between those students had lessened. While they did that, I considered Lasadh. He was the firstborn of the heir of House Astra, which was one of the few lower-end Clans and Houses to not be affiliated with an Ancient or older Clan or House. That, along with his position as second-in-line of his house, made him someone of interest. The boy had pale blue eyes and hair that was so blond it appeared white when we passed by a torch. There was a spark of intellect in his eyes, and as there was nothing in his posture or tone suggesting anything else, I suspected he was curious about Xeno simply because the raiju was an unexpected ripple in how First Year was expected to go. ¡°Xenocrates is a raiju, yes. However, he is my familiar.¡± In front of us, someone stumbled, drawing a smirk from me. Learning I had a familiar was going to make the rounds very quickly in the house, if not the school, as it was uncommon for anyone below Sixth Year to have familiars. The Blacks might not have given Xenocrates to me with the intent that he would become my familiar, but that was what he was, and I was immensely glad for it. ¡°Might I ask where your curiosity in him lies?¡± I added, remembering the way several Professors and Hagrid had reacted to his presence before we¡¯d reached Hogwarts. ¡°Purely from an intellectual perspective, I assure you,¡± Lasah replied as we moved through a large area after descending another flight of stairs. On this landing, there was a large statue of a snake ¨C a feature becoming more common the deeper we headed into Hogwarts¡¯ lower levels ¨C rising out of the water, intending to grasp at what appeared to be a lion. ¡°According to what I have read of the species, they are known to have several interesting abilities and properties that, if harvested from them, can be used in several rare and expensive potions.¡± ¡°Xeno is too young to display his magic, or for his fur and shavings to be used in potions.¡± There were other parts of a raiju that could be used in potions and rituals, however, those required harvesting from a recently deceased creature. If Lasadh or anyone else wished for those parts, they would have a war on their hands to acquire them. ¡°The extent of what he can currently do was witnessed by all in the Great Hall. I am, however, told that inside in the next half-year several of his other abilities will begin to appear.¡± ¡°As expected. And to clarify, I have no interest in him in anything more than an academic interest. When I was younger, I read about a great many magical beasts and hoped to see them once older. Discovering one linked to the Orient on my first day at Hogwarts has been a most unexpected but rewarding experience.¡± He smiled at Xeno who barely opened his eyes, preferring to stay still and enjoy my petting. ¡°As he grows, would you be accepting if I helped you monitor and track his growth?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± I replied cautiously. There was potential for Lasah to be a useful ally, but it was far too early to be certain of anything. ¡°Once we are better acquainted, then I may permit you to help me, but until then I¡¯ll say no.¡± Lasadh nodded, offering me a seemingly friendly smile. ¡°But of course.¡± The conversation ended there, and we began following the rest of our housemates down another set of stairs. What stood out here was that, along the points where the walls touched the ceiling, snakes had been carved into the stones. Looking closer, I saw that each snake had green gems ¨C probably emeralds given the way the light seemed to flicker off them ¨C as eyes, while the scales had been intricately added to the stonework. The torches along this set of stairs, unlike those before, burnt a dark green. Along with the stone snakes, and the strange rippling of magic one could feel in the air, it would likely concern those of weaker wills. Before we reached the next chamber, the air itself grew heavy, charged with a chill that warned us we were nearing the Slytherin common room and dormitory. Our suspicions turned to certainty as we rounded the corner to see a throng of newly minted Slytherins clustered together, their eyes wide with wonder. Serena stood before them; her figure poised beside a seemingly unremarkable section of the wall. Emerald-tinted corridors stretched away on either side, their depths whispering secrets to those brave enough to explore them, but my gaze settled on Serena¡ªand the way the wall before her began to ripple. I inhaled sharply, my breath catching along with those of my housemates, as an enormous stone snake, easily five metres in length, materialised as if conjured from the stone itself. Its scales glistened like polished granite, and its eyes¡ªcold, calculating¡ªseemed to survey us all. "¡ìWelcome, new students. May your ambitions and drive lead you to the success you desire.¡ì" The words slithered from the snake''s mouth in Parseltongue, a language so ancient it felt like a relic of magic itself. I bit down on my reaction, determined not to show my awe or apprehension. Around me, my classmates edged back, their unease a stark contrast to the smirk of a Sixth-Year prefect, who watched our reactions with a knowing gleam in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that perhaps he understood more than just the sound of the snake''s hiss. Parseltongue. A gift, some would call it. Others¡ªa curse. Though I had spent years honing my skills in more practical branches of magic, such as fleshcarving, I¡¯d not given the language of snakes its due diligence. The thought of conversing with this stone guardian stirred a new curiosity within me. Could it respond to commands in Parseltongue? And if so, what other powers might it¡ªand others like it throughout the castle¡ªyield to those capable of speaking its tongue? The implications were dizzying: an unseen network of stone guardians, monitoring and defending the very walls of Hogwarts. But that was a mystery for another day; for now, my focus remained on the stone serpent arching its body, marking the doorway to our new home. Serena turned to face us; her expression unreadable save for the sliver of command that shone through her otherwise warm smile. "Welcome, new Slytherins, to what will be your home for the next seven years." She gestured toward the arch. "To enter Slytherin isn''t about knowing a hidden mechanism or answering a riddle. Here, you prove yourself." With a single word ¨C ¡°Virtus¡± ¨C she summoned forth the enchantment. The wall pulsed as though struck by an invisible wave, each ripple reverberating back from the stone snake¡¯s body, transforming the solid wall into a polished wooden door, carved with intricate serpents. Silver eyes gleamed from within the wood, scrutinising us with an uncanny intelligence. "The passphrase I used will be changed tomorrow," Serena continued, her tone sharpening. "It will be displayed within the common room. Fail to remember it, and you¡¯ll be at the mercy of your housemates for entry. But make no mistake: no student from another house can enter through this door, even if they learn the passphrase." Her voice dropped, and the air grew thick with warning. "The founder ensured it. Anyone foolish enough to try will find themselves detained, and every prefect will be alerted. Such a transgression carries a price¡ªfive hundred points from your house and a month in detention for both the offender and their accomplice." The laughter from earlier died quickly, replaced by a collective solemnity as Serena¡¯s words sank in. With one last meaningful look, she stepped through the doorway, disappearing into the darkened halls beyond. The crowd surged forward, eager to follow, but I lingered at the rear. There was power in not being first¡ªin controlling one¡¯s own timing. Lasadh slowed his pace to glance back at me, but I offered only a smirk in reply, sending him onward. Once the others had passed, I stood alone, admiring the work that had gone into crafting this entrance. As I took a step toward the doorway, I heard a voice¡ªa prefect, his eyes gleaming with recognition of a kindred spirit. "Is there a reason you¡¯re taking your time, MacLeod?" I turned, meeting the gaze of Finn Dalcassin, who stood with an older prefect by his side. "Just because much of my time here will be controlled by others, doesn¡¯t mean all of it must be," I replied evenly. The older prefect, Asmodeus Wessex, extended a hand, his voice rich with humour. "Heir Cerdicing,¡± he greeted me with my family¡¯s ancient name, a nod to shared traditions. ¡°It¡¯s rare for a First Year to understand the value of patience." I accepted his handshake with a nod, before slipping through the archway. A tingling hum of ancient magic greeted me as I crossed the threshold, a reminder of the journey I¡¯d begun. The landing I arrived on was bathed in a green glow, the marble walls adorned with intricate, shifting tiles that gave the illusion of a serpent writhing through tall grass. Torches lit the stairwell, their emerald flames casting eerie shadows that danced as if alive. Descending, I reached a chamber so vast it defied the limits of the castle above. High above, a mural depicted a basilisk coiled protectively around Hogwarts, as though daring any threat to approach. The room¡¯s grandeur was emphasised by the dark mahogany tables and silver-accented chairs scattered throughout, each piece a testament to the opulence and strength of Slytherin. Professor Morgan waited at the far end, flanked by four others. Their expressions ranged from impassive to mildly intrigued as they observed our arrival. Around them, the senior prefects had taken their places, a silent acknowledgement of the power and hierarchy woven through every brick of this chamber. Behind the Professors, a curtain of shimmering magic obscured a doorway, hinting at the promised view of the Black Lake and, perhaps, a new world awaiting those bold enough to claim it. As I took my place, I noticed Professor Morgan''s gaze flicker my way, a mix of curiosity and approval. He knew I was the last to arrive, that I had chosen to set my own pace. And in that shared glance, I felt the first stirrings of understanding that my place here was not just as a student, but perhaps something more. ¡°Now that everyone is here, I shall begin. I am Professor Octavius Morgan; Charms Grandmaster, Senior Charms Professor, and most importantly for now, Head of Slytherin House. At my sides are Professors Slughorn, Churchward, Hunt, and O¡¯Leary.¡± Each Professor nodded in turn making clear which name went with which face. ¡°Like myself, they were either once students who passed this chamber, or have embraced the values Salazar Slytherin sought in potential apprentices, and we all serve as the Professors in charge of this great house. Professors Churchward and Hunt shall be your points of contact until you enter Third Year.¡± Given the number of students in Hogwarts, it made sense that different professors handled different age groups. That also explained why there was such a large number of prefects ¨C I¡¯d counted enough to suspect there were around ten per year per house. With just one professor and two prefects per house per year, it would be impossible to control and monitor the students. Not without a dedicated security force of some form. ¡°On behalf of the other Professors, your prefects, it is my honour to welcome you to Slytherin,¡± I noted he made no mention of Dumbledore, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I should read too much into that. ¡°In Slytherin, we strive for excellence. Not just in achieving your ambitions, but in doing so in intelligent and meaningful ways.¡± ¡°Ravenclaws believe that knowledge is all that matters, yet without the wisdom and dedication to use that knowledge, it is nothing but a blunt instrument to bash over the heads of others. Much as muggles did before wizards showed them better ways. ¡°Hufflepuffs believe in loyalty and support for others. However, one should not grant your support to those unworthy of it. Offering your help and protection to many leaves you vulnerable both by spreading yourself too thin and to those you have offered to ally with without first having studied them carefully for any hint of deception. ¡°Gryffindor, believe in being brave.¡± Several of the professors and prefects had subtle reactions to the mention of that house, suggesting there were issues between them and us. All I could hope was that they weren¡¯t as severe as they¡¯d been during Harry¡¯s time in the other timeline. ¡°While there are times when it is preferable to head into danger, doing so rashly and without thought of your safety, that of those with you, or the consequences of such actions, is a failure of intelligence,¡± I smirked, agreeing that it was a fault the trio had displayed on occasion. ¡°In Slytherin, while all those traits are accepted and even encouraged, they must be used cautiously. Precision, planning, and preparation matter. Knowledge used correctly grants wisdom. Loyalty to those worthy of it helps us advance our ideals while facing and overcoming dangers is to be expected when it will bring rewards worth the risk. ¡°I expect all of you to excel in your studies, however, you are not simply at Hogwarts to learn and improve your magic, nor do I expect everyone to become masters of every field. To attempt that is a path even figures like Headmaster Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald chose not to travel down. ¡°What I, and my fellow Professors, expect from you is that while you are within these halls, you learn the skills necessary to lead and shape our world. It does us little good as a people if those of other houses are allowed to decide the direction of our world, as none have the drive and purpose to know how to do so bar true Slytherins.¡± I nodded along, agreeing with his words. Now, that wasn¡¯t to say that students from other houses couldn¡¯t display the values that Slytherin desired, but from my study of former Ministers, Chief Warlocks, and Supreme Mugwumps, it was clear that, in general, those that had the most influence on our country were those who had formerly been Slytherin students. Or had allied or married someone from our house. ¡°Moving onto the rules. This is a relatively simple matter. Prefects will handle intra- and inter-house discipline. They, unlike prefects from elsewhere, will not show favouritism to those in our house, or unfairly target students in other houses. If, by some failing on your part, your actions require more punishment than a prefect can dispense, they will take you to one of my fellow Professors. That should be the end of any matter, and I assure you that the punishments my fellow Professors will place upon you will have you deeply regretting your actions. ¡°If, by some act of magic that I cannot begin to fathom, your actions are severe enough that they require my attention, I assure you that the punishment will be one you shall remember for the rest of your life. No matter how long or short it might be.¡± Any amusement that might have been left over from Professor Morgan¡¯s description of the other houses and their failings was gone as the Professor finished explaining how issues would be resolved. There was a cold certainty in his words that made clear he was sincere in the severity of what punishments he would use if we were brought before him. One thing that stood out about his speech was how easily he commanded the room. There was none of the grace or class I¡¯d seen from Arcturus. No, this was a man who demanded attention because he deserved it. Beyond the titles he held, he was someone who had earned his position through skill and dedication. The way he carried himself was another interesting thing as while he didn¡¯t seemingly demand attention, he got it simply by being present. ¡°Regarding rules specific to our house, it is simple. Any issues that might develop between yourselves and another in Slytherin will remain in Slytherin. Any hint of dissension out of these chambers will be handled harshly by the prefects, the other Professors and myself. Unlike the other houses, we will not conduct ourselves like a group of wild nifflers fighting over a Galleon. ¡°For issues between house members, they can be handled through a variety of methods. The simplest and most efficient is within a duelling chamber. That corridor,¡± he gestured to a corridor to his left ¨C my right ¨C where Alihandra waved to draw our attention to the corridor she stood next to, ¡°leads to such chambers. However, none of you are allowed to enter a duelling chamber until after the Winter Break, and even after duels must be arranged with the Prefect Council. If I am forced to write to your parents detailing your engagement in unauthorised duels with another member of the house, you will not like the punishment I enforce. Perhaps you might even prefer to transfer to another school for those unable to handle the rigours of Hogwarts.¡± The threat of writing to my parents was a mute one, but the idea of transferring was effective. ¡°The other corridors to my left contain chambers to help with improving yourself; be that academically or in other ways. These corridors will be explained to you during your first week in Slytherin, until then you are not permitted to enter.¡± Since he worked in Hogwarts it was highly likely Professor Morgan was loyal to Dumbledore, which could be a problem in the future. A man that commanded respect and servitude so easily was one I would kill to have in the forces I hoped to have one day if I wished to challenge Dumbledore and Voldemort. Merlin, the fact Dumbledore could command Professor Morgan¡¯s loyalty ¨C along with that of probably every other Professor in Hogwarts ¨C was a clear sign of the magical power the Headmaster had. ¡°Lasadh Astra, Francis Bickerstaffe, Amycus Carrow, D¨°mhnall MacLeod, and Godwine Suthsax, step forward.¡± Hearing my name called caught me unaware, but I was quickly moving through the crowd. Most of the students slipped to one side or the other, letting me pass as they watched me carefully. However, one girl, who I recognized as Vesta Malfoy, waited until I was almost on her toes before shifting. The way her pale grey eyes locked on mine, tracking my movement while completely unconcerned by Xeno¡¯s hissing at her presence was interesting. As was the whispered comment of ¡°useful¡± as I passed her. I would have to determine her connection to Lucius, both to see if she was a threat and if she might grant me an opening to establish relations with the heir to House Malfoy. Once I joined the other four in front of Professor Morgan, he instructed us to turn around and face the rest of our year. ¡°Enya Delaney, Lauren Hungerford, Vesta Malfoy, Aline Munro, and Adilene Pontius, please join us.¡± As the girls summoned moved forward, my mind wandered. Francis and Amycus were both heirs to their house, while Godwine and Lasadh were firstborns of heirs. Along with myself, that must mean we held the five top positions via status in the year. The girls must therefore be firstborn daughters of Chiefs, Lords, and heirs, meaning their hands were worth more than the others. It was unfortunate that this was how they were regarded, but outside the Irish and Scottish Clans, no lady could assume a seat in the Wizengamot, and thus be regarded as head of their Clan or house. Based on all that, it was obvious to me that Professor Morgan was setting us up as the top of the year, the question was why, but I knew that would be answered soon. ¡°Status matters, both in this house and outside of the walls of Hogwarts,¡± Morgan continued once the girls had joined us, Vesta standing closer to me than anyone else. ¡°However, how we define that status is different. Outside these walls, these ten students would be regarded as having the highest status. Inside, however, that is not the case. ¡°Merit, skill, and performance matter, and from Third Year the best ten students will be rewarded for that status. For the first semester, these ten will be regarded as the top of your year. Their challenge is to prove the position is deserved. Your challenge is to prove you are more deserving. ¡°From after the Winter break, a ranking of the top twenty males and females will be displayed near your dormitories. That list will change day to day depending on a variety of factors that you will have to discover for yourselves. At the end of Second Year, the top five of each gender will be rewarded for their efforts. ¡°Most students stay in rooms with four others. The top male and female students from Third Year onward will have private accommodation. The others in the top five will share rooms. This is but the first of many benefits of proving yourself greater than your peers. The rest will be discovered only if you end the year at the top of the lists.¡± All that explained why I and the others had been singled out, and I could already see many in the crowd eying us as a challenge to overcome. I understood why the Professor was doing this, but I would have preferred to avoid having to watch my back from the first moment I entered Slytherin. ¡°In an unusual situation, instead of simply having a handful of heirs or firstborns of heirs, this year we are joined by Chief MacLeod.¡± I felt hands come to rest on my shoulders. I stayed as calm as I could as Professor Morgan stood behind me, however, Xenocrates hissed loudly at the action. ¡°The creature in his arms is not, as many of you suspect, a simple pet. It is his familiar and classed as a Four-X creature by the ICW. I expect that you are aware of the concept of familiars. If not, I expect you to educate yourselves quickly. ¡°No student can be targeted by a spell designed to, or with the intent to kill. That is an automatic expulsion from Hogwarts. In Chief MacLeod¡¯s case, at least until he has passed his OWLs, an attempt on his life will not only see you expelled, but brought before the Wizengamot under charges of attempting to exterminate an Ancient House. The minimum sentence for such an action is life in Azkaban. The maximum is a Dementor¡¯s kiss for you and imprisonment for every first-degree relation.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. That had several of the crowd inhaling sharply while for others, their eyes widened so much it was clear they feared the punishment. I understood why Professor Morgan was stating this, but at the same time, I wished he hadn¡¯t as it now made me an even bigger target for others to challenge and surpass. Then again, I would not deny I looked forward to the attempts as it would give me a reason to push myself until the end of Second Year. ¡°I and my fellow Professors of Slytherin now turn you over to your prefects.¡± There was some shuffling behind me, and I felt Professor Morgan move away before Serena spoke. ¡°If everyone would turn to face me.¡± I, along with the nine others called to the front, did as she asked, and I saw her standing there with the other Sixth- and Seventh-Year prefects. The Fifth-Year prefects were aligned along the walls. ¡°To my left, there are three corridors. These lead to the various dormitories. The corridor nearest the entrance is for First and Second Years. The middle corridor is for those in Third to Fifth Year while the final corridor is for Sixth and Seventh Years. ¡°While you have free reign to enter the passageways contained within for First- and Second-Year students, you are not permitted to enter the corridors for the higher years. At least not without permission from someone in those years. If you have an elder sibling or cousin in such a year, they must meet you at the entrance of the corridor to permit you access, and that shall only remain valid for twenty-four hours. If you are caught attempting to enter those corridors, or the dormitory of others without their express permission, you shall be brought before the Prefect Council. ¡°As we have our OWLs and NEWTs, among other matters, to concentrate on, we dislike having to waste precious time dealing with misbehaving and unruly students.¡± Behind her, several of the prefects offered smiles that ranged from concerning to downright threatening to sell her words. The odds were good that the punishments the Prefect Council enacted would be unenjoyable without being outright dangerous. That said, I did notice that her words, much like those of Professor Morgan, hinted that one would only be punished if they were caught, which left some wiggle room regarding what I could and couldn¡¯t do. ¡°Follow me.¡± She moved toward the first corridor, the one she had just indicated contained our dorms. I and those at the front with me, moved to follow while the rest of the year tagged along behind, several of the prefects gesturing for us to head down the corridor. My eyes glanced toward the other corridors, and I saw several older students moving around in them including Andromeda. She didn¡¯t give any reaction when I spotted her, remaining in quiet conversation with who I assumed were her friends. However, their eyes, along with those of many other students, were upon us. While I expected they would do that with each new group of Firsties, I wondered if there was a touch more interest because of my unique situation. Before I reached the corridor, Amycus had moved ahead of me, ensuring he would be the first to enter behind the Head Girl. There was an urge to roll my eyes at his behaviour as Professor Morgan had already stated we were at the top of the year, and his entering first wouldn¡¯t change anything. Not when, whichever room we were assigned to, would already have my chest in it, and if Kadic had done as I¡¯d asked, placed it on the bed behind the door. Yes, that door meant I wouldn¡¯t be the first anyone saw when they entered ¨C or even if the door were open to the corridor, but by being behind the door I had the greatest protection. I didn¡¯t expect anyone to attempt anything lethal against me, at least not for a few more years, but the potential to try and embarrass me and the others in my room was great. Not only would it make us appear weak to the others, but the ones responsible for such actions would gain power and influence within the house. Perhaps I was overthinking the issue, but if the positions were reversed, I would certainly consider ways to gain the position of top of the year. Merlin, I had spent time over the last month doing just that ¨C be they academic, political, or underhanded ¨C and now that I was starting from a position of elevation among my peers, I had to convert those plans into methods for defending from such actions. ¡°Bit full of himself isn¡¯t he?¡± I glanced to my right, seeing it was Godwine who had whispered the comment. Amycus slowed for a step, suggesting the words had reached him, but he didn¡¯t turn back. Doing so could be seen by others as a sign that he wasn¡¯t confident in his position of importance. ¡°He is the heir to a Most Ancient House,¡± I replied just as quietly. ¡°It¡¯s hardly a surprise he believes the world thinks better of him than it truly does,¡± Godwine smirked as Amycus slowed again. Ahead of him, Serena entered the corridor. ¡°Based on what my father has suggested, I cannot say it is unsurprising. Still, I shall enjoy teaching him that power comes from oneself and not one¡¯s title.¡± ¡°Does that apply to me as well?¡± I asked, my hand running down Xeon¡¯s spine as I unintentionally channelled a muggle movie villain. ¡°These first four passageways are for the Second-Year students,¡± Serena said loudly, preventing Godwine from responding to my challenge. ¡°Those on my right are for the girls, those to my left for the boys. The first dormitory in the first passageway is where those marked out by Professor Morgan shall be situated.¡± I glanced to my right, seeing Lucius Malfoy standing there along with a few others. None of them were heirs ¨C as the files I¡¯d been given about my schoolmates had focused on them for the upper years ¨C but it was clear that they were already under Lucius¡¯ influence. Not unexpected, but something I was going to have to consider when I approached him. ¡°Unlike the corridors for the upper years, nothing is stopping a First Year from entering the passageways for a Second Year, or vice versa,¡± Serena continued. ¡°However, the rules regarding entering dormitories without permission still apply, not least as many choose to add to the protective charms of the room with ones of their choosing.¡± She didn¡¯t add anything else, but I expected the warning earlier regarding entering the dormitories of students in the other passageways applied to the Second Years as well. Serena pivoted, gliding down the corridor with a fluidity that spoke to years of practised authority. I fell in step, observing the walls as they came alive around us. Carved serpents lined each side, their eyes glinting in the flickering light, and as we approached, their mouths opened to emit a soft, eerie glow. An impressive feature, certainly, but the serpents¡¯ omnipresence hinted at something deeper¡ªa web of enchantments woven into the very stones of this place. I resolved to investigate these serpents further; their secrets might be far more valuable than the simple illumination they provided. As Serena reached the end of the corridor, my attention shifted to the statue that loomed there¡ªa figure unmistakably meant to represent Salazar Slytherin himself. The details were immaculate, from the severe expression etched into his stone face to the flowing robes carved with meticulous precision. Yet, as my gaze travelled down, a small marking caught my eye: a serpent devouring its own tail, nestled inconspicuously near the base of one sleeve. It was a subtle detail, almost hidden, but the mark¡¯s placement set it apart. The symbol resonated with me¡ªa snake consuming itself, the Ouroboros¡ªa nod to eternity, cycles, and, perhaps, secrets buried within secrets. My thoughts drifted to Moaning Myrtle¡¯s bathroom and the rumoured entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. In my timeline, a carved snake adorned a simple tap, but the possibility of altered entrances in this iteration of Hogwarts intrigued me. If this statue marked another entrance, it would likely require more than just a Parseltongue command to yield its secrets. Perhaps Salazar¡¯s enchantments demanded a price for entry, as rumours suggested¡ªa Torture Curse, cast without hesitation. Such a demand would ensure only the truly devoted¡ªor ruthless¡ªwould uncover his hidden sanctums. As my mind spun with these possibilities, Serena¡¯s voice broke through, anchoring me to the present. ¡°These passageways,¡± she announced, gesturing with a sweep of her hand, ¡°lead to your dormitories. The first door of the initial passage on each side will house those selected by Professor Morgan. Your belongings are already waiting for you. For the rest of you, the house elves will deliver your chests, pets, and anything else you brought.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking than Amycus darted forward, a gleam of ambition in his eyes as he hurried toward the first room on the right. I exchanged a knowing look with Godwine, one that Lasadh caught as well, and we followed in silence, letting the boy claim his moment of triumph. Serena watched Amycus¡¯s hasty retreat with narrowed eyes, the slightest hint of disapproval slipping through her composed facade. Whether it was annoyance or something deeper, her gaze lingered just long enough to suggest she valued patience and control¡ªa lesson lost, perhaps, on Amycus but not on me. As I moved forward, the mysteries of Slytherin house seemed to deepen around me, each shadowed corner, each carved snake promising revelations¡ªat a cost. This place was as much a test as it was a sanctuary, and I intended to master every secret it held. Amycus slipped into the room, yet as I reached the door I heard a loud bang from the room. My torc warmed, signalling a threat, and as Xeno leapt from my arms, sparks dancing along his fur, I pulled my wand and stepped to the doorway. Looking inside cautiously, I saw Amycus lying on the floor, a chest he¡¯d struck tipped over but thankfully not opened. ¡°In Merlin¡¯s name!¡± Serena stated as she appeared at my side, her wand drawn and the tip glowing. ¡°What is going on here?¡± She demanded as she moved past me and entered the room. I followed her in, Xeno at my feet, as Amycus brushed himself off. ¡°I was moving to claim a bed, however, that chest dared to attack me.¡± He glared at me as he spoke, suggesting it was my fault. Looking at where he had come from, I saw my Lord¡¯s Chest resting on the bed behind the door. ¡°That is my chest,¡± I said calmly, my wand pointed down but ready to use if Amycus attempted anything. ¡°My elf would have placed it there on my orders.¡± ¡°Move it now!¡± Amycus demanded, his hand flicking to his wrist. Before he could do anything, he froze in place. ¡°Professor Morgan was clear about duels before Winter Break,¡± Serena said calmly as I processed that she¡¯d silently cast an Immobilisation Charm without any effort. That was a clear sign of not only her power but that she¡¯d unlocked most if not all of her considerable potential. ¡°MacLeod, holster your wand!¡± I did as she asked, which Xenocrates took as a sign to move to my side. As I reached down to collect him, Serena¡¯s wand flicked and Amycus stumbled forward. ¡°Do not draw your wand, Carrow!¡± The boy glared at her for a moment. Even without seeing her face, I knew his attempt to intimidate her was about as effective as a mouse challenging a Nemean Lion. Still, it seemed Serena wasn¡¯t prepared to let the pathetic attempt at a challenge go unanswered, and around us, the air grew thick. I knew this wasn¡¯t close to what a full witch or wizard could do, having been trained to endure such attempts to dominate magic around me by Arcturus and Aunt Morie. However, it was enough to make clear that even if Amycus and I worked together, we didn¡¯t stand a chance against Serena. To his credit, Amycus understood that, and took a step back, hands moving away from each other in a display of deference. That calmed Serena and as she holstered her wand, the air returned to normal. ¡°Now,¡± she said slowly, ¡°explain clearly what happened here, Carrow.¡± ¡°I entered the room first, wishing to lay claim to the bed of my choice. However, I saw this chest,¡± he gestured at it absently, as if offended by its very existence, ¡°was already there. I attempted to levitate it away, however it reacted by attacking me.¡± ¡°For Merlin¡¯s sake,¡± Serena muttered before shaking her head in annoyance. ¡°Carrow, unless you missed or failed to understand several lessons your father would have given you, that chest is a Lord¡¯s Chest. The fact it bears the crest of Clan MacLeod, which I would expect a child half your age to know, indicates who its owner is. That you chose to ignore that and attempted to move it, shows either wilful intent to cause trouble or a severe lack of education.¡± While Serena didn¡¯t have the presence of Professor Morgan, her speech carried enough gravitas that Amycus understood he¡¯d fucked up. Yet, as he looked down at the ground, and I heard whispered comments from behind me, I saw a way to turn this further to my advantage. ¡°With respect, Lady Rowle, it does not matter which of your offered suggestions is the cause of Heir Carrow¡¯s mistake. The fact remains that he willingly chose to attack a Lord¡¯s Chest. That is, from the lessons I have received, a basis for the foundation of a feud between us, or a challenge to a duel.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten Professor Morgan¡¯s statement on the rules?¡± Serena asked bluntly. ¡°I have not. However, the law regarding a Lord¡¯s Chest is very clear. Attempting to interfere with it is considered an offence toward the Lord, or in my case the Chief, and their Family.¡± While I responded, I turned my full attention to her. The action showed both that I considered her important, and that Amycus was beneath me. There was a small chance he might attempt something while my attention was elsewhere, but I doubted he would commit such a grievous faux pax to further compound his existing mistake. What I hadn¡¯t mentioned to Serena, but I knew she understood, was that in matters where issues developed between Clans and Houses, the Headmaster was to be consulted. Serena would not want that, as it would cause her issues with the rest of her year and the staff. I knew she wouldn¡¯t permit a duel between us, but I wondered how she would handle the issue without causing issues. Now, challenging the Head Girl was a dangerous game, but it was one I had to take. To do otherwise would be a sign of weakness. Not only as a student but as Chief. As the air around us grew thick as she pushed her magic into it, attempting to intimidate me, I stood my ground. Xeno lifted his head, catching sight of the crackles in the air. However, a moment later his head lowered again, dismissing Serena¡¯s display. After being forced to endure such displays of power from Arcturus and Aunt Moire, Serena¡¯s ¨C while impressive for her age ¨C wasn¡¯t anything to write home about. I held her gaze, not bothering to break it otherwise I might be seen to be weak, and as her eye twitched I smirked. She knew I wasn¡¯t going to back down. To help her shift her focus, I looked away without lowering my gaze, taking in the students outside. The closest ones were the other boys who would be sharing this room with myself and Amycus, though none indicated their feelings on the matter. What I did find interesting was the way Vesta Malfoy was watching with an amused ¨C if not malicious ¨C smirk on her face. ¡°I¡­¡± Amycus¡¯ weak comment drew my attention back to him. As I turned, I saw that Serena had shifted her gaze to him, and as he was looking anywhere but at her, it seemed he understood his mistake and was seeking a way out of it without appearing weak. ¡°I apologise to Chief MacLeod. The¡­ excitement of being in Hogwarts and Slytherin clouded my thoughts enough that I mistook the Lord¡¯s Chest for something far more common.¡± Serena turned to me, the air pressure lessening as she pulled back on her power. I stayed silent for a few moments as if pondering Amycus¡¯ apology. The three of us knew I would accept it, but by delaying I made clear my displeasure with his actions, and it granted me a moment to see how I could further shift the balance of power between myself and Amycus to my benefit. Taking a step forward, I extended my free arm.¡± I accept your apology, Heir Carrow. Our first day at Hogwarts is indeed a momentous day, and one that can often cause mistakes that would otherwise not occur.¡± His eye twitched, catching the subtle insult in my words. ¡°I do hope that, as we move forward from this unfortunate incident, we might turn the potential for a rivalry into something more useful to both of us. Perhaps even a fruitful and stable friendship.¡± Amycus met my gaze, a flicker in his eyes showing that he wasn¡¯t happy about losing even a fraction of the status his position as Heir Carrow granted him. However, he had no choice but to accept my gesture and words. Oh, I knew he would seek methods, in class, in the house, and in duelling arenas, to prove his superiority to me, but for today victory was mine. As would, if I had any say in the matter, be the case every day from now on. ¡°As do I, Chief MacLeod,¡± Amycus said as calmly as he could as we shook. ¡°Right,¡± Serena muttered as we broke the handshake, ¡°this matter is resolved. That bed, by virtue of his chest, belongs to MacLeod. The rest of you can determine who sleeps elsewhere among yourselves.¡± She turned and moved toward the door, Lasadh, Godwine, and Francis all moving out of her way. ¡°Show¡¯s over! Get to a room and pick your bed!¡± She called out to the others. I moved deeper into the room, taking it in properly. The room was designed as a heptagon. One wall held another door which I suspected led to private washrooms and toilets, while the other four each had a four-poster bed pushed against the wall. To the left of each bed was a large dresser while on the right was a desk that doubled as a nightstand with a chair pushed underneath. All were made of wood which was the same deep mahogany as the other wood in the Slytherin chambers. On each desk was a lamp while in the centre of the ceiling, above where the four other chests were gathered, was a candle-filled chandelier. The lamps and chandelier would need magic to ignite, which was a subtle way to test new students without actively doing so. Moving closer to my bed, I took in sheets. As expected, they were dark green with silver edging; the colours of Slytherin. The pillows were white and appeared fluffy. ¡°I¡¯m taking that bed,¡± I turned around at Amycus¡¯s words, seeing him pointing to the bed next to mine. ¡°Is that a problem?¡± There was a challenging edge to his tone, which I took to be an attempt to regain whatever position he felt he had lost with the incident with my chest. ¡°Might I ask what grants you the right to demand anything?¡± Godwine responded, making clear he disliked Amycus¡¯ attempts to assume control of the room. I knew little of him or House Suthsax beyond that they were seen as Traditionalist Builders. Indeed, most of the children that had been sorted into Slytherin had come from Traditionalist Clans and Houses, which while not unexpected was concerning as it meant there was a chance the idea of differing viewpoints wasn¡¯t as common as they perhaps should be. Yes, I could use that to my advantage, but developing a position separate from Voldemort¡¯s without instantly appearing as a challenger or threat to the rising Dark Lord was going to take more work than I would have preferred. ¡°Shall we duel for it?¡± I rolled my eyes at the challenge Amycus sent back, and as his hand moved to where I expected his wand to be holstered, I readied myself for him to do something. As much as I might enjoy slamming him into the wall, if he caused another issue, I had to remain uninvolved else I would be labelled a troublemaker along with him. ¡°I believe the Professor and Head Girl were clear about the rules for duelling,¡± Lasadh cut in even as I moved to sit on my bed. I could have said something similar, but I refrained from doing so as it could be interrupted as me causing trouble; or at the very least, seeking to incite Amycus into doing something rash. ¡°Perhaps there is another way we can determine who gets the next pick of bed.¡± As Godwine and Francis nodded their agreement, forcing Amycus to back down, I turned to my chest. As much as I wanted to open it and begin unpacking, I was reluctant to do so until the matter of who was sleeping where was resolved. A quick observation of the chest revealed no damage from Amycus¡¯ attempt to move it. ¡°Thank you Kadic,¡± I whispered, knowing the elf would be able to hear me. While he wasn¡¯t present, his orders were to remain in or near Hogwarts from evening until morning. While I was in class, I should, in theory, be relatively safe, so he was free to return to Dunscaith, maintain the castle with Aien, and then return at tea. He would also take care of my space, ensuring that no one would trap them while I was out of my quarters and protect the Lord¡¯s Chest. In future, I hoped to find the time to enter it and use the private areas inside for study that I¡¯d rather others didn¡¯t know what I was doing. However, for now, the chest would be treated as nothing more than a regular chest. The longer I went before indicating there was more to it than others realised, the less chance there was of someone attempting to access what I held within. While the tome on fleshcarving and the family grimoire weren¡¯t linked to the chest, almost every other book in the castle was, and some of those were rare and technically illegal books. While Kadic was around Hogwarts, it would be easy to summon him, but when he returned to Dunscaith I couldn¡¯t simply call out for his services. Instead, I would need to push magic into the torc and speak his name. As he was the Head Elf, he would sense my summons and come as quickly as he could manage. I didn¡¯t intend to draw on that ability often, but having it in reserve would no doubt be useful at some point in the following seven years. Hearing rustling behind me, I turned and saw the others had each pulled a wrapped chocolate frog from a larger bag. I smirked, suspecting they planned to use the rarity of a given card to determine the order for who selected an area. In future, a better method would be needed, but for now, it was an effective, and slightly amusing, way to overcome the issue. Turning back to my bed, I moved to sit on the mattress. Once I was there, I saw a collection of runes carved into the posters of the bed. They were arranged in simple arrays, designed to protect anyone sleeping in the bed. While those were effective, I had already learnt a handful of methods to override and take down such arrays from the outside. As such, while I doubted I could add new arrays to the wood ¨C as the odds that other students before me hadn¡¯t done so were remote as there was nothing in the wood to suggest that was so ¨C I had a few extras in my chest for added protection. Like the arrays carved into the bed, those items required me to activate them with my magic once inside their area, but so long as I remembered to do so, I should be safe from most issues. Kadic would also be nearby to watch over me during the nights as extra security. Most of the threats I expected to face in the first year or two would be designed as pranks, as any serious attempt against another witch or wizard would see the culprit brought before Professor Morgan and after his speech, it should be clear that no one wanted that. Groans drew my attention to my dormmates. Seeing Lasadh holding up a gold-rimmed card and seeing the wide smile he wore suggested he had won the right to choose next. Plus, going by the glare Amycus was giving both Lasadh and his card, I wondered if he¡¯d finished last in the impromptu challenge. Chocolate frogs, beyond them being chocolate, had never held much appeal to me, nor had the collection of their card. That didn¡¯t mean I had tossed the cards away, or at least the rarer ones. Someone might place importance on collecting them, and having a card they might need could be used for a favour or exchange that I wanted, so like many other things, they were stored in my chest for possible use over the next few years. As Lasadh, as I expected, pointed to the bed next to mine, I tapped my wand against the lock of my chest. A series of extensive clicks and the sound of metal grinding against metal reached my ears as the various mechanisms to secure the chest disengaged. While most of my items would remain in the chest, I would keep spare clothes and books in the wardrobe and desk respectfully, or at least some of them would be. Spares would remain in the chest, as my clothes were an easy target for pranking while damaging my textbooks could get me in trouble with Professors and cost me standing within Slytherin. I would have to transfer any notes I made in my books to the spares each night, but it was a minor inconvenience to minimise the chance someone might attempt to destroy the primary books. Slytherin was considered a snake pit, and there was no way I was going to allow anyone to push me down into the pit as they attempted to rise to the top and escape. Not unless it served a purpose for me to do so. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I looked at the envelope being held out to me. It was in the hand of Finn Dalcassin, the Sixth-Year prefect who had asked to speak to me privately about two hours after I¡¯d settled into Slytherin. Currently, we were in the quarters he shared with one other down the passageway for the Sixth-Year boys. As we¡¯d approached the corridor to the elder years, he had placed his wand against a snakehead on the right of the corridor. After speaking his name and then mine, I learnt that was how the twenty-four-hour pass was granted for younger years to enter. When he had first approached me, I had wondered why he wished to talk and assumed it had to do with our brief interaction on the Express, and as I looked at the envelope in his hand, I had been proven correct. The envelope contained a letter from his father, Chief Ruarcc Dalcassin; something the wax seal on the back of the envelope proved. According to Finn, his father simply wished to establish a line of communication with me as, while I was a Chief, I wasn¡¯t present in the political circles of the Wizengamot due to my age, and kept back from public events as much as I could. Since I knew that Chief Ruarcc and Arcturus were rivals within the Traditionalist and Builder factions of the Wizengamot, I suspected this greeting was a gentle attempt to see if there was a way to pull me from Arcturus¡¯ side. Add in the fact my dormmates had already given me similar letters, and I suspected this was going to be a semi-common event from those in the Traditionalist camp for my first week with Finn was simply the first to speak with me outside of my dormmates. For those in Slytherin, it would be a relatively easy matter to pass me such letters, but for those in other houses, if any wished to extend such letters, they¡¯d have to do so subtly. Politics between houses were expected to be kept out of sight for all students, though I suspected those in Sixth and Seventh Year had more leeway on the matter as they would soon be joining the wider magical world. ¡°I will peruse the contents and then reply when I have a suitable response ready,¡± I said politely as I took the envelope. Finn had assured me that the letter was clean of any hex or curse, doing so on the ring he had signified him as heir to Clan Dalcassin. However, I had still asked if I might cast some detection charms to confirm that. After explaining my concerns ¨C mainly that my Clan was severely weakened and consisted of only three children with close ties to recent Chiefs ¨C he accepted my doing so. Normally, checking a letter with the seal of a Chief or Lord for hexes and curses would be considered insulting; perhaps even generating bad blood between the families. Thankfully, Finn understood my reluctance to accept the word of anyone I didn¡¯t know and assured me he didn¡¯t hold it against me for doing so. ¡°That is all my father asks,¡± Finn replied as I slipped the envelope into my robes. ¡°He understands that your focus for the near future will be on your education. However, he hopes to, at the very least, develop a potential friendship between you and me so that, when we both sit in the Wizengamot we can work toward shared ideals.¡± ¡°I have heard words to those effects four times already today.¡± Finn chuckled. ¡°Your dormmates?¡± I nodded. ¡°As expected, and there will be more to come over the next few days. However, unlike your dormmates, and potentially many of the other heirs and firstborns who speak with you, my father has asked me to extend another offer. How aware are you of the concepts of mentorship between students?¡± ¡°I am aware.¡± Arcturus and Moire had both gone over the concept in detail in the months leading up to my boarding the Express. The education I had gained from both of them, along with a handful of others such as Herr Durchdenwald, could be classed as Mentorships, however, none were set up that way. Generally, a mentorship was when an older witch or wizard signed an agreement with one younger than themselves to, as the name suggested, mentor the younger magical while also developing bonds of friendship between the pair. Mentorships were generally only seen among witches and wizards who weren¡¯t Chiefs or Lords, as any agreement there was often referred to as a sponsorship, or even vassalisation depending on the circumstances. For those at Hogwarts and similar institutions, a Mentorship lasted until the older student graduated. Beyond helping their mentee with schoolwork, a mentor is also expected to help their mentee with understanding politics ¨C with a focus on it within the context of Hogwarts. Often a Mentorship was arranged before the younger student arrived at Hogwarts by the Chiefs and Lords involved as a way to foster bonds of friendship between Clans and Houses, and even to determine if the pair, if the genders were opposed, would be suitable for betrothal. This was the case for Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, or at least it was until Bellatrix had thoroughly embarrassed him during a duel as part of the senior wand-duelling tournament at the end of the last school year. As Rodolphus was the older student and Mentor, and in theory, was better skilled and with greater access to his potential, it was an embarrassment to lose to Bellatrix and granted her a way to end the Mentorship. Unfortunately for Bellatrix, while her defeating Rodolphus had ended their Mentorship, it did nothing for their betrothal. That decision lay with Lord Black, and unless a better option came along, I expected he would be highly reluctant to break the betrothal. While the dowry wouldn¡¯t damage House Black''s finances, Lord Lestrange was an ally of Arcturus¡¯; one I felt he was reluctant to lose. ¡°Have you received any offers before arriving at school?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± My non-committal response drew an amused smirk from Finn. Arcturus had suggested Bellatrix become one of my mentors, but I had chosen to wait on the matter until I was settled at Hogwarts. Arcturus saw nothing wrong with that but left the offer open. It would be up to myself and Bellatrix to determine the details if we were both interested in the setup. ¡°There is no expectation of you accepting it, but I would be willing to extend an offer of Mentorship to you. Both in the hope that it will help you with your schoolwork and to foster bonds of friendship between our Clans.¡± ¡°The offer is intriguing, not least because of the influence your Clan has, and the fact based on our location, that you are a skilled wizard. However, I would like time to consider the offer.¡± I had expected Finn to make such an offer, but not so quickly. From what I had been told, Mentorships weren¡¯t settled on until near the end of September as that allowed older students to mark out those who showed early promise. Yes, many Mentorship had political ramifications, but just as many didn¡¯t. Because of that, I intended to do what I could to offer Mentorships to Bradley, Lily Evans, and Severus Snape. For the first, that was more to ensure his continual evolution into someone who might well become useful. Yes, offering Mentorship to someone in my year, and a muggleborn at that, carried risk, but as someone taught by Arcturus Black, it was unlikely many would believe I was a muggle-lover. Amycus and a few others might well try to portray me as such, but from the time I¡¯d spent with Bradley, it was clear he had some potential to be a very useful member of our world. Helping that come to fruition while still maintaining that magicals were superior to muggles would set my position apart from Dumbledore, and then when he arrived, Voldemort. There was also the fact that offering Mentorship to him now would both grant me the chance to test how well a muggleborn could be brought into our world, and prepare me for gaining Lily Evans¡¯ loyalty. Doing that was going to be a challenge, as I was very limited regarding the time I could spend with her and Severus while at Hogwarts, but Kadic had deployed a ward near Lily¡¯s house that would alert him to the arrival of any magical mail. From there, I had to ensure I was present in Diagon Alley when she went for her wand to start the first moves to ensure she moved toward my influence instead of Dumbledore¡¯s. Severus would be a slightly easier challenge as he was bound for Slytherin, but it would still help to have a tentative friendship with him before he arrived at Hogwarts to ensure I could gain some influence over a bastard of House Prince. ¡°Perfectly reasonable,¡± Finn replied as he leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. ¡°By the end of my first week, I had five such offers.¡± His wand flicked out toward a nearby table, and I watched as a tray there, containing a bottle of butterbeer and two mugs. ¡°I received more as the month passed, and by the end of September had accepted four of the offers. One of which came from my betrothed, Alihandra Montague.¡± I chuckled at hearing that name come up. ¡°That does explain why she led me to you on the Express,¡± I said as the tray came to rest on the table in front of us. ¡°While I am uncertain if what issues exist between her and Prefect Black, nor do I frankly wish to intervene, I did enjoy how she handled Prefect Bronson.¡± ¡°While a competent wizard, as a muggleborn Bronson has still to understand that the rules of our society differ from those of muggles and that we will not be changing to suit a minority.¡± ¡°I suspect that is a common issue for many muggleborns,¡± I commented as the bottle rose into the air and poured some of its contents into each mug. ¡°I cannot understand why there isn¡¯t a greater emphasis placed on educating those new to our world on the way it works, and that they need to conform to be accepted.¡± As the bottle moved away, I reached out and took one of the mugs. ¡°I know many born into our world dislike muggleborns for this very reason, but perhaps there is potential in them if we could but teach them the benefits of our world over the muggles.¡± ¡°My father has spoken to me a little about the matter,¡± Finn started after taking a sip of his butterbeer. ¡°As you say, there are many who dislike, even hate muggleborns. Some claim that muggleborns are stealing magic from us, while others believe that they are trying to force us to adapt to their world while, as you say, failing to comprehend that they are living in our world.¡± I nodded in agreement as I sipped slowly at the butterbeer, preferring the taste of something stronger but I¡¯d take it over pumpkin juice. That was something that while popular within magical Britain I didn¡¯t enjoy. As I did so, I wondered which way Finn leaned regarding muggleborns. I didn¡¯t expect him to reveal that today, but getting a read on how others felt on the matter, and other topics, would go some way to helping me determine who would be potential allies, and who were already clearly committed to the ideals Voldemort would use for his rise. ¡°How exactly would a mentorship between us be arranged?¡± I asked, shifting the conversation back to the relevant topic even as part of my mind started creating a file on Finn. I wasn¡¯t going to get anything else out of him today regarding muggleborns, not unless it slipped in elsewhere, so I figured I should discover what he was proposing, at least beyond the base offer. ¡°Normally the offer would be considered by your Chief to ensure there were no traps contained in the language. However, in your case, that is not technically possible.¡± ¡°I have people I trust who are willing to help with that,¡± I replied. I wasn¡¯t going to mention that one of them was Arcturus, but I suspected Finn and his father had already figured out he would be one of those I¡¯d ask for advice. ¡°Good. The last thing I wish for you to feel pressured into taking a Mentorship. That is often how flawed agreements, ones designed to trap the mentee in ways they shouldn¡¯t be, are created. While such practices are forbidden, the mentee is often the one at fault for failing to consider carefully the contract put before them.¡± I nodded agreeing with that assessment. It was harsh, but it worked. Now, it was normally muggleborns or half-bloods raised in the muggle world who ended up with such contracts, but to me, it was another sign that they needed to be educated before and then while at Hogwarts on how this world worked. Choosing to not research the matter, or seek help if offered such a proposition, was a failure on their part. Yes, they were children, but they should by now have some semblance of common sense. ¡°The mentorship, if you agree to it, would end on my final day as a student of Hogwarts. Or, if you can defeat me in whatever disciplines I would be mentoring you in. There are rumours that some students attempt to add clauses to Mentorship agreements so that they extend beyond the graduation of the mentor, however, I have yet to have any such rumour confirmed. Also, if they were discovered, the student in question would be expelled and given letters of sanction from every professor in the school.¡± I winced at hearing that, as even a single letter of sanction could cause someone issues with finding employment. Even if they were a Chief or Lord, the stigma of such a letter could, in theory, lead to others challenging them for their title. ¡°If it¡¯s allowed to ask, what are your strengths?¡± No one was amazing at everything, and thanks to the choices I¡¯d made before my merging, I knew where my strengths lay. While I would be seeking Mentors for my weaker subjects, the idea of finding someone able to advance me faster in something I was inclined toward was appealing. The only offer of Mentorship I had received so far had come from Arcturus and Aunt Katrina. For Arcturus, he offered Bellatrix as a Mentor while my aunt suggested my cousin, Fergus, who was Heir to House Lambert. The issue with the former was that taking the offer would see me as fully aligned with Hose Black, and with my cousin was that he was in Gryffindor and as I¡¯d not seen him as a prefect, I suspected he wasn¡¯t one of the more powerful students in his year. There was an upside to taking Fergus as a Mentor, in that he would still be here next year, meaning I would have a small in with Gryffindor that might be of use with gaining Lily¡¯s allegiance. Thankfully, for both those offers and for Finn¡¯s, I had time to consider them for at least a month to decide. While taking many seemed ideal, finding time to spend with mentors while doing my schoolwork, exploring the castle, and pushing my private research meant it was unlikely to be feasible. As Finn began to detail his strengths, making sure I assumed to not over or undersell himself, I leaned back in the chair and took another sip of the butterbeer. He wouldn¡¯t be the only student making an offer, but as he was the first at Hogwarts to do so, it made me more willing to accept his offer. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 1 Part 4 Year 1 Part 4 ... ... ¡°Why did our first class have to be with the bloody badgers?¡± The annoyed complaint came from Vesta Malfoy as she walked a few steps ahead of me. There were eight other Slytherins with us, the same ones Professor Morgan had marked out. According to our timetable for this first week, this was to be the housemates I had classes with, at least for the first week. The schedule we had for it wasn¡¯t anywhere near as full as I¡¯d expected but as it was simply an introductory period there was some logic to keeping it quieter than it should be. It granted us time to get acquainted with where the classes were, who our professors were going to be, and time to explore the castle ¨C or at least what was open to First Years ¨C at our leisure. I intended to do just that, but for now, on the morning after the Sorting, we had our first class: Introduction to Magic. From the title, it didn¡¯t take a genius to determine what it would be about. Everything that should be handled by this class, and the four others we had during the week, had already been introduced and taught to me. From how we needed to meditate on the magic that flowed through me to unlock the various pathways within ourselves, to the wonders that magic could unlock if we dedicated ourselves to our craft. The same would undoubtedly be true for my Slytherin classmates, though given we were having the class with a group of Hufflepuffs ¨C the house that took the largest concentration of muggleborns ¨C I doubted the same was true for them. Now, there was logic in ensuring that everyone started from the same footing, however, I knew it was classes like this that caused many born in the magical world to dislike that things had to be slowed down and explained carefully to muggleborns new to our world. There were better ways to handle such introductions, starting with setting up simple workshops with new students arranged in Diagon Alley over the summer before term started. Yet, at the same time, I could see why various factions in the Wizengamot, with a focus on those claiming to be Traditionalist or Progressive, would be against it. Traditionalists would fear that creating such classes suggested the magical world was moving to embrace the muggle one, and that it would eventually replace our laws and customs. On the other hand, Progressives would feel such classes would exclude muggleborns in some way from integrating into our society. Both views were, in my opinion, flawed but there was little I could do about changing things currently. ¡°Could be worse, we could have it with the Lions.¡± That had come from Enya Delaney and drew a withering gaze from Vesta. Or what would be a withering gaze if it weren¡¯t coming from an eleven-year-old. ¡°We do,¡± the Malfoy girl shot back. ¡°Charms and Transfiguration.¡± That was proof she¡¯d read the full schedule as the Transfiguration classes didn¡¯t begin until Thursday. We¡¯d have to see if that schedule, or at least which classes we shared with which houses, lasted into the proper schedule. ¡°So long as they¡¯re not just a group of deluded muggleborns or those who espouse muggle views, it should be liveable.¡± My head snapped to Godwine after his comment and groaned loudly. ¡°You do realise you¡¯ve just jinxed us, right?¡± I muttered, shaking my head as Vesta turned her venom toward the boy. Godwine¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not lik¡­¡± his words were cut off as we rounded the final corner to the classroom and saw a group of ten overly excited Hufflepuffs standing outside. None of them matched any records I¡¯d been given about my year-mates, but since I¡¯d only gotten detailed reports regarding those from powerful families, that wasn¡¯t a huge surprise. What confirmed my fears, which were shared by the others, was that two held muggle notebooks in their hands. ¡°You were saying?¡± Francis asked when Godwine let his sentence stay unfinished. ¡°It could be worse. I mean¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I snapped, turning on him to add my annoyed glare to those others were sending his way. ¡°We know it could be worse; we just don¡¯t need you tempting magic to make it so.¡± ¡°As shocking as it is for me to say, MacLeod is right, Suthsax. You might want to listen to him.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why Lauren Hungerford seemed irritated that I was correct, but I left the gentle dig slide. I¡¯d have to investigate House Hungerford to see if there was some bad blood between them and Clan MacLeod first. Godwine nodded, conceding the point, and we all turned back to resume our walk. Amycus had, instead of offering words on the matter, used the moment to slip to the front of our group, once more thinking there was some importance in being the one to lead the way. To me, that just meant he was the most expendable as the lead body was often the first targeted; or at least that was how things had played out in any game I¡¯d ever played before merging into this universe. ¡°Hello,¡± one of the badgers said once we were closer, a wide smile on his face as he waved at us. ¡°Nice to meet new schoolmates.¡± At the front of our group, I saw Amycus¡¯ hand twitch, as if he were going to commit a faux pax and draw his wand on the badger. He didn¡¯t, but it was another little sign, as if I needed any after my first night in Hogwarts, that he was ardently anti-muggle and muggleborn. That would be an issue going forward, and not just in Hogwarts, as one day, Merlin help me, he was going to become Lord of a Most Ancient House. While removing an heir from another house often caused a blood feud between the houses, there was a good chance I¡¯d be looking into ways to arrange an accident for that prat. ¡°It is, but perhaps we might enter the classroom. The Professor is likely waiting for us.¡± The diplomatic response came from Adilene Pontius. Before she or anyone else could say anything, the door swung open. ¡°Come in, come in,¡± an excited female voice called out from inside. The Hufflepuffs were closer to the door, but Amycus wasn¡¯t going to let them enter before him. He didn¡¯t push anyone out of the way, but by marching forward aggressively, he caused the first few badgers to hesitate, allowing the prat the honour of being the first to enter. If that was going to be a common feature of the year, then it provided multiple opportunities to prank the dumb fuck, provided of course that I could ensure no actual blame was assigned to me. Seeing the confused, and in some cases hurt expressions on the badgers, I decided to try and diplomatically smooth over the issue. ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse him; he insists on walking around like a peacock. Must be because he keeps his wand holstered somewhere unpleasant.¡± My comment drew a few amused chuckles from the Hufflepuffs, at least those who understood the meaning, and a snort of laughter from Aline Munro. The words had carried to Amycus as he snapped around, glaring back at me but given he was now in full view of the professor, while my voice shouldn¡¯t have carried, there was little he could do about my embarrassing him in front of muggleborns right now. Yes, showing such disunity was something Professor Morgan had insisted we didn¡¯t do, but given the general dislike for the Carrow heir, it wouldn¡¯t take much to ensure he did something publicly, ensuring he suffered the majority of the Professor¡¯s punishment. Whatever that might be. Still, if I continued to push Amycus¡¯ buttons, hopefully to the point he acted out publicly and cost us house points, then I would undermine what little standing he had within Slytherin. With the moment over, the rest of us filtered in, we Slytherins staying back from the Hufflepuffs so that they entered first. That choice had come from Vesta, hinting that she wanted to distance herself from Amycus, or at least make clear that she disliked him more than she did me. Once in the classroom, my eyes swept around it. The room was generally bare, save for four benches behind tables on the sides of the room, and an array of bookshelves ¨C most empty ¨C at the far end. The professor, a young-looking female with curly brown hair and an amused glint in her eyes, watched as we moved into the room. ¡°Welcome one and all. Please, take a seat.¡± She said while gesturing at the benches. Each house moved to one side of the room, and we were quickly seated. Amusingly, the girls from each house sat together at their benches, ensuring the boys had to do the same. Thankfully, I was at the far end of my bench from Amycus, the other three boys between us. What was interesting was the flash of annoyance that rushed over the Professor¡¯s face at the houses keeping to themselves. ¡°Welcome to Introduction to Magic,¡± she said, making sure she could see all of us. ¡°My name is Jane Doe,¡± I coughed there, drawing her gaze even as she continued, ¡°and beyond being a junior Professor of Charms, I¡¯ll be your teacher for these classes.¡± She clapped her hands together. ¡°Now, how many of you are new to the magical world?¡± her gaze turned toward the Hufflepuffs since the odds of a muggleborn in Slytherin were so remote that it wasn¡¯t worth considering. Nine hands rose from the badgers¡¯ benches, drawing a smile from her. ¡°And how many of you already know of the concept of magical pathways?¡± Every hand on the Slytherin side of the room rose, as did the hand of the one badger who wasn¡¯t new to our world. My brow rose, however, when one of the muggleborns kept their hand upright. That was unexpected, and potentially worth investigating if the opportunity presented itself going forward. Hufflepuffs might be regarded as the weakest house, but their ideals of loyalty could be useful if that allegiance were toward me and my goals. Professor Doe clapped her hands together, her smile widening as she gazed at the muggleborn who knew about Pathways. ¡°Excellent. Please lower your hands.¡± We did as asked. ¡°For those who don¡¯t know, magical pathways are exactly what their name suggests. They¡¯re routes through our bodies down which we can channel and focus magic; not just that within, but the ambient magic of the world around us. Every magical creature, from all of us here, through those like goblins, dwarves, and elves, to nifflers, hippogriffs, and dragons, has magic flowing through their very being. ¡°What our pathways allow us to do is harness and focus that magic to do incredible things you might never have, even in your wildest dreams. The greater the magic within you, and that you can channel from the world around you, the greater the wonders you can perform. With your pathways fully open, then even if you ever encounter an area devoid of magic, your ability to cast will not be instantly gone.¡± I¡¯d heard this speech, in a few different forms, before. However, the concept that there were areas devoid of magic always drew my attention. Not so much because they existed, but how they were formed. A monumental calamity or battle had to have taken place in one location for a good amount of time to destroy magic in the area and leave it inhospitable to anything that was powered by magic. There were no such places in the Isles, however there were several in the Middle East; remnants of battles so ancient that the causes had been lost to the ravages of history. That it was possible to destroy magic in an area was downright scary, and something I¡¯d prefer muggleborns never learnt of as in theory, it could be used against the magical world if war ever broke out with muggles. ¡°Each of you, simply by being invited to Hogwarts, possess immense potential for wielding and shaping magic. However, potential alone is next to worthless. To become all that you can be, you must learn not just a variety of spells, charms, hexes, and jinxes, but how to unlock every ounce of your potential and then train diligently for years, if not decades or centuries.¡± Professor Doe stepped forward, her wand moving gently at her side as a shimmering silver light formed at the tip. ¡°If you can achieve that, then the world is your oyster.¡± She stopped speaking as her wand movements became more pronounced. The light flowed from her wand toward the pace in front of her. There, before our eyes, the shimmering silver light dulled and coalesced into a rough human form. ¡°Right now, simply by displaying accidental magic over the last eleven years, you have all unlocked your primary pathway.¡± The ethereal figure she¡¯d created became clearer, and over the heart, a gentle white light pulsed. ¡°However, using just this alone will limit your ability to cast. Even some First-Year spells will be hard to manage as brilliantly as they can be cast with just the primary pathway unlocked.¡± From that bright light, six thick lines slithered through the body, each heading to a different location even as Professor Doe moved around the floating figure. ¡°In First Year, you will learn techniques designed to help you unlock the other six major pathways that lay within you. However, be aware that doing so early is both extremely unlikely and potentially fatal. ¡°To harness and manipulate every iota of magic that flows in and through you, you need to be both physically and mentally mature. Even when you reach that point, if you lack the skill, dedication, and determination to keep pushing your limits, you¡¯ll fail to ever become the witch or wizard you are capable of becoming.¡± As she finished that part of her spiel, which was informative and impressively blunt, the flows from the central pathway coalesced at the head, hands, feet, and most amusingly groin. From my lessons on the subject with my tutors, ancestors, aunts, and others, this wasn¡¯t what the pathways actually looked like, but it was a useful way of visually showing the pathways, and something that helped reinforce much of what I already knew on the subject. ¡°When you eventually open all seven of your base pathways, you¡¯ll discover the truth of your potential. Every witch and wizard is different. Some have wider pathways, allowing them to draw more magic through their systems with each passing second. This allows them to cast more and larger spells in succession, however it doesn¡¯t grant them control. That comes from having deeper pathways. Those also allow one to focus the magic they draw, granting them the chance to cast spells few can match. The challenge that faces you, even those who have had their potential mapped,¡± she glanced toward the Slytherin benches expecting, as did I, that we¡¯d all been tested for potential, ¡°is unlocking every inch of your major pathways, plotting the minor ones, and becoming all that you can be.¡± From each of the seven highlighted parts of the ethereal body, thinner vines of light slithered outward, forming what seemed like a secondary nervous system within the figure. Before I could focus on those smaller pathways and what they might mean ¨C as they hadn¡¯t been covered in detail by anyone before ¨C Professor Doe flicked her wand. The body swirled around, merged, and then spread out in a wide circle facing toward the ceiling. ¡°If you commit yourselves to your studies, dedicate your efforts to unlocking every pathway that flows through you, and push yourselves to your very limits then there is little that will be beyond you. At that point, if you are capable you might one day prove worthy of learning some of the deeper mysteries of our world.¡± From the disk, shapes began to rise, swirling in and out of the mist like phantoms emerging from another realm. They coalesced rapidly, forming the unmistakable outline of a city¡ªthough its architecture was unlike anything I had ever laid eyes on before, as though drawn from the pages of a forgotten era, lost to time. ¡°Perhaps you might be the one to locate places of legend that are claimed to exist within our world, such as Akilineq, Dinas Affararon, or Celliwig.¡± Professor Doe¡¯s voice echoed through the air as the ethereal cityscape twisted and morphed before us. The mist undulated, reshaping into visions of places as she spoke, each one more breathtaking than the last. I could only guess if these were the fabled locations she referenced, but the sheer grandeur of each was undeniable. They stood as if suspended between the known and the mystical, each an impossible dream made tangible. "Or perhaps," her voice softened, "if you devote yourself, you might learn the secrets of cities carved into mountains, like the legendary Shangri-La." The mist began to compress, a mountain rising from its depths, towering and vast. We were pulled closer, the illusion enveloping us, racing towards the rock face as if to collide. Yet at the last moment, the stone parted, revealing a hidden world¡ªan exquisite city of East Asian design, shimmering with gold and crimson, nestled within the heart of the mountain like a jewel in a crown. "Or a city buried beneath the ocean''s depths, like Atlantis?" The mist churned again, this time dissolving into a deep, cerulean blue. Out of the depths emerged towering columns and domes of classical Greek architecture, weathered by the sea but still regal, as though time had no hold here. Schools of dolphins, whales, and other sea creatures drifted lazily between the buildings, casting their graceful shadows upon the ruins¡ªsilent guardians of a forgotten civilization. "Or even a city that drifts among the clouds, immune to the forces of nature and mankind alike, like Akhet." The mist lightened into soft, swirling clouds, from which a floating city materialized, its spires reaching for the heavens. The structures were unlike anything I had ever seen, ethereal yet solid, floating on the clouds as though the air itself held them aloft. The city seemed to defy the very laws of gravity, untouched by the world below. Around me, there was only silence. We stood enraptured, transfixed by the magic that Professor Doe wielded with such ease. Each scene was meticulously crafted, yet her effortless conjuring made it appear as though the mist itself possessed the knowledge of these ancient places. ¡°Perhaps,¡± she continued her words drawing me away from the marvel of the imagery, ¡°for those with the greatest potential and desire, you might uncover lands hidden even from the eyes of the magical world. Places like Themiskyra, Kvenland, Shambhala, and Avalon, where isolated magical peoples keep themselves pure and untouched by the outside world.¡± With each name, the mist shifted and danced. A Greek-influenced island arose, bathed in the warm glow of the Mediterranean sun, followed by a realm of frozen peaks, shrouded in a perpetual winter. Then came the towering pagodas of Shambhala, rising far above the clouds, their peaks lost in the heavens. Finally, a British-style castle appeared, perched high on a hill, surrounded by endless fields of apples¡ªa vision straight out of the tales of Avalon. ¡°Or perhaps you will uncover the truly mythic, lands thought to exist only in legend¡ªAlfheim, T¨ªr na n¨®g, or Fusang.¡± The images formed, but these were more elusive, fading in and out of the mist, half-formed. A glimpse of light-filled groves, glistening waterfalls, and shadowy, ancient forests teased at the edges of the display, as if these places were truly beyond reach, even for magic. The mist swirled into a tight ball, shimmering for a brief moment before exploding outward in a brilliant burst. My arm instinctively rose to shield my eyes, though no dazzling light followed. Instead, the mist spread out, caressing my skin as it passed, cool and soothing, like the breath of a forgotten wind. As the mist dissipated, leaving only the memory of what had been, I lowered my arm, still awash in awe. Some of these lands, I had heard of before, scattered throughout the texts and tomes of my castle¡¯s library. But others... others were new to me, and though they were no more than myth, I knew I would seek them out¡ªadding them to my ever-growing list of places to explore, should my path lead that far. ¡°Before you can even consider seeking out such places,¡± Professor Doe continued, drawing my attention ¨C and that of the other students in the room, back to her, ¡°or decide to study the deeper magic of the world around you, you must first open your mind, body, and soul. You must embrace magic within and around you in its entirety, understand how it connects with and through you, and push yourself to the very limits of what you are capable of. ¡°In this class, and others throughout your first year at Hogwarts, we will focus on the basics of achieving that. After that, the drive must come from within yourselves, though I and most of the other Professors will be open to helping and guiding you if you desire. Yet never forget that to achieve anything in this world, regardless of how and where you were born,¡± she looked directly at me as if challenging me to rise above my position as Chief MacLeod and become something more, ¡°you must walk your path alone. No two witches or wizards are the same. Even identical twins who share matching features have different voyages ahead of them, guided and aided by magic itself. The pathways within you are different from everyone around you, regardless of if your potential is identical.¡± Her gaze took in each of us in turn as if seeking to look directly into our souls. I felt no threats pushing against my mental defences, nor did the torc on my arm react to a threat, yet in the instant where her eyes found mine, I felt as if she could see every molecule within me, dissecting it with but the barest of effort. ¡°The question that lies before you, not just in this class but with every step you take going forward at Hogwarts and beyond, is whether you are willing to work toward becoming everything you can be, and perhaps even more. If not,¡± her arm snapped out and the door we¡¯d arrived through flung itself open, slamming loudly into the wall and causing a few of my classmates to jerk back in shock, ¡°I suggest you return to your dormitory, collect your belongs and depart for a school that won¡¯t push you every second of each day. Hogwarts is not alive, but the magic that flows through the earth beneath our feet knows when those drawing upon that power are worthy or not. It will not tolerate the presence of those unwilling to push themselves to become better. Neither will I or your fellow Professors.¡± She stopped there, the door wide open, challenging us to break and run. That was not what I¡¯d expected from her when we¡¯d entered the room, but that kind, nurturing presence had vanished, replaced by a cold iron against which even time would fail to break it down. That sort of mental strength, from someone that I believed was a muggleborn, was impressive and perhaps a sign that my thoughts regarding those not born into the magical world might have some truth. That she was someone working for Dumbledore, and therefore likely a firm believer in his ideals, made her rhetoric more unexpected. She spoke more like a disciple of Grindelwald than a follower of Dumbledore, and that difference between what I expected to what I was seeing was something I¡¯d have to investigate in the coming years. If time allowed me, as I already had an insanely long list of things I had to research, prepare for, and plan out. After nearly a minute, nobody stood though there had been a few Hufflepuffs who looked uncertain, and I swore I heard one of the girls on my side of the room gulp loudly. ¡°Good.¡± With that single word, the door slammed shut, again causing a few students to react in shock. ¡°Now we may begin your lesson.¡± Her wand swished out and I watched as twenty books rose from shelves behind her. As they came to land in front of each of us, I read the title. An Introduction to Magic was about as bland a topic as one could expect for such a book, and it was one I¡¯d already read before and long since added to the massive library I had created in my mind palace. Or at least the beginnings of one that I was forming. I¡¯d yet to fully develop the skill to create such a place, but with Emotionless Recall I was able to store everything I¡¯d read. Or at least anything I was willing to add to those stores. Glancing around I saw that my fellow Slytherins were enthused with the class, any concern with our Professor being potentially muggleborn lost in with her impressive and impassioned speech. Aline Munro caught me looking around our side of the class and offered me the faintest of amused smiles before returning her attention to her book. I did likewise, wondering how Professor Doe would make the book interesting. It was a very dry read, and one I had little interest in being subjected to again. However, the Professor had shown herself worthy of my attention so I would endure the book for her benefit and in the hopes that she might offer some new insight into what I could do to accelerate unlocking my pathways. ... ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I sat quietly, seemingly immersed in the Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) at a quiet, yet not remote desk in Hogwarts Library while Xenocrates rested against my side, one hand gently scratching him behind the ear. The Librarian had tracked my entrance, as she and her staff had done several times already, but beyond that stayed at her desk. From there she had a clear view over most of the ground floor of the library, save down the various aisles that ran from the central open area. There was an upper floor, but that was only available to students in Fourth Year and above, ensuring they had a quiet area to study away from the lower years. It also created the clear sense that they were above the lower years, which given most would¡¯ve unlocked some of their pathways and they had far greater repositories of magic, was true. Currently, the only group up there was one of Sixth Year Ravenclaws, the only one I recognized was Angus MacLean, the heir of Clan MacLean, He had been the first-born son of the second-born son, but after the SSM he had become the new heir of the heir for Clan MacLean. Beyond knowing him in passing from Gatherings, he had been the first from outside Slytherin to approach me about mentorship. As with the other nine offers, I hadn¡¯t confirmed acceptance, but so far he was one I was leaning toward accepting. A fellow Chief of a Highland Clan would be a useful ally to have in the years to come, though the same was true of everyone who¡¯d offered to mentor me. Save Bellatrix. Hers was the only one I had accepted, mainly because it would help assure Arcturus that I wasn¡¯t being influenced by the other Houses seeking to draw me away from House Black. However, I wouldn¡¯t deny that the idea of getting closer to Bellatrix, perhaps enough to dissuade her from joining Voldemort¡¯s Death Eaters, was one worth pursuing. Anything else I might think about, regardless of how gorgeous she was, was off the table. While not public yet, I knew Bellatrix was betrothed to Rodolphus Lestrange. The Sixth Year was an arse, unworthy of Bellatrix¡¯s hand, yet the agreement had been decided upon by Arcturus and Lord Lestrange. It wasn¡¯t yet official, but it would be by the Winter break as Bellatrix would¡¯ve turned sixteen. At that point, they could be officially published by the Ministry, which was meant to know of them when both parties were thirteen but often wasn¡¯t informed by many Clans and Houses, publicly. Marriage had to take place a few years after both parties had graduated Hogwarts ¨C usually two years, but sometimes up to five depending on the careers the parties were studying for ¨C though there were often ¡®outs¡¯ placed in a contract to enable one party to end the agreement. Such outs weren¡¯t public knowledge, but from how Bellatrix spoke, she knew of ways out of her agreement. I wanted to help her, but currently, I suspected that any way that I might help her would only result in my death. As much as I disliked Rodolphus, I knew that if we duelled he¡¯d wipe the floor with me without breaking a sweat, which meant that if I was to stop the marriage, I had perhaps four years to do so. Pushing that thought from my head, my gaze shifted around the library and as had happened every time I¡¯d entered the library, it ended up at the entrance to the Forbidden Section. How I was going to get in there was unknown, and a question I was sure every student at Hogwarts wondered about, but it was one of an exceptionally lengthy list of things I had to handle over the next seven years. Today, and probably for the next few years at least, it wasn¡¯t my reason for being in the library. I was here waiting on Andrew MacLeod. The night of our first full day at Hogwarts I¡¯d sent the muggleborn who shared my clan name a letter via my owl Ajax as if we might meet in the library on Wednesday, which was tonight. I¡¯d set a general time of around seven for him to arrive, and if he didn¡¯t respond I would consider the meeting taking place. Perhaps I was rude to force him to come, but I had to face the issue of a muggleborn with my Clan name quickly. Technically, as I didn¡¯t hold my seat in the Wizengamot, I didn¡¯t have to deal with the issue of a muggleborn bearing my Clan¡¯s name. However, I knew that others wouldn¡¯t let the matter drop, with the most obvious being Amycus Carrow, potentially granting him and others an avenue to attack and undermine my standing in Slytherin. I doubted anyone would call me a muggle lover, but given I was also friends with Bradley Cooper, going so far as to tutor him on the rules and customs of Magical Britain and Ireland, it was something I was going to have to manage. Ideally, I wanted to use at least Bradley to show that not all muggleborns sought to change our world to mirror the muggle one, just as not all purebloods hated muggleborns, but it was going to be a long, slow, and arduous journey to convince most of my housemates of that. Never mind the rest of wizarding society. Regarding Andrew, there were two paths I could take. Either he agreed that once he graduated he would join my Clan as a cadet branch, or I would be forced to submit paperwork to the Ministry insisting that he was unworthy of joining my Clan and forcing him, at least until he was old enough to change his name legally, to become Andrew Nemo. I would prefer if the former of the two options were what he chose as it was while it could be seen as me showing muggle-loving tendencies, it was a path most Clans and Houses took. The few who didn¡¯t were those who generally were much more ardent backers of the blood purity ideal such as Houses Black, Lestrange, and Malfoy. That said there were rumours that several former figures who had held the title of Lady Malfoy had been half-bloods though at the point that their children would still be classed as purebloods. Given that several of them had also come from other countries, with a preference for those from the Magical French Republic and the Norse League, it was hard to be certain if the rumours were anything but that. If I was forced to remove the MacLeod name from Andrew, then I knew I¡¯d be dragged into Dumbledore¡¯s office. The matter was Clan one, but as it was taking place at Hogwarts I could see the Headmaster seeking to intervene based on offering support to a young Chief. That was complete hogwash, but I¡¯d rather not have my first meeting with him be one that saw us standing on opposite sides. First impressions mattered and as much as I didn¡¯t plan to follow his ideals, it was wise to not make such a powerful enemy during my first year at Hogwarts. For all it proclaimed to be a school for children, it hadn¡¯t started that way and accidents, as rare as they were, did happen. Interestingly, after speaking with Aunt Moire and a handful of others, I learnt there had been a muggleborn MacGregor at Hogwarts when Callum MacGregor had become Chief of his clan. However, the matter had existed before his ascension to the role, and the muggleborn had been adopted into the Clan by his father before his death, alongside my parents, siblings, and many others at the SSM. Callum was the sort of arse that might seek, for petty reasons, to expel the muggleborn from his Clan. However, the expulsion of a cadet branch of any Clan or House that was less than ten generations old had to be voted on by the Wizengamot. That did technically interfere with Clan/House business, but it was done to avoid the muggleborn and half-blood branches of a Clan or House being treated like cattle by their pureblood overlords. Of course, the change in law to allow that had resulted in some Clans and Houses supposedly forcing cadet branches into nothing more than indentured servitude for the main branch with no way ¨C bar the complete extermination of the branch ¨C for them to gain their freedom. ¡°Hm-hmm.¡± The clearing of someone¡¯s throat drew me from my thoughts and I saw two figures on the other side of the table I was using. The younger was Andrew, but the older ¨C a Fourth Year Ravenclaw ¨C was unknown. He did, however, share a similarity to Andrew suggesting some familial connection. ¡°You wished to speak with us?¡± My brow rose slightly, both at the older boy suggesting I wished to speak with both of them and the complete bluntness of his tone. There was no civility or courtesy one would expect when speaking to a Chief or Lord. While this eagle was a Fourth Year, it seemed he had shown no interest in learning wizarding customs which was just embarrassing and would no doubt see him offend the wrong person at the wrong time. ¡°I wished to speak with Andrew here,¡± I replied calmly as I closed my book, ¡°regarding customs of our world. I remain uncertain as to why you are involving yourself in a private affair.¡± ¡°Andrew¡¯s my brother.¡± That explained it. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do something to him, you¡¯ll have to go through me first.¡± Xeno¡¯s head came up and his ears flattened down, hissing lightly at the older muggleborn. I chuckled. ¡°Threatening a Chief is a dangerous choice to make, even if I¡¯m the youngest ever Chief since at least the founding of Hogwarts.¡± That was technically true as there had been a boy of six who¡¯d become Chief of his clan in the twelfth century. Sadly for him, he was killed before the Wizard¡¯s Council could confirm his position and grant him their protection as had been done for me by the Wizengamot. ¡°However, since you are his brother, something I was not made aware of,¡± no doubt Dumbledore¡¯s doing, ¡°then this matter concerns you as well.¡± Ewan grasped his wand in his hand though had the common sense to not point it at me. ¡°If you are going to draw your wand I would advise against it. Beyond the fact you would be, if you are fortunate, sent to Azkaban for the rest of your natural life for attacking someone under the Wizengamot¡¯s protection, we are in the school library and the rules were quite clear on the usage of wands within its chamber. I would expect a Fourth Year, even a muggleborn one such as yourself, to be aware of the school rules at the very least. ¡°I thought pets weren¡¯t allowed in the library,¡± Andrew asked, shifting my attention to him and away from his either over-protective or arrogant ¨C possibly both ¨C brother. ¡°Pets aren¡¯t. Xenocrates, however, is my familiar,¡± I explained. ¡°Something that few if any other students have.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Andrew took a step forward, angling around the table, ¡°cool!¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Andrew!¡± The brother snarled, grasping Andrew¡¯s shoulder, and pulling him back. ¡°He¡¯s a Slytherin! They hate muggles!¡± ¡°My opinion on muggles is a personal one, but I have valid reasons for it,¡± I said slowly, not wanting to draw on memories of my brief time under the tender mercies of the Sisters at the orphanage. ¡°Regardless of that, neither of you are muggles; something I would expect one of Lady Ravenclaw¡¯s flock to understand.¡± Perhaps it wasn¡¯t wise to rile up the older muggleborn, but it was clear his opinion of me was already set, trusting the words of others without confirming them himself. He had yet to properly introduce himself, act with any decorum, or show the respect he should hold for my position as Chief MacLeod. The last was a minor matter as such things weren¡¯t meant to be observed at Hogwarts, but I would expect a hint of respect from him in future if he wanted any chance to become No-One. ¡°I would remind you that not all Slytherins are bad. Merlin himself was sorted into our house,¡± I added, mentioning the most famous Slytherin beyond Salazar. The fact that Merlin had lived before Hogwarts was created at first as a refuge from muggles and then a school had bugged me for a long time. After doing some research, I¡¯d discovered that the reason he had been sorted was that he had at different points in his and their lives, tutored and mentored each of the Founders. To test the Sorting Hat, Merlin agreed to be the first to be sorted, and his presence in Slytherin had caused Salazar joy. According to the scholars, most of whom held Lord Salazar in a negative light, this had been something he had held over the head of the others, especially Godric Gryffindor and formed part of the breaking in their friendship, and then Salazar¡¯s departure from Hogwarts. Interestingly, older texts ¨C those generally from more than five hundred years ago ¨C mentioned that it wasn¡¯t because of a hatred of muggleborns that Salazar had left. Those books suggested it was the matter of muggles and how to deal with them, particularly those who were parents of witches and wizards, that was the driving matter in the destruction of the accord between the Founders. ¡°A mistake,¡± the brother spat even as he pulled his brother back to the far side of the table I was still sitting at. ¡°I would say the Sorting Hat doesn¡¯t make mistakes, but then again¡­¡± My words trailed off as I let my eyes roam over his face. I waved my hand dismissing the topic. ¡°Regardless, since you¡¯re also a MacLeod, this meeting concerns you as much as it does your brother. However, I warn you that there are customs and traditions that will be observed from this moment forward. First and foremost is that, when we discuss Clan business, I expect to be addressed by my title. At least until we are better acquainted. To do otherwise is an insult that can result in duels to the death.¡± That was unlikely, but I was hoping the brother would take the bait. ¡°I¡¯d wipe the floor with you!¡± Said brother snarled. I smirked, entirely unconcerned by what was, technically, a threat against my person. ¡°More than likely. However, as I have yet to complete my OWLs, I¡¯m not allowed to engage in honour duels, certainly not those involving my position as Chief MacLeod. Instead, I can call upon any one of nearly a hundred Chiefs and Lords who before the Wizengamot swore to protect me from threats against my person. Do you have any preference of which Chief or Lord you wish to face in a duel to the death?¡± The brother¡¯s face froze, his brain clearly unable to process the shit he¡¯d walked into. ¡°Well? Who would you like to be your executioner?¡± ¡°I¡­ um¡­¡± I fought back the desire to laugh at the brother¡¯s deer-in-the-headlights appearance. ¡°I think we should begin again, and let everything that has come before be water under the bridge.¡± I stood, much to Xeno¡¯s annoyance as it meant removing my hand from his head. ¡°Chief D¨°mhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod, The MacLeod of MacLeod.¡± My hand floated there in the air, the brother blinking as his mind worked to re-engage. ¡°Andrew MacLeod of Stirling,¡± Andrew said, stepping in for his brother and shaking my hand. ¡°That¡¯s Ewan.¡± I nodded and broke the shake. ¡°Please sit,¡± I said as I returned to my bench, one hand resuming Xeno¡¯s scratching. ¡°We can discuss the situation that exists between us; one that until our Sorting I was unaware of.¡± Andrew sat quickly seeing no harm in doing so, Ewan followed after though his eyes were narrow as if expecting me to do something positively evil as soon as he sat down. ¡°Now,¡± I said leaning forward with what I hoped was a friendly smile, ¡°let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡°What a remarkable young creature.¡± That comment had come from Professor Kettleburn, head of the Care of Magical Creatures department, as he and the rest of his staff, at least those currently free, and Hagrid observed Xenocrates. The raiju was sitting calmly on a table in the Professor¡¯s office, enjoying the attention he was getting while also seemingly being disinterested in the witches and wizards around the table. I stood at Professor Kettleburn¡¯s right, ready to offer Xeno a way off the table if he grew bored or agitated with the attention. ¡°How old is your bond with him?¡± I turned to the speaker, Professor Reed, who was my Professor for the Introduction to Care of Magical Creatures class that I¡¯d had earlier today. Professor Reed appeared the youngest member of the CoMC staff and one of only two females among them. If I were older and had begun physically maturing, Professor Reed would certainly have drawn my attention as her blue eyes sparkled with interest and were held on a soft face framed by blonde locks she had tied back in two intricate braids. That, along with her youth, might be why she taught the younger classes. ¡°He was a gift for my birthday in January. At first, I hadn¡¯t realised I could form a bond with him, Merlin, I¡¯d felt he was little more than a simple cat.¡± That drew a few chuckles from around the table with Hagrid¡¯s deeper chuckles echoing around the room and seemingly vibrating through my bones. ¡°Yet, when I went to pick him up, sparks danced around his eyes. Once I was closer, they rushed out crashing into my skin. I flinched, feeling a burst of pain, but it was quickly washed away by a soothing grace. That seems to be when I bonded with him as later on when he lashed out at others for angering him, I never felt any pain from his magic. My robes, however, were a different story.¡± Another round of laughter came from the Professors. ¡°Yes, that is a common issue any who work with magical creatures face,¡± Professor Kettleburn agreed. ¡°Would I be correct in assuming your robes are all now charmed to survive most such encounters?¡± I nodded. ¡°Good. Then your Professors have one less student to be concerned about suffering damage to their robes during class.¡± ¡°It seems the raiju likes you Hagrid,¡± another Professor, one with his hair slowly greying at the temples said as he offered the half-giant a wide smile. ¡°Tha¡¯s because every beastie likes me,¡± the half-giant shot back. ¡°an'' because I give ''im treats.¡± With that, one hand reached into a pocket, drawing Xeno¡¯s attention. ¡°See?¡± ¡°We do, Hagrid, we do,¡± Professor Kettleburn answered with a chuckle. ¡°Which is one of the reasons I allowed you here, even given your most recent accident.¡± Hagrid flinched as two of the Professors gave him harsh looks. ¡°I was on''y trying ter help ''em, professor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of that. However, the next time you feel the Ashwinders need extra room, bring the matter to either myself or Professor Rhys first.¡± The Professor in question was one with a harsh expression, and he nodded in agreement with Kettleburn¡¯s words. I wondered what Hagrid had done, though it was amusing that even here his tendency to get into trouble while trying to help was present. That might be useful over the next seven years. ¡°Yes, Professor.¡± It was strange seeing someone over eleven feet tall act so subservient to one barely five-ten. ¡°How old is he?¡± I turned to the speaker, the Professor with greying hair. ¡°He wasn¡¯t entirely sure of his footing when I received him on my birthday, and those who gave him to me said he was born in early December.¡± The Professor tapped their chin. ¡°Hmm, around eight months then. Good.¡± He turned and moved toward one corner of Kettleburn¡¯s office, where a large bookshelf rested. ¡°Give me a moment,¡± he muttered as he began searching the shelves. ¡°Has he displayed any abilities yet? Beyond the sparks at least.¡± I turned my focus back to Professor Reed. ¡°No, though he has learnt to control the spark enough that they can travel a few metres from his body. Something the elves at my home weren¡¯t happy about.¡± Reed¡¯s smile grew at the image. ¡°Yes, helping a familiar mature can be a challenge. I have a kneazle, and while she doesn¡¯t have the abilities of Xenocrates here, Dorothy was a terror in her first year. Now she¡¯s remarkably helpful in helping me be sure who to trust and who not to.¡± ¡°AH! Here it is!¡± We all turned to the Professor who¡¯d moved away, though Xeno hissed slightly at the sudden sharp sound. He turned to face us, a book floating in front of his face. ¡°Around their first birthday, raiju become capable of using their lightning to defend themselves. In their second year, they learn how to alter their shape and mass and by the time they mature, sometime in their third or fourth year of life, it is claimed that they can travel as lightning; granting them reflexes few creatures can come close to matching.¡± His eyes shifted from Xeno to me. ¡°It¡¯s even speculated that some of those abilities can pass to any witch or wizard that has bonded with them.¡± ¡°I suspect Professor Donnellan will be interested in hearing that.¡± The comment came from the other female Professor and drew a round of chuckles, some not altogether genuine, from the others. I didn¡¯t know who this Professor Donnellan was, but given what had just been revealed, it was likely he had an inclination toward elemental magic, which would make them a useful person to learn more about unlocking and controlling my affinities toward fire and lightning. ¡°Provided you prove yourself, you¡¯ll meet Professor Donnellan for classes in Fourth Year. Unless he decides to seek you out due to your remarkable companion here.¡± ¡°It is quite unusual to find a familiar at Hogwarts,¡± the Professor with the book said as he moved toward the table. ¡°Beyond Professor Reed and myself, there are even others I know of that have familiars. Not counting the Headmaster of course.¡± ¡°What of me?¡± My head snapped around to the entrance to Kettleburn¡¯s office that lay behind me. There, standing in the formerly closed doorway, stood the Headmaster of Hogwarts. His robes, a deep royal purple base with celestial objects moving around them, had me blinking, trying to not get distracted by the amount of shifting taking place on them even as the first hints of a headache because of the overly active robes formed in my skull. He wore half-moon glasses and had a kind, grandfatherly smile on his face while his beard trailed down his chest. ¡°Headmaster,¡± Kettleburn said with respect, ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected you to visit my office today.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t intended to do so. However, during lunch, I heard many of your fellow Professors speaking of meeting the latest familiar to enter Hogwarts. Seeing as my schedule was unusually free, I decided that I would come and, if permissible, greet our latest animal companion.¡± Before I could respond, a brilliant bird flew into the room, and I inhaled sharply at my first sight of a phoenix. Fawke¡¯s feathers seemed to ripple as he flew, creating the illusion that he was alight even when he wasn¡¯t drawing on his magic. I¡¯d seen him and other phoenixes in pictures, but those failed to capture even a tenth of his majestic beauty. He swooped overhead, drawing an annoyed hiss from Xenocrates at no longer being the centre of attention ¨C and possibly sensing a challenger to his position ¨C before circling above us. ¡°Fawkes was also interested in meeting the raiju,¡± Dumbledore added as his familiar found a perch and settled down upon it. ¡°Provided, of course, that you have no issues with that, Mister MacLeod?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be honoured, Headmaster,¡± I replied, offering him what I hoped was an honest and friendly smile while I sought to not meet his eyes. I knew, unlike most, that he was a powerful Legilimens, and while I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d attempt to read anything more than my surface thoughts, I wasn¡¯t going to risk giving him direct access by letting our gazes meet. He was far more powerful a Legilimens than I was an Occlumens, meaning if he wished to enter my mind without me knowing he could do so, and that was something I didn¡¯t want. However, I had to not make it too obvious I was avoiding his gaze lest he suspect I knew more than I should. I¡¯d known that I¡¯d have to face the Headmaster at some point, possibly over my talks with the muggleborn MacLeod boys, or just a general discussion to determine what, if any, Clan business I could conduct on Hogwarts grounds. However, I¡¯d not expected such a meeting to take place for a few weeks, and for it to be in his office so that he held the position of power. Coming here now, was an interesting move, as while he still held the power ¨C he was Headmaster after all ¨C he was meeting on as close to neutral ground as was doable while we were in Hogwarts. It also, if it were his intent, placed me at a slight disadvantage as I¡¯d not prepared to meet him today. Oh, I had ideas and plans ready to use, but having to draw on them now when caught off-guard granted him the initiative. Now, there was a chance I was overthinking things, but it was safer to do that with potential enemies than underestimate them. Dumbledore moved into the room, his smile growing as he did so. ¡°Thank you, and might I ask how you are finding your time at Hogwarts so far?¡± ¡°Wondrous,¡± I replied, already planning to keep my responses short without them being too short. ¡°Though it¡¯s only been a few days,¡± I added for some detail. Being blunt would only raise his suspicions about me, and that was the last thing I wanted. ¡°Very true,¡± he said as he reached my side, his gaze drifting to Xenocrates. ¡°How is your raiju settling into your quarters?¡± He asked as Xeno locked his gaze on the Headmaster, faint flickers of lightning sparking at the corners of his eyes. ¡°Beyond an annoying housemate, Xenocrates seems to be enjoying the freedom of the room when I¡¯m not there,¡± I said, glad Dumbledore¡¯s gaze was no longer on me. ¡°Thankfully he has yet to grow bored and attempt to damage the belongings of others.¡± Dumbledore chuckled. ¡°Yes, that will be a challenge, but I suspect the Professors here and Hagrid would, if you were willing, be capable of looking after Xenocrates while you are in class.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see much issue with that, Headmaster, but the choice is up to Xenocrates.¡± Based on his behaviour in Dunscaith, it was more likely he¡¯d want to simply snooze the day away on my bed and then come out with me during the evenings. However, I knew that letting him wander the grounds, under the eyes of a Professor or Hagrid would help alleviate any boredom he might experience as the term wore on. ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand that creatures like raiju and phoenixes are, even when bonded to wizards, independent beings.¡± He turned his full attention back to Xeno and stroked his beard. ¡°An interesting choice for a pureblood to select the name of a muggle philosopher for their familiar. If I recall accurately, Xenocrates believed in there being three forms of being: sense, intellect, and opinion.¡± I offered a smile, seemingly pleased at him knowing that. Of course, I was certain he had researched the original Xenocrates once it was confirmed that was the name of my familiar. ¡°He did, though I only learnt of that, and that he was a muggle after naming my familiar. Xenocrates was simply the first name I suggested that he showed a positive interest in.¡± From what I¡¯d learnt while being a muggle, Xenocrates¡¯ works were still referenced in the Free Greek States on occasion suggesting they found worth in the teaching of him and other muggles. ¡°Interesting.¡± Dumbledore didn¡¯t expand on that, so I had no idea what about it he found interesting. What it did confirm was that he was extremely smart and skilled in keeping things hidden without making it overly obvious he was doing so. In many ways that was a relief as a competent Dumbledore suggested one willing and able to engage Voldemort once the latter revealed himself to the masses. A senile old fool, as many had regarded him as, wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near as useful in keeping Voldemort occupied while I worked on creating my power base; one not linked to either of the main players that were about to compete for control of the Isles. ¡°From what I know of raiju, they are extremely uncommon outside the Shogunate, with them reserved as symbols of the Shogun and his family.¡± He turned and looked at me as he continued. ¡°To find a rare feline variant of the species so far from their home shores will draw the attention of the current Shogun.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been made aware of this, Headmaster. According to what I¡¯ve learnt, if not for the fact we were now bonded, the Shogun would be within their rights to demand Xenocrates¡¯ return. As we have bonded, I¡¯ve been told to expect at least a strongly worded missive if not a request for a meeting with the highest representative of the Shogun within Europe.¡± ¡°That is about what I would have expected. If you like, I could speak with their representative on the ICW.¡± ¡°Thank you, Headmaster.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to turn down having Dumbledore use some of his reputation to smooth over any potential issues I might have with another country. Yes, the Shogun would be unlikely to do anything about me being bonded to Xeno, but if the matter could be cut off before it bloomed into a problem, then I¡¯d take it. I might now owe Dumbledore a small favour, but that was fine as long as he believed I was a potential ally, the longer it would be before he turned his considerable power ¨C magical and political ¨C against me. Dumbledore nodded, signalling he would do as he¡¯d offered, and then returned his focus to my familiar. I did likewise and saw Xeno looking up at Fawkes, sizing him up as prey. I hoped he didn¡¯t attempt to hunt the phoenix. Not because I feared he¡¯d caught Fawkes, but because of the chaos that could unleash on the school. ¡°Have you begun your study of young Xenocrates, Silvanus?¡± Dumbledore asked, drawing a shake of the head from Professor Kettleburn. ¡°No. For today I felt it wiser to allow the raiju to grow accustomed to our presence. Something I intend, with young Mister MacLeod¡¯s agreement, to continue for at least an hour each night for this month.¡± A nod from me gave permission, though I knew there might be evenings when I¡¯d be otherwise occupied. ¡°It would be unwise to irritate a creature, even as young as it is, that could potentially kill an untrained witch or wizard.¡± Kettleburn¡¯s smile grew at some private thought. ¡°I know your expertise lies with phoenixes and dragons, but I would be delighted if, time permitting, you joined us in understanding this fascinating creature.¡± ¡°I have many duties to handle, Silvanus. However, provided on those evenings I have a spare hour or two, I would be delighted to offer my experience; as minor and inappropriate as it might be.¡± He paused and glanced at me. ¡°Again, provided that is acceptable to the raiju¡¯s master.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call myself his master, Headmaster, but I see no problem with you joining the Professor¡¯s examinations of Xenocrates.¡± Referring to myself as Xeno¡¯s master would¡¯ve signalled to Dumbledore that I considered the raiju beneath me, or at least that was how I saw the little twist of his words. As for letting him help Professor Kettleburn, it was another instance where saying no might cause the first signs of friction between myself and the Headmaster long before I was ready to step out of his shadow. Dumbledore¡¯s smile grew further. ¡°Excellent. Perhaps while Professor Kettleburn and his staff are examining your familiar we might speak on other matters?¡± I nodded, knowing exactly what matters he wished to speak about. Those were topics that I¡¯d been preparing to face ever since getting the letter of confirmation that I¡¯d be attending Hogwarts. As we all focused on Xeno, I glanced at Professor Kettleburn. This meeting with Dumbledore felt like it was anything but random. Yes, it could just be random chance that the Headmaster overheard other Professors talking about Xeno, and then just happened to be in the neighbourhood when that meeting was taking place, but I wasn¡¯t buying that. This was a trap, however minor, that the Headmaster had created to see what he could learn about and from me in an informal setting. Smart and against most students, it might just work. I, however, was aware of his game and now just had to play the role he expected without seeming like a lost cause to the ideals of Blood Purity exposed by many purebloods. The longer I could convince the Headmaster I was nothing but a simple grass snake, the better it would be when I moved against him and Voldemort and revealed myself to be a basilisk in disguise. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I stood in the corridor on the seventh floor of one of the many towers within Hogwarts looking at a familiar and yet previously unknown tapestry. Locating the tapestry, which featured Barnabas the Barmy''s attempt to train trolls as ballet dancers, and the corridor it was located in had taken a good bit of searching. The various towers in the castle were seemingly joined together illogically, and if not for magic I suspected much of Hogwarts would fall in upon itself, and that was before one considered the space-expansion charms that made it bigger on the inside. Upon finding Barnabas¡¯ tapestry, the next step was making sure that when I returned I was alone. That had taken a few attempts as while the corridor was in one of the less populated towers, with so many students it still had the occasional person passing through it. Given there were only about thirteen hundred students currently at school I knew that once the older years ¨C or at least the non-Prefects of those years ¨C returned, it would be harder to gain access to this room. At least without anyone determining that I was doing so. Now, there was a chance that no other student was aware of the room, but with nearly three thousand students, not to mention the staff, the odds of that being the case were slim. Or at least slim enough that I was dismissing them and working from the idea that at least ten other students were aware of the room I was waiting to enter. The same was true of the various other locations around the school that I¡¯d sought out in my explorations. The easiest and thus first one I¡¯d discovered, or at least suspected I¡¯d discovered, had been the entrance to Slytherin¡¯s Scriptorium. It was not much more than a ten-minute walk from the Slytherin chambers, and while the door was hidden as part of the wall, knowing that there should be three unlit braziers nearby ¨C and which I¡¯d yet to see all three lit at the same time ¨C I knew this was where the entrance was. However, given some of the issues with gaining access to the Scriptorium proper, not least the need to have someone to cast the Torture Curse on to gain access, it was a room that I didn¡¯t intend to enter for several years. Each of the Unforgivables was, according to our DADA Professor, something that we simply couldn¡¯t cast no matter how much anger and fury we had. We lacked the open pathways to cast those spells, or some of the other more dangerous charms, curses, jinxes, and hexes. The next place located was the entrance to the Ancient Magic Chamber. Or more accurately, I followed the path that was used in Hogwarts: Legacy to where it should be. However, once where the passageway to the entrance should be there was nothing but a solid wall. As there was no obvious hint that a passageway had ever been there, I did wonder if the Ancient Magic Chamber had ever existed. That idea had been dismissed after some contemplation as if not for the Chamber, then there was no logical reason for Ranrok to attack Hogwarts as he had during his attempted rebellion. Regardless of what lay beyond the wall, I knew that I couldn¡¯t enter the Chamber through the now walled-off entrance as I could not draw upon ancient magic, nor would I be able to unless I either discovered someone who could see and use ancient magic, or I discovered a ritual that would allow me to do so. The next location sought out and located was the Undercroft. That had taken a touch more effort to locate as while the layout of this Hogwarts was similar to that from where I¡¯d seen the Undercroft, it wasn¡¯t exact. It was, as meant to be, on the ground floor of the Turris Magnus, or as it was more commonly known, the Defence Tower. I¡¯d opened the entrance but not ventured inward, as this was a location supposedly known to House Guant. As far as I knew, there were currently no Guants at Hogwarts, but I couldn¡¯t be certain of that, or that there weren¡¯t wards in place to protect the Undercroft and alert the Guants that someone was attempting to access the location. One that I¡¯d yet to locate but had every intention of doing so was the broken vanishing cabinet. That, provided things hadn¡¯t changed already, should lay on the first floor somewhere in the castle. The first issue with it was where exactly it was as the first floor covered a lot of ground in multiple buildings and towers. The next was seeing if I or Kadic could remove it without Dumbledore learning of it, or at least learning about my actions before the cabinet was off school grounds. I already had a story to spin as to why I¡¯d taken it, but I wasn¡¯t sure how well that would hold. The third, and potentially largest issue was locating the paired cabinet. It should, in theory, be in Borgin and Burkes, but as I¡¯d yet to enter that store personally, I couldn¡¯t be sure of that. I would, once the cabinet in Hogwarts was in my possession, do so but if it wasn¡¯t there, then things were going to get a little more complicated on getting the working pair of cabinets. If I could acquire both cabinets and get them working, then I¡¯d have ways for myself, Kadic, and others to slip into and out of Hogwarts without alerting Dumbledore. However, until then, there were other ways to slip through the wards without exiting through one of the gates. Two of the four passageways to Hogsmeade had been located. The one behind a statue of a one-eyed witch near the Defence Against the Dark Arts classrooms had been located while heading to said classroom for my first introductory lecture in the department. The one hidden behind a mirror on the fourth floor had been harder, but given there was less area that qualified as the fourth floor than the first floor, it hadn¡¯t taken too much effort to locate it during simple wanderings even if testing every mirror I passed on that floor ¨C regardless of the tower it was in ¨C was annoying. The third route was supposedly located in the West Well. That well had been easy to find, but jumping down it to confirm it led to Hogsmeade wasn¡¯t something I was interested in doing. Particularly as the well lay in a large, open pavilion that even with less than half the students at school always seemed to have someone within it. The fourth route to Hogsmeade hadn¡¯t been located yet, but that was due more to the vague mention of where it was than a lack of effort. Having it be somewhere on the ¡°west wall¡± gave me far too much area to work with, including the remains of the battlements that encircled much of the castle¡¯s grounds. As such I didn¡¯t expect to ever locate that passageway. The same was true of one that was supposedly hidden behind a toilet in the school. There was no way I was going to every bathroom and lavatory here and testing every toilet for a passageway I¡¯d never need access to, nor if it were in one of the girl¡¯s washrooms or one only for the upper years, that I could access easily. There were three more passageways that supposedly granted access to outside Hogwarts grounds, though perhaps not to Hogsmeade. The entrance to the passageway behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy had been easy to find though I had yet to determine how to open it never mind where it led. The same was true of the passageway located close to the Hieroglyphic Hall under a rug near a jewelled Fire Crab shell. The final of the seven passageways that led out of the castle wasn¡¯t, from what I knew, active yet. The way through the Whomping Willow to the Shriek Shack ¨C though it wasn¡¯t called that currently ¨C might not exist yet. That was, from what I remembered, created to allow Remus Lupin a path out of the school so he could handle his transformation with each full moon. There was one other secret location that I knew of yet hadn¡¯t tried to access. The Chamber of Secrets was one place I had no intention of until at least my Fourth Year, if not Fifth Year. In theory, the basilisk inside was sleeping, and even if it woke it might well listen to me, but I couldn¡¯t be certain of that, nor did I wish to see if it were true currently. Still, while the Chamber of Secrets wasn¡¯t a place I intended to enter, I was glad that I¡¯d found all the ones that had any potential to be of use to me. Or at least their entrances. The greatest of those was why I was where I was, though I was being extremely cautious about entering it. The Room of Requirement, and everything that it could potentially become and reveal, was possibly the most powerful and useful location in all of Hogwarts. Save perhaps for whatever notes and journals Salazar might have left in the Chamber of Secrets, however, that was only true if Voldemort hadn¡¯t discovered and taken them all. The Room of Requirement, however, was right in front of me, or at least where the entrance should be. I knelt partially, and gently lowered Xeno to the ground. The raiju looked up at me, irritated that I was no longer holding and scratching him. My focus, however, was elsewhere. As I stood up, I pulled my school wand from its holster. ¡°Homenum Revelio,¡± I said as quietly as I could. The base form of the spell was taught, based on its location in textbooks, near the end of Second Year. Learning to cast it before arriving at Hogwarts had been hard, suggesting that it required more than the power of a single pathway to use. I didn¡¯t feel as if I¡¯d fully unlocked my second pathway, but the immense potential that I possessed seemingly allowed me to push that little bit beyond what I should be capable of. However, while I could cast the charm to reveal what was hidden, including the human-revealing variant, I couldn¡¯t do so silently. The charm spread outward in every direction from my wand¡¯s tip, though no gentle ping was heard in my head to suggest someone was nearby. Just to be sure I cast the charm two more times. While that meant there was no one obviously nearby, it didn¡¯t guarantee it. Anyone under a high-quality invisibility cloak or some similar charm or enchantment could in theory continue to remain hidden if their magic were stronger and more refined than mine. I was being paranoid as fuck, but given I¡¯d woken up after the merging of souls to discover my family had been massacred, there was no flaw in being so concerned about potential threats. Someone, or more likely, several people was out to kill me, and lowering my guard too far, even when supposedly safe at Hogwarts, was a step I wasn¡¯t going to make. Not until everyone involved in the SSM lay dead at my feet. When the third casting of the charm failed to detect anyone, I slipped my wand back into its holster and pushed off the wall. Walking in front of the tapestry three times, I focused on a single thought and as the third pass finished, on the section of the wall that I¡¯d been leaning, a simple wooden door appeared. The door, as I¡¯d made clear I¡¯d wanted in my thought, was no different from any other minor one in this particular section of Hogwarts. Trying to restrain my delight, I moved to the door and pulled it open. A wide, almost maniacal grin spread on my face as I saw a recreation of my bedroom at Dunscaith Castle on the other side of the door. I closed the door, pleased with this first attempt, and then moved back, finding a section of wall next to the tapestry to lean against. It would¡¯ve been easy to summon my true intended destination the first time I used the magic of the RoR, however, I wasn¡¯t doing so as another minor security feature. I counted the passing of time in my head, noting how long it took for the door to vanish. I wasn¡¯t sure if it would vanish while I was inside, but knowing how long it remained after being summoned but with no one inside was a small facet of information I wanted. Once the door vanished, I cast the Human Revealing charm three more times and then walked in front of the tapestry another trio of times. Opening the door this time revealed a study chamber, one that bore a remarkable similarity to the one that had been seen in Hogwarts: Legacy. There was a chance this was the very same room, but even if it wasn¡¯t, and the Room stored every creation it ever made in some giant file, then I¡¯d be returning to this chamber to carry out studies I¡¯d rather not do so while under the careful watch of Dumbledore and the castle¡¯s elves. I closed the door and leaned back, again counting the time it took for the entrance to vanish. When the same time passed as before, the door disappeared, which confirmed my suspicions that there was a pattern to how the room, or at least the entrance, worked. Later on, I would have to use Kadic or someone else to count how long it took for the entrance to slip away while someone was inside one of the Room¡¯s many creations: if it did at all. That, however, could wait for another day. After repeating my trio of walks before Barnabas¡¯ tapestry a third time, the door reappeared and I moved toward it, my excitement rising even as I struggled to keep it in check. I held my breath as I pulled open the door and then, as the sight of an insane number of chairs, desks, cabinets, books, and all manner of other objects greeted my sight, I exhaled sharply, a wide, triumphant grin spreading over my face. My free hand pumped in the air, but I had no other outward reaction to my joy at setting sight on the Room of Lost Things. I took a single step over the frame and then looked down at Xeno. ¡°Come on,¡± I said gently and waited for him to enter. Once he did, I followed and closed the door behind me. In time I planned to cast an illusion over the door, hiding its existence from others on the chance it didn¡¯t vanish when someone entered, however, I was unable to do so now, so I would have to hope that no one walked through the corridor and wondered about the door that appeared identical to hundreds of others throughout the castle. With the door closed behind me, I took in my surroundings more fully. The space stretched before me, a cavernous, chaotic expanse that seemed to defy all sense of order and reason. Directly ahead, where Xeno and I stood, there was a clear path¡ªif you could call it that¡ªworn through what could only be described as a maze of clutter. But beyond that, the room dissolved into madness, a jumble of objects piled high without care or purpose. It was as though the room had swallowed centuries of discarded things, spitting them out in disarray. Chairs missing legs were propped precariously against towering boxes, themselves balanced on broken desks that seemed to reach for the ceiling, defying gravity as they leaned and teetered. Tables held piles of items that stretched into the air, stacks of papers, books, and forgotten trinkets wedged in every available space. The entire room felt as though it could come crashing down at any moment, a delicate balance sustained by magic alone¡ªthough even with magic, it seemed like a collapse was just one wrong step away. ¡°Stay close,¡± I muttered to Xeno, my raiju, who was pressing his flank against my leg for reassurance. He gazed up at me, his electric eyes gleaming with indignation at the suggestion he might wander off without thought. ¡°I know you''re smart,¡± I added, trying to placate him, ¡°but we don¡¯t know what¡¯s in this place. Some of it could be dangerous, and I don¡¯t want you getting stuck in some cursed pile of junk.¡± Slowly, cautiously, I began to pick my way through the room. The path ahead was rough and narrow, hemmed in by the bizarre, haphazard architecture of the junk piles that surrounded me. Broken lamps, crumbling statues, and warped furniture formed strange towers, their jagged edges casting long, distorted shadows in the dim light. Everywhere I looked, objects were jammed together in ways that seemed impossible¡ªpiles so tall and dense they defied the natural laws of balance, held together by some unseen force. Books, scattered like fallen leaves, filled in the spaces between the odd-shaped walls that lined my route. Many of them were familiar¡ªthe same school textbooks I had seen hundreds of times, now discarded here, their spines cracked, and pages yellowed with age. It seemed like this room had become a graveyard for forgotten things, a place where the castle¡¯s unwanted objects came to rest. If I didn''t already own copies of every book from Fifth Year down, I might have stopped to salvage them. Even so, the thought crossed my mind to come back. A second-hand bookshop would gladly take them, and while selling them wouldn¡¯t bring much coin, every Knut would matter for what was to come. I let out a low whistle, curious to gauge the room''s size. The sound echoed back at me, bouncing and fading as it travelled, swallowed by the labyrinth of debris. The sheer scale of the room was impossible to gauge; even if I climbed to the top of the highest pile, I had the distinct feeling I wouldn¡¯t be able to see the far end. It was as if the room stretched on forever, folding in on itself in impossible ways. The unsettling thought gnawed at me¡ªthat the room might be larger than it appeared, a magical space that expanded far beyond the physical limits of the castle. After ten minutes of carefully picking my way forward, my pocket watch reminding me of the slow progress, I spotted something that stood out amid the clutter. A small velvet pouch rested near the base of a particularly precarious stack of junk, its deep red fabric a stark contrast to the muted, dusty tones of the room. It looked like a purse or perhaps an enchanted bag. My curiosity piqued, I stepped closer, wondering what treasures¡ªor dangers¡ªit might contain, nestled as it was among the remnants of a forgotten world. Using a broken leg of a chair ¨C which I couldn¡¯t see nearby ¨C I gently prised the pouch from where it was nestled. Yet once it was close enough to touch, I stopped. For a moment, with my curiosity running rampant, I¡¯d almost made a potentially fatal mistake. ¡°Kadic.¡± A split-second later, the familiar pop of an elf apparating sounded behind me. As that echoed away into nothingness, I turned to see my head elf standing there, a slightly expectant look on his face. ¡°The MacLeod summons Kadic?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I gestured around at the room we were in, ¡°this is the room I mentioned. However, before we go over the plan, can you confirm if this pouch is safe to handle and open?¡± Kadic looked at the pouch, which I was indicating with the broken chair leg in my hand. After a click of his fingers, the pouch lifted into the air and began rotating through all three axes. As it moved, the tie holding it closed loosened, and I watched as perhaps a dozen coins slipped out. Only two of them were Galleons, but the fact it was a money pouch as I¡¯d hoped was an encouraging sign. I didn¡¯t expect to find much money in this room, but that there was some here was encouraging. If I weren¡¯t concerned about the chaos it would cause, I¡¯d have Kadic summoned every Galleon, Sickle, and Knut to our location. ¡°Kadic feels it is clean.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, holding out my hand. The coins returned to the pouch as they all floated over and once closer I grasped the pouch and pulled it from the air. Poking inward with the chair leg confirmed it was larger on the inside though given the dearth of runes around the rim; I suspected this one had a very small space expansion charm weaved into the fabric. ¡°Now,¡± I continued as I slipped the pouch into a pocket on my robes, ¡°if I¡¯m right, and based on what I¡¯m seeing I think I am, this is the room I found in those notes I mentioned to you. The ones stating a room for lost items in Hogwarts.¡± There was no note, but claiming there was such an item allowed me to explain the theory of the Room of Lost Things to Kadic so that now, with him here, I didn¡¯t have to detail everything I wanted him to do. ¡°The room isn¡¯t clean, but there is value in its contents.¡± ¡°The MacLeod is smart to find such a place.¡± My grin grew, enjoying Kadic¡¯s praise. Yes, I hadn¡¯t truly earned it, but neither he nor anyone else I might reveal this room to in future would know that. ¡°Can you summon the chest I asked you to arrange?¡± With a click of his fingers, a chest ¨C one from the selection in Dunscaith ¨C appeared next to him. ¡°Excellent.¡± I moved toward the chest, checking it was one with space expansion charms runed into it before I continued. ¡°For today, I want you to place every item of coin, gem, and piece of jewellery you find today inside it. Save any that appeared to be cursed. Those are to be left alone.¡± I didn¡¯t want my elf to pick up the Diadem and succumb to whatever horrors Voldemort had placed upon it to protect the Horcrux within. ¡°After today, you remember the rules?¡± ¡°Kadic is to return to the corridor outside this room each day while The MacLeod and other students are sleeping. So long as no wizard, witch, elf, or creature of any kind is nearby, Kadic is to walk past the wall hanging thinking of this room. When the door appears, Kadic is to enter here again and continue following The MacLeod¡¯s orders for what to take.¡± It was fine if Kadic couldn¡¯t get in one night, but if he couldn¡¯t get in for three nights straight, he was to inform me. The odds that he¡¯d not be able to access the Room of Lost Things were slim, but I wasn¡¯t going to risk another student or member of staff discovering him entering the room. ¡°Exactly,¡± I replied, offering the elf a nod to make clear he had done well. As Kadic¡¯s chest puffed out, I kept going. ¡°When one chest is close to full, bring a new one. After the coins and the like are taken, I want every book taken from here as well. Be mindful of how anything is removed so that the messy piles around us don¡¯t collapse and break. I don¡¯t think anyone comes to this room, but the longer we can keep others unaware of what you¡¯ll be doing, the better it will be for our Clan.¡± ¡°Kadic understand The MacLeod¡¯s orders.¡± I moved forward and patted his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Kadic. Doing this requires going outside of what you¡¯d normally do, that you choose to do so makes me immensely proud to consider you my friend.¡± Kadic beamed with pride at hearing that, and while others might think I was disingenuous, I was being truthful. Kadic had looked after me ever since discovering me in the orphanage and without him I suspect I¡¯d have died before others learnt of my survival. He was closer to me than any of my cousins, even ¨¢ine MacDougall who made sure to come over to Dunscaith at least twice a month so we might enjoy playdates. I turned and resumed walking deeper into the room. ¡°If you come across anything cursed, or potentially cursed, you are to leave it where you found it. Even if you think it is safe to move with magic, don¡¯t do so. I won¡¯t have you taking unnecessary risks on my behalf.¡± ¡°Kadic understands.¡± I was repeating myself a bit ¨C both today and with what I¡¯d told Kadic before about this room, but I didn¡¯t want him going anywhere near the diadem. Nor anything else that might be fatal if moved incorrectly. ¡°The MacLeod is wise.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just paranoid. After what happened to my parents and siblings, I have every right to be.¡± My eyes caught sight of a spellbook for Sixth Year. That was going to be useful in a few years, but I doubted I could cast many or even any of the spells inside. ¡°Also, and I know I already said this, but don¡¯t talk with others about this room. Not even Aien and the Hogwarts elves. The longer we can keep this room, and the fact we know of it, hidden from others, the safer we¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°Kadic understands.¡± The elf offered a nod as he walked at my side, the chest floating along behind us. Xeno was to my right, leaping gracefully from one random object to the next, seemingly finding fun in this new maze to explore. I paused as an idea came to me. ¡°Kadic, can you find your way back to this room without using the door outside?¡± Kadic¡¯s face scrunched up as he thought carefully on the matter. ¡°Kadic thinks he can. The room is in Hogwarts but not. The door The MacLeod came through helps find the room, but it is still there. Kadic thinks after a few attempts, Kadic could come here without the door.¡± ¡°Okay, then from tomorrow try to get in directly. It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t do it, either soon or ever, but if you could it removes the biggest issue of others discovering what we¡¯re doing.¡± Looting the Room of Lost Things was, ever since I¡¯d been merged into this life, something for which I¡¯d been planning. Those plans had changed over time as I learnt more about magic, but the general concept remained the same. Since no one was claiming these objects, and Dumbledore and others weren¡¯t searching for the room ¨C something that would be confirmed once the diadem was located ¨C then there¡¯d not be anyone to stop me from gathering everything and anything of value, be that financial, knowledge-based, or otherwise, from this repository. Technically, we were stealing it all, but I was using the ancient law of ¡®Finders Keepers¡¯ to reason away the tiny portion of my mind that disliked the idea of thieving everything we could. I stumbled, my mind abruptly torn from its musings on the legality of rummaging through this room as my eyes caught something that made my breath hitch. Xeno had leapt from a pile, dislodging a book that lay forgotten among the detritus, and the name on its spine sent a thrill down my spine, a bolt of excitement that burned through my veins. No, it couldn¡¯t be. But as I moved closer, the faded title confirmed my wildest hope. The Path of Destruction. My pulse quickened. This was no ordinary book. Nearly five centuries old, this forbidden tome was the magnum opus on the raw, brutal art of destructive magic. Its author, Banidar Vlidmar, had wielded such catastrophic power that his actions were forever seared into history, culminating in the event the muggles called the Little Ice Age. The book was legendary, referenced only in hushed whispers, and utterly forbidden by every magical authority in existence. Vlidmar¡¯s work had been sealed away, his grim legacy locked behind walls of fear, and only the rarest, most dangerous private collections could boast of holding a single copy. Yet here it was, wedged carelessly beneath a desk teetering on an old chair, discarded as if it were some mundane school text. My hand hovered over it, trembling with a mixture of reverence and greed. The mere fact that I was standing here, inches from one of the most coveted and dangerous texts ever written, sent a surge of triumph and hunger through me. This was a treasure of forbidden knowledge, the kind of discovery that could change everything. The thrill of it gripped me tight. Power¡ªtrue power¡ªlay within these pages. The kind of magic that could reshape the world, if only one had the will to command it. And here I was, in possession of a key to it. All the warnings in those dusty tomes, the dread in the voices of scholars when they spoke of Vlidmar, meant nothing to me now. The risk, the danger¡ªthey were mere obstacles to overcome. My heart raced as I imagined the possibilities, the knowledge waiting to be unleashed, and how it might further my own abilities, setting me apart from every other wizard. I had wanted this¡ªdreamed of finding something like this¡ªbut I had never expected it. Not here. Not now. Yet fate had seen fit to place this forbidden artefact into my hands as if inviting me to take the next step toward mastery. Toward supremacy. Slowly, I reached for the book, my fingers brushing the worn leather. The weight of it was heavier than I expected, both literally and metaphorically. In this moment, I wasn¡¯t just discovering a lost text¡ªI was unlocking a path to power most wizards could only dream of, a path that had been barred and sealed for centuries. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. What a find. ¡°Kadic,¡± I said as calmly as I could manage,¡± This book. Remove it without bringing down everything upon us.¡± I watched as the book, one I was going to have to read within my trunk as being known to possess it carried fines in the millions and incarceration for several decades, slowly slipped from its precarious position. ¡°IS it clear of hexes, curses, and the like?¡± ¡°The book is safe,¡± Kadic said a moment later and to the day I died, I¡¯d deny snatching the book from the air as if my life depended upon it, and that the grin that spread over my face would terrify even the strongest witches and wizards to ever live. My hand ran tenderly over the cover, feeling the slightly raised text there, wondering what great secrets lay within it. This book should help me unlock my affinity for destructive magic, and while I knew it would be years before I was able to call upon any of the spells within, just having it in my collection would be a boon for the coming decades. ¡°Kadic, this book¡­ Place it in Master Study right now.¡± I handed the book slowly to my elf, reluctant to let go of such an unexpected but important find. However, I knew if nothing else came from this room, not even the diadem, this alone was worth the effort. Kadic took the book, and even though he was clearly confused by my actions, disappeared with a click of his fingers. Less than a minute later he returned. ¡°Kadic did as The MacLeod asked.¡± ¡°Excellent. Now let¡¯s see what else we might find this evening.¡± I had a curfew to make it back to the Slytherin chambers, but until then I wanted to see what other treasures might be hidden in this wondrous room. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ Year 1 Part 5 Year 1 Part 5 ... ... I walked from my dorm, a letter in my hand. At my side, as much as I wished he wasn¡¯t, was Amycus. He also had a letter in his hands, and while he¡¯d not told me the content of his, given the identical stylised font on the envelope it came in and the wax seal securing the letter inside were the same as those that had been on my envelope, I had little doubt his letter said the same. There was no hint as to the sender of the letter, just that after stating my full name, I was instructed to be outside the Slytherin chambers at seven o¡¯clock that evening. At first, I had suspected the letter was some form of trap or deception, but with a few hours to ponder the matter, I had come to realise that this was no trap. It was an invitation to some secretive club; one that based on Amycus¡¯ presence as well, I already had my suspicions about. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± a familiar voice called out as we exited the Slytherin chambers. Turning I saw Finn Dalcassin approaching us. with him were Rodolphus Lestrange, Asmodeus Wessex, and Lucius Malfoy. ¡°What is this,¡± Amycus began, holding the letter up and waving it, ¡°about?¡± There was a hint of annoyance in his tone, but also some respect. He understood that while he was Heir to the Most Ancient house of Carrow, the others were all heirs as well, and each of them could, with I suspected little effort, take him out. I knew my chances against them weren¡¯t much greater, but I knew already that I was more capable with my magic than Amycus was. He was solid in class but lacked refinement and grace: preferring brute force and strength with his magic over control. That fitted well with his general demeanour, but I wondered if perhaps it was also a reflection of his magical potential. Perhaps he was one with great depth to his potential, granting power and the ability to cast the greatest of spells, but lacked the size to do so for long or control what he cast. A small grunt of irritation slipped from Lucius. ¡°I would expect someone of your standing,¡± Lucius¡¯s gaze swept over Amycus, ¡°as potentially unworthy of it as you are, to have the ability to grasp the painfully obvious.¡± The comment drew a smirk from Asmodeus Wessex, though the older Slytherin made no additional remark. ¡°You, Heir Malfoy, and those with you are here because of your position in the inheritance of your Clans and Houses,¡± I said, stepping into the moment to show my superiority once again over Amycus. It was but the middle of September, but already it was becoming clear to him and the rest of our year ¨C if not throughout Slytherin ¨C that Amycus was simply not on my level in any sense of the word. ¡°Though I am the exception to that obvious correlation.¡± Finn and Asmodeus shared a look, while I caught Rodolphus giving me a small, almost inconceivable snarl. ¡°Indeed, you are not the Heir to Clan MacLeod,¡± Asmodeus replied, ¡°however our¡­ group felt that extending an invitation to you was wise as it serves the founding principles of our group to have you as a member. I will warn you that the vote to invite you was not unanimous.¡± I accepted that with a slight inclination of my head, and chose to ignore the amused grunt that came from Amycus. ¡°Is this all there is in this group you speak of?¡± Amycus asked, stepping in such a way that he was partially blocking the others from seeing me. I rolled my eyes at the action, having grown tired of it in just a few weeks. However, I made no move to counter it, finding it unnecessary to do so to prove my supremacy over him. The tone Amycus took was far less confrontational now, a hint that under the bluntness there was intelligence, though I was certain it wasn¡¯t one worthy of a true Slytherin: perhaps belonging with the directness of the Lions instead. That intelligence, or what there was of it, had become apparent in our classes to be lacking in comparison to most of our house, never mind against me of the others marked out as above the others. Our first round of tests and challenges in class had taken place, and tables were produced for the first standings in our core classes. Amycus was decidedly below average; both within Slytherin and in the overall year. While I led the table for Transfiguration, in the overall tables I sat fourth. Ahead of me were Vesta Malfoy ¨C a situation she had enjoyed holding over me on the day the tables were produced ¨C and two Ravenclaws. The rest of the top ten included Lasadh Astra, a single Gryffindor with the others all coming, unsurprisingly in many ways, from the Eagles. The most interesting thing, at least about Amycus and the tables, was that Bradley Cooper, the muggleborn I had taken under my wing since first meeting him in Diagon Alley at the beginning of the year, had placed sixty-first. Beyond being the highest-ranked muggleborn at the start of our time at Hogwarts, he was far above Amycus. Sadly, the same could not be said of Andrew MacLeod. The muggleborn who bore my clan name ¨C something I was still considering how to proceed with, even after the rather unimpressive first meeting with his older brother ¨C sat in the bottom third of the tables, alongside most of the muggleborns and those not raised in the magical world. ¡°It would behove you, Heir Carrow, to remember that while your house is Most Ancient, others here stand to inherit Lordships and Chieftainships that are equal to yours in rank, but above it in stature,¡± Finn responded to Amycus, a rapid cooling of the air coming as the Sixth Year letting some of his magical might ¨C and potentially a hint of the magic his clan were known for ¨C out to reinforce his words. Amycus lowered his head a fraction, showing understanding of Finn¡¯s gentle warning ¨C though I couldn¡¯t say what Amycus¡¯ expression was ¨C and I felt Finn pull back on his magic, allowing the air to return to its normal state. ¡°Good. Now come along, the others are no doubt waiting for us.¡± As he and the others turned and started walking away from the Slytherin chambers, my brow rose. I knew the names of the various heirs within Hogwarts, though outside of my cousins Markus ¨C who was Heir to my position as Chief MacLeod ¨C Ciaran O¡¯Callaghan, and Nairn Montague, I had enjoyed little communication with any of them. The same was true of Callum MacGregor and Iona MacKenzie. Like me they were both Chiefs of their Clans, however they had been heirs before then. Since I was being permitted to attend this group, I assumed they would be there too and while Iona was, from my few interactions with her, a pleasant person to be around, Callum was a fucking arse. Our walk-through halls of Hogwarts took some time, and I noted several students looking our way as we walked. A group of Slytherins moving together was not unusual ¨C indeed, the house Professors had gently encouraged it to show outward solidarity of our house to others ¨C but that we ranged from First to Sixth Year would be unusual. Still, there were times when some of the students, particularly some Sixth and Fifth Year Gryffindors, watched us with more than just a passing interest. As we reached the main floor of the castle, I caught Rodolphus glaring at me from the corner of his eye again. If not for already having spoken to Bellatrix I¡¯d have feared he held some grudge against me, or at least one that might have me concerned to be in his presence. The eldest of the trio of Black daughters ¨C the fact they were referred to as that when there were other girls in the Black family continued to amuse me ¨C had spoken to me just before her betrothed, a term she used with utter contempt, and the others older students had arrived back at Hogwarts about the matter. Rodolphus was jealous of anyone being near anything he believed was his, and that extended to Bellatrix. She intended to fight her way free of the betrothal before she was expected to marry him, but until then she had to deal with issues. As Bellatrix had already stated to Rodolphus that she would be tutoring me, a situation brought on by Arcturus offering her help to me and my acceptance of the offer, I would be spending more time around her than he would, which seemed to only inflame his anger toward me. Bellatrix might feel that there was nothing to be concerned about, but I did not share that opinion. Rodolphus was older, more experienced, and had unlocked more of his potential ¨C however great that might be ¨C than I had. If he was anything like he was in the other timeline, a bastard who enjoyed inflicting pain on others, I would find myself having to be wary of the danger he posed. Having to spend the next two years at Hogwarts watching my back in the event he might let his jealousy cause him to do something toward me was going to be a pain. However, I knew I would have to bear it. He and his brother, who I expected would support him, would not be the only threats against me at Hogwarts, I had just hoped to avoid having to be concerned about a far older and more skilled wizard targeting me at least until I reached Third Year. As we climbed the first flight of stairs of the Defence Against the Dark Arts tower, I noted that Rodolphus was talking quietly with Amycus, though it stopped when another student appeared, blocking the path our group was on. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± A Sixth-Year Hufflepuff wearing a prefect¡¯s badge asked hints of annoyance and dislike in her voice. ¡°A private matter, Smith,¡± Finn responded sharply, making clear the animosity was on both sides. ¡°Nothing to get your knickers into a twist over.¡± Someone in our group coughed, covering their amusement, though that only served to cause Smith¡¯s eyes to narrow further. Smith¡¯s hand twitched, and for a moment I wondered if perhaps whatever issues lay between the two would boil over here and now. The Hufflepuff stopped his twitching hand as Asmodeus stepped beside Finn. A grunt came from his lips, and he begrudgingly moved aside. ¡°Fine, have fun with your stupid thin-blood clubs,¡± He muttered. We moved forward, though I noted Smith¡¯s eyes watching us as if committing our faces to memory. Already I was making certain to avoid running into Smith again during the evenings. It was clear that his opinions on the way our world worked would never be ones I could convert. ¡°Stupid mudblood.¡± My head snapped to Amycus as he grumbled out the curse, and for a moment, as we were still in earshot of Smith, I feared what might happen. I stayed still, cautious of what might happen, but beyond a grunt of anger, the Hufflepuff did nothing, which I assumed was because Finn would counter any points Smith deducted from Amycus over the insult. We resumed our climb, soon finding ourselves on the fifth floor of the tower. I stayed at the rear of the group, cautious of where we were heading. This floor was one that, while I had explored it during the first week at Hogwarts, had held little interest. All that was up here, at least from what I saw earlier in the month, were empty classrooms that seemed unused in some time and storage areas that were locked, preventing my access to whatever they contained. ¡°Dalcassin, Wessex,¡± a voice called out from the darkness ahead of us, ¡°I was beginning to fear you and your snakes had become lost on your way here.¡± The speaker took a step toward us, emerging from what should be an empty classroom. His robes were that of a Seventh-Year Hufflepuff, one that I¡¯d seen during our arrival at Hogwarts. The prefect¡¯s badge confirmed that, though as I came closer, I recognized his face. This was Barnard Engelby, Heir to the Established House of Engelby. Asmodeus chuckled. ¡°We were simply delayed by one of your badgers who has an exaggerated belief in his importance due to his current status, Engelby.¡± Barnard snorted. ¡°Smith?¡± Finn responded with a nod and the Hufflepuff pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with him later, but we all know he will not shift from his position on the nature and culture of our world.¡± He shook his head for a moment. ¡°Another sad case of a muggleborn believing themselves grand simply because they can wield the mysteries of our world.¡± ¡°And here I thought that all your badgers got along,¡± Finn remarked, though without any venom. Barnard chuckled. ¡°We do. Just like all you snakes are nice and peaceful behind the closed doors in that den of yours.¡± Again, there was no anger in the tone, just friendly banter. ¡°Come on,¡± he said as he turned and walked back to the door he had emerged from. ¡°The others are inside waiting.¡± As we stepped inside, I saw as I had expected the other heirs, and in the case of Iona MacKenzie and Callum MacGregor, chiefess and chief gathered around a circular table that was bare and had enough chairs for all of us to sit at. I offered my fellow clan leaders a nod of recognition and while Iona returned it, Callum didn¡¯t, instead sneering at my presence. Ignoring his reaction, I turned to my cousins, Magnus MacLeod, and Nairn Montague, offering them nods as well. While Nairn seemed pleased with my presence, Magnus¡¯ lips tightened hinting at some issue regarding us, one I suspected had to do with my presence in this group, and what it might mean for his membership. Barnard clapped his hands as he moved around the table. ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin,¡± He said as he reached the far side of the table. ¡°Amycus Carrow, D¨°mhnall MacLeod, on behalf of the others, it is my privilege to welcome you to the Circulus Heredum,¡± I grinned as I quickly translated the name to mean Circle of Heirs; a rather apt title given the membership. ¡°In this group, you will leave the trappings of your Hogwarts house at the door, along with issues relating to family disputes and grievances. We are here to get acquainted with each other, in the hopes of fostering bonds that will carry our Houses and Clans forward into the future as we move to lead them.¡± As he spoke the others moved around the table. I noted that Callum was to his right with Finn and Asmodeus to his left. The rest, based on the markings of their robes, filtered their way around the table in seniority. Magnus¡¯ eyes danced from Callum to me, confirming that there was an issue with both of us being present and that Callum MacGregor was the source of that issue. ¡°I am Barard Engelby,¡± Barand continued introducing himself formally. ¡°To my right are Callum MacGregor, Rodolphus Lestrange, William Fiske, Anders Wollstonecraft, Magnus MacLeod, and Frank Longbottom. To my left, we have Finn Dalcassin, Asmodeus Wessex, Iona MacKenzie,¡± the only time a Gryffindor was next to a Slytherin, ¡°Nairn Montague, Liam O¡¯Brody, David Gravenor, and Lucius Malfoy.¡± I gave each a nod as they were introduced, which they all returned. While the table was circular, it seemed that there was a head of the table, and that seniority was based on age and nothing else. As titles and the like were left at the door, that made perfect sense. The most recognizable name of the others was Frank Longbottom. He was bound, barring something truly unexpected happening in the next five or so years, to become one of Dumbledore¡¯s most loyal foot soldiers in the coming war. Of the others, I noted that while there were more Slytherins present than in the other houses, it was not a majority with even Hufflepuff having three members of the Circulus Heredum. ¡°Please, be seated,¡± Barnard continued once the introductions were taken care of. I allowed the others to sit first as a mark of respect for their position. That earned me a few nods, most notably from Lucius and Iona, though Amycus made no such effort to wait, and was the second seated. His desire to sit left me facing Barnard, seemingly at the lowest position of the table, however, that was acceptable. It granted me the best opportunity to observe the older members of this circle and see, if I could, whose loyalty lay where. ¡°With your presence, the Circulus Heredum moves to sixteen members; the highest number it has been in my time at Hogwarts, and from what I have read of the records, an event not seen since before the Wizarding World War. D¨°mhnall, like Callum and Iona you are technically not an heir, nor were you ever one while at Hogwarts like the others. This is an event that has never occurred before, as you should well understand. However, let me state clearly that your title as Chief MacLeod grants you no greater say or influence over the Circle. It is left along with any position of power, at the doors to this room. If you cannot accept this, then you are free to depart.¡± ¡°I have no issues with this,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°Titles, in theory, matter little at Hogwarts so I have not tried to use mine to influence events in any way.¡± Barnard nodded, pleased with my words. ¡°Good. Now, in the Circle we are equal, but one speaks as the voice of all. I hold that position, Praeses, because I am in my final year at Hogwarts, and was elected in a simple majority vote.¡± At that, I heard a grunt from Callum and then saw Finn smirk at the Ravenclaw¡¯s annoyance. ¡°As Praeses, I determine the matters to be discussed, call them to vote, and in the case where the matter is tied, offer the presiding vote. I cannot force my will upon the Circle, and if a majority of those present seek to override my decisions, or remove me from my position, then that is what shall happen. At the end of this year, I shall stand aside and a new Praeses will be chosen; someone who comes from Sixth Year so that they might only serve as Praeses for but a single year.¡± I took his words in, my eyes drifting around the table, taking in the others. As we had students from every year, I would not be able to take control of this Circle until my final year. That was a little irritating but acceptable and it made sense to prevent any one person from taking control of the Circle and dominating it for years at a time. I was unsure what if any, real power this Circle held, but I hoped to learn that in time and see in what ways I might exploit it for my advantage. Something I knew most of the others present would do as well. Barnard glanced at Callum, who after a roll of his eyes, took over. ¡°As our Praeses has already stated, titles carry no weight in the Circle. Any grievances you might hold to another here are to be left at the door. Be they personal or political. Even a blood feud, be it between individuals or Houses, cannot be brought to this table.¡± Finn chuckled ¡°Not had one of those in over a hundred years,¡± He explained, drawing an irritated glare from Callum; one that Finn just ignored as he kept talking. ¡°We are here to discuss, calmly and patiently, matters of state and decisions made by the Ministry and Wizengamot. We don¡¯t currently hold power to influence such matters, but we will all one day take our place in the Wizengamot,¡± I caught Callum send an amused smirk at Magnus; one my cousin responded to with a partial snarl, ¡°and it behoves us to learn not only how to lead our Clans and Houses, but how to find common ground with those who hold differing values.¡± Silence fell over the room, and I assumed it was to allow Amycus and me to consider and take in the explanation of what the Circle did and how it operated. Unless I was greatly mistaken, there would be more rules, but the basics were logical and practical. Sensing that we understood what we¡¯d been told, Barnard pulled what at first glance appeared to be a simple sphere of wood from a pocket in his robes. He banged the sphere on the table, and a deep, earthy sound echoed around us. ¡°I bring the first sitting of this new year of the Circulus Heredum to order,¡± he said, looking around the room as he spoke. ¡°Does anyone have any business they feel must be handled before I formally mark the new year as having begun?¡± His eyes, and that of a few others, settled on Callum. The Chief of Clan MacGregor gave me a victorious smirk before speaking. ¡°Yes. I petition for the removal of Magnus MacLeod from the Circulus Heredum. While he is the heir, with his Chief now a member of the Circle, I fear his presence alongside that of his Chief, even though they have both sworn to not bring Clan business into the Circle, will grant Clan MacLeod an outsized influence on matters we discuss. Such an influence could well undermine the ideals the Circulus Heredum was founded upon.¡± Barnard listened carefully as Callum spoke, Having seemingly expected this. While his visage remained calm, I noted Finn roll his eyes while another ¨C I believed Lucius ¨C clicked their tongue. ¡°The motion is brought before us, is there a second?¡± Barnard asked. I didn¡¯t have to look at Amycus to know his hand was raised. His opinion on me had only gotten worse as the first few weeks had passed. What was unexpected was seeing Asmodeus, Lucius, and my cousin Nairn backing the motion. ¡°The motion is supported,¡± Barnard stated though I swore I caught a flicker of annoyance in his tone. ¡°Magnus, you are granted a minute to compose a response to Callum¡¯s challenge, and then two to respond.¡± Silence fell over the room as we waited for my cousin to gather his thoughts. If this was something he and others had expected, then my concern about his reaction to my presence was negated. He was less upset that I could, in theory, override his choices, than this attempt to remove him from the Circle. Still, regardless of the outcome, I would need to speak with him and smooth any ruffled feathers of any perceived overstep. As one of only two other remaining MacLeods ¨C our cousin Tallula was in the same year and house as him ¨C with a clear connection to a recent former chief, I couldn¡¯t afford to have his allegiance slip. As the minute neared its end, Magnus signalled he was prepared with the nod of his head. At that, Barnard conjured an egg timer, one that would only run for two minutes, as my cousin stood. ¡°I freely acknowledge that Heir MacGregor has valid concerns regarding the presence of myself and my Chief in the Circle. In normal situations, he is right to say that I am expected to follow his commands regardless of my opinions on them. However, the Circulus Heredum is one of those rare places where such commands need not be followed. Ranks, title, and allegiance are, by the rules of the Circle, left at the door. No matter what he might demand of me, in punishment or reward, for my choices in the Circle, he cannot force my hand nor demand my vote on any matter.¡± Magnus paused and looked at me, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t be sure if that was fear of what I might do if he disobeyed my demands, or that I might not agree with his interpretation of the rules of the Circle, but I remained silent, letting him keep the floor. ¡°Still, irrespective of the rules of the Circle, I am heir to the Ancient and Noble Clan Macleod and will remain so until either Chief D¨°mhnall has a child from a wife or paramour, or he sees fit to replace me as heir with our cousin.¡± Magnus paused there and shifted his stare to take in the rest of the Circle. ¡°By the rules of the Circulus Heredum and the ideals under which it was founded, I have the right to have a seat at this table. Moreso than my chief, or Chief MacGregor and Chiefess MacKenzie.¡± Callum¡¯s eyes narrowed, not liking the point. Iona shifted in her seat, possibly unnerved by Magnus¡¯ observation, but she remained seemingly neutral. ¡°However, if this gathering of the Circle wishes to remove me, chooses to override its most important principle, then I shall accept the ruling with humility, and honour, and bear no ill-will to anyone in this room. This I swear upon my magic.¡± Again, silence fell over the room as Magnus sat, and everyone considered his words. ¡°Thank you, Magnus,¡± Barnard said before looking at me. ¡°D¨°mhnall, as Chief MacLeod, this matter affects you also, so I grant you the right to add your words to Magnus¡¯.¡± I took a few moments to consider what I wanted to say before speaking. While I felt confident that Magnus was not going to be voted out of the Circle, I felt there was a way to phrase things that would if not impress the others, then at least let them see I knew the basics of place in the game. ¡°I cannot say if what Magnus has said is accurate regarding the rules of the Circulus Heredum, as I know little of them. What I will state today, clearly and without conditions, is that as my heir, Magnus is under no obligation to ever vote on any matter the Circle might vote upon in the way I do. I will also concur that until I have children.¡± For a brief moment my mind remembered my wife and daughter from before the merging, but I pushed them aside and back into the storage area of my developing mind palace before they could interfere with my thoughts. ¡°Until I have children, and barring some great calamity that I cannot currently foresee, he shall remain my heir. On the grounds that the terms that exist between us, and are covered by Clan law, are not broken.¡± Mangus nodded at hearing that and along with accepting my terms, he seemed relieved I wasn¡¯t trying to remove him from the Circle. ¡°Beyond that, there is little else I can offer in support of Magnus remaining with the Circle; not without a careful examination of the full formal rules of the Circulus Heredum.¡± Barnard smiled slightly as I finished. ¡°Your words are heard by the Circle.¡± He looked at the rest of the table slowly. ¡°The challenge to Magnus¡¯ seat in the Circulus Heredum had been made and he had offered his defence. I now ask for a show of hands in support of the motion to remove him from the Circle.¡± As I¡¯d expected, Callum''s hand went up, as did Amycus¡¯ and Rodolphus'' ¨C that was likely because I was being tutored by Bellatrix and he was a jealous fool ¨C but those were the only hands to support the motion. I offered Asmodeus and Lucuis small nods in thanks since they had supported bringing the matter to a vote, however, I wondered if they might ask something in return for the small favour. Barnard banged the wooden sphere on the table. ¡°The motion to expel Magnus MacLeod is denied. As per the rules of the Circulus Heredum, the matter can now not be brought back to the Circle until next term at the earliest.¡± There were nods around the table from many, even Callum though he looked annoyed to have lost the vote ¨C potentially again as I suspected he had tried this last year as well ¨C yet my focus was on Barnard, or more accurately the wooden sphere. His fingers slid over the surface of the object, and it began glowing with a soft, almost comforting blue light. The light grew in intensity and brightness as it pulsed, and a few seconds later, seemingly from nowhere, a small object appeared from it. That object landed on the table and expanded into a thick, leather-bound tome. There was some writing on the cover, but I was unable to make out what was written. That extended to the pages when Barnard opened the tome. As he turned the pages, while the text remained unreadable ¨C I suspected magic was causing the issue ¨C I noted that every few pages the style of handwriting changed. I hint that this book had, judging from the number of pages Barnard was shifting through, seen many, many years of the Circulus Heredum. Once he found an empty page, he left the book open and, as the pulsing of the sphere continued, spoke. ¡°I mark that the first gathering of the Circulus Heredum for the school year of nineteen-sixty-nine through nineteen-seventy as having begun. I mark that D¨°mhnall MacLeod and Amycus Carrow are recorded as having joined the Circulus Heredum this year.¡± As he spoke, scribbles appeared in the book. The words were still unclear, yet I could tell that the style of the writing was different from those on the last page before the current ones. There was magic involved here, one that not only recorded what Barnard was saying but, from what I could determine, did so in his handwriting as it appeared to match that upon the envelope and letter inviting me to this gathering. That was interesting, and also a little concerning since copying someone¡¯s style of writing could allow one to forge documents in their name. ¡°I mark that a motion by Callum MacGregor to remove Magnus MacLeod from the Circulus Heredum due to his cousin, Domhnall MacLeod being the Chief of Clan MacLeod was denied by a vote of twelve to three.¡± Barnard stopped speaking there, and the words on the page ended as well. ¡°Is there any business that should be handled before we cover the minutes of the last gathering of the Circle?¡± The others ¨C those who had been members of the Circulus Heredum since last year ¨C shook their heads. ¡°Good. Then let us move on to the minutes of the last meeting of the Circle before we discuss anything new.¡± As everyone settled into their chairs, my mind wondered what, if any, extra benefits this Circle might bring beyond granting a place to speak with heirs of the Clans and Houses. There was logic in their being such a group at Hogwarts, even if I had not expected there to be one, and already I could see the logic of its existence, and which I might, with time and effort, help prepare those who one day become Chiefs and Lords for what was coming, and the world I wished to create in the aftermath. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I walked through the corridors of Hogwarts¡¯ dungeon, making my way back to the Slytherin chambers from the library. There I had been teaching and guiding Andrew MacLeod in the ways of the Wizarding world. Bradley Cooper was also present, and Andrew¡¯s fellow muggleborn acted as a reassuring voice and guide while I trained Andrew. The muggleborn with my clan name had potential, in theory, to be useful to me, both at Hogwarts and going beyond that, and I was willing to delay a decision on his status of becoming my vassal or forcing him and his brother Ewan to become ¡®Nemo¡¯ as they lost their family name. If it had just been Ewan alone, then I¡¯d have brought in the lawyers and submitted the paperwork to the Ministry during the first week of school. The elder muggleborn MacLeod was, in simple terms, an arse. One almost entirely unworthy of having any association with my Clan. His only redeeming feature was his curious nature and while he didn¡¯t come to the tutoring sessions with his brother and Bradley, he had a list of questions that Andrew passed me during each session. I could¡¯ve ignored those questions or answered them in ways that hid some of the truth from him in an attempt to deceive Ewan into believing that there was nothing wrong with being a muggleborn in the Magical World. However, I didn¡¯t. I felt that being honest, talking about the issues muggleborns faced and how they might be ¨C with gentle pressure and effort ¨C corrected to make a fairer society for all. This way, when he learnt the truth of how our world worked, he¡¯d not feel I was lying to him. In theory, that would make him more open-minded to my teachings, though I had my doubts. Still, if his dislike for me eased because I answered his questions honestly, or at the very least, he toned down his distaste for the Magical World, then I¡¯d take it. Getting him onside wasn¡¯t my intention with this project, Andrew was.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Andrew was more open-minded ¨C or possibly just less corrupted by the idea that Slytherin and pureblood meant bad to muggleborns. That was why I¡¯d suggested during our first meeting to speak with Bradley, and why after Andrew said he wanted to learn about our world, his fellow muggleborn had joined the tutoring sessions. Beyond the fact that creating loyalty in muggleborns in my year ¨C and hopefully other years at Hogwarts ¨C would show I wasn¡¯t the Dark Lord many might expect from a Slytherin, it would begin to lay the groundwork for the path I intended to take after Hogwarts. Walking a line between Dumbledore and Voldemort was going to be difficult ¨C holding the centre against extremists on both sides always was ¨C but it was the path that granted me the highest chance to survive what was coming as something other than a minion of two people whose ideals with which I couldn¡¯t entirely accept. The other side benefit of tutoring and guiding Andrew in learning and accepting the ways of the Wizarding World was that it gave me another person to experiment upon before I met Lily Evans. I had my plan in place for arranging that first meeting with her, and with Severus Snape, but if I could harness an image of an open-minded pureblood ¨C though not one who felt the current order had to be pulled down and replaced by something styled on the muggle world ¨C it would help make her more receptive toward my attempts to bring her under my sway. Concerning that, Kadic had, after I¡¯d gained the address for Ewan and Andrew¡¯s home, cast the same spell over their dwelling as he had with Bradley¡¯s parents. There, while early in the year, I was beginning to see rewards. His father had always been uncomfortable about magic, yet in the weeks leading up to the school term starting, he had become more openly aggressive against the idea of magic. Not so much that he would do anything towards Bradley, but enough that Bradley had arrived at Hogwarts a little concerned about how his father would react, and once he started to settle, Bradley was quickly coming around to accepting this was his world now, and not that of the muggles. The spell Kadic had used was one designed to stir up anti-magic sentiments. It was weak, barely there, but constant exposure to the magic ¨C which I was pleased to have discovered after Kadic cast it twice, wasn¡¯t detected by the Ministry ¨C would slowly corrupt muggles, generating dislike, distrust and eventually hatred toward any and all things magical, even their family. Kadic had to recast the spell every month or so, as making anything permanent might be detected by the Ministry, and my skills with runes were currently far from ready to create something that could duplicate Kadic¡¯s spell. However, I hoped in the next year or so to have a small runed object ¨C something the size of a tennis ball ¨C to be prepared and then left at the homes of the muggles I wanted to develop a hatred of magic. I would just have to be cautious that the devices were hard to detect with either muggle or magical methods. As I walked, I saw Lucus Malfoy moving in the corridors, gathered not far from the Slytherin chambers along with about ten others. I offered Lucius a nod as we passed which he returned, but neither of us moved to interact. Our social circles, while linked via Slytherin and the Circulus Heredum were different. He was the clear leader of his year of snakes ¨C which included Narcissa Black ¨C and while our interactions had been limited, we seemed to have a gentle understanding. However, until the end of the first year, and the final tables of how everyone in the school was doing, I doubted his interest in a potential alliance within Slytherin would become apparent. The same was true with those who sat atop the other years in Slytherin, though I did note that often it was the heirs or firstborns ¨C boys and girls ¨C of heirs who held those positions. That explained why Professor Morgan had chosen me and the others as the initial top ten. As I arrived at the entrance to the Slytherin chambers, the wall shifted, and the massive stone snake slithered around to form the arch where the door lay. ¡ìWelcome child of Slytherin. ¡ì The snake hissed, though I knew only myself ¨C and however many other Parselmouths might be in Hogwarts ¨C could understand it. Ever since first hearing it speak, I¡¯d been curious about it, and the other stone snakes that were part of the architecture of Hogwarts. While most of those snakes were in the dungeons near the Slytherin chambers, there were some in other locations, even at the top of the various towers. Some bore the same mark as the statue of Salazar Slytherin that was near my dorms, suggesting they were entrances to either tunnels the Founder had put in place, or possibly passageways that linked to the Chamber of Secrets. I¡¯d tried speaking Parseltongue to several of these stone snakes, making sure there was no one around before doing so. I¡¯d yet to get any to respond to my requests, even asking those with markings on them didn¡¯t react to commands to open or reveal their secrets. That wasn¡¯t deterring me, however. The idea that Slytherin had used simple commands to activate whatever enchantments he¡¯d placed on anything, such as simply saying ¡®open¡¯ to reveal the entrance to the Chamber in the second-floor girl¡¯s bathroom, had always struck me as idiotic. Parselmouths weren¡¯t, I suspected, as rare as many might believe, so having secret passageways secured with basic commands would leave your secrets exposed to another Parseltongue. No, there had to be passphrases or codewords that I needed. However, without a point of reference, I couldn¡¯t determine what they might be. Nor could I admit after nearly a month at Hogwarts, had I attempted to open the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in the girl¡¯s bathroom. Not only was it better to keep that place hidden from others, but I wasn¡¯t anywhere close to being ready to take on a basilisk, one that if it had been placed there when Slytherin had been at Hogwarts, would be over a thousand years old. Still, the lack of success in getting any of the stone snakes to respond to me wasn¡¯t putting me off. Though I¡¯d yet to speak to the snake at the entrance to the Slytherin chambers. While it was the only one I¡¯d seen move and speak; the fact was the area around it was always crawling with other Slytherin students. I didn¡¯t want word getting out that I was a Parselmouth. Not until my base of power was far more secure, at least, if never all. The less others knew about me, the more tools I had that I could potentially use against them if they became a threat. ¡°Excellentia non est scientia,¡± I said quietly using this week¡¯s passcode, as I moved toward the wall. Yes, the other students around me appeared to be fellow Slytherins, but it was wiser to assume some of them weren¡¯t and were seeking access to the chambers. That lesson had been ingrained in me and the other First Years during our first week at Hogwarts and I saw no reason to break from it now. I stepped through the door and began the descent toward the foyer area of the chambers. As I reached there I saw several of my yearmates and others I knew mingling around. A few nods were all that was required for me to acknowledge them and then move on. I had little reason this evening to mingle, preferring to return to my room and sort out my notes and assignments for tomorrow. There was nothing new in the lessons, but I still took notes, mainly when a professor hinted at something not covered in the course material so that I could research it later and see if it might be of use to me to learn. As for the assignments, none so far had come close to anything I¡¯d done for my tutors in the years before Hogwarts, nor did I expect them to as the material being covered was extremely basic. ¡°Well look what we have here. The muggle lover.¡± I stop mid-step at hearing a familiar, and annoying, voice and as I turn around I find Amycus walking toward me. With him are six other students from our year, all ranked lower and of far less standing than me. It didn¡¯t take an Unspeakable to determine that those who were following Amycus around in the hopes of earning something simply from kissing his arse. Around us, several of those in the foyer turned our way, sensing a confrontation. None made any move to intervene, choosing instead to watch the dynamic of power play out. There had been a few instances of this since the year, mainly between students jostling for rank in the house and year, but most had taken place privately. For Amycus to challenge me so publicly, he must feel assured of winning the coming confrontation, and given his mention of muggles, I knew exactly what this was about. ¡°I would have expected you to understand your place, Carrow,¡± I said as I turned to face him and his cronies. They wouldn¡¯t attack with magic; the size of the group moving toward me, and the public location ensured that such a display would serve little use to elevating Amycus¡¯ standing. With the duelling rooms barred to First Years, it would also see all of us brought before the Professors if our wands were drawn and used. ¡°I had expected that after your performances in the first tables, you might begin to realise your station was not as a leader but as a faithful dog. However, it seems I am sadly mistaken.¡± Amicus paused and his eyes narrowed dangerously. For a moment I thought he might draw his wand. Sadly, it seemed he had enough sanity to not commit such an error. ¡°It is not I who is mistaken, but MacLeod, for believing you deserve to be in the house of those to understand that those of standing and power deserve to stand above those without it. You are the one who chooses to spend his evening cavorting with muggles instead of with your own kind.¡± ¡°Once again you display a lack of knowledge, or perhaps intelligence, Carrow. Andrew MacLeod, his brother, and others are not muggles. They are muggleborns.¡± As I spoke, I noted that several others were turning our way, intrigued by the standoff between myself and Amycus. ¡°Muggleborn or muggles, they¡¯re all the same. They came from mud and that is where they should stay.¡± Those with him, and I noted, a few others in the foyer, nodded in agreement. While disappointing, the faces of everyone who seemed to agree with Amycus imprinted in my mind as potential issues I might have to either take down or remove in the coming years. It was unlikely I could gain everyone in Slytherin under my sway before I graduated ¨C particularly the older students ¨C but the fewer potential followers Voldemort could recruit the better my chances of surviving what was coming. The same went for those who¡¯d back Dumbledore to a degree; the biggest difference being that until later in the war ¨C at least in the other timeline ¨C Dumbledore had been reluctant to allow his minions. ¡°I must say I¡¯m disappointed in such a narrow-minded view, Carrow. Did no one ever tell you that from mud, bricks for walls, like those in this castle, or works of art can be created? To dismiss that mud could be crafted into something of value is incredibly shortsighted. Besides, if the mud, as you casually refer to them, is useless, then why are they here instead of those, unlike ourselves who are assured of places, born with magical parentage?¡± Carrow glared back at me, seemingly not expecting me to defend my time spent tutoring Andrew and Bradley as I had. It wasn¡¯t the spiel one would expect from Dumbledore or his backers, which was what most purebloods, and those who believed in the magical world being better than muggle one, would expect. ¡°Mud is mud.¡± That came from Stephen Nott, one of those with Amycus. He wasn¡¯t from the main branch of House Nott, instead being a cadet branch. With no major prospects in his house, it made sense he, and those like him who were backing Carrow would choose to ally with someone who did so that as he rose in statute, they had the chance to rise with him. ¡°And blood is blood, which makes it surprising that you are standing with the heir to House Carrow, Nott. However, given your performance in class and elsewhere, not a huge surprise. Sediment does seem to gather together when it can.¡± Nott bristled at my words, as did Amycus and the others but before they could respond another voice cut in. ¡°Bar those like yourself, MacLeod, and Carrow there, the rest of us are here as we have the highest potential for magic of the children born in our year.¡± I turned to the source of the voice and saw Vesta Malfoy standing with others ¨C including two of the other girls Professor Morgan had marked out on your first night in Slytherin ¨C watching the exchange between myself and Amycus with interest. ¡°We are here to unlock that potential and achieve our desires.¡± ¡°Indeed, Miss Malfoy. You carry great potential,¡± I replied with a nod in support of her words. That earned me a smile that carried a hint of interest in something about me. Putting that aside, I turned back to Amycus to continue my point. ¡°Now, considering that the muggleborns that are at Hogwarts have the same potential as everyone else, and thus are mud that has the capacity to become something other than plain average pottery, would it not behove us to mould them in ways that could benefit our world instead of ostracising them, and risk them attempting, not succeeding I should state but attempting, to bring down our society?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll never be capable of doing that, MacLeod,¡± Amycus retorted, ¡°to believe that is folly of the highest order.¡± I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°I literally said they would not succeed, Carrow. Have you taken leave of your facilities, or do you just hear what you want and ignore the rest?¡± I waved my hand, pushing the point aside ¨Cto not grant him the chance to respond ¨C and kept going. ¡°However, let us consider your idea that as they come from mud, the muggleborns should not be present at Hogwarts. I assume that would mean replacing them with those born in our world. With those of pure magical blood?¡± ¡°Yes. Only those who understand the way things should be, of proper standing, and who know their place should be allowed within these hallowed walls.¡± Amycus sounded proud of his words, and I noted that many were nodding in agreement. However, just as many weren¡¯t ¨C particularly those from the higher years ¨C and I wondered if they saw the flaw in Amycus¡¯ idea that I was about to exploit to shatter his argument and, at least for the time being, push away concerns many might have with my spending time with a few muggleborns. ¡°By your statement, I assume you mean those that espouse the values of this great house?¡± I asked, spreading my arms wide to indicate Slytherin. ¡°Yes. The rest, while having potential, exist only to prove our superiority.¡± ¡°Then let us consider the logistics of your proposal, shall we?¡± I started walking from side to side, mimicking a professor lecturing to undisciplined students. ¡°If we remove all the muggleborns in Hogwarts, we¡¯re talking about, at a rough guess, fifty to a hundred students per year. Now, if we replace them with the students you propose, then I assume they would all be sorted into Slytherin?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Amycus responded quickly, stepping toward me and trying to draw support for his stance. ¡°Only those who understand that purebloods should rule should attend Hogwarts.¡± Around the foyer, I saw a few students still agreeing with him, but most seemed disenfranchised by Amycus¡¯ suggestion. I paused in my walking and looked at him carefully before sighing and then shaking my head. ¡°So, you are stating that you wish to allow those of limited potential into the ranks of our great house? That you wish to dilute the quality and excellence of our ranks with those weaker and incapable of matching our potential? That you wish to weaken the standard of the great house that Salazar Slytherin created simply to appease your ego?¡± Amycus stepped toward me, ready to respond. However, he stopped, his mouth hanging open slightly as he understood the trap I¡¯d led him into. He was educated well, like any in our year, but I had the experience of adulthood and decades of understanding of how to think beyond my gaze with which to rip him apart in a debate such as this. Now, I understood that many would still dislike me spending time with Andrew and Bradley ¨C and potentially more if Bradley¡¯s hints that other muggleborns wished to learn about the Wizarding World and how to move within it ¨C but I felt would grant me some additional leeway to continue, as many might see it, a flawed experiment. ¡°It is disappointing to hear a desire to weaken the foundations of our glorious house with those lacking the potential to be accepted into it.¡± I paused and allowed a grin to creep onto my face. ¡°This¡­ desire to accept any and all into our house is more suited to a badger than a snake, Carrow.¡± I saw his fists clench, the insult cutting deep, yet he knew he¡¯d lost the argument and that any action taken now would only further undermine his position in the house and our year. Not that, it should be said, he had much to begin with, and I was amused to see several of those who had come with him to support his confronting me back way, subtly removing their support from him. Knowing the debate, if one could call it that, was over, I turned and headed toward the corridor that led to my dormitory. I still had my assignments to look over one final time before they were due tomorrow. ¡°Your logic is sound,¡± I heard another familiar voice say as I entered the passageway to my dorm, ¡°however, it doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that you are both spending time with muggleborns ¨C even those who bear your clan name ¨C and that you suggest you are accepting of muggleborns being present in Hogwarts.¡± I turned to the speaker, who¡¯d spoken quietly enough that their voice hadn¡¯t carried to everyone in the foyer, to see it was Lucius Malfoy. I had not seen him enter the foyer, but with my focus on Amycus, it seemed he had slipped in behind me and overheard enough of the debate to be willing to offer an opinion. ¡°As I said, they have the same potential as any other student here, though they lack the standing and breeding of those such as ourselves.¡± Lucius lowered his head, accepting that point. ¡°I admit that it is unlikely that many of the muggleborns will amount to anything in their life, but I could say the same of many in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Is it not better to see if for every hundred muggleborns fail to become something more than simple coal, we could craft a single diamond? Should we not work to ensure that they understand the way of our world, and thus do not attempt to undermine and weaken us either with the support of, or indirectly helping the true threat to our people? That of the muggles.¡± Lucius considered my words for a moment. ¡°You wish to turn the muggleborns with your clan name into pawns for some game you are playing?¡± ¡°In a sense, yes.¡± ¡°I do not believe the effort is worth it, nor that a single drop of their blood will bring anything of worth to our world. However, I find myself willing to observe how your experiment proceeds.¡± He moved closer and offered me a look suggesting there was more he wished to discuss. ¡°I could even if you so wished, find time in my schedule so that we might debate the matter further. Your ideas are flawed, but perhaps there is an¡­ opportunity to alter perceptions of those new to our world. At least enough that they do not become a nuisance that needs to be removed.¡± ¡°I would be honoured to have such discussions with you, Heir Malfoy, and to explain other matters.¡± Shifting Lucius¡¯ opinions on various matters could, with work, help turn him from one of Voldemort¡¯s strongest supporters into my ally. It would be difficult, but it was definitely worth the effort, and it might well grant me access to others who could be turned from Voldemort¡¯s side. Not Amycus though, or those like him. They were, while still young, little better than blinkered horses, unable to see the world outside their narrow, limited view. They were bound to serve Voldemort, just as those like James Potter ¨C and I suspected even after my best efforts, Sirius Black ¨C would back Dumbledore to a hilt. What I had to do was work the middle ground, find those open to a path that didn¡¯t require either blind obedience, or pathetic inactiveness, and create a force to, if not outright win the coming war, then grant me a chance to influence the aftermath. ¡­ ¡­
¡­ ¡­ I walked around the grounds to the north of Hogwarts, on a late but unexpectedly mild October evening, in the gap between the castle itself and the wall that ran from the banks of the Black Lake to the cliffs beyond the quidditch pitch. That wall was a sign that when Hogwarts was built it wasn¡¯t purely as a school for magical children. One doesn¡¯t build a bailey with towers and crenulations without the intent for them to potentially be used in the defence of the location. Now, the wall was small, barely two stories high at its peak, but I suspected that in its heyday, magic allowed it to be a far more effective barrier. Merlin, it might still be capable of doing so, but the fact sections of the wall were damaged so that someone could see, and in theory, walk through, suggested the magic in them was if not gone, then long dormant. It was toward that wall and the sections where I could see what lay beyond that I was head on this night as the moon waxed high above. Around the grounds, I saw other students ambling and lazing about. Most were involved in discussions with their friends, or playing Gobstones or other simple games. Some were crouched over in a seat ¨C be it one intended for such a purpose or a temporary location ¨C reading whatever had taken their fancy while a handful of older students were enjoying the company of another. One or two, I saw as I walked, using a shaded section of the grounds to do more than just fraternise. None of them, however, had my attention, nor did the large quidditch stadium that lay up the hill from the castle, near the cliffs against which the wall ended. I¡¯d been inside the stadium several times now, enjoying the games of quidditch that took place each weekend, though I had no interest in joining the teams next year. While my initial issues with flying on a broom had been overcome, and I found peace being high above the grounds, looking down on the muggles as they scurried about like ants, the game had never gained any appeal with me. However, it was half-expected that I attend and support my house. Unlike in the other timeline, due to the large size of the student body in my Hogwarts, each house had four teams. Two were composed of students from Second through Fourth Year, and two from Fifth Year upwards. In theory, the teams should be balanced but they seldom were, with the first team of the junior and senior leagues being the older and thus generally better players and the second team made up of younger students and backups. The teams from one house couldn¡¯t compete against each other ¨C to avoid accusations of cheating ¨C but otherwise, the system was simple. Each team would play the other six in their level three times, and at the end of the year, the two top teams would face off for the quidditch cups. The team that finished higher was granted bonus points representing the gap in the standings, forcing the other team to have to attack heavily if they wished to steal the cup away from the other team. So far only the junior teams had played each other, and while the Slytherin Three ¨C the better of the two junior teams ¨C had won both its games, Slytherin Four sat one win and one loss, but there was a lot of time still to go before the champions were named and points earned for the Grand House Cup. For the First Year Cup, I sat second in Slytherin behind Penelope Parkinson, the youngest daughter of the current Lord Parkinson, in points earned. The rest of our yearmates were doing well with earning points as well, and we sat about fifty points behind Ravenclaw. The reason we were behind was entirely down to Stephen Nott. The son of a branch of House Nott had not only used the term ¡®mudblood¡¯ in public but done so near a muggleborn professor. The week-long detention had been easier for Nott than the distaste everyone held for him for costing us a hundred points and the lead for the First Year House Cup. The other years were doing well, with only the Third Year Slytherins lower than second in their cup table. The one place where Slytherin was if not dominating, then at least the clear leader was the duelling cups. The sword-duelling groups were dominated by boys born into Ancient Clans and Houses, and since many of those families were pureblood, or espoused beliefs that supported their position at the top of society, such boys found themselves most often in Slytherin. So much so that both champions ¨C again there was a divide based on age ¨C had been Slytherins. The Senior champion had graduated, while the Junior champion had moved into Fifth Year and was now competing in the Senior circuit. The wand duelling competitors were more evenly spread through the four houses of Hogwarts, and while the Senior Duellist had been a Gryffindor ¨C he had graduated ¨C the Junior champion had been not only a Slytherin but one I knew reasonably well. Bellatrix Black had won the title two years running, joining a very select list of Third Years to be crowned Junior Duelling Champion, though with her now moving into Fifth Year, her title was up for grabs. However, as much as I wished to join both duelling clubs I would have to wait until next year to take part as they, like positions on the quidditch teams, weren¡¯t open to First Years. There were other clubs in Hogwarts, some affecting the Grand House Cup and others not, but things such as gobstones and the like held little interest to me. Additionally, I had other pursuits that held my focus, one of which was why I was out here tonight, with the other major one being learning magic for Eradicator¡¯s Grasp and destructive magic. The Path of Destruction by Banidar Vlidmar was an enlightening read. I only brought the book out when I was assured of being alone ¨C such as inside my chest ¨C however what Banidar hinted at, what he suggested was possible with destructive magic was incredible and terrifying. I understood clearly that I was years, possibly even decades from being able to unleash even half of the chaos he spoke of, of attempting the greatest of the spells he¡¯d created, never mind designing my own. Yet, for all that, the book fascinated me. As did the concept of shadow magic via the Embrace of Shadows. I¡¯d finally over the last summer managed to start manipulating shadows and shade around me. It wasn¡¯t much, just altering their shape and size by channelling the magic flowing through me into them, but it was a start; one that had inspired me to push harder to learn more about this unusual, and based on the fact there were scant few books on the subject rather rare branch of magic. It had taken time, but I felt that a few nights ago I¡¯d had an epiphany, and after that not only had it seemed easier to manipulate shadows, but that there was something more to them, something deeper inside them. Taking a chance on Sunday evening, I¡¯d pushed my hand into a shadow in my dorm, watching it sink in as an odd sensation rippled over my skin. Before I¡¯d been able to go further, however, Lasadh and Godwine entered the room. The same issue had crept up during the week whenever I¡¯d attempted to do more than sink my hand into a shadow, which was why not, on this mild Friday evening, I was heading to an isolated spot near the wall of Hogwarts. Beyond the abundance of shadows that existed here at night, it was a generally isolated area of the grounds available to First Years, and thus I was unlikely to be disturbed by other students while I pushed the boundaries of what I knew and could do. The wall was the boundary on the northern side of the castle beyond which First Years weren¡¯t permitted to head. And while the wall itself wouldn¡¯t stop anyone from getting past, and thus heading on to Hogsmeade, nearby hamlets, the Forbidden Forest, or any other location nearby, the ward placed on the wall did. The ward had been explained to us on our first day in Hogwarts, as something simple that was designed to prevent us from leaving the grounds. It wouldn¡¯t hurt us but would ensure that we wouldn¡¯t be able to cross the boundary. While we were told that it would be possible to overcome the boundary once we were in Second Year, I felt that was a misdirection; that being able to cross the boundary was linked to unlocking the second pathway of the magic that flowed through us. From all my lessons, tutoring sessions, and private readings, a new pathway generally opens each year between the ages of twelve and seventeen. The timing varied based on the physical and mental maturity of the individual, but the rule of one new pathway each year was the standard. However, given my mind was a blending of one my physical age with another far older, I felt I had an advantage there, along with my potential being at the upper echelons of what was possible. I knew I wasn¡¯t there yet, but I expected to unlock the second pathway before the end of term, about half a month before my birthday. That, however, was a matter for another day. What was my focus this evening was my shadow magic and what lay beyond the skin of shade. Before then, however, I wished to examine this barrier keeping me inside the grounds of Hogwarts. I moved toward the wall, extending an arm in front of me. With my eyes closed, I tried to sense the magic in the boundary ward, seeking to understand it. It took a few steps before I felt the magic of the castle pushing back against mine, trying to restrict my movements. It wasn¡¯t trying to hurt me, just persuade me to stop and turn back. Curious, I shuffled forward more, sensing as the ward grew firmer and more insistent in its demands. I could feel myself struggling to move, the ward both hindering my forward movement and pushing against my mind, pleading and then demanding that I turn back. Another few steps and I felt the pressure grow, my breaths harder to take and my movements slowing. The barrier grows ever more insistent that I turn back, and I can feel it now actively seeking to make me do so. Yet, for all its efforts, I find myself straining to advance, sensing that while I was close, I couldn¡¯t yet overcome the barrier, couldn¡¯t leave the inner grounds of Hogwarts. I slid back, taking a deep breath as I felt the boundary ward lessen its influence over my magic. ¡°Interesting,¡± I murmured. As I¡¯d expected the barrier was one designed not to hurt but to stop anyone crossing it, but if one was even remotely powerful enough, then it couldn¡¯t contain them. That increased my desire to unlock my second pathway and see if that would be enough to allow me to overpower the ward and slip beyond the inner grounds of Hogwarts. It was likely that there were other wards and barriers in other places ¨C the Forbidden Forest being an obvious example ¨C but I wouldn¡¯t know until I came near them. However, if my thoughts about Shadow Magic were true, then such wards and others like them ¨C but probably not those around an older estate or castle and certainly not war wards at full power ¨C wouldn¡¯t pose an issue to any desire I had to enter a location. I moved away from the wall, finding a group of trees that not only half-hid me from the sight of anyone on the nearby paths but created dozens of shadows on the ground. Many touched each other, creating a huge form for me to interact with. That was useful, but first I was going to use a smaller shadow, one hidden on the back of the tree. It was about half as tall as I was and less than that in width. I closed my eyes and reached forward, pressing my hand against the surface. There, as in my dorm and elsewhere, I felt a faint response. As if a liquid barrier was caressing my palm. Pushing forward, I felt my hand slip into the liquid and when I opened my eyes, I saw that everything beyond the wrist was now inside the shadow. Fighting off the need to laugh at feeling this sensation again, I step toward the tree, watching as more of my arm slips into the shadow, disappearing beneath its still blackness. Once nearer, I tentatively reach out with a foot, pushing against it and then into the shadow. Rocking forward slightly, I tested the other side, unsure what, if any surface lay through this portal of darkness. As I felt something push back against the sole of my shoe, I knew there was purchase on the other side of the portal, but this shadow was too small for me to enter through, which was exactly why I¡¯d chosen it. I pulled my foot and arm back, feeling the odd, and yet not entirely unknown, magic of whatever lay inside the portal brush over the limbs until, after a few seconds, I had both of them back in the real world. With a wide smile on my face, one that others might well consider deranged or concerning, I moved toward a larger shadow in this small grove of trees, one that was on the ground. Laying down on the ground, I took a breath before closing my eyes and pushing my head toward the shadow. As the tip of my nose brushed against the surface of darkness, I felt the same magic that had brushed over my arm and leg. Deciding it was worth the risk; I pushed my head through. I gasped, just barely keeping my mouth closed as I did so, at feeling this new magic, yet one that felt both familiar and right, washed over my skull. Once my head was fully inside the portal, I opened my eyes. The world around me was, as I¡¯d expected, black, and yet I could see, in a sense. Everything was dark, yet there were shades to the darkness, subtly to the blackness, such that I could make out roughly what was around me. There were no trees, walls, or castle as I knew were around the rest of my body in the real world. Yet there was a sense of what was where, and as I looked deeper into this new Shadow-Realm, I saw something. Well, lots of things really. All around me, above, below, left, and right were shimmering flickers of energy. Possibly even light. On some instinctive level, I understood that these were other portals leading to the other shadows around me in the real world. There was a desire to push further into this shadow, to fall into the Shadow-Realm but that felt dangerous. There was a chance, based on how this shadow was positioned on the ground, that I might struggle to get back out once I fully entered the Shadow-Realm. I pulled my head back through the barrier between realms, keeping my eyes and mouth closed since I didn¡¯t know what might happen or how the shift from Shadow-Realm to the real world might affect my sight and taste. Nothing happened with my sense of smell or hearing, but I wasn¡¯t going to risk damaging my eyes or mouth as they were far more important. Once back in the real world, I rolled to one side and looked up at the stars. The sky shone back at me, stars twinkling from almost unfathomable distances away, while nebula and other objects added their brilliance to the spectacle. Yet, for all the radiance of the night¡¯s sky, my mind was still marvelling at my fight sight of the Shadow-Realm, and the truly alien but oddly recognisable majesty of it. Once I¡¯d recovered from my wonder at seeing the Shadow-Realm ¨C I¡¯d come up with a better name in the future, but that would do for now ¨C I sat up and looked around. Seeing what I needed, I moved toward that shadow. It was still hidden in the small grove I was in, but critically was a vertical shadow that was wide enough for me to, in theory, crawl through. Yes, stepping into the Shadow Realm was a risk, but I felt safe in doing so, and I might not get a better night than tonight given that from late October this area of Scotland was renowned for getting cold, wet, and windy as winter drew nearer. I moved cautiously toward and then through the shadow. Once one foot was in the Shadow Realm, and I felt something solid ¨C though I couldn¡¯t see anything ¨C under my feet, I moved more of my body into the Realm. Eventually, I had everything but my hand inside the Shadow Realm, and I looked around in wonder. For a long time, I stood there, every part of me but my hand inside this new realm, trying to see and learn what I could. The cold and rational part of my mind, the one protected by Occlumency, told me that this was far enough for tonight. That I could come back tomorrow, or go elsewhere and push further on another day. However, that spark of interest, that need to know that had many wondering if I might end up in Ravenclaw, wanted me to push further; to step into the unknown, and it was that spark that won out. As my hand slipped through the portal, bringing me entirely into the Shadow-Realm I tensed; fearful of what might happen. Yet, as I stood there, on ground I couldn¡¯t see, nothing did. I took slow breaths, keeping calm while my mind ensured I didn¡¯t panic at finding myself in a realm composed ¨C bar the sprinkles of light from the various portals back to the real world ¨C entirely of seeming nothingness. There was no ground, no obvious way to orient myself or understand how to move from point to point, from portal to portal, yet I wasn¡¯t panicking as I¡¯d expected. It was almost as if this realm was a part of me, possibly a side effect of the Embrace of Shadows perk. Looking around, the sparkles of energy drew my attention, and I moved forward cautiously, uncertain of my footing when there was nothing to step on, toward the nearest one. It shimmered with flickering specks of light. While those weren¡¯t bright, I caught enough in the flickers to know that what was on the other side were the grounds of Hogwarts. Most of the portals were too small to do anything with, but several seemed large enough for me to push through. Moving toward one nearby, which if there was any correlation to the real world would still be in the grove of trees, I lifted my hand and placed it against the portal. Unlike with those in the real world where it felt like I had to push through water to get into the Shadow-Realm, this time the portal pulled my hand in. I let my head go through as well, wanting to confirm where I was. ¡°Shit!¡± I spat out as I found myself looking straight down at the ground, about four metres above it. I panicked for a moment before calming, knowing that the rest of my body wasn¡¯t here, and thus I couldn¡¯t fall. Once accepting of my location, I looked around. This shadow was produced by a section of broken wall, not far from where I¡¯d entered the Shadow-Realm, yet the distance in the real world was, at a guess as I had no way currently to know for sure, easily five times the distance between the two portals in the Shadow-Realm. That was concerning as it hinted that I¡¯d have to spend time judging each portal before exiting fully. Not just to have the right orientation, but to ensure I came out where I wanted. I pulled my head and arm back into the Shadow-Realm and looked around. I was still reasonably certain of where the portal I¡¯d used to enter was. An almost sixth sense told me that, which I had to assume was how this realm worked when I entered it to help ensure I didn¡¯t get lost. However, I had little evidence to support my theory. Still, I would have to be extra careful before stepping through a portal as I didn¡¯t want to suffer a nasty accident or worse because of a mistake. I moved around slowly, taking my time to look at the energy flickers of each portal, trying to determine where each one lay. With everything outside being dark and the distance between portals not consistent between the realms, it was hard to be entirely sure of which portal might be worth exiting through. I stopped at one portal as what appeared to be the wall around Hogwarts, specifically with the castle behind them, seemingly appeared in the flickers of energy dancing over the portal¡¯s surface. I stood there, watching the rippling energy of the portal, seeking confirmation that this portal ¨C which was not that far from where I¡¯d entered the Realm ¨C opened beyond the boundary ward. That was what I¡¯d been hoping to discover tonight. Once I was sure the portal was beyond the boundary ward, I pushed my head through the portal and looked around. I was closer to the ground this time, perhaps a metre above it, and the grass below me would ensure a soft landing. However, as much as the desire to simply walk out the portal and emerge beyond Hogwarts wall, I didn¡¯t. That was too great a risk. Something that was proven as I heard voices approaching. I pulled my head back into the Shadow-Realm and felt a grin that would scare many spread over my face. ¡°YES!¡± My voice raced away from me, carried somehow into the realm I enjoyed the moment. I now had a way to get around the boundary ward, and in theory, other wards protecting other locations. However, that was a matter for much later on. For now, the simple fact I could slip from the grounds without being seen was going to be extremely useful. With the primary reason to enter the Shadow-Realm now proven to work, I decided to begin exploring. The various portals all seemed to open nearby, but as I¡¯d noted before, the distance between them here didn¡¯t correlate with distances in the real world. Nor, I quickly noted, alignment. Many of the portals appeared to open at angles that would be tricky to challenging to handle once back in the real world. Yet as I moved further away from where I¡¯d entered the realm ¨C I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew, but I did know which portal I¡¯d come through ¨C it became harder to move. Not like with the ward pushing me back, but as if I were being pulled back. A few more steps and I almost fell, the nothingness that was supporting me suddenly not doing so. Frowning, I look around, trying to determine what has happened. It took me a few moments to understand that I was seemingly tied to my entrance portal and that I couldn¡¯t go further without first exiting through a nearby portal. I was certain this was what was going on, and that with time and training, I could go further. I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew that, but like much of what I knew about the Shadow-Realm, I just instinctively knew. Understanding that limitation, and feeling that I¡¯d spent enough time within this realm, perhaps too long, I returned to the portal I¡¯d entered through, guided by the same tug that had limited the distance I could move away from it. I stepped through easily, feeling more comfortable with my movement. However, I realised I wasn¡¯t as skilled as I believed. My foot caught on a root that was partially exposed, and I went face-first into the dirt. I coughed as I recovered, spitting out dirt that had entered my mouth. ¡°Bloody hell,¡± I cursed as I used my sleeve to wipe my face clear of the dirt. After doing that, I stood and wiped myself down, irritated at the contemptible exit from the portal. Yet as soon as I finished, I fell back to the ground, my limbs unable to move as I found myself bound in bands of black. ¡°How did you do that?¡± I heard a female voice say as I struggled against the bands even as I understood they were cast with shadow magic. Footsteps came closer to me, and I heard the girl tsk. ¡°MacLeod. I had hoped you knew nothing, but it seems you are aware of the Fearann ????na Sc¨¢thanna.¡± My body was turned around and lifted, bringing me face to face with my captor. Based on her robes she was a Fifth-Year Ravenclaw, with hair so brilliantly red it appeared to be ablaze. That image was countered by her blue eyes which seemed colder than the coldest tundra. ¡°Let us discuss your recent discovery, and what it might mean for us going forward,¡± She said before turning on her heel and walking toward the centre of the grove I¡¯d been using to access the Shadow-Realm. As my body turned, guided by the bands of shadow that held me tight, and that I couldn¡¯t overcome, I watched as she headed toward the largest shadow on the ground. She paused and offered me a teasing smile before descending into the portal as if walking down a flight of stairs. My mouth dropped open, surprised, intrigued, and even a little excited by the display of control she had over entering the Shadow¡­ No, she called it Fearann na Sc¨¢thanna, so that was what I¡¯d do. The words were Gaelic, Irish Gaelic if I was correct, but I wasn¡¯t certain of their meaning as I was dragged along behind her, slipping into the Fearann na Sc¨¢thanna and being engulfed in its blacky embrace once again. ¡­ ¡­
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